Chapter 2: The Preliminaries
Emu opened his eyes.
A landscape unfamiliar lay out before him.
No.
Not a landscape
A room.
White. As the coat he wears.
Bare. Like his mind at this moment
Not a soul in sight.
A classroom?
He turns, looks round. Unsure. Confused.
Then, he blinks.
In that blink, the room is stained red.
Splashes of blood. Everywhere.
And on the floor are bodies.
Bodies of girls.
Bodies of boys.
All wearing the same uniform.
And he looks down.
His formerly white coat is stained red like the room.
Completely.
He looks at his hands in horror. Covered in blood.
He recoils. Looks at the corpses.
They open their eyes.
You are us.
We are anger, hatred, resentment.
That is our true nature.
And we are you.
Then intense emotion ran through his mind.
Anger
Hatred
Resentment
And in that instant, he cried out in fear.
Emu fell backwards from his seat with a yelp. It seemed that that dream sequence he had gave him a bit of a shock.
Well, that is an understatement.
"Hojo Emu?"
A teacher in front, with glasses and a light-blue suit, glanced at him with disapproving eyes. Emu raised his head, rubbing it, and responded with a "Huh?"
"I understand that this class is boring for you, but it is important, so please pay attention."
The whole class chuckled.
Emu looked around. The same classroom? What that just a dream?
As he observed the clear blue sky outside, pondering, he heard someone in front speak to him.
"That was pretty bad"
"You can't be falling asleep during class"
A dark-blue haired boy and a bubblegum-pink haired girl (Bubblegum pink? That can't be a natural hair colour, Emu thought) had turned to him and uttered those words one after the other.
Who were they again? Emu wondered. Then their names streaked through his mind.
Shinji Matou. Misao Amari. They were your friends from the beginning of high school
He did not know how he knew that. It just came to him. He was fairly sure that he had never seen them before, but at the same time, he knew who they were.
Emu took that time to look outside again and focus on his surroundings.
A massive school complex of glass towers, surrounded by a forest of trees. A mirrored tower with a number 60 on the top, and a giant tower of orange screens in the middle of an amphitheater. It looked like there were names written on the screens. Names?
"Essentially, servants are luminaries who enable the weaponization of human history. Summoning heroes from history, materializing overwhelming power though recreating myths. These miracles are accomplished using the photonic paracrystal body, the oldest artifact in the Solar System, the spiriton computer known as the Moon Cell…"
I'll spare you the details of what you already know, but clearly this confounded Emu.
Luminaries? Paracrystal? Spiriton? What is this?
It looks like I'll have to accommodate into this new world, he thought, as he focused his mind on the teacher's words.
"…while it is only natural to be interested in its structure, under no circumstances should you approach the incinerator. Half of the students who've gone there fell victim to suicide by data corruption."
"What are you talking about, teach? I wouldn't go near Limbo if someone paid me to." Shinji snarked.
The teacher smiled.
"That's the spirit. With that, all your classes are over. Make sure you don't waste what little time you have left at this school"
All of them? Is it graduation day or something?
The teacher bowed and left.
As the students filed out of the classroom and down the steps, talking amongst themselves merrily like normal students do, Emu remained in the classroom, mulling through what he had heard. Then, he heard a familiar voice.
"Emu-sensei? Is that you?"
Emu looked up.
Tenkuji Takeru was standing at the doorway. Unlike the other students, he was wearing what he normally wore: a traditional floral pink kimono-stlye jacket with a red belt around his waist.
"Takeru-san! You're here too?" Emu said as he stood up quickly.
"Yes. I can't believe that I would encounter you here! Plus, you can see me!"
"Of course I can. Wait, you mean that no one else can see you here?"
"That was the case back when I was a ghost. Ordinary people couldn't see me, but those who have met me before can." Takeru explained to Emu. "I don't know what this place is or why I'm here. I've been trying to ask people, but they all can't see me."
"I don't know, but we need to ask someone-"
"What's the matter, Emu?"
Shinji and Amari had appeared at the doorway. Emu quickly moved to look at them.
"You always keep to yourself if we leave you to your own devices. Plus, you're even talking to yourself now! I guess it falls to Amari and my magnificent self to-"
"-have lunch together again, right?"
Emu looked for Takeru, but he seemed to have vanished.
"Well yeah, something like that." Shinji replied to Amari.
Emu figured he may as well go along. After all, he needed more information about the area.
"Sure."
Emu walked along with Amari and Shinji, passing through long glass corridors and going outside to a sunny day. As he observed the area around him, Emu felt a sudden feeling of black running through his mind.
Hatred? Why am I feeling hatred? This isn't what I normally feel.
He didn't know why he could possibly know what he normally felt like. It was still a blur…
"When you were talking earlier, you mentioned Limbo, right?" Amari asked Shinji.
"I still haven't been there."
Of course you haven't, you selfish little coward.
What?
Who said that?
However, Amari and Shinji kept walking as if no one had said anything.
Was that me?
"Me neither"
"I've heard all kinds of rumours about it"
They say it's the remains of something disposed of as waste long ago, Shinji explained. A place where you see horrible things. Nightmares attack you and leave you unable to return."
Nightmares?
Emu recalled the nightmare that happened before he woke up in class. Who were those two women? What were the corpses?
"Why does such a place even exist in this school?" Emu asked.
"How should I know?"
"Come to think of it"
Emu stopped and looked at Shinji.
"Why does this school exist at all?"
It had been the question plaguing his mind ever since he first came. The singular lesson, the fact that school seemed to continue even after the final lesson ended, the weird landscape.
Shinji and Amari looked at Emu incredulously. Then, they heard a commotion to their right and they looked down into an arena below they were passing by.
A chess game was being played. A blond-haired Caucasian boy with an orange uniform and glove was playing against a more regular-looking Japanese guy. The chess game was shown holographically on a larger chessboard floating above them.
"Leo's incredible! He's up against the president of the chess club, yet he seems to be winning decisively!"
"That's Leonardo Bistario Harwey for you! I'd expect nothing less from the heir of the West European Financial Group"
West European Financial Group? Emu couldn't recall an organization with that name existing where he came from. Then again, he couldn't recall much.
As Leo played his move, the Chess Club president looked extremely flummoxed. He shakingly reached out his hand and moved his Queen to take a Bishop putting his King in check. Leo made his final move with the Queen, then, with a smile on his face, pointed and said
"Checkmate"
A white spike then suddenly flew out of nowhere and stabbed the Chess Club President through the chest. He groaned, then fell sideways, blood seeping out rapidly.
In the distance, the orange tower gained a white screen. The one with Leo's name on it.
Emu's doctor instincts kicked in, and he ran down to the arena as fast as he could.
Leo got up and, waving to his fans, withdrew coolly.
"Leo's as impressive as ever", Amari said with a hint of admiration in her voice.
"Don't go turning into another one of his fangirls. You're my girlfriend, aren't you?"
"Jealous? Don't worry, you're the only one for me, Shinji. Huh?"
Amari turned around.
"Where's Emu?"
Emu leaped on stage and rushed to the fallen student's side. He rolled him over and tried to stem the bleeding by applying pressure to the wound. But the person's lifeless eyes made Emu falter. Now stained with the chess president's blood, he got up and gripped his chest.
Hatred. Hatred. Hatred.
He felt it again. Like last time. But this time, it was clearer. How could someone be killed like this just for losing a chess game?
"You're a sentimental one, aren't you?"
A girl with twintails and a red jumper with a cross on it stood behind Emu. Her blue eyes observed the corpse.
"This isn't anything particularly unusual."
"What… Why…"
"Do you know where he's headed?"
Emu could only look and stare. The girl's blue eyes pierced through his, as if they looking deeper .
"…the infirmary. If there is still a chance- "
"The infirmary?"
"Welcome to the infirmary."
A soft-spoken girl with purple hair and a doctor's uniform greeted Emu and the girl as they entered the infirmary.
"Wow, I didn't know this place existed." Rin noted.
For a school infirmary, it was filled with a large number of beds, as if it was expected that many students would be injured durign the day. A small kettle was boiling in a corner.
Surely prevention is better than cure. Why so many beds?
As the nurse, whose name was Sakura, as Emu found out from the same source that he got the names of Shinji and Amari from (but why not the twin-tailed girl? Emu wondered to himself), covered the body of the student in a sheet after laying him on a bed, Emu and the girl was waiting outside.
It all came suddenly after a blink. Like in the dream. The entire room was turned red, as if they were preparing to develop a photograph. Emu felt a headache and clutched his head, his eyes twitching.
"Umm, are you not feeling well?"
Sakura had returned and asked the question with a tone of genuine worry.
If you care so much, do something about the bodies!
"No, I'm fine" Emu pushed the newly-formed thought to the back of his mind.
Sakura smiled. "That's good."
"Huh? That's your reaction?" the girl said, as if confused.
Emu looked around again. The beds. So many damn beds.
"Umm, Sempai, I'm sorry. The beds all are all full."
Full?! How many have come here? Shouldn't there be more people he-
Shut up. Not now. Emu told himself.
"That does seem to be the case" the twin-tailed girl noted.
"And so, the student in the rightmost bed… I'd like to put him to rest."
Emu was not a big fan of euthanasia, but with the number of people in the infirmary, it seems that it was the only thing to do. And so, with a heavy heart (and heavy legs and heavy arms and heavy head…. he's carrying a corpse.), Emu carried the body down into the incinerator.
It seemed a strange policy to not only allow students to die, but to euthanize them and dispose the bodies on campus, but by now Emu had gotten tired of pointing out the strangeness of this school and resolved to move the story along until he understood what is happening.
"Emu-sensei, I'm sorry. Apparently, this place has some sort of security that knows I'm here"
Takeru had reappeared and was walking alongside Emu on his way to the incinerator.
By this time, Emu was around halfway down the stairs to the incinerator, and he was exhausted, yet he attempted to entertain himself by talking with Takeru.
"Security? What kind?"
"Apparently, they see me as a foreign invader, so they tried to pursue me. However, I think I am out of their range. They don't seem to want to come here."
Emu was worried. Where was he taking the body? What kind of place was the incinerator?
"By the way, do you remember anything before coming here?" Emu asked.
"I remember little things, like the fact that I was a ghost before coming here, but other than that, I don't remember how I came here."
"Neither do I."
They had reached the bottom of the stairs. Before them stood an elaborate gate-like door which started to move with Emu's presence, opening a dark passageway inside.
Takeru tried to walk forward, but an invisible wall blocked him, causing him to fall backwards.
"Takeru-san!"
"It's ok. Just go on without me. I'll wait here"
Emu was unsure about leaving Takeru in a place like this, but he had no choice. He had to get rid of the body, as it was getting heavy in his shoulder and mind.
Emu slowly paced through the passageway, reaching a massive abyss with a single pathway leaning over the edge. He gulped and edged towards the abyss.
If I fall here like I usually do, it's game over for me!
And this he knew was from him.
He held the corpse in his arms and let it drop into the abyss. It rolled down the sides and got swallowed by the darkness.
Emu turned to leave, but then, the abyss changed. It showed a burning city in ruins, with no signs of life. He blinked and it was gone.
He gripped his face in horror.
You see… horrible things. He recalled.
He gripped his chest in pain and recoiled.
"You'll get used to it"
Emu turned and found a man in another white coat wearing glasses standing there. Fear gripping his heart, his voiced was muted, unable to respond.
"This is an artificial paradise. If you say nothing, if you feel at ease, you will find happiness.
"In the lowest level, three different illusions overlap. One is the original ruins, one is the shared illusion, the academy's texture. And finally, one is the landscape of the heart that you bring."
The burning city… is my heart?
"As a result, everyone discovers something in this place."
"What you see here is your trauma. God, or the Moon Cell, has created the ideal environment. However, this paradise is merely a fake. Look upon it, this electronic hell created to be heaven."
Hell… Heaven…
A faculty for immature children. Repeating days, activities, students, holes in memories. Anyone on earth who can become a master gets trapped here and suffer, like you.
Why was this created?
"Carry that question into the abyss. All the answers lie there. In the core of the moon, the central mind controlling everything,
The Angelica Cage."
"Times up. You didn't make it either"
Emu panicked. How long had passed?
"What? What do you mean?"
He turned around, but the man was gone.
Suddenly the ground started shaking. Outside, the entire campus was being dissolved into data.
100 participants have now qualified for the main tournament. The remaining 28 will be determined by the moratorium garden process. Beginning purge of any remaining life forms and NPCs.
The announcement rang out over the campus and echoed down the stairways into the chamber of the abyss like a proclamation from a god.
I need to get out of here
Emu turned and ran.
"Takeru! Takeru! Take-"
But Takeru was gone.
That will complete the final judgement, the final show of mercy. Only those who have eliminated another Master candidate will advance.
So that means…
"You're telling us we need to kill each other?" Emu shouted as he ran up the stairs. Adrenaline coursed through his body, rejuvenating the previously tired cells in his legs. His doctor's coat fluttered behind him as he focused on reaching the top
Of course, there was never any leeway in your lives to begin with.
Nine remaining
When Emu reached the top, everything had degraded and distorted. The walls flashed demented colours and patterns, as if they had been hacked and infected with a virus. This was no longer the campus he left when going down the stairs.
This was Hell.
As he caught sight of Shinji, he ran up to him, panting out "Shinji! Where's Amari?"
"She's fine. We found somewhere safe. I was looking for you. Listen, we have no choice but to hide and wait this out."
"But everyone's getting purged-"
"Just follow me! You don't want to get killed, do you?"
Emu ran with Shinji as fast as he could. No tripping this time. This is life or death.
As they ran down the hallways, the colours continued to twist, turning redder and redder as the seconds ticked down.
"Say, Emu, you're my friend right?"
Emu had never considered that. Was he? Apparently he was, but why did he not have any memories of him beforehand?
"…probably."
"We're best friends, right?"
Shinji slowed down to a halt. And so did Emu.
"I think it's only right to do a thing or two for a best friend."
Emu looked at him, tired and confused.
Shinji turned and smirked, then rushed up to him and stabbed him in the stomach with a knife.
A sharp searing pain swelled up in his chest as Emu felt the blood and stomach acid pouring out of his wound. He yelled out in pain.
"So it's fine right? We're friends! It's fine! Die! Die for me! You don't want me killed right? So die! I'll be the winner of this game! You have no such desire, right?!"
Muddled by the pain, Emu could no longer register his words properly. He looked down at his hands, stained with blood.
Not again! Not again! Not again!
That voice in his head is really raging this time. Again? When did he get stabbed before? He vaguely remembered some sort of fairground. A sword? A Blade?
"You… You…." Emu spluttered, blood pouring out of his mouth.
"Are you really a traitor!?"
"I'm not a traitor! It's what friends do! So die for me!"
Emu tried to turn and run, but Shinji ran his knife into his back stabbing him again and again.
Emu could do nothing but feel the pain. Finally, after numerous stabs, Emu fell to the ground.
On the tower, Shinji Matou's name screen flashed white.
Prelimiaries complete. The sand in the hourglass has all fallen. Beginning complete purge. Farewell defeated ones. Meet your final rest alongside this transient artificial paradise.
As the voice spoke, orange data coalesced to form humanoid figures around the campus, which proceeded to march forward with one goal in mind: the eradication of all living organisms on the artificial school plain.
As the screams of students and NPCs skewered by the figures echoed in the corridors, Emu lay in a puddle of his own blood.
Am I going to die here?
It isn't over.
Not over yet.
Not over yet.
Not over yet.
Not over yet.
Voices. The same ones from his dream. The corpses were piling up, all disfigured and twisted grotesquely, all soaked in blood.
You can't die
Not over yet.
You can't die
Not over yet.
You can't die
Not over yet.
You can't die
Not over yet.
You can't die
Not over yet.
You can't die
All the mouths of the corpses moved at once, repeating this mantra of madness. Emu heard it all. The voices of the fallen, of the defeated.
It isn't over.
Not over yet.
I can't die.
You can't die.
We can't die.
And Emu's eyes flashed open, glowing. But not the usual odd-eyes of Mighty Brothers XX. No.
They were dark purple.
Emu's body rose from the ground in a broken manner, as if he was a puppet on a string. Clutching his front wound, he inched forwards slowly.
The incinerator!
Our sword is there.
Our past, our present, our future.
The cries of souls continued to reflect off the walls of the corridor, each scream only serving to push Emu forwards.
Revenge! Happiness!
If no one else is doing it, I will.
I'll do it for all of us too!
After all, I…
Emu finally found the words that had been forming in his mind from the beginning. What the other him was trying to say. What they were trying to say. What he was trying to say.
"Hate everything on this goddamn moon!"
Behind him, another figure, in the form of a Hero of Justice with a sword, followed, preparing to kill.
As Emu reached the incinerator, he still saw no traces of Takeru. Where had he gone? Why had he abandoned him like this? But he had no time for such thoughts. As he reached the edge of the abyss, the figure notched an arrow on his bow. Then, he fired.
The arrow pierced through Emu's back, sending him hurtling into the abyss.
The figure jumped down.
I hate
Why must I do this?
Haven't I killed enough?
Emu's eyes glowed again, and his body flashed with electricity.
The figure approached slowly, holding a lance. He approached Emu. Then, he raised his arms in preparation to strike.
Emu saw it coming.
He rolled out of the way and slammed down on the floor with his hands. Instinctively, he pushed harder. The floor gave way and he fell through. Down and down deeper into the abyss.
Finally, he hit the floor and lay motionless.
Where… am I….?
A ray of light shone through the hole, illuminating the area. It was a ruined theatre, like a Roman one, but the walls were faded brown. And in the centre, with the rays as a spotlight, stood a sword plunged into the earth.
The sword.
The remains to someone's fight
Someone here fought to the last with pride.
Go.
Obeying the voices in his head he got up and walked
Walk!
Walk!
Faster!
Not to get away from him,
But to fight!
Because here is the proof
That someone fought to the very end!
Emu reached out and grabbed the sword, blood continuing to ooze out of his wounds. And yet, the sword energized him.
As the figure raised his arm to strike, Emu pulled out the sword.
A flurry of white rose petals.
And a dazzling flash of red light.
The figure flew backwards.
And the entire theatre burst into light, restoring to its former golden glory.
And in the eye of the fragrant storm, a blond woman with a frilly red dress descended.
Emu could only look on in wonder.
Her feet touched the ground.
Emu gripped the sword. Another enemy?
No! Our sword has arisen!
The woman's hair was gold, and I mean shining gold. Radiant like a meteor blazing through space. And the dress was a deeper, richer red than the blood she was standing on. Her dress exposed her bosom modestly and there was a vertical stripe of transparent material on the front of her skirt, exposing her… leotards.
The woman opened her eyes. They were emerald green, eyes whose sight you could not deflect, and they peered deep into Emu's. Then she spoke.
"I see, so it's you. Your face and appearance are different, but I can tell from your aura that it is truly you."
She stepped forward and took the sword from Emu.
The figure roared and charged forward. The woman elegantly deflected his attacks and pushed the figure backward. He swung his sword. The woman jumped backwards, arching her back gracefully and landing on her feet.
The figure ran forward one last time. The woman closed her eyes, then opened them again, with a resolute glare. She cleanly slashed the figure in one decisive stroke. The figure fell forwards, dissolving into orange data.
Emu could do nothing but stare at the mysterious lady. She turned around and smiled, victorious, and walked up to him slowly. Then she stopped and looked deeper in Emu's eyes.
"Answer me thus! Art thou my Master?" she asked triumphantly.