NOVEL NEXT Last Day In Dai Shi
2016, Cass, Age 7
The two of us were giggling up a storm in my treehouse. It feels like so long ago, but I still remember so vividly Eliza, my first love. She had incredibly light blonde hair, almost white. She even wore a frilly white shirt combined with a blue skirt, like a modern princess. Of course, back then, we were too young to even think of stuff like that. Back then, we were just too girls playing house, two parents and a dog playing the role of a kid. It was while we played that I asked a question that seemed so...inconsequential, "Hey Eliza? When we grow up, should we get married? Then we'll be together forever! We can play all day long!"
She tilted her head in confusion at first before flashing a big smile, "Sure! Let's do it!" she exclaimed before embracing me in a tight hug. That's the last happy moment I remember of that day. All I felt after that was the sting of Dad's belt for even daring to suggest such a thing. I'd scream throughout the night in conjunction with each hit, all while being told I had committed some heinous sin
2023, Cass, Age 14
I would go years trying to forget that last part. But Eliza's smile stuck with me. I would go through school like any normal girl... well, as normal as you could be with my reputation. Speaking of which, "Hey Cass!" a voice called out. I turned to see Eliza, energetic as ever. I had insisted on her calling me that. If I ever heard someone call me Cassandra Morgan or even just Cassandra, I immediately got defensive because I thought my parents were coming to beat my ass. So, Cass, it is. She hugged me tight, childish as ever, "Where were you? You skipped class again, didn't you?"
"Yeah, sorry. You sure you wanna sit next to our school's number 1 thug?" I asked, glaring at a group of students who immediately shriveled back in terror, proving my point. Still, she pouted, punching me with her weak dainty fists.
"I don't see a thug, though. Everyone else is just blind!"
"Or maybe it's the other way around," I suggested, chuckling as I walked away. She followed behind me like a lost puppy. At least she remembered our promise. As we walked, a bunch of dudes began to follow us. Well... follow her.
"Yo, babe! What are you hanging out with this oversized gorilla for?"
"Yeah! Wouldn't you rather hang out with actual dudes?"
"Wh-What? Thank you, but... Cass and I were going to the park..."
"The park? How boring. I know a killer club, so why not-"
"She said we're going to the park," I finally spoke up, my arms crossed as I didn't even look at them. It seemed to get their attention, and they began to turn to me. They were all red in the face and clearly quivering. They were scared to fight me but still tried to bear their teeth
"A-And who are you...? Her girlf-!"
"And what if I am?!" I immediately interrupted, my face now suddenly burning as my fist pushed his face down into the concrete floor. The other boys, as well as everyone else in the hallway of the school. I turned to Eliza and nervously muttered, "We should go..."
"Yup!"
Seven and a Half Months Since Summoning Day, Cass, Age 15
"Huh? I'm starting to think you have a thing for girls named Eliza," Riley noted. Seriously? What an ass. He asked me about my life back home, and that's his takeaway? I sigh and simply lay back down on my bed, "Anyway, what about this girl? You don't wanna go back to her?"
"There's no point. She was taken from me. Just like this one. Only difference is that I can bring her back." Riley nodded and stood up from the chair, "I'm guessing you needed me for something?"
"Ritto's cooking up another scheme, and he needs us," he answered, and I hopped out of bed. We all agreed after we 'killed' the Heroes to go along with Ritto. The guy's completely in his own head, so he doesn't notice much suspicious behavior, and we can leech off him for power boosts to avoid what Riley called 'Power Creep.' He always did have weird names for different things, but so long as we understood, who cares? We wandered through the hall, passing by Sonya, who waved at us alongside Leon. Those two seem to stick together a lot since their failed mission. Do they know? What don't they know? I can't help but wonder as we enter the usual lab with Ritto, 'Xandric,' and the usual assistants helping out, providing mana, as well as researching new applications.
"Hey there, Princey. Been a while since we've met in here," I teased, trying to keep up the illusion. After all, Xandric was there fighting alongside them. But if it keeps Zeddral's rage in check, that's enough. At the very least, it keeps us alive a while longer.
"And I haven't missed that nickname," he grumbled. He was a perfect recreation in the attitude department as well, I guess.
"If you two are done flirting, we can get to work," Ritto scoffed before pulling out... a stone? It had a strange engraving on it and was painted with a familiar dark goop that covered the island, "This is my newest creation. I call it a Soul Stone."
"Fancy name. But what does it do?"
"As the name suggests, I made it for the purpose of capturing stones. If you remember correctly, I used a similar concept to power Hero Black's Shifter, and those Boost Medals you informed me of stuck me with inspiration."
"Let me guess. You plan to use Necromancy to further upgrade the Hell Heroes?" 'Xandric' asked with visible disgust
"Don't try to grandstand, boy. You learned Spirit Magic from King Shay in Animaria. The only difference is a pointless classification."
"That, and the willingness of the spirits involved. When you do this, do you even care for the pain they feel?"
"So you object?" With that one question, he fell silent. There was no way he could properly answer without being suspicious. The Xandric back then would have said, 'Whatever it takes for our people's freedom' or some crap like that. He wouldn't like it, but he wouldn't oppose it either. With a small smirk crossing Ritto's face, he said, "Good. Now, I can use it to potentially drain an entire country of souls both in and out of the Space Between Worlds if my theory is correct. I just need the proper conduit." He then turned to me, and I knew what he wanted. He needed Hero White- no, Eliza's- staff. The others then looked at me as well, and I scoffed. Why do they need to put me through this?
"Fine. But I'm handling the full operation, got it? Can't have you pulling a fast one and getting her hurt."
"Deal"
Meanwhile, Eliza, Age 15
I watched from the stands as the other four heroes duked it out. This was sorta like their final exam, I suppose. Due to their time crunch, the professors thought it would be a good idea to put them against every student all at once. I was offered, but I refused. This test was about showing their magical aptitude, and I didn't want to upstage them with the information Mom's staff gave me. Safe to say, I was impressed, though. Starting with Xandric, he had created a small batch of clones with his illusion. It was a small but effective trick. None knew which was the real one to focus on, and the moment one was destroyed, another would take its place. All the while hands of Shadow would pull them into the ground one by one. For him, all he had to do was avoid the spells being hurled at him and scare any fire and light users with more illusions.
Ryan was... nowhere near as clever, but still equally effective. His speed was practically matching Jaune with fists that sent the mages flying before some could even release their first spells. They even tried to make a massive barrier, but that failed when he made a massive ball of flames, almost like a son, which he called the 'Burning Heroic Soul.' I couldn't help but sigh at that one. He loves to loudly shout attack names.
Jaune's was certainly the most flashy in the most literal sense. With his enhanced brain, he could make entire walls made of separate lightning bolts, each homing after a different one. Still, he couldn't make anything too big; otherwise, it would backfire back on him, but I suppose a death by a thousand cuts was still effective.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
Last but not least was Makoto, who I was the most worried about. She had been focusing so much on healing magic, so I didn't know how she would fare in a combat situation. My worries were unfounded, though, as she created a massive Kraken-like monster from water, already sending a good few out of bounds. Anyone who hit her couldn't do much damage before she could heal it, and I could only describe it as a barrage of tentacles having the time of their lives. When the battle was done, I hurried down to greet them, "Good job, you guys!"
"Wow, that was exhausting. Building up the mana without the suits can be such a pain," Ryan groaned, making Makoto chuckle.
"You sound like such a little kid."
"H-Hush! Don't think I've forgotten about that tantrum you threw on our last date over ice cream."
"I was drunk! Apparently, I get childish when I'm drunk!" She argued, and honestly, it was quite cute. When Ryan first arrived here, this was the last thing I thought would happen, but I'm happy for him. I then turned to Jaune and flashed him a smile.
"Five more points to go," I said, and I expected him to be overflowing with joy. Instead, he looked nervous.
"Yes, about that..."
"Well done, you four," A voice reluctantly said. Turning behind us, Queen Min herself stood there in her usual royal fineries. Ryan was immediately defensive, shooting a cold glare at her.
"What happened to wanting nothing to do with us unless we screwed up."
She pushed up her glasses, a soft smile crossing her lips, "I came to see your progress, and safe to say, I wasn't disappointed. Maybe you can be decent heroes after all."
"We didn't need you to tell us that."
"Really? After that pitiful fight with the Hell Heroes? If you say so," She mocked before turning to me, "You know, princess, this is only going to get more dangerous from here on. You could get seriously hurt if you stick with them."
"Thank you for your concern, but I am aware of the dangers. I am also aware of my right to throw myself into it," I answer, hiding my aggression behind a smile. Instead of biting back, she simply nodded her head.
"I see. Well, how about you meet me at the Royal Palace? I may have something that can help you stay alive."
"And why do you care all of a sudden?" Ryan bit back, clearly skeptical as ever
"Princess Eliza is my King Thaddeus, my boss's daughter. Why would I not?" She asked. I looked at Ryan, trying to reassure him with a calm expression before turning back to her, "Just think about it. I have some affairs to get in order anyway." She then turned to leave, and with that, the five of us all returned to the room
"Well, that wasn't odd," Ryan mumbled sarcastically as we all found a seat
"Here he goes again," Jaune groaned
"Hey, don't give me that tone. A child could tell something isn't right."
"Maybe she's just having a bad day," Xandric suggested
"Maybe. Maybe not," He said, clearly still annoyed. Surely, he'd look into it after we're done here. But first, we needed to have a talk, "Okay, meeting time. Let's put together what we know."
"Father is being manipulated into this war. However, I could tell even before I left he wasn't putting his all into it," Xandric started, sitting down on the couch with his legs crossed, "If he was, he'd simply come here and wipe out all who opposed him. He doesn't want this. Also, according to Leon, his Void has been taking over."
"You mentioned Voids before. They're a desire essentially ingrained into a Demon's being, correct? Like a fourth need that must be fed."
"Yes, however, those with great levels of self-control can restrain it, but the longer they do, the worse it gets when it finally is fed. Father has been holding back his since he became a Demon."
"And dare I ask, what is his Void again?" Jaune asked, to which Xandric turned to look him dead in the eyes, piercing his soul
"Bloodlust. If he loses control of his Void, the damage would be unimaginable." Jaune shivered at his words, but we weren't too deterred. After all, it's hard to feel fear from just words. Still, I couldn't help but worry he may actually do it.
"Moving along from that scary thought, there seems to be a lot of infighting if the conversation I overheard is right," Jaune noted, "The Hell Heroes are all being manipulated by Ritto, but they're plotting against him. he also seems to be able to bring people to this world without the summoning ritual," he explained, and both Ryan and Xandric exchanged glances. Whatever they were both thinking, they weren't sharing.
"If they can do that, who's to say they can't do the reverse. They could attack our home and cut off this world's supply of Heroes," Makoto thought aloud, seeming terrified. Who wouldn't be? Doesn't she have a family back home?
"Then we stop them. But for now, we need to keep getting stronger. Starting tomorrow, I want all of you to help me and Jaune locate Hero White," Ryan ordered, taking the leader tone. For someone who hated the idea of a team, I can't help but be both shocked and glad he's taken on the role this well.
"Why not tonight?" She asked, seeming confused. But Ryan just looked at her and smiled.
"Tonight may be our last night in Dai Shi before we move on to the Vypari Wastes. Let's enjoy it," he answered. Relief filled us all as we thought of how to spend our final night. All the doom and gloom of our conversation made it so much sweeter when we each finally broke off.
Xandric, Age 116
With the meeting done, we each decide to go check on Kai. He was currently practicing with two of my Shadow Soldiers, and he was doing quite well. He would block, dodge, and strike at any opening provided. Even though I had instructed them to hold back, he was flawless, planting himself and keeping his guard up, dodging with minimal body movement to conserve stamina. It wasn't flashy, but it was effective.
"Never took Kai for a boxer," Ryan noted as the Shadow Soldiers disappeared. Kai then turned to us and ran to punch me in the gut before hugging Ryan, "Hey, trouble! You're learning fast."
"That's right! I'm going to be strong enough to protect the Orphanage while you guys are gone," He answered with a smile that was simply infectious. Even if he hadn't forgiven me, it was nice to finally see him happy despite my presence.
"Oh really? Well, training too much will just tire you out. How about we go do something fun before you head back tomorrow?" I offered, and he turned to me, sparkles in his eyes. He nodded at a fast pace, and with that, we were off. First, we ate, filling him up to make up for how much energy training can take. After that, it was to the arcade...where he proceeded to thoroughly destroy me at every single game. By the time we were done, he was sleeping like a baby, "I'd say that went well..."
"Yeah, it did," Ryan admitted, looking at the sleeping elf on his back, "I'm really glad you two managed to... do whatever you did. I don't know if I'd call it water under the bridge."
"It's all thanks to you. You set it up."
"True. But it was up to you two to make it work. Now, if only all Demons could get along with the people on the Island."
"Let's focus on ending this war first before we start thinking about that."
Jaune, Age 15
Okay, this is my one chance. Eliza has to meet with the queen later tonight. It's best to get it done now. I finally find her in the academy halls and call out, "Eliza!"
She quickly turned to me, seeming confused and then almost excited, "Oh right. You wanted to talk, right?" she asked, but her smile quickly faded. I suppose she could see the nervousness on my face, "What's wrong?"
"I... want to call off our game..."I said nervously. I guess I was right, too. Her eyes immediately shot wide before softening. Looking down, her hands were trembling, "It's just... after what we saw back in the past and Cass's words... Being a King is a lot of pressure. So many lives would be depending on me, and I'd just be throwing that to the wind for what? To be better than my father using his same methods? I can't do it..." She hung her head as I spoke. Her trembling stopped, but I could tell she was far from at ease.
"I see...Well, if that is your wish, I can't say no," She answered, trying to force a smile. Please don't do that. I know she's hurt, but why? This is just a game, right? Without a word, she walked away, and I was too scared to even try.
"Wow, you really messed up," Makoto said as she stepped out from behind the corner. She seemed to be writing something in a journal. It was in kanji, so I couldn't read it. Maybe for one of her relatives when we get home?
"You don't need to tell me that. But why? Her reaction was more...."
"Intense? Almost like a break-up?" Makoto asked, lightly nudging me. She couldn't mean what I thought, right? I'm a monster. There's no way... but what if? I need to go after her.
Eliza, Age 15
It's over. We're still friends, but the game is over. So why do I feel so hurt? It feels just like when Cass left, but this is nothing compared to that! She betrayed everyone, including me, but all Jaune did was not want people to get hurt because of our game, so why am I just as upset? I don't have time to think about it. Queen Min is expecting me. I hurried to the Royal Palace, just wanting today to be over already. When I arrived, though, the palace seemed empty. It was so eerie that I considered leaving. Still, I pushed forward through the red and green hallways towards her office. She stood by the window, looking outside, not even facing me, "Queen Min? I'm here," I said hesitantly, subtly summoning my staff behind me. She still didn't turn back. However, she did say two words.
"I'm sorry..." Suddenly, a cloud of smoke begins to fill the room, and the doors seal shut. I tried to cast the spell to transform, but in seconds, I found myself struggling to so much as breathe. Queen Min turned around, wearing a gas mask alongside Hell Hero Yellow, "I must put my kingdom first. I hope you understand."
Jaune, Age 15
I hurried to the Royal Palace, hoping to catch up and fix what I said. Storm Step after Storm Step sent me closer to the palace, but when I got there, I saw a figure leaping away at a staggering height no average person could reach. If it were a simple thief, I could just tell a guard, but among the silhouette, I could make out a staff. There are only a handful of people who could want that, and none of them are good, "Worlds Combine, Heroes Unite!" I called out and immediately chased after them. As I got closer, the figure became clear. Or should I say figures? Because Cass was carrying an unconscious Eliza with her. Just seeing that sent rage through me like nothing I've ever felt and created my Taranis Claw to slash at her. She quickly blocked with the staff, though, then headbutted me, sending me to the ground. I groan and immediately continue the chase, "Put her down! The staff, too!"
"Give it up!!" She roared out and, with a fist coated in lightning, sent me flying. There was no floating city to stop me this time. I tried to Storm Step after her, but by the time I had recovered, she was already gone, likely already miles away. As I look off into the distance, I grit my teeth.
"I'm sorry, Eliza. I need to tell them.."