How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game Chapter 296: Reaching the end



Underneath the vast expanse of the night sky, a young child sat huddled in the shadows of an alleyway.

His frail body trembled, his thin hands clutching his chest as he struggled to contain the violent shivers that wracked his fra.

The cold winter air bit rcilessly at his exposed skin, each gust of wind a cruel reminder of his vulnerability.

Disheveled and filthy, he was a pitiful sight, his small figure nearly swallowed by the darkness.

The tattered winter jacket he wore offered little to no protection, its fabric riddled with holes that let the icy wind pass through unchallenged.

His breath ca in shallow, uneven gasps, visible in the frigid air as white puffs that quickly dissipated.

He sneezed weakly, the sound barely audible, and curled in on himself in a desperate attempt to preserve what little warmth he had left.

His body was failing him-ravaged by sickness and starvation, it was clear he was slowly succumbing to the rciless grip of winter.

Yet, despite the dire circumstances, his piercing blue eyes gazed up at the sky above, filled not with despair, but with quiet defiance.

The stars twinkled faintly in the dark canvas above, as if mocking his struggle, but he refused to look away.

Those eyes, bright and unwavering, seed to scream against the cruel fate that had been handed to him.

"Hey... are you alright?"

The gentle voice broke through the silence, soft yet filled with concern.

Startled, the boy turned his head toward the source of the sound.

His weary gaze t the figure of a young girl, leaning slightly toward him as she studied his frail form with wide, curious eyes.

In stark contrast to his ragged appearance, she was immaculate.

Her clothes were pristine, a long, elegant coat draped over her shoulders, and her hair shone even under the dim light of the night.

Everything about her exuded a sense of refinent and privilege, a life worlds apart from his

own.

The boy blinked, montarily srized by the girl's appearance.

Her radiant presence felt almost unreal, like a vision sent to taunt him in his final monts. She didn't belong in a place like this, amidst the gri and decay of the alleyway.

Her golden blonde hair cascaded like a radiant waterfall, shimring even in the dim light of the night.

Her golden eyes sparkled with a warmth that seed to defy the cold, dark world around them, as if they carried the very light of the stars within their gaze.

Despite the frigid air biting at his skin, the young child felt a strange warmth enveloping him - a warmth that ca not from the air, but from her re presence.

For a fleeting mont, the boy wondered how such a being could exist in his bleak world.

How could the night sky, so cold and uncaring, suddenly seem to glow with life?

"Where are your parents?"

Her voice was soft and soothing, each word a gentle embrace.

Yet, the young boy didn't answer.

His lips remained sealed, his gaze fixed on her as though afraid that looking away might break the spell.

The girl chuckled softly at his reaction, a lodic sound that carried a kindness he had almost forgotten existed.

She stepped closer, her hand reaching out to gently pat his matted hair.

The touch was light and careful, yet it felt as though it carried an unspoken promise-to shield him, to comfort him, to change his fate.

"I see," she murmured, her golden eyes softening as she looked at him. "So, you're the sa as ..."

With every stroke of her hand, the boy felt sothing stir within him.

It was subtle at first, like a faint ember flickering in a long-dead fire.

But as her warmth spread through him, so did the ember begin to grow, lting away the numbness that had overtaken his body and soul.

His ragged breathing began to even out, and the crushing weight of despair started to lift, if only just a little.

Then, she knelt down, lowering herself to et him at eye level.

Her gaze, unwavering and filled with a warmth he could scarcely comprehend, held his own.

"Hey, why don't you co with ?" she asked, her smile radiant and inviting. "Let's beco family, shall we?"

The words hit him like a wave, crashing against the fragile barriers he had built around his heart. Family?

The very concept felt foreign to him-distant and unreachable, like the stars he so often

gazed at.

As that concept was sothing he had long abandoned in this life and the previous one before

that.

"My na is Dorothy, what's yours?"

He opened his mouth, but no words ca out.

The weight of his silence didn't seem to bother her.

She tilted her head slightly, a playful smile gracing her lips.

"Hmm~ since we're about to beco family, why don't you call big sis from now on?"

Her words were teasing, but there was an earnestness behind them, a sincerity that left him

unable to look away.

Standing up, Dorothy extended her hand toward him.

Her small, gloved hand looked so clean, so pure, so out of place in the gri of the alley.

Yet, it was steady, unwavering in its offer.

"Now, let's go, shall we?"

The boy stared at her outstretched hand, his heart pounding in his chest.

Slowly, hesitantly, he reached out.

His small, trembling fingers brushed against hers before closing around her hand, the touch igniting a spark of warmth that spread through him like a wildfire.

As he allowed her to pull him to his feet, the boy felt sothing he hadn't felt in what seed like an eternity-hope.

In that mont, as he clung to her hand, he knew his world had changed forever.

...

'What... what was that?'

I clutched my head, struggling to steady my thoughts as a wave of disorienting pain surged

through .

The pounding in my skull was relentless, like a hamr striking over and over.

Was that another dream?

The fragnted mory lingered, vivid yet fleeting, but there was no ti to dwell on it.

As the world around shifted, my instincts flared-a sharp glint caught my eye, aid

directly at my throat.

CLANNGGG!!!

The screech of tal rang out as I barely managed to deflect the incoming dagger.

Though slower than the hidden blade technique, the attack still demanded precision.

My body moved on its own, reacting before I could even think.

Using the broad side of my sword, I redirected the dagger's thrust upward, forcing its wielder

to stumble back slightly.

"Wow~"

A voice, familiar yet alien, broke through the chaos.

The clown-like version of whistled, a wide grin plastered across his face as he effortlessly backflipped away, dodging my follow-up strike with infuriating ease.

"Hm~ Hm~ sure is better than expected! Is it because you're still in the zone after that bout

with Second? Or..." He tilted his head, his hypnotic, multicolored hair swaying with the motion. "Is it just because you've actually grown in that short amount of ti now~?"

He spoke with an unsettling casualness, twirling his twin daggers as if this were so sort of

ga.

His movents were erratic, a chaotic dance that defied rhythm and logic.

Left to right.

Up and down.

He moved unpredictably, his daggers switching hands in a dizzying display.

And then... it happened.

The daggers multiplied.

At first, it was subtle-one dagger beca two, then four, then eight.

The air around him shimred as if reality itself bent to his whim.

Each blade glinted nacingly under the dim light, a whirlwind of steel surrounding him.

'No... they weren't illusions'

My senses scread the truth-they were real.

[Projection magic.]

And here I thought only the twins could use that...

The clown-like chuckled, his grin growing wider as he caught the shift in my expression.

"You seem to be in a daze~ Was the dream that painful or comforting?"

The clown-like version of tilted his head, his tone laced with mockery and curiosity.

His painted smile stretched unnaturally wide, as if reveling in my confusion.

"Did... you do sothing to ?" I spat, anger lacing my voice.

The swirling storm of emotions within finally reached its peak.

The pent-up frustration from my previous encounter with the other Riley rom before-who conveniently avoided giving any real answers-ca crashing down like a tidal wave.

All these riddles.

All these fragnted mories.

And yet, no clear explanation.

"I just showed you a little piece of myself~" he replied nonchalantly, spinning one of his daggers between his fingers. "Though I couldn't tell which part of you saw- Soul mories have to be random now, considering how much causality interference we're paying for all this. But—" His grin widened, his eyes glinting mischievously. "I wouldn't mind

disappearing if you'd prefer to re-live my life~"

"That... was your mory?"

"Wrong." He twirled the dagger faster, the sound of the blade slicing through the air sharp

and precise. "That was my life~"

Before I could fully process his words, a barrage of daggers ca hurtling toward .

Shit-!

I instinctively raised my sword, blocking as many of the projectiles as I could.

The clang of steel on steel rang out, each impact reverberating through my arms.

But his assault was relentless-an unending rain of blades that pushed my body and mind to

their limits.

I moved with all the precision I could muster, deflecting the daggers that aid for my vital

points.

Yet, no matter how fast I reacted, there were too many.

Damn it-!

A sharp sting erupted at my side.

Then another.

So of the blades found their mark, piercing through my defenses.

Blood seeped from the wounds, warm and sticky, staining my clothes and dripping onto the

ground.

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to ignore the pain as I maintained my focus. "Hmm~ You actually managed to block most of my Ripper Dagger Special~" he mused, his

voice filled with a mocking sort of admiration.

He spun another dagger effortlessly in his hand, its edge gleaming with a faint, ominous aura.

"I coated so of them with my aura, you know," he continued, tapping the blade playfully against his temple. "Impressive that you're still standing~"

The smirk on his face was maddening, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. My grip tightened on my sword, the pain in my body dulled by sheer willpower. "Good. Keep that fire in your eyes," he purred, tilting his head as he studied . "It's so much

more fun when you're fighting to survive~"

He leapt back, spinning in the air like a perforr in a grotesque circus, his daggers hovering

around him like satellites.

"You know what they say, don't you?" he teased, landing gracefully. "What doesn't kill you

only makes you stronger-"

I steadied my breathing, my mind sharpening despite the chaos around .

If he thinks I'm going down that easily, he's dead wrong.

The battle was far from over.

[Hidden blade first form]

[Blue Moon]

-FLASH!