Ironically, the turbulence transferred from world to world. The next world, quite similar to our home world besides turquoise clouds and infrastructures shaped like three-dimensional shapes, is in the middle of its version of a thunderstorm. Whenever thunder claps, the mint sky would flash deep green as if angry with the world below.

The angry foreigner still haunts my mind. When I was younger, I had my share of warriors who wanted to destroy Father's pride by defeating me in battle. Father always made me win. He would say "Failure is not an option for my village", thus giving me the nurtured ego I have now. But it has cracked like an ancient, worn out sculpture struck by an earthquake because of that girl. She controlled every element of nature effortlessly while all I could do was swing my blade at her. Now that I reflect on it, she did have a face that I used to have. A face of determination and strength if one were to detract the anguish and lividness. She was like me when I was possessed by hatred-could she have been suffering the same fate? Was she also overwhelmed by hatred and I happened to be the first thing she took her energy out on? That is a possibility. "…got it? Now let's get this thief!" says Mizuki with her fists in the air triumphantly, as if she had already caught the assassin, but her hands are free of any thieves.

"Mizuki." I have not spoken since yesterday. It feels strange to hear my voice again. "What are we doing…in regards to this mission." She pouts with her arms crossed.

"Weren't you listening?"

"That is why I am asking."

"Didn't I not just explain everything?" she asks the blue-haired girl. She shrugs and then Mizuki turns to me. "You oughta listen more. Okay what I said was that we have to split up and take them on separately. I'm going to try it first by the cliffs behind us. Further down, by the rocks, Mia will be waiting in case I fail. And on the road out of this place is where you will be waiting. We are getting this thief for sure."

"Right, we are," Mia tries to sound as confident as Mizuki but still sounds tentative.

"Got it this time?"

"Yes. It will be done." Focusing on this mission should take my mind off that attack. Failure is not an option.


Greedy hearts are like lollipops. They are delightful to suck on when there's not many of them but after the seventh one, they taste the same as all the others. Rich men are lollipops I don't want to waste time on anymore. Poverty doesn't taste too good either, but every once in a while, you find ones that are succulent and ripe for the taking. Like finding a diamond in a pile of coal. Pale suits this woman well. I search the limp body, finding more gold chains and diamond rings in her sleeping robe. I never grasped the purpose of hiding the valuables in the clothes. All you'd have to do was search your partner while they slept and you would have their things. They wouldn't notice until the morning and by then, you could have done anything you wanted with whatever valuable objects you robbed. From her pockets, chains of gold pour into my hands. Not a drop of blood stains the blanket when I gently cover the stranger's face. I let the jewelry drop into my side pockets and head to the balcony. I've done enough plundering and it's time to move on to a better world. Maybe one with actual poverty and more diamonds.

The world of Harlik didn't have the normal system of currency. In other words, capitalism is as foreign as I am. I've visited all kinds of worlds, worlds that "humans" like me wouldn't be able to survive in…in worlds humans didn't exist in entirely. All these worlds shared one thing and that's-

A soft gasp interrupts my train of thought. A young boy, no older than eight, shakes the limp body of his relative. "Momma?" I could leave him just like this, after all, a child can only scream and call for his parents, but I killed both of them. That renders him useless. "Momma's not going to wake up anytime soon."

His eyes bulge out like a doll's when he notices me. "Who are you?"

"No one."

"How can you be a no one?"

"I just am." This turned out more boring than I expected. I pull the jewelry from my pockets, bathing in the light from the chaotic, flashing jade in the sky, and throw the chains at him. "Sell these and you'll be richer than Momma ever was." As he clumsily catches them, I smash the balcony glass door with a swift kick and leap out. I better take my leave outside the city-otherwise there will be witnesses and I wouldn't able to plunder this place again.


If I waited for this rogue on the promontory, I would have purged myself dry. The fact that it's been raining in both worlds-here I thought I was going to escape that Godawful thunderstorm-and then me waiting by the water to kill some bandit would have been absolute torture. I just hope he or she just shows up already, because my mood is detestable when I'm out in the rain; I am the bitch of your nightmares on rainy days. Thunderstorms especially, hoho, then I'll explode in your face like lit dynamite on the Fourth of July.

And then there was Grey. The Lying Douche who made me think he was really Haruki. I can't I was a tool for him-just his way for escaping. Why did I have to save him? I start hitting my head with an open palm. Stupid, stupid, stupid, liars like him should stay rotting in that dungeon. I don't even care if that Heartless Queen was going to steal his heart, or whatever, he should've died. Hell, I don't even care about his fancy light show he put that made the Queen disappear! Grey did have this rugged look to him that made just a tiny-bit hot and not an ounce more because the more I think about him, the angrier I get.

A shiver runs down my spine. The rain suddenly feels ice-cold on my skin-I rub my drenched arms excessively and glance around. I don't see anything with these normal eyes of mine-but with the white eyes, I'm sure I could. You can never be too cautious in a foreign, alien world. After shutting my eyes tight and concentrating, the world is simply black and white. The raindrops have dark blue traces of energy within them, maybe it'll strengthen me. I doubt it; I'm not that lucky. My world keeps spinning until I come across an abnormal amount of energy to the west, but too far to do any harm. The mass of violet energy lurches in my direction and as it leaps into the air, its structure becomes humanlike. I skip back before the person smashes my skull into the ground. The violet energy is raging within them, just like the storm. "Are you a bandit?" That was a stupid question, they most likely are.

The unidentifiable stranger places their hands on their hips and protrude their waist. "Think about that. What's wrong with your eyes?" they bend down to get a better look at my pulsing eyes. In a blur, the presumed bandit fist strikes my side but I manage to keep my balance as I'm knocked aside. The assailant continues to repeatedly strike me but now that my guard is up, I can almost predict every movement their going to make. Like a snake cocking its head before it attacks, I dodge their jabs and crushing kicks until I find a ripe opening. Just aim for the white node, Mizuki.

The attacker brushes my arm away as if it is a fly and pulls something blade-like from their side, teeming with defined violet energy. They slash at me repeatedly and deftly until I sneak another hit in her white node, which sends them reeling back and almost off the edge of the cliff. "I shouldn't expect anything less from a member of the Byakugan clan-oh wait, you're not one of the clan members." Their voice was muffled by some cloth-it's not like I can see clothing with the Bya-something uber-Japanesy. "You took their eyes."

"What're you babbling about?" my eyes look the attacker's body up and down. I've never seen a person with a chi system like that before, it's scary to see all that concentrated chi contained in one body. And those sharp blades are terrifying, and I'm looking through them! "Who are you?"

"I like you. I'm gonna let you go. Maybe we can have more fun-" the bandit retreats to the narrow path that swirls around the mountain like whip cream. I begin to follow them but stop myself when I reach the soaked, slender path. It's suicide Mizuki, I can't do it. Looks like Mia's got do the job.


The stormy waves crash against the rocks, and splashes all over me, not that it matters since I'm already wet. The sooner this thief comes, the sooner I can be dry again and sip hot chocolate indoors. No matter how long I'm away from Moonlight Town, I will never call anywhere else home. It'll make me think that there's no hope that I'll get back home. I shake my wet hair and get strands of them stuck on my face, blinding me. With trembling, shivering fingers, I remove the soaked strands and then my bangs from my head. A fuzzy silhouette watches me from the hazy fog facing me-maybe it's just my imagination. But still…

My hand reaches for my inconspicuous staff bow warily and the fuzzy silhouette becomes as clear as a reflection in a mirror as it jumps towards me. By the time I manage to hold the staff in front of me, the attacker already has their curved dagger clashing against my bow, pushing me towards the edge. When I turn around and look down, the ocean seems so far down. My head is getting lighter and lighter the longer I stare down. I have to look at the bandit, I have to look away, I have to look at my attacker. But my head is beginning to spin-am I falling or the bandit hurting me and I don't realize it? The raindrops seemingly freeze on my shivering, weak body, sending me down to the ground. Before I collapse, white light erupts from my hands and a shriek emulates from either me or the attacker. I don't scream unless I'm crying or angry, so it has to be from the bandit.


The periwinkle blade appears in my hand as the scream suddenly pierces the sky almost as loud as the thunder. Which girl was struck down? Am I the only one left-I believe so. This bandit will not get the best of me, I refuse to let it be so. Not like that psychotic fighter did. She was strong and forceful, our fighting styles are similar. But this is no time to pine about what happened. Ever since that man spoke to me in my head, I cannot help but lurch into my memories no matter how recent they have been.

I shuffle anxiously as one of the prickly branches scratches my cheek. A single sound can make all the difference in stealth. That is another one of Father's lessons. Hold the blade with two hands when you strike. I close my eyes, waiting for the faintest movement. The downpour stops and it is just the empty road, the tree I am concealed in, and me. Will the thief be foolish enough to give up their location? Shoes cautiously, but not too warily, slam against the wet ground about six feet away from my location. I must not wait, when they come, ally or foe, I will strike them down. The running gradually becomes more audible, more careless. They are almost in front of me-do not waver Risa. I can hear them pant, sounds like a woman. The presumed-woman sighs, letting her guard slip as she catches her breath. My foot pushes me off the branch and I fly at her.

The thief anticipates it and leaps backward to avoid my hidden attack. Thunder roars like a lion when I land deftly and lunge at her before she gets a chance to strike me down. My sword hits air when I swing at her; she easily steps out of the way. "I've had too many surprises in one afternoon," she says as she ducks and attempts a foot sweep. I jump and drive my elbow into her face, but she pulls her face away like a snake and grabs my wrist. Effortlessly, she lifts me off the ground, dangling like a hanged man. "This is what came out of the tree. Tell me, why is your face covered?"

"So that no one sees-" I force myself to lie "-my nose."

"Why are you the third girl to attack me? Did I make a dead wish when I came here?" when I do not answer, she continues, "You're the only one who ambushed me, that was a shock. Why do you want me dead Hooded One?" My ambidextrousness serves me well as the periwinkle blade shaped like a key reappears in my left hand and I take another swift swipe at her. She drops me and backflips perfectly. "I want to see what your face looks like." From her sides, she pulls out two curved daggers, coated in a shade of rosy crimson. Lightning streaks across the daggers and they flash magenta as she spins them. She lunges at me and throws her curved daggers at my head, but I easily dodge and retaliate. Suddenly, a deep pain throbs at my back and sends me to the ground. I quickly turn to see the daggers she threw diving for my chest- weapons working without a master. I deflect the blades as best as I can while crawling back before they drop to the ground like lifeless puppets. An arm wraps around my neck and I can feel her cold breath on my ear as my primary weapon slips from my grasp. The bandit kicks it farther it away from me.

"Your skin is tough as metal. Any other person would be stuck to the tree as my blades dig into their organs." I know that I could summon the blade back but I am going to wait before I end her life. "Would you care to know how I kill people?" I nod stiffly. She tightens her chokehold. "I plunge my daggers into the center of their chests." She pokes mine as if I do not know where it is. "And I extract their very hearts- souls, not the blood-pumping one. I prefer the hearts of ravenous overlords and avaricious men but little do I know about the hearts of young girls-a heart of wisdom, a heart of power, and a heart of innocence are even richer than the ones I've fished for. You came closest, here's your present." She releases me from her hold and roughly plants my face in the earth. As I robotically sit up, her flashing crimson daggers stop me from any other movement. She walks in front of me, and pulls off the ebony mask that covers her.

The thief is no older than twenty-eight rings, with birthmarks spontaneously placed on her face and amber eyes of greed. Her eyes lock on my periwinkle sword reposing by her feet. She bends down to pick it up, tracing its structure with her concealed fingers. "Let's see who's under the hood." She bends down at my side and her hand moves like a snake's as she pulls off my hood. The darkness my hood provides dissipates as I squint my eyes. The thief of hearts callously smiles. "You are a beaut. Ah, but your face and those eyes. Why would you cover that up?" I sneak a glance at the periwinkle sword.

"No one wants to see the face of the Demon Princess." At that instant, the sword reappears in my hand and I do not wait a second to strike her down. I swipe at her face but she jumps back-I only manage to scratch her tightsuit. Hastily, I re-cover my hood and lunge at her.

"Well Demon Princess, it was nice to meet you," she evades my attack with backwards cartwheel. "Tell your other friends it was a pleasure to meet them as well. Stop sticking your noses in other worlds, you're bound to get hurt." When I slash at her, her body radiates a violet aura and becomes transparent. I continue to slash at her in vain and by the time green flashes, she is completely gone. I drop to my knees and the downpour instantly returns, harder than before. She saw my face. It has been years since anyone has seen it. My mouth opens to cry out, but instead the thunder crashes.

Moral of the story: don't look at Risa's face. Hope you liked it cuz there's more combined stories coming!