Endzone: Simulated Apocalypse

As Cyanide and the others walked on ahead, Dianna hung back with Kirika, and draped her arm on the other girl's shoulder.

"… Hey, cheer up."

"E-Eh?" Kirika blinked, slightly surprised. "What…?"

Dianna sighed. "Really… it's no use playing dumb, if your acting skills are this bad. It's practically written on your face—Cyanide knows as well, but since he doesn't know how to deal with things like this, he chose to ignore it. Tell me—the real reason you came to say 'thank you' to him wasn't because of your samurai code, was it?"

"That…" Kirika averted her gaze, trailing off. Dianna smiled slightly in melancholy, knowing that she was on the mark.

"… Listen. I know how you feel right now. Like a burden, right? Like a failure? Like you can't do anything except get protected by others?"

"…" Kirika was silent, but her clenched fists showed that she was listening to Dianna's words.

"I know. I know, because I once felt the same way."

"Eh…?" Kirika's eyes widened a bit as she turned to Dianna. "But… you're so strong… how?"

Dianna smiled cryptically, and closed one eye. "What if I told you… you're only weak because you think you're weak?"

"Wha…"

"The way you fight says a lot about you," Dianna stated, folding her arms. "Now, I don't know much about samurai, but… I've heard they're pretty focused on honor and discipline. And yet… you aren't."

At this, Kirika was confused. "I… I don't understand. How am I not fighting with honor and discipline…?"

"Your techniques and heart are both good. Honor and discipline should be easy for you. But… you're missing one crucial factor that comes before everything else when it comes to combat."

"What's that?"

Dianna smiled.

"… Confidence."

Kirika blinked. "Confidence…?"

"Yes," Dianna replied. "Can't you see? If you're constantly thinking of yourself as a 'burden' or a 'failure', you'll never be able to unlock your full potential. That researcher girl… she taught me that. When I first came into this world, I was just a clueless teenager, young and stupid. I was weak, and needed to rely on others to protect me. But once I learned the meaning of confidence, the meaning of ambition… I was able to finally stand up and fight for myself."

"I see…" Kirika murmured, clenching the hilt of her katana tightly. "Confidence… you're right. If I don't even believe in myself, how can I expect myself to get stronger, and for others to believe in me?"

At this, Dianna smiled.

"That's the spirit."

As she began walking away, making a peace-sign with her hand and winking, Kirika smiled back, hope renewed.

"… Thanks, Dianna."

*****

As the group set off and left the scene, the dead mutant animals' bodies disappearing one after another, a figure gently flew down from the air high above, and landed in front of the cave.

"Hm… looks like the improvised Venomization process didn't work," the boy said, giggling to himself. "They're stronger than I originally anticipated… I was hoping to get rid of everyone else around the target with this move, but… heheheh. This makes things more interesting- ngh!"

Suddenly, a voice thundered in his head, and he fell to the floor, clutching his white hair in pain.

[I care not about whether it is interesting or not, Plague. I only want one thing: results.]

"Agh…!" The young man screamed in pain, rolling around on the floor. His left eye, the one with the black sclera, shone an intense, blazing purple, as if glowing, and beneath his skin, dark violet liquid ran through his veins.

After several minutes of wild thrashing, the young man finally settled down, and the pain faded away from his bones.

"Hah… hah… hah…" He was left panting as he struggled back to his feet, body shaking, but his expression was that of a smile. A maniacal, psychopathic smile, one that rivaled if not surpassed Cyanide's own.

[… Hopefully, that has taught you a lesson. I will allow you to play around and do your own thing, but… do not forget what I created you for. Your purpose. Your meaning. And most importantly… your target.]

Smile broadening, the young man named Plague bared his teeth, eyes still shining an ominous purple.

"… Yes, my Creator."

Then, turning to a nearby mutant animal in the forest who just barely managed to escape the fight, he walked closer to it and picked it up. It was a small squirrel, injured and terrified. The boy smiled like a madman, opened his mouth, and…

… Devoured it whole.

*****

- Some Days Earlier, After the GM's Conversation with Fate -

"… Boy. Wake up."

"Hm…?"

A young teen who seemed to be in his fifteens or sixteens struggled to open his eyes, as a tall man towered before him like a statue.

"At long last, it is time for you to show yourself."

"Oh…?" The boy sat up, intrigued, as the man continued.

"Do you remember what the initial purpose of creating you was, Plague? The one and only reason of your existence?"

"Of course," the boy replied obediently. "I am your cleaner. The sentient virus. The one who finishes off the last player when they think they've won."

"Good," the man said in acknowledgment. "It seems the years have not polluted your memory. Regardless, you were never needed this way in the past, since you were the ultimate, last card I wanted to play, but this time, things are different. There is a player who is part of this batch—code 097, alias Cyanide. He not only stepped beyond the rules… but shattered them altogether."

"… C-y-a-n-i-d-e," the boy murmured innocently, sounding out the word.

"You have one task," the man said quietly, coldly. "Get rid of him, before it's too late. Is that clear?"

Slowly, the boy nodded, curious at his new job. He's never done something this interesting before, just always shut in his dark cage and called out when he was needed to kill the final survivor of the batch.

Perhaps… this was his chance to have some fun.

"Remember," the man said, turning around and beginning to walk away.. "Failure… is not an option."