Hi3rd: Achievement Hunter

‘Seeing her in person feels very different.’

Mei still wasn’t inside her office. It gave Aleph some time to process his meeting with Elysia.

‘Mental affliction… even physical world alteration. Herrscher of Origin…’

Throughout the Previous Era, the thirteenth Herrscher was seemingly skipped. The records only tell of Kevin killing the Herrscher-turned Elysia. However, that wasn’t the case.

Elysia could be, in fact, called as the first Herrscher. She was the first Herrscher to descend into Earth and not the Herrscher of Reason. That was the truth behind her strong individual power that could kill a Herrscher alone.

‘It’s still too far away from me. Origin, Finality…’

Aleph fell into a daze. He became preoccupied thinking about this world’s future.

Click-!

He nearly jolted from his seat when he heard the doorknob turning. By the time he reacted, he saw a familiar acquaintance. Her long purple hair remained smooth despite the all-nighters she began pulling. A simple ponytail was more than enough to highlight her beauty.

“You were about to sleep. I can’t blame you.”

“We’re just the same in this regard. I didn’t expect them to hold the MOTH Night all of a sudden.”

“A lot of people are nervous.”

Mei went to her office seat. She pulled the lever below it several times, allowing her to lay down on it like a beach chair.

The two looked at each other for a while before Mei sensed something off. Unfortunately, she couldn’t pinpoint what was different about him.

“Heh. Are girls this perceptive?”

“...Your amnesia.”

“As expected of you.”

For a moment, she doesn’t know how to react. It ended up with a sigh. When he was still suffering from it, she could make some bold moves every once in a while. Be it their occasional outings or her teasing, it felt like she lost all of her worries in the past.

‘He knows about it…’

A wave of embarrassment went straight to her.

Seeing Mei avert her eyes to the ceiling and her slightly reddened ears, Aleph nearly laughed out loud.

Still, his snicker was loud enough for Mei to hear, further adding to her embarrassment.

“How many novels did you read? I remember I lent you that manga back then…”

“I’m free to read all of them. Anyways…” She skillfully diverted the topic. “Did you meet Elysia?”

“I did.”

“She didn’t do anything?”

“No.”

“That’s good. She’s unpredictable enough.”

Aleph’s eyebrows rose upon hearing her statement.

“Why?” He asked. “Are you worried about something?”

Mei sighed as she replied, “It’s her intention. She couldn’t be read at all. At one time, she acted closely with someone. At another, she begins meddling with others’ problems. Her actions are too random.”

“...”

“One thing that everyone’s sure of is that she’ll treat everyone the same… at least on the surface.”

‘...She has the capital to be willful.’

Although the Herrscher of Origin’s combat power was not seen directly, the things connected to it cemented her possible strength. Changing the Cocoon’s rules directly, giving Mei the ability to cut through everything…

At the very least, she’s one of the strongest on Earth.

“Most importantly…” Mei looked at him before continuing, “...nevermind.”

“Hm..?”

Aleph’s question marks are destined to remain for quite some time.

“What are you planning to do next? You can kill a Herrscher by yourself now.”

“Eh, it’s a surprise attack. I’ll try my hand on Emperor-class beasts first. I can’t become arrogant now. If it was that easy, Elysia alone would have solved all the problems.”

Their conversation went to professional matters. It was already a part of them to talk about it when they had the time.

When it ended, Mei let out the question she’s been holding on for long.

“Aleph… you… do you have someone you like?”

The person-in-question couldn’t respond for a while. 

A person came up in his mind.

When he was worn out by his worries prior to his “system”, his parents died. It was a two-pronged attack to his mentality that was on the verge of collapse.

‘If so many brilliant geniuses couldn’t stop the destruction of this era, can I alone change this ending?’

He felt powerless. He didn’t know what to do. 

It was at that time did he realize one of his hidden abilities. He had a friend from another world who slowly grew up on him. She was the one who made one of the biggest impacts on him.

So, if it was that question…

‘How is she now..?’

Aleph’s dazed look didn’t escape Mei’s sight.

“You already have a girlfriend…”

“No. It’s not like that.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Upon hearing that, a smile escaped her lips. Aleph felt something ominous from it. 

‘If he’s still not with someone… No. Even if he’s with someone…’

Aleph gravely underestimated a girl’s determination.

******

In a far away place... rather, in a completely different world.

England, London.

“To think you will show up here… Nightmare.”

“Why? Am I unwelcome?”

Atop the Tower of London, the girl with the lolita dress swayed her legs while sitting in the castle walls. She was facing a girl with long blonde hair. A form of exoskeleton wrapped the blonde-haired girl. The area around her became slightly translucent, as if there was an invisible pressure emanating from it.

“You know it yourself.”

“Hee… So that’s it. Everyone is against me.” The girl with the lolita dress declared. “Are you also interested in what I have? Too bad, I won’t give it up.”

The blonde-haired girl had enough of her. She charged straight at the seemingly harmless girl.

Hum-!

Buzz-!

The beam sword in her hand easily split her in half. Blood was spilled all over the castle floor. The girl whom she split up still had her smile even on her death.

“To think I don’t even qualify to meet your boss’ assistant… It’s fine either way.”

The blonde-haired girl, Artemisia, didn’t seem surprised as she saw an identical girl standing on top of the roof. Her lolita dress swayed with the wind. Her uneven twintails followed forth.

Just as the girl was about to speak, her pointy finger twitched. Her aura changed all of a sudden.

“...It’s been years… since it last happened…”

“..?”

Kurumi could still recall her memories decades ago. When she met a friend, her pointy finger twitched whenever he told her the story of other girls. 

Simply put, it was a threat. 

As to which threat it was, it all depends on her definition of it.

“Hah… I see, that’s it.”

“What are you—?”

“I don’t have time to play with you. Bye bye.”

Before Artemisia could react, Kurumi was devoured by a dark red shadow. She tried scanning her surroundings and sensing all presences within her domain but to no avail.

Unbeknownst to her, that same person wore a serious expression inside her ‘domain’. 

Frankly speaking, it was a power given to her by that same friend. She was able to have her own world, something not even her world’s strongest had seen.

Inside the dark red world, dozens of Kurumis looked at the original. She held a silver pocket watch on her palm. Inside, there was a picture layered by a severely cracked glass. The clock beside it stopped working a long time ago.

“Just a bit more…”

Kurumi looked at her clones. All of them immediately understood what she wanted to do.

Everyone was briefly disrupted by their senses. Their main mission today was to abduct someone.

“It won’t be for long. Wait for me…”

—Aleph.