Guilty Gear Transmigration: Light of Madness

After everyone had finished eating their meals, they returned to their lodgings. Daubeny had quickly fallen asleep, dreaming of memories from two lives mixing, draping over one another as faces and locations fused into a cacophony of voices and sounds. Sleeping peacefully for the entire night until he awoke to the sound of raindrops still tapping against his window. He groaned, feeling reluctant to leave his warm bed, but dragged his feet out of the bed sheets,

Getting dressed in a blue sweater and brown joggers, he took his car keys and wallet. He stepped outside the apartment, closed the door behind him, and deeply breathed in fresh, cool air. The sun was starting to rise, casting a hospitable glow over the city that he could view. Seeing this, he descended the stairs to his jet-black convertible as the rain was coming to a slow end. 

Starting the car, he noticed the windshields were foggy, so he began exploring the city after the windows were defrosted. His first stop was the most prominent and only library in town. 'Although my memories tell me the jist of history, it would be better to know what went differently in this world than my last one. And everything I see and do feels like the first time I've done it, so I can't wait to explore the city later.'

When he arrived at the bookstore, he noticed the empty parking lot. He parked his convertible and made his way to the entrance, the sound of his boots clicking against the wet pavement. As he entered the bookstore, he was greeted by the smell of old books and coffee. Breathing it in, the familiar smells reminded him of memories that reminded him of his previous grandparents, who taught him how enjoyable it was to read books. And all the times he took a cookie from the cookie jar without permission, ending with him getting countless scoldings. Reminiscing with a smile, he went to the section where the history books were located. He was browsing the shelves, looking for a specific book in mind, until he found a book encased with dust matching the mundane description of "History of the Old World."

Taking it off the shelves, dust was blown into his nose, leading him to sneeze softly on his elbow. After his eyes focused again, he opened the cover with the satisfying sound of flipped paper.

He couldn't notice anything eye-catching when looking back to a thousand years ago except something about a German Crusader who suffered grievous wounds from being shot by arrows and stabbed swords but disappeared soon afterward. 

'That might be Raven, but even if it's not, this is a cool myth to read.'

Continuing to flip through the pages, he found out most things stayed the same until World War Two when the United Nations was formed.

In this world, they don't mess around, as they are like an independent nation with thousands of nukes. 'I don't know if nukes are still around, but maybe magical nukes?' The main point is that after 1945, they didn't hide what they wanted to do from the world. Other nations were formed, and the dawn of revival happened with no surprises, except for one shocking piece of information that pained his soul as he read that the technology of video games could not used with magic. Many speculated that whatever tried to enter the world took away video games, but the truth was the same. People who worked in the industry lost their livelihoods from this development, which was a monumental loss for countless souls.

'I didn't want to believe it, but I did find it strange there were no memories of buying a console or computer game.' Shedding a few tears, he shut the book and returned it to its shelf. Deciding if video games were no longer an option, then reading would have to do for now, he quickly made his way to several genres of books, finding several exciting titles. Afterward, when he finished grabbing four books, he went to the front desk to purchase them. 

"Did you find everything you were looking for?" the cashier asked, greeted by a tired smile. Daubeny nodded and handed them the books. "I did, and I'll be buying these four." The cashier scanned the books and then looked up at Daubeny. That'll be sixty-four world dollars."

He shook his head before realizing what she said, taking the required amount from his wallet—just enough to pay for everything. Paying for his book and thanking the cashier, he left the store with a smile. The rain had subsided outside, and the sun began peering through the clouds. He walked towards his car, placed the books on one of the front seats, and locked the door.

Feeling disheartened from learning about video games, Daubeny explored the city more. Wandering towards an empty sidewalk, he found no one else there and continued onwards, taking in the sights and sounds of the city. After wandering the city for an unknown amount of time, walking down a busy street, he noticed a familiar sign: Danny Missiles Burgers. His stomach rumbled at the thought of a delicious burger, and his mouth was drooling. After thinking about it with his stomach, he entered the fast food restaurant. Reaching it, he discovered it was crowded with people; the line for ordering was a bit long, yet he stayed in line. When he eventually made it to the front, after a few minutes of waiting, he ordered his burger.

"That'll be thirteen world dollars." The cashier stated. 

Shaking his head, he reached into his wallet, only to find a single dollar. "I don't have enough, so I'll just go." Realizing that he had spent all of his money on books at the library earlier in the day, he turned to leave awkwardly as he felt the hangry people's eyes glaring at the back of his head. He was prepared to leave the line but was stopped by a slim young woman in her twenties, with shoulder-length black hair, wearing a grey hoodie, and dark hazel eyes. 

"Excuse me," she said, "I couldn't help but notice that you were looking at the menu. Do you need some money to buy food?"

Daubeny was surprised by her kindness. "Thank you, but you don't have to pay," he replied. I'll just come back later," shrugging his shoulders.

The woman smiled. "Please take it," she insisted, holding a few world dollars. "I hate seeing people go hungry."

Daubeny hesitated for a moment before accepting the world dollars. He thanked her and headed to an empty small table in the restaurant, where he began eating his burger and enjoying every bite of the greasy food. Finishing, he walked through the mass of people entering and exiting the restaurant. Only to be met by the woman who had paid for his meal in the shade, her back resting against the wall and appearing to daydream as she drank a near-empty water bottle. Catching Daubeny's figure in her eye, she swallowed the water and asked. "Oh, how was it?"

Daubeny smiled back. "It was good, thank you," he said, wiping the crumbs from his chin.

"That's great! I'm glad to be of assistance." She displayed a small smile as she threw the now empty water bottle to a nearby trash can with great precision. "Why don't you pay me back by going out with me to a bar around here?"

Daubeny paused, contemplating whether to accept and thinking of any adequate places, but before he could say anything, the woman continued, "Oh, come on, it'll be fun!"

"Sorry, I'm busy right now, but we can go to a place I know another time. Politely declining, as 

"Oh, well. My name is Maria, how about yours?" The woman's relaxed smile faltered slightly but quickly recovered as she raised her left hand to offer a handshake.

"Daubeny, nice to meet you," Firmly shaking Maria's hand, her grip much more robust than expected. "Say, are you new around here?" They released their grips and walked a little distance from the crowded area, dodging nearby pedestrians and making it to a nearby sidewalk.

"Yeah, I moved here a few weeks ago for my job. I'm just crashing here for a few months before heading back home," Explained Maria while she stretched her legs and back.

"I hope you enjoy your stay here. It can get pretty cold around here, but I really must get going." Walking away to some random part of the city before turning around. "The next time we meet, I'll pay for your meal, promise, and we should exchange numbers." 

Nodding her head, they exchanged numbers and made plans to meet again. Maria jogged past Daubeny fast, while he walked more quickly after seeing her run. And left to explore more of the city while the sun was still shining. He continued his stroll, taking a few quick breaths before maintaining a steady pace. "I should really work out more, maybe apply to a gym." He sighed while thinking about where next to go based on his memories.

-

After getting everything he needed and exploring the city for a few more hours, Daubeny began returning to his car to return home on the sidewalk. Walking to the left, where his convertible was parked, reaching his car, he drove home in sweaty clothing. When he finally reached home, he took a shower and did all the other necessities. Before climbing into his bed, he quickly fell asleep to arrive at work early.