* * * *

-Phantom’s Perspective-

The kid is running frantically... Sigh, this idiot. Where do you think you are going? He probably doesn’t even know where Mao is and just running mindlessly.

With that kind of messed up state of mind do you think that you can even win against anyone?

Well at least he regained a bit of composure. Thanks to that suspicious unknown guy. But seriously, who is he? ‘The one who oversee’? Some kind of God or something? Oh well whatever, I guess that’s not important right now.

If it’s still like this, he won’t hold out if he need to battle. He need to regain more composure.

I don’t know why but I felt like there’s a foreboding feeling of danger. I just hope that all is okay.

Shou, you need to prepare yourself. I will also help in any way I can.

* * * *

-Shou’s Perspective-

There! Takeharu and the others! I need to ask them.

“TAKE!”

As soon as I shouted, Takeharu threw something to me.

“That’s a hologram video device! Turn it on and quickly follow us!”

Then I continued to run and followed the three of them. But I still haven’t turn the device on. I wonder what this uneasiness in my chest is. I think it got something to do with what contained in this device.

“Take, have you seen what the video is?”

“... I think... it’s better for you to see it yourself.”

“This video, are given by the one who kidnap Mao, right?”

“...” Takeharu just silently ran.

“Shou, it seems like the one who is in the video is someone you and Takeharu know.” Hal who was running beside him was the one who responded to me.

“Someone both me and Takeharu knows... Kidnapping Mao... Takeharu’s reaction... *mumble* *mumble*” I was thinking while mumbling about. After a while, I realized something. I can felt a rough guess, but maybe... “Take, is it... ..?”

*nods* Takeharu still didn’t say anything but he just nods towards my guess.

“... I see...” I slowed down my speed for a while. Hal and Selia seems to be concerned as for why I slowed down. I stopped running and just stand there. The three also started to stop running and approached me.

“Yoshitaka? Are you alright?”

“I guess, we should stop. Nothing good comes when you deal with that guy. You can go back, just the three of us will suffice.”

“Yeah, if you didn’t feel well you can go back. We will certainly bring Mao back.”

The first who asked to me was Selia. After that is Take. And then Hal also voiced his opinion.

I can only stand while looking on to the ground silently.

It’s just as Takeharu said. I was still reluctant to meet .

*Slap* I slapped both of my own cheeks. Ack, I guess it was a bit too hard, my cheeks hurts. The sound was also so loud. Now the three of them stare blankly at me. Oh well, that shook me up anyway.

“It’s okay. I’ll also rescue Mao, I promised her after all. Moreover, she is... She is my girl!! I won’t just lay down and let just my friend to rescue her, I’ll also fight to take her back!”

This is the first time I admit it loudly. The first time for me to admit that Mao is mine.

This is good, this is how I should be. Last night, I’ve told Gram that I have to do what I need to do. And that’s also a reason for me to rescue Mao, to get ‘MY’ Mao back!

“... Sigh, you really changed a little bit huh. But, it’s okay, you changed for the better. Then let’s go.”

Take probably had seen the new determination in my eyes. But I won’t run with him. “Sorry Take...” As I whispered to him, I was in position, ready to run with all I got.

I... “I’ll be going first!” And as I said that to the three of them, I ran even faster than before, leaving Takeharu, Selia, and Hal I ran as fast as I can.

-Few minutes later-

Seems like I have left them far away. Right, I haven’t seen the video. So while running, I turn on the device I got from Takeharu.

A familiar face appears in the video. As I thought, it really is . A young man roughly the same age as me and Takeharu, wearing a black rimmed glasses. His hair is a bit longer than the last time we took the photo, but no mistake, it’s him.

My, no, our old friend. The one who took my girlfriend in the past, Azakura Kuroda.

“Hello there, it’s been a long time since we met huh? My hair is longer now but you guys should remember who I am right?”

Of course I would remember you.

“How is it? A trip to another world with the same settings as the game we all used to play, interesting? Or maybe you guys are panicking? I bet it’s interesting to meet the game character you know directly right? And there’s even some eroge character! Maybe you guys are screwing some girls from eroge? AHAHAHA!”

This guy is really annoying. If this is not a hologram I’m sure I would have punch him in the face. I’m holding back the urge to slam the device down though.

“Oh right, speaking of which, I find some eroge character, you know?”

*Throb*

That really shake me off. I felt like my heart beat louder than before, no kidding.

“You know, the character you fond of the most Shou? Yeah, I thought it would be funny to take her away from you.”

*Throb*

Don’t f*cking kidding with me Kuroda...

“Of course I actually didn’t have that much interest in this girl you know. She caught my eyes just because ‘She is Yours’ after all.”

*Throb* *Throb*

Damn it, calm down. I need to calm down.

Without me knowing, I was already gritting my teeth in rage.

“Right right, you remember Akina? Actually I also interested in her because of you, you know?”

*Throb* *Throb*

Stop it...

“Ah yeah, I’m also trying to took your Mao away from you right now. Don’t worry, I will take care of her until you find other woman.”

*Throb* *Throb* *Throb*

...

“DON’T YOU MESS WITH ME KURODA!!!”

Something inside me snapped, I really can’t hold it anymore. I’ll beat him up until he seek for forgiveness from God. And even if God forgive him, don’t think that I will let him off that easily. I will send him to hell right away.

“Oh yeah I almost forgot. I’ll be waiting for you at ‘our usual meeting spot’ I hope you still didn’t forgot where it is. We need to settle our grudge after all right? Bye then, see you.”

What kind of idiot that will gives his own whereabouts to the enemy, of course I’m also not that dumb to believe in him right away so I asked Myste to use ‘Search’ to find Mao’s location.

“Myste! Please spread the search as far as you can. I will gives you every bit of my magic power if needed!”

“Y-yes!”

I poured my magic power as much as I can into my hand. Even though I don’t quite understand what this thing called is, it seems I can control it pretty well at least. My cheat is pretty useful, it seems.

After assimilation with Blaze my power, speed, and endurance actually rose considerably. Moreover from my avatar, I got this tremendous amount of magic power and .

“Master! I found it!”

As that trivia comes into my mind, Myste reported to me that she found the rough location of Mao. She sense Mao’s magic power with someone else. Seems like from the direction given from Myste, Kuroda didn’t lie.

Hmm? She is a soul eater spirit was it? Then how could she absorb magic, gather magic, and sense magic power? Does magic comes from our soul? Or is it totally different thing and she just happen to have the abilities?

And just like that another trivia comes to my mind once again. Should I try to ask?

Nah, I’ll ask later. For now I need to quickly take Mao back!!

* * * *

-Myste’s Perspective-

W-what should I do? What should I do?!

Master’s emotions are really fluctuating right now.

I-I guess I need to warn him. Yes, right let’s warn him! He won’t be able to fight calmly like this!

“Ma-Master...”

Uwah~ why is my voice comes out so small and timid?! See, he didn’t even hear it! Come on get yourself together Myste, if you didn’t warn him, it will be dangerous for him! Now, let’s go tell him.

“...”

Now I couldn’t even bring my voice out!!! Aaah just what’s wrong with me? Stupid stupid stupid! Am I intimidated by master’s strong rage?

Au~~ someone help~~~!

-Eltain’s Perspetive-

Sigh. Myste is troubled.

As her half, I could sense what she is thinking.

She’s just too clumsy.

This is also a problem.

I wanted to warn master but I can’t make any voice that master can hear. In the end, I’m just a sword. Unless Myste channels us, it’s hard to talk directly with master.

Now then, what should we do? Myste is right, we can’t let master like this.

He won’t be able to fight properly if the needs comes. Hmm what to do?

-Phantom’s Perspective-

Sigh, seriously this kid is just too hasty.

Being provoked like that is enough to throw his calm away. Well, I guess most people would be like that. But you trained under me you know? You should have a calmer mind.

Even though I’ve been telling him that the basic of every technique is a calm mind, this is just too pathetic.

Well, that immaturity is also part of youth, so it can’t be helped.

I’ll need to find some way. Can those two spirit help? I’ll try to ask them.

* * * *

10 minutes after the incident where Shou was agitated by Kuroda, he is now standing in front of a big tree.

The place he where he is now was a little bit weird. In the area around the radius of 100 meters, there’s no tree except the big tree where Shou is nearby.

It doesn’t mean that there’s no vegetation around, there are grass and some bushes around. There’s also some blue winged butterfly and white or gray furred rabbit can be seen around as well.

This place was...

“... It’s been a long time since I was last here. Though, it was in game so that means it’s the first time I properly come here huh?”

This place used to be the usual gathering place for the four of them.

Yoshitaka Shou, Daichika Takeharu, Yozakura Kuroda, and Takano Akina.

The former group of four used to gather here when playing Grand Eden Land. Even inside the game, the view was quite exceptional. And the fact that there’s not many of player who comes here, it was quite great as gathering and relaxation place.

But recently, even the four of them hasn’t been gathering here. Forget gathering, ever since the group broke up, all of them almost didn’t dare to come here.

“It’s been a long time since we gather here huh? Although, ‘meet’ seems to be more proper for now as Takeharu and Akina aren’t here. Nah, they aren’t here yet.”

A young man who is wearing black rimmed glasses comes from behind the big tree. This is the guy who was in the holographic video that Shou see, Yozakura Kuroda. His gentle looking eyes used to calm Shou and the others, but now looking at his gentle eyes makes Shou felt irritated. In contrast with Shou who is wearing fantasy like clothes (although it wasn’t his battle clothes), he wore a casual shirt and long pants which was their school uniform.

“Yet? So that means Akina also will come here?” Shou’s tone was rather calm, but his expression was rather severe.

“... Yeah, she will also come here. We, the four of us need to settle it all properly.”

“What needs to be settled? I though it’s all already end. More importantly, where is Mao? I want you to give her back.”

“Sigh...” The man called Kuroda sighed at Shou. “I see, you’ve changed. So you are like this now huh? You prioritize woman rather than your friend who is in trouble? Hey Shou, I have some trouble, you need to listen my complain for a bit first.”

“Friend my ass, you are just a traitor. I left you alone after that time, I didn’t bother you and Akina anymore, so why are you coming after me again you bastard?”

“That’s exactly the problem you wimp.”

The atmosphere between the two was very fierce. The relation between them has already been sore ever since the incident.

Shou draw his sword, Eltain, from the scabbard. “I will have you to give Mao back to me.”

“Tch tch, such a violent guy. I thought that you were more of the composed type. Maybe you really changed after all.”

“So what if I did? Not like it concerns you anymore.”

Kuroda also took out something from his back pocket. It were two hand gun. Seems like he had put it into a gun holsters on his back. The gun wasn’t designed like modern gun but it has a bit of fantasy RPG feels to it. Shou realized, it was no normal gun, it’s the gun Kuroda had used in the game.

“I see, and . Such a nostalgic weapon.”

If Shou look back now, he found it funny. Takeharu who was the vanguard with high damage output and great defense who was using Sword and Shield is now using Katana and Shield. But of course, the Katana isn’t from this world, he received in from another world. Kuroda who was a long range attacker who used guns is now also using guns except he use it Akimbo (dual wield using guns) style now. Shou himself who was a support magician is now using magic and also sword to fight. He suddenly find himself wondering ‘Akina was a healer, I wonder what she do now?’

“It really does seems that all of us changed at least a bit huh? By the way, Akina got a cheat and she can summon and tame monsters. Well, she didn’t get her healing skill though.”

“... So where she is?”

“Which one you are talking about Akina or Mao?”

“...” Shou suddenly fell silence and think for a bit. “I’m a bit concerned about Akina, but first I’ll ask this. Where is Mao?”

“Of course, your Mao is here.” Kuroda snapped his fingers as if to call someone.

It was a girl who Shou knows well. His childhood friend who betrayed him with Kuroda, Takano Akina. Surprisingly, Shou wasn’t surprised by her appearance. Her brownish hair which was flowing, blown by the wind was shorter than in the photo they last took but it still reached her around her shoulder blade. Her face still didn’t changed. It has been a long time since he last see her.

“Consider yourself lucky, I let you meet the both of them.”

In her hands, she brought the unconscious Mao and put her down near the big tree, behind Kuroda. As Shou had thought, Kuroda and Akina won’t just release Mao easily.

Akina then approached Kuroda and the both of them seems to be discussing something. Not long after, she left once again, leaving the unconscious Mao lay behind Kuroda.

“Fight with me, Yoshitaka Shou.”

As if to tense up the atmosphere more, the wind blew as Kuroda challenged Shou into a fight.

Kuroda prepare his two guns right away. He loaded new bullets into his revolver’s chamber. is a revolver gun with magazine capacity of 8 bullet, the same with . But if one was to upgrade it, the magazine capacity would reach to 12 bullets. So if it has been upgraded to its full capacity, Kuroda has 24 shoots.

“Don’t worry, it hasn’t been fully upgraded. I only have 10 shoots each, it means I have 20 shoots in total.”

Meanwhile, Shou only had his magic staff, which is , Eltain and of course Myste, and a gun from Blaze. The gun itself is pretty good, but it need to be charged with energy to use, and recently Shou hasn’t charged it so it’s useless. Magic would take too long to chant. He only wear the magic cloak, his defensive Kevlar vest was left at the inn, so probably Selia or Hal had it with them. Without any defensive gear and only melee ranged weapon, it will be hard to win against Kuroda who use guns. Now he regreted that he didn’t ask for his gears earlier. He even left Blaze’s dagger behind. Though, with it probably it won’t change much.

And considering the environment, clearly Kuroda has the advantage. There’s nowhere for Shou to take cover from Kuroda’s shoot.

“Whatever, let’s just get it on.”

Once again, Shou readied his blade, signaling that he accepted Kuroda’s challenge.

* * * *

It seems like I can write a new chapter containing almost 3k words in 1 day...

But I might never do this again. Because I haven't checked if there's any problem in this chapter.

For the later chapter I will do the same procedure as always. Write, check, revise, check, and if it's all OK I will post it on the next day.