Ticking Time 1

13 years ago...

"You're nothing but bad luck!"

He was humiliated.

"You're bad luck to our family!"

"You shouldn't have been born, to begin with!"

He was looked upon with scorn.

All that was because of jealousy, and the unfortunate truth that he was born a Wahika. The boy, who was born as the youngest of five siblings was loved by their parents, more so than the older ones. He was pampered by his Mother and Father, more so than his older siblings. That is because they were only able to figure out how to properly raise a child after taking care of the first four.

That being said, it was only obvious that the boy's brothers and sister are harboring jealousy toward him. It's only that they never said anything, nor do they even try to bring it up. Until one day, that time when the boy was determined to be magicless, or rather a Wahika, the boy was playing with his siblings who were told by their parents to look at him. And then out of a sudden, the eldest brother came home carrying a history book.

The eldest brother read the contents of the book, more particularly the page where the history of the Magic Hierarchy was written. After doing so, the eldest brother told everyone, including the boy, what he had heard from the elders not too long ago.

"They say that a person who is considered a Himala is a Harbinger of Great Change. A Daniw is a Carrier of Good Luck. And then, a Wahika is called a Bringer of Bad Luck."

Right at that moment, the boy's eldest brother turned to him and grabbed him by his shirt, helplessly flailing about.

"I-it hurts, Kuya! (TL: Brother)"

"You did not manifest a magic ability like the four of us, therefore you're a Wahika!"

The boy was thrown to the floor. In pain and fear, he looked at his eldest brother who was glaring daggers at him, making him more terrified. The boy's other three siblings came in between the two, questioning and scolding the elder brother for doing what he did. However...

"You better not bring bad luck to us all, you Bringer of Bad Luck!"

At that moment, he realized it. Although they stood up for him, the way the boy's three other siblings looked at him after that was the same as his eldest brother.

From suddenly bumping shoulders with one another...

"Ah, sorry. It's just bad luck."

Purposely making the boy spill their drink...

"W-What are you doing?!"

"I'm sorry, Ate!"

"How unlucky..."

"...!"

They'd do anything they could use as an excuse to call the boy a bad luck. Until one day, as he was questioning himself if he truly is a bringer of bad luck just like what his elder brother told him, a monster invasion took place in his hometown. His father who was an adventurer died trying to fend off the monsters along with a few other adventurers and some soldiers.

"He died because of you!! You damn bad luck!!"

Pow!

Their father's death seemed to have hurt his elder brother more than anyone, letting out his frustration by punching the boy mercilessly to the floor. However, the boy could tell it wasn't just pain. There was also envy and hatred in his brother's eyes. After everything that has happened, the boy figured their father's death was just an excuse for his eldest brother to let out his jealousy toward him.

His mother, who once defended him from his siblings, was slowly swayed by their words. Every inconvenience and his father's death was all his fault.

One day, his eldest brother, who is now aspiring to become a soldier of Reilaea, tripped while doing his training and broke one of his arms. And although he was in no way at fault for something he didn't see happened, his family blamed it on him.

"You're bad luck to our family!"

"You shouldn't have been born, to begin with!"

"Damn Wahika..."

Since then, his mother no longer looked at him the same way as when his father was still alive. He was more or less abandoned by the only person in the world he thought would protect him. Sadness, pain, and loneliness dawned on him.

Why was I born? Why do I have to endure all this just because I'm a Wahika? Is it all my fault? Am I a bad luck?

Every day, these thoughts would run over the boy's head every time inconveniences, even minor ones, found their way into his family.

Surprisingly, the boy never envied his siblings for having magic abilities. It didn't matter to him whether he was born with or without magic. All he ever wanted was for things to return to how they used to be without any more jealousy.

But, even a young boy can lose hope and patience. Anyone can get tired of waiting for something that will never happen. And even the kindest can be the most evil.

Anger and hatred started corrupting his heart and mind. Anger and hatred were directed not just to his family, but to everyone else who had attained an ability, as well as the world who deemed him a bringer of bad luck.

The boy read the entire history of the Magic Hierarchy System, especially the last pages of its history, and learned how to become an Anino. Time went by, and he eventually turned into one, taking a shape of a beast. A monster bearing dark flames of anger and hatred.

A few days after the boy seemingly disappeared, he returned as an Anino and manipulated each of his family, especially his elder brother. He made them turn against one another. He did everything he can do with his newfound power that was more powerful than his brothers and sister. Eventually, verbal arguments turned physical, he drove them all to the extreme and made them kill each other at the end of it.

Before he disappeared once more, he looked at the corpses of his dead family, mimicking a devilish and satisfied smile with his face made of black fire. At that moment, he asked himself once again if he was a bad luck. And his answer was:

"Yeah, that's right. I am a bad luck."

At that moment, he came to accept what people loathed about him. At that moment, the boy realized the reason for his existence.

"If this is what they and the world want me to become, then so be it! I am the Bringer of Bad Luck! I shall bring bad luck and watch the world burn with anger and hatred!"

And with that, the tragedy that took many lives in the past took place.

Present...

Graaaaaaaaarrrrghhh!!!

Pained screams echoed atop the plateau.

The holes that spawned in Uruk's body are all slowly shrinking in size. However, more and more holes are appearing around Uruk's body at the same time. Until eventually the Anino's regenerative powers could no longer keep up with them.

"I'm... I'm not gonna let myself get killed like this!!"

Right as the Anino said that, Lyrica witnessed a blurry apparition of the entity's true form, desperately pulling itself out of the Hari's body. With her body being linked to her magic, the girl also felt like she was being pulled by an unseen force.

"D-Don't you dare let that thing get out of your body!" She shouted at Uruk at the same time she was horrified by the Anino's apparition.

Uruk's soul, whose trying to hold on with the Spark the entity placed inside his heart, took control over his physical body's mouth and replied, "I know!"

"Damn you, Uruk! Let go of me! Ararghh!!"

Behind Uruk's soul was the Anino itself, trying to get rid of the Hari who's got a hold of the Spark.

"If only I could kill you, you damn Wahika!"

"I dare you to do it!" Uruk retorted. "I already said it once. I don't mind dying here if it means bringing back peace to the kingdom!"

Bam! Bughom! Bom!

With the Anino growing desperate and restless, the holes in Uruk's body continued to increase. You could barely see the Hari's physical features due to the light escaping from the holes around him.

Raaaaaaaghhhh!!!

The Anino unleashed his most powerful Hate Impulse yet. The girl was caught by surprise and almost lost her focus.

"You..." Lyrica tried to maintain her footing against the raging energy the Anino was releasing. "...Just die already!"

After struggling so hard, the weight and the pain Hallowed Be Thy Name was dealing with the Anino finally forced the entity to touch the ground.

"Not yet...!"

With an unyielding persistence, the Anino somehow managed to get back on its knees.

"I will not die... Not by someone like you!!"

'How troublesome...!'

The entity's stubbornness is putting Lyrica on edge. After using 200dB magic ability, she doesn't know how much mana she has left. She can't afford to put her attention on something else either, otherwise Hallowed Be Thy Name will automatically dispel itself.

'I can't let my magic go to waste! If that happens...'

Just when restlessness and desperation were slowly taking over her thoughts, the Hari suddenly stood up as if the weight of Heavy Metal was no longer affecting the entity.

"Damn... It?"

But while the Hari was standing, she felt the energy the Anino was releasing slowly losing strength.

'It's growing weaker...!'

That's when the girl thought, the creature was putting all of its strength to free itself from Uruk's body and her light magic rather than trying to push her away.

Grrrrrr... Raaaaagh!!

'I have to keep it going!'

Uruk's body began convulsing due to the Anino's attempts to break free.

'Until it dies!'

Lyrica felt it. After struggling so much, she could feel how close she was to finally getting rid of the Anino.

'Just a little more!'

However, so much for keeping her composure, Lyrica failed to notice two critical things.

Fierock had already announced its five-second countdown. That, and she only has less than 0.5MP left.

Raaaagh!!

The Anino was already letting out the last of its dying scream when all of a sudden...

Thud! Bam!

The girl was caught off guard as she found herself dropping to the surface.

"Ah...!"

In that instant, the holes emitting light from within Uruk's body have all closed up. Right as Uruk himself saw the girl lying on the surface, he found himself flying high into the sky before plunging down and brutally hitting his head on the ground.

And as he lost his consciousness, the malignant form of the Anino finally emerged, panting heavily as its red eyes are glaring at the incapacitated girl.

Facing forward with her half-open eyes, Lyrica's character window appeared before her.

Listener: Lyrica Ley Rael

Lv. 30

HP: 77%

MP: (0) 80

dB Limit: 80

[Statistics]

Strength: 40 (-50%)

Durability: 35

Agility: 40 (+24) (+32%)

Stamina: 21

Senses: 10

Available Points: 10

[Playlist]

Playable Music:

- Jazz Harmony (Lv. Max)

- Heavy Metal (Lv. 2)

- Heavy Metal: Iron Maiden (Lv. 2)

- Heavy Metal: Hallowed Be Thy Name

- Fierock (Lv. 2)

- Flintrock

- Hip Hop (Lv. 2)

- Wind Drum

Background Music:

- Elements of Music (Lv. Max)

-

-

Original Music:

- Willow Flame

> Acquired EXP: 20,399

> Required EXP: 33,450

[Currently Playing]

> Hip Hop (2:08)

[Cool Down]

> Fierock (0:41)

Losing half of her strength should not have been a problem for Lyrica. What led to her losing her grip with her Hallowed Be Thy Name was that she used all of her mana. No matter how much health a person has, using every ounce of one's mana would result in one's body giving in to exhaustion.

Combining that with the fact that her strength was cut by half, it's quite a miracle that she's still conscious with half-open eyes when normally, people who used every mana they had would pass out as one would normally expect.

"I-I f*cked up... How troublesome...!" Lyrica spoke in a weak tone as she slowly clenched her fist in frustration.

"How dare you do that to me, you filthy Himala!!" The Anino spoke at Lyrica with a monstrous snarl. "I'll tear you apart!!"

Forgetting its former plan on the girl, the Anino lunged furiously at her, intending to kill Lyrica in the most painful way possible with its claw-like hands. Lyrica decided to just close her eyes, knowing there was nothing she could do but somehow endure what was coming for her. But then...

Graaaaahh!!

Rustle, rustle!

"Ah!"

"Huh?"

Right as the Anino got closer to Lyrica, a blue rose suddenly blossomed right before them.

"What's..."

In the instant the sight of the flower confused the girl, Lyrica suddenly found herself sitting in front of a dinner table, inside of an old and familiar living room along with her parents.

"Mother... Father...?"

Seeing them look back at her as they answered her call, got Lyrica wondering, 'What am I doing here? This isn't right.'

Lyrica is well aware of the fact that what she was seeing and hearing isn't real. But somehow, it felt like she was both in a dream and reality. Until all of a sudden, everything disappeared, including her Mother and Father.

"Ah!"

Before she realized it, the girl returned to the battlefield in an instant. The blue rose in front of Lyrica has vanished. But although it had disappeared rather mysteriously before her charcoal eyes, Lyrica caught the sight of a man with red hair, beaming a rather confident grin.

"You couldn't reshape your physical form in time to avoid my punch, huh. You've gone slower and weaker, Anino!"

Lyrica's jaw dropped as she witnessed the man violently sending the Anino crashing to the surface, not just once or twice, but five times far across the plateau.

GRAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHH!!!

A wrathful scream followed by an ominously heavy pressure sent cold shivers at Lyrica.

"So you've come, at last... Blue Rose!"

On the other hand, the four people who stood before her sight remained calm and unfazed.

"Hey, hey, we are here too, you know!"

"I knew the day would come where I'd get to use these."

"I will not let you harm anyone again!"

To Lyrica, it's almost as if they've already experienced it before.

The woman in the far right of Lyrica's view summoned a white staff adorned with blue roses from the palm of her hand.

"We will kill you this time for sure."

The time remaining before the Anino's Spark triggers is less than three and a half minutes!