The following chapter contains elements that can be considered spoilers for a fanfic idea of mine called "Array of Atmospheric Ghost Lights", be it yet to be released or already released.

Also, I decided to add a few of my own headcanons into the mix, mostly just to further connect a few of the characters or give them more depth.

Yi Sang walked through the hallways aimlessly.

In a few moments they would be going back with the Afton and Emily families to continue their viewing.

Truthfully, after the first one showed what was going to happen to him in the future... assuming it would end up the same way as it was shown. It felt interesting to see someone else's past unfold.

And by extension, help them move on.

That being said, he was unsure as to how this would change Heathcliff, it has already been changing him even with just the first part.

The usually vocal and loud individual became much more methodical and analytic, a very odd change.

But at the same time, this might be just because this was about him, about his future.

Yi Sang snapped out of his thoughts once he saw Hero walking in front of him.

"Oh! I didn't expect to see you here! Usually, given how big this place is, you don't get to bump into someone else." Expressed Hero.

Yi Sang nodded. "Perhaps it was fate, or an improbable outcome, nonetheless, a welcome one."

"Anyways..." Chuckled Hero nervously. "I'd like to thank you for staying by Sunny's side from time to time."

"There is no need to thank me." Yi Sang said. "That aside, I find it odd that you are called Hero, it is quite the unique name."

"Ah... ah ah." He softly laughed. "That's... not my actual name." He revealed.

"In fact, everyone in our group uses a nickname, it was something we sort of thought about and it ended up sticking around even after many years." He explained.

"How interesting." Commented Yi Sang.

"But, my actual name is Henry." Hero revealed.

"...Which is a common name, since there are now two Henrys in this hotel." He laughed.

He then paused for a moment. "Wait..."

"How did I not realize this before?" He muttered.

"What is the matter?" Yi Sang asked.

"Uhm... You see, since we've been using nicknames for a while now, we sort of just ended up making our actual names sort of fade and not really get remembered." Hero explained.

"But I just realized that Sunny's actual name is Sang-yi, Kim Sang-yi."

"Sang-yi?" Yi Sang said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, it's... oddly similar to your name... wow, some of these coincidences are... odd." Admitted Hero.

At the same time, Hero did get a wave of nostalgia back when Mari was alive.

More specifically when they all decided to use nicknames for fun.

All of them were supposed to be made while making sense.

And... Kim Mi-rae was Mari's actual name.

A name whose meaning could be both ironic... and fitting.

Yi Sang noticed Hero's melancholic look.

He decided to change the topic, so that Hero would not need to sulk over the past any longer. "What about everyone else?"

"Uh? Ah, right." He said.

"Kel's actual name is Kelsey, Aubrey's name is actually Aubergine... which she hates a lot, and lastly, Basil's actual name is Vasily." Hero revealed.

"Mmm, the nicknames make quite a lot of sense." Commented Yi Sang. "Well, I suppose I must rejoin with the others, we are going to continue one of the viewings."

"Is it one like the one we were in before?" Hero asked.

Yi Sang nodded. "This time, about the boy Michael... who seems to have accidentally killed his brother."

Hero recoiled a bit. "Ah... I see..."

As Yi Sang made his way Hero stood there as he frowned. "What is it with people accidentally killing their siblings..."

He wondered, was there a connection between all of the worlds that were brought to this hotel?

He could ask that question next time they have a meeting, apparently they were going to be asking those from their worlds to come up with questions so that they could discuss them.

Hopefully, this time it goes much better than before.

_-_

William hummed as he walked alongside Jae-heon.

"You seem quite different now." Jae-jeon remarked.

"What? The fact that I can finally act like I always wanted to?" William asked.

"Back then you'd talk about the fact that you had to care for your family, and now, you've thrown it all into the bin."

"Well, I needed to keep up appearances after all." William pointed out. "Henry was there, and I still needed a partner for the business."

He then sighed. "But I guess it was meant to be."

"..." Jae-heon looked at him momentarily. "You know, you act similarly to Il Dottore."

"Why do you say that?" Inquired William.

"That somewhat sinister carelessness, as if you know what is going to happen, also that grim curiosity." Explained Jae-heon. "It's hard to say, but both of you look like you would do experiments on children."

Jae-heon then added. "Truthfully, I'm not one to judge, especially since I used dead children to bring my own child back to life, but your relationship with your children does pain me a bit, I wouldn't take it for granted."

"... But at the same time, I suppose people die of thirst while others die drowning, I can't make you change your stance, especially now that everything went to hell."

William laughed. "Don't worry, I can see that you are much more of a family man than I am, so I can understand how you are seeing this."

"Nonetheless, I do hope that our differing opinions does not drive a wedge into this friendship we have."

Jae-heon shrugged. "I've seen crazier people in The City, and I'd rather have someone who is honest to themselves rather than a hypocrite like that damn Roland."

"So do I, so do I..." Giggled William. "I just wish I could live without many expectations imposed onto me, I just want to do what I want for myself."

"Mmm, maybe you're more like Oswald now that I think about it." Groaned Jae-heon.

"Those thoughts will have to wait now, we're about to enter again." William pointed out.

In front of them were the Limbus Cast alongside William's former friend and family.

Michael was glaring at him while Henry frowned.

Elizabeth seemed still out of it, while Evan hid behind Charlie.

"I'm not really here for family drama, so I would like to enter and get this done with." Outis made her stance clear.

"I agree with her, I see no reason to have to hear about your problems." Angela agreed.

Henry sighed. "Well, I guess there is no point stalling, we'll just have to bear with it until this ends."

Heathcliff entered first, still a bit quiet, which was weird for the others.

But to him, he needed to find out more.

His gut was telling him that there was going to be something big in this series of viewings, yet he didn't know exactly what.

Furthermore, the connections between those of his supposed family with the Aftons made it clear that many of them were supposed to be replacements in this story that was going to actually be about him.

"We were left wondering how things would go for us in the basement, right?" Ishmael asked.

"Are we to expect this to be three parts as well?" Added Sinclair.

"Faust believes it to be too soon to expect three parts, as for the other question, it will be shown very soon." She explained.

"Just get this done with." Groaned Michael.

Truthfully, at first he was looking forward to these viewings.

But as time went on, and with father finally going crazy, he felt like this couldn't end well.

Evan's consistent death did worry him, while he didn't like the guy, he didn't wish death to anyone.

Elizabeth supposedly killing him was also weird, but the fact that they killed each other did seem like a fair trade since he was the one who started it.

As for Charlie...

That one definitely was one he would feel guilty about.

Out of his whole family, she was the closest surprisingly, heck, the Emily family was always much closer to him than his own.

And hurting them would certainly be more hurtful than if he did it to his own family.

He let go of those thoughts as he saw the room start changing colors.

The ladder had gone longer than we expected, we couldn't guess just how deep it went.

"Are we ever going to arrive at the end of this ladder?" Ishmael asked.

"Not sure, but I've got a nice view down here." Joked Rodion as she looked up.

"Wow." Gregor said while rolling his eyes.

"Come on Greg, can't a fellow coworker compliment you?" Rodion laughed.

"Yeah, that's called sexual harassment." Flatly said Gregor.

"Very funny." Gregor deadpanned as he saw Rodion looking up to him, or rather, his rear.

"I do wonder if this depth was truly necessary, as a matter of fact, I never knew a ladder could be this long." Hong Lu said in awe.

"There is the off chance that they were not implemented manually." Yi Sang suggested.

I could slightly see Sinclair's face of dread as we continued deeper.

Perhaps this was a reminder of what we had to go through in the basement of his mansion.

"I didn't need to know that." Shivered Sinclair.

"Seriously, just what the hell did we see inside his basement?" Heathcliff asked, confused.

"This... feels too close to the basement of my house." Sinclair commented.

"(Sinclair... What happened before... it still haunts you, right?)"

"I can't admit to fully recovering from that event." He admitted. "But I am taking small steps to moving on."

"(That's good to hear.)"

"At Least he seems to be moving forward." Ishmael pointed out.

"Hopefully I can do the same..." Sinclair muttered.

However, the sense that I recognized, the sound of dragging accompanying it became some constant as we marched deeper.

"Surely that's not what I think it is, right?" Gregor said.

Faust shook her head, even though Gregor could not see her. "It is as you think it is, the Peccatula."

"Ewwww..." Charlie said with a look of disgust.

Elizabeth couldn't help but also grim at the creatures shown.

"Ah... I do recall seeing a few dead on the ground in the other viewings." Hong Lu remembered.

"These entities appear to be plagues so to speak." Analyzed Yi Sang.

"There is no Lobotomy Corporation branch in the perimeter, nor does it seem to be connected to this facility." Informed Meursault.

"You are correct, the facility is a fair distance to this place." Faust spoke.

"There is a lack of reason as to why this oddity is occurring." Meursault added.

"Yet the laws are still in play, there is a cause to an effect." Reminded Faust.

"Very well." He accepted.

"I'm glad I'm not the one that's at the bottom of the ladder this time." Gregor chuckled.

"I now regret being the first one to go down the ladder." Muttered Rodion as she seemed quite exhausted, she looked down only to see crawling Peccatula coming towards them.

"This 'cause' that Faust talked about, we'll find out about it at the end of this endless ladder, no?" Asked Ishmael.

"From what I've gathered, these creatures are supposed to come from a Lobotomy Corporation branch, same as the Golden Boughs." Ishmael summarized.

"You reckon they are abnormalities?" Wondered Sinclair.

Faust shook her head. "Unlike most abnormalities, it appears that these are masses that do not follow a general rule compared to all other abnormalities."

"Then... what are they?" Henry asked, curious as to what the sinners were talking about.

"... Perhaps... distortions?" Suggested Yi Sang.

"It is a likely outcome." Meursault agreed.

The scene changed.

"I've got no idea what your father has been doing here." Gregor pointed out. "And from the looks of it, your father doesn't want us to dig deeper."

"If the ladder was already something to go about, the amount of Peccatula has been increasing the more we went on."

"Well, honestly, fighting on a ladder was awful, I'd rather we fought here on a more open field." Admitted Rodion as she stretched her arms.

"You say that, but I'm probably having a worse time..." Sinclair muttered.

"Mmm? Why do you say that Sinclair?" Asked Rodion.

He pointed at his weapon, which was a greataxe.

"...Point taken."

"In that case, the closer we get to the basement, the more they appear..." Sinclair suggested.

"Just what in the world is going on in this place?" Wondered Rodion.

She then looked at Michael. "Mikey, mind checking your dad's diary again?"

"It's worth a shot." He accepted.

Upon opening the book once again, the pages flipped themselves until resting on a page.

It took three betrayals.

"..." William's sinister smile disappeared.

"I see, so we're going to dig into my past now, uh?"

Three betrayals for me to find out just how evil a human being could be.

The first betrayal came from my father.

He promised me we would meet again after the Smoke War finished.

But he didn't come back, he died, leaving behind me and my abusive mother.

"Ah..." Henry noised.

He knew that his former friend's father died during the Second World War.

But he didn't expect his mother to be abusive.

That... actually explained why William was always asking him to do the class projects at his house rather than William's

Still, he didn't expect that woman to be abusive, especially when she seemed so... normal.

I learnt that fate could break the promise.

The second, was from the love of my life.

My wife, the love of my life.

She promised to always be there by my side.

Yet the idea of failure made her fear, and so, also left me.

"So that's what happened to mom..." Muttered Evan.

He was too young to really know, and Elizabeth was just born.

Back then, he was too scared to ask either Michael or his father about where she was.

But now, it was clear.

He never truly had someone to call his mother.

"Fuck... that's rough." Muttered Gregor.

I learnt that people could lie about the promise.

And the last one...

Came from my son, the eldest of the bunch.

"..." Michael listened closely to his father's voice.

It felt... really sorrowful, far more compared to any time he heard his father.

What did he do to make him act this way?

And why was his father really favoring him when he previously was the worst of the bunch?

I made him promise that he would keep his siblings safe.

Unfortunately, his carelessness made both Elizabeth and Evan meet an unfortunate event.

I learnt that others could break the promise.

However, I refuse such a reality.

We will fix this tragic end by creating a perfect family.

"That you weren't a family man, uh?" Teased Jae-heon.

"You know that chances are that diary of mine was part of my plan, right?" William mentioned.

"Wow, you'd go that far to manipulate people? Honestly? I'm quite impressed." Jae-heon admitted.

"Still... that sounds like something I would do." Sighed Jae-heon.

One where I hold their life in the palm of my hand, their fates.

So that they'll never betray me.

And so that no one ever breaks a promise ever again.

"Mentions of 'we' again..." Sinclair muttered.

"It seems like this acquaintance your father made intents to help his achieve his goal." Ishmael informed Michael. "Though, is there anything in exchange your father could give them?"

"Immortality." Michael revealed.

"What?" Most of them said.

"Come again?" Yi Sang said, unsure if he heard Michael correctly.

"My father found out the secret to immortality, though not a perfect form of such, you could live so long as you didn't burn." He explained. "As such, it doesn't break any of the rules created by the Head."

"Shit..." Michael muttered.

"Oh, how interesting." William laughed with glee.

"Is such a thing possible?" Yi Sang asked.

"Faust reminds that such iterations of resurrection have been possible, proven by K. Corp." She explained.

"The same goes for Dante's powers, as such, an idea like immortality is not far from being plausible, all it needs it to follow the rules of the City." She finished.

"The question now is whether such a discovery comes from our world or theirs." Angela added.

"I don't believe immortality to be from our world." Henry said with skepticism.

"But I don't believe any from Wuthering Heights to be able to discover immortality." Countered Heathcliff. "In fact, you and that nutjob you used to call best friend are more likely to research such concepts."

"First of all, we're engineers and inventors, not biochemists or scientists." Clarified Henry.

"I would have had to disagree that we would try to discover something like that... but with how William turned out to be... I wouldn't be surprised that he had his own research about it."

"Well." William started. "If anything, I do believe that this is my past self, the one that had to suppress how he truly acted."

"Therefore, I do believe that he wanted to continue with that facade by trying to bring back Elizabeth and Evan, who were dead at that point thanks to a certain someone."

"For that matter, I do believe that I would have tried to find immortality while using my children's death as an excuse, and would have tried to be immortal myself."

"That being said, I don't really have a reason to be immortal." He shrugged.

"How... assuring." Sinclair said, not knowing how to react to such a revelation.

"A very T.T. I must admit." Ryoshu commented. "Perhaps your father should have taken up literature."

"Though I never knew what happened to my grandparents, I did know that my mother left us." Michael sighed.

"But it is clear now, no?" She asked.

"Of course, more clear than ever." He nodded.

"We need to take care of this entire place, before the Head finds out." Michael whispered to her.

"Art that is against the law, a challenge I.L.F.T.T" She whispered back.

Michael frowned hearing her treat this as a mere art project.

"Wait, but didn't they say that it was allowed in the City?" Evan asked.

"You're right kid, I don't see why they should burn the whole place down." Agreed Gregor.

Ryoshu snorted. "C.I."

"Don't call us that." Sinclair frowned.

"But you are, you do not see what is H.I.P.S." Ryoshu spoke.

"Hips?" Heathcliff said dumbfounded.

"..." Ryoshu looked at Heathcliff with dangerous eyes, as if she didn't realize what her acronym spelled out and had someone else ruin it for her.

"S-she means hidden in plain sight!" Sinclair swiftly intervened.

"Enlighten us, what is it?" Angela asked.

Ryoshu smiled.

"No."

"Oh piss off!" Heathcliff groaned.

The scene changed.

"How gaudy." Ryoshu said with much thought.

"... I'm not seeing this wrong, am I?" Sinclair spoke a bit intimidated. "These pods have people... and... they don't seem alive."

"What's concerning to me is how someone managed to get all these people in here." Rodion added with concern.

"All of them are...." Ishmael tried to speak with shock.

"Children..." Finished Michael.

Jae-heon hummed. "I reckon you might have done something similar to me."

"But rather than trying to bring your son back, I'm trying to find immortality." Added William.

"So you really were the kidnapper." Michael sighed. "You're... genuinely unhinged."

"I will take that as a compliment."

The endless roads of glass pods extended row by row. Inside were many children of all kinds.

"..." Ryoshu frowned upon seeing this.

"Aside from the age, there seems not to be any pattern regarding gender or garbs." Meursault informed.

"Recalling that case of missing children happening across T. Corp." He added. "It appears that this is where the main culprit took shelter in."

Henry didn't seem surprised at all, it seemed as if this wasn't the first time.

Just then, he pointed at the pod in the middle. "That's the Golden Bough you're looking for, right?"

"Mmm..." Ryoshu glared.

"(Anything wrong?)" Dante asked.

"N.T.W.A." Responded Ryoshu as she lit another cigarette.

"I reckon my other self, and apparently that other boy has already noticed." She chuckled.

"Okay... I don't know what she's talking about." Rodion whispered.

"You're not alone." Gregor agreed.

As we got closer, it was apparent that the glass pod was different from the others, or rather, the person who was inside.

"Father..." Michael uttered.

Michael got closer as he saw his father's face from a distance, his expression was one of pure bliss, as if he was at peace.

"My, I look quite young there." William said, impressed.

"Apparently that immortality thing did wonders to you." Jae-heon laughed.

"I would say that I would like to look young forever... but I'm not sure what he did to obtain it, and I would rather not ask." Nervously laughed Rodion.

"There are quite a few machines attached to his coffin." Outis said as she looked at one side.

"Two levers on the side as well." Added Meursault.

The coffin had the Golden Bough attached to it. The familiar golden glow reached even the darkest corners of this big basement.

Just as Michael tried walking closer, he stopped as he hid behind one of the glass coffins.

On the side, Don Quixote froze as she took a small step closer.

"There ought to be a misunderstanding..." She whispered.

"(Misunderstanding?)"

The rest of the sinners decided to follow Michael's example as they also hid behind the pods.

"So what are we hiding from?" Ishmael said.

Don Quixote couldn't help but continue peeking her head as she looked at the ones that were controlling the machines.

"Fixers of the Oufi Association." Meursault said as he quickly looked at the operators.

"Tis hath to be an illusion!" Don Quixote objected.

"As I expected." Ryoshu puffed smoke.

"No, they are phonies." Michael reassured.

"Was this still what you expected?" Ishmael asked.

"So desu." Nodded Ryoshu.

"If that's the case, what could they be?" Hong Lu wondered.

"Soon it will be shown." Spoke Ryoshu.

"What do you mean by that?" Outis whispered.

"You'll see soon enough, right now, we need to take them by surprise." Michael ordered as he then sprinted towards the Oufi Association Fixers.

"Wha- hey! This place is off limi-!" The Oufi Fixer tried to say, however, he was decapitated by Michael's Katana.

"Curses! Unleash the dregs! We need to buy more time!" Another Fixer shouted.

"Yikes, thankfully this entire place is shrouded in darkness." Charlie commented.

"I do not want to see dismembered bodies rolling around." Sinclair said, shivering.

Evan nodded.

The scene changed.

"T-there are Peccatula crawling out of the pods!" Sinclair yelled.

"Wait... those children turned into... that?" Henry said horrified.

"Fuck... that's..." Michael muttered while frowning.

"So this whole time, the Peccatula were distortions?" Gregor inquired.

Faust nodded to affirm this revelation.

"..." Yi Sang took a deep breath. "To think... even as a background character, my story would still be continued."

Yi Sang seemed quite agitated from seeing this. "Miss Faust..."

"Speak, Yi Sang."

"It is very clear that you already hold the answer to such a mystery that is unfolding before us..."

"Oi, where is this going?" Heathcliff asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"..." Yi Sang sighed. "My past continues to haunt me, and it seems it has affected our journey."

"However, if I am to request an answer..."

"You must already know why I am asking you, after all, this is quite the familiar sight."

"I want you to verify a hypothesis of mine."

"This is an experiment relating to mortality, is it not?"

"Not particularly, but it is indeed related." Faust mentioned.

"From the looks of it, the finality might be different due to Afton's progress." Yi Sang added.

"Curious, I wish to know what the original objective truly is." William said with interest.

Yi Sang was about to talk, but Faust stopped him by grabbing his shoulder. "I believe that informing him would be detrimental."

Yi Sang looked back at her. She was right though, he did not know what William would do with such ideas.

"Faust explains that this is one of the many myriads of possibilities the Golden Bough can be used for experiments, the energy within it is being used as a resource to further progress in the experiments." She explained.

"To be specific, would it be closer to what we saw in K Corporation? The idea of reviving an already dead person that is." She added.

"However, if we're to cast a wider net to the possibilities, it can be said that this is merely an energy generator for a grander purpose, that is the establishment."

"(I sometimes notice that Faust pauses sometimes before answering.)"

Yi Sang and Faust recoiled when Dante mentioned that, thankfully, no one else seemed to notice.

"You've mentioned something before, Yi Sang, what does this remind you of?" Hong Lu inquired.

"Remind me? As a matter of fact, it's in plain sight."

"The fruits of my labor... violated beyond recognition."

"The work that I created with only good in mind, turned into a sin that I never knew I held."

"Reminds me of a few inventions." Laughed William.

"You're talking about chlorine, are you not?" Asked Henry.

"Ding ding ding! We have a winner." Joked William.

"Man, seeing dad act that way is really weird." Muttered Michael.

"And... the fact that it is being used without respect isn't the problem, right?" Ishmael inquired.

"Indeed... the fear that continued to seizes my mind, only my colleagues would be able to mimic my work."

"Or more particularly..."

"I was never expecting to see a familiar face here of all places..." Yi Sang expressed with sadness.

Steps could be heard closing in, a man with fair skin revealed himself with a smile.

A smile directed to Yi Sang.

Yi Sang then glared at the person in front of him. "You have recognized me long ago, have you not?"

"Speak now, for I do not have the patience."

"There is no better answer but my silence, is there not?" The person, who we assumed to be Yi Sang's compatriot, uttered. "When whatever I may speak will fall to deaf ears, for you only demand the answers you expect."

"It is not so different from how you used to act, no?"

"Yet you speak comfortably in spite of being surrounded by such vile abominations." Yi Sang retorted. "It appears you are an accomplice of this entire operation."

"Am I right? Aseah?" He named.

"So... is this someone from your previous group?" Asked Gregor.

Yi Sang nodded. "I knew he partnered with N. Corp. albeit by force, but to think he would decide to present himself in the site is..."

Heathcliff however interfered. "You're telling me he might be inside Wuthering Heights' basement this very moment without any of us knowing?"

"As a matter of fact, you're telling me he might have had something to do with Catherine at some point?"

"Heathcliff, while I understand your concerns, I do not have any knowledge about what Aseah is doing or what he has been doing, as such, it is impossible to truly respond to those questions." Explained Yi Sang.

"Damnit! Seeing as how their reunion has gone to shit, I expect mine to go the same way!" Complained Heathcliff.

"And... I don't want to believe that Cathy might be dead!"

"Not in pure will, no." Aseah shook his head.

"You know I am no ambitious fool."

The phony Oufi Fixer then yelled at him. "Hey! Don't just reveal yourself like that!"

"We have already been compromised, what point is there to hide ourselves in broad daylight?" Aseah pointed out.

"That's enough of your games. Mark my words, once we get out of here, they will hear everything that has happened." The supposed Oufi Fixer said.

"Who may 'they' be?" Ryoshu asked. "Docents? Maestros?"

"No way, are we actually dealing with the Ring? Like, full on combat?" Rodion cringed.

"What are you talking about Ryoshu?" Rodion asked with confusion.

"Members of the Ring." Revealed Michael. "Both Ryoshu and I were expecting them not to be Oufi Fixers, however, we remained silent to not blow our cover and alert them for whatever they were trying."

"Truly?!" Don Quixote said with shock.

"Then..." Michael pointed his katana at the Ring member. "I assume you are a Student wishing to become a Docent, are you not?"

"If so, how about you start acting like a Docent and explain to us what your work of art is supposed to represent?" He taunted.

Ryoshu whistled. "N.O."

"What?" Michael said, confused.

Ryoshu rolled her eyes, to which Sinclair then explained. "She said nice one."

The member of the Ring growled. "You were meant to be used as sacrifice for this ritual, you were never supposed to come here."

"Yet those plans are gone, who sent you?"

"You've been backstabbed by your associate, the one that's inside the coffin." Explained Michael.

Although the Ring Student seemed surprised by the revelation, we didn't pay much mind to him, more specifically, Yi Sang seemed to want answers.

"Aseah... Stop now..." He demanded. "Why is it that familiar faces, ones that I long for so long, depart after a bitter reunion?"

"You remember, I know you do." Aseah uttered. "That I was never one to enter the fray... though one day, perhaps I could do so with the help of the Mirror."

"... This experiment would have been more fun had you been by my side."

"But worry not, though this was a short reunion..."

"Remember that I will be waiting for you in the future..."

"So don't keep me waiting, old friend."

"Old friend..." Henry muttered.

He still couldn't believe that William was this demented, or at the very least crazy.

To think he would have such thoughts, such plans... He made sure to keep his daughter away from him.

Unfortunately, the Afton kids weren't as lucky, but it wasn't as if they were always near him, rather, they also kept their distance from their father.

All except someone.

"Unfortunately, I must make my exit from the stage. Not usually do I leave on the clock, as I must wear many hats."

Just as he started walking back, a few of the Ring members tried to run for it, but Ryoshu caught one of them quickly with her scabbard.

"Usually, the art of the Ring is a P.O.S." She spoke. "But this one... this one's quite interesting."

"The Ring pretending to be the Oufi, what are you now? Cosplayers?" She taunted.

"Right, you did talk about them being the Ring." Rodion remembered.

"(The Ring? Are they neighbors to the Middle?)"

"... Why did the Middle have to be brought up?" Ishmael said with one of her eyes twitching.

"Don't tell me we fought them as well." Groaned Rodion.

"We're fucked." Gregor deadpanned.

"Stop with this negativity!" Outis yelled. "Have we not forgotten that we were able to defeat an Urban Nightmare?"

"Says you, you had to use the identity of a Color Fixer and got your ass whooped!" Heathcliff shot back.

"Why you-!" Yelled Outis.

Angela closed her eyes while pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I uh... don't know much about the Ring." Rodion nervously laughed. "As far as I know, they're obsessed with art, to the point they are insane."

"Galleries that present their works of art." Ryoshu explained. "Art that's not my C.O.T."

The Ring researcher scowled after hearing Ryoshu. "A shame really... you... seem to be unable to understand the magnificence of Pointillism."

"Is a Maestro behind this?" Michael asked.

Ryoshu sighed. She kicked the Ring member as she then grabbed his head. "Tell us, is a Maestro involved? Where are they?" She interrogated.

Michael frowned seeing the aggressive approach she took.

"A Maestro wouldn't be in this dumpster of a place now, would he?" He laughed. "Besides, we're no longer part of the Ring."

"Looks like I was wrong..." Muttered Michael.

"Oh? Then what are you?" Ryoshu said dangerously.

"You think I'd tell you s-" Ryoshu then quickly decapitated him.

A few of those who were watching jolted from the sudden swift slice.

"... Couldn't you have at the very least let him finish?" Michael wondered.

"What for?" She asked nonchalantly.

"We could have continued interrogating him, through any means." Explained Michael.

"You waste your time, fox." She pointed out.

"Is that so? I never expect the artist to waste the chance of torturing someone, perhaps you could have created a very nice work of art." He sarcastically said.

"Oh? You've finally got the guts to tell me that." Ryoshu said with glee.

"Listen here." Michael warned. "I know you're interested in me as the disciple of Hanzo, however, I am not who you expect."

"I am no heartless murderer, I don't kill for the sake of art or any other ambitious dream, I am merely a tool used to get rid of the opponents."

"I've already vowed to change, yet for some reason... you don't want me to change." He expressed. "Why is that? What drives you to taunt me and my failed attempts at proving myself?"

"Your current self lacks purpose." Ryoshu commented. "An artist cannot move their brush without purpose."

"Though you pledged to help Limbus Company, you do so without putting your soul on it."

"Do better, and accept that things have changed." She finished.

"Do better... uh?" Michael muttered.

Had his father not turned out the way he was, those words would have certainly had a much bigger impact on him.

Now that his family crumbled...

What would he be doing now?

He no longer had the obligation of having to look after his younger siblings, and chances are, his father would dispose of them if he was cruel enough.

On the other hand, there was the possibility of him keeping them around only to keep up appearances.

There were many possible outcomes, and each one didn't seem like a good one.

"I have already changed many times, what else do you want me to do?" Michael said as he gritted his teeth.

"Have you?" Ryoshu asked. "You are still stuck in the past, not of this one, but another."

"..." Michael sighed. "I... Yes..."

"I wish to go back to when I was a retainer." He admitted.

"Yet right now... that past that I already accepted came back to drag me back to hell."

"That time I grabbed Elizabeth... it made me realize that I never did change."

"I am still that worthless mutt that destroyed the house."

"I truly am just like father..."

"Like father... Those words have taken a far worse meaning now." Henry sighed.

"My, am I truly that bad? Especially when in our world, I have yet to even do anything?"

"You condemned Michael for actions that he has yet to do." Henry pointed out.

Ryoshu didn't push any further as she sheathed her odachi, the group remained silent for a moment before slowly walking towards William's coffin.

Looking at the coffin, Michael simply stared at it for a moment, he looked at the Golden Bough that was attached to it as he then tried reaching out the coffin.

"So... I'm back, father, did you miss me?" He chuckled.

"I surely don't, I wish to never see you again, nor anyone else from before."

"What is it that you want from me?" He wondered.

"I'll never know, because apparently you're finally dead..."

"...In a... very fine state." He said as he looked through the window of the coffin.

The body wasn't rotten nor mixed with the body of a spring suit, Michael already knew that something was wrong, but even this was much more concerning.

What was the purpose of repairing his body?

"Well, well, well, look at the mess the animal and his pack have done to this place." Evan taunted while clapping.

"Oh great." Groaned Michael.

"Evan's adult version again." Muttered Elizabeth.

Evan himself winced seeing himself again, he really didn't like this version of himself.

Besides him was Jeremy.

"Evan!" Henry yelled as he wasn't expecting to see him here.

In the back, Vanessa was panting as she sat down to catch her breath, it seemed as if she had caught up to them by using all of her energy.

"Seems like everyone's here except my dear sister." Continued Evan.

"Jeremy... I wish this not to be the truth, but tell me wholeheartedly..." Michael tried asking.

"Enough of you and yer friend!" Evan yelled.

"Is it just me, or has Michael been interrupted a lot during his stay at the pizzeria?" Charlie pointed out.

"Now that you say that, he was about to ask something to me before, but ended up not doing so." Henry realized.

"I'm sick of you just ignoring me, can't you see that this friend of yours has been tamed by yours truly?" He pointed out.

"This dirtbag friend of yours is now working under me, and I refuse to have him go all willy nilly with you!"

"Evan... I think you're going a bit too far." Whispered Jeremy. "Remember what we are here for."

"Like hell I care! You're here for your own revenge! Why can't I do the same?!" He yelled back.

"His personal revenge?" Michael repeated. "I thought something was weird, but I actually think something is wrong with Jeremy."

"And now you decide to point that out?" Heathcliff raised an eyebrow.

"Listen, he grew up, so I thought that maybe he also changed." Michael defended himself.

"But I didn't think he would change THAT much." He pointed out.

"Like, siding with Evan and having a personal vendetta? Especially when Evan's treating him like shit? He'd already have snapped at that point."

"What, like plop him inside Fredbear's mouth?" Laughed William.

"Oh, piss off!" Michael yelled.

He looked at Michael. "It was all your fault, everything, my misery, my hatred, my lack of happiness, it was all because of you!"

"And it only got worse because of what you did that one day, the day you decided to pull that prank on me!"

"You and your band of mutts, grabbing me and shoving me into the jaws of death!"

"That's when everything went wrong!"

"I shouldn't have died that day, I should have celebrated my birthday..."

"Even if the prank hadn't gone wrong, it was still a jerk move to prank him on his birthday." Charlie called out.

"Okay, I get it, no pranking him." He sighed. "At least not around dangerous objects, I can at the very least scare him, right?"

"Michael..." Charlie glared.

"Fine, no more pranks, happy?"

"Quite happy, and you better keep your promise."

"When it comes to you, you would make sure I keep it." Michael sighed.

"And not just me, Charlie shouldn't have succumbed to the cold, all alone in the rain in some colorless Backstreets shithole."

"No pranking me either." Warned Charlie.

"Damnit, I wouldn't go that far with a prank!" Objected Michael. "Why the hell would I let you out in the cold?"

"I do have to agree with Michael, while he pranks Evan cruelly, I don't see him doing the same with you." Henry defended.

"Evan... I understand your hatred, but we still need to continue our mission..." Jeremy tried to say. "We no longer hold the advantage in this three way race."

"Like hell! I'll fight them myself!" Evan retorted as he folded his sleeves.

"Evan! Even with augmentations and the work you've done, that still won't be enough!" Jeremy warned.

"I don't care! I just want to release all this hatred! All this rage that's been brewing ever since I knew! Because I just want to kill that mutt for what he's done!"

Evan looked at Jeremy with a look of hatred, yet not directed to him, at the same time, we could sense just how much Jeremy was looking after Evan despite how badly he had been treating the leader of the gang.

"So the cry baby wants to fight? Well, bring it on." Michael chuckled.

"You know Michael?" Charlie started.

"Mmm? What is it?" He said.

"I always wondered, why did you start pranking and bullying him?"

"..." Michael sighed. "Many different reasons really."

"And I don't really believe all of them to be justified." He added.

"I dumped all of the blame of why mom left us on him, things went south the moment he was born, but I now realize that maybe it was dad's actions that she left us."

"There's also that dad put all the responsibility on me, damnit, I wasn't even a teenager back then, do you have any idea how fucking lost I was when I needed to take care of Evan and Elizabeth?"

"And no matter what I tried, he would cry over everything, it genuinely got to the point that I snapped, and I just, let hell break loose." He admitted.

"Now, whenever he cries, it's just because of me, not because of my lack of being able to take care of children."

"I... I wouldn't say I blame you for snapping, but I do blame you for continuing with bullying him." Charlie stated.

"That's fair, but I think I'm going to quit it, mostly because there's not much that I can do since this household is already fucked." Chuckled Michael grimly.

"Can't blame me for the shit that hasn't happened, like my old man said." He joked.

"I never thought of you as someone to take care of my brother, Jeremy." Taunted Michael.

Despite how out of character it was for him to taunt others, it seemed as it was becoming more recurrent as we continued staying in this establishment.

Perhaps it was really taking a toll on his sanity.

"I'll hunt you down, you animal." He said as he pointed at Michael. "That way, I'll finally get my trophy that I've been looking forward to getting."

"You sly fox will reap what you've sown." He declared. "I should have swung against you the moment I saw you."

"Then do so now." Michael challenged as he unsheathed his katana.

Just as he did a few other sinners raised their weapons as they all changed into different identities.

In his case, he changed to becoming the Blade Lineage Mentor, and by his side were many other Blade Lineage Salsu.

"Oh cool, I'm back to being that guy!" Smiled Michael.

"Bamboo hatted Kim." Said Charlie.

"Yeah, that guy."

"You don't actually care unless they look cool, right?" Deadpanned Charlie.

Michael shrugged. "I mean, if that were the case, I wouldn't know the names of many Japanese historical figures."

Charlie sighed. "If only you could channel that passion into your studying."

"So does that mean that we are all Salsus?" Yi Sang wondered.

"Faust believes so." She responded.

However, the outlier was Ryoshu, who was using a Kurokumo identity.

Michael rushed in as he met his blade against Evan's gauntlet.

The younger brother then reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun.

"He really brought a gun into a sword fight?" Michael said with wide eyes.

"Guns aren't that effective in the city though." Angela pointed out. "Usually, people can parry the bullets."

"Oh wow, that's interesting to hear." Henry said.

"How so?"

"Guns in our world have overshadowed melee weapons." He explained. "it is fascinating to see that in your world, melee weapons still outclass ranged ones."

"I assume that is because you lack individuals strong enough or skilled enough to combat a gun." Angela explained.

"No, I actually believe that the humans in our world are far more different than the ones in your world." Henry chuckled.

Michael took a step back as he dodged the incoming bullet.

"Like for example, I don't believe Michael would ever be able to dodge a bullet like that." Henry explained as he pointed his finger at the current scene.

Yi Sang stepped forward and tried to slash at Evan, however, he grabbed the sword without problem.

"What about that?" Asked Angela.

"That's more plausible, however, you are likely to be injured after grabbing it." Responded Henry. "He wasn't though, that's because he has a gauntlet."

Then, he pulled in Yi Sang as he continued to hold the sword, Evan threw the gun up and used his now free hand to punch Yi Sang down.

On the ground, Yi Sang looked up to see Evan catch his gun and point at him, but before he could shoot, Don Quixote sprinted and landed a hit on Evan's stomach.

Rather than stabbing him, the sword graced him as the sound of metal being scratched was emitted.

Sinclair followed suit as he then stabbed and slashed at Evan.

Evan covered himself with his hands as he braced for impact.

Yet he noticed as Faust suddenly moved behind him.

Both Sinclair and Faust were able to land their attacks as they pierced through Evan's body.

Yet instead of giving up there, he grabbed their swords and pulled them out. While still holding them, he used all of his strength to throw Faust and Sinclair away.

"Shit, how is he still standing?" Wondered Michael.

Michael was able to catch Sinclair while Faust crashed against Don Quixote.

Evan went to try and rush in, but felt as someone stabbed him on the leg, he looked down only to see Yi Sang stabbing him by the ankle.

Ryoshu and Michael saw this as their opportunity as they both rushed in, Evan took out his gun again and shot at the two of them.

While Ryoshu deflected the bullets, Michael dodged between them as he then raised his katana as he was about to pierce through Evan's heart.

Yet a sudden field knocked him away.

"Wait, what? What pushed him away?" Rodion asked.

"..." Faust looked at the scene, recognizing this phenomenon.

As he rolled and stumbled on the ground, the identity he had deactivated alongside the others. Confused, they looked at Evan for a moment.

"Shite..." Evan heavily gasped as he held his ankle.

"Evan... I've told you..." Jeremy softly said. "There's no point fighting them."

"You... You...!" He tried saying, yet he found no words once again.

Ishmael sighed seeing the sorry state Michael's brother was in.

"So now you're taking my brother's side?!" Evan yelled in rage.

"No... of course you would."

"In the end, I never truly had friends, didn't I?" He laughed. "All I knew were psychopathic backstabbing murderers!"

"He's having a mental breakdown." Muttered Elizabeth.

"Psychopathic backstabbers? Well, truthfully, it appears that our family is full of murderers." William taunted.

"Your goal in the end was no different to your father's! All you wanted was to make others suffer, didn't you?!"

"There never was a place for me inside that animatronic in the end." He uttered.

"Pardon?" Henry raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, so does that mean that Evan was a spirit for a moment, or rather dead?" Asked Michael.

"Well, to be fair, didn't your father achieve immortality? What's the chance that he made it so that the others around him also obtained it?" Asked Ishmael.

"A big reason, why?"

"Perhaps for fun? Or part of my plan?" Suggested William.

"And not even here, when I tried so hard to prove to my brother just how good of a life I supposedly lived!"

"WHY?! Why does everything have to go Michael's way? Why must a murderer always get away with every-"

Evan looked to a side with surprise. "W-who's there?!"

He seemed to be talking to the void.

"She's here." Scowled Angela.

"That means he is distorting, right?" Gregor asked.

"Unfortunately so, it appears we will be forced to fight it as well." Faust informed.

"That means that Hindley will probably also distort, crikey, I waited for so long to kick that knob." Heathcliff sighed in relief.

"Finally! Someone understands my pain! J-just someone who could see how much of a victim I truly was!" He smiled.

"E-Evan?" Jeremy said with genuine concern.

"All I wanted was to live in peace! Why did he have to toss me into the maws of that damned animatronic?!"

"Yes, of course I remember THAT DAY! I can remember the lies and insults he spouted at me!"

"(He's distorting...)"

"You heard the little man! He wants to get even closer! Ha ha ha!" He maniacally laughed.

"All those who had distorted such as my compatriot Dongrang... have all talked to an invisible individual before distorting." Yi Sang recalled.

"Dongrang..." Whispered Yi Sang.

"Why will you be fated to meet such a demise..."

"So we will have to defeat at the very least two or three distortions?" Outis asked.

"Assuming Yi Sang does as well." Hong Lu stated.

"Given how he has overcome this trial, it would be unlikely for him to distort should he be put in front of such an ordeal." Meursault stated.

"(Meursault, is it possible for you to knock him out before he distorts, just like last time?)"

"Nigh impossible, as I attempt to approach him, it appears that a force is impeding me from proceeding." Meursault reported.

"This is a distortion created by natural means unlike with the Monolith." Faust explained. "According to Faust, such distortions are a result of fate, as such, once the process commences, it is impossible to halt the sequence."

"Hey guys, I think the little man said he wants to give Fredbear a big kiss! ON THREE! One.... two....."

"A Monolith..." Yi Sang muttered.

He recalled Vergilius giving him some information about it.

After all, it was with the purpose of sharing it with the other worlds should the need arise.

But right now, it didn't seem like it was needed

"He's repeating those words... are those the words you said to him during that incident?" Elizabeth asked.

"Bout time you decided to talk." Michael snorted. "But fuck if I know, thought it is likely."

"Am I going to become a monster?" Cried Evan.

"Yup, a big and scary one, the same as the ones in your nightmares." Spoke Michael.

His usual outfit became ragged, black leathered pants, a black coat with many belts, a red scarf with a blue gem, a tricorne with feathers on it.

All while holding a hunting rifle, with his arm completely turned into what could be called the claw of a demon.

"Uh, not as monstrous as I thought he'd be." Commented Gregor.

"I would have preferred it to be an actual monster though." Sighed Ishmael.

"Indeed! A mindless beast is far easier to strike down than an intelligent individual!" Don Quixote agreed.

"Three." He uttered in his new form.

"You never did say three, did you?"

"Father would have not cared about me doing this, would he?"

"After all, he did allow you to continue tormenting me until the day I died."

"Actually, now that I think about it." Henry realized. "Did you actually know what was going on and did not care or did you actually not know."

"Oh, I did not know, what Michael did was out of his own accord." Revealed William. "Still, I wouldn't have done anything had I known, because I would have pretended not to."

"Michael, ever since I was able to finally physically move, I've bowed to finally hunt you down."

"And today, I have finally tracked you down, you mutt."

"The hunt starts now, and I will get your head as my well deserved price."

"So come on! Run! Michael! Run!" He yelled as he shot a single shot at him.

(Now Playing: Solas Composer - A Hunter's Dark Deeds)

https://youtu.be/K_uYjtKZ3CU

Michael saw the bullet about to pierce through his eye, however, Ryoshu interfered and blocked the shot.

In this case, she used Penitence, which was barely enough to block it.

Angela raised an eyebrow, not expecting to see that E.G.O. in action.

"So he's going for round two now, uh?" Michael said as he cracked his knuckles.

"If he was like that, I wouldn't have had to be a shitbag with him."

The other sinners changed to their identities, the same as before.

This time however, Ryoshu took the initiative as she took a step forward and tried to cut through Evan's gun.

After attempting to do that, she noticed that the gun was far tougher than she expected.

Evan used the stock of his rifle to club Ryoshu.

She was knocked back as the distortion pointed his gun at her.

Despite being knocked back, Ryoshu was able to deflect the bullet that Evan had shot.

Don Quixote and Yi Sang rushed in as they swung their swords against him. Yet he used his entire gun to block both attacks.

Outis came after as she stuck her sword into Evan's stomach, yet he didn't recoil nor make a sound.

Evan kicked Outis back as he then spun and swept both Blade Lineage Salsus' feet.

He then punched Yi Sang back as he then clawed at Don Quixote.

As Evan raised his hand to claw at Don again, a kunai was thrown at his hand, looking up, he saw Michael who was helping Ryoshu up.

He then rushed forward as he went to try and rip Michael apart.

Faust got in the way as they clashed sword and claw.

Outis rushed again to stab Evan in the back, to which the distortion then turned around and grabbed Outis.

He then slammed her into the ground and then threw her at where his gun was.

The throw was powerful enough to create a crater in the ground, he then raised his hand as he easily grabbed his gun back, which had been sent flying due to Outis.

"Okay, that was cool as fuck." Michael said in awe.

He then pointed at Michael once again.

However, the older Afton was currently in a stance as he took a deep breath.

"We dream in our waking moments, and walk in our sleep."

"Spirit Breathing, Thirtieth Form: Onibi"

Michael unsheathed his sword as he did a single slash against Evan.

He then sheathed his sword back.

Around Evan, slashes of blue, white, red and yellow continued to cut him as he could only twitch in pain as each one of them continued their unrelenting assault.

"Beautiful." Complimented Ryoshu.

"Uh, I never expected Ryoshu to compliment anyone like that." Sinclair stated.

"It is because all of your cuts are S.H.I.T"

"I can understand that without knowing what the meaning of it is." Gregor deadpanned.

"So hideous I tremble? Are we really that bad?" Sinclair asked.

"Indeed." Ryoshu bluntly responded.

The scene changed.

A different restaurant was shown, one familiar to the Afton Family.

The distorted Evan looked around as he noticed a small boy hiding under one of the tables while crying.

"That's... me..." Whispered Evan.

"Are we going to see what actually happened?" Charlie asked.

He breathed heavily as he saw his other self being so pathetic, he grit his teeth just seeing the sorry state he was in at that moment.

"It was supposed to be my special day." He muttered.

"How... did it somehow turn into the day I'd die?"

"... The answer's clear."

"But I still wonder..."

"Why did Michael torment me? What drove him to be such an asshole?"

"And now, he has the gall of acting like it affected him more then I?"

"I do wonder." Hong Lu said.

"What is it?" Outis asked.

"Would a victim be affected by what happened more, or would the aggressor be affected by it more? More specifically if it wasn't on purpose?" He asked.

"I'd say the aggressor could also suffer more." Sinclair answered. "It being unintentional makes that suffering even worse, the horrors that one could cause, and the guilt that it would carry... it can carry on for many years..."

"Especially when it's family as... uhm, Michael's case."

"I'm not sure Sinclair, I would believe that the victim would be more affected." Rodion disagreed. "Remember that the aggressor could not care less."

"But what if they truly regret it?" Gregor asked.

"Most war veterans will be haunted by what they did in war." Gregor pointed out. "I'm not sure about the people from the Smoke War however, but I heard that the veterans that worked for I and K Corp regretted doing what they did because they weren't given what they wanted."

"That's more guilt that they wasted their time." Outis remarked. "Those fools were blinded and worked as mercenaries."

"I'm... not sure about that." Gregor said as he downcasted his gaze.

"..." Angela recalled Roland being one of those mercenaries if she remembered correctly. But didn't fall into this debate.

"I believe saying whether one side or the other is more affected diminishes the impact of such incidents. Suffering, guilt, resentment, whatever emotions may arise are the result of what has happened, it is foolish to compare your own pain to others when they are not even the same." Angela stated.

"I..." Heathcliff started speaking. "I think that if someone is haunted by what they've done or wish to be haunted by it, then that is more than enough punishment."

"That feeling will never leave them, especially when they can never ever gain closure."

"After all, have you seen the lad? He's burying himself in a load of baloney that is his redemption."

"The nutjob can't let go of that past, and now see what it has done to him!"

"That is a punishment worse than death." He stated. "Imagine having such a feeling dictate what you have to do for the rest of your life, not finding happiness, not finding satisfaction, just sadness and self loathing!"

"Hell, he might have screwed himself over even more trying to seek this redemption!"

"Hindley wronged me the same way Michael did to Evan, but the difference is that this lad tried to change."

"I wouldn't have forgiven him, mind you, I'd have rearranged his face albeit a bit less drastically." He added.

"But my point is that whether it was on purpose or not, with guilt or none, it will come back to bite you, and it bit Michael pretty hard."

"So yes, I believe the aggressor can suffer more than the victim, be it because of their own actions, or karma."

"It's not the same type of suffering, but I do believe that he would suffer more."

"He will still suffer no matter if he does apologize or not." Meursault stated. "That guilt will continue until the end of times, whether it is more than the victim's or not does not matter, as I agree that they are two different types of suffering."

"Apologizing will only lessen the burden, and seeing as Evan does not wish to forgive him, the best course of action is to endure the guilt."

"As such, by technicality, Michael can potentially suffer more throughout his life rather than a momentary pain that Evan has experienced."

"And in the case that he survived?" Ishmael asked.

"Both will suffer, with the only way of diminishing it by moving on from the situation just as Ryoshu suggested." He stated. "Should Evan move on, be it by forgiving him or not, he will come out with a higher chance of escaping the suffering."

"A uh... very hard thing to do in this city." Rodion said remembering the Middle Finger.

"Do you want to know why?" Michael suddenly said.

"Because Evan, I spent so long trying to accept that you were gone because of me."

"It truly affected me more than you can think, to the point that I went on a decade long crusade to try and redeem myself." He revealed.

This imagination that Evan had created was torn apart as Michael slashed through the facade.

"10 years to try and make things right? I applaud his resolve." Admitted Yi Sang.

"The issue here is that, though he may want to ask for forgiveness, not always will someone forgive them." Angela pointed out.

"Faust remembered hearing about your conversation with Hyoudou." Faust said.

"I have not forgiven him quite thoroughly, however, I am willing to put my bias behind if it means learning more about this place." She stated.

"The issue with Michael Afton is that he tries so hard for a pointless endeavor, while I have come to understand that this is a noble action to do, it will not erase the wrongs that he has done."

"As such, I believe that Ryoshu in that world is trying to make him realize that, so that he can finally move on with his life."

Ryoshu nodded. "I believe my other self to do such a thing."

"(But, for what reason?)"

"S.P." Ryoshu muttered.

No one truly heard what she said, but they weren't willing to ask her to explain herself.

Be it because each person had their own secrets, or because they were intimidated by her.

"I tried to be courteous enough when I realized you were still alive." He uttered. "But now, I realized that... it's pointless..."

"No matter what I do, you'll always curse me, blame me, even if I try to do good..."

He slowly walked towards him, as he did, the balloons popped as he walked past them.

"It may have been just 10 years for you... but for me, it has been 400 years ." He revealed.

"Damn, you're old!" Charlie yelled.

"Old man Michael... eh." Muttered Elizabeth. "Now we know why you have white hair."

"Oi! Piss off!" Groaned Michael

"Pardon thee, but doth thou know how such a feat is possible?" Don Quixote asked.

"There is the possibility of him actually being a bloodfiend, now that I think about it." Muttered Ishmael.

"Thou shall explain thee what a bloodfiend is." Don Quixote asked.

"But... didn't I just give you that guide explaining everything about them?" Ishmael said with a very dangerous look.

"Mwe, it hath no pictures for mineself to read." She admitted.

"Lad, think of the Blood-red Night, she's a bloodfiend." Heathcliff tried to explain.

"Was she not a Color Fixer with a name as thee?" Don Quixote asked with further confusion.

Heathcliff and Ishmael facepalmed.

"It's as if anything related to bloodfiends gets completely erased..." Muttered Rodion with amusement

"You know, had Elena not been a villain, I believe she would have found someone who actually accepts her." Laughed Jae-heon.

"Still... has Michael achieved immortality like myself in that world?" Wondered William.

"This is a result of participating during the Warping Era Wars."

"Uh? I have never heard of such a war." Gregor raised an eyebrow.

"Tell me, have you ever wondered why W. Corp has been giving T. Corp time?" He asked.

"I'll tell you why, it's because I've fought for the sake of T. Corp." He snarled.

"Both corporations agreed to the terms of the conflict after all." He chuckled. "They would create an arena where both sides would fight with little to no time, and the winning side would write the terms of their victory."

"T. Corp won with the help of the Tokugawa, specifically Ieyasu, who I served."

"Interesting, I do not recall such an event happening." Yi Sang commented.

"I believe that it is exclusive to that world, given that we have no recollection of that happening in our world, it is likely that it never occurred in our world." Faust speculated.

"However, it may actually support the idea that W Corp. will soon fall." Faust revealed.

"What? I never thought it would fall, especially given taht it is the biggest way of transportation." Rodion said with surprise.

"You won't be missing it if you were to know what truly happens." Angela muttered.

"Ahah, yup, I'd personally be glad to see it gone." Jae-heon agreed.

"And I ask again, do you believe that your death would affect me? Even after 400 years?"

"So tell me then, would someone's death affect you even after 400 years?" He inquired.

He then stabbed Evan with his katana once he was in front of him.

"Because to me, it doesn't." Michael said.

"Bloody hell, that's a cold way to say that you don't matter to someone." Muttered Heathcliff.

"The fact that that obsessive craving for revenge was all for nought is further salt on the wound." Added Ishmael.

Evan winced seeing his other self die, though at the same time, he knew he deserved it.

"In the end... that saying holds value..."

"Like father, like son."

He pulled out his katana that had pierced through Evan's stomach, the younger Afton slumped to the ground, lifeless.

As he sheathed it, his surroundings went back to the basement, he looked at the sinners around him, all not caring or being apathetic to the situation as well.

However, there was an outlier.

Ryoshu smiled with immense glee.

"Ryoshu, must you smile like that." Shivered Rodion.

"I mean, she's not the only one smiling like that, there's the father who's also smiling like that." Gregor said while pointing his finger at William.

"Uh... I do think that is for a different reason." Sinclair mentioned.

"We already know Ryoshu's reason, however, what about him?" Ishmael asked.

"Well, that's quite simple." William said while turning his head at the bunch.

"He's been judging and condemning me for what I have yet to do, yet here he is, a cold blooded killer who just killed his own brother, this time on purpose."

"As a matter of fact, you might be the first brother to kill your own brother twice, not even Cain dared to do this much to Abel." William laughed.

"That other version of me? Sure, but me as in myself right now? Yeah, not happening." Michael deadpanned.

"None of what's going to happen there will happen to me, as much as I like to be a ninja, it does sound like hell what he had to go through." He admitted.

"Not because you don't want to kill Evan?" Elizabeth asked.

"Also that, but I've already promised not to do anything that would lead to that, so there is no point in mentioning it again." Shrugged Michael.

"We live in the City, such emotional attachment will only lead to a gruesome death." He reminded.

"I had completely forgotten the rules of the City..."

"Truthfully, I never really thought about the rules, they're so ingrained into me that I never really tried to notice that all this about being a good guy was just not even a good idea in the city." Ishmael said.

"You know, the way Michael is acting does seem to be the same as the City when it comes to his own family." Gregor realized.

"Acting distant, and only really caring out of personal interest, yeah, he'd definatly do well in the City." Deadpanned Heathcliff.

"Still wouldn't want to live in the City." Admitted Michael. "Read a bit about your world, and I must say, bloody hell."

"But now that I've been reminded of them... I have no remorse for a fake that assimilated my brother's identity." He revealed.

"Wait, what?" Henry suddenly said.

"It appears the fruits of my labor have been used for something else as well." Sighed Yi Sang.

"Are you... are you insinuating that it was an identity this whole time?"

Yi Sang nodded. "If so... just how many others are the same?"

"Then what about our world's equivalent? Wouldn't that mean that someone in Wuthering Heights is the same?!" Heathcliff said, a bit altered by these news.

"(So does that mean that there could be impostors among us when we arrive at Wuthering Heights?)"

"..."

"(Guys?)"

"Sorry Dante, a sudden pain came when you said that." Rodion explained.

Jeremy then laughed.

"Jeremy... no, you're certainly not him." Sighed Michael.

"Knew it wasn't him." Michael said as he snapped his fingers.

"Perhaps not the one you know, is there the chance that it is a Jeremy from another reality?" Henry asked.

"I do think that's possible, dad." Charlie nodded. "After all, realities are all infinite."

"Evan... I mourn your death..." Jeremy whispered.

"But... thanks to what you've done, you've proven to me your claims."

"Michael Afton, so you know what we truly are...." He softly laughed. " And to think that Evan's wishes to see you burn could have been a favor to this world..."

"Wow, straight to the point, youch." Scowled Michael.

"Never been told such words?" Taunted William.

"I don't know, what about you?" Glared Michael.

"Why, yes, from my own mother." He laughed.

Henry squirmed a bit, feeling uneasy about this entire situation.

"However, that is not what I am here for." He stated. "Our mission was to find a way to make your father pay for his sins, yet now, it appears that the toll has been raised."

"What did William do?" Henry asked. "Specifically to him?"

"Kill him probably." Michael said while frowning at the idea.

"You, Michael Afton, also need to pay first."

"And I don't mean a swift death, no."

"You need to suffer, just like we have suffered." He declared.

Angela had a memory from back then.

Had Roland killed her at that time, how would things have gone?

More importantly, if these people could forgive or let go of their past grievances, would they not have needed to go through this?

Still, she thought it to be hypocritical should she point it out, after all, she hadn't accepted Hyoudou's apology fully.

"Really now?" Ryoshu smiled, walking up to stand by Michael's side.

"... A keen eye, Faust must say." Faust said as she looked at the two standing before her.

"You are close to obtaining your revenge, all you need to do is destroy the coffin in which my father rests." Michael pointed out.

"Yet you wish to fight against me first?" He inquired. "Knowing full well that you can finish this once and for all, all at your fingertips?"

"It is the last wish that Evan would have wanted, don't you think?"

Michael sighed. "Then... is that your answer?"

"... Yes." He nodded.

Michael swiftly unsheathed his sword and cut Jeremy.

However, instead of cutting him, the mask he had broke in half.

"Scheiße, that scared me!" Jolted Sinclair.

"That was a swift strike, I couldn't see it." Said Hong Lu in awe.

"It is to be expected from someone who has had 500 years of training though." Ishmael pointed out.

"Wait... isn't that..." Evan whispered.

"I knew it." Uttered Michael.

"I knew it was you... Cassidy..."

A girl with black hair tied up into ponytails stood before them, who we thought to be Michael's best pal turned out to be someone else, someone who Michael still knew.

"Cassidy? Like one of our neighbors?" Charlie raised an eyebrow.

"Wait... if she said that she wanted to get her revenge..." muttered Henry. "Doesn't that mean that she was killed by William?"

"Oh, I suppose there is no defending myself here." William sighed. "I probably have and she's become something akin to a vengeful ghost."

"Killing kids, a bit too much even for me." Jae-heon clicked his tongue.

"Yet you are still an identity." Michael shook his head.

"Identities?" Cassidy chuckled. "I suppose you're right."

"We are mere copies of the people you've wronged after all, surely that softens the blow, doesn't it?" She taunted.

"Copies or not, the fact that you stand in our way, is enough reason for me to cut you down." Threatened Michael. "And I have not wronged you, but rather, you have wronged us."

"Is that how you treat people?" Cassidy wondered. "That explains why you were so ready to fight against your brother."

"Not the first time I had to do that... not when I fought to death against Michikatsu every time we met." Muttered Michael.

"Our mission was to kill William Afton." Explained Cassidy. "That plan was coming to fruition... yet you had to come and ruin everything."

"Actually, that's bullshit." Heathcliff argued. "She literally decided to put her personal feelings before the actual mission."

"She certainly wouldn't make it through the City." Ishmael sighed.

Angela didn't truly agree, she could remember a few small time offices having very close bonds to one another.

However, those bonds could either help them, or hinder them when they came to the Library.

In this Hotel, there were two such examples.

"Laws of the City have been broken in this very establishment, there is bound to be punishment waiting for the aggressors." Michael closed his eyes behind his mask. "This three way race still has yet to end, yet one of the racers will have to be eliminated."

Cassidy then said. "From where I come from, Evan survived that incident, and so did I."

"Despite being identities, we came to this world because of a certain individual, and we wished to follow him." She explained.

"And in that world... you were as despicable as in this one." She closed her eyes for a moment.

"You are just like your father." She smiled with a glare.

"That's not reassuring at all." Frowned Michael.

"Well, that certainly won't happen now that he knows the consequences." Charlie crossed her arms.

"I'm not going to fuck over my life over a prank or something like that." Nodded Michael.

"Still, from the look of it, that version of you who is mature won't ever come to exist." Yi Sang pointed out.

"So be it, while I do love how cool he looks, he's not the type of person I want to be." Accepted Michael. "Because he can't let go of a mistake from so long ago and that's eating him away slowly."

"It is still Evan's death, hell, I am sure it is also mine and Charlie's what is haunting him." Elizabeth pointed out.

"Be real here, would you want to see yourself rot away like a lamentable mess?" Michael deadpanned.

"Yes, what my other self did, or would have done is fucked up, but are you going to condemn them for it until the day they die?"

"If he reforms and changes his life, is it really worth trying to drag him back to hell?" He asked. "Because look at Evan in that world, see what that did to him."

"Now my other self needs to realize that what's done cannot be changed, and if someone doesn't want to forgive him, then he needs to suck it up and move on with his life." He stated. "Because the way I see it, he's about to lose his mind like father did, which will support Cassidy's point."

Michael growled. "If I ever become like father... then the best course of action would be to kill myself, because I am never going to become like someone like him."

"..." Michael took a deep breath.

"Then, allow me to be as such."

"If this world doesn't allow me to redeem myself..."

"If it doesn't allow me to move on from my mistakes..."

"No... I was always viewed by this stigma, this scarlet letter embeded into my back."

"Regardless of what I've suffered... what I've sacrificed... or what I've done."

"I am forced to play the role of the antagonist."

"All while people like you lack the empathy to see why I even came here."

"I never wanted to fight, not until you decided to stand on my way."

"All I wanted... was to perhaps find a way to mend things, even if it has been 400 years."

"Closure to a past that I've already moved on from, to cut loose ends."

"But no... to everyone, I never changed, I was still that same old hound that tormented the household."

"Even when all of you started to try and antagonize me, I accepted it."

"Because none of you are what matters to me, I am done with this past."

"I did not kill every single one of my trusted companions just to have some ungrateful fuck condemn me for my past."

"Because you are currently stepping in the land that I so valiantly fought for."

"He's snapped." Gregor commented.

"It seems that it has consumed him." Ryoshu ominously claimed.

"His other self thinks that he's done with his past." Analyzed henry. "Yet he keeps thinking back to it, and even trying to give it closure, even though he is opening the wound even more."

"The best course of action would have been to ignore it, or at the very least not try to poke it even further." Sinclair suggested.

"Michael has come to the conclusion that no matter what he does, he will be treated as a criminal even after he has reformed, as such, it is possible that he realized that he became a victim of this mistreated, and as such, he decided to maliciously comply with it in hopes of satisfying the aggressors." Concluded Meursault.

"So he's going to act the way others see him as just so that he can redeem himself?" Frowned Heathcliff.

"Precisely so." Meursault nodded.

"He's... too obsessed with redemption." Ishmael said as she slowly realized that it was sort of hypocritical of her to say that.

"How deplorable, such a tragic tale thou hath." Don Quixote cried dramatically. "Must people be destined to be villains the moment thee have been born?"

"Seems like he's finally gone cuckoo." William laughed.

Michael downcasted his gaze looking at his other self.

"Michael?" Charlie called out.

"Charlie, do you think that distancing myself from my own family would be the best action I could take?" Michael wondered.

"Why do you say that? No wait, I believe I know why."

"I've been thinking a lot about after the previous viewing and through this course of action, but I have come to realize that it is already too late to mend things with my family... even if I wanted to." He chuckled with a tone of defeat.

"Evan is scared of me, and Elizabeth completely shut down after William showed his true colors. If I were to try and stay close to them, I fear that I will snap at them again."

"And... the best thing would be for me to never interact with them ever again." He said. "Even if they for some reason don't want me to go away, this is what I believe and what I personally want."

"It's selfish, and a cowardly way of dealing with it, but also the one that is the most plausible of working." He sighed. "I'll probably grow old as I work in a shitty job and try to make ends meet."

"But... that's probably also karma for everything I've done up to this point." He finished.

"..." Charlie looked at him with a look of sadness. "I can't tell you to do otherwise, but know that I still see you as a friend, even though you've been a terrible brother, I can tell that you've changed after all of this, and our friendship can still be retained."

"Just... make sure you actually change for the better, that's all I ask of you, and it is also what you probably want, we've been friends since I could remember, and I want to believe that there was a reason why we worked so well together when it came to playing, or even studying."

"I'm not sure if this will still be possible, but that dream of working with you after we take over our parent's franchise is one that I still want."

"So make sure to get your life together, best friend." She laughed.

Michael sighed. "I have no idea what sort of retard my other self was for him to somehow have something to do with your death."

"Hey! Don't just use words like that!" Charlie punched his shoulder.

"What? I'm serious, I really appreciate and cherish being your friend, so I am bewildered over the fact that I somehow lead to your death."

"Well, you just have to make sure that it doesn't happen." She laughed.

Henry smiled at the two of them.

He frowned at Michael's actions, he expected better from the boy, but at the same time, Michael was a boy who was given responsibilities at such a young age.

If anything, the only one he could blame for what ruined the Afton family, were the parents, and that would be William Afton.

Michael was a mess, someone who was a jerk, a self centred individual, prideful even, but something he wasn't, was a malicious individual.

Because he was a kid who had an inflated ego, and it seemed as if he was starting to change.

Henry sighed with an air of nostalgia. "To be a teenager again..."

Even though Michael barely entered his teenage years, he was already starting to mature, all because of this place.

As we saw Michael lose his composure, the emotions that he brimmed with finally were let out.

His usually calm and collected personality had cracked, just like the previous sinners.

But... instead of being released by their demons...

It seemed as if he was being dragged back by them.

Suddenly, I saw a bit of Michael's memory.

More specifically, from his time back then, of the past that he never truly revealed.

Back when he was a soldier of the Warping Era Wars.

"Are you leaving now?" Seiko asked, seeing as Michael was geared up.

"Yeah... I'm going to help Akechi with his plan." He sighed. "I... did make him go through it after all..."

"... Are you sure you want to do this?" She asked.

"... It is the only way for my lord to have a chance to be more than just a retainer." Responded Michael.

"You're... doing this not just for that... right?"

"I'm... I'm doing this for Mitsuki as well." He admitted.

"..." Seiko looked down in sadness. "I see..."

"Mentioning another girl in front of her? Wow, Michael, that's a low move." Charlie teased.

"I uh... You know, it's so weird seeing adult me talk to people from the Sengoku Era." Michael scratched the back of his head.

"This entire situation is weird by itself." Elizabeth pointed out.

She then walked up to him and caressed his face under the mask that he had.

"Then promise me this." She said. "Promise me that you will come back."

"..." William's usually sinister smile faded hearing this.

"I see..." he whispered.

It was as if he was seeing a reflection of his younger self.

_-_

"Come on Will, you have to let go of daddy's leg." William's dad laughed while trying to shake off William.

"N-no! I don't want you to go!" He yelled while grabbing it with much more force.

"Ouch! Okay! Okay!" H-honey! Please have William off my leg! It's starting to hurt a bit." He nervously laughed.

"Alright now young man! Let go of your father! He has an important duty to go to!" William's mother yelled sternly.

"But mooooooom!" He groaned.

His father laughed. "how about this, how about we make a promise to one another that I will return to you once you arrive in America?" He knelt down.

"You promise?" William's eyes sparkled with stars. "You promise that you will come back?"

"Yeah, why would I leave behind such a cute little munchkin like yourself." He then pinched William's cheek.

"Ough! Then it's a promise! But let go now!"

"Ahah, see what it feels to have someone grab onto you? Hope you'll understand why I don't want you clinging onto my leg."

He then put out his pinky finger. "Here, let's make the promise now."

"A pinky promise?" William asked.

"Yeah, what else?" His father laughed.

William smiled as he accepted the pinky promise. "Then make sure to come back!"

_-_

William sighed. "I suppose what Cassidy said may be truer than I thought."

He then looked down. "You didn't really break the promise though, did you dad?"

Michael was silent for a moment.

Seiko then continued saying. "I know that... you love Mitsuki a lot, to think that Nobunaga's child would become another member of our little group..."

"Even if I love her... Am I allowed to love her or you back in 'that' way?" Asked Michael. "Can someone truly love two people at the same time?"

"Never thought you'd be a player, Michael." Laughed Henry.

"What can I say, I'm an attractive young man." He chuckled.

"Yeah, 500 years old man that is." Elizabeth added.

"Oi!"

Seiko chuckled. "I care not for that, what matters is that our ties shall not be broken by this love triangle you created."

"And... honestly... I am glad we had this war against W. Corp..."

"Because we had the chance to meet."

"And you were able to finally find a family." She smiled.

"Michikatsu, Yoriichi, Hanzo and everyone you've met will wait for you to come back, so promise me that you will do."

" A family uh?" Michael muttered.

Truthfully, he did see his father as family at one point, even Elizabeth and Evan too.

It all, however, disappeared the moment their mother left them.

That was when he stopped seeing them as family, and instead, a duty imposed onto him.

"..." Michael took a deep breath.

"... I promise to come back." He promised.

"I will do anything to meet you again..."

"..."

"...Yet... despite this promise I kept..."

"You weren't there."

"I never should have done it."

"Because that day, I lost any chance I had for love to bloom."

"Thou hath experienced such a tragic love story." Don Quixote commented.

"Is this what awaits me?" Heathcliff wondered while muttering.

Would this also happen to him with Catherine?

After viewing Michael's memory, I saw him standing in front with Ryoshu.

Cassidy on the other hand raised her baseball bat.

"Tell me, are the deaths that you've caused nothing to you?" She asked.

Michael changed into another identity.

"It is not that the deaths meant nothing to me..."

"But rather, the City forced me to not care."

"Your camaraderie with Evan was noble." He admitted.

"But it is this very same relation that will make you suffer in the City." He warned.

"I don't know how the City is in your reality to have such bonds, but you're playing with our rules now."

"That identity..." Yi Sang muttered.

This time, Michael Afton changed into a familiar face for Yi Sang.

Farmwatch.

"Dongrang..." Yi Sang sighed.

"Must my former companions continue to cameo in this tragic story?" Asked Yi Sang.

"If I were to guess, yes, everyone we've known in the past seems to be destined to appear in front of us, be it as foes or allies." Outis claimed.

A few of the sinners frowned.

"I can already guess who will appear." Gregor grumbled.

"If we are to go to U Corp... that bastard will certainly be somewhere out there." Ishmael said while clenching her fist.

"My, I suppose I will have a family reunion sometime soon!" Hong Lu continued to look, albeit his smile seemed a bit different.

With a similar hat to the one he had as the Blade Lineage Mentor, by his side stood Ryoshu.

And this time, with another identity as well.

Red Eyes and Penitence.

"Wait..." Angela looked closer.

She recognized those weapons, more specifically, who used them.

She knew that the books of the Library and the Identities of Limbus Company had similar traits and abilities, but she never expected them to also be able to tap into the power of E.G.O. equipment.

"To think they would be using Gebura specifically..." She whispered.

What were the limitations of the mirror technology she wondered.

"Fox, I like that new look in your eyes." She commented. "Though, it appears as though there is still lingering doubt in them."

"..." Michael said nothing. "Let's burn down the past."

"Allow me to help you out." She smiled with glee.

(Now Playing: Yaelokre - Harpy Hare)

https://youtu.be/5-I1lT6Jbdo

Michael, with scythe in hand, rushed forward and slashed at Cassidy.

The bat she had was durable, being able to parry the attack and swing back at him.

Michael however stepped back and Ryoshu took his place.

Using Penitence she locked the baseball so that Cassidy wouldn't be able to block, and with Red Eyes, she hit Cassidy in the face.

Cassidy was sent back by the knockback, yet recovered quickly as she landed on her feet and slid over the floor.

Michael and Ryoshu dashed at the same time as they swung their weapons.

Yet their opponent readied herself by positioning her bat in front of them.

Ryoshu's cross attack was blocked by the tip of the bat, her swing was nullified as both blunt weapons were unable to be swung.

Meanwhile, Michael's scythe missed her completely, Cassidy had bent backwards, this awkward position didn't affect her much, as she then used her free hand to support herself by touching the floor.

And in a swift movement, she then propulsed herself forward, using her legs to hit Michael and then do a backflip.

The kick itself wasn't strong, making Michael recover quickly and move forward once again.

This time he lunged himself forward into the air and smashed the ground below, leaving debris and a crater behind.

The attack completely missed Cassidy, however, Ryoshu positioned herself behind the debris, but in front of Cassidy.

With both of her weapons, she clubbed the rocks that had jumped up from Michael's attack and shot them towards Cassidy.

The rocks broke and turned into shrapnel, which hit Cassidy point blank.

Michael recovered his scythe which had been stuck into the ground and swung upwards against Cassidy.

She dodged the scythe, which barely touched her nose and spun to kick Michael back again.

She then swung her bat and hit time and time again until Ryoshu blocked the attack, allowing Michael to recompose himself.

This time, Michael swung horizontally, successfully hitting Cassidy's side.

But that wasn't enough, she continued to stand as she broke off from the two sinners.

With the scythe stuck in her side, she ripped it off and let it hit the ground.

"Christ, that's gruesome!" Frowned Michael while looking at the open wound.

"She's surprisingly durable." Admitted Gregor.

"It is to be expected from an identity." Said Faust.

"But it doesn't seem that she will last any longer." Rodion pointed out.

Exhausted, she positioned her bat in front of her, exhausted, she breathed heavily as she could sense herself being overwhelmed by the coordinated attacks.

Ryoshu rushed once again, and Cassidy met the attack with her own parry.

The sinner's Penitence was blocked, but Red Eyes swung again against Cassidy.

Cassidy quickly dropped her bat to let her other hand catch it, with a reverse grip, she was able to block the attack, however, the barbed wires on the bat had stuck to her arm.

She then sensed wind coming from behind and saw Michael standing there.

She was sure she had sent the scythe flying so that it would take him a long time to recover it, but she widened her eyes when she saw that he was holding his katana.

"We dream in our waking moments, and walk in our sleep."

"Spirit Breathing, Thirtieth Form: Onibi"

Once again, Michael dashed forward and did a singular slash.

The moment he sheathed his katana, colourful slashes formed around Cassidy.

She gritted her teeth and resisted, as she was about to fall to the ground, she gripped her bat and used it as support.

Michael did not stop there however.

He unsheathed his weapon again, but this time, instead of using his E.G.O. he tackled Cassidy into the ground.

With his katana in hand, he pointed the tip over Cassidy.

And before she knew it, she felt a drop of tear fall onto her face.

Only to suddenly feel the sharp pain of being stabbed over and over again.

All the while Michael yelled in complete despair.

"Shall we not spend our immortal life together? Surely, surely, we have ransomed one another, with all this woe!"

Each single stab made those weak to the stomach wince time and time again.

"Hey man, I think you've got him." Heathcliff said while starting to get worried about what he was seeing.

"He's still going at it." Gregor pointed out.

"I'm impressed that she is able to still be able even with so many stab wounds." Outis said.

"28 stab wounds." Meursault stated.

"Not even Caesar had so many stabs done to him." Henry cringed.

"He's... completely out of it." Ishmael sighed.

"Seems like he has finally gone crazy." Rodion added.

Michael was confused, what was even the point of this conflict?

Their motives didn't even conflict, they only wanted to make sure his father was dead.

So why... Why did they have to go and antagonize him? Why did they have to start being hostile against him for just being there?

Why was he always the villain? Why was it that whenever he fought back against the unjust remarks of those he once were his family , he was condemned?

Ah... of course he knew why.

Because his own errors were the reason why.

Because of those stupid mistakes his thirteen year old self marked his entire life.

And the only way he could make it disappear was by doing more horrible stuff during the Warping Era Wars.

At that point, deaths meant nothing if there was no close connection to the people you killed.

He was Hanzo's disciple, he was expected to be an assassin.

So be it, he won't be led by those wishes of proving himself.

Because the people he wanted to apologize to expected him to plead for it, to lower himself into the status of a beggar.

Cassidy, who was at the verge of death, whispered.

"Even now... you still try to excuse your own mistakes."

"What you've done to help others... does not erase the fact that you did kill Evan..."

Michael laughed. "And yet, the more you tell me that, the less I regret what I did."

"No, perhaps you've done it, perhaps you've made me actually appreciate the fact that I killed him."

"In the end, I became like father."

"All while I was trying to not follow behind his steps..."

"Should I blame you?" He asked himself. "Maybe... maybe not..."

"It doesn't matter, because I am far worse than even William." He declared.

Just as he said that, he stabbed Cassidy one last time.

This time, actually killing her.

"A killer isn't born, but rather, he is made." Jae-heon spoke. "I do not wish to justify his actions, as a matter of fact, I do not approve of them."

"However, being told time and time again that you are doing it wrong or don't deserve it, it can lead someone to go crazy."

"This is what happened to many people in the Ensemble, and I believe that Argalia said that the Pianist also experienced such disapproval."

"These distortions are, in a way, an escape from such a reality, our way to finally break free from our expectations."

"And from the looks of it, the boy will get a taste of such freedom."

"Wait, you don't mean he will..." Sinclair uttered.

"Given his mental state, more than likely, it will happen unfortunately." Faust stated.

"Shit, again? And here I thought that other boy was too much." Heathcliff clicked his tongue."

"I don't believe I follow." Hong Lu said.

"Mineself doth not either." Don Quixote nodded.

The scene changed.

Michael stood without a mask, yet had ragged clothes and looked in complete shock.

In front of him stood Yoriichi, with a saddened look on his face.

"She... what?" Michael asked.

"Please, I implore you, tell me how it happened, how did she become a Bloodfiend?" He demanded.

"Ah... so we're seeing the past now?" Henry asked.

"I see that there are a lot of consistent events between this one and the previous world." Yi Sang stated.

"You're right, even in that previous world, Michikatsu and Seiko also became bloodfiends." Sinclair nodded.

"How interesting." Jae-heon muttered.

"A-and what about Michikatsu? Wasn't he supposed to be bodyguarding her?

"It was a first kindred." Yoriichi revealed.

"Oh, now that is very interesting indeed." Jae-heon smiled.

"A first kindred... the original creator of a house of bloodfiends, they are at the very least stronger than an Urban Nightmare." Faust explained.

"I would have originally been a bit intimidated, but after that kid became someone as strong as a Star of the City, it doesn't really seem that surprising."

"You... you saw them one last time, right?" Inquired Michael. "Did they... lose their memories?"

"They did recognize me..." Yoriichi sighed. "My brother must have made a deal with the Bloodfiend, one where his memories wouldn't be locked away."

"No..."

"This can't be happening..." Michael clenched his fist.

He punched a tree nearby, making the bark scatter around the tree.

A few cringed at the sudden impact.

"That's gotta hurt." Frowned Henry.

"..." Angela could see a bit of Roland in that kid. More specifically, that yearning for a loved one.

Whether he went on a rampage or vengeance is an entirely other matter.

She wondered though.

How would Heathcliff react to such a situation? Supposedly, this was supposed to be that sinner, yet he was replaced by that boy.

What was it that connected them?

"May the spirits strike me down!" He roared.

"Michael!?" Yoriichi called out.

"T-this is karma right? This h-has to be my punishment for what I-I've done!" Michael argued.

"Then curse and haunt me! Condemn me into the deepest pits of hell, so that I suffer for eternity!"

"Evan, Liz, Charlie! Please, Anyone! Kill me this instant so that my corpse fertilizes this land, so that my body bears a tree into the graves of those that I've wronged!"

"Turn me into a blasted scarlet sign in which all my sins, my wrongdoings taint my legacy!"

"This way all of you will finally find peace now that this despicable creature has been killed!"

"I beg of you!"

Heathcliff on the other hand, had a thought.

If this was supposed to be him, what would have caused him to act this way?

It was obvious.

It was Cathy's death that would leave him this way.

But something wasn't right.

This was supposed to be that boy's past, but in his case, he has no such recollection.

If so... what would this memory be?

His adoptive father's death? He weeped, yes, but never truly let out such words.

The only one who he would scream and curse so that they would stay and haunt him had to be his beloved, Catherine.

So what is it then? What was this memory? Exclusive to that boy?

No, there was something he was missing. Yet he couldn't put his finger on it.

The mighty blows he sent to the tree colored it red, yet as time went on, those very same hands struck weakly, pathetically against it, the only mark being left behind being the scarlet colored blood of the sinner.

Static then changed the scene, as Dante stood before Michael.

"(Michael, what was the reason why you left your home?)"

This question again...

I lied before, I didn't leave because there was nothing left to look forward to.

The question you should have asked at that moment was...

Why did I even leave to begin with?

If I truly had nothing left, wouldn't that just make me... just an empty husk?

Those days tormenting my mind as I thought about the situations where I never did kill Evan...

Those sleepless nights where I cried myself as I whispered apologies...

The truth... was that I wanted to redeem myself.

I asked Henry for a way to do so...

"M-me?" Said Henry bewildered while pointing at himself.

"Wait... He talked about a different past, does this mean that it wasn't just those incidents, but also his entire life before somehow becoming a soldier?" Asked Charlie.

"If so, then there must have been much more going on that we never truly knew." Henry muttered.

And his answer?

Destroy my father's legacy.

"Ah, so that would actually explain even more why there was no mention of you in the will." William said. "You had gone rogue and wished to destroy the franchise."

"The reason is probably your daughter's death, wouldn't I be correct?" William asked.

"I hate to say it, but you're right, William, I would probably do something like that to avenge my daughter." He sighed.

"But how is that going to redeem me from everything that I've done in the past?" Michael asked.

If I destroyed everything that my father held dear to, then maybe I would release the torment that those poor children had to suffer inside the animatronics...

"You... you put children inside animatronics?" Henry said horrified.

"Ooops, did I? Not like I have done it... yet." William joked.

"You're insane William, a disturbed individual that needs to seek help." Henry said exasperated.

"Yet I wonder, what would be my reason to start doing all of that?" Hummed William playfully.

And... At the same time, find a way to find inner peace...

But what I did never helped with this void inside my heart.

The guilt of what I did to everyone in the past...

I never... truly did try and fix things with the actual victims... didn't I?

And so, I found myself in a standstill.

Never truly giving closure to my siblings and Charlie, and instead, blaming my father for my own mistakes...

I didn't want to continue on...

Even when Henry was so close into putting the plan into action, I bailed out at the last second...

"That must explain what they were talking about in the last part." Understood Gregor.

"And that decision completely changed the course of what's to come." Ishmael added.

And found myself without purpose once again...

Until...

Michael, with a lifeless look on his eyes, saw a poster.

"Ah..." Ishmael recognized that look on his face.

It was the very same one she had after quitting her job before joining the Pequod.

But... if this was supposed to be Heathcliff... Did that mean that he also did the same?

Heathcliff by himself could recall something similar, though rather than feeling aimless, he was more than anything, determined.

Joining the Dead Rabbits was the right decision in his opinion, those connections he made and that camaraderie he had with the others was something he held dear, even after he left them, he would nostalgically remember those times when he cracked a cold one with the lads.

"Drafting soldiers for the war against W. Corp... they are still going with this?" He said monotonically.

Aimlessly, he continued to gaze at it.

There were no requirements, no exceptions, nothing.

Anyone could join, no matter if they were a feather of the wing or a backstreet habitant.

"No requirements... uh?" He muttered.

A man stood beside him, his hand rubbing his chin.

Michael recognized the outfit he had, it was the one a Class 5 Auditor would wear.

"Why... Why is this so similar to that time?" Ishmael asked herself exasperated.

This had to be a joke

Before he knew it, the man standing at his side started rambling on. "Given the fact that this war has been going for quite a bit now, and assuming that the slowed time is still in effect, it is possible to assume that the current personnel participating in this little war have gone long enough for the casualties to accumulate exceedingly."

"... Did anyone get what he just said?" Questioned Gregor.

"Might he have speeded up his own time?" Added Heathcliff.

"As such, there is a high chance that due to the currently low participation in war, be it from our side or from W. Corp's side, it is likely that there is a need for reinforcement to either turntables to do another push in a situation in which W. Corp is lacking in troops."

"Uh... I see..." Michael said.

"What do you think about this prospect? You've been gazing at this poster for quite a bit, and I found it queer for you to do so, are you thinking about joining?"

"Damnit..." Ishmael couldn't help but see so many similarities.

Her time was coming near, wasn't it?

This had to be some sort of sign.

This needed to be her chance to finally find a way to get rid of that damn bastard.

It was still too early for them to deal with it, but maybe seeing this could help her prepare even further.

"I'm... not sure really..." He responded.

"Do you perhaps have enough time for other activities? I see that you have the gadget to hasten your own time, yet you're not using it, why is that?" The man asked.

"It would be a waste of time." Michael sighed. "What's the point of having all the time in the world if you have nothing to use it for?"

"Perhaps work on animatronics?" The man smiled.

"... So you knew who I was?"

"Well, I knew of your father, his animatronics were quite the invention, a piece of work if I do say so myself, their concept as to entertain children of the backstreets and the wings alike is quite the noble idea, albeit with the ulterior motive of it being for monetary gain."

"If only it was just that..." Charlie sighed.

"... Then... I guess no, I've long quit my father's legacy... especially since I've been burning it all down into the ground."

The man tilted his head to the side. "Tell me then, what are you going to do?"

"Rot away in the backstreets." He bluntly said.

"Mmm, I see, so you are suffering because you hold all the time in the world, yet you cannot do anything with it, and so instead, you decide to waste it all by doing nothing with it? Don't you think that's a bit absurd?

"Perhaps, but I've already lost every reason to live."

"Then... why haven't you rotted yet?" The man said.

"What a nice way to tell him to kill himself." Snorted Heathcliff.

"I mean it with the motive of curiosity." He clarified. "Are you sure this is what you want to do with your time?"

"If you have nothing better to do, how about joining the war?" He suggested. "Not only do you get your time stripped from you so that you have less hours of the day, but you will be doing it for the sake of this district."

"... I've killed everyone close to me, are you sure I am truly qualified for this? What if I kill someone from our side?" Michael inquired.

"So be it." He said. "I can really tell that you've from the nest." He admitted.

"Honestly? Yeah, this feels like feather behavior." Rodion admitted.

"We're not that bad..." Sinclair said.

Yi Sang nodded. "Even we Feathers have our own hardships."

Angela looked at Yi Sang, getting reminded of a certain someone.

"The backstreets are far more dangerous than you'd expect, whatever you did was probably childsplay compared to what truly happens there unfortunately."

"Nonetheless, it is better to spend your time rather than waste it." He concluded.

"As such, it is preferable that you spend your time killing people instead of rotting inside an alleyway, don't you think?"

"... You're... a psycho I must say." Commented Michael.

"Am I? If so, do you think each soldier who was drafted for T. Corp is a psycho?" Asked the man.

"I suppose not..." Michael sighed. "... Fine, I will join, but only because I have nothing else to lose."

"It is that sort of person that usually excels in battle." Spoke the man.

"Know this however, as time goes on, we experience the happy moments of our lives, but also the suffering that comes with it."

"If we could just stop time, then perhaps that suffering would cease to exist."

"Yeah, you're a damn cuckoo." Deadpanned Michael.

The man laughed. "So I am, but the craziest minds are usually the ones who pave the path to many inventions."

"If only every single person could put their inventions into use for the good of everyone in the city... then maybe this war would never have happened." He sighed.

Michael looked at him. "Then... I will do everything I can to make it so that this district doesn't have to suffer as much at least."

"Then, I will see you in a few years." The man smiled.

"... Hey, what's your name by the way?"

"Hubert, a pleasure meeting you, Michael."

"Ah..." Faust recognized that name.

"What may it be?" Outis noticed and interrogated her about it.

"The man Michael talked to is the director of T. Corp." Faust revealed.

"Come again?" Yi Sang raised an eyebrow.

"Just so you lads know, I never met someone like that, this has to be exclusive to the young lad." Heathcliff clarified.

"To meet such an important person... and casually at that." Sinclair hummed.

"Is it just me, or do these people who aren't originally from our world just happen to know such important figures or are important figures?" Rodion pointed out.

"Right, I heard from the habitants of Sumeru that that boy, Hyoudou, was a friend and love interest of their god." Revealed Ishmael.

"Oh wow, he's shooting for the stars." Laughed Gregor.

"Let us not forget young Sunny, who was the Pianist himself." Added Yi Sang.

"Might I add how young Jaune hath the pleasure of becoming the Black Silence?" Don Quixote said with stars on her eyes.

Loud static interrupted the scene.

"Tell me. Were you not driven to participate because of your sins?"

"Carmen." Angela sighed.

"That lady again? Shit, he's really going to distort?" Rodion said with worry.

"Unless he fights it like Sunny did." Added Sinclair.

"Given the current mental state of Michael Afton, it is improbable for him to be able to overcome this adversity." Analyzed Meursault.

It's because of my guilt... that I wanted to find a way to seek redemption.

If I could go back in time... how many things could I have changed?

Would my clueless self have shut out and left Charlie to die if he knew that there was a beast lurking outside?

"So my death was actually accidental." Charlie commented.

"I know that I've fucked up, so I am not going to repeat that dumb idea gain." Assured Michael.

No, of course not.

If anything, I would be scared of myself, that maybe, if I let my guard down... I would cause another tragedy.

I would have ran as far away from her as possible.

"He's... doing what you wanted to do." Charlie said with worry.

"We are the same person at the end of the day I suppose... I do wonder how badly that war affected him to suddenly change so much."

"Trust me, war can change you in a bad way." Gregor added.

Because she is the only one who has yet to condemn me for what I did.

And so... the guilt I have for causing her death still lingers, even when I said that I got over it.

I would hurt myself, I would insult myself, I would neglect myself...

All in hopes that maybe, if I disappeared, then maybe everything that I did would also do...

But... after that phase of my life vanished, hope that maybe... I could prove that I could redeem myself, that I was not beyond salvation still.

"Then... what did you find out?"

...

Pointless.

Redemption was pointless.

"Finally, he realizes." Ryoshu spoke.

"Redemption isn't pointless, the issue here is when said redemption becomes an obsession rather than a mission." Ishmael pointed out.

"The other point to take into account is when the redemption is pointless due to the other party not wanting to have anything to do with them ever again." Added Angela.

"And most of all, this is the City." Finished Rodion.

"And now... what can you do?"

Flashes of everyone that Michael had encountered were shown.

But the sentiment was always the same.

"You are just like father."

"Like father, like son."

"You are truly your father's son."

"You are just like William."

"Honestly, if people continued to say that, I would have gone crazy as well." Charlie admitted.

"I'm my own person, so making me seem like I am the reflection or exact copy of my dad is just annoying."

Michael nodded to what she said. "It's unfortunate that my other self is maliciously complying to those claims."

...

"My... hands... hurt."

The scene showed Michael in the past, back when he got the news of Seiko and Michikatsu's conversion into bloodfiends.

He was still punching, or if you could even call it punching, against the tree.

His hands were destroyed, at this point, he was scrapping his bloodied hands against the tree, splinters caved into his fingers, as blood flowed down his arms.

This was... one of my lowest moments in life...

"I kept my promise." Weakly whispered Michael.

"Didn't I... Seiko?" He cried.

"..." William closed his eyes.

He remembered when his father came back.

_-_

"W-what?" William said as he looked at the blank sheet in front of him.

It had volume to it.

That was because under it was his father's dead body.

His mother let out gut wrenching screams as she held the limp hand of the dead body.

"Dad... you promised you would come back..."

"But I didn't want you to come back dead..."

"I... I don't like this promise dad..."

"Why did you have to do this to me?"

"Hey... Speak damnit!"

"Explain why you came back like this!"

William let out a loud yell while letting out tears which stained the white sheets.

_-_

"Look at him. What do you see?"

Could I even be called human?

Aren't I just an inhumane artifact, cutting down a tree?

I was... a tool, a weapon used in this war...

And my other self... Delusional.

That I could change? That I could redeem myself?

Bullshit.

I am destined to play the big bad wolf after all.

How could it be otherwise, when I have this scarlet letter etched into my back?

"What do you think about yourself in this very moment... Michael?"

A replica of my father.

The fact that I killed so many people...

How I would put up a persona towards others...

Suffering from promises left unfulfilled...

And... just how lonely I felt during all this time...

They were right all along, they were always right about me.

"It's scary just how close Michael is to what dad had to experience." Muttered Elizabeth.

I am, but what they see me as...

"A wild, uncontrollable hound, who disobeyed his master..."

"That is... what you are bound by, right?"

"Yet... what if that wasn't how your story needed to be?"

"What if... you had the chance to redeem yourself?"

A chance to redeem myself...

"That D.B." Ryoshu scowled.

"Using that small bit of him still seeking redemption... How despicable." Muttered Henry.

...

"Would I... really take it?"

Michael found himself in the middle of a black void.

However, the place suddenly started catching on fire.

In front of him was Mitsuki, bleeding out from a would on the side of her stomach.

"Michael... please... stay by my side..." She pleaded.

He looked around to realize they were at Honnoji.

"..."

Michael took a step towards her.

"Mitsuki..." He sat in front of her.

"You were never supposed to die at Honnoji... no one was..." He stated.

"Yet... because of my ambitious heart... I made Mitsuhide rebel against Nobunaga... all in the hopes that both would die in this fire..."

"But... you died instead..." He said with regret.

Loud bangs outside the place could be heard, a childish voice yelling to open and let her back in.

It was Charlie.

"She's using me to convince you?" She asked,

"That's actually very scummy." Michael frowned.

"Unfortunately, I believe it will work." Faust admitted.

"Damnit, does that mean I will become like that previous version of me?" he asked.

"Assuming distortions transfer from one world to another."

Yi Sang then interfered. "Vergilius actually explained a bit to me as to what might possibly happen."

"Vergilius... did that?" Gregor asked, surprised.

"In short, Limbus Company has detected artifacts that are able to distort people." Yi Sang said. "I am sorry for hiding this bit of information from when it was first mentioned, but it was originally supposed to only be discussed should the topic arise."

"What I want to inform you is that this might possibly show whether monoliths and natural distortions create the same distortion."

"How do we know that this isn't specific to that world?" Outis asked.

"We shall see should another instance appear." Yi Sang responded.

"Which might never come up ever again:" Muttered Gregor.

"..." Angela was interested in this phenomenon.

She had never heard of such a thing before.

"Charlie..." He whispered.

His body had been melting and assimilated the flames surrounding him.

In his place was now a Kitsune, one made out of flames, wearing a mask of a black fox with glowing Onibi as eyes.

"A different distortion, however, some traits seem to still be present." Analyzed Yi Sang.

"I am scared, but at the same time, wow, that looks cool." Michael admitted.

"Charlie... please... forgive me for what I did..." He pleaded.

"Please... let me be the fire that warms your body..."

As he walked towards that murky and humid alleyway where Charlie died, the fires of Honnoji dimmed, leaving Mitsuki behind.

"I'll be by your side this time..."

"I will... make sure... I am able to attain your forgiveness..."

It let out a loud roar all while a whisper could be heard, using the voice of Charlie.

"Welcome back, Michael Afton."

The room turned white again.

"Wow, what a way to end this." Hong Lu said.

"Really? That's what you're going to say?" Heathcliff deadpanned.

"So we are going to have to fight against that distortion next up?" Ishmael sighed.

"There's still a lot we are missing, especially with William in that world." Henry said.

"I agree, I am looking forward to seeing what his plan was." Jae-heon commented.

"(After the next part, what else will we be doing?)"

"Dante, I believe that Kleine has petitioned us to go into a room with those from Teyvat." Explained Faust.

"Wait, with everyone? Are they nuts?! There are like a hundred of them!" Heathcliff objected.

"That might be the least of your issues, as a matter of fact, KLeine has petitioned us to enter rooms with them... various times." Revealed Faust.

"What? Are you serious?" Gregor said while raising an eyebrow.

"From the looks of it, Kleine wishes to give us more context."

"Then, there's nothing we can do but accept it, though I am not sure if the others are willing to do this much." Ishmael sighed.

"They are forced to do so, else they won't be able to enter any more rooms to watch the different realities."

"So why don't they just not enter them?" Asked Sinclair.

"Because the key to leaving the Hotel is apparently through these doors." Faust revealed.

"We have no other choice but to adhere to their petitions, what do you say, executive manager?" Outis asked.

"(I believe we truly have no other choice.)"

"Then we should get going then, my shoulders are sore from just standing there with the bucket full of fries." Rodion said as she stretched her shoulder.

While walking to the main hall, they saw another group arrive.

Haine, who was sitting on the desk, looked at them.

Zhongli, who was drinking tea alongside Lie Ren, Binah and Wriothesley looked at the newcomers.

He froze upon sensing a familiar power.

"So it appears the Pyro Archon and her people have finally arrived. "He declared.

(A/N)

Might be a bit rushed, but it should be fine after I reread it a few times.

Unlike with Sunny, who had just one identity shown (Shi Association).

Michael has now shown two of them (Bamboo Hatted Kim and Farmwatch)

I should be explaining the reason or how they came to be to have certain identities, so I will talk about them in this author's note.

Sunny Shi Association relates more with how people have motives for assassination, a vendetta, a wish to gain fortune and so on. To Sunny in that world, killing people for the benefit of people is the same as giving untalented people a chance for them to shine.

Bamboo Hatted Kim is obvious for Michael, not only because of his features in an Intervallo reaction, but also the guilt that Kim feels from leading his comrades to death.

Farmwatch... wow, this one fits insanely well with this version of Michael. Both in game but also based on the source.

Let's go with in-game connections, the most obvious being that he wants to burn down the past and move on to the future, similar to Dongrang.

As for outside the game, Farmwatch are individuals usually depicted as villains in Korean media, it is the same as Michael being depicted as such.

Lastly, the source, "The Cow" Features one character who wishes to inherit his father's farm to pay the debt of his bride's family, later on, he burns down the grain storage.

So in short, there are connections to how he inherits his father's business, his love for his love interests and lastly, arson.

You can understand why he has this identity now, right?

So also, the fact that Michael's flashback slowly morphed into fucking Canto V was unintentional, halfway writing through it I went, "Wait a second".

I am starting to feel a bit burnt out from writing new stuff for the react fic.

I am not sure if I will post next month or not, what I do know is that I am going to continue working on the next arc of WMWS.

So that should be everything I've got, I'll see y'all next update.

DxD (Issei, Rias, Akeno, Kiba, Koneko, Asia, Sirzechs, Azazel, Irina, Xenovia, Michael, Vali, Cao Cao, Ravel, Sona)

RWBY(RWBY, JNPR, Ozpin, Branwens, Cinder's group, Adam, Sienna, Roman, Neo, Blake's parents, Winter, Ironwood, Sun, Neptune, Taiyang)

Library of Ruina (The Library, Ensemble, Yan, Iori, Xiao)

Limbus Company (Limbus Corporation Main Cast)

Omori (Sunny, Basil, Kel, Aubrey, Hero)

FNAF (Afton Family (Except mother), Henry and Charlie Emily)

Genshin Impact (All Playable Characters + Fatui Harbingers, Paimon, Lumine and Dainfsleif) (Natlan now added)