6 The Mirrored Ones

"-rawer." He said, staring at the numerous clothes in the closet he walked in.

"Remember to dress warmly." Was what Cleo said but doesn't choosing clothes from here take away the point of his bath?

"I am just doing whatever they want me to be doing." He sighed, running his hands through his hair, frustrated.

"I am supposed to go against three hundred creatures, I think that should be the least of my worries. Why did I even agree to that??"

Grabbing a black shirt and a pair of black pants, he wore them, looking out the window.

It is pitch black outside already and he did not remember eating at all but he did not feel hungry.

"I guess this is a good side to being in a system." He murmured to himself, putting on his shoes and opening the window to jump out.

He stared down at the hedges that ran along the side of the building.

I will be fine ... right?

There is no way he can walk out of the room and down to the garden without being seen by the countless servants, whose voices he can still hear.

In the game, they have been to Ace's house once.

He was sick and you, as the player, had to bring him notes as well as look after the poor boy who had never gotten sick before.

There were so many servants there but his brother told them not to bother with him and the boy was left alone, in his room. Probably to die.

That happened three days after Ace was announced as the crown prince by the emperor and Ajax immediately became cold towards him from that point on.

Typical shojo plot. He thought, sitting on the edge of the window, legs dangling as the ground seemed to extend even more beneath him.

Honestly, I think Ajax deserved to be the king more than Ace did. He cared more about his people and is even matured enough to know what he should be doing.

Whereas Ace is … still so young and sheltered.

Were there many impressive things about Ace though? I can't remember. Strange.

Not letting his mind think, he jumped down from the window, bracing for impact.

But his body moved faster than his mind did and he landed on his feet with the grace and poise of a main character in a manga.

"I am defiantly taking advantage of that in the future." He mumbled to himself before turning back and staring at the ominous looking forest in the distance.

"That is where you have to go to." The fox appeared on his shoulder and said.

"There, huh?" he asked, looking back at how he jumped from a five-story building without any pains or hurts on his body. "Wait. I don't have a weapon."

"You do."

"I don't." he showed his empty hands. "Where does it look like I have a weapon?"

The fox rolled its eyes and walked down his arm and landing on the palm of his hands.

It started to slow slightly and he felt a sharp electric current running through his body.

Flinching back, he accidentally threw Cleo while waving his hands in pain.

"Ouch! What was that?" he hissed, looking at the palm of his hands.

There glowed a mark that looks like the crest of the Royal family in all its golden and regal glory.

"That is your mark," Cleo said, annoyed as it floated to him. "That is how you will be able to summon your weapons with you wherever you go."

"I don't remember Ace being about to do that in the game," he said, raising an eyebrow at Cleo.

"That is because that Ace was perfect and had the entire system in his grasp. No matter what he did, it was the right choice and something is always there to help him out of his situations."

"So he had a ton of plot armour?" He asked, nodding his head at the thought. "That isn't surprising, really. With how perfect he was in the game.

"But something I am wondering about is, he didn't have any of the magic the royal family had. Even Ajax, the 'forgotten' son had this magic and the crest.

"Why was Ace even favoured by the king enough to make him the crown prince?"

"He was the people's favourite," Cleo explained as they began to make their way to the forest. "Besides, the king noticed just how dangerous magic had become because of Ajax and thought it would be better that Ace, the one with just skills and no magic, took the throne."

"The only reason why Ajax was not accepted was because he was too powerful?" He scoffed. "He was one of the most tolerable characters before he that that 180.

"I think he would have made a great king in the future."

"That is what everyone else thought as well," Cleo said, nodding. "That is why, originally, he became king."

"Really? What happened then?"

"Remember that war that almost destroyed the world?" It asked, sitting on his shoulder as they neared the forest.

"Yes? You told me something about it."

"Well, he was one of the main reasons for it. He did not intend it though. His magic was so powerful that it ended up destroying an entire kingdom when he lost his temper once.

"Everyone became fearful of him and many others wanted to use him for their own reasons.

"He fell into a deep sleep after bursting like that and those that wanted him tried to storm the castle as well as some that wanted him dead.

"It was disturbing and very, very bloody." Cleo shook its head. "That is the reason why, as they turned back the time, everyone became fearful of Ajax's magic, not awed by it anymore."

"That ... sucks." Ace said, not sure of what else he can say to change the situation. "Uh, anything else?"

"Oh yes. Your character? Ace Reguiled? He did not really exist before this game.

"He was created because they needed a 'main character' who was completely perfect so that he could bear that burden as well as not have a chance of going out of this ... loop."

"Are the other characters aware of this loop?" he asked, confused. "If there is a chance of the main character knowing that then ... why hasn't any other character broken out?"

"They know, in some ways or the other. But as everything resets, they forget, remembering slowly all over again.

"As for it being the main character of the game, it is because he is just so perfect. They are the ones most likely to try and break out just because of the plot armour."

Ace stopped walking and thought for a second. "He is empty, that is why it is so easy for you to put another person's soul in him."

"Yes. Even if you wanted to be another character, you can't be. Every one of them has their own soul already."

"So, everyone here is reliving the same years over and over again until now."

"Yes. I thought I explained this." Cleo said, floating in front of his face before laughing. "Didn't you understand that time?"

"It is not my fault you did not explain it properly." Ace huffed, looking at the forest in front of him.

Little sounds filled his ears as he stared at it and gulped hard. "This is my training ground, right?"

"Yup." the fox nodded. "Oh, let me give you a tip."

It jumped in front of him and turned into a screen once again.

There were written, 'Kill three hundred Mirrored Ones.' with an 'I' at the very bottom of the words.

He pressed the 'I' and a long paragraph of words appeared in front of him.

'Killing a hundred Mirrored Ones drops a single potion to travel back in time or be in a certain time and can make as many changes as they wish until the person decides to move out of the radius.

Then the spell will wear off but the changes made will remain as though that was what happened.'

"In simpler words." Cleo said, "You will be able to make a change in the past."

"I got it. I am not dumb." he rolled his eyes at it. "But what am I supposed to do with three?"

"You just need one right now, then another two hundred after that," Cleo said as he stared at the forest once again.

"If I die?"

"You won't. I am here to help you, aren't I?"

"How can I be sure that you won't kill me?"

"I have been at this longer than you have, kid. Do you know how hard it is to tell the same face the things you have told them before and explain everything from the beginning all over again?"

"Fair point." He nodded his head. "Then ... shall we get going? What's the worst that can happen?"