The qingming sword and the player
Sazzzau (self aware zenless zone zero au)
Its been about a year since the mysterious deity known as "the administrator" possessed the twins that run the random play video store and slowly but surely spread their grasps to almost every agent in new eridu from lowly hollow raiders like the cunning hares to the infamous sons of calydon not even the illustrious section 6 were able to fight the grip that the administrator had over them and in recent months that control has spread to the agents of failume heights with yixuan shifu being the first of them
But overtime the distrust that the agents had for the administrator lowered, for most they simply became background noise as they lived their lives, for others it was still unnerving being put in the backseat of your own body as a disembodied voice made you do things you never knew you could while also.....complimenting or down right feigning over their good looks and bodies
Another strange ability is that only the playable agents can actually hear the administrators voice outside of major events even ones that haven't fallen under their control or "pulled" as the administrator calls it, and with the reveal that Zhao of krampus will be given for FREE did cause a few brows to raise (especially dailyn who teased Zhao relentlessly about being free) or jane doe of pubsec getting an interesting new outfit much to zhu yuan AND HR's abhorrentcy (jane likes it and won't take it off) but what the administrator spoke about next shook many of yunkai summit to their core
Reader: OH HECK YEAH I can pull for ye shunguang too AND use the qingming swords!!!
Ye shunguang? Does he mean Xiao'guang of yunkai summit holder of the QINGMING SWORD?! Once this revelation made it to the ears of yixuan she rushed back to failume heights and called a meeting with the twins and the other playable agents
Yixuan: I assume everyone knows why they are here?
Banyue: of course yixuan shifu, just like you, me and almost everyone here, the administrator plans to place xiao'guang and the power of the qingming sword under their control
Dialyn: chimes in a teasing tone honestly this administrator is quite the greedy individual, it seems no one is safe from being entered into their thrall
Nekomata: well if we want to avoid them getting control of that fancy sword nya I could always mess up their 50/50 again
Zhao: ms nekomata was it? While I do agree that could work, from what krampus and TOPS has observed with past agent banners....I fear this time the administrator is playing for keeps
Zhu yuan: ms Zhao is right, when my "banner" came out last year I was lucky to avoid their control even though they skipped qingyi....what we didn't know was that they bidded their time, collecting the mysterious polychromes found around the city, doing countless commissions and rigorous simulation training day in and day out to build up enough materials so when miyabi first came when the bringer incident started they obtained her and her W-engine with ease before saving up and pulling me as well a few weeks later
Fufu: so what your saying is? If the administrator REALLY wants xiao'guang they'll wait and wait and wait until her banner comes back and pulls for her again?!
Wise: sadly that's exactly the case senior and with how the pull system works from what we've seen...it'll only be a matter of time and chance
Belle: not even fairy can hack into the...device they use to peer into our world
Fairy: the second assistant is correct, ever since the administrators existence i have ran over 685,260 hacking attempts...all of them have either failed or were countered automatically...it is most likely they possess technology that surpasses that of the old capital
A heavy silence falls upon everyone and a gnawing question grows within the pits of the unclaimed agents stomachs "how long until I'm next?"
Belle: but we cant give up right shifu? I mean the special case for the qingming sword should contain the side effects?
Yixuans expression hardens as she remembers the case she created to contain the qingming sword and its power but from her own personal experience with the administrators control once you get pulled, you basically belong to them
Pan yinhu: im afraid that might not work Junior Belle, from what me and the others have experienced in the "story quests", once the administrator has a hold on you even temporary, they're able to bring out power you had no idea you even had
Pulchra: angry and annoyed tone I for one am TIRED of being sent into the depths of hollow zero every other week to fight god knows what! Im a mercenary NOT a soldier and I swear if I hear that idiot go mocking your voice big titty kitty go BRRR or that stupid voiceline "nothing but prey" and do that unnecessarily sexy pose ONE more time, I'm gonna BLOW my head off!!!
Evelyn: I agree with ms felini, ms yao is constantly being dragged into hollow zero for battles far above her pay grade and its affecting her career greatly!
Astra: tired tone ive never sung that many times in my life whines it actually makes me miss song writing!
Harumasa: shrugs I don't know about you ms yao but I like this administrator
Seth: looks at seth like he's crazy WHAT?! How can you say that?! They've been using us like toys!
Harumasa: I mean yeah the whole "controlled by a god" thing is messed up but ever since my character story as they call it ive been in the best shape of my life in a long time turns to yanagi don't you agree our ever so reliable cheif yanagi
Yanagi who had been fussing over soukaku and her sudden desire to raid the summit temples kitchen looks to harumasa with a contemplative gaze
Yanagi: from what ive experienced...it seems those with some kind of physical ailment when controlled by the administrator are....paused or at the very least reverted to the point of non issue but not to the point of complete removal
Miyabi: so the administrator keeps us in our primes so we can fight for them at our strongest without fear of actual physical harm grips the sheath of tailess firmly how dastardly efficient
Banyue: if i may interject ms tsukishiro even if thats the case, overuse of the qingming sword WILL cause xiao'guang's current stats to worsen we've seen that already with the qingming swords case
Jane: but if that's all we've got then...is there really a way to challenge a god?
Hugo: mortals challenging the divine? How ridiculous
Ye shunguang who had been sitting in silence since the meeting suddenly rises and stands by yixuan gaining everyone's attention
Ye shunguang: everyone...while i appreciate your concerns about me and the qingming sword...I have something to admit smiles nervously i actually....WANT to be pulled
Summit disciple: s-senior are you insane?!
Wise: xiao'guang you can't possibly mean that?!
Ye shiyuan: sister....are you certain of this...if not we can always go with ms nekomata's plan or send one of the belobog heavy industries workers puts a hand on her shoulder as his face is riddled with worry ever since your battle with the creator you've overused the qingming swords power, im searching everywhere for information on the qingming sword if you just give me more time I can-
Ye shunguang raises a hand gently silencing her brother before looking to everyone with a small smile
Ye shunguang: everyone..I understand your concern and im so happy that you all care so much for me but im certain of this...the administrator isn't a bad person, sure they say weird things sometimes or ramble for hours about strange topice of the old capital but....they've never once allowed us to get hurt have they? Even when they first made their appearance didn't they take good care of us...they learned how to fight with us in the hollows effectively instead of using us like puppets...I know this is risky but...during my battle with the creator and the time we spent together during the "story quest" I didn't feel any of the qingming swords affects.....I started remembering things again
fufu: concerned Xiao'guang...are you sure about this
Ye shunguang: nods with a smile im sure and if anything does go wrong I'll let all of you all know
Wise: shares a worried look with Belle before sighing okay xiao'guang...we trust you
Despite many agents still not feeling comfortable with the fact 3 of the cities void hunters are now under the control of some god in the back of xiao'guangs mind she knows she's being selfish, using the blessing of the administrator to keep her memories but until they find a permanent solution to the qingming swords side effects this is the BEST option, this is her ONLY option
Ye shunguang: this is the only way.....long live the administrator
