The red star created by Kairi, the mysterious girl, and my memories - I know it will lead me to Sora. I will find him and bring him back to us in our world. I concentrated all my energy on my keyblade and pointed it at the star. Ominous clouds swirled above me, but I was not afraid. As a Keyblade Master, I must rescue my friend, for I know he is not gone forever. I continued to harness my strength onto the star. Soon, the star resonated with my will. Instantly, I warped from the Final World to the world of fiction.
I glided on the stream of consciousness, my head held high. I knew that if I continued to follow and listen to my heart, Kairi, the mysterious girl, and my wish would lead me to Sora. As I continued forward, I felt an ominous presence behind me. Did I miss Sora by chance? Was someone following me? Did Kairi enter this energy stream even though she promised to remain behind and train further? I knew something was amiss, but I could not stop here. I have come this far. To defer from my path would be to waste this opportunity Kairi, the Fairy Godmother, and the mysterious girl had given me. With the one clue we had found throughout our search, I did not want their sacrifice to be in vain.
In an instant, I felt something coming towards me. Quickly, I brought my sword up to defend myself. A shadowy figure raced towards me to attack me, but I blocked the assault. I scanned for the figure that struck me, but the entity was already out of sight. Where did that mysterious entity come from? Were they remnants of the recent Keyblade War? I thought with the defeat of Xehanort, I would not have to deal with these creatures again. However, if some still roamed freely without a leader, I must strike them down. I could not let them distract me from my mission to rescue Sora.
I continued down the stream, keeping my guard up for the next attack. When I felt something coming towards me, I prepared to strike back. In my swing, I attempted to peek at the person attacking me. However, the mysterious figure danced around me, preventing me from seeing its face. Although the dark entity disappeared into the stream again, I confirmed that the enemy was not a member of Organization XIII but something else entirely. They may or may not have been Heartless or Unversed, but I didn't have time to worry about who this new enemy was. My concern was getting this distraction out of the way so I could secure my attention to saving Sora.
I felt another wave of attacks coming towards me. While I prepared to strike back, I miscalculated the series of blows I would need to endure. Slams swarming at me left and right suddenly cascaded me. I defended myself from the onslaught of attacks, for there was no means to return the blow without opening myself to danger. As I kept a tight guard, I heard the attackers speak to me.
"You don't belong here," one voice echoed.
"Return to where you came from," another voice chimed.
"Do not upset the balance," a third voice whispered.
"Your presence is unwarranted," a fourth voice rumbled.
As I kept blocking the blows, I didn't realize I was getting pushed further away from the center of the stream. I realized too late what they were doing. With a final push, one of the shadowy entities knocked me out of the stream, and I fell in another direction with no control over where I was going. The dark figures looked at their handiwork and floated away, believing their duties were complete. Meanwhile, I continued to tumble down an unknown path further away from the stream. I realized that there was no means to return to the original path. I could only hope that wherever this new path took me, I could return to the original path sooner rather than later. I saw an exit from this new path I had taken.
"I'm sorry, Sora. I'm sorry, Kairi. It will take me a bit longer than anticipated to finish my mission. But I promise, I will do whatever it takes to bring us back together again the way it should be. This fall is only a small setback. I will overcome this and return to you soon," I vowed.
I braced myself for the new world I was about to land in.
Chapter 1: Quadratum?
When I came to, I found myself dropped in the middle of a busy street. The clamoring of shoes stomping on the ground woke me up, and I stood to survey my new surroundings. People were rushing past me as though they desperately needed to get somewhere. Tall buildings towered over me, almost looking down on me. Some even had computer screens, like what I would find in Sid's workstation. Looking around, I sensed I needed to be here, but I wasn't sure for what purpose. This world didn't seem familiar to me, yet the name Quadratum continuously popped into my mind. How did I know the name of this foreign location?
I shook away my doubt and surveyed the scene. The most important thing to do was gather information. The sooner I learn more about this world, the faster it will be for me to figure out what I must do to get to my next destination. I tried talking to the people around me and asking them where I was or any info on where I could be. However, every time I reached out to someone, it felt as though they were ignoring me to continue with their day. I hoped one of them would be nice enough to stop what they were doing to talk to me, but this world was not as friendly as I imagined.
Suddenly, I hear a slight buzzing noise, like an alarm. I checked to see where the hum was coming from and recognized something was vibrating in one of my pockets. I took this mysterious device out of my pocket. It was an egg-shaped device on which I wasn't too keen. I flipped this device up and noticed a picture of an envelope with an exclamation point on it. Believing that the message inside the envelope was urgent, I navigated around the device until I selected the message.
"Reach 104 or face erasure," the message read.
I didn't know where I was, and no one gave me my location. I quickly looked around to see if there was anything that resembled something as vague as 104. I realized that one of the tall skyscrapers has the number 104 displayed on top of the building. Given where I was, it should only take a few minutes to get to the building in time. At that moment, I felt a slight burning sensation in my hand. I looked at my hand and saw a timer counting down from my hand. According to the clock, I had sixty minutes to arrive at the 104 building, which seemed simple. Something about this ordeal felt strangely familiar to me. I shook those thoughts away and continued forward.
Walking towards the 104 building, I bumped into an invisible wall. I knew the mission wasn't without traps and tried to look for another avenue to get to the building. With such a large playing field, there should be other streets to get to the 104 building instead of the straightforward approach. Suddenly, mysterious markings began to appear all around me. Mysterious frogs appeared from the markings and started attacking the civilians, making them disappear at a rapid pace. Desiring to save them from these creatures efficiently, I readied my sword. However, no matter how often I called out for my blade, it never appeared. I was concerned. Regardless of what world I was in, I was able to call forth my Keyblade. Is it possible that I could not call forth my Keyblade in the usual manner because I was not in my reality? I tried firing magic to see if I could cast spells on the frogs. Much to my dismay, I was unable to perform any spells. How could I retaliate if I didn't have any means to fight?
The bizarre frogs noticed that I was still standing. Realizing that I was a threat to them, they turned their attention towards me. At least I was able to obtain their focus. The remainder of the pedestrians ran away, hoping to escape their sudden turmoil as soon as possible. I dashed around the city streets, hoping to get to the 104 building before these wicked frogs got the better of me. Every time I bumped into an invisible wall, I ran in another direction, hoping that I would be able to get to the designated location within the time limit. Unfortunately, the invisible walls bound me with nowhere to go. I turned to notice that the malicious frogs understood I had nowhere else to go. They stalked me, eyeing me like prey as they savored their victory. I looked around to see if there was anything that I could use as a weapon, but there was nothing near me that would be suitable to take down these odd frogs.
"Hey, you there," a girl screamed.
I turned and looked in the direction of the voice. A red-haired girl with a big puffy hat, a pink crop top, and a green miniskirt ran up to me. Something about her felt familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Finally, I realized who she was.
"Shiki, what are you doing here? Are you also trapped in this world by chance," I asked.
"Wait, who are you, and how do you know who I am and what my name is," Shiki questioned.
"You don't remember who I am? I admit we did meet briefly at Traverse Town, although it was inside the dream world, so you may not have any recollection of me."
"Traverse Town? Dream World? I'm sorry, but you're not making much sense to me. Are you sure you're not confusing me with someone else? Hey, wait a second! That's not the point! We have no time to chit-chat like this. Hey, form a pact with me! If we make a pact, then we can defeat these Noises!"
"A pact? You mean, like a contract?"
"No, nothing like that. That sounds mean. I'm asking you to be my partner."
"Partner?"
It was possible that to complete this challenge, I would need to team up with someone. The partnership would benefit me, as Shiki was more in tune with the rules of this world than I did. With no knowledge of what was in store, having an ally willing to cooperate with me was the best situation I could have.
"Okay, I will be your partner," I finally replied.
"Perfect! Then, the pact is complete," Shiki shouted.
Soon, a blue light shone on both of us, and I was resonating with her heart. So, this was what it meant to form a pact with someone. Now that the pact was complete, I immediately checked my condition for anything different about me, but I didn't notice any visual changes.
"Here they come! Get ready," Shiki replied.
Shiki channeled her energy onto a stuffed cat she was carrying. The stuffed cat jumped out of her arms and began wobbling until it stood. The stuffed cat rushed over to the cursed frogs, or the Noise as she referred to it, and began slashing away with its claws.
"Your power is psychokinesis," I said, impressed.
"If you think that's cool, wait and see what else I can do. Mr. Mew, give those Noise a swift uppercut," Shiki explained.
Mr. Mew, the stuffed cat Shiki was controlling, took out multiple Noises with its claw attack.
"Don't just stand there and make me do the work. You must fight, too," Shiki told me.
Returning to my senses after I observed what was happening around me, I tried to bring my blade out again. However, nothing was appearing in my hand. I tried to cast some magic spells but could not conjure up anything.
"Posing is not going to do you any favors. Use your pins," Shiki informed.
"Pins," I asked, confused.
"Wait, you know nothing about pins? It's what you use to fight against the Noise. There should be some in your pockets. Hurry!"
I rummaged through my pockets and found an assortment of pins. I quickly looked through the pins to find something that looked familiar to me. Eventually, I found something that had an image of a sword. I quickly concentrated all my energy on the pin. Finally, I was able to summon my trusted Keyblade.
"Now, things are even," I replied.
I rushed over to the Noise and sliced them away with my Keyblade. Every time they tried to jump on me and used their legs to attack me, I quickly used my blade to fling them away and strike them while they were in the air. Eventually, I diced up all the frogs, and the world returned to normal. I returned the Keyblade into a pin to catch my breath.
"Wow, you're pretty strong. You look like a knight cleaning up all those Noises like that," Shiki said, walking towards me.
"A knight, huh," I smiled.
"What are you smiling about?"
"It's nothing. You may not remember, but you said something like that to me once. I guess some things never change."
"Hey, I was just kidding. You didn't have to take me so seriously. Anyway, thanks for being my partner. It's nice to have someone brave and kind like you. I'm glad I found my ideal partner. Oddly, you may know who I am, but I have no idea who you are. Would you mind telling me your name, Mr. Knight?"
"My name is Riku. It's a pleasure to meet you, Shiki."
"You say it is nice to meet me, yet you claim to have met me before. You're a funny guy, Riku. I can't tell if you are joking or serious."
"Sticking with seriousness, you seem to know more about what is happening here than I do. If you don't mind, I would like to ask some questions about our situation and any additional rules about this game that I should be aware of. For example, I know that the timer on our hands indicates the time we must complete the task on these devices. I also understand that we need to partner up to use our powers using these pins. I would like to know more about those creatures who are attacking us. You called them Noises, but what exactly are they? Is someone controlling these creatures and using them to stop us from completing these missions?"
"For someone who doesn't know much about how the Reaper's Game works, you deducted a lot with the little information that you have. The missions that we receive on our phones come from the Reapers, who function as the gamemaster for this whole event. Their job is to get rid of us by weeding out those with a weak will until only the strong survive. To thin the herd, they offer missions and goals for us to accomplish. To make matters difficult, they summon Noise to keep us occupied until we fail to complete the mission. The game lasts for about seven days. Once we survive, we can leave this world."
"Leave this world? So, this fabricated world is perhaps a parallel world that reflects the real world."
"Something like that. You know more about this stuff than I do. Are you sure this is your first participation in the Reaper's game?"
"Let's just say I have a general understanding of what is happening. I do thank you for clarifying all the necessary info that I needed. I'm glad you've informed me that this is a false reality. I would have been concerned if the people attacked by the Noise truly disappeared. It would have weighed down on me knowing that I was unable to save them during the massacre. It still won't prevent me from saving as many as possible."
"Well, it was obvious that this world is not real."
"What do you mean by that?"
"No, it's nothing. Come on, we've wasted valuable time just standing here and talking. Even though 104 is right there, we still don't have much time to reach it. Come on, let's hurry up and get there before we get erased."
"I understand. I'm unfamiliar with this area, so if you lead the way, I would greatly appreciate it."
"No worries! I know Shibuya like the back of my hand. We're going to make it to 104 in no time! You can count on me!"
Meanwhile, two calculating individuals watched over Shibuya with wicked smiles on their faces. One was a pink-haired lady with a gloved sweater, high white boots, and a bit of an attitude. The other was an orange-haired lad with a sleeveless hoodie, some chains, and a calm demeanor.
"So, how are you doing over there, Uzuki," an orange-haired adult asked.
"Please, like you need to concern yourself about me, Koki," the pink-haired adult scoffed.
"I don't know. Looking at the scoreboard, I think I'm winning by a landslide."
"You wouldn't know winning if it hit you in the face. I will make you eat your words if it is the last thing I do."
"You should calm down. It's only a bowl of ramen on the line. God forbid that it happens to be the final thing you eat before you suffocate from your defeat."
"Indeed. I would much rather have your words than eat something as filthy as ramen," a voice hissed.
"Wow, someone is grumpy today. What, did you sleep on the wrong side of the bed before this week's challenge," Koki asked.
"What are you talking about? I wasn't yakking back," Uzuki talked back.
"Indeed. It was my suggestion," the voice answered.
The two young adults turned around in confusion. A dark-haired lady with teal metallic armor, a helmet that covered the top half of her face, and black wings descended in front of them. Her spear gently touched the ground as she kept a firm stance.
"And who are you supposed to be? I don't recognize you in our ranks," Uzuki jeered.
"It is entirely possible that she happens to be a recruit and is taking this opportunity to get some field research. Unfortunately, you picked a terrible time to observe what goes on during the game. The first day is often very boring, and she doesn't do so well as a teacher," Koki told the mysterious woman, referring to Uzuki.
"I don't have time to babysit newcomers. I have my agenda to accomplish, and showing someone how we do things was not part of my agenda this week," the Uzuki whined.
"Indeed. It would be a great disservice to waste unnecessary time," the mysterious woman responded.
"See, she gets where I'm coming from," Uzuki told Koki.
"I don't think she was complimenting you," Koki replied.
"Indeed. I hope to take over your position," the mysterious woman answered.
"Listen, I don't know who you are or who brought you here, but if you think for a second that I'm going to let a nobody like you rank higher than me, you are sorely mistaken," Uzuki replied.
"Indeed. For now, I shall abide by the rules. It would be unruly for me to start something at this stage. I bid thee farewell," the mysterious woman responded.
The mysterious figure flew away and disappeared into the sky.
"What's her problem," Uzuki complained.
"I don't know. Something about that woman felt strange," Koki replied.
"That put me in a sour mood. I need to blow off some steam and get rid of more Players," Uzuki replied.
Uzuki leaped over the building and slowly descended. Koki contemplated his next move, trying to ingest what transpired.
Finally, Shiki and I arrived at 104. When we reached our destination, I noticed that the timer in our hands disappeared.
"It's as you said. The timer disappeared when we completed the mission. Thank you for taking me to this location efficiently, Shiki. I could not have done it without you," I said.
"Wow, you know how to use your words. Keep it up, and I might start falling for you," Shiki winked.
"I didn't mean it like that."
"I know. I was kidding. Still, it hurts that you turned down cute little me."
"Ugh, can you turn down the flirting? I'm already having a terrible day, and I plan to enjoy the rest of my day by getting rid of you two," a voice echoed.
Shiki and I quickly turned to the voice in question. A pink-haired lady with a gloved sweater and high white boots walked over to us with a sinister grin.
"I suppose you have been providing us with odd objectives to tackle within the time limit," I said, preparing my sword.
"No, Riku, that's a Reaper. Their goal is to ensure we don't complete these missions in time," Shiki explained.
"The little girlie is right. The name is Uzuki, and the one pulling all the strings is the Game Master. However, that doesn't mean Reapers like me can't have a bit of fun of our own. Luckily for you, I need it to relieve some stress. I need to snag the two of you to reward myself with that sweet, hearty bowl of free ramen," Uzuki smirked, smacking her lips.
Soon, various symbols hovered around us, and more frogs emerged from the sigils.
"That confirms that you are the one summoning and controlling the Noise. If we defeat you, this will lower the need to tackle these Noises as we progress through the game," I replied.
"Do you think I'm the only Reaper here? There are plenty of us stationed in our zones, so it will take more than defeating me if you believe that is all it takes to get rid of the Noise. And if you think I'm just going to let you stand there and claim that you can take me down, you are sorely mistaken. Get them," Uzuki yelled.
The frogs began to jump all over us and rain on top of us. I quickly summoned my sword and pushed them all away. Shiki and I ended most of the frogs emphatically with our combined efforts.
"You may have increased their numbers, but their behavior and attack pattern remain the same. It will take more than that to stop us if you plan to erase us," I informed.
"In that case, I'm going to push myself a little further, just so I can hear you scream," Uzuki replied.
Uzuki summoned a dangerous Noise, a bipedal bear with skeletal arms.
"Talk about pulling out the big guns," Shiki commented.
"It's nothing that we can't manage. Back me up, Shiki," I replied.
I rushed over to the bear Noise. The Noise uses its large claws to swipe me. I quickly used my sword to guard myself. Taking the blow, I bumped into an invisible wall.
"Hang on, Riku. I'll get you," Shiki shouted.
As Shiki assisted Riku, Mr. Mew sneaked behind the bear Noise to attack it from behind. The bear Noise sensed that it was coming and quickly turned to swipe back at Mr. Mew. Mr. Mew flew towards a parked car and crashed into it.
"Mr. Mew," Shiki hollered.
"You should take care of your cat. It means a lot to you, doesn't it," I told her.
"What about you?"
"I'll figure something out. A blow like that won't keep me grounded. However, I won't underestimate its strength again. That Noise has a heavy guard. No matter how close we get to it, it will counterattack with a powerful swing. If there was some way we could damage it from a distance, we could have the advantage."
"Hey, don't you have more pins than just your sword?"
"Now that you mention it, I do. I was so focused on finding my main weapon that I didn't have time to check what my other pins were. I bet there are some that I can use that look familiar to me to incorporate into my strategy."
"We initially carry an assortment of pins, but not every pin may be usable. Each pin is special and must be able to resonate with its user for it to work. Why don't you try this one? I'm unable to use it, but I bet you would be able to."
"A fire pin? That's something that I recognize. I bet I can use this pin for all sorts of benefits. Thanks, Shiki. You have been very kind to me once again."
"Come on, we're partners. It's what we do. We help each other out."
"That's right. Let's finish that Noise once and for all."
"Look, if you finished your pep talk, please hurry up and die. I have a time limit to watch over, and I don't plan to waste any more of my time trying to get rid of you both," Uzuki scoffed.
The bear Noise rushed over to us, preparing to strike both of us with its skeletal claws.
"Firaga," I shouted.
Resonating with the Blade Pin and the Fire Pin, I shot a massive fireball at the bear Noise using my Keyblade. The fireball exploded before the bear Noise, and it staggered on its feet.
"Now's our chance. Let's finish it together, Shiki," Riku said.
"Yes," Shiki replied.
I resonated with Shiki, matching my heartbeat and breathing with hers. Once we were coordinated, we opened our eyes. When I dashed towards the bear Noise, Mr. Mew got back on its feet and flew towards it. Mr. Mew and I battered the bear Noise at the same time from the front and the back. The bear Noise separated into pieces and disappeared into thin air.
"Alright, we did it," Shiki cheered.
"Good work, partner," I replied.
"Anytime," Shiki answered, giving me a high five.
"No fair! That is not how that battle was supposed to go down. I am so upset right now," Uzuki muttered, stomping her feet.
"Why don't you tell your Game Master that, if they like to play games, they should reveal their face to us, as I have several questions that I want answered from them," I said, pointing my sword at Uzuki.
"You think just because you took down one of my stronger Noises, I would willingly tell you all our secrets. How naive can you be," Uzuki laughed.
"I'm in a bit of a rush. I wish not to stay here any longer than I should. If you lead me to your Game Master, I will spare you the trouble of wasting your time on us. I know that no matter how many Noises you summon or how powerful they may be, if Shiki and I trust each other, our bond will sever anything you throw at us," I declared.
"You say big words for a boy who has no idea what is in store for them in the next couple of days. Quite frankly, your determined look makes me angry," Uzuki raged.
Uzuki pulled out her gun and pointed it at me.
"Hey, I thought you were only allowed to harm us using only the Noise. What you are doing is against the rules," Shiki explained.
"Screw the rules! It's easier to ask for forgiveness than to beg for permission. You two make me angry, especially the silver-haired jerk over there. I'm going to make sure you never wake up and be erased for good," Uzuki yelled.
I readied my blade to prepare for a counterattack. Just as Uzuki was about to pull the trigger, she stopped. She looked down at her chest. A spear pierced through her heart and out of her chest. It happened so suddenly that I barely had time to react. Uzuki dropped her gun and turned back to her attacker, the same woman that descended in front of her and Koki.
"You little tramp! I knew you were dishonest the moment I laid eyes on you," Uzuki muttered, struggling to speak as she was coughing up blood.
"Indeed, however, your arrogance led to your downfall. Therefore, it is only natural that you would disappear as you have lived: stabbing someone in the back to achieve your goals," the mysterious woman retorted.
"If you think I'm just going to stand here and let you talk like that to me, you're wrong," Uzuki yelled.
As soon as Uzuki pulled out another gun to fire at the mysterious woman, she skewered her two more times through her body before she was able to pull the other trigger. Shiki and I were stunned by the turn of events. It took a while for us to process what happened before our eyes. Finally, Uzuki fell to the ground, her body immobilized and bleeding profusely. Because the unique and ancient headpiece covered the mysterious woman's face, it was hard to understand her expression through her eyes. Yet, her mouth never moved, almost unsentimental about her recent actions. She coldly stared at the woman lying on the ground. Then, she slowly turns towards me. Shiki hid behind me as I drew my blade toward the mysterious woman.
"You don't look like a Reaper, and I doubt you are the Game Master of this world. Who are you," I asked.
At first, there was silence. The mysterious woman and I continued to stare at each other, neither of us moving an inch. I continued to raise my guard, unsure of the mysterious woman's motives.
"You don't belong here," the mysterious woman finally said.
For some reason, her words echoed and reverberated all over my body. It felt like someone was clawing my ears from the inside. I unsheathed my sword and collapsed on the ground, trying to get rid of the voices in my head.
"Riku! Riku! Are you okay? What happened? Hang in there," Shiki shouted, trying to shake me out of it.
Unfortunately, her words sounded muffled, so I could barely hear what was happening. My main concern was getting rid of this ringing to protect Shiki from this mysterious woman. Something about her was dangerous. The mysterious woman's words were eerily familiar, yet I could not put my finger on it. I feel like I was overlooking something, something important. I cannot remember what I had omitted; however, I knew that it was of utmost priority for my mission here. As I racked my brain for my reason for coming to this world, the mysterious woman methodically walked up to me.
"Riku, stand up. We must go," Shiki said, trying to talk sense into me.
Again, I could not hear her, but Shiki looked concerned. I tried desperately to get rid of the ringing ears to listen to her. As I tried to focus on her words, the mysterious woman walked closer to us.
"Riku, hurry up. She's coming," Shiki pleaded.
I saw the mysterious woman coming towards us. I needed to guard Shiki from her, but my body wouldn't move. I felt like I was buried in cement and drowning in the ocean. I attempted to bring my knees up, but I was so discombobulated that my leg barely moved an inch forward. Shiki noticed my struggle to stand and stood before me with Mr. Mew by her side.
"I don't know who you are, and I don't understand what you did to Riku. But if you're after him, you must go through me first," Shiki said.
Shiki spread her arms out to protect me. Mr. Mew readied its claws to prepare to strike. No. Don't do it. Run away. Save yourself. Find another partner. That person is too strong for you to manage alone. I tried to get these words out of my mouth, but my jaw and tongue could not move. Even when I tried to reach Shiki, my arm barely went forward. I was not in physical pain, but the effort to move my hand was soul-crushing. The mysterious woman prepared her spear to pierce Shiki, but the world suddenly turned black.
*To be continued*