Ice Chronicles
Chapter 70: Fantasy vs. Reality
"Ren are you sure Mikogami will offer his assistance?" Matsu questioned.
"Nope," I replied bluntly. I was putting on a suit to wear to my meeting.
"Then why are you still trying if you're not sure?" my brain-type asked.
"Well I won't know if I don't try right? If he doesn't want to help then that's fine with me," I responded. I'm wearing the pants and top; however, my archenemy appeared next. The bright red tie that will hold everything together; it stared at me as it rested nonchalantly on my bed, watching, waiting, monitoring my every move; it was mocking me. I gave it a nasty glare and I could tell it returned my gesture.
"Ren, you're staring at a tie," Matsu stated the obvious.
"It's not just any tie Matsu," I placed my hands on her shoulders and shook her a little. "It's much more evil; just look at it."
We turned our heads to stare at the evil accessory; it made me sick. Matsu on the other hand, shook her head and placed her hand on my forehead.
"I think you're catching a fever. It's just a piece of clothing meant to compliment your suit," she said.
"That's what it wants you to think. It wants you to drop your guard and believe it's harmless, but as soon as you're vulnerable, it'll strike and constrict you until it sucks away your life energy," I declared. I hugged and rubbed the top of her head. "But I have to bear the burden of wearing such a demon, but know that if I fall, I love you."
Matsu sighed and pushed away from me. "Ren, you're crazy."
"Say what you want," I pointed towards the red demon. "But that thing is no ordinary accessory; and when it combines with my suit, its true power will be unleashed."
Matsu covered her face and shook her head again.
"Then take the suit off if you don't want to be destroyed," she suggested.
"Can't," I stated, making her do a comedic fall. "This is my business suit and I'm about to go negotiate some business. The suit is necessary, which means that THING has to come as well."
Matsu just stared at me blankly. She really wanted to say something, but nothing could come out of her mouth.
"You know what; I'm not even going to prolong this. You can fight the 'red demon' yourself. I will make sure you have a place to rest when it's done kicking your butt," she stated.
"Okay now that's mean," I pointed out. "Talk about lack of faith."
"Oh I have plenty of faith in you, just not in this circumstance. Now if it was anything else, I'll root for you one hundred percent; but this, yeah your ass is getting kicked," she responded with her hands landing on her hips. "Now hurry up and get going; it's very unprofessional to leave a client waiting."
"Yeah, yeah," I waved her off and reluctantly grabbed the red demon tie. I wanted to hiss at touching it but I endured it and tied it around my neck. After putting it on, I kissed Matsu goodbye and met my appointed agents, Kazehana, Akitsu, and Toyotama. Since it's Mikogami I'm going to see, Mutsu would definitely be there to make sure nothing happens, but he's also very cautious and won't attack unless it's necessary. If he attacks, I have Kazehana to intercept him. Aki is very strong on her own and can handle a good amount of Mikogami's sekirei. Toyo is more of my personal escort; she won't attack until I give the orders and will follow my instructions to a T. They all will actually but the other two might be fighting to pay attention; and just in case, I always have my wristwatch with Carmen on standby. All I have to do is give the command and my other girls will be in route to our coordinates. Hopefully though, we can avoid a fight and work things out calmly.
Kazehana, Aki, Toyo, and I entered the limo and had Stephanie drive us to our destination. I didn't want her sticking around afterwards so I told her to wait until we contacted her again to return. I will admit that I didn't like the idea of being driven everywhere like so, but now I get to strategize more often in between destinations; and Stephanie is a great chauffeur. The girls definitely like her, as they're speaking very causally to her right now, except Aki, whom is resting her head on my shoulders. I still remember what we said in the hospital; she seemed to have gotten over it. I hope so at least.
"So Ren, how are we doing this?" Toyo asked.
"I don't want you all showing any hostilities, but be sure to keep on your guard. There's a chance we may have to fight our way out, but I intend to avoid that result. No matter what's said, keep your cool, make sure to have each other's back, and don't act unless you know for sure it's necessary, understand," I explained.
"You got it boss man," Toyo chuckled and leaned back in her seat.
"Of course; I won't let anything happen to you darling," Kazehana grabbed my arm and kissed my cheek before resting her head on my shoulder.
"Yes master," Aki responded and hugged my arm tighter.
"Wow Ren, you have quite the harem don't you?" Stephanie teased with a sly chuckle. My face heated up in embarrassment, as Stephanie, Kazehana, and Toyo laughed at me. "I didn't expect you to be so popular with the ladies."
"Well, I didn't know I could be so popular either. I have some of the worst luck you've ever seen too; I mean I can't even go out on leisurely walks without something happening to me," I told her and by extension my sekirei some other stories that happened just because I was out walking. Laughter filled the car, making the trip seem much shorter.
We arrived at Mikogami's mansion and exited the limo, which Toyo dubbed as the 'Thunder Shot.' There was no sense in questioning it so I just let it stick. A few maids and sekirei greeted us, but the sekirei blocked our paths. The sekirei were not happy with our presence but allowed us to pass anyway; I could feel their glares trying to penetrate us. We passed through multiple rooms, each one more fancy than the last, until we reached where Mikogami was. It looked like the dining room, as long, mahogany chairs sat neatly around a long table of the same material. A bright white tablecloth draped over the surface and let a plethora of mats and fine tableware rest upon it. At the end of the table, Mikogami himself sat with a beckoning smile. Standing beside him, Mutsu, and several other sekirei shot us all glares. Cautiously, my group walked further into the room; I bowed politely to the South Ashikabi and took the chair already pulled out for me. My girls stood around, keeping their eyes locked on the enemies.
"It's been a long time North," Mikogami greeted. I nodded back.
"It has; there's been a lot going on hasn't there?" I responded.
"Mutsu, it's been a long time as well. How are you doing these days?" Kazehana greeted her former Discipline Squad teammate.
"Hmm, you could say things have been going rather well," he responded. "I see you found another man to love."
That urged Kazehana to wrap her arms around my neck.
"That's right," she giggled. "I've met someone better than him."
I could tell Akitsu was the most uncomfortable. She gripped my shirtsleeve as tight as she could and stayed close. I can't blame her either; we're talking to the same guy who would've taken her away.
"So North," Mikogami called out. "What exactly is this proposition you wish to negotiate?"
There was no going back now, not that I was going to.
"I'm sure you're aware of the little battle between the East and me," I brought to attention.
"Ah yes, that was really something spectacular," Mikogami stated with an enthusiastic smile. "I was amazed really; at first I thought you were going to lose, but you certainly surprised me with the results."
"I appreciate the praise I guess, but now that Higa is taken out, we have a much bigger target at hand," I pointed out. "Our secret is out so who we tell is no longer a hassle, but we plan to take on MBI next?"
A collective gasped erupted from the other party.
"Are you nuts?!" The entire other party questioned. Even Mikogami stood up and slammed his hands on the table in shock.
"You really think you can take down MBI?" Mutsu questioned.
"We know it's a long shot, but I believe we can do it; however, we need more soldiers," I answered. "And that's why I came to you Mikogami. I would like you to assist us in this battle against MBI. With your sekirei included, we might have a better chance at beating them."
"Are you crazy?" The younger ashikabi stated and flailed his arms up and down like a kid. "Do you have any idea what MBI has at their disposal? And you want to waltz in there and take them down?"
"Yeah I know what they have; that's one of the reasons why I'm asking you to help us. The other reason is as I said before, our numbers are too short and having your team join will increase our odds."
"That's not how the game should be played though," Mikogami stated. "If we take out the creator, we won't be able to receive our prize."
"As I recall, the prize for being the last one standing enables the sekirei to stay with their ashikabi forever and receive a special prize, which is basically a Jinki. However, if we succeed, instead of one sekirei being able to stay, all of our sekirei can stay with us forever. We already have a Jinki so our prize has already been handed down to us."
"But the game is to be the last one standing," Mikogami reminded me.
"Then show me the rule book, chapter, page, paragraph, subsection, and amendment where it says this route is forbidden. Sometimes, the final boss in a game is the one who started the hero on their journey. There's always a point where the protagonist has to make a choice. For instance, the entire world is ending and the heroes are facing the giant demon that's the cause behind it. However, a choice comes before the player; do you deal the final strike, or let your captain take it. However again, whoever does it results in a different consequence. If you deal it, the demon is destroyed forever, at the cost of your life as well. If your captain does it, the demon will return a millennia later to wreak havoc on the world, destroying the future generation that now roams Gaia."
Everyone looked at with mixed expressions, especially my sekirei, Toyotama to be even more precise.
"Ren, what? The hell? Are you talking about?" She asked. Everyone nodded in agreement and stared at me with raised eyebrows. No one knew a word I was saying; they don't know quality gaming, but I looked at Mikogami and saw his head down, his eyes staring intently at the mahogany table.
"So you tend to sacrifice yourself to the Fell Dragon, Grima," he stated. "If you do that then you won't be the only who dies."
I nodded back. "Yes, but there is a slight chance I'll survive."
"A chance that is too low to rely on!" Mikogami slammed his fist on the table, shaking the entire surface. "Don't be a fool! You're putting your entire life in the hands of luck?! And what if luck decides to screw you over and you don't return? What then?"
"Then it's time to tip the scales!" I stood up and slammed my hands on the table. Mikogami and I stared each other down, as the other party continued to stare befuddled at our conversation. "We're not pawns of some scripted fate. I believe we're more. Much more… There's something between us all, something that keeps us together… Like…invisible ties, connecting us. Higa is a rotten son of a bitch so he can go to hell for all I care, but the rest of us, are not pawns in this madman's so-called game."
Things got quiet again. Now the party was even more confused.
"Okay, what the hell is going on here?" Toyotama questioned again. "Fell Dragon, Grima, tipping scales; what the hell are you two discussing?"
I placed a finger over her lips and shushed her.
"We're talking about a war here; don't ruin the moment," I whispered.
"What kind of war is this? There aren't any dragons and shit; have you lost your mind?" the green haired sekirei questioned back. I shushed her again.
"Shut up, I'll explain later," I then faced Mikogami's group. "This isn't some game we're playing; it's a war with our lives on the line. This isn't something where you can just hit the reset button and start over. No, this is for keeps; there's no such thing as infinite lives or second chances. Once a life is gone, they're gone for good, and no amount of cheat codes or grinding will fix that. You won't be able to cheat death."
Things got quiet again, as my words lingered through the air. I pretty much explained everything I wanted, though that whole scripted fate thing was just the spur of the moment, but that's beside the point. Now we waited for the younger ashikabi's response.
"Infinite lives, cheat codes, grinding; have you seriously lost your mind?" Toyotama interrogated.
"Will you give you it a rest?" I whispered venomously. "Can't you see I'm in the zone?"
"I can see you've clearly lost your mind," she responded with a shake of her head. I covered her mouth and faced the Ashikabi of the South.
"So, what say you? Will you help us fight MBI?"
"Mikogami, think about this," Mutsu spoke up. "Are you sure you would want to risk your life over this?"
The younger ashikabi closed his eyes.
"Hmm, I will admit that your speech was very well done and present," he complimented.
"Thanks, I had trouble figuring out what to use though," I responded.
"Seriously Ren?" Toyo said.
"What? I worked hard on that speech," I said back.
"Please, you stole all that from a game," she responded. I shushed her once more.
"I'm going to admit that I'm a bit conflicted," Mikogami stated, capturing my attention again. "I'm still leaning more towards not helping, as that's clearly what this game is about."
"Are you serious?" I questioned. "You still think this is a game?!"
"That's what it's been the entire time," the South ashikabi responded. "Haven't you been listening?"
I probably just wasted the best speech I've ever given too man. I said in thought. "So after all that, you still won't help us?"
"If you would keep listening, I can finish what I was saying," he said. I remained quiet and let him continue. "I really think you're way in over your heads; there's no way you'll be able to take down MBI, even if I were to aid you. There's just no way to win against them."
"That's why I call the shots in my legion, Ren's Remnants," I said. Everyone looked at me again.
"Ren's Remnants? Is that seriously the best you could come up with?" Toyo questioned.
"Don't criticize me; do you know how hard it is coming up with a name to follow Ren?" I asked.
"Darling, it was pretty bad," Kazehana commented. Even Aki nodded in agreement. "Plus we're not broken."
"It's a work in progress, give a guy a break," I stated and sighed. "Anyway, I've been planning this out for a very long time. I've gotten a good grasp of how everything is ran, the traps that'll be used, and even what's waiting for us on the floors. This isn't the first time we had to fight up through MBI, but that time was more of a race, not a full-scale assault. Point is I know what I'm doing. All you have to do is follow my lead; I know where you're going to be needed most."
"Hmm, sadly, I will have to refuse your offer," Mikogami answered. I didn't hear him for that moment and kept rambling, only for Aki to tap my shoulder, which let the answer enter my head again.
"Wait what?" I responded.
"As great a speech you present, I'm afraid I will have to refuse your little alliance," he said back. I stared at him appalled.
"Are you serious? Even after all this, you're still not going to help us?" I questioned.
"I believe that's also how games turn out," he leaned back in his chair. "The protagonist gather allies under a common goal; however, there's always a few that would rather do things their own way. My way is too see things through the end; I leave the assault entirely in your hands while I watch the final boss destroy all of you."
I swear if we weren't so outnumbered, I would take Toyo's staff and whack the little brat upside that thick head of his.
"So even now, things are just a big game to you," I said. "After everything I said, you're going to continue living in this messed up fantasy you call a game."
"I wouldn't really call it messed up," he retorted.
"It is when you refuse to accept reality," I responded, my voice starting to rise, but I kept calm to avoid any regretful actions. "But fine, I understand how things are going to be. We'll take our leave then."
I stood up and left with a bow. My sekirei followed behind me, except Kazehana, who stopped and faced the Ashikabi of the South.
"Know this; my darling gave you all a chance to assist and be with your ashikabi forever instead of killing each other. However, since you decided not to help, that still makes you enemies. So here's my own warning; stay out of our way, or I will be forced to snap you out of that fantasy of yours. You had a chance to help, but I see your decision is final."
The rest of us waited for her. Toyo and Aki looked at me, wanting permission to join. I nodded my head and let them speak up as well.
"I figured you wouldn't accept our offer," Toyo spoke up. "I didn't expect you to be so foolish about it though. You're living in that fantasy world of yours to escape the truth, knowing that your sekirei will be taken away from you and leave you all alone. I figured that was the case, and yet even so you're still too afraid."
I could tell the other party were getting angry at my girls' words. They couldn't do anything though, as Mikogami kept them back. Finally, Akitsu spoke her words.
"Your team is going to die," she stated bluntly. It took me and Toyo everything to hold back a laugh. "This isn't something you can run away from; and when the time comes where you finally see that, it will already be too late."
She said nothing else. The three turned their backs to Mikogami and walked with me out of his mansion.
"You three did a great job," I said. Toyo and Kazehana grasped either of my hands while I could feel Aki hanging on to my shirt. "We'll just have to make do."
"It's a shame really," Toyo said. "I thought you were getting through to them."
"What was all that Fell Dragon business?" Kazehana asked.
"I'll tell on the way home," I said. With my hands occupied, Aki had to call Stephanie to pick us up. As we waited, I had to think of something else to help us fight MBI. I should've known it would be a waste of time. I guess we'll just have to keep the team like it is, but let's hope that's enough to get us through. When Stephanie arrived and started driving us back home, I explained the whole Fell Dragon and Grima thing. Toyo did give me a stare that said 'are you serious? All that came from a game?'
"Well, that plan failed. Now I have to think of something else," I rested my head on Toyo's lap. "I can't say I'm surprised though. Mikogami has always believed in some fantasy of his."
"You did your best darling," Kazehana spoke up.
"And that was probably my best speech too," I complained. "All that brainstorming, and game play, for nothing."
"I liked that scripted fate one; that was really beautiful," Toyo stated. Aki and Kazehana nodded in agreement. "But what's with tipping the scales?"
"Oh man, that's my favorite quote," I smiled wide. "Basically, it means it's time to turn the tides."
"I see. So what do you plan to do now?" Toyo asked back. I let out a sigh.
"Honestly, I'm not sure right now. I knew the alliance thing wouldn't work, but can't blame a guy for trying. Hmm, we still have a strong team, but a lot of training is in order if we intend to take on MBI. Kai said he'll help us on that part so we're set there."
"So it's all about the training now," Toyo smiled wide. "I can definitely accommodate. I'll whip everyone in shape."
"Oh? Are you saying you can beat me in battle?" Kazehana smiled and placed a hand on her cheek.
"We'll just have to see now won't we?" Toyo asked back. I could see the lightning shooting out of their eyes.
"You two can fight after everyone is briefed on the situation," I told them. They didn't seem to listen though.
After we finally arrived, Kai was waiting for us outside my house. He still had that calm and collected look about him as he leaned against the wall. When he noticed us pulling up, his eyes opened a good bit, most likely from seeing the limo we rode in.
"Ren, who is that?" Stephanie asked. I couldn't but smile, thinking of what her response would be.
"That's Kai," I answered. "We haven't known him long, but he's a good friend, really strong and trustworthy too. Though he's not one for words."
"The strong silent type huh?" She pointed out. "Kind of cliché in my opinion, but at least he's cute."
And five hundred. I declared in my thoughts. Toyo, you owe me a massage.
"Yeah, he gets that a lot," I told Stephanie.
"I would imagine so," she responded. After paying her, Stephanie said her goodbyes. My sekirei were already inside, as Kai started to approach me.
"How long have you had a limo?" He asked first. That is a good question. How long did I have Stephanie and her assistance?
"Uhh, I don't even remember how long exactly, but it was when I brought Chiho home did my uncle give it to me. The driver is really nice too; her name is Stephanie. She's perfect for very long distance trips."
"I see. Then how did your little negotiation go?" Kai asked next. A sigh escaped my lips.
"It didn't go so well. Mikogami didn't accept our offer."
"I could've told you that," he stated with his arms crossed. "I knew it was going to be a waste of time."
"Then do you have any ideas?" I asked. He circled his chin with his thumb and forefinger.
"I'm warning you right now; there's no way I'm going to try convincing Mikogami. Unless by convince you mean decapitation then I'll gladly go."
"No, there's no need for any of that," I waved my hands vehemently to stop him. "I guess we'll just have to make do. In the meantime, I would like for everyone to rest up. The battle with Higa is still tiring so I would like to wait another day. Then you can begin your camp."
"Sounds good to me; your sekirei allowed me to see your backyard. This is going to be fun…for me," he said with a sly smile. That smile sent chills down my spine; I now feared what horrors awaited me tomorrow."