- A World Askew

The aftermath of the battle hung heavy in the air—the metallic tang of blood, the damp scent of pine, and the lingering ozone from the system's energy surges. May stood, the obsidian Atmos Dagger still clutched in her hand, its faint green glow a stark contrast to the lifeless bodies scattered around them. Beside her, Kael stirred.

He sat up abruptly, his head throbbing. The world swam before his eyes—a dizzying kaleidoscope of unfamiliar sights and sounds. The forest, the blood-soaked earth, the towering trees—all seemed distorted, alien. Then, he saw May, the Atmos Dagger gleaming in her hand. A jolt, sharp and sudden, shot through his head, a wave of nausea washing over him. The familiar shape of the dagger, the faint green luminescence—it was undeniably his, yet it felt… wrong. The world tilted, the sounds of the forest intensifying, morphing into a cacophony of dissonant notes.

He staggered to his feet, his hand flying to his temple. The world spun, the vibrant colors of the forest blurring into a nauseating haze. May's words, though clear, sounded distant, muffled, as if filtered through water. He felt a profound unease, a disconnection from this reality, a jarring contrast to the familiar magic-infused world he knew.

He saw the Alpha Hounds—creatures he recognized as low-rank beasts from his first trials—lying lifeless on the ground. The sheer incongruity of it all—this strange, technology-infused world, these unfamiliar yet somehow familiar beasts, and this girl with the his Atmos Dagger—sent a fresh wave of dizziness through him.

May, sensing his distress, attempted to approach, her voice soft and concerned. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

Kael recoiled, his hand still pressed to his throbbing temple. "Don't… don't come near me," he muttered, his voice strained. He took a shaky step back, his gaze darting around the clearing, fixated on the fallen Alpha Hounds. The familiar scent of their blood, the musky odor of their fur—it was all too real, yet fundamentally different. The magic, the inherent power in his world, was absent here, replaced by a strange, unsettling technological hum.

May, frustrated but understanding his distress, remained where she was. "I… I can explain," she began, but Kael cut her off.

"Explain what?" he asked, his voice tight with suspicion. "Explain this… this… place? Explain why you have my Atmos Dagger? Why is it… weaker? Dimmed?" He stared at the Dagger in May's hand, his eyes narrowed. "That dagger… it's imbued with a deadly poison. A single touch… it's enough to kill a man. Yet, you… you wield it without consequence."

May tried again to explain, her words tumbling out in a rush, but Kael remained skeptical, his gaze fixed on the Dagger. His past betrayal had left him wary, distrustful of anyone who seemed too kind, too helpful. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was profoundly wrong, that this reality was a twisted reflection of his own. The very air felt different, charged with an unfamiliar energy.

Then, with a sudden, decisive movement, Kael raised his right hand, his palm outstretched towards May. "Come back here," he commanded, his voice low and serious.

Before May could react, the Atmos Dagger slipped from her grasp, drawn irresistibly towards Kael's outstretched hand. It flew through the air, a blur of obsidian, landing perfectly in his palm. May stared, speechless, as Kael examined the Dagger, his touch causing the green luminescence to intensify. The silent transfer of the Dagger, the seemingly telekinetic movement, left May breathless, her mind reeling from the sheer impossibility of it all.

The Atmos Dagger, cool and strangely familiar in his grasp, felt… wrong. It lacked the vibrant energy, the resonant hum, the palpable connection to its partner. It felt… weak, diminished. He couldn't sense the presence of Aethelred, his bonded partner, the sentient blade that had been his companion through countless battles. Aethelred, a magnificent weapon forged in the heart of a dying star, could shift its form, speak, and even offer strategic advice. This… this was merely a pale imitation.

He swung the Dagger experimentally, a fluid movement born of years of training. The blade sliced through the air, but the familiar weight, the satisfying heft, the magical resonance—they were all absent. A wave of frustration washed over him. He examined the Dagger again, his fingers tracing the runes, searching for some sign of Aethelred's presence. Nothing.

May, watching him with a mixture of apprehension and fascination, couldn't help but notice the subtle shift in Kael's demeanor. His movements, once fluid and graceful, were now sharp, almost frantic. The subtle tremor in his hands, the tightening of his jaw—it was clear that something was deeply wrong. She felt a prickle of unease, a sense of foreboding that sent a shiver down her spine.

The air crackled with tension. Kael's eyes, blazing with barely controlled fury, were locked onto May. The Atmos Dagger, still pointed at her, seemed to vibrate with barely contained power. May's heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic rhythm that echoed the frantic thoughts swirling in her head.

Kael, his frustration mounting, turned his attention to the Dagger, his voice rising in a frustrated whisper. "Aethelred? Aethelred, damn you, speak to me!" He shook the Dagger, his voice tinged with anger. "Why are you silent? This... Why are you in this… weakened form?"

'Oh yah? Ohhh... Yaahh' she thought, her mind a chaotic jumble of dear and disbelief. 'This guy s seriously scary. He's like, a walking, talking, dagger-wielding cliché from a dark fantasy novel. And I'm pretty sure he's about to kill me.' A nervous giggle escaped her lips. 'This is way more intense than that time I accidentally set the kitchen on fire trying to make ramen.'

May, unable to contain herself any longer, stepped forward. "U-Um...I-It's not your Dagger, Kael," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "--It's mine."

Kael whirled around, his eyes blazing with anger.

'Whaa~ Scary!' (T////T)

Kael's voice, low and dangerous, cut through the silence. "What did you say.. You little...thing," he snarled, the Atmos Dagger ( May's ) pointed directly at her. "You're playing some kind of game, aren't you? This… this world… it's all a deception. And you… you're part of it."

(=__=) May's gaze darted away, her face a mixture of confusion and a growing sense of dread. She felt like she'd stumbled into the middle of a bizarre, dangerous play, and she had no idea what the script was.

'Like it's my fault this guy's here...' May thought, burying her face in her hands, feeling a wave of despair. 'Explaining this is going to be a nightmare.' 🤦

"Bu...But I'm telling the truth--" Kael didn't let May finish.

"Shut it! You think I'll believe you right away?" Kael sneered at May, the Atmos Dagger still pointed menacingly at her. She took a step back, sweat beading on her forehead, a stark testament to her growing fear.

'Oh, come on....'

'If only I had known this was how Kael's personality would turn out, I wouldn't have chosen him. There are so many male protagonists I know from novels, why didn't any of them come to my mind... huhu.' May sobbed in her mind.

But.. She desperately needed to think quickly, to find a way to explain, a way to calm him down. But it was hard to focus. The dagger felt like it was digging into her very soul, the weight of his disbelief crushing her like a heavy stone.

"If you're lying… if you're playing some kind of sick game… I swear I'll make you regret it. I'll make you wish you were never born." He tightened his grip on the Dagger, the obsidian blade gleaming menacingly in the dim light. The very air seemed to crackle with barely contained power.

May swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry. 'Okay, maybe I should have been a little less casual about this whole 'final reward' thing. He's totally going to kill me.' She tried to speak, to explain, but the words caught in her throat. She could only manage a weak, "I… I…"

Kael's eyes narrowed. "Speak," he commanded, his voice a low growl. "Or I'll make you speak."

May, her courage failing, blurted out, "It's… it's mine! Okay? T-The Dagger! I got it as a reward. And… and it's impossible for a weapon to talk!"

Kael laughed, a harsh, bitter sound that sent shivers down May's spine. "Impossible? You think I don't know what's impossible? I've seen things you wouldn't believe. I've wielded weapons that whispered secrets in my ear. Weapons that fought alongside me. Weapons that… spoke."

He glared at May, his suspicion hardening into certainty. "Yeah, right... You're involved in this somehow. You're playing some kind of game, and I won't let you manipulate me."

'Whaaaa~ Why don't you believe me, I'm telling the truth!' May cried in her mind. But.. May thought that from the start, Kael claimed the Atmos Dagger was his, so she thought maybe Kael had one too. So...

May, sensing the growing danger, took a deep breath. "Lo...Look, I know this is hard to believe, but I'm not lying. Why don't you try summoning your own Dagger? If you have one, then maybe we can finally clear this up."

Kael hesitated, his gaze flickering between May and the Dagger in his hand. He was wary, but a flicker of doubt crossed his face. He had been betrayed before, but a part of him, a small, hesitant part, wondered if he was being too quick to judge.

"If I'm wrong," he said, his voice tight with tension, "if you're telling the truth… I swear, I'll make it up to you." He paused, his eyes narrowing. "But if you're really lying… you'll regret it."

'Just do it... You... Handsome bastard.' (T////T)

With a deep breath, Kael closed his eyes, focusing his mind, drawing upon the deep reserves of his magical ability. A gust of wind swirled around him, carrying with it the faint scent of ozone and starlight. The air crackled with energy, the very fabric of reality seeming to shimmer. In his left hand, a magnificent blade materialized—Aethelred. It was a breathtaking spectacle—a blade of pure starlight, its surface swirling with celestial patterns, its hilt adorned with intricate carvings that seemed to pulse with inner light. The blade hummed with power, a resonant thrum that resonated deep within Kael's soul. Aethelred's voice, a deep, resonant baritone, echoed in his mind, a comforting presence that banished the lingering uncertainty.

The silence was broken by a voice, cold and disdainful, yet laced with a strange, sardonic amusement.

"Honestly, Kael, must you always make such a dramatic entrance? It's unbecoming of a seasoned warrior," the voice drawled, a glacial baritone that sent a shiver down May's spine. "And I must say, I find this… reality… utterly tedious. The lack of ambient magic is simply appalling. And what is that dreadful smell? Low ranking blood? It's disgusting!"

The voice paused, its starlight shimmering with a faint, almost imperceptible tremor. Its gaze shifted to the obsidian Dagger in Kael's right hand, its tone turning analytical. "And what, pray tell, is that?" The voice held a hint of disdain. "A crude imitation? A substandard copy? It lacks the resonance, the inherent power… the soul."

The voice finally turned to May, its assessment sharp and piercing. Though still laced with its usual icy disdain, it held a note of genuine curiosity. "And you, little human… you wield it… without consequence. Fascinating. A human… capable of wielding Aethelred's lesser form… and seemingly immune to its poison. Tell me, little human, what other surprises do you hold?" The voice's final words hung in the air, a chilling promise of revelations yet to come.

May, her eyes wide with disbelief, stared at the shimmering obsidian dagger in Kael's left hand. ''Wa.....Waaaait....!! T-The Dagger… it had spoken.??'' Her voice was a mixture of disbelief and horror.