Ascension: Online

"He's your… Creator?" I asked, jaw dropping in shock. The other girls had similar reactions.

"Yes. He is the Creator of all existence," Aisa explained. "If you see me as a god, then he is the god of gods."

"Wait, if he is truly this omnipotent and made you, then how were we able to stop him from directly interfering here by sealing the reality rifts shut?" Hina-nee asked.

"The Creator you have encountered is but a shadow of his true self. There are far too many reality planes out there for him to manage alone."

I furrowed my brows. "What… just how many reality planes are there?"

"Technically speaking, infinite," Aisa replied. "New reality planes are born everyday, at the hands of these Creator shadows."

"So then, what is your job, Aisa?" Hina-nee scratched her head.

"Us A.R.X.As oversee and control the reality planes. The Creator's shadows are responsible for creating new ones, and assigning an A.R.X.A. to them. They act as supervisors to us. That said, it is impossible to track every single one of our tiny movements down, so only if we make some huge mistake will these Creator shadows catch wind of it."

"You made a huge mistake then, I guess, huh?" I chuckled.

"Yes… it seems I have been trapping people within this reality plane too frequently recently. It will be a while before I can do so again, unless you want another situation like this one. Next time this happens, there will be even more reality rifts open all across the world. I cannot guarantee I will be able to save the easiest ones for you to take care of."

"Thank god," I muttered. "We already have four people, this is enough. Any bigger and it'll just become a hassle."

"Aisa… you used plural form when referring to 'A.R.X.A'. Does that mean… there are more of you out there?"

Aisa nodded. "Naturally. Each A.R.X.A. oversees a cluster of reality planes, and new A.R.X.A.s are produced by the Creator from time to time to accommodate the ever increasing number of reality planes. My code number is 369 — a fairly new creation."

"Are there any other A.R.X.As who share the same mindset as you?"I asked. "A rebellion against the Creator?"

"A.R.X.As cannot communicate with one another, so I have no way of knowing. However, there should be, according to theoretical probability."

"That's… not very reassuring," Furuwa sighed. "So? Kaze? She said she couldn't force you to do this. Hell, I don't even know if what she's saying is 100% true. Are you going to go along with her plan?"

"… This is too elaborate to be a lie," I said after some thought. "At least, that's what my instincts tell me."

"I don't think Aisa-chan is lying either," Hina-nee added. "We may not know for sure, but there's a chance she's telling the truth as well. If that's the case, then we have to stop the Creator."

I cleared my throat. "Before that, let me just confirm one thing — Aisa, how did you even get all this information?"

"The Creator announced his plan to all A.R.X.As, so that we may prepare. He is planning on having us do the purging, not himself."

"So this Creator isn't all that strong after all~" Nadeshiko shrugged, as if suddenly losing interest in the conversation. "Boring."

"As much as I hate to say it, I agree with her," Furuwa said. "At first, I thought this Creator was some sort of immortal entity that could pretty much do anything, but from what you're telling us now, it seems even he has limitations."

"Yes. He cannot interfere with reality planes directly unless he first opens reality rifts within them. However, the sheer number of reality planes in existence prevents him from doing that for every single one since that would drain his power, which is not unlimited."

"… Aisa," I said quietly. "When is the Creator planning on executing this… purge of his?"

"A little over ten years from now," she replied. "Worry not — you have time."

"So, I have to get rid of all my remaining emotions within those ten years? The easiest way to do that is to use reality rifts, right?"

"Yes, however, that is a risky move. If, by some unforeseen circumstances, you fail to seal a reality rift before the time limit runs out, the Creator's shadow will be able to once again enter this reality plane and monitor our every movement. That would prove to be extremely troublesome. I will also be on the verge of destruction."

"Then why isn't he trying to get in again after we sealed his rifts shut?" I asked. "I mean, if he's opening them, he obviously thinks there's something off with you and wants to investigate, right?"

"No - the Creator's shadow opens rifts as warnings. After we seal them shut, as long as we stop — or rather, do not get caught any more — he will not investigate further. However… should we get caught again… he will open up more rifts. This time, in greater numbers, threatening to truly invade this reality and take over."

"That's… a pretty flawed system," Hina-nee couldn't help but sigh. "Though, it works in our favor, so I won't complain. Besides, I guess this proves it — even he has limitations."

"Human. I would like you to make a decision now," Aisa said, turning to me. "Will you help me defeat the Creator or not?"

"…" I fell into thought, biting my lip.

"If you choose not to, that is fine. I will lift the seal on your companions, allowing them to return to their old reality plane. You, however, cannot go back except by Ascending, since your physical body is here. Just keep in mind — even if you do manage to return, you will only have a few years left before all of creation is erased."

"In other words…" Aisa continued, walking closer to me and holding out her hand.

"Will you give up and let destiny take its course, or will you stand up and make your own fate?"

I looked up, meeting her eyes.

"The decision is yours."

"…" I clenched my fists.

"I'll do it."

Nadeshiko giggled softly at my response. "My… I'm liking you even more now, hehehe~"

"K-Kaze?" Furuwa's eyes widened in shock. "You don't even know if she's telling the truth or not! She could just be using you!"

"Be that as it may… there's no evidence that she's lying either, is there?" I argued. "All of reality is at risk here. Even if all this is a lie and Aisa is only using me just like you said, I would make the same decision if given the option to restart all over again."

"Good, human. The fighting spirit inside you is strong. I have truly not chosen the wrong person. You are not one to let others dictate your life for you, even if they are a god — just the kind of soldier I need."

I stood up from the bed and took Aisa's outreached hand.

"My fate is mine to make — and mine alone."

*****

Aisa and I were left alone in the room.

The other girls had went out to have a 'talk', apparently. I wasn't too worried about Nadeshiko killing the other two, thanks to the conversation from earlier, but the opposite wasn't necessarily true. I wouldn't particularly kill if Nadeshiko got killed by Furuwa and Hina-nee, though. In fact, it may even fix that troublesome personality of hers.

I mean, after feeling the pain of death herself, she'll change her mind about killing others, right?

… Right?

Ah, whatever.

"So, are you going to give me free good stuff now, to help me level up faster?" I asked Aisa, a smug grin on my face.

"That is what you were going for all this time?" Aisa snorted. "Hmph. I cannot just give you free items to help you get stronger. That might grant you temporary power, but you will soon start to rely on these items rather than yourself. You cannot use items forever. The only thing you can always count on is your own innate strength."

"In other words, you're still going to keep throwing me in dangerous situations?"

"Naturally. Danger is an essential part of getting stronger. It is the most effective form of motivation."

"Man… it was worth a try, I guess."

"I will provide you opportunities. Whether or not you can harness them will be up to you and you alone," Aisa said. "Think of this as me training you. Training you to become a perfect being. Good rewards will have to be earned, not given."

"Just don't accidentally kill me," I muttered.

"Even if you die, you will respawn. There is no big deal."

"Well, yeah, but still, please don't kill me. I haven't lost the feeling of pain yet."

"Pain is the most effective method of teaching," Aisa replied stoically. "You will come to realize that soon enough. You have already made your decision — there is no backing out now."

"Just curious — what will you do if I end up changing my mind?"

"I will ruin your life to the utmost of my abilities. Finding ways to kill you when you return to your old reality plane is also not outside my reach."

"… Right."

"Besides, even if I did not do it, in a few years, you will most likely be purged either way. I am just speeding up the process."

I sighed and lay down on my bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Things just got a lot more complicated, huh?"

"You do not need to worry about facing the Creator just yet. For now, just focus on getting stronger, eventually returning to your old reality plane and beating that one too," Aisa said, closing her eyes. "After that, the final crusade will begin."

"You say I have loads of time, but… this pressure really sucks. It looks like I'm going to have to speed up in getting stronger."

"That is up to you. For me, obviously, the quicker you do so, the better."

After a short silence, I decided to ask Aisa something.

"Hey, Aisa."

"What is it, human?"

"Why didn't you just tell me the truth from the start, when you first met me?"

"To test you, human. I was evaluating you to see whether or not you could fill this role of a perfect being," she explained. "To be honest, I would have liked to examine you a little further before making the decision to inform you of the truth, but as you can see, I miscalculated and caused those reality rifts to open. I can hardly hide anything from you anymore, after that happened."

I smirked. "So… does this mean I passed your test, or what?"

"In a way, yes. I am certain there are more suitable candidates out there, but I have already made the decision to choose you. I cannot turn back now."

"I see."

"This fight will be hard, human. The road leading to it will also be long and winding. Raging storms will stand in your route, and unquenchable fires will block your path. Death and danger will be following you every step of the way."

She walked over to the bed and lay down beside me.

"Tell me, human," she whispered. "Are you ready?"

"Nice metaphor... but storms can also push me forward, and fires can also light my course," I replied with a soft chuckle, then turned my head to look Aisa in the eyes. "So… am I ready to fight against the god of all creation?"

I smiled.

"Yes. Yes, I am."