Little Busters - FanFiction Discussion

[Kairin]

Welcome to the Little Busters FanFiction Discussion thread.

This thread is meant for Little Busters fanfiction and its discussion. Fanfiction works can be either posted in this thread or in the Fan Creations Forum and linked to in this thread. You may also link to Fanfiction works posted on other sites and discuss it here.

General rules of our forum still apply:

• No sexually explicit material. Yes, this goes for text format as well.
• Be polite to your fellow forum members
• Have fun, but post intelligently

Please respect the authors, fanfictions are written in their free time, they have have no gain and owe you nothing; if they like a particular character and/or a particular pattern for their story, it's a personal choice and can't be blamed. In general, you are free to post constructive criticisms but not insults which (as in any other part of the forums) won't be tolerated. Remember that writers post here to get help and not to get troubles.

Thanks and have fun

[Balzac]

... I won't go into his background here but I have a very close acquaintance who once tried out "fanfiction" using the Key universe. I've no idea of the exact reasons of his venture, but the bits I read were touching (considering his present state).

If I remember correctly, it was some sort of "after story" revolving around the "next generation", the sons and daughters of Key protagonists and the "main heroine". Told from the perspective of Riki's and Rin's son, it tells his and other children's story about immorality and redemption in a world that had fallen to the more savage aspects of fantasy. The setting was that all the Key stories were in one universe, and his latest chapter indicated that it was in a post-Terra world (Rewrite) which obviously came about after his reading that visual novel.

In conversations with him, it appeared he was going for the theme of true redemption and forgiveness, as seen in the character he built up - initially the son of Otonashi and Tenshi and later molded into the son of Tennouji Kotarou - who'd become a hardened teenager and was showing sociopathic signs. I was interested in his craft from a purely academic standpoint, though the myriad faults of the fanfiction format led to me not taking it (and his other works) seriously no matter how I tried. He did try to evoke some of Maeda's comedy, which made this comedic connoisseur smile.

He'd posted it on www.fanfiction.net as I recall, though his wife had to delete them after his incident. I mention this because I was quite surprised to see this subsection pop up and it reminded me of his story.

[novalysis]

It gives me an idea for a possible Next-gen fic.

In your typical VNs, parents are only important for certain routes. I was thinking of writing a Next-gen fanfiction where Parents are central to every single route. But here is the twist - the story is not told from the perspective of the male or female "target", but rather, the protagonist/PoV character is different with every single route. The one thing tying each protagonist together in each route, is the fact that they are all alternative versions of each other, sharing the same father (Naoe Riki), but different mothers in every single route.

So, each protagonist are basically alternate Universe versions of each other, with the same father, but different mother. This results in differences in personality, backstory, and family circumstances, each producing a different story.

The story begins during the Club Recruitment period. The unified common route lasts throughout the entire period, and there may be perhaps six to eight different clubs. (Sports, more Intellectual Clubs and Artistic Societies, plus a Council Option).

Each PoV character will belong to a certain club. However, multiple PoV characters may be in the same club. And a single PoV character may well have different stories depending on which club they choose.

In each club, the target has quite ordinary backgrounds, no extra-ordinary traumas, though their personalities differ from club to club. It is the PoV character who has unique backgrounds.

I think, for a first past, all alternate versions of the PoV protagonist shares the same gender. Perhaps Female, for a change of pace? Then, in a second round, routes exploring what happens if the main PoV character is a male takes place. But in each story, the main protagonist relation with her different mother will play a large role in the plot.

I have a list of possible ways different mothers can affect characters.

Possible List of PoV Protagonist/ Mothers

Child of Komari: The frightening thing is, Komari isn't the most stable of persons. A dramatic rendering would have her being slightly disconnected from reality. A less dramatic, more positive rendering would still have her as someone who might be quite clingy to Riki, and possibly more willing to come down to the level of her child. I'd say that Riki's influence might be stronger here. On the other hand, Komari could also be a surprisingly good mother.

Child of Kud: I wonder whether the "Wafuu" mindset would carry over to reality. I can foresee certainly, that any child of Kud would firstly get into trouble, if only because of her "half-Japanese" nature. To think of Kud as a mother, we'd need to strip out much the "Wafuu" view, and go into what Kud really is if we ignore her moe attributes. Would Kud, for example, take after her mother, and possibly be involved in Space Research? I can also forsee that one of Kud's main priorities is to try to become someone that her daughter would like to emulate. Dramatic renderings might actually center around a mother who is both successful, but often away, yet insecure. Or there, but very insecure. You know, I think that a Kud x Riki relation would be one of the most equal relations in Little Busters, though, compared to Kurugaya x Riki on one end, and Riki x Rin on the other.

In dramatic renderings, Kud wouldn't be as successful in accomplishing that, and might infact alienate her daughter, creating a conflict that needs to be resolved. In less dramatic renderings, Kud's daughter might look up to her mother, and aspire to be like her. And gradually question why.

Child of Yuiko Kurugaya: I seriously think that Yuiko would troll her own children. She may also mother her own children, and smother them quite alot. Given how... ahem, sexually adventurous she is, I'd suspect that any child of hers would be quite sexually forward too - sexuality is something that Yuiko's children may have little difficulties about. But would she also impart an Overachiver mind-set to her hypothetical child? Would her child have the same issue as Kud: in that the child wishes to be like her mother? I can see Yuiko also wearing the pants in the relationship between her and Riki.

In more dramatic renderings, part of the tension might be the fact that Yuiko's daughter may not be as talented or gifted as her mother. Or, Yuiko's daughter is actually weak willed, as the result of being treated like an amusing pet by an eccentric mother. Or, Yuiko's daughter dislikes the fact that her mother is a troll. Lighter renderings would have the daughter being as gifted and talented, and also another huge troll by emulation, and therefore, her route is full of awesome.

Child of Haruka: Now, Haruka herself was abused as a child. Would this have an impact on how she might raise her own children? For some reason, I forsee that Haruka might have a laidback, approach to parenting. I would say that she might be quite lost with Parenting, given how dysfunctional her family circumstances are.

In dramatic renderings, we might have a daughter who thinks poorly of her mother, and dislikes her mother's own lax approach. Or, we might have the product of parents who are quite lost in Parenting. Or, we might have someone who enjoys life as it is. Or Haruka might be a rather irresponsible and neglectful mother.

It could be that it is Riki who is the stricter one here in the parental relationship, which might lead to rather interesting dynamics.

Child of Mio: Mio is another troll. Minus the overachieving, I think the issues might be similar to Kurugaya.
I suspect that Mio would raise a child with lax sexual morals too. The big difference, is that I think Mio would be less aggressive and more subtle than Kurugaya in her parenting approach. Certainly, Riki's influence would be stronger vis a vis Mio, compared to Kurugaya.

Of course, more cynically, in darker possibilities, Mio is a neglectful, absent minded mother who is often cold. In happier possibilities, she tries to teach her child how to troll, and possibly, her child may be more likely a bibliophile too, given that I suspect their house would be buried deep in books.

Child of Rin: I seriously think that Rin would defer strongly to Riki here. I can't see her as a mother. I think she is even worst suited then Haruka. It might produce either a maladjusted individual, be a "control case" for a child raised under Riki's influence alone, and so on. Or, she might treat her child, almost like a pet of sorts.


Child of Sasami: I have no idea how this is supposed to go. What would it be like to be raised by a Mother who is a former Alpha, and a bit of a bully in her youth?

Child of Kanata. I forsee that Kanata would be a very, very stern mother. We might see a Child that is rebelling against a strict mother, or a Honors Student who is intimidated by her mother. I suspect that of all of candidates, Kanata would try to mold her child most closely after her own image. Of course, Kanata could also be dere for her child at times.

It reminds me of the comic of a Tsundere Mother. Certainly, the crux of such a protagonist would be to come to terms with a mother that's likely strict, and domineering, and probably stricter than any other route. That route could go all full out on a deconstruction of a Tsundere mother (dysfunctional family relations), or a daughter starting to develop and discover a personality beyond her mother's influence. Or, it could be a decisive moment where Kanata no longer treats her child as a child, but more as an adult, or perhaps their relationship is an amicable, but strict one, and the tensions between amicability and strictness dominates the route. Bonus if Kanata doesn't approve of the Boy her daughter brought back. Finally, Kanata's child would come from a privileged background. Perhaps there's always the sense that she's being watched, and of the need to keep up her family's reputation.

We might get a character similar to Irisu from Hyouka for example for Kanata's daughter.



------------------------

Of course, given the scale of all this, I'd imagine that it'd take a long time to write all of the routes. But I think there's a strong scope for collaboration here. This is just a first pass proposal for how a Next-gen fic exploring all the possible children of Riki, and how each protagonist has different mothers but the same father produces different plots. And how Married life between Riki and one of the LB Heroines might look like.

One of the big questions I've been asking myself is how Riki might be as a father. It might be a difficult question to answer - no doubt, a Riki with Kurugaya would be different from a Riki with Komari, and definitely with Rin.

[Randrak42]

See, the descriptions you give...make them too similar to their mothers, so similar that it's like reading the original character's descriptions at times.
And then there's things like Komari's kid having a fear of death...why? Komari had a fear of death because of a traumatic event, it's not something genetic that's passed down from mother to child.

[novalysis]

Originally Posted by Randrak42

See, the descriptions you give...make them too similar to their mothers, so similar that it's like reading the original character's descriptions at times.
And then there's things like Komari's kid having a fear of death...why? Komari had a fear of death because of a traumatic event, it's not something genetic that's passed down from mother to child.

Yes, I acknowledge that flaw. There's too much Generation Xerox .It's just a first pass, and probably not a good one at that. The challenge, I think, is in characterizations, and I think I didn't really did quite well with that.

Still, my main purpose was to propose an initial concept: A reverse LN of sorts, where each story is that alternate heroines, each of which are children of Riki Naoe and one of the other Little Busters.

More organically, perhaps a better question to start asking, when coming up with each of these characters is : What kind of mothers would each of the Little Busters be like? And how would this influence their child? That might be the first place to start.

Another more unpleasant (and probably cheap option - thinking of it makes me realize that absent parents are a lazy way of creating drama) would be to ask which of them are more likely to leave Riki widowed, create a less stable family or create issues of their own.

I'm more or less canvassing for ideas here on that score.

P.s: I think I'd erase the character proposals for now.

P.ps: I modified it by starting with considering how each of the Little Busters might be as parents, outlining a few scenarios.

[Arturia Polaris]

I have an idea... Assuming that the anime doesn't go this way...

Spoiler for lb mayor spoilers:

What was the true way in which the events happened? We know that they happenned, just not the order and the actual non romantic outcome. I'm thinking about a true route i guess

Arty

[Balzac]

Novalysis, in my opinion, there'd be no harm in your idea to create your own character, that's how "true fiction" comes about. It doesn't have to adhere to a sort of combination of previous character traits. In your idea for example, the child doesn't have to be created from taking a trait from one parent and another from the other, and then blending them like a shake. Cast the "next generation" in a mold of your own making, with your ownly caveat being the possible relationship with the previous generation. (of course, being realistically interwoven with whatever plot and setting you intend to have)

To give an example, my friend's protagonist, Riki and Rin's son, had somehow inherited narcolepsy. This is because my friend intended some sort of Key syndrome for all his characters. The son also had an aversion to cats, having been with them through most of his life. He also had the power to swallow luck from other people, which was supposed to have been a major plot point in the story, linking up with his intended role somewhere down the line. (which I'll never know since he never finished it) Character creation is a fundamental part in crafting a story, and one doesn't necessarily have to be restricted to crafting "carbon copies". Breathe life into them in your own way and according to your vision.

That being said, I am now a mite interested in this section - perhaps there may be budding bards who'd be interested in spinning for us veterans an enchanted tale, enough perhaps, to even exceed Maeda's own.

EDIT: Addendum - I also believe that if you were to cast the heroines as mothers, you also have to take note that parenthood, in real life and most times in fiction, will drastically change a person. A serious person might become a scatter-brained mother, leading to some interesting conflict; or vice-versa, a once slightly irresponsible youth shows hidden depths when becoming a parenthood. Note that the above extremes are just that - extremes.

[Arturia Polaris]

Okay. I'm taking up Balzac's challenge.

I'll throw a bunch of ideas and see which is more liked. (Of course, spoiler territory here)

A) A heartwarming fanfic about Komari and her brother, ending with the inevitable.

B) A slice of life about the Little Busters! the year before the incident.

C) A small fic about Kurugaya's past and why she reacted like she did in the VN. (EDIT: I actually went ahead and started doing this one. http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=116517 )

D) Small romance fic about Kengo and THAT girl...

E) Kyousuke's POV of the whole endless semester, and how his mind starts getting spazzy.

F) What if the "true ending" were just Rin and Riki alone?

G) Kurugaya x Haruchin friendship explained.

As I said, these are all ideas for short stories, nothing is yet final and I'm just firing things in my brain.

Artu

[ronelm2000]

Well if I would have the time to do a fanfic:

(1) Short fanfic about an Alternate Ending where Riki never ever invoked Rin1.
(2) Another short fanfic on Kengo during that incident.
(3) Saya's story IRL.

[Balzac]

Question from the curious: were a story to be posted, would it be okay to post here, in this thread? I don't have accounts in other repositories (I suppose I could use my aforementioned friend's fanfiction.net account) and would rather that I not go to any external sites.

My own dissertation on his foray into Little Busters! fiction has piqued my interest, sending the mostly unused creation muscles creaking.

[Arturia Polaris]

You could use the fan creations part in the forum as I do, as well as fanfiction.net

Arty

[Rising Dragon]

Other fanfiction threads in AnimeSuki forums allow full chapters to be posted in them. I don't see why the same wouldn't hold true for this thread.

[Balzac]

Well, after a good, free afternoon, I present this little number. Completely free of fact-checking, proofreading and editing shenanigans, so the English may be subpar. I give credit to that bad, bad Nakahito for the idea, but no elements from that game is present here. I'd intended it to be a self-contained story, but the writing got away from me and now it seems there might be a continuation.

It's been 10 years since I've written creatively, so this work will likely be filled with too much academic prose. I'm a professor, not a writer.

Fair word of warning, contains no Key atmosphere whatsoever. Ironic that I rail against "Shounen-esque" details in my eroge, when all I can make for my own fiction is this. This also contains spoilers for pretty much every Key game in existence (bar Kud Wafter). "Also contains spoilers" is also a bit of an understatement. Readers will probably not get some of the stuff written here without some previous knowledge (I think)

Spoiler for Balzac's Work 1 Part 1:

In my mind's eye I picture a city, imagining it like so:

The buildings, tall, silent, stately.

The crisp autumn air, the oscillating atmosphere of a tsundere.

The sounds of cars beeping, the noisome crash of human upon human, of genial looks and hurried greetings.

The anticipation of the warmth of the kotatsu, made even warmer by the presence of friends you love.

All is peaceful; all is well.

I can't imagine anyone, no matter how cold or embittered, refusing the allure of the peaceful scene. Even for just one moment, the stormy thoughts of even the coarsest and harshest of individuals would be stilled to contemplation upon beholding such a scene.

I know it, for in this black and tried heart, I yearn for it. This unworthy self, who has crossed the threshold of a "good human" and into the whorls of petty, grim evils, treasures the serenity of the world, however brief it can be.

Yes, it is brief.

I see all of the above, with my own eyes.

And in the next instant, the pastoral scene shifts.

Just as the moon beckons its watery retainer to its side and then sends it forth to land time and again, so too does "peace" never truly last.

Coming with the force and sound of thunder, an angel of death descends upon the city.

Perhaps it is too much to call it an angel.

After all, angels are said to be benevolent, are said to be the harbingers of peace, not the ones who break it.

Well, I won't refer to it as an angel then.

The figure descends from the air.

If it's not an angel, then what is it?

It descended like a bird, but it was too big.

It looked like a plane from the outside, but it was too small.

Yet unmistakably, the sheer force of its arrival shattered the peace in the city, breaking the reality of the world I saw with my own eyes.

People screamed, scrambling for whatever cover they could find.

"You're kidding me," I murmur disbelievingly at the sight.

Yes, my own eloquence leaves me short for words sometimes.

"How can this sort of thing happen?" I demand of nothing and no one in particular. Perhaps I demanded it of the world.

Keep yourself together, Kyousuke!

I gritted my teeth, and faced the reality.

The figure rapidly approached, and I felt as if I could no longer truly call it an angel.

Angels do not bear with them a tangible killing aura.

No, it definitely wasn't an angel.

It was a...

.....

One, no two days before the incident.

I'd had a prickling feeling in my head when I'd woken up. If I could describe it, it was like a warbling hangover (which I had yet to experience of course) in my head that teetered between the extremes of "have" and "have not".

Perhaps akin to the feeling of reading an entire volume of manga in one night, going to sleep in the early morning, and waking up to find it was nearing sunset.

Well, that kind of feeling isn't bad – the manga reading one I mean.

But this kind of feeling I had wasn't warm nor gentle nor satisfying.

Put it simply, it was a bad feeling.

"Oh by the way, have you heard the latest from Da Outlaw? Guys on the Net're he took out a bunch of thugs in a district just two train stations away."

Everyone looked up at Masato's words. Riki gazed at him blankly from the right, Rin blinking suspicously from across, Kengo eyeing him impassively next to her and I at his left, narrowing my eyes as the bad sensation intensified.

"What's with those looks everyone? Did I say something strange? Is it because I like Da Outlaw? Or maybe you just realized this Masato is some sort of closet cospah otaku after he's done fortifying his muscles for the day?"

"You sure are quick on the uptake Masato..." Riki murmured, scratching his cheek.

"No, I think everyone's just surprised to learn you're able to use the 'Net at all," said Kengo.

"What kind of idiot do you think I am huh? You want me to hit you? Don't just assume I can't use technology like some sort of village idiot! I can use my cellphone properly you know!"

"No no no, those are completely different things..." I suppress a smile at Riki's quip. I glance at Rin, whose face looked like she was fighting to ask a question she knew she shouldn't ask.

"Aah..." she started to say, nodding, as if a realization had just dawned on her. "It's that, right? Yeah. That. It's that famous net thing. Mhm. I getcha"

Oh my cute little sister.

"Rin...could it be you-?" asked Riki.

"Shut up you want me to hit you moron! I'm not as stupid as this idiot!"

"Is that so... Rin's a newbie as well..." Uh-oh. Masato made the mistake of reaching over and clapping his hand on her shoulder. "Well you know, Rin, there are some things that people are good at, and-"

WHACK! Masato's head collapsed into the table with a thud. He twitched once, twice, and then lay still, as if he'd been knocked out cold. Did Rin get a critical hit?

"I don't want to be told I'm an idiot by an idiot, idiot!"

The everyday jocularity was a soothing balm, but I still felt that something was off.

Something was terribly wrong, and I still couldn't grasp what it was.

"Kyousuke?"

I blinked. I saw Kengo's eyes gleam with pure concern.

Pure?

"What is it?"

"That's my line. You seem rather out of it today."

I offered a smile. "Well, you know what they say about falling off the wrong side of the bed..."

"Moron. You sleep near a wall."

"I don't think you have to take that literally, Rin..." Riki said placatingly. I rubbed my forehead. The sick, gnawing feeling didn't abate.

"Mmmm...I think Kengo's right. What's wrong with you, idiot brother?"

"Rin, when your brother's troubled as I am now, you must be gentle and refer to me for the time being as 'onii-chan'," I said, hiding a small smile with the palm of my hand.

"Never. And look, you even admitted you're troubled."

"Well he does sound like the usual Kyousuke," said Kengo.

"Kyousuke? Is something really the matter?" asked Riki. His eyes were filled to the brim with newfound worry.

Damn. Even Riki's starting to worry. I can't worry the two of them needlessly like this. The Kyousuke they see should always be inviolable, indomitable, reinforcing the security in their minds.

"Truth be told, I haven't been getting much sleep," I explained. Masato perked back up.

"Oh? Are you in another manga binge?" he asked.

"That's awesome, Masato, you're a total genius," I said in a monotone.

"Thanks!"

"He wasn't praising you dumbass!"

"What? Then, everything Da Outlaw said was true!? 'What goes around comes around'!?"

It was then that the feeling that something was out of place came splashed into me in a big wave.

It felt cold, like the icy feeling that was settling in my gut.

What was Da Outlaw?

I couldn't risk asking it. Kyousuke must never ask the questions. That is Riki's role. Only Riki's.

I'd begun focusing in on myself, tuning out the world around me. Masato's words became indistinct, fading into a garbled echo in my ears.

As far as I knew, there was no existence of Da Outlaw in this world.

It wasn't a feature. It had never been one.

I don't even know who or what "Da Outlaw" is in the first place.

For I, who am architect and overseer of this world, who knows every inch and nook of it as if it were my own body, the presence of such a thing is alarming.

So, then. Another intruder.

Someone like the girl.

Or perhaps an interference from someone already inside? I've never forgotten Kurugaya's past selfishness.

She learned after the first loop.

"-suke..."

What was it then? I had to confirm it, for their sake.

"Kyousuke?"

My body jerked on its own. The sounds of normalcy in the cafeteria returned.

The Little Busters looked at me with varying degrees of concern. I then noticed that most of the students had begun filing out of the room.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"We should be asking that – again," said Kengo. "You've seemed out of it the whole time today."

"I understand. Do you want to hear about my thoughts on the latest arc of Death Desu? I-"

"So it's a manga thing again?" said Masato, looking exasperated.

"Shut up don't want to hear it dumb brother," said Rin. "It's almost time for class and I haven't greeted the cats yet."

"After that, you should greet our classmates, Rin..." said Riki.

"I'll see you guys later after practice," I said, heading out the door first and turning quickly into a place hidden from any looking from the corridor.

"...like a real life thing!"

"Masato, is it possible you've found something better than muscles?"

"No way! Nothing's better than..."

The voices of my friends trailed off into the distance as they walked past my hiding spot.

Predictably, Kengo had dawdled, playing his role in this world faithfully as member of the kendo club by chatting with some of his fellows who'd also lingered.

Or perhaps that would always be his role, world or no.

"Kengo," I said, pouring the gravity into my voice as I deliberately stepped in front of him. "We need to talk."

"Alright." A brief flash of confusion stole across his face as I led him to an empty classroom. Well, technically, the first years would be occupying this classroom as per the world, but I bid them disappear with a tug of my mind.

I strode purposely towards the door.

"Wait, Kyousuke, that's a-"

What?

Cheerful banter stilled. All eyes inside the room turned to me.

"How...?"

I blocked the barrage of "Natsume-senpai?" and "Who's he...?" behind the sliding door. I felt Kengo's gaze on my back.

"If you want to talk somewhere private, which I feel you are, you should pick somewhere that's not a classroom at this time. Also," he looked at a nearby clock. "It's almost time. Please make this talk of yours quick- Hm? Kyousuke?"

"I can't feel it," I murmur, fear welling up in me.

"Feel what?"

"Kengo!" I turn and grab him by his uniform. The sudden action doesn't seem to faze the guy, and I credit that to Kengo being Kengo. "Answer me! Do you know? Do you KNOW?"

"Kyousuke, what's-"

"This world, Kengo! Do you know!?" I looked into his eyes frantically, manic energy guiding me, searching for a sign with all my might – recognition, understanding, anything pointing towards me not being insane.

Well, perhaps I'd already crossed the threshold of insane long ago. But that was that and this is this.

"I've no idea...what you're going on about, Kyousuke..." And I believed the sincerity hiding behind the confusion.

My grip on his clothes slackened.

All the colors in the world seemed to have been bleached from my sight. A cold and unrelenting feeling latched onto my gut, spreading outward into every fiber of my body.

So that was why I'd had a bad feeling.

I whirled away, staggering forward like a drunk. I ignored the eyes that stared and the voices chasing me from behind.

Once more, I reached with my mind, rapping my knuckles the "reality" that was so much a part of me, only to find...

Nothing.

There was nothing there.

Had everything been just a dream? A boy's solitary fantasies? Just a man's average pyschosis?

No, it couldn't be. It shouldn't be.

The pain was/had been/will be real.

The echoes of despair, the unforgivable fate and the heartwrenching sorrow could not have all been a dream.

His memories could not have been a lie.

But Kengo didn't seem to know. He didn't seem to remember. Have we all stepped down from the stage? Or have we been ushered away? If so-

But then why? Why...?

I let my mind go, attempting to go "there". What will you find there Kyousuke?, a cynical part of me whispers.

Nothing.

Not the cold heart of the void we were all destined for, but the utter powerlessness of a young man, encased in mortality.

One who had once watered the city and called forth the sun with a mere thought.

I guess that had just been a dream Natsume Kyousuke dug up, from the dregs of his eternally blissful imagination.

A small, biting breeze slapped my face. I looked up at the endless blue sky.

Before I'd realized it, I'd reached the rooftop.

Fitting, for I had wanted to touch the sky and stir it up again. And now...I can't.

This Atlas who once shouldered the world, has had his burden stolen as he slept.

"What the fuck was the whole point then? Damnit!"

Pain shot up the leg I'd used to kick the nearby wall. I punched it so hard I could almost hear my knuckles cracking.

In order for the illusion to continue, Riki must never see Kyousuke upset.

Punch.

That order must be maintained, Kyousuke must ever be the "cool onii-chan."

Punch. Punch.

For near 100% chance of success, Kyousuke must-

I've got to-

I should-

I-

I crumpled, the short burst of adrenaline dissipating.

"I don't understand..."

"Acknowledging that you don't is the first step to wisdom, or so I've been told."

I spun to face the speaker.

Black.

The first thing I saw of her, this... "obstruction", the first thing my mind conjured up as it received the information from my eyes - was black.

The speaker wasn't dressed in this school's uniform, but in a flowing male-style kimono dyed entirely in black. What looked like a short cloak-like cloth was draped with a careless calm around its shoulders, looking so out of place on the slight figure, yet somehow feeling like it was too important to just leave out.

Her hair, brown as dying leaves, swayed long and free in the breeze. Her face oddly reflected the sunlight into a strong sheen – for it wasn't a mere face. A mask adorned it, gray, flat, unassuming.

In the early morning sun, the long shadow she cast seemed to flicker like it was alive, though I could tell it was just my mind playing tricks on me.

A queasy feeling seemed to envelop her, pushing its effects unto me as I stood my ground.

Abruptly, I sucked in a breath; I hadn't realized I'd held it. "...Who are you? Are you the one...?"

Wait, I have to be cautious. The sudden loss of my connection to the world had unbalanced the state of my mind. I had to refocus, especially when I have the mystery right in my hands.

One might think meeting a strangely garbed girl in the rooftop, a rooftop that one's mind clearly remembers being deserted, is a bizarre occurence happening only in manga stories, to people – characters - not oneself. But I was already used to bizarre.

Up until recently, it was my job to create the bizarre.

"It's a bit of a bother isn't it?" she said musingly, looking straight at me. Her voice was flat and muffled, betraying no inflection, no emotion. "Receiving a promise to become God for a day, and then losing that pleasure before the dawn even breaks. It's not unlike an addiction to a vice, during an early withdrawal. Very unpleasant, or so I've been told."

"So you do know."

"I think that goes without saying... though I feel I've been rude. Nice to meet you, Natsume Kyousuke. I am Shigeki. People like to call me Shi-chan, or so they claim."

"Somehow I have this feeling that isn't your real name."

"You are indeed smart as they say, Kyousuke." I scowled. "It would seem you'll make a good fit."

"You haven't answered my question."

"I thought I already did."

"The other!" I shouted. I couldn't rein my emotions in. "Are you the intruder?"

"Intruder..? Whatever do you mean?"

"You're doing a marvelous act of playing dumb. I know, okay? I know. This world is ours, and I control it." Had controlled it. "Your coming here is a flaw. You are an intruder."

"And what makes you think your side of reality is the real? You thought so yourself: it might have all been just a dream..." her voice purred, the pleasantries melting away.

"Very well then," I gritted out, cutting straight past the chilling implication of mind reading. "What do you want?" I had – I would - get to the bottom of this.

"For now, nothing. It's never good to be hasty, or so I've read. We need you, but we don't need you. Especially not in your...present condition." I felt the figure's gaze flick up and down my body.

"I want answers."

"I have no doubt you'll get them soon enough, or so I'd like to believe." She began to walk toward me, making me tense. But she ghosted past, a mere few feet away, close enough for me to be able to reach out to her with my arm, but far enough that I knew only my fingers would be able to reach her.

Of course, I could merely take one step forward. But I didn't.

"It is no longer just you, Kyousuke," she said. Her cape fluttered around her in the manner of idle black wings.

"What's that supposed to mean? Are there more like you?"

"We've always been here."

"Liar."

"I would agree that the Saya girl had been a fluke." I flinched at the mention of the girl's name. "But unlike her, we've been here from the start."

"Who's 'we'?"

"You'll see." She started for the door, which I saw had been smashed open from within. That must've been my handiwork.

"Stop! You think I'll just let you leave?"

She paused at the threshold, turning her masked face toward me. "Don't forget to have that hand fixed up. Open wounds can cause infection, I believe."

Contrary to what I'd just declared, I could only watch as she closed the door behind her.

Like hell I'll just let you go!

Moved by a strange impulse, I dashed forward, whipping the door back open, only to find that she was gone. A quick look downward over the stairway confirmed that she wasn't below, and straining my ears to listen only brought the faraway noise of bustling students, and the deep, ponderous ringing of the school bell.

I leaned back against the stairway railing, cursing under my breath.

What is going on?

And for some reason, my ill feelings had abated.

That wasn't necessarily a good thing.

.....

A day before the incident.
I watched over them all, during the brief get-together preceding baseball practice. Not a single one of "them" showed that they had an inkling of something being wrong.

Not even the intractable Kurugaya so much as gave me a sideways glance.

Then again, I, the ringleader, had been the only one fully aware of the world. And apparently I'm the only one who remembers everything way it was, judging from Kengo's reaction earlier in the day.

"Senpai, phone, phone!" Saegusa hollered from across the room.

Alerted to the device's ringing that in my own pocket that I hadn't even noticed, I received the call, cursing at how my "cool" image had slowly broken down in just a day.

"Is something troubling Kyousuke-san?~~"

"No, let's leave the moron brother alone, Komari."

"You seem to be having an interesting neglect play, Natsume-imouto..."

I glanced at the caller ID. Unregistered. Definitely one of them.

"Hello. Who is this?"

The crackle of static greeted me back. I clucked my tongue, very much annoyed, and made to end the connection when a voice came through.

"Do not believe her. Trust in yourself, Natsume Kyousuke."

"Shigeki?"

And with that, the call faded with mournful beeps.

The damned mystery deepened, and I was still at the shallows.

What had the caller been talking about? The voice was garbled, so I didn't know if it had been Shigeki who had called – or something else. Either the mystery deepened, or it hadn't. Frustrating.

"Take this! Ultimate Mach+Muscle Revolution!" With a mighty battlecry that took five seconds to finish, Masato swung his bare arms like a bat, sending the ball flying high into the stratosphere.

"Aww Masato, that's the third ball we've lost," said Riki from his position at the batter. "At the very least, return it to Rin or one of the other catchers."

"I just can't help it, man! This strength of muscles cannot be simply contained!"

"If Kud gets hit a second time by your flying balls I'm shaving your head, moron!" Rin proclaimed.

"And what the heck is up with the 'Mach'?" Riki continued, laying his bat to rest between his knees, watching Rin run to retrieve another nearby ball before looking at Masato again. "Are you trying to emulate your idol?"

"Mach?" asked no, screamed Rin from the pitcher's mound, cradling the ball in her glove. "What's that?"

"Oh, I know that!" Kud called out, waving her gloved hand excitedly. "I've tasted them once, and they was soooo big! I couldn't even take a proper bite! Wafu~!"

"No it's not that Kud," corrected Riki with a grin. He took up the batting position as soon as Rin began firing up a pitch. "Mach is a word Da Outlaw likes to use in his super techniques. As you can see, Masato's quite a fan." I do believe my ears literally twitched upon hearing this explanation. I tried to rack my mind: Masato had never been a fan of anything that wasn't involved in muscles – no, this so-called "Da Outlaw" had never existed!

Perhaps I can learn more about the disruption of the world through whoever this Da Outlaw was. I couldn't just ask Masato point-blank. As he was the originator of the news, I had no idea what his connection to the anomaly was.

It would be careless to ask him now, even if I could trust him with my own life. I had to pursue other avenues.

Without my enforced control over the surroundings, I couldn't simply disappear and reappear in another area as before.

It had been my own personal "teleportation" ability, useful only in this world.

Now I'll just settle for analog.

"Riki, I leave the practice to you," I said, a moment after the thunking sound of the ball being struck happened. The ball rolled over to where Kengo was. "Everyone, be sure to follow Riki's every command until practice is over!"

"Wait a sec, Natsume-ani," said Kurugaya, who was now just a few feet behind me. Whoa, when had she come this close? "Isn't that a dangerous role you're giving him? Who knows what kind of devious, perverse fantasies he'll be able to unlease now that you've given him the power. You're literally throwing all these cute girls into the maws of a beast!"

"What kind of person do you think I am, Kurugaya-san..."

"Hey, what about us?" protested Masato, indicating himself and Kengo. There was a small cough, and I turned to where Nishizono was, the source of the noise.

"Inohara-san, I don't think you need to worry about Miyazawa san..." the girl's quiet voice trailed off. "Naoe-san taking that role would be a flavor of novel proportions."

"Flavor...?" asked Riki.

What on earth was she talking about?

Aah, I was being sidetracked.

"I know there won't be any problems. I have complete faith in Riki." I clapped him on the shoulder, giving it a brief squeeze. I thought I heard someone say "Wonderful". Most likely my imagination. "I leave it all to you for today, Riki."

"Er...sure."

I headed for the changing rooms.

"You look like someone seeing off a loved one going to war, young man..."

"That... in itself is a beautiful sentiment to cherish Naoe-san..."

"Eh...?!"

War, huh...? Yes, this was something of a war.

A little war to recover what had been lost. To retake what was ours – the Little Busters'.

And I had to do it alone.

.....

The mysterious caller and "Shi-chan" continued to dwell in my mind. Hunting through the city, weaving through its faceless inhabitants, my consciousness slid back into the delusion of illusion.

It was hard for a mind to recognize, and furthermore reconcile, one's perception of the world after a radical change.

I knew that our world was fake. Did that mean this was too?

The piece of driftwood I clung to as I waded through the confusion of my thoughts, was the thought of Rin and Riki. No doubt they worried about me, when it was rightfully the other way around.

Not surprisingly, given the presence of the intruder and Masato's inexplicable attachment to the subject, information on these so-called "Hero Wanderers" were so widespread I didn't have to look too hard to start my search.

Posters of cosplaying men and women clung near ads and store-signs, boasting their names and their claims to fame.

A fierce-looking girl wore a red Wanderer wristband. On it was the name, A-KUMA.

A yankee wannabe strolled past, the insignia of his jacket the literal visage of Galaxy Buster.

Boisterous children pushed against each other, each bearing their own palm-sized heroes, and plastered themselves against a store's display window, where a giant "life-sized" figure of The Immortal stood.

Someone's graffiti, which several important-looking officials were milling around, gesturing wildly, proclaimed that the entire street was the territory of Da Outlaw.

No doubt about it. These were intrusions. How they were able to invade this world like that Saya girl was irrelevant: all I know is that like her, they are hindrances.

Hindrances to be eliminated, for their sake.

But currently, after losing my control over the world, I could enact no counter-measures. So unlike the girl, I could not move quickly to end this farce.

I spent the entire night on the 'Net, researching them. I peered at news sites, official fansites, unofficial fansites, Wanderer compendiums, wikis, flash games, chat channels, forums and the like.

There was so much that my eyes nearly bled from all the information.

In fact, what was more surprising was the sheer magnitude of the information I found.

This was looking to be a far greater invasion, and my problems with Saya looked to be an anthill compared to the great mountain that these Wanderers were.

They were supposed to be the costumed heroes of comics, springing to life in the real world. "This" world. Scattered throughout the prefecture, each of them carried tales of dashing heroism and amazing feats of supernatural or superhuman prowess. These Wanderers awed the populace with their deeds, and were further said to have perplexed the local government to no end.

Their origins or purpose were unknown to me. I wasn't alone, as no fan nor innocent bystander saved by their random acts of heroism knew anything about them besides the masks and costumes they wore, the words they spoke and the effects that lingered after they departed. Nonetheless, people's affections gathered around the Wanderers they liked most, inevitably becoming fans from whom I gleaned most of the information I had on hand.

And not a single one knew who they were, or why they existed at all. As "true" heroes, they kept whatever secret identity they had well hidden. No one had yet to step up and share his life story for all their fans to hear. If I were in their position, I knew I wouldn't too. I suppose an external reader would know it, if this story had been in a comic. But this wasn't a comic story. This was reality; this was the real world. At least, it was closest to reality, as far as I knew.

I understood that I could not entertain degrees of disbelief for what I saw was a fantastical and sudden development in this world. In fact, I believe I was in a better position than anyone to know that the impossible became possible "here".

I thus then reached a certain impasse in my research into these invaders. Most of the information I had gotten were trivial, and I was certain whoever was responsible for wresting the reins of the world from me intended to keep it that way. My best and only guess was that it was "Shi-chan", although the mysterious caller was another prime suspect too (if she hadn't really been Shigeki).

I had barely scratched the surface of the sinister plot that engulfed the world.

I sat in some silence in my room, cradling tepid tea and burrowing my way through my thoughts. The dormitory seemed to be in a state of flurry, doubtless something natural. Natural. Wind-up toys left to their own devices, their gears spinning uninterrupted.

My room-mate had come and go, and I had barely acknowledged him.

I missed being able to send him away in the space of a heartbeat.

I left my room, cradling a catalog featuring some Wanderer merchandise for sale, "Da Outlaw" being the most prominent.

There was something I needed to hear for myself from Masato. My misgivings urged me to be cautious with the inquiry. I was no longer omnipotent.

"Yo, Riki, I-" I paused at the door, looking around the small room. "Where's Masato?"

"Ah, he took off after meals, he didn't mention where he was going." Riki stretched from his position near the table, craning his neck to look at me. "Did you need something from Masato, Kyousuke?"

"Not in particular," I said, my enthusiasm dampened. I was burning to gather the Little Busters in Riki's room, but that would digress from what I needed to do.

"Ah, by the way, did you find what you were looking for, Kyousuke?"

I raised my brow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's just that when you left, it seemed like you were off to do something important." He scratched his cheek. "Everyone was agreeing that you were looking for something. Plus, what Kengo told us about what you did this morning added things up. Everyone's worried, after all." That smug busybody! Well I had been acting a mite suspicious back there to him.

"I'm really thankful for your kindness, Riki. Truly, you soothe my heart." I said, and I saw him flush. I was more than halfway serious.

"Uhh, no..."

"Sorry, I'll be back in a bit – try and see if I can find Masato," I waved a quick good-bye. Better not give Riki any indication of my purpose – he was unusually observant when it came to it.

"Alright. If you happen to miss him, I'll tell him when he gets here."

"Appreciate it, Riki." I closed the door. I lingered for a while, taking a deep breath. It was so tempting to gather everyone to play.

Masato wasn't hard to find after, as right as I'd headed out of the dormitory, I saw his muscled form on the pathway leading to the entrance gates, somehow blocking the rays of the setting sun by himself.

"Yo, I was looking for you, Masato. Where were you?" I greeted when we met at the middle.

"Settling a bet. Rin said during practice that I couldn't climb a tree without breaking it – and I got to proving her wrong," Masato replied with a grin. I saw his clothes were ruffled and tangled with leaves and twigs. "You think your sister will object to my collecting on the bet right now? I can't wait to see the look on her face."

"Assuming she's in the girl's dormitory right now, then yes."

"Oh, right. Well, maybe later then-- hey is that saying what I think it's saying?" He had finally seen what I had been holding casually to the side. I had to go about this questioning carefully.

"Huh.. oh this. This'd been in my room a while, I remember being given this a short while back, was looking at it-" I handed it to him, and he swiped it hastily.

"Thanks! Oh... Oh... Ooooh... Now that looks good..."

"You're really into this – 'Da Outlaw' fellow, aren't you?" I said after granting him a few moments of looking through the catalog. "Are you going to buy that figurine?"

"Hell no! What am I – an otaku? I'm too old for that kind of childish crap, even if it is Da Outlaw-sama. And anyway, I was mainly looking at this gripper set. It's got a Da Outlaw silver version that'd be awesome to have. Still, with the price..."

"You know Masato, I never thought you'd be caught up in all this Wanderer craze. I mean, you're practically a force of reckoning yourself."

Masato chuckled. "Yeah, it'd have been amazing if the Little Busters were part of a super sentai group or something."

I snickered. "I'll be the leader of course."

He nodded offhandedly. "Yeah, you would be."

"But I have to wonder what exactly we'd be defending against. Aliens? Mad scientists? I'm really not too clear myself about what those Wanderers do."

"Really?" Masato looked up from the catalog, looking surprised. "I thought everyone knew. Hell, I thought I was the last one who knew. I know Kengo was a fan way before me, and I remember that Nishizono reading a hero manga like you before she joined." It took all of my willpower to force my face to still, right after he'd said that.

It was without a doubt an effect of the world. And the world in turn had been changed by the intruders. So now the question was: which one of them had had the power and the gall to steal the role of "keeper"? Or were they all in conspiracy?

One thing did assure me – apparently whatever mind manipulation the culprit was doing hadn't worked on me. Which was a good thing. If there was one thing Natsume Kyousuke loved, it was fantasy settings like these, and this particular one was literally dream-come-true-I-can-die-now. I'd have been the first one to jump on the Wanderer bandwagon.

And so it was a relief to learn. At least on the part of my still being able to act independently, apparently the only one left in this world who remembered.

Perhaps it was because I was the only one who truly recognized this world's brittleness?

"... and it's not just everyday stuff like muggings or gang wars or anything. There's also simple stuff like finding something a kid lost in the river, or cleaning up a traffic accident..."

Still... Kengo and Nishizono were fans too? The latter before her "joining"? That was clever of the culprit. It seemed they knew Kengo wasn't one to blab about something he liked – especially if it were the "in" thing that everyone else were also passionate about.

What about Rin then? Or Riki? Unpleasant thoughts skittered across my mind at the thought of the mastermind modifying their minds as they pleased.

"...Kyousuke? Are you listening? You look kinda pale there dude."

I shook my head apologetically. "So like, what do you love about Da Outlaw anyway man?" In my mind I summoned up the info I'd gathered. "From what I hear, he's a bit more rough around the edges than all the other heroes."

"I told you already man, he's one of the cooler Wanderers out there! He's like probably the only one who really fits the name 'Wanderer'. A Wanderer in every sense of the word. He doesn't have a particular place to protect, and appears all over the place to help people. And he's also the most normal of them all, since he fights with his fists like a real man and not cheap-ass 'magic' crap. I sure would love to be given a chance to test my metal with him."

"Metal...?"

"Metal. You know – 'Test your Metal!'" He gestured with a clenched fist, bringing it up to flex his arm.

"Did you mean, 'mettle'?"

Masato blinked twice. "That's what I said."

I cleared my throat. "Well I did read he was some sort of a gray..."

"Hey!" Masato's interruption was like the roar of a bear. I didn't know if my friend was genuinely upset from the look on his face, but there was a fire in his eyes that looked well out of place on the normal Masato. "Don't ever say that stuff about Da Outlaw. He's one of the best of the best - because yeah the Immortal trumps them all – but he never forgets about what's really important, like the grays. And so you can take that rumor where you got it and stuff it, Kyousuke."

"Hey, hey, it was just a rumor I read, no offense," I raised my arms placatingly. And now I know that grays were a touchy subject with him, and with probably any other fan.

Gray – a subset of Hero Wanderers who have been observed to pursue their own agenda. Said to be few in number. That was about the only concise thing I remember from the information.

"Well, as long as you know now," said Masato, deflating. He shook the catalog in his hand. "I'm telling ya man, the moment I get some spare cash, I'm buying the set, no questions asked."

In the end, Masato had been only slightly helpful. I looked forward to tomorrow with a heavy, burdened heart.

I tossed and turned on the bed restlessly, seeing in my mind's eye the scenes of despair, juxtaposed with the warm everyday scene of the Little Busters.

And always, ever always, I see the faces of Rin and Riki, my most important persons.

Part 2 will be below.

[Balzac]

Spoiler for Balzac Work 1 Part 2:

.....

It had been a fine morning on the day of the incident.

My mood had been made optimistic by certain omens, like Masato barreling into breakfast with one of Rin's cats dangling off his ear, and the impromptu battle which transformed into a three-way tag-team battle royal between Rin, Masato, Kengo, Riki, Kudo and Haruka that became so intense it actually summoned half the school and eventually the disciplinary committee.

There was a permanent grin plastered to my face. I felt that nothing could go wrong.

I'd sidestepped my duties at school, perhaps to my own detriment in this world. But I decided that it didn't matter – as long as I was able to solve the issue and put everything back the way they were, I would be fine.

Everything had been peaceful in the city.

Until everything wasn't.

It was a...

I recognized it now. It seemed that fear at its sudden arrival, or more perhaps the shock of a Wanderer actually materializing in front of me, had paralyzed my brain for a moment.

But, as I dashed to the safety of a nearby shop, pushing my way past frantic people running to and fro or standing numbly in awe, I remembered myself.

When I looked back out under the awning, something clicked in my brain.

Ah, it's The Immortal.

It was a hero straight from the pages of a mecha-lover's mind.

Part-human, part iron.

A slender figure wrapped in a sleek, unpretentious metal frame.

No weapons were said to visibly bristle from its figure, but the threat of total annihilation for the "enemies of injustice" was all the same supremely palpable.

It was the only Wanderer said to be able to accomplish flight.

(Which was odd, since in my opinion the most important superhero power I'd want would be flight).

Like all Wanderers, it hid its real identity behind a mask, and the secrecy was afforded by the plain grey visor set into its face, with a small narrow horizontal slit in the middle allowing it to see.

A constant, low thrum accompanied its movements, and my ears throbbed unpleasantly at the constant sound as The Immortal descended further and further down on the street.

Couldn't that stupid handler given me a more low-level Wanderer to encounter? This was like a foolish "hopeles, unwinnable beginning" scenario!

Not long after touching down on the asphalt with the grace of a dancer, Immortal spoke.

"Natsume Kyousuke. Identify and present yourself," it said in a low, bass monotone. My heart stilled for a second before adrenaline started to pour blood into every part of my body. "Repeating: Natsume Kyousuke. Identify and present yourself..."

Some foul plot no doubt, from the manipulator of this world. For why would they seek me from the start? At least I knew now they were aware of me, and knew of my role to some extent. But what did were they plotting?

The automaton-like Wanderer continued to repeat its message, even as the remaining crowd began backing away and scattering. I began considering my options. Go or abstain, there was a risk either way.

Unfortunately, the latter was decided for me quickly.

A student, someone who'd apparently become a truant like me, pointed at me from outside in the street. "Hey, Natsume-senpai. Are you the one Immortal's looking for?"

What the? Every eye in earshot swiveled to me, and I stood as an animal frozen in the headlights for a quick moment, before instincts kicked in and I began to dash into a side-door, and out onto a crowded side-street. Convenient.

That student back there had also been convenient for the mastermind, if it wasn't just coincidence.

My hope that the Immortal hadn't heard that big-mouthed student was dashed when I heard the tell-tale whoosh and hum of its suit from behind me. I dodged and dived past amazed pedestrians as I set off on a frantic pace, unsure if flight was really the best option.

"Identifying individual as Natsume Kyousuke... 75.99% bio-scan match. Logging Hunter routine. Immortal in pursuit."

What the hell was with this scenario? Was the new handler making me up to be some kind of criminal? And to top it off, the first thing they send after me isn't just some random Wanderer, but a Hero arguably considered to be the best.

Most fans agreed it was THE best.

Perfect day my ass!

The sense of incompatibility assailed me again as I ran, but this time I was quick on the uptake. After turning the corner, I saw that everyone on the street had disappeared. Damn it. It was slightly unnerving to be on the receiving end of these kinds of tricks.

Immortal hadn't disappeared. I slowed to a halt, turning around to see its frame coast majestically to a stop in midair, and then glide down with the reserved finesse of a... of a...

An angel?

If that was so, then is Kyousuke a devil?, asked a little voice in my mind.

It alighted again a few feet in front of me. The whole street was utterly desolate save for the two of us, the bustle that I'd just speared my way through seemed like a dream half-forgotten upon waking.

All the figurines and gripper sets that I'd seen didn't do justice to the real thing that stood in front of me. Up close, I was able to see the Immortal with much greater detail.

When I read those superhero types of mangas, I'm always amazed at how obtuse some of the people in there are. How can they not tell that the person with a.) almost the same body figure, b.) almost the same voice, c.) almost the same hairstyle and haircolor, couldn't possibly be a person they know most? Perhaps that is a part of the story's appeal. I mean, it did appeal to me.

From what I could see of the Immortal, it looked to be a girl. No, not just because it had a slender figure, but also because it had those metallic breastpads flanking a heart-shaped red, jewel-like object. Now tell me those "elevations" weren't hiding breasts. I know breasts – it's something of a specialty of mine.

It is the lack of it which activates-

-The LoliLoli Sensor!

Let me explain! The Sensor is a secret forbidden technique that was passed down to each firstborn son of the Natsume line, to be used for the tracking and/or locating of possible spies/ninjas who knew how to disguise themselves as small, innocent Lol-

Stop getting sidetracked on useless things!

Ahem. Returning to the present.

So, Immortal's alter-ego was definitely a girl. I hoped that information would help in the future.

Immortal had, by the way, been talking all this time. I'd been listening with half an ear, mainly understanding that she was talking about "unwanted presence" and "exterminating hostiles"-

Wait, exterminating?

Uh-oh.

The Immortal had raised both its arms, palms facing me.

I heard the whirring of an engine and the scratching of static.

A sky-blue glow began to emit from those hands.

I think I could guess what would come out of those.

...the Immortal also has a secondary attack using its arms. It's a laser beam straight out of sci-fi, but it carries the traditional trademark of the Immortal's, namely...

My hands shook as the glow focused into twin, sphere-shaped energies-

...it never leaves a single trace of the victim. No body parts nor hair nor clothing nor even dust...

I'm dead.

So ends the ballad of Natsume Kyousuke, he who was hunted by the strongest, The Immortal.

(Well, I would have died, in any case. )

But I just didn't know what awaits "death" in this world.

I've always been touchy about that sort of thing.

Would I respawn at the closest spawn point like Saya?

Would this Immortal have reason to spawn camp me on orders of her sinister Master?

Or would I simply disappear, forgotten by all and remembered by none, not even Riki, or Rin.

Just like Saya.

At the thought of those two, a traitorous tear began to fall, in the milliseconds before laser death would obliterate my bodily existence.

I'd just realized, near the end of my world, how much I'd failed them.

The light was so strong now, so bright if engulfed my vision.

At the very least, it wouldn't hurt-

"Duck, you useless man!"

I'd barely heard the command in my ear before I was literally yanked down by the back of my uniform, and a gust of air whizzed past, each part of my body feeling its every whisper as it travelled.

Not soon after, there was a explosion.

It was loud and deafening, and I would've been worried about being close to it, but for the fact that I was currently being dragged backward unceremoniously on the ground. It hurt like hell, especially since my scalp and skin were scraping up a campfire against the concrete.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" I shouted, saying what was the most appropriate in this situation. "I can still walk!"

"Hush. This way is faster. You'd be killed if you just stood and ran. Better to let high-flying objects fly past while you're low on the ground, as I'm sure you know well." As it spoke, a rocketed projectile zoomed past my vision, making me cross-eyed. Soon came another explosion.

"Hey, I recognize that voice. It's Shigeki, isn't it?" My field of vision had transformed from the deceptively peaceful sky to the marble ceiling of some building.

I heard a sigh. "Since I just saved you, you should be calling me 'Shi-sama' from now on."

"You've gotta be kidding me! What- ow!" My head had bumped onto something.

"-the hell is- ow!" I then realized my head had bumped onto stairs of some sort. And it kept on bumping onto thbe steps as I was dragged upward.

"ow! -going- ow! -on? -ow! Ow! Tell me!"

"Hush, I said." I felt the sensation of the invisible hand on my back disappear as the dragging motion ceased. Shigeki's face suddenly filled my vision. "Better to be at the ringside seat than at the ring itself, am I right? Less chance of your losing a head. And now we go and seek a better view."

"Ringside...?" Since there was nothing holding me back anymore, I rose to my feet. I saw that the two of us were inside an elevator, and I could just see the entrance outside where concrete literally exploded upward for a moment before the elevator door closed.

A silence filled the closed space. The adrenaline hadn't left, but I was still tense.

I frowned back at the masked visage of "Shi-chan".

"I know you've got answers."

"Didn't I just mention in my first meeting that the wise man knows when to realize he doesn't have answers?"

"Are you the mastermind?"

"I am -a- mastermind of sorts, yes, but I'm guessing that's not the specific meaning you wanted."

The car's movement stopped. The elevator door dinged open, and I flinched at the sound of another explosion. It was like war had broken loose within the city, right outside on the street.

Shigeki strode past me, stepping out onto the floor landing and heading for the wide glass windows on the far end. Her cloak seemed longer, or perhaps it was the effect of the long shadow the sunlight cast.

My feet urged me to follow, and I did.

Presently I heard a voice echo from down below. I squinted through the glass, seeing a lone figure (which was not Immortal anymore) standing before a scene of destruction.

A crumpled-looking car lay to the side, both halves torn cleanly apart as if by a blade. Smoke drifted up from numerous craters, small and big, that had been dug up from the street. Fire had broken out, inexplicably, on one side of the street. And if I guessed correctly, it was right at the entrance of that building.

I realized that the figure down there had been the one speaking.

"...Maiden of Earth, Daughter of the Cosmos! Order, justice and truth for all! Galaxy Buster One: Redshift!"

"Galaxy Buster?" I mouthed the words. That was a well-known Wanderer. They were like a super-team of sorts. A group of two...or had that been three?

"Oh, you know of them already? That one's always useful, compared to- well I won't mention it right now," said Shigeki.

Guessing further, it seemed that Galaxy Buster had just attacked the Immortal, who was nowhere in sight. And that meant some sort of Wanderer showdown, virtually unheard of even in the most perverse of fansites, was happening.

And I would be the first to see it.

So the question now was-

"What's... going on...?" I asked, and looked to Shigeki.

I didn't know what kind of expression she was making, which was part of the reason I didn't like her from the start. And the lack of emotion in her voice lent to the impassivity of her character, which didn't tell me jack shit about her.

"That's a very good question, Natsume Kyousuke. They say the best questions are the ones left unanswered, but as of the moment you met The Immortal, I am confident in saying that right now-"

I heard a loud whirr, like the shearing of steel against steel, and from out of the corner of my eye I saw movement.

At the end of the street, on the bottom of a building were gathered pieces of junk and rubble.

The pile moved, and in a burst of light, was blown away.

The Immortal, relatively unscathed, emerged with an eerie robotic grace. It approached the Galaxy Buster purposefully.

The telltale hum assaulted my ears once more. I hadn't realized it had stopped.

The two faced each other down from both ends of the street, and even I, the bystander, could tell they were each poised to strike.

"Deactivating Hunter routine," said the Immortal in a quiet monotone. "Logging Killer routine: version one. Adjusting Overdrive parameter to 15%. Attenuation complete. No errors found. All systems clear. Beginning combat maneuvers, ten, nine-"

Next to me, without mirth nor malice nor even a hint of disinterest, Shigeki proclaimed: "-right now, you're about to see a battle of the titans."

That was kind of a doozy. I'm debating whether to show my students this. I'm leery of the situation when the critiquer becomes the critiqued.

[Balzac]

As the apocalypse goes under way, I thought I'd continue this in the hopes that it be preserved for future sentients to decipher and put into museums.

Spoiler for Balzac Work 1 Part 3:

It was at this point that a sensible person might cry out "Battle Start!"

After all, the stage had been prepped and each side had its fighters.

But it was still missing something.

The clueless bystander thinks:

"Why fight?"

The Galaxy Buster wore a dark, leather jumpsuit, with reddish highlights on the joints, and a silver-colored riding helmet with a red tinted visor. There was some sort of accessory on its lower back and right arm, the former akin to a small exhaust pipe in appearance, the latter a silver-tinted object that coiled around the arm like a snake.

In its left hand, it held a weapon, some sort of luminous stick.

"Is that...a b**m s***r...?"For some reason, my mind had shut down on that particular thought.

It hefted the bea- its weapon in a ready stance.

There was a high whine of static, nearly making me jump. "This is Redshift. Requesting further orders, master." The voice had come, muffled, from my side.

I scowled at Shigeki, who ignored my look. She was holding a miniature device in her palm close to her face. She spoke to it.

"Could you hold on to your position for a five more minutes? No better time for a demonstration, or so I believe."

"But that wasn't in the plan, master-"

"The two of you should be able to handle it – or am I wrong?" Her tone was dead in the water.

Hesitation. "No, we can take her. Do you copy, Rocket Dog?"

"I copy you loud and clear! I'm gonna blow her sky high!" The second voice was high-pitched, seemingly belonging to another ally of Shigeki's. I didn't see who she was, but guessing from the name, it was that other hero, known more for her outward cute look than heroism – the Rocket Dog.

"Here it comes, Redshift," said Shigeki. "Good hunting."

I saw the Immortal below kick up a cloud of smoke, and in the next instant, she was near Redshift, her instantaneous arrival followed by a sonicboom.

From out of nowhere, The Immortal had produced a weapon on its own, something long and bladed. The light from the clash had lit up the entire street, but that was only for an instant.

Because an instant later, the pair were already clashing swords in another place.

It was like staring right at an incoming thundercloud. Flashes of lightning came and went, and each time their weapons met, there was the crash of thunder.

It made me cross-eyed just looking. That, in turn lead to a growing, gnawing nausea.

I don't know how, but my eyes were able to glimpse something of the two fighters. There seemed to be a vast difference in style.

Redshift held her weapon with both hands in a certain kendo form.

The Immortal held her weapon in her right.

One would think the advantage went to the former.

But in the glimpses I saw of their clashing before the flow of combat flicked them to another place, Immortal was the aggressor, pinning down Redshift, who was always on the defensive.

Not just a difference in style then. The high-class Immortal was stronger by a long margin.

The small bout of weapons ended when Redshift staggered backward after a clash, and I thought it all over for the Galaxy Buster. Immortal seemed relentless, and it was the perfect time for a kill.

But just then, a projectile sang into existence as it barreled into the Immortal's side, knocking her into the side of another building.

"Nice save," noted Shigeki. Redshift leaped up, recovered. "Not that it matters, Kyousuke, but you should know that little light show just now lasted all for twenty seconds. They still have four minutes and thirty seconds to go."

"Before what?" I demanded, watching as a short beam burst out from the spot where the Immortal was, knocking Redshift down flat.

"Before the end of the demonstration, which I should add, is entirely for your benefit."

"My benefit?" I echoed.

Her answer was drowned out in a cacophony of explosions, coming from a barrage aimed straight at the Immortal. The smoke clouded the area, engulfing both visible fighters, but in the next instant, I saw Redshift being hurled bodily away, rolling into a stop down the street.

She recovered quickly again, rising into a defensive posture, but her enemy seemed to have other ideas.

There was a loud whoosh, and the Immortal had flown skyward, most likely to pursue Rocket Dog now. I could certainly see myself doing that were I in the same situation.

There was a loud crack, and our building trembled in the throes of a quake. I steadied myself, watching as Redshift ran, heedless of physics, up the side of a building on the other end.

"Shame. They've taken it to the rooftops. Now we can't see, or can't we?" Shigeki brought up her device. "Requesting feed, Rocket Dog."

"Roger!" said the hero, a little too cheerfully. Wasn't she in the middle of a close-ranged fight with the Immortal?

Rocket Dog's designation was, if I remember correctly, a long-ranged fighter, using various rocket-propelled arms to blast foes from afar. She was also known to have unerring aim, but had a variety of techniques more suited to a sapper than a sniper.

Another quake shook the building.

In her other hand, Shieki had brought out what looked like a tablet device, and on it was a grainy-looking screen that fizzled with static. I could see the blue sky before the image of the Immortal filled the screen with the sudden-ness of a horror movie monster.

I don't recall yelping in surprise, though I'm sure Rocket Dog did, as I heard her cry as the feed shook and wavered, as if its user had stumbled.

"Cosmic Cannon!"

I heard Redshift's yell first before the sound of a special effects gun, which seemed to have hit its mark as I was able to see, looking up, Immortal's profile floating high in the air above.

Meanwhiile, the feed had refocused, first on the Galaxy Buster who was shooing Rocket Dog away, and then onto Immortal, whose appearance had changed. There were now many visible protrusions from its armor, and they all seemed to glint in unison--

I caught the hint of a light from the corner of my eye, but before I could look up, someone's hand came over my eyes.

"Oi!" From the feed and from above, multiple keening noises started following each other.

"It's using the "REPEAT". Looking directly at it can blind you," Shigeki whispered in my ear. Damnit, she was too close! I saw flashes of light from the gaps between her gloves.

Still, REPEAT, huh? "It's using a high-level skill this early?"

It was said that REPEAT was a series of energy attacks that left no physical traces, unlike say, Rocket Dog's attacks. It was "clinical" in a sense, destroying its primary target and only that.

"Oh, you know about it already Kyousuke? Well done! As expected of you, you're never caught unprepared." I couldn't tell if she was seriously praising me or not, the message being delivered in her characteristically flat tone. "And to your question: why not? If I were her, I would want to terminate my enemies quickly and without trace.

"Unfortunately, that only works on those too slow to dodge – or too weak to fight back ."

She removed her hand, just in time for Rocket Dog to cry, "Watch out, master!" and then to see the Immortal herself floating in front of our window, charging up another REPEAT.

"...Really." muttered Shigeki. I had that impending sense of death come again, this time muted by the distance I felt from the entire situation.

The Immortal fired, but the window didn't shatter.

The glass window seemed to shimmer like the water's surface, absorbing the attack as if it were nothing more than the light itself. I was momentarily blinded, my body crumpling from the intense situation.

"Fuck." I was very expressive today.

I heard Redshift yell out something I couldn't catch, and when I opened my eyes, it was again just in time to see Immortal's profile for an instant before an entire, titanic water tower fell down on her, dragging her down.

I stared. I scrambled to my feet, watching as the water tower crumpled as it crashed onto the street below. Did that really just happen?

"Status, master!" asked Redshift. She sounded panicked.

"Everything's green." As always, Shigeki didn't even sound the slightest bit confident or even unsure. "How about you two?"

"All green here, master!" came the chorus. It looked like Rocket Dog had made it through the Immortal's attack too.

Shigeki looked down at the water tower. The Immortal still hadn't stirred.

"Don't let up. That's not going to hold her for long."

"Already prepping up a big boomer, master!"

"Understood, master."

Shigeki turned to me. "Well Kyousuke? Do you have any initial thoughts? Questions perhaps?"

"I- I don't even-" I licked my lips. I breathed in. This is what you came for, Kyousuke. Remember Riki. Remember Rin. "What the hell is going on?" I demand again. "Why'd you say the 'demonstration' was for me? What do you bastards want from me?"

"Why, that is simple. This is a fight between two Players – termed Hero Wanderers in this world, using the local language."

"Why are they fighting? I thought they were supposed to be heroes."

"Again, that's merely the scenario this world thought up. It helps fool the players, and these...programs you've developed, giving them the illusion of reality. They fight to protect and save programs, but in truth they are merely Players in a very dangerous game."

"Your game you mean."

She made a miniscule tilt of her head. "Another incomprehensible word from you. Why do you say it's mine?"

"Because that was your doing right?" I point to the windows. "You could shift the physics of this world itself to your liking. You now have the power I possessed."

"Oh, you refer to that? Ha. Ha. Ha." Shigeki leaned in close. "Think well. If I had your powers, then why sit here and let myself and my comrades be attacked by that Immortal, when I could have just-" she snapped her fingers- "-did that and send her away entirely?"

"That doesn't always work!" I snapped. I knew too well how it couldn't. That Saya had been a difficult one to dislodge. But that aside, if these "Players" were the same as that Saya, then-

The mountain just became the Alps.

"Ah. I'm aware. That Saya girl right?" I narrowed my eyes. "But rest assured, Kyousuke, I don't know anyone, in our group or among those 'Independents', who currently possesses your administrator privileges." She gestured to the window. "That is merely some cheap magician's trick, part of the power granted to me.

"Now you ask why I approached you. It's simple. It's because I am the only one who knows you for what you are." The only one? I refrained from asking if she'd been the one who called me on my cellphone. "And to add on to that: I'm the only one aware – that us Hero Wanderers only existed two days ago."

I stiffened in shock. Two days – that fit right when my queasy feeling had first occured. Had waking up on that morning been the moment when I lost my control over the world?

"Then-" I spoke after a short silence. "What-"

"Wait." Shigeki put up a hand to stop me. She was looking around the landing, as if trying to look for a particular object in the room. She then glanced at the floor below.

"Immortal's incoming. She's coming...

"From below!" Immediately after, the building shook again, but in a far greater magnitude than before. The sudden force caused my body to fall over, and in the process I caught the glimpse of light from the corner of my eye.

I turned around and saw the elevator door blown off its hinges, before colliding with an unseen barrier. I heard that tell-tale hum again, closer this time, and coming from the shaft that had just been severed open. "She's ascending through the building itself!"

"Moving to intercept." "Roger!"

I steadied myself on the window, which rippled in response to my touch. I gave it a glance, before looking once more at Shigeki.

"That Player has some overpowered statistics. I wonder if the world made her that way, or if that's the reality she imposes upon the world - "

"What do you mean?" Her mask turned to me. Thunder resounded from high above.

"There is a long explanation for that. One that does not fit into... one minute and forty-four seconds. At the very least, we've accomplished our goal in giving you some idea on what your world has turned into."

"No!" I replied. "I'm still as godamned clueless! If not you, then who?"

"That is one of the only questions I truly seek the answer to."

"Then why. Why show me this?"

"Because I am giving you the choice – if you haven't made yours already. You wish to slowly unravel the mystery don't you?" No, I'm not going to slowly unravel it. I'm gonna wrench it open fiercely to halt this silly mess, this "game".

She seemed to have read something from my own expression. "You are determined. That's good. You will be needing that.

"For now, I must send you away. I will put a stop to this little demonstration. I might be breaking the rules a little, but as our group will be gaining one war potential in exchange, it's quite acceptable."

"Rules...?" She tapped me on the shoulder. It was a familiar gesture, not unlike the way I had touched Riki's. "Hey, I didn't say I'd be joining this stupid game! I will be getting to the bottom of this, but on my terms! Do you hear me?"

For all my bluster, she ignored me. "There's only thirty seconds left. Would you like the final exhibit for this demonstration?" Before I could answer, she held out her other hand, pointing towards the corridor.

"Come, Fearless. Attend to your master."

In response, something shimmered into existence in the air, a black hole that ripped into the space where she was pointing at. I tensed. A moment later, a dark blur emerged, forming itself into something vaguely human. There was the gurgling sound of something oozing out of a bottle, and then the phenomena ended.

Standing before us was yet another Hero Wanderer.

Like her self-proclaimed master, she was gilt all in black, but unlike Shigeki there was not an inch of any lighter color nor any identifying insignia anywhere on her body. It was like she was wearing a full body ninja suit, if not for the fact that I couldn't even see her eyes.

Fearless was like a walking shadow, seemingly draining color itself from the surrounding.

"May I introduce you to someone who is said to be my most loyal servant, my adjutant of many battles – since before two days ago." I didn't miss the implication in her statement. "Fearless, she whom even evil fears. The Night Hunter. The Eyeless Guardian. And our group's trump card against...the Immortal."

At her last word, Fearless coiled into herself, then jumped forwards, over our heads, and shattered the glass window. I immediately held out my arms to block, but none of the shards seemed to reach me.

I gazed, fascinated, as the shards shimmered and floated in the air, as if frozen in time. There was no sign of Fearless. But I knew where she would be headed.

This was all too much to take in all at once. I had just began to demystify our current situation, but I felt that I was no closer to an actual solution. If anything, my troubles had become legion.

That was the last thought in my mind before something struck me on the side of the head, and I fell to darkness.

.....

I awoke to the sounds of cars honking and beeping, the clanking of porcelain and the smell of roasted coffee beans. I opened my eyes to a familiar ceiling. I raised my head.

It was the store that I'd found shelter in during Immortal's initial appearance. The cafe with the side-door.

"Are you okay, son?" The barista asked me.

I grunted something unintelligible. I felt my body, wondering if Shigeki had done something to it. There seemed to be no concussion on my head.

I looked around. It looked like I'd fallen asleep on the bar. There were a few other patrons, all minding their own business.

"Excuse me, but what time is it?" He told me.

"...Gave us quite a fright, you just passing out like that-"

"Thanks very much!" I stood and headed for the door.

"Oi, wait-"

The peaceful scene had returned. I took small, measured breaths, steadying the rhythm to allow my mind to catch up with all I'd learned.

That "demonstration" had felt like a dream.

I checked my cellphone. There was one new message from "Shi-chan":

"Rest. When the time comes, we'll be waiting for you."

The nerve of that woman. How dare she access my cellphone without my permission. Just then, there was another message.

"Just so you know, it wasn't a dream. Waiting on favorable reply soon."

That sentiment's a little late. Then came another.

"Also, sorry for using your phone."

"Very, very late!" I shouted, causing a few of the crowd to turn to me. And you're apologizing for that? What about for knocking me out without permission!? I bit my lip, turning back towards the street.

If the shopkeeper hadn't been lying, and my brain hadn't malfunctioned, I'd only been "asleep" for eight minutes.

My eyes quickly confirmed my suspicions. It seems the new master was a quick study when it came to damage control. The street had returned to its usual bustle, pristine and undamaged. There was not a single indication that a battle had just erupted here mere minutes ago.

I stared up at the water tower in contemplation. It had taken great strength to knock that down. Clucking my tongue, I turned to head back to the school.

Not long after I entered, I was told that Riki had collapsed again.

"Where the heck were you man? Rin told me she couldn't find you in the classroom. Never thought you had the balls for that sorta delinquent thing."

"Hmph. When you reach my level, you will understand," I told Masato. "There will come a time when man must make his own sacrifice."

"Sacrifice? What are you talking about?"

"We are all unique snowflakes and we are all peas in the pod. We are the seething, faceless mass of bacteria on the life-soup of the cosmos. We are but tiny, infinitesimal grains of sand. We are the tiny molecules of rheum gathering our hands together at night, awaiting our inevitable doom in but a single swipein the morning - "

"Ooookay, I understand completely... And didn't that last one sound weird or something...?" said Masato with a labored expression on his face. "Well, Riki's still in the infirmary if you wanna plan on visiting. Hum, maybe I should too." The school bell rang.

"Thanks Masato. You're free to come if you want."

"Wow! Kyousuke's actually encouraging me to be truant! Is this reality?"

No, though you've probably forgotten that particular fact, Masato. The cause of which is an outright absurdity in itself.

Riki had just returned to consciousness when I arrived. Curiously, the school nurse wasn't around, though Rin was there, about to head back to class.

"Where the hell were you, idiot brother?" Rin demanded.

"Sorry, Rin, I got caught up wiping the dirt from my eyes... More to the point, how're you feeling, Riki?" I asked as I approached the bed.

"Not too bad," he said, grinning weakly. He looked slightly pale and haggard, but that seemed to be just the after-effects of the narcolepsy. I had no idea how the world's changing hands affected the two. They weren't just "programs" after all. I was just thankful nothing had happened to them.

If the actions of that mastermind freed them from here, then I wouldn't know what I would do.

Kill something, I suppose.

"It's a bother as always, but I guess it's kinda nice to wake up to Rin's face every once in a while."

"That's disgusting, Riki, I hope you die in a ditch," Rin retorted, turning away. I couldn't catch a glimpse of her face. "I'm going back now." She pointed at me, still looking away. "And you. Don't be absent again idiot brother." Sniffing angrily, she left.

"Rin seemed to be in a bad mood huh..."

I grinned. "That's part of a young maiden's woes."

"Is that so...?" Riki took a deep breath. "So what's up, Kyousuke? Was there something new about the...thing you were working on?"

I raised a brow at his inquisitiveness. "Nice timing, Riki. Yes in fact, I do have something to tell you – related to that other matter. This way, I don't have to announce it for lunch." I sat on the bedside to face him, looking him squarely in the eye. He stared at me readily, as if I were about to narrate a story.

"You're ready."

"Huh?"

"I firmly believe that you're ready."

"Ready?"

"There will come a time when man steps up to the plate, ready to unveil the tenacity of his spirit, the purity of his being. He sifts through the charged air of challenge around him, taking in the good and the bad auras, basking in the former and strengthening himself from the latter. When he grips his future, he doesn't grab it with the innocence of a child – however precious that may seem – but with the surety of a man whose future is in his own two hands-"

"Hold on Kyousuke, are you talking about baseball?"

I paused in my speech, blinking. "Yes."

"Then say what it is," he urged with a chuckle. "I'd like to hear whatever speech you were planning, but I really do have to get back to class as soon as possible."

I sighed. "You're ready."

"Yeah, you said that like...three times now."

I breathed. "You're ready to lead the baseball practice on your own."

"I- uh- wha-?" I fixed my stare into his eyes. His expression waned and waxed from uncertainty to wonder like the moon. "I mean...sure. I could do that, no problem. But...why? Are you not going to join us anymore, Kyousuke?"

"It'll only be for a little while. Until this little...problem gets solved." I look away, feeling a bit guilty for forcing it on him like this. I would never do this to him during the natural progression of things, but circumstances demanded I be drastic.

"Can I count on you Riki?"

Riki nodded, eyes glimmering with an expression I couldn't read. "Sure."

I snicker, patting him on the head. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. Everyone made it here to the Little Busters thanks to you. You were the one responsible for recruiting everybody. So now...you'll take responsibility for everyone. Got it?"

I felt absolutely shitty after that. I was unable to do what Rin said and go back to class, and instead returned to the dormitories. I lay in bed, doing nothing, seeing nothing, being no one.

Surely Riki could handle it? When I was in charge, I could observe him from wherever I was in the world without making myself known. And to whatever action he took, I would nudge a particular event in front of him, a game to while away the time perhaps, or something to help wean him off his training wheels. I could sense all his feelings from anywhere in the world, and I think I was the only one who knew best what he'd feel in this type of situation.

Riki would be scared, doubt riddling his actions, questioning the notion that he would be able to do a good job. And always, his mind would seek support from anyone. Helplessness was his badge of honor.

I'm so sorry, Riki. I'll return everything to the way it was, I swear it.

I thanked the blue sky that it hadn't turned the shade of black and orange and red, and I was relieved that the air hadn't suddenly smelled of oil and sweat and fear. And I curse myself for even thinking that.

For even being thankful for that.

It was like I had already long given up.

I laughed bitterly.

Such is the cruel mercy of heaven.

.....

"If you decide tonight, and I truly believe it's a good time tonight, I'll be at the ----Building on ---St."

I'd spent the afternoon watching over the group's progress with Riki as the interim leader. I wasn't able to gauge their atmosphere from the distance, but at the very least, I was thankful all of them committed to the practice. I had the suspicion either Kurugaya or Kengo would leave without my presence, but that didn't seem to be the case.

Perhaps Riki has it in him to be a leader after all.

I had a minor encounter with someone from the disciplinary committee on my way back to the dormitories.

"A member saw you skipping class, Natsume-senpai. Could you care to explain that?" she asked coolly. Her face seemed to be fixed at a permanent scowl.

"It's none of your business what I do on my time, Futaki-san. Perhaps I would like to inquire as to the commendable type of surveillance you guys have me under? I thought I covered my tracks well," I said with a small smile.

She huffed. "I'll let you off just this once. But know that the second offense will have us report you directly to the teacher for improper behavior. Good day."

Not cute in the slightest...

I watched her go, my thoughts elsewhere. Technically, she was "part of the program", but her tenuous link to Saegusa, and by extension, Riki, meant she remained a necessity.

And speaking of programs...

I'll admit I was careless.

Checking the database again (the news mentioning an Immortal sighting in the morning a few train stations away from the battle itself), it seemed both Fearless and Shigeki were in it as Hero Wanderers too. I don't know how I could've missed them the first time.

The latter's handle apparently, was Quick.

She'd never seemed that "quick". I thought she'd have some kind of name like "robot" or "the emotion-less" or "Blackjack".

Both were low on the scale of popularity, if they even cared for it, with only a few hundred fans to each of them. I knew this was all fabricated material, but it was interesting to examine this scenario nonetheless. If nothing else, I applaud it as a well-constructed world.

It seemed that the reason they were so unpopular was their rumored link to the renegade group of Wanderers, the "Wonder" group. There were a bunch of heroes together in the suspected list with them, including more familiar names as Rocket Dog, the Galaxy Busters team and Slashing Rondo. The other heroes were leagues more popular, owing perhaps to their constant heroic activities, which Fearless and Shigeki rarely did.

The rumors spoke of the Wonder group as some sort of malicious entity. Various theories abounded, each of which I didn't believe, but were fascinating to read nonetheless.

Opposing the "evil team" were all the other Wanderers, and the only reason they weren't yet wiped out was because they were numerous, and again, all of the rumored members were just that, rumored. I suppose an insensible hero might intercept another in the middle of a rescue to determine if they were part of Wonder, but that situation stretched the imagination a little too far.

One person even asked: Does Wonder even exist at all? Or is all just propaganda?

The situation painted a picture that was all too familiar to me: on one side the forces of justice, on the other the evil side. It was made even more delicious that the evil side were also supposed to be on the good side.

But the facts of the morning, the "truth" I was made to glimpse by Shigeki, told of a far more sinister picture.

One that I had yet to fully comprehend.

And to be able to do that, I had to wag my tail and follow my feet to where Shigeki waited.

But this wasn't going to be the fly visiting the spider's parlor. This was the eagle swooping down to swipe at the snake.

[Balzac]

Next part. Technically a chapter 2 I guess?

Spoiler for Balzac Work 1 Part 4:

It was almost sunset before Shigeki answered my call. It was infuriating in a sense, forcing me to hang out at a manga cafe to wait. I was half-tempted to go back and join the others for practice. But that didn't seem like a sensible thing to do.

Especially since I could have another near-death experience courtesy of the Immortal.

The sunlight had fled over the horizon as I walked up to the meeting place. It was a nearly deserted portion of the nearby park, with only a few hawkers and strollers present.

The location was stll a little too public, so I couldn't let my guard down.

Because I half-expected she'd be sending me details of another location. Thriller movie development at its best.

My thoughts were interrupted by my cellphone ringing. Shigeki.

"It's me."

"Just as I thought," I murmured.

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"No, I mean, are you gonna tell me to move to another place?"

"And have me walk to that new location myself? Bothersome. No, I just called to tell you: look behind you."

I tensed, whirling around. Standing like a chunk of solid shadow right there near the bushes, within the gap between lamplights, was Fearless.

I hadn't really paid attention the first time we'd met, but Fearless was actually quite a ways shorter than I was. Granted, Shigeki was too, but that cape of hers made her seem all the more taller. Fearless, who had no such accessory on her, didn't have the same effect. Nevertheless that didn't stop her mere presence from being just a tad unnerving.

Shigeki had hung up.

"What is it?" I asked hoarsely. I knew she wouldn't answer. I shifted my eyes behind her, expecting to see Shigeki there, and then swiveled to the sides, where there were other people who should've clearly seen Fearless. But they all just kept going on their own business.

Fearless gestured silently, turning towards a copse of trees to the side. A ripple formed on the air, and she seemed to disappear into it. I gave the surroundings another cautious glance, before quickly dashing forward.

"So glad you could come, Kyousuke," greeted Shigeki, who was seated on a checkerboard picnic mat on the open grass illuminated by a single portable lamp. She held out a can in her hand. "Care for some tea?"

I pursed my lips. Casting my senses about, I sensed no other heroes in sight. Excepting perhaps Fearless, whom I'd just seen, perhaps commanded to lurk in the shadows.

"Sure, why not. I'll gladly take you up on that offer," I responded shortly. I just wanted things to begin. "I mean, you didn't knock me out without my consent back there or anything."

"Please, have a seat. I trust your day was well? I had a most productive day myself." In her voice, the pleasantry sounded so ungraceful. And she totally ignored what I said!

She held another opened can of tea in her hands, though she never made to drink. "First off, I thought you'd like to know that the encounter from this morning ended without major incident. The controller, whoever they are, reset the world back to its original state, including all objects, events, flags, triggers, and most importantly, people." I knew about it. I'd been there after all.

"Controller..."

"Mastermind, architect, overseer, master control program, call whoever – or whatever – it is what you will. As far as I know, he or she currently holds the position you once held, Natsume Kyousuke. And as you've probably already seen, they have been having the most productive two days spinning a glorious script for this stage."

I crossed my hands on my lap. "If you mention a script, then it seems everything has already been mapped out from the start. The 'controller' knows how to use the world. I can see for myself that he's prepared his set well. The actors know their part. The people as audience, no, maybe he's the audiance. Or I am. In any case, there are almost no holes and mistakes to be seen."

"Except you."

I stared at her.

"And me, come to think of it, though you seem to be the more integral part, Kyousuke. After all, you were once the God of this world. You were hunted down by the Immortal itself for this reason - I'd lay odds on it. I have a hunch that she's the only confirmed hero who's working for the controller. But it's only a hunch."

"How do you know of me then? Where did you come by that knowledge?"

"Must I spell it out for you?" She tapped the side of her mask. "Since as far as I can remember, I already knew."

I looked away. "So it's still part of the script."

"Undoubtedly. To what reason, I am not aware. Perhaps the Controller needed at least two people to know about you. Perhaps there are other people who know that I'm not aware of."

"What about Fearless?" I looked around at the silent darkness again. The lone light just barely kept the shadows away.

"She only knows you as my guest, nothing more. She's wholly indifferent and unresponsive to something that's not me, or a threat. Indeed, that is who she is. That's her program."

"I thought you all were 'Players'?"

She shifted her gaze by a needlepoint. "Oh yes, that term. The term applies in so far as we are distinct from the other people. It makes us unique. It makes us the Hero Wanderers. It differentiates us from them as you once did from all the rest of the world, Kyousuke. However, there is one crucial fact missing.

"Not a single one of us knows our purpose here."

"Explain." I didn't comment on the fact that there were at least nine other people who weren't merely "programs" in this world.

"We aren't self-aware. From my perspective, it was almost like finding myself in the middle of a dream. I didn't know where the beginning of the dream was, nor its end. I only know the present before me with the situation as was presented, with all the memories and experiences programmed in to form our basic personalities. I then acted on instinctual purpose – or perhaps it is more akin to purposeful instinct. My first ever action, when I saw myself in the city, was to go over to your school and confront you."

"So you're saying that you've all been hardwired like this from the beginning."

She bowed her head. "Exactly. Does that make us merely superior programs? It is an oddly discomfiting notion...but at present I know that I'm here. That I, Shigeki, am my own existence. And that is sufficient – for now.

"I would like to ask myself of your true purpose in this world." I withdrew into myself, forcing the veil of indifference to slam over my expression. "As it seems that is another mystery – on my part."

I felt my silence would be sufficient. She seemed to pick up on it quickly.

"Well, keep to your secrets as you will."

Forcing a switch on the tracks, I asked, "...So that demonstration and this meeting, and the meeting even before that – you're saying this is all part of the script?" I decided not to tell her about the mysterious cellphone call yet.

"Ah, this is where it gets complicated for the Controller. Whatever their goals are and however much control he has over this world, they still cannot dictate a free-thinking being's will. Since contacting you the first time, I've had a thought to subvert the scheme. To make an outrageous ad lib in the middle of the performance, if you will. And luckily, I had the Wonders as part of my portfolio to aid me without question. And I had Fearless."

"Wait, so the Wonder group does exist? Are you really the ones responsible for nearly blowing up a nuclear reactor?"

There was a short silence. "I have the memories, but you should know by now-"

"Yes, I'm aware they're just made up." I interrupted. I had to marvel at the thoroughness of this so-called Controller. They must've had a lot of time on their hands making what seemed like a whole new world that was full of detail and seemingly free of holes. Well, as far as I knew anyway.

But I think I would never forgive their choosing our world to hijack.

I sighed. "So there really are two sides in this 'war' of his huh?"

"Sides? Why speak of sides, Kyousuke?"

"Well, there's your group, and then there's the Immortal-"

"Let me correct you. There is one group – the Wonders, and then there are the many Hero Wanderers, which our entire group is composed of. We don't fight – or rather, we were not made to fight each other, save perhaps when Quick the Dark Genius has it in her mind to start a scheme. The rest of the time we work independently, fulfilling our heroic functions."

"But what about the demonstration-"

"Have you lost all thinking skills, Kyousuke?" I bristled. "Didn't I just mention that I decided to make things a little more complex for the Controller?"

"So it was your independent action then." I raised a brow mockingly. "Or is it truly?"

"If you continue in this useless vein, then you will never be able to get to the mystery, clueless boy." There. Emotion, at last. Her voice had risen in anger. Sweet, low anger that was hot enough to freeze and cool enough to burn. "I don't have a god's patience to deal with ingrates like you! If you do not wish for my cooperation, then leave!" She crumpled the can easily in her hand, spilling the tea onto the mat.

In the face of the hostility, I leaned back and allowed myself a mental smirk. Hopefully, they'll all be just imaginations in the end once I took back control. Easier to send away, never to return. It was disheartening for all those Wanderers, especially to Shigeki, whom I've known all for under an hour, but my friends came first. The Little Busters always came first.

It was then that I realized that Fearless had materialized right in front of me. Before I could comment, I felt myself being hurled bodily through the air, thudding my head onto the trunk of a tree. I keeled over in pain, my head ringing, as footsteps approached, and I was hauled up to a standing position.

"Wha-"

Fearless' hand gripped my neck like a vice, making stars dance in my vision. In vain, I used my legs to attack her, but she used a special position to pin them back, useless. My arms were too busy trying to dislodge the hands that were making my breathe in choked gasps.

"Cease action, Fearless!" I heard Shigeki's voice through the blood pounding in my ears. "Disengage, NOW!"

The pressure in my windpipe stopped. I fell back to the ground, rubbing at my neck as my vision started to clear.

Panting, I made my way back to the mat, glaring furiously around me, as if I were trying to pick a fight with my attacker.

But that'd just have been a bad end for me. Her grip had been strong, and I almost thought I'd die from that superhuman strength.

I didn't know what emotions now rolled around in Shigeki's mind after she'd shown me a glimpse, and I would hazard a bet she was keeping hers in line deliberately. Perhaps it was part of being "Quick".

I couldn't tell if she'd calmed down, or if she'd merely postponed her rage for later. "Let us continue." But I noticed she hadn't apologized for Fearless' attack.

Looks like I can piss people off without even trying.

"...What is Wonder's function?"

"I don't know." I stared at her. "That's the truth. We exist, but so far, there have been no memories nor experiences that point to our purpose as this group. I have a feeling we will have a part to play in a later act of the script." She angled her gaze towards a particular spot in the darkness. "Until then, I feel fortunate that the group has already been formed."

You feel fortunate? That would be a tactless question to ask.

"Know this, Natsume Kyousuke." She locked eyes with me again. "As I'd mentioned, our demonstration wasn't part of the script."

"How would you know that?" I asked. "How do you know your decision was your own and not the commands of the Mastermind?"

"Because they corrected the world," she replied. I was expecting that answer. "They fixed the battlefield. They rewrote the event lines to make Immortal active in another city. And because you're still here – alive."

"What do you mean?"

It was the first time I heard her sigh. Granted, it was a mechanical-sounding sigh, and was a profoundly sound to make without inflection, as if her mouth were an exhaust pipe.

"Because the script planned for one thing today. The one thing that should have happened this morning, was your termination."

My gaze hardened. "And I feel they will continue to act to relieve you of your presence in this world, until they succeed."

They want to get rid of me?

Well, it was understandable. I'd wanted to evict Saya too.

I succeeded, but there was a change in Riki that I had yet to quantify.

In the eyes of the new mastermind, I was the unexpected wrench in their little game. I was now the Saya to their Kyousuke.

But what was I to do? Like the girl, I was completely helpless.

In this case, I at least had the knowledge that the other side was insurmountable with my own powers.

But that only deepened my despair.

Like Saya, I could act with some vague goal in mind, but that would probably do more harm than good.

They might discover Riki or Rin, if they hadn't known about them already.

I might disappear completely, fading into this eternal world, trapped but unable to act, unable to fulfill the purpose we'd made this world for in the first place.

"The woes of a working-man are steep," I muttered, my hands trembling. "Man by himself cannot overcome the gods."

"But a super man might just do the trick." My thoughts unraveled, focusing on her. "And many super men can move the world."

I gulped. "...what...?"

Shigeki rose to full height, gliding raven-like towards me. She had crossed her arms in front of her, and gazed down at me with an emotion that I couldn't at the moment read.

"Join us Kyousuke. Join Wonder. Discover Truth. Destroy whoever opposes you.

Impossible. That was an impossible task!

"Become Hero."

[Balzac]

*Looks around* And here I'd hoped more creative scribes would've contributed in the months since my last post...

Well, long time no see I guess. Haven't been on the Internet in a while due to a lot of obligations. I don't even know how Little Busters! is faring anime-wise.

But admittedly this little side job's fun to do sometimes - when I'm not swamped with literature I have to write.

Spoiler for Balzac Work 1 Part 5:

Humming the witch turns

Back to the steaming cauldron,

Stirring and swirling.

"Pardon?" I asked, cocking my head. "I don't believe I heard you correctly."

"I can't give you Hero status, Kyousuke," Shigeki repeated, as monotone as her voice would allow.

"What? Then what the hell was up with that offer yesterday?" I shouted, throwing my hands up, while shaking my head. "Of all the... were you just screwing with me?"

It had taken some time for me to come to a decision. I'd balked at Shigeki's outrageous suggestion in the park last night, since it was a suggestion that just came so far out of left field – yet in the end seemed very reasonable. After all, there was no easy way for me to get to the Controller with it apparently hunting after me. So why not join the game, use it to get my powers back from the Controller, and then turn around and end it with a flourish? Too much time had been wasted so frivolously.

I knew too well the vast extent of the powers I had lost. And even I had no idea how I'd lost the power in the first place, nor how I'd be able to get it back.

I wasn't (at the time at least) foolish enough to believe I could simply become a hero and go rampaging around town like some idiot, trolling for the Controller. So that meant I had to look the part of a hero somewhat. I mean, look at Shigeki. Even though she seemed to be the last person one would expect to be a hero, she was still considered one. So maybe I could afford to slack on these so-called "duties", but it would definitely take time away from the Little Busters.

Yes, I could never abandon my duty to them in this world. But if participating in this farce would lead me to the restoration of our world, then so be it. I would never abandon my mission for any lesser end.

I thus called up Shigeki, agreeing to her offer. I would become a hero. I'd work for the emotionless girl until I won the grand prize.

But apparently, Shigeki didn't have the capability to turn me into a hero, as she'd led me to believe. I'd come to her secret base, her lair of an apartment in a city two train stations from ours. It was actually quainter than I'd imagined. There was only one room, with a curtained window on the wall opposite the door and the cooking area immediately to the left when one entered. A bed was rolled up shabbily to the side near the kotatsu where foodstuffs peeked out of boxes. Shigeki's gray-masked visage sat in the midst of it all.

This is the home of the leader of the Wonders? I thought. This looks like the home of a shut-in. Fortunately I was spared one more moment of speculating on the lifestyle of Shigeki's real identity when the meagre light inside the room was swallowed up by a blotch of darkness near me.

Fearless then appeared, carrying, of all things, a tray of tea. She placed it on the table surface as Shigeki gestured for me to sit.

I reaffirmed my agreement to become a hero, and was then slapped by her surprise declaration.

"Please restrain those emotions. It is, as they say, the mark of the undisciplined," she said, bundling up the black cape around her. It made her, and Fearless, look like charcoal carvings. "You're not letting me finish."

"Go on, then!" I demanded, throwing my hands in the air. My emotions be damned. I glanced at Fearless, who was ever the inanimate statue. Fearless be damned too. The blood soared high in my head. Damn.

"I'm sorry," I gritted out, controlling the trembling in my hands. I don't know why I did it, but I really felt like apologizing. It was not very Kyousuke-like to lose control. I sat back down. "It's just..." I sighed. "What do you mean then?"

Making no acknowledgement of my apology, she continued, "Quick cannot make heroes out of people. I don't think anyone, aside from the Master, has the capability to grant miracles."

"Please get to the point." Although it was very much disconcerting to realize someone was using my former position to create something of such scale as the Immortal.

"Did you not research that part about us?" She raised her index finger. "From where did the Hero Wanderers get their powers?"

"I admit I didn't look that far." I did skim through some parts of the story background for a few heroes, like the Immortal or the Galaxy Busters (since I had seen them firsthand) but that was the extent. It all seemed interesting, but I didn't want to look any deeper than I could. How would knowing them all be important? I thought. "But I know some. Immortal was... some sort of alien?" In a way, they all were.

"Getting right to the point as you said: what about me?" she asked. I snorted, as I'd just now remembered I had looked up Fearless and her dispassionate master first.

"Assuming it's all true," I began. "You discovered a rare power while in middle school. It allowed you to stimulate the reality of people, objects, events with your mind. People became smarter in tests, a drained wind-up toy was resurrected, the school bell seemed to jump a few minutes forward in time." I looked at Fearless again. "Then you met a homeless girl, who could never get close to other people because of her power. She seemed to have a power opposite yours – yet she could only do it to herself and she'd also had it longer than you. She induced entropy on herself, causing her body and anything she touches to wilt. She had become a mere shadow-"

Shigeki cleared her throat. "Are you really going to recite everything from the Wanderer bios? I have heard say it is bad luck to hear one's epitaph while alive..."

"...No. And I get what you're trying to say: it's all made up. You've only gotten those powers just recently, and you can't be sure if even that was actually true." I wonder if she had memories of those made-up events as well, but it seemed irrelevant. "What does this have to do with me?"

"Know then, that the scenario cannot call for any of us making a hero out of you. I am powerless in that sense. Only you can find the hero inside yourself, as they say, which you can start doing by taking the curtain behind me and tying it around your neck." Are you trying to make a joke? She cocked her head, making a few strands of hair fall from her shoulders. "....Unless you've got some hidden power somewhere that's not related to your powers of the world...?"

I frowned at her. "So how do I 'become hero' then?"

"There is something common about all the Hero Wanderer origins which you admit to have missed. According to my story, I – Quick – got this power quite unexpectedly with no explainable source, at least until you look again at my origin. Someone allegedly interviewed me, gleaning the information that as a child, I had always wanted to make things faster: myself, my bike, my crush on a senpai from the track team. My power was then molded from that desire."

"Inspiring, but that doesn't prove-"

"But that very same background is repeated, ad nauseam, among all the Wanderers' backgrounds, if you'd cared to read." She rose and pointed at her silent watcher. In her other hand was a stack of papers. "Fearless hated others. She withdrew into herself, the desire causing her to harm those who got too close." She slammed the stack on the table. The neat pile broke, becoming a neat mess. One by one, she leafed through the sheets, showing some to me.

"Da Outlaw, whose inner conviction was so strong, he could form a weapon or find physical strength from his very ideals. A-KUMA, who desired to be respected instead of being hated for her inhuman strength, by chance came upon a fallen meteor containing her iconic Ursin armor, which is now a beloved mascot. You're free to confirm them all. Does that make them true? Perhaps not. But the similarities are too widespread to be mere coincidences. Each of us, Kyousuke, became Wanderers quite by accident, but it is not like we were dealt cards we couldn't work with. It all seemed...too intentional to dismiss as coincidence.

"From here I put forward the hypothesis that, as this is the world as the Controller saw it, some invisible rule may have been put in place that would reflect his or her 'vision'. It may well be that in this strange world, what one was shapes the Hero one will become.

"And that is what we- [i]you[/] shall attempt. You will find the hero within yourself. You will draw the power out from the Self that makes your existence unique, shaping it into something with definite substance. And by the rules of this world, it may be granted to you." And, having finished that long speech, Shigeki crossed her arms and stared at me.

I wrung my hands. "But that seems kind of cliche don't you think? I mean, it's something I'd expect out from a comic. Young person, a young desire, a sudden power. But there's no way such a bizarre, unnatural method should exist! Even-" Then I caught myself. I felt a little stupid. How the hell could I forget? This world was built to be strange, even magical. Logic had no need to apply. This was the realm of the "somewhat unreasonable". It was I who'd decided that it be so in the first place. My preserved memories, the Controller's wanton use of the Immortal-- the mere presence of this emotionless person in front of me was proof that the world was as it was intended to be.

"Is it a surefire method then?" I murmured. I let me fault myself for missing that point. Because I had a right to be skeptic. Surely the Master would not allow such a thing to happen.

"Truthfully, no. But it's the only lead I have. It's your only hope. And sometimes the single sliver is enough for most." She held out her gloved hand, palm up. "You agreed to become Hero. Will you see that through?"

I squared my shoulders. I had a lot to lose with no chances of winning. I had to do something. "My answer hasn't changed." Shigeki betrayed no reaction that I could see. Then came movement from the corner of my eye. I stiffened, looking at Fearless, who had fidgeted. What did that mean?

"Good. Now we shall go and meet a subordinate of mine. Another hero who shall perhaps aid you in finding the power within yourself."

This again. I forgot I was still technically back at square one. May or may not become hero. May or may not return to normal. I wonder how many more times this girl would force me to backtrack like so. "What do you mean?"

She had the nerve to point directly at me. "Can you honestly think, right this very moment, of the kind of hero you'd be? Remember, you do not have much time. Even now you are in danger from the Immortal or any other Wanderers the Controller might set upon you. Even I may become your enemy. Though we do not know the Controller's intentions, it would be prudent not to squander this small moment of inaction on its part. We must act."

I thought about it. Yes, it was really too sudden. Ask any random person invited from the street to a room reminiscent of a job interview, sit him down, give him some tea, look him in the eye, put him at his ease and ask him frankly, if we could give you superhero powers, what do you think they would be? The person wouldn't be able to answer immediately. I mean, yeah it's right up there with finding a lamp and being given three wishes. Can I get back to you on that? Eh? What do you mean there's a time limit!? That is such a scam!

I framed my frown with the palm of my hand.

For some reason, the image of Kyousuke as hero didn't come easily. It should have, since this was something just up my alley. Oh, it was easy enough to visualize my being a "hero", but the actual image was indistinct, a blurry amalgamation of every single superhero I'd read about.

I mean, I would love to be a hero who can do everything. Invincible and powerful. Good, wise, omniscient. But I know the Master wouldn't possibly allow that – Immortal notwithstanding. Even moreso, according to the rules, I couldn't even become that since I wasn't "that kind of person". I was just your average, fun-loving guy. I didn't have the delusion of lording it over people.

I did what I did because only I could do it, and it was as vital I do so like the turning of the world.

"You're taking your time, as expected." I sluggishly returned to awareness to see a nondescript mask being held out to me on Shigeki's hand. "Keep at it then. To aid you, I shall you consult with my subordinate."

"What's this for?" I indicated the mask.

"Oh. Yes. I don't know if it will apply to you, but there's a rule in this game which all 'players' have to follow." Rules? "'No one must ever find out your secret identity'. Do you understand that concept?" Of course. It was very much a part of being a "superhero" in fiction.

I nodded. "But what did this have to do with-"

Shigeki continued, overriding me, "We each know that unspoken rule: if someone knows your secret identity, you're out of the game. I've never seen it happen to any Wanderer yet, but they say it helps to be cautious all the same." I wonder how many other rules there were. The most interesting rules were the unspoken ones.

I stirred, a thought occuring to me. "Hold on, you know me. How will that be any different? Doesn't that mean I lost before it began?"

"Weren't you supposed to have been eliminated yesterday?" Shigeki seemed to hesitate before saying more. "And I shall be frank: I do not know how it will be when you acquire the mantle of a Wanderer. Perhaps I may forget your true identity, perhaps not. Only remember that prime rule. I ask that you wear that mask now, as you shall at least need to hide your identity from the other Wanderers." I did as she ordered, attaching the mask to my face. The eyeholes were shaped in such a way that vision was relatively unchanged.

I felt a slight pang of danger. Fearless was suddenly beside me, holding a cellphone in her grip. Shigeki accepted it. The mere presence of her servant still sent the occasional chills up my spine.

"Please remember Kyousuke, I'm the only one aware of 'you'. It is up to you how you'll interact with all the other Players: starting with the Wicked Witch."

"Why am I-" I started to ask and stopped, as she had already dialled in. I recognized the name, but not the hero.

"It's me," Shigeki spoke. "Are you free?" I heard a voice reply, as she apparently had no idea to shut off the speaker option.

"... As relatively free as one could ever be on a quiet morning like this." The voice sounded distracted and torpid. There was the sound of what I think was a yawn. "Was there something you wanted, my Lady?"

"Please open a teleportation gate to safehouse three. There is a 'man of interest' who might need your expertise."

"Is he a hero?"

Shigeki glanced at me. "In a manner of speaking."

"Very well. Opening gate."

"My thanks. We shall be there shortly." At her words, a swirl of darkness erupted from the wall, billowing upward to reveal an opening that was right about my height. Beyond it, I could see nothing.

Nothing at all.

Fearless stepped towards the opening, disappearing into it in a way that seemed so natural.

"Uh..."

"Don't worry. It's perfectly safe – as safe as getting on the fastest express of the world." That doesn't reassure me at all.

"What is this?"

Shigeki turned around, her body language really giving me no clear impression. She then did a wiggle with her leg, fidgeted left, then right, moved her arms in an upward arc, then put her fingers together to form a heart. She then did a weak, unconvincing pose, holding her hand out to me.

"Magic~" The mock emotion was worse than the lack thereof.

"That wasn't what I was really asking." What the heck was that?

"...Just walk in. It'll be fine. I'll be walking with you. In fact, Fearless already went in." I'm betting it's more because she's keeping true to her name. Also, why are you using yourselves to reassure me? I still don't trust you. "What have you got to fear? Scared? Witless? Have you a coward's heart?"

That sent my eyebrows puckering. I crossed my arms. "You've stepped over the line. Only a few people are allowed to call me a coward... Fine!" I strode forward, with no hesitation, into the opening.

It was not entirely unlike suddenly walking into a darkened movie theater. Except in this case, all of my five senses seemed to have been shorted out in a brief, panicky moment, before they returned - confused, hazy. Predictably, all that my eyes could "see" was an endless black, as if I were staring into my eyelids.

Then another color flared: dim, gray. It flowed from behind me and on under my feet, extending some distance outward until I was standing on a strip of gray land. The measured sound of footsteps presaged Shigeki's appearance, and her costume made it seem like all she was was a floating, disembodied gray mask.

"What is this place?" It all seemed so unnatural, alien. This was unexpectedly new to me, as the former controller of the world.

"Are you familiar with teleportation?"

I've done my fair share, though I didn't say that out loud. After I nodded briskly, Shigeki continued. "Well, to put it simply, the one we'll be visiting, the Wicked Witch, has the power to create passageways through space. A sort of closed dimension in of itself, though I can say it is more like she dug a tunnel between two places. We're essentially walking that narrow space, following the pathway that leads to the exit on Witch's end." Shigeki pointed forward and started walking.

"Hold on. How the heck is this 'teleporting' then? It's like we're just walking on a very long road!" Shigeki looked back.

"But in the outside world it will seem as if we've only been gone a second. Witch will have just opened the gate for about a second before we'd have arrived at her place. Instantaneously. You could say this method of transportation is only possible if she, Fearless and I combine our powers. She opens the way, but the two of us are responsible for keeping you safe while inside." She gestured about the darkness. "It is too easy to get lost. You can see how this is much like teleportation."

I certainly don't see it that way. This is all so unnecessarily convoluted. I don't know exactly how it worked, but my own powers were much more convenient than this.

I was almost certain it was being used by the new Master now.

I held back a cry of frustration. I had no idea what was going on anymore. If what Shigeki said was true, then it was as if time were super-compressed here. This bleak, gray walkway and the surrounding nothingness seemed to close in on me, causing me a tiny bit of claustrophobia. There was no other sound but our footsteps, there was sparse, undetectable air, and the gray floor felt wrong to my feet, surreal, like something you know is fleeting yet desperately hope that it endure, making me consider every sure step a miracle. I refused to even look behind me.

It seemed like a world within a world. A world that, were it not for the presence of my two companions - who were themselves an uninspiring sight - seemed very lonely.

I squinted, peering forward, past the shadowy figure of Fearless. The gray strip lay before us with no end seemingly in sight.

I didn't want to ask "Are we there yet?" because I know any answer would drive me mad. Instead, I opted to while away the time by asking, "Who is this one we'll be visiting?"

"Do you know of the Wicked Witch?" I remember seeing that name while scanning through a list of heroes, but only ever considered her as someone unimportant. She was, after all, pretty low on the list ordered according to fame, scraping the bottom of the barrel of heroism together with the leader of Wonder here and her ominous shadow. "She is a subordinate of mine, my primary advisor in a sense. I suppose one could say she is Wonder's second-in-command. She's not supposed to be in a combat role, with her powers geared more for support. But she's got many a scheme in that mind of hers, so she's very much invaluable to Wonder. She was instrumental in many 'victories' attributed to the group. That fictional attack on the nuclear plant you read was supposed to have been her idea."

"For some reason, your description isn't matching my image of a hero."

"... Is that so?" Shigeki paused. There was a brief moment when she seemed to be mulling something over. "I would caution against forming judgements of her just yet. You haven't even met her."

"I'll try to keep that in mind." Though it isn't as if what I have in my mind isn't that unrealistic considering she was with Shigeki, who herself didn't seem like a hero too.

I had in mind some dangerous individual, wielding power that was more villainous than heroic. Heck, it even skirted my former powers. Teleportation was one I did unconsciously, though with less deliberation and being less tortuous.

Her very name didn't discourage that thought, and I was filled with some measure of wariness as we walked.

Shigeki turned her face towards me. "Do you know, that was actually the first time I've talked to her, ever. Yet I feel like I know her as one of my closest friends. It's a strange thing, to realize this after the fact. It will also be the first time I'll be talking to her face-to-face, come to think of it." There was a hint of emotion there, but I was too tense to think on it more. Not after realizing this journey through the bowels of the world was also Shigeki's first time. I didn't want to even [i]think[i/] about that implication, let alone bring it up.

Eventually an opening appeared far in the distance, a faint dot of light and yet after a while it seemed like our every step couldn't take us closer to it. I thought my mind was going to go crazy from the incompatibility between what my eyes saw and what my body felt.

Finally, the light began its slow approach. I eagerly sped up. Suddenly, Shigeki thrust out a hand, stopping me in my tracks. "You must guard your thoughts," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"The Wicked Witch has many... unnatural powers. I cannot name them exactly. I am not privy to such information." She met my gaze. "I say this for the possibility that she might read your mind, if she were able to. That might bring disastrous consequences should it happen."

What happened to not judging her prematurely? She seemed like a genuine danger now. "...I get it. I'll take care." We walked on. Though I didn't exactly know how I'd be able to "guard my thoughts". It's like asking a dog to serve tea.

The opening seemed like a lantern of hope, steadily approaching us. I won't admit to being afraid, but I breathed a small sigh of relief when I reached the last few steps before the exit.

"We're here."

"Finally!" I cried. I almost overtook Shigeki in dashing straight for the light.