I immediately opened my eyes and tried to catch my breath. I slowly gasped for air as I tried to calm my jackhammer-beating heart. I swiftly searched my surroundings. Unfortunately, the back of my head knocked something hard when I abruptly stood.
"Ouch," Shiki shouted, holding her nose.
"Shiki, I'm sorry. I didn't notice you there," I said.
"Geez, you startled me. Next time, warn a girl before you make sudden movements. I think you bruised my cute little nose."
"My apologies."
I stood and searched my surroundings. I was inside an underground mall next to what appeared to be a train station.
"Where exactly are we," I asked.
"It looks like we're underneath Shibuya station. Don't worry. I know this place like I know the back of my hand, so I can figure out how to get out of here. More importantly, how are you feeling? The last time I saw you, you were not yourself. Are you all right," Shiki asked, concerned.
"I'm fine, thanks for asking. Did you know who that woman was? She didn't seem like a Reaper or a Game Master. Are there other ranks within their system that I should know?"
"I haven't met her before. She didn't look like a Reaper or a Game Master. She also doesn't look like a Player. I haven't seen anyone take down a Reaper like that. I wanted to ask if you knew her. She seemed to have targeted you for some reason. Do you remember doing anything to her that made her angry at you?"
Although I didn't know who she was, I did recognize the words she spoke to me. They were the last words spoken to me before coming to this world. I didn't want to confuse Shiki further.
"In all honesty, I don't recall. However, that woman felt familiar to me. While it is dangerous to see her again, I believe meeting her is the only way I can surmise why she is after me," I explained.
"Are you sure you want to visit the same person that brought you to your knees," Shiki questioned, perplexed.
"It could be a clue to figuring out the mystery of this world and this game we are playing. If that woman is not a member of the Reapers, that means she entered this world on her own accord. If that is true..."
"Then she might be able to tell us how to get out of here. What you said isn't impossible. Still, we are dealing with someone who slays a powerful Reaper in seconds. The thought of seeing her again scares me."
"If she knows how to get out of here and isn't bound to the rules of the Game Master, it is the only means to obtain information from her."
"Okay, but if you start to choke and fall, we are getting out of her sight. I don't want to live through the same fear again."
"I promise. If things turn for the worse, we will retreat. I'll try to stand my ground better now that I know what that woman can do to me. Thank you for going through this plan. I understand how dangerous it can be. I apologize for dragging you into this."
"What are you talking about? We're partners. It's what we do. Partners trust each other no matter what. Besides, we still need each other if we want to use our full potential. I'll help you through the end."
Our moment was interrupted by another buzzing noise. Shiki and I looked at our phones.
"Lift the statue's curse or face erasure," the message read.
We felt a similar burning sensation in our palms. The amount of time was ticking down our hands.
"It looks like we have our mission," Shiki replied.
"I'm surprised that the Game Master continued the session instead of investigating the death of their soldiers," I commented.
"It did happen so suddenly. Perhaps there wasn't enough time to change course. Maybe the Game Master is pushing the issue to a later date."
"Maybe so. By the way, is it already the second day? I don't even remember sleeping. The shocking events have been on my mind this whole time. Does time skip to a few minutes before our mission?"
"I'm not sure. I think that's what happens."
"That doesn't sound reassuring."
"Hey, I just never questioned it until you mentioned it. I went along with the flow of the game. Let's get this mission over with. Then, we can discuss more about this world later."
"Fair enough. So, what is the statue that the message is referring to?"
"If we are at the Shibuya Underpass, I bet the statue they were talking about is Hachiko. It's a famous dog who waits every day for its departed master until its death. The tale is sad but heartwarming."
"All right, lead the way."
Chapter 2: Shibuya
Shiki and I left the underpass and headed towards the dog statue Shiki mentioned.
"We're here! We're a lot closer than I thought. We should be able to nail this one in the bag," Shiki exclaimed.
"What exactly about the statue is cursed," I asked.
"Good point. Let's see. Something about it is different. It looks aggressive."
"Now that you mention it, I feel more concerned than awed whenever I look at the statue. What do you suppose we should do to make it happier?"
"I'm not sure, but I bet the people around us might know."
"They don't seem to be the talkative type. I don't think they can see us as all. We are acting on a different plane than them."
"As Players, we can read non-players' minds and emotions. Unfortunately, it doesn't work on other Players or Reapers, but it is a great tool. There must be someone who could give us clues to figure out how to lift the curse. Give it a try. Concentrate on people's minds and listen to their emotions.
I closed my eyes and harnessed my senses. At first, all I heard was static, wavelengths of people carrying varying emotions of sadness, happiness, and anger. I tried to tune out the mess created by all the unwanted negativities. I focused on anyone talking about the keywords. A man was complaining about his job as a dog walker. Kids were laughing that a mime couldn't pull off a proper statue. A girl named Hachiko was speeding through flashcards to prepare for a test.
"Hachiko looks a little sad today," a passerby said.
"Do you think he will feel better if we wash away his pain," another stranger commented.
Polish? Pain? Those clues might be a lead.
"I think I found something," I told Shiki after clearing my head.
"What did you find," Shiki asked.
"I heard a couple discussing washing away the statue's pain. Does the statue look dirtier to you than usual?"
"Now that you mention it, the color looks off. Riku, you're a genius. I bet if we rub the gunk off with some polish, Hachiko will be happier, and we will complete our mission. It's killing two birds with one stone. Luckily, I have some polish, so let's make Hachiko sparkly and shiny."
"Hold it right there, punks!"
We turned to the person who yelled at us. A hot-headed boy with a skull cap and a chain necklace ran up to us and stopped in front of us.
"Are you trying to add some last-minute curses on the statue to make it more difficult for us? Luckily for you, I saw through your evil plans, and I'm going to crush you right here right now," the hot-headed boy roared.
"Hey, what are you accusing us of? We're not the bad guys here," Shiki replied.
"Calm down, Beat. You are jumping to conclusions. It will lead you into more trouble," I replied.
"You guys even know my name. That makes things easier. Remember the name of the man who's going to kick all of you Reapers to next week," Beat announced.
"You mean Daisukenojo Bito," I asked.
"Using my full name like that is a low blow. It doesn't matter. Get ready for a pounding," Beat shouted.
"Calm down, Beat. They're not Reapers; they're Players. They have a Player's pin on them, just like us," another voice intervened.
A calm boy with a grey buttoned shirt and jeans walked over to Beat, who aggressively turned back.
"Seriously, dude, way to ruin the moment before my awesome move. But it stings that you aren't in cahoots with them. I'm sorry for messing with you," Beat sighed.
"As long as you understand, we're cool," Shiki answered.
"I take it you don't know who I am as well, Joshua," I said.
"Have we bet before? I would be able to recognize someone with an outfit like that," Joshua replied.
"This is getting weird. How do you know who we are when we have no recollection of who you are," Shiki asked me.
"Perhaps that is part of our entrance fee," Joshua answered.
"Entrance fee," I questioned.
"To patriciate in the Under Ground, where we are right now, Players require a fee to play the game. The fee can be anything ranging from tangible items to memories. Your entrance fee to be here may be our memories of you," Joshua explained.
"That means we must have been such good friends that the Reapers used that as a fee," Shiki replied.
"It's not cool to take away something as precious as memories," Beat added.
"The fee has to be important; otherwise, there would be no point in having your wish granted and escape the Underground. I'm sure each of us here has something important lost from them that they are eager to get back, whether they like it or not," Joshua commented.
Beat looked confused. Shiki turned crestfallen.
"That is a good theory. The price was my memory, but it is more than just your memories of me. I know that there is a reason I am here. I am supposed to fight for something or someone, but I can't remember who or what I am fighting for. Perhaps, once we complete all the missions this week, I can find the answer I am searching for," I replied.
"Speaking of the mission, I saw you guys at Hachiko not too long ago. What were you planning to do with that dog," Beat asked.
"We were planning to clean him up with some polish. Since we're all here, why don't you help us," Shiki smiled.
"I'd be honored to. I feel bad for antagonizing you, so it's the least I can do," Beat replied.
"You have a good heart, Beat. We won't see you in a negative light," I commented.
"Don't tease me and give me that wipe. I'm going to start cleaning that dog now," Beat said.
As Beat and Shiki cleaned Hachiko, I approached Joshua.
"I'm not sure if you will answer this question, but can you jump in between the Underground and the Real World," I asked.
"If I could do that, why would I want to play such a maniacal game like this voluntarily," Joshua questioned.
"I knew you would answer with a question. I gave it a shot. I know you know more than you are willing to put out. I'll wait until you are ready to give the full information," I replied.
"Man, the more we keep polishing this dog, the less it looks like Hachiko. You sure this is the right thing to do," Beat asked Shiki.
"It's the only thing I can come up with. Otherwise, we'd be standing here all day," Shiki replied.
"Shiki, Beat, get away from the statue. It's a Noise," I shouted, preparing my sword.
Shiki and Beat looked at me as the statue started growling. The Wolf Noise broke free from the debris and jumped at Shiki and Beat. Beat used his skateboard to block the Wolf Noise and push it away.
"And you said wiping the much off the statue would lift the curse. Well, that statue just attacked us," Beat yelled at Shiki.
"Defeating this Noise could bring the real Hachiko back, so less talking and more fighting," Shiki replied.
The Wolf Noise howled, summoning more Wolf Noises in the vicinity. The main Wolf Noise joined the pack, and the group circled the four of us.
"Great, now there's a whole army of these dogs," Beat hollered.
"The main Noise must be the alpha male. Defeat it, and the remainder of the wolves should disappear," I replied.
"Yeah, but which one is the main Noise? They all look the same," Shiki said, trying to find the first wolf.
"It doesn't matter. If we bash all of those wolves, one will have to be the alpha, and they'll all poof away," Beat answered.
"For once, I agree with your straightforwardness. Shall we clean up this mess," Joshua questioned.
"Let's go," I replied.
Beat ran over some wolves and bashed the rest with his skateboard. Shiki channeled her powers onto Mr. Mew. Mr. Mew sliced up as many wolves as he could. Joshua took out his phone and dropped various objects from the sky onto the wolves. I combined my fire pin with my sword pin to recreate a blade with a burning tip and rushed toward the wolves while spinning my blade rapidly. No matter how many wolves we killed, more and more wolves would appear endlessly.
"This isn't getting us anywhere," Beat yelled.
"They're remobilizing faster than we can take them down," Shiki added.
"At this rate, we won't be able to finish the mission within the time limit. There must be a way we can gather them all in one location and defeat everyone in one swoop," I stated.
"I might have an idea, but I'm going to need the three of you to do the herding for me," Joshua replied.
"Are you trying to make us do all the hard work as you sit by and take all the credit," Beat asked.
"Beat, Joshua is your partner. Trust him. At this point, we need every strategy we can concoct to make it out of here alive," Shiki said.
"We'll do our part. We're counting on you, Joshua. Beat and Shiki, please gather all the wolves towards the Hachiko statue. We will use that as our guiding mark for Joshua," I informed them.
"Got it," Beat nodded.
"Understood," Shiki replied.
Beat, Shiki, and I worked together to carefully bring all the wolves toward the square without harming them and making them respawn. Once all of the wolves were at a central location, I gave Joshua the signal. Joshua rapidly typed on his phone, summoning large building materials and vehicles from the sky. Beat, Shiki, and I moved out of the way as the large debris fell on top of the wolves. With all the wolves crushed, the Hachiko statue appeared on the empty pedestal, shiny and new. The timer on our hands disappeared.
"We did it," Shiki cheered.
"And we would have been crushed if we hadn't jumped out a second later. Why don't you warn us before pulling a stunt like that," Beat told Joshua.
"I knew you would have escaped that predicament unscathed," Joshua replied.
"That laidback attitude of yours grinds my gears," Beat gritted.
"Beat, Joshua is your partner. Please work together to make it out of the game unscathed," Shiki informed.
"That doesn't make his goofy face something I want to smack away," Beat replied.
"Something about our battle today felt off," I replied.
"You thought so, too," Joshua commented.
"What do you mean," Shiki questioned.
"Normally, when we fight against the Noise, their attacks are uncoordinated, like wild animals attacking on instinct. In this scenario, the Noises were calculating and acting in sync," I explained.
"Did those monsters get smarter," Beat asked.
"I suspect someone is controlling their actions during the entire encounter. I believe the Reaper is still monitoring us even as we speak," I added.
I fired a fireball at one of the nearby buildings. Upon impact, an orange-haired reaper with a black sleeveless hoodie descended in front of us.
"Impressive. How did you know I was there," the orange-haired Reaper asked.
"How about informing us who you are, and perhaps I will respond in earnest," I answered.
"You have quite a sharp tongue. It makes defeating you all the more salivating. I'm Koki, and I'm here for revenge," Koki replied.
Koki snapped his fingers, and multiple bats appeared around them.
"There's so many of them," Shiki replied.
"What gives? We never done anything to you. You and the pink-haired girl were messing with us," Beat retorted.
"You're the one toying with us. You killed Uzuki," Koki clamored.
"A Reaper slain on the first day," Joshua pondered.
"We didn't harm any Reapers. A woman with a spear killed her," Shiki quickly replied.
"The woman from before? I knew she had unforeseen powers. I didn't expect her to be that strong," Koki muttered.
"If you've met her, then you know what she's capable of. Fighting us will not resolve the core issues of this world," I informed.
"Sorry, I'm in a foul mood right now. I need to blow off some steam. You and the girl were with Uzuki and the mysterious woman. If I fight you two, I might be able to see her again. Sorry, but I need you to stay down," Koki replied.
"You're not hurting anyone on my watch," Beat said, stepping up to Koki.
"If Riku and Shiki are the key required to meet this Reaper killer, slaying them will not provide any long-term rewards," Joshua replied.
"Then, stay half-dead and become bait," Koki stated.
Koki ordered the bats to swarm us. We used our powers to thwart as many as possible, but the numbers were overwhelming.
"This is even more ridiculous than the wolf fight," Beat whined.
"How does he have so much power as a Reaper," Shiki questioned.
"He lacks interest in getting promoted as a Conductor or a Game Master. He is troubling to fight against so early in the week," Joshua answered.
As we continued to swat away the bats, the mysterious lady appeared behind Koki.
"I knew you would come," Koki said, turning to her.
Koki fired multiple energy beams at the mysterious woman, forcing her to fly away to dodge the attacks.
"You're not getting away from me this time," Koki replied.
Koki flew after the mysterious woman. Without Koki's support, the bats stopped coordinating their attacks and moved haphazardly, making them easy targets.
"That wasn't so bad. Is that all you got," Beat taunted.
"Wait, where did Koki go," Shiki asked, looking around.
"Up there," Joshua said, pointing towards the sky.
Shiki, Beat, and I looked at what Joshua was pointing at.
"It's her," I replied.
"She does look like a bird lady," Beat commented.
"He's going all out on her," Shiki said.
"She killed one of his kind. To hold back would mean to embrace death," Joshua replied.
Koki continued to fire energy blasts at the mysterious woman. At one point, one of the blasts caught the woman, who crashed to the ground. Koki landed in front of her.
"This is for Uzuki," Koki said.
Koki charged his energy beam and prepared to fire it at the mysterious woman's face. The mysterious woman took her mask off, revealing a familiar face.
"Uzuki? But why," Koki asked.
In the split second of confusion, the mysterious woman stabbed Koki multiple times with her spear, the same way she fell Uzuki. Koki fell to his knees and ultimately vanished. When we arrived at the scene, we saw the mysterious woman put her helmet back on as she confronted us.
"Did that Koki guys just lose," Beat asked.
"If she can defeat him, what are the odds that we could do the same," Shiki questioned.
"You told me that I did not belong here. What did you mean by that? Who are you, and how do you know who I am," I asked her.
"You don't belong here," the mysterious woman spoke.
I heard the same ringing in my ears, but I held my ground.
"Riku, you look pale. Are you okay," Beat asked.
"I'm fine. Those words won't haunt me again. I know I'm not from here. I came here from another world. I want to know why you are targeting me and everyone around me. What exactly are you," I continued.
"I am Morrigan, the harbinger of defeat. I supervise the road between the mortal realm and the Otherworld. You are from neither location, forcing your way into this realm. You don't exist here; therefore, you do not belong here," Morrigan explained.
"Everyone, we're leaving now," Joshua quickly said.
"But I was about to give that woman a nasty beatdown," Beat replied.
"If we stay here any longer, we will all die. Riku is in no condition to fight, and we do not have the collective power to stop her. Running is our only option," Joshua noted.
"Riku, let's get out of here," Shiki said, holding my shoulder.
"You may run as you please, but your death will be inevitable. Indeed, anomalies like you will soon perish," Morrigan echoed.
Soon, our minds grew dizzy, and our worlds went blank.
I immediately woke up to survey my surroundings. Before getting up, I checked to see if Shiki was above me. As I stood, I began looking for Shiki, only to find her in a nearby location not too far from where I spawned.
"Shiki, are you all right," I asked, shaking her.
"Riku? I'm okay," Shiki replied, slowly getting up.
"That's good to hear. Where are we now?"
"From the looks of it, we're back at Shibuya Crossing."
"Is that what this location is?"
"I forgot that you're not familiar with the area. I don't think you're familiar with this world at all. Is what Morrigan said true, that you are from another world?"
"There's no point hiding it now that Morrigan has exposed my secret. I am a Key Blade Master. My job is to travel between different worlds to monitor and ultimately purge the darkness hidden in the shadows. They are known as Heartless: creatures born from the dark desires of humanity."
"They sound like Noise, creatures manifested from negative thoughts and emotions. So, are you here to get rid of all the Noise?"
"That could be my mission, but I'm afraid that's not the case. I don't think I should be here. I'm supposed to go elsewhere. This missing mission is my price for participating in this game. Therefore, I must see this game to the end to remember my true purpose."
"I had no idea you shouldered that responsibility. Even with your memory loss, you have taken the game quite well. No wonder you looked so sure of yourself during battles. I bet the Underground is a cakewalk for you."
"It seemed whatever baggage I had dragged over to this world. You, Beat, and Joshua are in this convoluted mess because of me. I apologize."
"There's nothing you can do about it. Since you openly told me your secret, let me share mine."
"You don't have to if you don't want to."
"You can be the only one dropping a bombshell like that. If we're partners, we need to learn as much about each other. Here, look at this photo."
"It's a lovely image of you and your best friend. I can tell you share a strong bond."
"I'm the best friend."
"Did you exchange bodies?"
"It's more like I took her image. My real name is Shiki, but the body I have right now is from my best friend, Eri. As you can see, I'm nothing like her. I'm plain and boring. She's cute, outgoing, friendly, and perfect. One day, we got into an argument. The next day, I passed away. I think my entry fee is my identity. I'm normally shy and reserved. With this body, I can be cute and bubbly, a whole new person, unlike my old self."
"You would rather stay here forever with your stolen look instead of getting a second chance at life?"
"I guess that's one way of looking at it. I'm afraid to go back to the Real Ground. If I do, I will end up as my old self again. My interactions with Eri are going to be awkward. I can't have that. It'll be too much for me."
"You may be copying your friend's mannerisms, but that doesn't necessarily mean your words and actions are not all your own. I believe the Shiki I met these past few days is genuine, kind, and tries her best to look at the positives in any given situation."
"But those are the qualities of Eri, not me."
"Trying to be someone isn't inherently wrong. Making it your own is what's important. You claim that your actions aren't yours; however, when you tried to protect me from Morrigan and interacted with Beat and Joshua, I saw those as your initiatives. Don't sell yourself short. There's more to you than what you believe. You need others to help you see that."
"You give me too much credit."
"I like to help others see the light within the darkness. Everyone has dark thoughts. It is impossible to get rid of. Not letting it consume you and accepting the darkness for what it is while traveling the path of light is the hardest part. It doesn't happen overnight, but with time and practice, I hope you will accept yourself as who you are and not a shell of your best friend."
"You're lucky you're cute and hot. Keep it up, and I might start falling for you."
"I won't be tripping over your words this time."
"Who said I was lying?"
"Wait, you weren't?"
"Of course, I was, silly. But thanks for cheering me up. I needed that."
Our phones rang again. I quickly took it out to read the message.
Defeat the boss of 2.2360679775's 14 in 60 minutes or face erasure.
I felt a slight burning sensation in my hand. Sure enough, the timer in my hand began ticking down.
"Looks like another mission has started," Shiki said.
"I'm surprised they are continuing with this game despite two Reapers disappearing by Morrigan. Surely, they are aware that something is amiss unless the defeat of low-ranked Reapers means nothing to whoever is running this place," I commented.
"Either way, it doesn't change that they are giving us missions to complete. Let's finish the mission. Then, we can search for clues about Morrigan and other absurdities around town. Still, today's mission looks weird. I get that 1 4 = 5, but the other number is gibberish to me. Is it a person's name or the name of a location nearby? Any ideas, Riku?"
"Your guess is as good as mine. Either way, standing around won't do us any favors. We should start walking to see if there is anything related that might have a boss Noise to defeat."
"Okay, let's do that."
Shiki and I walked around Shibuya Crossing, hoping to find a path leading in the right direction. As we were heading down a road, several frog Noises appeared.
"Looks like we got company," Shiki said.
"We're probably heading in the right direction if the Game Master is laying traps to stop us," I replied.
"Wait, Riku, something doesn't feel right. Don't these Noises feel eviler to you?"
"Did the Game Master upgrade the Noise?"
"That could be it, but they feel more malicious than the last few Noises we have dealt with."
"It's possible that the Game Master is desperate to get rid of everyone so they can focus on Morrigan instead of pulling double duty. Either way, whether or not these improved Noises are for Morrigan or us, it doesn't change the fact that they hinder our progress toward completing the mission. Let's end things swiftly and continue forward."
"You got it."
Shiki sent her energy to Mr. Mew while I took out my blade. As we slay the unusual Noises, we continued down the path where more Noise appeared and attacked other Players.
"This is terrible. The Noise shouldn't be this powerful on Day 3. Everyone's disappearing one by one," Shiki said, concerned.
"Let's save as many as we can," I informed.
I lit my blade on fire and sliced the new Noise in two.
"Get out of here and find shelter to survive. We will take it from here," I told a fallen Player.
The Player nodded, grabbed their partner, and returned to the crossing. Shiki and I continue to fight through the road and assist as many players as possible en route to a potential answer to today's mission. As we fought through, we made it to the end of the path.
"It looks like a dead end," I said, banging on the invisible wall.
"It seems we're at Udagawa. Come to think of it, Udagawa is the fifth stop on Route 5. Maybe that's what that 5 means in the clue," Shiki explained.
"The path we've been fighting those Noise also came from Route 5. I suspect that the string of numbers from the first half of the clue has to do with Route 5."
"Riku, I think you're right. Route 5 can also mean the square root of 5, resulting in all those numbers. That means we've been coincidentally on the right path this whole time. Lucky us."
"That means the boss monster to defeat is straight ahead. Are you ready, Shiki?"
"I was born ready. Let's do this!"
Shiki and I advanced to the final destination. A golden bat with skeletal wings was attacking two familiar faces.
"Joshua, Beat, we're here to help," Shiki said, running towards them.
"You slowpokes sure took your sweet time, not that we were in trouble, to begin with," Beat replied.
"Weren't you questioning where Shiki and Riku were a few minutes ago? You should be more honest with your response if you were that eager to see them," Joshua commented.
"You're making me feel awkward."
"You never had a cool bone in your body."
"If you two can stop poking fun at each one, we have a bat to catch. I assume that bat is the boss referred to in the clue," I said.
"You would be correct," Joshua said.
"It's such a pain," Beat added.
The golden bat shrieked, and smaller bats appeared around it and dived at us.
"Here they come," Shiki said.
"Let's finish this quickly," I informed everyone.
We defeated as many bats as possible until none were left. The golden bat disappeared during our skirmish. From the darkness, it tried to jump us from behind, but we blocked the attack right before it landed a solid hit.
"That bat is so annoying. It hides in the shadows then swoops at us when we aren't looking," Beat explained.
"How is such a big bright bat able to hide its massive body like that," Shiki pondered.
"I suspect it is one of its unique abilities, similar to how those wolves howled to form larger packs," Joshua proposed.
"If darkness is where it calls home, we shall beckon it with a bright light. Joshua, where are all the dark spots the bat can hide in," I asked.
"If any large shadowy surface works, I would imagine the shade coming from the buildings would be spacious for it to fill," Joshua answered.
"Then, we make it come to us," I replied.
I cast a lightning spell on all the dark alleyways, lighting the ominous halls by energizing the streetlamps on top of the halls.
"Did you just hotwire those light bulbs with your Pin," Beat questioned.
"Now, there is no shadow big enough for you to hide. You are as good as slain," I told the bat.
The bat fired multiple shuriken from its wings at us.
"It's not fair that the bat also has a long-range attack," Shiki moaned.
"If it were that easy to defeat, we would make it disappear within seconds," Joshua replied.
"Joshua, take it out from above. Everyone else, cover Joshua," I informed.
Joshua continuously punched numbers on his phone while Beat, Shiki, and I protected him. As the bat continued to fire shuriken at us, multiple large objects continued to rain from the sky. The bat tried to dodge all the debris, but one caught its wing. It began to fall.
"Now," I shouted.
Beat, Shiki, and I rushed towards the bat. The three of us struck it in succession until the bat was no more.
"We did it. We finally won," Beat declared.
"It's not over yet," Joshua said, showing us his hand.
"The timer is not gone," Shiki asked, surprised.
"We wasted all that time on that bat for nothing," Beat groaned.
"There must be another enemy hidden here somewhere," I replied.
"We only have a minute left, so the sooner someone finds something, the better," Joshua replied.
The four of us frantically searched for the final boss within the time limit. In the corner of my eye, I spotted a bat hiding behind a lightbulb in one of the alleyways. I struck the bat with a lightning bolt. I just missed, and it continued to fly away.
"Shiki, sync with me," I shouted.
"Got it," Shiki replied.
After harmonizing with Shiki, Mr. Mew and I rushed towards the bat. In a single strike, we chopped up the bat into pieces. Finally, the timer on our hand disappeared.
"With seconds to spare, that was very impressive," Joshua said.
"I thought we were gone for sure," Beat heaved, collapsing on the ground.
"Thanks again for the assistance, Shiki," I replied.
"Please, you did most of the work," Shiki answered as we exchanged high-fives.
"As much as I want to relax, I can't yet. The bird lady shows up around this time and sneakily attacks us from behind," Beat replied, getting up.
"I see someone is learning. The woman's name is Morrigan, correct? She has a strong presence, yet she is neither a Reaper nor a Game Master. She's probably just like Riku, a person not from this world," Joshua concluded.
"She is correct in saying I am not from this world. Yet, I have traversed plenty of times without such repercussions. I'm unsure why there is one now," I stated.
"Perhaps your world-hopping duties aren't the main issue. You may have jumped into a different reality," Joshua replied.
"Is it the same difference between the Real Ground and the Under Ground," Shiki asked.
"I'm not 100% certain. At least, there is a connection between the Real Ground and the Under Ground. Riku came from an entirely different world and may operate on different rules. If Morrigan is one of the people guarding the transitional realm between realities, Riku would violate their laws by jumping between different realities. Unfortunately, the Underground took Riku's memories. If we're going to solve the Morrigan issue, we need to get Riku to the end of the week. That way, he can get his memories back and fulfill whatever mission he needs to accomplish during his time in this reality," Joshua explained.
"I'm sorry for dragging all of you into this. I promise to make it up to you," I replied.
"Well, you are my partner. Your problems are my problems, no matter how dangerous they are. Let's help you get your memories back together," Shiki said.
"That bird lady pisses me off. An enemy of Riku is an enemy of mine. Bring it on," Beat cheered.
"Looks like we agree. Let's take care of the Morrigan issue once we are ready," Joshua responded.
A beam of light grazed Joshua as we planned our next move.
"Joshua, are you okay," Shiki asked.
"It's just a scratch," Joshua said, holding his side.
"Is it the bird lady? Stop acting like a coward and attacking from afar and show yourself," Beat yelled.
A boy with spiky orange hair and headphones slowly walked towards us with malice in his eyes.
"Is that a Player? But why would he attack another Player," Shiki questioned.
The boy eventually stopped in front of us.
"I finally found you, the murderer," the boy spoke coldly.
*To be continued*