The Melancholy of Sougo Tokiwa - Part 2 - A Desperate Battle

Geiz enters the candy shop and sees Ora waiting for him in a booth. She has changed from her school uniform to a tightly fitted coat, shirt and shorts combination, all powder blue. "Is this your note?"

"Yes. But we do not have much time and I have much to tell you."

"I am all ears."

"But, before I tell you, I need to demonstrate something."

"Okay."

"Do you have keys?"

"Yes."

"Put them in your left jacket pocket."

Geiz puts his keys into the left pocket of his large vaguely military looking brown jacket.

"Does your left pocket connect to your right pocket?"

"No."

"Then why are your keys in your right pocket?"

Geiz verifies this to be true. "No idea."

"It's because I can temporarily stop time for everyone else. It's a useful trick for kicking Sougo in the butt when he bullies me, or for doing random mischief."

"Like slapping me?"

"I just wanted to get your attention. I knew that you didn't peep."

"Thanks, I think."

"Anyway, the reason I can stop time is because I am from fifty years in the future. This is a horrible grim time where the world was conquered by the evil demon king Sougo Tokiwa. I have come back in time to change the course of time and prevent this awful future."

"Do you realize that your quest, if this is for real, is absurd? If you change time how will your future self know to come back in time? You're creating a time paradox."

"It was my uncle who created the time travel system. If he was smart enough to create it I am sure he was smart enough to prevent the system from causing paradoxes."

"Famous last words. So, are you planning on killing Sougo?"

"No, I was hoping to influence him so that he would not turn evil. But, if he does, then I will not hold back."

"What makes you think he is not evil now?"

"I have an evilometer that measures how evil someone is."

"And Sougo now isn't evil?"

"He is, but only at the juvenile delinquent level, nowhere near the evil overlord level."

"Was this system checked out on Sougo in the future?"

"No, it would be too dangerous to get close to him."

Geiz slaps his forehead with his hand. "Why were you sent back instead of your uncle?"

"He was. He is the faculty sponsor of the computer hacking club."

A yellow glow appears around Ora's hand. "We don't have much time. We have to get to the school roof."

"But the doors are going to be locked."

"Follow me."

Geiz and Ora run back to the school. When Geiz reaches a door or gate that is locked Ora waves her hand and causes the lock to open.

They reach the roof, breathing hard.

"Rejoice! For the rival to the demon king has agreed to engage in combat with our dear demon king."

Geiz sees that Sougo, Woz-sensei, and Tsukuyomi are already on the roof. "Why am I fighting Sougo? He's stupid, but he is still my classmate."

Sougo smiles and cocks his head. "We are not fighting each other. We are fighting together."

Geiz notices that the glow around Ora's hand has turned red.

Tsukuyomi grabs Geiz's arm. The roof area of the school becomes lit up and loses all of it's original detail.

"Are we in a video game?"

Tsukuyomi shakes her head. "This is where we fight Another Manga's. A character will appear before you and Sougo and you will have to defeat them."

"What if we fail?"

"Nothing."

"What if we win?

"Nothing."

"Then why do it?"

"To see how you and Sougo react, and to judge how your characters are developing."

"This is stupid."

"The fight is starting. Good luck."

Tsukuyomi disappears from Geiz's view. An unkempt looking girl with hair over one of her eyes who is playing a game on her phone appears. She has the number 2013 on her forehead. "How about if I touch you here? Or here? Or here?" She pokes with her stylus on the phone.

"Oh miss?"

"Are you talking to me?" The girl looks deranged.

"Look, I am sorry I had to stab your boyfriend, Sougo Tokiwa, to death. But, he was constantly sucking up to Woz-sensei and Sougo is way too uncool to deserve to be around the stylish Woz-sensei. So I had to."

The girl's nose starts bleeding. "So yandere!" The girl disappears.

Geiz can now see Sougo also battling the same girl.

"That's an interesting game you are playing. Can I see it?"

"No!"

Geiz's laughs. "Hey Sougo, do you even know who she is?"

Sougo looks down. "No."

"Do you read manga?"

"Yes."

"Did you read manga back in 2013?"

"Yes."

"Did you read Watamote?"

"Yes."

"And, you still can't figure out who she is?"

"No."

Geiz face plants. "That's the lead character of the manga, Tomoko Kuroki."

Sougo smiles. "You're right! I forgot."

"Then go for it."

"Hey, do you want to go out for sushi?"

"Go away!"

A warning siren starts. When it stops the girl disappears and a big animated "x" appears.

"I guess I still have a lot to learn about being a demon king."

"Yeah, she likes hamburgers, not sushi."

The roof comes back into focus and Geiz can now see Ora, Tsukuyomi, and Woz-sensei.

"Rejoice! For on this day our dear demon king has faced his first sign of adversity. Will he become evil enough to best Geiz in his quest to gather the Demon King Objects?"

Geiz looks shocked. "Demon King Objects?"

Woz-sensei snaps his fingers and a smartphone and a stylus appear. "To the victor belong the spoils. This smartphone and stylus will allow you to play otome games."

"Can they be used to fight other Another Manga's?"

"Probably not."

Geiz face plants.

"But it is the principle of the thing that counts. Sougo has to learn that unless he applies himself other people will get all the best promotional tie-in toys and become demon king before he can."

"Promotional tie-in toys?"

"In any event, I am sure that all of you have homework to do, so I will take my leave." Woz walks off.

Tsukuyomi, Ora, and Sougo also walk off.

Geiz hears Tsukuyomi's voice in his head. "Meet me on the roof during lunch tomorrow."

"Okay."

To Be Continued!