First stop: Center Street Entrance. How I loved this place; in fact, it has fashion's name in it. This is one of the places Shiki and I used to go when it comes to fashion.
"Um, Eri?" she started calling me for attention.
"Yeah, Shiki, what is it?" I replied.
"Did you know you got other pins besides the one I gave you?"
As I looked at my pocket, I noticed there is a set of pins. How did I not see that coming? I must have been too busy using this ice pin to notice the others. As I looked at it, there is the Player Pin which I used to scan the people that are not players in the game. Anyway, I'm just glad she noticed that. I wonder if there is time to test out those pins.
"You're right," I said. "I saw it and I have no clue. If only there could be Noise to test these out..."
Suddenly, more Noise is coming on our way. This is the time to test out those other pins. First one will be the one with a triangular and ice cube description. As I used it, I noticed some ice pillars rising up to hit them. Anyway, I finished the Noise off with this power. Now for the second pin; it has a star description. Wonder what this one could do? Upon activating it to the Noise, a small piece of ice just appeared on it to damage by a burst of cold. Check. For the third one, it looks like a bat. As usual, I used it take out some of the Noise. To think this pin can fire a light-blue bullet to knock back enemies. How nice. As I looked at the final pin, it's black and has purple and pink lines. I used this on the Noise to find out I can swing a large blade. Testing is finish, I guess.
Before long, I needed to tell Shiki something; something that she needs to know.
"Shiki, before we go to the next street, do you recall the last conversation I had with Mina?"
"Yeah," she replied. "What about it?"
I was afraid that she might get upset of telling the truth of the fact that my conversation with Mina was a ploy to make sure she stops interfering with my death wish. Anyway, it's the truth and it will set anyone free if told.
"It was a ploy to make sure you stop foiling my attempts on getting my death wish," I replied. Suddenly, I begin to feel sad, and before I know it, tears are coming out of my eyes. I think Shiki might get upset from learning all this. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't tell you that."
Before long, Shiki comes near me to wipe off the tears. As I looked at her, she's not really upset of the truth after all. What a relief that is.
"It's okay," she said in a happy tone. "I got something to tell you, too, Eri. When you got in the Game, I thought of something." Suddenly, her expression goes from happy to sadness. "It's my fault you died. Why? Because I took your word the wrong way of you saying I'm not meant to be a designer. You thought it could cheer me up because I couldn't come up with a design, but it made me sad instead; so sad that I died. Even so, I protected you from doing all those dangerous things you did so that you can be with me in death. Anyway, it doesn't matter now that I failed. I failed because I was battling the Game Master; therefore giving you the chance to get your death wish. It's all my fault you died."
After all this time, Shiki has protected me. I must be feeling guilty for getting myself in danger. Upon hearing this kind of explanation, I just give her a hug then spoke some words to comfort her.
"Now we're even, Shiki. We got nobody else to blame, but our own for each other's deaths. Now that I'm in here, I got a new mission and that is to protect you. Anyway, even though you failed to protect me from here, you saved my life once from the Noise when I got here. So, let's protect each other so that we can win."
As I let go of hugging her, she replies to me. "Yeah, let's do that. You're lucky I didn't tell Neku about your "death seeking" adventure."
"Yeah, otherwise he'll be in for a surprise when he found that out," I said jokingly.
Next stop: Shibu Q-Heads. As for the last two streets, Tipsy Tose Hall and AMX, we just run from there until getting to our next stop. As soon as we were about to complete the mission, I saw the same Reaper just came here. I get the feeling the way to Udagawa Back Streets has been blocked.
He said, "You want to pass by? Get rid of these sets of Noise." It's blocked, and he has a challenge for us.
Now the battle begins. As Shiki and I confront the Noise, it's full of pigs. Not only by the normal color I know of, but also there are pink pigs. This is the opportunity to test out the new pins. I swing a large blade on a group to my front while on the back, I used another pin to rise some ice pillars to them. However, they're still here, so I have to fire some energy rounds to knock them down, and it did damage to them so much that they're gone. As for Shiki's part, she only uses Mr. Mew to do the job done. How nice between them. Anyway, for round 2, it will be the Mink Noise. In fact, there are three in my front while there are two in my back. As usual, I have to make use of the pins while Shiki has to use Mr. Mew to get the job done. Anyway, it's over. As I take a look at my pins, the one where I freeze the enemies goes from level 2 to 3 while the others went from level 1 to level 2. Except for the one that I can swing a large blade, it went from level 1 to 3.
"Very good, you can pass," said the Reaper, then suddenly vanished. We continue to go there to complete the mission.