"Rin! There you are! You gonna go to tunnel now?" Gonta asked me as I entered the boiler room.
"Yep. I'm all set, big guy." I nodded. "If you don't mind, I'll be heading down there now."
"Okay. Gonta come down too in case friend Rin get hurt." I couldn't help but smile and Gonta's pure response.
"I appreciate it. I'm sure I'll be fine, but it would be nice for you to be there just in case I do get hurt. Let's head down." With that, Gonta and I headed down the ladder to the underground passage. Once we were down the ladder, we were greeted with the familiar tunnel entrance. I don't know about Gonta, but the tunnel was giving me bad memories. A feeling of dread still lingered here after our first day of attempting it. I can still feel the despair and pain that was created here.
"You sure 'bout this, Rin?" Gonta asked me in a nervous voice.
"Yeah. If this works, we can all escape and go home. So...here's to hoping." I said as I walked through the tunnel's entrance by myself. After walking a fair distance and opening up the first gate, I was greeted with the old, familiar passageway that was not at all like what it appeared to be. That's when I took out my Electro Hammer and extended it for proper use. These traps here should be powered by electricity, right? One swing, and it should disable them for a short while if I'm thinking about this correctly. I took a deep breath and began my attempt at the Road to Despair by myself, armed with my single Electro Hammer.
As soon as I reached where I knew the first trap was, the fake floor trap, I cautiously approached it before I hit the floor with the Electro Hammer, creating a humming sound when it made contact. After that, I put away the Electro Hammer just in case something happened and slowly walked over the fake floor. Usually, it would give way and drop anyone on it into the waters below, but this time, it didn't do anything. As soon as I realized that, I couldn't help but smile widely. It does work! With this, we can finally escape! I took out the Electro Hammer once again and began blazing through the tunnel, a new feeling of confidence and determination flowing through me. I can do this! I can help free everyone! Those were the thoughts that fueled me as I hit all the traps in my way with my hammer, disabling them completely.
After what felt like a few minutes, I finally got to the end of the tunnel. I couldn't believe it. There was an end to the tunnel, and at that end, there was an exit. It was an extravagant one, too. It looked like a large metal door that looked like it belonged to a vault from a sci-fi movie. The door was also surging with electrical energy, which meant I couldn't even touch it at the moment. I then noticed a card scanner near the door. That was probably what was supposed to be used to open the door. I smirked. Like I need a card when I have the Electro Hammer. If it's electrically powered, all I need to do is hit it. So, with the hammer in hand, I walked over to the exit and bashed it with the hammer. I expected all the electricity to power down and the door to open, but nothing occurred after I hit it with the hammer. I made a noise of confusion as I stared at the door. Maybe I have to hit the card reader? I walked over to the card reader and hit it with the hammer, but again, nothing happened. The door was still defended by electricity surging through the metal, as well as the door remaining closed and locked.
"The Electro Hammers...don't work on this exit?" I muttered, slight horror in my voice. Is the hammer not strong enough to shut this stuff off, or is it a lack of power? The tunnel did drain a lot of power from the hammer. Or...do I need that key card before we can leave? Is the key necessary? I sighed at the realization. If I do need a key card, I can probably assume the Electro Hammer won't get me into the hidden room in the library either. Damn, and I was going to try to enter later tonight. So much for that.
With disappointment overwhelming me, I took out the small camera I got from the warehouse and snapped a picture of the door. It's one of those old film cameras that Shuichi and Kaede used for their library trap, so it'll take a while for the film to develop, but I can just ask the cubs to do that for me. After the photo was taken, I left the supposed exit with a heavy heart. It didn't take too long to get back to the entrance, since all of the traps were still disabled. When I got back to the tunnel's entrance, Gonta was there waiting for me, his face lighting up when he saw me. "Rin! You back!" He exclaimed. "You not hurt, so does that mean you did it?"
"Yeah. I did. I reached the end." I told him. "However, the exit was locked, and I couldn't get through. A key card is needed. I took a picture of the door and card scanner as proof. I'll show you all when the photo develops." I told him as I took out the camera. "Speaking of which, hey! Monokubs! I need your help!" As soon as I called out for them, the bears came tumbling in, as expected.
"You called, and so we came! You're stuck with us forever now unless you say our names three times!" Monotaro said happily.
"No, that's someone else! Have you forgotten who we are too!?" Monophanie cried out.
"WHAT-DO-YOU-NEED?" Monodam asked me.
"I was wondering if you could develop this photo like you did for us before. Is that possible?" I asked them while showing the camera.
"Well...that was during an investigation, and the photos were evidence. I'm not sure we're allowed to help you with this without it being relevant to a case." Monophanie said.
"Well, what if this helps us get along more?" I asked them.
"...IF-THAT-IS-THE-CASE, THEN-WE-WILL-HELP-YOU." Monodam told me. "WE-SHOULD-BE-DONE-LATER-TODAY."
"Thanks. I appreciate it." I replied as I handed the camera to the green bear. After that, the cubs left, leaving just me and Gonta behind. "C'mon, big guy. Let's get out of here and seal this place up."
"Right." Gonta nodded. With that, the two of us climbed out of the tunnel. Once we were back in the boiler room, Gonta made quick work of blocking the man hole with a few rocks. They didn't look too heavy, but when I tried to lift them, I found that the only person who would be able to lift these things was probably Gonta.
"Alright. I guess we're done here." I nodded as I got up from the manhole cover. "So, since we're done with work, want to hang out for a bit?" I asked Gonta.
"Oh! Of course! Gonta like hanging out with Rin!" Gonta nodded.
"I like spending time with you too, big guy." I replied before I started rubbing the back of my head. "Sorry again for the whole Insect Meet and Greet stuff."
"No worries. Rin and Kokichi punished already. Rin also doing what he thought was best for everyone, so Gonta forgive. Besides, we both on Student Council now, so we work together to protect everyone!" Gonta said.
"Yeah. Nothing will stop us when we work together with everyone." I said happily. "So what do you want to do? Any ideas?" Gonta seemed to think about it for a bit before he lit up with an idea.
"Oh, Gonta know! Come, we race!" He told me.
"Race?" I asked.
"Gonta good at running! Running full speed through forest so much fun! Plus, feel good to run like wind. Maybe nice change of pace." Gonta told me. I chuckled at his explanation. The gentleman wants to run wild. It's not very gentlemanly, but it's incredibly endearing. Gonta is just like an innocent child sometimes, I can't help but find him incredibly sweet and adorable.
"Alright. We can race. Not sure I'll be able to run as fast as you, though." I said.
"Don't worry! Gonta help friend Rin!" Gonta said as he grabbed my arm.
"W-Wait, Gonta! What exactly-" That's when Gonta started running, dragging me along with him. He was moving so fast that I was barely able to run next to him. It might be better to say that I was flying behind him, since my feet were rarely touching the ground and Gonta pulled me along. "H-Hang on, Gonta! Not so fast!" I tried to tell him without biting my tongue off.
"Not yet! To run like wind, gotta go faster!" He told me happily.
"F-Faster!? We're already moving incredibly fast!" I yelled. But while I was a little afraid, I can't say it wasn't a thrilling experience. I've never moved this fast, and the feeling of the wind blowing past me and the sensation of flying across the ground was amazing. Gonta was raised in the wild, so it makes sense that he's athletic, but this is on another level. I guess those muscles of his aren't just for show. Unfortunately, that flying sensation was coming at a cost. When we reached the stairs, Gonta made a hard turn, and I was about to fly down the stairs. "W-Woah!"
"Rin!" Gonta shouted. That's when I felt Gonta pull me towards him, causing me to slam into his chest roughly, though the big guy didn't seem to even move from the impact.
"Rin...okay?" Gonta asked me.
"Y-Yeah. Thanks Gonta. You saved me from falling." I nodded.
"No thank Gonta... Gonta make Rin run... This all Gonta's fault… Sorry... Gonta not very fun after all…" He said in a sad voice.
"What are you talking about? That was incredible!" I replied quickly. "I've never run that fast before since I'm not that great at running, and it felt like I was flying. It was sudden, sure, but it was a lot of fun!"
"Really?"
"It was a nice change of pace. While I almost fell, it was still fun." I told him.
"Oh! Then, Gonta glad Rin had fun…" Gonta said with an innocent smile. That's when I had an idea.
"Hey Gonta. Could you bend down a bit." I asked.
"Hmm? Sure." Gonta said in a confused voice as he crouched down to my level. He's 6'6'' while I'm 5'8'', so there's quite a height difference between us until he crouches. So now that he's at my level, I can do this.
"Pardon me. Hup!" I climbed up Gonta and got on his shoulders.
"Huh?" Gonta made a confused noise as I got on his shoulders and nodded.
"Perfect. Now that I'm like this, we can truly run like the wind!" I declared with a bit of childish excitement. "You still up for trying to run that fast, Gonta?" Gonta got excited when I asked him that.
"Yeah! We become wind!" Gonta exclaimed as he stood up. Woah! I've never been this tall before. I could...get used to this. "You ready Rin?"
"Yep! Let's hit the ground running!" I shouted excitedly.
"Yep! Hold on tight!" And with that, Gonta really started running. Like, this was nothing like before. I felt like I was riding a car, except I was riding on the shoulders of a mountain of a man. Gonta wasn't kidding. With how fast he was going, I had to hold on really tight to not fall off his shoulders. It's better than being dragged around like I was a toy. It was scary, but fun. A lot of stuff is like that, isn't it? Even when you're scared, you might still be able to find enjoyment out of it. Like thrill rides, or horror games. The way the cold wind is smacking my face rapidly as we ran across the campus, not caring if we were spotted or not. The feeling of actually 'becoming like the wind' as Gonta put it… It was incredible. I could hear Gonta laughing like a child the entire time, like this was just a fun game he's always enjoyed back home. Hearing his pure joy, along with my own feeling of the rush of adrenaline and excitement, was enough to justify what we were doing. We were being stupid. We were acting like kids in a serious situation. But who cares? We were living, and we were enjoying it. Even if it's not a normal way of having fun, or the type of fun I would normally like, I was still enjoying it to the fullest, along with a friend.
After we ran around the campus a few times, Gonta seemed to have enough as he slowed to a stop, letting me slide off his shoulders. Our hair was completely slicked back by the force of the wind hitting our faces. I couldn't help but start laughing a bit as I fixed my own hair, getting that iconic 'classy mess' I have back. "That was a lot of fun, Gonta. And this is something you do normally?"
"Yes. Gonta race lots when in forest." Gonta nodded.
"Is that so? I guess that makes sense, since you were raised by wolves in the forest. Wolves can run pretty fast, so you would have had to be too so you could keep up with them when they ran." I nodded. Gonta made a pained expression when I said that before he gave me a downtrodden look. "Hm? Is something wrong, Gonta?" I asked him.
"Sorry. That...was a lie." He told me.
"Lie? You?" I asked, a little surprised, though not upset if he had lied to me.
"Gentlemen don't lie. Gonta know that. Gonta don't wanna lie, but… But...Gonta have to lie...for forest family... Gonta very sorry!" He told me as he bowed apologetically.
"Well, if you were lying for your family. There's no harm in that." I told him. "You just wanted to protect them, so I wouldn't be angry about that."
"Still, Gonta feel bad. So Gonta will tell truth now. Will Rin listen to Gonta?"
"Of course. If you want to tell me, I'll listen. And since it seems to be important, I promise I won't tell anyone either." I told him. Gonta nodded with a small smile before he leaned close to me and spoke in a soft voice.
"So, Gonta actually raised by...Reptites."
"...I'm sorry?" I couldn't help but ask when I heard that. "Did you say...Reptites? Like as in reptile people? Like in Chrono Trigger?"
"Yeah!" Gonta nodded happily. "Dinosaurs not go extinct... Dinosaurs became dinosaur people—Reptites. Reptites live alone, deep in forest... They raise Gonta."
"Huh… Wasn't expecting that…" I mumbled. The wolves' story was already far-fetched, but this is a bit...more far-fetched. But Gonta really isn't someone who would lie about...anything really, besides something extremely important, so he must be telling the truth about this. Still...reptile people, huh? That's certainly a story. "So the reason you gave us the story about the wolves was to keep them a secret?"
"They told Gonta to keep secret. Said bad things happen if humans know. Reptites and humans fought long time ago. But Reptites lost, and humans became dominant species… And Reptites not wanna fight anymore." Gonta explained to me.
"This is starting to sound more and more like a plot from a sci-fi show." I muttered.
"B-But Reptites very kind! Reptites raise Gonta as their own. Teach Gonta to survive in forest." Gonta told me with a smile. "Ah, but forest family not Gonta's only teacher… Gonta have other interesting experiences…"
"More interesting than being raised in the wild by reptile people?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, doubting how much more incredible Gonta's backstory can get.
"Strong guy came to forest one day. To fight Gonta, he say. And strong guy just first of many. Others came. They all come to fight Gonta. In honorable, one-on-one battles. Gonta not understand why. But...they say they come to find worthy opponent." What is this, Street Fighter? "Gonta happy to meet so many people! Learn so many things! Gonta shocked most by...man from India who breathe fire. And another man from Japan who charge Gonta with flying headbutt. Gonta also fight professional wrestler-Red Cyclone! Him so strong and cool!" Oh, so it literally is Street Fighter. I didn't know Gonta was a playable character. "Gonta face all challengers...focus only on fighting... Do much growing that day… Gonta think now, he prolly coulda made friends with them."
"Friendship through fighting… That's something only guys can do." I laughed. Gonta then gave me a serious look before he continued.
"Rin, you listen good to Gonta's story."
"Well yeah. Of course I'd listen intently to a friend's story. In fact, I'm happy you're telling me this stuff, Gonta. I'm happy to learn more about you guys." I told him with a smile.
"Everyone else make fun of Gonta. Call Gonta liar." He said in a soft, sad voice.
"Nonsense! As if you'd lie! You're a gentleman, after all! I trust you completely!" I exclaimed.
"R-Rin!" He said with surprise and joy. "Rin is good person! Good friend! Gonta want to tell you more stories!"
"Then go ahead. I'd love to hear more from you." I said. Gonta then began telling me about more stories of his life outside of the academy, like how he met a warrior with an unbeatable dragon's fist, a man raised by gorillas, and a king of panthers. After listening to a few of his stories, Gonta stopped and gave me a curious look.
"Gonta like telling Rin stories, but Gonta not want to be rude. Gonta also want to hear stories from Rin if Rin wants to share." He told me.
"My own stories, huh?" I questioned as I put a hand on my chin. Do I even remember anything that could even match any of the stories that Gonta had shared with me? Do I know anyone incredible other than these people I've met here? "Well...give me a sec to think about." I said as I thought about what to say, trying my best to remember something exciting or interesting. But that's when a few small memories came to mind. I let a small smile form on my face as I began fiddling with my jacket's zipper.
"Well, to start…" I began. "I think I used to have some pretty cool friends. One guy was a thrill seeker. A 'Daredevil' if you will. He was blind, but that didn't stop him from wanting to live his life to the fullest. I learned a lot from him. He inspired me to want to live life like he did. There was also a girl who always had her head in the clouds. She could never be pulled down to earth, I swear. She was a dreamer, more than any of us. She always strove to do her best in every situation, even if she wasn't the brightest. On the flip side, there was also a loud, obnoxious girl, who never hid how she felt in situations. She was always yelling at me to do a better job. She never let up. She was definitely the most blunt person I've ever met, though I'm not much better. Guess that's something we've always had in common, which makes sense, I guess. And there was…" I trailed off as my thoughts went to her. "The smartest girl I've ever met. A very close friend of mine. I grew up with her. She was the strangest person in the world to me, always dragging me into her messes, but it was fun." I felt my small smile turn into a frown after I said that. "...I miss them." Gonta noticed my sadness and he moved towards me and put one of his large hands on my shoulder.
"Is Rin okay. Rin looks sad."
"...Yeah. Just...wish I could remember more about them." I said. "I don't even remember their names aside from…" I trailed off again as I let go of the thoughts. Heartache. Strange, seemingly pointless heartache. Why...does remembering close friends make me sad? Why does it hurt? I ran my hand through my hair at the thought. Maybe I can talk to Kaede? Or perhaps Kaito, or Rantaro? Talking to Kaede before, even just a bit about what I was going through, made me feel better, so maybe sharing it with one of them will make me feel better again? But I really shouldn't bother them with weird stuff like this. But Kaede got upset when I tried to hide it, so… "URGH!" I shouted angrily as I ran both my hands through my hair. "This is so frustrating! I just wish I could remember and now what this stuff is about and NOT have to deal with this stupid stuff!" I sighed before turning back to Gonta. "It sucks. Not knowing anything about yourself or why you feel certain emotions. Guess people are just weird like that."
"Maybe. Gonta not really understand what Rin feels, or what Rin's problems are like." Gonta began before giving me a smile. "But Gonta is gentleman, and Rin is Gonta's friend! Gonta do everything Gonta can to help friend Rin! Rin is smarter than Gonta, but Gonta can still help with Student Council or just talking with Rin. Gonta to anything he can to help."
"Hahaha, I appreciate it, Gonta. Really. I say that a lot, but I really do mean it. You guys mean everything to me, so I'm glad you all feel the same and want to help me like I want to help you. It shows that we're really friends in this together until the end!"
"Yep! Gonta do everything he can to help protect everyone!"
"And I'll do the same! We'll figure out all these mysteries and escape with everyone! Then we'll become friends, like Kaede said we would!"
"Yeah!" Gonta and I nodded as we both made that promise to ourselves, we talked a bit more before we headed off to do our own thing. There's still a bit of time left in the day. I wonder how I should spend the rest of it? As I'm thinking to myself, I walked around the campus a bit before I saw Himiko walk out of the dorms. That's when I thought about Tenko again. Himiko and I haven't really spoken a whole lot, but maybe I can help her out? Tenko's worries are founded, and Himiko is still my friend. I'm the student council president, so that means I need to look after everyone here. I might not be the best at it, not being able to fix my own problems on my own, but it wouldn't hurt to try to make Himiko feel better about all this. Maybe I can get her to actually open up, and not be completely reliant on Atua for everything.
With a small nod, I gathered my resolve as I walked towards Himiko. "Hey Himiko. What's up?"
"Nyeh...not much." She responded in her usual lazy voice. "Did you need something, Rin?" She asked me.
"Nah. Just wanted to talk. I realized we haven't talked at all yet, so how about it? Want to hang out?"
"Nyeeeh...sure, I guess."
"Cool. Then let's talk." And so the two of us hung out for a while...or at least that was the plan, but…
"Nyeeeh…"
"Himiko?"
"Nyeeeh…"
"...If you didn't want to talk, then you should have said no…" I told her as she gave me an annoyed look.
"I'm too lazy to say no." She simply said.
"Oh…" I don't think I've met someone so...thoroughly lazy. It's a bit irksome, actually, being a busybody myself. "If you're so lazy, how come you decided to become a magi-I mean, a mage?" I asked.
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"Well, magic takes a lot of effort doesn't it? It takes a lot of preparation and practice." I stated.
"A typical amateur question. You don't need annoying preparations for magic." She told me.
"Really?"
"I'm talented. Not relying on my talent would go against my master's teachings."
"Oh? You have a master too?" I asked.
"Nyeh...? Did I not tell you?"
"This is the first time I'm hearing it. So there are apprentice mages too, huh?"
"Hm, that's right. My master was an amazing archmage." Himiko nodded before she seemed to think of something. "You had a friend who was a mage too, right? I remember Tsumugi cosplayed as him. If you don't mind, could I ask about him? He has the same talent as me."
"My friend? Oh! You mean Yuuki! Yeah, I do remember more about him." I nodded. "But...he doesn't have the same talent as you. You're a mage, and he's a magician. They're different, aren't they?" I asked in a teasing voice.
"Y-Yes, but...lots of mages call themselves magicians to hide their power from the public eye." Himiko stammered, causing me to chuckle at her explanation.
"That's true. He probably is a mage like you." I smiled. "But I'm curious. Why do you suddenly want to know about him?" I asked.
"Well, now that I think about it...he sort of sounds familiar." Himiko said, which made me perk up. "I've never heard his name before this, but I do remember hearing about a powerful mage that was famous in the Magic Castle." Magic Castle? Oh right, that's what she calls the Hall of Magicians. "He's actually the person who created the Extreme Water Magic: Underwater Escape Act."
"Really?" I asked. "I guess that makes sense. I remember Yuuki specializing in escape acts. I remember him saying that Houdini was his main source of inspiration."
"I've heard of him. Houdini was a legendary mage known for his grand level escape magic he could perform." Himiko nodded. "Many mages strive to be like him. I understand that feeling. It's the same with me and my master."
"Yeah. A person's hero or mentor can make a huge impression on a person." I nodded. Makes me wonder if I had someone like that.
"Nyeh...that's true." Himiko replied with a small, lazy smile. "So what was this other Ultimate Mage like?"
"Well, I don't remember a lot, but I do remember one thing about him." I said. "He wanted to make kids smile. That's why he does magic. He always made that very clear." Himiko smiled as she nodded at that.
"So we are the same in that regard." Himiko said. "We both perform magic to bring smiles to people's faces. When I see children smiling because of my magic...it makes me happy. It's fun."
"Bringing smiles to people's faces…" I repeated in a whisper. That sounds vaguely familiar for some reason.
If doing this causes even a single person to smile, especially if it's a child like you, then everything I do and endure would have been worth it. That's why I do this, even when I…
I snapped out of the thought after it ended. Oh...so that's why… "We're more alike than I thought." I smiled softly.
"Nyeh?" Himiko made a confused noise when I said that.
"Nothing. Just a nice thought I had." I replied before having another thought. "Well now I'm curious about you and your master, Himiko. What was your master like? He must have been incredible if he taught you magic. You're the Ultimate Mage, so I bet he must be even stronger in the ways of magic."
"That's true. My master is known around the world as a legendary mage. When I saw my master use his magic, I awakened as a mage."
"Is that so?"
"The first time I saw my master was on the stage during his magic show. The magic he performed was miraculous… Seeing it triggered the magic powers sleeping within me to awaken. But I didn't yet have the skill to control such powerful magic… Therefore, I studied under my master to control my own magic." She explained to me. "Fortunately, it only took a few years of training to become a full-fledged mage. Master let me help in his show as an assistant while I trained. My master taught me the fundamentals of magic. Because he trained me… People started calling me the Ultimate Mage."
"So that's how you got into the 'Magic Castle'. It was because your master trained you and helped you harness your skills." I nodded. "What kind of magic did he teach you?"
"He taught me many things. My master learned his magic by studying around the world, you know? Extreme Wind Magic, "Levitation"... Extreme Space Magic, "Teleport"... Extreme Meat Magic, "Sawing A Person In Half"... and many more." I felt sweat forming when I heard those names. Those are just normal magic tricks, aren't they?
"Do you mind if I ask you a question about those 'magical arts' of yours?"
"Sure. I don't mind. Ask your question." Himiko told me.
"So, I won't ask you how you do your magic, but I am curious… How did you do the Underwater Escape and come out mostly dry? I was curious about that when I saw you appear after the curtains opened up." Himiko thought about it for a bit before her expression became one of nervousness.
"Nyeeeh...it's...with magic, you know? Like, you increase your body's temperature and… W-Well something like that. You probably wouldn't get it…" She answered hesitantly.
"I-Is that so?" I guess that means she doesn't really have a magical way to explain that without giving away the trick. Disappointing, but whatever. "In any case, I bet your master must be worried sick about you." When I said that, Himiko seemed to make another sad expression, even sadder than the looks I've seen her make up to this point.
"Well, maybe... He might...be worried…" She said sadly.
"Hm? Is something wrong, Himiko?" I asked her.
"I'm too tired to talk. I'm going back to my room." She suddenly said as she started to leave.
"H-Huh? W-Wait!" I exclaimed as I ran after her. "Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry if I upset you."
"No, it's nothing you did. I just...don't want to talk anymore." Himiko told me. I felt a slight pain in my chest. I know that look. I've had it many times here. Bad memories. And I also know that feeling of not wanting to talk about those sad or painful memories, but…
"Alright. I won't pry anymore today about it." I told Himiko. "But I hope that eventually you'll feel comfortable enough to talk about it with someone. I'm the student council president, so you can trust me with your worries. Not just me either. I'm sure all of us would like to help you, especially Angie and Tenko. So… when you're ready, talk to someone about it. I know I struggle with that, but it does help, I promise you that." Himiko turned back to look at me with a thoughtful expression before she started walking away again. I hope she takes my words to heart. I was speaking from experience, but it's still up to her to decide what to do. Guess I'm still not at the level of people like Kaede or Kaito when it comes to trying to get someone to open up about their struggles. I might not even get a chance to try to help her again. If that's the case, I just hope someone helps her soon.
