The circular platform had stopped a little lower in the void.
The other two, filled with burning bodies, had followed the movement.
「Gekidō — "They're making such a racket!"」
Intense noises seemed to come from each of them.
Mike slowly got back up. Too slowly.
Mike — "I need to head toward the next one… I'll be able to cut…"
He gripped his knife so tightly the handle began to turn white.
「Gekidō — "Hmm…"」
One of the platforms slid over and attached itself to the empty platform Mike was standing on. The walls fused together, forming a larger platform.
Mike — "8… it makes an 8… that's beautiful."
Mike smiled. That number seemed to reassure him.
Mike — "100… I'm going to cut 100 times… Heh… heh…"
A sound escaped his throat that could hardly be called a laugh.
「Gekidō — "500! Idiots! It says 500!"」
In place of the previous [0], [500] was now displayed.
Had his mental state really deteriorated that badly? To the point where they were mistaking numbers? Probably…
But for now, the burning bodies were charging straight at him. The countdown could begin.
[490, 480, 470, 460, 450]
Mike — "Focus…"
It took him only ten simple knife strikes to behead them five at a time.
[400, 350, 300, 250]
Mike — "I'm flying…"
Like a child dancing in the rain. He was barely getting hit anymore.
Their heads detached before they could even reach him. They vanished without inflicting a single wound.
[200, 150, 100, 50, 25]
Mike — "No more rain…"
The rain had stopped, as if it understood it was no longer useful.
Mike — "Then why does it stink…"
Despite that, the acrid smell rose into his nostrils. His smile froze.
[20, 15, 10, 5]
His arms moved without him needing to think.
The last five vanished all at once. The silence, however, remained.
Mike — "100… I really did cut 100 times…"
Ding
[0]
The platforms resumed their heavy descent.
「Gekidō — "Mike! What was that? I really thought you—"」
「Mike — "Hm? You're still here?"」
「Gekidō — "Yeah, but explain to me how you did that with such a weak body?"」
「Mike — "I focused on cutting… and on the enemies' necks… and their heads came off easily… but… I think the Warai-gami said something about… Ow, my head."」
Grabbing his hair, he walked toward the opposite wall, the one the last circle was attached to.
「Mike — "I can't see anything…"」
The walls of the last one had darkened. They slid over and fused with the first two.
Mike glanced at the counter. His eyebrows furrowed slightly.
Mike — "1? There's only one— AGh"
Before he even realized it, his body was in the air. He had been thrown by something he hadn't yet seen.
「Mike — "What was that? What do I do? The platform keeps going down… I'm going to end up in the void…"」
「Gekidō — "Pff, you panic fast!"」
Boom
Mike — "Ghh"
His body slammed violently against the platform. It had stopped with a deafening crash.
「Mike — "Good thing it's already over… But what hit me?"」
He slowly got up, checking for any injuries.
Mike — "What is this monster??"
In front of him, a burning body… No, not just a burning body. Like he said, a monster.
An apparent height of three or four meters. Fists bigger than a head. An absurdly large head. Everything about it was too big. Too misshapen to be real. And yet it was there. Heads protruded from its back.
「Gekidō — "I like this one! Mike, let me handle it!"」
「Mike — "If you want… I don't think I can concentrate like earlier anymore…"」
Mike's consciousness drifted away, but he was still there. Present.
✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧
Yeah! I could finally jump around. Now that I think about it, it was the first time I was free to move with his consent.
But since when do I not have clothes anymore? Only my jacket's left? Did he really fight like this?
ANYWAY! I had an enemy to beat. This pile of bodies! It looked a bit weak, but I felt like stretching myself!
「Gekidō — "Mike! Idiots! Are you watching closely?"」
「Mike — "Yeah!"」
「Gekidō — "You impressed me a little… even if you didn't look in your normal state. I said a little! But anyway, let's go!"」
A giant fist was coming straight at my head?
So what, I just had to dodge!
Jump on it!
Then cut it!
Huh? I said cut!
Gekidō — "Rah! But it's going to fall!"
Damn arms!
I was striking with all my strength using the knife, but nothing came off.
It pisses me off! It pisses me off! It pisses me off!
My jacket started reacting to my bursts of rage. Flying on its own. Pulsing with its beautiful red.
The arm finally fell—and so did I.
All that was left was to cut the second one!
But no, the leg was closer!
Was it pulling the same trick?
One strike wasn't enough.
Then I'd strike as many times as needed!
It tried to kick me? Its leg was already flying away!
Now the other one!
They were way easier to cut.
Gekidō — "Already on the ground?"
Pathetic… just another weakling.
All that was left was to cut its neck!
It was damn tough…
What was that? A championship-grade neck?
「Mike — "I think I can help you a bit…"」
Huh, what's he doing? Why does it feel like the knife is cutting by itself?
Gekidō — "Hehehehe"
That was incredible!
I think I made the right call coming back with him.
Gekidō — "Oops…"
The monster finally disappeared, and I suddenly fell back to the ground.
Gekidō — "So Mike, did you see rage in action?"
✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧
Mike — "And all that, you couldn't have done it sooner?"
Beep
[0]
Mike stretched deeply.
Mike — "That's a strange feeling…"
「Gekidō — "Ah, and now that it's settled, I'm going to see Rhea!"」
「Mike — "You're leaving just like that?"」
No response… His mind was empty.
Mike then headed toward the counter.
Mike — "It's at 0…"
The number changed, revealing: [91].
Then it slowly disappeared, a hatch becoming visible.
「91? There's nothing here anymore though? Where does it lead to go to floor 91? So the platform was—」
He pulled on the handle, but it stayed stuck.
「How am I supposed to open it?」
A mold formed beneath the hatch handle.
「It's knife-shaped? I have to place it inside…」
He placed the knife into the mold, which snapped shut violently. He fell backward as the hatch opened.
Mike — "Whoa… My knife!"
He tried to retrieve it, but it had already vanished, replaced by a ladder.
A long ladder whose bottom couldn't be seen.
「What do I do without my knife… I don't have a choice but to go down…」
He took one last look around, making sure it was his only option.
The void.
Resigned, he entered the hatch and climbed down the ladder.
「This is long…」
Eventually, he reached the end. His feet didn't touch the ground, so he had to jump. The hatch closed behind him.
「Huh? A room? No windows? No exit…」
He was in a new room, sealed. Small, about the size of a 20-square-meter studio. Bathed in light.
「That's a change… And it smells good… must be coming from the fridge…」
He opened it and discovered a curry, magnificently prepared on a plate.
Grlrlrl
His stomach growled. Before he realized it, the curry was already in his hands, along with utensils.
Sitting behind a desk.
「This is really for me…」
He hesitated, then brought the spoon closer, taking a first bite.
A tear rolled down his cheek.
Mike — "Woah, it's so good!"
He devoured the rest of the dish eagerly.
Tears turned into sobs of joy. An uncontrollable joy.
He then collapsed onto the bed behind him. A large, comfortable bed.
「It feels strange not hearing anyone… So basically… I still don't know where I am, nor how I got here, I was attacked, I relived moments I'd rather have kept forgotten… I had to fight one of my Alters—」
Mike — "Bwah"
With a big yawn, he curled up under the blanket and fell asleep.
✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧
Dring dring dring dring dri—
Mike — "Hugh—an alarm?"
He woke up, slamming the alarm clock, which stopped abruptly.
He stretched deeply before opening his eyes.
「I slept well… but I hadn't noticed, but…」
He suddenly stepped back in front of a mirror embedded directly into the wall.
Mike — "Huh… my hair… My white strands are longer than before? And why do I only have the jacket left? My clothes… I guess even that was planned…"
He walked to the wardrobe and opened it wide.
Inside were clothes similar to his previous ones, spotless and perfectly folded, as if they had never been worn. A simple black t-shirt, intact, without any visible pattern. Dark pants with a flexible waist and deep pockets. At the bottom, a pair of new, sturdy black high boots.
Everything seemed ready, as if meant to belong to him.
After putting on these new clothes, all that was left was to put Gekidō's jacket back on.
He was fully ready.
Mike — "I still have nothing to fight with…"
Looking around the room, he noticed a chain resting on the table.
Short, thin, heavy for its size. Thick links, dulled by time, cold to the touch.
「This could be useful…」
He wrapped it around his wrist. It strangely suited his style.
「I'll wait for the others… I can't reach them… I hope Rhea is okay…」
He sat on the edge of the bed.
Mike — "Ahh"
He thought he finally could—but didn't have time. His body touched nothing anymore. He was in the void.
Simply floating, falling.
Before crashing violently onto the ground.
Mike — "Ghh… I'm starting to get fed up…"
He stood up and adjusted his clothes.
??? — "YO! Welcome, bro! To floor 90!"