' A girl who can predict the future, ' Rick thought to himself, his blue eyes staring out the classroom window as the sun slowly went down. ' I've seen it firsthand, but it's hard to believe. I want to test it out first. '
He shifted his gaze toward Kaide, who was moving the tables in the classroom and adjusting them properly.
' I have so many ideas. I wonder how far and how many times she can predict it… I want to know more about how it actually works, he thought, a smirk starting to creep onto his face. Just how much money would it take for her to help me? And why am I learning about her now… Did those nerds keep info from me? Anonymous has a lot of explaining to do. '
' But wait, now that I think about it, did that girl just refer to me as a "thing"? Me… Should I ask? I mean, it's just rude. '
" What are you still doing here? " Kaide started approaching him, her green eyes looking his at his face. " Everyone's already gone home. "
" I thought I'd help you out with cleaning the classroom. " He paused before asking, "Why are you cleaning the classroom anyways? "
" Well, it was dirty and everyone had already gone home. I mean, someone has to do it, and I enjoy cleaning, so it's a win-win, " she explained as a smile started forming on her face.
" I see, well, " he paused for a second. " W…well, as long as you're happy, " Rick said in a half playful, half hesitant tone.
Kaide let out an amused scoff as she covered her mouth. " Well, everything looks to be in great order. " She looked over the nearly shining and precisely arranged tables and chairs.
As she observed the class, Rick stared at her, his eyes slightly narrowed. ' Why did I hesitate? There's something about this girl, and I don't know anything yet. What wants to kill her? Does she know about the Guide app? Or is she just involved in something dangerous? Should I ask directly or… '
" So… " Kaide began, interrupting Rick's thoughts. " Are you just going to stand there? Let's go, I want to lock the classroom."
" Hey, I'm still confused. How is someone like Chie not famous around the whole school? I mean, someone like that would be on the headlines of the news or something, " he stated, his voice casual as he strapped his bag onto his shoulders.
" I don't know… " she said as she locked the door. " I mean, you have a friend who defies all logic. Why isn't he on the news? "
The moment she asked the question, Rick's phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out, and on the screen it read:
" KEEP KAIDE TAKAMIYA ALIVE FOR AS LONG AS YOU CAN, +900 POINTS. "
(Quest progress: 2%)
Rick's smirk widened into a smile, as if he'd just learnt something. He replied in an amused tone, " How interesting. "
Later that day, the sun had already set and the atmosphere was filled with a cold night breeze. Tatsuya was walking with Kurumi.
' Strange… We've spent so much time together that now her presence is starting to put me at ease. If it weren't for her, I'd probably still be freaking out, ' he thought as he stole a glance at her. ' But I still don't know much about her, since she doesn't talk. '
As they took a turn, Tatsuya felt his phone vibrate. It was a message from Hanemiya. It read,
" Today we are having an important meeting at the main base, east Sadako Main Hall. "
As he read the message, there was a hint of disappointment in his eyes.
' So I won't get to catch up on today's episodes. How many have I missed? I hate not watching my episodes right when they release, spoilers will be everywhere, ' he thought as they turned into a dark corner.
Meanwhile, on Michigan Street, Ren stood outside, staring through the window of an arcade shop. He was still in his school uniform. Without blinking, his eyes reflected the " Game Over " screen blinking on one of the monitors.
He stood there for a few minutes without moving as people passed by. Some looked at him weirdly, while others passed without even batting an eye.
' I have most of the pieces, and when I put them together, I'll figure it out. But why am I doing this? There are no points for helping out, so I don't really know why I'm doing this. Will I be allowed to again? If that's the case, I don't mind, but maybe first I should… '
" Hey, Ren… " a voice from behind interrupted his thought before he could finish.
He stopped walking. From behind came a girl with purple colored eyes and long pink hair. Her eyes immediately locked onto his, following his every movement.
" You haven't shown up in a while, " she added, her voice calculated with hints of relief. " Renovations are done you know. "
" Hey, Haru. First time I've seen you outside the café, " he said, recognizing her immediately as the girl from the cafe.
He then continued to walk and she quickly followed him.
' Strange. I've always thought NPCs are allocated to a specific area. I didn't know she was one of those with free will, ' he thought to himself without looking at her.
That same night, Tatsuya and Kurumi were climbing stairs inside a building. It looked old, with cracks along the walls, and the atmosphere was quiet.
The only sounds were their footsteps and the soft click of Kurumi's small heels as they climbed the stairs.
As Tatsuya quietly followed, his mind was calm. Is this Sadako Hall? It looks so old. He took a deep breath before continuing.
' We're having an important meeting. Is this where all the big bads meet up? Am I going to see other division members? ' His heart slowly started to race.
' I'm both terrified and excited, because stuff like this you only get to see in good animes… and my quest is still at ten percent. '
Eventually, they reached the top of the stairs. At the landing was a big metal door, with a couple of boxes sitting to the sides of it.
He let out a deep sigh before mumbling to himself, " I really hope I make some progress. "
Kurumi glanced back at Tatsuya upon hearing his mumble without him noticing as she pushed open the door at the top of the stairs.
When the door opened, they found three figures, two sitting while the other towered over them. From a distance, the sound of metal clashing could be heard.
As they got closer, Tatsuya immediately recognized them, Hanagaki, Hanemiya, and Kiyomasa.
Upon seeing them Tatsuya's stomach began to sink, ' The three of them together gives me a bad feeling… And what is up with that light? '
The light seemed to come from below the building. It was orange and blinked randomly.
When Tatsuya reached the edge where the three were sitting, he looked at Hanemiya, who already had a finger to his mouth, signaling him to be quiet.
So Tatsuya looked down. Below, there was a huge circle filled with people in black Headless Spider jackets.
' it's like a Ritual. ' he thought as his eye flinched up.
In the middle stood two boys. One held a crowbar, his white hair slightly covering his green eyes. The other had long black hair and wore brass knuckles and a weird face mask.
The crowd was quiet as the boy with long hair lunged, throwing a fist toward the crowbar boy's face.
The crowbar boy didn't flinch.
He moved his crowbar slightly, and there was a crack as the other's fist smashed against the metal at the last second, creating a huge spark that lit up the place.
The long-haired boy threw a barrage of punches, only for each to be met with a block or a dodge.
His fist recoiled, and he could slowly see the calm look on the crowbar boy's face, but he quickly got back into his stance.
' Wait, that's Kuroyami and Sato… And why are they fighting? ' Tatsuya asked himself as he analyzed the situation after recognizing his teammate.
' Weren't we supposed to be having a meeting? Did something happen while we weren't around? Is this some sort of test? If so, I want no part of it… And why is everyone so quiet? '
Questions continued to pop up in Tatsuya's head, one after the other.
As the fight continued, it grew more intense by the second, and Tatsuya's blue eyes moved quickly, trying to keep up with each of the fast movements.
And in that very moment, Tatsuya felt his phone vibrate wildly.