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"How dare you leave Michiyo behind, huh?!" Jayson exclaimed. Everyone around them raised their weapons aggravated by the words Hachiro is throwing into the fire of their despair.

"You're such a scumbag, you traitor! You just don't know it felt how to lose someone." Alex said in disgust. "I won't forgive the likes of you!"

"How dare you bad mouth our friend!" Jayson grabbed his collar and raised him in the air. "Perhaps you don't have a friend of your own..." he eyed the kid. "I doubt if there is someone who would befriend a murderer like you.." he glared.

Hachiro stared at his friends from afar and met their eyes full of uncertainty.

"You're right." Hachiro bragged, giving a little laugh, glaring back at Jayson. "I don't have one. "

Sandra and the others froze on their feet.

"because I don't need one," he added.

Hachiro grasp Jayson's hand, electrifying it with the little shock Shichiro gave off. Jayson let go and everyone went on defense. He stood firm in front of the crowd and glared at them with willful malicious eyes.

"Indeed, I may not know how to lose someone." He said while slowly walking toward the center of the crowd, while they give him way as if they are avoiding him or they are afraid of him, he cannot tell. "In fact, I haven't lost someone. I don't have friends to spare anyway." Hachiro added. "So, maybe you're right... I don't know how it felt."

That gave Dave and the others a ring on their spine. They all looked shocked and down. They felt guilty that they cannot do a single thing about their friend's situation. Sandra stared at him with teary eyes.

"I don't need them, they're just a drag." Grin drew on his face. "I don't need someone who can destroy my plans... and hinder my victory."

But the eerie feeling in the air turned into malice. They slowly felt their bloodlust rising.

"All I need are tools to win a game." Hachiro continued.

Dave looked away. He knew everything his friend was saying was a big lie. But he can't help to find himself believing the words he's hearing. Dark thoughts keep crossing his mind. The memory of his sister flashed making his blood boil. Deep inside his heart, though he doesn't want to admit it, he hated him. He hated his friend for not telling him the truth. He hated him because he'd mess with the flight Loki that caused his sister's life.

"In all honesty, you're just a nuisance between our fight. You all do..." he glared at every eye set on him. "It's a battle between hackers, between me and the GM alone. You can't do anything against him, you can't win." He turned his back "And besides, we don't need bugs to block our way."

"You—" Alex charged towards him, swinging his axe.

Hachiro dodged his every attack and grinned at Alex's failed attempt.

"He's mocking him, damn it." Jayson exclaimed. He knew Alex went nuts, enraged with anger and he hated the fact that they cannot hit the harbinger of their disaster.

"You're just a helpless kid a while ago, why can you move so well now?" Alex muttered. He kept on swinging his axe but he cannot still land a hit.

Hachiro leaped from side to side, he counters Alex's every attack.

"I won't tell you my secret. That's the rule that condones every hacker, idiot. He leaped even farther and turned his back, now looking at the dark horizon.

The crowd diverged, seemed like they were making a path for him. They all feel anger and they want to strike at him but there is something about Hachiro that they cannot understand, he's oozing with a dark aura. Everyone stepped back, unconsciously.

Alex faced his direction as he is about to make his leave. "Where are you going? Backing out from a fight, you coward?" he argued.

"I don't have time to waste fighting against you weaklings. My real enemy is the Game Master. I can just leave you here to die." Hachiro said as he made his way through the crowd.

Dark clouds hovered above the city covering the full moon's bright light. The wind blows cold, and crows sound in their midst.

They heard silence. His words kept ringing in their ears.

Sandra felt the urge on her feet --- she has to follow him. She went her way and chased his friend down the dark road he's taken.

"Wait up!" she called.

Hachiro stopped and replied, "What do you want?"

"Where are you going?" Sandra asked.

"I told you, you stay out of this!" He replied.

"How can I? Do you really think I would believe those words you've said? You're such a terrible liar, Marky!" she exclaimed.

"They all thought I am a liar..." Hachiro replied. "Even you do... "

She heard the indifference in his voice.

The wind blew making the moon shine on his dark expression. Sandra saw his glim look that made her shiver.

"But, I never expected I would hear that from you, Sandra..."

"I didn't mean---"

"It's fine that way..." Hachiro said. "I don't need you to get involved.. Ja,"

"Where---"

"I'll just finish what I've started." He turned his back and went his way. "And we can all get back to what we're used to be, hopefully..."

"Markus..."

...

He stood in front of the main entrance of the huge building covered with doom and surrounded by creatures of the darkness.

"We're back.." Shichiro whispered.

Hachiro took a deep breath and draw his sword. He took a hesitant step forward and entered the building.

"You think you can still fight?" Shichiro asked.

"I hope so.. I know what you've done will only give me a few minutes of boost..."

"All I did was to clot the wounds and release your limiters. That will only last for 10 minutes, Ha-chan.." Shichiro replied. "If we fight more than that, you'll end up dying."

"I know.."

"Not only that you are stressed, you also have that thing in your head that gives me hard time...So, we need to do this one fast.."

"You're right.. I don't have much time. We have to find Michiyo and the others as fast as we can or else..."

He saw the same sight as he enters the building. Warm lights illuminate the moist surrounding filled with forest air and sounds. A huge 'Welcome' sign sparkles in bright lights hanging near the first step of the bridge connecting the long road that spans across the horizon to the top of nowhere.

He caught a glance of the room they found Kath's friend and lead them to a pinch.

A door chuckled behind him and footsteps loudly stomp on the way. 10-ft tall hairy Gorilla monsters came out and stood in front of him, waiting to attack.

"Here they come..." he muttered.

The signal was fired and he started running.

The monsters followed his footsteps like the chickens he had had in the afternoon. He took turns, dodging the cracks and dangerous obstacles on his way forward.

"Be careful Ha-chan...I guess the traps now are more complicated than what we have a while ago.." Shichiro said.

"I know... the interface changed." He replied.

"The codes changed as well...I mean.."

"I know. But we still have the same goal to achieve, right?"

"Yeah.. we'll just need to get to the highest place and get the key.."

"Defeat the monsters and get out of here..." Hachiro continued. "Hopefully we can find the others there, too."

"I hope Michiyo was alright...." Shichiro said.

"What are our odds?" Hachiro asked.

"30%."

"Not even half.." Hachiro took a leap and reached a branch sending him to the other side. "How many minutes left?"

"5 minutes and 43 seconds..." Shichiro replied as he landed.

"Not that much, huh..."

The monsters did the same but some fell into the abyss because of their weight.

"So, the top...we need to hurry up..." Hachiro continued and he moved forward.

The road didn't just have traps and obstacles and all. It also has small minions blocking their way clothed in dark miasma.

"These rowdy guys stinks.." Shichiro complained. "Don't breathe on them, Ha-chan.."

"I know... they have poison on them.."

The road was filled with these small creatures. They've got no way out.

"I'll just carry you, Ha-chan." Shichiro turned into a hawk and grabbed Hachiro on the back. They fly across the broken bridge and landed on the road filled with mines.

"What do we do now?" Shichiro asked. "I can't carry you any longer, Ha-chan. I'm sorry.." he reverted back to his wolf form.

"It's alright...I've got this." Hachiro replied. He hit the keys on his watch and a red light appeared. He scanned it on the ground.

"What are you doing, Ha-chan?"

"Scanning.."

"I can see that but why? Isn't it obvious that the road is filled with mines?"

"I know... but these mines aren't all working.."

"Eh?"

"Hai... some of them are just dummies and I think we can use them to lure the monsters.."

"Is that so?!"

The monsters reached the other side and glared at them.

"Let's go!" Hachiro shouted and began running again. He viewed the map of the scan and went his way through the minefield.

The monsters don't seem to know the existence of the mines. They all went their own way through it and some of them were caught in the blast.

"We're almost at the top, Ha-chan.."

"Really? Thank goodness!" Hachiro glanced at the ones on their back and readied his sword. "We need to end them here, Shi-chan!"

"Hai!"

They stood their ground and fought the monsters and their minions in a bloody battle.

"Shi-chan, are you alright?"

"Hai.. how about you?"

"I can still manage..." Hachiro replied. "How much time do we have left?"

"3 minutes and 4 seconds."

"Ja, let's go.." they ran on the stairs circling towards the golden door signaling the end of their long road. They pushed the big door shining with blinding darkness caught their eyes.

"Eh? What's in here?" Shichiro complained.

As if on cue, a spotlight flashed and focused on him. And, one by one, his comrades were shown covered with white ropes hung in the walls of the big dark room.

"Michiyo!" he shouted. He can't see where his friend is. "Michiyo!" he called again.

"If I were you, I won't shout. It's as if telling me where you can be found, my food." A lunatic voice talked from nowhere.

Hachiro looked everywhere but he cannot find where the voice came from. Shichiro went on guard and bared his fangs in the darkness.

"Where are my friends?!" Hachiro shouted again.

"You silly brat...I have just warned you not to give your position. Well, it's not my fault that you are an idiot!" the voice came near, and little did he notice, that Hachiro was already facing the face of the voice talking to him.

He was afraid of spiders since he was young. Once camping, he got separated from his group as they went wood found on a dark windy night. He reached the serious side of the forest with only a flashlight and found himself covered with spider webs and spiders crawling on his whole body. He screamed and screamed but no one came immediately. It took about an hour before the teacher noticed that he was not back so they searched for him and they found him under a tree root filled with bites and burning with fever.

"I would like to have an extra service.." the spider said in his lunatic voice with his 8 eyes glaring at Hachiro.

He took a step back and fell to his knees. Dread filled his veins. Shichiro felt his anguish that he stepped forward and scratched the enemy. The spider took a step back and returned to its web. Hachiro followed his position and found Michiyo attached to that same place.

"Michiyo.." he whispered.

The black spider looked nasty on its 8 long furry legs, red glaring eyes, and car-sized abdomen.

"What's the matter? Planning to accept defeat?" the spider beastly asked.

Hachiro swallowed his fear and stood on his shaky feet. He draw his sword and sighed deeply.

"Just wait for me, Michiyo. I promise I will save you." Hachiro said and charged toward the spider.

To his surprise, other spiders leaped from the sides and halted his attack.

"These guys are the—" Hachiro said.

"Gorillas we fought outside..." Shichiro continued. "Their new version of spider monkeys.."

"These guys became faster.."

"They have 8 long legs now..." Shichiro said with emphasis.

They were surrounded by spiders. Hachiro can't even feel his feet; his body felt underwater. His sight is wearing, his breath is losing, and his mind is getting cozy.

"Ha-chan!" Shichiro shouted.

He heard his wolf's voice and got back to his senses.

"Are you alright?" Shichiro asked.

"Yeah. I can still manage. Anyway," Hachiro replied. "Shi-chan, let's do that thing now.."

"What thing?"

"That thing?"

"What? You can't take it with your condition now... besides, we don't have much time.."

"That is exactly the reason, we don't have time. I need to end this one now.." Hachiro said. "I'm counting on you Shi-chan. We need to save Michiyo immediately. I don't have much time.."

"But that will wear you out!"

"I don't care!" Hachiro glared. "I need to get the key now.. It's come to a shove, Shi-chan. There's no turning back."

Shichiro felt his master's urge that brought him to comply. He vanished in thin air and went back to Hachiro's brain. He unleashed ALL the limiters in his body. He gathered the power from the outside and concentrated it on his sword.

"All ready, Ha-chan!"

"Ja, let's do this."

He raised his sword and stuck it on the ground.

"Die you bastards!" he shouted and fire engulfed the whole room, illuminating it with blue flames.