"So, what's it like?" a new female homeroom student asked Utsumi.
"What's what like?" Utsumi asked her.
"Knowing you aren't real, that everything up until now has been one big illusion and everything you thought you knew turned out to be a lie," the new girl certainly knew how to make a guy feel.
"Is this about the story I told you the other day? Thought you didn't believe me," he said.
"I didn't, not at first. But now that I've had time to think, I think it isn't so far-fetched after all," she replied.
"You asked me what it was like... I don't know, it's not that bad, it could be worse," he began.
"And yet..."
"What?" she asked.
"I can't help but wonder about something,"
"Just don't leave me in suspense Sho. Tell me what it is,"
"I sometimes wonder," he began as he nervously straightened up in his chair. "What's it all been for? What is it all about? If none of this is real, and we... if I'm not real, does that mean that whatever I do, it will all be meaningless in the end?"
"You sure do have a way of killing the mood around here lately," Rikka said as she took a seat at the desk across from Utsumi.
"Well, someone has to think about this stuff, and we're the only ones who actually witnessed any of it, so it might as well fall to me?"
"Whatever," Rikka scoffed.
"What's your problem anyway?" Sho asked.
"I don't have a problem, you're just imagining it," she replied.
"You miss her too, don't you?" he bluntly asked.
"Miss who?"
"You know who!" he yelled out in frustration "Shinjo!"
"Look, she's moved on, maybe you should too? Dwelling on what happened won't bring her back," she said.
"Come on, don't give me that. Out of everyone at this school, you were the closest to her! You knew her the best!"
"I used to think that was true, but..." she trailed off as she flashed back to what Akane had said.
"You only think that because I set you up that way! I made you believe we were friends!" Akane screamed.
"Now... Now I think I never really knew Akane at all,"
"Yeah, maybe that's true," he replied.
"Where is our teacher anyway?" Rikka wondered out loud.
"Don't know, when Shinjo was still around, you could count on our teachers showing up right on the dial. And now that she's gone, it's almost as if something is off, like, the balance between good and evil is out of whack,"
"As usual, you've been watching way too much of that Ultra stuff you were on about a few months ago,"
"Yeah, about that... After actually witnessing the real thing up close and personal, I just haven't been in the mood for it anymore," Sho explained.
"So, how has Yuta been lately? Is he still having those dreams about being merged with Gridman?"
"What makes you think I'd know?" Rikka asked.
"Well, I just thought, aren't you and he..."
"Not anymore, we broke up," she replied.
"But I thought..."
"You thought wrong, okay?!"
"Okay, fine! No need to yell at me, alright?!"
"I'm sorry, I just don't want to talk about it,"
"That reminds me..." Utsumi trailed off as he glanced at the clock on the wall "Where is Yuta anyway? I haven't seen him this morning,"
Elsewhere, a few blocks away from the school in a high-rise building, a 40-something, somewhat heavy-set man puffed on a cigar.
"I want to know more about this outside world, and how I and my associates may profit from the information," the man spoke. His name was Seizo, he wore a brown button-down coat with an ascot. He was surrounded by bodyguards, three men on each side. An older gentleman stood at the ready-to-refill his champagne glass.
"Ah, not one to trifle about with meaningless platitudes, you just want to get right down to business, I like that. I like you," a being shrouded in complete darkness spoke.
"Flattery will get you everywhere, and nowhere at the same time," Seizo said as he took a sip of his champagne.
"Now then, you may continue with what you were telling us," Seizo said to the mystery person.
"Very well, as I've already told, this city and all who live in it, are mere fabrications. Imitations of real human beings, even the fine dining and expensive drink you enjoy, everything from your imported sports cars to the vintage cigars you enjoy, aren't real. At least, in a matter of speaking,"
"And it has all been overseen by a teenage girl, Akane Shinjo you called her, is that right?" Seizo asked as he puffed on his cigar.
"That is correct," the mystery figure replied, "Everyone living here was born through Akane Shinjo's kaiju, including you and your fellow mafioso," he explained.
"And the memories I supposedly have of living in America, while my father built up the criminal empire that would one day belong to me?"
"False memories," the mystery man replied. "Everyone in this room, your histories were crafted for you right down to the smallest detail, nothing happened as you remember it because it never happened to begin with,"
"I have heard just about enough of this!" Seizo's right-hand man and valet Kuroda lashed out. "You expect us to entertain this notion that we're living in some sort of digital fantasy world crafted by some lonely little girl?"
"Believe what you want to believe, but I can assure you everything I just told you is the truth,"
"Looking at you, I believe you have a very tenuous relationship with the truth at best, probably some homeless vagabond who thinks he can wander in here and start giving us orders! Tell us, is it the Tsutsujidai Police Department that put you up to this little stunt? A little sting operation to make us drop our guard?!"
"Shut up, Kuroda!" Kuroda was somewhat taken aback by Seizo's raised voice "I didn't ask for your opinion!"
"But, sir!"
"You've done nothing but embarrass yourself! And unless you want to bring shame upon this operation of ours, I suggest you be quiet and leave the talking to me!" Seizo yelled, Kuroda reluctantly took a seat.
"Now then," Seizo began as he got to his feet, cane in hand. "Clear the room, it's time I had a private little chat with our guest," his bodyguards complied, and the entire room was cleared leaving only Seizo and the mysterious hooded figure.
"I must apologize for my valet's unacceptable behavior just now, he tends to get overzealous in service to the organization, especially if he suspects I'm being played," Seizo explained as he approached the figure until he was standing mere inches away from the hooded figure.
"Well?" Seizo whispered
"Well what?" the hooded figure replied.
"No need to be coy with me, are you playing me? Are you just some crazy homeless person like Kuroda surmised?" he asked. "Or do you have a wire planted and this is all part of an elaborate plot to entrap me using this fantastical story of yours as cover?"
"Is everyone in this organization as paranoid as you are?" the figure asked.
"In this line of work, I have no choice but to be paranoid," Seizo replied, "Perhaps I'd be far more trusting if I knew exactly who it is you are, what your name is. Your real name and not some alias,"
"Not exactly sure you want to know," the figure replied.
"Why is that? Do I know you? Perhaps you're one of my old enemies come to usurp me?"
"We've never met each other, and for your sake, you shouldn't be pushing the issue,"
"Is that a threat?"
"No threat, just a warning," the two stood in awkward silence.
"But, if it means that much to you, I will put a face to the mystery," slowly, the figure shed his hood "My name is Collins, Sam Collins," sure enough the face of Sam Collins emerged, but something about him was different. There was something dark and twisted in the way he spoke. The left side of his face was mangled and distorted, like looking at some sort of dark reflection in the mirror.
"You see," Sam began as approached the wine cabinet to pour himself a drink "I don't belong here, or rather I don't belong in this dimension, this place, this time, here and now, whatever you want to call it,"
"Go on, I'm listening," Seizo said.
"I came here by sheer accident, through a rip in space and time caused by a being known as Kilokahn. At least someone I thought was Kilokahn. He and another being called Alexis Kerib somehow merged into this new monstrous entity that called itself Alexiskahn, who was totally insane and power-mad," Sam explained.
"Samuel!" a voice that belonged to someone spoke to Sam "Kill this meat-thing at once, he is nothing more than a complication, a liability we do not need!" Sam balled his hand into a fist angrily, "I told you not to give me orders, Alexis! I'm in control of this body, and we do things my way!"
"Drop this pointless crusade of yours and help us find Akane, so that we may become whole once again,"
Evil Sam began to grasp his head in pain, his glass falling to the floor and shattering;
"Are you alright?"
"What does it look like to you? Of course, I'm not alright!"
"Remember the power we had after we absorbed Akane? Surely you want to feel that power coursing through your veins again, don't you?"
"We remember! We remember all of it!" Sam yelled out in a mechanically distorted voice,
FLASH
Akane was on the floor of the Junk Shop, the prone, limp figure of Rikka Takarada lay upon the floor, lifeless, she was bleeding and her eyes were petrified. Akane desperately jerked upon Rikka's shoulder in a vain attempt to wake her.
"Rikka? Rikka! Please, wake up! This isn't funny anymore!" Akane "Rikka! Come on, wake up! Please! I never meant for any of this to happen, I just wanted a friend! I wanted someone to love me! You can't go, you can't leave me, not now! You're the only one who can save me from this darkness I feel inside, you're the only one that understands me!"
"I'm afraid your little friend is dead, and it's all your fault, Akane." Evil Sam taunted, "Now then, be a good girl and come along and fulfill your destiny!"
"My... destiny?" she said silently through tears
"That's right," Evil Sam smirked, "What you were born to do, to help us to bring chaos to the world, this world and all others will fall to our wrath!" Sam's voice suddenly morphed into that of Alexis.
"Wait, I know that voice..." Akane said to herself, just then Sam morphed into the form of Alexis Kerib.
"Did you really think you'd ever be free of me, Akane Shinjo?"
"Alexis Kerib!" Yuta said as he clenched his fist.
"But, but... we killed Alexis Kerib!" Sho yelled in a panic.
"I'm afraid rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated, whoever you are,"
"Dammit, and he still doesn't even know my name!"
"Regardless, step aside and give me the girl, and I will spare all of your lives, you have my promise!"
"Everyone, you cannot give him what he wants, I know Alexis Kerib, he will kill all of you anyway! Don't give in to his deceit!"
"I think these children have just about heard enough from you, Gridman," Alexis held out his hand, a dark purple mist enveloped Junk, causing the screen to crack in all directions, electrical sparks flew in every direction, the ancient piece of machinery was essentially crippled, leaving the energy that made up Gridman in a sort of limbo.
"Now then," Alexis turned toward them "Seeing as Gridman has, how shall we say - temporarily departed, perhaps now you'd be interested in making a deal?"
"No deal, Alexis Kerib - Shinjo stays here with us, with her friends!"
"Big words, Yuta Hibiki, considering you no longer have the specter of Gridman lurking about to back you up!"
"It doesn't matter, we'll do what we must to protect her, even if we have to do it without Gridman!"
"Tsk, tsk, you replicants are so stubborn, aren't you?" Alexis shot back; "What about you Akane?"
"Huh?" Akane was temporarily pulled out of her grief for Rikka to contemplate what Alexis had just said;
"You honestly believe these people are your friends?" Alexis asked.
"Yeah, we're her friends alright, what of it you alien freak?!" Sho yelled out.
"Silence, boy, I was speaking to Akane," Alexis shot back, "What about it, Akane? Are they really your friends? I have my doubts,"
"I..." Akane began, the tears still freely flowing, "I thought they were my friends, but..." she trailed off.
"We are your friends, Shinjo! Don't listen to him!" Sho yelled out.
"Friends, you say?" Alexis chuckled, "Well, Rikka Takarada is, or rather was your friend, and you can clearly see where your so-called friendship got her," he taunted.
"You bastard!" Sho yelled angrily.
"That's low even for you, Alexis Kerib," Yuta said.
"Just leave Alexis to me," Anti spoke as he approached.
"You again?" Alexis said, unimpressed.
"Wait, you're in no condition to fight Anti, not after everything that's happened to you!" Yuta said.
"I'll be the judge of that," Anti replied as looked defiantly at Alexis, "If you want to get to Akane Shinjo, you'll have to go through me!" he warned.
"That can be arranged, boy!" Alexis put out his hand, Anti was sent hurtling across the room where he collided with a mountain of cardboard boxes. Suddenly, Alexis morphed back into Sam.
"It's a shame really, if Rikka Takarada hadn't jumped in my way and knocked this Anti kid aside, he would be digital dust now, and Akane Shinjo's conscience wouldn't be lying in a pool of her own blood. Oh, well," he morphed back into Alexis.
"What are you, anyway!?" Sho said in a panic. Meanwhile, Anti slowly picked himself up from Alexis' attack.
"I'm not afraid of you!" Anti said as he gasped for breath, Alexis having knocked the wind out of him.
"You should be," Alexis replied, "I should have finished you off the moment you pulled Akane out from the belly of the beast, rest assured I won't make the same mistake twice!" Alexis said.
"Come on!" Anti yelled as he lunged at Alexis "Fight me, you monster!"
"That wise old master taught you well, but it's not enough to stop me!" Alexis easily caught Anti's fist in mid-air, Anti gritted his teeth as Alexis held him back. Flinging Anti aside, Alexis brought out two of his serrated blades, and before Anti could react, Alexis stabbed both of the sawlike blades into his flesh, Anti's head flung back as he forcefully coughed up blood. Akane had witnessed all of it, the blood from the blades splattering across her hands.
"This time you won't come back!" Alexis said as he sadistically twisted the blades back and forth, Anti screamed in agony as Alexis showed him no mercy. Slowly but surely, Anti's struggle ceased as his entire body went limp. Akane let out an audible gasp just as Anti took his last breath, Alexis throwing him aside beside her.
"He's, he's dead," she said weakly, Akane looked down at her blood-stained hands, "He's dead, and it's all my fault," she whispered, "Worst of all, I treated him so terribly, and yet he still tried to protect me," she said as she cried.
"That's it then," Akane spoke in all but a whisper, "There's nothing left inside of me worth saving, I'm a terrible person who doesn't deserve any forgiveness for what I've done," the fragment of Alexis that was within her started to grow and metastasize, the despair growing more and more unbearable by the second.
"I should have never come back here, I put all my friends in danger," slowly but surely, Akane was giving in to the repressed darkness in her.
"Yes, Akane, giving into those terrible feelings of yours is truly a beautiful thing to witness, it makes me feel something akin to joy, I think," Alexis spoke.
FLASH
Evil Sam stumbled around the room as Seizo looked on in confusion, Evil Sam grasped his head as the memories came flooding into his mind, the onslaught of images causing him great pain.
"KILL HIM!" Alexis yelled out in the back of Evil Sam's mind, "INSTANCE ABREACTION!" Evil Sam screamed out as his eyes turned red, a beam of red light striking Seizo, petrifying and freezing him in place, leaving a stone statue behind, the statue quickly shattered, killing Seizo instantly. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
Evil Sam gasped for air, "I told you I had things under control, Alexis!"
"I did what had to be done," Alexis replied "Now then, take out that infernal device of yours and transform! We have another mess of yours to clean up," Sam brought out his hand and called out "Access Flash, let's Samurize!" Sam took on the form of Dark Gridman.
"It's been a while since we had to use this form, hasn't it Alexis? Alexis?"
"Alexis Kerib has momentarily released his hold over this body, and you and I need to have a little chat, meat-thing," Kilokahn spoke.
"Yeah, yeah. Later, Kilokahn - right now we have work to do,"
"No, we will talk about this now! There are others with the same motives that we have, and we must get to Akane Shinjo before they do! We didn't travel back in time just to let you screw up our plans, meat-thing!"
"You know what they say Kilokahn, all work, and no play..."
"Never mind that! We have a mission to complete, and you must take care that we do not encounter our other self,"
"Other self?" Sam asked.
"Yes, there is another who has taken on the mantle of a Dark Gridman, we must keep our existence a secret from him, or it could further complicate our plans,"
"I'm sure we can handle him if and when he shows up, in the meantime," Dark Gridman approached Seizo's desk. Focusing his mind, Evil Sam took on the visage of the now-dead Yakuza leader and made himself at home at his desk with his feet propped up.
To Be Continued...