The Laughing Swordsman

A knife appeared in front of his eye. His bokken flashed.

The tip of his bokken hit the tip of the knife, stopping it a centimeter away from his eye.

At the same time, he could sense that another knife was about to pierce the back of his chest. Apollo leaped up into the air, raising his feet up to the sky.

His bokken worked overtime while his laughs echoed across the room.

The moment his feet touched the ground, his bokken flashed, stopping a knife right in front of his chest.

Then, a voice rang out.

"Fifteen minutes. You lasted much longer than I expected."

The tip of a knife lightly pressed onto the back of Apollo's chest.

The laughter died off.

Apollo was in shock. He felt like he was just about to get started.

Then, it ended.

Jaguar chuckled.

"Your power level is not bad, but your stealth seems inadequate. Laughing while fighting simply gives away your position."

Apollo's smile disappeared, but his eyes remained widened.

"Haha, it's something I can't help."

Jaguar sighed.

"I suppose that laugh could help you build a reputation in a different way."

Jaguar shook her head.

"Anyways, since you performed well enough, you can skip the lowest rank."

Apollo tilted his head to the side.

"The lowest rank?"

Jaguar chuckled.

"You need a personal coin to see what types of requests are available to you. If you barely qualify, you get a wooden coin. You can use that coin one time."

Apollo's eyelid twitched.

"So if I did any worse, I would only be able to do a single request?"

Jaguar smiled.

"One chance. Completing requests will also give your coin more uses. The majority of missions only give one coin use, but there are exceptions."

Apollo sighed.

"So I got a better coin?"

Jaguar nodded.

"I will give you a copper coin. It has five uses, so use it wisely. All you do is flip it above the desk of grey mist. But before that, you need an alias."

Apollo raised an eyebrow.

"Why do I need an alias?"

Jaguar rolled her eyes.

"If you at least somewhat care about your life, you need an alias. Do not underestimate the importance of secrecy."

Apollo shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright."

Jaguar hummed.

"Since it will be what we use to define people, we can't have repeat names. I will tell you right now that almost all the animal names are taken. Even 'Animal' itself has been taken as a name."

Apollo rubbed his chin.

"I see. How about 'Sword'?"

Jaguar shook her head.

"Taken."

Apollo sighed.

"...Avenger?"

"Taken."

Apollo's eyebrow twitched.

"...Rice?"

Jaguar chuckled.

"You should probably think of a better name. At the early ranks, you have no authority to change it. Even when you do get higher, changing your alias will cause a huge dip in reputation."

Apollo furrowed his brows.

"...This is so complicated."

Jaguar chuckled.

"Take your time."

Apollo nodded.

"Ok."

Jaguar smirked.

"Just keep in mind after five minutes I will choose for you. Some of the names I gave include baby and diaper."

The corner of Apollo's lip twitched.

Was this her way of letting people take their time?

Apollo's eyes closed.

He could hear the voice of Maya's father.

"You... Devil."

A smirk emerged on Apollo's face.

"Is 'Devil' available?"

Jaguar's expression became solemn.

"...Are you sure you want to take that name?"

Apollo nodded.

"Yeah."

Jaguar shook her head.

"...As you wish."

Jaguar's hand flicked. A copper coin appeared between her fingers.

She tossed it to Apollo.

"Don't lose it."

Apollo nodded. He examined the coin in his hand by turning it over a few times. On one side was the symbol of the association. On the other side was a face. It was a simple rendition of a smiling demon with two horns.

Apollo looked up to Jaguar.

"So, how do I come here in the future?"

Jaguar smirked.

"Well... first you have to learn how to traverse the shadows."

Her hand reached out and pushed Apollo.

With a flash, he was back in the strange black world. He looked around at the ethereal grey mist around him.

He had to traverse this place?

Apollo tried to take a step forward but felt the energy out of him with that step. His lungs desperately wanted air, but there was none for him in this place.

...How was he supposed to leave this place?

Jaguar was nowhere to be seen. All he had to rely on was himself.

He took another step forward and felt his body begin to crumble.

It was painful.

A strong sense of vertigo assaulted him. The lack of oxygen was becoming harrowing.

He could feel death looming above him.

A vision flashed into Apollo's mind.

He was taken back to a certain point in the time loop.

Willow rained down her strikes without mercy. Her attacks would come from seemingly nowhere, yet everywhere at the same time.

Although Apollo blocked them with his bokken, he felt like he was suffocating. It was as though he was trapped in a tiny box.

There were invisible walls around him despite the seemingly open area.

Death was always around the corner. In fact, he died countless times from a minor mistake.

He continuously succumbed to the guillotine that dropped on him.

But at one point, he was able to take a step forward.

He died a few seconds after that, but he was slowly breaking out of the box.

He felt like he existed in everything, yet nothing at the same time.

Apollo took a step forward in this shadowy world.

He was walking calmly and unimpeded.

After he traveled quite the distance, Apollo slowly raised his bokken.

He pointed his bokken forward but did not move it.

Suddenly, Apollo's figure disappeared from this realm.

The grey mist listlessly brushed by where Apollo used to be standing.

A faint chuckle echoed from seemingly nowhere.

Grey mist gradually converged into a dense mass. Tendrils of mist peeled off one after another, revealing Jaguar.

There was a smile on her face.

"...He actually completed it on his first try."

After a few moments, the mist wrapped back around Jaguar.

Before the mist covered her face, her eyes narrowed.

"This will be interesting."