———————————————————————————
　　"You really mean to say all that happened because your intentions were constantly misunderstood and glorified? That seems kinda……," Frowned Rai skeptically. 

  　　"I know how it sounds, but it's the truth! You can use Chaos Magic to confirm it if you don't believe me!" I responded nervously. 

  　　"I believe he is telling the truth. And if that is the case, then his claim as a skilled spell caster must be true as well……he was able to evade us for all this time, and even keep his followers out of our radar. Or rather, right under our noses. If nothing else, I acknowledge that," Remarked Jhin with a thoughtful expression. 

  　　"Yeah, I get that, but the question is……can we trust him? I mean, regardless of the reason or how justified it was, the fact remains that he's betrayed the people who looked upto him," Pointed out Rai. 

  　　"An easy enough fix. I can use Chaos Magic to ensure that he can never betray or lie to us. That should suffice," Stated Jhin objectively. 

  　　"Well, as long as you don't turn me into a mindless puppet with zero free will, I'm okay with that. I was just being petty and lashing out, I never intended for things to go that far……and I'm sick of wars, so I'm done. I just want to live a peaceful, comfy life, that's all," I insisted honestly. 

  　　And then, as I blinked, I froze up as Jhin suddenly appeared right in front of me, his third eye opening as he met my gaze…… 

  　　"There, it is done. You are now incapable of lying to or betraying us, and you will work hard to fill the role that Azyl left behind. Of course, you will only be expected to work for a few hours each day at the very least, you may spend the rest of your time in comfort as you desire. That is all. Now, then……is everything you told us true? And is there anything that you have neglected to tell us?" He inquired, as I felt a strange feeling inside me……is this what getting hit with Chaos Magic feels like? 

  　　It's kinda……unsettling and disconcerting…… 

  　　"Yeah, everything I said was true. And I don't think I left anything out, not deliberately, anyway," I replied, after mulling it over. 

  　　"Good. Now, try telling a lie," He instructed me. 

  　　"Huh? Oh, uh, okay. Let's see……I'm actually a woman and……," I began, before trailing off as I felt an immense pain in my chest, collapsing onto my knees……and then it faded.

  　　The pain was gone, but I could clearly remember the agonizing sensation, my body breaking out into a cold sweat as I began trembling…… 

  　　"That is what will happen if you try to go against my Chaos spell. Keep that in mind."

  　　Yeah, no way in hell I'm forgetting about this…… 

  　　"It felt like my heart was about to explode just now……," I muttered shakily. 

  　　"Indeed. Now, first things first……you will need to prove yourself. Specifically, take on one of the incomplete projects Azyl was working on, and complete it. You may pick whichever one you like," Jhin instructed me. 

  　　"Though if you're not picky, I'd like to request the video recording spell he was working on! If we pull that off, then we can make movies, episodic series and, of course……porn!" Grinned Rai enthusiastically. 

  　　"Huh? For real!?" I exclaimed in response, before clearing my throat and calming myself, "Well, I'll take a look at it, but I won't know whether or not I can pull it off until I see it. It'll also depend on how much progress has already been made."

  　　"In that case, you can get started right away. Work for five hours. After that, you may select a vacant room for yourself. We shall also provide you with a small allowance for food and other necessities. We will not start paying you a proper salary until you have proven yourself. Is that acceptable?" Inquired Jhin objectively. 

  　　"Well, it's a little exploitive and all, but sure, that's fine for now," I replied with a nod. 

  　　"Very well, then. Follow me," He remarked, as he headed for the doors. 

  　　"Uh, sure, I'm right behind you!" 

  　　———————————————————————————
　　Point-of-View: Rai Rumel 

  　　———————————————————————————
　　I let out a strained sigh as they both left, shutting the doors as they did. That was exhausting……acting all cheerful and like how I usually am is pretty damn draining when I feel so miserable. 

  　　I mean, it's only been two days since the day of the tournament. Everything had been going so well, and then……and then……

  　　Damn it! Why did that have to happen, huh!? Just as this world was getting better and better, and I was having the time of my life……not-God turned everything on its head, just out of spite. 

  　　I didn't even have time to process it……Kuro left me in charge, so I wasn't going to let him down. I had to ensure that everything went smoothly with the visitors from the other nations afterwards, keep people from panicking, and a whole lot of other stuff that Kuro would have usually taken care of. 

  　　Fortunately, the alliance between all the nations seems like it's going to be just fine……actually, if anything, that incident helped strengthen the alliance. 

  　　But now that things have finally settled down a bit, it's starting to really sink in, just what happened two days ago……and I feel absolutely miserable. 

  　　Processing the fact that three of my best friends are gone, and the fact that I'll probably never see them again, it……it really hurts. 

  　　But even so, I……I can't afford to mope around. Kuro worked so incredibly hard to bring Abyss to what it is today……Az played a huge role in getting us to this point too. 

  　　And I won't let their efforts go to waste. I know they won't be trapped forever……knowing them, it's only a matter of time before they break out of it. But, in all likelihood……I'll be long dead and gone by then. 

  　　Thanks to the power boosts and whatnot that I've gained, my lifespan will probably be a lot longer than average, but I doubt that I'll live long enough to see them again. And the thought of that is just……way too painful to bear…… 

  　　…… 

  　　…… 

  　　A few hours later, I was done for the day, and being both physically and mentally worn out, I dragged my feet towards my room, which I shared with Key. 

  　　We'd moved into the castle after Kuro and the others were sealed away. Rilia, my sister, is also here, but got her own room, since it'd be awkward to share a room with Key and I. 

  　　Pero, Kuro's cat, was living with her. Someone had to take care of her, and Rilia really likes cats, so it worked out. The poor kitty was meowing non-stop for the last two days, and wouldn't leave Kuro and Persia's bed. She's still kinda downcast, but less so than before. 

  　　I then reached and entered my room, where Key was lazing about on the bed, reading a book. 

  　　"Hey, babe, I'm back," I greeted her, as I flopped down onto the bed with a tired sigh, planting my face on her lap. 

  　　"Hey, welcome back……you look tired, are you okay?" She asked, putting the book down and stroking my head gently.

  　　"That feels nice……," I sighed contentedly, "And your thighs are nice and soft as always, Key-Key."

  　　"H-hey, stop breathing so heavily, it tickles," She responded, lightly smacking my head with her book. 

  　　"Sorry……"

  　　"Get some rest, Rai……I know it's been hard. I've just been staying in here all day, moping about what happened. But you've been pushing hard to keep things going for the last couple of days, and putting on a cheerful front……you know you don't have to do that here, right? At least when your with me, you can let your emotions out," She whispered soothingly, stroking my head. 

  　　"I……I just……I wanna see them again. Kuro, Az, Persia, Rion……there are just so many things that I wanted to tell them, but I'll……but I'll never get to say to them."

  　　"Yeah……me too."

  　　"It's……it's just not fair!" I snapped, as tears began welling up in my eyes. 

  　　"I know……"

  　　"I-I can't stop thinking about them……I wanted them to be a part of my life forever!" I wailed, as a sob escaped my lips. 

  　　"Yeah……so did I……"

  　　It felt like a dam inside me then broke, all the emotions I'd been holding back flooding out and overwhelming me. And before I knew it, I was crying my heart out, bawling and wailing like a child…… 

  　　_____________________________________________

  　　Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to vote, and feel free to leave a comment, I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism!

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