---

It began simply. A standard day, the morning of August 17th in a simple town. Children had left for class, university students were hefting themselves out of bed, and working-age men and women were on their daily commutes. A simple day that couldn't be distinguished from any other by a standard observer.

-And yet, there was a single change. For, on this day, the pieces had all been gathered.

Random chance and circumstance, natural progression of events, the pull of fate. Whatever one would choose to call it, that unseen force lurking in the backdrop of the world had acted, stretching back years upon years to bring those very pieces here. Now, at long last, they had been gathered here, and the boundary around the city of Riversfield had been set.

Subtlety was key. Simply placing a barrier around the city would serve the intended purpose, but it was important that the progression was natural. The pieces were not allowed to be aware that something was wrong in these idle daily lives they lived until the Naraka System had been engaged. To that end, that power this woman had been granted use of, the weaving of fate and circumstance, had been used to its fullest today. Meetings with a client outside the city were cancelled because the client fell ill, the university students who commuted outside of town had their classes suspended for the day, and so on. Circumstances had all been changed on this morning and in the preceding days to ensure that none of the pieces would leave Riversfield before night fell and Naraka began.

"...now, what's this sinking feeling?"

It was not for uncertainty of what was to come. No, she was as adept as one could be in use of the Naraka System. It was designed for her to wield, after all. But in spite of that, in spite of the indisputable fact that this Naraka would begin and progress exactly as was expected, there was some feeling of unease that formed a cold pit in her stomach. Something was wrong, something here was different than it should have been, and yet it was something she could not place.

...could it be nerves? How childish. After ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■ of this, to suddenly become nervous. Pushing this feeling to the back of her mind, she clenched her right hand into a fist before unclenching it.

"May the great Mother use my flesh as she sees fit."

Muttering a prayer that had long since become mere habit, she set the curtain upon the stage.

-And with night's fall, it would be drawn back, and the tragedy would begin.

"..."

"Dear Krause Barleyton."

"We have experienced a change in schedule that impacts your upcoming flight. Please see the changes to your itinerary below."

He clicked and refreshed the page of the email, as though hoping that it would in fact go away or say something else.
The page that greeted him time and time again stood unflinchingly with the conviction of fearless 1's and 0's that could not understand human emotion. Yet, with the slight flicker that spread across the screen. That he wondered whether it that was the product of unclear eyes losing focus from alcohol. Or if it was the power of the laptop laid across the table he half slumped over, half stared at from an odd angle.

He'd already been drinking. There was nothing left for him to do that he had to come in properly for. But as he racked his knuckles against a glass he pondered that he had a reason for it for once. Passing on the first cab for his boss and a woman that he had apparently picked up somehow. Delayed with a taxi with a tire that got ripped. Traffic that seemed to clog up the sub-urban artieries of the highway just for him.

He had to get back, but apparently every flight home was canceled and moved onto a to be determined date. For that matter there wasn't really an option back that he could figure out. What was to be a series of business trips around and meetings culminated in a sleepy town now ended up an impromptu stranded day to week. The small hotel room found itself swiftly decorated with the hallmarks of Krause Barleyton's presence. Clothes littered, a bottle or two lined up on a table that swiftly were emptied and transformed into hollow tall-standing pillars of glass.

There weren't options that were practical for leaving in a timely fashion so he wrote out a mail to his workplace. But the laptop was left, staring at the back of the man who left his hotel room, forgetting to send it and not even bothering to close the computer.

...

Ah, there was no point in being here.

Almost as though guided by the mocking hand of fortune the window overlooked a park where a baseball field proudly stood still. As the dirt and grass-seeded world shone in his eyes, his gaze guided by the setting sun's rays falling upon it, a cone similar to the field that seemed to fill it perfectly. The game that he so desired to leap back into immutable in comparison to his vision that seemed to get more and more blurry.

...

Ah, what was he doing?

The moment he opened his eyes that seemed to close of his own violation he was in the field. A plastic bat for kids, not even a true bat but one for softball, as though showing how far he fell, held in his hands. Another bottle slipped from his other hand as he stumbled towards the mound. His hand clenched tight.

Ah, why was he here?... no, the real question was why wasn't he here? Why wasn't he at the bat? in the field? The question came with a surge of anger. Why? why? why?

He raised his bat over his head, fingers clenching the handle hard enough for his fingers to feel cold. The rest of his body shuddered, but his hands, for that moment, only now, felt as steady as they were back then.

With a cry he swung down, pining for the days he had lost.

If only if he could...

But that would be a miracle that laid within the realm of the impossible.

With the creaking of an opening door, Darien was drawn back to reality from a brief moment of daydreaming. He was seated in a corner office, as was his right as the owner of the company that he was seated in. With a cold look in his eyes, he glanced at the man that had dared to interrupt his moment of rest. A middle aged man in a form fitting black suit. An employee that he had brought with him specifically as a bodyguard and secretary of sorts. He had better had a reason.

"What is it?"

His words were sharp and curt, allowing for no hesitation or excuses to be given.

"Sir. The owners of our intended acquisition have fallen seriously ill and had to postpone your meeting. It seems as though we will be stuck here for a short while."

How annoying. Well, there was nothing for it. This probably had its own opportunities as well.

"Fine. Send them a small gift and wish for them to get well in the future. They will be our employees in the future after all."

There was nothing wrong with using this time to expand his influence around the town so that everything would be properly prepared for the time he purchased it all.

With a nod, the suited man departed to complete the tasks given to him. As the door closed, Darien leaned back in his chair and looked out his window at the town that would be his eventually. Hmmm. His schedule was clear for the day now.

With a sigh, he stood and left to exercise. Might as well spend the time here improving his prospects for the future. He would train and expand his circle of contacts in the town while he waited for the business meeting he had previously scheduled to get back on track. One step at a time.

In time, night fell, and with it, the assembled pieces slept. The lonely moon stood overhead, eyeless gaze staring down at the city below.

"...now then, let's begin. Wake up."

---

They were arranged in a circle.

As the group of humans awoke, they would find themselves arranged in a circle relative to one another, splayed out on what they would recognize as the ground of one of Riversfield's northern parks, as though they had been sleeping there. With their gradual awakening from sleep, they would likely wrack their brains for justification as to how they were here, considering that their last memory was falling asleep on a standard night.

Words drifted through their minds. Perhaps some would recognize these words, but for most they were nothing more than vaguely Hebrew-sounding words. Assiah. Yetzirah. Beriah. And with each word came knowledge, something implicit that they knew as though they'd known it all their life. Illogical abilities tied to each of these words, based around the nexus point of their existence that they'd always known in the backs of their minds.

Shortly after this, they would realize that others were waking up near them. Then would be the realization that they were in a circle. Then would be the realization that there stood a lone figure in the circle's center, perfectly viewable. The figure was a mature woman, dressed in a manner one would expect of someone going out for Halloween night festivities, and yet her face betrayed no hint of this being some elaborate prank.

"The Naraka System should be providing you information on your Assiah, Yetzirah, and Beriah at this time."

...then, one more realization would come.

-The sky was red. A vibrant, beautiful, horrible red.

"Allow me to congratulate you. For being partially aware of your existence's core desire, and for having a core desire strong enough to be made manifest, you have been chosen as participants of Naraka. Once you are all on your feet, I will explain what this arrangement has been made for. Do not be panicked, you are in no danger at the moment."

All things considered, yesterday had been almost shockingly ordinary - so ordinary that Victoria hadn't even been able to find anything worth truly hating in it, which in and of itself was almost upsetting. She'd awoken as she was accustomed to, gone through her morning routine in the same amount of time it always took her, walked to school without anything notable interrupting her trip, and then had attended all of her regular classes, none of which had contained anything of any especial note. There were no major upcoming assignments, no surprise quizzes, no long-term projects, and no classes canceled or schedules otherwise altered. There hadn't even been any run-ins with her more brazen antagonists to give her anything to be particularly upset about or preoccupied with. While normally she'd have appreciated such peace, combined with the complete lack of anything else of note, it had almost felt like the entire day had simply slipped by without her noticing.

Of course, she hardly intended to complain. Peace was a luxury she was rarely offered, and boredom was certainly preferable to misery. But by this point she was so used to the latter that the former almost unnerved her more. Of course, she would hardly have called herself a believer in the karmic notion that bad would follow good and good would follow bad so that all fortunes equalized in the end. While it was reflective of a general statistical tendency of the sort that disproved such superstitious notions as "luck," such things were hardly scientific facts. And yet, when she'd gone to sleep that night, she hadn't quite been able to shake the notion that her peace today had been bought at the price of pain tomorrow, and that something terrible would await her in the future.

So, when she awoke in an empty park, several songs from her favorite album suddenly stuck in her head and inexplicably associated with words she didn't understand, Victoria almost managed to tell herself that she'd been absolutely right in her doubts, and felt quite vindicated before it fully set in that this wasn't just some sort of particularly bizarre dream conjured up by her own paranoia. Where exactly was she? She sat up and began glancing suspiciously back and forth, her unease only growing when she realized she was surrounded by other sleepers only just beginning to wake. Had she been abducted in her sleep? It seemed like the only rational explanation for the bizarre situation in which she now found herself, since if she'd simply sleepwalked, there wouldn't be other people in the same situation as herself, now would there have been? She was used to garden variety misfortune, but... really? An abduction?

...No, really? The more she thought about it, the more it didn't make sense. If she'd been abducted, then surely she wouldn't have come to her senses in the city park, with nothing to restrain her and nobody to keep watch over her. Besides, why would someone like her be abducted in such a peaceful city as this, anyway? None of it made sense. And why...

...Why exactly was the sky a shade as red as blood? And why was there a witch standing over her? And why... Why did this all feel so natural all of a sudden that she could hardly find it in herself to question it?

The hands that push away the world.

Irrational means used to defy the irrationality of the world.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

A way to make it stop, a tool for the prevention of pain.

In simpler terms, these sorts of happenings, the sorts of thoughts she was now thinking, the thing she desired above all else... These could all be called "magical," yes? She had neither the faintest clue or notion of what was happening, but as thoughts that shouldn't have been her own aligned themselves, she began to understand what she was now capable of, and what she had to do.

Rising to her feet, she dusted herself off, and inspected her attire. A hoodie and a long shirt worn as pajamas, thankfully sufficiently oversized to maintain her modesty. That, or her own body was sufficiently undersized... She never thought she'd give thanks for her own tiny stature, but for now, it seemed like an advantage, at least. In any case, she had bigger things to worry about, like what this "Naraka" was, and what exactly this witch-like woman meant by "not in danger at the moment." Hardly a comforting choice of words, that, and yet for some reason, Victoria felt... Was that hope? It was almost as if... Almost as if she was on the cusp of getting everything she ever wanted, if she played her cards right. It still seemed far too strange to believe, and yet...

"'If it be thus to dream, then still, let me sleep,'" She murmured to herself, an ever-so-faint smirk forming on her lips as she inspected those around her. She had a gut feeling that the reactions of the others caught in this place with her could tell her a great deal about where she was... and about what the "danger" the woman had spoken of might have been.

---

---

Before he awoke in the strange situation that the cast had found themselves in, Tahp had first awoken to a perfectly normal day like any other.

He awoke and freshened up for the day by taking a nice hot shower, followed by brushing his teeth and drinking a glass of milk to start the day off with strong bones. Strong bones were rumored to be helpful to people who had to deal with harassment on a daily basis.

Afterwards, he put on his favorite attire consisting of uh... whatever was readily available at the time. Today, it was a black trench coat with numerous zippers that closed pockets too small for anything important to fit inside, and some cargo pants with small belts on one leg so it was asymmetrical and probably a pain to look at, but that was just how he decided to live his life. The trench coat was, of course, custom-made using the money he obtained by beating up some kid who called him weird while his parents weren't looking. Some combat boots found their way onto his feet as well.

Grabbing his trusty shades and stepping out the door to his apartment, Tahp Gundo had believed that today would be nothing more than another dull day. He was on his way to work when things suddenly went dark.

....

....

....

"Where am I?"

The young man groaned as he pushed himself off the floor he had suddenly found himself in. His head pounded and something felt very, very wrong. Initially oblivious to everything else in the immediate vicinity, his hands shot into his pocket and he grabbed his wallet and opened it.

Nothing, as far as money goes.

"Ah, doesn't look like I was..." he caught the mistake he made. "Wait!? I did have money!!"

While normally he was struggling to stay afloat, today was an exception. He had money leftover from some thugs he beat up a couple days ago for their inability to respect his stylish decisions. He hadn't spent it all yet, so there should still be some left in his wallet. Where did it go? He hadn't seen them when he was walking through the area he had encountered them before, so would he even be able to get more money from them? Wait... didn't his memory cut out there, too?

Those bastards! Taking money that doesn't belong to them! I looted it fair and square!

It wouldn't be a huge setback though. He could use his fists to get more money, and there were plenty of thugs and kids around that would say the wrong words to him. It was only a matter of time...

Tahp heard a voice and looked up. He wasn't alone, but there was another issue. He wasn't in Kentucky anymore. Or was it Kansas? Alabama? Anyways, he wasn't home and that reference was botched in his mind. Oh well. Things looked pretty spooky, but like in an anime kind of spooky, so he figured it would be best to listen before acting like some sort of fool. Besides, there were words he didn't know floating through his head. Were they like German or Italian? They probably meant something cool.

"Allow me to congratulate you. For being partially aware of your existence's core desire, and for having a core desire strong enough to be made manifest, you have been chosen as participants of Naraka. Once you are all on your feet, I will explain what this arrangement has been made for. Do not be panicked, you are in no danger at the moment."

Tahp looked around and his eyes settled on some kid who, like everybody else in this current generation, felt entitled to complain all the time. It made him sick. Kids made him sick. People made him sick. Words made him sick. Actually, he might just be sick. Still, he had to be somewhat impressed by this kid's courage to sleep in spite of all the strangers and strange things happening around her. "You've got balls, I'll give ya that. Most people would at least ask for a blanket or something to lay on, the ground here sucks."

The only thing he could think of that would grab his attention more would be if she was even capable of getting in the shower AND THEN turning it on. But you couldn't expect that kind of courage even from the most hardened war veteran, he was sure of this.

She sat in a dark room, the sound of insects and keystrokes permeating the bareness that was her studio apartment. Normally, the neighbors would be fighting over this and that. It became almost an enjoyable experience to eavesdrop on these people, even if it did tend to take away from her Though she believed it never resulted in any sort of physical violence, it was clear that this couple wasn't happy with their marriage.

Emilia wasn’t the sort who cared much about any sorts of privacy.. Or perhaps she did care about such subjects when it applied to her. The sort that didn't care about the private lives of those who she had any sort of relations with, but would rather keep to themselves in regards to their personal demons.

The light of the moon came crashing through the slight crack in the haphazardly drawn curtains. Though it would be impossible for anyone to reach the second floor of her balcony to look at the young girl, sitting on her desk, staring at her computer screen with a ravenous fervor, yet vacuous, almost purposeless poise, a mechanical cacophony of pattering away as her fingers moved quickly upon her keyboard; far quicker than most else could really accomplish. Her clearly tired eyes seemed almost glued to the computer screen. Whatever she was invested in on the screen seemed to make the outside world almost inconsequential in her eyes. A robber could have entered her room and stolen her television, but not her computer, and she likely would not have noticed from her addictive stare into the screen.

She had been behind on her blog posts for some time now, often unable to post as regularly with the inclusion of classes into her daily schedule. Studying was important to her, as was being punctual, but at the same time Emilia tended towards the political.Often, one could say that Emilia was a bit of an “extremist”. She had a website, mostly for her discussing things on a political level.

Though she did make a small amount of money from these posts as donations on Patreon, money was inconsequential to Emilia, her personal bank account often getting filled by a father who was both rich and affluent in the political scene, but lost the love of his daughter, and with his wife passed on, only really understood how to provide some semblance of affection by throwing money at his problem until it went away.

A sigh of relief and a kick away from her machine, her chair rolling away from the desk towards her bed as in a single motion she jumped from her sitting position onto her bed. She wanted to sleep. Her body screamed for rest as she laid there

… for the entirety of a moment..

The blaring of her alarm had reinvigorated her, much to her chargin.

“Goddammit!” the girl yelled, perhaps waking up those who had not been woken up by their own alarm clocks, slapping at the tolling bell that came crashing to the floor, continuing it’s annoying ring until Emilia choose to get out from her lazing position to manually shut off the analogue clock’s alarm.

In her vigor, she had forgotten about the fact that she had school today. Running a few quick thought experiments about the prospect of perhaps sleeping in a day of school, a sigh of resignation had displayed her surrender to the fate of an awful school day.

“4 o’clock...This isn’t what I meant by “night classes”,” the student groaned to herself, a tad bit upset for the moment at something she really didn’t have control over.. By the time she had signed up for classes, many of the premium real estate was already shoved off to the more senior and wiser students who understood the intense benefit and purpose of punctuality.

With slow, sluggish movements, she had readied herself for the day ahead of her, quickly dressing in a makeshift outfit put together in perhaps a few moments time. Though her day would be tedious, she understood on a fundamental level the importance of punctuality. Regardless of this punctuality, even if she would be late, there would be no course of the day that would involve the girl not getting her morning coffee.

Arriving at her favorite chain coffee shop, she had ordered her standard, sugary order that seemed overly flamboyant for a morning brew. She sat down in a comfortable recliner that the coffee shop had allowed their consumers to take part of and connected her laptop to the wifi provided by the shop and began to scroll through, at first, the feedback she had been given on her blog post, responding to constructive comments that praised her work and banning usernames that seemed more malicious as she had always done, and then proceeded to look on a news blog she was subscribed and friends with the owner to see if there were any updates on said blog.

After a short amount of time, her searches tended towards more frivolous ideas such as browsing the posts of silly things on social media sites.

Looking to her phone, she realized that her time here would have to be cut short, and she began to pack her PC when something felt … odd … about her surroundings. Something that initially she couldn't really put understanding towards in her mind, feeling a bit sick at what her mind shouted to be impossible.

Impossible. Such a setup couldn’t have happened within the timeframe that Emilia remembered. Had she fallen asleep? What was going on here?

Surrounding her were several, people scattered around a rounded table in a room she could hardly discern any sort of shape or volume to. It was as if the girl had once again fallen asleep.. Likely, considering the complete lack of sleep from the night’s previous escapades. Had she taken a nap in the coffee shop?

No.

That couldn’t be it.

Looking around, the confused girl looked towards the first speaker, a strangely dressed woman in the middle of this table, as if presented as an offering on this very day to all those around. Her clothing seemed more kin to a cosplayer or a halloween costume than something casual or serious, which further seemed to suggest that what was occurring was little more than a dream..

"… My existence … core desire?” Emilia parroted the statement by the cosplaying older lady. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? Is this some sort of prank?”

Strange visions of a text she hardly understood plagued her sight, seemingly striping away from what she considered “sane” in this world. There was no way this could be happening. It was all just a dream. But even so, she couldn’t shake this feeling in the back of her mind that this was “real”. Though the entire feeling did tend towards the ethereal, there was something in her mind that shouted that though the events which had occurred seemed almost fantastical in their conception, there was no way that what was occurring before her was anything less than “real”.

“Who the hell are you people? I don’t understand what any of this means, you shitty cosplayer!”

Gin's life as a priest was always busy, but he never grew tired of it. The beginning of his day in the very early hours of the morning was delegated to taking care of the church itself. Of course, that meant cleaning and other bits of maintenance. A few hours with a broom, mop, and other cleaning supplies were more than enough to tackle that, though. Then came those who seeked guidance from God, whether that be to recite prayers, find repentance for their sins, or other things.

The children did what they could to help as well, but in the end, they were still only children, and eagerly set out to play once the daily duties were done. Gin didn't mind at all, and did his best to entertain them as they played together. Of course, Gin still had other chores to tackle, so he could not stay with them all the time. He made up for it at meal times, though, and the children ate happily, despite there only being simple meals. At last, the day ends, and the children are tucked into bed. Gin gives off a content sigh, happy with the life he currently had, before setting off to prepare for the next day.

Along the way, he falls asleep, tuckered out from all the work he's done.

This time, though, things changed from his normal routine....

---

Gin wakes up to find that things are no longer what they used to be. Instead of the ceiling of the church, he finds himself staring upward at a red sky. Rather than his head resting on a table, he is lying down on a field. Clearly, he was no longer at the church, which only begs the question: where was he right now?

First things first, though. A quick check of his belongings revealed that he was ready for outdoor travel at any time. Wallet, glasses, bible, cross, all accounted for and ready. A look around his surroundings showed that he was not alone, either. In fact, quite a number of people were around him, both awake and asleep. However, one person that really stood out from the rest was the woman in the center, dressed as what appeared to be a witch. What she began to say only made her stand out more:

"The Naraka System should be providing you information on your Assiah, Yetzirah, and Beriah at this time."

The What System? At first, Gin couldn't make sense of it, but the information soon appeared in his mind, as if it had been there this whole time. It was.... odd, to say the least.

"Allow me to congratulate you. For being partially aware of your existence's core desire, and for having a core desire strong enough to be made manifest, you have been chosen as participants of Naraka. Once you are all on your feet, I will explain what this arrangement has been made for. Do not be panicked, you are in no danger at the moment."

Gin pondered over the woman's words for a few moments, taking it in. This Naraka, whatever it was, was clearly no game. He had been through enough dangerous events to recognize it as such. What concerned Gin was what was going to happen in the future. For now, though, he would simply stand back and listen as he began to determine what his new abilities were capable of.

Things were going to be... different now, and he might as well be prepared to make the most of it.

Once the group of humans had properly gotten moving, the woman spoke up once more.

"Allow me to introduce myself. You may call me 'Yama', though I ask that you do not confuse me with the one who was originally granted that name. A god of his standing would likely be offended by such a comparison." She explained simply, her tone level and calm, save for the trace of a playful lilt underneath. "I spatially transferred all of you to this location, to explain what will begin shortly. For some of you, I attended to your...clothing, as well. I ask you hold your questions and statements of incredulity until I have finished speaking." Punctuating her statement with a dismissive wave, she went on.

"You see, you have no doubt noticed that this does not seem like the world you have lived in, the primary indication for that being the sky. That is because this is a separate dimensional space, a space known as 'Naraka' that I have created. Within this field, it is possible to ignite human desire. All of you humans have a desire at the core of your existence; in the case of ones such as you, who are halfway to becoming aware of it and who have a strong desire by human standards, it is possible to wield this desire in a manner that one could call 'magic'. This is the information you've received from Naraka, the information of what your own desire can achieve. By the way, do not attempt to utilize these abilities at the current time. This instance of Naraka is only partial, so most of these abilities are currently inaccessible. A little precaution to keep you from being unruly before my explanations have finished."

"Now then, allow me to cut to the chase. When I finish speaking here, I will send you back to where I had taken you from, and the first instance of Naraka will begin. From this point onwards, once a day, Naraka will appear. You will be able to notice it rather obviously, as not only will the sky take on the same color you see currently, but also, all life besides those of you present here will disappear from the city, leaving only wielders of magic." The woman explained, gesturing around her at the gathered group as if to further hammer this notion in. "It is there, in Naraka, you will fight to the death. A day's Naraka will not disappear and return you to your normal world until one of you dies, and if within twenty-four hours Naraka has not ended, all of you will immediately die as a result of the system, so do not think you can refuse to fight."

"Call this preposterous or whatever it is you like, you can even deny this as a dream, but this is the reality you will be forced to face when the first Naraka begins in a handful of minutes. This is a battle royale between each of you, and by the end of it only one of you will survive. As such, even if you think this is but a foolish dream...well, I wish you the best of luck."

"Those who are killed during Naraka will stay dead. When Naraka ends, those who died within it will be erased from existence; they will be forever forgotten by everyone, everyone besides you. Should you die in Naraka, your friends and family will not remember you, there will be no documents such as your birth certificate; all traces that you had ever existed will disappear, so do not think that the police can aid you here."

"In the first place..." Her expression darkened slightly, as though she'd just tasted something unpleasant. "If you really do attempt to bring others into this fray, I will simply kill them and you both. The rules to abide by to avoid my ire are simple: Do not inform or involve non-competitors with anything regarding Naraka. Do not kill, purposefully injure, attempt to kill, harass, or inflict any other form of antagonism upon non-competitors or competitors outside of Naraka. Do not attempt to defy me. So long as you are reasonable, there is nothing to fear."

"With that said, I am not heartless. In exchange for fighting, there is a prize at the end of this road. The one who defeats their competitors and wins gains a truly wonderful prize: A single wish, granted by the Naraka System. The dead can be revived, you can gain godlike power, the only restrictions are obvious ones. For instance, you cannot use that horribly human notion of 'wishing for multiple wishes', nor may you wish to end the Naraka System, or for a power that surpasses that of the Naraka System. Revival of the dead is limited to one individual, and historical alteration cannot breach that rule."

"This covers the explanation I will be giving. If you would like to ask clarifying questions regarding Naraka, the 'wish' of the victor, and the like, then feel free to do so. Any individual who declares how confident they are that forces such as magic do not exist and that this is some large-scale 'joke' or a dream will be proven incorrect in mere minutes, so I ask that they do not declare their skepticism. If you believe me to be a 'shitty cosplayer' who kidnapped you from your homes, or think this is a dream, then I ask that you play along." Spreading her arms like inviting a group hug, a coy smile split the woman's face in two. "So, do we have any questions?"

---

---

Tahp Gundo stepped away from the young, big-balled girl from before and let his attention rest on the weird woman in the middle of all of this. She called herself Yama and explained that they would be involved in some sort of battle to the death that also happened to utilize some form of magic granted from their "desire" and that these strange words he (and presumably everyone else) had been hearing were part of that. Furthermore, they could not involve others, refuse to fight, nor could they attempt to harm other competitors outside of this Naraka thing she was implementing.

It almost seemed like she was reciting rules to a game she had played many times.

This was a lot to attempt to process for once for the normal individual, but Tahp felt this was merely humanity's nature finally revealing its true form after hiding for so long. Humans don't care about each other, they merely want to ascend past all others. Gundo was not in shock in the least. Besides, he had another question that was of more importance to him than anything one might usually ask right about now. Not to say that his strategy for this "game" or how it would work out would be affected by this, maybe, but really he was pretty interested in giving this question a shot. Hopefully, he would get the answer he wanted.

So, in a serious tone with a similar expression on the face, he looked at the being known as "Yama" and asked her this before anybody else could voice their queries:

"Can I have your hat?"

Needless to say, Victoria's initial impression of the others around her was... less than stellar. For one thing, there was some idiot in a trench coat who, judging by his choice of "compliment," seemed to have somehow mistaken her for a boy. Really? She might not have been "curvy," persay, but it wasn't like her features were overly masculine! And what the hell was he talking about actually sleeping? It was as if he didn't even realize the meaning of her metaphorical words, let alone that she'd been quoting Shakespeare. Uncultured rube.

And then there was the Witch - Yama, as she called herself - who swiftly began... well, actually, what the hell was she even talking about? Her explanation of the "Naraka System," as she called it, appeared to line up with the new information that had appeared in Victoria's head, and the strange new powers her instincts told her she now possessed. And, leaving that much aside, she was standing in a park with a bunch of people she didn't know in the slightest, with no idea how she'd come to be there, and without a so much as a bird chirping to disturb the utter, unnatural silence of the lifeless world around her. Between that and the red sky... well, ridiculous though the situation might have seemed, it was a little hard not to believe the Witch's explanation.

Anyone else, put in her shoes, might have panicked, or been horrified by the knowledge that they'd have to kill in order to survive. And, even Victoria, who was well used to the fear Humans had towards "something foreign" that might take their own lives understood, in some sense, the enormity of what it was she would have to do. But simply thinking about it didn't change anything, so there was really no use dwelling on the inevitable loss of the lives surrounding her, now was there? Besides, they'd just as soon kill her in order to preserve themselves, so it wasn't personal or anything. There wasn't any reason to be upset, even for her own sake, since having her existence erased didn't sound all that different from what it was she desired in the first place. Whether she killed or was killed, where exactly did she come off losing? So, she shrugged, and moved on to what was clearly a much more pressing concern.

...Or at least, she would have if she hadn't been interrupted by that loudmouth in the trench coat, who was asking about Yama's HAT, of all the stupid-

...No, wait, damnit, she couldn't actually fault him for that. Now that she got a closer look at it, it was a REALLY NICE hat. ...But even so, that was hardly her most pressing concern.

"Ehem," She cleared her throat and butted in without waiting for the Witch to answer the first inane inquiry. "So basically, what you're saying is that you'll grant someone's wish in exchange for murdering each other? And yet, it doesn't seem as if you'd benefit in any particular way from any of our deaths. Perhaps you're simply in a charitable mood, but do forgive me if I'm a bit skeptical." Perhaps it was an odd assessment of the situation, but even given the survival game she'd been apparently tossed into without so much as being asked first, this whole setup seemed a bit... too good to be true?

Well, she had invited them to ask questions, but the woman calling herself Yama had more or less anticipated how this would go. It was always relatively the same, with one or two outliers.

Some, screaming about how this wasn't real, or laughing as though it was a large scale joke. Some, trying to ignite their desires despite it being mentioned that this was impossible. Questions about the limits of the wish, about why she was doing this, about what the Naraka System was, about why this was called Naraka but the names of their abilities were Hebrew in origin. Some tried to attack her or even attack each other. Some didn't react. Some smiled like feral beasts.

However, this time was different. The first question was none of those. The first question was something that disrupted the monotony of Yama's explanation, the same tired exposition she had given for an entire ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■ was shattered apart by a question that severed heaven from earth.

"Can I have your hat?"

She was paralyzed. Standing there in genuine shock, she looked to Tahp with something between shock, disgust, and praise. And then, after several seconds of silence...

"Uf...ufufu..."

What began as a quiet laugh turned into a raucous cackle that some would call maniacal, Yama only calming down after several seconds had passed, a hand reaching up to wipe a tear from the corner of her eye.

"Of course. It's nothing special, I just bought it from a costume store a while back."

As she said these words, the witch's hat on Yama's head blipped out of existence, revealing the top of her head, which thankfully lacked any balding spots. Those who were looking to Tahp, as well as Tahp himself of course, would see as the hat appeared on his head. There was no blur of movement, no change to indicate motion, rather the hat simply occupied one point in space at one moment and another the next.

The question of the girl who had spoken up after, though, was notably more on par with what Yama had been expecting, a rather rehearsed smile forming on her face as she turned towards Victoria, now hatless.

"Well, the reasons themselves are a bit beyond what I'm permitted to go around revealing. Rest assured, though, this isn't charity. The wish is quite literally realized from the power of those you kill. Their souls and desires, the powers you fought and prevailed against, are collected by yours truly and used as 'fuel' for the purpose of your wish. It's something generated purely by your collective efforts."

"As to what I gain from it...well, I'm not quite at liberty to say. I'm something of an agent of the will of the world, you could say, so I'm acting in the interests of the world. Rest assured that the Naraka System is something designed first and foremost to benefit the world and keep things ticking along smoothly. The motivating factor of a wish is something used as a cherry on top of your continued survival to keep you all from slipping into despair or apathy, and since it's generated from your fallen enemies, it comes at no real cost to myself or the world. It's one of the few things that can genuinely be called a win-win."

It was as if common sense and the world around him was shattered by the strike of the bat. When he looked up he found that he was in a strange land, a strange world that was the town he was stranded in, and yet not as well. Mouth gaping like a fish, he found himself at a loss of words as he found himself in a circle with a group of strangers.

"Hua-buwah?"

His eyes glanced over at the others as he moved to pick his bat back up into his hands, cradling it in his arms as if it were a pillar of stability that would keep him safe amidst these strangers and this even stranger phenomena. It was a bit frightening, although frankly more bewildering. He sat there, silent, eyes locking onto the girl that spoke as an authority when she began to explain the situation. His agape mouth only opened further, making the man look as though he were mimicking a fish that spotted a large piece of bait.

A fight to the death.

A fight where his life was at risk, a fight where he would have to murder to survive. He should say something, he should feel outraged, he should feel angry. That was what would be normal, that was what would be sensible.

He rose up.

Even if he accepted it there were many questions that should be asked. The why, the how. Even if it was a question in vain such a set up should still be questioned.

The red sky, the strange words and powers that he was forced to be aware of and given?.. no, not given. They were not something given by some whim, handed down by some mandate of heaven or some twisted miracle of god. But to acknowledge that they were part of him...
Was it that he was destined for such a misfortune from the beginning?

He tightened his grip on the toy bat in his hand. The notion made him want to scream. Yet he felt more alive with that rage than he had in those days after the accident.

He wanted to go back. Now there was a chance.

He took in a breath and tried to calm some twitching fingers. His palms were sweaty, and his lungs choked up for a moment, his words coming out raspy and a bit choked.

"When do we begin?"

The cause of his body's reaction was not a revulsion, of a horror or fear. It as of desire, of excitement. A slight giddiness filled his heart, bubbling through his veins and causing him to hiccup. A person's inner desire, a core desire that was to be manifested and become one's strength. A strength that was born of a want and was then used to pursue its fulfillment. He could not decide if it was a crude or a beautiful notion. But he could not deny that he had such a desire. Yes, it was all too clear.

For that he'd easily kill a few strangers, perhaps even the ones he knew so long ago. Yet that would be a strange, as weren't they part of the life he'd want to reclaim? Ah what a contradiction, but such a contradiction would not stop him anyway. It didn't matter what, or who. He'd be happy to kill, he'd be happy as long as he won. He wanted to go back, back to where he belonged and what he was.

His eyes began to blur and he felt a heat spread from his eyes, traveling through his temples and spreading out to down to his chin and up to his forehead. Ah, he was close to crying. To think that miracles could exist. Even one stained in blood was beautiful.

The competitors who were presented with the same opportunity, that he would kill or be killed by faded from his ground, and even as his eyes continued to stare at the girl he only saw the memories of the past that flashed through his mind. Whether the others would see him as a frightened and feeble man or not he did not care.

It seemed that the skeptical girl had been quelled, at least for the time being. In her place, though, that disheveled man who looked to be thoroughly downtrodden under society's heel had spoken up, spoken with a question that Yama had only rarely heard previously. She fought back the urge to click her tongue; she knew she could hardly show disapproval with someone who seemed eager to begin Naraka, but that sort of mindset...wouldn't that be what humans thought of as repulsive?

Regardless, regardless, since there were no further questions, since the others had grown quiet and since time was marching on-

"We begin now. I wish all of you luck. May you burn up brilliantly in pursuit of your happy ending."

As those words left Yama, space bent. Tahp would find himself outside of his apartment door, Emilia in her favorite coffee shop, Gin in his bed. Each of those who had been gathered had been placed squarely back where they had been before that absurdity they had just witnessed. A glance at a clock would confirm that it was still the early hours of the morning, such that any well-minded people would be fast asleep, but still...something felt off.

Such as, the fact that there was no sound, not from those few early risers nor even from animals waking up.

Such as, the fact that there was a new strength flowing through the veins of those who stood in this world.

Such as, the fact that the red sky hung overhead, lonely moon staring down upon the city of Riversfield as though watching what was to come.

The tragedy's prelude had concluded. The curtain had been pulled back.

With this, Naraka began.

Darien opened his eyes, his mind spinning with the words that had been spoken just moments prior. It was insane. If he hadn't personally experienced it, he would never believe that it was even possible.

At first when he had awoken, he remained silent and still. He assumed that while he was asleep, someone had kidnapped him. Of course now he knew that honestly something similar was indeed the case, but that is beside the point. He had chosen to observe the situation, taking in the appearances and actions of those around him. He needed to know more before he made any decisions, and if it really was the case that they would be killing one another, then he should remain vigilant. They likely wouldn't have paid much attention to him not moving. Just giving him a passive glance. But he studied them through barely open eyelids. Inscribing their faces into his mind. They asked their questions. Some more. . . . pertinent than others. This was important. It may be easier to associate with some of them than others.

And so it passed. He awoke once more inside his room. He stood, looking outside his residence at the fringe of the town center, he saw the sky tinted such a strange color. Looks like it was actually real. Well, that is both unfortunate as well as fortunate. To be honest, the chance that he would die. . . .really sucked. But. If it all worked out and he ended up winning, then it would likely result in explosive growth in his plan to control it all. Instead of decades it may take years. . . or even just months. Excellent.

But now was not the time to go fight random battles. Instead, Darien moved around his personal housing complex as it were. Testing and experimenting with his power. If he didn't know exactly how it worked, then he wouldn't know how it would be best used. It was unlikely that the others would all make the same decision that he had, so he would. They would fight, and he would use that.

And so he waited. And he thought. And he planned.

As Victoria awoke once more in her own bed, she swiftly rose to her feet. It would have been easy to dismiss all she'd just seen as a dream, and yet, even before she saw the red light creeping in from beneath the blinds of her window, she knew that it had been much more than that. Even if she'd ostensibly only just woken up, and even if she was still in her pajamas, her eyelids didn't feel heavy at all. Rather, she felt wide awake from the moment she regained her awareness, as if she hadn't slept a wink. The crimson moon that greeted her when she drew back the window only proved beyond the shadow of a doubt the truth of which she was already certain.

"No time to so much as prepare, huh?" Victoria sighed in disappointment. "Really, how inconvenient..." She ran through again what she knew about the system. Nobody else was present here, which meant that in this world, she could do whatever she liked without fear of hindrance save from her enemies. Everything that existed in the real world seemed to be mirrored here, so any tools and objects she could find could be used freely. The first course of action that came to mind was simply to break into a gun store in this world where it would be unattended and arm herself to score easy kills, but her instincts told her that wouldn't work. Right... She wasn't the only one who'd received supernatural powers, and of course only magic could beat magic. The worst part of all, however, was that someone needed to die within the next 24 hours to ensure she herself survived... And given how people were, the others would probably be sobbing and crying about how they didn't want to hurt anyone right about now. What a joke. Society cultured them all to be obedient servants to their betters, putting the needs of others before themselves. Well, then, surely they wouldn't mind putting her needs before their own lives, then? Regardless, it was unpleasant. The powers she recieved seemed to have a defensive focus, but the only person she could count on to ensure a sacrifice was made before the designated time was, as always, herself. She'd have to go hunting, it seemed. Her house was in the north residential district, but there was no telling how close or far away her enemies were. Given population density, however, it was more likely than not that she'd find her targets closer to the center of town. Even if she didn't, there was more cover there than there was out in the middle of a small neighborhood. And so, the city's center became her destination.

And what of the purpose and rules of the system? It was supposedly a device to uphold the world... What a joke that a monster like her, set loose to kill without restraint, would be upholding the world's order. It was even more laughable considering her wish... But she supposed she couldn't have everything. Even if she couldn't destroy the world, she might be able to make it more bearable, or remove herself from it. She sighed, sliding her hands into the sleeves of a long cardigan, worn over her oversized shirt and hoodie - although she'd also donned some shorts for modesty's sake. The fabric fluttered out dramatically behind her as she swung open the window and hopped out, landing gingerly on the grass of the yard. Covering her eyes, she peered up into the crimson sky. The false moon hung motionless overhead, the clocks stopped just as they had been when she was first dragged into this nonsensical world. It was as if time had stopped. Time was... The time was...

And it was so bloody inconvenient. Not just this irrational survival game which hadn't even given her any time to think, but the world that existed outside, too. It was every bit as unreasonable, every bit as incomprehensible, every bit as painful as whatever fate might await her here. Life... it was nothing but a living death. Was she supposed to be satisfied with that sort of world? Of course not! She'd never accept it. It didn't matter how many lives it cost, or what she had to do to accomplish her dream. Starting today, she finally had the chance to make her dreams a reality! She, Victoria Stein... would fix this unreasonable, disgusting world!

"Ah!" She declaimed theatrically, swooning beneath the crimson moon. "'The time is out of joint.'" A grin spread across her face as she spread her arms as if to take on the weight of the very heavens above.

"'O cursèd spite... that ever I was born to set it right!'"

---

---

"The fuck is this goddamned nerd going on about?" is likely what Tahp would have said if he were in a position to have heard Stein. Regrettably, he simply was not. Instead, he had suddenly appeared in front of a familiar apartment, with all the odd things going on right now. The lack of people didn't exactly bother him, but this was not some episode of Jojo! The sky, in his unhealthily strong opinion on the subject, should remain blue. If it wasn't, then those old paintings he painted when he was a kid would not be accurate, and that was unacceptable!

"Welp, I ought to like kill somebody or something. This sky is pissing me off." he nonchalantly voiced aloud, deciding to head towards the town center from his own apartment in District 1.

He recalled two things he should probably do while he made the trip there. One was of course not speak aloud anymore so as to prevent people from getting his location down so quickly. Another was to actually bother with a cautious approach. There was this really shitty game he started playing that had a similar plot to this one (that being to kill everybody else and be the last one left). In it, often he would suffer a terrible fate due to not checking corners and blindly walking into places that could be covered by another competitor. Video games weren't real or anything, sure, but perhaps to his advantage, Tahp was unaware of this so-called "fact". So, he made his way there at a slower pace than normal, but he'll be damned if he would be killed without a fight!

What an odd dude.

Man, I hope nobody dies before I get set up. I wonder... do we return to where we were before Naraka, or do we return to the real world in the same spot when it ends? I can see that becoming a problem for me if I'm not careful. Oh well. At least I have you, Mr. Hat. Give me the strength to face any adversary, or at least make my head hard to distinguish in case somebody just really had the desire to snipe people.

And so the man and his new hat carried on.

Gin silently listened as this "Yama" lady explained the nature of this "Naraka" phenomenon. It all sounded quite grand, and he would never have believed it were he not in this current situation. Looking at his hand, he wondered just how effective his new abilities would be. Yama may have said that they would not work where they were right now, but that certainly did not stop Gin from trying it all the same. He stared at Yama and tried casting it on her, but it naturally had no effect. With that result, Gin decided not to try his luck any further and instead continued to listen.

The rules and rewards of Naraka were certainly troubling, but not surprising given the circumstances. Any one wish could be granted by the winner, yet the cost was the lives of everyone else participating. Gin thought about what his wish would be, and a thought came to mind: the smiling children of the orphanage. That being said, though, Gin had no desire to kill anyone. Save self-defense, he had no desire to even hurt anyone. He already went through some dark times, and he'd rather not go through darker ones. It seemed like he might not get a choice in the matter, however...

---

As Yama concluded her explanations and Naraka began, Gin awoke to find himself back at the church, where he had originally fallen asleep. He briefly wondered if what he had gone through was merely a dream, but one look at his clothing, as well as at the nearby window, told him that that had been no dream. Naraka was real; one person was going to die each day. Gin stared at his hand, then concentrated, activating his powers to test them out. A small bit of concentration and time was all it took to use each one, and if his understanding of them were correct, then they were very straightforward as well. There was little training that was needed for him, though he figured he could use some experience in actual battles.

Gin now thought about what his next course of action would be. He had already been seen in his priest robes, so the church would probably not be a safe place for very long. Any competent person would narrow his location down to searching through churches. He needed to find a new place to hide and rest up between Narakas. For now, though, there was no rush. If he was thinking correctly, he'd have some time during the first Naraka as people took the time to figure out their abilities, just as he did. That meant he would need to use his time wisely.

First up was a quick change of clothes. He'd be too inconspicuous if he went out with his priest robes, so he decided to go with some casual wear. A simple pair of jeans and a collared shirt would do the trick. Next would be to secure escape routes and shortcuts. "Let's see if I still remember how to do this..." Gin muttered to himself as he stepped out of the church. It was time to get to work.

He stood there again, back at the park. The bat that he held earlier was now on the ground and he found himself not paying it a second glance as he walked off. He was in a daze, walking without direction. Surprisingly the matter of the powers that the realm let him tap onto, and the notion that he'd have to kill people for survival and the birth of a wish didn't come to mind either. Or rather, its weight did not. He would kill someone, and so his mind thought of that in the context of how to accomplish it. Look for someone, fight someone. Ah, it didn't matter at this point. Was it really worth planning that much when everyone didn't know what the powers of the others could be like? No, it was better to look and find someone and just defeat them before they felt assured of their situation.

The silent city that seemed a model looked down upon by the red sky's uneasiness was broken up by the jogging of a man. Despite his newfound strength he still paced himself, not so confident in his stamina even in Naraka. The sense of the idea that his body was hurt, with the scars refusing his lungs and chest from simply reigniting. His body did not explode into action as he would have otherwise wished, it being more akin to a rusted furnace charred black with a half-sealed pathway of fuel clogged by ash clumps of dust and gunk.

Well, he was sure that the silent city would carry the noise of the soon to come fights far. His best bet was maybe to search in the central district, where people would likely flock to in hopes of being able to either move away or go towards any fights that spark up in the city. A neutral response maybe, cautious enough in a way that someone could hope to be overlooked or swiftly capitalize on an opportunity.

But just doing that seemed like something that would be reliant on blind fortune as to whether luck favored you or not. To someone like him... no, he couldn't rely on fortune and luck, not when everything happened to be taken from him in the past.

He'd make a bolder move, one with purpose and intent. With something as questionable as a battle to the death for survival and desire some would probably go to bury their hesitations and guilt at a church or shrine. He recalled the presence of one when he was out on the town and decided it was a fitting first place to check. Those with doubts and any sentimentality so as to pray for their soul and the souls of their enemies simply were blind, weren't they?

His eyes looked for once towards the future, a future that was simply a light reflected by the past. There was nothing wrong with making a future into the past. The present and its continuation was a nightmare. He'll continue his true life. All it'll take is the death of those others.

For the majority of those who had been chosen by Naraka, they had no other choice than to scour the city on foot in search of others, lest the twenty-four hour timespan elapse and this strange, corrupted world claim their lives.

Foolish. Incredibly foolish. What sort of idiotic desires did they have, to not have something as basic as a detection ability?

The Eye of Mimir illuminating a sketch of the university campus and its surrounding region in his mind, Rainer had awoken in his door room. A handful of minutes later, a figure had exited the dorms, a self-assured smirk splitting his face as he walked. Yes, he had nothing to fear here, because this was a land in which dreams were made reality, and who could have a stronger will behind their dream than his?

After all...

"Ha, it's like I'm already in a story!"

That force he repressed in his day to day life for the aims of not being a "fuckin' weirdo", those shackles of normalcy that society had placed upon him, had been shattered in the wake of this fantastical Naraka, and so he strode forwards. He had no doubt that the other competitors would be aimlessly searching, perhaps trying to get a handle on their abilities, but as he could detect those within his range with pinpoint accuracy, he alone had the ability to strike first.

It was in a coffee shop that the Eye of Mimir saw her, no doubt she was getting a cup to start the day before this whole mess had happened. For a moment, he hesitated. Could he really kill another human being? Could he bring himself to take the life of another?

...wait, why was he pretending like this was real? This was all just a story, some dream he'd have forgotten by the time he woke up, some game to play around with.

Hesitation quelled, Rainer stopped himself a fair distance from the outside of the coffee shop, such that he was still invisible to those inside it but could just barely make out the figure of the coffee shop itself. Of course, his ability ensured that the girl was not invisible to him. He could have stayed in the comfort of his dorm, sure, but he needed to be at least somewhat near the fight, to direct his warrior in its battle.

"...Yetzirah."

Muttering the word under his breath, a book appeared in Rainer's right hand. The book opened of its own accord, flipping through its pages like a gust of wind had run through it.

Experience was necessary, so simply something he'd read about wouldn't be possible. At the same time, he could see her Assiah and Yetzirah through his ability, which alone gave him an advantage in this war, so it would be a pity to not make use of that. Myriad options flitted through his mind. Tactically superior choices, ones that could end the fight before it began, but all of these were censored, because...

"There's no way I'd use those when I can use this!"

Roughly twenty meters from the coffee shop, much closer to it than Rainer himself was, something appeared. As for what it was, well, its figure could very easily be anticipated for anyone who knew of Rainer's nature. A towering being that rivaled the coffee shop itself in size, a feral intellect glinting in its eyes. Even if Rainer couldn't control it directly, he could at least direct it, like pointing a missile at a target.

And so, the dragon's fire ran forth, to engulf the coffee shop locally known as R.A.N.C.E.