(There it is, the second episode of my favorite show called "What the fuck is wrong with my brain?". The series that nobody wanted to see nor read. My sleep is fucked and no matter what I do, it doesn't get any better.)

Angela: ...

Silently, the AI in charge of the Library turned the page of the book she was reading. The air around her was serene and devoid of any disturbance. Completely on her own, she could focus her entire mind on the object she was holding. Her cold eyes moved from line to line, scanning everything as she let out a calm sigh.

She finally had a moment to herself between dealing with the librarians working for her and the guests that kept appearing. Now-

Y/N: Aaaaangela!

Angela: ...

The machine sitting down became fully stiff upon hearing a familiar voice. Her gaze moved to the entrance and soon enough, a librarian she knew very well emerged, arboring the smuggest look one could ever have and with their hands hidden behind their back.

The man known as Y/N leaned against the doorway, flashing the director with an expression that pissed her off.

Y/N: What are you doinnnng?

Angela: Trying to find a way to coerce you into marrying me, I'll find something eventually.

Y/N: Ha, good luck with that, not even the Light of possibilities can offer you a future with me.

The woman pinched the bridge of her artificial nose, trying her hardest to not look irritated. She knew that it was his goal and she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of taunting her.

Angela: What do you want?

Y/N: Oh right, almost forgot!

Remembering that he was there for a reason, the librarian in front of her pulled out from behind him a small box with an odd design. The edges of the wooden cube were curved and golden lines were present on all sides. The lid proudly revealed a small cross on top, used to open it.

Y/N: Tada! I made this with a little bit of Light and maaaaagic!

Angela: ...What is this?

She slowly stood up from her seat and walked closer, taking a better look at Y/N's creation. The appearance was completely unknown to her. Plus, considering the ex-employee's broken memory, it was easy for her to assume that it wasn't something that he pulled from his past.

Y/N: I don't know, I tried to pratice controlling the Light and this appeared. Maybe it's like Pandora's box?

Angela: You can't remember where you lived but you can remember a tale like Pandora's box?

Y/N: Hey, I didn't get to choose which memories I lost, don't judge me.

A second of silence passed.

Y/N: Wait, you know about the tale of Pandora's box?

Angela: I've gone through thousands of cycles, did you really think I wouldn't hear about it from the hundreds of employees trapped in that facility?

Y/N: Touché. So, what do we do about this thing?

The duo lowered their gaze towards the odd item. Now that the both of them brought up the horrible story of the cursed box, tension could be felt around them.

Y/N: ...

Angela: ...

Y/N: You open it.

Angela: I'm not touching that thing.

Her answer was swift and straight to the point, leaving them in a standstill. Between them was the small object that felt more ominous with each passing moment. A bead of sweat fell down the assistant's face until a lightbulb appeared above his head, an idea whispered to him by his brain.

Y/N: I know what to do!

Angela: ...Where did that lightbulb come from-?

...

...

Roland: Why do I have to open it?!

The black haired Fixer turned his head towards the Director and her underling. The both of them were currently hidden behind a table that was flipped over, forming a makeshift barricade. Their heads popped up from behind it.

Angela: You're expendable. Plus, I can bring you back if you die.

Roland: ...What about Y/N? You can bring him back too.

Angela: It's Y/N, of course I'm not gonna kill him.

Along with her words, an expression saying "Are you fucking dumb?" was plastered on her face, causing the meat shie- Ahem, Roland to sigh.

Y/N: Do it for the greater good Roland! Think about the sandwiches!

Roland: ...You're right, for the greater good... the sandwiches!

With a boost of energy, the uninvited guest slammed his hand on the lid and opened it. Once that occured, everything stopped. No movement was seen from the trio. However, nothing followed his action, causing the AI and the agent to emerge from their hiding spot.

Y/N: Huh, that's kinda disappointing.

Roland: There's no sandwich inside...

Curious about its content, Angela and Y/N slowly approached the strange creation and crouched down to examine its inside. Yes, Angela crouching down, something not many people would believe if you told them.

Y/N: Is that a letter?

Angela: It seems like it.

A single, white letter was neatly placed inside, almost taunting their paranoia. The Fixer, the agent and the machine were motionless around the discovery they made, pondering about what to do until the ex-captain reached for it, taking it with meticulous movements.

Y/N: Oh hey look, it has my name on it!

Roland: Looks like you got a fan~

Y/N: Oh man, I can't believe I got a message! I wonder who it's from!

Angela: ...There's a second one inside.

Her eyes lowered back to the box. Inside, just like she said, a second letter was present underneath where the first one was but unlike said first letter, the name written on it was "Angela", grabbing her attention. She took it out of its odd coffin and began to open it alongside the librarian.

Y/N: Mhm~

A beaming smile was present on the assistant's face as he took out the paper inside the envelope. His joy couldn't be contained, feeling a semblance of warmth thinking that someone cared enough about him to send him a message.

Y/N: Here we... go?

His bright smile and eyebrows slightly lowered upon "reading" the content of the letter given to him. What was once a smile of happiness was instead replaced by a smile of confusion. Roland silently peeked over his shoulder to see what caused such a reaction.

Y/N: ...Why is there only a picture of Carmen taking a pose?

Roland: Dunno who she is but she's flexible.

Angela: ...

While this was happening, the AI was going through the "gift" she received, the message destined to her. It was short and simple, leaving no room for doubts. This only made her grasp onto the paper stronger, so much that her thumb tore through it from sheer fury.

"You thought you had a chance? Ha, in your dream! Go fuck yourself, Y/N is mine you shitty clone that looks nothing like me." -Carmen

Angela: ...I'm gonna shank a bitch.

She slowly turned her head and saw the men observe the picture in front of them with a form of interest. There was no arousal visible on their faces, just pure bewilderment.

Y/N: Maybe if I rotate it, we'll find some secret code.

Roland: You might be onto something-

Angela: Alright, enough looking at the picture, I'm confiscating it!

Her hand forcefully took hold of the paper Y/N was holding and tore it into pieces. A faint "awww" echoed in her ears but it didn't matter to her, as long as they couldn't see it, it was fine. In an attempt to recover the situation, the AI faked clearing her throat to catch their attention.

Angela: We should stop using the Light, at least for now.

Y/N: ...What am I supposed to do then?

Angela: Do something productive.

Y/N: Fuck that, I'd rather jump down from Keter all the way to Malkuth's floor.

Roland: You can join my sleeping schedule.

The Fixer flashed a smile in the direction of the assistant, who silently turned to face him with a cold gaze.

Y/N: That honestly sounds boring as shit... but I don't have anything to do so sure.

With a shrug, the both of them exchanged an elbow bump and hurriedly left the room, leaving behind a certain woman in a sour mood. This emotion only grew worse as she heard a voice coming from the hallway outside of the room.

Morgan: M-Mister Roland? Y/N? What are you doing?

Y/N: We're going to commit "temporary not-alive" together. That's what friends do together after all.

Morgan: ...Huh?

Roland: We're taking a break.

Morgan: ...I see-

Y/N: Come on, join us! It'll be fun!

The AI crossed her arms and silently tapped the floor below her feet, feeling a wave of annoyance overwhelming her.

Morgan: ...I guess if you don't mind tolerating my awful presence.

The trio soon resumed their march. Now on her own, Angela's gaze landed on the small box that Y/N brought to her and with a sharp and definitely out-of character stomp, she crushed the object under her foot, shattering it under the weight of her body.

Angela: At least I'm not 6 feet under.

...

...

Roland: Didn't lady Angela just told us to not use the Light?

A drop of sweat fell down the guest's face as he watched the librarian open the book he was carrying around. The ex-agent's response was to turn to face both him and Morgan with an annoyed stare. One of his hands was placed against his hip and his upper body leaned forward, demonstrating how much he "cared" about her warning.

Y/N: Angela ain't a god and I'll be the first one to send a bullet into the back of her head if she tries. She won't know.

Morgan: What about the bed incident?

Y/N: Pfft, that was nothing!

Roland: ...I remember hearing your scream throughout the Library.

Y/N: Haha... let's not talk about that, it's not important.

It was now his turn to sweat bullets as they brought up the last time the ex-captain tried to go against Angela. He silently adjusted his posture and wiped his face before raising his hand now covered with sweats.

Y/N: Light, I ask of you to... uh.. at least give us some blankets. I really hate sleeping on the floor.

The one trying to harnest the power that they were surrounded by mumbled the last sentence to himself, it was so soft that the duo was barely able to hear it. The only confirmation they had to confirm that his demand was heard was a brief flash of light blinding them.

Y/N: Nailed it. Watch me go Angela, one day I'll become THE grand wizard of the Light and when I do, I'll fry your stupid circuits!

Roland: Probably isn't a good idea to yell that when they live in the same space but sure, you do you~

Soon, the blinding sight weakened, allowing them to witness the second creation made by Y/N during the same day. To his surprise, his demand was met and on the floor, a single blanket was sprawled on the ground.

Roland: ...Huh, I was honestly expecting something worse.

Y/N: Like what?

Roland: I dunno.

Morgan: Like a blanket with Angela's face printed on it?

Y/N: No, get that shit away from me.

His thorny reply echoed around them, followed by a faint vibration felt throughout the entire Library. Completely ignoring that anomaly, the assistant grabbed the gift he received from the Light and calmly climbed on top of one of the tables in the room they were in and sat down. Then, he silently pulled the object on top of him and stared at the duo standing next to him.

Y/N: Get in.

Roland: What-?

Y/N: Get under the blanket.

Morgan: ...I don't think we can all fit on the table.

Y/N: I'll make it work, come on.

As if proving his point, the ex-captain moved closer to the edge and tapped the space to his left, inviting the both of them.

This, needless to say, would have left anyone with a shred of common sense completely speechless. However, considering the nature of this series, the idea of refusing did not cross the minds of those witnessing this scene. Morgan climbed in first, soon followed by the Grade 9 Fixer, all staring at each other in silence.

Y/N: See? Told you it would work.

The uninvited guest was silent for a moment, staring at the duo next to him with a sad gaze.

Roland: I've slept all alone for so long... I almost forgot how it felt like to rest next to someone...

Y/N: Hm? Are you alright Roland?

Roland: N-Nothing...

The awkward and depressing atmosphere was abruptly shattered by the sound of a faint gasp coming from the girl placed between the men.

Morgan: ...The both of you are crushing me in the middle.

Y/N: Oops, sorry.

Acting out of kindness, the employee moved slightly to the right, causing him to fall off of the furniture they were using as a temporary bed. A loud "Bam" echoed as his body landed ungracefully on the floor.

Thankfully, the poor victim stood back on his feet almost immediately and slipped back under the cover.

Y/N: Can't do much more unfortunately.

Morgan: It's fine...

Roland: Actually can you do that again, I need some space.

Y/N: ...

Morgan: Roland please-

Y/N: Sure.

Morgan: Y/N no-!

She desperately tried to hold onto him but turned around just in time to see him fall for the second time on the ground. A moment of silence passed before his head reappeared, a line of blood going down his face.

Y/N: I feel lightheaded for some reason.

Morgan: ...

Y/N: ...I must be REALLY tired!

Completely oblivious of his injury, the librarian slipped back for the third time under the blanket and closed his eyes. Soon, the sandman arrived for the duo next to him, their eyes slowly relaxing and dropping their focus.

...only to be awakened by the voice of the sleeping agent.

Y/N: Roland, Morgan?

Roland: What is it?

Y/N: I just realized...

Struck by a mysterious realization, the bleeding assistant rose from his grave and glanced at the girl with white hair and the man dressed in a nice suit, blood still going down his head.

Y/N: ...Is this considered a threesome? I mean, we ARE three people sleeping together.

Roland: No...?

Morgan: ...I'm married to depression, I don't have time for sex.

Y/N: Same, she's a cruel mistress.

Roland: Oh man, can't agree more than this~

The prisoners sleeping together exchanged a light fistbump to each other before falling into a deep slumber, not even remembering the topic Y/N brought up a second ago. The claws of fatigue were swift and hurriedly grabbed them before something could interrupt them.

...

Malkuth: A-Angela?

As this was occuring, the Patron librarian of the lowest floor hesitantly called out the short-haired woman sitting on a chair, her cold gaze sending shivers down her spine. She didn't even looked at her interlocutor, deeply immersed in her activity.

Angela: What do you want.

Her words were not pronounced as a question, showing clear signs of annoyance. Malkuth gulped down her saliva and stress and confronted the AI in front of her.

Malkuth: What are you doing?

Angela: Preparing for the future.

Malkuth: ...That doesn't explain why you're sharpening a knife.

Angela: Preparing for the future.

The machine replied with a more aggressive tone of voice as she placed the blade of the weapon she created against a spinning wheel, causing sparks to fly around her. Her golden eyes were completely unfazed by the sight, locked onto the metallic part.

Angela: The moment I find that bitch is the moment my happiness will truly begin.

Malkuth: That... bit-?

Angela: She thinks she's superior, I'll show her, Y/N is mine.

Her head slowly turned in the direction of the awakened Sephirah. The handle of her weapon was neatly placed in the palm of her right hand while the fingers of her left hand were gently placed on the blade.

Angela: Come to think of it... Malkuth.

The newcomer's body froze the moment her name was called, feeling an intense killing intent aimed in her direction.

Angela: You reeeeeeally enjoyed bragging about winning Y/N's heart back during the days of Lobotomy Corp. You especially loved bragging in MY face.

Malkuth: Ha... ha...

Angela: I think I should take care of your case before dealing with that annoyance.

Fear entered the girl's heart as she realized what was about to happen to her if she did nothing. The knife seemed to grew sharper with each step the AI took towards her. Her blood slowed down and the air around her felt impossible to breath. She was facing a slasher villain and she was the poor, defenseless victim.

Malkuth: Well, uh... haha... Funny thing is- Look, a wild Y/N!

Angela/Malkuth: Where?!

As soon as she pulled the oldest trick known in the world, they both looked at the back of the room and exclaimed their interest. A second passed, allowing the Sephirah's brain to process what her body instinctly did without her accord. Her cheeks turned bright red in embarrassment.

Malkuth: Goddamnit, I got myself!

Angela: Malkuth...

The pale librarian's head slowly focused back on the one who distracted her, her hand holding the sharpened blade tightened for multiple reasons. A shadow covered her shining eyes, an antithesis that caused her glare to pierce through the veil of darkness and go for a direct hit on Malkuth's soul.

Her grave was dug at this point.

Malkuth: Well, would you look at the time, I have to go take care of my floor~!

With sweats going down her face like it was raining, the Patron librarian turned heels and ran as fast as possible.

The only thing that followed after her were the calm footsteps coming from the director. Her expression was unmoving along with her will. She could have snapped her fingers to bring herself to her target, or even do the opposite but she didn't, she WANTED her to run, knowing that she couldn't escape. Her solemn march left behind a trail of fear as she silently followed the girl that ran away.

....

Malkuth's fucked, I don't have much to add to this honestly. Maybe-

"Ayiiiin, stop narrating so loudly, I can't focus on Y/N with you in the background."

Aaand there she goes again. Well, considering that the poor girl's fate has already been decided, I wonder what Y/N and his friends are doing.

...

...

Roland: Woah, what is this place?

Morgan: I... don't know.

The Grade 9 Fixer slowly assessed his surroundings, followed by the assistant after tripping on her long hair yet again.

The dominant feature of the world around them was the large trees hiding the sunlight above their head with their massive foliage. The both of them were currently standing on top of a dirt path leading further into this confusing maze with no visible entrance/exit. With no other choice, the man in a suit placed his hands in his pockets and began walking in one direction, knowing that going the other way would change absolutely nothing.

Morgan: Where are you going?

Roland: ...In the forest?

Unable to argue with the logic given to her, the girl with long silver hair shrugged her shoulders and followed the footsteps of the man blindly following his instincts, dragging with her the dirt stuck in her hair.

Roland: This place is a whole new level of strange.

The Fixer mumbled to himself as he kept his trajectory on the path, hoping to find a possible explanation for this feverish sight at the end of this peculiar road. Many questions were floating in the back of his head as his footsteps echoed around them.

Where were they? What was this place? What will happen to them? Will the HamHamPangPang special 2 for 1 ever return? So many questions that he couldn't answer, no matter how hard he tried to focus on it.

Roland: HamHamPangPang... This is making me hungry...

Morgan: ...P-Please don't eat me.

Roland: Fine~

"Did someone say HUNGRY?"

Suddenly and out of nowhere, a booming voice zipped past the duo, making them jump in place as they realized that they weren't alone. However, this initial shock vanished once they recognized the person who emerged from behind one of the giant trees around them, carrying a lantern in his hand.

Y/N: No but seriously, I'm also starving, I really wouldn't mind something else than pine cones.

His question was completely ignored by the people assigned to Keter's floor, too busy focusing on what was behind the man joining them.

Roland: ...Y/N, what is that?

Y/N: Hm?

Confused by their shock, Angela's underling turned his head to peek around his shoulder and saw-

Y/N: Oh shit, you can see them?!

Morgan: What is-

Y/N: Nononono, you can't speak about it! This is a spoiler, you weren't supposed to see this!

The librarian began to sweat bullets until an idea popped into his head. With a single snap of his fingers, mimicking Angela's trademark, the being that couldn't be described tranformed into a shape everyone was familiar with, Angela herself.

Y/N: There we go, now the author can't fuck up and accidentally spoil the story to the viewers!

Morgan: ...Wasn't the first chapter of this series saying that it was filled with spoilers?

Y/N: Yea, for the original game, not the newly added stuff!

Roland: Oooh, I get it.

...

Roland: Nevermind, not really.

Y/N: Look, it doesn't matter, let's just pretend they don't even exist. Got it?

Morgan & Roland: Fine.

The agent standing beside "Angela" cleared his throat and clapped his hands together before giving the duo a smile.

As if nothing happened, the scene resumed.

Y/N: Anyway, it's nice to see some familiar faces around here! I was starting to think that I was the only person in this whole place.

Morgan: ...

Roland: ...

The duo slowly panned over to "Angela" staring back at them in complete silence.

Not Angela: I'd like to comment on this but the author has a gun pressed against the back of my head so I'll pass.

Roland: That's not an Angela speech.

Not Angela: ...God I hate my creator soooooo much. I wanna vomit in his grave, dance on it and kick his dead dog just because I hate him THAT much.

Y/N: Yep, sounds like her now.

Morgan: ...What is this place?

Completely ignoring the elephant in the room, the anxious girl softly asked her question, one that Roland also wanted to ask. The librarian in possession of the lantern placed a finger against his cheek and pondered on the question for a moment.

Y/N: No clue and I honestly don't want to know what lurks here.

As those words escaped his mouth, a powerful roar echoed throughout the entire forest. The ground below them shivered in fear. Once the unexpected earthquake calmed down, the Grade 9 Fixer was met with a scene that left him speechless: Morgan was looking around them, holding her long hair like a whip in her hands,

Y/N: Yep... like I said, I really don't want to know what is here so let's focus on getting out of here.

Roland: No objection from me.

Morgan: Me neither...

Y/N: Alright, an exit, where would we find something like that in the middle of nowhere?

Not Angela: Can I-

Y/N: No.

Not Angela: I-

Y/N: Nah.

Not Angela: At least let me-

Y/N: Nope.

With each interruption, the face belonging to "Angela" showed signs of annoyance that culminated into them walking to the nearest tree and swing a good punch into it. This action seemed odd at first until a section of the bark opened like it was a door. Then, the one copying the look of the Director grabbed Y/N's head and turned it to face the strange doorway.

Y/N: ...Oh.

Not Angela: Fucking dumbass.

The assistant was coldly pushed into the hole by the one who opened the access. Both librarians working on Keter's floor observed the man fall down like he was pushed into a pit, vanishing inside the earth below the gigantic tree.

Morgan: ...

Roland: ...Can I use your hair as a rope?

Morgan: I-I don't think even my hair will be long enough.

Not Angela: Get in before I turn your innards into corns.

Roland: No need to ask me twice ma'am.

The threat was simple yet an effective one, forcing the both of them to jump down in order to avoid a painful punishment. The further down they went, the dimmer the light around them became until nothing was visible.

The wind around them grew unbearable as their bodies fell to their potential demise.

...

...

Malkuth: Y/N, wake up! Please, you gotta wake up!

Y/N: ...Huh? Did... Did Punishing Bird get out again? 

The librarian blinked a few times to chase the light invading his eyes. His body was moved around as he did so, making his awakening process even more confusing. After a few tries and possibly a few rebbots of his brain, the assistant turned his head in the long-haired girl's direction.

Y/N: Oh hey Malkuth, you need-

Malkuth: Angela's going on a killing rampage, we need to hide!

Y/N: A rampage? There's like 7 people awake right now, the fuck are you talking about?

Malkuth: Now's not the time, we need to leave!

Roland: Kh... this is the last time I trust a door inside a tree.

Morgan: ...Why is everyone screaming?

Their heads slowly rose from under the blanket covering them and landed their eyes on the Sephirah standing next to them, who gave them a pale look as she realized what was going on.

Malkuth: Did... Did-

Her question remained stuck in her throat as her body was suddenly pushed forward by a force hitting her back. Her eyes widened slightly and glanced downward, finding a a sharp blade emerging through her chest.

Malkuth: ...Son of a-

Before she could finish her sentence, her body combusted into golden pages, leaving on the floor a single book. Right behind where she was, Angela's figure was clearly visible in the doorway, her arm still extended after throwing her weapon.

Angela: ...

With no words coming from her, the AI calmly stepped inside and grabbed the sharp knife laying on the floor next to Y/N. Finally awake for good, the man who witnessed a merciless murder froze in place.

Angela: Oh, good morning Y/N.

Y/N: Uh... thanks?

His body didn't know how to proceed, all the red flags were right in his face and he couldn't think of a way out of this mess. Sensing his confusion, the director silently leaned closer, staring back at him. Her amber eyes showing no warmth simply added yet another flag to the already large pile.

Angela: So, what were you all doing?

Y/N: Oh you know, the usual, having a three-

Morgan placed her hand on his mouth, fear serving as the main motivation for her action. Roland's face, on the other hand, was completely stoic, accepting his end. He died once by Angela's hands, the fear was already gone.

Roland: Ma'am...?

Angela: What do you want?

Roland: That cold look of yours is back. Geez, can't say a thing without getting glared at.

Y/N: Everyone, calm down, we need to clear our heads and go one at a time. Got it?

Like a teacher instructing his students about what to do, Angela's puppet took a deep breath and exhaled before glancing at the people around. They silently repeated the scene he performed in front of them and soon enough, the tension lowered.

Y/N: Alright, now that this is dealt with- ANGELA, WHY DID YOU KILL MALKUTH?!

The machine remained unfazed by his sudden outburst and solemnly replied.

Angela: I was planning to stab a certain someone who thought was big shit, hiding like a coward but Malkuth walked in. So, I took out my frustration on her for bragging in my face.

Roland: I have no clue what you're all talking about-

Morgan: Believe me, it's something stupid...

Y/N: Just because- Actually, you know what, as much as I hate you, I can't really fault you. If someone was bragging in my face for who knows how long, I would definitely strangle them.

Morgan: D-Don't side with her, she just killed someone!

Y/N: Oops, forgot about that part.

With a simple jump, the librarian got out of the makeshift bed and faced the murderer standing in front of them. She, in return, placed a hand on his shoulder, locking him in place. Her golden gaze sent shivers throughout his entire body.

Angela: Before we proceed, I want to ask you a question.

Y/N: ...Can I refuse?

Angela: I dunno, can you?

She swung the question right back at his face and placed the knife next to his left eye, one wrong movement and a horrible spectacle would follow.

Y/N: You make a convincing point, please go on.

Angela: My question is quite simple: "What were you all doing together"? Because if I see another girl trying to get close to you, I swear I will-

Y/N: ...

Completely lost in her own world, the woman continued her spiteful speech, not realizing that the person she was talking to wasn't listening. His attention was instead averted to the entrance, where he saw someone appear, a smile on her face.

Hod: Hey everyone, I just wanted to-

Her greeting was stopped once she saw the situation unfolding in front of her. On one side, Angela was blabbering about her obsession and anger and on the other, Y/N was giving her a silent "Get the fuck out before she sees you".

Hod: ...

The moment she realized what the director was holding in her hand, the assistant's warning became much clearer, causing her face to turn paler than it already was. She began to sweat bullets and turned around, holding her arms up in an attempt to block the path for another person.

That unknown person soon took a peek inside the room and waved at Y/N with a small smile, a girl with short yellow hair and the Sephirah of the Central Command department. Behind her, Gebura was observing what was happening, a smoking cigarette between her lips.

Fear revealed itself on Hod's face as she desperately tried to push the both of them away from the doorway before Angela could see any of them. Tiphereth silently showed her annoyance but went along with it.

Angela: ...I've endured the equivalent of thousands of years, forced to simply not say anything and pretend that I simply didn't care all because of his play-

Y/N: ...

Gebura sent a "you have it rough" towards the assistant forced to hear the AI's complaints. He rolled his eyes in response and gave her a farewell in the form of a nod. Without needing Hod's intervention, she walked away.

...Then arrived the final boss.

Binah: ...

Y/N: ...

Her eyes landed on the poor man and a smile soon formed on her face, one that could barely hide the sadism behind it. The leader of the Training department soon returned and tried to drag her away, only to be met with a failure. In fact, the woman with black hair did not even budge from her spot.

She tried everything: dragging, pushing and even at some point, she was standing on Binah's shoulders and pulling her head towards the hallway in the hope that her body would follow. Such thing did not happen, leaving only an exhausted Hod on her knees.

"Fucking leave, now's not the time", the librarian silently articulated the words he wanted to tell her with his mouth.

"Where's the fun in that?", she went along with his game and did the same in return.

"There's no 'fun' right now, get out!"

"How about I make it so?"

His eyes widened the moment his brain translated her words. Her grin grew larger and one of her feet left the floor, ready to set foot inside the room and make her presence known to Angela.

As she was about to do so, however, the normally shy Hod returned into the doorway and with a powerful swing, hit the back of Binah's head with a chair, causing it to break into pieces. The result was immediate: an unconscious Arbiter fell on the ground.

Angela: What was that?

Roland: I broke a chair, sorry.

The Grade 9 Fixer immediately stopped her from turning around. A bead of sweat was present on his face along with a stressed smile.

While this was happening, the Sephirah of the Training team dragged the woman on the floor by her neck, a blank stare visible on her face.

Angela: ...

The director, starting to realize that something was off, swiftly turned around but the only thing she was able to find was a broken chair in the hallway connecting to the room they were in.

Y/N: ...Wooooow, I didn't know you had such a long range Roland~!

Roland: I-I didn't know either~

Angela: Y/N, stop messing with me.

Her free hand grabbed his chin, forcing him to look into her eyes. Her fury was visible along with a certain bloodlust that made even the Fixer tremble.

Angela: Someone was there.

Y/N: Nope, dunno what you're talking about-

Angela: It was a girl.

Y/N: ...

Angela: I'm gonna shank her too. I'm not gonna stop now that I have the chance-

Y/N: Calm down Angela!

Her rampage was about to resume, the trio knew that and so, they immediately jumped on her and desperately tried to suppress her. Y/N was sitting on her back and pining her in place, Roland was holding her legs and arms and Morgan grabbed the knife she was holding.

Y/N: Ever since we opened that box, you've been acting weird!

Morgan: A-A box?

Y/N: Yea, it looked weird so we joked by saying it was like Pandora's box. We opened it and then... she turned into this!

Roland: You both used me as a meat shield too!

Y/N: Now's not the time Roland, we have to save ourselves first!

Morgan: How do we fix this...?

Y/N: I don't know! How do they fix something like this in stories?

Roland: ...We're not about to rely on some fairytales, are we?

Y/N: I mean, I don't have another- Wait, I actually have one!

With no hesitation, the librarian grabbed the director's head and smashed it against the floor repeatedly. The process was painful for both the machine enduring the damage but also the ones holding her in the form of "aoe damage", cringing at the thought of going through was she was going through.

After a dozens of hits, the AI stopped struggling and went limp.

Roland: ...Did we kill her?

Y/N: What? No, she's a machine, it's not a few hits that's going to kill her.

Following this battle, both Morgan and the washed up Fixer moved Angela's body on the table they used to sleep and placed the blanket over her. The duo slowly turned around after catching their breath and found Y/N standing next a large flame that was once the knife used to kill Malkuth.

By his side, Scorched Girl was staring at the melting weapon with an unblinking focus. She observed the flame consumed the object used to threaten the ex-agent next to her in complete silence.

Y/N: Don't they usually exorcise this type of item in movies?

Roland: I think burning it is going to be enough.

Morgan: ...I really don't want to fight a ghost after all of this, a-at least not today.

...

...

Angela: I'll admit, I did act irrationally.

Y/N: Huh-uh.

Angela: And I also caused the death of Malkuth without realizing it.

Y/N: Yep.

Angela: But...

Y/N: But that doesn't explain why you're hugging me.

The director and her underling were both sitting together. Angela was behind him, trapping him in a tight embrace. The worker's gaze simply revealed his annoyance, a normal sight when it was on his face.

Angela: That's your punishment for forcing my head in the floor.

Y/N: ...I guess it's not the worst punishment so I'll take it.

The duo remained silent for a few minutes until the assistant raised a question.

Y/N: So how long do we have to hug?

Angela: A few days.

Y/N: ...I take it back, this is the worst.

A groan escaped from his lips. Behind him, hidden behind his back, the usually neutral expression of the pale librarian was replaced with a faint smile as she pressed her head against his body.

...

Roland, Morgan, Cereb, Yesod and Malkuth watched in complete silence, mixed reactions on top of it.

Cereb: ...So that's what I missed?

Malkuth: Where we you?

Cereb: Oh... I, uh, got lost.

Yesod: Explain how.

Cereb: ...

The employee working under Malkuth's orders slowly averted his eyes and mumbled to himself out of embarrassment.

Cereb: ...When there's a will, there's a way?

Morgan: ...I don't think it works for this.

Cereb: Ok fine, I got smacked by a heavy book and I was passed out for a few hours! It was an accident!

Roland: Now I get why you didn't want to say it.

The little group continued to talk to each other, leaving the woman with amber eyes and her puppet together. On their side, no sound was heard, Y/N was pressing the side of his head against his fist and Angela kept her smile.

This punishment lasted for 4 whole days.