Chapter 17: Vox.exe Has Split — Dual Blades Activated

As we clashed with Sir Emo Malice, I got knocked across the room

like a bootleg ragdoll mod. Everyone else was doing cool anime

moves. Me? I was bleeding and confused.

"YOU'RE THE MAIN CHARACTER," Vox yelled from the ground.

"ACT LIKE IT!"

"I'M TRYING!" I yelled back.

In that moment of desperation, something clicked. Or glitched. Or

maybe the plot just said, "yeah, let him cook."

Vox began to glow. A flash of blue and black light erupted—and bam

—the sword split in two, midair.

Two blades hovered before me: one blue with calm energy, one

black with chaotic power. Yin and Yang. Day and Night. Sass and

Judgment.

"Surprise, loser," said the left blade.

"Ready to win for once?" said the right.

I grabbed both. The dungeon trembled.

"What the hell—" Vish said, backing up.

Kyuu blinked. "He unlocked a new skill tree mid-battle?!"

Allie gasped. "DUAL-WIELDING ARC!"

I lunged into the air, blades spinning, channeling every ounce of

gamer instinct and anime I'd ever absorbed.

And for once... I didn't trip.

We slashed Sir Emo Malice in slow-mo. Light and shadow collided.

Dramatic camera angle (in my mind). Victory theme.

I landed. Breathing heavy. Slightly singed. Proud.

Vox said, "That... was acceptable."

High praise from a sentient sword.

Kyuu floated down, her tails flicking with satisfaction.

Allie posed midair like a magical girl.

Vish just collapsed into his own edgy puddle, muttering something

about vengeance and therapy.

"Did we win?" I asked, still unsure if we were gonna get a bonus

phase or a cutscene betrayal.

A dramatic pause.

Silence.

Then... nothing exploded. No boss respawn. No surprise death flags.

Victory. Real, honest-to-Vaylora victory.

I looked around. My party, my cracked-up dysfunctional chaos crew,

was alive. Barely, but alive.

"We did it," I whispered.

And then—

The ground shook.

Of course it did.