January 6, 2023. Floor 5.

Haru Hayai:

I stared into the darkness that was the lair of Latanica. Nothingness, it seemed. Just black, empty, loneliness. For a moment, I thought about what it would be like to live in a room such as this. No human interaction, no lights, just blank.

Maxis walked forward into the blackness. Leading our large mass of players onward.

The group was quiet, for the most part. Aside from small murmurs or loud exhales. Maru was speechless, clenching to his mace. His face was unreadable, but it seemed as though he was struggling to maintain confidence. Karu's eyes were slim, straining to see in the darkness. See what? I have no clue. There was nothing to see.

After everyone in our crowd had merged inside of the lair, lights kicked on with a loud clap for each light fixture that was hung from the ceiling.

The room was a deep violet with gray stone columns spaced evenly against the circular wall. Pictures hung between each blank spot of columns, with thick, golden wood frames. The pictures themselves were unidentifiable and messy, with a number of deep blues and reds to violets and emerald greens. Some may call it abstract, I call it crap.

At the very end of the massive circular room sat Captain Latanica in a chair that seemed like it was owned by royalty. His model was black and ghastly, aside from the stained white naval jacket that seemed to hang from his figure. Shimmering golden buttons lined the fold of his jacket where the two sides connected. His head was unusually large, with a standard naval hat sitting on top. His eyes were round balls of glowing red. A wide sneer seemed to be plastered to his face, his teeth were unusually white and notably sharp.

As he stood to greet us, I noticed his enormous boulders of hands that were covered in stained white gloves. He was massive, towering over everyone, including Maxis. His head almost touched the ceiling of the room, missing it surely by just a few feet. Surprisingly, he had no legs. Although, what can you really expect from a ghost?

He reached down to grasp his weapon, the lantern, with his right hand. Its golden box shape was illuminated by a blinding orange flame that blazed through the glass.

I felt everyone around me tense up, taking a few steps back. We all looked towards Maxis, who had a blank expression on his face. It was obvious that he hadn't expected the enormity of Latanica, but he didn't let it faze him.

"Take your places men," he said, confidently. I moved to the left side of the room with Maru and Karu, as did a solo player and a free party. I looked around to see Maxis and Atlas's party in the middle of the room, with a few soloers. On the far right was the last party of Cygnus with two other free parties.

Latanica seemed to glide, if not float, to the middle of the room. All the while keeping his devilish sneer. His lantern hung at his waist, as his arm was lazily bent forward.

Maxis shouted to the right team to charge forward. The team of Cygnus members ran towards Latanica at a slow, yet steady pace, as expected of their low speed levels. The free parties stayed back, probably learning Latanica's attack patterns.

As they barreled forward, the team broke into two, attacking the front and back of Latanica's left side.

Maxis yelled to my team to move forward, so we did in an orderly fashion. Karu to my right, a few meters back, Maru to my left, the same distance.

I met Latanica's right side with a quick combo of diagonal slashes. Karu focused on the front, Maru on the back, the safest spot. I fell back a hundred meters, darting forward and vaulting myself into the air, landing on the top of Latanica's lantern.

I viciously began to jab and slash his right hand, activating every sword skill in my arsenal. After a moment, Latanica turned his attention towards me. He swung his arm to the right, propelling me to the back wall at an amazing speed. I heard my brothers yell my name, but I was unable to respond. In the air, I turned to see the wall, bracing for impact.

I hit the wall head on with a booming thud. I was able to stand in my indention for a few seconds before I inevitably fell backwards. My vision began to fade midair, and I blacked out.

When I awoke, it was obvious I had been out for too long. My head pounded with a blunt, cold feeling. My health was almost in the yellow, but I disregarded it. My vision was cloudy, probably with either dust or tears. I held my hand in front of my face and grasped my forehead, "Son of a bitch," I groaned, "Why is it always the head?"

I regained my composure, turning my head to the right. My arm was spread away from my chest, my sword, still in my hand.

I stood with a loud groan, pushing myself to my feet. I stumbled backwards, but kept my balance. I turned around to see Latanica at the brink of yellow, phasing to red, and the mass of players, including my guild, in turmoil.

Maxis and his squad were unorganized, but maintained balance in their attacks. The squad on the right side of the wall had six members in their party when we started, now they only had five. The solo players had diminished, leaving only seven, yet the rest scattered about Latanica. The free parties seemed to be the ones that were the most confused, with their members dispersed in random areas. Yet they all crowded at the base of Latanica. My party held their position, although they had been noticeably distracted by my absence, as their health had taken a few hits.

I raced towards my brothers, drinking a small health potion, boosting me back up to nine hundred hit points.

But before I could reach them, Latanica let out a deafening screech. His lantern glowed a dim violet, the flame changed colors rapidly, passing through every color of the rainbow. The sight was stunning, and I stopped for a moment, taking in the beauty, but I quickly realized that this must be a special attack. I yelled at the top of my lungs, "Nii-chan! Ma-chan! Get back!" but my words were of no effect, and my expectation of the special attack proved to be correct.

Latanica swung his lantern above his head, bringing it down with great force. The ground shook as it smashed the area that my brothers stood.

Please, God, no.

Chills flashed through my body, and I tensed up, unable to move.

Latanica brought his lantern to his waist again, revealing a crater in the ground. Karu stood, hunched over his sword a few meters from the crater, his health was only in the yellow. He looked in my direction and faced the ground, a horrified expression grew on his face.

Maru lay on the ground, a few meters from the crater, his health meter slowly climbed to the bottom, taunting me. My eyes began to water, my fingertips shook violently as I screamed my younger brothers name. He slowly turned to face me, dirt and glowing red scratches on his young, innocent face. He gave me a weak, beautiful smile, and mumbled something I couldn't hear, as he shattered into virtual polygons.

"NO! NO, NO, NO!" I bellowed, my throat protested with sharp pains. My whole being shook violently as tears streamed down my face. I fell to my knees, bawling with my face buried in my hands. A mix of rage, terror, and grief raced through my mind. Unable to handle the power of my grief, I awkwardly stood up. Gripping my sword firmly, I yelled to the point where my voice became hoarse, and dashed forward.

My fault.

Karu yelled to me, but I blocked him out, all that matters is me and Latanica.

I lunged forward, gripping the top of the lantern. I threw my weight over the side and stood on the lantern once again. I grasped Latanica's glove, sheathed my sword, and began to climb his right arm.

If I hadn't been careless...

I could hear Maxis's faint voice, "Don't be stupid Haru-san! You don't know what you're dealing with!"

A program, I thought, Nothing but a computer program created by a murdering psychotic bastard, the same bastard that just murdered my little brother.

As I gripped and tugged on Latanica's naval coat, pulling myself upward, I looked down at the crater. Tears threatened to pour again, but I widened my eyes, stopping them. I glanced in Karu's direction, he was up against the left wall with his head in his hands, his sword on the ground next to him.

Don't blame yourself, brother. It's my fault. I felt the tears begin to take form in my eyes, I did nothing to stop them.

I forced myself to look back up, my vision was wet and clouded. I began to escalate once again, as I got closer to Latanica's shoulder, I heard the screams of the players below me. None that I recognized. They yelled in pain and despair, which became my reason to keep climbing. To put an end to everything. To get out of this death game.

My damn... fault.

I reached Latanica's shoulder and positioned my torso on top of the black shoulder pad, I threw my legs over and crouched down in an attempt to maintain balance.

If only...

I stood up and unsheathed my sword. Awkwardly stepping forward, I leaped into the air a few meters and activated Executioner's Word, giving Latanica a bright red slash on the right side of his face. He let out another blaring howl that seemed to be amplified as I was close to his mouth, although his expression never changed from the evil sneer he was programmed with.

Demon programs...

I felt his weight shift to his left and I stumbled forward, hitting his face. I pushed up with my left hand and began to mercilessly stab the area which must be the right side of his chin.

Why, I stabbed, won't, I sliced deeper and deeper, you die?!

I soon realized why his weight shifted, as his left fist came barreling at me from his front side. It hit me with a loud boom, knocking me off of his shoulder and throwing me behind him. I hit the ground with a dull thud. I felt the wind escape my lungs, spitting up virtual saliva. The freezing, blunt pains shot through my back, reaching my arms and my toes. My health began to slide down to green-yellow.

I widened my eyes in shock as I watched the behemoth turn around to face me, the first time he hadn't been facing the direction of the door to his lair, and it was probably just so he could kill me.

His left fist glowed a deep purple as he brought it down on me. I shut my eyes tightly, clenching my teeth, waiting for the blow.

Here I come, Maru.

The fist never met me, though. I opened my eyes to see Karu above me. His shadow cast over me with his sword blocking the ghost's fist. I noticed his health was quickly diminishing to the red, due to the power of the attack and his low weapon guard skill level. "Go Haru!" his voice was shaky and straining, though I hesitated to move, "NOW!" he shouted. I scrambled to my feet, lifting myself off of the ground and began to stumble away from the scene.

I turned back to see Latanica pull his fist back and unclench it. Karu faced me, shouting, but I couldn't understand him. Latanica swatted Karu with a powerful slap from his left hand, shooting Karu as if he were a projectile, towards the right wall.

"NII-CHAN!" I screamed. I heard Maxis in the backround, telling everyone to attack.

Not again, I can't lose them both... Have mercy...

He landed in one of the paintings, it tore as he hit, revealing a small nook in which he sat in for a few seconds. His face was tired and beaten, he narrowed his eyes and stared into space. His health declined at an amazing speed, he leaned forward and began to fall. In mid-air, my brother broke into thousands of shards.

My throat cried out in pain as I screamed unable to do anything else. My mouth widened and I tasted the tears that cascaded from my eyes. I began to tremble violently, grief and panic flaring in my chest. I pushed myself up against the wall, far away from Latanica and sat down, my sword beside me.

They're gone?

No, drawing my knees in and resting my head on them, I began to rock back and forth, bawling hysterically. "They..." I mumbled to myself through gasps, "No...not them and...and...mom..." I saw my mother in her casket. My father was beside me, looking into the sky, tears slowly dripping from his chin. Karu stood to my left, weeping softly. I was too young to understand what had happened, but everyone around me seemed to be crying, so I started to sob as well. Maru was still in the hospital, only a newborn. He had never met our mother, so her loss wasn't put upon him.

I remember moving in with Gram and Gramps after Karu turned eighteen. He had told Maru and I that we would be safe there. We were, until Karu discovered this game.

I stopped myself from thinking anymore. I was blaming my brother, who I just killed, for putting me in this position.

I hate myself.

I crouched, and slowly ascended to my feet.

I glanced in the direction of Latanica. His health was on the brink of being depleted with only a few centimeters of red left. I have to kill him. I have to have my revenge on this...thing.

I picked up my sword and began to pace forward. I glanced at my health, still on the brink of yellow, I disregarded it.

If I live, I die later. If I die now, I'll be with them.

I yelled to the others to stay back, "Let," my sobbing hadn't stopped, nor did my gasps, "Me... finish him..."

A few of the solo players and the free party members shouted back, telling me to shutup and not to be selfish.

Maxis shot them a look and ordered them to stay back in a booming voice, they quickly stopped their attacks and ran back to the door, cowards.

I looked up towards Captain Latanica, who still faced the back wall where his throne sat, along with the door to the next floor. He turned his attention towards me, his eyes changed from circles to downward crescents.

I pounced forward, giving him a horizontal strike. I leaped to my left, slashing his side. I ran around his base in a circle with my Wolf's Sentence driving inside of him, leaving a bright red trail.

He let out another screech and brought his lantern down. I leaped out of the way just in time as it hit the ground, creating a cloud of dirt. I hopped on top of the golden cased lantern and began to sprint up his right arm. When I reached his shoulder, I pushed off of it with all of my force. I shifted my weight to the left, so my back was facing the ground. I struck Latanica's face with blinding speed and created a gash as I slid down his face, then his torso.

The apparition let out one of his deafening howls as he began to fall forward, his shadow fell over me as he bursted into pixels.

A screen popped up in front of me. Congratulating me on the last hit, it gifted me a ring, Apothecary's Will. I quickly stashed it in my inventory without reading the stats.

I began to walk towards the door to floor 6, when Maxis stops me, "Haru-chan," he tries to sound comforting, but I won't have it.

"Yeah?" I ask, sounding just as sour as I wanted.

He ignores my tone, "It wasn't your fault, Haru-chan," he places his hand on my shoulder, "A lot of men died here today," Awesome, another speech, he faces what's left of the crowd of players, "But their beings will not be forgotten."

I shrug his hand off and continue walking to the door. What do you know Maxis? What the hell could you possibly know about how I feel?

"Where do you think you're going, Haru-chan?" his voice is deep and strict. Oh my.

"I'm done."

"With what?"

"All of this," with that I open my menu and selected the 'Leave Guild' button. I climbed the stairs to the door, "You'll be back, Haru," I look Maxis in the eye, and he dares to smile, "You'll be back."

I race up the stairs, failing to fight back the tears and throw open the door.

Notes:

Apothecary's Will is sort of a nod to Romeo and Juliet, although the ring has a purpose the complete opposite of the Apothecary in the play. I just like the word, it's a cooler way to say pharmacist.

The mother flashback was meant to be awkward and out of place. He's remembering these visions that he'd rather not see, but his mind is forcing him to do so.