《Sokushinbutsu: Death's Spiral》 Prologue – A New World Order Revealed Luck¡­ Is that what they¡¯re calling this? Do people still believe they came here by their own free will? Those poor souls won¡¯t last two days here. Besides, it¡¯s not even about them, it¡¯s about my will to survive this nightmare and win this stupid game: the game to become God¡­ Some of you may call me heartless, cruel, or even cold-blooded; I like to say I¡¯ve hardened my body, deadened my emotions, and desensitized my mind in order to resist the temptations of The Spiral. For once you enter The Spiral and don¡¯t rebound, you not only lose this game, but your life and soul. I¡¯ve forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Victoria Lee, but in this world, I go by Lady Mercedes Vida, delegate for the candidacy of godhood, sponsored by Plutronics Unlimited. Oh yeah, you still don¡¯t know anything that¡¯s happening. I guess I¡¯ll give you the lowdown. Do you remember seeing ¡°That Guy?¡± The one that¡¯s always on the street corner spouting conspiracy theory nonsense that the country wasn¡¯t controlled by the president or even a government body, but actually by the mega corporation giants. While it¡¯s pretty easy to dismiss something that crazy-sounding, sometimes, these theories can be real. Now before you go off and start twisting my words to justify your own conspiracy theory views as fact, not every conspiracy theory is real, in fact, 99.9% of them are downright stupid and false. Bigfoot: those are just fur suit sightings, Loch Ness Monster: that¡¯s a piece of driftwood, using cell towers to distribute a virus for global warfare: do you even know how technology works? Don¡¯t even get me started down that rabbit hole of what I won¡¯t even call theories but idiotic trails of thought. The point I am trying to make is that the ¡°Crazy Man¡¯s Theory¡± is actually correct, however it is a little more complicated than it seems. Behind the scenes is a group called The Grand Order, a collection of the current top 200 mega-corporations and businesses. A company¡¯s revenue determines its rank and eligibility for The Grand Order. Every four years, which syncs up with the presidential election cycle, The Grand Order comes together for a competition of their own. A competition that transforms every aspect of living in this country. This competition isn¡¯t as civil or organized as voting, it¡¯s much darker and barbaric than you would ever imagine. It¡¯s a battle to the death or in The Grand Order¡¯s words: ¡°A Death Game for the Candidacy of Godhood.¡± In short, each member of The Grand Order scouts the country for the perfect delegate to represent their company in the Death Game. These selections usually arrive in the form of a formal letter, hand-written by the company head to the delegate in question. These letters, I assume, promise the delegate with riches, fame, immortality, restoration of a loved one suffering from an illness; you name it. Most delegates would accept without a second thought or hesitation, but then you have those who are skeptical, doubtful, or even flat-out reject it. If you think rejecting or stalling on an acceptance bid from a Grand Order member will work, you¡¯re sorely mistaken. Once The Grand Order scouts you for the Death Game, you will participate, whether it¡¯s by free will or by force. Like I said previously, letters are the primary way of enlistment by The Grand Order; however, if you are scouted by one of the Magnum Decem (Great Ten), they will come to you personally to extend their acceptance bid. This is where I come into the mix. It was around two in the morning the other day after the last calls were announced. I wasn¡¯t doing the greatest that night. I was overworked to the bone, then to top it all off like a nice, little cherry, my so-called ¡°loving boyfriend¡± cheats on me. When I confronted him about it, he ended up assaulting me, leaving like a coward after the hits were delivered. Nevertheless, I will admit I was a little tipsy when I met the CEO of Plutronics Unlimited, the inventors of the first plutonium-powered smartphone, I might add. Again, please pardon my digression. After I left the bar, I was greeted by Mr. Riku Tanaka, CEO of Plutronics Unlimited, along with several of his associates. When hit with the acceptance bid, I thought it was a cruel prank from my ex to pour salt on my already-aching wounds to make me suffer more, so naturally, I rejected the offer. That¡¯s when I realized this was no joke. Mr. Tanaka, along with the associates suddenly pulled out their pistols stating they wouldn¡¯t take ¡°no¡± for an answer. But assured me they would explain the situation in its entirety in exchange for my cooperation. What choice did I have but to comply? I mean they had lead lined up with my chest! So, the next thing I remember was sitting in a spacious limousine with Mr. Tanaka across from me; an associate positioned to both our left and right respectively. For someone that was treated like a criminal not even ten minutes ago, they sure were acting weird toward me. No handcuffs, no restraints, no unnecessary force, they didn¡¯t even lock the doors to the limo. Instead, they gave me green tea with a lemon alongside a sandwich that I can¡¯t even remember its contents. At the time, I didn¡¯t know why they were treating me in such a regal manner, I mean the lax security precautions indicated their confidence in my complacency and that I wouldn¡¯t attempt to escape. I remember asking multiple times for the CEO to explain the situation to me, but Mr. Tanaka simply and calmly said he wouldn¡¯t disclose any information until I was sober and in the right state of mind. No matter how many times I asked or how loud I got, he always replied in the same calm demeanor. As I started to sober up, the weight and meaning of his words started to resonate within me. I decided with what little reason I had left that he was right and acknowledged I wasn¡¯t ready to understand the full situation. As my sobriety returned to me little by little, I was getting drowsier every waking minute. My memory gets hazy around this part, but I remember losing my equilibrium which resulted in me falling onto the associate to my right. I can¡¯t recall the reaction, but I do know they didn¡¯t move. Maybe they didn¡¯t care, or maybe they did, but I should at least be courteous and thank them for allowing me to get some rest the next time I see them. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö The sound of the limo¡¯s alarm vibrating in my ears woke me up from my brief nap. As we all exited out of the left side of the vehicle, I was then escorted along with Mr. Tanaka into a prominent high-rise. Shortly after, I found out that it was the corporate building for Plutronics Unlimited. My only critique was Mr. Tanaka¡¯s office in general. Not only did it take an eternity to arrive by elevator, but to no one¡¯s surprise, it looked almost identical to an evil CEO¡¯s office commonly found in anime or manga. At that point, I still put all of my money on Mr. Tanaka being a twist villain. Instead of sitting down at his desk, the young CEO motioned me over to a couple of ornate chairs with a furnished, wood table. As I sat down, he poured out two glasses of imported bourbon, giving one to me, and toasting to our future partnership. After he made the toast, I drank the rich liquor in its entirety, adding insult to injury regarding my already painful hangover. Although I just gulped down another drink, Mr. Tanaka decided I was sober enough to explain this acceptance bid and the competition I would soon compete in. Before he started, he warned me that certain details regarding the competition would be omitted due to its sensitive and classified contents, or else risk ¡°instant elimination¡± for the both of us as well as incur excessive penalties and fines to his company. He apologized fervently to which I simply replied that it was all right. After his disclaimer, Mr. Tanaka started to explain to me the situation I have now found myself in. I¡¯ve already told you the backstory of who really controls the country, the Death Game associated with it, as well as The Spiral, but what I haven¡¯t told you was how the Death Game works. Mr. Tanaka explained that it would be a sudden death tournament. If one of the contenders surrenders, is incapacitated, or is killed, then they are eliminated from the tournament. He also mentioned that if I want to be merciful then I should aim to kill. When I asked why, he grimly remarked that it was classified and that I would have to learn during the tournament. The last bit of information I was given was that I would have to enter a name I would wish to be addressed by for the duration of the tournament, in other words, my God name. Even though I could¡¯ve just entered ¡°Victoria Lee,¡± it just didn¡¯t have that zing or fleek to it. Therefore, I decided to put down the name of my vampire alter ego: Lady Mercedes Vida. Yes, I have an alter ego, and if you think it¡¯s cringe and say you didn¡¯t have one growing up, you¡¯re either lying to yourself or you¡¯re not even living a life. Just when I thought I had no other questions to ask, something came to mind: ¡°Besides control of the country, what are the other incentives to winning this Death Game?¡± Once again, as expected, the mild-mannered businessman reminded me of the oath he took but tried to assure me that he wasn¡¯t the enemy and wouldn¡¯t betray me in any way. Again, another screaming red flag that this dude will backstab me by Chapter 20. The only thing I can do for the time being is to trust him. He hasn¡¯t killed me yet, at least. After giving me the rundown, he said that it would be best for me to rest, just in case the tournament started immediately after registration. I questioned him about whether he knew the structure of registration, to which he replied with a ¡°no.¡± I guess this is the first tournament where Plutronics Unlimited is in The Grand Order, another red flag if you ask me. Regardless, he ordered an associate of his to guide me to a spare bedroom within the building where I would spend the rest of the night. After thanking the associate for guiding me, all I wanted to do was collapse on that bed and pass out. As things started to fade in and out, I wondered if all of this was merely a dream. Maybe I was roofied at the bar, or maybe I decided to take psychedelics and totally forgot about it. Whatever it was, the only thing I knew was that my body was heavy with fatigue and my head was hurting from the splitting hangover headache. The last thing I remember before passing out was wondering: why was I chosen to be a delegate for the candidacy of Godhood just to participate in an underworld Death Game for a company that¡¯s a part of a massive secret society that seeks to control the entire country from within the shadows? Why me? Why¡­me? ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö Chapter 1 – Into the Fire And with that, we¡¯re all caught up to the present! I am currently waiting in one of the several large lines to officially register for the tournament. Luck¡­is that what they¡¯re calling this? Yeah, right. If you thought I was going to imitate the cliche ¡°Recollection of Events of how we got here and repeat the same 3 sentences I started with¡± framing device; I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, although I was very close to doing it. But anyway, back to the registration line. What I thought was going to be heavily dominated by muscular, buff, and cocky gym bros turned out to be represented by a diverse group of individuals. People from all walks of life, races, genders, creeds, and everything in between. It was definitely a sight to behold, even with the situation everyone finds themselves in. "And you¡¯re all set. You¡¯ve been successfully registered, and your new name finalized. Glad to have you as my delegate: Miss Mercedes Vida.¡± Mr. Tanaka gleefully remarked as he handed over my certification, along with several other pieces of paperwork. Now I know this is going to sound very pretentious, but I decided to correct him about my new name. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s Lady Mercedes Vida to you!¡± I rebutted. ¡°Ah, being assertive, aren¡¯t we? I¡¯m glad to see you passed my first test. In order to be a God, one must be assertive, but do so with elegance and respect.¡± So he did that on purpose, guess I was wrong¡­for now. After we passed through the turnstiles, I decided to pick up my conversation with Mr. Tanaka: ¡°Mr. Tanaka, I¡­¡± ¡°Please, call me Riku.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Indeed. ¡®Mr. Tanaka¡¯ feels way too formal, especially since you¡¯ll be doing all of the heavy work. So please: I insist.¡± ¡°Okay¡­Riku, Something¡¯s been bugging me since last night.¡± ¡°And what would that be?¡± ¡°Why are you treating me so kind and regal-like? It just feels a bit off.¡± ¡°Well, I believe in that philosophy that you and I are equals, and by treating you as such, you will come to trust me and move to having an honest, open, and professional relationship.¡± ¡°Then if that¡¯s the case, why do you want me to address you by your first name only instead of by ¡®Mr. Tanaka?¡¯¡± ¡°Once again, that title is too formal, and by using it, it would continue to reinforce the false notion that I have more superiority than you.¡± ¡°Then why would you have to address me as ¡®Lady Mercedes¡¯ when you just call me ¡®Victoria?¡¯¡± ¡°Because ¡®Victoria Lee¡¯ doesn¡¯t exist anymore. It is merely a fragment of your former life. You are now Lady Mercedes Vida, the delegate running for the candidacy of Godhood!¡± ¡°Well, what happens if I don¡¯t want¡­¡± ¡°Quiet!! Don¡¯t you even dare to utter those words here!¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°Because if you do, you won¡¯t even make it past that door at the end of the hallway alive! Have you even noticed the guards yet?¡± As a matter of fact, I didn¡¯t even acknowledge the guards¡¯ existence until Mr. Tanaka, I mean, Riku pointed them out to me. They had no face and showed no skin. They were covered head-to-toe in black and copper body armor, something akin to what a motorcyclist would wear. The helmet reminded me of those worn by prominent knights from the Middle Ages. With a sleek design and a copper finish, no emotion leaked through, only a menacing sense of despair and dread. ¡°You can ignore me or hate me if you want, but whatever you do: do NOT say anything remotely related to your unwillingness to participate in this tournament, or else you will be killed on sight!¡± I would¡¯ve dismissed it as a scare tactic any other time, but between the quivering grip he had on my shoulder and the trembling voice trying to whisper the warning without crying showed me that he isn¡¯t joking at all. Looking into his eyes and sensing the fear welling inside them, I could understand what was on his mind: Someone in this atrium was going to die very soon. While lost in my own thoughts, The young CEO took my arm and started pulling me further into the atrium. Without hesitation, I immediately followed him to one of the many doors at the end of the hallway. As we squeezed through the throngs of people, I realized what Riku was pulling me away from: another female competitor forced on her knees with her hands in the air, pleading for mercy. Above her, a knight aimed their drawn pistol at the defenseless girl¡¯s head, finger on the trigger. ¡°Madam Gerix, Protector of Night and Day: due to your refusal to participate in the Tournament for the Candidacy of Godhood, you are hereby eliminated. I bid thee farewell.¡± The knight¡¯s decree was then followed by a single gunshot that echoed through the large hall. The once peaceful crowd of delegates and officials immediately devolved into pure chaos as the reality of a sudden death tournament was forcibly drilled into all of those who just witnessed the vivid execution. As the crowd became harder to control, more guards were assembled to quell the frenzy. I want to move, but the pure terror wouldn¡¯t let me. That¡¯s when a shock of pain ringing throughout my face snapped me back to reality. Instead of waiting for me to react, Riku dragged me into a nearby room, shutting and locking it shut after we entered. ¡°What¡­the FUCK was that?!¡± Having no time to assess the situation, those were the only words I could muster. ¡°Like I said, if one refuses to play this game, it¡¯s grounds for instant elimination. That poor girl is now lying in a pool of her own blood, along with what I probably say are several other delegates who thought that breaking the rules of The Grand Order was a heroic action. That¡¯s what you get for trying to be a hero down here!¡± Rika shouted in pure frustration. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Why¡­why is this happening to us?¡± I said as tears rolled down my cheeks. ¡°Because Mercedes, The Grand Order doesn¡¯t care about you guys. All you are is a ticket to gaining control of this country and its massive economy. But you know what? I only care about you. Fuck the other delegates! That doesn¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t feel bad for them, it¡¯s actually rather heartbreaking, especially the defenseless and scared ones. I don¡¯t want you to meet the same cruel end; a life thrown away for the purpose of a mega-corporation¡¯s future finances! Fuck! I knew it! I knew I should¡¯ve gone with your scummy ex! At least I wouldn¡¯t have to feel any remorse. But no, I was too afraid the other company scouting you would have discarded you like a piece of trash. And why the death threats? What¡¯s so important or useful about an asshole who treats their significant other like nothing more than a personal object?! Fuck me! Why did The Grand Order want you in this competition? Haven¡¯t you suffered enough already?? First your mom dies from cancer, then you can¡¯t even attend the funeral because your job overworks you. Then to top it all off, your abusive boyfriend cheats, blames it on you, fucking assaults you, and then leaves like a fucking coward! I am so sorry I dragged you into all this. If you feel the need to release your anger on me: go for it. It¡¯s what I deserve.¡± And there he was: the CEO of the 10th richest company in the country, groveling at my feet, preparing himself both physically and mentally for an imminent beatdown. If I have the opportunity to make him pay, I should take advantage of it. ¡°Stand up, now! I want you to look at me as I give you your penance.¡± As I said those words, he immediately stood up, as he was told. His hands were at his side, a look of sadness and regret painted across his face. ¡°You¡¯ve taken away my chance of living a normal life, and now I am forced to fight if I want to survive? If I¡¯m going to die, I at least want you to feel a fraction of what I will!¡± I step back, gathering all of my strength in my legs. With a clenched fist and a guttural yell, I prepared myself with the intent on delivering harm. *tap* ¡°There, I think I¡¯d say we¡¯re even!¡± The light tap on his cheek caused him to sob controllably. ¡°What do you mean ¡®even?¡¯ Why aren¡¯t you angry with me? Take out your anger!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not angry. Has this whole revelation been a headache as well as a nightmare: Absolutely! But my situation could¡¯ve been a whole lot worse if you didn¡¯t show up at that bar last night.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°And before you ask: no, I am not experiencing Stockholm Syndrome, nor have I lost my mind. Trust me, if everything up until now hasn¡¯t made me insane, how would this?¡± ¡°How would things be worse if I didn¡¯t show up?¡± ¡°Well, for starters, I was completely plastered. I could¡¯ve ended up sleeping in an alleyway, sold to sex traffickers, raped or even killed by some low-life pig, you name it.¡± ¡°Do you not understand the gravity of your situation? You¡¯re in a Death Game now!¡± ¡°Oh, I understand, and I am scared shitless at the mere thought of it. But complaining ain¡¯t gonna do anything now. The only way to survive is to win this dumb game. Besides, I should honestly thank you.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°Like you said before, another company was already scouting me, and per the unwritten rules, I was entered into this tournament the moment I was considered a delegate. The thing is that you had the compassion to make sure I wouldn¡¯t suffer at the hands of a company with a horrible reputation.¡± ¡°Victoria¡­¡± ¡°Also, you¡¯ve given me a rather special opportunity! I can finally exact my revenge on him, for all the pain, suffering, and abuse he dished out to me over the years. He can¡¯t be a coward and run away this time. Also, Riku, Victoria Lee is gone. She died in that alleyway behind the bar. Now I, Lady Mercedes Vida, will win this tournament and become God!¡± ¡°...Thank you, Lady Mercedes, for your mercy. I can¡¯t guarantee that you won¡¯t get harmed, but I promise that I will watch over you and make sure no one will kill you, even if it cost my own life.¡± He slowly got up from his grovel and knelt before me. ¡°I truly appreciate it, but The Grand Order wouldn¡¯t just kill one of the Magnum Decem¡¯s CEOs just like that, right?¡± I said trying to cheer him up. ¡°Not without justification or probable cause...But you¡¯re right, I just got caught up in the heat of passion that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°I completely understand. I got caught up in moment as well. I mean we''re both human.¡± "Yes, however, I shouldn''t be acting in such a manner, especially in front of your presence..." "There you go again acting like you''re inferior to me. Aren''t we supposed to be equals?" ¡°I-I guess, but...¡± ¡°No ¡®buts.¡¯ You can¡¯t really object to the rule that you made up! Therefore, as a good delegate, I will bestow to you a new title, and don¡¯t you dare interrupt!¡± The tone of my voice stopped him from making any further oppositions. ¡°Now then, under the power vested in me, Lady Mercedes Vida, I dub thee, Riku Tanaka as my Guardian Angel. You may now rise! There, feel better now?¡± ¡°I...do, actually. You¡¯ve helped me rebound at least. Thank you very much. Let my behavior be an example of when you are in the actual tournament. If you act like I just did. The Spiral will kill you.¡± ¡°You keep talking about this Spiral, but never about how it¡¯s implemented or tracked. How does The Spiral kill someone?¡± ¡°Sadly, this is still classified. I really want to tell you, now if you will excuse me, we should be leaving¡­Woah!¡± As Riku started to stand up, he immediately tripped, holding onto my hands for support. ¡°Riku, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, my legs just fell asleep, that¡¯s all. We should get going. The situation outside should be taken care of by now. Shall we?¡± ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± ¡°Oh my! Your hand is bleeding! I think my ring hurt you when I fell down. I am so sorry. Please go clean it up in the bathroom!¡± As I looked at the blood flowing from my wound, Riku briefly flashed his ring, showing me the small blade as it retracted back into itself. He gave me his handkerchief, to stem the flow of blood. Rushing out the small room, I headed toward the bathroom. I couldn¡¯t help but look at the janitorial knight mopping up the splotches of blood that painted the marble floors. Luckily, the pain radiating from my hand stopped me from almost puking on the spot. Once I made it to the bathroom, I removed the drenched handkerchief and ran my hand under the water, wincing from the pain as a result. There had to be a reason why he cut me. From the weird phrasing to flashing the blood-stained ring, what was the message he was trying to convey? Does the handkerchief have anything to do with this? Without hesitation, I opened the once snow-white fabric, revealing a small, yet intricately placed scrap of paper. I frantically opened the little slip to see what Riku risked his life to tell me! BEWARE OF DEMISEGAME Demisegame: what the hell is that? Is this somehow connected to The Spiral? Or is it what causes The Spiral to occur? I need to figure this out as soon as possible! *Ding-Dong Bing-Bong* *Will all delegates and sponsors please make their way to the Grand Auditorium. Anyone who is absent before the next bell chime will risk immediate elimination. I repeat: will all delegates and sponsors make their way to the Grand Auditorium at once. Thank you.* I guess I have no choice but to break this code later. Right now, I have to meet up with Riku and hopefully gain more information about this tournament and Demisegame! ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö Chapter 2 – My Life and the Chosen Ones [DELEGATES REMAINING: 200 ¡ú 197] I met up with Riku and promptly took a seat before the second chime echoed throughout the ornate hall. Luckily, everyone made it on time. Just as expected with the threat of ¡°Instant Elimination¡± looming in the air before the tournament even started. As the remaining stragglers filled in the rest of the empty seats, the lights started to dim until only the center stage was lit. At any minute, the mystery behind this tournament will be revealed to us. *All rise for the 175th God, Enigma Le Tourneau, accompanied by Calvin Mayfield: CEO of Crypticorps. * An exaggerated, yet obligated applause filled the auditorium as the 175th God and their sponsor took to the stage to give the opening address. The God tapped on the microphone, producing feedback as a result. The audience immediately silenced themselves to hear his glorious words from his perfect mouth: ¡°Good afternoon, I¡¯d like to first start off by thanking all of you for your applause and praise. It is so nice to see a lot of familiar faces, many of which I haven¡¯t seen for almost half a decade. I also see many new faces; not just from the delegates, but also sponsors that are fresh to The Grand Order. To all of you: welcome, and congratulations on your bid. I am here today to briefly explain in finer detail, the intricacies of how this tournament will work. This competition will be a bracket-style, single elimination tournament. The style of fighting will depend purely on your acquired powers. Now, you may be thinking: ¡®What powers are you talking about? I don¡¯t have such an ability.¡¯ Not yet you do. May I present to you Crypticorps¡¯s game-breaking achievement: Demisegame! Originally used to commemorate the 150th competition, Demisegame has become a staple ever since, due to the pulse-pounding each fight brought to the table. The way it works is simple: once Demisegame is injected into the delegate, the drug immediately goes to work. By analyzing the competitor¡¯s brain, it can detect anything from personality type to favorite hobbies. I¡¯d go further into the science of how that works, but unfortunately, that¡¯s top secret Crypticorps information. By collecting and compounding this information, Demisegame¡¯s algorithm determines which ability is most compatible for maximum use, potential, and victory by the host. Now be warned, there will be some side effects such as pain at the injection site, nausea, vomiting, and the like. but after the process is finished, everything will be light as rain.¡± The last part was obviously bullshit, but this ¡®Enigma¡¯ guy is trying to use his influence of God to make the competitors feel at ease as if this is some card game tournament. And this whole thing about Demisegame: there¡¯s no way it can give you superhuman abilities, but then again, this is a product make by a company that controls that entire country and its economy. Let¡¯s just say that gaining such powers is possible in our reality, there is more to the side effects than meets the eye. Is this what Riku wanted me to be aware of? Producing such a drug with no adverse drawbacks seems very unlikely, or am I just overthinking all of this? For the meantime, I need to continue to gather more information on Demisegame. ¡°And that is all I have to say. Before the delegates are sent to the infirmary to receive their dose of Demisegame, my Sponsor would like to say a few. Thank you once again, and I wish you all the best of luck." The end of his speech was met with applause until the CEO of Crypticorps stood at the podium. ¡°Greetings to all of you: both old and new. Welcome to the 176th Tournament for the Candidacy of Godhood. I would first like to say thank you to all of the members of The Grand Order for your continued trust in our company and in Demisegame. All of you are the reason why we succeed as a company, because of customers like you¡­.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, Riku, Demisegame isn¡¯t free for The Grand Order?¡± I asked in confusion. ¡°Oh no, not in any way. With a massive income and highly qualified delegates, that¡¯s how Crypticorps has managed to stay at #1 for an entire century.¡± ¡°I should¡¯ve expected as much.¡± ¡°Just take everything this old ass says with a grain of ¡­¡± Riku¡¯s statement was immediately cut off by the once calm crowd becoming increasingly hostile and aggressive. ¡°What do you mean Lord Enigma is running for a second term? We''ve had an established precedent that a God can only serve for one term. It¡¯s always been like that since the beginning of The Grand Order!¡± Another Sponsor shouted directly at Mayfield. ¡°But Ms. Rider, you said it yourself: the term limit was merely a precedent, a tradition, if you will. If our forefathers agreed on a one term God, they should¡¯ve codified it or explicitly mentioned it within our bylaws. So, no, I am not going against the wishes of the Grand Order, nor am I breaking any laws or rules. I am merely exerting my right as a sponsor to nominate the candidate to extend their bid as God. Nothing more, nothing less.¡± Nothing Mayfield said to defend his decision would quell the rising animosity. As the chants of ¡®Traitor¡¯ and ¡®Satan¡¯ slowly turned to ¡®Down with Mayfield,¡¯ Riku and I knew that divine intervention was imminent. Sure enough, the deafening sound of gunfire quickly silenced the mob. ¡°As God, I will not stand by as my fellow constituents call for the head of my Sponsor in front of me. Mr. Mayfield has not committed any wrongdoing nor broken the laws set by the first session of The Grand Order. Need I remind you all that you are under an oath? Now then, without any more interruptions, let us continue with the commencement of The Tournament of the Gods, lest you want to end up like poor, poor Madam Gerix, hmm? That¡¯s what I thought. Delegates: please follow me to the infirmary please. Sponsors, please follow Mr. Mayfield to the Guest Suites. Thank you.¡± The crowd went to their de facto leaders, but before I decided to crack a joke in order to improve Riku¡¯s mood: ¡°Guess I¡¯ll see you later. You should get going too. Can¡¯t enjoy those Hors D''oeuvres with a hole in your stomach.¡± I guess he was too stunned to speak as the only words that came out were ¡®please stay safe.¡¯ Even though the joke may have been a bit dark, I know the joke made him feel better, I just know it. ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö The confidence I had earlier had completely dissipated when I sat in that chair. It was the type you¡¯d see at the dentist¡¯s office. On second thought, that was the entire vibe of the infirmary room. Every second that passed made my anxiety rise. Every tick from the clock made me flinch in terror. A knock on the door snaps me out of the trance. Expecting to see only one person, I was surprised to see an entire team of doctors, nurses, and specialists enter the room. ¡°Greetings Lady Mercedes. My name is Lottie Breedlove, your personal doctor for the duration of this tournament. I, along with the rest of us, will help ensure maximum efficiency, recovery, and effectiveness during your fights. And in the likely event you sustain injuries, we will be right there to patch you right up. We look forward to serving you.¡± ¡°Hold up: serving me? Is there a reason why you need to be so formal?¡± ¡°You are a delegate for the candidacy of godhood, are you not?¡± ¡°Yeah, but it doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m gonna treat my own medical team like ants underneath my foot. You are all more important than that; you are to make sure I don¡¯t die from my injuries and help me get ready before each fight! So please, call me Mercedes.¡± ¡°Thank you for your generosity and sincerity, Mercedes.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Uh, no problem. I mean it doesn¡¯t need to be praised. So, is there where I get injected with Demisegame? ¡°Indeed, but please be warned: due to the severe nature of this drug, we will be placing you in restraints. This is for your own safety.¡± Before I could object, several nurses immediately secured my arms and legs to the chair. ¡°Hold on! Wait a minute! What do you mean ¡®severity of the drug?¡¯¡± ¡°While Demisegame gives superhuman abilities, some people aren¡¯t able to handle its effects and shear strength, dying as a result. We¡¯ve seen this happen several times over the last 4 tournaments. We want you to survive this and win this tournament.¡± ¡°What about the others? Don¡¯t you want them to survive as well?¡± ¡°The other delegates are none of our concern. Our interest only lies with you and you only. Mr. Tanaka made the right call choosing you as a delegate. Now then, shall we proceed?¡± ¡°Yes, I am ready.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie, this is going to be a very miserable experience and we do apologize in advance, but please be strong and fight on! We promise we¡¯ll make this up once the assimilation is complete. Good luck, Lady Mercedes.¡± ¡°Please, just call me Mercedes¡­¡± As the drug goes into my system, all I feel is the sharp pain; so intense that is too much. I realize why many have died¡­T-the pain? What pain? Wait, of love? That¡¯s pain! Or power? Pleasure? Pain, no gain in the rain for the insane in the membrane. Power can be sour in the first power hour¡­can¡¯t you give pleasure in the tower of blood and treasure? Call me Ishmeal. A screaming comes from across the bay? Where now? Who now? When now? Psychics can see the color of time, which it¡¯s blue. Time is not a line, but a dimension, like a dimension of a sphere. The clock strikes. It¡¯s money¡­in a voice that rustled.¡± ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö [DELEGATES REMAINING: 197 ¡ú 192] ¡°¡­up¡­Wake¡­up¡­Wake up, Mercedes¡­Mercedes, can you hear us?¡± ¡°...huh, Phoebe Caufield?¡± I said in a slur of words. ¡°No, this is Lottie Breedlove. I can see you''re finally awake. How do you feel?¡± ¡°I can taste the color purple.¡± ¡°It seems the drug¡¯s side effects are still present.¡± ¡°Ugh, what happened? Where am I?¡± ¡°You are still in the infirmary from earlier. Demisegame has been successfully administered, and we are pleased to announce that you have survived the worst of it.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that? I still feel like absolute crap.¡± ¡°These are just the lingering side effects, similar to those from a bad psychedelic trip.¡± ¡°Uh-huh. So what power did I get by suffering through this whole ordeal.¡± ¡°We are currently running several analyses on your blood and cross-referencing alongside Demisegame¡¯s algorithm. Your power seems to have surpassed from uncommon into rare now.¡± ¡°Uncommon? Rare? What is this, some sort of twisted trading card game?¡± ¡±If it makes it easier for you to comprehend, then yes. Demisegame¡¯s power is split into 4 categories: common, uncommon, rare, and the highly coveted ultra rare. While some players may have similar abilities, every power is unique to its user. Take pyrokinesis, for example: a delegate who specializes in dance can manipulate the fire into beautiful ribbons of pure destruction; while on the flipside, a delegate with a firefighting background would rain hell and brimstone upon their opponent with deadly precision as they have experienced the Inferno time and time again. The technique and application of a power heavily varies among all delegates, which is the reason why the fights become phantasmal spectacles to The Grand Order and their subsidiaries.¡± ¡°It all makes sense why Crypticorps continues to be the reigning champion." I commented briefly. "But besides that, I do have several questions: when will I get my results? How do I even activate this ability? And how does Demisegame activate ¡®The Spiral?¡¯¡± ¡°Who told you about that? How much do you know? You need to tell me!¡± ¡°Ah¡­All I know is this is the other way delegates die in this tournament, besides fighting.¡± ¡°And who told you this?¡± ¡°My Sponsor.¡± ¡°How did he reveal the connection of Demisegame to The Spiral? If it was done in public or by speech, I am afraid it would be in violation of The Oath.¡± ¡°He revealed it through a hidden message. He cut my hand, so I can read it in secret.¡± ¡°What cut on your hand?¡± ¡°What do you mean there¡¯s no cut, look at the gash in my hand!¡± I showed her the wound, still a bright shade of red indicating its youth.¡± ¡°You seem to be hallucinating, Mercedes, most likely a lingering side effect.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m hallucinating goddamn it! I know I was cut! There, feel it, I¡¯m telling you!¡± ¡°Stop acting so¡­rash? What the?¡± ¡°Still think I¡¯m hallucinating?¡± ¡°The wound is present. I can feel it, but it can¡¯t be seen. Is this your ability? As Lottie continued to examine the invisible wound, another nurse came rushing into the room: ¡°Madam Breedlove, the results are in!¡± ¡°AND?¡± ¡°Ultra rare! Demisegame calls the ability: ¡®Her Last Cry!¡¯¡± ¡°Let me see the report!... Phoebe, Code 913, now!¡± ¡°Right on it!¡± With no response to me, I was led to a back room within the infirmary. Upon entering with Phoebe and Dr. Breedlove, the door was locked shut, an aura of tension filling the room. Top secret information is about to be revealed, but they could¡¯ve made it less obvious in front of the camera. ¡°Jefferson, how much time?¡± ¡°5 minutes, Doctor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than enough time. Mercedes, I am going to need to just shut up for 5 minutes. No quibs, no interruptions, nothing. Got it? Now the reason why we¡¯ve been acting erratic is because of The Spiral. Due to The Oath, most Sponsors never tell their delegates anything regarding it. The fact that your Sponsor went to great lengths to give you an upper hand within the competition. While you may have been warned about it, you haven¡¯t been given all of the information. I¡¯m going to explain as briefly and concisely as possible. The Spiral refers to the unintended side effect produced by Demisegame. It is characterized as a constant sense of dread that forces you to mentally spiral until it ultimately kills you. The only way to safeguard against The Spiral is constant mental fortitude and rebounding whenever you start to experience that dread. Next, there are ten levels to The Spiral, each one becoming increasingly difficult to rebound from:¡± 1. Doubt 2. Anxiety 3. Panic 4. Fear 5. Neurosis 6. Paranoia 7. Hysteria 8. Violence 9. Self-destruction 10. SOKUSHINBUTSU ¡°If you reach the tenth and final spiral, you not only just die, but your soul also becomes trapped within your body. Your brain just stops right in its tracks, and the condition is irreversible. More than a quarter of all participants are killed by The Spiral. The other killer: the permanent and painful drawbacks of your power.¡± ¡°60 seconds, Doctor.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t explain it all, but you will have to study how your powers affect your body. Without mastery and proper execution, it will kill you.¡± ¡°30 seconds, Doctor.¡± ¡°Your ability allows you to alter another person¡¯s visual perception; what they see, or what they think they see in front of them.¡± ¡°10 seconds!¡± ¡°Just remember to keep eye contact with your target.¡± ¡°Time! System¡¯s back online.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s how the tournament structure will work. Any questions?¡± With so much information spit out in such little time, my mind was completely stalled and blocked. ¡°I know that it¡¯s a lot to handle.¡± ¡°...I¡­have nothing.¡± This was all that I could muster. ¡°Excellent! Now then, let¡¯s get you something to eat and show you to your dormitory. Phoebe, would you be able to do that for me?¡± ¡°No problem, Doctor. Right this way, Mercedes.¡± ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö There¡¯s nothing to do but lay down on the bed and stare at the ceiling. There¡¯s barely anything in these rooms: just a bed, a desk, and a TV to only tune into the tournament. Given the current climate of the situation, it feels much more akin to a prison cell, which makes it rather depressing. Knowing that the first round starts tomorrow, I want to try and get as much rest as possible. As for the morning, eat just enough where I¡¯ll get my necessary energy, but not too much or too little where I¡¯ll get sick. Finally, if I¡¯m not in the first fight, I¡¯ll watch the others, gauge their power, and create strategies and counterattacks. I will not lose tomorrow. I will win and I will make a vengeance known. You better watch your back, Brett: I¡¯m coming for you! ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö Chapter 3 – The End of Days [DELEGATES REMAINING: 192] The alarm over the loudspeakers announces that morning has arrived. An announcer tells us to make our way to the auditorium immediately. To make sure I don¡¯t get reprimanded or eliminated, I once again put on the same clothes I¡¯ve been wearing for the past couple of days and head out to my destination. When I walk inside, I find myself to be all alone. I guess the others think that since they are delegates, they are somehow immune to the rules. Those who witnessed the execution of their fellow delegates should¡¯ve been here out of pure fear! I take a seat and decide to get some more rest in. After about a half hour, I start to hear some delegates enter into the theater. While I may have been the first one here, I know that there are others that are taking this seriously as well; they will be my biggest threat. Due to the dim lighting, I wasn¡¯t able to catch a glimpse of any of their faces. On second thought, maybe it wasn¡¯t such a good idea to have sat all the way in the back row. As minute by minute passed, more delegates entered and took their seats. After what was most likely 15 minutes, the announcer came back on to give a final warning by invoking sudden elimination to those not present. That sure brought the remaining delegates running for their lives before the doors closed behind them. After everyone was settled, the spotlights focused on the front stage as a mysterious figure walked to the podium. All eyes were focused upon the lonesome man in black as he tapped on the microphone to ensure it was working. Everyone went dead silent as the man started to speak: ¡°Good morning, delegates. To make sure the tournament moves efficiently, we will be giving you a breakdown of how things will work around here. On the 1st day of every week, the fights will be conducted. Anyone suspected of and caught killing outside of the arena will be instantly eliminated. The fights are supposed to be entertaining and a spectacle for showing off your fighting prowess in front of the world. The rest of the week is given to you for rest, recovery, training, or whatever your heart so pleases. Food will be provided at 0800 and 1600 hours. It will only be allowed for an hour so make sure you¡¯re present. In addition, your medical staff will be on-call 24/7 for around the clock care. Lights out is at 2300 hours. Anyone not in their room by lockdown without explicit permission will be eliminated. You can contact your medical staff by using the phone in your room. Finally, no one will be able to leave until the tournament has concluded. Welcome to your new home.¡± Murmurs emerged from the audience as his words echoed through the chamber. Did they actually think that they would be able to roam around freely during this whole thing? We¡¯re just prisoners with a formal title. ¡°Now then, before we decide the first round match-ups, let us head to the mess hall, then get you all attire that perfectly matches your style as a God delegate.¡± And with a clap of his hands, the auditorium doors opened, and we were led to the mess hall. Something feels very off about this guy and what he said, but I don¡¯t know what! ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö The mess hall had a large assortment of food from all seasons and regions. I mean, we are God delegates, and we are battling to the death; it¡¯s the least they can do. Since the first round doesn¡¯t start for a while, I decide to try and eat just enough to gain energy, but not feel sluggish. A lot of the other delegates are gorging themselves on the buffet of plenty. Knowing how this place already works, I have a feeling of uneasiness. Why didn¡¯t they announce the time of the first match? Shouldn''t that be a top priority when announcing the structure of the tournament? Is it to give us a false sense of security, or did they just forget to announce it? Maybe they plan on switching it up on all of us? MERCEDES VIDA HAS SUCCESSFULLY ENTERED THE SPIRAL OF DOUBT Hold on! Get a grip on yourself, Mercedes. Now is not the time to start overthinking. Go back and start looking for something that might give us some information. Upon further observation, I saw a small number of delegates were doing the same thing in regard to portion control. I decided to look around the mess hall to see if I was missing anything. With each passing second, my anxiety increased. I couldn¡¯t help but bounce my leg and fidget with food. While I kept messing with my food, something suddenly caught my eye...As I pushed the remnants of my breakfast to the edge of the plate, I took a good look at the design printed on the tableware: Flux Industries - Time Sure Flies by ?. From the multiple timers to the slogan itself, my gut feeling knows that there is something very off-key about the design choice¡­ ¡­ ¡­! I immediately look around the room to find a clock. Above the buffet table lies a small analog one. The time was set to 4:45PM. The first round will start in half-an-hour! ¡°Judging by the look on your face, it seems you¡¯ve figured it out too.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± The sudden appearance of another delegate talking to me out of the blue completely scared me. ¡°Quiet down, baby girl. You wouldn¡¯t want to alert those who are unworthy.¡± Baby girl?! Who does this delegate think they are¡­oh shit¡­okay, was definitely not expecting¡­this? Why was he selected for the tournament? And by who? And why is he lowkey kind of cute? ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Why am I giggling? Now I¡¯m blushing? Stop it, Mercedes! Get a grip! ¡°Uh, hello? Is there anybody there? Hello?? Oh, hey! You¡¯re finally back. You dosed right off after you saw my face. Did I have crumbs on my face? Maybe the ol¡¯ spinach in the teeth, hmm?¡± ¡°Ahhh, never mind all of that. I only started daydreaming because of the message on the plate!¡± What am I doing?? Why am I getting so flustered? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I completely understand. I was the same way about 10 minutes ago, minus the blushing.¡± ¡°W-W-What did you come here for? If it¡¯s information, I¡¯ve got nothing else.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t come here looking for info, I¡¯ve got all I need. I just wanted to strike up an interesting conversation with a beautiful lone wolf eating a small meal. Maybe find an ally in this hell hole. Someone to talk to. A friend if you must.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need any ¡®friends¡¯ down here. I just want to win and survive.¡± ¡°That''s what everyone wants down here. With no access to entertainment, or even sunlight for that matter, having someone you can trust is essential, unless you want to be a victim to...The Spiral.¡± ¡°You also know about The Spiral?¡± ¡°Shh. Remember: not too loud. The best way to fight it off is with socialization. Keeps the mind busy, numb, and at-bay. Before I continue blabbing anymore, let me introduce myself: I am Juno Neos Archer, delegate of Dragoncast.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Come on, I¡¯m not that intimidating, right?¡± ¡°Lady Mercedes Vida: delegate for Plutronics Unlimited. Pleased to make your acquaintance.¡± ¡°Ah, another member of the Magnum Decum, the pleasure is all mine. I hope to become good friends with you.¡± ¡°...Likewise.¡± ¡°Now then, ¡®breakfast¡¯ is going to be ending momentarily, to which they will be directing us to the wardrobes. Shall we?¡± I nodded, and the both of us moved to the front door of the mess hall. Once breakfast had ended, the doors opened back up and we were directed to the wardrobes, just as Juno stated. ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö With only fifteen minutes to finalize our designs, it became rather difficult to choose from the plethora of clothing. I want both comfort during combat, but something that is true to my being. Wait! I hope this one fits. This is it! My final decision was as such: knee-high, leather boots, a miniskirt with tights underneath, and a long-sleeve shirt, all in black I might add. I finished off the look with multiple leather straps around my arms, body, and legs, just for good measure. A voice over the intercom instructed us back into the auditorium. After all of the newly dressed delegates sat down, the estranged gentleman from earlier took back to the state to announce the matchups for the evening, or so I thought. If it wasn¡¯t for that clue in the mess hall, it would¡¯ve been game over for me. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Welcome back, delegates. Hope the food was to your liking. Now then, let us decide the round one matchup!¡± And with a pull of a lever, similar to that of a slot machine, the golden flip board behind the man sprang to life. Numbers, letters, symbols; all flipping and stopping at their designated spots. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the last letter flipped into position, revealing the First round to all. ¡°I present to you, the bracket for the Tournament of the Gods! Delegates will report to the arena at once!¡± The crowd was confused, except for those who cracked the code. As the doors opened, they became angry, shouting about how it was still morning. The delegates who knew about the time change started to head down to the arena. Do I stay with the majority, or do I head down the hall and prepare for the inevitable? Before I made the decision, a sudden grip to my shoulder jerked me out of my thoughts. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were thinking this little revolution was going to stop the tournament? Now, if I were you, I would follow this smart and charming fellow and make sure nothing deadly happens. I wouldn¡¯t want to risk Instant Elimination for non-compliance, hmmm?¡± Juno was right. The last thing I need to worry about is getting killed due to the ignorance of the many. As I started to head down the hall, Juno immediately took hold of my wrist and started to sprint, to which I followed. With adrenaline pumping through my veins, I started to get nervous. Hearing several gunshots, followed by the blood-curdling screams of abject terror down the hall didn¡¯t help in the slightest. MERCEDES VIDA HAS SUCCESSFULLY ENTERED THE SPIRAL OF ANXIETY ¡°Now, Mercedes, I know that your heart tends to race when I¡¯m around you, but I need to calm down and listen to me: at this current rate, you¡¯re going to continue down The Spiral!¡± MERCEDES VIDA HAS SUCCESSFULLY ENTERED THE SPIRAL OF PANIC The clock is ticking, and my heart is bursting through my chest. I¡¯m crying with tears are pouring down my face. I try to stop it, but The Spiral still remains. His voice resides inside my head, but still, it cannot break. In a moment of desperation, Juno started to sing in an effort to break The Spiral''s grip. His voice was a calming presence in the midst of death and despair. With every lyric he sings, The Spiral loosens its grip, causing me to become drowsy as a result. As The Spiral left, I passed out soon after. ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö [DELEGATES REMAINING: 192 ¡ú 186] ¡°Are you feeling better, Mercedes?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not spiraling anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Come on, now. I told you that if you¡¯re going to survive this competition, you¡¯re going to need to trust me.¡± ¡°And why should I, huh? isn¡¯t the whole point of this tournament not to make friends? You¡¯ll either see them die gruesomely or be forced to kill them some time or later.¡± I said with lament. ¡°Look, I completely understand what you are saying. I won¡¯t deny it: there is going to be a lot of death in this tournament, and there is nothing we can do to stop it. Death is something everyone will have to face. In our ¡®unique¡¯ situation, I believe it would be such an honor to die at the hands of a friend, especially if it would be at your hand.¡± ¡°Heh, you think it would be some sort of merciful blessing to be killed by your friend? You really do live in a fantasy. What kind of person romanticizes how they¡¯ll die?¡± ¡°You may call it being delusional, I call it keeping busy. I don¡¯t care how I did, but I refuse to spiral down to Sokushinbutsu and have my soul trapped for all eternity.¡± ¡°...my apologies.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine! If you think a snide remake is enough to make me upset, you¡¯re mistaken. Your problem is that you overthink too much¡­We should probably get going to our waiting rooms; wouldn¡¯t want to risk instant elimination, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Good, now come here.¡± ¡°Wait! What are you¨Chuh? ¡°You¡¯re going to do just fine. Believe in yourself and in your abilities.¡± ¡°And you had to say that while hugging me?¡± ¡°Definitely stops you from doubting yourself, not to mention keeping The Spiral away!¡± ¡°T-Thank you, Juno.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it! Now c¡¯mon; the tournament is about to begin.¡± ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö [DELEGATES REMAINING: 186 ¡ú 185] The first round ended up being a complete gorefest; no mercy was spared in the slightest. With the victor having superhuman strength and their victim cryokinesis, it seemed like a very unfair match up, although the spectators sure loved it. The cryokinesis delegates'' fatal flaw was overusing their power at the beginning, resulting in gangrene and decay. The rest is pretty much history. The superhuman switched into offense and relished every moment of clobbering their prey into the ground, torturing them in their final moments. After the round, some of the clean-up crew became physically ill because the body was mutilated and far beyond any human recognition. As round by round were broadcasted on the television screen, all I could do was watch until my round was called. To make sure there was no foul play, each delegate was placed in a small room that looked even more like a prison cell than my actual room. With a small bed, toilet, and sink all crammed in, it¡¯s easy to see it wasn¡¯t made for comfort. There¡¯s not much I can do to prepare for my fight. I don¡¯t even know what ability my opponent might have! It could be weaker than mine, or more powerful. All I was given was their God title and Desimename: Maroonius the Trickster - Vault of Insidious Spectacles. Just their title alone makes me curious about their prior occupation to the tournament. With a self-given name like ¡°The Trickster,¡± they have to be under-handed in some regard. They could¡¯ve been a professional gambler, or a cunning con artist, or even a master in pickpocketing. However, the name of their ability gives me no clues. Whatever it ends up being, it¡¯s definitely not going to be fun to deal with...Until then, all I can do is wait while listening to the sound of my own heartbeat. *thump thump* *thump thump* *thump thump* ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö [DELEGATES REMAINING: 185 ¡ú 153 ¡ú 152] The hum of the elevator rings all around me. There is no running away. I will fight The Trickster no matter how much I try to deny it¡­ ¡­ ¡­Do I even have a chance against them? Am I just going to end up pulverized and plastered like the delegate I saw? I don¡¯t want to die! I want to live! Mom? Mom, I want to go home. I want to go home. Please, I need you. Please, I don¡¯t know what to do anymore. I¡¯m scared¡­Juno¡­Juno, please help me. MERCEDES VIDA HAS SUCCESSFULLY ABORTED SPIRALING CURRENT SPIRAL: PANIC Juno¡­Juno...Juno? JUNO?! Why am I calling out for Juno? That idiot comes out of nowhere wanting to be my friend, and now I blush and get flustered every time I think of him? ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Well, at least calling out for him stopped me from spiraling even further. Everything will be fine. With an ability like ¡°Her Last Cry,¡± my chances at winning against The Trickster are slightly increased. I will win against my opponent! I will advance through this tournament! And I will kill you Brett if it¡¯s the last thing that I will do on this godforsaken earth. Brett: you better be ready, because I¡¯m coming for you, and I will torture you for as long as I can, until you beg for death, and I will relish every single moment of it! The door to the elevator opens slowly, the light from outside the arena flooding in. On either side of me are walls bigger than any I have ever since. Multiple guards in watchtowers, guns at the ready, just in case one were to attempt an escape with their new-found abilities. At the end of the enclosed path: a massive gate that leads to the gladiatorial arena of death. As I walk toward the gate, I can take in more of my surroundings. In addition to the guards, there was a multitude of spectators alongside the edge of the massive monoliths, most likely the many company executives and their conglomerates. Instead of a rowdy and jubilant crowd one would see in a sports stadium, these spectators sat with a solemn stare, none of them making a single sound or motion. One shaky step after another, I made my way closer to the gate, the glares from the crowd becoming increasing heavy with a menacing aura. Once at the gate, a royal knight instructed me to stay put until the gate lifts. I noticed a message scrawled in blood on the inner archway: ¡°Abandon all hope, ye who enter.¡± Looks like someone is being a little dramatic by comparing our current experiences to that of Dante¡¯s Inferno. Suddenly, all of the air left the arena. Everything was heavy and I couldn''t take a single breath. Not a single sound could be heard but that of my own heartbeat pounding in my ears¡­As the gate started to lift, my reality finally set in for I realized I was at the point of no return. ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡°Welcome to the first round''s 28th match-up of the Tournament for Godhood! Let us get right into it! On the left, we have a competitor who has lived a very rough life. In the light she hides, but in the night she strikes. Introducing the candidate for Plutronics Unlimited, the Beautiful Princess of Vampires, the very definition of femme fatale in every sense of the word: ladies and gentlemen, I give you: Lady Mercedes Vida!! And to my right: a faceless, hooded figure with an unholy curse from The Desolate One. The First of the Fallen, The Slayer of the Unworthy, the Master of Misery! From Argentum Diabolos Enterprise, I present: Maroonius the Trickster!¡± Both of us walked into the arena at the same time, while the ring announcer boomed our introductions as he had done for the previous matches. The crowd looms over the arena with the intention of satisfying their lust for the impending bloodshed and violence. We both continued to the middle of the arena, gathering as much information we could off one another. He wears a hooded shawl that completely covers his face, leaving an empty and ominous void. He also wore a massive black jacket that concealed every part of his body. Something about his whole vibe feels off. I know that you would want to hide your ability until the actual fight, but this aura feels malignant, malicious, and hellish. It feels like that of pure evil. The Shadow of Death is now upon me. The time to fight is about to begin. Both of us will be leaving this arena, but under different circumstances. One will leave the victor: alive, intact, and advancing to the next round. The other: in a body bag, or taken away by The Grand Order, begging for death, or trapped in eternal limbo though The Spiral and Sokushinbutsu. No mercy will be spared, and I will make it past this round, defeat my opponent, and make it to the next. Mother, please be there for me. I love you. I promise I will make it out of here alive! ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö Chapter 4 – Waking the Demon [DELEGATES REMAINING: 152] ¡°Alright, I am going to briefly explain the rules: This is a no-holds barred fight. Both fighters will use their abilities and engage in combat until death or incapacitation. If incapacitated, that fighter can choose to surrender their life and rights to The Grand Order. A surrender does not guarantee survival from both the opponent or The Grand Order. It is highly advised not to surrender. At the end of a ten second countdown, you are free to fight. Any of you who attempt and are caught trying to engage in battle before the countdown will be instantly eliminated and their opponent declared the winner. Let¡¯s have a bloody and exciting fight, shall we? Game on!¡± As the announcer left the arena, a tense presence took over. The audience stopped their applause, the guards and enforcers drew their guns, and my opponent stood there, menacingly. The slam of a large metal door indicated the announcer¡¯s departure. And with that, the countdown begins. 10¡­9¡­8¡­7¡­6¡­5¡­4¡­3¡­ ¡°Mercedes¡­¡± 2¡­ ¡°I am going to have fun...¡± 1¡­ ¡°Torturing you.¡± *Bzzzzzzzzzzzz* ¡°NO MERCY!!¡± As fast as lightning, he bolted toward me with the intent to kill. I stand in place, waiting for him to get closer. I want to attack, but there¡¯s no telling what his ability is. He¡¯s coming closer; I need to go on the defensive¡­wait. Something¡¯s happening. The environment is changing. Dark, purple clouds appear from thin air, and mountains rise from the concrete floor. Here he comes. I dodge his assault and jump away to gain distance. poison gas leaks from the cracks left behind by the mountains. So this must be his ability: to make landscapes appear in the blink of an eye. If he has control of the landscape, then I need to hide until I get a plan. Over there! That pillar is good for now. Okay, so if he can create environments, then I need to become more familiar with my¡­surroundings? Wait, the pillar disappeared? I need to find cov-ow! This wasn¡¯t here a minute ago. Hold on, this looks familiar to the pillar I was hiding behind. Wait, this is the same pillar! I need to move now! If he is able to manipulate this environment, how will I get close to him? How will I defeat him? What¡¯s his weakness? Am I going to die here? Wait wait wait Mercedes, you need to calm down. Keep a level head. You don¡¯t want to be spiraling right now of all things. What I need to do is keep away from him. ¡°What wrong, Lady Mercedes? You seem awfully troubled, hmmm? Is it because you realize the true extent of my powers? It¡¯s not a secret now that I can make whatever landscape I want a reality. I can rise above the tallest mountains and sink to the bottom of the endless depths of the sea with ease. In the normal world, I was a nobody, a loser magician trying to make a living in order to survive. But in here? I have obtained the power of a God! I control reality in the palm of my hand, Mercedes. Everything is in my power. My victory in exchange for your life. My reality in exchange for the real one out there. My ability to be God....I WILL BECOME THE ONE TRUE GOD!¡± ¡°You may believe that you¡¯re destined to the one, true God, Maroonius, but I promise you this: one of us will be leaving this arena alive and that is going to be me! So, bring it on!¡± That was all I could muster before he immediately charged at me, infuriated by my response. I need to continue to find his weakness, but also conserve my stamina. I can¡¯t keep running forever. Lap after lap, running in endless circles. Run to the left. Now dodge to the right. I¡¯m starting to lose steam and I¡¯m nowhere closer to finding an opening than I was five minutes ago. No weapons, no protection, no offense or defense, just a stupid ability that doesn¡¯t help in the slightest! What should I do? What¡¯s my next move? Do I continue to evade, or do I try to attack? What do I¡­.OUCH!! ¡°Oh my, are you okay, my dear Mercedes? It seems as though your arm has been wounded. I wonder how that happened. Hmm hmm hmm¡­At this rate, I believe that you will, indeed, leave this arena. Oho, but not as a winner, but a loser, carried away in a body bag! AHAHAHAHAHA!!¡± He¡¯s unfortunately correct. My precious time is shrinking by the second, and unless I find out how to attack him, I really will be leaving in a body bag! Okay okay okay¡­Need to focus! Snap out of it, Mercedes! First thing¡¯s first: I need to try and stop the bleeding from my arm¡­.Okay, these belts should be able to stem the flow. Next thing I need now is to find something that will work as a weapon. The only thing that is available are the ends of the mountains and pillars¡­It¡¯s going to have to do! Beggars can¡¯t be choosers. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t see what plan you¡¯re trying to scheme up, Mercedes! Do you really think you can use my own creation as a weapon against me? I made sure of it that there was nothing that could be used against me, but you decided to mock and insult me?! Remember, I¡¯m the one who made those pillars you so hide behind like the coward you are! Such as the Lord can giveth, the Lord can TAKETH! There you are! you¡¯ve got nowhere to hide now, Mercedes!¡± ~But can you take away that which you cannot see, Maroonius? ~ ¡°No matter where you run and take cover, all I need to do is remove your cover until there is nothing else left to hide behind! Of course, I could just make all of my creation disappear at once, but where¡¯s the fun in that? Where¡¯s the thrill of the hunt? I have the upper hand! Just give it up and accept defeat! Do you want to keep running all of your life or fight me with that so-called courage you had before?¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ~Sometimes running momentarily is okay, especially when it''s part of the master plan. ~ ¡°Hmm hmm hmmmm. Your last pillar: erased from existence! Aww, what¡¯s wrong there? Why are you on your knees, trembling of all things. Is it because you¡¯ve accepted your fate to die at the hands of God? Hahaha! I am going to enjoy this even more so! I want to see the fear in your eyes as I torture you ever so slightly until I see the life inside you fade away into the void of INFINITE DARKNESS!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!¡± ~That¡¯s it, just a little bit closer¡­ ~ ¡°I want to hear your cries and see your tears while you suffer! Now then, Mercedes, say goodbye to everything you ever loved!¡± ¡°NOW!¡± ¡°What?! AAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHH!!!¡± The crowd is taken back by surprise, lightly applauding as a result. The untouchable God has been wounded in an unexpected counterattack! My plan to lure Maroonius was successful! With him that close to me, there wasn¡¯t a single second for a reaction! ¡°How?? How is that possible?! How am I bleeding? I made sure exactly you had no weapons on you! EXPLAIN YOURSELF!!¡± Maroonius scowled at me, wincing from the pain. ¡°You really want me to explain it? I guess you¡¯re dumber than you made yourself out to be!¡± I snapped back, adrenaline through my veins. ¡°How dare you!!¡± ¡°Now then, let me tell you in a way that is simple enough for someone like you to comprehend. While you were toying with me like some sort of plaything, I was plotting my counter offensive. Don¡¯t tell me you forgot I had special abilities as well!¡± ¡°That still doesn¡¯t explain how you managed to get a weapon! I used my ability to make sure any pillar dagger you held would disintegrate!¡± ¡°If a delegate can¡¯t connect the pieces together, you don¡¯t deserve to be called God! See for yourself: your Holiness.¡± I opened my hands, revealing the dagger made from the pillar stone. ¡°AH! Visual manipulation?!¡± ¡°Exactly! And with Her Last Cry, I will kill you where you stand!¡± ¡°Hmm Hmm Hmmm. Hahaha¡­HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Do you really think you¡¯ll be able to kill me now, just because you managed to catch me off guard by pure dumb luck and a stupid sleight-of-hand ability? I have the ability to create or destroy; build or crumble; give life or give death! If you wanted to win, you would¡¯ve ended me instead of revealing your plan to me! You may have used your ability to cloak my pillar as a dagger but remember who created that pillar! Say goodbye to your only chance of winning this tournament!!¡± He still believes he has the upper hand. I don¡¯t care anymore. I want to end this fight, once and for all! Lunging toward him, I felt the biggest adrenaline rush in years. What my opponent failed to realize is that I purposely revealed the pillar dagger to lure him into a false sense of security and distract him from the true objective: the other daggers underneath my skirt! This is it! This is the end! ¡°Have you actually lost your mind, Mercedes? You¡¯re going to attack me with no weapon? You¡¯re just handing over the victory to me! And when I win, I will become God!! HAHAHA..UHGNNNN¡­ *Drip Drip Drip* ¡°H-H-H-How¡­how did you¡­?¡± The choking of his own blood caused him to stop talking. ¡°I made sure you only saw the dagger in my hand, diverting attention from the one that was hidden. I wanted you to be at your highest so when you fell and hit rock bottom, it would cause you never-ending despair.¡± The fear he wanted to see my eyes now reflected in his own. How ironic... *Schlick* ¡°Urgh!¡± ¡°You¡¯re finished!!¡± *Stab Stab Shhtaab* As I stabbed him once more, it was I who relished the life fading from his eyes. The dagger dissipated from his chest as his lifeless corpse slumped over itself, acknowledging defeat. I stare off into the sea of executives and business associates, their expressions with emotion as they applaud and congratulate my victory over the opponent. The announcer informs me to walk back to the gate I previously entered from to properly exit the arena. Walking back, I notice multiple knights and clean-up crew enter from the opposite side of the arena, moving my opponent¡¯s body over into the body bag. Hmph. It¡¯s over¡­I¡¯ve done it. Although it was truly exhausting, I was able to kill and triumph over¡­wait a minute, what was his name again? Mars¡­Marik¡­Mar¡­Maroonius, yeah, that''s it. Maroonius the Trickster. Why did I briefly forget his name? I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s just the adrenaline, not to mention being mentally and physically tapped out. I¡¯m glad that this nightmare of a round is over. However, now that my power has been put out on full display, there¡¯s no telling how the other delegates will try to counter Her Last Cry or what strategies will emerge to strengthen their own ability! The only way to beat my next opponent is to watch all other matches, coming up with some sort of quick game plans for each potential match-up. I need to get some rest, but strategizing is of the utmost importance... ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö The elevator dings as it opens once more. To my surprise, my medical team was waiting by the door. I wonder why they were all here? Perhaps it''s to perform a check-up. I know I was just in a brutal fight, but it wasn''t too bad on my body: just a few scrapes and bruises, nothing life-threatening. What''s more important right now is watching the other fights; the check-up can wait until later. As I attempted to walk back to my holding room, Madam Breedlove stepped in front of me, while the other staff personnel attempted to surround me. Trying to move past them causes the surrounding circle to tighten by the second. I do my best to assure Breedlove that I was okay, and did not need the physical right now, as watching the fights were crucial to my survivability in the tournament. Breedlove immediately raised her voice to me, stating that my left arm had been severely cut in the previous fight with the magician guy. I remember the fight very clearly, and I am absolutely positive that, aside from a few scrapes, I was not cut nearly as deep as what the Madam is saying. I once again attempt to move toward my room, but the Madam signals the staff to close in even tighter. Becoming agitated, I too raised my voice toward Breedlove, telling her that I did not sustain such an injury during my fight; but before I could finish my statement, Breedlove scolded me, pointing at my arm. With no other option, I looked over at my arm trying to refute her claim...Wait, was my whole arm always covered in blood? That cut looks pretty gruesome, huh? ... ... I can still move my arm and hand, so at least it isn''t too deep and damaging... ... ...When exactly did I get wounded? ... ... ... Wait a minute...I remember now... ...It was when Maroonius... ... ...Maroon...? *KA-THUD* ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö [DELEGATES REMAINING: 152 ¡ú 151] Chapter 5 – Losing my Humanity: Breaking Out and Breaking Down ¡­Yes, I can hear them. I can hear them all around me. ¡°We need to monitor stability,¡± says one voice. ¡°We need to run more tests,¡± says the other. Are these my guardian angels, or could they be someone else entirely? Mother, could it be you? Oh, how I wish to talk to you again¡­ ¡°Doctor, we need to perform compressions, now!¡± A bodiless voice shouts into the void. ¡­I understand what is happening¡­Who knew this is how dying felt. Trapped inside yourself, while those on the outside do all they can to bring you back from crossing the veil. Although I had hoped it was you, mother, I now realize these spirits are, in fact, my medical staff trying to save me, just like what guardian angels do. Although I may not be able to hear you, I have complete faith that you can hear me. I love you, mother. Please¡­please continue to watch over me, always¡­ ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡°For¡­Doctor Breedlove¡­.waking up¡­all¡­stable.¡± The talking of a staffer is the first thing I hear as I awake in the infirmary. As I regain my senses, my attention goes right toward my arm. Aside from the fact that it is mostly bandaged up and in a sling, I can still slightly move and bend it, which relieves my fear of it being broken. I attempt to lift it, but the pain is too intense. Damn it! This will definitely pose an issue if I can¡¯t manage this pain. I barely survived my first fight and had my arm slashed open as a result. Even with just one arm out of commission, there¡¯s no telling the damage I could take as a result; it¡¯s even possible for me to die or even worse: spiral down to Sokushinbutsu. Get it together, Mercedes! Get it together! You cannot start spiraling now! Everything will be fine. Time¡¯s on my side for the moment. Remember what the man dressed in black stated before the tournament began? The fights are held on the first day of every week. This means I have a week, seven full days, before I need to fight again. That should be enough time to allow my arm to at least be somewhat functional before the next round begins. ¡°Glad to see you¡¯re finally awake, Lady Mercedes.¡± A familiar voice enters the room, bringing my train of thought to a grinding halt. My eyes immediately darted around the room attempting to find the source of that amicable speaking. Left to right, up and down, I searched endlessly until finally my sight fixated toward the front of the room. It was Madam Breedlove, standing underneath the doorway, a look of relief, but also concern, written all over her face. There¡¯s obviously something on her mind, and my gut is telling me that it has something to do with the fight that landed me in this predicament right from the beginning. ¡°That was quite a bit of blood you lost out there.¡± She chides as she takes a seat in the chair next to me. ¡°How are you feeling, Mercedes?¡± ¡°Well, the arm definitely hurts like hell, but that¡¯s pale in comparison to how my head feels like it¡¯s going to split open.¡± ¡°That¡¯s to be expected for someone who lost the amount of blood you did.¡± ¡°Come on, it couldn¡¯t have been that much. Right, Lottie?¡± ¡°Mercedes, let me put it to you this way: The average adult female carries around four liters of blood in their body. With that being said, the average human can lose up to 20% of their blood before passing out or experiencing shock; losing 40% or more causes your body and organs to fail, killing you in the process. To put this all into perspective, Mercedes, you lost more than a third of your blood. It was essentially a miracle you were able to stand about and stay conscious, let alone have a full-fledged conversation with us, before you collapsed from your injuries. All-in-all, you are lucky to even be here talking to me right now.¡± I don¡¯t know what compelled me to blurt out the next question to Lottie. Maybe I was still processing my own mortality, yet again, or maybe I was just morbidly curious. Well, maybe a little bit of both, but no matter the reason, my mouth was unable to contain the thought racing around my mind like a racecar with zero limits: ¡°Did I flatline at all?¡± ¡°... ¡­ Yes. Three times to be exact.¡± The silence and hesitation in her answer leaves me with uneasiness, so I decided to ask another question: ¡°Based on your expression alone, I have a feeling that there is something else on your mind. Am I correct?¡± ¡°... Indeed.¡± ¡°What¡¯s bothering you?¡± I asked with more intrigue. ¡°... Ever since your accident, a feeling of dread has clouded my thoughts and better judgment. In order to reassure myself and dissipate my doubts, I am going to be administering you a couple of tests.¡± ¡°What kind of tests? What are you testing for?¡± My intrigue, now slowly turning into anxiety. ¡°The first test will evaluate your motor functions and reflexes. I need to make sure that your previous fight did not leave behind any further damages, other than the initial gash and loss of blood, that could pose as a detriment later on in the tournament.¡± ¡°What about the second test?¡± ¡°The second test will be an evaluation of your cognitive abilities.¡± ¡°Why do you need to evaluate my cognitive abilities? I feel fine! There¡¯s nothing wrong with me! My brain is working just fine!¡± ¡°Mercedes, I¡¯m not saying there is anything wrong with your brain. I am, however, doing this merely as a precautionary measure.¡± Her answer adds more to the panic and worry already building up inside me. There are more urgent matters at hand than some supplementary exams that will prove nothing is wrong with my head! I just need to find a way to let her discharge me, so I can observe the rest of the fights. ¡°Please, Lottie, can¡¯t we push these tests off until later in the week? I find it very important that I watch the rest of the first round match-ups. That way, I can spend my week preparing for hypothetical matches while also giving my arm time to heal in the process.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Suddenly, the air in the room became ice-cold, filling it with a chilly, dense aura. Just then, Madam Breedlove replied to me: ¡°...About that, Mercedes. I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°A-Are you telling me I¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Mercedes. Your shock-induced coma unfortunately caused you to miss the latter half of the matches. I am truly sorry.¡± ¡°... ¡­¡± ¡°Mercedes, I know this information can be a lot to take in, but we need to find a¡­¡± ¡°How much time do I have left before the second round?¡± ¡°... Five hours.¡± ¡°Five hours?! That¡¯s all I have left to prepare for it? I don¡¯t know anything about my opponent¡¯s power, their God name, appearance, or anything! Now they¡¯re expecting me to fight in my current condition? I have an arm that¡¯s practically out of commission!¡± ¡°Mercedes, try and¨C¡± ¡°And then to top it all off, they probably, no absolutely, they absolutely know about my ability and how to easily plan a counterattack for it. I¡¯m at a major disadvantage before the round even starts! Oh, man, what am I going to do?¡± ¡°Mercedes, please you have to stop¡­¡± ¡°Am I going to die? Am I going to die before I even get a chance to confront him? This is it. This is it¡­ This is the end. I¡¯m going to die slowly and painfully, I just know it¡­I JUST KNOW IT! MERCEDES VIDA HAS SUCCESSFULLY ENTERED THE SPIRAL OF FEAR ¡°Mercedes!¡± ¡°I CAN¡¯T DO THIS! I CAN¡¯T DO THIS! SOMEBODY HELP ME! PLEASE HELP MEEEEE! *SLAP* MERCEDES VIDA HAS SUCCESSFULLY ABORTED SPIRALING CURRENT SPIRAL: FEAR A radiating sting envelops my face, freeing me from my grasp of Demisegame. What¡¯s going on? What even happened to cause this? How did I activate The Spiral so quickly? ¡°Mercedes! You need to snap out of it. RIGHT. NOW! You cannot allow yourself to spiral down into Sokushinbutsu! You need¡­to stay calm. I understand your concern and panic, believe me! I¡¯ve been worrying nonstop this week, thinking you¡¯d never wake up and be disqualified by default! God knows what they would¡¯ve done to your body if you continued to remain unconscious! It may seem like my demeanor is unfazed, but in reality, it¡¯s more likely than not, a fa?ade to help keep your mental and emotional health in balance.¡± ¡°Lottie¡­¡± ¡°So, if you would¡­let¡¯s get these tests out of the way, so that we can come up with a strategy for your second fight. Together. Okay?¡± ¡°... ¡­Okay¡± I¡¯m really sorry, Lottie. I wish I could say more, but my mind just won¡¯t let me¡­ ¡°Let us proceed with the examinations.¡± Madam Breedlove then proceeded to roll in a nearby machine next to me, hooking up multiple nodes all over my body, mainly around my head, arms, and chest. And over the course of two hours, she conducted both exams as fast and as precisely as she could. The first exam went over basic movement and motor function patterns with a heightened emphasis on my left arm. After making sure all was in the green, she then proceeded to the second test to assess my mental capabilities as well as which level of The Spiral I was currently on. The questions given to me ranged from those found on an average cognitive test¨C memory, critical thinking, verbal ability, and the like¨C to questions about the tournament and even about my own biography. ¡°Well, Mercedes, it looks like everything seems to be good and in the clear. As for which level of The Spiral you reside in; you are on the fourth level: The Spiral of Fear.¡± ¡°What does that mean for me, Lottie?¡± I replied. ¡°It means that you are almost halfway to Sokushinbutsu. While being one on the fourth level may not seem like a huge issue, if you don¡¯t account for the occasional anxiety attack, once you cross into the fifth Spiral of Neurosis, Demisegame will greatly worsen and affect how you think and process reality. By altering your brain chemistry, this greatly increases your chances of spiraling through the last half at an exponential rate, ultimately leading to Sokushinbutsu sooner. Crossing into The Spiral of Neurosis is usually considered the point of no return for many of the competitors as most of them will end up spiraling to completion due to a lack of mental and emotional fortitude.¡± ¡°What do you think would be the best course of action?¡± I asked in response. ¡°The best way of preventing further spiraling is to come up with a contingency plan along with integrating coping mechanisms mainly used by soldiers during times of war. The most important one I¡¯ll try and teach you is called ¡®stress inoculation.¡¯¡± ¡°Stress inoculation?¡± ¡°Yes, and while I don¡¯t have the time to go into full detail, stress inoculation is a way for you to build up a sort of immunity to both chronic and high intensity stress, leading to better physical, mental, and emotional performance during such moments.¡± ¡°Lottie, is this something that I¡¯ll be able to pick up on within the next¨C¡± *Ding-Dong Bing-Bong* *Attention: will all delegates and sponsors make their way to the Grand Auditorium for the selecting of the second round match-ups. I repeat: will all delegates and sponsors make their way to the Grand Auditorium for the selecting of the second round match-ups. Thank you.* ¡°Lottie?¡± ¡°I know. I wish I had the time to teach you myself, but it appears you¡¯re going to have to do it on your own prior to your second match¡­But don¡¯t fret, I was able to print out the basic guidelines on how to practice the inoculation techniques. Again, Mercedes, my deepest apologies for wasting so much of your time.¡± Madam Breedlove tried her best to keep a smile, but it couldn¡¯t stop the tears from falling down her face. ¡°Lottie¡­¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for my insistence on those tests¡­you¡­you would¡¯ve been better equipped for your fight.¡± ¡°Lottie, listen to me! If we didn¡¯t perform those tests, we wouldn¡¯t have figured out if I was cleared to compete, not to mention analyzing my stats and progress on The Spiral. Without those tests, we wouldn¡¯t even be talking about stress reduction techniques right now! I¡¯d honestly still be in the middle of a panic attack if you didn¡¯t intervene on the behalf of my safety, so I should be the one apologizing to you as well as thanking you for always being there for me, just like Riku...¡± ¡°Oh, Mercedes!¡± Madam Breedlove immediately lunged forward and hugged me in a warm embrace. Her once steady stream of tears, now free-flowing from intense emotions. ¡°Please¡­¡± She whispered, ¡°Please come back in one piece, Lady Mercedes.¡± ¡°...I will, Lottie! I will win this next match!¡± I tried my best to reassure her. ¡°You better! Now you should probably get dressed before they try and mark you off as an instant elimination. You¡¯ve fought way too hard to end it here! Now go! Go and show the Order who will become God, Lady Mercedes Vida!¡± ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö [DELEGATES REMAINING: 151 ¡ú 96] Chapter 6 – Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow and Despair [DELEGATES REMAINING: 96] The final warning blares through the intercom as I fling open the doors to the Grand Hall. Just like last time, the fixtures inside the hall were all dimly lit with the exception of the spotlights illuminating the main stage in all its brilliance. Unlike last week, it definitely won¡¯t be as difficult trying to find a seat. As tempting as it is to sit alongside the back rows, there is something I need to do first. Suddenly, an unknown force slammed into me, its grip tightening around my chest. Is this the power of a nearby delegate? No, it can¡¯t be! They¡¯d be instantly eliminated if that were the case. Wait! Calm down, Mercedes! get a grip! Just look at who it is. ¡°Lady Mercedes, I¡¯m so glad to see you¡¯re alive and well!¡± I turn around ready to reveal the identity of my confronter, only to be shocked by their appearance¡­ ¡°Oh my God! Your arm! Is it okay? I didn¡¯t think that you were that injured!¡± ¡°Riku¡­?¡± In front of me was the CEO of Plutronics Incorporated and my sponsor: Riku Tanaka. Don¡¯t ask me why he decided to randomly hug me from behind, but I¡¯m 1000% positive that it was out of excitement to see me and nothing malicious. ¡°In the flesh! How are you holding up? I heard about the in-patient admission! Besides the arm, is everything else good?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still kicking at least. My apologies if my sudden admission worried you.¡± ¡°There is no need for you to apologize. It is unfortunately an aspect of this tournament that I shouldn¡¯t have overlooked because I didn¡¯t want to face the fact that you¡¯d eventually get injured. If anything, I should be the one apologizing for thinking you were invincible.¡± Feeling a major sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, I decided to comfort Riku with my typical, snarky confidence, despite said confidence in my own abilities waning with every passing minute. Gotta fake it til you make it, I guess¡­. ¡°Just because my arm is injured doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m not invincible. Being invincible doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t be injured; it means that I can¡¯t be defeated!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve missed your confidence, even if you are only doing it to cheer me up. I gotta say though, it definitely worked! You really do have a way of persuading others to think differently! Thank you.¡± ¡°No problem! Anything I can do to help!¡± ¡°Imagine if you use Her Last Cry like that!¡± ¡°...Wait! Riku, what did you mean by that?¡± ¡°Think of it like eyewitness accounts. If you prod them enough, their memory can become distorted or even completely derailed!¡± The dim lights start to flick with great intensity, signaling the announcement that round pairings are about to begin. Riku and I take off to some nearby seats and as expected, the announcer walks out onto the main stage. A tap from the microphone echoes and reverberates feedback throughout the room. Will all being silent, the announcer starts the process once more. ¡°Good evening. Before we get started, I would like to take a minute to congratulate all of the delegates on a performance well done. With the first round having concluded, 96 delegates have advanced thus far, just a little under half of what we started here. And to the sponsors of the remaining delegates: congratulations on your company surviving the preliminary culling. Finally, a word of advice to the delegates: do take your victory in stride but do remember that the rest has yet to come. Remain forthright in your endurance, steadfast in your convictions, and unwavering in your mindfulness. And with that all said and finished, let the second round match-ups be decided!¡± The familiar pull of a lever cleans and resets the flipboard. The constant flickering of the gears makes me slightly jump with every tick. Letter by letter; word by word; line by line¡¯ delegate by delegate until all went silent. The auditorium starts to fill with murmurs as the board is revealed to all. Scanning over the 48 matches, I was able to find my name and that of my next opponent for Match 40: Saint Agnes: Priestess of the Hopeful Destiny ¨C Patron Saint of the Nameless God. Clearly, I am not clairvoyant nor blessed with the gift to look into the future, but solely based on their God and Demisename, I surmise that this priestess possesses the ability to invoke the power of this deity she worships by acting as some sort of vessel. If that¡¯s the assumption, then what would be the drawback to using it? There¡¯s so much to think about and plan out, but just not enough time on the clock. That¡¯s not even mentioning the fact that Saint Agnes most likely knows how my ability works from the last round. Just my luck¡­ Just then, the announcer tapped the microphone once again, most likely to dismiss us delegates and our sponsors back to our respective areas: ¡°I have an important announcement for all delegates and sponsors: it has been recently informed to me that Round 32 ¨C Saffron Angelheart v. Bloodgazer will not be fought due to the untimely elimination of Bloodgazer. Victory will automatically be awarded to Saffron Angelheart as a result of this ruling. Now then, delegates will report to their holding chambers in ten minutes. Thank you.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s finally started. With the advent of Patient Zero, everything has been set into motion, leading up to the crescendo for the Tournament of the Gods.¡± Riku looks directly at me as he offers up his ominous message. We both know that the unexplained death of that delegate is the catalyst that will gruesomely alter the landscape of this competition. Lottie told me that about 25% of the delegates succumb to Sokushinbutsu. Twenty-five percent. One-in-four of us will have our souls trapped inside our bodies for the rest of time, never to experience peace or death for eternity. What happens if I am next on the block? What happens if I enter Sokushinbutsu? What would I do? What would I see? Would I just be screaming into the empty void of space with no one able to save me for all eternity? Riku, I can¡¯t¡­I can¡¯t let that happen! I just can¡¯t! I want to live and die on my own terms! I cannot let myself spiral down to Sokushinbutsu! Suddenly, the hand of another person lands upon my shoulder, sending a shock throughout my body, bringing my mind back to the Grand Hall. ¡°It seems like your mind is still up in the clouds. Let me guess: is it because of your next match, or maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯re thinking about me, hmmmm?¡± A familiar voice spoke directly into my ear, startling me in the process. I immediately snap my neck around to see Juno standing only mere inches away from my face. ¡°Well well well. Judging by how bright red your cheeks are, it looks like someone is happy to see me! Maybe just surprised? Possibly a little bit of both? ¡°W-W-What the hell are you talking about, Juno? My face is only red because I wasn¡¯t expecting you to be near me, let alone be that close!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so wound up all the time, Mercedes. Wouldn¡¯t want to end up like the *almighty and all-powerful* Bloodgazer, right? Perfect example that brains and brawn need to be in perfect balance down here or else you¡¯ll end up a husk of your former self. I don¡¯t know about you, but personally, I don¡¯t want to end up like that, and I *definitely* I don''t want you to end up like that either. As long as you stay by my side, you¡¯ll never succumb to the horrors of Demisegame, Lady Mercedes!¡± Every word he says makes my face bright and my ears hot to the touch. ¡°Shut up, Juno!¡± That was my only comeback as I was unable to clap back with anything better. Judging by the smug look on his face, he knows that he¡¯s successfully messing with, albeit in a joking manner. ¡°Mercedes, who is this, a friend of yours?¡± Riku asked with curiosity. Before I could even answer, Juno interjected and did his own introduction: ¡°Oh, my deepest apologies. It was rather rude of me not to introduce myself. My name is Juno Neos Archer, delegate of Dragoncast; and while I¡¯m at it, the person on my left is none other than the CEO of Dragoncast and my sponsor: Takashi Yokohama.¡± After being introduced by his own delegate, Mr. Yokohama approached Riku and extended his arm out: ¡°I assume you¡¯re the CEO of Plutronics Unlimited? A pleasure to meet you.¡± ¡°No, the pleasure¡¯s all mine. Riku Tanaka. I look forward to further networking.¡± ¡°And you must be Lady Mercedes: The Elusive Vampire Princess. An honor to be in your presence.¡± Instead of the expected handshake, Mr. Yokohama places his hand on his chest and takes a bow in front of me. That was the last thing I was expecting, especially from an individual of his caliber.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°*Pssst* Mercedes, this is where you tell Mr. Yokohama to rise.¡± Riku whispers in my ear. ¡°Oops! You may rise now. I am so sorry, Mr. Yokohama, I¡¯m still getting accustomed to this whole delegate role.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to apologize for, Lady Mercedes, as all is in good faith. While not necessarily custom to greet delegates with humility and honor, it does make for good practice especially if you are to become the new God. As such, I¡¯d like to start on good standing with one who possesses such a strong ability.¡± ¡°You know about my ability?¡± I blurted out in pure panic, even though I knew my power was on full display last match. ¡°Of course I do. Everyone remaining in the tournament knows how powerful and rare your ability is.¡± A shock of fear shot straight down my spine as my greatest nightmare has become my reality. From here on out for the rest of the competition, my opponents will be devising plans and strategies in order to defeat me and ¡°Her Last Cry¡±. This wouldn¡¯t be such a huge issue if I actually knew the powers and abilities of everyone else! At this current point in time, I am the only competitor with the largest disadvantage! How will this affect me in the long run? Will I be able to learn, memorize, and make effective counter attacks for everyone else in the tournament? What happens if my opponents¡¯ powers are just better than mine in general? Should I give up now? I mean, I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s too late for me¡­Oh man! What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? WHAT DO I DO?? SOMEBODY HELP ME! I DON¡¯T WANT TO DO THIS PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!!!! MERCEDES VIDA HAS SUCCESSFULLY ENTERED THE SPIRAL OF NEUROSIS ¡­ ¡­ ¡­Suddenly, all goes black. ¡°Mercedes! Listen to me! You need to get a grip! RIGHT! NOW!¡± The dreary echo of a familiar voice permeates my mind. An unknown force shakes my body while gripping my shoulders. Another force strangles my wounded arm, trying to use pain as a way to free mind from the persistence of Demisegame. As the pain increases from the gash in my arm; the curtain of darkness slowly lifts, causing the light to bathe me in a blinding warmth¡­ ¡­As my eyes adjust to the drastic change in brightness, I see Riku right in front of me. To my right are Juno and Mr. Yokohama holding my wounded arm, the fresh blood leaking through the bandages. I look around the Grand Hall then back at Riku, Juno, and his sponsor, all of their faces written with worry and panic. ¡°Mercedes, you¡¯re finally back!¡± Riku goes from desperately clutching my shoulders to embracing me in a hug. ¡°I¡¯m so glad we didn¡¯t lose you.¡± Juno subsequently joins soon after all while his sponsor stood back with a small, yet noticeable smile spreading across his face. ¡°Mercedes! Are you okay? How are you feeling?¡± Juno said to me with genuine concern. ¡°I feel very sick to my stomach. The last thing I remember is¡­¡± Wait, what was I even doing? What the¡­? I just had it one minute, but it suddenly disappeared. How is that even possible? ¡°Um, Mercedes?¡± ¡°Huh?! Yes, Juno?¡± ¡°Something¡¯s wrong. Am I right?¡± ¡°Uh, everything¡¯s fine. Why are you asking?¡± ¡°Oh, Mercedes, lying is definitely not your strong suit. Nobody has a thousand-yard stare for five minutes and then can¡¯t remember anything and just say everything¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Juno¡­did I¡­?¡± Before I could even mutter the rest of my sentence, Juno simply stared at me and slowly¡­nodded. I¡­can¡¯t believe it¡­Why do I always keep¡­failing myself? I¡­I¡­I¡¯ve spiraled halfway down toward Sokushinbutsu¡­ ¡­ ¡­Four¡­only four spirals separate me from Sokushinbutsu. Each level becoming more intense and despairing than the last: Paranoia. Hysteria. Violence¡­Self-destruction¡­ ¡­That¡¯s all that¡¯s left and then my soul will be trapped in limbo¡­forever¡­ *Attention Attention: Will all delegates and sponsors make their way to their respective chambers. I repeat: will all delegates and sponsors make their way to their respective chambers. Thank You* The announcement helps clear my head of unwanted thoughts. ¡°I guess this is it. Time to face my destiny, am I right?¡± I say to those in front of me as a half-hearted effort to encourage myself. ¡°Indeed, it is, and I will be wishing you the best. Please be safe, Lady Mercedes.¡± Riku clasps my hand in both of his as he declares his prayers aloud to me. And with a gentle release, he begins his departure to his place among the other Sponsors. Before Juno and I left for our holding cells. Mr. Yokohama gives Juno a large pat on the back as he quietly gives him positive affirmations. As he turns to leave, he waves his hand and takes a bow once more, mouthing ¡°good luck¡± to me. While most likely not malicious in any way, him wishing me luck in a tournament where only one person wins seemed a little tone deaf. Wouldn¡¯t you want bad luck for everyone but your candidate? It¡¯s best to not let it eat at me. Right now, I need to prepare myself for the fight ahead of me. Every fight is a step closer toward leaving this Hellhole for good. ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö The bright spotlight of the Grand Hall fades into obscurity. The dull, monotonous lighting of the gray corridor takes center stage of my line of sight. Rows of doors line both sides of the hallway, all bland, all monochrome, all the same. Whether it be ahead or behind you, the corridor of chambers seems to be completely endless¡­inescapable even. Each door has a nameplate with which the occupant¡¯s name is etched into it. A little more than half of the room¡¯s lights are on, indicating the delegates who were already eliminated. Step by step, door by door, the buzzing of the fluorescent light bars continues to make my mind numb. Suddenly, Juno¡¯s voice pierces the silence: ¡°How are you holding up, Mercedes? Are you prepared for your fight?¡± ¡°There¡¯s not much preparation I can do, especially since everyone knows about my ability¡­¡± ¡°Oh, is that so? Are you sure about that?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure. I¡¯m positive I know what my opponent¡¯s ability is, but how will she use it? I haven¡¯t a single clue! Mix in the fact that my ability is known to the public, there¡¯s not much in terms of planning out counterattacks for which I haven¡¯t personally seen in action!¡± Every word that slips from my mouth makes me increasingly depressed. ¡°Ah, but are you positive?¡± Juno¡¯s tone is slightly facetious. ¡°What are you getting at, Juno? Is there something I¡¯m missing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­is there?¡± I should¡¯ve known that he would¡¯ve replied like that. ¡°Come on, stop fucking with me. Can you please tell me what you¡¯re insinuating?¡± ¡°Whoa, such fiery passion! I jest! I jest! But in all seriousness, you¡¯re overlooking something regarding the revelation of your powers to the public?¡± ¡°And what would that be, Juno, hmmm?¡± ¡°Do you remember what Mr. Yokohama, my sponsor, told you when mentioning your ability?¡± Why is he asking me this? This doesn¡¯t answer my question. ¡°Your sponsor, if I remember correctly, said that everyone here now knows how rare and powerful my ability is. But what does that have to do with anything?¡± ¡°Oh, Mercedes, so quick to anger.¡± ¡°What do you mean by anger?!¡± ¡°Exactly my point.¡± ¡°*sigh* Can you please tell me, Juno? Please?¡± ¡°¡­ Just because people know how innovative and deadly your ability is doesn¡¯t mean they know how it works. Does that make sense?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, a little bit, but who would know about the scope of my power? If I am such a threat, wouldn¡¯t the knowledge spread around this place like wildfire?¡± ¡°Not exactly. Maybe within the members of the Magnum Decem, but everyone else: not so much. The rest of the Grand Order have to fend for themselves to gain this information, which some definitely have, but not a lot.¡± I didn¡¯t understand it all at first, but after a deeper explanation, it finally hit me: ¡°My opponent isn¡¯t a part of the Magnum Decem¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°And they won¡¯t know how my power works?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t get it, Juno¡­¡± ¡°Hmmm? What don¡¯t you get?¡± ¡°How are you able to stay so upbeat and joyous down here?¡± ¡°Like I told you before, Mercedes, it helps distract the mind and staves off the negative effects of Demisegame.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. What I¡¯m trying to ask is: how are you able to manage your stress?¡± ¡°Oh, I understand now. You¡¯re looking for potential techniques to stop furthering the Spiral?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­I guess so.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just ask so earlier?¡± ¡°It just sounds so embarrassing and weak you ask you such a thing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s neither of those things, in fact, it is rather the complete opposite.¡± Juno replied in that same upbeat attitude of his. ¡°You¡¯re only saying that to be kind.¡± I quickly replied. ¡°Trust me, Mercedes, I¡¯m not. Anyway, to answer your question: I mainly practice the technique of emotional suppression.¡± ¡°How does that manage your stress if all you''re doing is suppressing it?¡± ¡°Simple! By forcing all forms of individual expression into the deep recesses of my mind, it allows me to focus solely on battle and combat. Then after I win, I deal with the emotions in a healthy manner.¡± ¡°Are you sure suppression is health¡ªHuh?¡± *Attention. Attention: The first match of Round 2 is slated to begin very shortly. Will all delegates please make their way to their holding cells. I repeat: will all delegates please make their way to their holding cells. Any delegates or unauthorized personnel remaining in the corridor will be instantly eliminated. Thank you* ¡°Well, this is it! Remember, Mercedes, trust in yourself and in your abilities. Try to maintain a calm, collective state, and most importantly: do your best not to Spiral¡­ ¡­ ¡­¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± ¡°Okay! Good luck, Mercedes! I believe in you!¡± And just like that, Juno left for his cell. There¡¯s nothing left for me to do except to enter my own cell. As I go inside the dimly-lit room, the door slams shut behind me! ¡­ ¡­ ¡­And so, it begins¡­my descent into madness, all the while, the voices inside my head sit by and watch the world burn to the ground¡­ [DELEGATES REMAINING: 95] Chapter 7 – My Fist, Your Mouth, Her Scars, and Her Memory, Forgotten Time passes very, very slowly. Each minute feels more like an eternity. There is not much to do during the matches except to watch them in your cell. I need to gather as much information as possible, but with no way to take notes, remembering it all seems too mentally tasking. I can always use my blood to draw up plans, but that seems way too risky to lose that much blood before my match¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­There is another way, however¡­I don¡¯t know the extent of the drawbacks that could occur. Is it possible for me to use ¡°Her Last Cry¡± like that? I know on a baseline level; it can be used to distort what my opponents see, but I wonder if I can have the same effect on myself? ¡­ ¡­ There¡¯s only one way to find out. I make my way over to the lone sink in the corner of the room. With my right hand, I lean myself over on the sink, looking at the reflection in the mirror. With a few deep breaths, and some preparation, I stare into my own eyes and open the windows into my soul. Suddenly, all went white ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö I opened my eyes slowly to get accustomed to the sudden change in brightness; however, my line of sight was still too blurry. As I take a look around, the view is absolutely breathtaking. What I expected to be the interior of my holding cells transformed into a view unlike any other. The dank, moldy room was now a sunset with an infinite horizon. The sun in its golden hour shines a deep and radiant orange as it basks me in its embracing warmth. The bountiful clouds in the sky, an assortment of pure whites, vibrant pinks and purples, and soothing reds and yellows, all mixed together in pure harmony. The linoleum floors, dissolved and liquefied into a shallow pool of water. Calmness, tranquility, serenity, safety. These were the feelings of the environment; the perfect environment to focus on strategizing. There is something I¡¯ll need to test before I start anything. With my ability, I decide to try and conjure up a notebook and a pencil, all on a wooden table. With enough persistence, a notebook, pencil, and table magically appeared in front of me. With a quick scribble, I write my name on the front, lay it down on the table, and close my eyes. I open them back up, only to be greeted by the reflection of my own eyes in the smudgy glad of my dingy holding cell. The small television in the corner plays on in the background; the announcer officiating the start of the first match. Feeling more comfortable, I peer back into the hazel eyes that reside in the lonesome mirror. The bright flash of light appears as I am once again transported to my inner oasis. Right before me still lays the notebook I created mere minutes ago. With all of the testing out of the way, I take to the table and sit down in a rather comfortable chair. I flip to the first page of the notebook, uncap the pen, and observe the matches on the TV that apparated on the table beside me. I will learn ad devise the most cunning counterattacks ever in order to guarantee my victory! Nothing will be hidden from me. Everything will be revealed to me! All will fall before me! That includes you, Brett. I may not know what your God-name or power is, but once I find out, I promise to end your pathetic existence with my own two fists! ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö [DELEGATES REMAINING: 95 ?? 48] The familiar hum of the elevator is ever-present. Floor by floor, it descends to the arena, which patiently waits for more blood to be spilled to satisfy its insatiable hunger. This will once again be the proving ground and show to everyone that with ¡°Her Last Cry,¡± I will triumph over my opponent and be the sole winner over this god-forsaken tournament. I will do it! I will be the vic¡ª *ding* AH! W-W-What¡­was¡­that?! *ding* OW! ¡­ ¡­Why¡­is this happening?! ¡­ ¡­My head¡­it¡­hurts¡­ *ding* Hrnghh!! ¡­ ¡­Something is...AH MY EYES!!! ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­It finally¡­stopped¡­ ¡­ ¡­Why did this happen? That was the worst headache, no, the worst pain I¡¯ve ever experienced in my entire life! It felt as if someone took a knife and repeatedly jammed it into my¡­skull¡­wait a minute. Why is my face wet? Am I crying from the pain? No! These aren¡¯t tears; this is something way thicker. Wiping it away with my hand, I notice streaks of blood on my fingertips. Am I crying blood? No, there¡¯s no reason why I¡¯d be crying blood, unless¡­. Are these tears a result of the stabbing sensation? But why am I having stabbing pains in the first place? None of this making any sense! The doors to the elevator open; the sudden onset of stabbing pain made me forget I was in there all along. I wipe away the rest of my blood-laden tears before I exit the confines of the elevator. Just like before, alongside the massive monolithic walls, the guards stand ready at their turrets, monitoring my every move. Behind them are the straight-faced spectators, all silent and solemn in their mannerisms. CEOs, CFOs, presidents, consultants, founders, you name it. All of the most high-ranking company executives and officials of the Grand Order, all waiting with bated breath for the next match, hoping their delegate advances to the next round¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­I know they¡¯re watching, and I don¡¯t want to let anyone down. I will win this match! I know I will! At the end lies the gateway to the arena. I make my way one echoey step at a time. While the nerves are still there, my walking isn¡¯t nearly as wobbly as the previous match. I stand before the gate once again. A royal guard instructs me to stay put until the gate lifts. As I stand in place, the words of another delegate, scrawled out in blood, catches my attention: ¡°Abandon all hope, ye who enter.¡± While it may be a bit melodramatic, I do appreciate the comparison of our current experiences to that of Dante¡¯s Inferno. A sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu encompasses me as the gate starts to life. All of the air is forced out into the arena, making my heartbeat the only that can be heard. I walk through the gate and set forward on the road to nowhere. ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡°Welcome to the second round¡¯s 40th match-up of the tournament for Godhood. Allow me to introduce the delegates. On the left is one who has been generating a lot of popularity recently. Is it for the gothic looks, the company she represents, or rather, is it because of impressive, yet secretive ability? Whatever the reason may be, expect all eyes to be on her this match, especially given her most recent injury. Introducing the delegate for Plutronics Unlimited, the Beautiful Princess of Vampires, I give you: Lady Mercedes Vida! Now, on my right. Hand-picked by an ancient and omnipotent deity. This delegate will prey the competition away. With her God-given ability, you¡¯ll be begging for mercy to ensure your heart isn¡¯t cast into the fire! From Holy Intelligence Systems, introducing the Priestess of Hopeful Destiny: Saint Agnes!¡± The both of us make our way to the center of the arena. There¡¯s not much information to gather, as I have a vague sense of what her ability does; however, there was something about her appearance that strikes me as odd: everything was just a little too white. I¡¯m not even talking about her traditional attire or even her hair, which was also pure white. I¡¯m mainly talking about Agnes herself and her entire body. Her skin seems so ethereal, it¡¯s as if she¡¯s a living ghost! I mean, in all fairness, she has been blessed by a god, so I guess the ethereal aura is just a by-product. All I care about is making sure I stay a decent distance until I figure out how her power truly works! ¡°Alright, the rules are the same as before. Until the end of the countdown, both delegates are prohibited from engaging in combat. After that, combat may and will proceed until death or surrender of a delegate. Remember: surrender is not recommended. Now then, let¡¯s have an exciting match, and best of luck to the both of you. May the best delegate win!¡± The announcer leaves the arena, and with the slam of the large gate, the countdown begins¡­ 10¡­9¡­8¡­ My heart is beating fast, causing my breathing to become more erratic. 7¡­6¡­5¡­ The blood in my veins turns to ice as I look at Saint Agnes. 4¡­ Her eyes are closed¡­ She knows how my ability works 3¡­ I also sense a bone-chilling aura emanating from her. 2¡­ There¡¯s no soul, merely a vessel for her god.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. 1¡­ An instrument of pure death and destruction¡­ ¡°Agnostos Theos¡± Those two words invoked the nameless god that lived inside of the vessel of Saint Agnes. A light-blue mist leaked its way out of her mouth and coiled around her body with a composition of gas, liquid, and solid, defying the very law of physics. I decide to waste no time and lunge toward my opponent, as waiting for the deity to be summoned would be an absolute death sentence. ¡°Block¡± The command sent the mist flying toward me in an effort to protect its host. I take a swing with my fist; the mist attempts to provide protection to Agnes, however, my fist penetrates its gaseous form. Just then, the god changes to a solid state, coiling around the entirety of my arm. The metallic-like coil starts to spasm and tighten, readying itself to crush my arm. With no other option, I take my injured arm, sling and all, and desperately try to slide the coil off; the pain from my wound becoming almost unbearable with a forceful push. ¡°Crush¡± The god obeyed, and the coil collapsed within an instant, falling to the arena¡¯s floor, all while barely avoiding permanently disfigurement. Okay¡­shape shifting god. Gotta figure out how to¡­ ¡°Right¡± I turn to my right anticipating blocking an attack only to be blindsided by a clean jab to the left side of my face. Tinnitus rings all around me as my head throbs from the impactful punch. Remembering horizontal directions are in reverse will be key to my safety. I wait for the next attack, but I don¡¯t see this deity anywhere. I lock onto Saint Agnes, hoping to gain the upper hand in this fight. My ear still burns with each passing second, all while the ringing remains constant. I run toward the priestess, once again forcing her to reveal the location of the nameless god. Inch by inch, I make my way toward her, closing the distance between us, all the while, she keeps her eyes closed. Twelve feet¡­Ten feet¡­Eight feet. She¡¯s not flinching or reacting toward my advances. Six feet¡­Five feet¡­Four feet. This doesn¡¯t feel right¡­ Three feet. But I still ready myself for the fight¡­ Two feet. She¡¯s luring me, but I knowingly give in. One foot. I release the tension in my arm, ready to hit the Saint. She¡¯s going to counterattack, but she needs to open her eyes! She turns and stares me down with her eyes still shut, as though she were peering into my soul through the veil of darkness. ¡°Crush¡­her....¡± Time slows to a staggering crawl as she utters her commands to the nameless god. On either side of me, two massive hands appear out of thin air, and start to accelerate toward me with the intent to kill me and fulfill its mission. There¡¯s no time for me to move as I¡¯d almost guarantee my own death. The hands are getting closer and closer and I need to make a decision quickly! Will the god try to kill its host in order to kill me? There¡¯s no other choice left, so I have to go through with it and just pray that it works! In an act of desperation, using the momentum from the punch, I grab hold of her waist and tackle her to the ground. The force from the fall knocks the wind from the Saint, who struggles to catch a breath. As for me, I smacked my face to stop the dizziness I sustained from the tackle¡¯s blowback. I quickly close in on Saint Agnes, looking around warily for the god''s hands. I notice them twitching in sync with the Saint¡¯s sporadic breathing. I get on top of Agnes, positioning myself on her, and begin my offensive. One¡­two¡­three and so on and so on; each punch I land feels more satisfying than the last. My counteroffensive has garnered the attention of the solemn spectators, who are now in applause, further tilting the scales of victory in my favor. She continues to take every punch I give her with no resistance whatsoever, which feels a little unsettling. Suddenly, she snaps her neck, making sure we were face-to-face, and spits with great force into my eyes; the blood from the repeated blows blinds me instantly. My attention now turns to regaining my vision while maintaining my advantage. I can feel her attempting to push me off her chest in order to catch a proper breath, however, I refuse to let her command the god again. I force more weight on her chest, digging my knee into her arm as deep as it can go for added assurance. She continues to struggle as guilt starts to weigh heavily on my conscience, but either me or her. I feel her chest tighten, hopefully signaling the end of the fight, but then I hear a whisper: ¡°Cr¡­ush¡­me.¡± Above me apparates the massive hand of the god, preparing to slam down with immense force. Looks like she¡¯s trying to kill us both! No advantage is worth instant death! I immediately dive off my opponent and roll over to safety just before the mighty hand crashes down on Saint Agnes. The hand, having fulfilled its command, starts to dissipate. Is the battle done? Has the war been won? Or has it¡­just begun? Suddenly, the Saint in all her divine, ethereal glory ascends from the concrete floor, her face, once pure and white, now desecrated by the stain of her own blood. To witness the god bringing no harm to its vessel is something I should¡¯ve thought about sooner. This is more likely than not the reason she was able to secure a victory in her previous match! She continues to stand in place, trying to regain composure, using only her left hand to brace herself on her leg. She sways side-to-side struggling to maintain balance. Why doesn¡¯t she use her other hand to help stabilize herself? That¡¯s when I noticed it: she doesn¡¯t have one anymore! This has to be the drawback of being chosen as the vessel for such a powerful god. So, the more she commands her Protector, the more she evaporates and becomes one with her master. But enough thinking about her drawbacks, I need to take this vital piece of information and continue to mount the pressure on Saint Agnes! She still has her eyes closed, so I¡¯ll need to force them open if I want to execute my coup d¡¯¨¦tat! With no actual weapons and no access to visual manipulation, it¡¯s going to be tough, but I know I can do it! This is my fight to win! I will not surrender when victory is within my grasp! I once again take to a sprinting stance and start to run toward the Saint. She tries to utter commands, but only coughs up more blood, most likely a result of her broken nose and mangled mouth. I get closer, preparing myself for another fight. ¡°Right!¡± She finally shouts and on cue, the god, taking the form of a boxer, throws a jab. I dodge it and continue my advance. ¡°Left!¡± Another command, and like clockwork, I dodge it again. ¡°Right! Left! Right! Right! Left! Right! Left!!¡± Order after order like rapid fire, and the god obeys. Each attack, I block or dodge like an underdog on the ropes. The distance is nearly closed; only the god stands between me and the Saint. ¡°Uppercut!¡± Saint Agnes pleads to the heavens, and the god prepares to end the fight. As the entity aims for my face, I dive through the god¡¯s trunk, and as expected, I easily pass through like a hot knife through soft butter, with the intent to hunt down my prey! Suddenly, her eyes open, pure fear and terror written all over them. Now¡¯s my chance! ¡°Coil and Crush!¡± She demands, but before the god could complete its order, I disappear in the blink of an eye! The Saint is confused, moving frantically, trying to discover my whereabouts. She calls the god back to her, providing her comfort and security. I guess she was only told to close her eyes to avoid my power. She moves back and forth; left to right; up and down. She scours the areas for any trace of my presence. No matter where she turns, I make sure to maintain eye contact safely in order to continue my illusions. Suddenly, the Saint darts her head to the right, catching a glimpse of me running toward her, seemingly to mount another counter strike. She firects her master to strike me down from where I stand. Like a javelin thrown by a might Olympian, the god obeys and flies toward my heart. Soon thereafter, the god hits its mark, blood pouring from the wound. The priestess sighs in relief while making her way toward me. ¡°Release!¡± She says softly, and the god retracts from my body, sinking to my knees as a result. I look up toward the Holy Saint, smiling down upon me as she whispers her final command: ¡°Decapitate¡± Like the swing from an ax, the ancient god swipes with such forces, causing my head to bounce across the concrete flooring. The audience starts to applaud, signaling to Saint Agnes that the battle had been won. As she basks in the limelight of praise and adoration, black and red particles start to wisp around the Saint. She turns around to confront the source of the particulate, only to discover my corpse decomposing into said dust. She approaches and kneels down toward what remained of my body, inspecting it to truly confirm that I was dead. As her eyes bored through the remnants of my skull, I reached forth and firmly grasped around her throat; our eyes still interlaced. I tighten my grip, causing the Saint to wince from the pain. With no breathing, she can¡¯t command her Master. Tighter and tighter, it becomes the more she tries to escape. She bangs her arms against mine, but her attempt is futile as her hands have conjoined with the nameless one, in spirit. As she continues to struggle for each breath, my body starts to repair and become whole once again. A gruesome, yet beautiful, spectacle of reds, blues, purples, and whites amalgamating and conforming to the human mold, only to be witnessed by one Saint Agnes. Tears well up within her eyes as each breath becomes more painstakingly unbearable, all the while, the horror of bone, blood, and guts seemingly appearing from thin air. With my hand still clamped on their throat. I gradually get up off the floor and lead Agnes down where I laid mere moments ago. I slowly get back on top of her, adding to their shallow breathing, and press my forearm against her mouth and nose. Try as she might to command the god, only a muffled panic can be heard. She struggles more to breathe, but gags from lack of air. Her legs and arms start to tremble and shake, as her eyes become bloodshot as they hemorrhage. I turn away and press harder, all to avoid her final moments from being burned into my memory. Suddenly, the spasms slowed down. The muffled noises of Saint Agnes turned to complete silence. After a twitch of her arm and kick of the leg, her body finally ceased all movement. I waited a few more seconds as a precaution, then removed my arm and hand from her face and throat respectively. In front of me lay the body of Saint Agnes, my opponent, my prey, my victory. The crowd of spectators finally lets out a round of applause as the battle has officially concluded. The boom of the announcer¡¯s voice startles me a bit as he declares me the winner of the round. Walking back toward the elevator, I take one last look at my opponent. To my surprise, the body of the Saint seemingly raptured, leaving behind her robes and headdress, still soiled in her blood. At least she¡¯ll be at peace with her Master. That¡¯s the hope anyway. ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö ¡ö [DELEGATES REMAINING: 48 ?? 47] Chapter 8: For All These Things I Hate, These Tears Will Never Fall for You The elevator back to the lobby felt strangely comfortable and safe. I decide to sit down on the floor, the pain becoming increasingly sharp as the adrenaline dissipates from my body. Everything becomes lap-sided and dizzy as I start to sweat profusely. This¡­this is what I get¡­for using my powers too much¡­. These drawbacks¡­absolutely suck¡­ ¡­ ¡­ In and out¡­ in and out¡­ I go in-and-out of consciousness¡­. I¡­don¡¯t know¡­how much I can take¡­. As my head nods and lobs over my shoulder, I am instantly teleported to my inner sanctuary of peace. Instead of the breath-taking and utopic paradise I first experienced, I am now greeted by a more depressive view. The beautiful and majestic golden hour sunset has been overtaken completely by a sea of light-gray clouds. The shallow pool of water has now flooded so that my feet are completely encapsulated by the water, and instead of the table housing my strategic playbook, I only see two individuals that look rather familiar. These individuals, however, seemed to be more spiritual than physical. I decide to go forward to have a better look at the individuals. As I get closer, what was once only familiar silhouettes have now been revealed to be the apparitions of Maroonius the Trickster and Saint Agnes, my former opponents. Why would these two decide to appear to me within my own dreamscape? Are they here to haunt me? Kill me? Help me?! ¡°Well, well, well. Look who it is! Nice to see you again, *Lady* Mercedes.¡± Maroonius greeted me with his devilish evil grin. Saint Agnes, on the other hand, bows slightly as her greeting toward me. I mean, I honestly can¡¯t blame her. She¡¯s been dead for only a short period of time. ¡°I see your second match went well.¡± Maroonius states the obvious, all the while he points at the Saint furthering his statement with no sympathy. ¡°You know I had no other choice.¡± I said in protest. ¡°Ah, but you could¡¯ve tried to force your opponent to surrender, you know?¡± ¡°She makes a good point, Maroonius.¡± The lovely Saint interjects her opinion into our conversation. ¡°While I don¡¯t agree with the method of death that was bestowed upon me, I don¡¯ necessarily blame Mercedes for exploiting my ability¡¯s weakness. We all tried to exploit our opponents¡¯ weaknesses, even you, Maroonius; although, your attempts are essentially in vain.¡± The latter part obviously rubs Maroonius the way, payback for his earlier, insensitive remarks. ¡°Anthony¡­let¡¯s get back to the topic at hand.¡± Maroonius snarls while growling at Agnes. ¡°Mercedes you¡¯ve past the halfway point of this tournament. By the time the rest of the second-round matches are finished, there will be about 40 delegates left, give or take.¡± ¡°40? That math doesn¡¯t add up. There were 96 delegates before the start of the round; there should be around 48 left!¡± I said without hesitation. ¡°Oh, Mercedes, have you truly forgotten about this tournament¡¯s silent killer? It¡¯s something that is always near and dear to every single delegate in tournament.¡± ¡°Ah!!! The Spiral¡­¡± I suddenly remember what Maroonius was talking about. I don¡¯t know how I could forget something as important as The Spiral and Sokushinbutsu! ¡°Ah, so you do remember. AHAHA! The elusive vampire princess strikes again! Indeed, The Spiral will continue to claim more victims until only victor remains. The question is: will you be the sole survivor?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my intention, yes, but¡ª¡° ¡°I didn¡¯t ask about your intentions. My question, Lady Mercedes, was: will you be the sole survivor and victor of this tournament?¡± ¡°I want to and will try to, but I¡¯m not a clairvoyant. Why are you fixated on whether I win or not?¡± I asked with morbid curiosity, which proved to absolutely be a mistake. Suddenly, the demeanors and attitudes of these apparitions turned very cold, aggressive, and hostile. ¡°Mercedes, you only won against me and the Saint because of pure, dumb luck! You killed two people in order to save your own! At no point did you ever feel an ounce of remorse for what you did to us! Are you even taking this tournament seriously?¡± Maroonius furiously exploded at me. ¡°I¡¯ve been serious about this tournament since the moment I¡¯ve been selected as a delegate, so don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m not serious about my survival! As for our fight, you know damn well that I used my ability strategically to effectively counterattack and killed you where you stood! Same thing with Saint Agnes, although she proved to be a far more competent fighter. My strategies prevailed over my opponents!¡± ¡°And yet, you¡¯ve let yourself give into the whims of Death¡¯s Spiral, all the while, it continues to lure your soul and claim it as its own.¡± Agnes interrupts, yet again, further agitating me. ¡°Why are you two even here? Get out of my head!¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­¡± Both of my former opponents froze completely like statues, not uttering a single word. ¡°Because I want to inflict as much distress and pain before I watch you writhe in suffering as I kill you¡­Victoria.¡± ¡°What...did you call me?¡± My heart sinks like a rock deep into my stomach, as a sense of dread penetrates my mind. There is only one other person beside my mother and my sponsor that would know my dead name¡­ ¡­ It¡­It can¡¯t be¡­ ¡°So, you¡¯ve figure it out, huh, Victoria. You¡¯ve definitely grown into a different person down here.¡± The words of my abusive ex speaks through the voices of Maroonius and Saint Agnes, whose eyes have rolled completely into the back of their heads. Their bodies start to shake, shutter, and convulse. I take a few steps back and prepare myself for a possible fight. My opponents¡¯ bodies start to levitate when all of a sudden, their bodies suddenly disappeared. I slowly turned around until I am face-to-face with the person I truly hate the most¡­ ¡­ ¡°You know my God name, so why don¡¯t you address me as much, Brett!¡± I said to the towering blonde man standing before me. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re so right. My apologies, Lady Mercedes Vida¡± The arrogant man replied to me in a highly sarcastic tone, clearly indicative of what he truly thinks of me. ¡°What do you even so by down here: ass-raped by fate?¡± A small, yet very satisfying smile smirks across my face, angering my abuser. ¡°If you must know, Mercedes, in this tournament, I am known as Dominus Exalted, delegate for Spitemasters LLC!¡± He shouts at me while boasting his prestige of representing a company nestled within the Magnum Decem. Feigning ignorance, I ask him: ¡°Spitemasters? Aren¡¯t they a bottom-of-the-barrel company that somehow managed to scrape by into the Grand Order? Just like they did with their delegate selection?¡± ¡°¡­ Oh, that¡¯s a pretty funny joke you made there, Mercedes. In the spirit of telling jokes, I have a good one for you!¡± He suddenly reached for my throat and tightened his grip, making it harder to breathe. ¡°You¡¯ve always been an annoying thorn in my side, Victoria; a really fucking annoying one! No matter what happens to you, you always somehow manage to survive like a pesky cockroach, you know? I should¡¯ve ended you that night, but I didn¡¯t because I decided to show you mercy! Mercy, you clearly didn¡¯t deserve!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t kill me¡­because you¡¯re a¡­fucking¡­coward!¡± Each word burning as it came out of my mouth. ¡°A coward, you say. Would a coward do this?¡± Dominus tightens his grip once more, making the pain from breathing unbearable. ¡°Yes¡­yes¡­they¡­would¡­but they wouldn¡¯t do this.¡± With all my might, I forcefully spit in his face and then throw a punch at his face. ¡°Hehe¡­heh¡­ ¡­ ¡­ You fucking bitch!¡± His grip now threatening close to crushing my windpipe. ¡°You think it¡¯s funny to spit in the face of the one who spared your life? Your savior?!¡± A bright light shines from behind his head, illuminating his features as disgusting as I may find them. I don¡¯t know if I can hold on much longer. Everything is heavy. My head throbs with heavy struggling heartbeat. Every breath I take slowly diminishes with air. If I die by his hands, then so be it, but I refuse to allow my abuser to have the last laugh: ¡°You¡¯re¡­ugh¡­no savior¡­Brett¡­ You¡­ ¡­ you are nothing¡­but a weak-spined, dickless disgrace of a man¡­. I hope¡­I¡­hope¡­your soul¡­finds no peace as it¡­withers away¡­in your decaying corpse¡­for¡­for¡­for all¡­eternity¡­¡± Tears well up from the excruciating pain of strangulation, but none will fall in the face of my oppressor. ¡°You have a lot of gall to say that to me. Hmph, you definitely have changed, Victoria ¡­but so have I! Looks like you won¡¯t be able to exact the revenge you¡¯ve always wanted. Have a fun time as you burn in Hell!¡± He spits these words at me, all the while he attempts to finish the job. The light continues to illuminate bright and bright until all is enveloped by it. It feels warm and strangely soothing, but at least¡­at least I can finally experience peace¡­ ¡ö¡ö¡ö The light starts to recede as it oscillates from left to right in a fluid motion like that of a mesmerizing metronome. I hear the voice of a woman frantically panicking over something of utmost urgency. Suddenly, the light is pulled away, revealing the concerned face of that beautiful woman, who is continuously mouthing a single word: ¡°Mercedes. Mercedes. Mercedes. Mercedes!¡± My head snaps as I immediately lurch forward and vomit with great force, desperately gasping and clawing for each breath of fresh air. The air filling my lungs is extremely painful, yet euphoric at the same time. Every single breath I take is a welcome mix of pain and pleasure. ¡°Mercedes! I¡¯m so glad to see you¡¯re awake! I thought you were gone for good!¡± The beautiful woman in white expresses her joy to me, all while tears flow down her face. I¡¯m pretty sure she is a doctor of some sort who was helping me through my ex¡¯s assault. She feels familiar. Maybe she¡¯s like my guardian angel; reminds me of mother a bit though¡­. I still miss you, mom. Thank you for staying by my side. ¡°Um, Mercedes, is everything all right up there?¡± The woman asks me, but her identity is still enshrouded in mystery, even though I should know who she is already. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Mercedes?¡± She prods once more. After much inner turmoil, I decide to give up on guessing her identity and ask her straight up: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but who are you?¡± ¡°Even though you were just in a trance mere seconds ago, you always manage to pop a joke out. Ha ha ha! Oh, Mercedes, your personality has always been very welcoming!¡± the lady seemingly laughing at and brushing off my question makes a little irritated. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Miss, who are you and where am I exactly?¡± I ask her again politely, yet, stern tone. ¡°Okay, Mercedes, the first joke was good, so let¡¯s not draw this out.¡± The woman in white says, her previously jovial attitude now drastically changing to a more concerned one. ¡°Miss, please listen to me when I say that I truly do not know who you are, however, you do feel very familiar.¡± I tell her once more, explaining how I truly felt and though her with the limited information I had. ¡®Oh no¡­I hope this isn¡¯t what I think it is. Please¡­anything but that¡­¡± the nurse now once again panicking around the room, grabbing various papers and medical equipment\. It all looks very serious. Should I ask her about it? ¡°Um, Miss, is everything okay? Did I do something wrong? Is¡ª¡± Before I could finish my sentence, the nurse immediately interrupted me. ¡°Mercedes, I need you to listen to me as this very critical and potentially life-threatening. My name is Lottie Breedlove and your previous name was Victoria Lee. I am your doctor and we are in your personal infirmary.¡± ¡°H-How do you my previous name?!¡± I said in utter shock. ¡°You¡¯ve confided some very personal information with as you considered me your friend.¡± ¡°A-Are you sure? I would¡¯ve remembered telling someone my dead name.¡± I believe that you are experiencing symptoms of amnesia, and that it might connected to ¡®Her Last Cry¡¯ and Demisegame¡¯s drawbacks, or even aftereffects of The Spiral. Whatever it may be, the only way I can truly confirm my suspicions is through more testing.¡± Lottie said as tears flowed once more. ¡°Do you think this is permanent?¡± I asked as anxiety starts to build up. ¡°I personally do not think it is, but the most important thing to do right now is to stay calm and do not panic. We can¡¯t afford you to Spiral any further toward Sokushinbutsu, okay? I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t promise anything at the moment, but I truly hope everything will turn out for the better. Regardless of the outcome, I will always continue to stay by your side! Even if you forget me again, I won¡¯t forget you, Mercedes!¡± I may have forgotten about this Doctor, but even so, Lettie¡¯s promise moved me to tears: ¡°Please don¡¯t forget me, Lottie.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, Mercedes. I won¡¯t. Now then, let us proceed with the tests.¡± Lottie told me as she prepared to pinpoint my symptoms and diagnose the illness ¡ö¡ö¡ö It¡¯s been about a few hours since the tests were performed, and I still sit in the chair, all alone in the infirmary. Being alone has me asking myself many questions, most of which I don¡¯t have the answer for: Do I still have a chance of winning this tournament? Will I still be able to outpace The Spiral? How much of my memory is actually gone? Is it permanent? Will I actually have a chance at winning this tournament? Oh, wait a minute, I already said that. Before I could ask any more, Lottie runs back into the room, a look of pure terror on her face. ¡°Lottie, what¡¯s wrong? Did the tests turn up anything?¡± I asked with slight worry. The doctor with shaky hands, looked down at the tests and read the results aloud to me: ¡°M-Mercedes, the tests d-do confirm that your amnesia is, indeed, a by-product of the overuse of ¡®Her Last Cry¡¯. U-Unfortunately, these lapses in memory are¡­permanent and are more likely to get worse.¡± Tears stream down her face as she read the final prognosis. ¡°Permanent? Why is it permanent?¡± My voice becoming shaky with increasing anxiety and fear. ¡°There¡¯s more to your power than previously expected, something that didn¡¯t appear on the previous tests, nor in any archives from previous tournaments. E-Every time you use your ability past a certain point, Demisegame initiates a kickback that¡­that¡­lobotomizes you in real time. These lobotomies are the reason why you¡¯ve been experiencing amnesia, blackouts, and thunderclap headaches. I knew my hunch about your ability was right, but the results didn¡¯t corroborate my theory until now. If only I delved into it more and ran more tests, then I actually could¡¯ve been useful. I¡¯m so sorry, Mercedes. I¡¯m so sorry¡­.¡± Lottie then fully burst into tears, hugging me all while continuing to apologize for her so-called ¡°ignorance.¡± I may be scared and afraid over the revelation of my condition, but I need to remain clam or else I will definitely spiral down to the bottomless abyss. First thing I need to do is help calm Lottie down. The more information about my condition, the better. ¡°Lottie. Lottie, please listen to me. I can assure you that this isn¡¯t your fault.¡± ¡°Mercedes, you don¡¯t understand. This is absolutely my fault. Like I said, I could¡¯ve caught this earlier with more extensive testing.¡± ¡°Could¡¯ve. Lottie. You could¡¯ve found something, but that¡¯s it. I don¡¯t remember anything regarding the previous set of tests, but I have a hunch that we wouldn¡¯t have found anything even if more tests were conducted.¡± ¡°Why do you think that?¡± Lottie asked with fervent curiosity. ¡°You said that ¡®Her Last Cry¡¯ can be used without incident up until a certain point, right? Do you know how long?¡± ¡°Um, I believe it was around 45 seconds, a minute max in a 5-minute interval.¡± Lottie responded, albeit a bit confused. ¡°So, in my first fight, I believe I used ¡®her Last Cry¡¯ for a little over a minute, which would only cause minor short-tern memory issues. Again, this is just my theory about how my ability works, but my gut feels confident about it.¡± She sat there for a few minutes mulling over the information I gave to her; the gears turning inside her trying to find a solution. ¡°I believe you¡¯re right, Mercedes. Even if you were to have past 90 seconds within that interval, you only suffer temporary short-term memory loss. Regarding your most recent fight, the amnesia is definitely a symptom of you exceeding 3 minutes, however, that wouldn¡¯t explain the intensity of your thunderclap headaches. Do you know of anything that could explain that?¡± I couldn¡¯t think of anything at that moment, but then it suddenly hit me: ¡°The oasis¡­¡± ¡°Oasis? What oasis, Mercedes?¡± Lottie asked with concern. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would be the source of all of my problems¡­This is all my fault¡­¡± ¡°Mercedes, what did you do with your ability?¡± ¡°I¡­used ¡®Her Last Cry¡¯ on myself in order to provide my mind with an oasis of inner peace to stop the Spiral and devise strategies against potential opponents.¡± I sais as I recounted my mistakes that led me to where I¡¯m currently at. ¡°How long?¡± Lottie staring at me with great intensity. ¡°Around 2 hours¡­¡± ¡°Oh, God¡­¡± Lottie¡¯s face turned pure white as all of the blood receded due to pure shock. ¡°Oh, Mercedes...This isn¡¯t good at all! We need to come up with a plan immediately! Please, Mercedes, if there¡¯s anything to never forget, please don¡¯t my instructions! Actually, let¡¯s tattoo this on your arm, okay? This is of the utmost importance!¡± Okay, Lottie, let¡¯s do it! We¡¯ve got enough¡ª¡° *Bing Bong Ding Dong* *Attention. Attention: Please stand by for an important announcement¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­Good morning to all remaining delegates. I am here to inform you that the second round of the Tournament for Godhood has officially concluded. At this time, there are currently 40 delegates remaining* [DELEGATES REMAINING: 47 ?? 40] [DELEGATES LOST TO THE SPIRAL 6 ?? 8] *To you and your sponsors, I say: Congratulations thus far. Now then, onward to the announcement. Due to popular demand, the official start of Round 3 will be moved to today at 0500 hours. The match-ups will be posted on the television for your viewing pleasure. Thank you and good luck* ¡°Lottie¡­¡± I say as I feared for the worse. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine, but we¡¯ll need some extra help. It is currently 0230 hours, so we have more than enough time to give you everything you¡¯ll need for the next round. I am, however, going to preface that this application isn¡¯t going to be a walk in the park. With multiple people working simultaneously, this is going to be quite painful.¡± ¡°I understand, Lottie.¡± ¡°if you want me to, I can give you a sedative so that¡ª¡° ¡°No!! Please, no!¡± I blurted out adamantly. I would rather experience all of the pain than to go back to sleep and potentially be face-to-face again with him. Seeing how terrified I was at the thought of going under, Lottie simply acknowledges me and doesn¡¯t ask me any further questions. ¡°Okay, before we start the application, would you like me to turn on the TV to see the pairings? Being curious, I said yes to her question. The television turned on, slowly focusing in and out on the lone signal. All I hope for is that my next opponent is someone I was able to devise counterattacks on before I started my second round match. The television finally focuses in right at as they started the broadcast of the delegates and their match-ups. The names started to scroll. One-by-one the remaining delegates appeared. Juno¡¯s name appeared on Match 10 against Evile: Master of Puppets; his Demisename: Blitzkrieg of the Creeping Death. An interesting name to say the least. What was particularly eye-catching about this match-up was Juno¡¯s Demisename: Prisoner of Euphoric Rage. Now that I think about it, I¡¯ve never seen Juno¡¯s power in action, nor have I taken any notes¡­I think it would be in my best interest to watch Juno¡¯s match., just in case. 16. 17. 18. 19. The match-ups continue to scroll across the screen until my name finally appears. A wave of nausea and vertigo suddenly hits me as the final match is displayed for all to see: [Match 20 ¡ª Lady Mercedes Vida: Her Last Cry Vs. Dominus Exalted: Fear and Subversion] The nausea fully takes over as I lean over the side of my chair and vomit nothing but bile and acid. My head starts to pound and my ears start to ring from the sheer force of hurling the contents of an empty stomach, all the while Lottie shakes my body back and forth, screaming my name over and over. I know I said I wanted the chance to kill him down here, but after what I experienced earlier, I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m too scared. His power is most likely more powerful than mine. I mean, I still don¡¯t even know his power is or to what extent it can perform at. He was able to choke me out with pure strength alone. And that¡¯s not even remotely mentioning the fact I¡¯ve already overused ¡®Her Last Cry.¡¯ Will I even be able to stand a chance against him? I-I can¡¯t¡­I can¡¯t¡­I-I can¡¯t do this! MERCEDES HAS SUCCESSFULLY ABORTED SPIRALING CURRENT SPIRAL: NEUROSIS A stinging sensation on my face brings me back to the chair in the infirmary with Lottie in the center, hovering over me. ¡°Mercedes, listen to me: You need to stop focusing on who you¡¯re fighting and focus on how to win against Dominus, okay?! I know who he is to you, however, we¡¯ll help you move past that barrier and get your mind in the game! You¡¯ve made it more than halfway through this tournament. My team and I are going to try our damnedest to get you over the finish line and become the next God of the Grand Order: Lady Mercedes¡ªThe Beautiful and Elusive Princess of Vampires!¡± ¡­ ¡­ She¡¯s right¡­Lottie¡¯s right. It may have only been two battles, but it¡¯s still two battles that were fought to the death and had some serious implications. My arm is still rendered useless, even more so after injuring it further during my bout with Saint Agnes. In addition, my body hasn¡¯t had the proper time to rest after taking multiple forms of punches, kicks, choking, and other methods of assault and blunt force trauma; however, all of the other delegates are in the same boat as I am. Whether I like it or not, I will to fight Brett, I mean, Dominus, in a few hours. No amount of crying or panicking or spiraling will change that predicament. All I can do is prepare mentally, physically, and emotionally to go up against the one who has done nothing but given me Hell on Earth. All the psychologic torment, physical abuse, and every other heinous deed the fucker¡¯s done to me¡­he will be held accountable. He will not run away like he did last time. He will have to face the music. I will end him even if it means breaking every bone in my body, lose every limb, every sense, and sacrificing everything that makes me human, even my own life! I will have his soul and erase it from the very fabric of existence¡­Get ready, Dominus. This will be the last time you¡¯ll face me. I will not cower to you because I refuse to five you that power. If you want to win and kill me, that¡¯s fine, but be prepared to sacrifice everything to get there, for the most dangerous person in the world is the one who has nothing left at all.