(Might end up actually updating daily because there's so many chapters I have finished 💀)

Y/n had plenty of nicknames her comrades would call her by, each having the similar theme of her being some kind of demon, due to her prowess in battle.

She had not only mastered the sword, but effectively turned herself into one. The same with the bow, greatsword, polearm, and various other weapons she'd had the pleasure of mastering.

She was practically unbeatable during training, and a terrifying combatant on the battlefield, but the nickname 'Demon' had come from her relentless, unwavering focus in battle.

She didn't hesitate.

She didn't cower in the face of the enemy.

Not once did her blade falter.

At least, that was what others thought.

She did hesitate once, only once, and it nearly got her killed. She remembered it vividly. Too vividly.

Y/n's words didn't match her tone or the devastated look on her face, her hand pressed against her side to stop herself from bleeding out.

In her other hand was her sword, but she had absolutely no intentions of doing anything with it. Not against this enemy.

This creature... it was monstrous and one of the things y/n's swore to destroy, but y/n still saw that upbeat ▇▇▇▇ who had taught her how to use heavy weight weapons so efficiently.

The one who'd slack off with her during the training, and would treat her injuries when she ended up with some.

▇▇▇-▇▇▇. Y/n didn't know how, but she knew.

Still, no matter how many times she internally reminded herself that she needed to kill him, she still just couldn't do it.

The thing— no, her friend approached, seemingly unable to recognize her through the madness that had tightened its hold on him.

Even when she shouted for him to snap out of it, even when she knocked him across the head with her fist only to end up nearly being cut up, he showed no signs of recognizing her.

The creature in front of her approached, inhuman noises leaving it. However, through the strange sounds, y/n could still hear his voice.

Begging... begging her.

No use. It was useless.

Y/n would die if she hesitated any longer.

One time, she tried to warn him one last time-!

"Don't make me do this!"

The ▇▇▇-▇▇▇ Cloud Knight paid her pleas no mind, swinging and knocking her sword from her hand.

She recoiled, the attack just barely grazing her nose before she immediately returned the favor with a swift punch that blew right through the creature's chest.

Y/n winced. It felt like all the cells in her body were screaming in agony over what she'd just done, but she squeezed her eyes shut as the creature attempted to kill her once more only for a second impact to blow another hole into it.

The Cloud Knight grimaced as the creature screamed, the noise practically tearing her apart. She could hear him, through it all, she could hear him.

Painful. Painful. It must've been painful.

Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.

Y/n was terribly sorry.

But she had no time to voice her apologies.

She simply ignored the screams and tore the creature apart just like all the other abominations she'd killed during her time as a Cloud Knight.

Even long after the creature had returned to nothingness, purged from the universe, the screams still rang in her mind.

They wouldn't stop.

Not for a very long time.

Burning... her body was burning.

She was beginning to see gold.

Y/n jolted awake, gripping both Mimi and the sheets in a vice-like grip. The room was dark, the only light coming from the city outside the hotel.

She inhaled shakily, then exhaled.

Breathe. She needed to breathe.

Her lungs sure as hell didn't want any air, but they were going to accept it! Otherwise, y/n would start coughing. She really didn't want to cough.

Her back throbbed and ached, and the bandages felt itchy against her skin. She tried to stretch, anything to relieve the tension that had her in a 🚚ing chokehold, but one sharp sting from her back was enough to get her to give it up.

Her heart was racing in her chest, more of a thrumming than a thumping due to how fast it was pounding, and y/n tried to take in air as quietly as possible.

Screaming. Screaming. Stop screaming.

A whimper slipped from her lips and she slapped her hands over her mouth, only succeeding in making more noise. Ahhh, the damage was done.

There was shuffling beside her as Dan Heng propped himself up on his arm with a, "Y/n? Are you alright?"

Y/n opened her mouth to say yes, but she was still sort of in the middle of breathing, so this pitiful noise left her instead. She almost threw herself off the bed on the spot.

"A nightmare?"

"Mm..."

Dan Heng sighed, laying back down on his back with a quiet, "Thought so, come on. You can come over here."

Y/n shuffled over to him until his arm was looped around her, the burning in her veins subsiding and air flowing into her lungs much easier again.

"I'm sorry I didn't bring your book." Dan Heng apologized quietly, "Do you want to tell me about it, or do you just need silence right now?"

"No need to apologize, this isn't something I'd want to write about. Or... talk about, either." y/n mumbled before nestling her face into the crook of his neck instead, "But... I think I might go mad if it's too quiet."

"Will you be able to go back to sleep?"

"Probably not."

Silence.

Y/n began to tremble lightly and Dan Heng rubbed her arm with a soft, "Sorry, do you want me to talk about something?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice." y/n murmured.

"What would you like to hear?"

"Mm... that entry on Warp Trotters in the Data Bank."

"If you say so."

...

"An interdimensional creature lost in the stars. Docile in nature. Sweet in taste. Inedible. Spends most of its life feeding and fleeing..."

All throughout the evening, Dan Heng quoted different entries from the Data Bank per y/n's request, the two of them remaining awake until the sun rose in the sky outside and filled the room with morning light.

At some point, Dan Heng was interrupted by Caelus shouting in the other room, "DIE, FILTHY HOTEL DEVIL!!!" followed by terrified shrieks from room service who fled down the hall.

When it was time to get up, Y/n felt horrible. She wasn't entirely immune to the lack of sleep, but there was a little coffee maker in the room. She made herself a cup and settled down at the table by the window along with Dan Heng in a comfortable silence.

This wasn't the first time y/n's dreams had caused her trouble, nor was it the first time Dan Heng stayed up and helped her calm down until morning.

It happened so often that he'd learned to see the signs before it even happened. Which was likely why he'd invited her to share a room with him.

Dan Heng never pressured y/n into telling him what he dreams were about, simply comforting her until she was calm, and waiting until she was ready to share.

Y/n appreciated that.

She appreciated him.

She didn't appreciate the clearly unfriendly Silvermane Guards gathered at the outside of the hotel.

"The hell do they want?" y/n questioned with a scowl as she rubbed her shoulder, just enough to ease the slight pain, "Are they here to escort us to chat with the Supreme Guardian?"

"I highly doubt it... there wouldn't be so many if they were." Dan Heng murmured, "If you ask me, it looks more like an arrest than an escort."

A pause, before the two exchanged a look.

"I'll get March."

"Mm, I'll go get Caelus."

The two left the room, y/n guzzling down what was left of her coffee as she was knocking on Caelus's door.

It was a moment before he answered, giving her a groggy look as he rubbed his eyes, "What is it...?"

"We've gotta go, the Silvermane Guards are here to arrest us." y/n told him as she dragged him from the room.

"Arrest us? Y/n, what are you talking about???"

The duo joined March and Dan Heng in the hall, y/n offering Caelus another cup of coffee before they started talking.

"Is this because I attacked the Hotel Devil last night?" Caelus inquired sleepily only to receive odd looks.

"What are you even talking about..." March mumbled.

"I knew it, Cocolia was a snake, Miss Himeko is definitely better." y/n announced, "Dan Heng and I spotted a bunch of guards waiting for us outside."

"That could be our escort..." Caelus offered.

"If it is, it's way less friendly than I expected." March murmured with a little frown and y/n sighed.

"Haa... guess I'm back on duty." she murmured.

"Don't go jumping to conclusions yet, but still, be on guard." Dan Heng advised, "Let's go and meet them, we won't know for sure until we're down there."

Well. This didn't feel like an escort.

"Hey!" a Silverman Guard was shouting at them the moment they left, multiple others waiting by the stairs, "Commander Bronya is waiting for you all down below. Hurry up and go see her. And no tricks!"

"Are we in a lot of trouble?" March asked with a worried look, shuffling closer to y/n who said nothing.

They headed down the steps and were greeted by a bunch of soldiers, and a girl with some long 🍑 hair. What were those big 🍑 easter egg 🍑 earrings she had on???

"Oh, I remember you! You were at the Fort..." March realized as y/n rolled her shoulders, trying to loosen them up a bit.

"I am Bronya Rand, acting commander of the Silvermane Guards." the gray haired woman introduced herself, "In the name of the Amber Lord in the highest, and under order of the Supreme Guardian Cocolia Rand, I hereby arrest the suspected infiltrators under the charge of plotting to incite rebellion."

What?

"As agent of the Supreme Guardian, I herewith temporarily strip you of your freedom of action and speech."

Excuse me?

"When you are tried by the adjudication panel, you will be given the opportunity to defend yourselves against the accusations."

"You know what? Add several counts of First Degree Murder to that list!" y/n snapped, preparing to attack only for Dan Heng to yank her right back, "Damn it, let me at her!"

"Not now, control yourself." he ordered in a hushed tone, earning a grumble and an eye roll from the h/c haired woman.

"Resistance will prove futile. You must come with me." Bronya instructed and y/n glared back at her, clearly thinking very homicidal thoughts but remaining where she stood.

That didn't stop her from slightly pulling against Dan Heng's grip, not enough to jump into action, but just enough to let him know that she wasn't just going to let this slide.

"W-Wait a minute!" March 7th protested, looking back and forth between the furious y/n and the Commander, "This is what we agreed! She said we were going to be escorted to discuss an urgent matter!"

"...This is an orchestrated betrayal, obviously." Dan Heng pointed out, his voice calm even as the guards began to close in around them.

"Hah... looks like we've been downgraded to accomplices... again. Seems like it's every third planet this happens." March grumbled.

"That's because you always act without thinking — you never have a plan." Dan Heng replied, releasing y/n after she muttered something about not doing anything stupid.

"Hey, I'm making improvements! I'm coming up with a plan right now-!" March said quickly, looking around frantically, "Aaaand... got one! Caelus, y/n, Dan Heng... the alley..!"

"The one that's even sealed off... Hm..." Dan Heng was considering it, "It's possible. You three, be ready to make an escape."

"Huh? Really? I just wanted to say something." March seemed genuinely surprised while all Caelus could do was shake his head with a small sigh.

"Three of a kind..." Dan Heng began.

The gray haired young man blinked.
"But there's four of us—"

"It's an old Astral Express escape signal." y/n informed him in a hushed tone, "Be ready."

"Two pair..."

Y/n shifted her stance, eyes narrowed.

"Hey, what are you whispering? Let's get going!" one of the guards snapped, approaching the group.

"Ace!"

There it was.

Dan Heng grabbed March by the back of her head, forcing her to duck as Caelus smacked the 💩 out of some of the soldiers with his bat.

Woah! They went flying!

"Nice hit-!" y/n chimed as another guard charged at her from behind, attempting to grab her only for her to side step at the last minute, letting him fall flat on his face.

The group immediately made a run for it, effortlessly evading the guards as they charged right into the Fragmentum.

"Anddd she's gone. Again." Caelus murmured after they emerged I the other side, watching as y/n scampered away around the corner.

"No worries, there's a lot of Fragmentum creatures here, so we just have to follow the signs of battle!" March chimed before immediately running after y/n.

She was like a bulldozer, clearing the way for them with little difficulty as they navigated the twists and turns of Backwater Pass.

Y/n successfully guided them away from multiple dead ends, and past a spot where some Silvermane Guards were already waiting, and soon they were sprinting down a path towards the Fragmentum exit with y/n in the lead.

As usual, both y/n and Dan Heng noticed something wrong, though Dan Heng was the one to shout a warning of, "Look out!"

The trio skidded to a halt, narrowly avoided getting shot as they spotted the Silvermane Guards lining the top of the passage towards the Fragmentum exit.

Y/n gritted her teeth, "Man, 🚚 you!"

"She really caught up with us..." March said breathlessly as a bunch of other guards blocked their path to the exit, "And she even had time to set up an ambush!"

"Hmph, you dare underestimate me?" Bronya questioned as her and a few others guards approached the group from behind. March could only laugh nervously, "Enough cat and mouse, drop your weapons and come with me!"

March clicked her tongue in annoyance, "Ugh, you're such a nuisance! Just what crime did you falsely accuse us of, huh?"

"My orders are to arrest you. It is for the adjudication panel to present you with the nature and penalty of your alleged crimes." Bronya said, her tone firm.

"Huh, at least she's not directly calling us criminals." Caelus sighed with a little shrug, "That's an improvement."

"You saw us yesterday, remember? Madam Cocolia received us as honored guests." Dan Heng reminded the dumb BINCH in front of them.

"The Madam Guardian investigated your backgrounds. She summoned me last night to tell me that you deceived her." Bronya retorted, "Your identities and purpose here are counterfeit. You seek to overthrow the rule of the Architects!"

"There's no 🚚ing way that's true because your primitive 🍑es are too busy huddled up from the cold to actually develop the technology capable of looking into people who aren't from your world!" y/n snapped, and Caelus gave her a little frown.

"Easy, y/n, you didn't have to go that far..."

"No, y/n's right! That woman is a two-faced hag!" March 7th shouted, wearing a glare to match y/n's.

Bronya returned it with a glare of her own, "Publicly insulting the supreme guardian only elevates the seriousness of your crimes! Throw down your arms and surrender!"

"Kiss my 🍑!" y/n bit back.

"Since this is how it's gonna be, I think it's about time we gave you a taste of Astral Express medicine!" March agreed.

Y/n didn't have to do 💩, March did it all herself and made quick work of the enemies that attacked them, her six phased ice doing the trick and putting them out of commission real quick.

She took a brief break, letting out a breath of relief, right as some dude with a gun jumped at her—

Only to get smacked by Dan Heng's polearm, only for that Bronya Rand girl to catch him. Lucky bastard, he narrowly avoided serious injury.

"I'll handle this myself." Bronya proceeded to point a 🚚ing gun at them, to which y/n stepped in its path.

"Leave her to me. You guys make a run for it." y/n instructed, "I'm not gonna sit this one out this time."

"Y/n, now really isn't the best time." Dan Heng pointed out and y/n waved a hand dismissively.

"Whatever, I'll be fine." she scoffed, "It's not like I-!"

BAM!

A shot was fired, headed right for y/n only for her to swat it away. It hit the wall near Caelus, he barely reacted what a chad, and he couldn't help but look. There were two holes in the wall.

'Wasn't there only one bullet?' he squinted to get a better look, and gulped when he realized that it was indeed one bullet. Y/n had split it in two.

'But she doesn't have a sword. She doesn't have a weapon at all!' the gray haired hydrogen bomb thought in disbelief as y/n glanced back at Bronya with an almost mocking smirk.

"Please. Is that the best you can do?" y/n jeered, "If that's all for your turn, I think I'll go next!"

Bronya blinked, stupid choice, and y/n was right up on her in an instant with a simple little, "Boo."

The Commander blocked y/n's punch with her gun, the force causing the weapon to bend only for a second unseen impact to knock Bronya back a little.

She remained standing, though she skidded a little *and she's doing all this in high heeled boots too*. For some reason, she thought the fight was 🚚ing turn-based, but y/n had other ideas as she kicked the 💩 out of her gut.

So damn hard she went flying into the wall.

"Score!" y/n cheered, only to get 🚚ing shot in the shoulder by some dumb 🍑 guard who didn't know how to sit to the side and be an NPC, "Hey! That's cheating, you 🚚 face!"

"You get away from Commander Bronya, you criminal!" the soldier shouted, preparing to fire again while y/n scowled.

"What the hell, dude, I'm nowhere near her!" y/n snapped back only to get shot at again. Rather than taking it, she smacked several out of the way, grabbing two and flicking one right back at the soldier.

Hit his gun and blew the barrel right off of it, knocking his 🍑 back and off of the wall as well.

"Hmph, dumb 🚚." y/n mumbled, reaching back and flicking the other bullet at another soldier before he could get up to attack again, "These guys are weak as 💩, come along now."

She returned to her buddies, guiding them towards the Fragmentum exit, only for Bronya to shout a, "Wait!"

They all looked back and saw the Commander staggering from the wall y/n kicked her into, clearly not doing too well but still chasing them regardless.

"I thought you said you've never had to hit someone twice." March hummed, giving y/n a mocking look

"The hell? Do you actually want me to add Third Degree Murder to our list of offenses?" y/n retorted sharply, "I'm pissed, but I don't actually want this lady dead!"

"Intruders, give it up! You will be guaranteed a fair trial!" Bronya ordered and y/n gave her a look one would give a roach that just wouldn't die.

"Hell no, I'm not going just because you asked me! And your dumb guard buddy shot me!" y/n snapped, pointing to the growing red spot on the shoulder of her clothing, "If anything, you should be on your knees