It’s been a day since the last recording, everyone is seated around the table. Kohaku averts his eyes from the person raising their eyebrows up and down at the pace of a motor. While Hibiki and Makoto are exchanging holographic screens.

 

“Ehehehe. I guess I’ll have to give you a pass this time.” Hotaru chuckles giddily.

 

“Phew.” Kohaku sighs in relief, leaning into the black cushions he’s given his chair. 

 

“So, can I go, or are you two going to keep being busy?” (Hotaru)

 

“It’s not like you don’t have to do this either. We just decided to get a head start before things get complicated.” (Hibiki)

 

“Ugh! How dare you make me think about working!” (Hotaru)

 

“... If you do it sooner, you’ll have more time to laze around with us.” (Makoto)

 

“... I’ll talk to you too later. Why can’t Kohaku just do it again?” Hotaru crosses her arms and slumps into her chair.

 

“Because I won that bet, we got that on paper!” Kohaku replied, grinning ear to ear.  

 

“Paper, you say?” A vibrant red aura swept the entire room making it smolder with the sun's heat. Just as quickly as it came Hotaru got hit with not one, not two, but with three different large streams of water that could’ve made up a planet by themselves. The force was enough to topple her out of her chair, ass over tea kettle.

 

Not a single drop could be found on the chic foodie bellowing on the floor. Just as she stood up, a floating scroll unfurled before her eyes and all that excitement dropped after she looked over it. She reigned in the energy with a snap of her finger before kicking her chair up straight and taking a seat as if nothing happened. Not to the surprise of anyone else though.

 

“If it helps, it also that he’ll irresponsibly try to dig into factors he got right or wrong without worrying about what’s happening at the moment. It’s also why he’s not allowed in here alone.” (Hibiki)

 

“HUH?! I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO HEAR IT!” Taking a stand with his right leg on the table as he was atop his chair, his left slowly sank into the plushness of … it?

 

“That too,” Hibiki smirked at Kohaku’s expense before moving three panels Makoto’s way and closing his own screen.

 

“Pfft- Okay, okay. I’m going!” (Hotaru)

 

*Click*

 

***

 

-Hotaru’s POV-

 

I logged out of the game and exited the pod-

***

 

“HUH?! Not even the in-game day?!” (Kohaku)

 

“NO, YOU TOOK THAT! READ THE SIGN! ONLY ONE OF CAN DO IN-GAME DAYS IN A CYCLE!” (Hotaru)

 

“OH!” (Kohaku)

 

***

 

ANYWAYS, I exited the pod happy with everything I got done only to see the playdough figure of everyone and Sirus still being his golden marble self.

 

This time, however, we all had a tint of color! Makoto was sky blue, Hibiki was a light teal, and when I looked at myself, I was glowing red. Last, but not least, Kohaku came out of the pod contrasting to a periwinkle.

 

<Did you all have a good time?> The golden orb bobbed up and down energetically.

 

“IT WAS GREAT! Taking out monsters left and right. POW! POW!” Kohaku was beaming with energy as he punched the air.

 

“It… was fun.” I could barely hear Makoto’s mumbling his answer.

 

“I had a good time.” (Hotaru)

 

‘It’s a safe answer. Don’t ask for more…’

 

<How about you, Hanashi?>

 

The long silence didn’t bode well…

 

I could’ve dropped a pen; that would’ve been the loudest thing in the room when we faced him. I don’t what it was that made them think it would be a good idea to ask. I could’ve sworn I saw that little ball quiver.

 

<Firstly, everyone will be able to access their system outside of here.>

 

Sirus recovered pretty quickly and shot out a beam of light to bring up a holographic screen displaying a body, an eye, and a question mark.

 

< Hotaru, if you wouldn’t mind showing what I mean by ‘body’. Have you made use of it often?>

 

“Ah. No, I didn’t think I’d be able to after that.” (Hotaru)

 

<What do you mean?>

 

“Well, you just seemed so tired after that. I didn’t want you to pass out or something. I didn’t need it that much anyways.” (Hotaru)

 

S: (Atta girl. You’re fine to do it now.) (Ella)

 

(Thank you.)

 

And with that, I took off in a sprint forward.

 

*Click*

 

***

 

“Hmm…” Hotaru tilted her head before stroking her chin.

 

“What’s up?” Makoto finally brushed away his screens causing them to scatter into particles of light.

 

“Well, I get the chance to find out what I wanted to know. I’m just not sure who I want to hear it from…” (Hotaru)

 

“You got pumped, attentive and shocked. The choice is yours.” (Makoto)

 

“Aw, You’re no fun.” (Hotaru)

 

*Click*

 

***

 

- Hibiki’s POV-

In a sprint, the pastel red doughboy transitioned into a dark scarlet before the same dough figure separated from the figure who kept running in the embers left behind from her body. 

Standing at 4’11’’, straight brown hair that when down to her waist and lavender eyes. She was just in a sheer white kosode and black hakama but the way she danced, twirling among the embers enraptured your eyes with her brilliant smile.

 

*Click*

 

***

 

“...” (Hibiki)

 

“Well Shi-, take me out to dinner before you talk about me like that~” (Hotaru)

 

“...Not with your-” (Hibiki)

 

*Click*

“...”

***

 

-Hotaru’s POV-

 

I didn’t know what about was so refreshing. I wished I could see how they reacted. At least someone made it apparent.

 

“WOAH! You’re so much bigger now!” (Kohaku)

 

<You’ll all be able to move around freely as Balancers just like this.>

 

“Balancers?” 

<...>

< Anyways, It’s time for a bonding exercise!>

 

““““Eh?””””

Ka-chkk

I couldn’t tell when the sort of ripple around my body felt was familiar. The thought didn’t last. The moment my hair was flying wildly in the wind. Looking down, I was could only see large patches of green and what I made out to be a body of water. It would’ve been so nice if I didn’t hear the-

 

““AHHHH!””

 

“ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US?!” I caught sight of the raven black hair that was longer than mine screaming at Sirus.

 

<Relax, relax~. We’re going to ensure everything is good to go!>

“Can’t you levitate people and stuff?” (Hanashi)

<You guys can fly too.>

“““HOW?!””” (Hotaru+ Kohaku+Makoto)

 

<Oh, yeah… Good luck!>

 

“YOU FUCKERRRR!” That was the last thing I was able to say as the little fucker got further and further away while we plummeted into the shitstain we had to get used to.

 

***

 

AHAHAHA! Kohaku laughed hysterically, kicking his feet. Hibiki and Makoto stifled their laughter, exchanging glances before giving in to the elation.

 

***

 

-U-04 POV-

 

Getting off the charter over a river, a spry man zipped across the shadowed sky until he spotted a large number of souls gathering. Following their lead he came upon a large circle of them, mumbling some incantation that made the magic flow freely before circulating a giant being veiled in spectral light. 

 

Her hands held two torches as she chanted over a black steel cauldron. The god of travels wryly smiled, taking off his helm and waited for a moment… that moment became an hour…

 

“Ahem! Ah, my throat!” 

 

The flames extinguished and everything came to a standstill as the figure ever so slowly turned to meet his gaze. Hermes meekly tried to scoot back into the ghostly crowd but was shoved forward, catching himself, he let out a sigh of relief. At least that was the case until he realized that the very same mage was towering, their furrowed eyebrows lead the messenger to remain knelt on one knee even with their association.

“It’s been quite some time.” Crossing their arms, one of the oldest figures in this place masks their wounds under their black sunhat and veil.

“T-that it has…” (Hermes)

 

“I’m assuming someone is in need of my services. You have been rather avoidant of me lately.” The being turns back around, having a trace of their black sundress whip his face before peering down into the cauldron.

 

“I-I’ve been busy…” He hardly muttered, scratching the back of his head while trying to keep his composure.

 

“Of course, I wouldn’t expect any less. So, tell me, which one of my enemies calls you to get my help?” waving their hand in a circular motion over the contents brewing over a violet fire.

 

“I think that’s rather presumptuous of you.” (Hermes)

 

“Do you? Then please, enlighten me.”

 

“... I don’t want to be on bad terms with you. Would you just listen?” (Hermes)

 

A long-winded sigh exited the titan’s mouth “... We aren’t on bad terms… I guess I just hoped to see you more. You still have my gratitude.” The phantasmal sheen fades as the magic coalesced around the two and dispersed the domain as the titan once again faces the messenger with her arms on the cauldron’s rails. “I’m all ears and stand up!”

 

“Right!” Hermes took a stand and wipe the dirt off his knees to a stifled chuckle.

 

“Well?”

 

“I honestly thought you’d know more than me on the subject…” (Hermes)

 

“What are you referring to?”

 

“I was on my way back to Olympus when I felt it for a second.” He pointed in between his chest and abdomen.

“It… You can’t mean-” The eyes of the goddess in question widened, bringing her right arm closer before pulling back her hanging sleeve.

 

She occupied herself so much that she didn’t take note of the faintest flickering of a pendant tied to her wrist.

 

“I was so certain that-” Without a second to spare the goddess grabbed Hermes by his toga and flung him into a portal before rushing in with a vibration of excitement filling the air. Not even noticing the small grin growing across their face.

*Click*