Infinity in the Void – Freedom in the Abyss

It is the middle of the night, and I am naked.

Why? Because I am trying to get used to my new body. My growth spurt is fucking amazing, I am now taller than Mitsuki, who is 170 cm by the way. Pretty tall for a Japanese.

I am 175 centimeters tall!

And finally, my boobs are pretty decent, I can fit them in my hands now. Still not as big as my two other friends.

This changes a lot of things about my life. For one, I am now taller than Seria, she will now have to look up to speak to me, though not Athen or Enna, they are both over 2 meters. Then there is something called "Tall people privilege".

My previous motto was "It is more satisfying to bring down someone to my level", it still applies now but is not as fitting as it used to be.

I was thinking of "Only I may stand on the top". But that doesn't feel right, too few syllables.

Another difference between me and Sinclair. From using Prydwen and Ouroboros Omniscia, I can tell that she prefers short and efficient activation commands.

While I enjoy lengthy dialogues, running my mouth as much as I can. It makes me full of myself, fueling my Pride... nothing is better than giving an unnecessary speech to feed my ego and then crushing my enemy, after all~

I got up from my bed, beginning to waltz around the numerous weapons on the floor. Failures and successes alike, these are my creations, they speak if how I like my goods. Efficient, fancy, and powerful.

We are really similar, Sinclair and I. In the end, even if our approach to life is different... we are the same in the most literal way possible.

The me from an alternative, darker future...

Hah...

I wonder if I can fight against her?

I look at myself in the mirror, my perfect body, my skin somehow is as pale as snow yet carries the lush of life at the same time. The black jewel in my chest is... no longer black, instead it now glows a dim blue light. The two Rose Compass patterns on my shoulders are still there, though the center is becoming blue...

My hair still has its silver color, and it's getting pretty long, though there is now a hint of azure blue glowing. I have no idea how that works and frankly, I am not too bothered by it. And my eyes are definitely scary, as if my azure eyes stare directly into another's soul, haunting and uncomfortable.

I took a knife from the ground and poked a small hope in my left index finger. It is still red, with how blue my theme is, I thought my blood would turn blue too.

Hmm? Someone is at my door. I unlocked and opened it, raising the knife to... Hoa's throat. She just lightly pushed my knife away.

"What brings you here?", I asked, throwing my knife back into the pile.

She hasn't been here for a while. And in her sleeping clothes too, just a plain black shirt and shorts.

"I think I should rest in your room for a while... why are you naked?", she frowned a bit.

"Just admiring my own body, nothing special.", I shrugged.

"You narcissistic bitch, at least clean your room!", she decided to step in, floating to not step on my stuff.

She knows she cannot step on my things, lest she incur my wrath. Even though I was just joking.

Ha... Hoa is different from Mitsuki, who I can playfully tease. With Hoa, we insult each other a lot, casually of course, like friends.

I rolled my eyes, "Get on the bed already, my room is mine to deal with."

"Hmph! Fine.", she got on the bed, her head on my pillow, which she tucked her hand under to find... "What the fuck?"

I had a handgun under there, fully loaded with a 15-round magazine.

"Oh, the safety is off so better put it on.", I stated as I admired my body more.

I hear a click as Hoa fiddle with the switch on the right side of the gun, it has a high pitch, "You just switch it to automatic, push the switch to the bottom."

She did as I said, a dull click followed by a quiet click. I nodded, "That's right."

I extended my arm out, measuring the length of my reach. I need to rethink everything about combat, very suddenly too.

Fuck you, Gilgamesh. And whoever unleashed him.

Anyway, the academy is open again tomorrow so I have to get ready early in the morning. I got to bed, laying next to Hoa.

"...Aren't you going to put on some clothes?", she asked with a frown, putting the gun back under the pillow. She really doesn't question my antics.

"Nah, I want to enjoy my naked body more~", I giggle to myself, they I stare into her eyes, "So please warm me up in the coldness of night."

"Bitch, it is summer, and this place is on a dead volcano, plus, it is in the hot zone. Night can't get any hotter than that!", she yelled at me.

"I~ don't~ give~ a~ fuck~", and I hugged her, "Good night, my friend."

"Don't hug me!"

It didn't take long for both of us to go to sleep.

 

=0=0=

 

I open my eyes, fully awake. I found Hoa sitting on the side of the bed, with her hands grabbing her face— as if she was about to tear it off.

"What's wrong?", I asked.

"Serious question here, Charlotte.", she spoke in a serious and tired tone, "How old are you?"

"Fifteen, why?", I tilt my head.

"How old am I?", she asked again.

"I don't know, a couple of thousands?"

"Yes... a couple of thousands, not even counting my years on Earth.", she groaned, "My Lord the Madden Flame, please forgive me for not thinking any further."

What's wrong with her?

"I slept with a naked teenager... and I didn't even realize it...", she groaned more, an echoing wail escaping from her, "Fuuuuck... to think I, The Regent of Fire Vampires, would sleep with someone underage..."

I still don't see the point.

"Technically, I am old enough to drive a car, much less a 1,800cc sport bike.", I shrugged and got up.

"I'll have the first shower, so you better talk yourself out of whatever you are thinking, or I'll file a sexual assault lawsuit."

I got my clothes and towel and walked out of my room. Mitsuki is still sleeping in the room adjected to mine, it's good that she is taking things easy.

Damn, I really am treating Mitsuki like she is my own daughter, and I'm younger than her!

After getting a refreshing cold shower, I got back to my room to see Hoa still thinking about last night.

"Stop mulling over it, I don't care and you shouldn't either.", I sighed, taking out my phone, "I'll call 911."

"Stop! Don't tarnish my reputation further!", she snapped her neck at me.

"Then stop being a drama queen, and where did you disappear to for a few weeks anyway?", I leaned against the door, crossing my arms.

"Well, I found some news about the location of The Ivory Throne and tried to find it in Alaska... to no avail."

Hmm~ Alaska huh... that's Seria's territory. I may have her look into that...

"Anyhow, let's go to the academy and do things from there.", I turned my back to her, "Get ready already, Regent."

"Don't take my title lightly, Charlotte.", she got up from the bed and floated over, she too a glance at me, her eyes glowing red like fire, "And please clean up your room just a bit, it is messy."

"I'll think about it.", maybe I can make Mitsuki clean everything up.

I certainly don't want to consume all of this with Reverie. Eh, future me will deal with this.

Packing my laptop, my phone, and a pocket knife into the portfolio bag, then I carry my briefcase.

 I open the window, ready to jump. Hmm, should I wait for Hoa?

Nah... I'll go first. I am not someone who waits for others, they need to catch up to me.

Electricity began to surge up around me. And I found myself at the ground— hmm, the base power of Desire is amplification, and its second power is causality manipulation.

I can erase the cause but leave the effect alone, so if I want to throw a punch— the throwing part just gets removed but the punching part is kept, along with the maximum potential damage. 

Basically, I can skip time.

Anyway, my window faces the back of the building, where my sportbike is. All chained up for security reasons, not that anyone would be able to steal it since without my watch it is impossible to activate it.

And there is someone here too. I sighed and looked at the wall, Londinium was there crawling up the side. Oh, he's not wearing latex but a pink shirt right now, showing his grey skin with orange spots.

"Why the fuck are you here?", I cross my arms.

"Can't a teacher see his student?", he got down, looming over me.

"For the last fucking time, I am not your student! And I am trying, although poorly, to separate myself from all of these Eldritch stuff!!", I am so ready to open my briefcase and stab him.

"You know that you can't detach yourself from this topic, right? As the embodiment of humanity of Earth, your web of destiny and fate are closely connected to the plans of The Pale Court."

"What do you mean by that?"

Oh fuck, not this shit again...

"I can't tell you if you keep denying me."

It is this shit again!! Fuck! I am a naturally curious person! I can't resist mysteries!

I took out a cigarette, and I began to smoke... hah... this calmed me down a lot. Right... what should I do?

"So, you want to be my teacher for a grand plan of The Pale Court, right?", I frowned, pointing my cigarette at him.

"Of course, maybe fifty-fifty.", he shrugged, "So, want to go training?"

"Wait, I have a demand.", I smiled, "Instead of the fighting style of the Jury of the Pale Court, I want to learn your fighting style."

I have a plan.

"That is something I cannot teach you. The reason is kinda obvious.", he raised his four arms, using them to wave at me.

Of course I can't with just two arms, and I won't sink that low for cybernetic enhancement.

"Then how about this.", I proposed, "You let me meet Surtr."

"Hmm...", he is thinking about it! Yes!, "Why do you want to meet him?"

"Because I want to learn smithing in order to achieve something.", I explained to him, "I want to learn True Alchemy."

"You know there is an easier way to learn that, rights?", he cross his arms, tilting his head.

"What?"

"What?", he stares at me, "You don't know?"

There is an easier way?!

"How?!", I yelled out.

"The Golden Order is here on Earth, they can teach you all about Alchemy."

Oh yeah... Exchange is one of her Attributes. Why didn't I think about that before?

"Wait, how did you know about the location of The Golden Order?", I asked, staring into his eyes.

"I went there, got this cool shirt for a DS.", he spread his arms, showing me the pink shirt with four holes for arms, "It's very hard to find shirts like this that fit my size, and have four sleeves."

It's funny how meeting an Eldritch God was harder than seeing a Jury. I can't help but chuckle.

"Well then, we are back at the beginning.", I smiled, "You can't help me, so what can you offer me to be your student?"

"Then—", as Londinium was about to suggest his plan, he was slammed down into the ground by a trail of golden fire.

"What are you doing to my student!!"

It was Amelia, wrapping herself in golden fire as if a part of her body was the torch of her civilization.

"Oh hey, Charlotte.", she waved at me with a small smile on her face. Though she is standing on Londinium.

"Hello, what brings you here?", I asked, crossing my arms.

"I felt reality cracking nearby, so I came as fast as I could.", then she looked down at Londinium, "So it was just you."

"Get off me, please.", he said.

"Oh, sorry...", she got off him, "So, why are we here in an alleyway?"

I shrugged. Nothing really important is happening— right! I can ask her!

"I want to learn True Alchemy, in order to do that I will either need to progress in my smithing ability or learn from The Golden Order.", I casually explain to her.

"Mhm, mhm...", she nodded, "I see... I do have Surtr's number but he doesn't like to be bothered—"

I found myself crashing against Amelia— both of us fell over. I can see electricity crackling around me... Desire is really hard to control.

"Sorry, my power got an upgrade. It's a bit hard to control at the moment.", I got up, giving her a hand to help her.

I glanced over at Londinium, who was just looming over us.

She faked a cough, "Ehem... well, it is nice that you look forward to my help in your quest. I will be sure to put the words into Surtr for you.", dusting off her cloak, she revealed to me something... a slime.

Like those fantasy slime, green and jiggly. There is a marble floating inside it. What the fuck?

"There is someone that wants to meet you.", she raised the slime up to my eye level, hmm, it smelled nice, "This is Mard Awalan, you probably know them as the Ninth Harbinger of Life, The Plague Garden."

This slime is The Plague Garden? What?

"Hello?"

They stuck out a bit of the slime, moving up and down to wave at me. They seem to be unable to speak.

"Sorry, but could you transform into a form you can speak with?", Amelia asked nicely.

"They said they don't want to.", Londinium jumped into the conversation, "Because their humanoid form carries enough diseases that can kill the world a thousand times over."

"Wait, you can speak slime?", Amelia asked with wide eyes.

"Yes, I took a course in slime language during my time in Asvera.", he stated, "It's pretty interesting."

There is something like that?

Mard Awalan vibrates, and Londinium translates, "They said they are glad that someone can understand their Children."

"Children?", I tilt my head, not understanding what they meant.

But Amelia came to the rescue, "Mard Awalan's Children, the Slimes, are the ones that populate most of the universe with life. All life coming from them evolved from slimes, into what you know as fantasy races like elves and dwarves, including humans similar to you."

Some things are similar to humans...? I can't explain it but... I feel angry... oh, Malice Flame was about to burst out, so I smoked a bit more, calming myself down.

"Fu... what do you want then?", I exhale some smoke.

The slime jiggles back and forth, to which Londinium translated, "They said they want to form a Contract with you, which The Pale Court already approved of. Actually, almost all Avatars of the Nine Harbingers of Life are here so some odd reason, except for The Stellar Express and The Necro Lord."

All of them are here? Then Qaeidat Dhahabia isn't the exception? There is a conspiracy going on here...

But...

"I don't form Contracts, the last few Contracts I made ended terribly.", I took my cigarette out of my mouth, staring at the slime, "And I don't think you can offer me anything useful."

The slime deflated a bit, Londinium nodded and translated for me, "They said it was fine, but unfortunate that you don't want their power."

So this whole ordeal was a bust.

I turned to my sportbike, getting ready to leave for class.

"Wait.", Londinium spoke, still translating for the slime, "You know you could make a Contract with another Harbinger of Life, right? How about making one with The Golden Order? They always make fair deals. Or The World Border, creation and smithing is their forte."

I got on my bike, giving one last look at The Plague Garden before putting on my helmet.

"I will think about it.", and I activate the engine, "See at the academy, Amelia."

"See you soon, Charlotte.", she waved at me with a smile.

Contract with an Eldritch God, huh... maybe I will break my own rule. As Rules are meant to be broken, after all.

When something old is not effective anymore, it will be replaced. It is the nature of time for the new the replace the old, it is the nature of time for the ancient to go into flame.

It is the nature of humanity to extinguish what is redundant.