I felt a sharp sting in my chest as I stared at the end of the corridor. I recognized that red glow.
"She's been waiting for you."
Figures…
There was no going around this; I was going to be fighting Crazy Mita again — Except, this time, I was all by myself.
At that moment, my physical condition was, frankly, abysmal.
An almost-crippled arm along with a stab wound. Heading into a confrontation with a practically superhuman entity was nothing short of insanity.
"You won't be fighting alone."
What?
"There is someone here who can help you."
My mind rushed to make sense of what she was telling me. Who was there to help me? It was just me and her. Was she telling me that she could do something despite being… the way she was?
"To deal with Crazy Mita permanently, we must let her handle it."
Her?
"Core Mita."
That got me thinking immediately. So, apparently, in The Core, there was a Mita called Core Mita. I made a few assumptions before concluding that she most likely acted as some sort of overseer.
Still, what really caught me off-guard was the bitter tone Kind Mita used when referring to Core Mita.
Is there something you're not telling me?
"I… Please don't ask."
Suspicious. Very suspicious. But then again, I had come all this way thanks to her. I could probably trust that whatever it was she was keeping from me wasn't going to lead to my utter demise.
All right, I won't ask.
The moment I internalized the thought; I could feel her sigh in relief.
Still, what is The Core exactly?
"Oh, I never explained it to you, did I?"
Nope. At least, not in this… loop.
Before Kind Mita began her explanation, I began wondering why Crazy Mita was simply standing at the end of the corridor.
"Well, you can think of The Core as the central hub of this place. It's where every Mita and their designated versions are managed."
I mean, I guessed as much…
"It is pretty self-explanatory, isn't it?"
Well, yeah. But now I've got another question: Why should Core Mita be the one to 'handle' Crazy Mita?
"Because of the nature of her existence. This world is maintained by a set of protocols. Naturally, being the way she is, Crazy Mita is an outlier."
I think I get what you're trying to say. She can't "die" since the nature of death in this world is a protocol, right?
"Yes."
All right, got that much. But now, how do I do this? The Core is where Core Mita is, right? Do I just throw Crazy Mita in there?
"That wouldn't work," Kind Mita said in an exasperated tone, "We Mita cannot under any circumstances enter The Core. There is a force field barring any entry."
And obviously Core Mita was the sole exception to that. I wondered if in her case, the force field prevented her from exiting The Core.
It also made me consider a certain possibility.
Say… We know that Crazy Mita has been somehow 'resetting' this world. The only way I can imagine her doing something like this would be through The Core.
"What are you implying?"
Three possibilities. The simplest one: Crazy Mita makes one of the Players devoted to her enter The Core and do her bidding.
"That won't work. Core Mita would immediately eliminate them."
All right, that idea aside. My second one was the possibility of Crazy Mita's nature as an anomaly allowing her to pass through the barrier.
"She can't."
Kind Mita's response to that was firm. I could sense a hint of discomfort as well.
That leaves me with my final theory. Core Mita is somehow on her side. Well, either that, or Crazy Mita has a way to influence her.
"Impossible."
Once again, Kind Mita's response was firm and resolute. She was confident that I was wrong.
Then… do you have any idea how she does it? For a moment, I consider the possibility of Time Aspect (what I had opted to call the Time Control Distortion) being the cause of the loops. What if it was, and the cost involved my memories?
"You."
Huh?
"You are the one she manages to influence to get it done."
The silence that followed her statement was palpable. I was too stunned to think of anything to say.
"She can't anymore. That I'm sure of."
Her words provided some relief, but I was still lost in my thoughts. How had she done it? What else did she make me do? Not to mention, HOW did I do it? Was Time Aspect the reason, after all?
Deciding to put such thoughts aside for the moment, I focused my gaze upon Crazy Mita who was still just standing there.
Why isn't she doing anything?
"I'm not sure. Maybe she is restricted in some way? There is also the possibility that she is waiting for you to approach her."
So, a trap.
"That's right."
Isn't that just lovely.
There was no avoiding the conflict. I was fully aware of that.
Well, if she's not making any moves, then all the better.
"Why do you say that?"
Because I need to heal, duh.
Kind Mita chuckles at the way I said it, which makes me smile. At least I wasn't alone in all this. I can only imagine how that would've gone.
All right, let's see what I've got it.
I checked my inventory to see what I could make use of in the upcoming battle. The only objects that were noteworthy were the bat, the katana, and the axe.
Well, maybe I could rain down the dozens of hammers on her as a distraction.
Crazy Mita's lack of movement was quite beneficial to me. Regardless of the reason, it allowed me to heal, even if not fully. While at it, I took out some of those snacks I had grabbed back in Cappie's version.
"Good stuff," I said as I happily munched on the food.
I could've sworn I felt irritation oozing out from Crazy Mita, who kept on staring at me in the distance.
"Want some?" I voiced out loud to her.
"Seriously?"
What?
Crazy Mita's response to the offer was to shut her eyes. Probably meditating to prevent herself from rushing at me.
In a way, that pretty much confirmed that there was a trap of some sort.
Not much longer, I felt much better already. The ring, most likely having helped me heal the same way it did back in Mila's version.
Let's get this over with.
"You're ready?"
More than ever.
I used Node Creation to create a node at where I was – just in case.
Then, I tapped into Vanishing Distortion to manifest a duplicate of Virtuous Treaty. It was kind of poetic, considering what I was about to fight was technically a "machine".
With that done, I began to slowly approach Crazy Mita.
"Finally grew the resolve?"
I heard Crazy Mita taunt, her voice sounding somewhat broken.
"Always had it," I responded as I continued moving, "just wanted to see if you were going to wait for me like a good bitch."
My attempt at infuriating her appeared to work, if the grunt I heard from her was any clue.
After a short while, Crazy Mita spoke again, "You're all dressed up for this too; how cute."
I said nothing to that as I continued walking. The distance between us was dwindling, and my guard was fully raised.
"How?" She voiced all of a sudden, causing me to halt, "What did you do?"
"What?"
"I can't turn you into a cartridge. I couldn't even observe you. Why is it different this time? How did you do it? What did you do?"
She muttered that last question with pure fury.
Any idea the hell she's talking about?
"Your nature. She's referring to that."
The moment Kind Mita said that, I noticed Crazy Mita's eyes immediately shift. She was staring at the bracelet. I wondered if she'd noticed some fluctuations.
"That thing…" Crazy Mita practically growled out, "She's the reason, isn't she? She and the one in that dastardly room."
I could immediately tell she was referring to Core Mita. So, they weren't on the same side after all. Phew.
"It was all going so well. Everything was perfect. After so much success… All of it was ruined. ALL BECAUSE OF THEM!"
I think she doesn't like you.
"Can you please take this seriously?"
Right, right.
"Why did you go along with them?" Crazy Mita continued to monologue like a third-rate villain, "You could've chosen to be with me and be happy."
"Right," I voiced out, my voice dripping with sarcasm, "I'm sure that's exactly what would've happened."
At that moment, I thought back to the Players I had encountered. How odd and well-nigh deranged they were. It goes to show they were either already like that and Crazy Mita kept them alive for it, or that's how they turned out upon "accepting" her.
Wasn't exactly my cup of tea.
"… You don't see it. Why do you not see it? What do the Mitas have that I don't!? Their flesh!? They being 'complete'!? Unlike them, I am free!"
Following that statement, her visage darkened as she lowered her head. For a moment, there was utter silence.
"You were meant for me! If I can't have you… No one can!"
The next moment, I felt a sudden shift in the ground, causing me to lose my balance. Then, I noticed that it wasn't just the ground that had shifted, but rather the entire corridor.
My body found itself airborne for a moment before the pull of gravity pulled me down… except down was now whatever hole had opened in the ceiling that was now right below me.
I tried my best to grab on to the edge, but failed to reach it, and thus falling into the unknown.
Fortunately, I soon felt my feet touch the ground as a jolt of pain shot through my knees due to the fall. It didn't help, given that I was hurting all over prior.
"Fuck," I cursed.
I saw nothing but darkness around me, wherever I was. That is, until I was blinded as lights seemingly switched on.
Where is this place…?
The sheer beauty of the place I had fallen in had me mesmerized for a moment, to the point that I even ignored my pain.
Looking around, I realized that rather than artificial lights, it was huge, colorful glass panes with mosaic art that let light through from… outside(?). Said light illuminating a dome of sorts at the center of the giant room I was in, with the top of the dome being a small platform.
I was standing on another structure that went all around the dome in a circle. There were railings and solid metal plates on one side of the railing that was facing the dome.
"She's coming!"
The very moment she said so, I noticed a figure drop onto the platform at the top of the dome.
Crazy Mita — the final confrontation. I could instinctively tell that everything depended on how this battle went.
For a second, I recalled the node I'd placed back in the corridor. Could I avoid the fight entirely?
Alas, when I tried, I noticed that I was too far from the node. So, all I had to do was get closer. But first… I needed to deal with a certain Crazy Mita.
Third time's the charm. I hyped myself up mentally.
I observed as Crazy Mita pulled something out of… nowhere, raising it for me to see.
"Remember this?" she said.
Taking a closer look at the object, I recognized it immediately. An explosive. The same explosive that was used to blow Kind Mita up.
"Do not get distracted!"
I broke out of my trance, realizing that the object had been hurled at me. Panicking, I raised my non-crippled arm, hoping I'd blast it away with Blast Distortion.
However, I realized that I wouldn't make it.
At that moment, the metallic plate on the side of the rail moved up extremely rapidly. Following that, I heard the thrown object strike the plate, shortly before an explosion followed.
"Run!"
I didn't need to be told twice, as I gritted my teeth and broke into a sprint to the right, my gaze firmly fixed on Crazy Mita, who was now scowling.
"That bitch!" she swore with unadulterated rage.
"Core Mita's assisting you; focus on striking her whenever you can!"
Got it.
I soon found an opportunity as Crazy Mita pulled out another bomb.
Skidding to a halt, I pointed my finger at her head before utilizing Blast Distortion.
Before Crazy Mita could even react, a ray burst forth from the tip of my finger before directly striking her cheek.
Crazy Mita cried in pain as a chunk of her cheek and jaw were ripped through with the strike. Subsequently, she dropped the bomb right at her feet, which unsurprisingly exploded.
She cried once more, though this time she fell, her legs now completely blown off.
"Well, that was more effective than I expected," I remarked with a wince due to the pain I was feeling.
As I began considering how to get out, Crazy Mita cried once more, except, this time, it was clearly one of fury.
My eyes immediately widened as I noticed her torso suddenly rise, lifted by some sort of distorted shadow — something that also appeared to emerge from the damaged part of her head.
That can't be good.
"Attack, attack!"
Even Kind Mita sounded like she was completely panicking. I had an inkling that this was new to her as well.
Naturally, I kept up the barrage of attacks as I released more blasts at her. Each one blew off a chunk of her body, from which more of the shadowy monstrosity emerged.
Crazy Mita's next attack came in the form of ripping the platform apart using the shadowy as a tentacle(?), hurling the metal directly at me.
I barely managed to dodge as I continued to run.
As if that wasn't enough, the shadows from beneath Crazy Mita extended over to my side. She was going to cross over.
I considered what would be the best course of action, but then I sensed something. A familiar sensation. It came from behind the glass panes.
The momentary distraction enough for Crazy Mita to close the distance, a true testament to her insane speed in her new form.
An arm raised, I prepared to release another barrage of blasts, but then came the sound of glass breaking. Both of us whipped our heads towards the noise, just in time to see Cappie soar through the air and land a booming punch directly on Crazy Mita's face. The force of the blow was enough to knock her over the railing and down into the darkness below.
"Cappie!?" I shouted joyously.
"No time, go!"
"Where!?"
"Andrei, up there! The Core is there. You must reach it somehow, and quickly! She's coming!"
But Cappie–
"She'll be fine! Crazy Mita is locked onto you!"
The urgency of the two Mitas had me frantically racking my brain for a solution. It didn't help that I heard an almost monstrous cry down below as the place began to tremble.
Fucking hell, what do I do!?
And then it occurred to me — a rather reckless idea. Insane, even. It was a gamble. Though, one that I internally felt would work.
Here goes nothing…
"Andrei!? What-"
My mind filtered out what she was going to say as I focused on the task at hand.
I took a deep breath before fixing my gaze on a possible path before me to reach the top of the room. Then, from within the space of Duplication Distortion, I brought out the dozens of toy hammers, all scattered in the air.
At the same time, I used the one Distortion I had yet to use — Time Aspect.
Whatever pain I'd felt before was trivial compared to the utter soul-wrecking one that spread my body at that moment. Fortunately, I was apparently right, as I watched everything around me slow down almost to a complete halt.
My eyes scanned the many hammers in the air and one particular one close to the railing.
I released the breath I'd been holding before I moved.
One step, a jump, and the sole of my foot was pressing against the railing. Next, I focused on the closest hammer before leaping for it.
The moment I stepped on the hammer, it felt like I was stepping on solid stone that was firmly fixed.
I hopped again and again, from one hammer to the next. Eventually, I had elevated to the point that I could sense the node I'd created.
Without hesitation, I swapped with it, and upon doing so, deactivated Time Aspect.
My surroundings shifted as I landed with a jarring thud, the world spinning as I realized I was upside down. Of course, the node had brought me back exactly as I'd been when I set it.
"Andrei! What did you do!?"
Later!
I pushed through the pain and soreness as I quickly got up and began walking towards The Core. It was in sight. Nothing between me and it.
Eventually, I came across the hole in the ceiling-now-floor that led down to where that thing was now.
To the sides, there was enough of a footing for me to safely make my way to the other side.
As I continued approaching The Core, I heard yet another cry. Turning my head, I spotted the thing rise into the corridor.
"Fuck off already!" I cried in desperation.
That's when I noticed a white blur before the thing was knocked down into the ground.
Ugly Mita!?
"GO!"
Turning my head back around, I continued moving. Fortunately, I was able to cross the barrier(?) just in time. Behind me, I heard a crash followed by numerous banging.
Ignoring it, I continued moving forward, up a small flight of stairs that led to a bunch of computers on the wall.
Now what!?
Before I could get a response, a sharp noise startled me.
Turning around, I saw the barrier spewing sparks as it was forcefully crossed by the monstrosity that used to be Crazy Mita.
Then, it all happened in less than a second. The thing passed through, briskly approaching me, only for a giant of a robotic Mita to drop on it.
Core Mita!/"Core Mita!" Kind Mita and I cried at the same time.
Eldritch-Horror Mita cried one last time as Core Mita pressed her palms against its head.
Red vein-like cracks spread from the head to every nook and cranny of the body, including the shadowy bits. Then, it crumbled into fine bits.
That was it. Crazy Mita was dead.
Finally…
Pain and tiredness finally caught up to me as I felt my vision become hazy. The last thing I heard before losing my consciousness was Kind Mita worriedly call out for me.
-----
Soft…
That was the first passed through my mind as I slowly came to. My eyes opened, and I was met with the sight of a tearful Kind Mita as she looked down at me.
"Did I… die?"
My question caught her off guard as she was stunned for a moment before she chuckled as even more tears flowed. "No, you idiot. You did it."
Along with that, she lightly karate chopped my forehead.
Her words and actions were endearing. I felt myself smiling like a fool.
Cough
"Huh?" I voiced as I lifted my head slightly.
My mind raced to take in everything within sight. I was in a Mita's room. No idea whose.
I was lying on the bed. My head had apparently been on Kind Mita's thighs.
Standing (and some sitting (one even sleeping)) all around the room were various Mitas I had encountered. All of them, apart from Core Mita and the now-deceased Eldritch-Horror Mita.
Even Ugly Mita is here.
Well, even if she was sitting in one corner of the room with Chibi Mita sitting on her laps.
My attention shifted to the Mita sleeping near my feet.
Seriously? Did they drag her here or something?
Looking at the rest, I noticed that every Mita had a curious look on their face as they observed me. Well, aside from Mila, who looked annoyed.
I pressed my hands against the bed for support before I rose up. As I did so, I noticed the clear lack of pain — a stark contrast to what felt like a minute ago.
"It's… over, huh?" I asked, not really as an actual question.
"Yes," Kind Mita was the one to say anything.
"And build a harem while at it," Mila added in an exasperated tone.
Hearing that, my mind blanked. "What?"
Her only response was to spread her arms, on her face an expression that essentially conveyed "don't you see?".
Choosing to ignore that, I observed each Mita one by one, my gaze lingering on two in particular. Ghostly-Now-Faceless Mita and Tiny Mita.
Then something clicked in my mind as I quickly turned my head to face Kind Mita.
"You got your body back!?"
She responded with a smile, "Yes, thanks to Core Mita."
But then she frowned.
I felt a knot form in my throat.
"What's wrong?" I asked hesitantly.
Kind Mita closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them. "You'll have to say your goodbyes to everyone here."
Whatever comfort I had been feeling was washed away. "Why?"
"The deal… I made a deal with Core Mita. She would help. But in return…" her voice trailed off as she looked me in the eyes, "she'd have you for herself for… a while."
The revelation was both confusing and shocking as I stared at her face.
"How long is 'a while'?" I eventually asked.
"A month."
I'll be damned. Why does she even want me? Does this have something to do with past loops… which I still can't remember… Or is there something else at play here?
"When does she expect me?" I asked.
"As soon as possible."
I wasn't sure what to make of the situation. But then again, considering that Core Mita was the reason I was where I was…
The option of not abiding by the deal sounded like not only a horrible idea, but a cruel one too. I at least owed her that much for keeping me alive and finishing off that bitch.
Having resolved myself to follow through with what was coming, I began bidding the Mitas farewell. I started with Kind Mita, giving her a hug.
"Thank you for everything," I said with a smile as I felt her embrace me back.
Rather than a verbal response, I saw her head close in before her lips pressed against mine. Seconds passed by, and I closed my eyes as I relished the feeling.
Behind me, I heard a groan — most likely from Mila.
Eventually, we broke off the kiss and hug. Kind Mita's face had become fully flushed.
I beamed at her before turning around.
The other Mitas had varied expressions — most notable being Mila's deadpan, Cappie's interest, and Shortie's judging one as she quirked a brow. I noticed that Shortie had her palms pressed against Tiny Mita's eyes, blocking her sight.
Looking down, I focused my gaze on Sleepy Mita as she slept peacefully.
Adorable.
I shifted my body such that I could rub her head a bit — something she seemed to like, given how a small smile formed on her lips.
Then, I turned and got off the bed on the right side.
I walked towards the corner of the room where Ugly… uh… Creepy Mita was sitting. Calling her ugly really didn't feel that right. Especially after the critical support she provided back in the corridor — which was exactly why I approached her.
Standing there, I looked her in the eyes as she lifted her head to look at me.
Then, I reached out and placed my hand on top of her head. "Thank you."
Not for the stab, though.
Her only reaction was to blink a few times, seemingly not knowing what to say or do. At least, she seemed far less… volatile now.
After that, I looked down at Chibi Mita, a sudden urge making me reach out and pinch her cheeks. "Thank you too."
The little one was simply amused, given the way she was grinning.
Done with that, I retracted my arms before turning around and approaching the rest — specifically Cappie and Mila — who were standing close to each other.
Once close enough, before I could utter anything, Cappie's face practically appeared right in front of me before I was pushed down into the ground, hard.
I was being kissed again, I realized, this time much more passionately as I felt a tongue invade my mouth.
Not willing to back down from a challenge, I embraced Cappie as I fought back with my tongue.
After a solid ten seconds or so, I was able to break the kiss for a bit. "Thank you, too."
Cappie responded by continuing the intense kiss.
This went on for a bit before I heard a frustrated voice, "Enough already!"
Then, Cappie was lifted off of me by a very displeased Mila.
I chuckled at the rather comedic sight as I got up from the ground.
"Mila," I said somewhat awkwardly.
She stood with furrowed brows and arms crossed. Her eyes peered into mine before she spoke, "And you acted confused just earlier."
I hadn't expected for things to turn out like this…
No matter what I said, it would pass through one ear and out of the other. So, instead, I just moved closer before wrapping my arms around her.
As I held her, my mind finally processed the fact that I was committing romantically to multiple girls. It was odd. But then again, I was inside a game world. If they were fine with it, I was prepared to love them all equally.
My journey had solidified their places in my heart more than enough.
"I waited," Mila spoke, halting my thoughts, "I waited for so long. I even thought that… maybe you had…"
She didn't finish the sentence. It didn't need to be said. I tightened my hold on her as I leaned in and whispered, "I'm sorry it took me so long."
"It doesn't matter," she said, her voice now choked as she moved her head back to look at my face. There were tears welling up in her eyes. "As long as you're here."
Then, she leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss against my lips for a few seconds before pulling back.
The tears started rolling down her cheeks, which I proceeded to brush away with my fingers before leaning forth and kissing her myself. This one lasted much longer — a kiss to fully convey the emotions I felt at that moment.
I was truly glad to have made it.
After a little while, I separated from her again before turning to the last three left. Shortie, Faceless Mita, and Tiny Mita (whose eyes were still being blocked).
My eyes locked with Shortie's.
"Don't even think about it," she immediately said, "at most, a hug."
Her words made me chuckle as I approached her and did just that — a warm hug.
Though… I did whisper into her ear.
"Thank you for your help, Shortie."
In response to that, she let go of Tiny Mita's head and instead began pinching both of my sides. "I told you to not call me that!"
"My bad, my bad," I responded with a chuckle. I was never going to stop calling her that.
Letting go of her, I stepped back and looked at the two I hadn't done anything with — and I wasn't going to.
Instead, I knelt down before wrapping one arm around Tiny Mita, lifting her up as I stood. Then, I reached out with my free hand to grab Faceless Mita's hand.
"You two are going with me."
"Okay…" Tiny Mita said, while Faceless Mita remained silent, but didn't seem to be against it.
I had hope that Core Mita could mend them one way or another.
Turning my head, I looked at Kind Mita and asked, "How do I get to The Core?"
"Like this," she responded before getting off the bed and walking to the door that would've normally led to the bathroom. My eyes widened in realization — the room we'd been in was the one modified by Crazy Mita.
Version 1.9
Kind Mita pressed her hand against the door before pushing it open, revealing the barrier(?) leading to The Core. Beyond it, I spotted Core Mita standing while looking at us.
For a moment, I didn't move.
Then, I turned to face Kind Mita, before turning my head to look at the rest.
"Goodbye, for now. I'll be back," I said.
Following that, I turned to look ahead before I began walking. The last thing I saw as I left was Kind Mita smiling at me.
The door shut behind us. We were in a "lounge" of sorts. In front of me was the barrier(?).
Kind Mita said that they couldn't pass through this…
It was then that I noticed Core Mita raise an arm and beckon me forth.
Maybe…
Taking a deep breath, I walked forward, holding Tiny Mita tightly and pulling Faceless Mita along with me.
I found myself smiling as the three of us easily passed through.
-----
Author's Note: This is it, dear readers — the final chapter of Reside in Miside. It took longer to get to the ending than I'd wanted, but life happens. In any case, I hope you found the conclusion to be satisfactory.
As I mentioned before, I plan to release (an) after-story chapter(s?) to clear up loose ends and… well… fluff. I'm not sure when these chapter(s) will be released, but if I see demand for it/them, I'll definitely be motivated to get it done sooner rather than later."
I'm grateful to everyone who has kept up with this story and read it to the end. Thank you for your support!
P.S. Holy shit, I actually finished a work.