‘Cold—!’ Gilbert felt his body completely stiffen as the ocean hungrily swallowed him. He knew that the water would be freezing, but this was way colder than he had imagined! A tinge of remorse shot through him now for throwing Cardinal completely unprepared into the same freezing waters he was currently in, but the monster in front of him snapped him out of his thoughts. Through his blurry vision, he saw the monster a few feet away, struggling to reach the surface like he was. Unlike Gilbert, however, the creature was clearly too heavy. Its gargantuan arms helped it demolish anything in its path, but obviously didn't do any favors for it underwater. Evidently, the monster realized this as well and in a last ditch effort to kill Gilbert, reached out for him, bubbles erupting from its mouth in what seemed like a defiant roar. 

‘Like I’d let that happen!’ Gilbert twisted his body preemptively, the monster’s arms inches away from where his face used to be. His body still turning, he kicked its tombstone-like head as hard as he could. Bubbles erupted from the monster’s mouth as it recoiled its arms, holding the spot on his head that Gilbert kicked.

 

Not missing this chance, he immediately pumped his legs upwards. He could see the light above getting closer and closer until—

 

Seconds before he broke through the surface, he stopped. More accurately, he was stopped. Looking down, Gilbert saw that the monster was hanging onto his foot, holding onto it with all of its remaining strength. It seemed to give him a twisted smile that said "We're going down together". ‘Shit! What a sore loser!’ He raised his other foot and began slamming it down on the creature’s head.

 

‘Get… off!’ With one last kick, the monster let go, sinking into the abyss. Gilbert looked up, this final scuffle had taken longer than he thought and he seemed miles away from the surface again. His vision began to cloud as he felt his entire body becoming heavier. ‘Not… good… my lungs… burning.' 

 

Before he lost consciousness, he saw a red figure in the distance.

 

…

 

“Wake… up…!”

 

Gilbert could faintly hear something above him, but he didn’t care. He felt warm, like he was wrapped up in a soft blanket. He could hear something again, but only groaned, wanting to enjoy this comfort for a little longer. 

 

SLAP!

 

“Guh! Wait, what? Cardinal? Why are you—?” Gilbert opened his eyes with a start. He was lying on the beach, completely soaked, looking up at an equally drenched Cardinal. Her face was one of concern and her eyes, were they red again? He blinked and they were her normal brown. Before he could think about it, something else caught his attention. Looking past her head, he could see that the sun had long since set and there was only the dim yellow glow of the boardwalk in the distance. Wasn’t he in the ocean? He remembered getting dragged down and escaping—

 

“That monster! Where is it?” Despite the ache he felt in his chest, he forced himself up, before Cardinal pushed him down again. 

“It’s not here anymore, Gil. It didn’t attack us while I was bringing you back to the beach or waiting for you to wake up either. I think it drowned in the ocean. Also, you could have told me that was your plan before suddenly throwing me over the railing!” 

He lied back down, relieved. A few moments later, he opened his mouth, “So, why am I on your lap?”

“Hehe, well? How is it? You probably can’t experience such softness anywhere else! Dragging you back and caring for you like this, I’m just too kind for my own good, huh?”

“Is slapping people to wake them up part of your kindness too?”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about?”

Ignoring Cardinal’s averted eyes, Gilbert sighed and pushed himself up off of her. He turned and offered her his hand, a genuine smile on his face, “Thanks. I wouldn’t be alive if you weren't there.”

“Uwahh… Saying it straight like that is kind of unfair…”

 

Gilbert pulled her up before looking out into the horizon. He could see the carnival in the distance, a small amount of smoke emitting from it. Looking back at the boardwalk, he could see similar clouds of smoke where the monster had rampaged. He heard a police siren in the distance and tugged on Cardinal’s hand, “Let’s get out of here before we attract anymore unwanted attention.”

 

The girl nodded with a shiver and Gilbert frowned. “Here.” He took off his coat and handed it to her. It was as drenched as all his other clothes, but was still better than nothing. Cardinal began to protest, but he cut her off. “It’s fine. I don’t know why, but my body feels really warm right now. Just hold onto it for now.” Before he could see her reaction, he started walking towards the station. 

 

A few moments later, he heard her run after him. “Wait Gil, don’t walk so fast!”

 

---

 

Crunch.

 

The man gave a weak grunt as the girl stepped over his hand, but gave no response otherwise. He couldn’t as his entire body was covered in bruises and cuts. A wet popping sound occasionally rattled from his chest, a sign that all of his ribs were broken. The man was as good as dead.

 

Not that the girl cared though. Countless bodies in a similar state could be seen littering the construction site. She continued walking forward in a leisurely manner, unconcerned with what she was stepping on. Ahead of her, a man with an iron bat could be seen desperately weaving in and out as a misshapen black figure swung at him. He would get a few swings in here and there, but absolutely no damage could be seen on the creature that he was fighting. The man’s eyes lit up as he saw the girl walking closer.

 

“Y-yer Majesty! Please help! This thing’s too much for us to handle—”

“Hoh. I’m impressed. So the first swine I picked up was actually the only one to survive?” She gave him an indifferent smile. “I’ll graciously reconsider your standing. You're no longer swine, just utter rubbish.”

Taguchi grimaced. “I-I understand Yer Majesty, now can we please retreat!” He ducked under another gargantuan swing. “I don’t think I’ll be able to hold out much longer!”

 

The girl nodded at his words. Taguchi let out a sigh of relief. Finally, he would be able to move his body away from this place and this dangerous—

 

“Restrain his movements, trash. Use your entire body if you have to.”

 

The man immediately stopped his movements and dashed straight at the monster. He tightly hugged it, trying but failing to pin its arms against its body. Bam! Bam! Bam! The monster rained down blows at this, each one stronger than the last. Yet, the man just wouldn’t let go. Even when the man began puking blood at each blow, his arms only seemed to tighten instead.

 

Crunch.

 

Having had enough, it eventually just bit off Taguchi’s head. The body slumped down, before falling backwards with a splat. The monster chewed for a moment before spitting out a mass of flesh. This man hadn't been tasty at all. The girl that had been with him was probably yummier. It looked up to find no sign of her when it heard a voice behind him.

 

“Stop. Turn around and kneel.”

 

Sensing an actual delicious meal waiting for him, the monster whirled around and dashed forward. A girl with purple hair was looking at it, her eyes glowing and surprise evident on her face. Just as it was within distance to crush her head with its arms, it felt something snag its foot, slamming it headfirst into the ground. Groaning, it looked behind itself to see the unknown attacker. It saw nothing. Except, was that something wriggling near its foot?

 

“I see. A beast cannot understand commands, is that it?” The girl frowned. “That means that I have no use for you, then.”

 

She snapped her fingers. The darkness that had only been squirming near his foot erupted, covering his entire body. Like bandages, its shadow wrapped him up so tightly that it couldn’t move anymore.

 

“An execution is in order. Shadow Sepultura.”

 

The shadows seemed to tighten even further on the monster. They stiffened and began contracting, becoming tighter and tighter until—

 

Boom!

 

The girl’s shadow moved to protect her as chunks of the monster rained down on the ground. After the downpour, the girl bent down, picking up a gleaming object. She pocketed it before turning to look around her. Numerous bodies could be seen lying all around the place. Many of them were completely shredded or missing huge chunks of their bodies. 

 

A small sigh escaped her lips, “How utterly useless. Even with my orders, the common rabble can’t even take down a corrupted of this level?”

 

Wiping off a drop of blood that had splashed against her cheek, she began walking out of the construction site. Approaching the entrance, she paused as countless police cars suddenly rushed past her, bright flashing lights zooming by. She heard the sirens slowly fade away into the distance. 

 

“That direction… the beach?” 

 

The girl smiled. 

 

“Interesting.”

 

---

 

“This apartment is where you live, Gil? This is super luxurious, isn’t it??”

“Haa… Shut it and just follow me.”

“Hmm? Are you mad at me?”

“You… Seriously?” Gilbert shook his head and walked forward.

“Ah! Wait, Gil!”

 

A few moments earlier

 

Gilbert immediately regretted bringing Cardinal back with him. The girl who seemed like she would collapse at any moment, perked up the instant they were inside the train. Making lots of ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ sounds, Cardinal bounced around the car hyper-actively. Gilbert felt like a preschool teacher with how he had to explain every two seconds about something that had caught her interest. After he satisfied her curiosity to the fullest, the true hell began.

"Bringing a cute girl you just met back home, you're a real player, aren'tcha Gil?"

"How do you even have the energy to make jokes?"

"A girl in the springtime of her youth has infinite amounts of energy!"

He turned and looked out the window instead of answering Cardinal. The setting sun made the buildings whizzing by look like shadow puppets that were poorly made rather than a city. However, even as it got dark, one building in particular continued to stand out. Cardinal pointed at it as she had noticed it as well. "What's that tall fork-looking thing, Gil?"

"It's a tower, not a fork, you glutton. Verita Tower, to be exact." Sensing that she was still confused, Gilbert continued, "It's the tallest tower in Ordinal City along with being located at the center of it. Naturally, the mayor's office is there as well. I've heard it also oversees the activities of the five districts—" He was about to say more, when he felt a light thump on his shoulder. Cardinal had fallen asleep at some point with her head now drooping onto his shoulder.  

"Hey, you—" He stopped himself when he saw the tired expression that her face showed. 'If you were tired, then you should've just said so.' He frowned and lowered his shoulder more towards Cardinal, when he looked up to see two schoolgirls giggling at him.

 

He coughed and looked out the window.

'Was the train ride always this long?' 

 

Back to the present

 

Gilbert opened the door with a click. He motioned for Cardinal to come in before flicking a switch. Light flooded his vision, revealing a spacious living room, kitchen, a staircase leading to the second floor, and a small balcony that looked out into the city. Cardinal wasn’t exaggerating when she said that the apartment was luxurious. Gilbert’s family was fairly wealthy and the apartment he lived in was one of the more higher end ones in Ordinal City. 

 

“Pardon my intrusion!” Cardinal called out in a cheerful voice, before whispering to him, “Gil, I didn’t bring any gifts for your parents, what do I do?”

“It’s fine. I live alone.”

 

“Oh, I see…” Her voice trailed off as she looked around. Gilbert knew what she was thinking. This place was huge for one person to live in. Anybody would feel lonely living by themselves in such a place, no matter how luxurious it was. Honestly, he didn’t really mind. He wasn’t sure of when it had started, but for as long as he could remember he had been living by himself.

 

A short silence fell on the two of them, before he spoke, “Wash up first. There’s a washing machine in there as well. You can wear some of my old clothes if yours aren’t done drying by the time you get out.” Thankfully, the heating of their train car meant that their clothes were already a little dried.

 

“Okay…” Cardinal awkwardly nodded at his words, before disappearing into the bathroom. Gilbert rubbed his head, he wasn’t sure of how to deal with situations like this. The absence of his parents was something that no longer really bothered him. Other people probably saw it differently, however. He stood there for a moment before hearing the sound of running water. ‘Well, nothing to be done about it.’ He thought as he walked upstairs to wash up as well.

 

…

 

The two sat across from each other in Gilbert's living room. The sofas were large and soft, causing Cardinal to melt into them completely. Once Gilbert brought a cup of water for her, she straightened up to look at him.

 

“Gil, it's been a long day, so you might have forgotten, but I actually wanted to ask you something earlier. Remember I told you that I was sent to this city to accomplish a certain mission?” He nodded and the girl gave him a cheery smile. It was a stark contrast to the awkward mood that had been hanging over them a moment ago. Gilbert preferred this, though. He didn’t want her to feel unnecessarily concerned for him.

 

"Well... What I wanted to ask you was... Uhm..." She fidgeted for a bit before standing up from the couch and directly facing him. Then, to Gilbert's surprise, she gave a deep bow. “Please! Help me accomplish my mission!” Her head was bowed so low that Gilbert wondered if she might accidentally hit the carpet beneath them.

He scratched his head, “O-okay, I’ll hear you out, so raise your head.” Gilbert was used to Cardinal acting like an idiot, which made her current completely serious mood throw him off.

“Really? You will? You’ll help me out?” The serious expression that had been on her face seemed like an illusion as she rushed over to him. Gilbert averted his eyes at the amount of pure expectation that emanated from her eyes, “I didn’t say anything about helping just yet, I'll decide after I listen to what you have to say.”

 

Despite his words, Cardinal didn’t seem discouraged at all and only seemed more motivated. Her eyes were practically twinkling at this point. 

 

He coughed, “So, what is your… mission?”

“I don’t remember!”

 

Smack.

 

 

“Uuuu… You didn’t have to hit me that hard, Gil.”

“I was a complete idiot for thinking you were being serious for a second at all there.” He sighed and got up. “I’m heading to bed if there’s nothing else. You can use the guest bedroom to the right of the stairs. Good—”

“Wait, I was being serious! I really don’t remember my mission along with everything else!”

 

Gilbert stopped. “What do you mean?”

 

“My mission, my family, my life before I came to this city, I don’t remember anything at all.” Cardinal looked directly at him, “The only thing I remember is a voice telling me, ‘Cardinal, go to Ordinal City and complete your mission.’ Then, I found myself here. I wandered around for a bit before… well… we met.” She looked away at the end, probably remembering how their first meeting went.

“How do you expect to accomplish your mission or for me to help you, then? You’ve got nothing to go off of—” 

“I do! I do have a lead for my mission! I just need to recover my memories and remember what my original mission was!” Seeing the confusion on Gilbert's face, she continued, “I’m not sure how to explain it… but I have this feeling inside of me. My memories are somewhere in this city, I’m sure of it. It’s just…”

 

Cardinal trailed off at the end and Gilbert narrowed his eyes.

 

“Is it related to that monster from earlier?”

 

She flinched and Gilbert knew that he was spot on. There was an implied agreement between the two of them to not talk about what had happened at the carnival. It seemed like more of a bad dream than anything after all. A monster breaking through the wall of a restaurant, chasing him to a carnival, and killing him? Nobody would believe such a story. 

 

He stared at Cardinal. Her body shrinked briefly under his stare, but she slowly raised her head and looked directly back at him.

 

“I know… this sounds completely unreasonable. I don’t know what my mission is or where my memories exactly are. There could also be more scary monsters with how they seem related to my memories. I know that but… please, Gil. You’re the only one who noticed me on the beach. You’re someone who didn’t abandon me back there with that monster. If anybody could find my memories… it’d be you.”

 

She looked down afterwards, afraid to meet his eyes.

 

A silence fell upon them, but was quickly broken by the sound of footsteps. Cardinal flinched as she felt Gilbert stop right in front of her.

 

“Alright.”

“Please reconsider! Wait, wha—”

 

Cardinal opened her eyes to see Gilbert grinning in front of her.

 

“Why are you so surprised? Weren’t you the one who asked me?”

Cardinal's eyes were wide open, filled with complete disbelief. She waved her arms around, extremely flustered. “But! But! It might be dangerous! And you might die again!”

Gilbert shrugged. “Who cares if it’s dangerous? You can just revive me with that strange power when I die, can’t you?”

“Really—You’ll really help me? Even with everything I said?” She still had a fearful look in her eyes, clearly doubting whether she had heard Gilbert correctly or not. 

Seriously, does she want my help or not? He yawned, “I’m getting tired of repeating myself, I’m just gonna go to sleep, then.”

“No, wait!!!” Cardinal yanked Gilbert back.

“Ugh!” He felt himself choke as he stumbled backwards. “Hey! I agree to help and—”

 

“Thank you.”

 

The girl had slight tears in her eyes as she looked at him.

 

The words became caught in Gilbert's throat.

 

At the same time, a small feeling of guilt arose within him. The reason why he had accepted Cardinal’s offer was simple: it was a chance to break away from his everyday life. It wasn’t out of kindness or a sense of responsibility or anything noble. She was right after all, dying was extremely scary. Even now, Gilbert remembered the feeling of sinking into the abyss, the dissolution of his sense of self into the void. Still, what was imprinted on him even deeper was the exhilaration he felt. Deadly monsters? Strange powers? The destruction of the monochrome world was waiting for him right here. 

 

“Wow, look, it’s snowing!” He looked up to see Cardinal pointing out the window. She was right. Despite being a completely dry December, the first snow had finally arrived at last.

 

He saw her excitedly open the glass sliding door and step onto the balcony. He stepped out to join her as well. The cold air brushed past both of them, but in his excited state, he could barely feel it. After a few minutes of admiring the falling snow, Gilbert noticed Cardinal squirming in the corner of his eye.

 

“What’s wrong, feeling cold?” He began stepping back inside to fetch a coat when Cardinal stopped him.

“N-no! It’s just… I still can’t believe you accepted my request, Gil.” She looked up at him and he saw that there was still a little doubt left in her eyes.

He sighed, “What do you want me to do then? I’ve already told you that I’d help you. Should I sign a contract or something?”

“Pinky promise it with me!”

“Are you a kid?”

“Sh-shut up! Just do it!”

 

He let out another sigh before extending his pinky finger to hers. 

 

“Pinky promise, if you lie, pay for the rest of my meals until I die!”

“Is that how it went…?” Gilbert scratched his head, but didn’t say anything else seeing how happy Cardinal’s face was. He turned to continue looking at the snow falling. Tomorrow, the entire city would probably be covered in a sheen of pristine white. At the same time, the snow reminded him of something. He opened his mouth, “It's probably the next day at this point, so might as well say it now. Merry Christmas, Cardinal.”

 

Under the falling snow, she smiled at him.

 

“Merry Christmas, Gil.”