“There you are Masashi, hiding from us up here now huh?”
“You missed dinner. It was really good. By the way, why didn’t you come downstairs?”
“I wasn’t feeling hungry. I don’t know, but I can always get whatever is left over.”
“But damn, I didn’t expect you to find the balcony so quickly. Well come on, sit down Mizu.”
“So so, how’s life been? Anything good lately, anything bad? Really just catch me up”
“I’d say it’s better, though a lot of crazy things have happened, like, a lot of crazy things. I think it’s as normal as this world can get.”
“Well… from how you’re sounding it, maybe you’ve been hallucinating things out in the open. Don’t you know that is dangerous?”
“What are you talking about? A lot did-”
“I can tell… I probably can’t imagine it, but you seem to run into things that don’t make much sense in this world right?”
“Well don’t look shocked! Though I am glad that your ‘normal’ is doing alright, I mean coming from where you were four years ago, I’d say you’re breaking through”
“Thanks Shimizu, I kinda get that from what Oba has been saying. But I guess my mind has been on one thing only.”
“Though I’ve been having fun, it’s never all bad. Not like that.”
“I understand those feelings, that you could never have enough time to enjoy something. But I suppose the memories you have never left and it gives you something you can treasure in memories.”
“Ha, yeah, I just kinda hate forgetting them. It’s like, I try to piece things together. But they never come out as what I once knew, so I end up looking back and it just feels shattered.”
“I want to protect the things I hold dear.”
“That’s understandable Masashi.”
“Enough of the sad parts. Do you want to know more about the amulet? Right?”
“Yeah, could you give more insight.”
“Well the amulet my father gave you a good time ago, it was a gift from your father. Apparently it was supposedly an ancestral heirloom that has been passed down from his side of the family.”
“So if you think about it does have a strange energy that comes from it. Since you’ve relived the feeling of these out of the ordinary events, you have to encounter something weird about it, right?”
“Yeah something did happen, I fell asleep, and I was talking to this person like it was weird. I didn’t know what it was. Though for some reason I can’t really remember it.”
“I guess that’s all.”
“Hmm… I’d say look more into it, I’ll give you a hint, try to find your ‘self’ from time to time”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“No worries, you’ll figure it out soon enough. Though speaking of figuring it out soon enough, I have to show you this!”
Excuse me?
Why is she putting her foot forward on the balcony?
Does she think she’s a pirate?
“Watch closely, Masashi.”
SWOOSH!
Oh!?
Why can she do that too?
It makes sense considering what has been happening.
And it made even more sense when I was in the airport.
BANG!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What the fuck was that?!
“Eh, did I hold back too much? Hmm guess I didn’t put that much into it-”
“Whew my finger is hot, well what do you think Masashi? Does that bring back some memories to you, hmmm?”
“I think I can vaguely remember, but that was insanely cool.”
“What even was that? Mizu.”
“Tamaryoku, get it dug in your head. Because you’ll need it in the future!”
“What does that mean?”
“So lowkey, I don’t wanna go into a whole lecture with you. So imma say it’s magic, just believe in yourself and you might get it~”
“Uh, yeah, right.”
“Anyways, can you teach me how to do that? Like shoot crazy things like that out of my finger.”
“Well first things first, that was part of my technique. Second thing I want to see YOU use Tamaryoku, before I go further with anything.”
Hmmm, I guess I did manage to use it before but to a small extent.
“Alright! I’ll try it out”
“Nrgh!”
FSOOOWSH!!
“Are you trying to take a dump?! Haha, what are you doing Masashi?”
WOOSH—
“Oh, what, did it cut off at that point?”
“Huff.”
“Huff.”
“Huff.”
“Are you good Masashi?”
“Yeah… that was kinda strenuous, but I’m ok now.”
“Well it seems like you can’t hold it for long.”
“That is really odd, hmmm, maybe I should force my Tamaryoku into you as a refresher to help you.”
“Wait, you’re really going to do that?”
“Thinking about it, it’s gonna be dangerous, so I don’t. I’ll try it some other day.”
“Seriously?
“Don’t worry.”
Pat!
Pat!
“For someone with a dysfunction, you surely do well.”
Dysfunction?
What is she talking about?
“Are you. Perhaps, trying to fight, Me?”
“No, haha. But I can try though!”
I didn’t think that joke was funny.
“Not to get sidetracked but what did you do in Europe and other foreign countries?”
“Mostly studying, but I did get sidetracked with the shopping scene. Luckily I didn’t spend all my money, so that’s a plus!”
“So you basically went to school over there?”
“Oh no, not school in the traditional sense. More like I was following under someone just learning a good amount of things. I even learned a good bit of English~”
“HELLO! HOW ARE YOU MASASHI! Like! CAN’T YOU BELIEVE IT?” The source of this chapter is g.com.
“Don’t act like you’re the only one, I know a good bit too. Though I’d probably need to refresh my memory.”
‘Eh, I learned a bit of Italian, along with a small bit of German, so there’s that.”
“All in all Masashi, it was a good time. But I am enjoying spilling the things I did overseas, which kind of reminded me of when dad would teach me how to read on a higher level when I was younger.”
“Guess you were set for more than a year over there, what a bummer.”
“Well, you didn’t have money like me, wait, don’t we both share a good amount of wealth.”
“Oh well, I guess I have a lot more.”
“Yada yada, I’d probably put that money to use!”
“Haha you think so.”
“Phew.”
“I’m kinda getting tired here. After the flight and everything.”
“I am even surprised I can be up here and talk to you.”
“Well goodnight Masashi, talk to you in a year.”
Pinch!
“Ow, goodnight Shimizu.”
Wait, I didn’t even really wanted to ask what I wanted to tell her.
Tch, okay maybe I’ll do that tomorrow, ha.
I think Surabukādo has something going on tomorrow.
WOOOSH
It’s starting to get cold.
Maybe I should head back in and maybe eat the leftovers, but then again it’s late outside and I’d rather sleep.
SKREEEE!
“Huh? Is that an airplane, I don’t see it in the sky?”
It’s getting hotter, it’s not even the start of summer and it’s getting hotter.
“Why the…”
No it’s getting way too hot.
It’s not normal.
Something’s off.
SKREEEE!
What is making that sound?
Is coming from the left?
No?
The right?
It keeps intensifying?
Where the fuck is that noise coming from.
I’ll just go insi–
SWTWOOPT!
“Found you.”
Who?
SPLOOSH!
What the hell just happened?
My arms…
OH SHIT!
Their mangled?!
Just who is that?
Don’t tell me it’s one of those things?!
“Sending out that amount of energy, while being weak yourself is quite appalling.”
Scrunch!
Scrunch!
Scrunch!
Is that a person?
What the hell?
They look like a hawk, those are definitely chicken feet.
“W-who are you? What do you want with me?”
“Who am I? Who are you? your misleading yourself. For a human, I hope you ready yourself for what’s next.”
“What are you talking about?”
They’re licking their hands, what the type of freak shit is this?
He called me human, he called me a human?
“There there, stay still. You’ll be lucky if you don’t explode into bits.”
“The parasite won’t be happy with a host that doesn’t like to cooperate.”
“SRISREEK!!!”
Is that a worm?!
It’s looks like a deformed mole.
“Keep your mouth open and I won’t have to rip your jaw off, for a better entrance.”
“GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!”
CRCK!
“AAAAAHHHHHHGH?!”
T-they broke my leg?!
They broke my leg?!
GRASP!
M-my neck…
“Open wide.”
GLUSH!
I definitely swallowed that, it feels like my stomach is melting away.
This pain, it hurts like hell!
“UUGSH.”
What is this black liquid coming out of my mouth?
What did he do to me?
I feel sick.
“If you survive, I think he’ll make a new home out of you. But if not.”
“Come back here!”
“Come back here!”
“Come ba–”
Badump
Baddump
BaDump
BaDUMP
BADUMP
“Howdy. Stranger!”
Howdy?
“Huh? Wait! Are you some I’ve seen before?”
“What do you mean? No one comes here. But for some reason I think I seen ya face somewhere”
What even are you?
“Oh well, what brings ya here anyways?”
“I don’t know, I can’t really tell what’s actually real anymore, I’ll just accept that this is my reality.”
“Oh? And why do ya say that?”
“It feels like I’ve been facing the impossible lately, everything so far for me has been nothing but bad. I can’t even get peace during the last months of my first year at high school.”
“I can’t anymore, I’m sorry If I am just dumping that on you. It’s all too much…”
“No need to bring yer self down, of course a small section of your life would be bad. But that doesn’t change the things you have and cherish, doesn’t it?”
“I guess it makes sense, but it’s not like the problem is spaced out, it’s…”
“Never mind.”
“Don’t be so harsh on yer self. I wouldn’t think such things in a negative light. You could always uplift yourself, you can always change what’s not too late.”
“So don’t drown yourself into something you’re not, stranger.”
“Thanks anyway. But what is this place anyways?”
CRINK!
What is going on here?
“Well stranger!
I think this is our last ride!
Don’t ya think?
The whole place is changing, whatever it is, this is not good.
“I guess this is it.”
“Yeah, ha, this is our last ride!”
CR-CRAC-KREAK
Where am I now?
It’s not that transparent the world again.
Something feels off.
This feeling.
What is this place?
It’s all decrepit.
Wait, is that a—
“And who dares trespass into my world, without the given authority.”
“This is interesting. Why do you look so frightened? Is it not you who reside in my presence? Hmmm, I guess that man has figured something out. Oh well.”
“Who are you? You’re not Fan…”
“Right, Fantazumu!”
Whatever that thing is, it doesn’t even feel like them.
Tch, asking a question like that in this situation might just be a death sentence.
WHOOSH
“Don’t shower me with your questions, for you are just an ant in this world. Moreover, I didn’t expect the person to hold me to be some boy. Again it’s interesting, you can harbor me without dying?”
“Nevertheless, you didn’t explode in my domain, you don’t suffocate at all? Do your eyes even shake? What are you? Do you not possess fear?”
I can’t even speak… It feels like I am already dead and the realization is just settling in.
“Oh, I didn’t expect that to come to your rescue, this boy’s other self is quite strong.”
What is he talking about?
Boy’s sel—
SWOOSH
“It’s you?! Fantazumu!”
“You have sunken again? Ah It seems like I have to step it, somewhere in my heart I wish you had just been stronger. But I don’t blame you, it seems like you can’t stop these tragedies. But you always prevail don’t you?”
“I’m not sure myself, anymore. I don’t think anythings real.”
“Would you like to change this reality? Or continue living by something that drowns you every time you take a step. As what I can fear right now is certain death, would you want to expect that?”
“I’ll change my own path, something other than this I am sure of it. Whether I end up something I am not, I hope for the decisions of my past.”
“Will benefit the future of what I have yet to become!”
“I’m glad your heart is starting to grow stronger. For once, I am glad that you went along with this choice!”
I can hear them more clearly now?
SCRZREEEEEZEEE!
“I shall take you from your slumber, at last!”
It’s all gone.
It’s breaking up, what even is this?
Is that a flake?
It melted on my face, ah it reminds me of something.
There’s another one.
“It’s snowing again. It’s pouring down, each snowflake just melts on my face.”
“Without asking they melt in my face, I can even feel the surroundings, each time it melts.”
“I wish I could preserve everything, without it changing.”
“I wish for strength to fight the unknown.”
“I wish to freeze myself a path so I can walk without falling.”
“The hail turns into blizzards. The path gets lost, I wonder If the wishes of the hopeless come through.”
“Then I shall grant your wish! As long as you see the truth within you, Masashi!”