The entrance of the Library was completely silent, the air capable of crushing one's will to speak up. Inside the room, a certain ex-employee stood silently with the empty book by his side that he carried with him.

He still couldn't find a use for it but decided to keep it in case something urgent required it.

All on his own, the man blinked twice to push out his emotions and calm himself. He needed to remain welcoming, give a spark to the guests and wish them good luck. However, it was hard for him to do so knowing who was arriving.

Finally, a familiar figure appeared, followed by a group.

Y/N: Welcome bac-

His sorrowful voice was cut short by the person he tried to speak to. The end of her bat made direct contact with the side of his head and shoved him on the ground. Without even examining himself, he could already feel the burn mark where he was hit.

His attacker was Lulu, her group of friends silently standing behind her.

Lulu: Shut up, I don't need your pity.

Y/N: ...Yea, you probably don't.

His eyes looked away from the main guest as he stood back on his feet. Her allies gave him a cold glare, like they were looking at an abomination of nature.

Despite the pain remaining in his system, the librarian greeting them forced himself to smile but was promptly stopped by the girl overcome with rage.

Lulu: What's so funny?!

Y/N: ...Nothing.

His poor attempt at replacing his facade was a failure, leaving him completely exposed to the wrath of someone who had all the rights to be angry. He couldn't find the words needed to calm her down, not like she would even if he did.

The Fixer in front of him lost someone that, even though she tried to pretend wasn't, was dear to her. Her emotions were hitting him at full force along with a sense of familiarity.

Her facing him was like him confronting Angela for the death of the one he loved. He was watching a perfect reflexion of himself in her, which made his will falter.

Y/N: ...

Lulu: If you're done pretending to care then let us in, I'm taking Mars back from you!

Y/N: ...I wish you luck.

He weakly mumbled his reply just as the sound of a finger snap echoed in the room, signaling the Director's arrival. Her entrance was poorly received by grief-stricken girl, so much in fact that she received the same treatment the puppet did.

Lulu: Shut up, I don't need to hear any words from you, piece of junk!

Completely unfazed by the attack she received, the AI glanced in her assistant's direction and immediately noticed the easily visible injury on his face. Her grasp onto her own book tightened slightly.

Lulu: Once I'm done killing all of you monsters, I'm coming back to blow your head off!

"Why stop at just her head, you can also crush her limbs.", one of her friends retorted with a sadistic grin on his face.

Angela: I'm afraid this will be hard for you to do, dear guests.

Lulu: Shut up! I don't want to hear any of it!

It was obvious by now that pursuing the conversation would only make her repeat her words like a broken record. Angela sighed and gave them the signal to walk in.

Right behind her, the bruised worker gave a second farewell to the furious Fixer.

Y/N: I wish you all good luck, please be careful...

Her body stopped at his words and her head turned to face him. Her gaze was filled with unrestrained animosity.

Lulu: If you truly cared then you would have stopped us.

Y/N: ...

His head lowered in response, a reaction that made one of people following her let out a chuckle.

Was she said was true, he could have desperately tried to convince them to go back but he knew better. The machine beside him already said it: the guests are destined to come. Even if he pushed them away, they would simply return.

Yet, despite knowing that, his shoulders still lowered. It was the first time he was berated for doing what he thought was right, what he thought would help them. His concept of "help" was shattered right before his eyes.

Finally done pointing her rage at him, Lulu walked up the stairs leading to the reception area, leaving behind the duo working for the Library.

Angela: ...

Y/N: ...What else could I have done?

His words weighed like bricks and his mood swiftly fell at the bottom of the barrel.

Next to him, the short-haired woman observed his reaction for a moment before deciding to remind him that she was still there.

Angela: I warned you, greeting guests more than necessary brings nothing of value.

No answer. Seconds passed but the gloomy man did not retaliate with his usual words. No, instead, he fought back in another way.

For the first time since his initial outburst during his awakening, the captain of the Central Command team placed his hand on her. He shoved her aside and walked in the direction of the stairs.

Y/N: I don't need to hear your comment right now.

With nothing else to say to her, he hurriedly made his way back to the top, leaving behind the pale librarian.

She did not budge from her spot, still taken aback by his sudden action. Until now, she assumed that the one she brought back from the dead understood that violence against her was useless. So, seeing him act this way despite of that fact made her body freeze.

In a way, she was right. Getting friendly with the guests would only make both parties suffer. She knew interactions were pointless past the needed greetings but she could not understand why her assistant desperately tried to ignore the truth.

Angela: ...

Once more, this question of hers was left with no answer.

...

...

"I warned you, greeting guests more than necessary brings nothing of value."

The words of the one in charge of the Library echoed in the head of the worker who showed his first sign of physical aggression in a while.

He knew what she was attempting to do. His act was not needed to receive guests and she was trying to find a way to simply make him stop entirely. She did not like how he interacted with the guests.

The only proof he needed to support that fact was right after the reception of Streetlight Office.

Upon returning with the book of Mars, the only victim in the confrontation, Roland had the book in his hands stolen by Angela. Then, she spun around and firmly placed it right between his hands while giving him a glare saying "I know what you did".

She silently told him to learn his place.

Y/N: ...

A sigh escaped his lips as a way to evacuate the stress he obtained after his shaky discussion with Lulu.

Right now, both the guests and the Library where dueling to determine who would emerge victorious, a battle he did not want to see with his own eyes.

His optimism whispered words of hope in his ears while the realistic side of his silently shook its head, denying any chance that she would survive her encounter.

Trapped between the both of them, the ex-agent didn't know what to do. He wandered around with no goal in mind until his footsteps came to a halt. His breath was the only sound he could hear in the immediate moment. However, this suddenly changed when a disturbance entered his ears.

A voice.

"Well, that's a surprise, I wasn't expecting to find anyone."

For a moment, his brain couldn't piece together who the words belonged to, forcing his body to reply instead.

Y/N: Dana? What are you doing here?

Red hair with a ponytail, there was no mistake on his part. She was leaning against the wall on his left, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. She was wearing Naoki's outfit but kept the hood down, the machetes attached to the backpack she was carrying were neatly placed in it.

Dana: Not much.

Y/N: ...Weren't you supposed to greet the guests?

Dana: Malkuth and Roland are taking care of it so I decided to go for a walk.

Y/N: Oh, I see.

Unsure about what to do now, the librarian simply tried to go past the girl but as soon as he walked next to her, a hand grabbed his shoulder.

Dana: Are you alright? You look pale.

Y/N: We all haven't seen the sunlight in thousands of years, of course I look pale.

A chuckle came out from his interlocutor, clearly not expecting that reply in this situation. Even if those thousands of years were only spent in intervals of forty days and some until the final loop, it was still a lot of time trapped inside an underground facility.

Dana: Ok but seriously, you look exhausted.

Y/N: ...I can't deny that my sleep hasn't been peaceful ever since I woke up here.

The bags under his eyes were a proof of that statement. No matter how hard he tried, the scars of his nightmares were apparent, visible enough to make the cold and heartless Angela tell him to rest.

Dana: ...

Everyone at this point were aware of his current state but no solutions helped the issue.

Yesod's assistant placed a hand against her chin and observed the person standing in front of her with a thorough observation. Her heart was telling her that he was hiding something from her... something she couldn't fully pinpoint...

Dana: Not just that, did something happen down there?

Y/N: ...

No answer to her question, confirming her doubt.

Dana: Look, I'm not gonna force you to spit it out if you don't want to, I'm just asking in case you want to tell it to someone.

She waved her hand as a way to indicate that she wasn't going to pry further. The both of them knew each other but not enough for them to be considered true friends, at most they were work partners. Those were the woman's thoughts.

They simply met due to some odd circumstances and nothing more, she didn't feel like it was her duty as a simple acquaintance to push further with her questions.

With nothing else to say to him, she was expecting him to silently walk away but to her surprise, he remained firmly in place. His eyes peeked into hers and a soft question flew in the air.

Y/N: Am I a terrible person for giving hope to people?

...

No sound followed his words. Taken aback by the suddenly spotlight placed on her, Dana froze in place but managed to keep her composure. Black clouds of gloom were floating in the air around them, awaiting her response.

Her gaze was locked in his. The question was genuine, forcing her to think of a proper answer. Thankfully for both ex-employees, she didn't need to dig deep in her mind to find the right words.

Dana: Do you believe you are a good person?

Y/N: ...At this point, I can't tell.

Dana: Heh, if Alter Ego were to hear you talk like that, she would have jumped you by now with a hundred reasons why you're a good person in her eyes.

She placed her right hand on the back of her neck.

Y/N: What do I look like in yours?

Curious, Angela's assistant went deeper into the current topic, hoping that some spark would form. The scowl Lulu gave him was still haunting him in the back of his head for multiple reasons and he desperately wanted a way to endure its presence or at least ignore it for a while.

A smile formed on the girl's face as she stepped closer. Then, she lightly tapped his forehead with her index.

Dana: You look like a man who desperately needs some sleep.

It was now his turn to let out a a faint laugh. She didn't need to tell him the obvious, it was plastered on his face for everyone to see.

Y/N: I think I'll try to do that... I really need a breather.

The sound of his footsteps echoed as the distance between the both of them grew larger. Alone once more, Dana heaved a deep sigh and leaned back against the wall was resting on before the sudden arrival of the director's doll.

Dana: ...I'm sure Alter Ego could fix this if she was here.

She quietly mumbled to herself before zoning out.

The distant sound of clashes coming from the upper floors died out, leaving behind a hollow silence that could not be filled anymore. The reception had reached its conclusion.

...

...

"I'm sure Alter Ego could fix this if she was here."

That thought persisted in my head for the longest time as I swung my weapon. The air tore apart with each of my movements, followed by a loud noise indicating that my target was down.

Blood permeated the air around me, intoxicating my mind as I continued to struggle.

The path I took to reach this point was covered with now lifeless victims that opposed me, demons that tried to take my life away, only to be met with a fierce retaliation from me. My gaze was unfazed by the sight in front of me.

My eyes did not even bother paying them any attention and instead locked themselves onto a figure that I would recognize anywhere at this point for many reasons.

"A shame she isn't here."

My interlocutor calmly replied as he stared back at me, not affected in the slightest by the massacre I left in my shadow to reach my goal.

The both of us were standing near a cliff, with the one nearest to the border being the one facing me. His cold gaze met mine as a breeze of death passed by us.

He was... Alter Ego's lover, or at least took his shell to ressemble him.

"..."

His stance was completely devoid of any fear, even after all I did to arrive where I was. Unlike the last time I saw him however, the pink military uniform he wore was not present and was instead replaced with the standard black uniform all new employees were given.

His hands carried no weapons yet his hands were tightened into fists, as if ready to fight. This impression immediately conflicted with his uncaring gaze. The corpses around us were not acknowledged by him.

"Or maybe it's a blessing? A monster like you wouldn't even think twice about killing someone like her."

The man taunted me as he raised his head to look down on me, revealing a lack of mouth on his face. This anomaly did not stop him from voicing his thoughts and frankly, I wouldn't have minded if he remained silent.

"Well, look at that, the pot calling the kettle black."

I replied with a grin on the corner of lips as I swung my weapon once more, swiftly taking care of a shadow attempting to attack me from behind.

A chuckle followed my remark. The thing standing near the cliff found my words amusing enough to let out a disgusting laughter that made my blood freeze.

"Your poor victims would say otherwise."

For the first time ever since our eyes locked into each other's, I glanced down at my feet to observe the disaster I left behind. As expected, the sight was not pretty but not enough to make my steel heart shake.

Dozens of bodies were all sprawled out on the grass covering the land we were standing on, all wearing the same skin that the monster watching me was using.

"Unlike you, my hands are clean."

"Why should it matter?"

I shrugged back and brandished the end of my weapon in the direction of the devil with no mouth. This, of course, left him completely uninterested. He simply refused to acknowledge me as a threat, like an adult watching a child trying to start a fight with them.

This, however, only made my playful grin gain more power. Once I'm done, that thing is going to regret underestimating me.

"In my eyes, you're the monster, I don't need anything else."

I continued my question with those words while demonstrating my talent wielding the tool I was using to defend myself. My body was completely unharmed, albeit covered with bloodstains of my previous opponents.

After all of those battles, the creature pretending to be Alter Ego's lover felt like a final boss looking down on me. The thought was enough to replenish my energy and grant me a boost of power to face against my opponent.

"...I suppose your suffering will be more interesting than that feeble woman's."

"That's not how you should talk about your girlfriend~"

Not listening to my words, the man began to claw his face with his fingernails until he successfully tore his skin to create an artificial mouth. From within it, many eyes were looking directly at me from the darkness inside the hollow body.

The true malice was hidden inside, taking an appearance that would not draw too much attention to it.

His pupils began to dilate and, as if the hundred eyes were not enough, hands emerged from the tear made to look like a crude smile. Some looked humans, others were monstrous but many were beyond description.

A duel was imminent and I was fully prepared to fight to the death. After all, that's what I do best.

"Embrace your demise."

"Sorry but the only embrace I'll accept will be from Y/N, not a copycat~"

I spun my weapon with ease before taking a battle position. A perfect piece of the night was held in my hands, with its handle opposing the dark color with its antithesis. Just looking at it was enough to give me the confidence I needed to win.

"Don't start failing me now Da Capo."

Finally, the both of us charged at each other, officially beginning this act.

...

...

Roland: Phew, I wasn't expecting her to swing her bat around so recklessly.

The Grade 9 Fixer let out a deep sigh as he placed the recovered books on a nearby table. A bead of sweat fell down his face as he remembered how close the battle was towards the end.

Surprised by the lack of welcome from the duo hanging around the room, his eyes began to scan the room until they found the silhouette of Angela's assistant, his head placed on top of his arms and in a deep sleep.

Roland: ...

Unsure about what to do now, the uninvited guest silently made his way to the resting librarian to take a closer look. What he at first thought was a peaceful slumber turned out to be a more "realistic" scenario.

The puppet was sweating bullets, his face contorted into a painful grimace. His nails were pressed against the table he was resting on with a scary amount of force and his body was completely frigid.

There was no doubt, he was going through yet another nightmare.

Roland: Hey Y/N-

Feeling slightly bad about his situation, he placed his hand on his shoulder in an attempt to wake him up from his torment.

Soon enough, his eyes slowly opened.

Y/N: ...Hi Roland.

Roland: Good morning~

The agent's body was shivering, like it had finally found a source of warmth after a long walk in a blizzard.

Roland: Another one of those nightmares?

Y/N: ...Do I even need to answer at this point?

Roland: Man, that must suck.

Y/N: You have no idea.

The both of them exchange a few words before returning to their activities. Roland took his own nap while Y/N laid down on the ground and stared at the Light above his head, almost entranced.

It wasn't much but looking at it after waking up from an especially horrible dreams was enough to calm his mind and emotions, almost like someone was looking back at him with a reassuring smile.