A low lit room was crowded with multiple crude recreations of the games and tables you would see in a casino back in the Waking World. Standing around a dainty roulette table, a caped vagabond and a valiant knight were excitedly slamming their fists down on the table as the ball rolled around. The vagabond had an angular digital helmet atop his face, two blue narrow slits that served as eyes were on either side of his obsidian visor. The knight meanwhile had her helmet off, with black hair that reached the nape of her neck, and crimson eyes that were burning with passion.
The ball began to slow down, and the vagabond spoke through his helmet, slightly distorting his voice with static. The music that played from a crudely put together radio slightly distorted at Milo's excitement.
"Come on!"
Milo watched as the ball came to a stop on a black tile, and his hands flew into the air. Him and Eva looked at each other with elated faces. The other two people that had bet on red did not look happy.
A petite woman with dark hair and brown eyes looked at the soul shards that the four had placed on the table. She then gathered them all up in her arms, placed them in a fabric pouch, and handed them to Eva and Milo, who gracefully accepted the bag.
"Thanks Aiko" Eva said with a soft smile
"I call bullshit!" Roland stared at the Aiko and Eva with animosity, countless sparks appearing in his hand. The two did not move to defend themselves however. The music that was playing on the radio cut off, and immediately another den attendant moved forward.
"Don't mess with them unless you have a death wish" Yuri warned, a short sword now formed in his hands. Roland looked at Yuri, then scoffed and desummoned his weapon, walking away with a scowl on his face.
The reason why Eva and Aiko had been protected was not because they had been respected figures in the gambling den, which was true, but because Milo was with them. In fact, the gambling den would be a nightmare without Milo. No music, no low lights, no ventilation. It was how Milo had managed to live comfortably in the Outer Settlement and how he struck a deal with Aiko. Milo would be a constant patron of the den, and provide his aspect ability until the den closed, and in turn Aiko would rig some games in their favor. It was a win-win situation, the true losing party did not matter to Milo.
Milo did not just stop at providing his services there. Occasionally he would go into the castle, and in exchange for some quality food, he would play music at lavish and intense parties. He was a walking battery thanks to his dormant aspect, and everyone was in a rush to use him. Milo knew this, and took advantage of it.
Of course, Milo did not feel happy with this situation at all. Learning that Sunny had disappeared into the Dark City wasn't exactly comforting, and even worse was that there was no citadel or gateway here. Milo was trapped until his death came, or until someone managed to conquer the Crimson Spire and claim the Gateway. The former seemed much more likely. Gunlaug, the thug who ruled the Bright Castle, has shown no motivation or plan to move to the Crimson Spire.
Milo however, had seen what Nephis had been up too while he and Eva had disappeared for five months, and Milo didn't know how to feel about it. On one hand, it was completely in character for Nephis to save these people just like she had saved Cassie. Though there was one problem, and it was just that Milo saw it to be incredibly illogical and a waste of time, there was simply too many mouths to feed beside your own to make some measly worship and revered looks worth it. Maybe there was something more to it. Yet, Milo couldn't see it. That made Milo scared, because Eva had seemed to figure it out much faster than him despite having seemingly no attributes that increased her logic.
As Milo and Eva settled into their shared hut, Eva sat down and sighed.
"That girl... she really started pumping out propaganda faster then the government huh?"
"I don't see it, in my eyes, her actions are simply unnecessary"
"Well... maybe it has to do with your flaw"
Milo eyes narrowed. His flaw had never really affected him until now, it never hindered him in combat, nor had it prevented him from making connections with others. He even managed to find himself in a relationship with Eva somehow, which is why he told her his flaw. The description found itself in his thoughts
'Emotions aren't necessary in the equations of a machine'
Milo had originally interpreted it as simply meaning the more he integrated technology into his body, the less emotion he would have. Instead, it seemed that he was downright neglecting emotions in certain thought processes. He had completely forgotten that humans aren't rational. They are unpredictable by nature, and tying them down to logical processes or thinking simply wasn't a good idea.
Milo let out a mumble "I guess we'll figure out sooner or later"
Milo then went over and snuggled against Eva, after all, he himself was a human, and despite his Iron Logic attribute, he had no reason to snuggle up against her besides the fact that he had liked it.
"Milo... if push comes to shove, we won't participate in the fools game right?"
"I doubt they'll let us sit it out. We are two of the strongest sleepers in this Forgotten Shore after all. We could worry about that later though"
Milo's breathing softened as settled into the cuddle. His eyelids grew heavier, and he found himself in a deep sleep.
Eva let a soft smile slip as she stared at his sleeping face. It was a difficult task to not spend every waking moment engraving the memory of his peaceful expression in her mind. Eva needed her rest too after all.
Pulling Milo slightly closer, Eva found herself asleep as well.
---
Milo remembered that day. In fact, he wish that they would've been able to keep that promise of not engaging in a fool's game. However fate seemed to have other plans, and it didn't take long for Milo to find himself marching towards the Castle with a crowd of restless Outer Settlers.
Eva was at his side, armor fully summoned. She did not seem happy to be participating in Changing Star's plan. Milo was the one who had ultimately caved in, after countless pleading from Cassie, and more specifically. He learned the Nightingale, one of his favorite artists, was a part of Changing Star's cohort. He reluctantly agreed be present during the duel with Gunlaug. Eva only followed because her lover was going.
Milo watched as Nephis was practically tortured by Gunlaug, how she managed to make a crack in his visor, and how she blew some mysterious red pollen into his face. It was not so soon after that the Bright Lord died, and chaos broke in the throne room. Milo drew the Prototype, and allowed his prosthetic to turn into a bladed whip. Learning how to wield two different weapons at once, and ones that were so different, was not so easy. However the five months spent in the Labyrinth had helped majorly in honing Eva and Milo's already refined battle arts. Eva herself had become a deadly dance of stone.
Combining Milo's versatility and Eva's lethality resulted in lots of dead Guards in the throne room. After slaughtering so many, Eva eventually collapsed onto the ground. Milo was startled by this, and wasted no time pulling her out of the castle.
It was only in the relative comfort and safety of the couple's hut in the Outer Settlement that Milo spoke. "It was a fools game and yet we still played"
Eva had seemingly recovered from whatever she had suffered in the Bright Castle, and spoke.
"Milo... I have a second soul core"
"...What!"