I do not own The World Ends With You, TWEWY the Animation, Neo: The World Ends With You, or any official characters featured within this project. The TWEWY series is owned by DOMERICA, Funimation, h.a.n.d., Jupiter, Nintendo, Shin-Ei Animation, and Square-Enix. Please support all official releases.
That Statue of Hachiko. A bustling hub just before the famous bus station, commemorated by the bronze statue of a dog. Today, it was just as crowded and noisy as ever with men and women on their way to work, some returning home from their shopping, and teenagers absorbed in their phones and conversations.
But on this day, like so many others before it, the vast horde of people went about their day as if nothing out of the ordinary was before them. None of them looked up, none of them cared, or even noticed the five unconscious teenagers on the stone benches surrounding the statue.
The sixth, however...that is to say, me...was wide awake and equally as uninterested in the world around me. A fairly common sense of reciprocity, especially if you've lived your entire life in Shibuya. My gaze was fixated on the palm of my right hand.
00:00:42:12
I sat there, staring, watching as the timer continued to tick down before my eyes. It's a strange thing: to have your life whittled down to a distinct number. And then, to watch what precious time you have left, countdown until the very end. To the ordinary human mind, knowing the exact amount of time left in their life is as terrifying a sensation as any I can imagine. Then again, everything about my current situation was about as far from ordinary as possible.
My name is Shoji Tsukasa. I am currently engaged in a dangerous competition known simply as The Reaper's Game, where the souls of the dead fight for their right to be resurrected. However, unlike many others, who had come to the UG after suffering some tragic event that brought about the end of their lives, mine is a...special case.
I'm a Reaper, you see, one of the beings that monitors and makes sure the game runs as efficiently as possible. I became so after winning the last Reaper's Game, winning my partner his life back and myself the opportunity of a lifetime. Or at least I used to be…I admit that, at first, it was a fun idea. Take out my own inadequacies and self-loathing on others. But over the course of the previous week's game, I had watched an incredible group of players working together to survive…until only one of them was left. Shortly afterward, I discovered a young girl, suffering and bleeding from a gunshot wound from a store robbery. Staring down at her suffering form, I put her out of her misery.
After that, I had lost faith in what I was doing, as both a Reaper and a human being. When I presented my case to the higher-ups, the result was...to be expected. They laughed and called me an idiot and a fool, but I was resolved to give up my position.
The rules state that a Reaper's lifespan is determined by the number of Players they erase during the week of the game. In my case, I had only erased one person...and she hadn't been a player. Therefore, my Punishment was reentry into the next Reaper's Game as a Player, stripped of my title as Reaper, with my entry fee being the only thing of real value that I had: my continued existence. Given what I had achieved, that left me with exactly seven days.
For me, personally, it was scintillating and, in a way, freeing. Knowing that I had just enough time to complete the week, and set my affairs in order. Or, at the very least, die knowing that my conscience was clear. All signed and sealed by the searing, white-hot pain that had scorched across my right hand.
After awakening at the Scramble Crossing, I made my way over to the Statue of Hachiko; a logical next step…
A gentle stirring next to me quickly earned my attention; a girl, her long brown hair tied back with a green ribbon, shifted in her sleep. I couldn't help but smile gently down at my partner.
Shibuimaru Natsume. A bright and bubbly young woman who seemed incomplete without her signature smile. An old friend of mine that I hadn't seen since Junior High School, it had been painful to learn she had come here. However, my smile faltered as memory came flooding back in that instant, guilt eating me from the inside like acid.
Natsume was the girl I had erased.
It was a cruel irony that she and I found each other this week. I could remember the terror and pain in her eyes as it happened, her penetrating eyes gazing deep into my own. When we encountered each other on day one, there was a moment where I thought I saw a flash of recognition cross her face. However, it quickly became clear to me of her entry fee: everything else was intact, but her memories of me were completely gone. The realization stung but still I accepted things and said nothing, wondering all the while what it said about me. Still, I could only imagine what she would have thought, had she remembered...it wasn't exactly a thought I relished.
Next to her, lay a pair of young men, each dressed like they wouldn't be strangers at a rock concert or a skatepark. The brothers Myojin, Kiyo and Iori. The elder brother hardly went anywhere without the Bamboo Sword that he kept in a sheathe across his back, or the cold and distant stare on his face. The younger Iori would often act as a mediator between his partner and the rest, being much more of a diplomatic minded young man.
Once again, my gaze fell slightly looking towards them. Iori had died from a severe allergic reaction and Kiyo, unable to cope with the loss of his brother, threw himself from the roof of the hospital. The red-haired swordsman's cold exterior, a result of his entry fee, was both blessing and curse; the latter in the sense that it made him an unbearable asshole to everyone around him, while the former in that it likely dulled the pain of Iori's entrance fee. Where Natsume's memory loss was almost exclusively towards me, young Iori's was complete. He had no idea who he was, how he'd gotten there...or that he was partnered with his own brother.
I turned towards the others, momentarily fixing my gaze upon the two schoolgirls: Yamamoto Yuri and Shigekura Keiko. Both were clad in the same uniform: a beige vest over a white blouse and a red skirt. Where the younger Keiko kept her brown hair in a neat bob, Yuri had allowed her head of raven hair to fall well past her shoulders.
I could feel the frown form on my face once again as I looked at them. Theirs had probably been the most senseless deaths: Keiko having followed Yuri, who had taken her mom's car without permission. Their entry fee was...rather unique. Or, maybe I should say: I'd never encountered a similar situation to theirs during my time as a player or as a Reaper. Since they cared so much for each other, the two had swapped places as part of Yuri's entrance fee, making her take on Keiko's appearance and vice versa. Keiko, on the other hand, had totally lost her memory of her best friend. When the two met back up in the UG, the younger girl had no idea that she was meeting her friend, or herself, for the first time.
My gaze wandered across all of them, my thoughts steeped in the knowledge that I had on each of them. It was my curse...though I'd been stripped of my Reaper powers, I had retained enough that I could peek behind the curtain. I knew everything about them, though I didn't dare tell them about myself, for fear of rejection. Regardless, unable to sleep, forced to be awake for the entire last few days of my life, I had made it my personal mission to watch over them…
...and to keep them alive for as long as I could.
All of them stirred in their sleep, which snapped me out of my thoughts. They'd likely be waking soon and Kiyo wasn't the best of thinkers when he was hungry. Making my way over to a nearby restaurant (its large, picture window marked with a familiar skull and crossbones decal) that was busy and packed with the morning rush. As I reached the counter, a young, blond woman smiled warmly at me:
"Good morning, welcome to Justice Burger. May I take your order?"
It was so normal that I could hardly help myself as a smile of my own formed on my face. I placed my order, paid the woman twenty-two hundred yen, and left the restaurant, carrying an enormous paper bag and balancing a pair of drink carriers on my arm.
As I made my way back to the statue, voices instantly rose to the forefront of my attention.
"W-where is he?"
"You don't think the Noise got him, do you?"
An exasperated sigh exploded from my nostrils as I approached the group, who had all woken to the startling scene of my absence. Natsume in particular was looking around, greatly confused and worried. However, almost as soon as she caught sight of me, a look of calm relief swept quietly over her face. Graciously, she took the drinks from me and began handing them out as I offered the bag out to them and watched as they tore into it like wolves.
"Ah, that hits the spot" said the brunette school girl taking a large drink of her OJ "You know something, you're not half bad Tsukasa."
"I suppose I'll take that as a compliment" I said rather dryly, sipping my coffee. A blithe smile crossed my face at the thunderstruck expression on Keiko's, having apparently realized what she had said.
"Oh! Tsukasa, I'm sorry! Th-th-that isn't what I-"
I held up a hand, silencing her instantly, but still she smiled sheepishly and apology written in her eyes. Our group ate in silence, when a glint of sunlight shone painfully into my eye; casting a squinted, sidelong look at its source, I couldn't help the grin that crossed my face at the little pin attached to Iori's beanie.
Pins: a collection of silly little objects that were indicative of social trendiness. In the RG, Pins were a dime a dozen, in various shapes and colors; in the UG, Pins were the source of a Player's power. After creating a pact, partners often found that equipping different pins provided different powers and abilities. Smiling privately, I caught sight of my own Pin, green and white with a red flame motif on it, which hung from the hood of my coat.
However, my gaze quietly fell to the little Pin dangling from the hem of my T-shirt. Unlike my combat pin (or the black and white skull Player Pin hidden in my pocket), this one was a blank, pure white. However, it's form often changed whenever I would combine powers with any of the others to unleash a powerful attack. I couldn't help but stare at it for a long moment. I had heard of Harmonizer Pins during my time as a Reaper, but I didn't think they actually existed. Imagine my surprise when I awoke on day one with one in my pocket.
"So," said the blond boy through a mouthful of sausage and eggs, pulling me from my thoughts "has there been any word on a mission?"
As if on cue, six phones immediately rang. Pulling mine from my jacket pocket, I zipped through the lock screen and stared down at the message:
Game VII: Erase the Game Master at Mark City. t = 600 min. Incompletes will be erased – P.S. Have 'cow and mouse' on hand.
I did my best to fake a grimace as the five teenagers around me gasped and recoiled with a sudden pain, gripping their right hands, but I was too focused on the message to really pay much attention. Something about this mission just seemed...off. My gaze wandered across the rest of the group, vaguely aware of a light buzzing coming from over the crowd, where quickly became apparent that everyone else had divined this as well.
"That's…" said Yuri "...what are they playing at?"
"Ten hours to take out the Game Master?" said Iori, looking rather faint "either this guy is extremely full of himself or…"
As the blond boy's voice trailed off, his partner glared down his nose at me. Despite his entry fee, it was astounding just how cold his glazed stare could be.
"What do you think? This psycho GM as good as all that?"
"I don't know" I shrugged absently, rubbing my ears from the growing sound of buzzing. "I didn't know Minamimoto that well. But if he's as strong as he is crazy, then we may have a problem."
I could feel the uncomfortable fidgets and stares all around (Kiyo's gaze never once breaking from me), but my mind had drifted elsewhere. I stared down at the message on my phone. Something about this wasn't right. This past week, Minamimoto had bombarded them with a series of obnoxious, math related, riddles; though for three days, all missions had stopped, making him the single most unorthodox Game Master to ever run the Shibuya Reaper's Game.
But this mission was different. No abstract riddles, no obscure meanings...not even a math term to be seen. The likelihood that this mission was written and orchestrated by someone higher up (more than likely the Conductor, Megumi Kitaniji), said two things to me. The first was that Minamimoto truly had gone rogue and the Reaper's needed a way to deal with him; the second, was that Iori was right...ten hours for a 'defeat the GM' mission meant that Kitaniji didn't place much faith in the remaining players ability to take on this threat.
"What the hell is that noise?!"
Snapped from my thoughts, I could feel my eyes widen and my jaw drop with horror at the near cacophonous buzzing that was rising over the Scramble. Abandoning the benches beside the statue, I raced at top speed out into the middle of the road. As the others joined me, I could only stare, transfixed, at the sight of hundreds of black Noise Sigils beginning to manifest. Slowly, the monstrous creatures from within began to emerge: plagues of leaping frogs, flocks of fearsome looking birds, packs of snarling, slobbering wolves, many tall and fierce looking bears, and the slow, lumbering forms of rhinoceros-like beasts. All were pitch black and their burning red eyes fixated on the northern end of the Scramble, towards 104.
"Oh my God" gasped Yuri, who had appeared at my side "There's so many of them!"
Staring out across the horde, I could sense movement in my peripheral vision. Cutting my gaze, I found that Natsume had settled beside me, with an expression somewhere between terrified and panicked. Still, I reached my hand towards hers and gave it as comforting a squeeze as I could.
"Hey!"
A voice from behind rang out over the noisy buzzing. Wheeling around, I watched as two people came barreling out of Center Street towards us. Players, I reasoned; not like anyone else could see or interact with us here in the UG. One I had never seen before: a pale boy with platinum blonde hair and clothes that looked as if he had slept in them. The other had half of his face hidden behind the large collar of his shirt and a pair of purple headphones over his spikey orange hair...the player who had won last week's game.
I could tell that I was not the only one watching the pair as they joined us, gazing out over the lumbering horde.
"My, my" said the blond boy haughtily "This could present a problem."
"W-what do you mean?" stammered Iori, taken completely aback by the thoroughly unconcerned look on his face. However, the spiky-haired boy replied, rather irritably:
"The mission."
"You can't be serious," cried Keiko incredulously. "That's insane! To battle the game master now with all of this Noise around…"
"It does complicate things," chuckled the blonde boy, "but my dear partner and I have been talking things over. We agree that it's not impossible."
At this, Natsume's eyebrows shot upward in surprise. "You have a plan?"
"Indeed" he said with a mischievous chuckle, "we know that Minamimoto is the one behind all of these Noise. That being said, logic dictates that if we take him out, the Noise will follow."
"But?" Kiyo's voice cut across the urgency with the subtlety and bluntness of his wooden sword. The spikey-haired teenager glared malevolently at him a moment before conceding.
"But," said the spikey-haired teenager, crossing his arms, "we need a distraction. To keep the horde at bay long enough for us to take down the Grim Heaper. It's dangerous, but it could work."
A silence had fallen between the eight of us, the spikey-haired teenager's words hanging ominously over us like a cloud. It was crazy. No, forget crazy, it was damn near suicidal to even consider this. However, I could feel my gaze drop to the ground, my mind racing. There wasn't another option and I knew, deep down, that I was no match for Minamimoto. But this guy, with everything I had seen last week, his impressive defeat of Higashizawa, maybe it would be worth betting it all on him. Looking directly at the spikey-haired teenager, I spoke candidly.
"Hey, your name's...Sakuraba, right?"
The boy glared at me for a moment before giving a noncommittal jerk of his head.
"Can you beat him?"
Whatever he had been expecting, I could tell from the look on his face that that had not been it. He considered me, hard, for a moment before nodding.
"It's not a question of can or can't" he said slowly "There are some things in life, you just do."
At his words, I immediately felt my jaw drop, greatly impressed by his answer. However, I could instantly feel a determined expression slowly replace surprise on my face and my fists clenched readily.
"Then go. We'll handle them."
The blonde boy and the spikey-haired Sakuraba exchanged glances before nodding wordlessly towards me. As the two took off towards Mark City, I turned my attention towards the Scramble, where an unnerving, plummeting sensation in my stomach somersaulted to the forefront of my mind at the sheer sight of the innumerable horde of Noise before me. Gazing downward, my eyes caught sight of the timer on my hand
00:00:17:34
However, before a brooding expression could form, I could my face stretch in surprise as I caught sight of movement on either side of me. Shifting my gaze, a sense of relief washed over me at the sight of my friends, the six of us forming a single line blocking the north end of the Scramble Crossing from the onslaught ahead of them. Cutting my gaze to my left, my onyx orbs met with Natsume's green, who shot me a playful smile.
"Think you can handle this many?"
"Well..." I said sardonically, "might be tough if one more shows up."
"Then that'll have to be the one I take care of."
Giving her a look of mock incredulity, I winked "What? You're fighting too?"
Allowing another deep, calming breath in through my nose, a strange calming sensation swept over me. Whatever nerves had been jangling around in my brain seemed to settle at our exchange. Pushing off into a walk, I could feel the others joining in beside me, as we moved together towards the charging horde of Noise.
Watching as waves of the red-eyed monsters came barreling towards us, I lowered onto my left, my right leg extended, my nostrils were assailed by the scent of freshly ignited flames. Twisting on my hips, I dragged my leg around, sending a wave of fire trailing along the asphalt in its wake. At the apex of my spin, I pushed upward with my left and dragged my leg around again, unleashing a stream of flames at chest height. Channeling the momentum of my spin into the ball of my foot, I pushed off into a masterful roundhouse, unleashing another burst of fire into the sky. Touching back down, I watched as the trio of fire trails skimmed across the ground, wiping out scores of Frogs, Wolves, and Raven's.
As they burst into staticky, monochromatic cubes, a group of angry Bear-like Noise came charging forth, slobber flying and yellowed fangs exposed. Spinning around with my arms tucked in tightly, I shot out my right. There was a WOOSH and a ROAR as another enormous ball of searing flame burst from my hand. However, the bears saw the attack coming and easily evaded the oncoming fireball.
Feeling a soaring sensation sent my stomach plummeting, as I went shooting into the air from a burst of flame underneath my sneaker. Pitching my shoulders forward, my vision went topsy-turvy as I pulled my leg over and sent another stream of fire raining down onto the street. Three of the bears roared in agony as they were engulfed and vanished into static. Touching back down, I launched into another flurry of blows; first shooting out my right before swinging it around and using the momentum to drag my left into a masterful roundhouse kick. Each time, fire burped from each of my feet and collided violently with whatever Noise happened to be unlucky to be in the way. Touching back down, I watched as two more Frogs and a Wolf vanished in the staticky, monochromatic cubes.
Suddenly, a wave of lethargy swept over me, bringing me crumpling onto my knees. A usual consequence of using up all of my Pin's power, nothing I hadn't felt before. Several vicious snarls quickly stole my attention; turning quickly, I could only watch as a pack of five wolves came tearing down the street towards me. A tired pant burst from me as I attempted to move out of the way, but I was completely helpless. My strength sapped until my Pin recharged, leaving me totally unable to defend myself as they leapt forth hungrily.
However, at the apex of their jump, the wolves began to lose momentum. Slower and slower they fell before finally coming to a halt high in the air. Changing a look backward, I spotted my partner, her hand aloft and glowing in a blinding white flame. With an almost cruel swing of her arm, the captive creatures were flung at top speed into the side of Hachiko Cafe; they whined and cried out in pain as they vanished in a burst of monochrome cubes.
There was a deafening 'Croak' and shrill 'Screech' that stole my attention. I watched as a small army of leaping Frogs and a flock of charging Ravens came barreling towards us. But Natsume didn't flinch, throwing up her arm, the pin attached to her bag shining brightly, before rocketing it forth. A dark shadow flew overhead and I watched, with a victorious grin, as the delivery truck sailed through the air, enveloping the charging foes, before flattening them upon the Scramble pavement and vanishing in a colossal crash!
Movement on either side quickly garnered my attention. I watched as Keiko and Yuri, each with battle hardened expressions on their faces, charged into the horde. Yuri attacked first; a light shone brightly from one of the pins on the waist of her skirt as she dashed forward. Rearing back her fist, she let fly a punch that unleashed a powerful blast of wind, rocking a large, grey Bear backward; shooting out her opposing fist, she caught a second with a fast jab to its nose. Twice more she repeated the action before she pushed off into a leap, her fists over her head. Bringing them down, a powerful burst of downward wind, slamming both beasts into the ground, who promptly dissipated in a burst of static.
Next to her, Keiko, the little pin on the hem of her school vest shining brightly, let out an enormous battle cry, her arms rocking back and forth, as bullets of icy-blue energy burst from her hands. Rearing back her shoulders, she shot forth both of her arms, unleashing two spheres of frozen energy towards her targets.
However, the breath froze in my lungs as a crunching sound and a grunting bellow seemed to rise up from nowhere. Turning my gaze, I watched as a large, black Rhinoceros, its massive body crushing a car as though it were made of tin foil, came grunting onto the scene. With a massive snort, it lowered its head, revealing the foot-long spike protruding from its face and launched itself forward. Turning my gaze, I could see that it was barreling straight towards the girls. I had to do something, cry out, warn them, anything. But as I attempted to call out Natsume's name, I could only find myself frozen with exhaustion once again.
Just then, I watched in total surprise as little Iori leapt between the charging creature and the defenseless girl. Wearing a fierce expression, his hand burned in a golden light, the same that glowed from the pin on his hat. Holding out his arms, a trio of portals formed before him; flying out from their location, the ghostly forms of electric yellow swords burst forth in a deadly spiral! They struck the rhino-like Noise from underneath, which issued a roar at an earsplitting note as it's unprotected underbelly was pelted with slashing and piercing blades before vanishing into monochromatic static. Twisting on his heel and moving his arms, the swarm of weapons slithering through the air like an angry snake at his command.
Moving past his brother with an intense look on his face, I watched as Kiyo, his shinai at the ready, stepped into the fray. Four slobbering, angry wolves encircled him, staring hungrily at their target. However, the fiery-haired boy flicked the pin on the strap of his sword case, crouched down low, before shooting forward. Moving like lightning, he thrust his weapon forward and jabbed it deep into the chest of the first wolfish Noise. Twisting on his hips, he repeated the action; and a third time, then a fourth time. As the four beasts began to rise to their feet, the fiery-haired swordsman pushed upward and vanished! There was a thunderous 'Crack' as Kiyo materialized above them and then plunged his sword downward, striking the four wolfish creatures simultaneously, vanishing in a burst of monochrome cubes.
However, Kiyo's shoulders rose and fell as he gasped for air, winded. My own strength slowly returning, I made to move as several frog Noise leapt towards the totally exposed and frozen young man! But the air became rent with the roaring croaks of Noise crying out in pain. I skidded to a halt, watching as the frogs staggered, becoming impaled by a swarm of charging blades! Kiyo and I turned simultaneously, and nodded appreciatively towards the young Iori, who flashed us a thumbs up.
Suddenly, a wellspring of energy surged through me. A grin crossed my face at the realization that my Pin had finally recharged. Pitching myself, face first, into the asphalt, I could feel a stinging pain in my palms as I kept myself upright. Lowering onto my shoulders and keeping my legs extended, I pushed into a spin and felt the raging heat of my flames as they burst from my feet. For a long moment, I hung there, the eye of a powerful tornado of fire. What part of my vision that had a moment of stability, I could see Noise faltering to my attacks. Penguin-like creatures waddled around in a frenzy, their bodies ablaze; Raven-like Noise collided into each other, falling to the ground as burning heaps.
Unwilling to fully expend my Pin again, I pushed the momentum of my spin into my elbows, then back onto my hands, before finally pulling my legs around and bringing myself right side-up again. Feeling the red-haired swordsman against my back, I took a moment both to catch my breath before casting a glance down to the timer on my hand.
00:00:11:06
My teeth gnashed together to stifle the gasp. Only six minutes had passed and we hadn't made a dent. This was ridiculous! Just the sheer volume of them, I wasn't sure any of us could hold out another eleven minutes. Casting my gaze turned in the direction of Mark City, and I couldn't help the exasperated thought that coursed through me:
"Come on, Sakuraba! This all falls apart if you can't hold up your end."
A paralyzing, earthshattering roar rang out over the Scramble. Kiyo and I exchanged looks as the ground rumbled beneath our feet. Turning southward, towards Shibuya Hikarie, I could see something weaving between the buildings. Something enormous!
As it rounded the block, I could only stare in open mouthed disbelief at the Noise, in the form of a Tyrannosaurus Rex came marching towards us. Many of the smaller Noise scuttled out of its way; it reared back it's enormous, cab-sized head and opened its fanged maw at an earsplitting note. It moved like lightning, whipping its tree-trunk-like tail around across the ground. Yuri and Iori both screamed in terror, but Natsume seized both of them around the middle and the three of them landed on the asphalt, the massive appendage missing by inches.
Keiko jumped forward, bravely, her arms rocking back and forth as she blasted the gigantic Noise with bolts of ice. Letting a roar of pain fly, the beast thrust its open maw forward. However, the girl moved just in time, evading sword-like teeth that clamped down on where she had been moments before.
Watching the scene before us, I could feel my eyebrows furrow as Kiyo and I exchanged looks as the realization set in. None of us was strong enough to challenge the creature alone…
However, reaching down and ripping the snowy white Pin from the hem of my shirt, there was a chance we could take it together. Clenching my fingers around the tiny item, I watched as the fiery-haired swordsman offered out the handle of his wooden sword to me. Clasping it tightly with my left, I inhaled deeply as I let my eyelids droop, enveloping me in darkness. A wonderful, empowering sensation swept over me as we combined our energies; I could feel the ground leave my feet as the two of us rose into the air, standing back-to-back. Each of us lifting an arm over our heads, keeping a tight hold of Kiyo's shinai, we began to focus on it.
FWOOSH!
An intense heat washed over me as golden and purple flames formed a radiating blade overhead. Following Kiyo's lead, I shifted my weight into my hips and we pulled into a magnificent twirl, dragging the sword along with us. The enormous beast roared in agony as we dragged the blade across its face as we spun like a dangerous, aerial top. As we reached the height of our spin, I took control of the action, pulling with my shoulders and then downward into another spinning strike. The gigantic Noise staggered as the second strike struck in the same spot as the other. Using the momentum of our strike, the two of us flipped up and over and then drove the sword down with all the might we could muster. Our weapon smashed heavily onto the head of the mammoth creature, sending it careening into the ground. There was a 'woosh' of rushing wind as the energy shot out across its back, down its tail, before coursing across the ground into the surrounding horde. I could feel the vindictive grin split across my face as the Tyrannosaurus Noise and many of its allies burst apart into staticky cubes.
As we touched back down, I could feel a resurgence of energy course through my body and my smile only grew stronger as I clipped my Harmonizer Pin back onto my shirt. However, I had no time to focus on this new sensation as wet and angry growl stole my attention. Turning sharply, I was in time to watch as another wolf pounced on my position. Spinning on my left and tucking my knee into my chest, I kicked out my right, my boot connecting with the charging beast's fangs. A roaring burst of flames erupted on contact; the Wolf Noise was thrown backwards with a whimpering cry, bursting into static as it hit the ground.
Wheeling around, I was in time to watch as Kiyo lunged down onto the ground, pinning a Rhino Noise by the neck. Just then, a strange, bubbling sound rose from behind. Spinning around, I watched in total terror as a large, blue Shark burst forth from the asphalt as if it were water; it's enormous maw wide to reveal rows and rows of dagger-like teeth. I could feel a tiny flame ignite in my hand but there wasn't anything I could do. It had the drop on me!
WHAM!
A large, blue bus came flying from nowhere. It smashed violently into the Noise's side, its head and eyes shredded by the flying, broken glass from the windows. It vanished into monochromatic cubes as the bus crashed viciously into the center of the Scramble. Turning towards the source, a relieved sigh escaped from me; Natsume smiled at me, standing as though she had just thrown a baseball.
A chill as if I had been doused in ice water washed over my body as an excruciated scream rang out from behind. Wheeling around, I could feel my eyes widen as Keiko was thrown onto the ground, a large, bloodied gash across her midriff; a Scorpion-like Noise sat poised before her, its long tail extended and its stinger bloodied from its strike. Its claws clicked menacingly as it converged on its prey.
There was a loud, angry war cry and I could only watch, startled, as Yuri leapt forward. Her fists were a blur as they smashed heavily into the arachnid Noise, sending it skidding backward. Seizing her downed partner by the shoulders, the dark-haired girl began to drag her backward. But the giant Scorpion was already beginning to recover, scuttling towards the escaping pair.
However, it's body bucked as a gust of phantom, electric swords smashed into its face. Turning my head, I could see in the corner of my eye that little Iori stood, his thumbs hooked and arms held out, the swirling portals over his head spilling blades into the air. Despite the fierce, determined expression on his face, the giant Scorpion pushed back, taking small but progressive steps forward. Seeing the monstrous creature bolstered by the horde from behind, I could feel my own eyebrows furrow, as Iori's determination swept through me as well.
Holding out my arms, I focused on the center of the mob, imagining a spark blazing into life. There was a horrible, shrill cry of pain as a pool of fire ignited from underneath. Several Rhino's let fly horrible cries of pain as they attempted to stamp out the flames. However, what they achieved was trampling on anything smaller in their way, crushing Penguins, Wolves, and even their troublesome Scorpion friend into staticky pancakes, before vanishing into monochromatic cubes themselves.
THWIP!
Iori let out a shout, his blades vanishing from the fray. I whirled my head around and could do nothing but watch as long, pink, slimy looking rope curled around his ankle and pulled the boy off his feet. He let out a panicked cry as the source turned out to be a Chameleon the size of a park bench, it's long tongue retracting as it dragged Iori, kicking and screaming, towards its open mouth, which crackled with electricity. There was a horrible, wet, flapping sound as Kiyo stabbed his shinai downward, severing the Chameleon's tongue in a bloody burst. Leveling his weapon with his shoulder, the fiery-haired swordsman plunged his sword right between the Chameleon's eyes, who burst into static with a lame outcry of 'whoop.'
Watching as the elder Myojin pulled his brother to his feet, a familiar sense of dread swept over me. Turning towards the southern end of the Scramble, I could feel the breath freeze in my lungs at the sight of a stampeding herd of three black, red-eyed Elephants storming down the street. Abandoning my efforts to hold back the horde, I threw myself backward, landing hard on my stomach, safely out of the way of their charge. Pushing myself upward, slightly winded, I could feel Natsume, Keiko, and Yuri rush to my side.
There was a raucous, trumpet-like blast that stole my attention. Turning quickly, I could only watch as one of the Elephant-Noise whipped its trunk around, watching Iori square in the chest. He let out an excruciated yell as he was swatted away; Kiyo rushed to be something sturdy to catch him, but the force of blow only rocketed the fiery-haired player off his feet. There was a loud 'SNAP' and splinters flew from between them as they hit the ground. Rushing over to the winded brothers, Kiyo's arm fell limply to the ground, the shattered remains of his shinai rolling away onto the road.
The six of us stood, huddled together, watching with a sense of utter terror as thousands of the blackened Noise gazed upon us with bloodied eyes. Their fanged mouths opened and hungry growls rang out around us like some hideous song.
"Any ideas?" stammered Iori weakly. No one answered him. As for me, I had nothing. No more bravado, no great plans, just an utter sense of dread that rooted me to the spot. Gazing down at my hand, I could feel a familiar sense of plummeting occur again in my stomach:
00:00:02:20
However, another sight quickly stole my attention; the sunlight glinting off of the tiny, white pin dangling from the, ripped, hem of my shirt. Staring around at my exhausted and frightened comrades, I felt a wellspring of urgency surge through my gut. Ripping it away with the sound of tearing fabric, I held it up for the group to see.
"One" I said quickly "But I don't have enough power left to make it work alone."
At first, nobody moved, all of them staring incredulously at me. Suddenly, a hand gripped my own and I gave Natsume an appreciative look. Giving the other four a meaningful look, slowly but surely, they placed their hands on top of mine.
"EVERYONE" I roared at the top of my voice "TOGETHER!"
Their rallies and war cries joined mine, as we readied ourselves. A rush of energy burst from the tiny pin, enveloping all of us. Instantly, I could feel the Pin transforming beneath my fingers; its blank face morphing into that of a multicolored wind, swirling around a single star. The six of us rose into the air, aglow in rainbow colored energy. Hovering, high over the Scramble, the horde of Noise swarming hungrily beneath us,
I moved first, shooting out my arm; there was a shrill whistle as a burst of energy erupted from my hand. It rocketed towards the ground, where it smashed into the pavement with an enormous explosion! I threw forth my opposite arm, and repeated the action. From the corner of my eye, I could sense the others beginning to move, sending more bolts of energy down onto the scramble. Soon, twelve arms rocked back and forth, sending a symphony of energy bolts raining down onto the chaos below in a series of shrill screams. Packs of wolves flew into the air with whimpers of pain; the Elephant-like Noise roared loudly as they flummoxed backward and landed on top of a cluster of scorpions, who burst into poisonous purple clouds.
However, soon the amount and power of our attack began to fade. As the last of the explosions began to die, the wave of energy coursing through me began to settle, my feet finally touching back down. Just then, a wave of exhaustion swept over me; my arms felt like lead and my legs quickly turned to jelly. Before I could stop myself, I could feel my legs beginning to give way; but as I started to pitch forward, a strong but gentle hand caught me around the chest. Looking up, I found Natsume, looking as tired as I felt, had rushed to my side.
Gazing around at the others, I could only grimace at the sense of horror rising around me. The six of us could only watch as the horde before me began to rise and move forward with renewed murderous intent. My chest heaved and my vision turned fuzzy, as we stood there between them. None of us had anything left. No more strength, no more help, and no more options...
Just then, a cacophonous blast like a cannon roared from behind! We turned quickly, and I watched as a blast of energy surged into the sky, directly from the direction of Mark City. It began to gather into a tight sphere high above Shibuya. Larger and larger it grew, the final players and the horde of Noise staring raptly at it, until...
KA-BAM!
The ball burst outward as a wave of stored up energy pulsed towards them. It swept over the massive square. The six of us were rocketed off our feet, my head colliding painfully against the asphalt. Blinking stars out of my eyes, I watched as the horde of jet-black Noise vanished in a spectacular shower of monochromatic cubes.
As the world began to settle, the droning hum of the morning hustle and bustle began to overtake the previous sounds of battle. But nobody paid any mind: not to the storm of creatures that had threatened to invade their city, not to the explosive force that had just erased all of them from existence...nor did they pay any mind to the six teenagers, prone in the middle of the street.
Breathing slowly and evenly, gazing tiredly in the direction of Mark City, before exchanging looks with Natsume, and I could feel the grin form on my face. Sakuraba had done it. He and his partner had taken down Minamimoto. Blinking the exhaustion from my eyes, I found myself instinctively looking towards my hand:
00:00:00:12….
00:00:00:11….
00:00:00:10….
00:00:00:09….
It's a strange thing, to watch the last seconds of your life tick down until the end. While I had once found it freeing, now I found myself full of anxiety and nervousness. Natsume too stared at the timer, as her own had faded away, and she looked at me uncomprehendingly.
I had no words. No explanation, no way to tell her in, what was to be, my last moments. Try as I might to force a steadying breath into my lungs, I could not help the sense of trepidation that overcame me. But, true to form, Natsume merely smiled and she gripped my hand comfortingly. Neither of us were able (both literally and physically) now to do anything about it, we could only watch as the seconds ticked away until, at last, my timer finally reached zero.
Shifting my gaze away, unable to look at my partner, my eyes landed on the nearby, unconscious forms of my friends. While I had done everything that I could this week to save them, a tinge of regret spiraled through my stomach, hoping beyond hope that Natsume could forgive me someday. I laid my head back against the asphalt, prepared for the inevitable.
Just then, Natsume gasped and I could hear a strange 'clip-clopping' sound drawing nearer. Craning my neck forward, we watched in total shock. Amidst the chaos of the crowd, someone was drawing, deliberately, nearer towards us. I could feel my gaze begin to harden with distrust as I stared up at the figure. He was a scruffy man, whose feet were clad in sandals, and his face largely obscured by the sunglasses that clung to his nose.
I could feel my expression harden with distrust as I watched as he gazed around at the sight of the six teenagers, he should not have been able to see, before finally coming to rest on me. I tried to fight, to stand and defend my friends from this stranger and his intention. But I could not stand, all of my strength expended. I had no idea why, nor did logic dictate that I had any reason to, but I poured every last ounce of strength I could into one last wish that I spoke to the man.
"Please," I croaked, my voice weak and pitiful "Save them. Save my friends."
The scruffy stranger appeared to consider me for a moment, before thrusting his hands into his pockets, his impassive expression transforming into a grin. Following the shift in his gaze, I could hear Natsume gasp again, and I stared in awe as her figure became surrounded by a veil of golden light. Instantly I felt my eyes sweeping across towards the others, who's still and unconscious forms too glowed inexplicably.
What was going on?
Just then, it hit me. This man was another Reaper, whose idea of saving them was simply erasure. Suddenly, I became acutely aware of a warm, comforting sensation that swept over my body and found, to my great surprise, that my own form had become surrounded by a familiar veil of light.
However, before I could ponder the thought much longer, a sense of drowsiness washed over me. Unable to sleep for the last seven days, the sensation was quite alarming at first. But as I began to struggle and fight with what little strength I had, I caught sight of the scruffy stranger and our eyes met.
As he looked me down with an expression of great kindness, his grin had softened into a gentle smile. Once again, I found myself unable to justify my reasonings, my brain sagging under the weight of my exhaustion, there was nothing else for it. I had to place my faith in this man. Unable to blink the blurriness from my eyes, unable to think anymore, my eyelids began to droop and I focused on the warmth of Natsume's hand and gave myself over and slipped into the comforting darkness.
I had wanted to get this story up before the release of Neo: The World Ends With You, but I was wrestling with writer's block, starting a new job, and getting a Platinum trophy on the game. So, I suppose with much of my writing time to be eaten up, I'll be satisfied with, hopefully generating interest in TWEWY fanfiction again. This was also supposed to be a double tribute to Dissidia 012, from the cutscene of the warriors fading out of existence (a scene I found both powerful and beautiful). Anyway, you guys know the drill: I hope you guys liked it and I hope you have a great day.