Prologue: Ultimate Introductions PT 3

POV: Hanako Ume

Oh my god, all I wanted was a drink! Just one cold drink to wet my dry throat; was that too much?! Apparently so.

The force of our new obstruction was no different than a rampaging bull and the composed air I stupidly surrounded myself in was the red target that called it to action. Not even mentioning the sensation, which hit me like a shock wave surging through my body! It completely caught me off guard... But what was surprising wasn't the sensation hitting me. More so how it hit me. The sensation itself felt… soft? Unbelievably soft. Softer than the pillow I slept in every night! Was I going crazy?!

"Aw shucks! My bad, missy! You alright?"

I looked up toward the just emitted voice. I then saw it, no, them. Two caramel colored, decorated with scattered miniature sized apples, round... balls? Bouncy, perfectly rounded... basketballs? Their bounce lasted only a few measly seconds, but my pupils couldn't help but mimic their frantic movement, believing the two balls would bounce indefinitely.

"Hmm? Hey, missy, what's wrong? Feelin' sick?"

The out of the country sounding voice pulled me back to reality and my eyes steadied themselves, landing on a hand seemingly being offered to me.

"Y-Yeah," I answered, while grabbing on to the unknown hand.

Now naturally, you expected anyone who offered a hand to pull you up, right? Well, that did happen, but the ride back up was not what I would call pleasant. If I'd been blinded prior, I'd assumed they launched me while atop a rocket based on the immense air pressure hitting me!

Promptly after the pull, the ride back up came to an immediate halt and when it did, the incredibly soft sensation from before came back, but felt even softer and lasted longer. Everything also went black. I almost thought I jinxed myself, but shortly realized it was just my eyes closing themselves shut. My eyelashes brushed against something upon reopening. What I then saw left me totally speechless! The two round balls I'd seen earlier sandwiched my face, their bounciness tickling my cheeks.

"Wah!"

I swiftly backed away; catching myself and successfully prevented another plummet to the ground. Now, looking ahead, I finally discovered the origins of the two round balls. The revelation brought about by said origins cleared up my misunderstanding. The balls were attached to something, no, someone. In fact, calling them balls might be a colossal understatement. They were... They were-

"B-B-B-B-B-Boobs?!"

My face sharply rose in temperature upon blurting that out! The dark, tanned skinned lady darted her asparagus green colored eyes down at her chest.

"Ahee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee!" the lady giggled.

Great, now look what you did, Hanako. God, why'd I say that?! I wasn't a guy; now she'd see me as some weirdo!

"Ha ha, sorry 'bout my knockers here slapping ya. These puppies can be mighty tough to settle down sometimes, like a pack of cattle with their utters in a twist!"

Did she... actually compared her breast to a herd of cows?! Describing anyone else like that was just asking to offend them; I would be at least! And yet, she did it so casually.

"Anyway, again, you alright? Does it hurt anywhere, hon?"

The lady walked up to me and crouched down. Putting aside her "cows", I noticed how tall she was after meeting my height. Almost as tall as a giant! The lady's face leaned in closer to mine; her asparagus green eyes staring deeply into my soul. Up close, I thought I saw a sparkle in them, leaving me to wonder whether those sparkles were real or just dehydration getting to my senses.

"N-No! I'm fine, really!" I exclaimed, backing up. "If anything, it's my fault for not watching where I'm going."

The lady blinked twice at me, but then immediately flashed a wide and sparkly grin.

"Alright, good to hear then!" the lady stood up and once again walked forward. Upon reaching me, she placed her hand on my head and patted it softly.

"Uh... Um..."

It felt like I reverted to a six-year-old and she became my mom, congratulating me for successfully planting my first flower.

"Are you a Shinzai faculty member?" I asked.

"Hmm? Nah, I'm a student. A third-year actually!"

Really? From beneath her hand, I tried stealing another peek at the lady. Ironically, gaining a better look tickled my brain with familiarity. The recollection came from an object perched atop her long, shoulder-length bright blonde hair. It was a beige bucket hat that had leaves embedded onto it in a line, creating the illusion of movement. Right, I knew her! I believed Shingora called her-

"Melissa? Is it okay if I asked you a question too?"

"Hmm? Sure, but how in the world did ya know my name, missy?" Melissa asked, ceasing her head patting.

"I'll get to that later. So, um, are you okay? You didn't look too good the last time I saw you."

Melissa tilted her head. Then, her mouth hung opened alongside widened eyes. "Oh, I remember ya now, missy! You were with Big Boy Shingora earlier!"

B-Big Boy Shingora?! What kind of name was that?!

"I reckon there's more to apologize fer now," Melissa stated, laughing pitifully while looking downcast. "I didn't want ya guys to see me in such a wretched state, but that damned fake body came outta nowhere, ya know?! My mind shut down faster than a tamed wild horse. I wasn't being myself at all..."

"No, no. It's okay!" I reassured. "The body came out of nowhere, like you said. It's only natural for it to frighten you. Especially since its details were so realistic. Don't beat yourself up over it."

"Mhm! I thought the exact same thing!" Melissa yelled, pounding her fists together. "Frettin' over it won't do nothin'. So the best thing to do next is gettin' stronger! A gall can't pull a stack of hay without building up some upper body strength first, after all!"

Not a bad mindset, but reacting to something like the fake body incident would be more of a mental thing, no?

"I appreciate ya tryna cheer me up though, missy. I like youse types of folks! What's yer name?"

"Hanako Ume, a Shinzai first-year and the Ultimate Florist!"

"Oh, we mentionin' our talents too? Well, I'll be! Don't mind if I do!" Melissa pounded a fist onto her chest. "Y'all can call me Melissa Holts! Folks back in my homeland know me fer my love of our world, desperately doing my damnest to keep it in tip-top shape fer us to live in! In order words, I am the Ultimate Environmentalist!"

Name: Melissa Holts

Talent: Ultimate Environmentalist

"Melissa Holts. Your name doesn't sound Japanese. That'd mean you're from another country, right?"

"Bingo! Yer sharp, Hanna!"

"Hanna? Uh, my name's Hanako."

"Aw shucks, I know! Sorry, it's a habit of mine to give others nicknames, including those I've just met."

"Ah, so that's why you referred to Shingora as 'Big Boy Shingora' earlier."

"Ya got it! Though, now I ain't feelin' the name. Too long. Japanese names are always a challenge fer me to make a nickname out of. Hmm," Melissa rubbed her chin thoughtfully, then slammed a fist into her other hand. "Ya reckon I should go fer broke and call him Muscle Man?"

"Muscle Man? Uh, sure, I guess."

"Ehhhhhhhhhhh, actually, nah. Too plain fer even good ol' me to say 24/7. Aw well! I'll think on it later!" Melissa decided, flashing another smile.

"Uh, okay. So, you're an environmentalist, right? You must care a lot about our environment, then."

"Darn tootin' I do! Our world is the one thing keepin' us all alive fer heaven's sake! Everyone needs to step up and contribute so it can stay that way. I bust my back every day to ensure this fact is known far and wide and take measures fer my own actions to complement my goals."

"Wow! Sounds like you're a pretty hard worker, Melissa! You certainly look the part... too..."

I didn't fully noticed it before, but so many things about Melissa's appearance absolutely stunned me!

Melissa left her beige and green checkered board patterned flannel shirt unbuttoned! Rolled sleeves were one thing, but the unbuttoned shirt revealed her entire upper body! Thank god she at least kept a bra on; but the issues didn't end there. She hadn't fastened the brown leather belt holding up her moss green cargo pants; it dangled loosely in front of said unbuttoned pants!

"M-Melissa, what in the world is up with your clothes?!"

"Hmm?" Melissa cocked her head. "What about my clothes?"

"What about them? What else?! Your shirt and pants are both opened! They're barely covering anything! Aren't you embarrassed?!"

"Oh, heh heh! No need to fret, Hanna! This here is just my working attire."

"Working attire? What could possibly ask you to dress like, uh, that?!"

"Manual labor, duh. How do I put this? My clothes get in the way whenever I havta use my muscles. They feel as tight as a rope being coiled around ya. So I usually open them up to have some breathing room, ya know?"

"If that's all it is, why not buy new clothes? For example, a skirt should definitely give you plenty of breathing room. I'm wearing one right now and you can trust me when I say I feel super comfortable!"

"Uh uh! No way!" Melissa frowned, stomping her tall brown, toe curved boot on the ground. "Skirts are way too frilly to fit my style! You wouldn't catch me dead in one!"

And you'd rather people gawk at your chest and walk in drooping pants instead?!

"Aw shucks, wait a minute! Sorry, Hanna. I'm afraid we havta cut this here introductions of ours short. I just remembered I'm busy right now."

"Oh? If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing?"

"Glad ya asked! Just cleaning up some past trauma fer the good of us all."

Past trauma? For the good of us all? Melissa pointed behind her and I titled my head, following it. As if today couldn't have anymore shocking developments, what laid behind Melissa definitely took the cake! The fake body no longer sat in the ketchup pool like before. Instead, what laid in its place... was a head. Not only that, next to it was an arm and two legs, all soaking into the ketchup and consequently receiving smears on them. Unsurprisingly, a sickening feeling arose and erupted out of me!

"W-What the heck?! The fake body! Why's it dismembered?!"

"Ah, my apologizes. I'm the one responsible for that."

The sudden voice drew my eyes, and there I saw a kneeled person. She held the missing arm belonging to the fake body and looked to be in the midst of placing it into a light green bucket. She wore identically colored latex gloves, which were soiled in red. Their hazel eyes stared, as if expecting something from us. Her eyes were lazy, but it might had seemed so thanks to the trimmed, jet black bangs of her pony-tailed hair covering the upper portion of her eyes, which made them appeared more stern.

"And I'm assuming you two are done conversing? Because we must really get back to work, Melissa."

"Heh heh, sorry, Ultear! When I go off on anything, I go OFF! Especially when meetin' such colorful new folks today!" Melissa announced, pumping her fist up in the air.

Ultear? Shingora called her that name too. If I remembered correctly, she tasked herself with watching over Yama when he acted out. But what was she doing to the fake body and why?!

"Hey, hey! Ultear! Why don't you kick back and introduce yourself too? Might as well, since we're all together like this."

"My goodness, we've just started on this, though… On the other hand, I suppose these Ultimate Introductions are still underway."

Ultear stood still, looking to be lost in thought. Subsequently, she continued what she was doing prior, and placed the fake arm into the light green bucket. After doing so, Ultear grabbed the fingertips of her latex gloves and removed them, which she tossed onto the large oval-shaped table sitting in the center of the Kitchen afterwards.

"Very well," Ultear sighed. "A small break won't hurt, I suppose."

"Heh, heh! I knew you wouldn't let me down! Get yer rump over here already!"

Glancing back and nodding, Ultear stood up carefully, as she was still near the ketchup pool. Her black yukata certainly didn't help. I never worn one before, but people told me they were hard to walk in, so I imagined how challenging it was trying to stood up in one! As Ultear finally approached, her yukata further drew my attention. It depicted a white outline design showing an enormous flower slowly wilting away; its petals blissfully being carried upwards and spun toward the back of the yukata. Man, such a design creating a soothing, tranquil spring day in my mind HAD to be cheating!

Upon reaching us, she bowed respectfully. "Hello. It is a pleasure to meet you, Hanako. My name is Ultear Nagaski, a third-year. Shinzai Academy, as well as my comrades and family members back home, dubbed me the title Ultimate Kendo Master. It is my hope that we can get along and potentially form a similar camaraderie."

Name: Ultear Nagaski

Talent: Ultimate Kendo Master

"O-Oh! It's, um, nice to meet you too."

Ultear stared at me with a knuckle on her chin. "Am I troubling you? You appear to be in discomfort."

"Oh no, no! I have nothing against you, Ultear! Your demeanor just caught me off guard. It's not what I'm used to," I said, awkwardly grinning and scratching the back of my head.

"Hmm, very well. If you don't mind, may I ask what brings you here, Hanako? As you can see, we're currently in a bit of a renovation."

"Nothing really! I got thirsty and came here to fetch a drink. Sorry if I'm interrupting anything!" I said, founding myself bowing back apologetically.

"Not a problem. As I stated before, we've only just gotten started. Your presence fortunately poses no concern."

"Oh, good to hear then! So, um, if you don't mind me asking, what are you doing? Did you actually cut up the fake body?"

"Correct. I am very precise with a sword, so any grains dispersed from the cuts have been minimal."

"I'm not worried about- wait, you used a sword?!"

Ah, of course! She must have used the wooden sword next to the latex gloves on the oval-shaped table. I thought she brought an actual sword for a second there! But, looking closer at the fake body parts…

"Whoa, those cuts are super precise! And you made all those using that?" I pointed toward the wooden sword.

"Yes. While it may sound unbelievable — in the right hands — a low-quality sword, such as my wooden katana, can be equally efficient as its higher quality counterparts. Moreover, I crafted this katana myself recently using the highest quality wood provided by my family, making it easier for me to use compared to a regular knife."

"W-Wow! That's incredible! Guess you're not the Ultimate Kendo Master for nothing."

"Ah, it's naught but a talent, I assure you. Although, your kind words are most appreciative," Ultear smiled.

"You're welcome, but why are you cutting up the fake body in the first place?"

"To make it easier to handle, of course. It'd be a hassle to carry the fake body out if still intact, so I thought separating it into parts would prove more practical."

"Carry it out? You mean you're going to throw it away?"

"Mhm! Ya got it!" Melissa replied, cutting in. "Ulti here thought it'd be a fine idea to kick this spawn of satan's piece out the Kitchen. That way, any of y'all choosin' to walk in here won't have this thing staring at the back of yer head, feelin' like it'll pop up and jump ya at any moment…! Or somethin' like that."

"Excuse me, Melissa, but what did you just call me?" Ultear asked, tilting her head.

"Ulti! Ain't it a cute name fer a nice glass of milk like yerself?"

Melissa proudly smiled. Then suddenly, the smile lowered, and she walked closer to Ultear — maybe a bit too close — and stared intensely at her. The whole scenario obviously made uneasiness visible on Ultear's face.

"Hmm, know what, maybe that ain't the right nickname fer ya either. Ya lean more towards the pretty category than cute. Aw well! Back to the drawing board, I reckon!" Melissa declared, holding a dumb grin.

"Hold on! Sorry, but I still don't get it. Why do you guys feel the need to clean up the fake body, anyway?" I inquired. "I mean, it's not like we'll be staying here in the school for a while, like it's some fallout shelter."

"I agree. I am definitely not planning to prolong my stay here either. But we can't simply deny the possibility," Ultear replied.

"Possibility? What... What do you mean?"

"What else? The very possibility that we might have to stay here indefinitely."

Crud, I knew she'd say that!

"C-Come on, no way. You don't actually believe we'll have to make Shinzai Academy our temporary home, do you?"

"Seeing our current predicament, yes. Unless the school's staff locked us in here by accident."

"Ah! D-Do you think that's what happened?!"

"No, I was joking. I don't believe our staff's lax enough to not notice an impressive number of students still within the school during lock up."

Ow! Getting shot down twice in a day hurts! I didn't even brought up the possibility that time.

"Wowie! Hanna's face went from excited to disappointed real quick!" Melissa pointed out.

"So, you really think we'll have to stay here?" I reluctantly asked.

"I do," Ultear nodded. "When examining our situation, it's the first solution which comes to mind. Think about it. Why are sixteen Ultimates — who attend the same school no less and know nothing about each other — suddenly find themselves in their very school late at night, with no recollection of why or how they remained here past school hours?"

Wait, she brought up a good point! Why were we still in Shinzai Academy way past dismissal, anyway? In fact, I struggled remembering if dismissal ever happened. Whenever I tried searching through my memory, the latest one was me attending my last class of the day. Nothing unusual there. I remembered glancing at the clock too, as it neared dismissal time. But everything after glancing up — as the ticking sound the clock emitted rang in my ears — my mind drew a blank and with it, every sound and voice audible at the time. To fill in the blanks, I naturally assumed I must have fallen asleep during class. The thought, however, brought up a significant question: Had I ever been a sleeper in class?

I'd be lying if I said attending classes never bored me, but it also never reached the point where I resorted to knocking myself out! I worked at Flourishing Futures a lot, but my family's always considerate of my student life. They made it their duty to ensure I never stayed up too late, even when I insisted on helping out an hour or two past my curfew. What conclusion could I drew from all that, though?

"If you'd like to know my answer to the question," Ultear continued, "I have a feeling we've been kidnapped."

"K-K-Kidnapped?!" I exclaimed, a chill simultaneously running down my spine.

"Yes, For us to somehow collectively forget what happened before we discovered ourselves here, not to mention we're held in a school we all attend, can't be a mere coincidence. Ah, no, forgetting alone doesn't sound right. It felt more like someone forced us to forget."

"Forced to f-forget? You're kidding me, now you're suggesting the impossible. How is anyone able to take away human memories? We're not in some fictional world!"

"You're right. What I've said is nothing but speculation. I don't have any evidence to back me up. For kidnapped victims, the amount of movement we have at our leisure is shocking."

"Oh, what you said made me thought of somethin', Ultear!" Melissa announced. "What if our movements are being restricted as we speak? Ya know what I'm talking about, right? Those blasted dark hallways! Oh, also I reckon the Dining Hall we're takin' shelter in is a trap, since it's the only place here containin' any light!"

"D-Don't say that so carelessly!" I yelled. "C-Could it really be true?"

"A good theory, Melissa. But there are holes in it," Ultear rubbed her chin. "If their intention was truly to restrict our movement utilizing the dark hallways, why did they not confiscate Shingora's flashlights?"

"Shingora's flashlights?" I inquired.

"Yes. I'm pretty sure Shingora mentioned it before. He gave us flashlights so we could split up and explore the darkened hallways. I still have one on me right now." Ultear tucked her hand into her Yukata's sash and pulled out the same flashlight Shingora showed us before. "These flashlights would ruin the kidnappers' plan to restrict our movements entirely. Shingora was also fortunate enough to wake up in the Dining Hall alongside myself, Emi, Taroko, the twins, and one other person. Making such a grand mistake like this would be foolish on the kidnappers' part, so I find it hard to believe Melissa's theory is the case at all."

"Aw, bummer! And I thought I dang near came up with a smart idea too! Looks like I'm only special in Farmin' and Earth knowledge," Melissa stated, rubbing her head in defeat.

Good! Now could your future theories not compelled my heart to burst out of my chest?!

"I remind you again that everything I've surmised is pure speculation. Nothing is concrete. However, seeing as we're shrouded in a mysterious situation, almost anything is plausible. Therefore, it's imperative we prepare for anything, even if we might have to call Shinzai Academy our home."

With a gaze comparable to a sharp dagger, Ultear successfully solidified her point on a firm note, and it stung. I tried my hardest denouncing the possibility, but I couldn't.

"I guess I can't blame you for doing what you're doing then," I sadly declared.

"When dear Ultear told me this, I got so pumped up, I just had to help her! Her prudence is mighty respectable!" Melissa said, giving a thumb up to Ultear.

"Thank you, Melissa. I greatly appreciate your assistance. But how about we finally put that determination you're carrying to use and begin cleaning up, hmm?"

"Aw yeah! Sorry, by the way! I get way too caught up fer my own good!" Melissa laughed.

"It is fine," Ultear chuckled back. "Now let us... Oh, Hanako, would you like me to get you a drink before I go?"

"Huh?!" I jumped.

"You don't seem well. I fear that is my fault. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to bring up my admittedly unsettling prediction during these dire times. Allow me to express my deepest apologizes," Ultear lamented, bowing to me once more.

"No, no! Don't blame yourself, Ultear! It's fine. What you're doing is super smart, really! I'm just... Just-"

My body felt tight, so much so I couldn't breathe. Nothing about our situation made sense; anything was possible from that fact alone. Were the possibilities for the better or worse? Would… we be okay?

"Don't ya worry about a thing!"

Suddenly, every foreboding emotion gripping me released their hold, saving me from potential suffocation. Where did the relieving feeling came from? I glanced at my shoulders and noticed Melissa was rubbing them as gently as she could.

"If I've learned one thing from my experience as the Ultimate Environmentalist, it's that folks young and old who share the same ideals can accomplish anythin' they put their mind to, as long as they work together. So we'll do just that. If we coddle close together, I'm bettin' no bad wind will ever blow us away! Ain't that right, Ultear?"

"Of course. If anything happens, I shall deal with it momentarily. You have my word, Hanako," Ultear reassured, giving me another rare smile.

"Heh… You're right. What am I doing worrying? Thanks, you guys," I said, taking a deep breath in afterwards and letting a deep breath out. "All right! Let's do it! We can beat whatever's coming our way!" I declared, finally being able to smile alongside them.

"Aw yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about! In fact, Ultear, you start workin' without me! I'ma get Hanna here a water bottle! It'll take only two shakes, don't worry!" Melissa exuberantly ran past Ultear and right through the ketchup pool, heading straight into the Kitchen's metal fridge.

"Well, I must get back to work. Take care, Hanako," Ultear turned her back to me and walked toward the oval-shaped table to put back on her latex gloves.

"Oh, I love your yukata by the way, Ultear!" I called out. "The back is especially beautiful and looks amazing on you!"

Ultear turned her head to me and smiled again. "Thank you for the compliment. I will say, this happens to be my favorite yukata. I feel more courageous whenever I wear it."

Definitely saw why. Those petals flowing around her yukata weren't just for show. They had a purpose. On the yukata's back, the petals eventually and naturally came together to form healthy, lifelike, and enchanting wings. My mind clearly imagined it further; the wings growing larger with each petal gained. The cycle of flowing, artistic petals lasting forevermore.

We'd all be safe in the end. Whatever came our way, we'd overcome it! Nothing, absolutely nothing, could go wrong!