-Seven seconds impostor! Are you ready to die? cackling in sequence.
Oh screw, I am doing it and then typed the day I met Yumi, finishing it when the visor showed two seconds; something really weird happened then, Leandro showed up with a really doubtful look on his face, saying:
-Oh! So you inserted the day you met her however are you sure that is the one you love? appearing again the two options and ten seconds to reply.
Immediately I thought of course I am sure! and quickly I went to press the corresponding button however I was nearly pressing the button with the reply when the blurred image came to my mind once again almost by instinct my finger headed by itself and pressed the no option. I broke a cold sweat when that happened, seeing as for some unknown reason my hand acted on its own however my worries dissipated when Leandro said:
-Very well done Rick! Apparently it is you there indeed! Even though you used to talk about that so much to me, you never knew exactly what love is! he began then laughing at me that is why you replied no!
-T Thank S Saint Meow - replied Dawn, visibly relieved.
-HOWEVER shouted again Leandro on screen what I have to reveal is extremely important, it shouldn t ever fall in wrong hands, because of that I need to be really sure it is you that is there, so I shall make one last test he he he
As soon as he laughed so mockingly at me, two opening appeared beside the monitor and afterwards Leandro began explaining how the macabre game would work:
-To be able to reach what you want, you shall not be able to touch with your hands the contents of my revelation how do I know that? he cackled again just one of you, be it you or your partner will leave this test intact; you shall insert your hands on each opening; you will have thirty seconds to decide if you really want to do this in case you decide to do it, thou shall leave then where I told you to and a mechanism will completely squish them, disabling both of them; however preventing the place where your partner is to be showered with more than one hundred crossbow bolts, in case you take them out, that is the fate that await the poor thing that waits there if you try to insert something that does not have heart pulse, the room will be locked down and an extremely toxic gas will be flooded on the room, cianidric acid it is up to you Rick, live or die, make your choice!
Then the number thirty showed on the monitor screen , even if my mind uselessly tried to understand what would make my so docile and pacific friend do something this barbaric, I inserted my arms on the designed places already surrendering to my own fate, Dawn then freaked out and began shouting:
-RICK NO! I AM NOT WORTH ALL THIS! LEAVE ME HERE AND STAY COMPLETE! twenty two seconds showing.
-Not happening Dawn, I shall not let anyone aside myself to get her because of this I replied, feeling the mechanism analyzing my arm and locking it in place; seventeen seconds -BUT RICK HOW WILL I BE ABLE TO FEEL WELL AFTER SEEING YOU GET HURT BECAUSE OF ME? shouted down, twelve seconds -Dawn! How will I be able to face Dusk? Worse how would I face Andrade? How would he feel if you died? I told her, seven seconds -But but - she began crying then, seeing she wouldn t make me change my mind even at two seconds from the inevitable
When the screen showed the number 0 a loud clank noise was heard; something pressed my hand, horror took the best of me and I began screaming an guttural one Dawn shouted behind me desperately, running towards me right in sequence however where was the pain? My hands were sending my nervous signals but they were beginning to make me laugh! Suddenly I began laugh out loud seeing there was something soft tickling them like they were feathers, even with the inumimi crying beside me I couldn t hold in the laugher until she said:
-Rick! I am so sorry! Forgive me for me you are becoming insane with the pain - she then hugged me.
-B But hahahaha I am not hahahah crazy Dawn-hahahaha-chan! I tried to speak while one laugher attack and another.
-T Then why are you laughing? she asked me while she tried to understand what was going on.
-Hahaha h help me t hahahaha take out my hand Dawn - I begged, not being able to endure laughing much longer.
Dawn then took my hand and pulled it out of the dispositive, and almost freaked out, just to be surprised of not seeing blood and grinded meat, instead we had a complete and whole hand what might have happened? Both the inumimi as well as I were completely clueless as anything that was going on, we spend some moments pondering about it when Leandro showed up on screen again, saying:
-You really must be Rick I don t know anyone that would lose both limbs to save another; at least not on the social level we live, isn t it true? he cackled, in a more controlled way this time if you were one of the enemies, you would let the partner die if you were a slave in the place of the owner the result wouldn t be any different anyway, the room was would be sealed and would be filled with cianidric acid, killing both if nothing was done!
-WHEW! I thought to myself while I looked at my hands it was fortunate that I decided to do this, isn t it right Dawn-chan?
-Y Yeah replied a shaking inumimi.
-That is why I trust you all this Rick continued Leandro, while a drawer with three pen drives opened take then with the processing unit here, seeing it is the only one on the world that will be able to read all that information, they contain data that will help you understand why you guys got the damned investigation wrong it will also supply some really important data about the revolt Rick that was the last thing you shall actually hear from me soon I shall meet you in hell! Oh, I forgot to warn you next this room will self-destruct, as everything will burn to ashes!
-Oh my Saint Meow! Dawn-chan RUN! I said grabbing her by her paw and dashing towards the exit door.
We arrived at the door and it was locked! Despair took the best of both me and Dawn and when we saw smoke forming we began shouting, thinking we finally had found the end of the line; however Leandro s laugher took us out of our panic frenzy saying:
-I cannot believe that I got you again Rick! I can imagine your despair face at this moment! he cackled hysterically, when he finally calmed down a melancholic look appeared in his eyes I needed to do that forgive me consider this the parting trick I did to you Rick I am going to miss this farewell friend
I had tears again on my eyes, however I decided to leave I wouldn t live on memories I would just honor them seeing I had much consideration for my friend, which I considered almost as a brother I would find out what haunted him to make he become like that, understand why we got the wrong person on the research and would correct any injustice done in the name of the King of Verona no matter the cost
We then talked to Sir. Monterrey and informed him that everything was complete, allowing then to go back to their routine; I then hugged Ginka-chan and said that she was a great nekomimi, we then headed back home, seeing it was almost lunch time and in the after I would meet Yokumbi and his partner, we would deal with which would be each person s role and our plans of action, seeing everything seemed to become more and more mysterious.
We arrived at home on the exact moment lunch was being served, we sat on the table, each person on their place; Yumi was sitting on the same place she stayed on the dinner I announced that I was going to be Kikuri s boyfriend; on my left beside the south seat, as my girlfriend was on her siblings house and trying to remember some of my quiet and nostalgic days, I looked at the blonde nekomimi and said:
-Yumi, would you like to sit beside me? I asked while I pointed to the empty seat beside me.
-If that is your wish she replied, not looking at me directly on the eye my master, I shall do that.
-M Master? I stuttered, seeing she never called me that way Yumi, y you know very well I do not enforce anyone calling me like that -Yes - she replied, looking at the ground but that is how I want to call you, my master.
-But that bothers me! listening her calling me like that really bothered me.
-Then I shall call you my Lord, is that ok? Do you still wish me to sit beside you?
-M no, it is alright.
Lunch then went without any other incident, although the mood was really uncomfortable among the people participating the dinner; specially among the more experienced ones, that sudden change from Yumi was understood as if something really serious happened making everyone, on their own way, worried about the future of our household I tried to the best of my abilities to ignore that sensation and as soon as I finished eating I went up to my bedroom to analyze the pen drive, although my stomach was really heavy at the moment.
I installed the processing unit on my television, upon turning it on the following message appeared: Insert pen drive number one I then took the one that had that noted down and inserted it; moments later the image of the actual Leandro showed up, visibly disturbed; saying:
-Hello Rick! Long time no see! I see you managed to get access to the most important thing that there was inside here he commented cackling while pointing to his own head I have important things to reveal you buuuuuut, to understand what this is all about, I need you to know it since the beginning and nothing will be available from the start! Some archives will only be available after some time passes it can be months, days hours who knows? So that way I am sure that I am dealing with you, seeing you have an extremely large patience! Do you wish to go on? Do you accept those conditions? I need to remind you that any slight attempt to hack the information here stored will make all the circuits fry from both this processing unit and the pen drives, making it impossible to read the following ones, understood?
Then the yes and no options showed up again; pressing the obvious choice the image of Leandro reappeared showing a still disturbed person, however a little calmer, saying in afterwards:
-Well we are going to start with just some memories! he replied laughing we have to review everything that makes sense, a story needs to have beginning, middle and end! I really hope you to like this small telling of my story that might not always have been seen by you from now on good luck Rick, find the responsible for the wrong death
Then the screen began showing tons of videos, in which a lot of them I appeared when I still was just eight years old, as the excluded one from the Montecchio family, Leandro trying to befriend me, as well his mom trying to convince him it was useless the images of the destruction after the big earthquake; one really caught my attention, it was one the day after the burial of my blood family, being it march fourteen the year of nineteen ninety seven Margareth was filming little Leandro, he brought something on his hands; he rang the doorbell and Nina greeted him; they asked about me, however I was on my usual walks after the disaster, that day I would meet Yumi on the end of the day, taking her home with me days later Leandro then left the package with Nina and said he would be back later
Then a message appeared on the TV: Next part of the diary available in six hours beginning then a regressive countdown of that time; if I knew Leandro well, he was serious about not trying to hack the data inside the pen drives resigned I stood up in the exact moment in which Akira knocked on the door while entering, looking at me, she said:
-Dear, you have guests! One that is called Yo Yo - she then placed her paw on her chin to try to remember Yobambi? He is there to see you!
-Yobambi? What a wier OH! I said remembering suddenly Yokumbi! Tell him I shall be there in a few moments, take him to the meeting room, understood?
-I understand! she replied smiling, going to fulfill her task.
Then I changed my clothes to something less formal and went to my room where Yokumbi was waiting with his partner that made me curious, seeing as who could win the legendary assassin s trust? That sounded like something really incredible to me I decided that thinking about that right now wouldn t solve a thing; after some moments I entered my room and found the blonde man sitting on my table, I greeted him and it was just then I found the person with the black kimono with colorful drawings on it, a tail as white as snow what a rare kind of tail for a nekomimi I thought to myself while I looked at her really big tail those ears are so pointy no those aren t cat ears what would it be? ; then my guest said:
-It is a pleasure seeing you again Montecchio Richard, my master then he pointed to the individual and introduced the enigmatic figure meet my partner, Fukushu Enma!