“Wow! Going against a sword fighter is a new experience! Most of the people here just use their fists!” Pollux was stretching out his arms as he walked next to Bathym, who was happily humming. I just look at them both with dead eyes. I was surprised that I didn’t collapse onto the ground yet.
“Hey! I fight with my feet, too! Don’t forget my totally awesome, cute, dynamic kicks!” Bathym made quick actions with one leg and I could only stare at him in disbelief, wondering how he could still have that much energy. ‘Nomad was right about people being strange here. . .’
“Don’t sweat the details. Just have fun! That’s all that really matters!” Pollux hit Bathym in his arm lightly, smiling brightly at him. As if he remembered I was still here he turned around to talk to me. “So, how ‘bout it? Are you starting to have fun? You’ve come far enough to sneak in a win everyone in a hundred if I go real easy on ya! Not bad!” Pollux gave me a thumbs up and I didn’t have enough strength to glare at him. I could only let out a groan in understanding, not caring how I would look in their eyes at the moment.
“Don’t feel down. You’re lookin’ better and better! Maybe after a thousand more fights. . .Well, at a rough estimate. . .I’m guessing you could beat me once every ten thousand fights. . .if I use only one leg. Aww, come on! No need for that frowny face! You’re pretty amazing, Masato.” Even with Bathym cute pouting towards me, I couldn’t help frown, even more, feeling so tired of all the fighting I was going through at the moment. I may die if this continues.
“There aren’t many fighters who can hold a candle to the great Bathym. Heck, you’ve got me training you! You’ll be a top Ranker in no time!” I could the frown on my face disappearing at Bathym encouraging words and just let out a tired sigh, giving him a weak smile.
“I’m gonna need you to get more up close and personal. . .” Even though I was tired as hell I couldn’t help but flirt with Bathym and give him a wink, well I hope it was a wink and not just me closing my eyes for a micro nap.
“Ha! You still wanna tempt me, Masato? Don’t forget, I’m a demon. I’d suck your soul dry if I had my way.” I felt myself shiver at the look Bathym got in his eyes, remembering that moment from before where it felt like he was going to eat me.
“Up close and personal, eh? Now that takes me back! So that rite of passage in this world, too!” Pollux was looking at me with excited eyes and I could only look at him confused, wondering if he was getting what I just said. Bathym was the same as he looked at Pollux with a confused expression.
“My big brother, Castor, trained with me in that fashion! If I’d known about this earlier. . .! That settles it! From now on, all of my matches will be carried out flesh on flesh! I’ll discuss it with the Guild Master!” I felt my heart nearly jump out my chest at what Pollux suggested, feeling like I said something I should have just kept to myself.
“H-Hey! Hold up, Pol-Pol! Sometimes I think airheads are more dangerous than demons! Geez!” Bathym shakes his head at Pollux, who was looking at him with confused eyes. Bathym looked up at a clock that was in the hallway and was a bit surprised. “Uh-oh. Look at the time. Time always flies when you’re having fun.”
“Oh? What’s up, Bathym?” Pollux tilts his head curiously toward Bathym, wondering what he had to do at the moment. I was kind of curious as well but more relieved, realizing I won’t have to fight anymore with him.
“I gotta take care of something. I promised to meet someone in the Unranked battle changing room. You’ve got a match coming up, Pol-Pol, so you should get some rest. Ciao, Masato!” With a wink, Bathym left toward the Unranked changing room, leaving me alone with Pollux.
“Yeah, yeah. I still have some time. . . I’m gonna go find someone else to play with for a while. I wonder if anyone’s left in the ring. See you later, Masato. Be sure to get someone to look at any sore spots, yeah?” Giving me a big smile, Pollux went back into the room with the fighting ring again, making me feel sorry for anyone unlucky enough to be in the ring currently.
“That was exhausting! Those two are too strong. I thought my body was going to break while fighting. . .” I was talking to myself as I was making a concerted effort to walk straight, heading to the room assigned to me. I had to put my hand on the wall whenever I grew concerned I would fall to the floor.
“Everyone seemed a bit scary at first. . . But it turns out they’re all pretty nice people. I do wonder what happened to Kengo, though.” As I was mumbling to myself as I rounded a corner I collided with someone, but the impact was rather light.
“Huh?” I was only slightly knocked off-balanced, but the other party topples to the floor. The person who was on the floor was a blonde-haired boy with a bandaid on his nose. He was wearing a white hoodie over a green yin and yang shirt. He could be about middle school age from what I can tell from his appearance.
“What a cutie! I mean! Sorry, are you okay?” At first, I was distracted by how adorable he looked but then I realized it wasn’t the time for that and quickly went to him to check if he was okay. But stop going over to him once he gave me a strong look.
“Why are you staring? Am I that out of place? You think it’s weird for a kid my age to be here?” I quickly shook my head at the question and the boy just let out a sigh before getting off the floor, patting his pants down from any dust that got on him.
“I’m fine. That didn’t hurt at all, so stop making such a fuss. Later.” After engaging in the bare minimum of communication, the boy takes off. I was going to continue but something on the ground catches my eye.
“A good luck charm?” When I picked up the item I realized it was a good luck charm. Realizing it probably belonged to that boy, I quickly went in the direction he went in. It didn’t take me too long to catch up to him.
“What do you want?” The boy was looking at me with a suspicious gaze and I smiled at him, hoping that it would reduce his suspicion of me and hold out the charm to him.
“Here, your good luck charm?” I wasn’t fully sure if it was his but that feeling disappeared once the boy looked at the charm with recognition. The brief look of discomfort that flashes across his face seems more fitting for his age. The boy rifles through his pockets then let out a sigh.
“Yeah, I guess that’s mine. I hate to admit it, but it’s special to me, so I’ll take it back now. . .” The boy took the charm from me and put it in his pocket. Even though he had his charm back the frown on his face increased “Damn. Now I owe you one. What do you want in return? Spit it out.” The boy crossed his arms in front of him, waiting impatiently for me to say something.
“Huh? In return?” I was confused about what he was saying. The boy let out an annoyed sigh and uncrossed his arms. His cheeks were kind of red as he looked at me in frustration.
“You do something for me, I do something for you. Isn’t that why you gave it back to me? You okay with the fight earnings? How many coins you want? Or do you want me to rig a fight. . .? Not that I’d agree to that. You’re better off picking someone else if that’s your game. I don’t like it, but some guys do specialize in that crap. Come on. Hurry it up. I’m busy here.” The more he said the more I got confused about what was happening. I couldn’t even gush about how cute he was frustrated.
“What are you talking about? Money? Rigging fights. . .? I don’t want any of that!” The boy looked at me for a while and shook his head with a heavy sigh. I couldn’t help but feel like I was the middle schooler at the moment who was being talked down by a high schooler.
“I had a hunch watching you fight, but. . . Do you see only what you wanna see, or what? Yeah, that’s right. I saw you fight earlier. You’re the newcomer, Masato. Fine. As thanks, I’ll give you a little warning. Here’s some advice from an experienced gladiator. Whether you listen or not is up to you. You’re making your way up through the rankings. I hope you don’t think that’s thanks to your skill or anything. I hope you’re not naive enough to think that the people here are all just super nice or something.” At what he just said I could feel all the gears in my head turning and I ended up realizing something shocking.
“You can’t mean. . .” I could feel my whole brain exploding at the fact I was being played like a fiddle. The boy just shook his head at my current crisis at the moment, giving me a look fill with pity.
“People like you are all over the place these days. . . People who believe everything everyone tells them. Don’t you know the importance of doubting others? I hate people like you. Sometimes you guys even make it to Ranker level. You let it all go to your heads and get ruined by it. It’s embarrassing to watch, really. The point of this place is to show off your skill to make money. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a place reserved for pros.” As he speaks the boy’s tone grows more and more irritated.
“Pollux excites the crowd a lot, but in the end, he’s just caught up in his own fun. If only more folks were like Bathym and took a professional approach. The guy who dropped to No.10? Um. . .What was his name? It’s a real mouthful. Horkeukamui, was it? His kind will always leave the guild eventually. He’s honest to a fault and completely headstrong. He’ll get uncomfortable here and leave. That’s fine with me. No.6 is the worst, though. In the beginning, he had all kinds of energy. But he’s getting more and more agitated lately. I really hate guys like that. . . So irritating. He refuses to leave. If he considers himself a pro, he should act like one and recognize the limits of his own strength. What’s his name again? Something Takabushi. . .” I quickly got in the boy's space and grabbed at his shoulders. The boy was looking at me with wide eyes but I didn’t care.
“You mean Kengo?!” My thoughts were racing, wondering what was happening with Kengo. The boy got out of my grip with an annoyed expression on his face but I was too lost in my concern for Kengo. ‘People here even knows he is acting strange. What is happening to him?’
“You still worrying about others? You’re no different, Masato. Damn it. I’m just gonna come right out and say it. This is an exception, all right? I’m not usually this nice. You two are being baited.” I froze at what he said and looked at him with a shocked expression, my thoughts slowly processing what I just learned.
“What?”
In The Unranked Changing Room. . .
“It looks like everyone is here. Thank you for coming. We appreciate your participation in the last round of baiting. We’re almost done with Kengo. We’ll take care of the cleanup, so you don’t have anything to worry about. Take your time with the other one. And here are your rewards. Go on now, don’t be shy. . .” Kirito gave bags of coins to Bathym and Andvari who took it with smiles on their faces. Kirito had an unreadable look in his eyes as Bathym and Andvari took their coins.
Back With Shiro, Shuichi, And Duo. . . .
“So now we come to baiting.” When Shuichi said that Shiro looked at him seriously and leaned in a bit closer toward Shuichi but not to the point he was over the table.
“That’s right, you said that Kengo is being baited. What the hell did you mean by that?” Shiro's eyes narrow as he questions Shuichi, who just waves his hand at Shiro telling him to calm down so he can continue.
“Don’t fret. I’m about to explain. Just listen, for now, Shiro.” Shiro reluctantly sat fully down in his seat and looked at Shuichi, who looked pleased he was a bit more calmer now.
“I told you about the Ikebukuro Guild, right? They’re aiming to increase the strength and number of their members. How do you think they gather the strong? With high earnings from fights, of course. I told you, didn’t I? The master of Ikebukuro Guild is extremely wealthy. The higher you rise in the rankings, the more coins you receive in a payout. It’s a simple format, but with impressive effects. Where wealth abounds, so too does desire and treachery. It’s the natural way of things. So baiting. . . refers to a certain faction in Ikebukuro’s practice of rigging the rankings. It’s a pretty straightforward setup. Basically, they control the target’s ranking in order to profit from it. They’ll use just about any means: threats, sweet-talk, fixing matches. . . even straight-up bribery.” Shuichi had his usual smile on his face, like what he was talking about was something that wasn’t that serious or important but Shiro scowl on his face got even worse the more he listened to him.
“And what do you think happens to those who’ve been set up? The ranking they obtain and the coin that comes with it were all gained under false pretenses. It always goes down the same way. Those who rank below them gang up on them. Jealous of their wealth, the mob rises against them. And that’s not all. The Ikebukuro Guild rankings are made public. In other words, all the Apps users in Tokyo can see that Kengo has gained wealth far beyond his means or ability.” Shuichi didn’t flinch when Shiro slammed his hands onto the table, attracting the attention of people who were currently around them. Shiro didn’t pay attention to them, only glaring hard at the table.
“That’s awful! What did Kengo get himself into. . .?” Shiro's eyes were getting a bit red but he quickly forced them closed, to get his emotions under control. Once he was sure he was okay he opened his eyes again, but his hands were tightly clenched into fists.
“Calm down, Shiro. I’m just replaying the method of the practice. Even under the circumstances, Kengo has the strength to enter the rankings on his own. He won’t be beaten that easily. Then who do you think will be targeted next? You should be familiar enough with the history of man to easily guess the answer.” Shiro got an upset expression on his face at what Shuichi asked him, already knowing the answer to the question.
“The people around him. . . Those he cares about.” Shiro was biting inside of his cheek, feeling pissed off at Kengo for being so reckless and worried about his childhood friend.
“Correct. Pretty much any target’s Achilles’ heel is going to be the ones they care most about. Their friends and family. The target will isolate themselves to protect those people. That’s their real goal. . . Back the target into a corner. Once the game is no longer rigged in their favor, they stop winning so frequently. They remain isolated, and now their payout decreases. They start to get nervous, which hurts their performance even more. Don’t you know? The trick is to go in for the kill after weakening your opponent. Whittle them down by pushing and weakening them more and more. . . and when the moment’s right, reel them in for the final blow.” Shuichi gave him a big smile as he forcibly closed his hand into a fist, causing Shiro to grow pale, imagining that happening to Kengo.
“It can’t be! You said they go after those close to the target. . . But that means. . .” Shiro was shaking his head lightly to himself, not wanting to believe what he just realized was the person who was the closest to Kengo and who he cared about.
“It seems you finally understand, Shiro. Remember when those delinquents from Ikebukuro attacked you over in Shinjuku? It was all just to bait Kengo. That Achilles’ heel I was talking about. . .? It’s you, Shiro.” Shuichi just smiled at Shiro, who had a completely shocked and guilty expression on his face.
Back With Masato. . .
I moved past the boy quickly, heading where I assumed Kengo would be but stopped when the boy called out to me, surprised. “Wait, where’re you going? If you wanna run, you’re going the wrong way. Why would you go back into that mess after I went out of my way to clue you in?”
“I have to go find him. . . Thanks for filling me in!” I gave him a bright smile but frowned when he looked away from my smile with an annoyed expression, his face slightly red.
“I can practically see roses sprouting from your eyes, man.” The boy awkwardly rubs behind his head as he mumbles that. I only smile at him and continue down the hallway, hoping to find Kengo down it.
After Masato left. . .
“Still hung up on that guy? A bona fide idiot, if you ask me. The only thing down that way is the locker room. . . Oh. I guess a newbie wouldn’t really know where everything is yet. Whatever. Go find what’s-his-name and get out of here.” The boy was frowning and started to walk in the opposite direction Masato went in, feeling irritated for some reason.
“I hate this so much. It reminds me of. . .” The face of another boy comes to his mind. A boy he has trouble getting along with but respects a great deal. “I’m never going back to that stupid dojo. . .” The boy kicked at the ground as he continues to walk, feeling frustrated with how stupid Masato was acting even after learning the truth behind the Guild.
“He’s such a nosy busybody who doesn’t know his place. He still believes in the best of people, even after being betrayed. . . Hold on. . . The locker room? At this hour. . .” The boy's eyes grew wide as he suddenly stopped walking, turning in the direction Masato went in quickly.
“No. 1 is always in there around now! How could Masato not know that?!. . .I bet nobody thought to share that little detail. . . People here only care about themselves and their battles. Which means, if I don’t do something. . . Aww, come on! Now I have to rescue that moron!” The boy messed with his hair and quickly ran after Masato, hoping to arrive before he got attacked.
In The Locker Room. . .
“This. . . is the locker room, isn’t it? I thought I heard something. Hey! Is that you, Kengo?” I went deeper into the locker room after I heard a voice. No, it’s much more than a voice. It’s like a wild growl that rumbles from the bowels of the earth. I could feel cold sweat appearing on my back due to the sudden atmosphere filled with tension and dread.
As I got even further into the room I heard a terrifying roar from the far end of the locker room. The roar unleashes a shockwave that slams me against a locker roughly. I could feel my breath leave me quickly as I slid down the locker. The deep, ethereal sound continues to echo as I tried to regain my breath on the ground.
“I thirst. . . Thirst, thirst, thirst, thirst! I hunger! Deeply! My flesh aches! It aches! Curses! That feeling is back again. . . I yearn for more. . . else I’ll go insane! That damn Claude. . . He said he’d satisfy me. . . But he never gives me meat worth eating! Meat, damn it! Give me meat!” I could feel myself shaking as I looked at the unfocused tiger Therian. I don’t know if he knew I was here or not. All I knew is that I couldn’t win against him in that state.
“You aren’t Kengo. . .” That was obvious, I know that. Especially due to the fact he had green fur with long green hair but fear makes people say stupid shit and right now I was scared shitless as I stared at him as I got up from the ground with shaky legs.
“Ahh. . . Meat! How does it taste?! Give me a taste!” I regret saying anything once the tiger Therian locked eyes with me and I could see drool coming out of his mouth in puddles in front of him. I look at him and the location of the door to the locker room, crying to myself how far the door was.
“He’s gonna eat me?!” I didn’t know what to do as the tiger Therian came in close to me. I couldn’t close my eyes or move as I just stare at him, wondering if it will be painful getting eaten alive by him.
As I was thinking this I saw a flash of light from the corner of my eyes. “Role of the Dancer! Rule of Transformation! Engrave mine name of Ikutoshi Ooki unto thee! Emerge! Dwarven Changeling!” A man with an envious body unleashes a single sharp kick to the tiger beast. I felt my jaw drop once I realized it was the boy I ran into but as an adult now.
“Did you turn into an adult?!” I felt my concern about getting eaten disappear and grew concerned at how attractive I thought the adult form was. ‘Masato! No! Bad Masato! He is the cute middle schooler who can turn into an attractive adult man. . . Ahhh!’
“Hahaha! More meat! A mere taste won’t cut it! It’s feasting time!” The tiger beast didn’t even flinch at the attack from who I assume was called Ikutoshi. Ikutoshi was in front of me and looked at me to make sure I was okay. I quickly got myself steady on my feet so I wouldn’t embarrass myself in front of him. I am still, after all, his upper classmate.
“Seriously?! He didn’t take any damage at all! Why would you jump into danger like that?! What are you, stupid?! We’ll talk later! I can’t take him on alone! Loser that you are, I’m gonna need you to fight with me! Let’s go!” Ikutoshi didn’t even give me enough time to defend and explain myself before he quickly went to kick at the tiger beast again.
I let out a quick tired sigh before summoning my Sword quickly, jumping in to back up Ikutoshi with fighting this intense looking bloodthirsty tiger beast.
