Blessed Combat

31 - Conflicted and Muddled Up Feelings.

“Of all the crazy theories you could come up with, you have finalised, on that?” Arma asked, not at all trying to hide the incredulity in his tone. There was pain in them too, along with a mixture of disbelief and denial.

“I know it’s a bit much to take in but when we compared the destruction, it matched.” Zatch tried to explain, for once lacking the usual sadistic, bubbly exterior. When he made an expression like that, Arma knew it was legitimate bad news and that he was serious.

“But Zessica? The Phantom Dancer?” Arma asked with just the right inflection giving away his shock and surprise, scrutinising at both Zatch and Phoenix. Every one of his muscles tensed up again, becoming hard like steel. Due to his height, one would realise there was something raw and powerful reverberating beneath the surface of the tall lad, something nobody should ever be foolish enough to awaken. Right then, he wasn’t even angry.

“No no, she isn’t the Phantom Dancer. Unless she erased memories of herself but I believe that since she has total recall of her memories in the past as being confined in the hospital all of her life, it doesn’t match what that letter said that was addressed to you. The letter did leave details about how the Phantom Dancer knew the creator personally and I don’t think a mere young girl like her would know someone as famous as the creator of this game...” Zatch reasoned cautiously, choosing his words carefully in case he would accidently pull the trigger to unleash the raw power inside of Arma. The tall lad was still a bit baffled with Zatch’s theory, he didn’t lash out yet.

“Actually, nothing matches her on the letter. The Phantom Dancer mentioned the one who made the Taboo was him and the AI they created. From what he wrote, he blamed the Taboo mostly on the AI before he split it into many pieces. So Zessica can’t be the one who destroyed the game stage two years ago! I know I seen the destruction first hand but she just can’t be the cause of that Taboo!” Arma almost yelled, vaguely remembering that Zessica was already back and Stabs was with her, placing her on her bed since she was still knocked out. Zatch and Phoenix had arrive back home earlier than Stabs and Zessica did, without the cake as they promised and had chosen the chance when Stabs took Zessica to her room the moment to confess their thoughts.

“Which is exactly what I told Zatch after he made the crazy theory.” Phoenix tagged along, sending the same disbelief glare at Zatch’s way before he could protest. The guy in glasses sighed and surrendered with both hands in the air. Arma and Phoenix retaliated a bit so that Zatch could continue own to justify himself to even think Zessica was the root cause of the Taboo.

“So maybe I am not the perfect informant you all thought I was. Honestly I had forgotten that the cause of the Taboo was none other than the AI itself, which leads to my next theory. The Phantom Dancer has given you the core of the AI, remember that? Well let’s call these pieces of the AI as gifts. Apparently, just a few days ago, Sophie came in clean, saying that she has one of those gifts too. She couldn’t remember who gave it to her but someone did send it to her when she was out in a coma.”  By then, both Phoenix and Arma raised their eyebrows in interest, absorbing the new information Zatch was spilling to them.

“It regards with her Major of Genesis. Sophie can create NPCs and minor AIs only for like ten seconds. However, it seems after she received this gift, she is able to create creations with permanent existence. Any NPCs, AIs or creature she gives life to, are added to her inventory of sorts, where she can ask them for assistance even if they are outside of the battle field. Once their Health Points hits critical status, they will be automatically returned to her summon inventory where they will recuperate. However, Sophie hasn’t created any permanent creatures so far”

“Then how do you know this?” Phoenix asked as Arma gave him a suspicious frown of his own.

“Well, I would admit that this permanency is not detectable to my Clairvoyance since it is an unidentified ability but what Sophie told next was fascinating. You know her brother the Time Keeper right?” Zatch waited as both of them nodded faintly, remembering the casual and laid back boy as if it was yesterday.