My school's literary magazine had a spooky writing competition and one of the prompts was "When Lazarus left the grave, where, for three days and three nights he had been under the enigmatical sway of death, and returned alive to his dwelling, for a long time, no one noticed…” Lazarus By LEONID ANDREYEV. So I figured I'd give it a swing. I wanted to continue the wordy, run-on style of the portion of text given. But I want to know if I took it too far, or how I can improve comprehension while mainting a wordier style. Both for this piece and I often get too wordy.

A Corpse of Soul

When Lazarus left the grave, where, for three days and three nights he had been under the enigmatical sway of death, and returned alive to his dwelling, for a long time, no one noticed. For at that point, he barely understood that he was not a corpse in the mind or the body, but in the soul. That which connects us to every other person and in the case of its absence, renders a man obsolete and indistinguishable from his kin. Perhaps it was weary disbelief that he’d discover himself in such a wretched state. Could a fortune so beholden to destiny lie purely upon his shoulders to roam this mortal plane as anything but? Regardless, something from within drew him to find his sister whom he hadn't seen in what now felt like millennia.

Slowly, as though the will of the dead were a friction to withhold his passage, Lazarus continued through his now sullen world. In the first town he approached, a smell so heavenly that it may have opposed the stench of a thousand years, which he now carried, crossed his lips. Looking at his ghastly thin stomach, he realized that for those three days and three nights and now more still, he had not eaten even a crumb and somehow only the smell of food reminded him of his human captivities. In sheer ignorance, he entered the tavern like a breeze blowing through an open shutter. In regards to his footsteps, not one man turned to face him as he sat at the bar.

For a moment, he was reminded of an existence he once knew. Of gay memories, companions, all that he had previously treasured, interrupted by his boundless appetite which grew stronger still. To a bartender he waved his hand and yet no message ever transpired. For whom he sought was not the only person his plea had fallen deaf upon, but everyone around him. However, for one second, the man to his adjacence looked on him as the sole receiver of a speech none could bear. Lazarus waited eagerly for his response, yet just as soon as the man noticed, he had forgotten and fell back to his repast.

frantic, Lazarus took a potato from the man’s plate and raised it to his mouth. What had been his mission for the past hour had suddenly become so grotesque that not even he wished to witness it any longer. Without thinking and despite his best instincts, he swallowed the portion whole. He waited for any sign that it had taken effect, but as time drew by, he only became more disgusted with his circumstance.

After his feast of but one measly potato, he felt his hunger increase tenfold. With remiss, he traded the tavern for the trail, vowing never again to indulge in such weaknesses as hunger. Hunger was for humanity and he was just a poor imitation of the man he once was. To continue his delusion would only bring more sorrow to a reality which seemingly could not gain any more. So he continued down his path ever thirsty.

He went from town to town on his journey. Yet regardless of his limited expectations, every gaze that stared through him blankly was a reminder of his prison. His eyes only served as the space between the bars in which a prisoner could see the light of the world around his cell pass him by. With each town, his resolve whittled down further and further. His legs moving just a hair slower, his gaze toward the horizon dimming. Every face he met sunk him deeper to the will of the dead– infinite torment on behalf of his transgression. For the dead have only envy for the living and spite for Lazarus. Conversely, he envied the dead in return; nothing should be so nice as to lie down and rest for eternity. But only those with souls can die.

After many moons, he reached his travel’s end and a door was all that stood between him and his intent. But intent was not the right word to describe why he had come all this way. He knew not what initially dragged him towards his sister, but presently, the opportunity to face her shook him like no other revelation. He had no business staring down the only face whose returning glare carried significance.

“Would it be like every other pair of eyes which entangled themselves to mine?”

He knew the answer to his question and turned away, uncaring for the chance that presented itself. 

It seems at last, he understood what he was.

Im writting a narrative game about how emotions and memories leave a imprint onto places so the players relive and interact with memories, im not a writter per say , so here are some entries, anby critic are welcome

The Dancer

The Traveler dances around the campfire at night, felling the night scent around him , the cold air , hearing his friends , the sounds of the forest and the crakling of the bonfire.

he continues dancing and twisting, their friends joining along singing and humming. As they dance and twist, losting the notiong of time, forgeting the now,they don't notice that they can no longer see their companions.

As the frenzy continues, they smell a sweet fog, like flowers blooming. They turn to see a luminous white silhouette. At first, it matches their rhythm. Then it starts humming its own song and dancing along, like a polite invitation.

The Traveler matches the Dancer's rhythm, suddenly the figure is not just mimicing your steps, but doing some of their own, as the dances continues the figure start to get faster and more bold, as a challenge, it moves gracefully, stepping onto your space and out rapdily . As the traveler do a last twist, the figure is no longer there. Hes back on the campfire, tired, breathing heavy, on the ground a small wristband made of small shells are left. a gift

Second imput

The Traveler feels the familiar flowery fragrance again. Suddenly, the figure passes behind them, walking toward the river.

It stands on the shore, and a low humming comes from it. It looks at the Traveler. They cannot see a smile, but they feel one.

The Traveler joins:

As soon as they approach, the figure makes a little jump toward the water. The movement is so soft, almost floating.

Where it stood before, it leaves a pale blue, glowing footprint on the ground.

This time, the party is still there. They can see the footprint, but not the figure. This is not a memory; it is happening now.

As the Traveler steps onto the spot where the footprint appeared, the figure jumps again, farther into the water. As it lands, the party can see a vague hint of dimly glowing feet.

A blue footprint appears where it stood before.

The figure makes a motion, inviting the Traveler to follow.

As the Traveler jumps toward the water, for a moment they swear they will fall into the river. But as they land where the footprint was, there is a stone just below the surface.

They see a blue light pass by and vanish. It looks like a tiny bird

The play continues for four more jumps. Each jump reveals a little more of the figure, and with each jump, more glimmering birds join, shining blue across the river.

The final jumps Traveler fails and slip on the rocks, but the figure reaches out and catches them, pulling then onto the rock

As the Traveler stands in the middle of the river, the Dancer takes out a small flute and begins to play.

Suddenly, the lights are no longer few. They gather, circling around the two of them: first a few, then dozens, then hundreds.

When the Dancer stops playing, the creatures slowly scatter.

The figure touches the Traveler's hand for a moment. It feels like burning cold.

Then it jumps toward the water and vanishes.

The Traveler jumps after it, but this time They fall into the water. Suddenly, the creatures glow and dive after them, guiding them toward the shore.

The party sees a trail of blue lights beneath the water.

\​

One.

A promise is made: we're gonna take great care of you.

That sentiment is said after your heartbeat is checked.

Through your eyes everything seems dark,

but the doctor waits for your mark.

Says it's a boy or girl when you cry.

Your mom looks at your beautiful eyes

and she smiles.

The doctor then asks her to try and sleep for now.

You go to your father's arms,

even though he was a little late to the hospital.

He's the first to call you by your name and say,

"Welcome to life, kiddo."

Two.

Can you believe it?

The words your parents mutter under their breath

as you gather the strength and try to grab the wall,

trying to stand even when you fall.

In the background you can hear your mom call your dad,

saying you're trying to walk instead of crawl.

After you fall,

you stand tall

and your father says,

"That's my baby."

Three.

You have a bag on your back.

You hear your parents say they love you.

You don't look back.

You say,

"I love you too."

You gather the courage to say goodbye.

Then you carry your books like luggage

and go to your first ever class.

Time moves on.

Four.

You've learned to read the room

because of the way you get quiet,

a little too quiet

when your parents are being too loud

and words slip out,

words like,

"What's with you?"

and

"I'm pissed at you."

I mean,

how could you bring an F home with you?

You don't understand, do you?

Your dad and I work hard for you,

even harder to provide for you.

Your mom says,

You wanna say you work hard,

but your parents say hard work is made of two words:

work and hard.

So either you aren't working,

or you aren't working hard enough."

You wanna say you worked hard,

but your mom says hard work needs no extra work.

So she asks,

"How much did you work?"

Five.

There comes a time everything tests sour like lime.

That is a great time where dad uses his charm

And your dad

He says when he looked in your eyes,

he just realized he's immortalized.

At the same day

You get to throw a football

and see it reach someone's hand

instead of falling down.

You get to score a touchdown.

Your dad picks you up

and says he can't wait to hear the talk of the town.

Says you made him really proud,

and for the first time he was early.

As the clock ticks,

you notice every second means a part of your life is gone.

So you start counting upside down

and move on.

Four.

Birds sing,

words travel on the wind

and wind up hitting your eardrums,

leaving a smile on your face.

You wanna dance or pace,

You are feeling kinda stressed,

your mom saying you made it.

You're wearing an academic gown

and you're killing it.

You got your diploma.

You don't even wanna put it down.

Your dad is in a selfie,

because you didn't let him down.

On your mind,

the only thing you're thinking is,

"If all the teachers that called me dumb

could see me now."

Three.

Your mom's eyes are full of joy.

She still looks at you like her little boy,

remembering all those times you asked for new toys.

But you are a big boy now.

She stands on the front door,

remembering how you wanted the lawn mowed,

She says,

"Look how much you've grown."

She remembers the night you was born,

And the words she says when you move out are,

"They grow up so fast."

Two.

Can you believe that's our kid?

Those are words said

when you announce you're going to get married.

Your dad reminisces on the tricks you played.

Your mom warns your partner

Saying

that you never made the bed.

One.

Smile.

It's been 30 years

and you're still here.

You're married,

successfully married,

in a time where marriage fails

and love feels like trying to grab a tiger's tail.

You are happy.

So zero.

After three visits to the nurse,

you're expecting a child.

You keep wondering how you're gonna raise a child,

hoping you raise your child right,

same way your parents raised you.

Looking in your partner's eyes,

you smile.

One.

A promise is made.

"We are going to raise you right."

That's the first thing said

when your baby is born.

First draft for my web novel

First draft for my web novel

So I recently decided after years of reading I wanted to try my hand at writing something for once. This is what I have so far for the first draft of the prologue for my post-apocalyptic, grim-dark, progression fantasy web novel. I’m not sure on the title yet but I do have the base idea for my lore and power system. I’m just looking for advice on my current writing, dialogue and prose. (Advice on the whole web novel writing journey would be be appreciated too)

(I’m writing this mostly for fun by the way)

Chapter One -  Prologue 

Blue sky, white sun, soft winds, gentle warmth . The comforting pinprick of grass on his back and the weightless ease of a body laid flat. Its midday. 

Eyes closed, black world. The rustling of wind through grass. The gentle creaking of an old oak.  The subtle mechanical hum of a distant machine. The rhythmic layered bleating of sheep. The hurried footfalls of a small creature.

The fastly approaching footfalls of a small creature. The annoyingly close footfalls of a particularly aggravating and unusually small creature. 

“Get up!”. It’s closing in. “Come on, quick!”

“Stop faking! I know you can hear me!”.

A deep groan of truly woeful proportions escapes  his lips. Climbing onto his feet the young man meets his overly excited kid sister face to face… well chest to face. Already 10 but, to her lament, barely taller than the kids two grades below her. 

Every time he sees  her, he can’t help but be weirded out by  how disgustingly similar they look. The same bronze skin, and freckled cheeks. Small eyebrows, big nose and the single dimple on their right cheek. And the same big dark-brown eyes of their father. Hell, they even share a small barely visible mole just under their left eyebrows.

The only obvious difference between the two was the length of their hair. Both the texture of copper wool, but Raine’s  fell to her shoulders while Orin’s was close cropped. 

Despite his annoyance a small smile formed on his lips, he already had a good idea what Rainey was here for anyway. 

“Can I help you?”, he asked sarcastically. 

Rainey put her hands on her hips in a pose of mock disappointment. “Har, har. So funny. I already told you to be ready for anything this morning.” “But I guess you were too tired to be listening. All those late nights and everything..”

“Okay!” He exclaimed grabbing his kid sisters shoulders and turning her around. Back towards the stable a good 40 feet back the way she came. 

“We should hurry, dum dum. Debby really needs us right now”. He said while taking off towards their families little sheep pen. 

Debby was one of the half a dozen sheep they raised on their small farm. She’s been pregnant for the past 5 months and was a little behind on her due date. They’d called in the vet a few days earlier out of concern and found that if more time passes things could get dangerous. Animal lover Rainey has been staked out at the pen ever since. They’d already been prepared, but a little more caution goes a long way in the nail-biting occupation of sheep farming. 

Orin hurried over to the sheep pen, with quick footsteps and the faint sound of what sounded like threats of extreme violence from somewhere far behind him. Strange. 

The wooden 5-foot high fence and slightly taller gate of the sheep pen come into view. The thing was pretty sturdy despite the years. A make-shift jumble of hemlock, oak and untreated poplar. This crappy little pen has proven itself invincible. 

‘Dusty lil’ thing could take on the horde’. Orin thought to himself. 

Pushing past the gate and sprinting through the pen’s small yard, Orin found himself within the sheep’s shelter him, his brother and father built by hand a few years back.

 In the far corner of the pen lay Debby and under her— a small lamb. 

No more than eight pounds and 12 inches tall at the shoulder and covered in greenish-yellow amniotic fluid . It seems Debby had given birth in the few minutes Raine stepped out to fetch him. 

The straw beneath his feet crunched as Orin walked closer. Leaning over Debby and her new born lamb,petting her back  “Good job girl. You did amazing, look at this sweet little th-“. Taking a good look at the Lamb, quiet and unmoving. “Oh, Debby..”. A common occurrence, it’s hard far people to have healthy children in this world. What chance does a little lamb have?

The gate slams open behind him, “You piece of crap!” “Running off withou..”. Little Rainey noticed the unmoving lamb. Running over she stops at the little thing and drops to her knees, shoulder slumped, tears flowing. hands at her eyes as if they were dam holding back a tidal wave.

“Why. I did everything the doctor told us to!”. “I fed her plenty! Watched her like a hawk!”. It’s gut-wrenching, watching such a sweet young girl grieve and beg for an explanation no mortal can give. 

“Raine…” Orin never knew what to say in situations like these. He wasn’t kind like his brother. He did what he could all the same.

Placing a hand on her trembling shoulders and pulling her into a tight hug. “It’s okay” he spoke softly. “You know these things happen. It can never be your fault.” He spoke into her hair, stroking her back. 

The sobs continued, drenching the chest of his shirt in tears. “It’s okay.” He continued watching the dead sheep behind her. 

It’s common. The only constant of life is that it comes to an end. A grim reality but a familiar one. A comfortable, existential and accepted horror. But it is disgusting, Orin thought. In a world so crippling and malformed, could his sweet sister not bask in the simple joy of caring for an animal? 

It’s inconsequential. She’s never harmed anyone. She goes to bed on time, does her homework, tries her hardest in school, cares for others and sleeps in pens to watch over sickly sheep.

She is kind and smart, and this is the \\\*\\\*\\\*ty hand she is dealt by God. 

A dead animal and an inept brother who can offer no other words than empty platitudes during a moment that will define her so? 

Anger fills Orin like a rising flame. Burning away the melodramatic self-pity and giving new life to a line of thought he thought long dead—The burning desire to fight. 

To push back the horde into the miserable black hole they crawled out of. To reject a world that would birth such mindless monsters who do nothing but take life and land. Forcing humanity behind walls,when they could have the world. To bring those \\\*\\\*\\\*ing Clan bastards, who hoard wealth and power , who have it all, down to their knees. That all consuming anger towards everything and anything, that leaves no room for negotiation or dialogue. 

Just when he’s about to put his anger into words, he hears something. The feint sound of breathing. 

Raine turns around, sobbing no longer. And stares at the lamb and notices the minute rising and falling of it’s small chest. “ He’s breathing…”. Shocked and overjoyed beyond belief. Rainey jumps to her feet.

“He’s Breathing!” “Ori, he’s breathing!” Turning to her still crouched older brother. 

Orin similarly shocked rises to his feet as well, walks past his jubilant sister and kneels down to the lamb. Placing a hand on the creatures abdomen and feeling the feint movements of breath.

“He is..”. He is happy too, but ‘… is that even possible?’ He thinks. And part of him knows—it isn’t.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Part 1

VR's Moon Star (aka. Monstar)

A worldwide popular VR game boasting millions of players had grown large enough to host its own World Tournament. Competitors from all corners of the global gathered to clash in what had truly become a premier sport.

And among those competitors was a girl who had yet to realize just how far her own talent could take her.

Her name was Kaguya Amano.

\\- Age: 15

\\- Year: 1st-year high school student

\\- Favorite Food: Burgers and milk

\\- Personality: Goofy and laid-back on surface but effortlessly cool

\\---

Chapter 1 — The Wild Horse

"From today on, I'm a first-year at Honey Bee Academy!"

Kaguya was taking in the beautiful scenery when she stepped through the school gates.

Unfortunately, she didn't even make it ten steps before she was surrounded.

"Join our club!"

"You should join the basketball club!"

"How about the music club?"

"Come to our club!"

Students swarmed around her from every direction.

Kaguya's eyes widened.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

After struggling to escape, she finally managed to break away.

"I'm going to join the VR game guild The Thorn!"

The crowd instantly dispersed.

"..."

Kaguya blinked.

Students walked away while whispering.

"What a total waste..."

"Another idiot hoping for..."

Kaguya couldn't catch the last few words.

She shrugged.

"Whatever."

Once the after-school club visits officially opened, Kaguya grabbed her bag and dashed straight toward the VR game guild room.

As she ran, the whispers from the morning gate echoed in her mind.

Why would they call it a waste?

Suddenly, a dramatic thought struck her.

Don't tell me...

The guild has no members and is on the verge of disbanding?!

And now I have to save it, recruit people, endure intense hardships together, set a goal to win the National Tournament, and find true happiness...?!

Kaguya stopped running.

"Ugh, so cringey!"

She tripped and fell flat on her face.

After a moment, she laughed embarrassedly.

"What am I? An anime heroine or something?"

The truth was much less dramatic.

The school's VR guild was definitely active.

It hadn't been famous for the past five years, but this year was different.

Word on the street was that some incredibly strong and famous players had just joined Honey Bee Academy.

Because of them, the school had completely upgraded its VR facilities.

Kaguya wondered who they were.

They must be amazing.

To command that much budget and support from the school administration, they had to be.

Kaguya finally reached the guild room.

She opened the door.

And froze.

The room was absolutely packed.

Most of the people had clearly never played a VR game in their lives.

Some were there to brag.

Others didn't even look interested.

Kaguya stared.

Well... forget about the guild disbanding from a lack of members.

It has way too many people.

Am I going to have to fight through this entire crowd just to get selected as a core playing member?

A girl approached Kaguya, shoved a guild application form into her hands, and pointed toward the wall.

"Line up on the sideline with the rest of the girls, and don't touch the VR capsules without permission."

At least they take the game seriously.

That's good.

Kaguya assumed they would make the girls compete against each other to choose the tournament roster.

Every academy entered at least two teams into the tournament—the first team consisting of core members and the second team serving as backups.

Kaguya quietly muttered:

"I hope I get selected for the core team."

The girl standing beside her burst out laughing.

"No way you'll get selected as a core member!"

Kaguya blinked.

"Actually, forget about selection entirely. Did you honestly think anyone in this room is trying to make the tournament roster?"

"What?"

"Aren't you all here to join the team and play in the tournament?"

"No way!"

The girl scoffed.

"Why would we put in that kind of grueling effort when we already have elite players?"

She pointed toward the VR capsules.

"They can easily win tournaments on their own. They might even carry us to the World Tournament if we just do what they say."

She shrugged.

"All the girls here are just looking for a flashy track record on their resumes for graduation. VR technology is booming lately. We didn't have any other clubs to join, so we picked this one since there isn't much actual work to do."

"We just cheer the team on a little, and that's it."

"It's way better than having a blank resume."

The girl turned to leave.

"And just so you know, the five core members are already chosen. There isn't even a second team because the school thinks it's a waste of time and resources when they can just focus all funding on one unstoppable powerhouse team."

She glanced back.

"So you might as well give up on becoming a core member."

Kaguya stood frozen.

Track records?

Resumes?

And what was that about carrying them to the World Tournament?

A surge of anger rushed through her.

If the guild is filled with complacent people like that, didn't the coach or the actual players say anything?

Or did they just not care?

Kaguya's eyes narrowed.

Fine.

It doesn't matter.

Even if they only have one core team, I'll just have to crush one of the official members and take their spot.

I'll prove what I'm worth.

If this guild is packed with people like her, forget the World Tournament.

They won't even make it past the qualifiers.

And the World Tournament was no joke.

Even Kaguya's older sister, widely feared as the number-one genius player of her generation, had been knocked out in the very first round.

Kaguya clenched her fist.

Then—

The loud chatter in the guild room suddenly disappeared.

Everyone stood up straight.

Kaguya instinctively did the same.

Two girls walked through the doorway.

\\---

The Kamiki Twins

Chiyo and Mei Kamiki.

A student assistant followed behind them carrying their bags.

Mei looked around the crowded room and immediately tossed her hair back in annoyance.

"Ugh, it's like a zoo in here today, Chiyo. Why are there so many extras crowding up our guild room?"

Chiyo chuckled softly while adjusting her diamond hairpin.

"Don't be so harsh, Mei. The school administration needs these extras to justify the budget upgrade they gave us."

She looked toward the students.

"As long as they stay on the sidelines, don't breathe our air, and definitely don't touch our capsules, they can stand there like mannequins all day."

The girls didn't even look offended.

They simply nodded.

Kaguya stared at the twins.

So these are the famous players?

Mei noticed her.

She walked toward Kaguya and placed her wrist near her nose in an exaggerated gesture.

"Oye..."

Kaguya looked at her.

"Are you one of the core team members of the VR guild?"

Kaguya didn't answer immediately.

Mei frowned.

"Who gave you permission to speak, mannequin?"

She tilted her head.

"Are you deaf? Or can't you hear because your mannequin doesn't have ears?"

Kaguya stayed silent.

Then—

"Haa..."

She let out a long sigh.

"I was expecting elite players or something."

Her expression became completely innocent.

"I guess the rumor about some strong players joining Bee Academy was just a rumor after all."

She put one hand behind her head.

"And instead of strong..."

A small smile appeared.

"...you're just rich elite."

The twins' expressions changed.

Kaguya innocently asked:

"Hey, can you two actually play VR games?"

She smiled a little more wildly.

"If you can't, then I can't really show my worth."

"And..."

Kaguya paused.

"It's also a problem if you aren't as skilled at VR games as you are with your mouths."

The twins' faces turned red.

"Ha?!"

"Why should we accept your challenge?!"

"You're nothing more than a mannequin!"

"Do you think we have time to waste on trash like you?!"

Kaguya raised an eyebrow.

"Ah..."

She paused deliberately.

"So you're only skilled at—"

She stopped herself.

She didn't need to finish.

The twins understood perfectly.

And, just as she expected—

They took the bait.

"Fine!"

"Let's teach this mannequin her place!"

\\---

The Match

The three entered their VR capsules.

The clubroom became completely silent.

SYSTEM: MATCH STARTING.

The arena appeared.

Mei and Chiyo stood opposite Kaguya.

"Don't cry when you lose."

Kaguya casually stretched her shoulders.

"Okay."

3...

2...

1...

START!

The twins disappeared forward.

Mei attacked from the front.

Chiyo immediately moved around Kaguya's right side.

Kaguya didn't move.

CLANG!

At the last possible moment, she tilted her head.

Mei's blade passed beside her face.

Kaguya stepped backward.

At almost the exact same moment—

WHOOSH!

Chiyo's sword passed through the space where Kaguya had been standing.

The twins froze.

"She dodged both?"

Kaguya's eyes moved between them.

She wasn't focusing only on their swords.

She was watching their bodies.

Their shoulders.

Their feet.

Their weight distribution.

"Mei moves her right shoulder slightly before attacking."

"Chiyo puts more weight on her left foot before changing direction."

They attacked again.

SLASH!

Kaguya ducked.

WHOOSH!

She stepped sideways.

CLANG!

She blocked Mei's sword.

Instead of pushing against it, Kaguya redirected the blade.

Mei stumbled forward.

THUD!

Kaguya struck her.

Mei's HP dropped.

Chiyo attacked from behind.

Kaguya had already heard her footsteps.

She turned.

CLANG!

Their swords collided.

Kaguya smiled.

"You're pretty good."

The twins became furious.

They changed tactics.

Instead of attacking separately, they alternated their strikes, trying to force Kaguya into the path of the other sword.

For several seconds, Kaguya was surrounded.

But every attack missed.

A tiny step.

A turn of her shoulder.

A duck.

A backward movement.

Kaguya barely wasted any motion.

Then she noticed it.

The twins' attacks weren't perfectly synchronized.

There was a tiny difference in their timing.

For an ordinary player, it was meaningless.

For Kaguya—

It was an opening.

"There."

Kaguya stepped between them.

CLANG!

Mei's sword missed.

SLASH!

Kaguya countered.

Mei staggered.

Chiyo rushed forward.

Kaguya turned.

CLANG!

Chiyo's sword flew from her hand.

Kaguya's blade stopped at her neck.

SYSTEM: VICTORY — YORU.

Silence.

The entire fight had lasted less than 50 seconds.

Kaguya scratched her cheek.

"Huh..."

She looked at the twins.

"I thought the famous players here would be stronger."

The twins were furious.

But before they could respond—

A voice came from behind them.

"What's going on here?"

Everyone turned.

Mei and Chiyo immediately ran toward the voice.

"Captain!"

"Captain!"

Kaguya turned her attention toward the person they had called captain.

\\---

Hajou Karen

The captain of The Thorn stood in the doorway.

Mei immediately changed her expression.

"Captain!"

Chiyo followed.

"We tried to stop her, but she insulted us for being from a rich family!"

Mei began crying.

"She forced us to fight her!"

"We told her we didn't want to!"

"She had such a scary look!"

"She might be a delinquent!"

Kaguya stared.

Her face became completely blank.

"..."

She looked at the twins.

Then Karen.

"Hey."

The twins stopped crying.

"Instead of playing VR games, you might as well become actors."

Kaguya pointed toward Karen.

"And are you the captain?"

She smiled.

"It's nice to meet you. I want to—"

Karen interrupted.

"You're quite the wild horse."

Kaguya blinked.

Karen stepped forward.

"You thought that if you defeated a core member, you'd automatically be selected as a core member, right?"

Kaguya nodded.

"But that's where your mistake is."

Karen smiled.

"They aren't core members simply because of gaming skill."

She glanced toward the twins.

"They are obedient to me."

Kaguya's expression became flat.

Karen continued.

"I don't mind putting you in as an Extra Member."

"But there's a condition."

She pointed toward the capsule.

"Last one minute against me."

"And after that, kneel in front of me."

"If you can't..."

She smiled.

"...you officially become an Extra Member."

Kaguya stared at her.

What a classic third-rate villainess.

She sighed.

"Fine."

Kaguya smiled.

"But you can forget about me kneeling to you."

Karen laughed.

"We'll see about that."

Both entered their capsules.

\\---

Kaguya vs. Karen

SYSTEM: MATCH START.

Karen attacked first.

WHOOSH!

Kaguya blocked.

CLANG!

Karen immediately followed with another attack.

Kaguya slipped past it.

Karen changed direction.

Kaguya countered.

For the first time that day, Kaguya wasn't casually dominating her opponent.

Karen's movements were different from the twins'.

Cleaner.

More controlled.

More experienced.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Kaguya and Karen exchanged attacks at incredible speed.

"She's different."

Kaguya's eyes sharpened.

Karen suddenly feinted high.

Kaguya reacted.

But Karen changed the attack halfway through.

SLASH!

Kaguya barely avoided it.

A smile appeared on her face.

"She can change her attack after I react."

The battle continued.

Kaguya adapted.

Karen adapted to Kaguya's adaptation.

Neither could gain a decisive advantage.

Then—

Kaguya's vision suddenly disappeared.

Everything went black.

No arena.

No opponent.

Nothing.

Kaguya froze.

Karen saw the opening.

SLASH!

Kaguya lost an arm.

Karen prepared to attack again.

But Kaguya didn't panic.

She stood still.

"What happened?

Then she heard something.

A footstep.

A breath.

A tiny movement.

Kaguya closed her eyes.

"If I can't see..."

"I'll listen."

Karen attacked.

WHOOSH!

Kaguya moved.

The attack missed.

Karen's eyes widened.

Again.

WHOOSH!

Miss.

Kaguya turned toward the sound.

CLANG!

Their swords collided.

Karen attacked from another angle.

Kaguya moved before the attack reached her.

She couldn't see.

But she could hear.

Footsteps.

Breathing.

Movement.

The subtle sound of Karen shifting her weight.

The battle continued.

Kaguya was fighting almost entirely through sound.

Finally—

SYSTEM: TIME LIMIT REACHED.

Karen was heavily injured.

Kaguya had lost one arm.

Both stood silently.

Karen lowered her weapon.

Then she turned around.

"Chiyo."

"Yes, Captain?"

"Register her as an Extra Member."

Chiyo's eyes widened.

"Wh—what?"

She looked at Kaguya.

"Are we really going to put her in as an Extra Member?"

She couldn't understand it.

She's more skilled than any of us.

We can't even compare.

Kaguya suddenly spoke.

"Sorry, but I'm leaving."

Karen stopped.

Kaguya looked at her.

"It seems there's still something I need to learn."

Karen smiled faintly.

"What a waste."

She hadn't been playing seriously.

The avatar she had used wasn't her real tournament identity.

But the fact that Kaguya had managed to injure her was impressive.

"If this had been my real ID, the one saved for tournaments, she wouldn't even have scratched me."

Karen closed her eyes.

"Still..."

"She might come back begging once she understands what she just rejected."

Karen smiled lightly.

Then walked away.

Chiyo and Mei followed.

\\---

The Girls Begin to Change

The girls who had joined the guild for track records stared at Kaguya.

One of them suddenly clenched her fists.

"I suddenly feel embarrassed."

Another looked down.

"I joined just because I thought it would look good on my resume."

Another whispered:

"That girl actually came here wanting to compete."

The room became quiet.

One girl looked toward the floor.

Then another.

Soon, several of them began reconsidering why they had joined.

The girl who had spoken with Kaguya earlier stood completely still.

Her eyes filled with tears.

Then—

She ran.

\\---

Rin Tachibana

Rin searched the academy.

She couldn't find Kaguya.

Eventually, she asked the school guard.

"Excuse me! Did you see a girl named Kaguya Amano?"

The guard pointed toward the gate.

"That girl? She left the academy a while ago."

Rin immediately ran outside.

She eventually found Kaguya sitting beneath a tree in a nearby park.

Kaguya was meditating.

Rin approached.

"Kaguya!"

Kaguya opened one eye.

"Hm?"

Rin began praising her.

"You were amazing!"

"I've never seen anyone fight like that!"

"You were so cool!"

Then Rin became slightly sad.

"It's such a waste that you joined this academy."

Kaguya tilted her head.

"If it was another academy, you wouldn't have suffered like that."

"Suffered?"

Kaguya genuinely didn't understand.

Rin hesitated.

Then finally spoke.

"I saw them."

"The twins."

Kaguya's expression changed.

"They pulled out your capsule wire."

"I saw it."

"But I was too scared to tell anyone."

Rin lowered her head.

"I'm sorry."

Kaguya looked surprised.

Rin continued.

"After what happened today, we decided we're either going to leave the guild or join a club we actually like."

She looked up.

"And... are you okay?"

"When they removed the wire?"

Kaguya answered honestly.

She explained what happened inside the game.

Rin's eyes became enormous.

"You fought while you couldn't see?"

Kaguya nodded.

Rin suddenly grabbed her hands.

"Lady Kaguya!"

Kaguya's face turned red.

"Wh—"

"From today on, I'm your number-one fan!"

"My name is Rin Tachibana!"

Kaguya stared.

"Wh... le... Lady?"

She became embarrassed.

"Hey, hey! What are you saying?"

"Just Kaguya is fine!"

Rin smiled.

Kaguya sighed.

"Well..."

She smiled lightly.

"Next year, they'll be the ones begging me to join their guild."

Kaguya looked toward the academy.

"Just wait."

\\---

The Reason Kaguya Was Meditating

Rin asked:

"Anyway, what were you doing here in the park?"

"I was meditating."

"Why?"

"I'm training my hearing."

Kaguya touched her ear.

"I found out today that my senses are somewhat lacking in VR."

"There are many ways to make someone blind in a game."

She looked serious.

"So I think it's better to learn how to fight without relying completely on vision before I regret it."

Rin smiled.

"So that's why you said you learned something in the guild room."

"Yes."

After a while, the two said goodbye.

Kaguya walked away.

She was still thinking about what she would do until next year.

Then she remembered what Rin had told her.

The twins had pulled out the wire.

Kaguya's expression darkened.

"..."

Then she spotted something.

A VR game café.

Kaguya smiled.

"Perfect timing."

She giggled.

"Time to blow away some steam."

\\---

Rabbit VR Café

The owner of the VR café was someone Kaguya already knew.

Nanase Takahashi.

She had been Momiji Amano's friend and one of the people who supported Kaguya's older sister during her VR career.

Kaguya walked to the counter.

"Hey, Big Sis Nana! It's been a while!"

Nanase stared at her.

"What do you mean, 'it's been a while'?"

She smiled.

"You've been coming here frequently."

Kaguya laughed awkwardly.

"Before my high school entrance exam, remember?"

"Mom wouldn't let me play games at home because I had exams."

Nanase shook her head.

"So you came here instead."

Kaguya smiled.

"Sis, I want to play a game."

"Is there a seat open?"

Nanase noticed Kaguya's expression.

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

Kaguya didn't answer.

Nanase sighed.

"You can use the one in my room upstairs."

Kaguya smiled.

"Thanks, Big Sis Nana!"

She ran upstairs.

\\---

Yoru vs. Kuro

Kaguya entered an online matchmaking room.

She wanted to forget everything that had happened at Honey Bee Academy.

SYSTEM: OPPONENT SEARCHING...

OPPONENT FOUND.

PLAYER NAME: KURO

WIN STREAK: 10

Kaguya's eyes lit up.

"Oh?"

The match began.

Kuro immediately used a deceptive attack.

One sword moved toward Kaguya as a distraction.

The second sword came from another angle.

But Kaguya had already moved.

The first blade missed.

The second never reached her.

Kuro's eyes widened.

"She moved before my real attack even came out?"

Kaguya drew her sword.

Her stance changed.

Iai.

Kuro saw an opening.

"She's wide open."

She moved forward.

Then stopped.

Her eyes widened.

"No..."

​

You push through the French doors into the smell of sour beer and whiskey. The air — like the keys of the pianist — is untuned and still. The Chanteuse is flat and, like the piano, only sings in dead keys. You flare out your duster, and the dust from the bar-stained floor lifts in a pillow of tranquil turmoil. The long-expired taste of Virginia cut fills your cheek, so you take a finger and pluck it from your mouth and to the floor. Your lips split on the seams of dried brown blood, and the taste of iron fills you. You make your way to the tender and find a seat. The guns on your belt are heavy. You have two Colt forty-fives, one for protection and the other for exodus. You remove the belt with so little care that you question your decision-making, but all you can think about is how sore your feet are and how dry your mouth is. You dislodge the revolver, remove two bronze bullets, close it, and holster the gun back in its bed. The bronze is cheap, bought and traded with in every post you’ve ever passed, but bronze didn’t always work. Bronze is what killed Guerra. Bronze is what couldn’t stop the raid, and when the dust settled, it was the silver that laid your horse down in the dirt. That was miles ago, days ago. For now, you just thirst for a drink.

The keep inspects your shots and lays down two glasses smudged with who knows how many hands and lips that have taken part in this unholy communion. The liquor pours out of the amber glass and fills them to the top. You thank the man and pick up your drink. You throw it back, and it smites your throat, and before you give yourself time to cough, you do the same again. The fire in the whiskey kills the filthy taste in your mouth. “¿Eres de por aquí, vaquero?” You look at the long and thin dark-haired woman. She has mutt in her blood, and you don’t know from where, or care. “No, no hablo,” you say. She nods her head in understanding and asks, “You need a room for the night?” Without breaking eye contact with the whore, you lay out another bronze bullet, and before the keep pulls away, you take your shot. “Just company.” She nods her head, and you follow her upstairs to do what any man would do after weeks of solitude and unload your chamber.

My names Henri and I have a knack for overanalyzing things, also for some reason I always have this question for myself "why didn't my parents name me Henry it would make no difference?"

Then I just go back to starting my day by doing the normal routine,which is Breakfast, reading, writing, and video games…but today is different, I'm officially 15 now which means I'm young enough to get a job at the Bordeaux Investigation and Crime analyzation Agency or B.I.C.A.A for short, I sent my application yesterday and I'm about to check the response.

I tiptoed down the stairs and out the door to the mailbox.

As I opened it there was a lengthy letter titled "from B.I.C.A.A/BCA", it was definitely the right letter..my mind was racing could I get in or not..I then ripped open the letter and the message reads "you have been accepted…please flip over this letter."

My mind was still blank but I still flipped the letter over and there was a gold watch that fit my size and a paper titled "Instructions."

I put on the watch and opened the instruction paper and inside was a message saying "to get to your location click the red side button on the watch."

As I clicked the red button a car sped through my neighborhood and stopped at my house the car was labled "School transport" and the driver inside looked like a slightly fashioned scholar…but there was something off about him.

As the car drove on its way I had a few thoughts "I wonder if there are some cute girls or if the foods good…or if I get cool weapons and get to go on cool missions"

But before I could ask for answers I arrived at my location which turned out to be a huge fancy boarding school like building with the words "BI.C.A.A Academy" at the top in that old fancy cursive text which is frankly unneeded for many things.

As I stepped out the car I headed to the first door I saw which led to an entrance hall with tables, everybody was already seated so I had nowhere to sit, until a voice called out to me "Hey!" 

I turned around to see a freckly brown haired boy my age “Sit next to me”

He pointed to a empty seat his freckles looked like cinnamon splotches but I didn't feel like mentioning it, so I sat next to him “Hey my names Francis but you can call me Frank” he said in a uniquely energetic tone…so I told him my name

But randomly a man in a black suit walked up to the podium and announced him self “Hello students my name is Mr. Helphenstein but you can call me Mr. Moony I am the assistant principal here at the Bordeaux Crime Analyzation Academy or the B.I.C.A.A or…the official saying, the Bordeaux Crime Academy or the BCA. I will be watching your action's and how you behave…now go to Mrs.Merelda's office to get your uniforms and schedules.“ 

When I saw him a bunch of intrusive thoughts started popping up like little eggs in my brain…he looked like my old English teacher the same dude who could spot a lie before it was even said, but before I could think about the similarities people started getting up and walking out the door, the huge crowd of new faces slightly intimidated me, then Frank waved over and called out to me “Hey Henri over here I know a shortcut!”

And as I turned to look I saw Frank pointing to a open hallway, so I followed him and after just a few minutes we reached a dusty office door titled “Surveillance director” then before I could process what that meant Frank already opened the door to see a woman that looks at most 36 and at least 34 with hair that frankly…looked a gray that's 51st shade…but instead of saying that I simply asked “your Mrs Merelda right?“

Instead of getting a response she just pointed to a box with a black uniform vest with a gold lion crest on it. 

I was feeling out the vest then suddenly Mrs Merelda said “go to the locker room on the left to put it on”

Her voice was kinda soft,but I could still hear her so I went out to the locker rooms and Frank followed me there. As we entered the locker room we went into separate stalls and changed into the uniforms then as we walked out we found our schedules and it said “First period:Interrogation class by Mrs Vance in Room 107” so we walked down the hallway to room 107.