Chapter 13
War Begins, a Fool's Memory
Sojiro closed up shop for the night before leaving with a somewhat reluctant Futaba in tow. She looked like she hadn't slept in days though she assured him that she'd been getting plenty. Revland laid awake in his bed thinking of the other world, the Metaverse as Arséne had called it. He thought about Morgana as well as his and Ryuji's flee to freedom, then of Futaba's other half and the state of her palace. He looked at his phone decided to explore this mysterious app that had allowed him to travel between worlds.
Upon opening, the app's logo expanded until it covered the entirety of the screen. Revland sat up as he stared down at the now blank screen thinking that he crashed the phone's OS.
White text began to appear as if being typed, [WELCOME Mr. Antrie, how may I be of assistance?]
"What in the…" Revland muttered.
He scanned the screen for a text box but found none, then remembered last time and how it seemed to read his thoughts and, seeing that no one was around, he voiced them aloud.
"What are you?" he asked.
[Classification Unknown: Please Specify]
"Okay… hmm." He thought for a moment, "Well, it 'is' an app... open menu."
[Menu: Please say a command] it responded with a buzz.
A list of five options appeared: recently searched, recently traveled, waypoint settings, view map, personal settings.
"Open Personal Settings...?"
His phone buzzed again as a small list of odd settings appeared as one stood out to him. "Neuro link status…?" he muttered more out of curiosity than selection.
It buzzed again and brought up a graph with a picture in the top left corner. It reminded him of a chart one would find on a hospital bed.
[File name: Temple Dweller]
[Target Name: Futaba Sakura]
[Sin: Undetermined]
[Condition: Distorted]
[Cause: Unknown]
[Mental State: Poor]
"What does any of this mean… wouldn't hurt to come with some kind of reader's manual…"
[Explanation Requested: playing audio backlog…]
Greetings Mr. Antrie, I trust things are going well? Igor greeted in his deep baritone voice causing him to jump.
"Igor, how did you-?"
My resources are vast and seeing that you've already been connected to the Velvet Room, this method poses little threat to the fragility of your reality. However, there will come a time when we will have to meet in person.
Though he couldn't see him, Revland's mental image of Igor had his hands clasped under his chin while he stared at him with his macabre grin.
"So, is this a recording or is that actually you?"
It matters little. So please, asked your questions so that I may answer…
His mental image gestured in a placating manner.
"Okay… what is the Neuro Link and how does it involve me?"
A neuro link, is a connection between two individual minds. How one is formed depends partially on the individuals in question.
Revland scratched his head, mulling over Igor's response. "You mean the option didn't exist before now?"
Ask yourself, did you build any strong bonds with anyone or ones you would consider stronger than others you've made? If so, then how would you describe the relationship between you and this person?
Revland hesitated, "I don't-"
Furthermore, how does this person see you? How do you see this person? These answers will undoubtably become clearer in time.
"But I-" Revland began.
And as they do, the connection between the individuals will grow stronger. Seeing that this person is also the barer of "Sin" intrigues me greatly, granting you access to that which others would consider out of reach. I eagerly await these results.
Revland though over what Igor had told him and chose his next question carefully. "Okay, you seem to know that she has one of these palaces… do you know why they have one…?"
That I do not know for certain, I myself can't comprehend the machinations of the human heart. I'm sure it will be yet another answer that will make itself known to you… in time.
"Someone told me a little about palaces, what are they exactly?" He asked, trying to get off the subject of Futaba's palace.
It would be easier to ask what already know.
Revland thought back to what Morgana had tried to teach him while they were escaping, "A palace is born of a deep seeded desire and is often a reflection of how someone views the world around them…"
He shivered as a chill ran through his body with Futaba's monotone voice echoing in his mind, this world will soon disappear… and me along with it…
You have a clear grasp of what the metaverse represents. A person has a strong desire and, if left unchecked, can become distorted enough to create a palace.
"Like Kamoshida…" he muttered.
Know this, not all desires are born of ill intent, much like the individual we were discussing a moment ago. However, even the purest of all can be corrupted by… darker influences…
Revland thought over what he'd learned and continued his train of thought. "The guy at Shujin, he sees the whole school as his castle. The version of himself there is nearly naked save for a pair of pink underwear and a cape. Those versions… is that the way the original sees themselves?"
Igor seemed to pause at the question which surprise Revland, he's almost always had an answer on the tip of his tongue as if he knew what he was going to ask.
The human subconscious acts not only as a safe guard for a person's mind but also as a reflection of their inner thoughts. The beings that you're interacting with should be considered their true selves.
Revland thought of how different he saw things after his first trip to the metaverse and his meeting with the King. Though he left, he could still see the King in just about every action that Kamoshida took after meeting him for the first time at the main gate of the school.
"Would the same thing happen with Futaba?" He asked himself.
I don't understand the question.
Revland started at Igor's response, he'd forgotten he was talking to someone.
"Sorry, I was lost in my own head."
I'm intrigued, what could have claimed your attention so thoroughly?
No sense lying to him, "After meeting Kamoshida, I noticed that I could see the 'King' in his every day actions. Like the mask that hid him from the world had been cracked. I was wondering if it would be the same for Futaba… like seeing the Pharaoh in the real one's actions."
It is possible, however the distortion of the latter is far more severe than the former. His next words caught Revland off guard, Igor's voice would never be considered what one would consider soft but his tone lost a little of its normal gruffness as he added one final detail. You have more power over that young woman than you know and I do believe, given your circumstances, that you will save her for the ruin that had nearly befallen her… I hope you don't disappoint.
Revland remembered the state in which he found the temple and how distant Futaba felt while trying to talk to her.
That means I must've cut it close… she looked better than when I found her, she even looked sad to see me leave.
"I sure hope you're right." Revland added with a tone melancholy.
Just remember, you are the one who will save this world from the coming ruin… I trust in your judgement Trickster.
[End Communication: Please say a command]
Revland placed his phone on the window sill after reconnecting the charger. He laid in bed as he stared out at the night sky and tried to make sense of it all. Futaba having a palace meant that she had a desire that has become distorted but Igor said that not all desires are born of ill intent.
If that's the case… then what's Futaba's desire?
He thought it over as sleep finally took him and a memory in the form of a dream began to play.
Futaba felt the embarrassment flush her cheeks as the memory of being in Revland's arms replayed on a seemingly endless loop. She was happy that he was alright, ecstatic even, but he noticed that she was wearing hardly any clothes and that she'd ran out of the house without any shoes.
She hugged her cat pillow closer to her chest where her heart finally decided to cease it countless escape attempts through her ribcage, allowing her to relax. She couldn't get the image of him lying on the floor unmoving and covered in blood out of her head, only relenting after she saw him for herself.
Maybe that's why I wanted to feel his arms around me so badly… hard to fake physical contact…
She started scratching the sides of her head in frustration, "Arrrgh why am I trying to justify wanting to be near him? He looked dead, I was scared-no-terrified, it's normal!"
She relaxed at the word normal, letting her arms hang by her sides, Right, like I know what normal is…
She laid her head on her desk with a loud thud along with a soft "Ow".
That was smart, way to go.
To say she was confused was an understatement, she couldn't get him out of her head. She attempted to code for a bit but found she was too distracted to get so much as a line of solid text down. She thought about playing a game but got decision block after trying to decide between a souls like or a classic RPG, both of which required some thought and or strategy that she really didn't have at the moment.
I wonder what kind of games he plays…?
"Gaaah, get out of my head!"
Sleep… Maybe I should sleep… come to think of it… might be for the best, I did exert a little more energy than usual…
She managed to stand with some effort and slump into her bed. She removed her glasses and pulled the string that controlled the lights above her bed before hugging her pillow while staring into the dark. She'd forgotten that she'd covered nearly every inch of wall space in her room with glow in the dark star stickers. She felt a familiar, comforting warmth wash over her as her eyes grew heavy with sleep.
Futaba was out for only a few minutes but already she was hearing noises.
Footsteps? Is someone in the house?
The thought was discarded just by the sound alone. She cracked an eye open and panicked, she was no longer in her room but found herself in an unfamiliar class room. She thought she was having another nightmare from when she was still in middle school, but the uniforms didn't look right. The uniforms here were light grey with red ties and black undershirts and these students looked older. Everything else looked like a normal school environment and the students looked as if they were between classes as they huddled in little groups visiting one another.
"Yo, Antrie!" a boy yelled, causing her to jump. "You paying attention man?"
Revland was looking down at a book while the taller boy stood next to him, "Of course I am, hard to ignore you when you're screaming in my ear." He said without looking at him.
"The Captain is going to have your ass if you don't show up to the next practice, he also said that if your late again, he's going to make us all run an extra mile to make up for it." The taller boy said.
"And I have an understanding with said Captain that I do have other responsibilities that can and will take precedence. So much so, that I have taken the liberty of providing him with a schedule that I'm sure is still sitting in his mail box where I left it two months ago." Revland countered as he turned the page.
"Come on Antrie" the boy pleaded, "We need you for the next big game, we got smoked last week and you're the only person that can get the rest of the team motivated enough to put in the effort."
"There's the truth of it right there." He said while pointing a finger at him, "That's the captain's job, not mine, and last I checked, I was at that game… on the bench… as a punishment for missing practice the week before. Don't get me wrong, I'm part of the team and that's it. I'm no leader, I don't know where y'all keep getting that Idea."
Revland picked up a bookmark that had been sitting at the top of his desk and slid it into place before turning the other boy.
"Okay listen Kaji, I know that the captain put you up to this in an attempt to guilt me into canceling my band practice. That way I can focus on the game Friday but I know I'm ready. On the other hand, I have a performance coming up as well and I'm nowhere near as confidant as I want to be with half the songs on set list. Baseball is fun but I do have other things to be worrying about."
His voice never rose as he explained himself. He was calm, collected and confidant to the point that Futaba wasn't sure if it was the same person she met only a few nights ago.
The tall boy, she thought she heard Revland call him Kaji, looked sheepish at the accusation, showing Revland that his guess was accurate. It wasn't the first time that his captain had tried to trick him into taking baseball practice more seriously and most likely wouldn't be the last either. Revland let out a sigh and rubbed the back of his head, "I'll tell you what, I'll see if I can leave early and try to make it to the last half of practice… I'll even try to whip up a speech to get the team pumped up. Will that do?"
Kaji perked up, "Yeah that'd be fantastic, it may not be what he wanted but I think he'll accept." He turned to go but turned back, "Thanks Revland, we know you don't like to hear it… but a lot of us were hoping you'd had been picked for captain this year."
Revland said nothing as he waved him off. As soon as he was out of ear shot, he let out a sigh as he rubbed his face in a small fit of frustration while he leant backwards in his chair.
A young girl came through the door as her hazel eyes fell on Revland and started towards him. She came up behind him and loosely wrapped her arms around his neck while resting her chin on his head. She was pretty, tall and slender with long raven black hair that shined blue in the light.
The sight of her made Futaba's heart tighten in a way she's never felt before as her cheeks felt as if they were on fire. She didn't even know this person, but felt the urge to go and pull her off of him.
Wait… isn't all this just a dream… why am I acting this way… can they even see me?
"You know you only do this to yourself, right?" she said.
Revland, knowing who the person behind him, leaned his head into her arm while resting a hand on the other.
"I'm always spread so damn thin now-a-days… I wonder whose fault that is…?" he said in a mock grumble as he nuzzled into her arm.
The girl smiled at his imaginary show of ignorance, "Gee, I wonder who that could be…"
Revland also smile, "If you ever find out, tell the bastard to stop stealing all the damn coffee in the morning."
"Think I might be able to arrange that." She added in a teasing tone.
Revland looked up at her as she started to look down. "In the meantime, I might be able to give you something better… best part is that it's never in short supply." She added while looking deeply into his grey eyes.
"Really…better than coffee you say, is that so… anyway I could sample it?" he asked in a whisper.
The girl made a show of thinking about it before kissing first forehead, then his nose and finally his lips. She lingered there longer than Futaba thought was necessary before they separated.
"So… what'd you think?" She asked in a barely audible whisper.
Now it was Revland's turn to make a show of thinking, "I don't know… may have to sample it again … maybe later tonight?"
She rested her forehead on his with visible frustration on her face, "Unfortunately, I'm just as busy as you are."
"Could always go for a walk after cram school… around the farm… maybe watch the stars for a bit?" He offered, trying to find a way to spend their ever-fleeting time together. "Good way to help clear you're head…"
She thought for a moment before shaking her head. Feeling his shoulders droop, she made a compromise of her own. "You have a game Friday don't you? I'll be sure to find a way to go… then you have a gig coming up during the festival as well... it's a school event so I don't think my parents would have too much of an issue."
Revland visibly brightened at the prospect of being able to spend time with her. Futaba felt out of place and uncomfortable as if she was seeing something that she wasn't supposed to. She'd never seen him smile like that, at least not when she's around and it made her stomach turn. It hurt her even more that this girl was able to do it such ease.
"Game's not till Friday and festival isn't for another couple months yet… may need something to get me by till then." He said with a smile.
She giggled, "What, already addicted?"
"Well, you did say that it was better than coffee…" he added with a hint a mischief in his voice.
Her smile was wide as she stared longingly into his eyes, the moment seemed to go on for an eternity for Futaba. Thankfully, the bell rang before they could do anything which caused them both to jump.
Seemed like they were both lost in each other… Futaba thought to herself. She imagined herself in the same situation and blushed just at the idea of being so close to him.
"Guess it'll have to wait for next time…" he added.
"Guess so…" she agreed.
Students were beginning to return as class was set to begin shortly, "I need to get to class…"
"I know…"
"That means you have to let go." She added in a mock protest.
"Damn… alright, you win." Reluctantly, he released his light hold on her arm before standing and planting a quick kiss on her cheek which caused her to blush a dark red. While she can be flirty in a semi-private setting, she'd never been good with public displays of affection.
Some the girls in the class let out quiet sqwees and aw's as Revland had the grin of the cat that just caught the canary.
Not one to be out done, she waited for Revland to turn to sit down before stepping behind him and giving his neck a quick nip, which caused him to yip in surprise. She knew that it was one of his weak spots that she had discovered on one of those starry nights. Futaba later learned that it was both a show of intimate affection and a way for a partner to mark their territory. Claiming it was more out of research than curiosity.
Revland seemed to know this already as his faces to turn just as red as hers. She turned back to him at the door as she stuck her tongue out at him then gave him a smile and a wink before heading back to her classroom.
Revland for his part still had his hand over his neck as his glasses sat crocked on his face. He shook his head in an effort to come back to himself as he sat at his desk while letting out a hungry grumble. "That… was a dirty trick Yumi, I'll get you back for that do you worry." He said in a breathless whisper.
One of the other boys leaned over and whispered, "You're one lucky son of a bitch Antrie, I hope you know that."
"Can it…" he shot back.
Before the dream could fade, Futaba stepped closer to Revland to get a better look at his features. Everyone here had been calling him by name but she wanted to be certain that it was, in fact, the same person. There was no mistake that it was defiantly Revland. Her heart sunk at the revelation, the way they looked at each other, the way they acted, how could she compete with something like that? It was at that moment a memory of her own was sparked.
He had been telling me about what happened before coming to Tokyo,
"…What happened next?" She asked.
"About what you'd expect from a high school student that just received a criminal record. My school expelled me, friends essentially disowned me then… she… left me."
Wait… She? He was with someone else?
As if he could read her mind, Revland continued. "I had been dating a girl named Yumi Takasi for almost two years… matter of fact, it would have been our anniversary is in about a month. It took forever to finally have her see me the way I wanted her to… but in the span of a few weeks… it was all gone. All that work, the blood, the sweat, the tears… gone."
Yumi… he called that girl… Yumi… I've never seen her before… why am I dreaming of her… and Revland… together?
"Okay, I wanna wake up, right now!" She called out.
"Are you sure…" Came a reply in a voice similar to her own.
"Yep, completely. I want out, I want to wake up. I don't want to see anymore!"
"To be honest… I don't believe we were meant to see this at all… something is off…"
"I don't care, I can't stand it! I don't want to see anymore!"
Her heart felt heavy as the sound the bullet train entered her thoughts
"It must've been something that has already come to pass… this is no longer a reality that he lives in. It is a memory… possibly one that haunts him…"
"What part of 'I don't care' don't you understand?!" She was screaming now as she looked in the darkness for the source of her irritation.
A pang pulsed out from her heart as she fell to her knees nearly driving her to tears. The feeling was new, the only way she would describe it would be that her heart was breaking into a thousand tiny pieces with no possible way to put it back together.
Two voices started waring with one another, one sounded like he was near to tears while the other sounded angry, but both sound like the same person.
"Why?"
"Stop it…"
"What could I have done to make it better?"
"Why are you so hard to please…"
"This can't be real…"
"What did I do to deserve this…?"
"Please… don't say it…"
"You always have a choice…"
"Please don't leave me…"
"Revland?! Revland, where are you?" She cried out.
"I don't want to be alone again…"
"Revland, I'm here! Just tell me where you are!"
Her heart fell at his final words.
"Please… come back to me…"
A scream of animalistic fury was all the answer that came in response.
"Shut up!"
She scanned the darkness but found nothing. A figure appeared in front of her and she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. It was like looking in a mirror but not quite. Her clothes for one were different, looking as if they came straight out of ancient Egypt with white robes and a weird head piece. What stood in contrast to her outfit was the long black coat that she had wrapped around herself that she seemed to be clinging to.
The mixed emotions of confusion, hate, fear and anger finally became too much as Futaba added to the echoing scream with her own
Futaba was shaken awake by a very worried Sojiro. "Futaba, are you alright? I could hear you screaming from down stairs."
Her heart felt as if it was ready to burst from her chest as she felt short of breath while she clung to Sojiro and felt the dampness of her clothes.
It was a dream… right? Just a dream… just a dream…
"A nightmare… a memory… or both?" her voice whispered as she regained control of her body.
Morning came without much fanfare. Revland sat up in bed and stretched while letting out a grown that would rival Sojiro's own morning efforts. While getting ready, he noticed that there were stains on his shirt and, upon further inspection, on his pillow. He went to the bathroom and saw that his eyes were red and puffy as he noticed signs of tear tracks going in all different directions. Evidence of him crying during the night.
"Another dream…" he muttered under his breath as he washed his face.
"Why can't I just let it go…?" he asked in a muttered breath.
He touched the tips of his fingers to his lips as the memory started to recede, "Better than coffee huh… Hell of a way to start a morning…" he splashed water in his face and continued his morning routine.
After he finished getting dressed, he met Sojiro for their morning coffee before heading to school.
"You don't look so good kid, you not sleep well?" Sojiro asked after Revland had had a minute to sit and enjoy some of his breakfast.
He looked up with a 'don't really want to talk about it' look but relented after getting the concerned parent look in return, "Nothing major, just a bad dream is all."
"Seems to be a trend, Futaba had a nightmare last night though she wouldn't say what it was about."
"That's strange, thought you said it was common for her to wake up in a blind panic?"
Sojiro sipped his coffee, "Well you're not entirely wrong, there's no waking her up when she's having a night terror. Just try to ensure she doesn't hurt herself in the process."
"Sounds awful… to be trapped in an endless nightmare with no means of escape… I can't imagine what that would be like." He empathized as he swirled his coffee.
"But last night was different. She started screaming right before I left to come here. I went to check on her and she woke up almost immediately. Thought it was going to be another long episode but from what I could get her to tell me, it wasn't the usual nightmares."
"Is she alright?"
"For the time being, yes. I think the stress is starting to affect her. How 'bout you though, tell me about nightmare."
Revland finished off his coffee took the last few bites of curry before beginning, "Not really much to tell, use to be one of my favorite memories… now… it's just a reminder of what I've lost… happy thoughts turned into nightmares that I would rather not sift through a second time… save for the fact that they like to play on loop anytime I try to sleep."
"Bad break up huh?"
Revland nodded with a distant look and took a deep breath before continuing, "Left right as I was boarding the train to come here with not so much as a reason why… we were together for nearly two years."
"Things just kept getting worse didn't it?"
"Bit of an understatement there Boss." Revland pause before asking a question that he was hoping to ask his father, "Hey… Sojiro…?"
"Hmm?"
"What do you do with all the broken promises and shattered dreams that once belonged to a near perfect memory?"
Sojiro finished off the rest of his coffee before answering, "Collect only what's necessary and prepare to create new memories with someone new… if you even want to."
Futaba flashed into to focus though Revland shook off the vision before finishing his meal, thanking Sojiro and stood to leave. He turned to Sojiro as he opened the door, "Oh almost forgot, we have a sports day today so I might be home earlier than normal."
Sojiro waved in acknowledgement as the door to the small shop closed with a ring of the bell.
Ryuji and Shiho were in a rush to catch the next train. He had done some research and found that the train Revland would be catching on his way to school should be the same they ride only earlier. Funny enough, just about everyone from their little group rode the same train for the last leg of the trip. Ann followed a little behind with Makoto bringing up the rear. Makoto thought about how odd it was that he inspired such loyalty in only a few days of personal interaction but understood with how much he's put himself through to try to keep them safe.
"Alright, he should be around here somewhere..." he trailed off.
Shiho pointed to someone with their head down staring at their phone and pulled Ryuji in that direction. Revland was exploring the other options that where in the Meta-app, as he decided to call it, just to familiarize himself with its many options. He found his search history for both Kamoshida's castle and Futaba's temple. To gain entrance to a palace you need three specific words that relate to the individual in question, obviously you need the person's name, a location and what the app called a "distortion".
The first was simple as was the second, the third had him confused for a moment. For both palaces, the distortion was where he ended up when he found himself in the metaverse. He decided to revisit this train of thought as he found a menu labeled "travel options". He opened the tab but found it was similar to what he found before with "Waypoints" and "Travel to Destination". The third option was labeled "Time Delayed Travel" with "Maximum of sixty seconds" listed under the title. Made him think of ways that it could be used or why he would even bother.
More questions for later… never ending.
"Antrie-Kun!" Suzui called out breaking him of his train of thought.
He turned and saw that everyone was with her. "Hey guys, didn't know you took this train."
"Most of us have to transition in Shibuya so it's no big deal." Ryuji explained.
"You two move too fast, I almost lost you in the crowd!" Ann scolded.
"Sorry, I just got a little excited is all." Shiho explained.
"It's alright Takamaki, we knew where they were going so no harm done." Makoto said in a consoling tone.
Revland couldn't help but smile at the interaction between them. It reminded him of the band he was part of back at his school and the close comradery that they shared. The memory of those days tugged at his heart, causing him to feel homesick but managed to hide it or so he thought.
"You alright man?" Ryuji asked him after noticing his smile falter.
He shook off his momentary confusion, "Yeah, sorry. I'm alright."
"You should smile more often Antrie-kun, it suits you." Shiho commented as both Ann and Makoto nodded in agreement.
Revland blushed, turning his head and coughing in an attempt to cover his embarrassment. "I'll-" He cleared his throat, "-try to work on that."
"So, what's the plan Boss?" Ryuji asked as they waited for the train.
"Same as we discussed yesterday; after the student-teacher's game is over, we've the rest of the day to ourselves. I'll hunt down Ms. Yuki and see what rumors she's willing to share while Niijima and Shiho track down Mishima and see if he has anything to offer on our mutual friend. Ryuji and Takamaki will roam the halls and see what info you can gather from any of the team members."
"What if his Royal Highness decides to make an appearance?" Ryuji asked.
"Stay within plain view of any other students and if things get too bad, make your way to Kawakami of Class 2-D or Mr. Ushimaru of Class 2-A."
"Why them?" Ann asked.
"Kawakami is on our side, Niijima can attest to that much at least. Ushimaru is Suzui's homeroom teacher and doesn't seem to like Kamoshida that much to begin with. Whether it's because he knows or suspects something, I can't say for certain. But I do think he'd be willing to help us if we ask as long as we come clean that it's about Kamoshida."
With everyone in agreement they boarded the train and made the final leg of the journey before they readily entered a war with Kamoshida.
The sports day was broken down into three parts, Student vs Student, Teacher vs Teacher and Student vs Teacher as the finale.
The first game consisted mostly of student that were affiliated with the Volleyball team while the other side was of volunteers from the student body that had signed up to play. The second was with two groups of teachers with one being led by Kamoshida himself resulting in a resounding defeat of the opposing team.
The final game was against Kamoshida and his own Volleyball team who seem more than a little uneasy while facing their couch. If Revland didn't know any better, he would say that every single student was terrified, including the scrawny pale boy that Revland knew was Mishima Yuuki. The first set was completely one-sided with the student being unable to score a single point. Shiho had to sit out after the first few volleys due to her knee injury and without her, the team suffered as a result.
As the game progressed into the second set, Kamoshida had dominated the field and with the student's moral being so low, they seemed like the walking dead. A teacher set up the serve and started another volley. A rhythm started that Revland could recognize and matched the beat in his head to a rock song called 'Flash of the Blade' by Avenged Sevenfold which he found fitting after watching the match unfold. It was less a match against the teachers but more of one against Kamoshida himself and he wasn't showing any mercy. A teacher had set him up for his "kill shot" as he jumped in the air to go for the spike. The student tried to create a picket but Kamoshida was tall enough to just go right over them. The ball went off course however and flew straight toward Mishima to strike him in the face, causing him to collapse into unconsciousness.
The crowd let out a gasp of sympathized pain as Kamoshida came under the net to check on his student, at least that's what it appeared to be.
Revland watched the stony face Kamoshida wore just before he came to check on Mishima and could've sworn he let a small smile slip though before coming over and asking about his wellbeing.
"Sorry, are you alright?" Kamoshida asked.
Mishima was dazed by the blow to head and gave no response. Revland shot a look to Makoto and made eye contact as she understood that the opportunity to be alone with Mishima had just been handed to them.
"Mr. Kamoshida, I'll walk Mishima up to the Nurse's office. I'll escort Suzui as well so she can have her knee look at." Makoto offered.
Seeing no issues, he agreed and after getting Mishima to his feet, escorted him out of the gym just before giving Revland a subtle nod as they left.
"Alright, let's keep going." Kamoshida offered.
"Sir…" one of the players said, "We're down two players with Mishima and Shiho dropping out. The rest are on leave until the meet next week."
"Guess that means you all will have to pick up the slack, think of it as another training exercise." He said with a winning smile though Revland and Ryuji could hear the undertone of his words. "Don't ruin this for me, or you'll regret it…"
An idea began to form in Revland's mind, maybe there was a way to challenge him and have his team turn on him as a result. He rose his hand in the air and nudged Ryuji as he stood, "If you don't mind sir, why don't we fill in for the remaining sets."
Ryuji looked at his friend thinking that he finally lost his mind.
Kamoshida took a moment to think it over while other teacher's applauded Revland's spirit and willingness to assist his fellow classmates in there time of trouble.
Can't outright refuse now… guess I get to teach the little punk a lesson after all, Sakamoto is an added bonus. No one insults me and gets away with it. He thought to himself.
"Sure, why not. You have permission to come on to the court." He said finally.
"By chance could I have a few moments with the team to get our bearings?"
More whispers of approval from the teachers behind him, "I suppose I can grant you a moment to confer with the team. Play will resume in two minutes."
Revland nodded and prodded Ryuji into action as he huddled with the team.
Just before he asked his first question, someone pointed out the obvious. "Hey… aren't you that transfer student with the record?" he asked shakily.
Seeing no point in lying, Revland nodded to his temporary teammate.
"Nope, no way. I'm not working with a puppy kicker." Another said.
"Oh for fuck's sake, I don't kick puppies. I have several dogs back home and I wouldn't dare." Revland retorted.
"Still you're a criminal, why should be trust you?"
"Notice I didn't try to hide that fact that I was your transfer student?"
That earned him a few nods.
"Look, we don't have much time and I don't know how this game really works outside of P.E. Run down the basics for me." Revland said in a hurried breath.
The team explained that the game was set up for tournament play with a best of 5 set game. Overtime was a game to 15 instead of 25 and each game must be won by at least two points. Revland asked what he could and couldn't get away with and was met with concerned stares. He rolled his eyes and explained that if he needed to make a spit decision, how much creative freedom did he have. Save from kicking the ball like an American football and chaining the ball more than three time, there wasn't much he couldn't do.
Revland thought of Kamoshida's kill shot and asked the team if there was a way to counter it.
"No one on the team has managed to even catch it let alone return it. You saw what happened to Mishima when you take one at full force." He had explained.
Revland thought back to something his baseball coach had taught the team during his first year on the team.
The air was crisp that early spring morning and they had been discussing what to do if a line drive was ever aim at you, intentional or otherwise.
"Now one thing you could do is as the ball is coming toward you, throw your right hand or left if it suits you, straight forward and be sure that your palm is facing up and at an angle so that the ball makes contact with this part or your hand." He was pointing at the bottom part of his palm. "If done right, the ball should shoot straight up in the air with any remaining speed and make for an easier catch." He concluded.
Revland also remembered that his coach added that it was smarter and safer to just get the hell out of the way than risk breaking any of the bones in his hand.
A volleyball is bigger and softer than a baseball… so, might be able to pull it off.
"Alright, I got a plan. Ryuji, when he goes for the kill shot, I need you ready for a spike of your own." Revland said with a cunning smile.
"What, why me?" Ryuji asked?
Revland smiled, "We're going to show the almighty that the rebels are here to play. If we make through the rest of this set or better yet win, then I'll have a chance to try to think of a winning strategy that we can use."
"Alright." He said hesitantly.
"The rest of you, I just need you guys to play as you normally do. Try not to think about Kamoshida being over there. It's just another match with a really good team."
They also nodded their assent and they got into place with Revland standing next to Ryuji in the front row.
Play resumed as the teacher set up the serve as the volley continued for several trips over the net. Revland and Ryuji got a chance to hit the ball up for the team to deliver and Revland noticed a slight change in the moral of the team as the volley continued. He felt a chill run through him before he saw Kamoshida jump up to slam the ball in his direction.
Damn it, he caught me flatfooted.
He bent backwards till his back hit the floor before rolling to his feet. The ball flew out of bounds and, as it didn't touch him, the point was awarded to the student's team.
Revland wasn't celebrating however. He knew what the spike was intended to do and it wasn't to score a point, he was trying to take him out. He glared at Kamoshida who was already giving him a look that was filled with a mixture of disappointment and distain.
Sorry to disappoint, you won't get me that easily.
Ryuji stepped to his side, "Hey, you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." He pointed to a team member, "Switch me, if he tries that again I want to be ready."
He nodded and moved into position. "Ryuji, stay on guard. He might try for you next."
Ryuji nodded and started to relax.
Revland notice that the team was far more relaxed than they were a moment ago and seemed a little more willing to listen to his guidance after the first bout.
The next serve came from the student's side and Kamoshida didn't waste any time this round. He flew into the air like a vulture as they heard the meaty smack of his hand hit the leather of the ball as it sped toward Revland a second time.
Revland saw it coming and call out to Ryuji, "Back right!"
He took a step back and threw an underhand semi-open palm strike just like his coach had taught him. His strike connected as he felt the jolt of the impact run up his arm with an arc of pain. But the ball shot up into the air just like it was supposed to. Ryuji, saw his moment and jumped to strike the ball into the back-right corner just as Revland had instructed. While not perfect, the ball sped past Kamoshida and the other defenders down the center of the court to score their second point of the game.
The team stared at Revland as he was shaking some of the pain out of his arm.
"It can be done… so long as we work together." He said while catching his breath.
Kamoshida for his part was stunned. He honestly couldn't believe that this piece of trash was able to return and score off of one of his kill shots. He needed to deal with this now but didn't rightly know how. He technically didn't break any rules but it was unorthodox. But this was supposed to be his time to shine, this was his court God Damn it… his time… his kingdom… and this… filth… has sullied his name.
The team managed to get a set under their belt with Revland leading the charge. He gave his thoughts and the team put it into action as best they could. He hadn't a clue how the rules worked and allowed the team to use their collected experience to form their own conclusions.
With this strategy they scored a second win in the next set making it 1-2 Students. Kamoshida was beginning to come unglued. Revland noticed that he was agitated which meant that he was beyond pissed. He knew that it took a considerable amount of effort to keep the façade of being a decent teacher. Now he's disturbed his sacred ground and temporarily converted his team, he was on the verge of losing his collective shit.
The forth match sounded as if one had entered an active war zone with the game being tied up all way till game point. The teacher's all had smiles on their faces, with the one exception being Kamoshida. They were enjoying themselves, it had turned into a real game and showed that the team must have some real talent to keep up with Kamoshida. The team was having a blast, they couldn't remember the last time they had a game that made them this excited. It wasn't even about winning anymore, they just wanted to have fun.
Only three people had different opinions on the matter with each one vying for payback for one reason or another. But Revland had accomplish part of his goal which was to undermine Kamoshida's authority and maybe spark some rebellion amongst his precious team. He wouldn't know if he succeeded in the last part until a later date but it was a good place to start as any.
Teacher's serve with Kamoshida at the head. He aces, gaining the advantage but the students respond with an ace of their own, evening it up. The gym was on the edge of their seats as well as the ref at the top of net. Revland called a time out not only to go over a plan but to give the teams the chance to catch their collective breath.
"What's the plan man?" Ryuji asked but this time each of the other four players were hanging on his every word.
Revland thought for a moment then spoke, "First we need to get the advantage and provoke a response from Kamoshida." He saw that the team seemed uneasy as the prospect of intentionally irritating their coach but nodded none the less.
"Once that happens, I'll be able get the ball into the air again. At that point I want the three of you to jump for the kill." He gestured towards his front line which included Ryuji. "I want the one who doesn't have a clear shot to take the swing."
That confused the team, "Don't you mean the one who does?"
"No, they could have someone come cover the hole if they see the spike coming. We're going to use Kamoshida's own trick against him. Aim for the person in the way and get them to panic. They either make a mistake or touch the ball before it hits the ground. Either way, we have the advantage."
The team nodded as they made their way back onto the court. Kamoshida didn't have a plan, not really. He's been hesitant to use his kill shot since this filth can return it, though it has already cost him a set in the process. Now it was looking like he was about to lose… LOSE… this match against a bunch of fucking kids.
Students serves and play continued for nearly a minute before the exhausted team scored another point, giving them the advantage. Each of the players were breathing heavily as the teachers set up for the next serve. Kamoshida walked up to one of the teachers in the front line and told the individual in no uncertain terms, to switch with him.
One of the other students looked to Revland with wide eyes as things were going almost exactly how he predicted. All he did in response was tap his ear twice to tell him to listen for his signal. The teacher served and play resumed with Kamoshida taking a more aggressive tactic than before but never went for the kill. It was almost as if he was trying to avoid it by getting in the other players way when they clearly had it covered. It became a game that was truly between Kamoshida vs. his team for it was 'his' game after all, his time to shine and these brats were trying to take it away from him.
Ryuji was at his limit, it was the most exercise he's had in over a year with the exception of a few days ago and the full-on sprint from the castle. His heart was pounding as he started to feel lightheaded but it didn't feel like exhaustion, he couldn't tell but he wore a smile that was as big as the one he wore when he won his first race while on the track team.
This day just keeps getting better and better… we'll show you just what we're made of. He thought while whipping away the sweat on his brow.
Intuition dawned on Ryuji as he put himself in the perfect position and tried to make himself look as vulnerable as possible, which wasn't all that difficult to be honest. Revland saw this and approved of his friend's actions even if it was a tad reckless. While he himself could easily irritate Kamoshida, Ryuji could piss him off to the fullest extent of the word.
Stole the free time of his star player, already known for being against him and being apart of the team that he is currently losing to is almost the perfect bait for what I had in mind… just be careful.
It didn't take long for Kamoshida to notice the exhausted nature that Ryuji was putting on and marked him for his next kill.
At least YOU won't be able to dodge this one. He seethed.
Kamoshida took the bait as he jumped to meet the ball on its downward path. Just as his hand met the ball, Ryuji and Revland had switched without saying a word as the latter brought his right arm back for a counter attack. The impacted sounded like canon fire as the ball sped towards Revland at an alarming speed but he was ready for it. With a loud "ting" of impact that reminiscent of a dodgeball, it flew into the air as three players, including Ryuji, jumped to meet it. Revland watched as all three players drew that arm back for a strike, "0! 8! Drop!"
Both players fell back without hesitation, leaving Ryuji lined up for a kill shot of his own. He put all his remaining energy, his aggression, hate and any other feeling of resentment he's ever had towards the man and smacked the ball down the sound of a thunder clap. The ball flew straight at Kamoshida and hit him square in the chest, knocking some of the wind out of him as the ball hit the floor and scoring the final point of the game. The gym was stunned into silence as they watched the ball roll along the court line and come to a stop at Revland's feet. He bent down to pick it up and stared at it for a second or two before spinning it in hands and held it in one hand over his head.
"And with that lads… I believe we've won." He said with a wicked grin as the gym erupted in cheers.
Author's note
Me again, it's been a minute hasn't it.
This chapter is being released around the one-year mark of when I published the first chapter of the Unforgiven storyline. As of yet, other than some grammatical issues (Working on it), it's been pretty well received for the original story and further insight to how and why characters act the way they do. I honestly can't thank you all enough for your willingness to read and your continued support.
We're getting closer to a part that I've been tossing around in my head for a minute and how I intend to handle it. Morgana has been absent save for a mention or two as well and I promise he'll be making further appearances soon. I will say that we're about to return to the metaverse either in the next chapter or the following so you won't have to wait long.
Still not over the fact that I've been at this for nearly a year… time does sure fly when your busy.
Anyway, I won't keep y'all long this time.
Special thanks to Cadoatra, Quatermass for being the newest followers and for Chimchar14 for being one of the first to review my work.
Suqu124,
Welcome to the fold, I'm glad you're liking the story so far. Still have a long way to go and the end of the first act is now in view. Hope you'll be willing to see this all the way to the end.
JWS
