Chapter 18- Zero Fill

November 3, 2056

It was quite rare for Marth to ever show weakness, even with some of his closest confidants. It wasn't from a lack of trust, but rather that he didn't want to trouble his precious friends with his problems, especially ones that involved his tragic past. As his little sister, Kisara was one of the few people to see all sides of the demon prince. She had witnessed him as the ruthless Dark Swordsman, someone who wouldn't hesitate to kill if the situation required it, to seeing him at his lowest, when the scars of his past make it hard for him to get out of bed.

The past is a cruel mistress. It always finds a way to sneak up on you and leave you vulnerable. Then there was the fact that the past is set in stone. No matter how hard you wish, how much you beg whatever deity you believe in, there is no way to turn back time. Any mistakes you made, any lingering regrets, they will always be there, haunting you for the rest of your days. You can try to force yourself into forgetting about them, but that just does nothing for you in the end. Those terrible events will still be there, waiting for the next chance to pounce. All you can do is keep moving forward.

But then were those like Marth Umbris. His particular past reeked of blood and death. Even though he still has yet to regain even half of his memories as Shun and Zane, the trauma within them still lingers within his heart, his very soul. He bore witness to far too much death for one as young as him. It was a miracle that he didn't end up a cold-blooded killer, devoid of any emotion.

No. It wasn't because of a miracle that he didn't go down that path. It was thanks to his beloved little sister that he was able to avoid that fate. She gave him someone to look after, someone to keep him human for lack of a better word. Sure, he was willing to do whatever he felt was necessary to keep Kisara safe, including the threat of death, but she helped keep him together, no matter what hardships they went through. Then they met Kirito and the others, which helped soften the prince even further.

Even Marth, with all his cleverness, knew that he can't run from his past forever. Eventually he will have to confront everything that he did wrong, as well as the pain and grief it caused him. However, not even he could have predicted that it would all catch up to him here in the Accelerated World. All the pain and trauma has overwhelmed all his senses, making it impossible for him to move. Now he was just lying there in the dirt, unable to move, unable to speak.

This was the fate of any Burst Linker who is unable to accept the trauma they had endured while in this world.

Zero Fill.


"Brother!" Kisara cried out in worry as she dashed over to the ashen avatar. The rest of her comrades were simply frozen in shock. She slid onto her knees and lifted her beloved sibling into her arms. However, no matter how many times she shook him, or called out his name, the male demon did not react.

"Zero Fill! Wolf…to think that even you can fall victim to it…" Niko said in a low voice from behind.

What was she talking about? What had happened to her beloved brother? Kisara started to turn to the Red King when suddenly a high-pitched laughter filled the air, freezing her.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha! Wah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

The source of that mad cackle was none other than Yellow Radio, looking down like a ruler onto his subjects. "Heh-heh-heh-heh! I knew that special replay card would come in handy, but even I couldn't have predicted that it would work this well. That was so worth all the burst points it cost me to acquire it. Shame it's one-use only. Regardless, it looks like the mighty wolf is nothing more than a timid little puppy dog."

Just hearing that scum mock Marth made Kisara flare with anger. If she didn't know any better, she would think that her entire body was surrounded by flames. She glared daggers at the Yellow King, wanting nothing more than to tear off his head from his shoulders.

"You mongrel! How dare you pull such a dirty trick on my brother. I will not let you get away with this."

Despite the clear venom in her words, Yellow Radio simply brushed it off as though it were a gentle breeze. "So Ashen Wolf's your sibling then. No matter. If you have anyone to blame for this, blame the boy in your arms. It's his fault that he can't handle price of being in this world."

"What?"

"Shut…your…mouth…Radio!" Kisara glanced over her shoulder to see a familiar black avatar hovering beside her. It was Kuroba, pointing the tip of her right sword arm at the Yellow King. Duel avatars lacked proper facial expressions, but the demoness didn't need them to see that the Black King was as furious as her. Murderous intent practically radiated off of her. If Kisara didn't know any better, she would assume that Lotus was a demon, not a fairy.

Seeing such raw anger coming from Kuroba made Kisara flinch. She knew that the girl had feelings her brother, but even she couldn't have expected them to be this strong. In fact, it almost made her wish that Fuko was here too. No doubt the combined fury of both fairies would be too much even for Radio and his raid party to handle. Speaking of which, the Yellow King's cheerful façade finally showed a crack, with him reeling back in fear.

"Kuroba," the demoness spoke up. "What happened to Marth?"

"The signal output from Marth's soul to his avatar is at zero, overwhelming the system. When a Burst Linker loses the will to fight, they lose the ability to move their avatar. A duel avatar's power comes from the heat of the heart of the person within it. If you can't face up to your own wounds, you won't have the strength to even stand up. We call this Zero Fill and it's one of the main features of Brain Burst."

Zero Fill? Why would anyone create a system as cruel and heartless as this? Then again, this entire game was built around the psychological trauma of its players. It would only make sense for the developers to add in a mechanic to incapacitate anyone who is unwilling to face up to their mental scars. However, that didn't make this situation any easier for Kisara to accept.

"Is there a way to snap him out of it? I can't just leave him like this!"

"Unfortunately, there's not really anything we can do. Only Marth has the ability to regain control of himself. He has to regain his will to fight." Kuroba then got into a battle stance, a stance that was quite similar to the one Marth and Kirito use for their Dual Blades style. "Until then, I won't let anyone harm him. Not even you, Radio!"

"My, my," Radio spoke up, having recollected himself and twirled the white card between his fingertips. "I've never seen you like this, Lotus. The little pup must be really important to you to cause a reaction like this. I wonder if you can maintain that resolve if I show you my little gift."

Suddenly all the fury radiating from the Black King faded in an instant. Her sword arms were trembling. "It can't be," she said slowly. Was she…afraid? "That replay card… Don't tell me you…"

Now fear was starting to encroach on Kisara. That red card seemed to have the ability to show the most traumatic memories of the person it makes contact with, even ones that were buried deep in their subconscious. That was how it was able to completely incapacitate Marth despite showing memories that he still has not regained. But that white replay card that Yellow Radio held now. That was an ordinary one, meaning it already has a recording on it, and given the Yellow King's glee, there was no doubt that it was meant to target Kuroba.

The clown avatar flicked the card into the air. Almost immediately, the card's surface sparkled brilliantly and generated multiple 3D objects, all of which being transparent. The first humanoid projection was a duel avatar that Kisara had never seen before. It was an orthodox human shape, but its armor was a pure red, very different from the crimson color of Scarlet Rain.

A hoarse voice slipped out of Yuniko. "No way. That's Red Rider… My predecessor."

Wait, that's the first Red King, Red Rider?! She could already see what was about to happen. Kisara was aware of what transpired between Kuroba and the previous leader of the Red Legion, how the Black King beheaded him in a deceitful manner. So that was Yellow Radio's plan. He must have secretly recorded the meeting, all so that he could use it against Lotus if he ever encountered her again. He was trying to strip her of her will to fight, to zero her out.

Perhaps he even got that red card specifically to counter Marth too. No, that wasn't too likely thinking about it now. Sure, Ashen Wolf had quite the reputation, but there wasn't much reason to get such an expensive item to use against a player who wasn't even King-class. Perhaps he acquired it to use against another King, incapacitating them long enough for him to reduce all their HP and become closer to reaching level 10.

Knowing the fate that was about to befall the raven-haired fairy, Kisara cried out, "Stay strong, Lotus! Radio wants you to be overwhelmed. Don't let him use the same trap on you that he used on my brother!"

Kuroba was practically trembling all over. This was bad. At this rate, she'll go into Zero Fill just like Marth. If that happened, then that would make retreating all the more difficult. There had to be something Kisara could do to keep that from happening. But just what can she do? She wasn't the strategist that her brother was. Her mind was racing to find a solution as the broadcast played overhead.

"My fellow Kings," the recording of Red Rider addressed. "Is this ridiculous goal really what we have been fighting for up to now?! Hating each other, stealing from each other, killing each other…Did we fight countless duels for countless years just so we can see an ending like this?! No, even if the developers of Brain Burst wrote this scenario, we are not NPCs made to dance in their palms! The heroes of this game are us! Right, Lotus?"

The new figure appeared before him sitting was a jet-black avatar with four long swords. That was the past version of Black Lotus. The first Red King continued tossing out harsh words, matched with even harsher gestures, towards the Black King. Lotus didn't say anything as he did so, instead just quietly hanging her head.

"It's true we all control our respective Legions, and we've fought hard up to now. But that does not mean we are enemies! It's because we're rivals, isn't it?! I…I like your fighting style, Lotus. It reminds me so much of Marth and Kirito, the legendary Darkness Duo I've admired for so long. It's like you're carrying on their legacy. If the two of us met in the real world, I bet we could be friends. In fact, I want to be your friend. Which is why I don't want us to kill each other in sudden death! There's no way Marth or Kirito would agree to these terms, or any of the Harbingers for that matter. As their successor, surely this is not how you want to carry out their legacy. Surely you feel the same way!"

Well, this was certainly awkward for Kisara, probably doubly so for Kirito. It was nice to hear that there were people in this era that looked up to the Harbingers. Most of the time, that name just brought fear as the guild was not well-liked, especially thirty years ago. Every one of the Harbingers was seen as an outcast, with only a handful of people treating them decently. Still though, Red Rider was a good speaker. One could feel the passion and determination in his voice. He did make a decent point too. She couldn't really see Marth or Kirito agreeing with these harsh rules, not without a thorough investigation anyway.

At that moment, the slightly sharp voice of a girl came from offscreen. "Hey, Rider! You think I'm just gonna let that go?!"

The red avatar turned to the left, looking quite flustered, and held a hand up. "N-no, that's not it. I didn't mean it like that… Ah, crap."

The sounds of laughter could be heard afterward, sounding amused at his embarrassment. Black Lotus relaxed her shoulders. Raising her face, in a calm voice, she said: "Mmm…I suppose so. I too am an admirer of the Harbingers. I'm especially drawn towards the Dark Swordsman, Marth. I think he and I would get along quite well. Which of them do you prefer more?"

"Hmm. Hard to say. I think it would have to be Kirito. So does that mean…"

"Yes, I respect you too, Rider." Black Lotus smoothly stood up and took a step forward. She then extended her right sword hand to the Red King.

"I knew you'd get it, Lotus!" the Red King shouted gleefully. He then reached out to shake hands, but then stopped in confusion. That was understandable though. Black Lotus's swords can cut through pretty much everything. Just a simple touch could probably cost him his fingers.

Undeterred by this, the Black King simply shrugged and said, her voice tipped with laughter, "Oops! Apologies. Well, then…how about this?" In a smooth, unreserved motion, she thrusted herself against the Red King's chest, bringing both arms up around his neck and hugging tightly.

Something akin to a blush sprang up on the Red King's cheeks before he wrapped both hands around the waist of his fellow King.

Once again, the girl from before cried out offscreen, "Hey! Come on!"

"Don't get mad! It's just a substitute for a handshake." It was amusing to see the Red King trying to excuse himself, with several voices sharing in the laughter. However, Kisara had a bad feeling about this. If this really was a recording on a past event, then this was going to end with…

Suddenly Black Lotus's eyes lit up with an icy, bluish-white light from behind her sable goggles. The swords of her arms glittered with an intense violet light.

Death by Embrace."

She uttered the name of the special attack so calmly and quietly. The two crossed blades swiftly intersected, like a pair of large scissors. Red Rider's body went limp and crumpled beneath Lotus's feet, like a puppet having its strings severed. His head alone remained on the crossed arms of the Black King, dripping down bright red sparks, almost like blood.

"N-noooooo!" the offscreen girl screamed in despair.

The video ended right there, with the figure of Black Lotus cradling her fellow King's head fading away. Honestly, Kisara didn't know what to say. She knew that Kuroba used trickery to behead the previous Red King, but it was still unnerving to see it happen with her very eyes. Not even Marth at his worst would do something like that. That just showed how obsessed the Black King was with reaching level 10, especially back then.

"Stop! Stop!"

Kisara turned to the fairy. Kuroba trembling fiercely. It was the same state that Marth was in before he zeroed out. If this continued, then Black King would be rendered unconscious as well. She had to do something, but what? Not even Marth was able to overcome his trauma. Wait, that's it.

"Listen to me, Kuroba," she said quickly. She didn't care what she was saying. She was just desperate to help the girl who loved her brother. "You can't let Radio win. Think about Marth! He's completely helpless right now. You swore that you would protect him, right?! He needs you more than ever so don't zero out! Please!"

"Kisara…" The narrow lines of light from the Black King's eyes were flickering. She was clearly fighting to remain in control of her avatar. She fell to her knees, no longer having the strength to stay standing. Slowly, she glanced over at the unmoving duel avatar in Purple Flare's arms. "Marth…I…" The light in her eyes stabilized, but she made no attempt to get up. It was like she was turned into a statue.

"K-Kuroba?" the demoness asked slowly.

"I-I'm alright, somehow," the Black King answered in a strained voice. "It's taking all my willpower just to stay conscious. I'm afraid I won't be able to move until I can shake this off."

Kisara released the breath she had been holding. While still not ideal, at least Kuroba was still conscious. That increased the chances of her being able to rejoin the fight. Unfortunately, since she lost the ability to move her avatar, she was now completely helpless.

"Wow," Yellow Radio called out, looking as amused as ever. "I expected you to fully zero out, Lotus. Way to defy my expectations like that. I guess that boy must be really special to you if you're struggling this hard."

"Grr… Damn you, Radio. I'll get you for this!"

"Now then, time for the grand finale of our carnival! All forces, target Scarlet Rain! Destroy anyone who gets in your way!"

"Damn it!" Niko cursed and spread out the hands of her avatar. "Come! Enhanced Arm—"

Takumu's arm suddenly grabbed her shoulder. "Don't do it, Rain! If you deploy your weapons, you'll lose your mobility and won't be able to withdraw! Even if you're a King, there's no way you can fight this many people. We'll have to deal with Chrome Disaster another time and retreat to the leave point in Sunshine City."

His eyes, which glittered a pale blue underneath the narrow slits of his mask, turned to the demoness. "My lady, you need to get Master and Kuroba out of here! Me, Kirito, and Asuna will hold them off so you can escape."

"What? But—"

"Do what he says, Kisara," Kirito said hastily, readying his swords. "Once these bastards are finished with Yuniko, they'll take down Kuroba next. You need to get her and Marth out of here now!"

"Don't worry about us!" Asuna added, drawing her rapier. "We'll be fine. Just go!"

As much as Kisara hated to admit it, they were right. Both her brother and Kuroba were a liability in their current conditions. Plus, if Kuroba is defeated by another King, she'll be banished from Brain Burst forever, preventing her from ever learning its true purpose. It wasn't an easy decision to leave her friends behind, but it was a necessary one to ensure their survival. If Marth could talk, he would likely say the same thing.

"Alright. Hold them off as long as you can."

"With pleasure," the Black Swordsman replied, his narrowing into slits. "I'll even make sure to get some payback for Radio's little stunt while I'm at it."

Now Kirito was one of the more jovial members of the Harbingers, but even he was prone to anger at times. Given how his best friend was targeted by a cowardly attack, it was clear he was going to make the Yellow Legion pay dearly. She almost pitied them as she returned Solaris to its scabbard.

The Yellow Legion began their assault. The first attack to descend into the crater was a torrential rain of distance attacks. Just because they had yellow in their name, that didn't mean it was comprised of only Burst Linkers specializing in midrange attacks. In fact, among the thirty foes encircling the crater, about ten or so were members of the red family, all of whom were firing beams or explosive rounds.

Naturally, the majority of their fire was aimed at the Red King, but she dashed backward and avoided the rounds altogether. She was much nimbler when not in her fortress mode. Takumu was right to recommend she not use it. Kirito also made sure to protect her by cutting down any projectiles he could with his swords. However, one stray blue beam came straight for Kisara, who couldn't dodge in time while holding onto her brother.

Without even thinking, she plucked Lunara off the ground and slammed it against the beam. The pressure from the lock was intense, as was the heat generated from the attack. Somehow, Kisara was able to gather enough strength to repel it away.

"Did you just use Lunara?" Kuroba questioned in disbelief.

She was justified to be surprised. After all, Lunara was a weakened form of Lunaris, the ultimate demonic sword. Only Marth should be capable of wielding it, as Sophia would never let anyone but him use it. And yet Kisara was able to use the blade with no problem.

"Probably because this is just a copy," Kisara guessed quickly. "There's no way the real Lunaris would let me wield it. Hm?"

Was it just her imagination, or did the black blade just flash with purple light? Marth did mention that during his battle Takumu, Sophia called out to him and helped to renew his will to fight. He still has yet to reclaim his beloved sword, so it was difficult for the dark spirit to communicate with him, especially between different realms. Still, could Sophia have sensed that something bad has happened to her master?

Kisara had to end her line of thought there to deflect a second volley of missiles with Lunara. There was no way to confirm if it truly was Sophia who was allowing the demoness to wield the sword or because it was just a knock-off of the true demonic blade. The only thing that mattered right now was protecting her brother and Kuroba.

She overheard the Black King's warning that while in the Unlimited Neutral Field, any pain the players would feel would be double the amount from a normal duel. It must be some way to counterbalance the ability to earn points outside of duels. Of course, to someone like Kisara, pain was kind of like an old friend. Due to her harsh training and all the missions she went on, she knew how to work through the pain in duels to fight more effectively. She wasn't the only one of course as Marth, Asuna and Kirito were able to do the same thing. This partially contributed to them all being such great fighters here in the Accelerated World.

"My lady, look out!" Howling, Cyan Pile tackled Kisara to the ground, before blocking another volley of missiles with the Pile Driver device on his right arm. Those projectiles had come from the left, right when she was distracted by the second volley. How careless of her to make such a mistake. More enemy rounds were soaring towards them, but this time Takumu managed to fire his iron spike, destroying most of the projectiles in the impact wave. A few managed to survive, but Takumu took the opportunity to shield the siblings and the Black King with his body. Flashes of light followed soon after, as did the sounds of explosions.

"Gaah!" he cried out in pain. He reeled back, but surprisingly he did not fall. Somehow, that enormous body of his managed to remain standing within the plume of smoke.

"Takumu!" Kisara exclaimed, looking up at her servant.

"I'm fine! Just go! Get out of here!"

She could only silently nod, acknowledging the boy's determination. Takumu has truly acclimated to his role as her shield. No matter what happens, he will not allow any harm to befall his mistress. If only her brother were conscious enough to see this. Perhaps Marth would even be willing to lighten his sentence.

Kisara slid Lunara onto her belt. She needed both her hands for what she needed to do. Next, she adjusted her hold on her brother so that she could also carry Kuroba. Once she had a firm hold on both, she started running to the east. In her path, she could see Kirito and the others trying to disrupt the enemy attacks, with Niko drawing the gun from her hip.

She needed to get out of this siege, otherwise she'll never be able to make her retreat. Fortunately, it would seem that the enemy has stretched itself thin trying to cover the hundred-meter-diameter of the crater. If she could exploit a tiny opening with enough speed and power, she could reach Green Street, with Sunshine City and its leave point practically being a stone's throw away.

Her purple wings sprouted from her back, preparing to take flight. That deflection from earlier had replenished her special-attack gauge, though only just a little. However, that was more than enough for what she needed to do. She increased the speed of her dash, making a beeline for the crater's edge.

Good, the eastern circle was starting to weaken thanks to Niko's steady fire. Seizing her chance, Kisara kicked the ground with all her might.

"I don't think so. Silly Go Round!"

That was Yellow Radio's voice, sounding as smooth as ever. He was unleashing a special attack! But why now? She was nearing the edge of the crater.

"What?" Suddenly the world around Kisara started to spin. The crater's outside and inside were spinning in opposite directions. Even the buildings and the enemy duel avatars were going around at high speeds. Around them, several yellow toy horses that looked like part of a transparent merry-go-round appeared, moving up and down while an eerie country tune played in the background.

In an instant, Kisara lost her footing and dropped to one knee. She could also see Niko and the others trying to brace themselves as well, their bodies swaying as a result.

"What's going on?!"

"It's all an illusion!" Kuroba spoke up clearly. "The world looks like its rotating but its not. Just close your eyes and go!"

"But which way should I go? I can't tell which way's east with all this spinning!"

It was true. Her sense of direction has been completely overwhelmed. She couldn't risk charging through blindly and potentially end up nowhere near the leave point. Takumu and Niko weren't much help either as they pointed in completely opposite directions.

Of course all this spinning was the least of her worries. The Yellow Legion was still firing their volleys of projectile attacks on the smaller group. However, it was worse now because the Yellow King's illusion attack made their attack paths all twisted. Kisara couldn't tell which way to move to avoid taking damage. Of course, Scathach had taught her how to dodge with relying on eyesight, however, she felt far less confident at pulling it off while carrying two people in her arms. Countering them with her fire attacks wouldn't work either as the illusion made it impossible for her to lock on to her targets. The least she could do is use her wings as a makeshift shield.

Before she could even try, Takumu cried out, "Get down!" Scooping the trio in his arms, he covered them, as if falling. Whatever words Kisara wanted to say were caught in her throat as her eyes witnessed an ensemble of explosions. Her field of view was painted white, and a terrible heat scorched her cheeks. The stifled scream of her knight rang in her ears.

"Ngaaaaah!"

At that moment, practically every single type of long-distance attack was raining down on Takumu's broad back, pelting him like deadly hail. The amount of pain he must have been feeling right now was insurmountable. And yet, despite all the wounds he was suffering, he still took all the attacks, keeping his superiors safe from harm.

"Taku," the demoness said in awe. She could feel a certain dampness welling up in her eyes.

The young man's grip on the trio remained tight, his steel arms not budging. He let out a pained gasp. "I-I'm fine, Mistress. I swore to…Master that I…would protect you…with my whole…being…"

Until now, Kisara was never sure if she could ever forgive Takumu for breaking her trust. She had opened herself to him and he abused that trust to torment Kuroba for months, all for this stupid game. There was no denying that she did treat him rather poorly in the first two weeks of his servitude, after her brother practically enslaved him to their cause. To be honest, she still treated him rather coldly.

She thought seeing him in pain while fulfilling his new duty as her protector would bring her some satisfaction. She wanted him to pay dearly for betraying her. However, all that was filling her now was dread. Perhaps she still held some fondness towards the knight avatar. Some part of her still viewed him as her friend. Or maybe it was because it reminded her of all the times her brother protected her in his arms, him taking attacks meant for her.

More shots were fired, but Takumu remained firm. The red Burst Linkers within the enemy ranks were probably not high in the level department. Meanwhile, not only was Cyan Pile at level 4, but his blue color gave him an endurance trait. Basically, he could withstand even a concentrated fire of this intensity. However, that meant the agony he must be feeling would be drawn out for who knows how long. Hopefully he can last long enough until the Yellow King's attack wears off.

Likely on the same mindset, next to Kisara, Kuroba said clearly, "Retreat in your mind, Cyan Pile. Just hold out for another thirty seconds."

"Under…stood…"

An unpleasant rasp nearby erased Takumu's voice as three glittering chunks of metal protruded slightly from his thick chest. At some point, the enemy fire around them stopped. Meanwhile, as the strange music of the merry-go-around continued to play, Cyan Pile's enormous body was lifted up, but not of his own volition.

Standing behind him was a blue-green avatar with basically the same physique, with their massive right arm catching Kisara's eye. It kind of reminded her of the heavy machinery used in public works projects. At the end were three fiendish claws, the tips having pierced Cyan Pile's chest from behind. They were obviously a close-range fighter, likely having gotten impatient and came flying down to deal with the enemy. The enemy avatar had a thick voice when it spoke.

"I'd heard you do reasonably well among the young blues. Was that just bravado, Cyan Pile, nothing more than empty boasting?" The enemy avatar yanked the skewered Takumu up and sneered. "Heh-heh! Before you drop dead, listen well. The one who defeated you was me, Saxe—"

"Like I care…about the name of an idiot," Takumu rasped. Raising his right arm, he pressed the launcher to the center of his own chest.

"Lightning Cyan Spike!"

With a weak but resolute cry, a bluish-white flash of light surged from the end of the cylinder. At the same time, a bolt of lightning pierced through Cyan Pile's chest, continuing through the heavy avatar's right arm before finally striking its square head. The avatar's right arm and goggles were sent flying with a crack, and both avatars were tossed into the air before collapsing onto the ground.

This stupid merry-go-round hallucination made it impossible for the team to accurately target their enemies, even from close range. However, that wasn't the case when the enemy was grabbing you with their arms. After all, there had to be a body attached to that arm. Very impressive to see Takumu figure that out. He was even willing to use his own special-attack on himself just so he strike the enemy. That said, with all the damage that Cyan Pile has sustained, Purple Flare knew that he was reaching his limit.

In a hoarse voice, he turned his mask over to the demoness. "I've done all I can. I leave the rest to you, Mistress." And then, pinning the enemy down with both arms: "Splash Stinger!"

From the small gap between the two sturdy bodies was the sound of rapid fire, similar to that of a machine gun, and successive flashes of light. The enemy's thrashing ceased abruptly, and innumerable fissures pitted the pair of avatars. After a moment passed, two pillars of blue light soared upward. Both Taku and the other player burst into polygons, disappearing from sight. At the same time, Yellow Radio's illusion has finally worn off, and the world returned to normal.


Marth found himself surrounded by darkness. There was no way to tell which way was up or down, right from left. He didn't know where he was or even why he was here. The most he could tell was that he was sinking.

It's all your fault.

A voice beyond recognition echoed from all directions. Their tone was full of anger and venom. He could sense their hatred for them with just those few words. Soon more voices starting to join in like a choir.

You killed them all.

You don't deserve to live.

Your entire existence is a curse.

Everyone would be better off without you.

"Stop it. I didn't mean for any of this to happen." Marth shut his eyes tightly and covered his ears with his hands. However, that did little to block out those terrible voices. They just kept talking, belittling him, insulting him.

"Someone, help me."

But no one was going to save him. Why would they? His hands were stained with blood. He was a monster. So many people were dead because of him. He had even gotten his own friends and family killed during the War of Light and Shadow. And now, he had been planning on dragging them all into yet another war, all for his own selfish desires, because he sees the Darkfallen as a threat to his beloved sister. Were they really okay with following him into battle again? Were they okay with potentially getting themselves killed over his desires?

Then there was the matter of his curse. The Wrath Lord's curse is a terrible one, condemning the demon to a path of madness and isolation. Eventually he won't be able to contain the dark power within him and he'll go insane, turning against the very friends he held dear and bring ruin to the entire world. That is the fate of anyone who takes up the Wrath Lord mantle, a position that his wretched father forced him into.

In all honesty, Marth didn't care about the world. What has it ever done for him except bring him pain and misery? But his friends and family, those were what mattered to him. For them, he would gladly sacrifice his all for their sake. But could they truly be happy with him around? That dark question held tightly to his chest.

"Everyone, I'm sorry." He prepared to let his own despair consume him entirely. Perhaps this was a better fate for everyone than fighting under him again.

Suddenly a bright purple light pierced through the darkness, dazzling like a star in the night sky. A voice, clear as day, called out to him. But, who did that voice belong to? He couldn't remember. Everything was becoming hazy as the abyss consumed him.

"Marth!"

To be continued


Well that was certainly a cheery way to end this chapter. I wonder who is calling out to Marth in the end there. Guess we'll have to wait to find out. Anyway, looks like Cyan Pile has bitten the dust, but his sacrifice will not go unanswered. Look's like Scarlet Rain's counterattack is about to commence! See you guys next time!