Meanwhile, elsewhere in Ikebukuro. . . While the Unranked battles begin over at the Colosseum. . .
“Let’s see. . . First, you wanted to ask about guilds, is that right?” Shuichi, Duo, and Shiro were in a family restaurant and the air around them was serious as they looked at each other. Shiro pushed up his glasses as he looked at Shuichi.
“Yes, please. Of course, I am concerned about my friend above all else, but. . . There’s too much information I need to catch up on before I can comprehend the situation. What in the world is going on here? The App is what started it all, isn’t it?” Shiro looked at Shuichi with a serious look as he tapped his phone that was on the table.
“That’s right, Shiro. The App is at the core of everything that’s happening in Tokyo. Basically a guild is a group of App users and can include both Transients and ordinary humans. There are already about 100 guilds here in Tokyo, including our Hongo Guild, the Wisemen. Each guild requires at least one Portal and one Guild Master. A guild will be wiped out when its Portal is conquered and its Guild Master defeated. . . Well, I suppose we can discuss that later. It’s not as if you’re trying to take down the Ikebukuro Berserkers, after all.” Shuichi chuckled at what he had said while Shiro just remained silent looking at him with his eyebrows furrowed.
“Nobody could be capable of such a feat. There isn’t a place in Tokyo more impregnable than their base. The base of the Ikebukuro Guild, the Berserkers, is at the West Gate Park, in a building that was once used as a theater. That’s merely the entrance, though. The rest of it lies underground. What sprawls under the surface is a place built from the vast fortune of Ikebukuro’s Guild Master. It’s known as the Colosseum, a place where many App users who have a certain confidence in their strength congregate. It’s one of the top two areas with the highest concentration of App users in Tokyo. The Colosseum is a secure bastion with a narrow, defensible entrance. Inside, countless App users reside. It is so perfect that more than a few people suspect it was built solely for the purpose of guild battles.” At what Shuichi said, Shiro's expression grew shocked at the fact that the Colosseum may have been built just for battles.
“Remodeling existing buildings for a game? I mean, I know it’s speculation, but that would cost a ridiculous amount of money. What’s the merit in creating a guild? Why is it so important to gather players?” Shiro put a hand to his chin as he pondered that thought when he looked up at Shuichi, surprised that he was laughing at him.
“Hehehe, how naive of you Shiro. What’s the merit in gathering players, you ask? Large gatherings of people. . . That, in and of itself, is already advantageous.” Shuichi's eyes grew sharp as the ever present smile on his face grew even wider.
Meanwhile, back at the Colosseum. . .
I was walking back to the waiting area in the Colosseum when my vision went black as I was tightly hugged by a fluffy and firm body. I could feel my face grow hot as I swung back and forth before being put back down on the ground. I could see Bathym in front of me smiling happily and my sore body felt like nothing at the moment.
“Whooo! Here comes the MVP! I watched the whole thing! What a dazzling battle! That was really impressive, Masato! Were you holdin’ out on me?!” Bathym's face got closer to mine as he pouted. I scratch my cheek as I smile awkwardly as I try not to get too nervous.
“I mean I-I couldn’t have done it without you, Bathym!” I was serious as I said that since I would have died from embarrassment if I were to lose in front of Bathym. ‘I manage to look cool in front of Bathym! You are getting your flow back Masato!’ I was cheering on the inside but managed not to show anything on my face.
“Hm? What’s that? My support helped you win? My, you sure know how to flatter a fella! Getting cheered on by a superstar really fired you up, huh?” Bathym nods his head happily as he thought to himself when he stops suddenly.
“Hang on. . . How did it turn out again? You did win, right? What does it matter? Who cares about winning or losing? I mean, the crowd was going wild! Everyone was so happy and excited!” I could feel my heart fall down in my chest fast and hard as I realized that it didn’t even matter if I won. I could feel my heart crying out as Bathym continued to speak to me with a smile on his face.
“Yeah. . . They really were.” I had to admit the crowd of people were cheering really loud as I was fighting. I guess that makes me feel somewhat better knowing that people did enjoy seeing me fight.
“Yeah, that’s right! That’s the most important thing! I don’t get why most people don’t pay attention to the crowd’s reactions! They’re always on my mind! I gotta make sure the name Bathym is known as the coolest, sexiest, most awesome-tailed badass there is! As long as people can see that, I don’t care about winning or losing, to be honest. That’s why I’m the greatest entertainer there is. But no matter how brilliant I am, the crowd will eventually get bored if I keep doing the same thing over and over, y’know? If that happens, they won’t think I’m the greatest anymore, right? That’s why I’m here in the Unranked area, hunting for diamonds in the rough. After all, I might find my crazy awesome future darling Master!” Bathym's expression got excited as he talked about finding his “Darling Master” and I couldn’t help but envy the person who could become his Master.
“Darling Master? Are you hoping to find one here?” I was really curious about him finding a Master. I do remember Snow saying that having a familiar comes with the cost of always giving them energy but Bathym was totally worth it!
“Hm? You’re asking what I mean about looking for a master? Or are you wondering why I need a master in the first place? Are you really gonna ask me that? Seriously? Take a good look and reconsider if you wanna casually ask a question like that to someone lookin’ like this. . .” The expression on Bathym's face changed and for some reason there was something screaming in me to run as I was drawn into Bathym rather intoxicating looking eyes. . .
“I might just claim your soul, y’know?” Suddenly, the air grows cold. The mood that used to be so cheerful only moments ago abruptly turned tense. All of my senses are drawn to him as I continue to stare into his eyes. There is just something so compelling behind his gaze, like a curse that forbids you from looking away. As Bathym slowly opens his mouth, an indescribable sense of horror fills the air and I could feel my body getting cold from fear. Then. . .
“Juuuust kidding! Surprise! Were you surprised? I bet you were!” The cheerful mood immediately returns. The ghastly air emanating from Bathym is completely gone. I was still standing there tense as I looked at Bathym who was smiling happily at me. ‘. . .Holy fuck, I think I was about to die there for a second.’
“My demonic side is my selling point, after all. It makes for pretty cool fashion, too, right? Well, most demons would keep this sort of thing on the down-low, but not me! Ha! It just makes me cooler, y’know? The cooler I am, the better!” I didn’t know how I should feel as I looked at Bathym speaking to me so happily like he didn’t just scare the shit out of me a few moments ago. ‘Is it bad that I kind of thought it was hot for a second there?’
“There are a lot of Stray Transients like me around here lacking a summoner. A lot of people gather here, and that alone makes it worth spending time here. The reason I’m looking for a master is. . . Well, this is a little embarrassing!” I watched as Bathym’s demeanor turned shy as he avoided eye contact with me for a while before he continued.
“I don’t know about other Transients, so keep in mind that what I’m about to say applies strictly to my hella demonic self, ‘kay? Demons who’ve been summoned constantly need verification of their existence. We can’t go on without being subject to some kind of emotion produced by humans. One way to achieve that is to fascinate the humans of this world and turn them into fans, like I do. Well, in my case, my natural inclinations just happen to work in my favor. Another method is to eat people from the world we’re summoned to, or we could trick them into worshipping us as gods. Basically, we just need to have some sort of emotion directed our way.” I felt like I learned something new about Demon Transients from Bathym and I don’t know if I should disapprove of the things I heard. I mean most people don’t want to just disappear and die so I can’t judge him at all.
“But, the thing is. . . Those methods tend to be inefficient. Like, seriously. If we eat to survive, we gotta keep on eating loads of people. I don’t wanna get fat, y’know? This beautiful figure would be wasted! So that’s where my future master comes in; someone native to this world! Forming a Pact with a human from this world is the most efficient method. It’s better than eating them, being worshipped by them, or even charming them through and through.” Even though Bathym was smiling I couldn’t understand what would happen to a demon master. I mean they may die, right?
“So, what would happen to them in the end? The master.” I was curious about what will happen to them but at the same time I felt like maybe I shouldn’t pry into something that doesn’t concern me at all.
“Don’t be silly! It’s obvious, isn’t it? Don’t humans have that saying? Love me to the bone! What a great phrase! Then again, I’m a demon, y’know? I wouldn’t just stop at the bone. I’d suck their soul dry!” I didn’t know how to feel as Bathym told me that fact with a smile on his face. I mean I could have guessed that but I was hoping for something more cheerful. ‘He is a demon so of course his master may die in the end. What a shame. . .’
“Ahh, there! There you are! Hey, Bathym! Here! The new photo is out. Sign it, will ya? Man, that photo from the last rank battle is selling like hotcakes! I can’t wipe this stupid grin off my face! Your old masters have been buying them up like crazy lately. Bathym merch is flying off the shelves!” A Mysterious brown haired man with a hawaiian shirt that was unbuttoned with nothing under the shirt and wearing just underwear that had some type of clasp connecting it to his shoes appeared and handed Bathym pictures which he took happily. I was looking at the man who, even though he was shorter than me, was rather muscular and had an axe resting on his back. He also had countless jewelers on both his arms.
“Really?! All right! That’s awesome! I’m super happy, man!” Bathym was humming as he signed the picture and gave it back to the man who I assume was his friend. The man took it and handed something else to Bathym that seemed pretty large.
“Well, here you go. This is your cut. Your fight money from the last rank battle is in there, too. The receipt is inside.” I realize what the man was giving Bathym was a bag filled with a bunch of coins that seem endless. ‘That is a lot of money! I mean I don’t have money at all so of course that looks like a lot of money to me. . . But still!’
“What’s with all the coins?!” The man and Bathym look over to me as they finally remember I was still here. I was really curious about the money Bathym had. He got that from fighting? That seems like a bit much!
“These? They’re my earnings from the glamorous show I put on! There’s the tax exemption receipt, and what I need for living expenses. . . and you can take the other half back, Andvari. Use these coins to hire a first-class cameraman, director, and editor to make me shine even brighter! Keep it badass, cool, and sexy, babe! Whee! I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it! If it’ll make everyone happy, I’ll vamp my outfit up even more, too!” Bathym gave the man who I learned is Andvari half of his coins practically beaming as he thought of all the things he was going to do while Andvari sighs at him with a frown on his face.
“Yeah. . . that might be a problem. The manager would get mad if you take it any further than that, man. But it looks like you’re investing in yourself 100% as usual. I’m fine with it, of course, as long as you’re happy. It’s all about money, man. Money! I don’t quite get you sometimes.” Andvari was shaking his head at Bathym as he put the money away somewhere I didn’t know. I was staring at him pretty intently, realizing that the outfit he is wearing is pretty nice looking like Bathym.
“. . .He’s wearing quite an outfit, too. . .” I must have mumbled that out loud because Andvari looked over at me with a frown causing me to look away from his body quickly with a sheepish smile on my face. ‘I need to be more careful with staring. . .’
“Huh? What are you starin’ at? Keep it up, and I’ll charge you a gawking fee. Pay up!” Andvari put his hand in front of me making a “Pay up” gesture towards me and I panicked realizing he was serious about me paying him for staring.
“Who, whoa! Hold your horses, Andvari. Look, you startled poor Masato.” Bathym cut Andvari off, who reluctantly pulled back his arm but still stared at me intensely causing me to silently hide half of myself behind Bathym.
“If you’re gonna snap ‘em up, get ‘em by the roots! That’s what I always say. So is this the one you were talking about?” Andvari looked me up and down trying to figure me out and I awkwardly waved at him while giving him what I hope was a friendly smile.
“Yeah, that’s right. Oh sorry. This is Andvari. He’s a dwarf. He’s also a stingy old man who plays real dirty when coin’s involved!” Bathym was smiling wide as he playfully insulted Andvari who looked at Bathym with an annoyed expression.
“I’m not an old man! I’m still young by dwarf standards!” I raised an eyebrow in surprise over the fact he didn’t deny he was dirty when it came to money. ‘I mean at least he is honest with what he does and doesn’t just lie about it.’
“Interesting that you don’t deny being stingy. . .” I mumbled that to myself and looked away from Andvari when his eyes made contact with me, having an innocent smile on my face like I didn’t say anything wrong at all.
“A dwarf is considered an adult at around 50, right? That’s definitely old for humans.” As soon as Bathym said that Andvari pointed at him angrily. “Look who’s talking! You’re a demon! I’m still a kid compared to you!” The air around Bathym got cold as he smiled at what Andvari said and I couldn’t help but remember the situation that happened before when the air got cold.
“Hey now, it’s rude to ask a superstar’s age!” Andvari stopped pointing at him and just crossed his arms and the air around Bathym stopped being cold. “Anyway, we’re getting off track again. Now that you know what’s up. . . It may not seem like it, but as long as Andvari gets paid, he’ll get the job done right. And he doesn’t usually lie, but--”
Andvari cut off Bathym as he got in front of him. “Of course not! Honesty is the best policy when it comes to business.” Bathym pushed him aside as he pretended he wasn’t just cut off by Andvari. “It’s not my fault you misunderstood me’! That’s what he likes to say, so stay sharp.”
“Naturally! I’ll always lean toward the option that gets me another coin. That’s the dwarven creed. Remember that!” Andvari looked proud as he said that as he put a hand over his heart with a smirk on his face.
“You talk as if you represent all dwarves, but someone as greedy as you is in a whole other category. Greedy enough to make a demon gape!” Bathym words caused Andvari's proud expression to disappear as he got a more annoyed one again.
“Well, anyway! You came at a good time. Masato, was it? I’m the bookmaker here. A portion of the fight money comes from bets, see?” Andvari handed me a bag of coins that felt heavy to hold. I was looking at it with shocked eyes. “Here’s your cut for that fight earlier. Take it. I didn’t pocket any, just so you know. The manager would kick me out in a second if I did something like that.”
“All of these are for me?! This seems like a bunch for just one fight!” I was panicking as I held the bag of coins not knowing what I should do with all the money I just got. I am a high school student with amnesia! What can I do with all of this money?! ‘Should I invest in something or should I just go crazy with it and buy something really expensive?!’
“Hmm, that looks about right for a newcomer. That’s how much I made when I was just getting started here, too. That’s all you get as an Unranked, but you’ll get much more when you move up to Ranker.” Bathym was looking at the coins I had like it was nothing surprising and I could feel myself grow even more shocked. ‘Holy fuck, Unranked people get this much?! How much is a lot for Rankers?! This place is so weird giving away so much money!’
“Makes you wanna work harder, right? Go on! Go make some coin! When the battles heat up, more participants come, which brings more spectators. . . And when that happens, my earnings will. . . Bwahahaha!” Andvari was laughing and I could see that his eyes had a faraway look in it as he thought of the money he would make. I felt awkward just holding this money and didn’t know what I should do with it.
We will now begin the entry procedures for Unranked battles. Those who wish to participate must register at the desk outside the changing room and then move to the arena. I repeat. . .
“Looks like the next round of matches is starting, Masato. You need to hurry up and get access to the Rankers’ area, right? Then you’d better shake your tail out there! We’ve gotta keep the stage alive with captivating excitement!” Bathym was cheering me on and I could still my heart grow warm at how nice he was. ‘He may be a dangerous demon but he is a pretty nice person. I will forget about the fact he almost claimed my soul.’
“All right, get movin’! Go make some money!” Andvari was pushing me to go to the desk area but then all of a sudden my bladder decided to introduce itself causing me to stop moving in the direction of the desk area.
“Sorry! I gotta. . . Check my hair! Yes, check my hair. It is really messy from the last fight. It won’t take long. Hold onto my coins for me.” I quickly shoved my coins into the arms of Andvari and was about to leave when Bathym stopped me from leaving right away.
“Yeah, presentation is very important. You’re right on the money, Masato! There’s a new bathroom to the side of the ring and one for gladiators in the back. The one next to the ring can get pretty crowded, so I recommend using the one out back. Oh, I should warn you, one of the gladiator bathrooms is out of service.” As Bathym was talking I couldn’t help myself and quickly left before my bladder couldn’t hold itself anymore.
“So there’s no separate stalls for different genders or species right now. . . Oh, gone already. . .” Bathym was probably saying something but I was too far to hear him and I quickly went to the bathroom that he mentioned.
As soon as I opened the door I saw a male who seemed to be a wrestler based on what he was wearing. He had green hair that was undercut that showed off his original black hair. He was tan and I noticed that he had green eyes and a goatee. He didn’t notice me yet and I didn’t know if I should say anything as he was currently looking at himself in the mirror.
It was awkward for a few minutes as he just looked at himself with a smile on his face and I was worried that he was frozen or something like that. I was about to trouble him but stop once the smile on his face turned into a nervous expression.
“Aaaahhh! The match is about to start! It’s gonna start any minute. . . When the match begins, everyone’s going to be looking at me. . . Aaaahhhhhhh, I’m getting nervous just thinking about it!” The male was nervously talking to himself while looking in the mirror before he got a determined look in his eyes and slapped both his cheeks.
“Quit that! You decided you’re going to change, Daisuke! You’re a senior now, and the captain of the wrestling team, too. You need to get over your social anxiety already! If you’re going to make a living in wrestling, you need to take drastic measures to cure yourself right now! Here you are at the Colosseum that upperclassmen told you about! If all those people out there notice you. . .” The male who I learned was called Daisuke was going to different stages of emotions right now and I knew if I just announced I was here it would kill him.
“It’s okay! Don’t worry, Daisuke! You can overcome this! They won’t even see you blush! That’s right, as soon as you put on your mask, you’ll become a different person. That’s the way. . .” The young man pulls out a mask that was in a bag I just noticed was near him as he speaks his declaration to the mirror. He raises it high and dramatically places it over his face. For a moment, it seemed as though his eyes gleamed red, but it was probably just my eyes and mind playing a trick on me.
“Yes, it is I! The up-and-coming teenage pro wrestler! I am. . . Taurus Mask! No one will be able to take their eyes off me! Wahahaha!” I was getting so guilty about just being here as he was having a moment but my bladder was getting harder to keep under control so I had to tell him I was here or else I would pee myself.
“Um. . .Can I come in?” As soon as he heard my voice he froze and the proud pose he was currently in was stuck like that as he stiffly turned his head towards me with a frozen smile on his face. I felt really bad as his face quickly grew red in embarrassment.
“How long have you been there” Taurus Mask turned toward me quickly and pointed at me with a shaky finger as his face grew even redder under his mask. I just looked away from him silently not wanting to crush him even more by telling him I was here for everything he said.
Seeing me not responding he connected the dots quickly as he quickly grabbed at his head in embarrassment. “ You were watching?! You were watching, right? You were, weren’t you?” I never thought I would see someone go through the five stages of grief before but I did as different emotions appeared on his face as he looked at me. The hands on his head dropped and it was quiet for a while before he quickly went into a confident pose and looked at me with a fierce look.
“Yeaaaahhhh! I am the ultimate wrestler, Taurus Mask! I know you! I know who you are! You’re my next opponent, aren’t you? Wahahaha! I, Taurus Mask, will not run or hide from your challenge! The identity behind this mask is a more precious treasure than my life! No humiliation could outdo the discovery of my true face! It would be a shame greater than public nudity!” I was confused at what was happening at the moment as he continued his speech? I just wanted to use the bathroom, not walk in on someone pumping themselves up. ‘How is seeing the face under the mask more humiliating than public nudity?’
“Not only did you see my face, but you even witnessed me soliloquizing! This I absolutely cannot allow anyone to hear! In our upcoming battle, I’ll be fighting at 120%! I’ll pound you until you forget your own name! I shall fight for my pride while you fight for your memory! We each go into this grand battle with something precious to lose! I hereby challenge you! Uh. . . Please accept it! Seriously, I’m begging you!” I felt bad for him once I saw his eyes grow teary eyed and I could only nod my head which caused him to jump back up to his confident stuff.
“I’ll see you in a few minutes! If you flee, I’ll chase you down to the depths of hell and put you in a cobra twist! See you in the ring! Wahahahaha!” He quickly ran past me before I could say something and I was left in an empty bathroom feeling dazed.
“Wait. . . Whaaat?! H-Hey! Wait!” My thoughts finally caught up to me but it was too late since as I went to look outside the bathroom he was long gone and I could only lower my head in defeat. As I was about to leave the bathroom my bladder reminded me of the reason as to why I came there in the first place.
After I finished my business in the bathroom, I slowly walked toward the place where I was going to meet Taurus Mask to fight him. I didn’t want to deal with it but I couldn’t just run away from this fight.
‘Is he seriously going to beat me so hard that I will lose my memories again? I don’t have any right now so I don’t want to lose the new one I got! Ugh. . . This is all my fault! I should have just made myself known once I got there!’ I had a frown on my face as I finally got to the place I was supposed to be.
As I slowly made my way up to the stage I could hear the loud cheers of the crowd. I noticed that Taurus Mask wasn’t here. As I was wondering if he was going to not come to the fight all the light grew dark and a single light appeared on the stage.
Taurus Mask appeared in that spot with a confident pose and the crowd went wild. He pointed at me with a fierce look in his eyes. “This match will be my victory and I will claim your memories as my prize.” I was feeling so tired as I realized he was serious about me losing my memory.
I just sighed to myself as I summoned my sword and got ready to fight against this socially awkward wrestler. ‘Why do I keep doing stuff like this to myself?’
