Day 4 - Reset
Warning - Kagerou Days references ahead, with a few theories including what the characters go through if one resets the game after one unit accidentally dies. Takes place in the Endgame of Part I. Don't worry, I'm not actually this bad at this game.
How could a single battle lead to so much chaos?
It was one battle, but it had been repeating itself over and over again for the past few weeks. The blackouts between each reset differed in length, but Edward had been trying to find out what all of this was about. Why did he always have to remember what happened? With each repeat, he had become more nervous, while all the others seemed the same as the very first battle. He knew which one of them always died, when the game always resetted.
Is that all they were in?
A game between life and death?
Countless times had he tried to get all of the people he knew out of the skirmish alive, but as soon as one fell, he was back at point one. And it was slowly breaking him. The brunet felt the world around him materialize again, sitting up in his tent in a cold sweat, as if he had just waken up form a horrible dream.
It isn't a dream. he reminded himself once more, as he lay back down again, glancing at the position of the sun. Exactly the same as it always was once he had gotten out of the strange state of blackness. It was still dark, to be exact. Edward didn't even bother to get up to check the day anymore. The fifteenth day of the eighth month. They were to move out in the morning, towards the battlefield to storm the keep. He went through the scenarios he went through so far, stopping as he remembered the very first one.
And he sunk back into a memory that had happened so long ago, yet not had happened yet.
"You know, the heat never quite appealed to me."
Edward turned to look at his companion with a questioning gaze, confused at Leonardo blurting that out from seemingly nowhere.
"Wha-? But we'll be fighting indoors, anyways, so it wouldn't make much of a difference. I personally can't wait until we smash Jarod's face in." The brunet chirped back in response with a grin. He received no response as the blond simply gathered up his quiver, armor, bow and emergency vulnerary.
Oh well, it was rather irrelevant, anyways. For the moment, at least.
Everything was moving along fairly well- It only began going horribly wrong after they had entered the keep. Time and time again.
The myrmidon and archer were fighting back to back, Leonardo shooting the enemies from afar, while Edward picked off the rest one by one. The strategy was working well, until an especially quick thief had managed to disarm the blond with a flick of his hand, the bow skittering a few meters away before Edward stabbed the offender, effectively ending the enemy's life. Leonardo thoughtlessly dived after his bow, not seeing the mage run for the vulnerable archer with an Elthunder in hand. Edward's eyes widened.
"Leonardo!"
Finally grabbing a hold of the weapon, said boy turned around to look at his partner. It was already too late.
The thunder spell threw Leonardo into the wall with a sickening crack, electrocuting him on the spot. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air around the dead boy, his limp form falling to the ground.
And despite himself seeing death on a daily basis, seeing his best friend die was too much. He could see an axe descending onto him in the corner of his eyes, but he didn't care.
The brunet blacked out before the axe hit.
Out of all of them, Leonardo died the most.
Pierced by an onslaught of javelins. Reset.
Stabbed through the heart by a myrmidon. Reset.
Beheaded by a fighter's axe. Reset.
Falling down the stairs as Edward attempted to drag him to safety. Reset.
No.
An enemy archer carefully takes aim for the blond's head.
This has to stop.
A wind mage sends Leonardo toppling over the railing of the platform.
A single, disembodied hand smeared blood over all the possibilities, as Edward stared in horror.
One last time. I promise.
The last reset. He would make it this time.
The brunet dived back into what seemed like the very first scenario, where the thunder mage was readying his spell.
And pushed Leonardo out of the way of what would have killed him. The bright light of the spell engulfed him, before he felt the pain course through his body. He was thrown back, in his friend's footsteps, and his heart stopped suddenly, as a thin smile appeared on his lips. The din of the screaming and clashing of weapons died down. The blond stared at Edward in horror.
I did it.
Before the blade of an axe appeared behind the archer.
RESET.
Leonardo sat up with a scream, gripping his long hair as he began sobbing.
He had failed, lost count of his failures.
Edward had died again.
But they would make it though at some point, right?
Just keep resetting.
