Infinity in the Void – Freedom in the Abyss

Beta-05, or as commonly known by her team - Raef. She did not think she would have to deal with an uncontrollable girl, she thought Charlotte was a perfectly reasonable person.

But no, she was assigned to an insane child, pretty scary with how she can accurately dodge and even stand on top of the Custodian's spear. As if she already read his movement before he even acted.

Justice is a scary Concept.

Now, she was chasing Charlotte down, trying with utter failure to get near her. The only saving grace was the tracker Charlotte is holding, the Custodian Badge.

With her modules, she watched as Charlotte going... in the wrong direction. 

Where is she heading? Raef wondered.

Raef just keep running even in her tired state. Nothing would stop her from completing her mission, to keep an eye on Charlotte.

"Gem Holders are frightening...", she muttered to herself, dodging a stray cat running the opposite way.

The operative remembered her father, one of the person who helped in the construction of Novah, the Gem Holder of Jack the Ripper... no, Spring Heeled Jack. She remembered how scary and terrifying he could be.

And out there beyond this nation of hers, are even more horrific Gem Holders. Like the girl she was chasing, who held the Concept of Justice.

"To face against Conceptual Devils, you must think big.", she remembered her training, "Think... think... Justice... she would pursue evil if she sense it..."

There must be something nefarious going on for Charlotte to switch her route. So Raef decided to follow the girl.

Going around a chemical shop, trying to be careful to not step on any bottles the owner threw out. Raef always hated these part, with little to no regulation thanks to a certain general, people can get away scot free with little things like littering or throw away dangerous chemicals.

Raef shivered, think about the Research Zone, that place stinks with chemical. Everyone there have to wear gas mask and protective geats to protect themselves.

Running for a while longer, she noticed the artificial sun is closing ever so slightly. She has to hurry... especially with the area Charlotte is heading to be a worse part of Novah.

Raef tapped the side of her helmet, "Alpha-01, this is Beta-05."

Her leader picked up instantly.

[Report, over.]

She responded like the uptight soldier she is, "My partner, Corday, is heading to Serisla Street. I need directives, over."

[Keep an eye on her, don't let her be out of your sight for too long. Over]

"Roger, over and out.", Raef cut the call and scrambled the channel to another code.

"Fuck... more running."

=0=0=

So this is Serisla Street... another fancy name for the apartment area. Since Novah is inside a volcano with no land to expand to, these housing style has become popular.

And this place can house criminals due to the lack of background check. A perfect place for an anarchy organization to stay off the grid, while inside the grid.

My target is here.

"Pan, which complex is it?", I asked the bird, looking at the hundreds of tall and big complexes in front.

"The most foul smelling one.", it chirped.

"Which one is that?", I tilted my head, looking around... there are at least ten or so building that look old and suspicious.

"Follow.", and it flew off again.

Running with the bird, I came in front of the complex painted white... the paint isn't even dried yet, I can smell the paint...

So this is what Pan meant by foul smelling, the smell of fresh paint. So I entered the front door, walking casually to the receptionist who was reading something on his phone. He was fat, big, and very filthy...

He glanced at me, "What do you want?"

I flashed the badge, making his eyes widen.

"Inspection.", I said.

He regained his composure right away, "Heh, do you think that little toy would scare me? How can you prove that it's the real deal?"

I see, no point in talking with these type. I pulled out my silver gun, pointing at his fat, greasy belly.

"You don't have the gall—"

BANG!

And I punched a hole right through his gut. White lines of the holy corruption spread across his body...

"Delusion.", I returned his body back to before I put a bullet in him.

"Okay! Okay! I get it! What the fuck do you want?!", he was terrified.

"Inspection.", I repeated.

"Just... just go.", he seemed to be tired. Meeting Death tends to to that to people.

I went up the stairs, with Pan following me.

"First floor, room 108.", it said.

"Okay.", I nodded.

With my gun drawn, I quietly steps around, not making a sound. I am on a hunt, and I am the hunter. Those who use my name in vain... they shall be punish.

My hand loosely traced the rooms to feel the movement behind them. Room 101, a man in sleeping with the TV still on. Room 102, two people are doing it. Room 103, a boy is playing video games alone. Room 104, an orgy. Room 105, a dark shadow stood unmoving in the middle of the room. Room 106, a couple who was shouting at each other. Room 107, a man is baiting people with his female cosplay.

And room 108, people... a lot of them... carrying explosives and guns... how did they even get them here?

No matter, this isn't important at all...

"My name... is Charlotte Silvi, owner of the Akashic Records.", the mask crawled off my face.

I busted down the door, stopping the discussion they are having. Reverie evaporated out of my body, turning into gold particles.

"Devils of the Void, They who embodied Infinity."

They did not wait for an explanation and aimed their rifles at me. My eyes turned from their azure color into a deep glimmering gold.

Hehahaha.... they don't know what is coming, or do they? No, that is not a possibility...

"The Light at the end of The Tunnel, where all shall find Salvation."

The bullet went flying, there is nothing for me to do... or is there? The golden particle formed a cloak, drapped over my body. Bullets all bounced off...

"Warmth and Comfort of the End."

A lamp formed on my left hand, lighting up the dark room. The agents of the Insurgency covered themselves instinctively.

"The Despair that leads to Euphoria..."

I walked slowly, holding a pocket watch with a golden chain.

What am I going to do... to do... hehahaha...

"Anima Pactum - Hope."

"Be afraid... not, ladies and gentlemen.", I spot softly, and in a cryptic way.

"I am here to offer you a gift...", I smiled, hiding my lamp under my cloak.

"What are you?", one of the men in black asked me.

To that question, I just giggled. I can taste their fear, so... so sweet... then let me plunge you deeper into despair... for you to find Hope...

"Akashic Insurgency... those who seek to dominate the world... those who sought out relics of the past yet never look to the future..."

I clicked my watch, and the entire room was consumed in darkness... no, not darkness. They are in my library, the Akashic Library.

"Let us play a game.", I clicked my watch once again.

Some of them tried to shoot me... but all are useless here... the guns fell apart, sinking into the abyss below.

"This place is the Akashic Library... which held everything you want to find.", I clicked my watch, "Everything you could ever... heha... Hope for... is here."

I walked towards them, and in response, they all ran away. Hehahaha... where will they even run to? They cannot escape this place, they can never...

...unless they win.

"Your objective of this... game... is to find your book.", I clicked the watch one final time.

Towers of book shelves rose up, as high as the sky, as far as the horizon...

"Hehaha... in this place, you cannot harm other, you cannot go hungry, you cannot go thirsty... you can only age, and find your book."

This is the Anima Pactum of Hope, the ability to set up games, trials... which are all seemingly impossible.

Hope, represent humanity's drive to go past their current selves, to find salvation, to reach the end of the tunnel, for survival... or for happiness. To turn impossibility into possibility.

An impossible game with a sliver of hope... this is my brand of cruelty... humanity's cruelty.

The price for using this Anima Pactum is... I have to participate in the game itself.

So, I walk around, letting Survive guide me through this maze. Looking around, everything was almost the same, books with white cover, steel shelves, again and again. The only thing that are different about them is the thickness, as some contained more information than other.

I took out a book, reading through it just for my enjoyment. Hm, Super AI capable of controlling the entire human population.

Don't need that. I placed the book back into the original place.

The entire library rumbled, shuffling the books in random order.

Hehahahaha... this is where the difficulty spiked. Every time you take out a book, everything will shuffle, it also happens when you put the book back in.

So, continuing to follow Survive, I found the Akashic Insurgency are panicking like they should be.

"Get us out of here!", one of them yelled at me, he tried to strangle me with his bare hands.

Yet again, the rules are enforced. An invisible barrier stopped him from getting too close to me.

"No violence allowed.", and I kept going on my way, leaving them as the library shuffle again, a wall of bookshelves moved in between to separate us.

For there to be Hope, there need to be despair. Hehahaha... cruel... just like all human are at their worst.

I stopped by a shelf, Survive guided me to pick out a specific book. I pulled it out, 'The Silver Princess of Humanity' was it's title.

And I open it...

Ah, I was back in the room. While they are still stuck in the Akashic Library.

The spare weapons and explosives are still here. Oh, Beta-05 is coming close.

So I dispelled my Anima Pactum. Returning to normal... another weird one. My mask crawled back onto my face.

"Corday! There you are!", Beta-05 shouted, the next moment she became quiet.

"I dealt with them.", I said to her, "Justice was... served."

"No survivor?", she put on her professional voice.

"They are...", what would I say to stay on the line of Justice...

Right...

"...on trial, I used my Anima Pactum. Let's go, there are probably more...", there are more weapons than the number of people here... was here.

The bird chirped in confirmation.

"But what about these weapons, you can't just leave them here.", Beta-05 said.

"Contact M— Alpha-01, he's your leader, right?", I almost said Man-niisan.

"Roger.", she saluted.

Beta-05 is in business mode now.