Mad Hatter's Guide to Clearing The Game
Chapter 50: Ch48. RE: [World Quest] (6) - Secrets

Chapter 50: Ch48. RE: [World Quest] (6) - Secrets

"No, wait—"

Sarissa’s heart pounded in her chest as she tried to move, desperate to stop Miles before his scythe could fall. But the moment she took a step forward, her knees buckled. Her body, pushed beyond its limits, finally gave out beneath her.

She collapsed onto the scorched asphalt, her arms barely catching her in time. Her voice cracked as she reached out, but it was too late.

The sound of metal slicing through flesh and bone filled the empty battlefield like a tolling bell.

Shinji’s body slumped forward, his head hitting the ground with a dull thud, his katana slipping from his grip. The rain washed over his bloodied body, turning the crimson streaks into winding rivulets that seeped into the cracks of the pavement.

Sarissa’s breath hitched, her hands trembling as she pushed herself upright. A deep, cold anger settled in her chest, mixing with the lingering rush of battle and the exhaustion pulling at her limbs.

"What the hell did you do?" She snapped, panting heavily while forcing herself to her feet despite the way her body screamed at her to stop. "Damn it, Miles!"

Miles let out a deep, slow sigh, his scythe disappearing into a swirl of black sparks. He didn’t look at her. Not at first. Instead, he stared down at Shinji’s lifeless form, his mask unreadable, his presence eerily still.

"He was a threat," Miles said simply. "I had to do it."

"Are you serious? I needed him alive! I needed answers!" Sarissa’s hands clenched into fists. "Did you at least get some out of him before you killed him?"

"And what exactly were you planning to do? Torture him for information? Hope he’d just spill his secrets? He was dangerous, Sarissa. The longer he lived, the bigger the risk we’d take." Miles finally turned to face her, the eerie red glow of his mask’s eyes catching the dim light. "Also, he said he’s not the only player with unique skills, which means he wasn’t the only threat we’re going to face from now on."

"You don’t get to make that decision for me!" She took a step closer, anger pushing past the exhaustion. "I fought him. I could’ve restrained him. We could’ve gotten something out of him! But you..." she gestured sharply at the corpse, her breath uneven, "... You took that chance away."

"You... Fought him?" Miles tilted his head slightly, his tone void of remorse. "I’m sorry but, if you truly fought him, then why did I have to step in, right when his blade was going to pierce your heart?"

"You seriously didn’t..." Sarissa’s jaw tightened. "Since when did you start to look down on me? Huh?"

A tense silence stretched between them, only broken by the sound of rain tapping against the ruined ground.

"I... Never looked down on you." Miles looked down. "What I meant to say is that he was too big of a risk for you to handle alone, and even I had to go all out on him. If not... It’d probably be the two of us instead of him."

"THAT’S NOT WHAT I SAW!" Sarissa lashed out. "HE WAS SUBDUED, ALREADY! YOU HAD HIM... And you killed him before he could say anything... Argh!"

Sarissa inhaled sharply, willing herself to calm down. Anger wouldn’t change what had already happened. Shinji was dead. His secrets, whatever they had been, died with him.

"Fine," She muttered. Taking another breath, she let her fists relax at her sides. "Forget it. It’s done."

She turned away from Shinji’s body, forcing herself to regain some composure. "I reached level 50," she finally said, glancing at Miles from the corner of her eye. "I got the [World Quest] notification."

Miles didn’t react.

She waited for a beat. Then another.

Nothing.

"Miles." She furrowed her brows. "Did you hear me?"

He finally moved, stepping past her without so much as a glance.

"I need to step out for a bit," he said casually, stretching his arms over his head. "Fresh air, clear the thoughts, you know?"

Sarissa stiffened. Something about the way he spoke, the way he avoided her gaze, it wasn’t normal.

"Miles..." She narrowed her eyes.

"I’ll be back," he said, already walking away. "You should rest. You look like hell."

Sarissa remained where she stood, watching as Miles walked toward the outskirts of the ruined battlefield, the echo of his void voice ringing in her mind. Every instinct she had screamed at her that something felt off.

The way he had killed Shinji without hesitation, the way he dismissed her news about the [World Quest], this wasn’t like him. And if it was, indeed, him, then maybe she didn’t know him as well as she thought.

She shook off her hesitation and waited for him to gain some distance, then quietly followed.

Miles moved through the city ruins with ease, weaving between collapsed buildings and burnt-out vehicles, his pace steady and unhurried. Sarissa kept her distance, careful not to make a sound as she trailed him. The further they went, the heavier the air felt, like something unseen was pressing down on her shoulders.

Then, after what felt like an hour later, he finally stopped in front of a dark alley.

Sarissa ducked behind a broken column, watching as Miles reached into his inventory and pulled out something small, dark and metallic.

A key.

The moment it left his palm, it hovered in the air before him, glowing faintly. Then, with a sharp click, it twisted by itself, and a ripple of energy pulsed outward. Reality itself seemed to bend and warp, forming a circular tear in the air.

A portal.

Sarissa’s breath caught in her throat.

She had never seen anything like this before. It was not like the one from where the [Card Soldiers] had come from when she officially met him. It felt... Creepier, more eerie, but not threatening. Just different.

Miles looked around a few times, and after he felt like he had not been followed, he stepped forward and disappeared into the portal.

Sarissa’s heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the shimmering gateway, its edges crackling with otherworldly energy.

She had a choice. To stay behind... Or follow him into the unknown.

Gritting her teeth, she took a step forward and jumped in.

With a sudden yelp, however, she felt as though lightning had struck her as she went flying against the column she had been hiding earlier, the air sucked out of her lungs. Coughing blood, she raised her head, dizzy, toward the portal.

"What... The hell...?"