The Great Duke's Archives, Floor 1.

What now? Is this where I'll die? Will I ever get out?

Were among of the irrational thoughts rapidly swimming across my mind as we walk deeper into the archives. A straight path made of stone, in between columns after columns on each side. Each end filled with walls and walls of books, not the type you can read either, they're just there for aesthetics purposes. The way forward illuminated by the soft glow of a torch in one of their hands.

The three, now formally known as, Tatsumi, Shidou and Yuuji, went into more detail on the situation at hand as we walk. Though it was hard to take them seriously with usernames such as: Rektanator 9000, Merabella, and Lelouch Yagami, I somehow managed to do so anyway. I'm sure there's a story to that second username in particular.

They don't seem to bear any ill feelings towards me. Which was a welcome surprise, considering what happened a while ago. Shiori however, is a different story. No longer does she smile her usually smile or spit out her usual snide remarks instead she remains quiet, giving the occasionally quick nods and "I see's". Her undivided attention spent towards the three musketeers whom I already forgotten the names of.

Minatsu, now fully recovered, remains quiet as he is too absorbed in their recounting the events prior to this one. As for me, after drawing a quick healing rune with ink from Minatsu's inventory and a few extra deep breaths, only was I then able to regain my composure and move on with my, or should I say, our predicament.

I believe this is where I should be relaying their story now. So to summarize, a day ago, or to be more specific, 9:30 p.m. last night, the three of them arrived here as a party together after one of them received the same message as I did from Cardinal. You might be wondering how they got here so fast despite it being so far away, which was what I was wondering myself and pointed that out. One of them, Tayumi, Yuuki, whichever one, explained that they rented a giant eagle in town to be used as transportation. An efficient yet costly way of getting around the floors. Once it drops you to a location, the eagle would immediately fly back leaving you behind to fend for yourself.

Anyway, once they arrived, the double doors immediately shut closed behind them and with no way out, was forced to keep moving forward in the direction we're going to right now. At this point, Shiori asked where we're we headed to, to which one of them replied that we were heading to the main chamber where the others are. They explained that they were the first ones in here and after a couple of hours, a few more started to show up, one after the other. Some in parties, others alone, till finally there were about 50 people in all.

Minatsu pointed out that if there were already 50 others before us, why did they only decide to escape now. To which they replied that they didn't really understood that they were trapped and thought it was part of the quest. They were under the impression that it was some sort of event, and after a certain amount of invited people were gathered, will the quest only activate. According to them, at least one person in a party would have the message in their inbox and those who came alone too had it in theirs. At one point they asked who was it among us three to receive the message, to which I immediately said it was me.

Hearing that, I wanted to clarify something, so I asked one of them if they have received any message concerning me heading over here, only to be met with frowns and a puzzling "No." with a tinge of curiosity. But for the sake of not talking so much, I let it drop and told them to continue. It seems that the message about killing a hundred players was only sent to the players near me, to try and urge me into coming her due to the pressure of being the blame for their deaths. Now that I think about it, maybe I should have thought more rationally before coming here. I don't think anybody would have died anyway if I just ignored the message.

They continued on, with them all now gathered in the main chamber, confused out of their minds. That's when a bright blue orb appeared at the center of the room. It explained with a robotic voice that they are all now trapped in here with no way out. As they continue to recall, their faces began showing signs of distress. Finally, after a moment of silence, one of them continued.

The orb told them that the amount of people gathered exceeds its expectations, and that some of them has got to go. At one point, one of players asked if they were going to be set free. It told them that they were free to find an exit within the archives. But only ten at a time. An opening in the walls suddenly appeared, with a number bar displayed on top. It explained that they have to pick which ten of the fifty people among them will be chosen to go.

One by one people were chosen, some voluntary, others by force. When all 10 had been chosen, they walked through the opening and after a moment, the wall materialized again. There, they sat, waiting for a signal, a sign, anything that alerted them of their well being. But after an hour's time, what they got instead was another opening in another wall. A bright blue transparent 0 hovering above it.

It is at this point where we finally reached a stopping point in our surprisingly long walk, having reached another door. They stopped their monologue short to knock on the door. While one was waiting in front of it, the others summarize the story up till now in a flash. 0 becomes 10 after selecting 10 more to go. Few hours later, another opening appeared, again with a 0 hovering on top of it, rinse and repeat. Since then, there hasn't been any word from the voice nor from the players who left. The rest of them decided to hold up in the chamber till something happens. Until we made a ruckus and the three went to check up on us.

"Oi, We're back... With newcomers. Mind opening up?" Said the youngest of the three. His curly brown hair nearly catching fire from the torch in his hands.

"We had a mage lock the door, you see... Better to be safe than sorry, right?" The one with the username 'Merabella' explained. A guy who looked to be in his mid-twenties.

He gave a tired sigh at the sight of us staring above his head. Although none of us really asked for an answer, he did us the pleasure of explaining it anyway.

"Being a girl in a rpg is easier than being a guy, okay? Do you have any idea how many items I received from guys before this whole survival thing started?"

Shiori gave a frown, not convinced by his excuse. "And the game being first-person with the feature to look down and see breasts didn't factor at all in your decision making now, did it?"

He bowed his head in defeat. "You got me. I'm a pervert."

"He might be a pervert, but he's a good guy. You can count on him." Said the best looking of the three, clasping his friend's shoulder with a smile. "Although, Arishia-san, I wouldn't walk in front of him if I were you, unless you like the penetrating gaze of a pervert's desire on your ass."

At this, his friend elbowed him him in the gut, his face a beety red. "Uh-um I wouldn't do that at all! A-Arishia-san, please, you can walk in front of me all you like. I swear I won't look!"

A huge slam stifled the flustered cross-genderer. "Hey! What's taking so long? Hurry it up, idiots!"

That guy doesn't seem to be happy about still being trapped in here. While the two were way above my age, this one seems to be around mine.

The handsome one, noticing his friend in distress, went up to him to comfort him. "Lighten up, lighten up, we're all in this together. No use lashing your anger out on an innocent door like that. It's gonna be fine."

For an answer, he simply nodded his head and continued staring at the door. Though his expression hadn't softened one bit. The handsome-screw it, the optimist, after calming him down, left to rejoin us at the side.

"He's got a temper, that Yuuji. Still who can blame him? 16 and trapped in a death game, it's understandable. But watch, just the slightest talk about anime, and he'll be as happy as a kid on Christmas."

Welp as a fellow otaku, I guess I can talk to him. Yuuji huh? Gotta do well to remember that. All I gotta do now is to indirectly ask for their names again without it sounding like I forgotten.

"You two seem to be doing ok though." Minatsu blurted out all the sudden.

The pervert gave a short laugh, while the optimist raised a hand behind his head and flashed a smile. "Well, I guess so... Considering."

The squeaking sound of metallic hinges filled the area as the double door begins to slowly open. Yuuji immediately extinguished the torch in his hands and kept the stick in his inventory. A moment later, a hooded figure appeared standing in front of it.

"Sorry about that... Mage was asleep... What did you say you have?"

At first I thought this hooded dude was a hostile mob belonging to this area and was immediately on guard. But when Yuuji began taking to him, only then did I realize that it was another player, his name displayed above his head also signify this.

"New people. Three. Two guys and a girl. Anyone back yet?"

The hoody hearing that, poked his head out and looked towards the three of us. His eyes scanned from left to right before freezing on the person beside me. Giving out a surprised look, he muttered her name. "Shiori?"

And giving him the same look, Shiori muttered back in an equally surprised manner. "Shane?"

What's going on, is he her boyfriend or something? Why are they looking at each other like that.

Confused, I took a look at the name above his head. 'Whytrustu'. Hmmm I feel like I've seen that name before... Wait, I have! He was in Shiori's friends list... I don't know how I remembered that, but that's where he was from. So if they're friends... Why that surprised look?

"Long time... No see." Shane muttered, looking away, poking his head back in.

"Mmmm" was Shiori's reply, a puzzling expression on her face.

Minatsu and I could only stare in confusion.

"Well, It looks like you two know each other. That's nice. But we gotta get a move on." Clapping his hand, the optimist marched forward into the chamber, the pervert following in his wake. Yuuji I assumed was already inside as his presence was no longer in the hall.

One by one, we followed in their footsteps. Shiori at the front, me at the back. The first thing I noticed was the immense blue light emitting from the chamber, the second thing was the circular design of this room. A huge circle surrounded by walls, the double doors leading back to the entrance, the only way anywhere. And in the middle, a table in a shaped of a pentagon, and on it, a big bluish orb.

Once we were finally inside, Shane shut the door behind us, and sat down right where he stood and leaned against the wall. Around the chamber, were similar positioned bodies, sitting down, most asleep. Some awake. All in all, I counted twenty. Well, Twenty-three now, including us.

"Oh isn't that fine and dandy. You brought more people. How does that exactly help us in our situation?" Demanded a feminine voice from somewhere.

"Yeah, yeah. What's the alternative? Wait there isn't any. They would have ended up here either way. Look, can you just leave me alone? I'm not in a particularly good mood right now." I heard Yuuji said in a tired voice.

Out of instinct I immediately began searching around for the voice I heard. That familiar tone... And voice. It couldn't be...

"Even so, we haven't had any walls opening in a long time. Doesn't that mean we reached the limit? Anymore and that orb might start sending more people out again."

That nagging, that worried tone..

"Furthermore, we've been here for hours. Doesn't that mean we should-"

There she is, nagging away at poor Yuuji. And when she gets like that, there's no stopping until she has her say. Once upon a time, I was the one she was nagging at too. Oh how time flies by, but one can never forget the mannerisms of a childhood friend. Kaori Misayo. The girl who was also my once beloved girlfriend. I say 'beloved' but I guess it's more like I loved her, and she... well, she remained the same.

Confessing to her in middle school was probably one of the most tremendous things I've ever done in my sixteen years of existence. There I was walking home with her one day, having our daily small talk about school and animes, and out of nowhere an 'I love you' escaped my lips. If I remember correctly, I'm pretty sure I shouted it.

I remember wanting to jump off a bridge when I said that. I remember the wild throbbing in my heart when I saw her surprised expression. The trepidation I felt as I waited for her answer. And the joy I felt when she shouted back a big "I love you too."

But a relationship at that young age obviously wouldn't last. Though she was my girlfriend, we didn't really act any different, despite this, my feelings for never wavered throughout our time together. We would hang out after school at her place, playing video games or just hanging around. Most of the time, she would do the talking, nagging, complaining. But I never cared, as long as I was with her, I was content.

Her being with me for as long as I can remember was probably the main reason why I was so in love with her. Even after my parents death, she was always there for me. When I cried, she'd cry as well, when I laughed, she did as well. And I loved that about her. Continuously supporting me throughout my childhood. Due to that, I fell in love. At least that's what I thought.

It was shortly after the welcoming ceremony of high school did we break up. It wasn't even in a dramatic way at all. We were just walking home that day, when she suddenly suggest that we 'Stop pretending'. I asked her what she meant by it only to be told that we... Or more specifically she didn't feel that way. She told me that our relationship wasn't in any way what a romantic one should be and that I had just mistaken love for friendship.

I told her I understood. I thought what she was saying was true. But when I saw her a few days later, talking happily with a boy, only then did I realize that she was the one who didn't feel anything for me. And who can blame her? Relying on her so much for support, it's no surprise that she thought of me as just a friend. But at that time, I was furious. I didn't understand. Why would she lie instead of just saying she likes someone else? I spent the next few weeks watching them. Watching them grow closer and closer together. When we hung out, I didn't say a word about him and neither did she. Slowly, we drifted apart, she had new friends now along with him. Meanwhile I, who wasn't very good with mixing with others was left to become the introvert I am today. The last I heard of her, was that she moved to Akihabara.

Now that I think about, that whole part of my life sounded like a bad soap opera. Well I guess that fits in terms of how my life is going right now.

Staring at her here right now, at the farthest end of the chamber. Her slender arms placed against her hips, her long raven black hair swaying along with her movements. I gotta say, she changed a lot in such a short time... In more places than one.

"Wait Sora, isn't that Ka-"

"Shhhhhhhh." Come now, Minatsu. You know better than to bring her up. While it's true you were kinda close to her when she would come to visit, I'm pretty sure I told you to never speak of her again. Besides, "It'd be awkward to talk to her now."

"If you say so Sora. But we will eventually face each other soon, you know?"

I know, Minatsu. I know. That's what I'm dreading the most right now.

"See who?" Said a curious voice beside us who belonged to none other than the devil herself, Shiori.

Great, if there's one thing I don't want happen, it'd be letting Shiori meet Kaori. I know for sure that Shiori will:

1. Try her hardest and will probably succeed at pretending to be my girlfriend despite my protest.

2. Begin asking Kaori about all the things I've done as a child and will proceed to use that against me.

3. Some other stupid thing that she probably would think of right at the spot because she's that kind of person.

"Someone I shouldn't know, Sora?" She asked, her trademark smile once again appearing on her face.

Seeing that smile, I felt a small sense of relief for some reason and after a moment's pass. I answered back. "None of your business."

As expected, she took it as a challenge to now immediately scan the chamber for said person in an attempt to figure out who it is. "Try me, try me, I'll find whoever you're talking about. My, my, if it's a girlfriend then I've struck gold."

Urk...How did she-

"Oh? Did I guessed right? Hah, I knew it. Your face can't hide a single thing. Now tell me, who is it?"

Before I could come up with an excuse, I heard a whistle from behind and immediately turn around. Shane was there, still sitting down against the wall. I nudged my head at him as a way of asking 'what?' only for him to shake his and with his hand, pointed a finger at Shiori. With the same finger, he gestured for her to come to him. Right there I thought Shiori will flat out deny, but she obliged with no word of complaint or remark escaping her lips. Strange...

Well whatever, it's a welcome interruption. Talking to Shiori now has been a struggle. Before, I could simply say what I want with no actual repercussions aside from the random annoying things she has done in the past. But in all of that, she had never once gotten angry... I didn't expect to get lifted up off the floor and against a wall, nor did I expect to get screamed at about abandoning people from her. What was that... She's the last person I want to hear that from, considering all the shit she has done in the past. That went way beyond hypocritical. My only guess is that something happened to her, causing her to act the way she did. Oh well, she probably deserved it anyway.

"Well it isn't lively, but this is it. The Main Chamber... How you liking it?" A sudden question shook me out of my thoughts. Off to the side, I realized that it was one of the three that led us here, the optimist.

"Ah, well, not a whole lot of smiling faces if I had to say anything, Rektanator." I gave you a sign that I forgot your name, please tell me you caught on to it.

"Yeah, I guess. It was okay when we had everyone here. Now is just scattered pieces of separated friends and families.. Unfortunately."

Welp, looks like you're going to be called Rektanator for a while. Why couldn't you just give me your name again?

"Ummm." Minatsu called out by my side, who appeared to be deep in thought. "Ah! Tatsumi-San, what exactly do you plan to do now?"

Good question and good job Minatsu! Clearly you surpassed me in name remembering skills.

Hearing that, Tatsumi formed his lips into a frown. "I don't really know." He said. "I'm not really the one leading, right now, the person we put in charge is resting over there." Finishing with that, he pointed a finger at a sitting figure across the chamber.

The person whom he was referring too was covered in steel armor, no area exposed except for his head. From where I was standing, he's appearance shone brightly from the light of the blue orb. He had brown spiky hair, along with a stubble on his chin, his eyelids close.

But what caught me off a guard and made me curse the fate that the Gods has cast down upon me, was his username. A username I've told myself to steer away from, a username I associated with the worst of humanity. Yes, as you all have guessed, I'm referring to none other than "Ragnarok" or more fittingly "Baka" if you want to be funny.

I stood there in disbelief at all the encounters I've made in one single step into a room. A rapist and an ex... Sounds like something an idiot will write about in a bad fanfiction...

Author's note: Hello once again to another not-really-awesome chapter of this mediocre story. I hope you like cynical attitudes because I have one. Anyways, I was sick for the past couple of days and you can't really write anything with a high fever, but I tried and was able to finish this. I hope you enjoy and as always, let me know what you think.