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Chapter 21, BTOOOM Intermission

Shin: Am I... Am I even alive after that?

Shin whispered this as he was coming in and out of consciousness. The last thing he remembered was that he and the rest of Team Japan had fought the final boss of their mission, Btooom Lord Ryuta Sakamoto. They had miraculously won thanks to Shin awakening his full Ghoul mutation and the Kagune, but the battle didn't end right away.

The prideful Ryuta not wanting to lose activated the hidden self-destruct sequence of his armor, a small scale nuclear blast, and at the very last minute before it went off, Aqua who had went mission in the early morning and the only one able to move at that time, dragged Ryuta off into the distance and then...

Shin: If I am alive after that blast then this should be the Terminal Lobby. Aqua... She... Can't be dead, right?

Currently Shin couldn't move around at all due to his injuries. Not even his head. He knew that explosion back there wasn't at the level where one could survive even if one was a chimera ant king like Meruem. Just in one battle alone Shin took many life threatening injuries and had exhausted his Ki and Ghoul powers, and Aqua took on that final explosion.

When Ryuta blew up he technically died, so they all should have all avoided the blast. In Shin first mission, Aqua was mere inches away from devouring him, but they both returned to the Terminal Lobby safe and sound. The fact that he was here now meant that only the light of the explosion should had reached all of them and maybe not the blast itself. Aqua got hit at point blank range, but they are transported to the Terminal Lobby instantly. There is more then a good chance that-

Misaki: Hey! Hurry up!

Shin: Misaki?

When Shin was beginning to go insane with worry he heard the voice of his comrade and friend Misaki. Armless and being held up by a crying Mokoto he was yelling with all his strength at the ball of light they called God.

Misaki: Fuck you God! Hurry up and repair all of our bodies… Huh, the points? Deduct them however you want and hurry up asshole! We are all dying!

Shin could vaguely hear Misaki's almost intangible shouting, yet it was definitely him. Among the group that had returned victorious, after Shuai who did not participate in the final battle due to a leg injury, Misaki was the least hurt member after the final battle even after losing both of his arms sadly enough.

Then having seen that as no one was in the condition to ask God for repair, Shuai looking around the room confused as this was his first time here and shocked by his teammate's bad conditions, Misaki took it upon himself to tell God to repair them.

God was hesitant to allow another Player to use someone elses points, but with a counter argument that no one could speak up and were going to die at this rate, God choose to make an exception.

Suddenly a warm sensation enclosed Shin, Shuai, Misaki and the others who were unconscious. It was the pleasant, hot spring feeling that Shin went through when he survived his first mission, but this time the feeling was more overwhelming. Shin's whole body felt cozy and comfortable, yet it didn't last long. After the comfort came extreme pain. This pain stimulated him to wake up despite being on the verge of death.

With God having fully woken Shin up he looked around the room for the first time. This really was God's dimension and the Terminal Lobby were they just were seven days ago. The large platform, a floating sphere of light, and the darkness to the sides. All of it came as a must welcomed and familiar sight after the horrors he and the others had been through.

This place was the only safe place in the world for them once they left to enter the world's of manga, anime, video games and novels that wanted nothing more then to kill them.

Shin noticed that as everyone was receiving repairs the lights enveloping them were different in intensity. He and the others were floating in a beam of light shot from the sphere. There were six other dimmer beams. Shuai was floating in the dimmest one because his injuries weren't as critical with just a sprained ankle from the day before. Then it was Hikari, Misaki, Saki and Kampa.

Shin was looking around desperately for the one he wanted to see most and after looking around in a panic he found it. There was the luminance of Aqua's beam was just above his own. Aqua who was burned all over and was unconscious held injuries that looked to be the worst of all the Players, and the light of her repair was brighter then Shin's own. He could imagine that if Aqua wasn't in her full wolf form covered in adamantium fur to take the blunt of the damage then she would have died instantly.

Shinv Wait, six?

Shin was so happy that he, Aqua, Hikari, Misaki and everyone else were alive and well, but this lead him to forgetting something. That there was one more member of their team who was missing and should have been with them getting repaired. Shin counted again, and yes there were only six others there with him in the Teminal Lobby.

Zero wasn't in the platform with them all. That assassin and sniper didn't make it. This made Shin feel sick to his stomach as he bit his lip in frustration. Only those that survived could come back to this dimension, so that confirmed that Zero didn't make it in the end.

Shin had known and passivity known that others Players had died in each of his two missions so far, but Zero was the first Player he thought of as a comrade to die on his watch. Saki kinda took control in the middle of the Btooom mission, but...

Shin: Wasn't I supposed to be the team leader? In Aqua's stead, I was supposed to protect the newbie Players. I may have cared little for the others, but Zero was a valuable comrade that I fought with and could have been useful to the team in future battles... Some MC I am.

Shin felt guilty about Zero's death, but one could say that he didn't have the room to spare for others. Aqua may have been the most injured, but Shin was hanging on to his life by a thread as well.

Shin then looked at his own body after another jolt of pain hit him from the repairs. The pain was subsiding, yet it was still unbearable. His legs was gone, the left arm was gone as well, his skin was burned black from running through Blazing Gas and all the other types of BIMs and their explosions. Shin had to endure being rained down on him in the final battle. One mistake and Shin would have died ten times over.

As Shin repairs continued he saw his muscles were wriggling like they were alive. Under this beam, his muscles and bones were growing back in visible speed to the human eye. He didn't want to look at his body anymore. The visible grow of muscles, bones and organs disgusted him even while being a half Ghoul himself. When he repaired his body with God it only took an instant, so even if the trade of was intense pain he would have taken it.

Shin looked down beyond his body and saw that everyone other Aqua and himself were already fully healed and one of them, Hikari was looking at him with teary eyes. Shin felt embarrassed like a soldier returning from war and his wife greeting him after a long time in front of his fellow soldiers.

Shin: Really, it isn't like I came back from the dead. Just like half way down the river styx at best.

Shin waved at Hiakri and the others to show that he was wasn't just floating there. When he did so, Shin realized for the first time that he thought of them all as friends and possibly even family.

Shin: It has been too long for me to know for certain, but is this what it feels like to return home? Well, it isn't a bad feeling.

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The repair process took longer for Shin and Aqua. The other five... Hikari, Misaki, Saki, Kampa and Shuai had all been healed to perfect condition.

When Shin and Aqua were at a half way point in the healing process Aqua had regained conscious, yet she wasn't startled. It appeared to Shin that this wasn't her first time being healed by God from a near dead like condition.

Aqua wasn't saying anything, so Shin spoke out to her first. He had a lot that he wanted to ask about like what happened to her after they went separate ways, how did her fight with the Btooom Lord Ryuta Sakamoto go, did she lose, where was she all that time and how did she appear at the very last minute and save them. Shin had a lot to ask, but his first concern was to ask...

Shin: Are you okay, Aqua?

Aqua: That's a funny thing to ask when I am being repaired by God and you yourself are in just a bad condition as I am, but to answer your question, I'm fine more or less.

Shin: That's great to hear. I was very worried about you since you didn't defeat Ryuta or come back. Did you lose? How are you still alive if you did?

Aqua: That sure is a lot to answer and it's a long story. I'll start from the beginning if that is alright?

Shin: Go ahead. Neither of us are going anywhere.

Then Aqua began to explain what happened to her on Day 7. To hold back the enemy Btooom Lord and final boss Ryuta Sakamoto, Aqua stayed behind as the rest of Team Japan escaped to safety with the near fatally injured Zero. While the rest of them were impaired by the darkness and rain, Aqua with her Wolverine and Werewolf mutations enhanced her five senses, giving her the edge in a night battle. Even if the enemy possibly held night or thermal vision in their armors, Aqua would still be able to outdo him.

Aqua bravely fought a deadly battle with the Btooom Lord and actually held the advantage for a while after going into Unlocked Mode, enabling her to fight at a much higher level, one that was even above the enemy. She believed could win, but she made a mistake.

Aqua had already incapacitated one of the Btooom Lord's arms and she had thought that she finished his off by stabbing him in the chest with her adamantium claws, but to Aqua's surprise her opponent didn't die or stop moving. Like Shin and the others, Aqua had not figured out that Ryuta Sakamoto had become a cyborg.

Aqua's final attack failed to kill him, and he counter attacked with the combination of BIMs that sent Shin flying into the jungle in the final battle, and at close range at that. Badly hurt, bleeding and terribly burned, Aqua was about to transform into her full wolf form in a desperate move, but the enemy Btooom Lord had run away in a retreat because of his own injuries, and Aqua soon fell unconscious thanks to her own.

Aqua: And that's what happened. When I had woken up the sun was already going down and your final battle was underway. I made my way there since I had healed by a lot after that nap ( I wouldn't call that a nap ). When I reached where you were all fighting I found that you all had barely won, and before all of you I sensed the danger coming from Ryuta and took action. I gave myself a simple order to take the enemy away in my wolf form and to ignore everything else. Even I didn't exactly expect for him to self-destruct. And when I came too...

Shin: You found yourself here in the Terminal Lobby being repaired by God. Honestly, Aqua, I am surprised that you are even alive after that.

Aqua: So am I, but luckily my full wolf form is covered in flexible adamantium coating. Also, I'm always in Unlocked Mode and using Aura when I'm in wolf form. Without all three I would have been blown to ashes even if we we're transported back here a second later.

Shin: I'm glad that you weren't. Your my emotional support and love interest after all.

Aqua: Shut up! I am tired.

Shin thought it was natural that Aqua really must have been tired. Aqua had fought the boss of the mission alone, transformed into her draining full wolf form and was hit with something one could call a miniature nuke, if only for a second before being transported back the Terminal Lobby. That was why more so then anyone else the true MVP of the BTOOOM! mission who had contributed the most in the final battle was Aqua and Aqua alone

Shin: You should get some rest later then. No need to invite me to your room today... Maybe tomorrow would be for the best considering what you have been through.

Aqua: I wasn't and that is some nice consideration on your part.

Shin: Your welcome. I'm one who puts the needs of womwn first after all. Also, I am happy to see that your are alive and somewhat well... And I wanted to say that I'm sorry that I wasn't able to help you that much in this mission. I really believed that I had become strong enough to watch your back and even when I gave it my all you had to save me, us in the end again. Shameful, right?

Aqua: Can you stop it with the pity party, Shin? I don't blame you for anything. In fact, you have done far more then I ever imagined you could. Your progress with Points, rewards and the Genetic Constraint far surpasses my own by the time of my second and third missions, so you did very well.

Shin: ...

Aqua: And if you still feel sorry about something then just become stronger over these next ten days of rest and return the favor later.

Shin: Alright. I'll promise to do better next time... You know what Aqua?

Aqua: What?

Shon: I, I might actually love you... Despite your bad personally and commitment issues.

Aqua: What the hell kind of confession is that?

Shin: It can't be helped? I am pretty half-assed.

Aqua: Stupid otaku.

Shin: Please don't start taking after Hikari now. I'll really die if you develop such a-

Hikari: Shin! Did you say something?

Shin: No! Nothing at all!

Aqua: Smooth. Very smooth ladies man.

Shin: Shut up!

Still, I meant what I said.

Aqua was probably my first love, but just saying so normally probably won't have an effect on her. That is why it is better to joke about it, while at the same time telling the truth and laying out the ground work. My first wife to be was skittish about this kind of thing, but that is what makes her cute.

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The repairing process took a full two hours.

My repairs took the longest, everyone else's finished in under an hour and even Aqua had regained consciousness and had been healed and exited her light a half hour ago. As my repairing finished, the beam suddenly changed from sunlight color to a green light.

I didn't know why, but I kind of understood that this was God switched from healing my injuries sustained from the Btooom mission from my many battles, to repairing my broken down genetics. Aqua said this would happen, but even without that heads up I would have understood.

After unlocking the Genetic Constraint my body had been exposed to a very small amount of poison that could kill a person, time and time again. Overall, I had gone into Unlocked Mode four times, so if not for my high healing potential I would have died already according to Aqua.

In that state a lot of information rushed into my head. Even though I could only reach this state during combat, it was still an amazing power and thanks to it I was able to defeat the final boss and survive the second mission.

If it is possible, if I could reach that state under any circumstance, like when I'm thinking, deducing, and coming up with plans wouldn't I become OP? Whatever the case, when I can reach that state at anytime I'll become an almighty human super soldier... Not to be mistaken for the pilot of the AGE-2 Gundam.

I then looked down below from mid air as the beam had lifted me up and saw the others discussing their points and rewards, with Misaki being the loudest. He was hugging his girlfriend/human creation Mokoto who had came out when we returned, and was currently spinning her around. Mokoto hit him for embarrassing her in front of others, but Misaki was too happy to care.

Misaki: Shit, that was a close call but we also made a huge profit. 1000 points from the basic reward, 100 points from each Btooom Soldier, 500 for each Btooom Commader, 1000 points and rank D reward from completing the combat mission and in the final battle against that guy we all got contribution points ( Except Shuai ). You really do have to take risks for profits, but with so many points I'm OK with it. Haha!

Mokoto: Misaki! Calm yourself down. Also, don't risk your life just for some points like this is a game. Your life is more important than that.

Misaki: I can't help but be happy and I would never risk my life or yours for no reason. Shin got over 10,000 points and some rewards last time and became a god damm monster who crushed that Ryuta guy. I may only have 3040 points after my repairs, but I am sure that I can soon catch up to him  soon and get 50,000 points to return home. Then I'll introduce you to my sister and we will get married.

Mokoto: Ma-Married! Really, Misaki you sure know how to talk big. Just please come back safely from these missions first. That's what I care about the most.

Misaki: Mokoto...

Then as Misaki and Mokoto went off into their own lovely dovy world, the others discussed their points and their repair cost.

Hikari: Speaking of after the repairs. How many did you all get? I now have 2640, and my repairs took 330 points when I originally had 2970.

Shuai: I have 2150 points and two D rank rewards after repairs. Plus, I have the 600 Points you all owe me in goods for acting as bait.

Kamap: I have... 2665. Not bad I guess.

Saki: I made 3070 points on the mission, but my body repair cost 107 points, so I am now at 2963. Does it cost so much normally?

Aqua: Repairing a part of your body doesn't cost much. Like if you lost an arm or a leg and need to repair them. Stuff like that is cheap and was why Shuai who hurt his leg cost few points for repairs. The thing is and what I once explained to the others is that if your life is in danger and you don't know where to repair, you will need to use the whole body repair function. It will repair every little problem that you have, but it adds up to a lot of points when you don't tell God what exactly what to patch up. Misaki knew this, but there was so much wrong with us and little time to act, so he asked God for the full body repair for us all. It is also why Misaki's was so low since he knew what was wrong with himself. Still, you have it easy with just over a hundred points. I used 1245 thousand points for my repair this time around.

Hikari: My repair cost over 300 hundred points. I only have about 2640 points left. And this also included that 100 points from explaining the rules to the newbies. It takes too many points for repair. If not for my two D rank rewards then I would be crying right now. I'll still might.

Aqua: Just be content with it. Mission like this where God changed the plot or ask us to defeat an opponent in the Main Quest usually ends in a wipe, and we have seven people who survived. Do you really think it's that easy to get the rewards? If not for me who injured the final boss Ryuta and Shin finishing him off we would have all died. I would have in that final blast if my fur in wolf form wasn't coated in adamantium.

The mention of the name of the main character of Btooom turned their faces pale from their near death experience, but we survived in the end and this was the most important thing.

I closed my eyes and connected to God. A big list of rewards was listed in my brain. 1000 basic points, 70 points for seven NPC Chips collected, 700 points and 7 D rank rewards from killing seven Btooom Soldiers, 1000 and two C rank rewards for killing two Btooom Commanders, 4400 points and B rank reward for my part in defeating Ryuta Sakamoto, and 1000 points and a rank D reward for the combat mission.

Other than this, there was also the line 'Breaking the genetic limit', but besides that there was nothing strange. It should relate to the Genetic Constraint, yet aside from those words, there was no explanation.

Shin: Whatever it means, I now richer by over 8000 Yen, I mean dollars, no I mean points. I should be able to get a lot of goood... Wh-what the hell is this!

Shin got excited from just looking at his huge amount of points and rewards that rivaled his miraculous first mission, but when he looked at the amount of points he had, he was dazed.

Only 7573 points were left.

Shin remembered having about 1500 points left from the last mission and he gained more then 8000 points from the mission. He had 9673 total points in all, so that meant his body repair cost over two thousand points. 2100 points to be exact. This made him laugh bitterly. You can imagine how critical his injuries were. He felt lucky that God could still save him from that.

Shin: Anyways, I guess just being alive and having made seven thousand plus points is satisfying enough.

Shin disconnected from God and enjoyed the healing process inside the green light. It took over an hour for his genetics to heal before he was lowered to the ground.

Once on the ground, Misaki put Shin in a head lock and told him not to worry them. Hikari hugged Shin's arm and began crying while insulting him. Shin didn't know if Hikari really liked him as a friend or a man, but he could guess that he worried her either way.

Shin then saw Aqua standing a distance away. He wished she came over and hugged him as well, but she must have read his thoughts as she turned her head in embarrassment, heading off to her room. For Shin, seeing just that filled him with happiness, but Hikari who saw his stupid expression-

Shin: Aww! Why did you pinch my arm?

Hikari: No reason.

Shin: ...If you say- Aww! Why did you do it again?

Hikari: Because you are an otaku baka!

Shin: ( God, middle school girls thst you were just warming up too are the worst! ).

Misaki: Ok, ok. At least pay attention to where you are if you want to make out.

Shin: We aren't, and I really don't want to hear that from you.

Misaki: Whatever. Anyways, I'm leaving. I just want to rest for today, so don't come looking for me till tomorrow.

Hikari: I am going to turn in for the day too. If you have anything to say, wait till tomorrow morning. The trial this time was too dangerous and I am probably scared and tramutize for life.

Aqua: See you.

And with that Hikari, Misaki and my soon to be wife Aqua left the platform and went into their rooms. All who were left were Saki, Kampa, Shuai and myself. Three of which were still newbies, so they were confused as to what to do now in this strange environment.

Shin: You know how to activate your room right? Use your imagination to design the room. Other people can't get in it without your permission. Oh right, about the points… Wait till tomorrow. We will discuss how to use those points with Aqua and the others. If we had powerful heavy firearms in that mission then we wouldn't had so much trouble against the enemies excluding the boss and wouldn't have taken so much damage before the final battle. Saki and Kampa, with your military experience are definitely better than me in this field, so we will be counting on you two for advice. We will discuss how to deal with future missions tomorrow. Don't use your points yet, but feel free to use your free human creation as you like ( I didn't ).

Then as Shin was about to leave Saki called out to him.

Saki: Thank you... For this time.

Shin: You don't have to thank me. In the end we all did what we had to keep living. I'm no saint either. Also, you gave us strategies and in the final battle you saved Misaki with your gun. I don't know by how much, but shooting out the eye of the final boss and taking away some of his vision must have helped me win in the end one way or another. As comrades we all did our parts and risked our lives, so we shouldn't thank each other for every little thing. Gon and Killua don't.

Saki: Maybe, but what I meant was thanks to you... I have confirmed that the Genetic Constraint and information about that event  of my past were indeed real and I wasn't crazy to spend my life pursuing it. Thank you again... Now I no longer have any regrets.

Shin: I don't believe I did anything that great, but... You're welcome. Well, I'm turning in. See you all tomorrow.

Shin then left Saki, Kampa and Shuai and returned to his room. Then not even having the energy to walk to his bed he crashed on his couch that he made by the door. Shin was so tired that he missed to the true meaning of Saki's words, and he wouldn't understand till it was too late.

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