"There you go," Tom handed over the VIP Pass. "You did good work, Kai. Have a good time at the Expo."
The Oathless nodded enthusiastically and fit the strap around his neck, letting the Pass hang over his chest. "Thanks. Wish Nekoko good luck for me."
"Will do."
Eager, Kai left the backstage and rushed toward the East Wing of the convention center, navigating through the massive crowd. The doors had opened over an hour ago, and the place was packed with people.
As he made his way through the booths, his mind set on Lightgrave, he spotted Catherine at the Valkyrie Warz 2 booth, and went to greet her.
"I don't think I can do this," Gabriel whined, hiding behind a curtain.
"Stop complaining. You look great," Catherine crossed her arms. "Now come out."
The doctor stepped from behind the curtain with a reluctant groan.
"Whoa," Kai blinked. "She does look great."
"See," the businesswoman smirked. "I told you."
The red-headed doctor was dressed in a cosplay depicting Xena, the Valkyrie warrior Kai had designed for the game before he was laid off by the company. She wore a white skirt with slits on both sides, exposing her thighs, and a white crop top that revealed her modest cleavage and torso. Sporadic pieces of silvery armor covered her breasts, shoulders, legs, and forearms, while a metal headdress lay across her forehead, framing her face.
"When you said we were going to wear costumes, I assumed we would be at a costume party, you know, someplace where everyone was dressed up." She clasped a long spear tight to her chest, as if she could hide behind it. "Or at the very least, I assumed you'd be dressed up too." She scowled at the businesswoman, who was wearing her usual office suit.
Catherine shrugged. "Don't blame me for your silly assumptions."
The Oathless stared at the scantily dressed doctor and blushed when she met his gaze, forcing himself to look away. "Why is she cosplaying Xena, anyway? Don't get me wrong, I'm flattered, but she isn't exactly the most popular character in the game."
"As part of promoting the new game among our existing player base, players who switched from the first game to the second got her for free in the sequel, so she had actually become the face of the new game."
"Huh," Kai scratched his head.
"That mark on your hand!" Gabriel sprang forward and pulled the Oathless's arm. "How did you get it?" she demanded, her nails digging into his skin.
"Ah…" he stammered, startled by her ferocity.
"Gabbie, what are you doing?"
"We have to leave," the doctor let go of him and turned to her friend. "Now!"
"Come on, you promised to help me, and I really need—"
"It's not about the damn costume," she sent the Oathless a panicked, disgusted glance, as if he were holding her at gunpoint. "This place isn't safe. We are all in danger."
"Why? Because of him?" Catherine scoffed. "I assure you, Kai is harmless."
Gabriel tightened her grip around the spear. Catherine isn't going to believe me, even if I explain everything to her.
"You should leave," she took one step toward the Oathless, her tone cold. "Before it's too late, and someone gets hurt."
"What's gotten into you? You can't threaten people like that, especially not when cos-playing the company's IP." The businesswoman protested, but the doctor ignored her, her glare locked on the dumbfounded Oathless.
"Look around you," she said. "All these people, do you really want to put them in danger?"
Catherine gave him an apologetic look, unable to control her babbling friend, but the expression on the Oathless's face made her think he knew what she was talking about—and was just as concerned about it.
Before she could make a comment, a phone rang, and she checked one pocket, thinking it was her phone, then the other, where she kept Gabriel's phone. She pulled it out, looking at the caller ID. "Who the hell is 'Agent Starfield'?"
The doctor snatched it from her hand and answered.
"I am here," Vira said, and Gabriel's eyes went darting through the milling crowd. "You won't find me, but I am here, and I am watching him."
The doctor's eyes returned to the Oathless.
"The Omen of Death… it ends today, that much I can promise you," she added. "But I can't promise that no one will get hurt; in fact, I am fairly certain some people will, maybe even a lot. If you fear for your life, you should leave now—I wouldn't blame you. But… if you stay… we will probably need a doctor before too long."
Gabriel's blood ran cold as the call ended, and she shakily returned the phone to Catherine.
"Look," the Oathless began, not knowing what the phone call was about. "I know what you are worried about, but I don't think it will change anything if I leave now… If I stay, on the other hand… maybe I can do something; maybe I can try…"
The doctor lowered her head. Of course, she would stay, too.
The confused businesswoman looked from one to the other and back again. "What the hell are you two talking about?"
"I should go," Kai forced a smile. "I want to wield Lightgrave before the opening ceremony starts."
"I have no idea what that means," Gabriel forced a smile back. "But good luck."
He nodded. "Good luck with your booth," he waved at Catherine, then left.
***
The sword was heavy and unbalanced, made more for show than for any real fighting, and its cold metal was so clear that Kai could see his reflection in the blade.
"Take it nice and slow," the staff member warned as the Oathless lifted the sword up. "The blade is dull, but you can still hurt yourself if you are not careful."
He nodded, then looked at the blade appreciatively, from the golden hilt in his hands to the tip of the steel blade.
"Now strike a pose—I'll take your picture."
His cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but he forced himself to keep a straight expression and held the sword close, masking the left side of his face with the blade—like in the old video game posters.
"Done! Looks great," the staff member nodded. "You will get the photo in your email."
"Nice, thanks," Kai handed the sword back and walked off, letting the next person in line take his place. He didn't have any real plan after that, other than browsing the booths and waiting for the opening ceremony to begin.
"Kai!" a voice called from the line, getting his attention.
"Mason?"
"Hey, man, how's it going?"
They clasped hands.
"Not bad, I guess. I'm surprised to see you here. I thought you didn't come to the Expo anymore."
The man shrugged. "The wife got me a ticket as a surprise, arranged it all with the guys." He threw a thumb at the two men behind him, and Kai recognized them from back when he had gone to the mall with Maria.
"That's cool."
"I know, right?" He smiled, then hesitated. "Say, have you managed to find a new job yet?"
"Ah… sort of…" Kai shrugged. "I guess I'm still weighing my options."
"Well, the place I work at now is still looking for people, so I can put in a good word for you if you're interested."
The Oathless blinked. "Thanks, man, that'd be nice, but… I don't know… I need to think about it."
"Sure, take your time, just don't take too long, or they'll find someone else," Mason smirked.
"Right."
The line went forward, drawing the man's attention. "Alright, man, I'll see you around."
"Yeah," the Oathless smiled. "Cya."
***
Half an hour later, Kai stood with anticipation at the main stage area along with thousands of others when the lights went out, and somber music kicked in. Three giant screens came to life: two long, one on each side of the stage, and one wide, above them, all showing the shadowed face of Nekoko's 3D model. Her eyes were closed, as if she were sleeping. Then, a soft light shone above her.
"Wake up, Agent," said a robotic masculine voice. "Your skills are needed once again. Your next mission, should you choose to accept it, takes you to Aura City, at the Godray Convention Center, where the lives of thousands will depend on your success." The music began to pick up the beat, becoming more intense. "The Trans-dimensional Gate has initiated calibration and will be ready to take you there shortly."
Nekoko's lips split into a smile, and she let out a soft giggle. "That won't be necessary, Operator," she opened her eyes, and the projector lights came on, aimed at center stage, where her 3D holographic image stood proudly. "Because I'm already there!"
The music changed tune, turning into a lighthearted pop track, and the big screens on stage changed to reflect the VTuber's hologram as she moved.
"Good evening, Aura Gaming Expo! I'm Kaneko Nekoko, a cross-dimensional special agent," she leaned over, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "But don't tell anyone," she whispered and straightened back up. "And I am here to make sure you all have a Purrr-fect day!"
A cheer rose from the crowd.
"Ready? Let's go!" The music fell into a familiar tune as she began to sing one of her original songs—appropriately named Purrr-fect Day.
Kai's heart pounded in his chest. Her voice carried well, and though her dance moves were limited, they were timed and choreographed perfectly to the music. The crowd loved it. He was so happy for her.
As the song ended, the audience applauded, and Nekoko took a bow. "Thank you so much for having me here! I have a full concert later tonight on this very stage, so don't miss it." She pointed her index finger at the crowd. "And remember: wherever you go,I will always be there to Purrr-tect and serve you, dear customers," she saluted and winked. "Now go, and enjoy the rest of the convention," she opened her arms wide. "It is important to me that you all have a good time, so you have to Purrr—"
Her voice distorted before getting cut off by an electric hum, and power surged, smothering the music with a screech and killing the lights with a burst of sparks.
The hall fell into a long, dark silence, broken only by the rising murmurs of the confused crowd.
"Did something break?" a man asked.
"Is this part of the show?" asked another.
As if in answer, the three big screens came to life, drawing everyone's attention. On their flat surface shone a symbol, glowing with stark violet light, and Kai's eyes went wide as he recognized it.
Then, the projectors lit back up, aimed at the center of the stage, and where Nekoko had once stood, there was now another figure—one with long, pointed ears and purple-hued skin.
"I do hope you enjoyed that little show," Hexaphalia's lips twisted in a malicious grin as she began channeling her magic. "Because it was the last you'll ever see."