[Round 0 - Main]
[Kill a living being to join the rounds. The rest will die.]
Time left before the first round:
[09:12:56]
After the statement, Junhan made sure to catch up with me and the kids.
She gave me a key and told us that we were always welcome to come back to The Federation anytime and that this room will always be open to us.
Even if I disliked her a little bit at the start, I thought that that must have been because she was like me. People often also had the wrong idea about me since, apparently, I always had a frown.
I was thankful for both Junhan and…Harry, too.
The three of us were led by Harry and rode a cart towards the edgemost wall where, as most of the floors do, they had a lift where we could go from one floor to the other.
The Federation's hostel was on the tenth floor. What was once the Antarctic area of the tower was turned into a hostel—with a heater in each room, of course. I supposed they thought that to be freezing was better than to be burned alive.
We entered the lift, Art continuing to pinch my sleeve. Johnny stood idly.
I felt like I had received two children in a span of a day…
"Wait," I said suddenly. "This is one key."
The two of them looked at me with a simultaneous "Yeah?"
I massaged my temples. "Don't tell me I have to live with you rascals…"
Those two had been fighting over who could stand on my left since I was left handed and now they were in sync.
Johnny said, "Well, duh?"
"Mr Lieutenant said it has two beds," said Art.
Wait.
"Wait, wait, wait. Mister?"
Art looked at me with a whats-the-problem face.
Johnny looked like he could burst into laughter.
And from behind me…
Harry, as though a ghost, spoke from behind me. "Wow, this is hilarious."
I made sure to ignore him.
Though the lift was the size of an automobile, Harry stood lonesomely in one corner while we were at the other end.
"Arthur," I said. "Be honest with me, right now."
"Okay?"
"Who told you that Junhan is a guy?"
Johnny was filled to the brim with laughter. While Harry…I didn't bother to look.
At once, we arrived at the hostel, but Art didn't understand my questions.
We left Harry in the lift.
Truth be told, it was never in my bucket list to take care of two rowdy children in the middle of doomsday. But I'd be even worse a person if I told them to go away.
—Two-faced.
I looked behind me as if someone had whispered in my ear. It echoed.
"Old man Reve?" said Johnny in concern.
"He doesn't look that old," came the voice of Art.
I was unable to do our usual bickering in the presence of some uncomfortable voice.
The only words that could come out were "I'm coming."
The tenth floor was a brutalist architect's dreamland.
The walls were unpainted, pure concrete, and so was the flooring. Strangely, it did not feel chilly.
Once we left the lift, we were immediately greeted by nothing but concrete.
You couldn't tell that this was once Antarctica.
Harry gave us directions before we left him alone. Johnny looked around in curiosity while Art skipped on our way to the room.
A few moments later, we arrived at our room—more like a prison cell with all the concrete but more extravagant. There was no extra furniture besides two beds, a toilet, a sink, a heater, and a glass window.
"I'll take this one," said Johnny as he took the bed that was closer to the toilet than the window.
Outside the window, you could not see the snow since it was blocked by another concrete building.
By the time I satiated my curiosity, the two kids had fallen asleep.
Leaving me with no place to sleep.
I wouldn't have minded if I weren't so tired, I thought as I sat next to the sleeping Art.
For once after killing the monster child, this was the most peaceful moment I could manage to take without guilt.
Outside the window, I could see that the moon was larger than usual.
I thought of what Junhan said about the moon. She never bothered to elaborate, claiming even that those were the words of the Dominion Knight.
What was this large rock object that I was looking at then?
I wasn't sure if I should believe her.
I wasn't sure if I had a choice anyway.
It was a somber night.
With the snoring of both Johnny and Art huffing in the background, I could hear the bloodshed from outside of the tower.
If, and that's a big if, we manage to survive the rounds, would we deserve all this peace then?
Art and I were killers. Johnny would stoop to our ranks if he was going to join the rounds. Especially now that he had been given a sword.
Did we deserve this peace for the sins we are bound to commit?
Did I deserve this peace?
Grabbing my W*lkman from my inner scrub pocket, I decided to listen to Que*n.
Their song B*hemian Rh*psody gave me a pleasant break after all this.
I wanted to smoke but I didn't bring cigarettes with me as I had thought this would be a normal day of duty at the hospital.
Johnny was right. I am a killer.
So what can I do with these bloodied hands?
I knew the answer.
I kneeled in front of the mirror where the moon, round and humongous, and clasped my hands together.
—Reverie Schneider prayed to the nephilim.
"Angels above—"
"Not gods?"
The words didn't seem to be directed to me. I turned around.
I had forgotten to close our room's door. Two figures stood by the doorframe.
Both of them seemed to have a bright aura as if they were angels.
A red-haired knight and a chestnut-haired man with a mustache who was shorter than him.
"Archie."
Archie showed surprise in his expression as he avoided my gaze. "This isn't right," he said, chuckling darkly.
I darted my eyes to the other man. "And Benedict."
Archie rolled his eyes.
"You shouldn't be able to see us."
"Archie, you—you're ali—"
"I said you shouldn't be able to see us!" Archie bellowed in anger. Even the Dominion Knight was surprised at this.
"You—" I stammered, pointing a finger towards him. "Benedict, you should be on the moon."
"Why do you know my name—?"
Archie held him back when he tried to approach me.
"We cannot interfere with the story, I told you that!"
"But he knows something!" exclaimed Benedict with his blue eyes showing curiosity and concern.
Archie, despite his thinness, punched Benedict right in the stomach. He grunted in pain.
Archie's voice was shrill. "But I know more."
[Round 0 - Main]
[Kill a living being to join the rounds. The rest will die.]
Time left before the first round:
[07:28:39]