Nine Tales [BL]

5.12

Renshu scoffed, but his heart warmed.

ReinNett giggled. [Don't worry, Host. Until you return to your original world, you are stuck with me!]

Renshu's smile wavered, and he couldn't shake the bittersweet feeling that settled in his heart. 

Until I return... The thought lingered.

"Rein Nett," Renshu hated the way his voice trembled. "I have a question."

[Yes?]

"My world..." Renshu hesitated, trying to find the right words. "How much do you know about it?"

[Mmm, a bit. I can gain access to many world information. Is there something specific you want to know? I can't promise I will be able to answer everything, but I'll do my best.]

Renshu took a deep breath, his lips feeling strangely numb. "How many times..."

[How many times what?]

"How many times did I die?"

[Host, you aren't dead-]

"How many times did I fall off the cliff?" Renshu's voice cracked, his heart threatening to burst from the weight of his emotions. "How many times did I pick up Sun Cai? How many times did I kill those people? How many times?"

[....What are you trying to ask, Host?]

Tears threatened to fall from Renshu's eyes. "My world...is it like this one? Does it always reset once I fall off that cliff?" His voice trembled with the possibility of an unbearable truth.

There was a moment of silence, and Renshu held his breath, waiting for Rein Nett's response.

[I... I am sorry, Host. I cannot give you access to that information.]

"Why?"

[....It's against the rules.] Rein Nett's response sounded hesitant.

"The rules?" Renshu chuckled bitterly. "So it's true?"

[Host—] Rein Nett tried to interject.

"Am I really just a puppet?" Renshu's voice wavered as he stared at his trembling hands. "Do I even have free will?"

Rein Nett tried to console him. [You are not a puppet—]

"And how many times how you told me that? How many times have I been to this world, doing the exact same thing over and over again!"

[This is not part of your cycle!] Rein Nett protested. [Host, trust me, we're friends-]

"You are not my friend," Renshu said, his heart breaking and his eyes seeing red. "You're just my string, pulling me this way and that."

Rein Nett fell silent.

"Doctor Arya, we're ready!" Kidist's voice rang out, breaking the tense moment.

Renshu forced a smile and looked over. "Coming."

"Stay quiet, parasite." Renshu said to Rein Nett. The words tasted like ash on his tongue but the burning anger in his heart spewed them out.

[....]

Kidist smiled and handed the mechanism back to him. "We are ready."

Renshu swallowed his emotions and stepped into position. His hand trembled as he activated the device, tilting it up towards the sky. A strong sucking sensation enveloped them as the collective energy of the group poured into the device, blooming five blue fox tails that converged into a focused strike.