Gluttony Descends
Esmeray returned to the ground slowly; his body effortlessly floated down through the air, carried on the night's breeze. His coat gently flickered like a wraith in the dim light. The moon's ethereal glow from the cracked ceiling only accentuated his shadow in stark relief against the cavern walls. Kazami could feel Esmeray's pressure from all the way here as his figure loomed larger and more ominous, like a spectre descending from the heavens to confront Kazami in his domain.
Behind him sprawled the serene lake, its surface a mirror reflecting thousands of stalactites hanging like crystalline icicles from the cave ceiling. The tranquil waters seemed to amplify its vastness, creating an ethereal yet suffocating atmosphere.
"I'll just put you over here," Esmeray murmured as he pushed Ukiyo's bubble over to the middle of the lake. "We don't want any accidents occurring now, do we, Mai-sama~"
"Kazami!" Ukiyo yelled, trying her best to reach him; however, everything was distorted—the cries and pleads emanating from her, their echoes muted by the watery barrier. Her words and reasoning couldn't reach him. "Kazami!" She yelled out again before slamming both her arms into the watery surface. "Just like before, my words could never reach you. You were always so stubborn, refusing to listen to any reason whenever you set your mind to something," her voice slowly shrank into the water. Her gaze dropped to her palms, trembling from the effort. They were empty, yet they felt heavy—burdened by the threads of fate that seemed to coil around her fingers, unseen but suffocating, like the phantom touch of something far greater than her. She wanted to control her own destiny, but this world was tying her life's threads into a knot that she was unable to disentangle or cut—at least not without the right tools.
As Ukiyo gazed down at her own distorted reflection in the rippling water, the moonlight cast a gentle glow that danced upon the submerged rocks, revealing the underwater world in an otherworldly silver hue. With just a blink of an eye, she saw a reflection of a child crying with her face tucked into her legs. It reminded her of those long nights of suffering; each ripple of the clear water acted as a reminder of the passage of her remaining time and the gradual washing away of pain.
Panic began to seize control of Kazami as he unconsciously took half a step back before gripping tightly on the hilt of his sword. Tracing his vision along Esmeray's white outline, he began analysing his opponent's components. With a long grey coat with shoulder guards and a black vest on top of a buttoned-up white shirt, Kazami took his time scanning every fibre of Esmeray's. 'He's far stronger than me… I should stay on the defensive so I can get a feel for his Leere. If I can, by some miracle, last longer than a minute, I should be able to grasp his abilities.'
"Heh." Esmeray laughed smugly. "Your glare is so intense, it's making me so nervous~" He jeered.
Kazami remained silent, not giving into his opponent's nonsense. Despite all the jokes his opponents made, he could feel a trace of Esmeray's bloodlust beneath his playful demeanour.
'In reality, we are probably fully submerged in our own pod, with only digital data being passed between us. However, I can feel something—something odd in his eyes—that can only be described as killing intent.'
The sound of sniffling and crying resounded in Kazami's head.
'Huh?" Kazami thought, scanning the room for the source of the sound.
'Ugh... Haargh... Argh... Aargh.' A wail could be heard ringing in Kazami's head.
'What is that noise? Is someone... crying? Am I hearing things?' His eyes fell back on Esmeray, who was slowly walking towards him. 'Dammit, his presence is diluting my senses. I need to focus...'
Kazami's mind went straight back into its battle state, and his eyes received Esmeray's gaze head on. Before he realised it, the adrenaline was kicking in, and it felt like even the colours of his surroundings had changed. It was the moonlight that slowly enveloped Kazami as it bathed all the insignificance of the underworld with life.
Esmeray gave another nasty smirk, stretching his smile out like a crescent moon before turning his gaze and walking to a spot about ten metres away from Kazami. He then raised his right hand and manipulated a menu screen he had summoned while his intense gaze was still locked on Kazami.
The electronic chime of the menu rang like a church bell in Kazami's head. Nervous, he traced his finger in front of his vision, bringing up a message. Kazami broke into a cold sweat before selecting the green tick icon on the hologram, consenting to a duel that was set with a
'no safety net' rule.'
'If my health drops to zero, I really will die.' He thought, knowing quite well that this isn't just a simple duel in a video game.
He steadied himself; he did not regret his decision. After all, from the moment that announcement was broadcasted on that fateful day, his lifeline would have already been sealed behind a pixelated green bar. 'I'll win this, free Hoyeon, and have him at my mercy. Answers… I need more answers about this world and the truth about Hoyeon.'
A red countdown started on the top side of Kazami's vision.
"Three…" the game system chimed.
Kazami could feel his virtual blood beginning to pump faster as he vanquished the last remaining bits of hesitation and let loose his desire to win.
Then he drew his empty hilt, pointing towards his target without a single hesitation.
"Two…"
Even though the battle hadn't started yet, his instincts screamed at him, telling him that his opponent wasn't someone that he could win against if he charged in first.
"One…"
Esmeray clicked both of his fingers and took a deep breath, causing a familiar blue outline to begin forming in the air. "Now I don't usually fight like this, but I'll give you a handicap." Esmeray said through a smile, before materialising the silhouette of a longsword and a shield.
"Huh?!" Kazami said, confused.
The sword itself was strange. It had a grainy texture that could only be described as bread-like. Its hard, crusty exterior gleamed with an otherworldly sheen, while its stiff, doughy core gave it a slight flexibility, akin to a saber's elegant curve.
"Is this a joke? Stop fucking around already!" Kazami was feeling a mix of confusion and anger at what he was witnessing. "A bread sword? You expect me to fight you like that?"
"Hehehe… like I said, this is not really my style, but since today's menu is all about swords, I thought it would be great to get a feel for this style." Esmeray slowly reached out his other hand towards the moonlight as it seeped through his open palms.
Beside the bread sword, a shield slowly materialised in Esmeray's left hand. It was shimmering with a translucent jelly-like substance. It wobbled slightly as it solidified, its surface smooth and slick to the touch.
Trying his best to compose himself, Kazami took a step back before switching his stance. Materialising before him was a blade similar to a scimitar, with its distinct bend. The guard of the blade was lined with spikes, and on the grip of the weapon was a switch. The blade was known as
Esmeray readied his own pair of weapons in kind, still smirking behind his jelly shield.
Kazami's brow furrowed. 'That's his, Leere? No, I get the feeling that this is just part of his ability… The ability to materialise any material, perhaps? But why bread and jelly? That can't be it; there has to be a catch here.' Kazami monologued while staring down his foe.
Esmeray stood with his shield facing Kazami and the right side of his body away from Kazami. It seemed that for now, he was also playing defensively. There was something strange about his stance.
'I can't feel any strength behind his stance,' he thought. 'What is he playing at? I have to—' Kazami shook his head, frustrated. 'I'm overthinking every little thing I do. I'm not gonna get anywhere like this! But I also can't go on the offensive… His earlier analysis on my Leere was spot on. He knows too much about my Leere and I know little to nothing about him.'
Esmeray rolled his neck and shoulders, ready to begin the fight. "Now let's dig in, shall we? I'll show you what it really means to be hungry."
The sound of gentle crying once again wormed its way into Kazami's ears.
'It's that sound again. I guess I wasn't going crazy, but who's crying?'
"You must be really confident to be looking away from a battle~" The shadow whispered from beside him.
It was Esmeray, who had made a 30-metre dash in complete silence. Esmeray lifted his bready sword and swung down on Kazami.
Kazami twisted his body to block the blow, which made a thick crunching sound as it made contact with Sentinel Edge. Switching tactics, Esmeray swung the grainy blade in his right hand back upwards to the left. The blade clashed directly against Sentinel Edge's guards, sending out a burst of sparks. Kazami could see the grin on Esmeray's face. "You didn't think that was just a normal sword strike, did you? I'll have you know that was just an appetiser to the main course!"
Esmeray drew his blade back from below his opponent's blade before slashing straight up through Kazami's defence, breaking his guard.
Kazami grunted, his arms still above his head from where his defences had been broken.
'That was a skill deployment! Usually, it takes a few seconds when initiating a skill deployment, right? When Esmeray used that attack, there was no glow, no callout, no nothing,' Kazami analysed. 'Just how strong is this guy?!'
'
The strike from the left came quick, and Kazami barely managed to deflect it with the Sentinel Edge. Although it came quick, it did not hit as hard as he'd initially thought. Using the force of Esmeray's strike, Kazami propelled himself backwards, widening the distance between them before charging back towards Esmeray.
Kazami dashed towards Esmeray, staying low to the ground. As he closed the distance, he held Sentinel Edge close to his body, attempting to thrust the blade into his opponent in one fluid motion. Almost as if Esmeray read his mind, he countered Kazami's attack by charging into the attack with his shield, pushing the Sentinel Edge deep into the Jelly Shield's centre.
Esmeray glared evilly at Kazami through the transparent gelatine of his shield and lifted his longsword to the same level as the shield.
'Damn it! I'm stuck!' Kazami grunted, looking down at where his own sword had pierced and become lodged within the gelatinous mass. In this position, he couldn't move, and he would be defenceless if he let go of his weapon in order to escape. He had to think of something else.
"Rush Technique, Deployment Level 2: Reversal Slash!" Kazami cried. In an instant, Kazami forced his sword downwards through the jelly and spun around, bringing his sword into position for an overhead strike, once more facing Esmeray. However, Esmeray's reaction time was impeccable, instantly shifting his grip to bring his own sword upwards, blocking Kazami's attack.
Once more, Kazami dashed away from Esmeray. Esmeray made no approach but instead began to circle strafe his opponent, holding up his shield while holding eye contact. It was evident to Kazami that he was facing an opponent far stronger than anything he had faced thus far, and that he had to precisely calculate and measure every movement he made, lest he be killed in a second.
Following in Esmeray's footsteps, Kazami too began to circle his opponent, staying on his left, closer to his shield, 'If I stay on his left, then he'll have a harder time attacking me with his sword, unless he wants to change his stance,' Kazami analysed.
Again, Esmeray brought up his sword to shield height and positioned himself as if he were playing a game of billiards, standing as if he were about to hit a cue ball.
"Haa!" Esmeray cried, piercing his sword straight through his own shield. It came at Kazami, leaving a trail of pure white light.
Kazami's jaw dropped. "Huh!? Right through his shield!?"
Just before Esmeray's sword hit him, Kazami pushed the switch in the guard of Sentinel Edge, rotating its blade at the opposite angle to intercept the surprise attack, deflecting it to his left side. Although he countered it successfully, the impact of Esmeray's attack rattled his entire body, causing Kazami to take a few steps back to try and regain his balance.
Esmeray's fighting style was unexpected, far beyond Kazami's imagination. 'It seems that the shield itself not only looks like jelly but is also made entirely of jelly. It's slippery, causing most of my attacks to bounce off. With its unpredictable nature, it gives access to attacks that would be impossible for a normal shield. I won't be able to get a clean slash on him.'
'I had originally thought that increasing my defence by an overwhelming amount would allow me to win by tiring him out, but it seemed that I was wrong. After all, forcing an attack-type Leere to become a somewhat defensive type is already hard enough to do. '
"Come on! I can't be doing all the work in this relationship!" Esmeray jeered.
Esmeray dashed towards Kazami, closing the distance between them in half a second, and denying Kazami any time to recover. The tip of the bread sword he held in his right hand flew towards Kazami at a speed that could rival a spear from an ox monster he had previously encountered during the beta version of the game.
Kazami pressed the switch once again, rotating the Sentinel Edge's blade to protect himself. sparks flew as the two blades grinded against one another, neither yielding. 'Fuck! This isn't any normal baguette; it's as hard as steel!' Kazami groaned, feeling the pressure on his wrist.
The attack did not stop there, as Esmeray continued to slash his bread sword at Kazami, switching angles with every strike to keep him on his toes. Sparks continued to fly with each hit, as Kazami could only hold up his sword to defend.
'Dammit, with attacks this fast, it's impossible for me to switch stance right now. Is he doing this on purpose? Is he trying to keep me from switching?' Kazami thought, as metallic creaking echoed in the background.
However, in the midst of the battle, his vision began to blur. "What the.. what is happening," he muttered. However, he couldn't hear his own voice, rather he could only hear the sound of a child crying.
'It's the same voice.' Kazami's vision slowly began to clear up, but what stood before him wasn't Esmeray, but rather a little boy. He was crying under a single warm light as heavy snowfall covered his body.
The image flashed before him momentarily before flashing back to grainy, bread-like texture and slashed a chunk of Kazami's bangs.
"Agh!!" He winced, feeling the full pressure of Esmeray's attack.
His eyes shifted to the left side of his vision, his health bar was slowly dropping down into the yellow zone.
Esmeray licked his lips expectedly.
Kazami spun his body sideways along the edge of the bread sword in an attempt to get closer to Esmeray. However, his approach was instantly met with a blunt counter attack from Esmeray's shield, knocking him backwards into a roll.
"That's insane; he's so fast," Kazami murmured through bated breath.
His opponent smirked vilely and dashed towards him, initiating another flurry of attacks.
As he took the last strike of Esmeray's twelve-strike combo, Kazami followed up with a skill deployment: "Level 5 deployment, guard technique, Coiling Choke!"
Kazami's blade quickly twisted its form as if it was made of clay, warping around his body to create a defensive iron coil. The tip of the blade continued to wrap around Kazami, eventually looping back towards Esmeray. With a metallic shriek, the sword skill left a green trail of light before it struck the centre of Esmeray's shield. Esmeray stumbled back slightly, pulling his shield off of the sword. It was the first time during the battle that he was able to push him back.
Kazami grunted, 'It feels like I just hit a stone wall. How can jelly be so damn hard.' He groaned, his hand becoming numb from the impact. He was still reeling from the impact.
'I couldn't completely pierce the shield, but I felt the feeling of having penetrated his defence. I just need to focus all my attacks on a single point, rather than having them come from different angles.'
Esmeray's health points were reduced slightly, but not enough to decide the fight. The battle was far from over.
"Impressive reaction time… And you were able to damage me." Esmeray shook his head and sighed. "And here I thought I'd be going home unsatisfied."
"More like your defence is too damn tough…" Kazami muttered through gritted teeth, taken over by the adrenaline of battle.
Esmeray charged at Kazami once again, tucking his body behind his shield.
'Tch! He's gonna try and ram into me!' Kazami passed a glance at his sword and gripped its hilt tight. 'It's now or never!'
"Level 1 deployment, amplification technique, Maxtrix Shift."
The Sentinel Edge shone brightly under the moonlight as radiant energy spilt from Kazami's hands and changed its shape. The blade of the Sentinel Edge extended forward, as did its hilt, its cylindrical grip lengthening into another blade. The blades of the weapon straightened themselves, now resembling that of a Tsurugi, a double-edged sword.
Gripping the weapon from its middle, Kazami spun it around like the blades on a windmill before returning to his fighting stance.
"Level 6 Deployment, Counter Technique: Twin Headed Trap."
At his command, the blades quivered, like serpents awakening from their slumber. The steel of the blade shot out from each end of the sword, its movements weaving like a tapestry of gleaming metal—creating the illusion of a labyrinth. As the metal bent and stretched, the blades of the weapon whispered incoherently, mimicking the sound of wind chimes, as if it had its own voice, humming its deadly song.
Kazami's Leere moved like a living being, almost like a celestial dancer performing a ballet of destruction. "I can hear it," he said amidst a flurry of slashes. "Something is speaking to me." The twin blades, coiled and twisted through the air, their paths intertwining and diverging, creating a mesmerising yet perilous maze. To his adversary, it was as if the very fabric of reality had shifted, trapping him in an ever-shifting web of steel and light.
Esmeray pushed forcefully against the brunt of the attack, sending sparks and the echoes of grinding metal flying throughout the cave's moonlit walls. Each blow was traded at blinding speeds with a surgeon's precision. Every attack that came from Kazami's double-ended sword was perfectly blocked and parried by Esmeray's gelatinous shield, and each thrust Esmeray made for Kazami's head was swiftly countered away by the steeled edge of his blade.
Kazami grunted. 'That's insane; he's even capable of parrying counter techniques.'
With each clash of their blades, the arena lit up with flashes of light that appeared and disappeared. Every once in a while, a minor blow made it through Kazami's defence, chipping away slowly but surely at his HP reserves. He couldn't block everything, and he knew that if this kept up, he would fall first. He had to land a clean hit and break through Esmeray's defences.
With unrelenting swordplay from both sides, the two players kept up a steady torrent of strikes and parries, showing no hesitation in their deadly dance. Kazami's thoughts raced with each swing of his sword, each one a frantic effort to get closer to the truth of this world.
However, that same desperation to reach the truth he sought was overwhelmed by the thought of Ukiyo and Hoyeon being one in the same, its influence lingering in the back of his mind.
The regret over the agony and suffering he had caused her in the past weighed heavy on him, slowing his movements by a fraction of a second. These memories were buried deep inside himself in hopes that he would never have to face his cowardly self while he continued to live out a life free from consequence. The thought made him question his right to have existed in ignorance for so long while she suffered because of his selfishness.
Taking advantage of Kazami's negligence to the fight, Esmeray drove his bread blade through Kazami's guard, aimed at his shoulder. As the blade punctured his digital flesh, Kazami was once again shown a vision of a boy crying under the moonlight. The image became more vivid, as if he was watching the scene through a telescope.
The boy sat under a streetlamp, his body trembling from the cold winter air. Snow fell heavily around him, muffling his cries. His thin frame shivered uncontrollably; his hunger was evident in his hollow cheeks and gaunt appearance. The snowflakes settled on his ragged clothes, soaking through and intensifying his chill. With desperate eyes, the boy reached his hand towards the full moon, his fingers trembling as he whispered, "Please, someone take away this hunger."
As the vision faded, Kazami's focus snapped back to the battle.
He was greeted by the sting of cold 'not-quite steel' as crystals of blood digitised and evaporated from where his skin had been broken. Kazami gritted his teeth and groaned in pain, sweat dripping from his forehead. Right now, he couldn't afford to care about his mental turmoil. He had to focus, choosing to swallow his guilt and regrets. Letting go of the memories of his life momentarily, he felt his body lightening in exhilaration. This was the first time he had faced such a strong opponent since being trapped in the Dusk Protocol. Every encounter thus far was against mobs whose attack patterns could easily be predicted after trial and errors. Esmeray, on the other hand, was unlike anything he had experienced before.
Free from his mental burdens, Kazami was now able to concentrate on the fine movements of his body. As his focus and precision deepened, the speed and power of his attacks began to rise.
"I'm not done yet! I have to win! No matter the cost!"
In a single moment, Kazami released every ounce of strength at his disposal, drowning his blade with savagery red. Disregarding the searing pain in his shoulder, the flurry of blades intensified as the HP of both parties continued to decrease. However, Kazami's health seemed to be dropping significantly faster.
"Tch," Esmeray muttered, breaking his smile. His brow furrowed as he felt Kazami's attacks becoming heavier with each repeated strikes. "Is this your second wind, boy? How charming. But it won't save you."
'What was that? Did he slow down?' Kazami became frustrated again. 'Stop thinking and get doing!'
In an instant, Kazami switched his stance, bringing his sword horizontally across his chest, and launched an assault with his sword: "Level 7 Deployment, Rush Technique Wind Slithering Stroke!"
The face of the double-sided blade began to emanate a blue energy, which slowly became brighter and brighter, eventually creating an illusion of twin cobras rushing towards their prey, Esmeray. Kazami dashed alongside the illusion, aiming to hide himself to launch a sneak attack on his opponent. However, as Kazami got closer, he felt a sudden flash of pain in his left shoulder. Without even moving, Esmeray had countered the attack, driving his blade straight through Kazami's other shoulder.
Kazami cried out as he felt his knees beginning to lose strength. Esmeray, who looked down on him, knelt closer and whispered in his ear. "For a moment there I thought you had a plan; I was foolish to think that you could entertain me." Esmeray's usual smirk crept its way back onto his face as he pulled back. "You should have kept to your original plan and kept up your defences. Though it wouldn't have made much of a difference anyway, it would have at least bought you more time to ponder your life before the end."
Esmeray swiftly pulled his sword from its place in Kazami's shoulder, dragging specks of digitised blood and flesh with it, causing Kazami to fall to his knees. "Looks like this was the last course on your menu."
As he began to raise his jelly-like shield high above his head, the moon's reflection shone through its transparent shape, and its form began to alter and expand itself. Not before long, the shield had completely changed its shape, becoming longer and thinner, like a nail to be hammered into a cut of timber. Its long, pointed shadow loomed over Kazami's head as the moonlight shone through it, drowning the environment in a pinkish-red veil.
Despite being made of jelly, the nail was sharp, and its impressive size would probably even allow it to penetrate a whale. It hung in the air directly above Kazami's head, its form swaying softly in the stillness of the night sky. Esmeray reached for the nail and gripped it tightly, preparing to put the nail through Kazami's skull.
With all the strength he had left, Kazami lowered his head and began mumbling quieter than a whisper. "Hm? What was that, dear boy? Are you saying your final words?" Esmeray teased, putting one hand to his ear to try and hear Kazami better. "Don't worry; I'll make sure to relay them to Mai-Sama for you. You should be alive enough to speak just a bit louder for me, right?" He laughed before leaning closer to Kazami.
"Yo…," Kazami murmured. "You…"
"I… I what? Hmm?" Esmeray mocked, slowly growing impatient.
"You… You forgot about dessert, you freaky bastard!" Kazami shouted before slamming his head squarely against Esmeray's, catching him completely off guard.
"Ugh!" Esmeray cried, losing his composure. He'd been waiting this whole fight for his opponent's cockiness to make him slip up, and he'd just given Kazami the opening he wanted
Springing to a standing position, Kazami prepared himself for a follow-up attack, his head still ringing with screaming pain from where he had been wounded prior. With lightning-fast speed, he drew his blade back to generate momentum in his swing. Bending his body low, he dashed forward like a gale, slamming his weapon's flat edge against Esmeray's body, using the remainder of his strength to put as much momentum as he could behind his swing.
"Nine, eight, seven…" Kazami mumbled the cooldown of his stance change. "Six, five, four…"
Esmeray, now somewhat recovered, raised the jelly nail above his head to impale Kazami. The nail did not hit its mark, instead landing in the boy's left shoulder once more. Kazami bit his lip as a familiar searing pain spread throughout his body again, feeling each and every tear of his skin. Esmeray had hoped to disrupt his opponent's momentum, but his attack could not stop what was already in motion.
"Three, two, one…"
A flashing white light enveloped Kazami's blade before bending its shape. The steel coiled and retracted into a shorter, more compact blade, but its edge became broader and thicker to deal maximum damage. Kazami swung his blade upwards at Esmeray with pinpoint accuracy at point-blank range, an attack that he thought would surely decide the match.
"Ughh…" Esmeray groaned, holding his chest, now aware of the predicament he was in. His face was wrought with shock.
"You should have taken your own advice… and stayed on the defensive side," Kazami jeered through ragged breaths. He let out a fierce battle cry before moving to spear his enemies' chests.
Esmeray, who was still stunned by Kazami's surprise counterattack, would be unable to counter it. Or at least, that was what he wanted Kazami to believe. His eyes rolled to meet Kazami's. "Careful what you wish for, boy… Things don't always go as planned…" Esmeray muttered through a smirk.
With the snap of Esmeray's finger, a red light began to shine from beneath Kazami. A colour that resembled the deep red of fresh blood. An explosion roared from below, knocking Kazami a few feet backwards.
Blood flowed from the open cuts littered around Kazami's body as his health drained into the red zone. Kazami groaned in pain as the ringing in his ears continued.
Kazami looked down at his body as he lay flat on the rough, rocky surface of the cave, examining the various wounds he had collected from this battle, including several burn marks that had burned through his clothes, exposing blackened, ashen skin. Kazami lolled his head back and tried to steady his breathing and regain focus.
"You really thought that would work?" Esmeray murmured, his smile even more intense than before. "Did you enjoy that? It was a course straight out of a God's Menu. Level 3 deployment, guard technique: Frosted Frenzy Mine."