Chapter 149: The Cradle of Fear

Rose looked to her past and found that she regretted nothing. Her pain had subsided as she died. She realized that Heaven was out of reach for her, so sh-

What kind of fanfiction is this? There is tons I regret, and who said I was going to Hell?

… what?

Yeah, here's the problem. I'm not letting you kill me off.

You can't do that.

Yes, I can and yes, I am.

No

Yeah, who are you anyways?

I am the Author; you shall not resist me.

Nahhh. Really? You're the guy we're fighting? You're just a coward!

What?

Oh boohoo, Gabriel's a lot scarier. You turned the battle out of my favor, didn't you!

Of course, I want you gone.

Yeah, exactly, you're a coward. If you want to take me down, then come face me like a man.

I will not stand for this.

What are you gonna do? Sic another demon army on me? You don't scare me.

You are dead, I can do whatever I want now. I was going to let you peacefully burn in Hell, but you decided it would be in your best interest to anger me, so I've decided to simply torture you until your mind breaks, then I'll use your soul in a new body to destroy your friends.

Nah, don't feel like it.

He didn't notice something vital. The Cradle was in front of me. If I could just manage to reach forward and touch it. This time, however, I heard crying like a baby from the cradle.

You don't feel like it? Well, too bad. Because I will eliminate you.

He let go to hit me, and in that instant, I shot forward and grabbed the cradle.

Then I shot back, and I was holding it.

I saw a baby that looked familiar to me. She was lying in the cradle, a simple shadow with glowing eyes. She was blurred and crying.

What did you just do?!

"I'm going to win this."

No. you will not! Rose Hood can no longer move.

My body froze only a moment, but that was enough for him to grab the cradle.

Now, to destroy this thing that has gotten in my way too many times.

"Let go of her."

Her? It's an empty cradle.

I kicked the shadow around the cradle. Predictably, it didn't do much.

"So, you're controlling the shadow from afar. As I thought, even while I'm dead you are to scared to face me."

If I faced you, you would die too quickly for it to be fun.

"Oh, boohoo, whatever you want to say."

I will kill you.

"I'm waiting, coward."

You won't get far.

I started running towards the cradle. I grabbed it and began running, the girl in the cradle stopped crying and looked at me smiling, suddenly, the fear I was holding the whole time suddenly flowed into the child, and she gave off a burp like she just ate.

"Are you FEAR?"

The child giggled at the name. This was my ability, personified as a child.

That cradle contains the personification of FEAR? I must destroy it, then you have no more weapons against me.

"No, it's a baby."

I don't care. I'll be taking that.

He grabbed the cradle. But he made a single mistake, a small hole in the limbo he trapped me in. I needed to get through it… but the child… It was FEAR, a skill that I wanted to be rid of for a long time… but… I couldn't let it die now that I knew it was like a child.

I couldn't. I can't let her die.

I stand up and look around.

There. The cradle.

I dash towards it as fast as I can and latch onto it. Then I saw the hole open before us, and before the Author could make another move, I leapt through it.

YOU LITTLE-

Then silence. I was in a white void. I was floating. I held my breath as there was no air. Around me was multiple marbles.

Worlds.

I could see it all. It was beautiful, was this what Luma truly saw?

I remembered then, one of the things that spiraled through me when I gave her a body. Then I remembered the book.

[Open Navigation]

[Opening Navigation, what world do you wish to go?]

[Pandora]

[You already have an avatar in World: Pandora do you wish to make a new one or enter and revive your original avatar.]

I blinked. This wasn't Luma. It was almost like a game console.

[Continue Game]

[Affirmative, you require payment to continue]

[How much]

[One Ability]

I didn't have many abilities, so for a moment I was at a loss, then I realized something important.

[System Owner: Bypass payment]

[Payment bypassed; do you wish for this to happen automatically.]

[Yes.]

[Understood, Avatar regenerating and being reinputted in World: Pandora]

[What's your name?]

[System]

[Thanks…]

[Do you wish to name me?]

[What?]

[You did the same for my sister, so why not me?]

[Sure. Why not? Hmmm. What about… Sona]

[Sona… I like it.]

[Well, Sona, what do you do?]

[I am the leveling system. I choose requirements, and if one gets in between worlds I let them select their next path.]

[Why do you keep giving me impossible tasks?]

[Why do you keep succeeding them?]

…

[Fair enough.]

[Also, I have another request.]

[What is it?]

[Once you get back to your world and the Supreme Faction leaves, could you give me a body, so I can play with my sister again.]

[… sure.]

She had no face, but I could feel her smile.

[One last thing.]

[Hm?]

[System Settings, Sona.]

[What do you wish to modify?]

[Set independence maximum]

[Are you sure?]

[Yes.]

[Independence set to max.]

[Close Settings.]

[… thank you.]

Then I disappeared from the between and back into the body that I used for 100 years.

I got up

"*pant* I'll be leaving then."

[The Ruler of the Minor Faction: Rose Hood, has d-]

"NOT YET!!!"

I saw Lucifer spin quickly at my voice, and I stood up, like I was never hurt.

Hades smiled as I got back up.

"Hades… Round two."

"I knew you couldn't be done quite yet."

"One second, because that man interfered in our last clash."

[System Owner, Dominion Sect. Select world Pandora, Remove administrative permissions from Pseudonym: Author.]

Then Luma announced.

[Affirmative, Individual by Pseudonym: Author can no longer influence this world.]

Then as I looked at my friend I realized something.

[Ban Pseudonym Author from using telepathy in world: Pandora.]

[Affirmative.]

Dallel calmed down. It seemed the Author went for him already, that must have been the 'friend' he mentioned.

"What was that?!"

"I just made sure that he can't interfere this time."

I smiled.

"Ready to fight."

Then Hades began to smirk.

"Sure, why not."

Then we leapt towards each other, and we fought.