A New Hope

We land next to Slinger.

Slinger: "Did you really have to do all that?"

Sun: "Do what? Search for you? You have abandoned us!"

Slinger: "It's for the greater good! You obviously don't understand."

Sun: "What greater good? What's greater than the lives of Nebula and D? Greater than our trust in you? Greater than the second chance I gave you?!"

She stares at the ground, regretful.

Slinger: "Mitsurugi..."

Sun: "Huh?!"

Slinger: "The dragon cub your family adopted! She grows stronger as we speak! I needed the money to buy weapons! And you just made me waste a really expensive one, so be grateful!"

Sun: "Grateful? Oh, I am grateful."

I punch her in the face, making her nose bleed.

Sun: "You could have simply told us! We could have worked together!"

She kicks me in the stomach, making me stumble and fall. She sits on top of me and strangles me.

Slinger: "You don't understand what's in game here! You don't give a flying fuck about the dragon that kills millions everyday! You just want to live adventure after adventure, and leave the main threat lurking for the Heroes to deal with!"

Miguel pulls her away from me. She and I gasp in pain. I jump on top of her and push her to the ground, punching her in the face.

Sun: "And you think we're strong enough to deal with that beast?! I don't even know her! The Heroes are strong enough to deal with her!"

Slinger: "That's why I needed stronger weapons, for fuck's sake!"

Sun: "We were already making a lot of money! You didn't have to stab us in the back!"

Slinger: "Not nearly enough! Sol had connections, guns, and money! What do you have? Hopes and dreams? That doesn't cut it! Mitsurugi will destroy the world soon!"

I chuckle darkly.

Sun: "You're right. I don't give a fuck about Mitsurugi. Or about anything, really. I can just rewind time and fix everything."

Slinger: "What...? Is that how you can see the future?"

Sun: "I'm so sad about your boyfriend. If he was still alive, you could go home and fuck him."

Slinger: "Choose your next words carefully. I have every reason to finish you off. I have a mission. You don't."

Sun: "Oh, I have a mission. Far greater than yours. I will fix your mistake."

I punch her in the face several times until she catches my fist. She aims her pistol at my face.

Slinger: "Nothing changes that what's done can't be reversed. Even if you go back in time, the damage is already done. Go ahead, erase the past. Create a better one. Kill me right there. Everyone will live happily ever after. Almost as if nothing ever happened."

Sun: "I know... I don't like having to use this power... But you forced me to."

Slinger: "What are you waiting for? Go ahead, hero. Save the world. Fix your mistake. Make everyone forget all the bad things you've done."

Sun: "This is all your fault! Not mine!"

Slinger: "Who let me live? Who let Nebula and D die? Hm? Was it me? It has always been your fault, creator."

I fly into a rage and try to punch her. She shoots. Darkness descends upon me.

???: "He's here. He's here!"

Sun: "Huh...?"

???: "He can speak! Finally! Um, I don't know where to begin..."

Sun: "Who are you...?"

I turn my head to look at the mysterious woman. She has green and pink hair. Her face is not visible, for some reason. It's as if I can't comprehend what I'm seeing.

Sun: "Is this a dream...?"

???: "Uhh... no! This is reality!"

Sun: "This is the second time..."

???: "Oh, right! You must be confused... Uhh... your mind and body are still trying to adjust. That's why you get stronger every time you revive."

Sun: "What...?"

???: "Y-Yes, that's it! The transfer between the two worlds was successful, however... I need to increase the dosage little by little, or... the God of Distortion might be affected."

Sun: "Who...?"

???: "I don't have time to explain! Um, I was creating more lives for you! Sorry for the wait..."

Sun: "Uh...? Wait a minute..."

I slowly wake up.

???: "Seven..."

Slinger: "Answer me, kid! And you better not say 'intuition', because mine is way better than yours!"

Nebula points her palm at her.

Nebula: "If you hurt my brother, I will reciprocate."

She unwillingly lets me go.

Sun: "You're right. I have a blessing."

Slinger: "What? A blessing?"

Sun: "Everytime I die, I go back in time."

Miguel: "That's how you knew all this...?"

Sun: "Not only that, but my body also becomes stronger everytime. Which seems to be happening to you too."

D: "Is that why we feel sudden energy spikes?"

Slinger: "I knew you had a secret ability! Why did you hide it for so long?!"

Sun: "Honestly, I don't know. I probably still couldn't trust you, Slinger."

Slinger: "Me? Why?"

Sun: "Because you're siding with a guy named Sol Dat. You plan to lure us into the ocean and have him take us by surprise."

Slinger: "W-What...?"

Sun: "Don't play fool. He was the one who ordered you to take down Shizuru."

Miguel: "R-Really? Doesn't that make her our enemy?"

Nebula: "It sure does. I don't understand where you're coming from, brother, but I trust you."

D: "I believe in you too."

Slinger: "What...? Are you guys just taking what he says for granted?"

Miguel: "Well... he saved me, so I trust him too."

Slinger: "You're so naive... don't you see him for the manipulative liar that he is?!"

Sun: "Slinger, calm down. I know why you betrayed us in the first place. You need money and weapons to fight Mitsurugi."

Slinger: "And what do you know?! Have you even seen the monster she has become? Can you at least understand what's in game here?!"

Sun: "Not yet. You killed me just a few minutes ago, in my perspective. You had a rant about the exact same problem. Which means I'm right."

Slinger: "W-What...? You don't know anything, you spoiled kid!"

Sun: "Please, Slinger... I said I wouldn't give you another chance, but you haven't lured us to Sol yet. You have time to redeem yourself."

Slinger: "Redeem myself? As if I have done anything wrong! This is all your fault, for letting me live! Come on, kill me! Sol will do it if I betray him anyway!"

Sun: "You've been in doubt this whole time. You keep saying it's not your fault, that it's not personal, that you don't regret it... but you consider us your friends."

Slinger: "No way in hell that's true! You're right, I say it's nothing personal. Because I mean it. I don't have friends... I can't have friends."

Sun: "Who planted that idea in your mind?"

Slinger: "No one! That's just the way it is... I learned the hard way."

Sun: "There's something about me I haven't told you yet. I am your creator. This entire world was created by me. It's not exactly the same, but Nebula, Sun, D and even Sol are all direct creations of mine."

Miguel: "What about me...?"

Sun: "You were an NPC, a character with no importance to the story. But look at us now. You are important to our story."

Slinger: "You are... my creator...?"

Sun: "If I had known this world would become real, I would have made your life infinitely better, Slinger. I'm sorry."

Slinger: "As if I would believe you..."

Sun: "Mitsurugi wasn't created by me. She was also an NPC. That's why I didn't care about her until now."

Slinger: "Bullshit..."

Sun: "You have opened my eyes, Slinger. I will help you fight Mitsurugi."

Slinger: "Shut up! You're just going to die anyway!"

Sun: "You want money, right? Nebula and D sacrificed themselves to kill Sol last time. But you still got the money. Which means he already paid you, right?"

Slinger: "What...? How do you know all that?"

Sun: "I was telling the truth. We will help you. Please, help us kill Sol."

Slinger: "What if I refuse?"

Sun: "I will go back in time until I change your mind. Or until I get tired and kill you. Whichever comes first."

Slinger: "That doesn't change our past..."

Sun: "You're right. You can betray us here, and nothing will change that once it happens. But what gives you a better chance of defeating Mitsurugi? Betraying us and taking the money, or killing Sol, taking the money and our help?"

Slinger: "You say that as if killing him was easy..."

I smirk.

Sun: "We have a secret weapon I haven't told you about yet."