A Chance After All

As the day passes and night approaches, Raios lays in bed while staring at the ceiling in a bored manner.

He wasn’t exactly hurting or anything, but he felt compelled to remain in the room after receiving no further instructions.

However... The silence was beginning to grate on his newly born nerves.

Suddenly, a few knocks resound from the door, prompting the clone to sit up quickly with an more lively expression.

“You can come in!”

The door slowly opens as an older woman wearing ceremonial garbs walks in with a gentle expression.

Her blue eyes and sandy hair mesmerized the young clone as he simply remained silent at the woman’s approach.

“Hello Mr. Krayulm, my name is Agatha and I am the healer who has been sent to watch over your health.” The now named Agatha bows politely, prompting Raios to nod.

“Thank you for that, you can just call me Raios. Also I hate to tell you this since you came out here, but I’m completely fine. I don’t even have any injuries.” The clone explains while moving his arms around to prove his point.

The healer proceeds to stand still for a second before donning a surprised expression at Raios’ words.

“Oh… Well I suppose I should run a check just to be safe. Occasionally damage can be internal rather than only external.” Agatha tuts with a slight giggle before walking over to kneel beside Raios’ bed.

“I guess that’s true…” The clone trails off before jolting in realization.

“Hold on, how do I know that? It's like I understand things that I feel like I shouldn’t... Describing things that I don't know exist until it just appears in my head…”

Suddenly, a soft ocean blue light illuminates the room, bringing Raios out of his inner thoughts and back to the real world to focus on what was occurring.

Agatha appeared to be using some sort of magic that enveloped his body.

And it felt strangely nice and warm…

The glow was ethereal and he could sort of make out vague images of sea life within the air that flew around gracefully as the woman's magic flowed outward.

As the clone continued to observe the odd phenomena the healer suddenly freezes, halting her magic while slowly staring at Raios in a mix of confusion and… wariness?

“Forgive my bluntness, but you are no human… Are you?” Agatha inquires rhetorically with an unsettled tone, prompting the clone to just tilt his head.

“Did the person who send you not tell you anything about me?” Raios questions in befuddlement.

“Indeed… He withheld most of the information and simply informed me that everything would be safe… May I ask what illness has claimed you?” The healer murmurs with a sympathetic gaze.

“Illness? I don’t think I’m sick, but I am a clone of an actual human. Or at least I think he was a human…” Raios mumbles out in an unsure manner.

“Hmm… So not an illness then? Quite a peculiar situation you have found yourself in… If you do not mind, may I have a sample of your blood, Raios?” Agatha points toward his bare arm while wearing a curious expression.

“Sure.” The young clone shrugs.

With permission received, the woman proceeds to pull out a syringe from a hidden pocket and expertly draws some of Raios’ blood.

Afterwards she notes a few things down into a small notebook before getting up to leave.

“I will return as soon as I can with the results, thank you Raios.” Agatha bows respectfully once again and exits the room.

“Uh don’t worry about it!” Raios calls out hastily before wondering if the healer had already left earshot.

The clone then sighs while staring out the window behind his bed as the stars shine brightly.

It was going to be a boring night, wasn't it?

Or it was supposed to be, until the door randomly burst open once more as a pink head of hair waltzed in from the entrance with a joyous energy.

“What's up, hero? You rest alright?” Mrylae calls out to the clone with a grin.

Raios promptly looks up at the draconian with surprise before double taking at her appearance. “What are you doing here? I thought you'd be helping with the defense.”

Mrylae quickly shakes her head before surmising the situation. “For some reason the monsters backed off and retreated far enough that the capital deemed it safe for tonight. Sooo I thought I’d drop by to see how you were doing.”

The clone hums at the information before noticing a plate of food in the dragon girl’s hand, reminding him of her previous gift.

“Thanks for the food by the way. It was good.” Raios mumbles out begrudgingly.

The draconian leans in while holding a hand to her ear obnoxiously. “Huh? I don’t think I heard that right, hero.”

“I SAID THANKS FOR THE FOOD! Alright?! Also stop calling me a hero! It's tacky!” Raios grumbles while crossing his arms in minor embarrassment.

Mrylae simply chomps down on a slab of meat before pointing the bone at the sulking clone. “What’s got you all down in the dumps? Did Heidir bore you to death or something?”

Raios avoids eye contact with the draconian before sighing out in frustration. “No… He was nice… It's just that he thinks I’m some kind of hero who’s here to save the world…”

Mrylae pauses her eating for a moment before tilting her head slightly. “Isn’t that what you are though? That’s what you told me, isn’t it?”

“I told you what I was given… Not what I believe. What I really am is a failed clone who was dropped into a dying planet without working powers... Whoever sent me is probably just using this as an experiment or whatever.” Raios grunts angrily while laying back down in irritation.

“I don’t know what stuff you're talking about, but… I thought your powers were pretty cool.” The draconian mumbles out a bit sadly before nibbling on a piece of bread.

Raios blinks for a few seconds before jumping up in realization, shocking the dragon girl into yelping. “Wait! You saw my powers!! Can you tell me what I did!? I can’t remember a single thing after I said Link On!”

Suddenly the room fills with a bright green light as Raios’ eyes shift into spinning gears before metallic gauntlets and boots seep out of his body.

“AHHH!” The clone understandably shouts before crawling out of his bed and onto the floor while staring at his cybernetic appendages.

“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS CRAP!?”

Mrylae quirks an eyebrow at the terrified Raios’ reaction before crumbling into a fit of laughter. “Y-You should see the look on your face, hero! Hahaha!”

“This isn’t funny Mrylae! What the hell is on me right now!?” Raios growls out in an embarrassed manner before standing up and closing his fists a few times.

“Those things are what you used to save us dummy. Do you really not remember what happened?” The draconian questions incredulously while wiping a tear from her eye.

“NO! I just told you I completely forgot everything after saying Link On!”

The clone’s repeated words immediately activate another mechanism, causing a ball of liquid metal to leave his back and begin to warble.

“OK, that's new!” Mrylae shouts cautiously while staring at the ominous orb and tiptoeing to a corner of the room.

“IS THIS STUFF INSIDE OF ME!?” Raios comedically screams while backing up against the wall in terror.

The orb of metal then condenses before glowing lines of green begin to appear all over the device.

“RUNNING DIAGNOSTICS PLEASE HOLD.” A robotic neutral voice speaks out into the room, causing the other two to just stare and wait anxiously.

“DIAGNOSTICS COMPLETE. SYSTEM OPERATIONAL.” The metal orb proceeds to turn a glowing screen toward the clone in the room before spinning in the air a few times.

“Good afternoon Raios Krayulm, how may I help you today?”

Mrylae slowly steps over to Raios before whispering to the clone in intrigue. “Do you know this strange creature?”

“No???” Raios quirks an eyebrow at his companion while wondering why she seemed to think he knew everything. 

“Try asking it something!” The draconian demands curiously before the ball shoots straight up to her face, forcing a terrified squeal out of the duo.

“New companion documented. First heroic deed recorded. Congratulations #700,001, you are not a failure. World Mirinia may yet be saved.”

“Huh!? What do you mean I’m not a failure!? I can’t even use my powers!” Raios shouts out to the abnormal device stupidly.

“Incorrect. You are currently using your Biomechanical Technomancy.” The orb responds in a blunt manner.

“Wait wait, so you’re a part of the hero’s power?” Mrylae questions with some excitement as she steps closer to the floating ball.

“Correct, Mrylae Nogard.”

The draconian promptly looks to Raios with a starry eyes. “THIS IS INCREDIBLE RAIOS! WE HAVE TO SHARE THIS WITH HEIDIR!”

The clone shoves a gloved hand into the dragon girl’s face before turning to the orb with a doubtful expression.

“Hold on a second! Why am I suddenly not a failure?! The guy at the portal said I was the wrong one and that I wasn’t gonna succeed!” Raios questions the orb frantically.

“Incorrect. The original did not state you were incapable of success. He merely assumed an error occurred with your cloning and thus falsely deduced that your Catalyst was incapable of activation.”

“Why did he think that?” Raios inquires in a slightly baffled tone.

“Your hair is yellow.”

“Huh?”

“Your hair is yellow.”

The downstairs Index workers wandering about suddenly freeze as a loud rageful shout pierces the building, causing all of them to stare at each other fearfully.

“HE THOUGHT I WAS A FAILURE BECAUSE MY HAIR WAS YELLOW!?” Raios yells out angrily before grabbing onto the orb with a furious expression painting his face.

“Correction. Yellow hair and temporary amnesia are a known indicator of a clone not having access to their Catalyst which would entail much difficulty in saving a world. Your chances of success were approximately 0.001% at the time of awakening.”

The mentally exhausted Raios slowly falls into a crouching pose as he lets go of the orb, allowing it to just float harmlessly.

Mrylae steadily takes a seat next to the silent clone before laying a comforting hand on his back. “The creature’s sass aside, isn’t this great news? You aren’t a failure or a phony! You should be happy, no?"

The quiet persists as Raios just nods while wearing a small smile on his face. "Y-Yeah..."

Until the orb speaks up once more.

“Correction, #700,001 is still severely faulty. He does not have access to all his powers and thus does not have a 100% success guarantee. He is by all definitions of the term a failure and a phony.”

The two just stare up at the device as anger marks start appearing on their heads.

But before the duo can do anything rash the orb speaks up once more.

“However, I may be able to assist #700,001 in regaining his powers through absorption of the Molunsi Infection. If he can absorb the fluids of the Molunsi Generals he will regain his maximum potential and be capable of purging this world completely.”

Raios instantly deadpans while Mrylae beams like the Sun upon hearing the floating device's proclamation.

“Could you start with that next time? You’re pretty annoying for a floating ball…” Raios grumbles while ruffling his hair in annoyance.

“Correction, this device is titled the Axion, your personal assistant in all things regarding your objective. Not a floating ball.”

Despite not seeing any visible expression the two deduce that the orb was grinning smugly, much to their growing irritation.

"Y'know what? I'm gonna call you Ax! Cause you don't deserve a cool name like Axion." Raios grins in amusement as the ball just floats unbothered by the remark.

Then, the door unexpectedly opens as an elated Agatha bolts into the room while holding a vial of blood before calming down enough to notice the floating orb.

“Greetings, Agatha Photonpulous.”

“KYAAA!”