Moments after Kuro completed 'Dominance of The Night.'
A man in a perfectly fitted suit with waxed-back black hair and glasses moved with purpose through the facility. He encountered a series of biometric locks—body scans, iris scans, and fingerprint scanners—each one a barrier designed to prevent unauthorized access. Three separate levels of security stood between him and his destination, each more formidable than the last, all ensuring that no one would enter the restricted zone he was headed to. Yet, with a calm and unflinching manner, he navigated through them as though he had done so hundreds of times before.
As the door slowly slid open and he prepared himself for what lay on the other side, he squeezed the pocket of his shirt, ensuring his pills were still there. He would need them if he had to deal with those two. Preparation was always best.
When he entered the room, the arguing he had expected was absent. The two women, Tsukuyo Tsukuri and Ritsu Amachi, stared at the monitor in front of them. Though there was no argument, he couldn't quite discern what they were feeling, their expressions unreadable as they focused intently on the screen.
Ritsu being calm wasn't entirely unusual, but Tsukuyo? That was a different story. One of her precious unique scenarios had just been defeated, and not just any scenario—one of the hardest. Yet, here she was, seemingly unbothered, her expression as composed as ever. It didn't add up.
Upon closer inspection, Sakai noticed a unique glint in the eyes of his co-worker, Tsukuyo. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but it was there—something that suggested she wasn't as unaffected as she appeared to be.
"Dominance of The Night was defeated, yet you two don't seem bothered?" he asked, unable to hide his genuine curiosity. At this stage, it was usual for the two of them to be freaking out, voices raised and panic setting in. But, not this time.
"I was quite concerned at first too," Ritsu replied, her voice steady, though there was a faint hint of something underneath. "Dominance of The Night is supposed to be extremely hard, nearly impossible. It was one of the ones I couldn't quite balance properly without Tsukuyo exploding..." She glanced over at Tsukuyo, whose gaze remained fixed on the monitor, as if the defeat meant nothing to her.
"Actually, I had my eyes on this player before the scenario was activated," Tsukuyo suddenly announced, her voice calm and matter-of-fact. Her co-workers' necks snapped towards her in shock, eyes wide with disbelief.
"In fact, the scenario they triggered was never 'Dominance of The Night,' but instead 'Test of The Night,'" Tsukuyo continued, her tone almost casual. "However, they were doing so well, and I got lost in the moment..." Her words trailed off, as if lost in her own thoughts.
Ritsu, eyes narrowing in realization, suddenly caught on to the implication. "Ugh! What did you do this time?!" She snapped, her voice sharp with frustration. The tension in the room shifted, the calm now replaced with a palpable sense of urgency. Tsukuyo's casual admission had just opened a whole new can of worms.
"Well... I may have force-started 'Dominance of The Night,' with my own conditions..." Tsukuyo admitted, her tone unbothered as if she were discussing something trivial. The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of her words sinking in.
"And you didn't inform me first?!" Ritsu shouted, her voice laced with irritation, the veil of tension thickening around the room. "The scenario he experienced was probably near impossible the way you set things up!" Her eyes bore into Tsukuyo, her frustration becoming more and more evident as she slammed her hand on the table. Sakai shifted uncomfortably, his stomach aching as he watched the exchange unfold. Tsukuyo, however, seemed unfazed by the outburst, as if she had expected this reaction.
"It was... the perfect amount of impossible. Just how I prefer it!" Tsukuyo admitted, a satisfied smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she reminisced about the battle, the images of it flashing in her mind. "I lost fair and square, so I can't be mad."
She blinked calmly, also recalling her little jab of payback — announcing his victory to every player. The thought brought a faint smirk to her face. If he was going to defy her expectations, she would make sure the entire player base knew exactly who had bested one of her prized scenarios.
Sakai was at a loss for words. Tsukuyo and Ritsu's argument was dull — far less vicious than usual. Even more unsettling was Tsukuyo's reaction itself. She had truly accepted her loss, despite it being one of her most prized scenarios. Normally, whining and crying would follow soon after, yet now she seemed entirely unbothered — impressed, even. That quiet admiration in her eyes unnerved Sakai more than her usual tantrums ever could.
"I can't deal with you..." Ritsu groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "But I have to agree — whoever that player was... he's either a cheater or entirely inhuman."
Her irritation lingered, but there was a hint of reluctant respect in her voice. Whatever that player had done to survive Tsukuyo's twisted conditions, it clearly defied all expectations.
"He's definitely not cheating," Tsukuyo countered firmly. "SLF's anti-cheat is perfected. We haven't had a single hacker slip through, plus I watched the battle myself." Her gaze sharpened as she recalled the fight. "It was like he split his mind to calculate every scenario."
There was no hint of doubt in her voice — only genuine awe. For someone to survive her impromptu nightmare of a scenario without exploits... that was no ordinary feat.
"Is there any kind of skill that can actually do that?" Sakai asked, his brow furrowed in thought.
Ritsu crossed her arms, still skeptical. "There are a few skills that boost reaction time or improve calculation speed, but nothing that lets someone split their mind like that — not to that extent."
"No..." Tsukuyo countered, "There's one."
Both Sakai and Ritsu turned to her, their curiosity peaked.
"Segmented Mind," Tsukuyo announced, her voice carrying a rare hint of pride. "I came up with the skill on a whim. It's by far one of the most powerful, but..."
She paused, her fingers tightening against her sleeve.
"But what?" Sakai pressed.
"But it's practically unusable," Tsukuyo continued. "The mental strain is overwhelming. In testing, most players who tried to activate it couldn't even last a few seconds before their mind locked up. The ones who pushed through usually ended up incapacitated for days. And that's only after about five seconds of use." She paused, her expression darkening. "It's too dangerous — it affects the user's actual mind, not just their VR character."
Extra Info:
Segmented Mind
Segmented Mind is a rare and powerful skill designed to enhance a player's mental processing capabilities. Upon activation, the user's consciousness is artificially 'split' into multiple segments, allowing them to analyse and react to several scenarios simultaneously. Each segment functions like an independent thought process, calculating outcomes and planning responses in parallel.
Segmented Mind's creator, Tsukuyo Tsukuri, originally developed the skill as an experimental challenge for elite players. However, due to its overwhelming risks, the skill was considered unviable and remained unused — until now.
Tsukuyo Tsukuri
Tsukuyo Tsukuri is the one who publicly announced to all players that Kuro had defeated her unique scenario, a pivotal moment that led to the name "Phantom" becoming synonymous with him.
Basically, she's the developer who cursed him.
(A/N) No one expects the double uplaod. I wanted to write this chapter for a while so I thought why not today.