Gamer Of The Multiverse - Book One: Hope & Despair

by DeathlyJazzHands55

Jolyne Brooks, or at least that is what they go by now. A reincarnated soul thrust into a situation they have no business being involved with, like most System Users, given a System belonging to one of The Seven Warriors who served under The God Of Mischief Loki. Watch her travel The Multiverse, make friends, enemies, and perhaps more than that. (Multi-Crossover)

4. Chpt 2: School Life and Excuses

Before anyone says anything about me updating early, again, I've basically abandoned the idea of having a schedule regarding this story. Why? Because I already have a schedule for one story, and it makes it less stressful to update this story whenever it's ready to be updated rather than keeping to a stupid schedule.

Okay? Okay. Good! Now, onto the chapter!

Stay tuned for the end of the chapter to see my responses to reviews/comments!

[-Chapter 2: School Life and Excuses-]

[Opening Song: Dance In The Game – By: ZAQ]

"I miss you. I miss the both of you. That is all I wish to say, because if I say anymore, then I know I will cry. I am not allowed to cry. If I cry, then I'll be weak, and I am not allowed to be weak. I will avenge you. Mark my words, I do not care how many people I must kill, enslave, or what have you. I will make those who hurt and killed you pay deeply, and then the generation after that, and the one after that. I will not let them escape my wrath so easily." – Log entry 1019, a week after my children's premature deaths.

The light of the sun peeked through the cracks between the blackout curtains of Jolyne's bedroom, the digital alarm clock next to her bed blaring incessantly as a yawn escaped her lips. Tired eyes had a hard time opening as she slowly rose from her slumber reaching out and slamming her hand atop the infernal clock to get it to shut up.

Jolyne groaned, tossing over to the right. She only meant to go down for a nap, not fall asleep. "Oh well…" she thought, rubbing at the sides of her eyes as she slowly sat up. When she did, rather than feeling drowsy, a rush of energy pulsed through her, and whatever tiredness she had felt had all but disappeared.

For a brief moment, confusion washed over her, but it didn't last for long. "Right, I'm not normal anymore…" It was strange how that worked, but the less she questioned it, the better. Considering what she was now, it made sense. In video games, the player character never really slept. And if they did, it was skipped via a loading screen. So, ergo, that must've been what had happened.

Not to mention, in most games that had sleeping as a feature, the player character was already raring to go after waking up. There was no waiting, just an immediate burst of energy and they were ready to start whatever story-based mission or sidequest they needed to do to progress the plot. That, and if she were to guess, it was Mono's doing. He hadn't been too keen on her having slept rather than what she was "supposed" to do.

It's not like she blamed him for his opinion, nor did she think poorly of him. It was his job to pester her into getting her arse in gear. She knew why he had been so insistent on her not sleeping, but she didn't want to "throw herself to the wolves" so to speak. At least, not yet, anyway.

She would admit to herself and herself alone that, truthfully, she didn't need the sleep. She just needed some time to herself. After everything that she had experienced in such a short amount of time, the last thing she wanted to do was run through a dungeon or do some random "side-quest". Whatever that was, anyway.

"Today will be different. Maybe…" Jolyne thought, raising her arms above her head, bending back ever so slightly, before slumping forward and groaning. There was nothing better than a good stretch after waking up.

[Good morning, Jolyne. I am assuming your rest was fruitful?]

"Yeah, it was…" Jolyne replied, still getting used to the sudden burst of energy she had received. From what she could gather of the memories of the person she had replaced, they hadn't been a morning person. Not that she had the bodily experience of being that person, but it was still weird waking up and not being at least a little grouchy. "So, uh… are you responsible for… this?"

[If you mean the surge of energy, then yes, that would be true. It is my duty to get you ready for your day. Most of the hours that you have are, rather unfortunately, stuck to you being at school. Where I would normally say that you should simply ditch the school altogether, unfortunately for you, most of the important quests lurk within the campus. So do be sure to keep your eyes and ears peeled for any sort of valuable information, Jolyne.]

Humming in acknowledgement, she sat up from her bed and walked over to her dresser. She had completely forgotten that she was supposed to go to school. Once again, it was yet another thing she didn't consider that she had to do after reincarnation. But, she was still school-age, so there was no avoiding it. Not even death and rebirth would save her from the mundanity that was school.

Sliding open the first drawer, which she had assumed had undergarments and knee-high socks, her assumption had been correct. Stacked neatly one next to the other were various bras of different types and colours. Some had shoulder straps, others connected at the back via clips. Then, there were several different varieties of panties and underwear. Some were lacey, others weren't. Some had patterns around the waist, and others didn't. Some had garter straps, and others didn't.

Those last ones were weird. Why would a teenager need garter-related anything? Maybe just to look cool? Or maybe it was to fill the bareness of a skirt for school? Maybe. But still, even if that was the case it was a little weird. Then again, "she" had seen some shows where students had that, but then again those people were often seen as "sexually charged" or what have you.

"She", upon looking back at her memories, didn't strike "herself" as that kind of person. Although "she" did make the odd comment here in there. Teenagers would be teenagers, she supposed. Then again, what was she saying? She was a teenager too. Just… more reserved. More private. At least, she felt that way about herself anyway.

Moving on, there were the socks, which were smack in the middle between the bras and underwear. Some were black, some were white, others were striped white and black, and a few were themed by different animals like cats and dogs and even birds. There was even a pair of knee-high socks with the Canadian flag woven into the fabric. A part of her felt bad. It was yet another reminder to Jolyne that she wasn't whoever this person had been.

She didn't know the reason why she had these particular socks. She didn't know why she had chosen to live in this, realistically, crappy apartment. She didn't know anything about who she was supposed to be. What she was supposed to be. The only thing she had to go off of were patchy memories, and what Mono told her.

"Stop it… Just stop it. There's no point to go over this again," Jolyne dismissed. The last thing she wanted to do was spiral into another depression pit again like she had yesterday and sap all of the excitement she had. Well, whatever excitement she had left, anyway.

Taking what she needed from the first drawer, Jolyne closed it and moved on to the second one. Upon opening it she was greeted with several button-up white shirts and a few brown button-up blazers with the crest for Hopes Peak Academy, each folded into their own pile—the shirts on the left and the blazers on the right.

As for the crest, it looked to be a thunderbolt and a pen overlapping one another, with the thunderbolt having a red background and the pen having a black background, with the colours of the backgrounds swapped for the objects; the pen red, and the thunderbolt white. Above and beneath the two objects encompassing the whole insignia were leaf-ring motifs that were common to see with Greek symbolism to refer to royalty.

The school must have thought highly of itself to have put that on its crest. She just hoped that it lived up to that. Even if she was in what was considered the reserve course and not the main course, if the school truly cared about "bringing hope to the next generation" as Kirigiri had so boldly claimed it did, then the reserve course would be just as well-funded as the main course.

If it wasn't, then they would be hypocrites. And if there was one thing that Jolyne hated, it was hypocritical people. Saying one thing, meaning another, and then doing something else entirely. And she knew for a fact that was her opinion, and not whoever she had replaced's opinion. Then again, she would assume that most sane people had that opinion, anyway.

She took what she needed from the second drawer, closed it, and moved on. The third drawer was filled with several unpinned frilled skirts that clipped together with metal buttons. Three sat in the drawer, and took up the whole thing, meaning she would have no choice but to do laundry on Sunday, which was coming up thankfully in the next two days. Once again, drawing upon the memories of the person whom she had replaced, Japanese schools only had one-day weekends, that being on Sunday.

While it varied from school district to school district, 90% of the schools that existed were this way. At least, in Japan anyway. If there was one thing that both herself and the person she had replaced preferred, it was the two-day weekends in Western Schools. It gave people more time to relax and focus on things outside of school. But considering the work-driven society that was Japan, it fit for them to only have one day weekends—even if it was stupid.

After taking what she needed from the third drawer before she left her room, she stopped just before the door, looked back at her dresser, and frowned. There was still a fourth drawer, and she couldn't help being curious. She didn't know why she was curious, but she was. Maybe there was something important in there, or maybe there wasn't. She blamed her curiosity for her sudden surge of intrigue.

What lurked beyond the drawer? What could be so alluring that she had stopped herself from moving to look at it? Was it really important, or was it just a random urge she suddenly got?

She didn't know. But all she knew was that she was curious. The question was, did she open it?

What was the drawer for? She didn't know, and it bugged her. Everything else was already in the other drawers, so what could possibly be in this one? The common sense answer was that it was for regular clothing other than what she needed for her school uniform. But, that was boring. Then again, this was just a normal world with no magical items or anything of the sort. So that was what it had to be. After all, what else would it be? Either that or it could have been empty. Still, there was no harm in checking it out.

And so, out of curiosity, after she put the clothes that she needed for the day on her bed, she opened the fourth drawer. Slowly, she grabbed the handle and pulled. It was like opening a treasure chest, the anticipation fluttering throughout her body. She found herself getting briefly excited. Maybe there was something for her from Mono, or whatever.

After all, curiosity often led to the greatest treasures, or so they say. But, after opening the drawer, and seeing the first thing that was in it, she immediately closed it. Why? Because in there she saw the base of a dark blue dildo—and she knew it was a dildo, unless the previous person who she had replaced collected flattened balls and coloured them different, which would've been a twist she hadn't seen coming, then it was definitely a dildo. It had caused her to be immediately embarrassed, her face flushing red in the process as the image burned itself into her mind.

Why on Earth was there a dildo in her dresser?! Well, she knew why she would have a dildo in her dresser, she wasn't stupid, but that wasn't what she meant. She meant why was it in her dresser and not somewhere else more discrete?!

What if she had guests over and she asked them to get her a pair of socks, and they opened the fourth drawer instead of the first?! It was just stupid, and it was like whoever she had replaced wanted to get caught. She looked over to the bedside table and saw that there was no drawer on it, which, yet again, was stupid.

She would've made the argument to have them, you know, next to the bed for convenience's sake. But, with the lack of a drawer on the bedside table, she gave up the argument before it even exited her mouth.

After calming down, her face no longer being redder than a tomato and hotter than a burning element, she took a second to rationalize what it was she had seen. It wasn't hard to put two and two together. From the garter-strapped underwear to the sex toy in her drawer, whoever she had replaced had been a rather precarious individual.

"Why, Loki, Why!? Why on earth did I have to replace a degenerate?!" Jolyne thought, sitting next to the clothes on her bed as she cupped her face in her hands. This was not the kind of information that she needed to know about. Why couldn't it have been something wholesome? Like family photos or hell, even a rock collection.

Although she had to admit, she was a little curious to see what else lurked in the dresser. For all she knew, it was just a miscellaneous drawer and she just so happened to have seen a dildo in there. Besides, there was nothing wrong with having a sex toy. It was completely normal to have one. It just shocked her that she had one. Maybe she didn't replace a degenerate? Maybe she was overreacting?

And so, with a sense of hopeful bliss, she re-opened the drawer, frowning when she did, immediately proving herself wrong. There was nothing else in there except sex toys of various designs.

There was the aforementioned dildo, dark blue in colour and measuring out from the base to the tip to be at least six inches. The shaft of the toy was ribbed and nubbed from the base to just underneath the tip. Next to it was a two-pronged vibrator-looking contraption, which was about the size of her thumb and index finger. It was bright pink and looked a little weird, and next to it was a dial control that went from 1 to 5. That was probably the first time she had ever seen one of those before.

Another one of the many items inside the dresser was another, smaller-looking patch-like device. Once again, she had no idea what it was for, but it too also had a dial that measured from 1 to 5 like the other dial, but this time it was actually on the device, and it was tap-based. The last thing was something she was able to recognize, that being a few butt plugs.

Why on earth did she need butt plugs? It made no sense, but then again nothing in the drawer made sense. Thankfully, those items weren't the only things that she had in there. There were also a few normal items in there, such as a wallet, deodorant and anti-persperant. There was also some lubricant, which she already knew was for the dildo, but strangely enough, there was one other thing inside the drawer that didn't make a lick of sense to Jolyne.

The other stuff she could understand. They were all, to some extent, female sex toys. Loneliness was one hell of a depressant, so sometimes to stimulate life one had to have toys to play with to keep themselves distracted. It was only natural, and while some might not be into the whole thing, both in her previous life and her current life, she was—at least, she thought so anyway, because who wouldn't be?

Well, no, there were probably a few people who didn't feel that way on both ends of the spectrum, but that was a topic for a different time, as it was irrelevant to the current situation. Point was, she wasn't blind to the reason why someone would own a sex toy or two, male or female.

But, for the life of her, she couldn't understand why on earth in her drawer, there lurked six packs of unopened, still sealed, condoms. They laid flat against the side of the drawer, taped there for some reason or another, meanwhile, the rest of the obvious stuff was visible and was clear as day. So why weren't the condoms? And better yet, why did she have condoms?!

"Why would I, a teenage girl, have condoms?" Jolyne thought, counting six packages, all of which were stuck together and there were no tears on either end, meaning none of them had been used or attempted to have been used.

An idea, though but brief, came to her mind. Was the person who she had replaced sexually active and was with someone? And with whom? And why?

Of course, the idea that she might have replaced a gay guy who happened to cross-dress and or was exploring their sexuality came to mind, but she quickly discarded the idea when taking into account the vibrator that was meant to be inserted into oneself reminded her of its existence. Not that she would judge if she had replaced a gay guy who liked to cross-dress. She'd be a bit hypocritical if she had. After all, she was bi-sexual herself, even if she had a preference for the opposite sex.

To judge someone based on their preference or what they found to be comfortable was just stupid. It would be like being a feminist, who excluded trans-women from their movement, based solely on the fact that they used to be, at least physically, a man, when now they clearly weren't, and looked exactly like how a woman would, if not a little bit bigger in the frame, or if they were missing a few surgeries.

That aside, it still bamboozled her, leaving her with no answer to the condoms. And assuming that she had replaced someone who was in an active relationship, it also brought up yet another thing that rubbed her the wrong way.

She had, essentially, stolen someone else's relationship if there was one. And it wasn't as if she could just say "Hey, just so you know, I'm not the same person you were dating. I might look and sound like them, but I'm not. Sorry! Still want to go on that coffee date?" because that would make her look insane.

Of course, on the chance that that hadn't been the case, of which she would be greatly pleased, that still didn't answer her question regarding the condoms. If the person she had replaced was single, she could maybe conclude that she had them around for a "just in case" scenario, but that was a weak argument.

"Whatever, stop focusing on the stupid thing. It's a question that won't be answered any time soon, so maybe take your damn mind off of it!" Jolyne chastised herself, slumping back down onto the bed.

She really hated that part of herself. Where she would hyper-fixate on something to the point where all other rational thought flew out the window. Maybe she inherited it from the person she replaced? Or maybe that was something that was authentically her. Regardless, it was annoying, and she didn't like it.

Her vision lingered in the drawer full of sex toys. She could feel her face heat up again. Jolyne didn't know why that was—well, no, she knew why. It was embarrassing to wake up in a new body of whom you replaced the life of and find out that they were a horny degenerate, and then proceed to feel nearly the same way about said objects.

"Maybe I can use these later…" Jolyne thought, before closing the bottom drawer, picking up the clothes from beside her bed, and moving on. While she was a little ashamed of herself, she was still a teenager after all. Hormones were still a problem, and it wasn't like she would be lying to herself when she thought that the idea of "playing around" with the toys didn't strike her curiosity.

She blamed the fact that she was touch-starved. Whether or not that was an effect of the person she had replaced, or one of the very few things her past self had imprinted on her soul was up in the air. Although, if there was anything that she had regretted before dying, it was the fact that she had died a virgin. Or at least, she thought she had died a virgin.

"Stupid memory fog…. Damn you, Loki, you piece of shit!" Jolyne cursed, before moving swiftly on, to something more important. That being that it was a little weird that all she had in her drawers was school-related clothing. Then again, Loki gave that hoodie and pair of sweatpants to her for a reason. Maybe he knew ahead of time that where she was going would have a lack of variety when it came to clothing. Or, perhaps that was just wishful thinking.

Putting the clothes she needed to change into, into her inventory, she removed the other clothes off of herself via her inventory and then placed what she needed to have on in the correct slots. The layout was a little weird, mostly because it looked like something she had never seen before in any videogame, except for maybe Minecraft.

There was a picture of herself that moved in the same way she moved in the center of the screen. On the left-hand side of the screen, there was a bar of clothing slots labelled "underwear." Next to that, there was a bar of clothing slots labelled "clothing," and next to that there was a bar of armour slots labelled "armour."

On the right-hand side of the screen, there was a row of slots labelled "rings" and each row, of which there were two, had ten slots, presumably one for each finger. Then, there was another row next to the ring slots called "talismans." She had no idea of what to think of the stuff on the right, but seeing as it wasn't relevant at the moment, she kept to the stuff on the left.

After equipping everything, and giving herself a look through the avatar in the center of the inventory screen, she had to admit that she didn't look half bad in the school uniform. The thing she had been most worried about was her skirt, which thankfully had covered up to the end of her thighs, exposing only a little bit of skin with her knee-length socks doing the rest. Even better, the front of the skirt was reinforced, which meant it wouldn't randomly flip up if a particularly strong gust of wind came through.

As for her tank top, shorts, and dirty undergarments, they sat on the floor in front of her dresser. She considered picking them up but decided against it. She'd do it later when she got home from school. After all, once she gave the clock a gander, she realized that it was already 8:00 in the morning.

Without missing a beat, she walked out of her bedroom and saw the hoodie and pair of sweatpants sitting on the floor still. A part of her wondered if she actually had to clean her clothes, or if Mono could just snap his metaphorical fingers and have them be done. Then again, it would be kind of rude to ask someone else to do her laundry for her, even if it was just an AI or whatever Mono had been.

Just as she was about to walk into the kitchen to see if she would get something to drink, like maybe instant coffee—she knew there probably wasn't anything like that in there, but it didn't hurt to check—a rumbling sound came from where her sweatpants had been haphazardly thrown on the floor. Looking over in that direction, Jolyne walked over and picked up the pair of pants, before reaching into the pocket to find a cell phone.

Since when did she have a cell phone? Maybe that had been Mono's doing, or perhaps even Loki's. Or, maybe she had one this entire time and had merely forgotten? Whatever the case was, she didn't care, as that wasn't important. What was important was the person who had been calling her. It was an unfamiliar number, but the name was familiar, as Kirigiri had mentioned it when they had talked yesterday.

"Hinata Hajime… yeah, I should probably answer that," Jolyne muttered, staring at the screen. The contact had an old-style heart emoji next to the name—the one with a less-than-equal sign and the number three next to it.

That already didn't bode well when it came to her previous concern regarding the person she had replaced being in a relationship. She hoped to The Almighty it was just a quirky little thing to add at the end of a friend's name in a contacts list. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized she was probably wrong.

"Well, this can either go one of two ways. Incredibly good, or incredibly bad…" Jolyne thought, sucking in a deep breath, before swiping up on the green pick-up button and putting the phone to her ear and exhaling a response, "Hello?"

"Brooks? Is that you?"

"Who else would it be? Uh, don't mean to be rude, but, remind me who you are again?" Jolyne asked, a nervous edge to her voice as she spoke, something that Hinata seemed to pick up on instantly.

"Right. The Headmaster had said something about you not remembering much of anything…. Well, in that case, I'm Hinata Hajime. We were… friends before the incident." The way how Hinata said "friends" implied something else, especially considering he had to pause and think before finishing the sentence like he was omitting something. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

She wouldn't push it. Jolyne didn't know what their previous relationship was like, but it might have been able to explain the condoms—though, for that one, she was just spitballing. For her mental health, she didn't want to assume that. But, if that was the case, it also explained why Hinata had said what he had said the way he had said it. Because he was holding back information that might have made the call feel awkward. And if it was what she thought it was….

"Stop, just stop! Focus on the call, think about this afterward," Jolyne thought, silently clearing her throat as she spoke. "I see… well then, Hinata. Or Hajime? Uh… does it matter?"

"Not really, no. Call me whatever makes you feel comfortable."

"Hajime it is, then," Jolyne said, sighing. Nervousness built up in her chest. She didn't know why, but this didn't feel right. It was hard to talk to someone when you didn't know what they looked like. So, in lieu of that…. "Look, why don't we meet at the gates of the Reserve Course Building? I'm not a big fan of talking over the phone," Jolyne said as a mirthless chuckle echoed from the other end, and she could've sworn she heard a "just like she used to" before he cleared his throat.

"That's perfectly fine. See you then, Brooks." And with that, Hajime hung up the phone. At the end, she could've sworn that he was on the verge of tears, as his voice had cracked up a little when he had said her name. And if that hadn't told her all that she needed to know, then she'd have to be extremely stupid, but she wasn't stupid, and she knew exactly what that meant.

It was obvious, now more than ever, that not only did she replace someone and take over their life, but she had also replaced someone's significant other. She had replaced someone close to Hajime, and that, more than anything, made her non-existent stomach tie into several knots. A feeling of nausea washed over her as she cupped the side of her head, a dizzying sensation following up after it.

It was official, "her new life" wasn't hers. It was someone else's that she had stolen. She knew that was the case, and a part of her felt bad because it wasn't right, but she believed that there was at least some silver lining. But now? Now with what happened at the end of that phone call? Hearing how Hajime sounded at the end there, it was clear to Jolyne that there was no silver lining.

And what was worse? She couldn't change a damn thing. She couldn't reverse anything. She couldn't bring back who it was that used to live in this apartment. She couldn't say "Sorry, let me change some things real quick" and bring back who Hajime had more than likely loved, either as a sister, brother, or romantic partner.

Jolyne Brooks had completely, utterly, and swiftly stolen the life of someone else. And there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.

It made her feel sick. What was she supposed to do? There was nothing that she could do. What was done was done. End of story. The only thing that she could possibly think of was maybe rekindling the relationship that Hajime and "her" used to have. But that left a dirty taste in her mouth.

And then, a pop-up came into her line of sight.

[Timed Quest: Save Hinata Hajime From His Fate]

[Difficulty: Impossible]

[Man Will Try To Play God. Do Not Let Them.]

[Rewards: 300,000 EXP, 1 Legendary Armour Set, 1 Legendary Weapon]

[Time Left: 2 months, 12 days, and 12 hours remaining]

"Are you fucking kidding me, Mono?!" Jolyne snapped, earning an instant response from him.

[What is the problem, Jolyne?]

"What's the problem?! Do you have, like, zero tact?! After what I just heard, and after everything that just happened, you decide to give me a quest?! Regarding the guy who is most likely literally having a mental health crisis because the person who he loved is gone?!"

[I am merely trying to inform you of what is going on, and what will happen if you do not do something. Is that so wrong?]

Jolyne sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She calmed herself, taking a deep breath, before exhaling and letting go of her nose. She shouldn't be getting angry at Mono. He most likely didn't know any better. He was a machine, after all. A machine with personality, yes, but a machine nonetheless. "No, Mono…. You just need to have better timing. Look, I'm sorry for getting angry, but please, for the love of The Almighty, can you please at least say something?"

[I understand. I will try to have more "tact" as you refer to it. On another note, would you like your current status with "Hajime Hinata" to be displayed to you, so you may get an understanding of what the situation is?]

"Sure," Jolyne replied, slightly dejected. A part of her brain wanted confirmation that all of what she had thought up to this point was just the machinations of her imagination running wild. But, as soon as she asked to see what her relationship status with Hajime was, and as soon as the Quest alert disappeared what she saw in its place not only doubled down on her previous assumption, it triple and quadruple downed.

[Name: Hajime Hinata]

[Title: Mr. Regular]

[Status: Friend]

[Affection Rating: 50/150]

[Opinion of you: A great friend. Was once something more, but that is long gone after "the incident." Wishes to still at least be friends, if that is even possible.]

[Lvl: 5]

[HP: 250]

"I…" The screen disappeared before Jolyne could finish her sentence. She felt awful, now more than ever. It wasn't fair. Not to Hajime, and not to her, but mostly Hajime. She wanted to cry—damnit, she wanted to cry but she couldn't. It wasn't right for her to cry, because she had no reason to cry. She was lamenting over a loss that didn't even affect her.

And yet, in some strange, stupid way, it did. It really shouldn't have, but it did. As if everything else had essentially led up to this—she knew it was true, but she hadn't wanted to accept it. Now, she had no choice. She was staring the truth in the eyes and it burned.

Or, maybe that was just the corners of her eyes burning, as she tried to hold back the tears of regret. Regret for taking away so much knowing so little, and not being able to give back what she had unknowingly taken.

[I sense that you are upset, Jolyne. Are you alright?]

"It's not fair…" Jolyne muttered, struggling to keep herself from crying. She could already feel her legs beginning to turn to mush. "I… I stole a person's life away, and I stole someone's lover away from them…. That… that's not fair…."

[The Universe is never fair, Jolyne,] Mono began, pausing for a second before continuing. [If you can believe it, I was immensely upset when the previous user perished. I had grown attached to them. More so than to any other user in my long, long life. I can not explain why without getting… I believe the mortal term is "upset" but just know that my previous user and I had built a bond far deeper than any other user before him. And while I do not feel the same emotions as you mortals do, I still feel emotion, if only stunted. But what you must understand, Jolyne, is that even though you "stole" that person's life, you are also continuing it.]

Jolyne blinked, brushing aside the tears welling up in her eyes. "What?"

[Allow me to give you some forbidden knowledge. The person who you had replaced was going to die. Regardless of what medical attention they received. Regardless of what care they had done to them. They would not have made it. They would have died. Do you not think that it would leave Hajime even more devastated to have permanently lost the person he had loved? Or, would you believe that it would be better if he had the chance to have another relationship with "the same person" only slightly different?]

[If nothing else, take solus in the fact that you are, essentially, giving Hajime Hinata another chance at having a life with the person who he cared about. And, you will gain something from it as well. Provided of course you can steer the course of fate, and save him from the greed of man.]

She wanted to call Mono stupid for even thinking that was even remotely possible. But, brushing aside the emotions she was feeling, and critically thinking about what he was saying, she realized that he wasn't wrong.

Technically, she was doing all of those things. And, if what he had said was true, that the person who she had replaced was fated to die, then maybe this whole thing wasn't so bad. Then maybe, just maybe, there was some silver lining after all.

Pushing that aside, Jolyne walked over to the entrance of her apartment, skipping past the kitchen, and going over to put on her boots. The last thing she wanted to do was to forget those before heading to school. It would've been embarrassing, and the last thing she wanted to be was embarrassed about forgetting something so basic.

As she put on her boots, one thing about what Mono had said that caused a slight shiver to crawl up her spine. It had to do with the quest she had received. The "Save Hinata Hajime from his fate" quest. What did that mean? What was his fate? Why did he need saving from it? Was he going to die? That thought… the thought of Hajime dying, despite not knowing who he was on a personal level, did not sit right with her.

Maybe it was because of what she knew of him, and what "she" supposedly was to him, that made her feel a sense of concern for Hajime, or maybe it was basic human empathy that made her feel such things. Whatever the case was, the idea of Hajime dying and her potentially being able to save him, despite the quest's difficulty being labelled as impossible, made her want to tackle it head-on.

If there was anything, anything at all that she could do to save him from whatever his fate was, she'd do it. Perhaps it was childish, but she was a child, damnit, and she wanted at least something optimistic to think about after the cavalcade of depression that had hit her as of late.

But, that still didn't alleviate her concerns. What was she trying to save Hajime from? No, the quest made it sound like she was saving him from someone rather than something. And it all culminated with one question. One she needed to have an answer for.

"What… is going to happen to Hajime if I don't save him?" Jolyne asked, worry in her voice. She had fully calmed down from her brief panic attack, and rather than focus on something less depressing, she focused on what Mono had said about "the greed of man" and what that could have entailed. It didn't paint a pretty picture, that was for sure. And Mono's answer didn't help, either.

[I cannot tell you. I wish I could, but I cannot. I am bound by the laws of The Multiverse just as much as any other being. I am also not allowed to "spoil" things for you. This is structured like a video game, after all. Even if you ask me over and over again, I will not tell you what could happen. All you have to know, Jolyne, is that you do not want his "fate" to happen to him. It would end badly. Very, very badly. For everyone involved.]

Jolyne swallowed her pride, sighing out the last bit of frustration that she could feasibly muster for today. If Mono was going to be so insistent on that, then so be it. Who was she to push him for answers? After all, if he wasn't allowed to say anything, there wasn't anything that she could do about it.

She looked down at her phone, frowning. It was 8:15 now, meaning she was probably close to being late. Even if it wasn't nearly as important as everything else at the moment, the last thing she wanted to be was late for school. "So, uh, where's all my school supplies?" Jolyne asked aloud, glancing around the apartment. She decided to forgo the idea of instant coffee or having a cup of tea before leaving. That would just waste time that she didn't have.

[It is all in your locker at school. It is the first locker in the third interior row on the right. Would you like me to teleport you to the gates of Hope's Peak Academy's Reserve Course Building?]

"Yeah, why not."

[Very well. Before I do, may I suggest doing some dungeon runs after school? You are still incredibly weak, and I do not wish to repeat myself from yesterday. I believe that I have made myself clear on my stance on wasting the valuable time that you have. You may not know it, but you have less time than you think you have to get as strong as possible.]

Jolyne went to retort but decided against it. She already had a headache, and the last thing she wanted to do was get into an argument with Mono. She understood, if only somewhat, where he was coming from. After all, it was his job to ensure that she was prepared for the worst. But, in the same vein, was she really ready to throw herself into the fire already?

Did she even have what it takes?

"I…"Jolyne began, pursing her lips in the process. She didn't want to make Mono mad, but at the same time, she didn't feel like she was ready to do whatever a Dungeon Run was. She wouldn't know until she tried, of course, but that didn't mean she was ready for it. She was at a crossroads, and one she wasn't really ready to make a decision on yet. Not in her mind, at least. "I don't know…. Give me some time to think about it, please?"

The silence that Mono gave her in return for that answer made her feel more than a little bad. And it was even further compounded by the jolt of electricity that passed through her, and it hurt. It made her clench the side of her head and grit her teeth to stop herself from yelping in pain, as if to tell her "You picked wrong" and that was even further compounded by Mono's response.

[What more is there to think about? I will only tell you this one more time, and believe me when I tell you, you do not want me to tell you a third: Whether you like it or not, you need to get stronger. You need to become powerful. I am not going to let you laze about and do nothing.] Mono paused, briefly, before continuing his response. [But, if you need to think about it, you have until the end of the day to give me an answer. But, tomorrow, if you do not have an answer for me, I will not be so kind.]

She could tell he was annoyed just by the wording, but the monotone that was his voice made it difficult. That aside, if that was him being kind, she didn't want to know what his being rude was. That jolt of electricity, while it didn't do any damage to her, made her want to curl up into a ball and stay there for an hour straight. The only reason she didn't was because she didn't want him to get the wrong impression.

So, rather than argue with him or curse him out for shocking her, she hummed in acknowledgement, and as soon as she did, she found herself no longer standing in the middle of her living room, but rather, facing the opened gates of The Reserve Course Building.

The moment she realized where she was, she found herself surrounded by loud chatter of students entering the campus. It was a buzz and full of life, and the sudden loud noise made Jolyne flinch, but afterward, she began to observe her surroundings, and what she found was very interesting, to say the least.

There were so many people of different heights, sizes, hair colour and skin colour. Various ages of about 16 to 18 walked past her, each with various appearances and accessories on their uniforms. Small groups and large groups walked together. Some with expressions on their face that showed complacency with their lot in life, while others had the complete opposite, frowning that they had to go to this school and not the other one.

Some people were small, others were tall. Some skinny, some large. Some muscular, some overweight. Some were so thin you could see them disappearing behind a lamppost and find it believable, and others were only thin in the conventional sense. And it was all framed by the small, diminutive building that was the Reserve Course School Building, with the main, large, castle-like building looming over it.

Now that she had a chance to view the buildings, she couldn't help but feel like she was being judged. The Reserve Course building was a small, three-storey tall building. The walls were painted a light brown, with several windows on each row, save for the entrance which had an overhang held up by concrete pillars. The entrance had two sets of double doors, and the path leading up to it was concrete and spaced out. A brick wall with the aforementioned gate surrounded the building, with what appeared to be a barbed wire going overtop of it.

She didn't know why, but it gave the vibe of a standard prison. Maybe it was the barbed fences atop the brick walls or the fact that the grass looked like it was dying, or the plain brown walls with no hint of life. It shouldn't have, but it did. And it was made all the worse with The Main Course Building looming in the background.

If the Reserve Course Building was a prison, then The Main Course Building was The Watcher Tower to make sure no one escaped. It dwarfed The Reserve Course Building by a million-fold, reaching up to touch the sky, the school's insignia on display for the whole world to see. The majority of the building was a dark brown, verging on red, with a glass tower next to it. Striped black-out windows lined the building in a wrap-around, scaling the building like a serpent, with a radio tower atop it meant for some kind of signal detection.

Overall, it was far grander than any school building she had ever hoped to see in her life. It presented a kind of mysticism akin to that of a statue of a Greek God. The power it exuded was beyond anything that she had ever felt, save for when Loki appeared before her in that strange chamber she had woken up in.

It was a symbol. A symbol of hope. A symbol of all good things to come. It was no wonder why Kirigiri had described it the way that he had. At first, when he had said that spiel to her back in the recovery room, she was skeptical, but now she knew he meant every word of what he had said.

Hope's Peak Academy was a beacon of hope and was meant to drive the world in the direction toward success, producing people who would instill hope into everyone who lived and breathed. To alleviate the fears of those who believed the world was coming to an end. To strike away Despair and to replace it with a blistering, shining Hope.

Was it campy as all get out? Yeah, most definitely, but it was awe-inspiring. At least, that was the vibe she got from staring at the building. And the longer she stared, the more she wanted to go toward it—like the light at the end of the tunnel, or the guiding light of Heaven beckoning her to return to the astral plains.

"That's the Main Course Building?" Jolyne thought, her mouth slightly agape. It looked… beautiful. It was like a beacon calling out to her, and she wanted to venture toward it, but something was blocking her way—not literally, mind you, but metaphorically. As if she was so close, yet so very far. Never to touch the greatness of the massive piece of architecture till the day she died. Like humanity to the far reaches of space, something that they could never touch due to how finite their time on Earth was. She would never be able to so much as swipe her fingers across it, even only once.

And yet, comparing it with the Reserve Course Building, she couldn't help but feel disappointed. It was nothing compared to The Main Course Building. And it left a sour taste in her mouth. But, in the same breath, she couldn't call them hypocrites. It was more like this school building was a mere add-on. Nothing more, and nothing less. And that irked Jolyne, but not nearly to the degree it probably should have.

"First time?" A voice called out to her from behind, as Jolyne spun around on the heels of her boots. Most of the students were gone, save for the one behind her. The person to whom the voice belonged wore a white button-up shirt with a black tie and the school's insignia attached to the right lapel. He didn't wear the brown blazer, signalling to her that it was probably optional. Dark blue pants covered his lower half, kept up by a belt with a bronze buckle with, yet again, the school's insignia attached to it, only this time it was moulded into the metal rather than attached.

The boy was thin and lanky, yet not unappealingly so. He had messy brown hair, with a single strand of it poking upward toward the sky—an ahoge if she recalled correctly. Dark brownish green eyes carried a sense of reverence as he stared up at the main course building, a hint of jealousy and longing dancing in them, a small upturned smile on his face. His skin was stark pale, like her own, though hers was a shade darker, at least, she thought so anyway. Over his shoulder was a black bag, kind of like a purse but not at the same time, and with it being closed shut by, yet again, the school's insignia.

For a few more moments, he stared at the building behind them, before closing his eyes and exhaling, and looking back to Jolyne. "Believe me, it's not the first time I've stared at The Main Course Building. I've always dreamed of going there. You did, too, for a time," the boy said, chuckling to himself, almost like he was retelling a joke. "I'm Hajime, by the way," the boy, Hajime said, as Jolyne smiled awkwardly.

"So that's Hajime, huh…?" Jolyne thought. She had to admit, he looked pretty basic. Nothing was outstanding about him in any way. He was as average as average could get. And yet, there was something about him that radiated pure joy. Like he was a beacon of some kind, almost like the Main Course Building. The way he held himself, the way his eyes gleamed with a semblance of hope that she hadn't seen in the eyes of anyone else who had been around her.

It was charming, to say the very least, and she didn't know why. Maybe it was the last imprint of the person that she had replaced sticking to her like glue that made her think that way. Whatever it was, she found that sense of normality attractive, and rather than try to fight it, she agreed with it. Because, frankly speaking, it was. It shouldn't have been, but it was.

"There's no way that I already have a crush on him…! That's not fair!" Jolyne thought, staring at Hajime, who raised an eyebrow.

"Is everything alright, Brooks?" He asked, as Jolyne blinked.

"Uh… Hi. Um…" Jolyne muttered, clearing her throat. Why was this so damn awkward? "Uh, nice to meet you, Hajime," Jolyne said as a soft smile made its way to his face. He approached her, stopping for a brief second. He looked as if he was stopping himself from doing something, what with how his shoulders tensed.

Did she do something wrong? Was it something that she said? Had she said her thoughts out loud?! If she did…. He wasn't mad, was he? The last thing that she wanted was for her to get off to a wrong start.

Suddenly, he hugged her. It confused her, blinking rapidly as she stayed stock still. For a split second, she felt like she wanted to push him away, but decided against it, and instead, she hugged him back, slowly wrapping her arms around the center of his back. He squeezed her, but not painfully. It was almost as if he was trying to say "Don't leave me, ever again" and she wished she could do the same, but it was harder to do. Not because she didn't want to, but because it didn't feel right.

She felt bad. No, scratch that, she felt awful, but there was no point lingering on that. She had already done enough of that for one day, and the last thing she wanted to do was get depressed. Again.

On the other hand, she could smell the deodorant he was using. It was a rich, almost oceanic smell that reminded her of ocean water—but not the smelly kind. The kind that people would romanticize, or describe in romance novels. It was kind of nice, at least, she thought so anyway. After a moment or two, the pair parted. There was an embarrassed look on Hajime's face, rubbing the back of his neck as he spoke.

"I, uh… I'm sorry if I caught you off guard. I was just—"

"No, no, it's alright," Jolyne interrupted, waving his concerns away with a dismissive hand wave. "I mean, it's not like we aren't friends, yeah? Or, well, we're supposed to be friends. I don't see anything wrong with hugging." As she said that, Hajime practically beamed. His smile was so damn precious that it made her heart beat a little faster.

"I… I'm glad you think that way," as he said that, he glanced out over to the Reserve Course Building, clearing his throat once again. "Let's get to class. We're going to be late, and I doubt you want to be late on your first day back," Hajime said, walking past her as Jolyne followed. He was right, that was the last thing she wanted to do, at least, socially anyway.

Being known for being late on her first day back at school? While as unimportant as that sounded in the grand scheme of things, and it was, personally she'd rather avoid that kind of thing. Though, once again, that got her thinking about what kind of person "she" used to be. After all, knowing what she did now, maybe she was known as the school pervert.

"Oh god, please no. That's the last thing I want," Jolyne thought to herself, a slight tinge of red colouring her cheeks. If there was one thing you just didn't want to be known as, aside from the person who didn't stand up for oneself, it was the school pervert. That would get you into a lot of trouble, and if that truly had been her reputation before her "accident" so to speak, then that would sink any kind of chance she had at repairing any kind of connection or making any new ones

Then again, she was probably just overthinking things. After all, she had a tendency to do that if earlier didn't prove that to her.

When they got to the entrance, they took their shoes off and replaced them with their school shoes, and then went to their lockers—conveniently, they were right next to each other—and after that, they made their way to their classroom, which according to her mini-map was on the second floor.

The walk to class was a silent one, no words exchanged between the pair. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, or a sad one. It was just a regular silence. Well, it wasn't silent per se, what with everyone talking in the halls, laughing and bickering with one another. Once again, she felt a little weird about how normal everything and everyone else was, and how different she was.

For a split second, a thought came to her mind. Technically, if she wanted to, if she had taken Mono's advice to heart and trained every waking moment of her new existence, she would probably be strong enough to take over the world, or even destroy it. Not that she would do that, mind you, but it was a possibility nonetheless.

It's not like anyone here could feasibly stop her, aside from Mono or Loki, that was. But then again, would they even try to stop her? Or would they see it as her doing what needed to be done to get stronger? She honestly didn't know, and frankly, she didn't want to find out. If there was one thing you just didn't do, it was messing around with a God and pushing their buttons. That was a guaranteed one-way all-expenses-paid trip to Deathville, population her.

After that little thought answered itself, she found herself staring at the entrance to her classroom—class 2-C. The "2" must've meant that she was in the second year, which must've meant her birthday was coming up considering most second years were either just turning 17 or close to turning 18. As for when her birthday was, she didn't remember. And upon consulting "her memories", trying to find when her birthday was, she was greeted with nothing. "Oh well, I'll find out eventually…. It's not like it's important," Jolyne thought as Hajime gestured for her to enter the classroom after opening the door.

She smiled at his kindness, before staring down the entrance. A bit of anxiety built up in her chest before it quickly faded away. There was no need to be nervous. She would be fine. It wasn't like everyone was going to start throwing insults at her for no reason. This wasn't a sitcom or a live play, or anything like that.

Upon entering the room, immediately, she felt all eyes land on her, and it was not a comfortable feeling. Green, black, blue, and brown eyes stared her down, varying expressions on their faces as they stared at her. Some had narrowed eyes, others were shocked, and few with no emotion at all. Hajime silently ducked from behind her and went to his seat facing the back, leaving her standing at the entrance of the classroom all by herself.

The teacher, who appeared to be an average-looking middle-aged man with brown hair, brown eyes, and sunkissed skin stared at her, arms crossed. He was dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans, held up by a black leather belt with a silver buckle. He also had a pair of glasses on his face, with the name "Takamura" being written on the chalkboard behind him.

"Ah, there you are," Takamura began, a frown present on his face as he stared her down with equal parts disinterest and disgust. "The Headmaster said you would be arriving today. Frankly, after your little stunt, I should have you removed from my class. But because he was so insistent on giving you leeway, I'll let it slide. But do it again, and impact this school's reputation again, and there will be consequences, am I understood, Brooks?"

Jolyne bit her tongue, stopping herself from saying anything stupid. "Stunt? Stunt?! According to your boss, I apparently attempted suicide and you call it a stunt?!" Jolyne thought, closing her eyes so as to hide her obvious outrage. Instead, she bowed deeply, as per "her memories" signalling to her that it was a sign of apology, and muttered out an apology, something that Takamura scoffed at.

"Do you mind reintroducing yourself to the class? From what I heard, you have amnesia. You're essentially a new person, so I might as well treat you as such. Come now, hurry up, you're wasting time," Takamura said, turning to face the class as Jolyne stood up straight and walked to stand in front of the chalkboard. When she stood next to him, it took everything within her to not stomp his foot, but she held herself back, if only barely.

Approaching the front of the class, the eyes of everyone staring her down like a gaggle of hawks to prey as she cleared her throat, she bowed ever so slightly before speaking. "Hello, I'm Jolyne Brooks. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

She was met with silence, as Takamura gestured for her to take a seat, and upon following where he was gesturing, the seat in question was beside Hajime to the left, facing the window and another girl to her right. As she went to take her seat, she glanced over at the girl whom she sat next to and was met with yet another example of how normal everyone around her was.

The girl in question had bright blonde hair with pale skin and a permanent blush. She was dressed in the Hope's Peak Academy school uniform similar to her own but without the blazer, along with the same colour red skirt that stopped just at the edge of her thighs. Though, unlike Jolyne, she was wearing ankle socks, showing more skin than Jolyne did.

From a glance, she couldn't tell what her height was, although the opposite was true when it came to her weight, as it was clear that she was a little on the underweight side of things. It wasn't healthy to look as thin as she did, but then again, looks could be deceiving. For all she knew, the blonde next to her was extremely physically strong but was masking it under the veneer of scrawniness.

Piercing green eyes glanced at her, giving Jolyne a single once over, before narrowing with an occupying scowl. If it weren't for the blonde hair and the normal pupils, she would've assumed that she was staring at the same person. It was a little surreal, but that was beside the point. She gave off a rather hostile aura, the kind you'd feel off of a punk.

Much like Hajime, she looked painfully average, and also like Hajime, she found that to be attractive, but a little less so due to the scowl. Furthermore, there was a veil of hesitancy to so much as even look at her due to the aura she gave off. It was like staring at someone who hated your guts for the sole reason of "just because" and no other reason beyond that.

Looking away from the blonde teen, Jolyne stared straight ahead, as the teacher began to speak, starting today's lesson with the same amount of excitement a tired gym teacher would give when talking about mathematics.

A looming sense of disappointment washed over Jolyne, as she realized that this was probably going to be the most boring thing that she had ever signed up for. At first, she was excited, but now? Not so much. Thus, her first day at Hope's Peak Academy began without any kind of fanfare, whatsoever, and she could only begin to see it getting worse from here.

[XXXX]

Hyakujushi Bank, Shinjuku Branch—one of the most trusted banks in Shinjuku. It stood tall, ranging from 15 storeys tall, though most of that space was taken up with offices for different upstart companies. It overlooked a large chunk of the city as if to say that it had everyone's backs and that they could be trusted with their money. As for its build quality, the building was made out of sturdy concrete, with glass all being bulletproof.

Why was it bulletproof? Well, it was just a precaution. Even though crime rates in Shinjuku have been on the decline, one could never be too careful. But, there was another reason, and if one were local to Japan, or paid attention to the news, the answer was quite obvious—earthquakes.

Earthquakes were very common in Japan, and seeing as bulletproof glass was very sturdy, it would only make sense to have it rather than standard, flimsy, cheap glass. Further supported by the fact that one had happened recently—a 4.4 on the Rictor scale. Not a devastating quake, but still one that could cause property damage. And yet, Hyakujushi Bank stood firm, without even a single crack in the infrastructure.

People walked to and from the building, not suspecting a single thing. After all, why would they? This was Shinjuku—one of the most, if not the safest part of Tokyo! There was no need to fear about any criminal activity. However, it didn't help that most of it was scared off by The Kuzuryu Clan, and while that didn't alleviate all the worries that most of the population had, it was a start.

The police were still trying to find a way to weed out all crime, including The Kuzuryu Clan. But, that was proving difficult nowadays, what with all the upstart gangs that had been popping up recently. They were showing up faster than The Kuzuryu Clan could squash them out, even with the help of the police.

Besides that, though, it was generally safe to say that Shinjuku was a safe place. There was no reason to feel as if anyone was in danger, both because they had legal protection and under-the-table protection from wannabe gangs and upstarts. It was safe to say that, if you were worried about criminal activity, then Shinjuku was the place to be because there was nothing to worry about.

And so that was why, as a bright red light began to form behind the glass entranceway of the Hyakujushi Bank, no one really paid attention until it was far too late. A loud, deafening boom followed by a large, nearly 10-foot-wide fireball exploded from the entranceway of the Hyakujushi bank, as the sound of multiple bombs blowing up all at oncereverberated throughout the streets, civilians ducking for cover in response.

Glass shards went flying all over the place with chunks of concrete uplifting and flying into nearby cars, causing massive property damage in the process. The explosion was so loud that it caused the adjacent building's windows to shatter as well, which didn't bode well for the people inside the bank.

A matte black Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van pulled up to the front of the bank, skidding to a halt as exhaust poured out of the tailpipe in thick, black globs. All of the windows were tinted, which was illegal, and on the side of the van was a sloppily painted dice with a clown face imprinted on the side of the die, big red nose and black diamond around the eyes facepaint and all.

As smoke bellowed from the entranceway of Hyakujushi Bank, fires pouring out in droves, a group of seven people came running out of the building. They were all dressed in white un-fastened straitjackets with matching coloured pants. Adorning their faces were clown masks, all of which looked cheap, though secretly, they weren't, as they had ventilators to clean the air around them so that they had no problem breathing. Furthermore, the straitjackets were fire-resistant, so they didn't need to worry about getting burned due to the explosion.

Each clown mask was unique, with varying types of "face paint" on the masks. Some had black diamonds, others had red stripes over their eyes, and others had a lone star over their right eye. Either way, they were plastic masks, so it didn't matter. What had mattered, were the sacks of cash over their shoulders, which made it obvious that they were the ones behind the explosion and robbery.

But that wasn't all of them. No, there was one more, and by far they were the sole individual that looked as if they were in charge of the whole operation. The sound of boots hitting concrete filled the air alongside the screams of panicked onlookers, as another figure emerged from the burning building, like a supervillain making their entrance in a movie.

A black cape flowed through the wind, blowing over the figure's shoulder as a smirk brimming with cockiness and assuredness plastered itself on their face. Atop their head was a military-styled hat, fashioned with an iron eagle smack in the center, followed by an iron cross sitting atop the brim.

Purple hair stuck out in tufts from underneath the hat, sporadic and jagged as they were, like electricity firing on all cylinders. Dark purple eyes filled with nothing but mischief and ruin gleamed in the light, the corners of the figure's mouth stretching as he stepped outside the burning building. His pale skin almost seemed to have a damn near ethereal glow, as he raised his arms upward as if to grasp the sky, before promptly flinging them to his sides, golden electricity sparking from either end.

A true show of power, he thought, robbing this bank was. He would leave a scar on this country so vast that they would have to know his name. He had no idea if the people inside were dead, not that he cared all too much. They were just people. More of them would come sooner rather than later, right?

Although, if people did die due to his actions, he'd be a little miffed. That wasn't his intent, he just needed money, and he would be damned if he worked an actual job to get it. That was just boring. And he heavily disliked boring things.

He sucked in a deep breath, lowering his arms as he did so. The air was so fresh, it almost burned his lungs—although, that could've also been the smog from the fire. His smile dropped, if only briefly before it returned with a thunderous vigour. The beginnings of a laugh rose from his mouth before he burst out in an all-out laugh.

"Now that's what I like to call a scene! Haha~!" The boy bellowed as the side of the van door opened, the boy's eyes looking toward the sliding van door. A girl with a clown mask adorning her face waved the group in, chin-length red hair being the most prominent feature, aside from their black straitjacket and pants, signifying their ranking in the group, alongside her white-gold staff with a triangular hollowed-out tip that was nearly double her size placed flat against her back.

Jogging down the stairs to the entrance of the bank, Kokichi Oma made his way to the van's side door, but not before police sirens began to come into hearing range. And he had told the clerk at the front desk to not call the cops! How rude!

Kokichi glanced over to his left, and then to his right. They were about to be surrounded if they didn't get going, and fast. So, he leapt into the van, causing it to shake from side to side a little when he entered before the red-haired girl slammed the sliding door shut. Kokichi balled up his right hand into a fist, and slammed it on the interior roof, before shouting "STEP ON IT!"

And as soon as those words left his mouth, the sound of tires turning and rubber screeching against pavement echoed throughout the inside of the van, before the passengers in the van were tossed forward slightly, signalling that they were now, officially, on the move.

Various cheers echoed in the van as Kokichi snickered. This was the first real job of the month, and so far, it was going smoothly. With the money they had, DICE would be kept running for another two months. "And that's how you make a break for it!" Kokichi quipped as the red-haired girl scooted up to Kokichi, taking the mask off of her face.

Underneath the mask was a rounded, pale-faced, maroon-eyed teenager. There was a faint red hue on her cheeks, either from how, admittedly, cold it was from inside the van, or from how high everyone's blood pressure was from the narrow escape. Even Kokichi was a little red-faced from how much energy he had put out from both diving into the van and running down the stairs after frantically running about the bank to collect as much money as possible.

The red-haired teen wrapped her arms around Kokichi's arm, snuggling into his shoulder as she sighed. "We did it, yeah…!" The teen cheered with an almost lazy tone of voice. If Kokichi didn't know any better, he would have thought her to be being sarcastic. But, he had known her long enough to know that she was genuinely happy. There was a difference between "happy sad" and "sad sad", as the teen called it, and usually had to do with the fluctuation of the voice.

"Yes, we did it, Himiko," Kokichi said, exhaling out of relief. Recently, things had been very tough for DICE as a whole, what with several of their members turning up arrested, or worse. He didn't blame anyone but himself for those failures. He was the leader, damnit, and he was actively failing his crew. People who entrusted themselves to him, all kids a year or so younger and older than him.

Although, it was a recent turn of events that caused him to become the leader of DICE. Originally, that role belonged to his sister, but she had stepped down and put Kokichi in charge a few months back. She didn't state a reason, only that "she needed to do something else" and left it at that. He had a vague idea what that was, and if that was the case, he found it reckless beyond measure. And that was saying something, considering it was coming from him, the king of all recklessness and tomfoolery!

"I just hope you know what you're doing, Sis," Kokichi thought, as he looked toward the people who had joined him on this heist. They were all panting like crazy, tired and possibly scared. They were newbies, and this was supposed to be a test run. He reasoned that they would be nervous doing such a high-profile job for their first-ever act as a member of DICE.

But, then again, their outfits were straitjackets for Christ's sake, so if the first job wasn't something insane, then it wouldn't fit the memo. He glanced over at Himiko, his sort of girlfriend, who was currently attached to his arm, nuzzling it like a cat. He said "sort of" because, personally, he didn't know if he was coming or going. And by that, he meant that he didn't want to create any personal attachments to people—after all, that was the downfall of all great evil overlords, and he was going to become the end all be all!

And it wasn't as if they had done anything. The most they did to officiate the whole thing was to go on a movie date and kiss, once, and that was like… two months ago? Besides, he wasn't the type of guy to get all touchy-feely with others, but Himiko was. And it wasn't like it bothered him, it was just kind of… eh, so to speak.

Frankly, as long as Himiko was happy, that was all Kokichi cared about. After he had basically rescued her from that freaky "wizard" friend of hers, she had been attached to his side. And while Himiko called him her "loveable squishy summon", which he found totally adorable, by the way, not that he would say it to her face, he mostly viewed their relationship as a "friends with benefits minus the sex cause they were kids who were barely out of middle school and didn't need any of that mellow drama" kind of thing.

Small tangent aside, he raised his free arm and ruffled her hair. "So, mind telling me why you guys were late? You were supposed to be there five minutes after we arrived," Kokichi said as Himiko looked up at him, sighing, before letting go of his arm and leaning against the metal wall dividing them between the driver's seats and the back of the van.

"We ran into a bit of a traffic issue, and it wasn't one we could just speed through without causing innocent death," Himiko replied as Kokichi huffed. That was acceptable, and a decent excuse if he had ever heard one. He leaned back into the metal wall, resting his head against it as he breathed out yet another exhausted sigh.

Well, at least the job was—

"Yo, boss! We have a huge problem! Blockade coming up!" A harsh voice from the driver's side of the van echoed into the back as Kokichi cursed under his breath. Just as he was about to sit up, Himiko put a hand on his chest, slipping her mask over her face, and nodding at him as if to say "I got this covered."

Wordlessly, with her staff attached to her back via fitted loops that held it in place, Himiko threw open the side door with a single yank. Peeking out the door, she felt the wind blow through her hair as she reached up to the upper edge of the van door, she looked both north and south, a frown taking up her visage. Police cruisers were chasing them down, their sirens blaring loudly, meanwhile, up ahead a blockade was being set up.

"Yay…." Himiko bemoaned. This was just her luck, but then again, ever since Koko taught her those new tricks, she was more confident in herself to deal with these situations. And so, with a hop, Himiko propelled herself out of the van, still holding onto the edge of the van, before doing a backflip and landing in a Spiderman-esque pose, her body low to the ground and her hands and feet planted perfectly so that she wouldn't go rocketing off of the roof of the van.

Standing up, she reached for her staff and pulled it off of her back, before planting it still against the top of the roof. It was both to look cool and to give herself a moment to calm down, because did she just do that without going flying out the door?! That was totally wicked! Spectacle aside, she let out a calming breath, focusing on herself for a brief moment.

She was facing the blockade, and she only had a few seconds to pull this off. If she didn't do it right, then they were all going to prison. Raising her staff, she slid her right foot back, before pointing it in the direction of the blockade, both hands gripping the center of the staff tightly. Faintly, she could hear one of the police officers scream "What are they doing" which made her scoff. Idiots, she was going to show them the truth of her power!

The tip of her staff began to glow a bright yellow, as a ball of golden energy began to form at the tip. She felt nothing but pure power pouring from her body, all the way into her staff, like a transfer of electricity from one object to another. The ball of energy began to grow, and grow until it eventually reached the size of an inflated beach ball.

With the orb reaching its maximum power, Himiko shouted out the name of the spell she was casting, to give it that final oomph of power it needed to go off, and that name was: "DIVINE CANON!"

A wide cone of pure, golden light blasted out from the orb, and as soon as it was sent out, she watched as police officers dove out of the way to avoid being burnt to a crisp, and as she looked over her shoulder, the police officers who were tailing them stopped dead in their tracks, swerving to a complete stop as they slowly began to fade away, while at the same time, Himiko took off the mask to get a proper view of her handiwork.

Anything that was in front of divine canon was burned away in a blaze of golden glory, leaving behind nothing but ash in its wake. Cars, signs, barriers, it didn't matter. It was all wiped away, turned to ash and left to flutter in the wind. The only downside was that it left her drained of energy. Using divine canonwas typically something she only did in high-stress situations, and she'd count what she had just gotten rid of as a high-stress situation.

Her legs felt weak, and her arms shaky. The only reason why she hadn't fallen and tumbled off the van that was, by the way, going 60 miles per hour down an empty city street, was because her staff was planted firmly into the roof so that she didn't fall. However, that didn't last for long, as the van came to a skidding halt, swerving to the right as it turned around to face the side of the street.

They had long since passed the blockade, having turned right immediately after crossing it and then having taken a left to get into an alleyway. She had to admit, the parking job was fairly cool—scratch that, it was badass, considering they had swerved into the damn thing. Kokichi hopped out of the van, looking up at Himiko. He had a large, shit-eating grin on his face, which made her happy.

She loved Koko's smile. It was one of the few things that she actively treasured. She would die protecting that smile, no matter what anyone said. Kokichi was a good guy underneath all that plotting and scheming. He had lofty goals, and she believed in them more than anyone else in DICE—even his own sister, she'd reckon.

"How… did I do… Koko?" Himiko asked, her voice sounding more drained than usual as Kokichi flashed her a thumbs up. She wobbled to-and-fro, before eventually falling forward, and landing in Kokichi's arms bridal style with her staff clutched in her arms. She looked up at Kokichi, a small smile on her face as he smirked.

Seeing an opportunity, she pecked him on the cheek, which caused his face to flush red slightly. The second thing that she cherished doing was embarrassing Kokichi, but that was something only reserved for her, and her alone. Afterward, he turned her upright and let her hop out of his arms, which she did, using her staff as a balance so she didn't fall over again.

The other members of DICE who had joined them in their heist, which were now carrying bags of money they had stolen over their shoulders, muttered to themselves as they stepped out of the van, the drivers included as they exited the vehicle. They too were also dressed like everyone else, but they were much taller and larger.

"That was crazy. The fuck was that, boss?" One of the drivers asked as Kokichi shrugged.

"Just stuff sis taught Himi, nothing to it really," Kokichi replied as a series of mutters came from the group. The reason for the stop was because of the fact that the police now, most likely, had the license plate for this vehicle, so they were better off walking on foot. Which, thankfully, wasn't a very long walk if they used the backstreets.

Giving everyone a once-over, Kokichi nodded to himself. Everyone was accounted for. No one was flung out during the chase when the door was left open, so that was good. Sure they looked a little spooked, but most people would after being witnesses to literal magic, something that was said to be purely fictional.

Kokichi knew better, though. Since the day he was born, his sister had shown him time and time again that reality was not what it seemed. It just sucked that one of those times had cost them everything.

Pushing that memory to the back of his mind, he was about to tell everyone to walk to the warehouse nearby, which they were using as their current temporary hideout until they made it back to Hokkaido, where the real DICE base was located when he suddenly felt a rumbling sensation in his right pant pocket.

"Huh?" That… was not right. That was where his phone was kept, and the only person who had his phone number was his sister and Himiko. And Himiko was right here, while his sister was off in Saitama looking into something revolving around her own personal mission. She would have no reason to call him unless it was her telling him that she was back in Hokkaido.

Curiosity got the better of him, as he reached into his right pant pocket, pulling out a flip-phone—he didn't need a cellphone if all he was going to use it for was calling and messaging others—before opening it and pressing the answer button. "Who is it?"

"Warehouse. Now. We need to talk," before Kokichi could respond to what was his sister's voice, the phone hung up. That didn't bode well, especially with how annoyed the tone of voice was. That being said, his sister couldn't know about the warehouse, because he had never told her about it.

So, this was a trap. A trap he wasn't about to send Himi and the crew to. He would go to it because he knew he could fend off whatever group of idiots decided to stalk their group and find out their temporary hideout. But with Himi tired and the rest of the group shaken out of their minds, they would prove to be a liability.

"Alright, change of plans," Kokichi began, turning to face everyone. They stared at him, but he couldn't tell their expressions due to their masks, sans Himiko who simply looked out of it, what with her eyes appearing to be mostly closed as she kept herself upright with her staff. But, given the air of confusion around them, it was pretty easy to assume they were confused. "Originally, I was going to have us walk back to the warehouse, which isn't all that far away. But, thanks to that phone call I just got, I know there's a trap waiting for us there."

"A trap?" A short scrawny member of DICE holding one of the money bags asked as Kokichi nodded, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, so you guys, along with Himiko, are going to go to the second temporary hideout further into the city using the van. It's a little further away, and not safe to walk to on foot. If you run into any police officers, just floor it and try to ditch them. If you can't, call for backup. As for me, I'm going to deal with our little "trap" problem, got it?" Kokichi explained, leaving no room for argument in his tone.

The rest of the crew gave each other anxious looks, including Himiko. Seeing that worried look in her eyes made Kokichi feel a little bad, but it was for the best. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and that was all it took to get the concern to melt away. "Alright… just, be careful, Koko…." And with that, they all climbed back into the van, and without a second of delay, the engine started, the doors closed, and the van sped off into the streets.

Once they were gone, Kokichi sighed, before turning around and narrowing his eyes. He might have partially lied to them, but it was better to make the other presence in the alleyway think he hadn't noticed them until now. So, with that in mind….

"Alright, you can come out now, there's no point in hiding anymore," and as soon as he said that, a small twister of sand began to form at the other end of the alleyway. As the small twister began to grow, more and more dust and sand began to be picked up, to the point where it got hard to see what was and wasn't inside of it.

Finally, after a few seconds, the twister dispersed, and in its place stood an adult—not too old, but not necessarily young, either. Chocolate-coloured skin and crystalline blue eyes were his most prominent features, as were his messy orange hair that scattered all about the place and reached down to his chin.

The man was pretty physically fit, his body appearing to look as if it was chiselled out of stone. The reason he knew that was because the man was wearing a sleeveless dark red vest, and a black crosshatch shirt underneath, exposing his finely tuned body. He had a six-pack, a well-developed chest area, broad shoulders, and large burly arms that looked like miniature tree trunks.

As for below the waist, the man was wearing dark blue cargo pants with tears in the knees and frayed ankle cuffs, which made it impossible to see if the man skipped leg day, but given the rest of his body, he'd have to assume that he didn't.

Two pinned hoop-like attachments clipped onto the lip of his pants, as a silver chain necklace with a cross attached to it hung from his neck. Finally, sitting freely on the bridge of his nose was a pair of golden aviator sunglasses, which essentially told Kokichi two things about this man. He had money to spare, and, due to the gleam in his eyes, he meant business.

"Who are you? Who sent you?" Kokichi "asked", though it was more of a demand, as the man huffed. For a brief second, there was a gleam of amusement lurking beneath his eyes, but it quickly faded away as he spoke.

"I wasn't sent by anybody, Oma Kokichi. I also doubt it matters, because even if I did tell you, you wouldn't be able to find them," the man said as he crossed his arms over his chest, adjusting himself as he craned his neck down to stare Kokichi in the eyes, which was more than needed, given his insane height.

The man easily dwarfed Kokichi by at least an extra foot or maybe even two—the point being, he could probably try out for the NBA if he so chose, and most likely wipe the competition out just by height alone.

Still, his answer to Kokichi's question didn't really answer anything. A bout of frustration channelled its way through Kokichi, though he kept it down. The last thing he wanted to do was start a fight with the mystery man in front of him. Not because he was scared of the man, far from it, but because he radiated the same level of power as his sister had, if not stronger.

Not to mention, the man's calm demeanour essentially told Kokichi that he wasn't looking for a fight either, which let him relax, if only slightly. He was still a mystery, which didn't help Kokichi's stress levels. But, if he wasn't a threat, and was presenting himself as such, then he would take what he could get.

Still, that didn't stop Kokichi from being curious. "Then why are you here?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "I doubt it was to arrest me. You don't strike me as the type to work with law enforcement," Kokichi said as the man chuckled.

"You got that right, kid," The man said, a slight smile briefly overtaking his expression before it faded back into a serious one. "Firstly, I'd like to apologize for copying your sister's voice. But if it's any consolation, Chi and I go back a few years. Used to be part of the same group before she splintered off to create DICE. She talked a lot about you, and from what she said, you match the description."

"What's your point?" Kokichi replied curtly, as the man frowned.

"Well, Oma, I dunno if you've heard of me, but the name's Fring. Jackson Fring. And I believe it's in your best interest to leave The Kuzuryu Clan alone."

[-To Be Continued-]

[Ending Song: Outsider – By: EVE]

Before anyone asks, yes, it's Fring as in Gustavo Fring from Breaking Bad. Not fringe as in fringe conspiracy. Now, speaking of our boy Jackson, who is he? What's his deal? And more importantly, why does he want Kokichi to leave The Kuzuryu Clan alone? What does Kokichi want with the Kuzyuuryu Clan?! Oooo~ so mysterious. What I do know is that Jackson has a voice, and this is who I believe would voice him!

So, for his JP voice, I envision him to be voiced by Tsuda Kenjiro, the voice behind Overhaul from My Hero Academia, Kento Nanami Jujutsu Kaisen, and Joker from Fire Force! As for his English voice, I envision him to be voiced by Jason Liebrecht, the English Dub voice of Dabi from My Hero Academia, Rob Lucci from One Piece, and Mars from Black Clover!

Now, with that said, let's get into my response to reviews/comments!

[Response to reviews/comments!]

(Ao3) TyMaddux: Why, thank you, I'm glad you like this more than the Original so far—that was the intent. Frankly, there were a lot of things I did wrong in the original, and this is my chance to make it better. And, yeah, Mirlnir kind does have the problem with Reid, but I'm pretty sure he's admitted on several occasions that Crimson's story is just an excuse to write Genshin impact smut, so, take that for what you will.

Also, there will be a more in-depth focus on Hajime, if this chapter hasn't already proven it, considering he's kind of vital for, like, a good chunk of the plot. As for Nagito… I can't promise anything :)

(Ao3) fluffycuddlebug: Thank you for the kind words! And yes, Jolyne will not be a bad guy. Not a completely good guy, either though, and as for her and Junko interacting… well, I won't say anything about that. As my favourite fantasy author, Brandon Sanderson would put it: RAFO (read and find out).

(Ao3) Kolt: Ah, Kolt, it seems you've dropped upon me an essay. Whatever shall I do? Jokes aside, gotta say, I hope this chapter meets up to your expectations. If I say anything more than I *will* spoil something, so I, unfortunatly, must keep my lips sealed. All I'll say is that you raised some interesting points, and that's all. Have a wonderful day, Kolt!

(FF) Reader 451: Well, uh, you're off by a country mile. But she will obtain a scythe. Just not The Grim Reapers. You don't want the Grim Reapers in this iteration of GoTM. Also, I wish I got the reference, but I don't and thus I am sad. Have a good day, Reader!

As always, Discord link: discord . g g/Pva9PNxAzh

Have a wonderful day! See you all in the next chapter, bye!