章節 78: Omake: Fanfiction Cubed
"Welcome!
It was a shock to all of them.
To the Danger Room!
The room was cavernous, and none recognized its equivalent or how they got there.
You have been gathered here to receive the most dangerous gift in existence.
Divided into four parts, the middle of the room was divided in half while the north and south parts bordered them horizontally.
Knowledge!
In the top area, on an elevated stage and bounded by a wooden railing from the rest of the room, there was nothing but a short podium, a book atop it, a figure clad in shadows...
...And a bean bag chair on which they sat.
In this room, only three actions are allowed. To read, to talk, and to think.
They were tall but not too tall, with indistinct features that could be male or female as the lights, emanating from no source, seemed to flicker around them, making any feature of theirs indistinct. This wasn't helped by the fact that their face was shrouded in shadows of hood...
...Or the fact that the shadowed face seemed to be wearing large plastic glasses with a plastic nose and fake moustache attached.
Laugh and weep. Avail yourselves of the comforts provided, knowing it is but an illusion and all that will remain when you leave will be Knowledge.
They reclined in their comfy chair, the tiny dias right in front of them holding the simple book slightly below their head height as they spoke to their captive audience.
Yet will that precious, dangerous gift remain when the tale is done? Or will you choose the sweet relief of ignorance?
Below the stage, where the room was split in half, twenty-eight... 'people' sat in chairs of various sizes and models.
Mayhap nothing will come of this meeting of two worlds. Perhaps all that passes in this room of pain, sorrow, and 'what ifs' shall vanish with the morning's light, as effervescent as dew and as fragile as a bubble.
On the left, fourteen individuals, all dressed in similar tight uniforms of brown, grey, and green, sat captive and unmoving. Eleven of them were teenagers, roughly fifteen years of age, while three were older yet still far from what one would consider middle-aged. All bore signs of training and discipline.
Or, a sliver of possibility might be born in this tale of woe. That this Knowledge, so painfully gained and held in trembling hands, might lead to a new path. One that winds its way along that infinitesimal hope born where the sky meets the Earth in the glow of a horizon's edge.
Opposite them, on the right, was an eclectic mess of people. Most were similarly young, or at least seemed so, but their appearances varied wildly. Brightly coloured hair and luxurious clothes, almost all of them were beautiful in a way that spoke of privilege, healthy living, and the lack of struggle. Yet keen eyes would catch the dense muscles hidden under the mask of beauty... for a few of them, at least.
Two worlds, so different yet so similar.
These twenty-eight people, all eyes captured and unmoving on the figure on the stage, were as still as statues, seeming to not even breathe.
Twenty-eight people drowning in lies and pain, unknowing of the beasts that lay beyond your narrow walls, waiting to swallow you whole.
They couldn't look behind them to see the bottom part of the room, frozen as they were. They couldn't see the tables laden with food and drink of all sorts.
I am the Dangerous Reader. Call me what you wish. I am but a dream of a dream of dream of two dreams.
Nor could they see the doors on the back wall as the sole point of ingress and egress from this enormous chamber. A pair of towering pieces of metal and hardwood, they loomed from floor to ceiling. Each seemed to carry an air of ominous finality as if declaring that stepping beyond them was an irreversible decision.
At this moment, where time has no meaning and the past and future are so uncertain, I shall read you a story. It is not a good story. It is not a happy story. It is but the ramblings of a hapless storyteller trying to convey their thoughts, their understanding of the worlds you yet dwell in. It is not a truth they tell, but a possibility of a possibility.
To those few prisoners of their own bodies, this situation might as well be a nightmare. Their last memories being of going to bed, sleep claiming them, and then appearing here in this room of Danger and incomprehension.
Yet, in their pathetic flailings, there is Knowledge to be gained for those desperate enough to read, those accepting enough to talk, and those wise enough to think.
The figure on the stage, this 'Dangerous Reader,' was a figure of apprehension, no matter their silly appearance. For even if this was a dream, the unknown of a nightmare is no less terrifying than the unknown which lurks beyond the horizon.
Now, my dear readers, we shall begin shortly. I see the confusion and fear in your eyes. Good. To learn, you must face both. But to ensure the smooth flow, I shall provide a foundation on which you may build.
So they sat and listened, for they had no choice.
The rules are as follows: Once I begin reading, I shall only continue when all else is silent and only speak the words on the page. You may interrupt without consequence, but the story shall not continue until everyone is ready to listen. You may leave our room of dangerous Knowledge at any point, but if you do, this shall be a forgotten dream. You will continue your life with the blissful ignorance you chose. Finally, only Knowledge can affect this world in which we temporarily dwell. Violence, no matter its power, shall have no consequence.
All while plotting their first moves when they got the chance.
You have each been chosen because of the roles you played, play, or will play in this story. Know that if you are here, it is for a reason, even if you yet remain ignorant of it. This story may tell you of a future and a past, yet it is not yours yet.
All while asking questions in their minds.
Your Paths remains undecided should you choose to face the pain it takes to walk beyond the known and into the uncertainty of possibility.
All while looking at the book on the dias.
Yet only by reading, talking, and thinking will that hope of a better future remain.
All while their hearts beat fiercely in their chests.
Our preface and introduction is done. We shall begin our tale momentarily. Before we do, I shall allow three questions from each world. They shall be answered on a first-come, first-served basis. Fear no reprisals. Simply ask those questions which burn your tongue, for once I begin reading, the only words which leave my mouth will be those written on the page and, should the story not answer them, you shall forever go ignorant.
Waiting for freedom.
Let us begin."
In a moment shorter than an eye blink, the situation changed.
Before anyone could really comprehend their freedom as whatever power held them trapped released them, some...one had already taken action.
"Disappear."
The voice was monotone, coming from the tiniest of beings in this room, yet the fear of those on the right side of the room did not even have time to manifest at its sound.
Power.
A purplish blackness tide of power poured from this little girl in an overwhelming tide that blotted out all sight and sound in a tide of destruction that sought to end everything.
There was no pain, no sorrow, no fear.
For all were helpless in front of the Infinite.
... Or such should be the case.
The tide of power, as quick as it had come... disappeared.
In a few moments, in the time between the beats of a heart, a tide of Infinite power rolled over all of them and then vanished without any effect.
Naturally, everyone freaked the fuck out.
The older people on the right side of the room were the quickest to respond, who quickly moved to surround the small girl.
They didn't take any action to fight her; they merely put themselves between her and the rest of the room.
As if fighting her wasn't even possible.
Those on the left side of the room, moving slower than most on the right, had also reacted. They had spread out, each taking defensive stances of various forms, though most had drawn pairs of long, flat blades.
Three of the teenagers, however, had a bit of an odd reaction; not that many noticed the way the blonde flicked a spike up on her ring, how the tall one had brought a fingertip close to his mouth, or how the stocky blond seemed to wrap his hand around his blade.
Next to act were the younger members from the right side. They drew back, pressing themselves against the wall to put as much distance between themselves and the tiny girl.
One, a slightly older young woman with dark hair and... cat ears? And a tail? Did so by placing herself in front of a much shorter girl with white hair, making the younger girl flinch back in fear.
The absolute last person to react was a teenage boy in a school uniform on the right side of the room, who let out a scream of fright and fell out of his chair in shock.
There was a tense heartbeat of silence for a moment, the small girl continuing to stare at the figure in the bean bag chair who hadn't even twitched throughout it all.
"Why?" She asked in the same monotone, breaking the silence.
The figure, the Reader, finally moved.
"This is your side's first answer: I took your power because you used it to disrupt the others in the room. Whether the Infinite or the Dream, both are but characters to a Reader. So long as you are in the Danger Room, that is all we are. Characters. When you leave, either stepping through those doors or when the story is done, all will be as it was before you entered here."
The small girl did not move or do anything, simply standing in place and staring at the indistinct figure on the stage for a long second.
Then...
"Help me beat up Great Red."
The Reader did not so much as flinch.
Nor did he answer.
"Ophis," the red-headed man who stood before the girl with the other adults said, a charming smile on his face as he stepped forward. "Why don't you let us deal with this? We'll... try and get you some help after we get the answers."
The way his smile seemed to twitch and the tenseness in his body, as he made sure to keep both the small girl and the figure on the stage in his sight at all times, detracted a bit from the charisma of his usual smile.
The little girl, Ophis, spared the redhead the barest of impassive glances.
Then she turned to face a teenage boy half protected by a man with blond and black hair.
"Albion. Help me beat up Great Red."
The grey-haired boy let out a grin.
"Sure."
"Vali!" The man before him said sharply, then addressed the little girl again. "He'll only help if you don't attack anyone here again."
Ophis wasn't listening, already having turned toward a new direction, facing the most unlikely of people.
The poor student who had fallen out of his chair had scrambled to his feet and was staring around the room with eyes wide with fear and apprehension.
"Draig. Help me beat up Great Red."
The boy didn't notice the way eyes shifted to him from those on his side of the room.
His eyes had fallen on a pair tits and stayed there.
The woman in the pink magical girl outfit didn't seem to mind, if she noticed at all, with her focus on Ophis.
In fact, it took the boy a moment to even realize he was being addressed at all.
"Huh," he uttered a noise of confusion as his eyes snapped from the Glorious Oppai to look at the loli who had terrified him. Seeing her blank eyes staring at him, he stumbled away in fright. "Wa? Um. I, um, think you have the wrong guy? Ma'am? Miss? Um... My name is Hyoudou Issei not... Duraigu?"
The grey-haired boy, Vali, suddenly looked increadibly disappointed.
"Ddraig. Wake up."
It seemed the Reader had not taken all the girl's powers, as her voice seemed to have some sort of magical effect.
No sooner had she spoken than a sizeable red gauntlet appeared on Issei's hand, causing the boy to let out another squeak of fright, and he began frantically trying to take the crimson armour off.
[Ophis? Lucifer? What's is happening?] A deep voice rang out from the green gem that pulsed on the back of the red hand.
Then it paused for a second, ignoring the boy trying to yank it free, muttering something about his 'useful hand,' its following words came out in a low, hateful growl.
[Albion.]
[Ddraig.] This voice rang from a pair of white wings that had appeared on Vali's back. While it was also filled with anger, there was also a note of schadenfreude in it. [This is your newest host? How... amusing. Vali is the greatest possible host, and yours is... not. I will be claiming victory this generation. And every generation after it.]
There was an inarticulate growl from the gauntlet, but before it could respond, there was a call out from the left side of the room.
"I have our first question."
The uniformed soldiers had not been idle as this drama unfolded near them. They had grouped up, whispering between each other in the distraction provided to both introduce themselves and establish a basic plan.
The oldest man, the one in command, had stepped forward to speak. The other two adults were beside him but slightly behind, while the younger recruits stood at attention behind his back.
It was as if they were trying to present a united front in contrast to the mess on the right.
"Who, exactly, are those on that side of the room?"
The Reader looked at the commander and answered simply and concisely.
"Ophis, the Dragon of the Infinite." They pointed to the little girl who had tried to kill them all.
"Sirzechs Lucifer, Satan in charge of Internal Affairs." They pointed toward the red-haired man.
"Michael the Seraph, Leader of Heaven." The blond-haired man in an armoured robe.
"Azazel the Fallen, Governor General of the Grigori." The man standing in front of Vali with the dual-toned hair.
"Serafall Leviathan, Satan in charge of Foreign Affairs." The twin-tailed woman in the pink magical girl outfit.
"Vali Lucifer, the White Dragon Emperor." The grey-haired boy with the white wings crossed his arms over his chest and gave the room a smirk.
"Cao Cao, wielder of the True Longinus." This time, the Reader pointed toward a tall young man who had stepped away from the rest of the group to observe everything carefully.
"Black Cat Kuroka, SS-Class Stray Devil." It was the dark-haired woman in a loose kimono with cat ears and tails.
The white-haired girl seemed to shrink further away from her.
"Rias Gremory, heiress to the Gremory Pillar family." The buxom redhead had stepped between Kuroka and the white-haired girl and glared at the criminal.
Ignoring the by-play, the Reader continued.
"Akeno Himejima, Queen of the Gremory Peerage." A dark-haired woman, possibly even more buxom, stood beside Rias and held her hand on the white-haired girl's shoulder in comfort.
"Sona Sitri, heiress to the Sitri Pillar family." Another dark-haired girl, though noticeably less... endowed than the others, stared back at the Reader through her glasses.
"Yuuto Kiba, Knight of the Gremory Peerage." A blond boy who was flanking the white-haired girl, a sword in his hand.
"Koneko Toujou, Rook of the Gremory Peerage." The small white-haired girl is surrounded by her fellow Peerage members.
"Nyaa~" Kuroka singsonged in denial, but her body was tense as she interrupted. "That's not her name. She's Shirone."
The Reader did not miss a beat, not even giving Rias time to get her own interruption out.
"As she is now, she is Koneko Toujou."
No further explanation or elaboration was given, nor was the tension addressed; the blurry figure continued to the last member.
"Finally, Issei Hyoudou, the Red Dragon Emperor." The boy, who had ceased trying to pull off the gauntlet, was now staring around his side of the room, eyes growing increasingly wide with every name called.
He even started inching toward the left half as if trying to avoid being associated with those around him.
Whether the commander from the left side got what they wanted from such succinct descriptions or not was hard to tell as he studiously kept his face as blank as possible. Still, it was clear he had gotten something.
Even if most of the terms and titles meant nothing, a few keywords were familiar enough to tell him how alien these people were, even ignoring their foreign-sounding names.
Words like dragon, heaven, devil, and emperor were familiar even within the safety of the Walls, even if others like 'Satan,' 'Rook,' 'Longinus,' or 'Grigori' were not.
More than the names, the reaction of those on the right gave the most information.
Many names had evoked specific reactions, and by evaluating who reacted to what, the commander got a much better grasp on the dynamics and importance of those involved than he did from just their names.
Those on the right were also not ignorant of their lost advantage, and many were not fools.
"Now I'm curious," Azazel said with a loose smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Same question. Who, exactly, are those on that side of the room?"
The same words, the same cadence, for the same question.
And the Reader answered with the same perfunctory and concise answers.
"Eren Yeager, graduate from the 109th Training Corps." The Reader pointed to a teenage boy standing at attention with the rest with dark hair and grey eyes.
"Mikasa Ackerman, graduate from the 109th Training Corps." The Reader pointed to the dark-haired girl with the red scarf beside him, who had made a slight movement to stand between Eren and the finger pointed their way.
"Armin Artlet, graduate from the 109th Training Corps." A slightly shorter blond boy stood beside the pair, nerves barely concealed at the situation by his rigid stance.
"Historia Reiss, graduate from the 109th Training Corps." When the Reader pointed to a blonde girl amongst the younger recruits, there was the first real sign of surprise from the left side. Even the girl's eyes widened, and the commander shot her an unreadable look.
"Levi Ackerman, Humanity's Strongest Soldier." A few more looks of surprise shot toward the short, dark-haired man standing beside the commander.
Those who were more observant noticed it was only when Levi's last name was mentioned, unlike Historia's, where it began immediately. They also noticed the word choice of the title and how nobody seemed surprised at it.
"Bertolt Hoover, Warrior." There wasn't really surprise this time as the Reader pointed toward a tall teen with freckles, just confusion...
...Except from the boy himself, who paled dramatically as the others looked at him, and the two other teens who stood beside him who grimaced and tensed.
The Reader continued without caring.
"Annie Leonhart, Warrior." The short blonde teen beside Bertolt subtly fingered her ring as she tried to keep her face blank.
"Reiner Braun, Warrior and graduate from the 109th Training Corps." The third of the trio looked confused for a moment but also seemed to sag slightly as a few of the suspicious looks faded.
Not all of them, though.
"Ymir, graduate from the 109th Training Corps." The tall young woman beside Historia hadn't ceased looking at the 'warriors' even as she was pointed out.
"Erwin Smith, Commander of the Survey Corps." Finally, the Reader pointed toward the blond man who took the lead. If he was bothered by coming so late in the introductions, he didn't show it, but his eyes never ceased roaming everyone in the chamber.
On both sides.
"Hange Zoe, Squad Leader of the Survey Corps." The Reader pointed toward the only other adult on the left side of the room, the androgynous figure in glasses beside Erwin.
"Jean Kirstein, graduate from the 109th Training Corps." Another teen, this one with short blond hair, stood near the middle of the group just behind Mikasa.
"Connie Springer, graduate from the 109th Training Corps." A short teen with a plain face stood beside Jean and gave the Reader a nervous smile as he was pointed at.
"Finally, Sasha Blouse, graduate from the 109th Training Corps." The girl he pointed at barely paid attention to the Reader's introductions.
Her entire attention was focused on the veritable banquet laid out behind them and the delicious smells wafting from it.
There was a brief moment of silence as the introductions finished.
Then Michael stepped toward the group on the left, his face set in a gentle, welcoming smile.
"While I understand your general suspicion and distrust, we are just as lost and confused as you. As you can no doubt tell, we are not all aligned on our side, yet there is precedent in our world for setting aside even the most hateful of grievances in the face of overwhelming enemies, and I do not believe we have any of such problems." Michael shot a slight look of disapproval at Azazel. "We do not need to be enemies."
"What do you have in mind," Erwin said simply, face set in a blank mask.
"Just a general sharing of information and an effort to not hinder the other parties. I know trust is slow to grow, but if even Ophis can't hurt those here, then we can at least be relatively certain of our safety."
"What is she?" Hange butted in, eyes wide as they looked at the small girl who was poking Issei's gauntlet repeatedly as he tried to fend her away. "A dragon? What did she try to do?"
"Ophis is..." Michael's smile was wooden as he hesitated. "Ophis is probably the second strongest being in our world. One of the Divine Dragons, Ophis and Great Red, are more... concepts than people. In particular, Ophis is the Infinite Void made manifest and holds unlimited power. Do not let their appearance fool you. They can look however they want. The most recent sighting of Ophis a few decades ago had them appearing as an old man. They are older than our planet."
Ophis poked Issei in the glove again.
"I see."
No, Erwin did not see or understand very much. It wasn't that he was dumb, the opposite in fact, but he just had no frame of reference for the absurdity that was the Ouroboros Dragon.
"Tell you what," Azazel said, sauntering over with a sly smile with Vali behind him. Michael stepped away slightly. "I figured I stepped on a few toes, so let me make it up to you."
"How so?"
"The introduction order," Azazel said bluntly, looking to the silent Reader. "You might not have caught on to this, but our host introduced us in order of power... or danger, depending on how you look at it. Specifically, how dangerous we are now."
"...Why do you say that?" Hange asked with narrowed eyes.
"You see that boy," Azazel grinned as he pointed toward where Ophis was now holding the crimson gauntlet in her hands. Her small size meant Issei had to bend over more than ninety degrees, and he looked like he was in pain. "A Red Dragon Emperor has the possibility to be anywhere in our little rankings after Ophis, but because he has no idea what's going on, he's the current weakest."
"A waste," Vali muttered under his breath in disappointment.
"You all are human, right?" Azazel continued as if he hadn't heard his charge's words. "
"You're not?" Levi asked bluntly.
"Me and the Red Dragon Emperor are the only humans on this side," Cao Cao interrupted, eying the midget up and down with appraisal. "Everyone else here is a monster who preys on humanity."
He'd remained back, seeing the forces arrayed in the room, but there was no way he could miss this chance now that he had some guarantee of safety. Especially if humanity's supposed 'Strongest Soldier' was at risk of being swayed due to ignorance of the actual situation.
With any luck, this group gathered could join his budding Hero Faction.
At Cao Cao's words, the entire left side of the room tensed, their bodies preparing for a fight once more, and the slight relaxation faded as they looked at the other side with renewed wariness.
Erwing didn't draw his blades like Levi, but his mouth turned down in a grim frown.
"While I am sorry you feel that way," Michael said to Cao Cao, not reacting to the blades drawn at his face. "I do believe you are operating with false information. Heaven has always acted with humanity's best interest at heart."
There was a noise from the younger members behind the group on the right, and Michael turned to look.
The blond boy, Yuuto, was scowling at him.
Sirzechs, who had been with Serafall talking to the group of young devils and making sure they were all right, stepped forward to explain.
"You'll have to forgive Yuuto. He was formally human," the devil told the room. "My sister reincarnated him after he escaped from the Holy Sword Project."
Michael visibly wilted, and it seemed like the light in the chamber dimmed slightly with his sadness.
"You have my deepest apologies," the Seraph said as he bowed to the Knight. "What happened to you was a tragedy that should never have happened. As soon as we in heaven learned of it, the Project was shut down, and the culprits were branded heretics and punished. I know this will not make up for your pain and loss, but know that we have taken steps to ensure something like it never happens again."
Yuuto didn't seem mollified. In fact, he just looked angrier, but Rias tugged him backward, whispering soothingly into his ear.
This really wasn't a place where she wanted her Peerage to be involved. Even with her brother and Serafal here, they were all in incredible danger.
"Reincarnate?" Hange asked, that part standing out the most to them.
"You can bring people back from the dead?" One of the graduates interrupted, breaking formation to step forward.
Eren Yeager looked a cross between desperate and hopeful as his comrades tried to pull him back.
"They kill humans and turn them into devils," Cao Cao said simply. "Slaves to do their new master's bidding."
"Man," Serafall deadpanned at the reincarnated hero as the Eren stepped back again, face set in a glare. "You are so uncute. And obviously biased. Are you a season 1 villain with a cool name that gets defeated in the first act because you job too hard and underestimate everyone?"
"Sister!" Sona hissed under her breath.
"What?" Serafall said innocently, twirling her pink wand and striking a pose. "Miracle Girl Levi-tan knows a mook when she sees one."
"While my colleague does have a point about your obvious bias," Sirzechs said diplomatically. "You also are not wrong that a few devils use their Pieces in such a way, which is against our laws. But just as many humans voluntarily join a Peerage, they are comrades and friends of their Kings. I see my Peerage as family, and I know my sister is the same."
He then turned to address the left side of the room.
"The simple truth is that my race would have gone extinct without humans. Since then, humanity has had a great deal of influence on us in elements like culture or technology. Like all people have our bad apples, we are not the predators he claims we are." Sirzechs looked at Eren and gave him a commiserating look. "I am sorry for whoever you lost, but our ability is limited to those who recently passed, and they have to be relatively whole. Unless you have their body here and they died in the last hour, I am afraid we cannot bring them back."
"Fascinating," Hange said, breathing deeply and excitedly leaning forward. Levi grabbed the back of their jacket to keep them in place. "So you do not need to consume human flesh? And what qualifies as 'whole?' Dismemberment? Disembowelment? Decapitation? Do you need the head or the torso?"
Hange's... Hange-ness put off the group from the right side and the graduates behind them.
"Human. Devil. Angel. Taste bad." Ophis added 'helpfully.' "Squish or blast."
She said it all as she dangled Issei upside down by his hand without looking at the group.
"...meat," Sasha muttered, drooling at the smells coming from the tables. She'd subtly inched her way closer and was now out of formation.
Connie tried to pull her back, but she struggled free.
"Is no one going to help me!?" Issei begged but was summarily ignored.
He hit his head on the ground again.
"I think we need more answers before anything else," Erwin said eventually, gesturing for the soldiers to put down their weapons, except for Levi's, which he took and ran the blade across his hand.
Not his palm, as that was an excellent way to get permanent damage and blood loss, but rather across his knuckles.
Despite being a sword made to cut Titan's flesh, the blade did not so much as scratch his skin.
"Not like we can do anything to each other at the moment," he said as he looked at his unblemished skin.
"Then how about I use our last question to get some information we can all use," Sirzechs suggested. "Once we use them all, we will begin this 'reading,' which I believe was the original reason we were brought here and will give us the most information."
Nobody seemed to disagree, so the Lucifer turned to the figure on the stage.
Erwin did note the blase way most on the right side of the room were handling the situation. They were still wary and cautious, but they seemed to adapt quickly to this absurdity. In fact, many seemed even eager.
The Reader was still seated in their bean bag, the silly disguise over a face of shadow, and was now drinking a colourful drink out of a swirly straw.
"You said we would understand why we were chosen to attend this as the story progressed. Why was this... event set up in the first place?"
"Curiosity. A whim of a capricious being to ask a question: When presented with Knowledge, what will you do? There are no wrong answers. Just choices. Knowledge? Or ignorance? They simply wanted to explore a possibility of a possibility of a possibility."
The figure took another sip from their fruity drink as they finished speaking.
The answer was... helpful in a way. It told them the being behind this, for all their power, didn't wish them harm. It was also so vague as to be almost useless.
Erwin frowned slightly as Sirzechs looked at him. Almost everyone was looking at him, and he took a long time to speak.
"Of the beings in this room," he said slowly, choosing his words carefully. "Who are the greatest threats to humanity?"
There were raised eyebrows, but the Reader paused for the first time before answering.
"Due to the complex nature of the question and the possible answers, I will allow you to make a clarification. Do you wish to know who is an existential threat to humanity leading to extinction or who is most likely to cause significant loss of human life? You may use both your remaining questions to get both answers."
Erwin's frown deepened, and he thought some more.
There was a trap there.
Strictly speaking, anyone who was a risk of leading humanity to extinction should be the one also most likely to kill a bunch of humanity.
On the surface, the first question should be the one answered.
But Erwin had also placed his own trap in his question. He needed to know who was more trustworthy among not only the people from the right side of the room but also the Reader and even those with suspicious points on his own side.
He hadn't ignored the odd descriptors of 'Warrior' or that four new graduates were placed above Levi as threats if that was how the Reader chose the order of introductions.
... Even if someone could not pose a threat of extinction due to weakness or inability, that didn't mean they could be trusted.
"The second question only."
"Everyone here poses a risk to large numbers of humanity, on purpose or on accident. Some just have more power. But, in order of likelihood of causing a significant loss of life to humanity deliberately, the most probable ones are thus: Eren Yeager. Cao Cao. Bertolt Hoover. Reiner Braun. Annie Leonhart."
There were cries of denial and outrage.
"Why?" Eren cried. "There's no way that's true!"
"I don't know, nyaa~" Kuroka giggled teasingly. "Humanity is pretty good at killing each other. Most devils and monsters don't really care about humans. Why would we kill a bunch of you?"
Perhaps only a few noticed how she subtly shifted, so she stood between Eren and Koneko.
"Aren't you a devil?" Reiner frowned, crossing his arms. "Why should we believe you? Nobody on your side seems to like you."
"It doesn't make sense," Annie agreed, her face blank as she pointed at Ophis. "None of us can do what she did."
Ophis had given up trying to get Ddraig to talk to her and was now just standing in place, staring blankly into space.
"Like I said, Ophis is... unique," Sirzechs shrugged. "Would you care about the ants that build their home on another continent? Would you go out of your way to kill them? And each of our factions needs humanity in one way or another. The only reason a lot would die because of us is if the Great War broke out again, and none of us want that."
"Or if someone caused an incident out of bias," Serafall said, sticking her tongue out at Cao Cao, who had narrowed his eyes at the Reader.
"What's a continent?"
The voice, one who hadn't spoken until now, stopped any argument before it could start.
Koneko asked the question as everyone stared at the boy who had spoken.
"...What?" the Rook deadpanned.
Armin Arlet flushed in embarrassment as even Eren and Mikasa looked at him curiously.
"It's just... the words..." he mumbled, voice getting quieter and quieter under all the attention until it was unintelligible.
"What do you mean, Armin," Mikasa asked gently, trying to encourage her friend.
"...You've been using a lot of words I don't know. I thought... why? It may be important. Like, where are you from?"
"But how do you not know what a continent is?" Issei asked, trying to rearrange his clothes. "I'm an idiot, and I know what they are."
"Hey!" Eren growled, stepping up to the other teen. "Armin's smarter than you'll ever be."
"I think this is a lack of education, not intelligence," Sona said in agreement, her glasses glittering. Then she answered Armin's question. "A continent is a large landmass, usually above a tectonic plate, surrounded by the ocean. There are seven or six continents on Earth, depending on how you wish to count Eurasia, including Africa, Oceania, North America, South America, and Antarctica."
If she thought her description would help, she was mistaken.
"What's 'the ocean?'" Hange asked, looking at the younger woman glasses to glasses.
That... got some befuddled looks.
Sona, confused but always willing to teach, answered.
"An ocean is... well, oceans are generally subdivided, but essentially, it is a massive body of saltwater containing a wide variety of aquatic and semi-aquatic life forms, both plant and animal. They cover roughly seventy percent of the Earth's surface."
It barely took a moment for their words to sink in, but Armin lept on them, now confident of his guess.
"You're from beyond the walls!"
His words, in turn, led to a more visceral reaction from those on his side.
"Nah, can't be. There's nothing beyond the walls but Titans," Jean instantly denied.
"Everyone knows that," Annie said bluntly, crossing her arms and looking at the other side. "They're strange, but they're not Titans. Probably from one of the northern districts. Or from inside Wall Sheena."
"No." Erwin denied, his words and tone of voice instantly silencing the cadets. Levi's glare probably helped. "They are from beyond the Walls."
He had guessed as much as soon as he had gotten a look around. Their names were utterly foreign, as were their 'races' and looks. That woman clearly had inhuman traits. Being the commander, he had seen the King and the higher-ups of the kingdom and travelled to every part of the walls. Nobody like them existed in the interior.
Hange had perhaps guessed the same as Erwin but hadn't brought it up. Levi was just Levi.
Erwen hadn't brought it up because he didn't want to give away the fact that they were from inside the Walls.
Walls served two purposes. To keep things out...
... Or to keep things in.
If people existed beyond the Walls...
Erwin hadn't expected the cadets, still young and in shock about this situation, to piece it together based on a few words.
Still, those on the right hadn't reacted negatively to the knowledge they were from inside the Walls. In fact, they seemed confused and curious.
"I take it that you are from a rather... isolated community?" Michael hedged politically. "If you are dealing with Titans... probably in Greece. They have been confined there since the Olympians overthrew them. I was unaware that there were still humans in their prison with them. I shall talk to Zeus about extracting you."
"You... can get us out of the walls?" Eren asked, almost disbelieving. His side also looked at the angel in suspicion, disbelief, or hope.
"Nobody should be forced to endure Kronos and his ilk." Michael gave a soft head nod.
"Pardon me, Michal," another new voice spoke up hesitantly, holding no small amount of wariness. The Seraph turned to the Queen, and Akeno gave a polite but shaky smile. "I do not believe you are not speaking of the same 'Titan.'"
Far from being offended, the blond gave the half-devil a nod for her to explain.
"A... quirk of our Language ability is that it translates other languages to the one we are most familiar with. Japanese, in my case. When you say 'Titan,' I hear 'Taitan,' the word usually written in katakana to represent the predecessor of the Olympians. When they say 'Titan,' I hear 'Kyojin.' Literally 'Giant Man.'"
"I hear 'Juren' from them." Cao Cao nodded in agreement. He looked at the group on the left. "Describe these Titans."
(Issei's confused mutter of 'They aren't speaking Japanese?' was ignored.)
Hange needed no excuse.
"They are a fascinating lifeform," they began eagerly. "Humanoid in appearance, they range in height from two to twenty-five meters tall on average, though we have seen exceptions. The largest was the Colossal Titan, which appeared only once and stood at an estimated sixty meters. There are several fascinating aspects of their biology. First, they seem to operate solely on sunlight, having no need to eat at all. During the night, most shut down completely unless disturbed. Similarly, they have neither an anus for waste nor a urethra for urine expulsion, suggesting they do not even need water. In fact, they are completely lacking in any form of sexual characteristics. Despite their discrepancies in size and appearance, no Titan has ever been observed with genitalia or secondary sexual characteristics of any sort. Neither breasts nor buttocks. They also have a variety of other oddities. Their ability to heal from almost any wound. Their disproportionately light bodies for their size. The odd behaviour of Abnormals. Their focus on humans when they can't digest anything. Why do they ignore other animals, like horses? Where do they come from? Why do some seem intelligent? What happened to-"
"Excuse me," Sirzechs interrupted Hange's quick spew of words with a raised hand. His face was set in a severe look that pierced the captain. "Do you mean to say that these... Kyojin eat humans?"
"Yes," Hange nodded eagerly, their smile undiminished. "But why? It's not for survival. As far as we can tell, no Titan has ever died of starvation. And why just living humans? They do not target the dead. It makes no sense, especially considering that it is actively detrimental to them. Without a digestive system, they regurgitate the bodies when their stomachs are full, and their stomach acid is nowhere near powerful enough to melt them fully to make such a task easy. When a Titan is spitting up their victims, it is one of their most vulnerable moments, so it makes no sense. Unless there is something-"
"Hange," Erwin said simply. "That's enough."
Through it all, he'd been watching everyone closely. Those on his side had the usual reaction to Hange's exuberance. Disgust. Fear. Rage. A grim, fatalistic look in their eyes.
Especially those who'd survived the fall of Maria and been in Shinganshima. Their eyes held the shadow Erwin was used to seeing in his soldiers.
But the expressions on the other side of the room told him what he needed to know.
Baring Ophis, who was clearly inhuman in mindset and didn't care, the older member listened grimly. Just quiet disgust and grim acceptance.
The teens, however, were the real prize.
The boy, Issei, looked like he was going to vomit. He was the worst off, but none of the others could keep the horror or shock off their face. Even the slightly older members, Vali, Kuroka, and Cao Cao, held looks of disgust and revulsion.
Unless everyone here was a superb actor, this was the first time anyone had heard of Titans.
"And these walls were created to keep Titans out?" Azazel guessed. "That's how you survived without magic?"
Magic. There was a whole other topic that needed to be explored.
"They're a cage," Eren spat. "Once we kill them all, we won't need them anymore."
Erwin side-eyed the boy.
'The most likely to cause a significant loss of life.'
He hadn't forgotten that... or that four of the five mentioned were not only on his side but were part of this year's graduating cadets.
In the end, he needed to prioritize. If these... warriors had remained inactive for this long, combined with their inability to do harm in this place, then gathering more information was his priority.
"You have an idea." Sirzech's said. It was not a question.
"Our host mentioned something in their speech," Azazel waived at the Reader.
They were eating popcorn.
"'Two worlds, so different yet so similar.' It could have been hyperbole or even a reference to Earth and the Underworld, but I don't think so. I think they were being literal."
"You believe them to be from beyond the Gap?" Michael raised a brow, looking over the humans in interest.
"It's never been proven, but the theory for other worlds is sound," Azazel nodded. "And if the Reader is stronger than Ophis..."
The fallen didn't need to explain further.
If this being was so much stronger than Ophis, they could at least rival Great Red, the most significant impediment to exploring the Dimensional Gap.
"Other worlds?" Hange asked.
"A different reality," Azazel explained. "With different rules, planets, peoples, and even monsters. Our side has always believed that other worlds are theoretically possible, but we've never been able to prove it."
Erwin couldn't help the disappointment welling up in his chest.
Of everyone there, he'd been the most excited in this situation.
He'd controlled it, but the dream in his heart, nurtured in secret since his time as a boy who'd inadvertently asked the wrong question and gotten his father killed, had stirred when he'd deduced these beings weren't from within the walls.
He'd been right, but they were from so far away that they couldn't answer the burning question in his heart.
Was his father right?
Erwin's gaze turned toward their... 'host.'
If these others did not have his answer, then the 'Reader' might.
They had one question left.
Did Erwin risk the possibility of the answer not being in that book? He'd regret it for the rest of his life if it wasn't.
But this being, this Dangerous Reader, seemed to be all-knowing. And powerful.
One question.
Knowledge.
Or ignorance.
"Erwin."
Erwin looked at Levi as his name was called out. Then he looked to Hange. To the graduates. To the possible traitors.
Erwin felt all eyes on him. Those present and those whose corpses he stood atop as commander of the survey corps.
They all looked at him.
One question left.
Erwin had sent men and women out to die. Made decisions that cost tens of lives.
Never had he felt so torn.
Only one question.
His dream...
...Or the hearts humanity had dedicated to a future that might be impossible.
"What is the best way to destroy every titan in the world so they will never bother humanity again?"
Erwin Smith made the choice and hated it.
It was the wise one, he knew. The fact that he was here, according to the Reader, meant he had something to learn from this book. If that was the information he'd chased his entire life, then wasting this question to get that answer would be unforgivable.
Actionable information, one that probably wasn't in that book, was the best gain. More than theoretical knowledge that Hange could gain through experimentation, a plan to eliminate the threat entirely was what humanity needed.
Not once had they ever reclaimed anything from the Titans, and this was their chance.
Erwin asked the question as the weight of the dead hung on his shoulders.
The Dangerous Reader's features were still concealed by the shadows, yet when they answered, one could almost imagine the smile in their voice.
"The best method available to you, at this moment, to guarantee the extermination of all Titans is to ensure that Eren Yeager listens to this story all the way to the end."
All eyes fell on the boy once more. Some in curiosity, some in confusion, many in suspicion.
For his part, Eren looked befuddled as Mikasa stepped between him and the rest of the room. She didn't say anything, but her stance was clear.
If they wanted Eren, they needed to get through her first.
Eren, of course, ignored it and stepped toward the Reader.
"What's your problem with me? What do you mean with all this crap?"
The Dangerous Reader didn't answer. They just put down their popcorn, wiped their hand on the bean bag, and reached toward the small dias.
Eren tried to approach but couldn't move beyond the small barrier separating the stage from the rest of the room.
As the Reader pulled the book closer, leaning back in their seat to get comfortable and opening the cover, the room occupants also took their seats.
Well, most of them.
Many still grouped together, either for safety or to talk in hushed whispers. A few, such as Cao Cao, Vali, or Levi, remained standing to keep their guard up.
Issei just stood there awkwardly, unsure what to do.
Ophis was as animated as a statue and just as engaged as one.
Once the murmurs of conversation died down (and Armin and Mikasa managed to wrangle Eren into a seat), The Dangerous Reader adjusted their novelty glasses and mustache, cleared their throat dramatically, and began to read.
"On The Bench-"
Unfortunately, this was too much. The torture had been going on for too long, and a question that went unanswered spilled out from desperate lips.
"When can we eat!?"
The Dangerous Reader paused mid-sentence, leaned forward slightly over the book, and, though nobody could see their face, everyone knew they were giving Sasha Blouse The Look that all teachers gave to disruptive students.
Sasha didn't look repentant in the slightest, glaring back at the powerful being even as Connie tried to cover her mouth and Jean smacked her on the back of her head.
The Reader didn't answer. It would only speak the words on the page.
But they did waive dismissively toward the back of the room as they resettled in.
Sasha whooped in joy and burst from her friend's grasp, running toward the food and drink behind them.
She immediately began stuffing her face.
Connie and Jean shared a long-suffering look.
Then they went to join her, afraid nothing would be left for them.
Most of the other graduates trickled over with a bit more decorum and began eating the best meal of their lives.
Those on the right side of the room watched them in fascination and disbelief as they descended on the food like a pack of starving hyenas.
After a moment, Kuroka let out a throaty chuckle and sauntered over to pour herself a cup of sake.
"Aren't you a lively lot, nyaa~"
"Meat~" Sasha... moaned... through a mouthful of steak, tears streaming down her eyes in rapturous joy.
Kuroka's eyes softened the tiniest bit, and she left them to eat their meal, retaking her seat in the corner with her drink in hand.
Once she was gone, Koneko snuck over to the food table, accompanied by others enticed by the delicious smells or the prospect of something to drink while they listened.
After a moment of no one else speaking and under the sound of ravenous feasting, the Reader began once more.
"On The Bench."
And so began the tale, in that dream that might disappear at any moment.
A possibility of a possibility of a possibility.
"Chapter One."
Would anything come of its telling?
Possibly not.
"To You, A World Away."
But the hope that something better might arise from painfully gained Knowledge was enough justification to tell it.
創作者的想法 
ReadingDangerously
ReadingDangerously ReadingDangerously, WTF is this?
This, my dear readers, is part 1 of two of an omake for On The Bench.
I wanted to do something as a thanks to everyone who wrote their own and celebrate the anniversary of On The Bench. I was thinking about various ideas and, by chance, came across a 'Reading Fic.'
The pun called to me.
Reading fics aren't really my cup of tea. Too often, they add nothing to the story and don't really capitalize on what might be their greatest hope. The character development of the 'canon' characters exploring their future/past/possibility.
Since OTB is a fanfiction, and the epilogue can be considered a fanfiction of a fanfiction, I thought it would be funny to make a fanfiction of a fanfiction of a fanfiction.
Since it's my fanfiction all the way down, I have created the ultimate form of masturbatory writing!
Then I hit a snag.
I took it too seriously and created a (roughly) 15k monstrosity!
Who could have expected this from me, ReadingDangerously, who created a 150k word 'prologue' for Rapturous Rapsody and turned my 75k word fic, On The Bench, into a 350k monstrosity?! It's unthinkable. Inconceivable!
Honestly, it's been fun to write again after a month and a half off. I will not be doing a whole 'Reading Fic' for OTB.
Not only would that cut off time from other stories I'm working on, but it would also be too masturbatory for even me.
So, you'll have to settle for this, the intro, and chapter 1 on Sunday. That will be the last posting for On The Bench. A sad farewell, but one that has to come at some point.
I will see you all on Sunday.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票