I stumble forward and almost fall as me and Koko leave the bus and go to the location our "new friend" Kiyomaro told us to meet him… Why must he be so secretive? As if he already knows that Koko is another bookkeeper!
So mysterious and creepy already… No, it can't be, he can't know that.
"You're okay?" Koko asked with mild concern and I just waved my hand dismissively in reply.
"I would be better if you kept telling me important information… and not at the last moment. Koko, we're partners and that means working as a team, and that means clear communication."
Ha! Can't believe I hear that from you of all people. Pathetic.
I give a mental shove to another "me" and move forward. "I just mean, this can be dangerous. We still don't know what type of person Kiyomaro is, you know? He could be plotting our demise at this point and you'd still be none the wiser."
"Zofis, you're overthinking it. Yes, that one mamodo encounter was pretty bad, but labeling every single mamodo and their bookkeeper evil is bad." Koko says completely ignoring all the red flags that the Kiyomaro guy threw our way. Yes, I know that labelism is bad, but I cannot help myself!
"Hmm, that appears to be the place!" Koko says cheerfully as we stop before a… museum? Yep, Mochinoki city's central museum.
Me and Koko venture forward and a receptionist lady not only tells us that today's museum is open for everyone for free, but also shoves a notepad with very low-resolution photography of the facade of the same museum on the cover right into my hands.
"A free gift for kids under the age of twelve!" She says cheerfully and I don't have a heart to tell her I am not twelve. Also, a free notebook is a free notebook, and I low-key wanted something I could write notes about my past before I absolutely forgot everything.
Better late than never, I suppose.
"Look! They have paintings from artists of this city! That's so cool!" Koko calls out as we get closer to one of the first of not-so-many museum exhibits. A wall with dozens of paintings placed on it. Some of those depict Mochinoki's natural beauty while some look like street art gone wrong. It is still very charming, in a way.
"Oh, look! They even have statues!" Koko calls from another room… and when did she even get there? That girl must have super-human speed at this point. I give a small chuckle.
"Yes yes, I'm-" I try to tell her I follow her suit but something small and black catches my eye. A cat. Black cat with small white mittens and a white, almost as if painted, nose.
The cat looks at me, I look at the cat. Kitten, my mind corrects me as we both stare at each other in a bit of a trance as memories slowly flood my mind.
The bridge, black kitten, the fall. The Bridge, Black Kitten, The Fall.
The kitten meows and waits as if I speak cat language. Then it jumps and in one swift motion it's out of the view, hidden behind the column.
The trance slowly fades away and I feel ever so slowly growing headache. I ignore it for now, it's not important. The memories, the flood of them, that's important.
I open the notebook and take out a pencil I stole from the hotel room. I quickly write down everything I remember as I make my way to Koko. Better be around least we get separated once again.
The old bridge, the murky but shallow water, rocks. I write it down and draw a little poorly made attempt at a cat I remember. It's crude and childish, drawn as quick as possible, but it should do it's job at reminding me about the past.
"The people of this town are quite talented!" Koko praises the townfolk who drew the paintings and sculpted the statues. I give a thoughtful "Mhm" as I keep writing. It's not a lot, unfortunately, as my memory had been fading, but it is something.
"Hey, did you got inspired and decide to draw something yourself? That's an adorable looking dog!" Koko leans in and checks my notebook before I can snatch it away. No prying! This is personal!
"I erm… Just felt… Like it." I say, feeling slightly flustered and shell-shocked. Okay, if anyone sees my notebook there might be questions about its content, it might even get me in trouble if the truth about my origin gets uncovered… but… I look at my notes again. I wrote them in English. Koko doesn't know English. Plus, my style of writing is very specific, there's no way she'd be able to tell English from the mamodo language.
I look from my notebook at Koko, she's no longer even facing me, instead inspecting a sculpture of a chicken wearing a sundress and a sunhat.
Yeah, alright. Nothing happened, Koko isn't suspicious nor does she want to press matters further. Still, I close my notebook and hide the pencil in my hair. Better keep the notes going somewhere in private.
"So…" I start, changing the theme of both conversation and my own thought process. "Why is that Kiyomaro guy wanted us to meet him here of all places?"
" He said he wanted to talk to us in private, and that the museum is the most private place for us to meet him! He said it's the most boring place in town, nobody comes here!" She responds cheerfully. "Though, I highly disagree - this place is so unique!"
"I see… When should he show up and meet us then?" I ask.
"Hm…" Koko pulls out her phone and check the messages. "In around 10 minutes." She says.
I shift my weight from one foot to another. 10 minutes huh? That shouldn't be too hard… I kinda wish it would take longer. Maybe it's just my inner paranoia but I'm kinda afraid of this guy. Who knows what is on his mind… what his heart is made of.
Sudden quite meowing rips me from my thoughts and I turn around to see, yet again, a black cat with white mittens sitting in the shadow of the sculpture at the far end of the room.
There's something off about this cat, however, when I see it second time. As if…
"Heart vision." I whisper under my breath.
What? You want me to use this ability on a cat? Like I have nothing better to do than to grant you your wishes for stupidest of reasons!
My personal migraine complaints yet the vision still activates. And I see an aura in the shape of a cat… and an empty void devoid of any innards with the exception of three pairs of eyes staring back at me from the shape that was supposed to be that of a cat's but it definitely isn't one.
In an instance, as fast as the aftermath of using Heart Vision fades, I run up to Koko, already thinking how to describe the situation we might be in.
"Koko!" I call out, still wiping my eyes. As I get her attention I gesture for her to lean closer to me. As she does, I whisper in a low voice, "We have guests."
I turn around and point at the cat, or whatever was pretending to be it, that was still sitting in the shadows at a far-away sculpture. Koko follow my finger and raises a brow.
"Kitten?" She says uncertainty. "Are you sure?" She asks, still unsure if we both in danger or not.
"Think about it for a second - why would a cat even be at a museum? Especially since there was a "no animals allowed" sign at the entrance."
"Well, maybe it's a stray that walked in?" Koko tries to reassure me but I give her a hard side eye. "Okay okay… But what should we do?"
"I don't know… If it decides to attack us we should probably fight it here." I say.
"Here?" Koko exclaims, baffled at the words that came out from my mouth. "But.. But this place-"
"This place has far fewer people than outside, that's for sure." I interrupt her. "If the fight breaks it's safer for everyone to fight inside."
"But what about the cameras?" She points out and I pout, looking at the old, half-alive half-scrapped ancient piece of equipment mounted on a wall.
"Fine, then what's your idea?" I ask, waiting for her to respond as I see the cat suddenly get up and walk behind the pedestal that holds the statue. It doesn't come out of the other side.
"I think we need to relax. Listen, it's just a cat, right? Zofis, you've been on edge since that bank robbery… Do you…" It's her turn to roll her weight from one foot to another. "Do you, perhaps, want to talk about it?" She says and I look at her as if she said the most nonsense thing ever.
"Talk about… What?" I ask, prompting her to explain.
"About why you feel so paranoid all of a sudden?" She says, giving me a light smile. "Hear me out," she makes a vague "calm down" gesture with her hands. "I understand that you don't trust Kiyomaro but I do. There's that voice inside my head that tells me he's a good person who can be trusted."
Huh, sounds familiar, hmmm? Except her voice of reason is that of an imbecile.
"I mean, that's just what my heart tells me, alright?" She continues. "And I trust it. So I want you to trust it too and stop worrying about it, okay? I promise you, he's not a bad guy."
I give her a very long look, then sigh, then look at the floor tiles, then at the ceiling, then back at her. I raise my hand and open my mouth to object because, and it's probably going to be the only time I ever agree with him, her heart tells her something that will get her killed eventually.
But then I stop, because, her, maybe, just maybe, she is right. Kiyomaro did save the hostages from that bank robbery, didn't he? Of course he still could turn out to be a complete asshole of a person… But Koko gives me one of her puppy eyes stare and I grant her a very long, very dramatic, It-pains-to-agree-with-you sigh in turn.
"Fine. I will give this guy a chance… But only once!" I say. "And this cat is totally not a cat!" I change the subject before Koko decided she could delve deeper into my head.
Koko blinks and look back at the place the cat once was.
"Well… Even if it is another mamodo… Maybe it doesn't want to fight us?.. Yet." She says.
"I doubt it." I say and give a quick glance around. Nothing in the room changed… I look at Koko and then lay my eyes on the bag and.
"Koko! The book!" I exclaim and she looks down at the bag. The bag's flap was open, revealing the red violet colored book to the whole world.
"...Oops." All Koko can say. "I… Probably forgot to close it after we entered the museum."
I hear distant footsteps coming our way and this time I don't even need to give verbal command to my second-half to give me access to "heart vision". The world turns dark as I see a distant heart and an aura shaped like a cat slowly approaching our room.
"They know. They know you are a bookkeeper." I hiss, rubbing my eyes to try and ease the aftermath of Heart Vision.
"Fine if you don't want to fight here then we need to get out, now." I say, running (the damn cameras everywhere! Can't even float in this darn building!) out of the room. "We have maybe a minute before they get here-"
A black sphere with ears (?!) fly past me and collides with one of the sculptures, sending it falling onto the ground, creating a big splash of marble and rock pieces that scatters all over the floor.
I look up from this mess and see a cat-like mamodo standing at the first entrance to the statue alley, blocking us from leaving.
"Nya? Running from battle like a coward instead of meeting your fate? Nyah, how unfortunate for you that I am way faster and way smarter than you." The cat mamodo stands and becomes bipedal, playfully rolling it's shoulders to stretch them. "Nyah, Myango, walk faster or I will finish them off by myself!" Mamodo yells at the second entrance.
"I'm coming I'm coming, no need to make such a fuss…" I turn around and see a very tired man in office attire walk into the room. He is still suited up and he holds one of those black cases that I thought people had only in movies. He has a dark bags under his eyes and for a second he fights the urge to yawn. What the heck is wrong with this guy?! Those two completely don't take us seriously, do they?!
"Now, what do we have here?" The man says slowly, looking at Koko who quickly hides my book in the bag. "Oi! No need to hide it, we already saw it." The man waves his hand in a lazy gesture. He opens his own case and shows his own book, a dark gray colored cover, to the world.
"See? I have one of those too!" He says and opens his book. I look at Koko and she quickly reads my expression, digging our own book from her bag and opening it on the first and only spell we have.
"Are you sure you want to fight us here?" I ask, trying to ease the tension as my brain rapidly builds tactic after tactic, thinking about moves both me and my opponent should do in what scenario… and when did I became good at it? "Security cameras. I'm sure the security guard is already heading this way since you guys just broke one of the museum exhibits."
The man humms in response, closing his book and giving the statue alley a longing look. For a second I think he might agree to go outside or even pick a different location, far away from people, to fight us… But instead he says, "Not my problem if he gets in our way. Heck, it's his fault if he tries to stop us."
And with that the cat mamodo rushes at Koko, aiming for the book. My mamodo reflexes allow me to kick the cat out of the way with a powerful kick just seconds before it reaches my bookkeeper's bag.
I send the cat flying into a chicken statue and it crumbles into dust. I raise my hand and aim for the statue remains where the cat mamodo still lays.
| RADOM |
A light sphere shoots out from my hand and creates a small explosion in satisfying impact with what I assume is supposed to be mamodo's still laying body. Should it actually be satisfying to fry someone alive like that? My human morals tell me no but my mamodo blood, my mamodo blood screams yes.
"You two ain't as simple as I thought, nyah! I give ya that!" I hear the cat's words but I cannot see them. The man with dark grey spellbook smiles.
"Ah, I guess it's our turn then? Ah, there goes nothing!" He says.
| KATOUSEN |
A have seconds to turn around and see an black projectile in form of a cat head launch itself from cat mamodo's paws. The projectile barely misses me, instead launching itself into the wall, creating a see-through hole in the cement.
"Nyah! I won't miss again!" The cat screams and jumps forward, but this time aiming at me. Bad decision. Is this cat that dumb?
| RADOM |
The cat swirls in the air and hits the spell with it's tail, creating a flash of light right infront of me. The dust from the destroyed statues rises up and covers almost the whole room.
Shit.
"Heart Vision." The world turns black and I frantically turn around trying to find the mamodo aura shaped like a cat. To my left, laying low to the ground… Ready to pounce!
"Koko!" I call out and get response.
| RADOM |
| ZERURUDO |
I launch a second projectile, imagining how the orb of pure energy would collide with, waiting for an explosion that never comes.
"Looking for this?" A playful voice calls out from the dark. Heart Vision goes down and I blink few teardrops as my eyes adjust themselves to the real world. Then my heart sinks in as I see my own spell right in front of my face.
"Zofis!" Koko cries out from behind me.
The cat mamodo holds it in their paws with extended transparent claws like it's a cat toy. "Nyah! Your spells is pretty weak… But it's still fun to play with!" The cat steps back and then launches my own Radom back at me.
For a moment I think about moving away, mamodo reflexes kick in, prompting me to escape the spell, but they I realize that Koko stands right behind me. Sure, Radom is a relatively light spell… For a mamodo, that is… But for human?
I brace myself for the impact and feel the power of my own spell against my own skin. The light burns my eyes even while I keep them tightly closed, the hot air makes it impossible to breath for few seconds and when I finally take few shallow breaths I feel my body slide down the wall the spell throw me onto like a ragdoll.
"Zofis!" Koko cries out once more and I hear quick footsteps as she runs towards me. I open my eyes and see formless colorful blobs that quickly forms into Koko's concerned face.
"Nyah? Already over? But I had so much fun!" The cat mamodo pouts as I find some strength in me and get up back to my feet. "That's what I'm talking about! That's right, nyah! Get up! Entertain me some more!"
"I'm okay," I told Koko. "I still can fight." And it is true - my blood pumping in my veins and I hear a heartbeat that's way too fast for human standards, beating in my ears. Still, I need to be more careful from now on… This, what was it, Zerurudo spell? It appears to be some kind of stasis spell, perhaps? One that's able to hold opponent's spells?
I give my robe a small hit to get some excess dust from it and give mamodo and their partner a cold look.
I wish I had a plan, I really hate improvising on the spot.
| KATOUSEN |
The cat thrusts forward, sending another one of those flying cat head projectiles my way. Instead of jumping out of the way I raise my hand.
| RADOM |
Two spells collide, creating an explosion of energy and dark matter, completely neutralizing both spells in the process. As the flash fades out I jump forward, catching the cat mamodo who did the same out of guard as it launches it's claws in my direction.
This one is going to hurt but at the moment I don't have better ideas. The clawed hand slashes me across the chest, ripping my oh so dear robes to shreds… But before the cat can retreat it's paw I grab it, kick the cat in the side to make it lose balance and, while it falls on the floor, I quickly put a hand right in their shocked face.
| RADOM |
The ball of light explodes right into their face. The cat lies unmoving on the stony floor as I get up and give the man with cat's book a look, mirroring his own.
"Oh well." I say as I stand up and step over mamodo's body. I then turn to the cat's partner and hold my hand to him. "Your book please."
"Sheesh, you guys can bite if you get cornered, that's for sure." The man says and then looks at his watch. "Oh no. The lunch break ends in five minutes. Jhanho, no more playing, get up."
To my utter disbelief and Koko's surprise, the cat stands up as if it totally didn't take a full on explosion to the face. Few of their whiskers are still smoking, their fur is matted and dirty… But overall, they look fine. And that concerns me.
"Nyah! That was fun, bu-u-ut…" The cat stretches it's paws and then looks at me. Their eyes turn into two black lines in the middle of green.
"Koko," I call out my partner and raise my hands.
"R-radom!" Koko says but not even a sparkle escapes my hands. "Radom!" She tries again but once more, there's no effect.
I turn my head slightly to look at her. Her expression is one of panic as she sits on the floor, book fully open, the pages frantically turning in hopes of finding the source of the problem. Unfortunately for both of us, the book cannot solve this.
"Ran out of juice?" The cat mocks us and makes a step forward, I instantly take a step back.
"Nyah! Don't worry! I won't burn your book… After all, there's other ways a mamodo can be sent back to the mamodo world!" The cat says and then disappears behind the thick veil of dust that still hangs in the air from past explosions.
"Maybe once I become the Mamodo King we'll meet again and continue our game later! Nyah!" The cat says, their voice sounds seemingly from all directions at once. "But for now, see you later!"
I see a flash of claws sparkle to my left and then…
| ZAKERU |
A lighting bolt strikes the cat in mid-air, knocking it off course, sending it flying into yet another statue.
I look in the direction a new voice came up and…
"Sorry! Took us long enough! We had a run-in with some paparazzi!" The boy with short black hair says, holding a bright red book in his hands. But this is not what captures my attention, at least not at first.
"... Zatch?"
[took me 300 years but the bois finally met
Ohhhh how their reunion going to be like? Will Zatch remember his friend Zofis?
Only future chapter will tell! OoOoOoOh!]