Taka took a sip of his overwhelmingly sweet smoothie, immediately puckering his lips in disgust. Yasuha asked, "Wait, you didn't like it?" "Not one bit." replied Taka, recovering from his experience. "Dude, that smoothie is amazing! Do you not like sweet stuff?" Yasuha questioned. "I'm not exactly the biggest fan of sweet stuff... besides, you'd have to be clinically insane to enjoy something like this! This is far too sweet! Even a sweets enthusiast would be able to see that! It'd be a sweetness fuckin' overload!"
Yasuha shook his head slowly, "Taka, you're insane." Taka pushed his smoothie away while Yasuha sipped his. After about a minute of silence, Yasuha asked, "Taka, you ever get scared of dying?" Taka asked what he meant, Yasuha saying, "Like, when you're fighting someone else with an ability. Do you ever get scared thinking that you might eventually encounter an ability that's just like, too powerful for you to survive?" Taka replied, "I do occasionally. However, I've yet to encounter something that's an actual, genuine threat. While some stuff has been pretty scary, I always find a way around."
Yasuha said, "So, you're not afraid of dying?" Taka replied, "I wouldn't exactly say that. I know that death is definitely a real possibility every time I encounter someone. But I just don't think about it. It tends to lower my morale. I simply push through with courage and a will to keep going." "I see. Y'know, I kinda feel like you're invincible now. Like- 5 years of fighting, and you've never lost once? And we've beaten up a shit ton of people now! I feel as if you've got some kind of barrier of luck protecting you at all times." Taka chuckled, "Heh, maybe."
...
"T-TAKA!" yelled Yasuha. He ran towards Taka, who was laying on the ground. Yasuha knelt down and asked, "Taka! Are you okay!?" Taka coughed, and in a strained voice said, "Shit, l-looks like that bastard got the best of me. Yasuha. I'm- I'm sorry. I couldn't help you defeat Starman. I failed. Please forgive me." Yasuha said, "W-What're you talking about? What do you mean you failed?! I mean, you're still alive! R-Right!?" Taka replied, "Not for long. I won't deny that. To be honest, I always knew in the back of my head that something like this would happen." Taka coughed some more, before continuing.
"I knew these past 5 years that my demise would likely come from my hobby of fighting powerful criminals. But fuck, why now? Why must I fail against this man? I've failed everyone. Everyone is going to die because of me. Because I couldn't properly attack Starman." Yasuha yelled, "Don't say that shit! You aren't fuckin' dead yet! You're fine! P-Please, just say you're fine!" Yasuha began to cry, tears flowing out his red eyes. Taka looked at him as he coughed up blood and said, "I'm sorry."
Taka now reached the point where he could hardly speak, and he could now only think. He began to think of his days of being in a band, and his two former band-mates, Kuze and Nishida. He wondered what he would've said to them if he knew that his encounter with them earlier today would be his last. Memories of playing in front of people and practicing flooded his mind. However, his thoughts shifted towards Yasuha. He wondered if Yasuha would be okay. He hoped that his death wouldn't sadden him too much. He wondered if he had the capabilities to truly defeat Starman and save the world.
Suddenly, a golden pizza had appeared on the left side of Taka's chest. Taka laughed a bit, the sudden appearance of a pizza seeming comical to him. Then, he remembered what that pizza had meant. It was his final pizza. He remembered that the same thing had happened when his old friend, Dick Zucker died. Taka laughed again, remembering his name. Although he was knocking on death's door, he still had a sense of humor. Taka pulled all his strength together and said, "E-Eat it." Yasuha cried, "W-What? Eat what?" With what little energy he had left, Taka lifted his finger and pointed at the golden pizza.
"Uh- okay!?" exclaimed Yasuha. He gently grabbed the pizza and began to eat it, an odd sensation flowing through his body with every bite. Taka smiled. Yasuha grabbed Taka's arm, yelling, "Now get up! C'mon! Please!" However, Yasuha noticed something different about his body. It felt cold. He couldn't feel any sign of life in it. No pulse, no body heat, nothing. Yasuha began to cry harder, "No- NO! Not you! Why does this have to happen to me! Please Taka, wake up! First my Dad, and now- and now you! No- this isn't happening! You're fine right!? RIGHT!?"
...
Nishida put down a red 7, and Kuze put down a red 3. The two were playing UNO in Kuze's mansion. Nishida put down a blue 3, which Kuze didn't have a card for. "Dammit!" exclaimed Kuze. Nishida chuckled, "I laugh at your pain!" As the two continued to play, a sudden sense of dread enveloped the two. It significantly changed their moods. For some reason, they no longer felt like playing UNO. Both of them set down their cards and awkwardly sat in silence. "Something's off." said Nishida. Kuze said, "I can see that. What happened? I feel so... sad. But ain't nothin' happened! My day's been fine so far!"
Nishida suddenly reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, dialing Taka. "Who you callin'?" asked Kuze. Nishida replied, "Taka. I don't know why but I feel so... worried for him. I want to know if he's okay." As the phone rang, Nishida and Kuze both patiently waited. No one answered. Nishida called again, and the phone continued to ring. Once again, no one picked up. Kuze asked, "Why do we feel so worried about Taka? He's aight right? We just saw him earlier today..." Nishida set his phone and said, "We're probably just being stupid... he's probably fine." Although the two told themselves that Taka was likely fine, the sinking feeling of dread wouldn't leave them.
...
Yasuha cried intensely as he clenched Taka's arm. However, his crying was suddenly interrupted by Starman. "Those who oppose the creation of the new world are all fated to perish!" In left hand was a sandwich, and behind him was an opened capsule. Starman began to munch on the sandwich, yelling, "I can feel it's power coursing through my veins! I've gained the ultimate ability! SPACE ODDITY!"
TO BE CONTINUED
