TM: Vengeance of the Indomitable and Crazed Shades

Author's note: Firstly I want to sincerely apologize for the lengthy unnoticed break!

I had been very busy with school and many other things, but thankfully it was not for naught. I successfully finished my final exams, got into my desired college, got my license, and even bought my first car with my own money, to top it off had my first car crash( but since they only hit my car a little and paid for everything it came out okay), but anyway I'm back and so I will start writing again with the usual 5 chapters\week. (Since now I'm in college I have to work somewhat hard so there might be breaks like before and probably in times of exams there won't be many chapters, but for now, you don't have to worry about that. I have prepared more than 2 weeks of chapters throughout my break.)

One more thing before the chapter.

Since I had some free time I looked through some of my favorite novels for some help and now, I have decided on the way I will try to push my writing style towards.

Just know one thing about this, there will be and already are some hints for future things and happenings.

Since most of the base story is already thought out many things are already connected to something in the future. ;)

Thank you all for your precious time and understanding.

Now finally after all these months, back to the chapter.

...

[Deus ex machina.]

'Hm? What's that?' Right after he got back from the realm of shadows, Temorsth was walking home from deep within the endless forest.

As he walked, sunlight filtered through the towering trees, casting a mosaic of shadows and light that partially hid Temorsth's pale white skin.

"Tch, annoying!" With frowned brows, Temorsth raised his hand to hide his face from a ray of sunlight that shone on it.

In the little time since he turned into a full-fledged vampire, the sun became one of the most hated things in Temorsth's eyes. The pain was negligible and it didn't even burn him. To put it simply it was just irritating to feel the constant heat from it.

Yet, despite the irritations, rather than using his skill to travel the shadows and arrive home in seconds, Temorsth trudged along the winding path, his steps were slow while he waited to hear Aidana speak to him.

[You asked why there is luck, fate, and such, right?]

'Yes..?'

[They are because of the Deus ex machina, but before that...] Feeling Temorsth's uncertainty, Aidana gazed into his eyes.

[Sigh...]

'Hm? What happened?' Hearing the sigh through the emoji in the system's window, even more, confusion descended on Temrosth.

"Dark and empty... I can't see anything at all..." Aidana's words which weren't transmitted through the system weighed her heart a little.

"What did he do? Why can I see his mind no longer?" Yes, right now she was angered and saddened by something unreasonable but for her, the thought of seeing other's minds was not a taboo after all, she was able to do that from the moment of her birth.

With another sigh, Aidana refocused her gaze on Temorsth, a hint of annoyance tingeing her words as she continued.

[Since I can no longer see if you do... I have to make sure you remember what they did.]

'Umu... and sorry, I don't know how this happened.' As Temorsth nodded in understanding, the thoughts and memories from their previous conversation that Brilliance saved up, rushed into Persona's mind.

As the five of them continued to coexist in the conscious state for an extended period, they recognized the need to allocate more space to their respective roles to avoid confusion among themselves.

And it was this adjustment that resulted in Aidana no longer being able to perceive Temorsth's... Persona's thoughts, since most of the mental space was occupied by Brilliance, and since Aidana never even saw him, she wasn't even thinking about reading "his" mind.

'FP is obtained from what you are fated to achieve in life, it goes up as you go towards and through your fated points and happenings in life.'

While following the path leading to the big sycamore tree, Temorsth followed the words from his 'recollection'.

[Yes, and Destiny?]

'Um... It represents your decisions and choices in life or something, I didn't fully get it but it shows if you did something great or not.'

[Alright, and lastly Luck Points.]

'It's the converted form of Destiny and Fate. It can be used physically to enhance encounters and even some powers.'

[And...?]

'And, you warned me to take care not to run out of it because that would be bad.'

[...]

'And told me that except for that natural convergence, I can convert FP and DP to Luck Points, forcefully with a 10 times multiplayer.'

[Good...]

'Yes, I understand all this, but...'

[Uh? What...] Hearing the swift change of tone from Brilliance cutting into the conversation, Aidana got confused for a second but quickly recovered and dismissed it.

"No, it doesn't matter." Since it wasn't the first time something like this happened she didn't even try to question it anymore. In the first place, it wasn't something that interested her, or she just tried to make herself believe that...

'Ahm... Sorry... again.'

[Anaway, what did you want to ask?] Before the situation got awkward, she asked him to continue speaking.

'Right! Why, no, I mean from what and how are they in the world, why are they a concept that functions?'

[Yes, I was just about to tell. To explain, it is because of the Deus ex machina of the story.]

'What... what kind of story?'

[Everyone's Story.]

'...?'

[As always, I can't explain it in detail, but think of it as a book about every being in existence.]

"Uh... Hmh..."

'So all of this is just...'

[A book?]

'...'

[No it's not simply a book. You can't say that all of this reality is just a "book". Hmm... think in the reverse, it's everything here that makes the book be written in the first place.]

'Then... It's not like we live in this book rather it writes down the history of everyone?'

[Quasi, but it can even...]

'Hm? Ah...' After a brief confusion, realization quickly hit Temorsth.

'You almost spoke too much, right?'

[Shut up... Hmhp.]

*Hahaha...*

[Don't laugh! It's not my fault that you ask about such serious topics!]

'Right-right, but I wasn't laughing at that in the first place.'

[Then what were you laughing at?]

'It doesn't matter. Then what is Deus ex Machina anyway?' While quickly dodging the question, Temorsth returned to his main interest.

'I know it means an event that solves a hopeless situation or problem, but in this situation what is it?'

[I don't like you dodging my question, but hmm... you explained it quite accurately, it's something that happens, but it wasn't supposed to happen.]

'Something that happens, but it wasn't supposed to happen...?'

[Um... do you remember the time you saved the little girl?] Instead of trying to explain it in length, she brought up an example.

'Lili? Yes.'

[Then, I'm sure you remember that she fell right at the moment when you arrived, but that was not intentional.]

'At the time I noticed too, but how is...' Just as Temorsth was about to ask how this was connected to the conversation, he got the answer.

[The moment she would have got tired has long since passed and to say it is "lucky" that she could run from a beast so much stronger for so long.]

'Wait... You mean?' And with only this Temorsth already understands what Aidana tried to tell.

[Yes, she was unintentionally using her luck and made the Deus Ex machine happen so that even after she ran out of stamina she could run further.]

'Ah... so it's something that appears according to luck, hm...' And with these worlds, another idea came up in Temorsth's mind.

[Yes, and that is why when the world noticed that she was no longer in need of her luck...]

'No longer in need?'

[To say from the moment you arrived, it deactivated and she instantly fell from the shock of exhaustion.]

'This explains many things. Then this... isn't this thing plot armor?'

[Plot armor?]

'You know the thing people in stories have, the thing that helps the story no fall apart and stuff like that.'

[I know what plot armor is, it's just...] 'I didn't know he was into stories.' With quiet words that he couldn't hear, Aidana tried to memorize everything about him.

'Hm? What is it?'

[Nothing, anyway yes, we can call it that, but this stuff accumulates over deeds and events, and beings like gods can give some. It's not something you are simply born with.]

'Then it's exactly like plot armor.'

[You're misunderstanding something. It's not the same.]

'...?'

[Even if you have a lot of fate and luck points if a powerful being intervenes, it can't help, it's not omnipotent, and to say, people can lose luck and fate just like they gained it, it constantly keeps changing.]

[From this even those great Sons and Daughters of Luck aren't an exception, they just gather it faster than they lose it.]

'Who?'

[Those so-called protagonists.]

'Ah... Hmm, it's quite fitting now that I think about it. Sons of Luck... Cool!'

[Yes.]

'But why do they gather luck faster and if we are here now, what makes a protagonist a protagonist?'

[An easy question to answer. Protagonists acquire and use luck the same way as others it's just that the world helps them to do so.]

'The word helps them?'

[Yes, you see birthing Sons and Daughters of Luck isn't so easy for the world, and instead of constantly creating new ones it tries to focus its attention on the ones it already has and protects them from danger or from losing them from within its control scope.]

[This is why protagonists acquire a story and why it progresses naturally. This constant luck that the word gives becomes so natural to them that they expect it and know it subconsciously, that's why most become arrogant.]

[They just have the power to back it up, but everyone naturally uses their luck without being noticed it's not that unique.]

[You remember your Destiny Stealing System that was integrated, right?]

'Yes...'

[Since it's one of the ways with which the world could lose its protagonists it didn't like that you got it.]

'But it didn't do anything...'

[What do you think why?]

'...'

[Hmm?]

'Thank you!'

[Oh it's nothing.]

[Anyway, the only real problem happens when people force luck to activate.]

[This is what is usually called forbidden and most who know how to activate it won't use it even if they die.]

[Since luck and fate follow them through life and death they prefer to start anew, even if they forget who they were before.]

'Most people choose a new life where they are happier and more fortunate than the one with their family and loved ones?'

[It's not about that, it's about the fact that if you use up all of your "plot armor" forcefully, you'll lose it...]

'What?'

[Everything...]

'Everything?'

[Yes... Everything... Your life, soul, purpose, family, love, feelings, every single thing that you have ever been, will be, and are!]

"..."

[If you use fate itself, you forever will be lost in the story...]

'In the story...'

[Yes, in the deux ex machine of the story... of the story of everyone.]

'I will be lost in the story...'

[...]

*Hahah*

[What? Wh-What is so funny about this!?]

'Ah, sorry, you tried to sound scary but... It only came out as cute.'

[What!?]

*Ahaha* 'Again, you get flustered so easily.'

[Ahg... You!!]

'Even more when you are angry.'

[Arg...!]

*Ahahah*

[Don't laugh, I'm serious... It's serious!]

'I know, I know... Don't get so worked up I was just joking because you already told me the solution for this "serious" problem.'

[...!? What kind of solution?]

'In the first place, I don't even know how to activate it, but even if I learn it, I just have to make sure not to lose all of my luck.'

[...]

'Isn't it quite simple?'

[You are so young yet...]

'So smart? I know.'

[Arogant.]

'Uh? Me?'

[No that squirrel over there. Who the hell would I speak about other than you!?]

'Oh... I see... Hmm... I indeed need some arrogance otherwise how would I be confident, but no. I just deduced this information from your words alone.'

[I wasn't speaking about your words. I was speaking of your idea of being able to control fate and luck to such a degree that you could 'simply' leave one point and not use up all of it.]

'Oh... is it that hard?'

[Hah... Don't make me laugh. Hard isn't even close. If you don't have a strong enough conviction and purpose, the moment you activate it, all of it will vanish in an instant while, at the same time reducing you to nothingness.]

'...'

"Yes, this is the reaction one should have."

'...'

"He finally understood..."

'Cool...So it's super strong.'

"This fucking kid!!!"

'What, ain't I right?' Feeling the anger from the silent emoji, Temorsth asked back.

[...!!!] After some seconds of silence.

Aidana's tired sigh sounded, after which she just tried to dismiss Temorsth's overly confident and arrogant remarks.

[Yes, you are. But let's leave it at that for today, you already arrived home.]

'Hm? Oh, I didn't even pay attention to that.'

...

The next day only a day before the incident.

[Ugh... Do you truly have to go? I feel uneasy, something will happen. I'm sure of it.]

'Don't say things like this. You will jinx it. And on top of that, you always feel unease.'

[But...]

'There is no "but"... I'll be back in an hour or something like that.'

[An hour?]

'I'm going then, take care.'

[Hey!]

'...'

[...] "Why do you never listen..."

"I truly am just trying to help... You unfeeling bastard."