Chimeric Royal Guard

The end and Beginning.

     Rain fell heavily from a smog-filled sky. As always, wherever the raindrops landed, they did not form cool puddles but hissed and sizzled, their acidic nature unmistakable.

A figure of average height, distinctly feminine, could be seen dashing through the acid rain. Her tattered yellow coat began to smolder as the corrosive droplets burned through it, leaving holes in their wake. Her breathing was ragged and strained, every inhale a struggle as her damaged gas mask failed to provide adequate protection.

"FUCK! ARGH!!!" the woman screamed, her voice raw with pain as a drop of acid seared her exposed skin.

"That bastard said this was rainproof!" she growled through clenched teeth, her tone dripping with anger and frustration. Ducking into a narrow alleyway, she sought refuge beneath the overhang of rusted metal plates, their corroded surfaces doing their best to shield her from the relentless downpour. Hastily, she pulled her arm inside her coat, fumbling to reach the safety of her pockets.

"Haa... haa... Next time I see that bastard, I'm going to kill him!" she spat, her voice trembling with exhaustion and rage as she stepped inside the pathetically small domicile she begrudgingly called home.

With a weary sigh, she slipped out of her ruined clothes, tossing them into a dented metal basket. Her movements were deliberate as she changed out of her suit, keeping her eyes tightly shut to avoid catching even a glimpse of the grotesque thing she called her body.

With a quick glance at the clock, she began sifting through a veritable mountain of trash and boxes, her frustration mounting with every item she shifted aside. She was searching for the Full Dive Gear she hadn’t touched in years.

Where the hell did I put that damn thing? she grumbled inwardly, her annoyance growing as she continued her search.

There it is! she thought with a small sense of relief as she grabbed the scratched, grey headset. But then her mood soured. Ohh... that doesn’t look good... she thought with apprehension, eyeing the frayed cord.

"Whatever..." she muttered, dismissing the concern as she plugged in her computer and the Full Dive Gear.

I’ll eat later, she thought bitterly, her stomach gnawing at her as she powered on the computer and slumped into her gaming chair—God only knew what stains marred its surface.

This is gonna suck, she thought, her frustration rising as she prepared herself, forcing the cord into her neural port. A sudden zap of electricity shot through her, causing her to yelp in pain as the damaged cord flickered to life.

---

Crimson feline eyes flickered open, and a set of words greeted her vision.

Welcome back, N3f4rPitou! You've been gone for 5 years, 8 months, 10 days, and 13 minutes!

N3f4rPitou scanned her surroundings, her gaze sharp as she tried to determine where she had spawned. Alright, let’s see… purple everywhere, obsidian bed… okay! I’m on the Ninth Floor Suite!

She briefly glanced at her equipment, only to find… a potato sack.

How unsightly… N3f4rPitou thought bitterly, her distaste palpable.

HeroHero has logged out.

Damn, I was too late. I actually liked Heroro... N3f4rPitou thought somberly, her crimson eyes lingering on the notification before she stepped out of her room.

As she walked through the grand, shadowed halls of Nazarick, memories of a bygone era flickered through her mind. Moments with her cherished friends—Bukubukuchagama, Peroronchino, Touch-Me, Momonga—and finally, the one she cared for most: Belliver. Her heart ached as she recalled his brutal murder, the memory as vivid as if it had happened yesterday.