As I stared at the immense wall that encased us, I almost didn't notice the person walking up to me. He was another person I remember from before in the gym. He had dark magenta hair and light purple eyes, along with a goatee. He now had a purple coat over a white button-up shirt or coat that wasn't buttoned at all. Under that was another white shirt that had red markings that looked like a face. The underside of the purple coat had a space design, which I couldn't help but appreciate, even if this guy only had his left hand in the sleeve, while his right shoulder was merely covered slightly by the jacket. He also wore starry slippers and purple pants. Kaito Momota.
"Geez… How'd they even make this big-ass wall?" The boy asked while gaping at the cage.
"Seriously. I can't wrap my head around it. How did no one notice something like this when it was built?"
"Well, no use complaining and grumbling about it, or else it'll just turn into a habit. Besides, this cage is nothing compared to the vastness of the universe!"
"The universe? And with that outfit, you must be-."
"Haha! Yep! That's right!" He said while giving me a smile and a thumbs up. "I'm Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars! Even crying children adore the Ultimate Astronaut!"
"Ultimate Astronaut! That sounds amazing! I've always wanted to go to space! Have you gone up there yet?"
"Haha, I wish. I may be the Ultimate Astronaut, but I'm still in training."
"Oh. I guess that makes sense. It takes a lot to be an astronaut, after all. Speaking of which, don't you need a college degree to even get that astronaut training?"
"About that, I had a friend who was pretty crafty… so I had him forge some stuff for me to take the exam."
"That's… very illegal…" I say matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, I ended up getting caught. I was in pretty deep shit!" Kaito said while chuckling, causing me to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "But the people up top decided they liked me and let me in anyway. 'Course, I aced the exam too."
"Well, that's fortunate. If you weren't talented, you probably would have faced severe consequences. You'd probably be a criminal."
"Sometimes you gotta be a little reckless to make your dreams a reality! No way I can wait till after college! I wanna get to space as fast as I can!"
"As someone who might be in college, I think I can totally relate to that feeling. I wish I had that boundless energy you seem to have."
"Yeah, everyone told me it was impossible, but I never gave up! Not for a moment! That's because… limits don't exist unless you set them yourself! There are no walls you can't get over! The same goes for that one!"
"So… you have an idea to get over it?" Kaito made a face as he thought for a few seconds.
"Th-That's not the problem!"
"I think that is the problem. On the bright side, you definitely take the cake for 'best motivator'." I say with a chuckle. "So Kaito, can I ask if you've heard of me? I woke up with no memories so I've been asking around to see if anyone knows me. I remembered the name Rin Wakuri, but I'm not sure if it's mine."
"Rin Wakuri? Sorry, but I can't say I have heard of you."
"Hmm… that's what everyone has said so far. It's strange. For as much as those Monokubs say that I'm an Ultimate, much to my disbelief, my presence is strangely absent compared to you guys. You all seem like famous idols or celebrities or something."
"Don't say that about yourself! I'm sure you're just as amazing, Ultimate or not and memories or not! Like I said, the only limits that exist are the limits you set yourself. You can do anything you put your mind to! Afterall, the impossible is possible, all you gotta do is make it so!" Kaito said with a serious expression and a smile. I couldn't help but laugh at his statement.
"Yeah. You're definitely a candidate for 'Ultimate Motivator'. I'm feeling way more pumped by just listening to your words."
"Right on! Well, I'm gonna go and try to see what I can do to get us out of here. You should go and meet the others. One person is in the dorms over there, and the others should be near the garden."
"Dorms?" Kaito then pointed to a large bluish-whitish building. He was right. It was a dormitory, at least that's the feeling I get whenever I see how many times the word "dormitory" was painted on the building. "So they gave us dorm rooms? That means they plan to keep us here for a while. I'll go check it out, then I'll head to the garden area. That's just down this path right?"
"Yep. Good luck, Rin. I hope you find something about yourself."
"Thanks Kaito. Good luck to you too." I waved Kaito goodbye and headed to the dorms. Walking into the dorms, I gaze at the circular inside. On each side of the building were doors that led to everyone's private rooms. There were even 8-bit sprites of each of us on top of each of our rooms. There were two floors as well. The left side of the building had all the female's rooms, while the right side had all the men's rooms. Well… I say all the men's rooms, but I see a pretty big problem here. There are only 16 rooms. Guess who's missing a room… "Of course I don't have a room. They weren't expecting me, so of course they didn't prepare something for me."
"Beary nice to see you again!" The Monokubs said as they entered.
"Why, hello bear!" Monotaro said as he bowed.
"Sorry for intruding." Monosuke said as he pushed up his glasses.
"I didn't expect you all to have manners when entering our supposed 'temporary homes'. You guys are just full of surprises." I said as I rolled my eyes. "By the way, do you happen to see a problem here?"
"Heh? A problem?" Monophanie said as the Monokubs began to look around them. "OH! He's missing a room!"
"What!? Oh did we forget to make his room!?" Monotaro cried out.
"It's 'cause he showed up outta nowhere!" Monosuke screamed angrily.
"Well whatever! He can just sleep wherever he wants!" Monokid claimed.
"No, I would like my own room please." I said sternly.
"Yes, I agree he should get his own room. It's not fair for him to get mistreated just because we didn't expect him to be here." Monophanie stated.
"Alright alright. Look, you bastard, it might take some time, maybe around a day or two, but we promise you'll get your very own room. We swear on our father's name." Monosuke said with a tone that showed he probably didn't really care about the problem.
"A-Alright. I guess I'll just make due with something else until then." I stated, not really sure how I would do that though.
"So long! Bear well!" With that the Monokubs left once again.
"Great… I swear it never ends. What am I going to do about this?" I asked myself.
"Perhaps I could be of assistance?" I turned and saw a mature looking girl approach. She had greyish hair and olive green eyes, though her left eye was covered by her hair. She wore a white dress with a purple tie, though her black apron covered most of it. She also had black gloves on as well. Kirumi Tojo. Ok… this 'knowing things I shouldn't know' is getting really annoying.
"That would be greatly appreciated, though I'm not sure how much you can help with. Luckily the Monokubs said I just have to be patient till I get my room, so it shouldn't be too much of a big deal."
"Still, if you need any sort of help before they are done, you can come and ask me. That is my sworn duty, after all."
"Sworn duty?"
"Pardon me… I have not introduced myself yet. I am Kirumi Tojo, the Ultimate Maid. Please let me know if you require my service."
"Now that sounds like an impressive talent. I have to ask, what does being the Ultimate Maid entail?"
"Well… I work as a private maid for hire, and I pride myself on fulfilling any request given to me, though sometimes I have to turn them down because they are not possible."
"Like what?" Kirumi thought for a moment before responding.
"I once received a request to annihilate a rival nation, but as it was impossible, I rejected it."
"What the hell!? You're so skilled someone thought you could do that!? I really need to stop underestimating what Ultimates might be capable of."
"Excuse me for asking, but may I know your name?" Kirumi asked politely.
"Sure, but my predicament is a little strange. I'm an amnesiac, so I'm not sure about much when it comes to myself. I'm pretty sure my name is Rin Wakuri, though. Have you heard of me?"
"I don't believe I have."
"Drat. After hearing about your Ultimate, I was sure if anyone had to know me, it would be you. Guess I am just a normal guy. Wonder if they caught me by mistake. Would also explain why the Monokubs weren't expecting me."
"I wouldn't be so sure. The people who brought us here must know what they're doing. Considering the scale of this place, and how they are accommodating to our needs, it's unlikely any of this is a mistake on their part. It's actually for those reasons that I cannot determine the true purpose of all of this."
"Hmm… maybe you're right. But something about this doesn't sit right with me." I place my hand on my chin. Everyone here, except me perhaps, are Ultimates, and we all are going to be forced to play a killing game. How do I fit into all of this? If the Monokubs weren't expecting me, how did I even get here?
"So, what do you intend to do now?" Kirumi asked me.
"That's a tough question. I'll probably go out and talk to the remaining Ultimates to see if they know anything, though at this point I believe they'll just give me the same answer as the others. What about you Kirumi?"
"I hold no opinions or desires of which to speak. As a maid, my only desire is to fulfill the desires of others. So please, think about what you desire for yourself, and what you desire from me. No matter the situation, no matter what happens, I am here to serve everyone."
"That's some dedication. But you should think about yourself from time to time. It's not good to neglect yourself for the sake of others, even if you are a maid. Besides, as someone who's older than you, I think I would be embarrassed if I relied on you too much."
"You're older?"
"I think I'm around 20ish. I remember some things about being a college student, but that's really it. You guys are highschoolers, right? That means as the older one, I should be the one you guys rely on, though I can't promise too much."
"That is very kind of you, though I still stand by what I said before. I am a maid, after all. I live my life by my creed of 'Selfless Devotion'."
"Heh. Well, maybe we can rely on each other then. If I need any help, I'll make sure to ask you, and if you need help, make sure to ask me or someone else. Welp, I better head off. If you find anything about me, please let me know."
"If that is your desire, then I will be sure to keep that in mind." Kirumi said. I waved goodbye and headed off. Exiting the dorms, I headed down to the garden area.
Walking down the stairs, I see that the actual garden appears to be in another cage, one that is similar to the one we are trapped under. Near the stairs was another person, though he looked much different from the others. He was a giant of a man, towering even over Kaito and Kiyo, both of whom were 6' and 6'2" respectively. He wore a brown suit with a yellow tie, but he didn't wear any shoes. He had long unruly greenish brownish hair and red eyes that were covered by large circular glasses. He also had a bug cage around his shoulder. Gonta Gokuhara. He looks intimidating, but I'm getting the exact opposite vibe. I don't know why, but I feel as though this guy wouldn't hurt a fly. With that in mind, I walked up to the big guy with a big smile. "Hello! Nice to meet you!" He turned to me with a surprised look.
"Oh! Thank you!" He said as he smiled.
"Thank you? For what?"
"Gonta scary-looking. Most people not wanna talk to Gonta when meeting for first time. So, like gentleman, Gonta say thank you! Thank you for talking to Gonta!"
"Of course. You seemed nice enough, and I want to meet everyone here."
"Oh… right! Gonta need to make introduction! Ummm… Gonta's name is Gonta Gokuhara. Gonta's talent is Ultimate Entomologist. Gonta want to become gentleman! Becoming true gentleman Gonta's goal!"
"Entomology… that's the study of insects, right? So you like bugs?"
"Oh yes! Gonta love bug friends! Since kid Gonta bigger and scarier than other kids, kid Gonta play alone in forest. That how Gonta come to like bugs. But… when Gonta really focus, it easy to lose track. One day, Gonta go to forest to find bugs. End up lost."
"You got lost? That must have been scary. But you managed to get back, right?"
"Yeah… family found Gonta. Took ten years, though."
"T-Ten years!?"
"But Gonta fine. New family took care of Gonta." Why do I have a bad feeling about this?
"Umm… do you mind me asking what kind of people this new family were?"
"Oh… not people. Wolves." Where have I heard this story before? At least this story explains his broken speech. "But they really nice. Cuz of forest family, Gonta learn to speak bug and animal. As thanks, Gonta wanna show forest family what great gentleman Gonta is!"
"That's very admirable, Gonta. I'm sure that both your families are already proud of you, since you already seem like a great gentleman."
"Thank you! But Gonta still will work hard to become better gentleman." Gonta beamed. "This place strange, huh? Lots of plants, but no bugs."
"What? There's no bugs? I can understand if there are no animals here, but no insects? How did they manage that?"
"You like bugs, too? Hey, what your favorite bug!? What you like about them!?" Gonta asked with a serious and passionate expression. It was so sudden that it was a little scary. Guess just because he's a big old teddy bear doesn't mean he can't be intimidating.
"Umm…" I stuttered as I thought of a response. I can tell that saying that I feel uncomfortable around bugs might be… perilous for my health. "I like… butterflies."
"Gonta like butterflies too! Gonta glad! No bad person likes bugs."
"Hahaha." I chuckled nervously. Gonta really is too pure for me. "Hey Gonta, can I ask you if you know me? I woke up unable to remember my past, so I'm trying to find someone who might know me. I think my name is Rin Wakuri. Have you heard of me?"
"Gonta don't think so. This first time Gonta has heard that name."
"Ok. Thanks anyway. It was nice to meet you Gonta!"
"Nice to meet Rin too!" After saying goodbye to Gonta, I walked towards the cage that probably had the garden inside it. There was a sign on top of the door that said "Shrine of Judgement." That must be what they call this area. I open up the doors and see a fountain that was in front of a man-made waterfall. All around were flowers of many different colors. It was quite a sight. When I entered, the girl who was there turned to greet me. She had white hair that was tied in two pigtails, tanned skin, and cyan eyes. She wore a yellow jacket over a white bathing suit. She also had a seashell necklace and a belt full of art and carving supplies. Angie Yonaga.
"Yah-hah! How are ya?" She asked enthusiastically as she waved at me. "My name is Angie Yonaga! I'm the Ultimate Artist!"
"Hi! It's nice to meet you. I think my name is Rin Wakuri. Have you heard of me?"
"Nyahahahah! Nope! Never heard of you! Perhaps Atua knows?"
"Atua?"
"The god of my island, Atua, is always with me, speaking to me with His divine voice." She said while doing a religious pose. If she's telling the truth, that would certainly be something.
"So what does Atua say about my situation? Does he know who I am, or if I'll ever get my memories back?"
"Hmm… I don't know. Atua is sleeping right now."
"He's… sleeping…" So much for divine intervention. "Well, let me ask you about yourself then. You said you were an artist, so what kind of art do you specialize in?"
"I do all kinds of things. I paint paintings, carve carvings, and I sculpt sculptures. But Atua's the one who makes the art. I merely offer my body as His vessel. Nyahahaha! How divine!" Angie cheerfully says while holding a hammer and pick. "Would you like to see some of my paintings?"
"Oh no, sorry, but I'm not comfortable with giving blood." I say without hesitation. Wait, why did I say that? Why would she need my blood? God I must sound like a weirdo.
"Really? That's too bad. I suppose I'll have to find another person who is willing to donate blood for an offering." She said with a smile. Wait… she actually wanted my blood as an offering!? Ok… I think I should reconsider my opinion on my 'knowledge I shouldn't have' stuff, cause it might have just saved me just now. I also gotta figure out a better name for it, if it keeps happening. "Well, it was nice to meet you, Rin. I hope you change your mind about the offering soon!" With that, Angie skips away to continue looking at the flowers. Aside from the blood offering thing, Angie seems quite nice. Actually, most people here, maybe aside from Maki and Miu, seem nice, and even with Maki and Miu, they all seem like decent people for the most part. Not a single one of them deserve to be a part of what's about to happen. I sigh as I think back to what the Monokubs said before they used that flashlight. A killing game. I can't help but shutter at the thought.
