Allen slept soundly in his bed with a large book that had arcane runes stretching across its cover lying on his face.

He had tried finding alternatives in it, but everything seemed to point back to the Theugist’s Periapt, a magical item that could remove nearly any curse or other mystical infliction. Eventually, he got tired of looking and passed out while reading in the middle of the night.

“Wake up.”

The apartment’s sole resident felt a chill wash over his entire body that roused him from deep sleep. He tried to ignore the feeling and sink back into slumber. He mused about an unexpected cold wave in his dreary state of mind.

“Wake up.”

However, that chill was followed by what felt like a strong pressure wrapping around his heart and then the sensation of a million spiders crawling along the surface of his skin and pouring from his mouth and eyes.

“Wake up!”

“Aghhh!” Allen yelled out in terror as he flung himself out of his bed in a panic. From his new spot on the floor, he saw someone approach. A woman wearing a hoodie with bright emerald eyes that pierced through the darkness of the dimly lit room.

“Harpe…” Allen uttered solemnly.

“Yep, that’s me. You surely must’ve expected this after gifting me your address and a spare key.” She answered in a whimsical tone while leaning toward him.”Let’s get to this point of my visit, here’s this.”

She threw him something thing that fluttered in the air before he awkwardly caught it. It was a sleek and thin book with both a flexible cover and flexible pages. Every surface of it was filled with colorful drawings.

There was a scene of an alley where a monster made of vines lay in wait, another of a monument with a lightning bolt etched on it, and one of a gravestone with Nordic runes. Nera, Iyo, and Xalia all had portraits of themselves in the collection of bizarrely familiar drawings.

“Is this a comic book…and why does it have images of what I’ve been doing for the past week? I thought you were creepy before, but stalking takes that to a whole new level.” Despite his quip, Allen was shaking all over.

“Picture of the future.♪” Harpe said this in a sing-song voice that made Allen’s stomach churn.”This is called a Destiny Manual, a prophetic tome that shows a chosen few how to obtain their true magical potential. Atelier City has given this out to every person who’s caught their eye and arrived after The Night of Rising Stars. I found this one in a random alley one day.”

‘Prophetic tome? An alley? Does that mean this was meant for me, could it make learning how to use magic easier?’ Allen shook his head. He was not going to fall for some future-reading mumbo jumbo that easily. He instead focused on Harpe’s intentions for trying to manipulate him with that.

“Why are you showing me this?”

“Right to the point. I like that, Extra. I have another job for you in exchange for allowing you to read the entirety of that Destiny Manual. It will help you avoid any near dangers and reveal the solution to all your problems.” Harpe promised casually.

 

“I’m not buying that lame story and your threats won’t scare me either.” Allen proclaimed halfheartedly.

“Is that so?” Harpe took a few steps forward and Allen frantically reached for his harmonica stylus on the nightstand. His fingers brushed against it and a flash of insight made him lose grip on the Manual. Harpe reached down and took it from his hands before walking away.

As she approached his door, Allen saw the figure of a man wearing a full suit of silver armor. He stood so still, akin to a statue, that Allen had not noticed Harpe’s servant who she called Hache had been standing there the whole time.

“Seeing the script must have given you a bit of stage fright. I’m nice, so I’ll offer you the job again when you regret letting the key to your salvation slip through your hands.”

With that ominous premonition, the two walked through Allen’s front door. It was only after he heard their footsteps gradually recede into silence, that the young man released the breath he did not know he was holding in.

“That was unexpected…” Allen leaned back against his bed. He was not going to be able to get another wink of sleep the rest of that night. He looked to the window and the moon was nearly full. Allen reflected on how it looked that other, life-changing, night and an uneasy grin spread on his face.

***

On a patio overlooking the Luminaire District of Atelier City, Allen, Nera, Iyo, and Xalia were all enjoying food and drinks from R&R Lounge. It was their current location. The perpetually dark sky of the Underworld was mesmerizingly illuminated by a vibrant stream of colors that resembled the Northern Lights.

It was the next day. Allen and Nera thought there was no better way to bond as a team than going out to relax after the absurd experiences they all had recently.

“So, what do you think of the place? It’s nice, isn’t it? The lack of customers means we usually have the place mostly to ourselves besides a few regulars.” Allen explained as though as if he was announcing something rather praiseworthy. He was hoping no one would notice that he was still shaken from the encounter he had last night.

“Just how am I going to bring up that crazy Grim Inheritor snuck into my place? Iyo and Xalia don’t even know about the Inheritors.’

“You know, most people would consider a place with such low popularity not the ideal one for a hangout spot, dontcha think?” Xalia snidely remarked while holding her chin in one hand over the table.

“Hmph, that says how much you know. We don’t just come here to hang out. This i also where we gather info for our specter hunts. The secrecy gives us the freedom to discuss pretty much anything while we’re here,” Nera asserted while taking a bite of a parfait she ordered..

“With that being said, how and why exactly are people manipulating Specters to commit various crimes? Any more fiascos like the last two and I might really consider a very Grim person being behind it,” Allen pondered while slumping over the table.

“What are you talking about? If it was a Grim Inheritor behind all that, they would’ve showed up to steal my Grim Piece.” Nera’s eyes opened up farther than any time earlier that day as she realized her folly.

“Grim Inheritor?”

“Grim Piece?”

Iyo and Xalia parroted those words respectively in confusion.

Allen got up from his wooden chair with a start and slammed his hand down.

“Those are just random terms from a game we’ve really gotten into lately called, Grim Galaxy…Yeah, that sounds legit.”

“You said the silent part out loud idiot,” Nera declared while clutching her head. “Let’s just come clean. None of us know each other that well yet, but if we’re going to go any further as a team, then we probably shouldn’t keep secrets as serious as this one.”

“You’re right. We have gotta tell them.”

After a lengthy explanation concerning everything they knew about the Grim Reaper Trial and the Grim Inheritors, the other two were fairly stunned at the recount. They had a hard time even believing it until Nera pulled out her baton and transformed it into a mystically crafted scythe.

“That’s the Grim Reaper’s scythe…” Iyo stated as if he had seen it before with his own eyes.

“Yeah, I’ve heard descriptions of it before, but that’s not all. You can tell that’s not normal just from the ominous aura it’s emanating.”

“Is that so?” Do you feel like calling it quits now that you know you’re teaming up with someone in a battle royale between wannabee Reapers?” Nera asked while putting on a brave face. Allen could still tell there was some hesitance in her voice. She was not sure if her very existence could risk splitting up the group before it could even truly start.

Iyo was the first to answer. “No, I already said I was prepared to fight the Grim Reaper themself. If it’s true that we only have to worry about people with a fraction of their power then that’s even better than what I hoped.

“Well, I make no promises that I won’t scram as soon as things look like they’re taking a turn for worse, but a chance to obtain the Theurgist’s Periapt means I’ll at least stick around for now. ”

“Hold on, you were already looking for the Theurgist’s Periapt before? What do you need it for?” Allen’s tone was anxious as he spoke.

Xalia waved a finger in the air. “That’s for me to know and you to never find out. I just need you to promise that after you two fix your problems with it you’ll hand it over to me.”

There was not a hint of sarcasm or uncertainty in her ultimatum.

Allen’s eyes wavered. “About that, I kn-”

“Fine, you can have it after I remove my Grim Piece and Allen’s specter problem is stopped. We won’t need it by that point anyway.”

“Looks like we have an understanding then, how ever long that will take.”

Allen groaned. “As I was trying to say before, I think I know he we can make a Periapt ourselves now.”

It was Nera’s turn to be surprised. “Are you serious?” She peered at his face for the answer then pulled him toward her by the collar. “Wait, how?!”

***

Some hours later, Virtuoso was in a well-light room with stone walls but rather modern furnishings. The interior was circular and had a round skylight covering the ceiling. There were many rows of counters with a large metal vat in the center.

“So, this is where you make all your witchy potions. Is it really possible to create the Theurgist’s Periapt like this?” Allen inquired Xalia who was busy stirring some arcane mixture inside the metal vat.

“If those guidelines are accurate then it can, I made sure of that with it being by house after all. However, I’m not sure how much we can trust those instructions despite how authentic they feel.”

“I don’t think Harpe is trying to mislead me here. She wouldn’t let me read all of the ‘Destiny Manual’. The only reason I was able to see the guide to make the Periapt was because I accidentally analyzed it with magic.”

“I’m still iffy on this. All that happened and you didn’t immediately tell me. I’m your partner.” Nera jabbed a finger at his chest before her face turned beet red. “I mean we’re all your partners. We should be in the know about this kind of stuff.”

“Almost sounds like you’re worried about me.”

“Yeah, I am. What’s wrong with worrying for someone I care about?”

”Uh, nothing at all.” The young woman’s sincerely caught Allen off guard and he averted his gaze to see Iyo contemplating over the modern cauldron with something shining in his hand.

“Are you really sure about giving that up? You said that was a ‘magatama’, right? Isn’t that the name of one of the three imperial regalia of Japan?”

“This is just a replica of the Yasakani no Magatama, but it was made by a skilled Crafter who got a glimpse of the real artifact. It’s also a valuable treasure.” Iyo elaborated.

“Yeah, that person was also your mentor. You sure don’t want to think it over?”

Iyo turned to Allen with a piercing look. Even without being able to see behind the thick yellow goggles, he could envision those slit-like pupils, a sign of Oni blood, drilling holes through him.

“Mulling over whether to choose between sentimentality or the safety of my sworn comrades, what kind of question is that?”

“Heh, you’re right. Never mind what I said just now.”

“Okay, you can drop the rock into the concoction, Iyo.” Xalia directed and Iyo gave the golden comma-shaped jewel one last meaningful look before letting it fall into the swirl of mystical substances.

That all had nothing to do now besides Xalia but wait and stare as she made the Theugit’s Periapt.

‘Is this really happening already? Isn’t this a little too fast?’

Xalia spun her wand over the cauldron and its contents spun even faster. The golden jewel caused them to glow with a shine akin to the sun while the light of the full moon washed over it. That very scenario was a requirement for the exorcising tool’s creation. According to Xalia, the magatama which was already a powerful magic item in its own right being used as a base cut the crafting time tremendously. Those two fortunate things along with even having someone with the skill to carry out the whole process baffled Allen.

‘This is going incredibly smoothly, But why does that feel like a bad thing? This is what I wanted.’ Allen broke into a cold sweat and trembled under that uneasy feeling. The young man looked into the vortex of mana coalescing in front of him with a blurred vision.

He heard a voice next to him.

“I get that you’re feeling nervous about this. It’s easy to forget with how well you’ve acclimated to magic, but it’s only been a week and the idea of some weird occult trinket being used on you would freak any ordinary person out.” Nera glanced over with her violet eyes with a grin. “Don’t worry though. I’ll go first and test it out for you.”

“Ah..”

He finally realized what that feeling was. It was disappointment. He wanted to continue going on adventures throughout the world of magic. If that item really worked and stopped him from becoming a Specter, there was a chance he would be unable to use magic anymore as well. He could not be a part of Virtuoso any longer. Allen Lee would return to being just another ordinary person separate from the other three’s lives.

“I wanted to go on an adventure with them, to spend more time with her-everyone a little longer. We just a became team and it’s already over?’

Regardless of the young man’s conflicting emotions, the crafting carried on. The vortex became more tempestuous until it resembled the sea in a raging storm. The metal container barely holding in began to vibrate with an audible hum. Xalia took her wand in two hands as silver and golden light began to emanate from the mixture in waves while the steam bubbled forth.

A flash of light covered the area and steam obscured all sight. The heat was enough to hurt the skin. After a few moments, it eventually cleared and they were able to see the fruits of their efforts. A small gold and black disc that was four times the size of an average coin.

“Iyo, go ahead and make the final touches.” Iyo nodded and did what Xalia guided him to do again. He pulled out a knife from his side and etched sun and moon symbols onto the disc.

Nera walked up to him and reached out a hand. “Is it done?”

“Absolutely, this is a complete Theurgist’s Periapt,” Iyo affirmed before handing it off to Nera.

She took it into her hand carefully and gently caressed its surface with her thumb. She flipped it over and scrutinized the other side too. She frowned while looking on in confusion. The Destiny Manual contained a flowchart for making the item but not how it actually worked while the Layman’s Necronomicon Allen had only described what it was used for.

“Hey Lackey, see if giving this a feel will help us figure out how to use this.” Nera reached out her hand with the lunar side of the disc facing upward.

“Roger.” Allen slowly reached his hand toward hers, but a moment of hesitation stopped him in his tracks. He then resolved to go forward despite what the outcome would be.

“It’s time to wake up from this dream.” His hand moved again.

The skylight cracked open. Shimmering clouds invaded the area and gathered into one point. The sound of a thousand crackling sources of noise assaulted their eardrums.

“What the hell is going on?!” Xalia yelled out but no one could answer even without the thunderous cacophony.

In a matter of seconds, a million specks of white congealed to create the figure of a mechanical person wearing a cloak and an antlered deer mask right in front of the cauldron where they made their newfound treasure.

“What kind of freak is that? A Specter or a Crafter?” Allen pondered out of bewilderment.

“Neither, I don’t feel any magic coming from it. That’s not an entity of the Underworld.” Iyo ascertained after already pulling down his goggles.

Nera slammed her fists into her empty palm. “Who cares? We’ll all-”

“Move.”

Everyone besides Nera was slammed to the stone walls of the room by an invisible power, leaving her all alone. Instantly, a hexagonal force field surrounded her and the strange object and closed them off from her as well. That was when the masked enigma walked to Nera.

She tried to lung forward for an attack but realized her feet were fixed to the ground, keeping her from going anywhere until the ivory figure was right in front of her. Nera threw a punch that was simply caught with one hand.

“You contain a seed that has not even sprouted yet. It’s too early for you to remove it, Valkyrie.”

“I didn’t ask for your garbage opinion, Mannequin. What gives you any say about what I do with my Grim Piece?”

“I’m the reason it is inside you and the reason you were found in this city six years ago.”

“How do you..no, that can’t be true. If it is then what’s the point of all this? Why did you make me this way? Why here in Atelier City?” Nera’s tone became more frantic and shaky as she continued. “Why can’t I remember anything about before and just who the hell are you? Who the hell is Valkyrie supposed to be?!”

Allen wanted to help but the barrier that now surrounded Nera and the mystery assailant had withstood all his and the rest’s attempts to break through it. He could not even begin to comprehend the depth of the emotions that were plaguing Nera now as she faced that monster alone.

“A vessel does not need to know more than what their role requires. You only need to let your slumbering power awaken through the Grim Reaper Trial I set up for you and this..” The masked entity uncovered Nera’s fingers that were around the Theurgist’s Periapt to reveal its solar side.”..Is an obstacle to the crystal clear path I’ve laid out for Valkyrie and all other Inheritors.”

The mechanical hand crushed the Theurgist’s Periapt and Nera’s along with it. She let out a scream that caused Allen’s face to flare up with anger. He began banging on the barrier even harder than he had before, infusing Subtle Iron into each strike.

“Ahhh! Damn you!” She tried to throw another punch but a strong electrical shock racked her entire body with the mechanical hand being its source.

“I’m only doing what’s necessary to clean up your mess. A prolonged electrical current should be enough to destroy this nuisance. The pain you feel now will only serve as a reminder to avoid this mistake in the future.”

“Let her go, you bastard!” Allen yelled while throwing another punch that not only got deflected but sent him flying back into the wall. He did not waste a moment getting back and running in for another attack.

“You are a nobody that has clung to my canvas for too long. Do you really think you have been more than a burden for her?”

Those words fell on deaf ears. Hammer. Saw. Drill. Allen used every variation of Subtle Iron he could think of to try to get through the repulsive force field but he was only slammed back into the wall more fiercely the stronger his blows were.

‘I can feel it. It’s countering my attacks with the same pattern as them. A straight pushback for hammer, vibration for saw, and a spiral for drill. But if I do this…’

Allen used the first move he ever learned. Wrench. He reversed the force of his mana to become attractive and the barrier responded in kind by pulling his hand through. However, Allen was instantly repelled and rocketed so hard into the stone behind him, spit flew from his mouth.

“Don’t think such a cheap trick will work. It’s simple to adjust the parameters to account for it.”

‘But that’ll make it less effective…’

Allen glanced at Nera still writhing in pain from the electricity coursing through every part of her body while that accursed figure just stood there and watched silently. They were treating her like nothing but a tool to be beaten back into shape.

He got up to his feet and charged once more at the force field. He was sent back again but remained standing then grabbed the Draugr’s specter stone to reinforce his attack. When that failed, he retrieved the Warg’s and then Grimhildr’s. He used every bit of mana he had and pushed it to its limit.

The recoil had long since broken the bones of his hand but he pushed past the pain. A swirling vortex of inky black mana surrounded his fist and he had to hold his arm with his other hand to keep it from being thrown off.

“Aghhh!” Allen uttered in pain as the mana began to darken to pitch black and his hand became singed while black rocks broke through the flesh. The magical energy had become miasma. Allen’s eyes wavered but he remained steadfast and gave one last push.

Finally, a hole burst through the barrier. Dust from the decimated floor caught in the crossfire covered Allen as he stumbled through. Iyo and Xalia tried following but the barrier closed before they could.

“You’re too late. I’ve already finished clearing everything up.” The masked entity let loose its grip on Nera and she fell motionlessly to the ground with vacant eyes. What used to be a golden disc had become just charred shards of nothing.

The specter stones Allen held fell from his now useless appendage. His breath was heavy both from exhaustion and rage as he walked forward.

“Hanging you from your intestines would only be the start of making you pay for all the pain you caused her.”

Without turning to face Allen, it still responded. “You should look into a mirror. You, without any connection to the magic world whatsoever, dragged her and those others into helping you live out your fantasy of playing adventurer. “

Allen ignored the scathing remarks and kept marching forward, even if there was not a single trace of mana left for him to use.
You, who thinks simply trying is enough would be content with blaming any failure you face on your own unavoidable weakness or the inability of your comrades to compensate for it. You, who should not even have been the one stand by Nera’s side that fateful night.”

For the first time since making it through the barrier, the young man faltered. “Just what is that supposed to mean, eh?”

“It simply means that the Destiny Manual found in that alley was meant to go to someone other than you. That someone would have been the optimal guardian for Valkyrie. All the pain she’s gone through since meeting you has been because you recklessly intervened and threw events off their rightful path.”

“Huh?” No later than Allen croaking this out, an invisible force pushed him back where he started with Iyo and Xalia.

“Allen, are you ok?” Iyo asked. “Your hand… it’s not in good condition.”

“Don’t sugarcoat it, Iyo. We need to leave now in order to get that lump of flesh treated, but I’m not sure if that thing is going by cool with that.” Xalia said as the barrier broke up into multiple hexagons that hovered over the three and started to glow brightly with white light. Without the separation, Iyo helped Allen to his feet.

“It looks like my associates have decided to eliminate all three of you with this opportunity. It does not matter to me since the Oni and the Witch are not crucial to my plan.”

“Mariner Craft, Page 4 - Burbuja Prounda!”

Xalia cast a mystic skill forming a ring-like Sigil around the three along with a massive bubble created from the potions hanging from her waist. The hexagons became a blinding white that basked the entire room, but before that makeshift shield could be tested, something else crashed through the skylight.

It was a giant bird creature with the visage of a monstrous falcon and emerald eyes with spiraling darkness. With a flap of its wings, its steel feathers shattered all the hexagons like arrows piercing fragile glass.

It swooped down and landed with a tremendous thud. On its back, stood a gray-haired woman wearing a black jacket strewn with white musical notes. Accompanying her was a warrior dressed in a full suit of armor.

“Sorry for the late opening but there’s no way you thought I was just going to let you get rid of my precious understudies, Soothsayer.” Harpe addressed the masked entity directly.

“I did not Siren, but I will not be your opponent tonight. Calamity will be.”

Instead of the ceiling this time, a fiery explosion collapsed the wall behind the Soothsayer. Erno Rautianainen bounded through the flames and charged directly for him. Using his golden sword, he swung in a vicious arc that should have slashed straight through the mechanical figure.

“With this much racket, even an ant would be able to notice what’s going on! You’re the mastermind here, aren’t you?”

Despite what looked like a direct hit, the masked enigma in the shape of a human simply dispersed into specks of white. Its fading voice could still be heard.

“The same goes for you Inheritor of Muspelheim. I will leave you all to your own devices. When you are ready to harvest, the Inquisition will be there to hunt you down as well. Then, I will be able to reap a soul and see its shape for myself. Its beauty should be worth more than all the art in Atelier City put together…”

With that, the robotic voice disappeared completely. Erno clicked his teeth in disappointment before lifting his sword to Harpe. The red-haired warrior was not leaving without a fight.

“Looks like I’ll have to settle for you. You’re also an Inheritor, so you’re sure to know more about that Soothsayer or whatever too.

Harpe placed fingers on her golden lyre and started playing a haunting melody. “What makes you think I was going to let you get away? Keep me entertained for a while before offering up your Grim Piece with your last words in exchange for putting you out of your misery.”

“Hmph. As if the bravest person in the world would do something so cowardly.” Erno gripped the blade of his sword tightly. Emerald and crimson magical energy began to collect around the two of them.

“Allen, come to your senses. Hurry up and get Nera, so we can get out of here.” Xalia shook Allen from a daze he had been in. The confrontation with Soothsayer had taken a colossal toil in more ways than one. It felt like the foundation that he stood on up until now had been pulled from under him.

“Me? Are you sure Iyo wouldn’t be a better able to-”

“No, I’m busy building up power of my own to make a way through and Xalia’s shielding us while I do so. You can help as well with this.”

“Yeah…” Allen clenched his fist. “Yeah, this is what I can do to help for now.”

He ran outside of the bubble surprisingly seamlessly and rushed toward Nera while ducking and dodging debris from the Inheritors' clash of conflicting powers. When he nearly reached her, he rolled and grabbed her limp body with a firefighter carry he learned from a safety guide one dreary day then rushed back to the others.

Xalia’s bubble burst immediately and Iyo charged ahead and sliced the wall with his carving knife. Countless slashes appeared on its surface until it completely collapsed to the outside and allowed them to get away. No one dared to spare a moment checking behind their backs.

“Run.”

Two chants could be heard from the battle of the two Inheritors.

“Give applause to the hysterical opera of the depraved humans…”

“Let the fire giants turn this land into a scorched battlefield…”

“Enter Midgard.”

“Enter Muspelheim!”

An explosion rang out that engulfed the entire building and everything in a two-kilometer radius. If it was not for Xalia creating a last-second shield, they all might have met their end right there. Even after that initial blast, they still kept running and running with no clear destination in sight.

‘Run, because for now, that’s all you can do.’

***

“Huff..I think we’ve gotten far enough.” Iyo admitted through ragged breaths. They had run for so long that the sun was beginning to peek over the distant horizon and illuminate the tops of skyscrapers. The sky slowly turned from ebon to blue. Looking back, they could see a large pillar of emerald and crimson breaking through the clouds above.

“So…it doesn’t look like I’ll have to pay rent for that place anymore. That’s about what I expected when I heard the Grim Reaper was involved, but what’s your plan now, Leader?” Xalia asked as snidely as one could while keeling over from exhaustion.

Allen glanced at Nera who was still unconscious and let out a deep sigh. “I don’t have one yet but, I’ll make one. We’ll just have to try-no, we will find a way to get another Periapt and I’ll become strong enough to make that happen.”

“Heh…” Nera suddenly spoke which shocked them all. “I know just the place for that but you might wash out, Lackey.”

Allen tried to respond but her eyes fluttered shut once more and she began sleeping so soundly he did not want to disturb her. He grinned.

“Rest easy, you can tell me when you wake up. I’ve decided to stick with his path all the way to the end. Even if nobody chose me for it, I’ve already chosen myself.”

The Grim Reaper Trial had truly begun.

END OF VOLUME ONE