Battle Ground XIII

The reaper knows no sleep. Night by night she stumbles upon the weak to satisfy her blood lust. But before she goes hunting, she asks me if she could attack, and yes, I permit her to do so.

“I’m losing patience, when will all this be over?” I asked Cross and Grimm.

“When you've become the last one breathing.” Grimm answered.

“You know I hate waiting, right?” I told them.

“Then I will eliminate all as soon as possible.” Said Cross as she bowed down.

“I’m getting bored.” I replied.

“Yes sir, we know you are, and we are sincerely sorry for taking a lot of time.” Voiced out by Grimm.

“Don’t worry master; I will slaughter all that exist in the game… You will own everything soon enough, all we need is a little bit more time!” Cross cheerfully shouted with a juvenile smile.

And so, the “slaughter” that her seductive lips were talking about finally happened. Kill after another, she craved for more; I was so proud of her. Finally, I will be on the top of this absurd play.

Cross exposed herself to the young night sky; she went out seeking for another prey. As I was in my lonesome, I though - Alas, reality is at my side. To dream or not, this is the most wonderful nightmare I ever had. Cross Apocalypse – a nightmare that brought this vague life bliss.

Finally, I knew how to love reality. It was so cruel for some, but for me, for the first time, I loved it. No one could stop my reign with Cross Apocalypse at my side.

Vain I was for I was confident that everything will be mine. Reality loved me, and I loved it back. Everything I ever wanted but never had, will finally be mine… all of it. Pardon me for being redundant but this is all I ever desired, to conquer.

It was a nightmare I wouldn't mind if I never woke up from. Please absurd reality, if you are only playing with me, altering me as you give me these vague delusions, please do end this sorrowful damnation. Call me insane, I don’t care, I only lust for victory, that’s all.

It was about four in the morning when the reaper knocked on my window pane.

“Give me a one good reason why should I let you in?” I asked her.

“It’s so cold outside master, it’s beginning to freeze here.” She answered. “Please do let me in.” she begged.

“I gave you a command, now think!” I shouted.

“There are only three puny souls left master, please let me rest.” She begged over and over again.

“I am annoyed. Sleep outside.” I commanded her.

“But –“I knew she was about to say an excuse so I interrupted her.

“That’s your punishment, I’m losing my patience with you worthless bitch!”

“I am truly grateful for such a shallow punishment master...” Her hair might have covered her face, but I could clearly see her tears.

Battle Ground XII

That same night, as Cross Apocalypse was already taking a deep rest, I went infront of the computer just to find out what exactly is her background. 98 lives that vanished within three days sound unbelievable, especially if the one who did it was her. Who… or better yet ask, what the damn hell is she?

“You’ve been infront of the computer for almost five hours now, don’t you want to get some rest?” the talking scythe actually talked directly to me this time.

“If I could only find out her skills, abilities and limitations, I could finally unlock her real potential.”

“May I help you, master?” Grimm asked.

“Yes, certainly.” I replied.

“Go to the Hiatus site, type ‘Chaos Genesis’ and hit search.” It instructed.

“That’s insane, ‘Chaos Genesis’ is almost the exact opposite of ‘Cross Apocalypse’!”

“Master, do you wish to know what lies behind her innocent smiles?”

“Yes, I do but –“

“With all due respect master, just do it.”

I found only one profile and as I read the page of Chaos Genesis, he is obviously a character. He has skills of an arc angel, which must mean he alters the element of light. The profile says he has a twin sister named… Cross Apocalypse?!

“Continue reading master…”

And I read it out loud; “Chaos Genesis has a twin sister named Cross Apocalypse which is his exact opposite.”

Exact opposite. So if Chaos Genesis is described as heavenly, then, my character, Cross Apocalypse is obviously a demon. But titles doesn’t matter, at least now, I have a hint to know her background. I guess her skills are based on darkness, and the most impressive part is she could really make bloodshed out of any living soul.

“What should I do now Grimm?”

“Easy. Don’t say a word about what you’ve found out.”

“But – “

“It may confuse Apocalypse.”

I honestly don’t understand, he has a twin brother who she doesn’t know about. But it really doesn’t matter, as long as I already know what she could do. Based on what Antoinette told me, she shows impressive agility in killing her opponents.

I made a breakthrough on her background yet it’s just another confusing discovery leading to another unsolvable puzzle – Apocalypse’s identity.

Battle Ground XI

Not an hour, but only minutes passed since the last time I saw Slark and Antoinette… breathing.

I marveled Cross Apocalypse’s grace as her scythe feed on its prey – the weak and puny souls. I do sympathize their deaths but I could not do anything but to continue to quench the reaper’s thirst of blood, since I will get something from it, and so let it be.

I could not stop by simply owning Xenos, I will conquer all. With a death reaper by my side, nothing shall be impossible.

“Cross, I command you to clean up this mess.”

“My pleasure, master.”

Her scythe spitted fire on the bodies which is quite impressive yet shocking;

“How did you do that?”

“Grimm did it!”

“Who the hell is Grimm?”

“Me.”

Oh damn! The scythe suddenly spoke. Some weird characters huh? After burning the corpses, she let “Grimm” hide and we went home. We were acting normal yet every man we pass glanced at Cross Apocalypse. In all honesty, I was quite nervous that some blood might splattered to her face and she forgot to clean it off, but when I looked at her, her little white dress is purely clean… no blood. And again, in all honesty, she’s pretty cute for a death reaper. How ironic; when we mortals say “death reaper” it means someone that lives in hell and punishes the evil, it would have an absurdly crooked scythe to reap out the souls out of one’s worldly shell, his or her body. Yet this death reaper has a pink hair! This is just plainly an epic fail. And therefore I conclude… but it’s more or less like a lesson; I can’t blame guys looking at her, she’s really cute especially when she doesn’t carry her scythe with her.

“Master, may I ask you something?”

“What?”

“Why are you blankly staring at me? Would you like me to do something?”

“No.”

“I am sorry, master, but it is necessary to attend your needs because I am your humble servant.”

Since she already noticed it, I had to stop looking at her fine powdered cheeks and her gentle red eyes.

Battle Ground X

"You poor insolent souls, I pity you, therefore, I shall end your suffering.” he said. Headphones were covering his ears, and he was carrying his guitar case. He was not as odd as the other characters; in fact, he could be mistaken as normal teenager.

He took out his guitar and said “You are quite adorable Cross Apocalypse, mind jamming with me?”

“With your permission master, I shall eliminate them both.” Cross asked me.

“Yeah, sure.” I was still in shock but to be able to reach victory; killing is the only choice I had.

“But before we start the kill, please let us introduce ourselves.” The blonde woman voiced out. “I am Antoinette Lemaître, and my character, Xavier Slark.”

“Uhmm... I’m – “ But before I finished my words, Cross has already summoned Grimm, her scythe, and attacked Slark. At that same second, Slark pulled out his devilishly astonishing guitar and used it as a sponge to soak up Cross’s impacts. Slark has music waves that perpetually damaged Cross’s scythe. Both of them simultaneously beat the crap out of their opponent… seconds split whenever the edges of their massive weapons meet.

As our character hustled to end each other’s lives, Antoinette started a conversation out of the blue;

“What are your desires?” she asked.

“Desires?” Honestly, I don’t have a single idea what is she talking about.

“Y’know… Why do you want to conquer Hiatus?”

“Simply because I lust victory.”

“Haha. You are ridiculous! Your character already killed half of the plurality and yet you still have no idea what prices are at stake!”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Oh how I pity you little boy. There are no consolation prizes such as those ignorant worldly competitions have, but the prize is surely you’ll desire to win even if it means gambling your own soul.”

“If so, please do explain.”

“Only one character must survive Hiatus, and that certain character will become a real yet it will still possess massive skills, auras and prowess. But of course it will forever serve the gamer. And it is up to him or her how will the character be used, it could be either assassinations for a better and powerful position, thievery or gaining prowess, whatever the gamer’s desire is.”

I never expected that this could be the price; I wouldn’t just own the whole Xenos Corporation, I could be the tyrant of this wrecked civilization if I wanted to… I bet no type of army nor can weapon withstand a Hiatus character. To gain everything I ever wanted using an eternal slave. Fame, fortune and power - I will have it all once I win this game.

I spaced out after Antoinette explained the prize of Hiatus that I hardly noticed Cross and Slark’s battle.

After a lot more exchanges of their hits, Cross bowed down.

“You tired? Givin’ up?” asked Slark.

Quietly, Cross just stood there;

“You damn bitch! Wake up! Kill him! You worthless slut! Damn you! Damn!” I blurred out. I was in rage, I didn’t think how my words will affect her, as long as these lines will get her sorry ass to kill him, and then my words shall continue its rampage.

She slowly raised her head as she was uttering words that none of us in the battlefield understood. After a moment of silence, “My master ordered me to kill you… and so… I shall.”

And with two turns of her scythe, blood splattered all over the battle ground, not only one corpse was dead but two souls departed.