This is a non-profit fanfiction of Buddyfight. Buddyfight is the product of Bushiroad. Plz support the official release.
Also, warning for potential references, OCs, potential spoilers from the canon series sever cringe, rage or face-palming as a result of a possible freshly new (broken) idea!
Dawn,
Bad dreams had been plaguing him. The first one is just two days ago & the most recent one… last night.
Noboru Kodo sighed; trying to forget the bad dreams as he walked through the opened door to the roof. Apparently, some had already caught the word.
"So… when's the big show?" one of the people there spoke.
"Right about now… I think,"
"You think?"
"Hey, it's not my fault. They said it's going to be at dawn,"
And as if responding to that's stranger's words, Noboru lifted his head up. He saw the skies colored in soft blue- the clear sign that dawn had already arrived. His mind soon backtracked to Arkaid's words.
"You & your friends might want to go to bed early, Gao-dono. There's going to be a 'show' early next morning,"
Noboru then smirks. Too bad for the Fifth Omni Calvary Dragon, Gao's still sound asleep down in their hotel room, alongside Tasuku, who had probably given up on waking the boy up.
"Hey, look! Stars!" said another spectator.
"Stars? Wait… er… guys… do stars appear during the dawn?"
One by one, everyone soon looked up. To their surprise, a vortex of twinkling dots swirls above their heads- No wait, there are two of them! Two whirlpools of stars!
The two soon parted ways. One 'floats' up north & the other 'floats' towards what Noboru can perceive to be southwest.
Before long, they stopped & soon, the vortexes- reminiscent of a minuscule galaxy- began to change. One by one, lines connect the stars, forming a huge circle in the sky.
And like all who's watching this, Noboru eventually took out his phone. His first intention is to record it, to show it to the others later on. However, as the screen brightened, the blonde boy's eyes widen.
The numbers on his Stamp Tracker... It has also changed. Last night, it's 6/15 but now… it is 6/20. The maximum number of stamp needed to qualify for the finals have increased to 20!
"W-What the heck?" The boy then looked around.
It appears there are a few people had checked their phone & reacted the same way as he did. One non-Japanese kid raised his Stamp Tracker app to show Noboru. 5/20… It is the same for him. And soon in response, Noboru showed him his.
"OH MY GOD! Is that what I think it is!?" a girl's awe-stricken voice later grabbed Noboru's attention.
He looked to his left & saw a small group of excited girls, pointing at the vortex in the sky. Noboru turned back to it & once again, he was awed.
The vortex is no longer a formation of stars. Instead, it is now a detailed glyph. Runes of unknown origin were mostly found on the outer circle & in the center, a huge hexagon… There is also… something else…
Noboru squints his eyes. "I-Is that what I think it is!?" he muttered as he caught sight of a hexagonal landmass descending from the magic circle.
"Ohoho… it seems now we know how the Eden grows," El Quixote appeared.
"Y-Yeah… Got to hand it to the effort of Magic World,"
"And Legend World. Even the wizards couldn't make a magic portal that big without some 'help',"
"I see…" The boy soon turned back to the descending isle.
On it, he soon saw a medieval castle; three-stories tall & surrounded by its stone walls & a small forest.
"A… Castle…" Noboru murmured. Soon, he jolted & immediately placed one hand on his head.
"Hm? What's wrong, boy?"
"N-Nothing… It's just a… Déjà vu,"
"Déjà vu? You've seen a real life castle before?"
"Y-Yeah… pro… bably…" murmured the boy as he stared at the descending structure.
Morning,
"Tasuku-onichan!" shouted Hanako as she rushed to the boy.
"Welcome, Hanako-chan! And Suzumi-san!" He then nodded to the mother with the small suitcase in her hands.
"Thank you so much, Tasuku-kun. Hope my son haven't given you too much trouble,"
Tasuku immediately shook his head. "No, no, Gao-kun hasn't given me any trouble. By the way, how's the cruise-"
"Hi, Hanako… Hi, Kachan…" said a similar voice before a hand latched onto the boy's shoulder.
With a small yank, an incredibly weary Gao Mikado was pulled forward.
"Geh! Gao-nicchan!?" reacted Hanako to her brother's horrendous image.
It seems to her like he's had gone through a wardrobe malfunction! His hair messy; his right eye struggling to open & worse of all, his Sun Fighter attire's all over the place. Jacket slipping off one shoulder; the trousers are worn backward and…
"Er, Gao-nicchan, where's your hat?"
"Oh, it's here," Tasuku then pulled out the Sun Fighter hat from his pocket.
"Oh for god's sake! Did you stay up late?" Suzumi walked out to her son, tidying him up.
"W-we just wanted to see the show, bal…" Bal soon peeks out. His eyes were the same as his Buddy.
"And you stayed up the whole night for that!?"
"Er… No, the attire's messed up when we rushed up to the roof in a hurry," said a nervous Tasuku. "And for his face, it's… probably…"
"DARN YOU, NOBORRRUUUUUU!" the boy dramatically bellowed. "Whhhyyy…!? Why, Noboru, why…?" The boy soon collapsed onto his confused mother's shoulder.
"Er… Kitten Shirt bullied him?" muttered Hanako.
"Ahem… It's… because Noboru-kun failed to wake Gao-kun up…" Tasuku answered before turning over to Gao. "W-Well… Noboru did his best, though… as do I…"
"Ooohhh… No wonder…" muttered the sister.
Suzumi then let out a defeated sigh. Guess her son did cause trouble for his friends, after all.
As he looked down on the Mikado family from the improvised lighthouse, a tear soon runs down his ever-cold heart.
"Hanako…" Specter murmured.
His eyes soon turned towards a frustrated Suzumi tending to her wailing son. Instantly, the tear inside him enlarged.
Specter raised his head & took in a deep breathe. Unknowingly, his hood fell, revealing a spiky hair but of the color black & dark green.
"Farewell…" he said to the faraway family before vanishing in the midst of a petal-carrying gust.
"Dammit, Gao-chan! Stop acting like a baby!"
"NOBORUUUU, WHY…!?"
"Oh, for crying out loud!"
And before long, an irritated Suzumi was forced to heave her crybaby son away from public eye.
"Ehehe…" chuckled Rekka as she came down the cruise.
Confused, her little assistant asked. "Ane-sama, what's so funny-death-shi?"
"Just a reminder of how Genma & I used to act while we are kids,"
"G-Genma…!?" muttered a perplexed Shido.
"Yep! Back then, when Genma's skinny & cute, I would always tease him & occasionally heaved him back home when he becomes an outdoor crybaby. Ah, good old times,"
"S-So, Genma's skinny & weak when he's a little kid-death-shi?"
Rekka, in response, let out a chuckle. "Yes, Shido-kun. Yes, he is," She then turned her head to the young boy; one brow furrowed in concern. "Are you sure you want to carry my heavy luggage yourself?"
"D-Don't worry, ane-sama! I can do it-death-shi!" uttered a blushing & saluting Shido.
"Er, okay… then. Just remember not to be rough with it-"
"ANEUUUUEEEEEEEEE!" A huge figure soon flew in.
"WWWAAAAHHHH!" One punch!
"GENMA-SAMA!" yelled Doai as Genma's topless body collapsed onto the floor.
"What the-" Rekka soon saw him. "Dammit, Genma! I told you no bear hugs while half-naked!" she shouts.
Genma soon got up. "But aneue!"
"That's quite enough, Genma Todoroki," Shido then uttered. "I will not stand by as you harass Rekka-ane-sama, death-shi!" He stood in between the two.
"Stand aside, Shido! This is family business!"
"Then, as your sister's loyal subordinate, I order you back off & get a shirt-death-shi!"
"Loyal subordinate, hah! From ancient times, servants ranked lower than family!"
"That may be true. But I will not allow your greasy beefcake body dirtied ane-sama's shirt-death-shi-"
"Shido-kun, my luggage,"
"Yes-death-shi!" And the boy just happily hands it over before turning back to Genma. "Now, where was I- Ah, yes! I will not have your greasy muscles touching ane-sama's clothes-death-shi!"
"HOW DARE YOU!" Genma explodes. He then starts to pose; eyes burning with flaming passion. "These are super-deluxe buffness, earned through rigorous training and-"
"And Steroid pizza-death-shi!"
"SSSHHHIIIIDOOOOOO!" Genma roared. "I. WILL. SMOTHER. YOU!"
"Then, come at me-death-shi! Gallows!"
"Not gonna help you-geh," said the voice in his deck.
"Wait- WHAT!?" Rammed!
And soon, the air was filled with a girlish scream. Too bad nobody nearby cared about it, though.
"Ane-sama, can I carry those for you?"
"Thanks, Doai but I'll carry them myself," the young woman then turned back to the brawl & points. "Not going to stop them?"
Doai let out an awkward smile "W-Well… let Genma-sama works it out of his system," he said. "S-So can we escort you to your workplace?"
With a smile, Rekka shrugged. "Eh, why not?"
Without any delay, they soon left; leaving behind two idiots to brawl till clock reached the next hourly chime.
Zanya yawned as he sat in one of the lobby sofas. Last night was harsh, especially with Kagome's relentlessness in stamp-hunting... Or is it during the community dinner with vivid supporters, where he's supposed to keep his disciplined bodyguard image front of a whole bunch of people- and girls. Either way, it may well be both.
The boy took off his spectacles & rubbed his eyes. He let out an exhausted sigh & that is when his Buddy appears.
"Are you okay?" said the silent ninja's scroll.
"I'm okay, Tsukikage. Just a bit tired-"
"ANIJAAA!"
Utterly alarmed, Zanya jumped from his seat & turned his head. And sure enough, standing by the main entrance is his brother & on his back, a small backpack.
"A-AKATSUKI!?"
"ANIJAAA!" The boy charged forward.
"Akatsuki, what are you doing here- OOF!" Rammed back into the chair.
"ANIJAAAAA~" the younger brother wailed.
"Okay, enough, Akatsuki! Akatsuki!" He pulled him away. "Didn't I specifically tell you not to approach me during your time at the Festa?"
"But… BUT YOU'RE MY BROOOTTHHHEERRRR~"
Seeing his crying brother, Zanya let out a sigh of defeat. Guess it IS asking too much of his little brother.
"Zanya? What is the matter?" a voice calls from behind.
The older boy quickly turns. "Kagome!"
"KAGOME-DONO~" Akatsuki immediately ran to the girl.
"Ah, AKATSUKI!" reacted Zanya.
"A-Akatsuki-kun?" uttered Kagome before crunching down. "What's the matter? Why are you crying?"
"K-Kagome-dono! Please pardon my idiot brother!"
"E-excuse me?"
"Anija had already told me why he joined," He then took out a cute, fat frog-themed wallet. "Here! I don't know how much he owed you but if it's not enough, I'll take his place so please-"
"W-Wait! Wait just a moment! Y-You said… Zanya joined because he owes me… money…?" The girl slowly lifts her head. "Zanya…"
The older boy backed away. "I-I-I… thought joining would mean severing my ties with my family and, er… so I told that first and… erm… y'know," he then lowered his head in shame.
Kagome sighed & turned back to the little boy. "Keep your money, Akatsuki-kun. Your brother is not in any sorts of debt. It's a misunderstanding,"
"H-Huh?"
The O-Miko let out a smile & gently pushed the fat wallet back. "Your brother joined because he agrees to our ideals & wished to contribute; not because of some silly debt,"
"W-Wait… so anija didn't join because-"
Zanya lifts & starches his head. "Sorry, Akatsuki. I've been busy undergoing training so…"
Kagome sighed. "Worry not, Akatsuki. You can still call him your brother,"
"Really?" said Akatsuki.
And Kagome nodded. "Yes, while during ancient times, severing ties is mandatory; nowadays, it is merely a choice," The girl then batted an intimating eye to her bodyguard. "And I am sure Zanya wouldn't be so heartless as to sever his ties to a loving family, right?"
"Y-Y-Yes…" a frightened Zanya squeaked.
"Unacceptable!" said a voice within the high priestess' deck. "How could this ill-mannered child become one of our O-Miko's protectors!"
Fuyuki stepped forward. "It is Mikasa-sama's will that he joined, Shujaku,"
"Mikasa, you say! And what of Kikunojo? Does he agree to this?" Shujaku demanded.
"Yes, and that is before the day we departed for the Festa," said a woman's voice. "Shujaku, you seemed rather… perplexed at this boy. Why? I don't see his close relationship to young Kagome to be anything resembling a potential danger,"
"It is his attitude, Seiryo! At this rate, he'll destroy everything the Shirushiboshi stands for!"
"Oh, I highly doubt the blame is on him, Shujaku," Seiryo replies.
"Y'know, Shujaku's been quite grumpy since Zanya-kun becomes Kago-chan's bodyguards. Jealous, much?"
"What do you mean, Byakko aniki? He IS jealous. Just look at his face," a tomboyish voice soon started to laugh.
"Why you…" Shujaku grumbled.
"Y'know, Natsumi's right," said the voice of a laid-back boy. "It's not like all of us here are super serious like you, Shujaku-senpai,"
"Yeah! Like what Aki says," Natsumi follows.
"Urgh, fine! Suit yourself!" Shujaku turns back to the projection of the outside world. "But let us be clear that I DO NOT see him a fitting guardian for the O-Miko. In fact, I find him suspicious,"
"So, have you understood everything?" asked Kagome, as she wiped the tear from Akatsuki's face.
"Er… Kinda…" the little boy muttered.
"I see," the O-Miko grins. "Say, Akatsuki, which monster did you register as your Buddy for the Festa? I take it, as one of the participants without a Buddy; you registered one for the duration of the Festa, yes?"
"Uh, yeah… I registered… Tsukikage,"
"Nin?" The chibified ninja reacted; pointing to himself.
"I see! Then, why don't we go stamp-hunting together?"
"Really!?" said a delighted Akatsuki.
Kagome nods. "Yes, and I'm sure your brother will be happy treat us lunch too, right, Zanya?"
"You know I don't have that much money, right?"
"Zanya!" a familiar voice then calls.
In response, the boy turns to the entrance. To his & his companions' surprise, Gao Mikado's standing by the door! And his family & Tasuku are with him too!
"Gao!" The spectacled boy quickly rushed over. "Oba-san! Hanako-chan! What brings you two here?"
"I'm competing," said the little girl, raising her phone with the Stamp Tracker app.
"Eh! Hanako, you too!"
"Oh! Akatsuki's here, too! What a coincidence!" Hanako's eyes soon shift to the other person approaching. "And er… who's this?" she asked.
"My humble name is Kagome Himiko, the O-Miko of the Shirushiboshi," She bowed. "It has been an honor to be your acquaintances,"
"Wait. O-Miko… You're that priestess!?" uttered Suzumi.
"Yes, I am. However, as of now, I am but a humble participant of the on-going festivities. As such, you may address me as just Kagome Himiko,"
And cautiously, the mother & daughter nods.
Tasuku soon walked forward. "As the high priestess of a cult, you sure don't mind mingling with the likes of us common folks,"
"The goal of Shirushiboshi is the betterment of mankind," said Kagome, in her O-Miko demeanor. "And what better exemplifies that betterment of the human nature than the abolishment of social status within the minds of man,"
"Really? Then, what about honesty? Have you exemplified that?"
Almost instantly, Kagome's smile vanished. She narrowed her eyes; her hostility's showing.
Zanya quickly stood between the two. "Wha- Zanya!?" The girl uttered.
"Erm, I think we should be going now, Oba-san. Kagome here is quite the impatient stamp-hunter, you see," he said. "If she can't get her hands on a stamp within 5 minutes, she would have a… erm… wet herself?"
"WHAT!?" Kagome snaps.
"Oh, er… Okay… I guess…?" said Gao's mother with an awkward smile.
"T-Thanks, oba-san!" The boy slowly turns around. "K-Kagome-"
"We. Will. Take this. Outside," With a malicious smile, she slams a heavy hand onto Zanya's shoulder. "Are we clear?"
"Y-Yes…" Zanya meeped.
"Apologies for the interruption but we will be on our way now," Kagome bowed. And then, with a hand gripping his head, Kagome soon dragged Zanya out the door.
As Akatsuki & Tsukikage soon followed the O-Miko out, everyone awkwardly watched on, wondering what just happened. Well, almost everybody.
"Tasuku," Jack's voice whispered from his deck. "Don't you think you're being a bit harsh?"
The blue-haired boy sighed. "Sorry, Jack… It's… something from the past…"
"The past, you say?"
"Woah, yo…" Tetsuya uttered as he walked down the streets. "It's as if we've gone back in time, yo,"
"Really? Isn't this place the same as the last one?" replied Noboru as he raised his head to the castle above their heads.
His attention soon turned to the crowd on the streets. It's just as Tetsuya says. Everything around him looks… ancient; more accurately, medieval.
The stalls, which crowded the streets, are all built with wood & cloth. Merchandises are all arranged neatly; either on the table or in tilted crates. Their attendants all wear attires from a combination of dirty jeans & shirt to the classic tunic, cloak & hood.
The tiger boy soon turned back to the paved road. Just in time, he saw a four-legged Legend World monster treading down the road with a person, who's presumably his Buddy but dressed into the role of a merchant with a carrier donkey.
Noboru held his chest & slightly gritted his teeth. What is this faint feeling...? Sadness? Nostalgia?
"Oi!" A voice called from behind. "What's wrong?" asked Asmodai.
"Oh, it's… nothing…" the boy answered.
"Kay, then. Just hurry up. You wouldn't want to keep them waiting, right?" The demon walked past the boy.
"Wasn't it you who keep Tetsuya waiting on numerous occasion? Where's that new dance choreography that you promised Tets about?"
"Hey! I've been busy-"
"A-Dawg! Noboru! What's the hold up?" Tetsuya's voice soon echoed from a distance.
The demon then shrugged. "Why don't we save this for later?"
"Save it for Tetsuya,"
"Kay, kay! Man, you sound like that Nico kid," And with an irritated face, the demon turned & walked away.
Noboru raised his head again. He briefly stared at the castle before lowering his head & sighed in relief. It seems the sour feeling in his chest had vanished… for now…
The entrance into the castle was used by many. Sometimes a group of monsters will come in & out; & sometimes humans of different origins.
The sight of such diversity has managed to awe young Kazane Fujimiya. After all, like most children, she had been in Japan all her life. Of course, the same can't be said to her cyan-haired guardian standing next to her.
"Oh, it seems they've arrived," said the young guardian.
"Really?" Kazane took off her hood. In a distance away, she soon saw them. "Noboru-kun! Tetsuya-kun!" The little girl waved to the two boys approaching.
"Kazane! Kiri! Long time no see, yo!" The boy waved back as he hurried over.
Kazane chuckled. "It wasn't that long, y'know,"
"Really? But you did move last week, didn't you?" the banana boy slowed his steps. "So how's your stepdad, yo?"
"Although a bit soft, he's a very nice guy,"
"I see. Well, at least, that should ease Count Dawn a bit," the young boy named Kiri soon walked forward. "By the way, where's-"
"Here!" A tired out Noboru soon arrived, slightly panting. "Geez. First, Arkaid & now…" "So… how's the investigation?"
"Not here, Noboru-kun," said Kiri.
Noboru turned to his two friends. It seems 'Curiosity' & 'Confusion' written on both of their faces. "Fine! So how's er… Ban Enma, is it?"
Kiri then let out an awkward smile. "Well… about the Fourth Omni Lord…"
"Spill it! You're a Crestbearer, aren't you?"
"I've told you I'm not!" a teenage boy desperately shouts. "And furthermore, what proof do you have that I'm this 'Crestbearer'!?"
"Aniki, I think he has point, kii," said the chibified dragon holding on to his bike-handle horns.
With a snicker, he soon let go of the collar & proceed to scratch his head in frustration.
Yet again, another individual was harassed & yet again, another fruitless interrogation. Ever since this morning, the Fourth Omni Lord has been on the hunt for suspect... aggressively!
Left & right, he interrogated every human that crossed the streets. It matters not if you're young or old; male or female, if he sees you as suspicious –which is, unfortunately, all the time-, you will be questioned with gangster-like intimidation.
"Y-You won't get away with this!" the teenage boy soon stood up. "I don't care if you're an Omni Lord. I'll report you to staff, just you see!"
"What did you say!?" uttered Ban.
"I said… F*** YOU!" And after showing his finger, the boy immediately dashed off.
"Gah! Come back here!"
BUDDY SKILL. ON! And a glyph wheel appeared in front of his bike-sized Core Gadget.
Responding to the system voice, the boy took a quick peek at what's behind him.
"Ba-Ba-Ban-BAN!" To his fright, Ban's bike zoomed past over his hair, causing the poor boy to fell.
"How dare to use that tone at aniki. Apologize, now, kii!" shouted Ban's dragon companion.
"Like hell!" The boy quickly got up & ran in the opposite direction.
"Hey, I told you to wait!"
Again, Ban Enma's bike overtook the boy. The boy is now furious. First, he randomly grabbed him by the collar & then, he has the nerves to chase him down! Just much worse his day must get until this so-called Omni Lord's satisfied.
Ban soon let out a sigh. His expression loosened up as once again scratched the back of his head. "Jeez. Can't I, at least, say 'sorry',"
The boy's eyes briefly widen. A 'sorry'!? This gangster-like guy, saying 'sorry'. The boy later furrowed his brows & opens his mouth.
"Do you really think a so-"
"GET OUT THE WAAAYYYY!"
And before the boy can finish his sentence, the heavy sound of drifting screeched the air. The involved & the crowd watching the ruckus soon curiously turned. And as they expected to a vehicle drifting down the streets, the noise abruptly ended with a loud crash hitting the Fourth Omni Fire Lord.
All eyes flew opened; jaws dropped or covered. It took the crowd 5 whole seconds before someone actually ran to get the staff. The rest… well… are either shocked or contemplating whether or not to go up to help.
The boy Ban just 'bullied' soon nervously stepped forward. He gulped & leaned his head forward. It seemed like a motorcycle…? A motorcycle rammed the guy? Well, it doesn't seem to be your common model, that's for sure.
The boy soon tilted his head to the rider's body… or corpse, just slightly to the right. The rider… Or maybe… corpse is lying on the floor, face-down. The rider also seems to be a… professional? The matching color of black & white on his bike, helmet & riding suit do say it is-
"GODAMMIT!"
"WAAAHHH!" The boy jerked back at the sight of the rider screaming.
With a frustrated gesture, the rider soon got up & took off his helmet, revealing a teenage face & a spiky blonde hair with a bang spiking out the right side of his head.
The rider angrily turned to his eyes to his fallen bike. His mouth immediately fell open.
"J-JEEETTTT!"
"Oh, for the skies' sake," a speck of light then came flying out from the Core Gadget-like component attached to the bike.
Wind soon swirled around it & before long, a small robot bird appeared in its place.
"Is there even an end to this yelling habit of yours, Wayne?" muttered the bird.
"Jet, I thought you had the emergency brakes covered!?"
"We were driving down an alley! If I can avoid the dead guy over there, I would already have done it!"
"Why… you…" grumbled Wayne as he balled his fist.
"DAAAMMMITTT!"
And as Wayne & Jet returned to the bike... Boom! Their eyes widened in horror.
The bike's now flying straight at them, in an almost toppling fashion!
Without a word, Jet quickly extends his wings. His eyes glowed. Buddy Skill. On! Suspension Mode! And almost instantaneously, rings began to appear around the bike. It halts & soon, Jet settled it down on the ground behind them.
Wayne hurried over. His eyes flew opened when he found a scorched dent on the side of his bike. Instinctively, he gritted his teeth & turned to guy responsible.
"Oi… The heck you did to my bike!?" The teen angrily shouts.
"Your bike? Aniki & his bike almost got crushed, ki!"
"Your bike?" Wayne's eyes soon slipped to the 'bike' a slightly battered Ban now carried on his back. Immediately, his eye twitched. "That? That's the bike?" He points to the 'bike'.
"What do mean that 'the bike', ki!? Are you making fun of us?"
"I-I don't think you should call something without a wheel a bike,"
"What do you mean 'no wheel', ki!? My Buddy Skill IS the wheel, ki!"
"That's the same thing, isn't it?"
"Enough!" Ban soon stepped in front of Ricky. "You can insult my bike but I won't have it if you insult my little brother,"
"Little brother?" Wayne briefly turns to the little dragon. His eyes soon closed before taking a step backward. "Heh, good times…" A grin appears on his face.
"Oi, Wayne," The teen's bike soon vroomed behind him. Jet's perched on one of the handles. "It's high time we go. Touma-san won't keep him there for long,"
"Kay!" he replied before turning back to Ban & Ricky. "Er… by the way, sorry for the crash! Hope you don't mind much so… er… See ya!"
"H-Hey, wait-"
And before Ban says anything, the boy grabbed the helmet hanging from one of the handles & soon, he rode off, cutting through the crowd.
Seeing the bike go, Ban soon grinned. "Huh… guess he's a nice guy, after all," the Omni Lord muttered.
Rules after rules after paragraphs & paragraphs of rules… And before long, the wait became near unbearable.
With a heavy sigh, Tetsuya placed his rulebook & chin on the table before him. His eyes soon wandered around the small, medieval conference room.
Shelves of books… medieval lamps & wall decorations… stone wall… yeah, the boy already saw them a few dozen times, including the creepy deer head ornament that's been staring at him from across the table.
Tetsuya's eyes then wandered around the table. On his right, he saw Kiri & Noboru, still occupied with the books.
"S-since we have a bit more time, why don't we go through the rules again, Noboru-kun-"
"NoooOOO-ho-ho…"
And to his left, Kazane & Touma.
"Okay, how about this line here?" Touma slides a book to Kazane. "Think you can do it?"
"Hmm… I'll try. Ahem… Dead? Me? Ehehe… Don't you mean yourself? Take them!"
Touma applauded. "Perfect! Your evil face is just like my little sister's!"
"Gee, thanks!" Kazane smiled. "Wait. You have a little sister?"
An awkward grin appeared on his face. "Y-Yeah… but she can be quite… the rascal," The teen then giggled.
Soon after that, the banana boy shifts his gaze once again. He looked over to the door. "Urgh… A-Dawg… Sensei… What's taking you two so long, yo…" A grumpy moan escaped his mouth.
It's been like what? 30 minutes? The last time he checked, it's already twelve. They've eaten lunch & gone over the whole rule sets- like three times now. Why, at the very least, has Asmodai not come back with their boombox yet?
Then, bang!
"I'm shutting the door now!"
"Woah, wait!"
And as the door was about to slam shut, a certain hooded demon leaped through the door.
BANG! Touma stood up. "Hey! There are fragile decorations here!"
"Sorry, aniki. Got some fangirls on my tail so-"
"SENSEI!" His little protégé jumped at Nico with opened arms.
"Nah-Ah!" Nico's hand intercepts Tetsuya's head. "Do watch the coffee. And by the by, where's your mummy skin go?"
"Took it off. Already fine. And where on earth did you two go, yo? I almost bored to death!"
"Our boombox?"
"Caffeine," And the boy's mentor proceeds to gulp down a mouthful.
Seeing Nico's cup, Touma soon raised a curious brow. "Say, mind treating your dear aniki to some of that coffee?"
"Nope! Unless we are related by blood," the brown-haired teen replies.
Ding. Dong. Dang.
"Attention, Room 07," said a disinterested voice over the speakers. "The Dungeon Room is already prep for your er… nerdy needs… or something like that…"
"Well. Guess that's our cue," said Touma. "Everyone ready?"
"Noooo…" mumbled a near catatonic Noboru. "I didn't get to study-"
"Kitten Shirt!" Nico happily blurted.
"IT'S A TIGER!" The boy immediately snaps back. "Wait- what? What time is it?"
"N-Noboru-kun, we're about to head down now,"
"Down?" said the confused boy, raising a brow.
"Nico-SAMAAA… Where. Are. YOOOUUU?" A bold yell echoed the castle halls.
One by one, curious eyes soon turned to the noise, only to find a teenage girl; bespectacled & dark purple haired. Her attire is comprised of a simple blouse; skirt with shorts underneath; and a pink traditional jacket. The word "NICO-SAMA!" can be seen on the back of the jacket.
The girl let out a sigh. Ignoring the gaze fixated on her, she soon jogged forward, continuing her search. "Nico-sama…" she softly whispers.
Before long, a certain ring tone went off. The girl quickly took out her phone & answered. "Hello?"
"Carly! I saw your Nico guy going down to the Dungeon Room-"
"WHAT!? A D-D-D-D-Dungeon…?"
"NO! Not kind of dungeon!" a female voice yells from the phone. "Now, get your fujoshi a** down here- or else!" The call then ended.
With a stoic face, Carly soon puts her phone back into her pocket. Her stoic face shortly melted afterward.
"Finally…" said the girl, smiling with relief… before frowning with determination.
"Alright, soldiers, assem-bell!" Two claps.
And almost immediately, the children gathered before Nicholas; all dressed in steampunk-ish costumes, similar to the ones Nico's currently wearing.
Noboru then looked around. "Erm… can someone turn on the lights already? It's really dim here!" he called to the darkness.
Light soon burst up from the floor beneath, surprising the two blonde boys.
"GYAAHH!"
"NAAHH!" Noboru & Tetsuya yelped.
Kazane giggled. "Don't worry. It's just the Dungeon Room starting up," said the girl.
The tiger boy soon turned his head. Despite the dimness, the boy had managed to make up rows & rows of… seats? Audience seats? And there's one particular… box on one end of this indoor stadium-esque room… a commentator booth, maybe?"
A few static soon came from the speakers. "Ahem. Testing, testing, do you hear me?" said the hidden speakers.
"Loud & clear, aniki!" Nico speaks into his earpiece. "You can start making the stage now. The audience won't wait for much longer,"
"You do know there are like 20 people here only, right?"
"I do not care!" replied the teen with raised arms & an excited voice.
"Hehe. Well, at least, you're pumped. Initiating stage construction!"
Ka-chunk! And almost immediately, rays & rays of blue simultaneously beamed down.
"Er, is that-"
The beam hit the floor.
"Ghh!"
"GYAAH-" The boys yelped again & in response, yet another pair of small giggles from Kazane & Nico.
Asmodai soon came out. "You alright, Tets?" he asked the boy sitting on the floor.
"Kinda,"
"Okay… The stage will be a 'Town'. Layout 12B," Touma murmured.
And soon enough, the beams started moving. They circled around the group, like a menacing lightshow but a few seconds, they stopped & quickly vanished.
Structure then began to rise from the floor. Rows & rows of city houses & shops; some steam-punkish carriages; & even, a stone-paved road decorated with streetlights soon began to form.
The kids were awed, even Kazane! Nico, on the other hand, walked forward for a closer look. "Oooo… so setting's now a city, eh?"
A wallpapered wall soon rose to obstruct his view. Tables & chairs also began to rose up around their vicinity, causing the kids to move away while admiring the process.
"Dang, son," muttered Tetsuya before bumping his back to what he soon perceived to be a bar stand.
It didn't take long. And before they know it, a ceiling finally forms above their head, enclosing them in a soon-to-be inn-like building. The wooden floor panel soon surfaced to add to the final touch.
"Aaanndd, there! Construction finished!" said Touma. "You guys ready?"
"Wait- We're going start now!" Noboru then uttered.
"Yes, and don't worry, Noboru-kun. I already got a tutorial round for you,"
"As expected from aniki! Always considerate & kind! Hail the second coming of Matthew Mercer!"
"Flattering but no, you will never get any bonuses from me,"
"I'll buy that eroge that you want-"
"I shall repeat. You will NEVER get any bonuses from me, Nicholas! Not in a million years!" the speakers boomed. "Plus, the last time you buy me an eroge, you bought me frickin' YURI!"
"Ah, come on, can you really blame me? Your little sister's a fujoshi with the same perversity stats as you,"
A brief silence then struck. "Okkaaayyy… that is… new… I'll just pretend I never heard that & er, let's… get going…,"
"Ooowww… Tetsuya, your mentor's… kinda savage," said Noboru.
"Well, he is part internet troll so… yeah,"
"A troll? Trust me, kids, Nico ain't the troll-iest," The speakers then replied. "But enough with that, let's jump into the background story -which I woefully forgot to narrate before setting up the field! Ahem!"
Silence soon set in for a second before a near-silent sound was appearing, signaling a breath ready for reading.
Touma, from his GM booth, soon opened his mouth.
You are revolutionaries, proud & ever determined. Your home was once a prosperous beacon of freedom but no more.
With their gargantuan army & war machines, the Empire of Sulfuneer had taken it all! Food once served in bowls & dishes of plenty are now scarce to you. What amount of wealth you've culminated in your life had now lost their use. And the worst of all, your family & friends; young & old; rich & poor; are now stripped of their rights & forced to work as either slave labor or slave soldier.
But fortunately for you, the revolution found you. They freed you from your bounds & the threats the Empire had used to keep you obedient. And now, it's time for you to repay them.
You & your comrades are of a small team of many; sent back into your broken country to spy & sabotage. Recently, one of your comrades have died & you suspect the Empire is on your tail. You must leave & take all the intelligence you have gathered about the Empire of Sulfaneer back to headquarters. Should you fail, you will certainly die & possibly compromise the revolution to take back the Kingdom of Topaz. May the glow of the orange sun guide you. Viva la revolución!
"Viva la revolución!"
"VIVA LA REVOLUCIÓN!" said Kazane & Drama King Nico respectively, saluting with a right fist above the heart.
"Er… v-viva la revolución?" Tetsuya then salutes before looking towards Noboru, who points to himself.
Everyone soon turned to him, especially Nico, who soon gave him the 'you no salute, you die' stare.
The tiger frowned. "Aw, come on, do you expect me to-"
"Viva revolución!" A patriotic Asmodai appears.
"Viva la RrrrEVOLUCIÓN!" A drama king Lewis appears.
Noboru's still frowning. "Yeah, right as if-"
"Viva la revolución?"
"Wha- El Quixote!?" uttered the tiger boy; noticing his Buddy appearing & saluting.
"Oh come on, boy. You'll break the immersion," said the old knight.
"Come on! Viva la revolución!" a voice soon raised from the crowd.
The boy then grits his teeth. "F-Fine! F-For the resurrection of Kingdom of er-"
"Topaz," said El Quixote.
"For the Kingdom of Topaz! V-VIVA LA REVOLUCIÓN!" And the boy salutes.
What little people on audience soon gave their applause to the boy holding his form.
Touma let out a small puff of laughter. "Very patriotic. But let's not delay. First things first. Veterans agents/players, take positions,"
And immediately on a nearby table, a box of medicine appears, along with a bowl of water & a towel. Nico immediately sat down near the table. His long left sleeve unrolled to reveal a portion of his arm painted in purple paint.
"Urrghhh… I'm dyying~" he moaned dramatically, causing everyone giggle.
"Oh my god, that's hilariously cringy," said Touma before Nico moans again.
Kazane soon walked up & took a few bandages. Her grin widens & in turn, Nico, too, widens his.
…only to viciously slap on the face! "AHH!"
"Ah, what, ah? Now, stay still & take your medicine like a MAN!" Kazane bellowed, shocking the two other boys. Two more slaps to the teen & the girl then took out a soaked scrub. "Now, stay still like the good captain!"
"W-Wait, captain!? Since when am I-DYAAAHHHHH!"
The two boys & the monsters quietly backed away. And after a small giggle over from the speakers, Touma soon speaks again.
"All of you are revolutionaries; two veteran agents & two newly joined. The inn you are currently in, the Crowbar Inn, has been your base of operations… until now," he says. "Okay, then, let's start the tutorial round, shall we?"
[TURN ONE] [Player Phase]
[[Kazane] Life: 10; Gauge: 0+2; Hand: 5]
[[Noboru] Life: 10; Gauge: 0+2; Hand: 5]
[[Tetsuya] Life: 10; Gauge: 0+2; Hand: 5]
[[Nico] Life: 10; Gauge: 0+2; Hand: 5]
"Tetsuya-kun? Noboru-kun? The 'veterans' & I will now run you down with the basics. The rules are simple. It's like-"
"The board game of Mansion of Madness Second Edition giving birth to grotesque baby-"
"KAZANE!" And Nico started screaming again. "Okay, the rules are like your normal D&D. All of you will take turns telling me what you want to do & I'll confirm & re-examined your decision. However, you can't do anything & everything; & for each action, I'll be taking a resource from you called 'Action'. Caught up?"
"Uhh…" Noboru & Tetsuya looked up, confused.
Touma let out a smile. "I see. Kazane, take the first turn. Show them how to move & interact,"
"Aye, aye, sir," And the girl left a 'red' Nico lying on the ground. She then approached the boys. "Okay, guys. Here's what you do at the start of every turn,"
The ball-shaped core gadget soon appeared beside her.
"First up, the usual- you draw; charge & draw,"
[[Kazane] Gauge: 0+2; Hand: 5] - [Gauge: 0+3; Hand: 6]
The gauge cards soon stacked, forming a one-sided cape down from her right shoulder.
The boys then widened their eyes; at awe of the new aesthetic.
Kazane grins. "Then, we will perform a 'Player Refresh',"
"Player Refresh? You going to take a bath?" asked Tetsuya.
"Er, no. To 'refresh' yourself, you will put the top 3 cards of your deck. Face-up. Into your gauge," Three glowing red cards were added.
[[Kazane] Gauge: 0+3] - [Gauge: 3+3]
"These face-up or red gauge are called 'Action'. You spend them to either move of interact with stuff during your Main Phase,"
"So we can only move & interact with stuff three times per turn?" asked Noboru.
"Exactly," the girl nodded. "Also, a fun fact: You can also use Actions to substitute for gauge,"
"That's good to hear so… how do we move & interact again?"
"Oh, that. Well, interacting with the environment is very simple. Just tell Touma-san what do you find suspicious & he'll point out objects of interest,"
"I see. And moving?"
"Well, for starters, you can freely move in the room or area you are in but… to leave & enter another area, like outside the inn, you have to spend one Action,"
"So we can only move into one area at a time?" asked Tetsuya.
"Er, no. It's up to two areas per Move action so you really have to think before you move. And there's also-,"
"Oh! That's quite enough, Kazane! I'll take it from here!" Touma's voice soon interrupts.
"Oh, okay. Then… can I go upstairs?" she then asked.
"Sure. That'll be 3 Actions for if you're heading towards the first guest room,"
"Ahem. I… think we've left some rations up in the guest rooms. I'll go get them. Be right back," And after a little wave, agent Kazane soon ran off; crossing a thin holographic line between 'lounge' & 'the stairs'.
[[Kazane] Gauge: 3+3] - [Gauge: 0+3]
"Okay. Now, that 'agent' Kazane had taken her turn. 'Agent' Noboru, would you like to go next?"
"Fine by me!" The boy just shrugged.
"Just to let you know that there's a small journal on the bar stand & some documents on the other side of the lounge. Good luck, agent!"
"Draw. Charge & Draw. Refresh Player!"
[[Noboru] Gauge: 0+2; Hand: 5] - [Gauge: 3+3; Hand: 6]
"Okay… let's see what we have here…" The boy then walked over to the journal.
In the meantime, Nico heaved himself back into his seat. Tetsuya joined him shortly in his own chair.
"Hey, aniki. So we're called agents now?" Nico asked his earpiece.
"Well, you guys ARE spies, after all," The earpiece replied.
"You sure you didn't forget to ask for character names?"
"Oh, come on, Nico! You know, it's a bad habit of mine when I'm teaching newbies D&D, right?"
"Yeah, sure..." And after that sarcastic tease, Nico let out a grin.
His protégé soon leaned in. "Er… so sensei, you played this D&D game?"
"Yep, since we were little. We have both short & long campaigns altogether. Fun times!" His eyes slowly close. "Fun time, indeed," he whispered briefly.
"Come on, Tets, you know you want to,"
"Gah! A-Dawg!?" the boy replied to the demon sitting in his deck.
"Oh? You interested in D&D?" asked Nico.
"W-Well, it's just I erm…" And the boy started fidgeting in his chair.
Seeing the boy, Nico's smile renewed. With one hand, he patted Tetsuya on the head.
"Just give your answer when you're de-nervous'ed, kay?" The teen then winks.
[[Noboru] Gauge: 3+3] - [Gauge: 2+3]
Panicking flipping through the pages, Noboru's eyes soon turned into a spiral of confusion. "Er... Erm… What on earth is?"
"Noboru-kun?"
"T-Touma-san!" The boy turned to the speakers. "I-I can't read all of this! There's too many-"
"Erm… there a huge bookmark on that journal, y'know,"
"Eh?" The boy then turned back & looked. Embarrassment ensued. "O-Oh…"
And slowly & with shame weighing on his head, he sunk back into the book & opened the bookmarked page. One folded newspaper scraps were seen clipped onto one of the pages. The boy unfolds it.
The first contains a title in huge letters. Comrade Nicotine & Wind Taken Back Trade Harbour!
Ni…cotine… Noboru immediately turns to the teen. His eyes beamed at him suspiciously & his finger pointing to the article in front of him.
"This you?"
"Ah, Nicotine. Oh, what a hero my old friend has become," muttered agent Nico. "A pity I never had a chance before to give a toast of… beer,"
"Wha… isn't THIS your character you?"
"Oh, that is Nico playing, alright," the speakers spoke again. "However, it is different character than the one Nico's currently playing as right now,"
"Huh? Don't D&D keep characters throughout a long campaign? Or are you saying this isn't a long one?"
"Yes & No," Touma answered. The 'Topaz Revolution' Campaign is a series of small campaigns, detailing the struggles of each & every revolutionary throughout their struggles. Each small campaign focuses on different groups of revolutionaries,"
"Viva la revolución!" Nico yapped.
"S-So that's why most of the characters you create for this entire campaign are going to be one-offs," Touma continued, struggling to not beat someone up. "Aaanndd there's also the part of this being in the Festa. Nobody's going to be stupid enough to miss all of the Festa stuff just to complete the campaign so there! Any more questions?"
Agent Nico raised his hand. "Is it me or did hear a voice in my head?"
"OH, I wish I can put a bounty on your head, Nico," the speakers grumbled.
"S-Suit yourself …?" The tiger boy soon moved to the other end of the lounge.
[[Noboru] Gauge: 2+3] - [Gauge: 1+3]
Next to a suitcase on a table to his right, he soon found the documents peeking out of a folder. The boy moved to pick it up. And it appears the folder has the word 'Dispose' marked on it.
"H-Hey, Touma-san, which of these papers are the important one?"
"Oh, the very front one. You can spend one Action to check it out,"
"Okay, then…" the boy then took out the first page. It appears that the contents are hand written.
[[Noboru] Gauge: 1+3] - [Gauge: 0+3]
"Evac will arrive in a manner of two days. Just wait for a small boat near the shores of Bayside Coves. Remember. A green signal flare means it's clear..." he read near silently. "Huh... so we've already booked a get-away ticket..."
"Noboru, you done, yet?" Tetsuya soon called.
"Y-yeah!" And the boy hastily replied; unknowingly cramping the paper into his pocket.
"Draw! Charge & Draw! And Refresh Player, yo!"
[[Tetsuya] Gauge: 0+2; Hand: 5] - [Gauge: 3+3; Hand: 6]
Nico soon walked to the boy. "Remember, Tets, you're a COMPROMISED secret agent. You know what that means, right?"
"Yes, sensei! Whatever that means!" And almost immediately, the kid just dashed out the door, leaving behind an utterly stunned Nico & the speaker giggling to the teen's reaction.
[[Tetsuya] Gauge: 3+3] - [Gauge: 2+3]
"W-Well… that's insulting," The emotionally drained Nico commented.
"Woah! Are those actual airships?" said Tetsuya's voice spoke out from the nearby window.
"Just to let you know, you can't venture into the town," The speakers replied.
"Aaaawww..."
"Hey, Tets, there's an alleyway over there!"
"Really, A-Dawg? Is there a mugger there?"
[[Tetsuya] Gauge: 2+3] - [Gauge: 0+3]
And the sound of running feet soon echoed away before fading.
Noboru, seeing the opportunity, moved in a bit closer. "Seems like your protégé has ditched you," the boy teased.
"Indeed. I have been… 'ditched'," Nico charges & draws. "That is rude & the child needs re-educating. I shall go fetch for a spatula,"
[[Tetsuya] Gauge: 0+2; Hand: 5] - [Gauge: 3+3; Hand: 6]
And with the stereotypical British behavior, Nico walks to the kitchen; shortly peeking out from a corner soon afterward. "Go tell the brat to get his butt ready,"
[[Tetsuya] Gauge: 3+3] - [Gauge: 0+3]
And the teen left… presumably with his turn.
"Riiight…" muttered Noboru. "Tetsuya's mentor… is weird,"
"Noboru-kun, Tetsuya-kun, you there?" asked Touma.
"Ah! H-here?" The boy raised a hand.
"Good. Don't doze off now cause we're entering the Crisis Phase,"
"Wait- the Crisis…?"
BWEEEEP… BWEEEEP… BWEEP.
The alarmed boy looked around. "Wha- What's happening?"
"The Crisis Phase. It's the phase where bad things happen to the player characters & the enemy units make their move. Any bells struck?"
"Oh… T-That… I… never got the gist of it,"
"Then, as usual, I'll run you down," Touma reassures. "First, the Crisis, it's the bad things that happen to players & since you understood this phase the least, why don't we put the Crisis on you?"
"WHAT!?"
"Go check the top card of your deck & tell me whether it's a monster, spell, etcetera. After that, discard it,"
"Er…" The boy draws & looks at the card. "Protection of Shalsana!"
"Oooo… That's horrible,"
"Horrible? W-What do you mean horrible-" And before Noboru can finish, the lounge went 'BOOOMM!'
[[Noboru] Life: 10] - [Life: 9]
"Ahaha… Guess N-Noboru got the bad end of the stick," muttered Kiri.
Several armored monster staffs soon appeared outside of the lounge, grouping up as soldiers in front of the blast radius of the cannon fire, readying for a fight.
The lounge's debris dematerialized & the boy soon got up. The speakers then boomed with the voice of the GM, guiding the poor tiger boy through combat.
Kiri kept his smile as he watched the game unfolds before his eyes. Now, come to think of it, one can actually draw a parallel between this game session with a training session of a sports team.
"Dragon Gard!"
"GAAHH!" One soldier felled.
Slowly, Kiri's smile slipped. His eyes had wandered off to the boy's 'bandaged' arm & worry soon struck.
"Noboru-kun…" The Third Omni Lord furrows his brows.
[TURN TWO] [Player Phase]
[[Kazane] Life: 10; Gauge: 0+3; Hand: 7]
[[Noboru] Life: 6; Gauge: 0+2; Hand: 5]
[[Tetsuya] Life: 10; Gauge: 3+4; Hand: 7]
[[Nico] Life: 10; Gauge: 0+3; Hand: 6]
"Roy!" The knight soon appears, dashing out of a flash.
"No hard feelings!" And a slash & another soldier fell. The knight vanishes into glowing particles soon afterward.
Noboru furrows his brows. "Dammit," he muttered.
Battles had been smooth & the boy's getting the hang of it! However, the boy doubted it'll be long. Over the horizon -or game 'arena', the boy spotted a gathering army of soldiers. Touma said that they were 'untargetable'.
"Oh… crap!" the boy realized his mistake.
He's out of 'Action' points! And his gut's been screaming at him since Turn Two started. Oh, he should have kept track... He should've 'Evade' to the nearby alleyway, though that would cost him almost his entire hand cards but whatever! He's in this now & he's going deal with it! Hope the others could-
"Noboru!"
"T-Tetsuya!?"
The banana boy rushed in. "Viva la revolución!" And he rammed into his Buddy. "Ow! What's the big deal, Asmodai!?"
The demon then leaned down. "Do you even remember how the combat works?"
"Er, you have to spend a point to actually attack someone-"
"Woops, time's up!" Asmodai immediately retreats. "Hey, Touma, mind teaching my idiot Buddy here?"
"Sure, why not?"
"Sweet, man!" And he disappears, leaving Tetsuya irritated.
"Geez! Enough with the trolling!"
[[Tetsuya] Gauge: 3+4] - [Gauge: 2+4]
[[Tetsuya] Life: 10; Gauge: 2+4; Hand: 7] VS [[Dance Magician, Albrecht] Life: 4; Gauge: 3; Hand: 4]
"So, Tets, you need my help?"
"No need, Touma-san!" He then reached for one card in his hand. "Call!" The card was placed face-down.
"Call," With a smirk, the soldier follows. "You sure want to attack me with that?"
"Oh! So that card's actually you? Okay, then!" The boy switched cards, exchanging the one in his hand & the one already place.
Albrecht was alerted. The combat's a simple card comparison battle; attacking monster has higher attack, he or she wins. The loser will suffer a [Penetrate] damage, which all monsters now have under the alteration to battle.
Many of the must-have [72 Pillars] monsters have high Power… He is already in the shoes of an easy-to-kill mob with his disadvantageous starting Life… However…
"You sure you want to exchange? You can only it once, y'know,"
"No problem!"
"Very well, then. Show me what you've got!" And the two revealed their face-down cards.
[[Sky Poet, Amon] Power: 6000, Critical: 3, Defense 1000] [[Dance Magician, Albrecht] Power: 4000, Critical: 2, Defense: 6000]
Tetsuya won. And immediately, the demon in ancient Egyptian outfit dashed out & lashed forward at the magician, disintegrating the guardian & hitting the fighter.
"GHH!" Three damage dealt. Albrecht was pushed back.
Tetsuya then high-fived Amon, as the monster disappears into light soon after.
"Oi, don't celebrate yet!" Noboru called out as Albrecht got up & dusts himself up.
The magician's eyes & smile soon met with his ally. "I'll leave it up to you," and his ally nodded.
"Oh, no you don't! I now spent one Action!" One card vanishes from Tetsuya's cape. Albrecht let out a disappointed smile. "FINAL PHASE!"
"Wait- What!?" The magician's eyes soon burst opened.
"I pay three gauge & since cards in my hand are regarded as on the field, I can cast this card!" A ball of dark energy soon rose up into the air! Tetsuya leaped up. "Diabolical… HARDCORE!"
One single kick! And almost instantly, a dark explosion hit the ground. The two soldiers were out!
With his gaze turning melancholy, a smile soon appeared on his face as he watched his protégé up from a window above.
"hwoo," Nico whistles. "Guess you weren't joking, after all, Tetsuya. I think it's about time I step up my… teaching game…?"
"Well, duh," Lewis then appears. "In fact, you should have done it a LONG time ago, like the second or third day after he begged you into accepting him,"
"True," The teen turns around; a hand on his chin. "Now, let's see. Since he already knew the basics… why don't I teach him something… different… like er…"
"Nico, it's your turn!"
"And there goes my thought process. Thanks a lot, aniki!"
"Oooo… Already thinking like a real mentor, eh?"
"Shut up, talking earpiece!"
Touma then giggled. "Just to remind that there are a total of three curios in that guest room you're in. Happy investigating,"
"Sure~" The teen stepped forward. "Now, let's see here…" He looked around.
Touma had pointed out three points of interest. First is the bed; simple & wooden. Next is the desk; sitting at the corner with a small lamp on it. Lastly, the green carpet by his feet.
[[Nico] Gauge: 3+4] - [Gauge: 2+4]
Nico crouches down. His hand began scurrying under the rug in search of something. "According to last night's 'prize', it should be riiight… here!"
From a secret compartment on the floor, he soon found it. A flare gun; its entirety is colored in a gold hint.
Touma's voice soon narrates into his ear. "This is a flare gun commonly used by the Empire. It's empty & seemed recently used-"
"By Touma Akiyama to murder Gintoki Sakata in his sleep & take his place as the main protag of Gin-"
"KAZANEEE!"
The door then flew open. "Ahem. You knew too much. Prepare to die," said the young actress.
"Awww. How cute. How many Life did you have-"
[[Nico] Life: 10; Gauge: 2+4; Hand: 7] VS [[Double Agent Kazane] Life: 20; Gauge: 5; Hand: 8]
"Aniki,"
"Yes?"
"This game is broken,"
"Diabolical HARDCORE!" Again, Tetsuya nukes the field, downing the next wave of enemies. "Okay, that's the last one, right?"
"Don't think so. A lot of them are still outside of the game area," The boy's eyes soon turned to the menacing eyes gathered beyond the arena, eager to march in & prey. "This is bad. If this keeps up, we'll get KO'ed before anything else happens!"
"SENSEI!"
BWEEEEP… BWEEEEP… BWEEP.
[TURN FOUR] [Crisis Phase]
[[Noboru] Life: 4; Gauge: 0+3; Hand: 4]
[[Tetsuya] Life: 5; Gauge: 0+3; Hand: 2]
"Great. Now, another wave. Why haven't we ran away again? All we have to do is to pay 1 gauge & discard one card, right?"
Tetsuya immediately jolted. "Wait, you can run away?"
"YOU DON'T KNOW!?" Noboru shouts. "No wonder, you didn't save your hand card & run away- You forget!"
"Hey! You have the same problem too, y'know,"
"Urgh. Touche',"
"Okay, boys. Here's what happen during this Crisis Phase," the speaker soon spoke. "Your endurance has paid off. The moment you saw the green smoke flare being shot across the sky, your morale soared. Gain 2 Life & draw one card each!"
[[Noboru] Life: 4; Hand: 4] - [Life: 6; Hand: 5]
[[Tetsuya] Life: 5; Hand: 2] - [Life: 7; Hand: 3]
"Woah, really?"
"Sweet, yo!"
"Noboru! Tetsuya!" Kazane's voice soon came from a window above. "Evac's here! Get to the pier!" The girl soon retreated back.
"So, does this means no new enemies?" asked Noboru.
"The app says nothing," replied Touma. "And since there are no monsters… congrats, you two made it!"
"Yeah! Viva la revolución!" Tetsuya cheered.
"We're not done yet, stupid! We still have to get to the pier-" Something soon clicked inside Noboru. "Wait… pier?"
[TURN FIVE] [Player Phase]
[[Noboru] Life: 6; Gauge: 0+3; Hand: 5]
[[Tetsuya] Life: 7; Gauge: 0+3; Hand: 3]
"It's your turn, Noboru," the speakers remind.
"Eh, yeah! Draw! Charge & Draw! Refresh Player!"
[[Noboru] Life: 6; Gauge: 0+3; Hand: 5] - [Life: 6; Gauge: 3+4; Hand: 6]
"The pier is at the end of the alleyway to your right,"
"Kay," And following the instructions, the boy soon sprinted off.
[[Noboru] Gauge: 3+4] - [Gauge: 1+4]
It didn't take long. The concrete & litter-filled ground was soon replaced with the floor of a small wooden pier. And parking right next to it is a steampunk-ish boat.
"So… this is our evac?"
"That's right!" Kazane appeared, huffing on tired legs. "Come on, let's get on! Just up those stairs & we win!"
"Ah! Wait for me!" Tetsuya soon arrived. "Kazane! So we just have to-"
"Yep!"
Noboru's brow then instinctively rose.
"Then, what are we waiting for-"
"Wait up, Tetsuya!" Noboru stops the boy. "Where's your sensei?"
"Oh, he's still upstairs," said Kazane. "But he doesn't need to be here for us to win!"
"That's… kind of against how the revolutionary treats their own… is it?" Noboru then asks.
"What do mean, Noboru-kun? We made that up! Nobody knows how the revolutionary treats their own," Kazane answers.
"True… but isn't this boat… supposed to be elsewhere?" he asked again; eyes narrowing.
"Oh! It rushed here after I used a radio upstairs," she answers again; smiling with her eyes closed.
"Then… mind if I see the crew?" Noboru's brows soon furrowed, stepping in front of Tetsuya.
"L-Look, why all the questions? We just have to-"
"Remember a green signal flare means everything's clear… You used a smoke signal, right?" No response. "That's awful a lot of mistakes from both sides when extracting covert operatives, don't you think?" Again, no response. "Kazane, either we see the crew or else…"
Silence soon struck. Tetsuya, confused, soon walked in between the two.
"N-Now, now, why don't we-"
"Ahahahaha!" Out from the girl's mouth, a malicious laughter. "Those revolutionary scumbags are lucky to pick you up, Noboru... Too bad for you, you will not be serving them for long,"
BWEEEEP… BWEEEEP… BWEEP.
[TURN FOUR] [Crisis Phase]
[[Noboru] Life: 6; Gauge: 0+4; Hand: 6]
[[Tetsuya] Life: 7; Gauge: 0+4; Hand: 4]
"What on earth-"
"KAZANEE!"
Right on cue, a group of soldier soon leaped down from the boat, eventually surrounding the two boys. Kazane, in her evil persona, soon stepped forward.
"It is a shame that you aren't conscript into the army- I know! I'll personally re-educate you myself, Noboru!"
"K-Kazane, what is this, yo!?"
"She betrayed us, Tetsuya! That's what this is!"
"Betray? Oh no, you're mistaken," said the gleeful traitor. "You see, I'm a double agent & almost all covert teams I've been assigned are eventually caught by the Empire. And yours will be too! Get them!"
And with an unwavering voice, she commanded the soldier to attack!
"Wo-OW! Is that Kazane girl the daughter of an actress of something?"
Touma giggled. "No, Nico. She's not,"
The teen then leaned his head to the tablet set on the table. On it, an app is running. Seems like one of those companion apps for board games nowadays.
"Say, you use this to moderate everything?" Touma nodded; chunking a bottle of water. "Eh… no wonder you're not as GM-mie, as usual,"
"Really? Just how GM-mie am I during the old days?" the older then asked.
"Let's just say you're a master modifier & balancer. That's all," The boy soon turned his eyes to the other monitors in the booth. "You sure they have a death wish or something?"
"Well, of course, if the cheater here's still in the game,"
"Hey, don't blame me; blame the gods. T'was them who delivered unto me the offer,"
"Aren't you an atheist?"
"Yes, I am but I lack a**holishness," Nico then grabbed a new bottle from the table. "Now, then… let's see how well they fare in this 'Bad Ending' Route?"
[TURN FIVE] [Crisis Phase]
[[Noboru] Life: 4; Gauge: 0+2; Hand: 4]
[[Tetsuya] Life: 2; Gauge: 0+2; Hand: 0]
"Blade Wing Phoenix! Finish Tetsuya!" Kazane ordered.
"Oh, dang it!"
Kazane's avian Buddy soared, spreading out its construct-like wings to the grey clouds above. Its shadows loomed over Agent Tetsuya!
"Raptor Blade!" Like carpet bombing, green blades rained down.
"Tetsuya!" Noboru called out.
The boy can still help! He still have one card that-
"No need!" Tetsuya shouts. He then raised his fist. "Viva la revolución!" And proudly… he soon fell.
[[Tetsuya] Life: 2] - [Life: 0]
"GAAAHHH!"
Skewered & impaled, Agent Tetsuya's body collapsed to the ground.
Noboru gritted his teeth. "Viva la revolución…" he mutters in salutation.
"Die! Topaz rats!" a monster lashed at him.
"Divine Protection of Shalsana!" Blocked; one Life regained.
[[Noboru] Life: 4] - [Life: 5]
"Glory to the Empire!"
"GAAAH!" The next one then hits, tossing the boy to the wooden ground.
[[Noboru] Life: 5] - [Life: 2]
The double agent, Kazane, grinned. Seeing her enemy in the dirt, she stepped forward. "What's wrong, scum? Out of breathe? Want to give up?" Noboru, while shaking, briefly raised his face up. "Ehehe. You are strong. You would make a great addition to the Empire's conscriptions- after we break you, of course,"
Thunder roared. A downpour then falls soon on his back.
[TURN SIX] [Player Phase]
[[Noboru] Life: 2; Gauge: 0+1; Hand: 3]
"Break? Girl… you are horribly mistaken..." Slowly, the boy stood up. "The one who'll be breaking is not me… It's you!"
One quick look & in an instant, everyone stepped back.
Kiri's eyes widen. "N-Noboru-kun?" He saw his eyes. Noboru's eyes… T-They're red!
"Draw! Charge & Draw!" He smirked. "Refresh Player!"
[[Noboru] Life: 2; Gauge: 0+1; Hand: 3] - [Life: 2; Gauge: 3+2; Hand: 4]
"Ready, Kazane?" A faint cloak of red envelops him.
"N-Noboru-kun?"
"I pay one Action to enter Battle Phase! And another Action to enter Final Phase!"
[[Noboru] Gauge: 3+2] - [Gauge: 1+2]
"W-What!?"
"I now pay 3 gauge & CAST!" Two flaming figure soon rose behind him. "Full Strash Formation!" The flame soon unveils, revealing two red knights of the same face.
"Purge Knight, Vlad Dracula!?"
"Indeed & with their ability, they each get one Critical for each different [Knight] in my drop zone! Therefore, that's 8 Critical for both!" An intimidating aura soon erupts from the two. Kazane took one more step backward. "And in this game, monsters in your hand can also be regarded as on the field & with Full Strash Formation, I can attack with them both!"
"T-That's overly reckless! I might have a [Counter] spell, y'know!"
"Then, cast it! That is, of course, if you didn't shave off most of your defensive spells during your fight with Tetsuya's mentor!"
"GHH!" Kazane jolted. Her eyes immediately turned to her hand cards.
One Quiescence of Cassiade… Divine Protection of Shalsanas… are all but expended. Her battle with Nico & Tetsuya have taken a toll on her deck! And thanks to the teen, her formerly glorious 20 Life is now…
[[Double Agent Kazane] Life: 6; Gauge: 1; Hand: 3]
"Mhm..." The girl pursed her lips. She then raised her head up. "No guard!"
"Good," With one finger, Noboru commanded the knights to soar. "With my last breath, decimate them all! Gloria Blood… PURGE!"
Almost immediately, the two swords slashed forth. Soon, a tempest of blood-red energy came crashing down, devastating all as the soldier after soldier were ripped from the ground. No one was left behind.
Later, as the storm subsided, a groaning Kazane soon looked up from her place on the floor. Her eyes soon spotted a hand.
It's Noboru. "You okay?" The boy asked, as the red glow in his eyes fades.
"Uh… Yeah!" She then took it with a smile.
"Ahem. Try as you might your comrades & you- On second thought, screw this app!" said Touma via the speakers.
As the storm subsides, the revolutionaries & soldiers of the Empire came to find the pier in ruins. The soldiers frantically searched the scene, desperate for some non-existent results to present for their ever-so-impatient superior. And as they scurry & salvage, the allies once came for you soon sailed away, holding what remains of you while saluting to your name. Viva la revolución. You have fought valiantly, comrades. Rest in peace.
And the curtain soon falls on this one tale of a revolution. The stage soon returned into light particles & as they do, the small audience- one by one- they applauded to the young players.
Kazane, Tetsuya & Noboru soon turn to the crowd.
The banana boy bowed. "Come on! It's for the crowd!"
And eventually, the other two followed as the applauds grow louder to celebrate them.
Later, Outside.
Touma raised his fist up. "Four points, ho!"
"HOOO!" followed both mentor & protégé as they walked down the stairs.
"That was very fun! Do you think the other events are this fun?"
"Of course, they are, Kazane," said Blade Wing Pheonix. "If not, the managers would be as rude as that Kitten Shirt over there!"
"Who're you calling Kitten Shirt!? It's a TIGER!"
Kiri remained silent. His eyes locked on Noboru's back as the group walked down to the castle's courtyard. A growing unease lingers in his heart.
Just a few days ago, the Buddy of the boy in front of him barged into a formal meeting between Omni Lord. The state Noboru's in back then… is too horrible to describe. And probably, just now it may just have gotten worse.
Kiri then walked over to the boy fighting with the green bird. "N-Noboru-kun…"
"Yeah? DAHH!"
"H-How…" The words then failed him. And after seeing Noboru occupied with Kazane's Buddy, Kiri soon stepped back out, muttering. "S-Sorry, it's nothing…" His brows soon furrowed.
Meanwhile, by the stairs, Nico & Tetsuya were standing in front of Touma, bidding their goodbyes.
"Thanks for the four points, Touma-san!"
"Yeah, it's been fun, aniki. See ya-"
"Wait!" Touma then grabbed Nico by the wrist. "Just… wait for a little while…"
Without a reply, Nico soon turned around, revealing an almost emotionless expression.
"Just… wait. I… promised someone that I keep you around,"
"Someone?"
Screecchhh…
A motorcycle soon appeared before the crew. Immediately, Nico turned around, eyes widened by shock.
The rider soon took off his helmet, revealing a rage-filled teen. "NIICCOOOO!" he shouted.
Nico smiled. "Wayne…" muttered the boy as a tear slide down his cheek.
The end.
Should you have any comments, feel free to post it as a review or sent me a note. This also includes reviews on the new (broken) game I've just come up with or the fact it took me longer than usual to post a chapter. Other than that, you can do nothing & ignore my existence completely.
Next chapter we will have Yugo getting his revenge on Yuri… Or is it Yuya. Oh, whatever.