Chapter 18: Chapter 18

"... Hmm… yeah… I guess I won't let you leave them… not until you won against me…"

This again… hmm… I'm fine with it… but still.

I readied myself while holding the wooden sword lightly. Hmm, make it fair now, would you?

"Sure sure, I will make it fair for you."

A wooden sword, identical to the one I had… is on his hand.

"I guess nya… the timer starts now nya."

I said before immediately moving backwards as Alter dashed towards me, I blocked his attack using my sword, and I tried to kick him off, but he knew I was gonna do that as we did this exchange more than once now and he let go of his sword to punch me… I got blown away…

"Oof nya…"

I'm still standing, so I didn't bother to do anything else and just made a fireball in front of me before side stepping to dodge a stab Alter did with his sword, I then tried to counter him, but noticing that he is already moving, I changed my mind so that I can protect myself better…

I made a wall using mana, this place is mana, and since I'm basically just inside myself, using concentration here doesn't hinder me in any way at all.

"Walls, aren't strong-"

I teleported behind him and grabbed him, I then thrown him to the wall before slashing twice with the wooden sword I had, after that I did a backdash to distance myself.

"Oh… hehehe…"

He teleported in front of me, and following my instincts, I did a spin slash, and as expected it didn't work and knowing this, I did a slide to make sure I am low enough to dodge a horizontal slash. I then turn around and did a vertical slash, but before I knew it, he is already gone…

Left?

No, it's probably above me.

I made a fireball, aiming it upwards and using that as an advantage, he tried to teleport behind me, but this tactic is already known… so I followed along with it as I'm not fast enough to avoid it. I got hit by a slash from his sword and was pushed away…

I stopped the force that is pushing me by making a wall using concentration… I should have teleported there, but this is better…

I made an invisible sword using mana and by that, I made it spin all around me and I dashed towards him, I slashed my sword vertically, and he tried to stop it, making both our weapons clash and due to that, he noticed the invisible sword and jumped away from me.

"Tch, you're using tactics you can't do on the real world? Disgusting."

"Hey nya, not my fault this place doesn't make me lose concentration nya."

I said as a matter of fact before doing a horizontal slash, he avoided it however… I then slightly move backwards as a fireball that is on the air earlier, was now suddenly almost hitting Alter… unfortunately, I didn't hit him…

"Too bad, you didn't-"

In a fit of annoyance and irritation, I made 20 swords surround him and shot them all at once.

"Annoying nya."

I then run forward and did a backflip to avoid an attack coming from behind me, I then summoned 4 swords in the air and immediately shot them towards Alter. 

"Okay, at this point… you're just cheating…"

Alter said while looking at me with disgust. He sighed, before switching the wooden sword to a sword with gears… it's Cheating machinations.

"If you're gonna do some magic cheating, then I'm gonna do some Machination Cheating then."

"Bad joke nya."

I said before summoning 100 swords all around us, which pattern will I use to avoid the attacks that will hit in multiple directions while still hitting him?... Well, there's a pretty quick solution to this problem…

"Try to survive with me nya."

I grabbed his hand and did a spin with him, before he pushed me away by slashing with Cheating machinations, I however expected that to happen, so I made a magic barrier to protect me while he has to deal with hitstun…

"Goddamn insane… really, idiotically insane."

He just said as he vanished from my vision… left, or right? It's a 20% I get this right… is it above, or behind… or is it, in front of me? I take the risk… when I can have fun.

I summoned 30 knives to surround me like a dome, it's there to protect me, of course.

"... Hit nya."

I said and as expected, he got hit… and so did I… but I calculated it exactly so that the damage I took will be less than the damage he takes.

"... Wish I learned magic…"

He said on annoyance and I woken up…

Angel.

–Yes? It's morning today…

… I think that I'll need a rest.

–Well, sure. I mean… it isn't like you at all, but I'm fine with this. After all, at least I won't have to… this feeling of foreboding…

*Shudder*

I shook a little… oh… I may have, might have been, supposedly had a high chance to be… unlucky on this very specific day.

*Tzzt, tzzt*...

That sound… Lea?

_Hey, I need to mention this for you, but a monster, something that is A-rank, is accidentally going towards the mansion. I do know the fact that you can deal with this, but I make sure you can sleep later after this. Good luck._

*Tzzt, tzzt*...

After a fight… another fight?

–?... Anyway, get yourself ready then, you should call some people for backup.

.. let's see… Elth should do.

–I don't think he could… [I won't ask how you know the name…]

But he is special right? So by that, he must be good at fighting… probably.

–That is a weird way of thinking…

But in this mansion where many people are above me in rank, you kinda will understand that thinking like this is kind of normal.

–Guess so. But do you even know where he is?

…

Ah, anyway, it should take some time trying to find him…

–... Guess so. [... For now… we probably have like 30 seconds of free time before the anticipated unlucky event…]

And if I get lucky… he should be…

I opened the door and left my room quickly, surprisingly enough, I really got lucky as he was just in front of me.

"Hey, Elth nya. Can you just accompany me for a future problem that won't matter nya?"

I said quite abruptly, but he didn't looked confused. He just nodded before he teleported me to outside the mansion… wish I can do that myself.

"So, that's the trouble huh…"

He just said before sighing… he seemed different from before… his eyes are a bit more focused and his attitude is different, but I won't question it.

–The chance of you beating an A-rank monster is on a low percentage of 50%, you either beat it, or you don't.

{... I do know that I used that joke just like… 1 something earlier, but still? Eh, true… if we forget the fact that combat capabilities of this monster, then maybe you're correct. It would be 50% then.}

"*Sigh* nya…"

I summoned Angel. This is the only weapon I actually use when someone else is at my side, except Reid as Reid is a pretty chill guy and won't say I have like 4 swords that I shown him.

{... Hmm… for now…}

I grabbed the collar that is on my arm, disguised as a bracelet and put it in my side bag… I don't really have use for this except the 40% speed boost it has, but… I can do this right?

–Part enchant steal?

Yeah. I technically couldn't do this, but with you here, a living being that can actually enchant things, then I can, probably do this… at the cost of 30% concentration, of course. With this, I only get the best part of this entire bracelet, since I can basically just not have wings when I'm a cat, it means I don't need to hide my wings, cause there isn't one… technically.

–Worth the cost. Anyway, which item will you put the 40% speed boost on?

I have like 10 seconds to do this… so… I just put in on this glove that I conveniently had and not wearing for some reason…

–...

…

…

And done. *Sigh*... Worth it.

–Yes.

I wore the glove on my left hand. It's a pretty average glove, made by concentration of course. It's something I made, this thing cost me 10% concentration, so I only had 60% concentration left.

–59% concentration left… one percent is used naturally as… well, I don't really know it myself.

"Okay… finally, I can fight seriously… nya."

Oh…

–Really gotten used to it, huh.

Doesn't matter.

I pretty much have seen it already… a demon? A shape shifting monster… if it is an intelligent being, then doesn't this count as a demon?

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–Good point… but let's not ask some specific questions and try to prove it's intelligence first?

The demon, or something similar to a humanoid shape, looked at me with interest, as if I'm special or something… but I'm worthless.

"Hey, Elth. What are you doing with this useless existence with ears and a tail?"

The demon asked… okay, that's it. I'm definitely getting annoyed… I'm worthless… but that doesn't mean I'm useless. Worth is subjective, usefulness is something that I decide myself.

–... Well, at the end of it all… that's still hypocritical.

Which matters? If your existence which you thought is just one… was actually four, then wouldn't it be weird that you didn't change?

–[... No, I don't think I would change. Neither would you change, rather… What would just change is current circumstances and thinking. And by that, you technically didn't change in any way at all… what happened is your perspective of the world changes? Yeah, I guess that counts a change…]... Guess so.

{The ability to read the mind for 30 seconds after waking up is always closed… but, I guess I do have some use for it. Although those uses are quite worthless in the end…}

"What do you mean, Elth? We could just-"

Anyway, gotta start the cleaning. Which should take like… 20 minutes at most? Well, I try to make sure it ends in 3 minutes.

"... Are you sure this guy is listening to me?"

"Eh, probably."

I heard faint words, but I didn't bother listening to it.

–Ah… hey… stop thinking for now, would ya?

{... Hmm… since this isn't a monster… I don't need to fight this one.}

I turned around and started to walk away without saying anything.

"Eh,eh? Hey!"

I heard faint words like that, but I ignored it.

*Tzzt, tzzt*

_Hey… I thought it was a monster, you know? It's just that I didn't think it can shapeshift._

{Good enough reasons. And I wasted my-... My head…}

"That's right, you can't leave here until I say so!! Muahahahaha!!!"

I heard a laugh, as crazy as I thought he was and immediately summoned Cheating machinations and switched it into a bow out of irritation… I turned around…

I used 50% of my concentration to fire one arrow and waited for 3 seconds, it's to charge it up so that I deal more damage… before firing it.

"And hit… Atleus, at your service."

I muttered before turning around again to leave.

*Thud*

A faint sound of someone collapsing is heard by me, but as always, I ignored it.

–... Your concentration is on a critical low percentage, expect that you will be in mind pain…

Already… knew that… Nggn…

Why is it that I have a really low amount of concentration?...

…

*Thud*...

–Yep… want to sleep?

Eh… sure……

*Tzzt, tzzt*

_Good night._

–say that before his asleep. Also he's quite good at sleeping…

_Nah… he just fainted._

–oh… he's using his focus to be awake, but since he doesn't think he needs to do that anymore, he just… immediately fainted?

_Basically yeah. And I have some info for you… I found out what you're made of._

–... Oh? Really?

_Yep. It's a really rare material, for now, I call it as "Angel crystal", and also a soul of an existence that doesn't exist… but if you want to be upgraded, you only need the Angel crystal._

–I see… {I don't think Angel crystal is rare though…}

_Yeah… for example, Angel crystal+++ is rare. And that's what you're made of… is what I like to say, but… technically… "Angel crystal++++++++++"... Well, that's all.

*Tzzt, tzzt*.

The call ended abruptly.

–Oh… that sounds like a 0.1 percent chance done 10 times on a gacha game. Which is basically… a really stupid low chance of happening, isn't it… in a row, without messing up? This is insane… if only Angel crystal isn't hard to upgrade, then I would already be upgraded, huh… 1/1000000000000000000000000000000 … chance of happening, I think?

{... A really… really low chance huh… good thing I faked sleeping… and now… I get to sleep for real……}

I slept on the floor, thinking of future problems…

…

"... This place… hey, Alter. I don't want another nightmare, bring me back."

I said while looking around, as soon as I felt him. I teleported away.

"Oh, hello there, At Leus. Quick question, have you ever wondered what kind of place is Leus?"

I don't think that matters in any way at all.

"No matter. If it isn't important at this moment, then I won't question it. Anyway, what is it that I'm here for?"

"Fainting, 2 times in one day. You forced yourself to faint, forcefully woke up, and then fainted again, disguising it as sleep."

He said while looking at me with a terrified expression.

"Huh? Isn't that normal?"

I retorted while summoning a comfortable throne to sit it. Yep… I could sleep… in…

"Don't!!"

He shouted at me to not sleep…

Unfortunate… that someone……

"...zzz…"

(Change pov… Alter's pov.)

"Oh… he slept…"

Surprising… he's actually sleeping for real?

"Huh… maybe now I can… do that? Hey, Suelta. C'mere for a sec, won't ya?"

I called Suelta, and he immediately appeared. He looked at me confused at first, but then he seen Atleus… and then he acted a bit surprised before calming himself up.

"Oh this… this is surprising. I never thought this would happen, but it did…"

Suelta said in surprised manner while sitting on a fancy chair, made of a material known as Cushion, yes, the entire chair is a fancy cushion.

"Hmm… do you think we can fuse with him while he's asleep?"

I asked the question I have since I started to see him sleeping. Suelta just looked me in the eyes before shrugging.

"Who knows? All I know is that he has constructed an invisible barrier that we both can't break, he probably did it unconsciously."

He said while looking around Atleus… hmm I guess what you're saying is true.

"Even though… we're all just a reflection of the real thing. Why couldn't we became one?"

I muttered quietly.

"It's… because of that. A split in personality is quite literally, a split in personality. He has all the basic emotions, but not having the special once we only have for ourselves… he only has compassion, but not the feeling of lost… I'm the only one who can feel lost in the best way…"

"And… I'm the one who doesn't have either, huh."

I continued it for him. Atleus doesn't want to lose a battle as he will be sad, that's a basic normal emotion plothole whatever the hell is ourselves made out of, but he can't feel the sadness of losing someone important for him, that's something he didn't have… and quite frankly, it be better if he doesn't have it, that way he won't need to regret any action he made, even if he should have regretted them.

"But… in the end of an unknown specific day that will come… he will lose his life to a battle currently unknown, unless we became one. And… that's scary to think of. He doesn't want anyone close to him to die, but if they die, he will be fine… I guess that is a bit twisted isn't it?"

I said while summoning a normal chair, I sat on it.

"Guess so… misdirection is a skill we originally had, but it's inferior to the true version of it… I took 0.7 of our skills in it, while Atleus only had the remaining (0.3)... Anyway, you're right. At the end of that specific unknown day… we will lose. Even if we don't want to. I can't really feel lost about that at all… but that's because I can't have the compassion to consider it important in the first place…"

And… I'm basically 0.2 left of his magic skills… and the one who can actually do enchanting. 0.9 to 0.1 is the difference between our skills… unfortunately, I didn't have the ability to analyze… but that doesn't matter…

"Zzz…"

What matters, is technically the present in which we are on.

Good night, Atleus.

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