"Look at all these magnificent creatures!” Brittany said in awe, as she twirled, gazing at the creatures displayed.

The beasts were programmed to be docile while waiting to be bought, and some of them displayed unique quirks in the hopes of attracting customers. The feline Mounts licked their paws gently while purring. The canine ones wagged their tails, feral-looking wolves being the most popular. The group ignored that aisle, looking for something more exotic.

I can’t wait to see what this jerk chooses at the end, Marissa thought while pretending to be captivated by an adorable giant mouse sniffing its surroundings.

“Is that what you really want?” Jason approached, sneering. “It doesn’t even fly.”

“There’s something alluring about Ground Mounts too, daddy,” she said, leaning against the displaying glass. “If you forget to plant your feet back into the ground every once in a while, you could risk losing your way back home.”

“Is that such a bad thing?” Jason scoffed before leaving her behind.

The girl sprinted and caught his arm playfully. “What do you do for a living that you have so much gold to spare? Are you a Death Bringer?”

“I thought you approached me because you knew that.”

“Not all the people drinking in that bar are Guilders, you know? There was a high-end potion merchant too. Very wealthy.”

“And why did you choose me? I already had company. What made you think you had a chance?”

“You’re more handsome than the merchant, and I like challenges.”

Jason chuckled while adjusting his glasses. “Hearing that from a pretty lady like you is flattering, even though you’re just a gold digger.”

“Is that such a bad thing?” she asked softly. “Would you rather pay an NPC to satiate your needs? It would come out cheaper.”

“Nope, NPC prostitutes can’t hold a long conversation. They end up blurting out things like, ‘service time is over, if you would like to keep talking, it will cost extra’. Blah, blah.”

Of course you know, you pig.

“I could sneak away without saying a word by tomorrow morning, you know.”

“But you would miss out on my excellent strawberry pancakes.”

She giggled. “Buy me a good Mount and I’ll consider staying a little longer.”

“There you are,” Jason said aloud to Joana, who did not keep her eyes off a purple hippogriff. Its head resembled a crow, and its feathers looked glossy and smooth. “Excellent choice! It really fits you. You’ll look magnificent riding it!”

“Can I have it?” she asked in a soft tone of voice.

Jason gestured to the NPC vendor to approach him. “Sold!”

“Right away, sir,” the male NPC said, making a system screen appear in front of Jason, which he tapped absently without looking at the asking price.

The display cage opened with a buzzing sound, and the beast got out, letting Joana caress its beak. “It truly is beautiful,” she said as the Mount disappeared into a spectacle of glimmering pixels and turned into a jewel, which hovered for a couple of seconds before she snatched it. She then turned around and rushed to kiss Jason.

Brittany stared at them while they smooched for what seemed like an eternity.

Even if I have to pretend that I want one of these, I don’t find any of them appealing. I really love my lynx.

She could remember the day Astrid bought them in bulk. ‘We need to choose something that says: Here they come, they are Shooting Stars! …So, who likes cats?!’

Brittanny exhaled. I and Amelia were ecstatic after getting our own.

She looked around until something glowing on the far end of the storage room caught her attention. She strolled while looking at it captivated. Of luminescent red feathers, eternally fluttering its wings to show its enormous size. It pridefully looked at a distance, making any onlooker fantasize about riding it into the horizon.

“Truly splendid,” Marco whispered over Brittany’s shoulder.

What, is he implying he’s going to buy me this one? This must be the most expensive out of the bunch. Well, that’s what I’ve come for.

“Yeah, truly unique and gorgeous. Is it a phoenix?” she asked the NPC.

“That is correct, ma’am. He is ‘The Emperor’s Messenger’.”

Even if he’s thinking of getting it for himself, I should convince him.

“You should definitely buy it,” Brittany said, hugging his arm. “Anyone mounting this would become a head-turner. A leader, an emperor!”

“How much?” Jason asked in a dry tone.

Oh, so you asked for the price this time.

“That would be 8 million gold, sir.”

Jason exhaled and took a couple of steps forward while being watched by his two companions. Brittanny nodded at Joana, who half-smiled and hugged him by the neck.

“What is it, J? Can’t afford it?”

“That’s not the issue,” he said with a conscious expression on his face. “I’m thinking if it really would be a suitable gift.”

“What better gift than this?” Brittanny said, whispering into his ear. “The person who receives this will be very pleased with you.”

Jason held his breath before glancing at the NPC. “The ladies have spoken.”

“Very good, sir. You are now the proud owner of a Legendary Grade Mount,” the NPC said while handing him the display to pay.

“I could never dare to use something like this in public,” Jason said, pointing at a corner. “I’ll take the Eagle Hippogriff too, the blue one.”

I’m lost. Is he going to give the phoenix to me, then?

Brittanny waited for Jason to grab the red gem containing the legendary bird while she licked her lips.

He gazed at her and smirked. “Here.” He tossed it in Joana’s direction. “The perfect present for Kathleen Maher. Tell her that this is a gift from every ex-Shooting Star now under her command.”

“Understood, J,” Joana said, staring deep into Brittany’s eyes.

Oh...

“Can I choose my Mount already?” Brittany asked, half-smiling, still pretending, as a cracking glass sound was heard from above. She looked up to a skylight, which shattered into a thousand sharp pieces. She dodged most of them, only getting a slight cut on her left arm as she watched a tall man landing in front of her.

William, The Stoic!

She watched in horror at the man wearing full plate armor, a shield almost as big as him, and a hammer, which rested on his right shoulder. "I told you we would see each other again, beautiful," he said, smirking.

If he's here, that means that my cover-up got blown some time ago!

Brittany looked at Joana, standing beside a mocking Jason. She's not a gold digger, she is a Death Bringer! That is why she was keeping her distance from the other bitches cuddling with Jason back at the bar! Joana was not waiting her turn to seduce him, she was keeping an eye on him!

"Have you figured out what's happening, Shooting Star?" Joana asked, sneering, before turning to Jason. "Can I keep my Grimmory, J?"

"Did you already name it?" Jason chuckled. "Of course, sweetheart. Consider it a gift of gratitude for warning me about this little bitch. And considering only 15 members remained in that joke of a guild, it’s pretty obvious who this is. There are only two Shooting Stars crazy enough to try out something like this, so get rid of that disguise already, it’s not helping you!”

“Fine,” Marissa said, removing her mask. Her breasts and curves diminished, and her dress shrank to fit her original slim figure.

Jason gasped. “Marissa?! Was that you?!”

William The Stoic snickered. “I told you that Helen would never use a disguise. She has a way of doing things.”

“Whatever!” Jason shouted while tapping his menu window. “There, you won!”

“Thank you,” William said after verifying that he had received 200,000 gold.

This is bad, Marissa thought as she unsheathed her twin daggers. I could kill Jason in the blink of an eye, but I don’t know what Joana has under her sleeve. I bet she’s hiding the fact that she’s a High Leveler. And then there’s this guy...

She stared at him. Although his posture looked relaxed, there was not a weak spot visible on his armor.

Even though he’s not blessed by an Active Guild Boost, even Astrid would need to punch him at least thrice to kill him.

The NPC had started a lockdown, forcing all the Mounts on the shop to turn into jewels and get teleported to the owner’s inventory. “This is private property, any damage done to this facility will be--”

“Shut up!” William crushed him with his hammer, turning him into pixels. “I don’t see how you’ll escape from this, little bitch,” he said, before nodding to Jason.

“Major Wind Charm, Swift and Furious!” Jason cast at the knight, who could fill an increase in his speed. “There you have it, big guy! Hey, Marissa! Remember what Astrid used to say?! Not even the sharpest of blades can do anything against the sturdiest of shields! So have fun fighting him!”

Meanwhile, Marissa was casting a boost of her own. “Minor Wind Boost, Haste… Does this mean you have renounced that deal we had?!” she asked Joana.

“Did you expect me to believe such a lie?!” she sneered.

“What is she talking about?” Jason asked.

“Forget it, it’s something unimportant.”

“I’ve been waiting for this for so long!” William shouted, charging at her. “Show me what you got, you little whore!”

William’s hammer cracked the establishment’s floor and part of the wall in the distance in front of him. Marissa jumped aside and threw a dagger in Jason’s direction, who freaked out.

“No, no!”

Joana reached out her hand and quick-cast: “Ice Wall!” The instantaneous shield shattered after receiving an explosive impact. “What was that? Does she use bombs?” she grunted while shaking her hand. Quick-casting had taken a toll on her mana pool and her hand.

“Ah, sorry, Joana,” Jason, who was covering his face with both arms, said in an apologetic tone of voice. “Since I thought that this was Helen, I didn’t tell you about Marissa’s Unique Skill. She can throw weapons and make them explode.”

“So?” Joana shrugged while watching the aforementioned assassin dodging William’s attacks. “That alone shouldn’t be capable of destroying my Ice Wall.”

“It has to do something with how the explosive damage is calculated,” Jason said, adjusting his glasses and sighing. “I don’t know the exact details, but the more valuable the weapon is, the more damage it does. That may sound obvious, but she can throw jewelry and get the same results, so it’s more complicated than that.”

“What a waste. Cast a defensive charm on your friend...” Joana said while casting. “I’m going to make some rain… Major Ice Crafting!”

A group of dark clouds started manifesting inside the building.

“Right away!” Jason nodded. “Earth Charm…”

“That won’t be necessary!” William shouted after shielding himself from another exploding dagger. “Time Debuff, now!”

“Alright!” Jason switched the element of his already cast magic circle. “Time Conjuring, Before I am Late!” Jason cast, making everything inside a 300 feet radius move at a fourth of its speed.

“Ha-il-so-ng!” Joana spoke slowly, finishing her casting, making rain ice shards not affected by the time manipulation. The shattered pieces of ice created a chilly fog that obscured everything inside the shop. “We-ha-ve-her!” Joana chanted victory, raising a hand in slow motion, but her smile disappeared at the sight of something glimmering in mid-air, traveling to her chest.

The dagger exploded on contact, reducing 70% of her HP and 20% of Jason’s.

“Lo-ok-o-ut!” he cried out to William, unaffected by the constant hits of sharp ice against his armor.

“It-s-o-ka-y!” William announced, showing he had captured Marissa. “I have her.”

The time conjure and ice spell ran out as Marissa struggled to get away from the knight’s grab, who was holding her by the neck.

“Hey, I saw your sister walking out of the Drinking Banshee two hours ago,” he said. “Would you mind sharing where she is?”

“I-I d-don’t t-hink y-ou’ll s-see h-er a-again, a-asshole!”

“Too bad. She really was my type.” Before William could try to break her neck, he felt his gauntlets getting warmer. In a couple of seconds, the heat burned his hand, making him lose his grip. “You little--!”

Marissa got free as the gauntlet exploded.

Only four percent damage, dammit. I have fantasized about kicking his ass so many times, but reality is harsher!

“Now that Lord Marco is with Kathleen, I may have a chance with Amelia, don’t you think?!” William shouted, trying to crush her under his foot. “You could be my sister-in-law!”

“It pains me to say it, but you’re right. She has always had shit taste in men! Shadow Crafting, Three Shades of Me!”

Marissa split into three in front of William’s eyes.

“Dammit, when did she have the time to channel this?” he muttered as he grabbed his hammer from the ground.

One clone dashed to attack Jason but got impaled by a stalagmite of ice that sprouted from the ground.

“Ice Crafting…” A bloodied Joana cast, glaring at the clone. “Don’t underestimate us, brat.”

“Never,” the clone said, smirking, before her entire body glowed, exploding and engulfing Joana and Jason on fire.

After the dust dissipated, Jason crouched to grab his partner by the shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, you were right about casting an Earth Charm on us. This bitch is a pain to deal with,” Joana said, noticing that only 10% of her remaining HP had been taken this time.

“You know,” Jason started saying while watching William fight the two remaining clones. “We should go. She already knows she can’t win. She’ll only get more desperate.”

“If you’re fine with leaving your partner, let’s go then. We can’t let her have the Phoenix Mount.”

That’s the sign that this has come to an end. The real Marissa thought, watching them rush to the exit.

“Hey, William, let’s end this!” the two remaining Marissa said in unison, dashing towards him.

“Agreed! Let me put you down for good!” He smashed the first with his hammer and bashed the other with his shield. “So much for the self-proclaimed best PVP killer. I didn’t have to use any of my special techniques.”

“Rogues are not meant to have direct confrontations,” the Marissa under William’s hammer said, glowing.

He backtracked while tossing the weapon, expecting it to explode, but only the clone below it did.

“Was that not the real one?” he muttered, looking for her in his surroundings until he glanced at a glow coming from his shield.

Marissa had been holding on to the shield since the moment she was struck with it. “Are you just brawn and no brains? You couldn’t even notice the extra weight, or am I just that petite?”

“Go to hell!” William shouted, tossing the shield upwards.

“Unique Skill, Rushed Durability…” she muttered before kicking the shield towards the fleeing couple.

Jason glanced at the glowing shield making its way towards him and groaned. “You fucking…”

The entire building exploded, taking the lives of Jason and Marissa.

William, who was still standing with 20% of his HP remaining, spat to his side. “How I hate that bitch.”

Outside, Joana, who had been sent flying into one of Fleurella’s many canals, resurfaced from the water, coughing. Ice covering her entire body had started to melt away. I could barely cast Frozen Heart in time, she thought begrudgingly while swimming shoreward. I couldn’t let a brat like that take away the gold I have saved for so much time. I hate people that waste their virtual lives just like that.

“Next time I see her…”

“Are you okay, miss?” the voice of a man said, reaching a hand to her. “Let me help you.”

“Thanks,” Joana said, letting the stranger pull her out of the water.

“No, thank you…” The voice turned from masculine to feminine in a second. “Shadow Style, What’s yours is mine.”

“Wait!” Joana cried, but a piercing pain stopped her before she could defend herself. She looked back at the blade piercing her belly.

“So this is what little Marissa convinced Jason of buying.” The thief said, holding aloft the legendary jewel. “Thanks, sweetheart.” The feminine-sounding man said before removing his mask, revealing the face of a smirking, dark-haired girl. She kissed Joana’s forehead and threw her body back to the canal.

That must be the Shooting Star, Helen, Joana thought, before losing consciousness. Never thought that Brittany, I mean, Marissa, could ask for help… She closed her eyes. I wonder if she really knows Miss Cosmica…

***

20 hours later, when Joana finally respawned, she noticed a new message notification from her Incogme App. She opened it and received a new photo, of whom seemed to be Marissa disguised as a very convincing Miss Cosmica, flipping her off. A message followed:

From:153597G: ‘It would have been funny if you had really fallen for it!’

“Huh...” Joana muttered to herself, sitting beside the Death Bringer’s checkpoint monument. “Now that I see her closer, this disguise has some minor mistakes...”