Chapter 8 Battle Time

I move my body immediately and jump in front of Ren. "…Aoba!"

"Gh…Guah…" I groan out in pain.

"Are you all right, Aoba?" Ren asked in concern.

"I'm fine…ugh." I struggle to say before I felt massive pain shooting all around me head, almost making me see black. "…!? Ngh… Ugh, Ah…! My, head…Ngh,….Ugh!" Regaining balance back to my feet, keeping my head still down. "Ren. 'JUBILATION', set."

"Aoba?"

"Do it already."

"…" Ren looked at me in confusion and a bit concern, but still did what he was order to. "…Understood."

.

"…" The rabbit mask guy looked over at us in suspicious, looking at the data of our SHEILD, ATTACK, and DURABILITY. "…Tch. You've gotta be kidding me. Her Allmate is an old model without armor. …Is she underestimating me?"

"She almost doesn't have anything; she's completely screwing with us!" His Allmate said in anger that they're being mock at.

"…Let's just finish this quickly." He looked back over to Aoba and his eyes widen a bit noticing the shadows of her bangs covering her eyes and the smirk plaster on her face as she had her right hang on her hip. "…?" Looking over to her Allmate he saw sparks of electricity forming around his arm. "…What?" The Allmates arms turn into a cannon of some sort as it build up strong energy "!" And fired.

"P!"

"Confirmed enemy attack! 3 Losses! Durability decreased by 12!"

"…Damn that girl." He growled.

.

"…!" I blinked my eyes a couple of times regaining focus back to my site. "Just now… What did I…?" I looked over at Ren very confused as to what just happened "Ren, what was that…?"

"You gave me instructions to attack." Ren told me.

"Attack? How could I do that? I don't know any attacks…" I said my eyes lowering to ground as I mutter the last part "But a little while ago… it felt like my mouth was moving on its own…"

"Aoba, he's coming again." Ren said. "Instructions."

I looked at him with wide eyes "Even if you ask, I…" A low sigh slipped out of my mouth "But if I don't, we'd be in trouble, right…? Just have to do it like earlier…" Pain shot through my head again as I grasped it with my hands clenching my eyes tightly "…Ren… Defense." I managed to get out.

"Understood."

"'DEMOLISH' set!"

"Roger!"

The rabbits came charging at us again and Ren could hardly keep up the defense. "…! Hrgh, this is bad!" I shouted as Ren shield struck down to zero.

.

"Main body of enemy's defense wall, 100% damage!"

"…I guess it was useless to expect more." The rabbit mask said to himself. "Let's go."

"Withdrawal! Withdrawal!" The head-mic rabbit began to say but paused when getting new info about the enemy "…No it's not! Wait! Main body of enemy's defense wall, recovering at amazing speed! 40, 50… 70, 90!"

"…What's going on?" The rabbit mask demanded seeing the orange bar being filled back up. "….!" He let out a gasp when he saw a smirk appearing on the girl's face "What happened…?"

"Alert! Alert! Danger! Danger!"

"!?"

"…Destruction and death."

.

.

"…Ngh."

…Ugh.

My head hurts…

What…

What happened…?

"…Ah, ow ow…"

It seems… I'd somehow fallen on the ground. I endure the pain in my whole body, gather my strength in both arms, and prop myself up. I stagger and almost fall again, but I manage to somehow stay standing. "It hurts… but… how did it turn out…?" I press my forehead with one hand and try to arrange my confused memories.

It must have…

I was suddenly dragged into Rhyme during a delivery, and some weird rabbit head…

"…" I looked up seeing a familiar shop "…I'm in front of the shop?" I've seen it every day so I can't be wrong. I…am stand in front of Heibon. But why? I should have gone out for a delivery… When I look around, I see a lump of blue fur lying on the ground. "Ren!" I run up to him immediately and embrace him.

There's no reaction.

I push Ren's head lightly and try calling him.

"Ren, hey!"

"…Aoba."

After a short pause, Ren opens his eyes. I feel relieved from the bottom of my heart after seeing him safe. "Are you okay?"

"There are no large problems in particular" he told me.

"Really? You're not broken anywhere?"

"Some of the data is damaged."

"Isn't that enough of a problem?" I said raising my voice a bit in panic. Ren should also have received damage in Rhyme from that rabbit headed guy. "I'll examine you once we get home, okay?"

"To be on the safe side, please do." Ren nodded his head.

"Yeah. It even feels like some of the data in my brain's damaged…" I mumbled. "I remember fighting with that rabbit head, but how did it turn out?"

"My data from then on is also damaged."

"I see…Wait a minute, I'll try to remember." I endure the headache, close my eyes, and search my memory. But the more I try to remember, the more it feels like the memories go farther away. "…It's useless. I can't remember anything…"

"There's nothing we can do about it."

"Really? Why?"

"If the average woman's storage capacity is assumed to be one-hundred, Aoba's capacity would be…"

"Are we really having this conversation right now?" I laughed cutting Ren off "…Ah…."

"Aoba?"

"Hu… huh? I'm getting kinda dizzy…" My vision around me began to waver I look down at Ren and raised an eyebrow in confusion "…Ren, you…since when did you have eight legs…" I could have sworn he had four not eight.

"Aoba!"

What is this…?

Everything in front of me is spinning…

Where's the ground…?

What…

"Wait here."

Ren runs off somewhere. I watch him as he leaves. It looks like there are three of him, and I unconsciously laugh.

Haha, that's strange…

Ren has three heads…

…My consciousness broke off there.

After I passed out in front of the shop…Ren called Haga-san, and he let me rest in the shop for a while. Even though I lost the bag I was supposed to deliver, Haga-san said with his usual smile that I could go home for today. I decided to depend on Haga-san's kindness and obediently went home.

It seems like Granny isn't home yet, and the house is dark. I turn on the lights to the dark entrance hall, enter the corridor, and walk into the kitchen. I take a pill for my headache from the shelf and drink more water than usual. The pills should technically be taken after a meal, buy my top priority is to calm down the headache.

It might be because I'm relieved to be home, but I suddenly feel so tired that it becomes difficult to walk. I want to fall asleep on the spot, but I make my way up to my room on the second floor first. I take Ren out of the bag and put him on the bed. I remove my jacket and lay down next to him.

Whew…

I lost the bag I was supposed to deliver, and after that I even left work early…Haga-san's smile and consideration were great, and a sense of guilt flocks to me just for remembering it.

"What am I doing…?" I mumbled.

This is all because of that weird rabbit head. And…Rhyme. Is it really worth hyping up and becoming addicted to it? I slowly sit up while remembering the game-like space I was sent to, and I only feel worse. I guess the medicine hasn't kicked in yet because the headache isn't going away, I'll try something else.

I take the headphones I threw together with my jacket and put them on. I select my favorite music from my Coil and close my eyes, leaving my body to the flowing music. Whenever I'm restless or feeling unwell for whatever reason, this method always helps me get relaxed again. I become immersed in the world of me and music.

"…Mn." The rhythm and tempo of the music, my own breathing and heartbeat. They tune together little by little, melting and eventually becoming one surging wave. "Ha,….." The whirlpool of melody wraps around my body and strokes it softly. The sound permeates my skin, mingles with my blood, and flows throughout me. "…Ah…" Lights of all colors dance in my head like a soft film. It feels pleasant and I slowly calm down. It was like telling myself that only I was allowed here, that this is a place only for me, and I felt peaceful. "Ahhh…" the discord of headache and the noise in my body becomes distant, and only the quiet sound of my own breathing leaves me. Like being pushed into a wave that spread to all parts of my body, a faint breath escaped from my lips time and again.

So comfortable…

I feel like I'm sinking more deeply than usual today. Pain and such had all gone off somewhere. If I fall asleep like this, all that's left is to wait for a calm waking to come.

If I fall asleep like this…

"…?"

A sound...?

I open my eyes slightly, but with my consciousness blurry, I can't tell what it is for sure.

…Well, whatever.

I give up on thinking straight and close my eyes again.

.

.

This place… I've seen it before.

I know it well.

I sit on a sandy beach and talk with a certain person. I treasure what he says as if the words themselves shine.

"…"

"…"

"…"

…What did he say again?

I can't remember.

What he said was important…

.

.

Ouch.

Something hurts.

It feels like something sharp is poking me…

"Wake up, sleepyhead! Hey, come on!"

"Tch, ouch…"

"I'm telling you to wake up! I'll hit you, moron!"

"…Mmh, that hurts!"