Onto The Next

Silence pressed against the ears of everyone in Team Shadow Liege. They had successfully managed to defeat Team Death Trap which had inevitably led to their deaths.

Arora watched Shade from a distance. She was happy that they had managed to survive but she also felt deeply troubled. During the stage, Shade had shown no hesitation to kill. He had even decapitated the enemy team's Aíma as if it was a normal occurrence. Arora couldn't comprehend how Shade could do such things without even a shred of guilt.

"So, we won! Why isn't anyone celebrating..?" Suddenly asked Celia.

"I guess it's just a little hard to believe that we made it..." Replied Tristan.

"Yeah, I think it would be best if we got out of here though..." Added Arora.

Celia agreed. She just needed Shade's approval then they could move on to the next area. However, she noticed that Shade was looking up at the announcer who was still above their heads.

"Shade..?" She called.

"Hey, ref," called Shade to the announcer. "What do we get for completing a stage."

"Well, firstly, I would like to congratulate all of you on passing the First Stage. However, you get nothing for your victory. At least not from the First Stage."

"What?! That's ridiculous!" Argued Tristan.

"Those are just the rules. I don't make them. The next thing you should do is aim for the next town. That's all the information that I can provide."

Shade narrowed his eyebrows. He didn't have an issue with what the announcer had just said. However, there were still a few things that he wanted to know.

"You're not an NPC. You're the first real human we've spoken with that's not participating in the game. You work for them, don't you?" Inquired Shade.

"If you're referring to me working for the game designer then yes."

"You know what I meant. I'm talking about the ME Organization."

The announcer's eyes then widened with shock. This reaction gave Shade the answer that he wanted.

"Judging from your reaction, I can tell that you do."

"And what does it matter to you? A mere player shouldn't pry into the business of the ME Organization. In fact, you shouldn't even know of it to begin with."

"What I want to know is; what's the ME Organization about in the first place. I want you to tell me everything you know!"

The announcer's face became sour. He now understood who Shade was just a little more.

"I see... I had heard that two of our members were killed. The reports said that their heads were missing as if someone had murdered them with a goal in mind. You were the one who killed them, weren't you, Shade? That would explain why you know about the ME Organization."

Everyone froze upon hearing the announcer's question. Did this mean that Shade was the Head Reaper?

"That doesn't matter. Answer my question! What is the ME Organization and what are they planning to do?"

"I am not obligated to share such information with you. However, I will give you a warning. If you value your life then you should forget that the ME Organization even exists."

Just then, a blue light appeared around every member of Team Shadow Liege before they were transported away to the top of a large mountain which was being showered with rain.

"What the hell?! He teleported us out in the open where it's raining?!" Cursed Tristan.

"Shade, we need to hurry and find refuge somewhere!" Stated Arora.

Shade hissed underneath his breath. He had failed to get any information on the ME Organization yet again. However, despite his frustration, he knew that he had to focus on getting his team to safety. He could continue his search for information another time.

A few minutes later, they found a small shed which they all gathered underneath to take refuge from the rain.

Arora still did not have much to say to anyone. Instead, she remained quiet beside Tristan, thinking about their win in the First Stage. She knew that she too now had blood on her hands. Due to this, she needed some time to clear her mind.

On the other hand, Celia drew closer to Shade. She had heard everything that the announcer had said to him and had decided it was a good time to talk.

"Knowing you, I doubt you're going to take the announcer's advice..." She stated.

"Of course not. The ME Organization has to be the group that made this game. I want to know who they are and make them regret ever double-crossing me," replied Shade coldly.

"But that's not the full story, isn't it? In truth, you never cared that much about the ME Organization in the first place. Am I wrong?"

Shade gazed at Celia. He realized that she was more observant than he had cared to give her credit for.

"What are you implying?"

"Back at the restaurant in Aíma Malliá, those two players were secretly talking about the ME Organization the entire time. However, none of it gained your full attention until they mentioned a certain name. It was the name of your brother, Rein."

"Tsk... You're quite observant, aren't you..?"

"Of course, I am! I'm your beautiful team captain after all! So tell me, Shade. Do you have any idea why your brother would be working with the ME Organization?"

Shade didn't respond immediately. He didn't quite know the answer to Celia's question himself.

"I'm not sure. But I'm not interested in talking about him either."

Celia then gave a slight smile as she took Shade's hand. Shade didn't know why but he felt weirdly comfortable when she did this. This was until the following words left her lips;

"You're seeking revenge. I can see it in your eyes."

Just then, before Shade could even respond, a powerful roar pierced their eardrums followed by a deafening scream.

Shade and Celia then looked up to see a massive monster that looked just like a polar bear. The only difference was that it had glowing red eyes and was ten times bigger than the average bear.

It then swung its massive claws violently towards them, wrecking the shed in a single blow. Debris and wood flew in all directions alongside the sound of heavy raindrops.

Thankfully, Shade and Celia had managed to get out of the way just in the nick of time. However, this was when Shade noticed something frightening. Arora had been unlucky enough to be hit by the bear's massive claws which had immediately sent her airborne.

Without much time to think, Shade dived towards her before cushioning her fall in his arms. However, this was when he heard a terrifying shout from Tristan.

"Shade, watch out!!!"

For a moment, Shade could not tell what Tristan was warning him against. The bear was still a few feet away from them and he did not see any other approaching threats. This was until Shade looked down.

To both Shade's and Arora's horrendous surprise, there was a cliff beneath them that stretched a few hundred feet down. Helplessly, they both fell from the cliff down into a sea of unknowns as Celia screamed at them.

"SHADE!! ARORA!!"