“Ahhhhh! There’s no escape, and things are just going downhill!” Salomon cries of fear were loud in my ears as I try to decrease the enemies to a reasonable level and trying not to fall to my knees due to how exhausted I felt.
Salomon avoid the demons that came too close to him and got behind me for protection holding on to the back of my uniform jacket tightly. “If only we could interrupt their pact, even for a moment!” I almost falter in my defensive when I heard Salomon said that.
“Interrupt. . .? What do you mean Lil’ Salomon?” Looking over my shoulder to look at him with an eyebrow raised but still keeping my sword in front of me to protect myself from the attacks coming from everywhere.
“A Summoner’s jurisdiction has its limits. For example, if you’re too far away from your familiar, or if there’s a wall or something in the way. . . It’s like losing reception on your phone. If we could somehow affect their jurisdiction over the pact for a little while. . .” As Salomon was saying this I realize something. ‘If I could cut the Red Oni from the park with my sword I can definitely cut the connection between the Summoner.’
“Okay, I’ll try it. Stay out of the way Lil’ Salomon.” After saying that my I rush quickly towards the demons ignoring Salomon shocked voice and my sword began to glow again. “Role of the Wanderer! Rule of Rending! Come forth, Boundless Tail!” A bright came out my sword as I slash towards the group of demons causing them to scream out.
It was a few moments of silence and my heavy breathing was heard as I look towards the demons wondering if I cut the connection between their Summoner. “I-It stopped moving?! Did you sever its connection to the Summoner?!” Hearing Salomon shocked voice say that I stab my sword in the ground and dropped to my knees in exhaustion as my body lean against the sword.
Salomon let out a hum as he was processing something that I was too tired to care about at the moment. “Rule of Rending. . . Oooooooohhhhh!” Salomon raised his voice happily as if he just realize something causing me to flinch at his loud voice. “Incredible! Only you, Master, could be so brilliant! What a clever plan! The Rule of your Sword is Rending. It’s a Rule that can sever jurisdictions and thus overwrite the state of things! Just like how you overwrote the Red Oni’s connection to the land yesterday!”
Salomon slap his hand over my back repeatedly causing me to let out a pained groan at his slaps. “You neutralized the mystery Summoner by severing their jurisdiction over their familiar in the same way! Amazing, Master! Most people couldn’t possibly think of such a solution! I was all set to abandon my clueless failure of a Master. . .” I gave him a dark look as he said this causing him to flinch and rub the back of his head sheepishly.
“Ahaha! Just kidding! That was a joke, of course! Well now that it’s over, the Battle Zone will be terminated. The victory is all yours, Master!” As he said this, I remember the reason why I was fighting the little demons and realize that the students were on the ground not moving.
“FUCK! C-Call an ambulance! No! Call the police! Wait should we call both of them?! What should I do?!” As I was panicking to myself Salomon let out a laugh like I was doing something funny. “Hold on, Master. What are you talking about? They’re fine. Look.” Salomon points in the direction where the students were and I realize they weren’t bloody anymore and they were moving.
“Ack. . . What happened?” A blue haired male student who was dead when I got here got up with a dazed look in his eyes looking around in confusion. “I’m alive. . .?” The green haired student got up also with confusion on his face.
“Wait!? They came back to life?! The blood on them is gone too!” I look at them in shocked and I quickly grabbed at my body feeling around myself for wounds. “This is crazy! Even my wounds are healed too.”
“But of course! Didn’t I tell you? No one can die. It’s just a game. Once the game is closed, the result of whatever went on in the Battle Zone won’t be carried over into reality.” Salomon gave me a smug look that made me want to pinch his cheeks until he cried again.
“If the App shuts down properly, any physical ramifications will revert to the state before gameplay began. In other words, wounds heal, and those who died are revived. Even objects that are broken will return to normal, except in some rare cases. But, well, it’s just as painful as dying for real. Even after the battle is over, the memory of the experience will remain, so it can be extremely traumatizing.” After Salomon said this I heard some of the students screaming causing me to look over to them in surprise.
“Oh god. . .! The blood! All that blood!” A red haired student who was dead when I came here was holding his head as he remembers what happened to him in the App. “Aahhh! That’s the last straw! I’m done with this game!” The blue haired male student yell this out with a crazed look in his eyes.
“I don’t ever want to go through that again! H-Help me!” The green haired male student was crouching down on his knees with tears coming down his face quickly. I look at the group of students with a concerned look on my face and Salomon shaking his head at their reactions. Then everyone of the students ran away once they gather themselves up some of them almost tripping over themselves due to how quickly they were running.
“Yup, that’s usually how they react. Look at them run! Not many people can experience a realistic death and still come back for more, even if they’ll always be revived. Those poor guys were just cogs in the machine. I doubt their boss gave them any warning.” As Salomon was talking the red furred Therian slowly woke up as nearly everyone was gone from the area.
“W-What the. . .? Everybody came back to life. . .? What the hell happened?” The red furred Therian look around with confusion once he realized all of his friends were alive and moving. “Hm? Their leader is coming to! What do you think? Shall we strip him?” My face grew hot once he suggested this but I quickly snapped out of it and hit him over the head quickly ignoring his pained shouted.
“You’re. . . The one who saved us? What are you playin’ at? You should mind your own business. . .” The Therian look at me cautiously as he tried to guess what my next move was causing me to exhale and rub my head feeling a headache coming.
“Just get out of here already. It dangerous and I really don’t want to go through this again. And make sure you don’t go attacking innocent people anymore because I won’t be there to save you from getting your ass kicked again!” I crossed my arms around my chest trying to look serious to the Therian still on the ground.
Letting out a tch the Therian got up and began to leave the area when a voice rang out. “And where do you think you’re going? What about Oniwaka’s orders?” Appearing from a fog that came out of nowhere a male appear. Even though he was shorter than me he gives off this intimidating pressure and I felt a chill goes down my back when our eyes meet.
The students that were still in the area froze when they saw the male appear. “Oniwaka is gonna lose his patience if you don’t hurry up!” As the male got closer I noticed that he had knives on him and you could see his chest that had a tattoo on it. ‘Wait. . . Salomon said something about markings on body part to show you are a Summoner or something like that.’ I put my guard up just in case he tried to start something with me.
“I-I’m quitting this damn game! No one told me it’d be this painful!” A blonde haired male student had tears in his eyes still looking a bit messed up from the battle. “What makes you think he’ll allow that?” The male hand went to the knife on his leg staring down the student.
The red furred Therian just sneer at the male and walk up to him. Hmph, you’re nothing but Oniwaka’s lackey!” Trying to intimidate him by going to his full high but the male just rolls his eyes and focus on me causing me to tense up.
“And you are. . .? Have my guildmates dragged you into their mess?” Looking at me with disinterest in his eyes I tried not to break eye contact with him. “I’m just a new player who just happen to run into them. Battle happen and all that usual fighting.” I just tried to relax in a casual way as I briefly recounted what happened.
“Oh, a brand new player. I see. Got caught up in their rookie hunt, huh? Bad luck. Whatever. I’ve got my own crap to deal with. I don’t have time for the likes of you. Later. Let’s go. . . Oh mighty Summoners.” Giving me one last disinterest look he began to walk away while his guildmates look at him with a mixture of anger and fear but slowly started to follow his lead too.
Salomon appear next to me with a huff while looking at the back of the male that was disappearing with the rest of the left over students in the area. “What’s his deal? Brandishing those little butter knives like a tough guy! I hate guys like that! Acting like it’s cool to brood around with the world on your shoulders. . . “ Salomon crossed his arms around his chest with a frown on his face but he looked at me with curiosity. “ Then again. . . do you think dark and brooding would be a good look for me?” Looking at me with a smile on his face I just sighed to myself.
I was going to walk away to continue my search for Shiro when I heard Skreeeee! and look over to where it came from to see a group of little devils still here. “Oh goodie! Looks like we have some leftovers to finish off! We may as well sever the rest while the night is young! Do your thing, Master!” Giving Salomon a side look I summoned my sword again and raised it in front of me when the leftover devils came to attack me.
