Deception: A Tactician's Card

Clone? A Side Quest it is

"Specimen number 8822 'Cory Lore' successful."

"Good. Now, train her with the rest. She's the last advanced specimen we could have."

W...where?

Where am I?

"Ugh..."

"Hello there little one. Starting today you're going to train under our surveillance."

"O...kay..."

Why do I existed in the first place?

I had no recollection about anything, except being taught the art of espionage and assassination.

"Starting today, you'll be the leader of this team."

"Okay."

What do I strive for?

"Good. Very good. You did well. Oh, your companions died? Don't fret about it. Hey, get some replacement! We need it!"

"Sir...?"

"Huh? Speak."

"I don't want to do it anymore."

"You don't have the right to say no! You want to get whipped into shape?"

"N-no! Anything but that! Sorry for questioning your judgement!"

"Good, now we're talking."

Do I really need to follow everything they asked of me to do?

"Hey! Don't do that!"

"No. This is what the upper echelon ordered. If I die, I die."

"B-but! You're my friend!"

"Friend. Information not found. Executing Order Suicidal Assault."

"No!"

Do I really have to suffer?

"I won't allow you to give any replacement! I'm fine with my own!"

"Don't be stubborn or else I'll kill you. I think you've forgotten how powerful I am, you b***h. Or do you want me to punish you?"

"Eep..."

"Good. Now you three, get over here. These insects would be your pawns. They're better clones that the others so put them to good use. Understand that, brat?"

Someone... please help me. I can't take it anymore.

The repetitive process of gaining and losing people is making me crazy, it hurts.

I may have grown up to be someone bearing a captivating beauty. However, it's all but a lie.

This isn't a real life. This image I'm seeing in front of the mirror isn't even mine to begin with. It's from someone dubbed "8822, Cory Lore".

I'm all but a rip-off of a beautiful elven maiden.

I started wondering how the original lived.

Does she have a family? The same ones I saw eating and talking happily in restaurants?

Does she have siblings? Like sisters, perhaps? How about friends? Maybe she had them all.

She had everything I don't own.

"Specimen 8822! You're fuckin' cunt! You're late!"

"Sorry sir."

"Bah! Shut up. I don't need your worthless apology. I assign you a mission. Follow a certain person and you'll be promoted to formally become one of us!"

"I accept the mission."

"Good. Now that's a good dog. Now go fetch me some good news."

What's the point of becoming one of your henchmen anyway? Is that guy in hi right mind? I don't think so. All of them are suicidal. They wanted the success in exchange for a life.

In the end, the three could only converse with cursed words. Ugh...

It's sickening.

Then there's this latest mission to find and trace the one named Yukti.

It's the second time they pushed a mission to me with him as a target. He's under suspicion by the higher officers, or so I heard. He's a student of Crimson Academy, a newly bought academy by another target, Rose Crimson. It's faint, but the two of them were suspected as the ones who undo the experiment being done in the Dawn Edge Academy. Yukti is the secretary that miraculously survived even after experiencing fatal injuries. He's the last outsider that came inside. He even noticed our presence while he's under surveillance during that time.

And now, he did it again.

"What the hell!? Where the heck is he!?"

"I don't know! Don't ask me ya s**t!"

He's amazing. I've been living as a shadow, and yet I couldn't bested him. He disappeared in our sights just as he did a corner.

Poof. He's gone.

I really wanted to ask something from him.

"Hey."

"Who's there? Wha-? Gahhhhhhh!!! My head!!! M-my head hurts!"

What tremendous pressure! What rune card is this!? That voice...! It's Yukti!

"The f**k is this...?"

"No. Noooo!!! STOP THIS!!"

"GUH!!! D-DAMN... STOP THE SCREAMING!"

My companions were also affected. For some reason, I find this nostalgic. I wonder why.

"Enjoying the [Nightmare Requiem]?"

"You! You're the one...!"

"The one who exactly?"

"Now, tell me. Who sent you?"

"Our protocol is to...not to speak our client's identity. Ugh..."

"Oh my, that's pretty cool of you."

Gah!

The screaming inside my head...! It's hurting my mind!

He's powerful! No, more than powerful!

I have a high resistance against physical and magic damage so for him to hurt me like this without even moving is terrifying!

"You see, I also have a protocol of squeezing the information out of someone being interrogated. That's one of my former jobs. Now tell me, who sent you?"

"Kuh! As if— GAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"

"Tch... Kill us already!"

"You sure? Should I abide your request?"

These guys really don't have the sense of self-awareness. Can't they see that we can't even resist against this peculiar attack?

Wait.

This is my chance.

Perhaps I could flip the coin of my fate from tails to heads. I'm already tired from all that t*****e. If it helps me to clear my conscience then so be it, as if I had one to begin with.

"Guh...I-I'll talk..."

"No, why would you!?"

"SILENCE, YOU FOOL."

Huh?

It only happened in a matter of seconds.

They fell to the ground, not showing any signs of life.

"Eh? Guys!? Why are you lying on the ground? Speak to me! B-blood? Why are your ears bleeding!?"

"Don't bother. They're gone. I delayed your sentence, so you better talk."

I could only nod rapidly.

I spilled the beans.

I believed that if it's this guy, he could do something to stop the facility's operation. It's not that I don't care if he kills me after this, but I want to live.

That's my wish.

I want to repent on my sins.

T-that is all."

"Oh, that's all? Thank you."

"Y-you're not going to kill me, right?"

"Hmm? You want to?"

"A-ah! No! I DIDN'T MEAN TO ANGER YOU OR ANYTHING! I-I'M JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS YOU SEE! PLEASE STAY AWAY! DON'T COME NEAR ME!"

"Don't worry. I won't. I want to ask you something. More like an offer actually."

"A-an offer?"

"Would it be possible if you go back to your espionage stuff and serve under a certain person? That's the only one I ask of you. It's up to you if you want to."

"As if I had the choice to say no in the first place."

"Nope. You have."

Eh? I have the choice?

It's not a lie right?

I looked at his eyes and what I see is his sincerity.

It's way different from the eyes of those who are facilitating that place. It's full of disgust, hatred and spite.

Should I believe this guy?

Is it worthy to defect and change sides?

Will he accept me as his companion?

"Anyways, it's not a bad deal right? You can come with me and see for yourself."

I accepted his offer.

—and I didn't regret it.

•••

"Cory?"

"I'm sorry, are you referring to me?"

This person who look exactly like Cory is standing in front of us.

Just what is the meaning of this?

Pretty sure that Cory is in that canister. We even had her rune cards in our possession, so why!?

"Uh, sister? You can't remember anything about me?"

"'Sister'? Are we siblings? Sorry. I have no recollection about anything except the espionage and assassination techniques that were drilled into our heads."

"Uh, okay."

Michaela could only slump her shoulders, depressed of what's she's seeing now. I'm with her to be honest. I'm immune to any shape and form of deceit, so I could tell by a glance.

It's Cory in the flesh.

But how could this be?

"You..."

I tightly grabbed her shoulders and stared at her intently.

"Eek!"

"No, I'm not going to do anything. Sorry for grabbing your shoulders."

"Ah, no... It's fine."

"Could you tell me everything about that facility?"

"Hey, Yukti... What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking of sabotaging that place."

"Wait! If you do that, it'll hinder the plan!"

"I just can't stand it. We already have Cory had her peaceful rest and yet there are still remnants of evil who used her lurking about. You saw it right? Cory's arm and leg are missing from her body. What if it's used in experimentations? I couldn't just focus on the mission when there's something that bugs me."

"I... I agree with you. But we're pretty understaffed. Even with Cory's clone added to the team, it's still not enough."

"Missing limbs? An arm and a leg, you say?"

The two of us flinched upon hearing the voice of the clone. The two of us looked at her, curious as to what she wanted to convey.

"The moment when I first regained consciousness, I noticed that there's something floating inside the canister. I took a closer look and it looked like a slender arm and leg. I can't confirm if those are the ones you've looking for, and I don't certainly know if it still existed within the facility 'til now. However, I can confirm that I'm indeed a clone. I'm sure of it because I happen to overheard a conversation between two guards. Also, we were supposed to wear nameplates with numbers written on it in that facility. As for me, my number is 8822. The name imprinted beside it is Cory Lore. Come to think of it, you referred me as that individual earlier, right? That confirmed my doubts about my identity then."

No way.

She is indeed a clone.

But cloning living beings in such manner is prohibited by the law. Just how did they still kept it under wraps and stay out of public eye?

This country's problems are...well, problematic.

What should I do...?

"Then perhaps I could help."

The source of the voice came after the door opened.

It's Agony. Plus one.

Nice, she was able to convince her to come.

"I need to confirm something first."

"What is it, Liz?" asked Michaela.

It's Liz Plasma, the Second Seat of Crimson Academy.

•••

"Mhmmm... How should I answer this? It did say 'in your own opinion' but I need the reference."

It's late in the afternoon.

I'm in the library flicking the pages of a book for my assignment. I'm sitting next to a window as the sun slowly sets and its orange light illuminated the area where I am.

I'm the only one in this spacious library. Every flip of the page could be heard clearly. Then silence. Flipped a page again and it produced a flapping sound and was immediately substituted by a deafening silence that enveloped this place.

I wonder what happened and Agony was texted by Yukti to come to one of my sister's properties. I guess something big is going on. Agony even convinced Liz to come along. At first she insisted not to come, but after reading the message, her eyes widened and stood up immediately. They bid goodbye and all I could do is to wave at them.

Ah, that's not good. I need to focus.

"Oh? There you are. Okay, so it says here that— Hmm? Footsteps? No, chains?"

It's faint but, I could hear some clanging sound from across the hallway. I find it odd.

"Huh? A faint scream! I need to go!"

Damn, what's happening!?

I went on my way, running as fast as I could. I left my heeled sandals behind since it's difficult to run with those. I heard another scream.

This time it's pretty near.

I found a silhouette standing inside a room. The sun made it hard to see, but he's carrying a chain with a ball, about the size of a baseball, attached to one of its end. I went inside, and saw a figure lying in front of him.

I'm against the light! I can't confirm the other's condition!

"Excuse me, but violence is prohibited in the school premises. Would you kindly take your leave?"

The guy didn't even budged. Didn't he heard what i just said?

Wait, what the—

I evaded a direct attack from that unknown character. He threw the end where the ball is attached towards me. I did evade it, but the damage it caused to the wall behind me is enough to put a giant hole that I saw after the dust is cleared.

"Who are you? And why are you here!? You need to chill out! [Teleport]."

My affinity with the newly bought [Teleport] rune card is great that I don't need to do direct contact to teleport the others. I could just simply think who's coming with me and the location.

I brought him to the school grounds. As far as I know, there were no more students except that injured guy, only the instructors were the ones who are present. Since the area we're in is seeable from the faculty room, there should be one or two instructors that'll rush to my aid.

However it's unfortunate but no one came.

I took a peek at the faculty room, the room just few meters behind me, to find out why and my mouth just opened to see what had happened. The place was destroyed from the outside, and I saw some incapacitated faculty members lying on the floor.

Did that guy did this?

I diverted my attention back to the unknown guy. I couldn't see anything but he's wearing something similar to that of detective movies.

"This school is a threat. Commencing destruction."

"Hah! As if I'd let you!"