The sleek black limousine cruised down city streets, the low hum of its engine couldn’t hide the loud thumps coming from Takumi’s chest. The clock in the car showed that it was 17:23, meaning that his first ever battle would take place in no less than two hours.
To say that Takumi was nervous would be an underestimation. His hard work in the past three weeks would come down to this one battle, and possibly the future of his career too. A slight mistake and the harm would come to his mother as well.
“Takumi-san, are you doing okay back there?”
As if reading his mind, the voice of his mother came from the passenger seat.
“Y-yes. We’re okay, mom.”
His trembling voice betrayed him. He wasn’t this nervous this morning, but now it felt like the gravity of the situation had finally dawned on him. Being stared at by the two people who sat opposite him didn’t help.
Jun, on his right, didn’t seem all that nervous, as he was busy reveling in the luxury of the limousine. Repeatedly, he would open a compartment in the car and exclaimed “whoa!” like finding a new toy.
On the other hand, Saki, on his left, was being meek and silent. She was indeed nervous, but with a grin that reached from ear to ear, it was obvious she was nervous for a different reason than Takumi’s. In her hand was a signed shikishi paper, and the owner of the autograph sitting right in front of her and looking at her face, which made Saki all the more starstruck.
This all started half an hour ago.
♤♠♤♠♤
At around 9 in the morning, Takumi and his mother were notified that there would be a pick up coming for them at 17:00 sharp in a place of their choosing. Takumi informed this to Saki and Jun, and they agreed to meet up in a nearby park.
When Saki and Jun reached the park they specified, they saw Takumi together with an older woman. She was similarly tall, slender, and looked young enough to be Takumi’s older sister.
As usual, Takumi was wearing his uniform. He did say he was bringing his costume in his bag, but he wouldn’t wear it until he was on the scene.
The older woman, however, was wearing a semi-casual outfit — A beige jacket on top of a dress, a small wristwatch and a handbag. Her hair was long and straight, her face was small, and her mannerism was reserved.
To put it one way, she was like a Hina Doll, to put it another way, she was like the very picture of Yamato Nadeshiko. There was an air of elegance around her, as if she was the daughter of a longstanding prestigious house. A traditional kimono would’ve looked great on her.
After an exchange of greeting with Takumi, the woman bowed towards Saki and Jun.
“Pleased to meet you. I am Takumi-san’s mother, Kurogane Shizuka. Thank you very much for taking care of my son.”
Her words and gestures were so polite, Saki and Jun reflexively copied her and bowed as well. Her eyelashes were long and her face was pretty, even without meeting his father, Saki could see who Takumi took after.
The moment he returned to his senses, Jun pulled Takumi away and whispered to him.
“Takumi, you didn’t tell me your mom is such a beaut?! She’s nothing like my mom who looks like Jaiko from that blue raccoon anime!”
“So?”
“…can we trade moms?”
Takumi wilfully ignored him. When Jun asked him whether his mother takes long baths or not, Takumi seriously considered punching him in the face.
The pick-up came exactly at 5 in the afternoon. It was a black limousine, one that Takumi had seen beforehand. Even the driver was the same man dressed in all black.
“Kurogane-sama and party, yes?”
“Yes, all four of us.”
Asked the driver, which Takumi promptly answered.
“Takumi, it’s a limo, a limo!”
“It’s a limousine, Takumi-kun!”
“It is.”
Saki and Jun were excited when they saw the limousine. Takumi, however, was unimpressed. If anything, he only hoped there wasn't a certain woman with the name Isabella H. Grey waiting for him inside.
After putting away the bags in the trunk, except Saki’s who wanted to hold onto hers, the driver opened the door to the passenger seat for Shizuka to get on, before opening the backseat for Takumi and the other two.
Much to their surprise, the backseat was already occupied by two older women. They immediately moved to the backward-facing seats, making way for Takumi and the other two.
After a series of “excuse me” from the three of them, Takumi, Saki, and Jun stepped into the limousine and settled on their seats with Takumi in the middle. Once they fully entered, the driver closed the door. A moment later, the car started and they were off to their destination.
The atmosphere inside the car was that of an awkward silence. Other than Jun who was reeling in the luxury softness of his seat, everyone was silent.
The one to break the silence was one of the older women.
“Good work, Junior-kun. Are you nervous?”
“Ah, yes, I am, Momo-san.”
“Of course you are, it’s your debut battle after all~. So you listened to Momo and made a team, good boy. Mhm!”
Momo nodded in self-satisfaction. From the side, Jun whispered to Takumi.
“Do you know her?”
“She is the senior I talked about. She goes to the Sago House EXP zone to train too. Her name is Momoka Momo-san, she is apparently a YouTuber.”
“Heeh.”
Jun took another look at Momo. The baseball cap that she wore couldn’t fully hide her bright pink hair, and when she opened her mouth a small fang was seen protruding. Indeed, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that he had seen her somewhere.
That was when Saki, who had been uncharacteristically silent, opened her mouth.
“E-excuse me! You’re Magician Momo-chan, right?!”
“I am! Magician Momo, at your service! Chu!”
“KYAAAH, I knew it!”
Saki squealed when Momo made a striking pose. Maybe it was some kind of iconic pose, Takumi thought.
“I’m a huge fan of your content! I’ve been watching since your debut!”
“Really? Thank you! Junior-kun didn’t recognize who Momo was, but it seems you do, young missy!”
“Eeh, you didn’t know Momo-chan, Takumi-kun?!”
Whilst Takumi was wondering where all that energy was coming from, the heat of the conversation was suddenly focused onto him. Not knowing how to answer that question, Takumi could only let out a vague “Well…”
“What about you, Jun-kun?”
“Me? I only watch motivational speeches on YouTube.”
Jun answered while shrugging his shoulders.
For a second, Saki wondered if she had befriended two cavemen as she pulled out the January’s edition of OmegaNow magazine from her bag.
“See, it’s Momo-chan on the cover! Magician Momo-chan’s channel has 100 million subscribers, you know? Not only does she participate in Omega Battles, she also does all sorts of videos in EXP zones. Variety show, game show, let’s play, cooking show, just name it. She is basically the face of Omega content in Japan! The Empress herself! Her Magical Girl theme resonates with younger audiences, but surprisingly most of her audience base is over 20 year-old. She also does a lot of collab with ShotoTotsu, a male VTuber, but rumors said that ShotoTotsu’s real identity is Magician Momo-chan’s nemesis Dark Commander Killgan who uses a voice changer and synthesizer. You see, on their eight collab video when they were playing—”
“ —erm, Momo is happy that you’re passionate, but if you gush that much, it’s a bit embarrassing~”
Saki had completely entered her geeky rant mode, much to the chagrin of Takumi and Jun who could only let out a dry laugh, that she forgot that Momo was right in front of her, scratching her cheeks.
When she returned to her senses, Saki shrunk away, saying “I’m sorry,” with a small voice.
“It’s okay! Momo is happy that you like Momo so much! …that’s right, do you have something you want Momo’s autograph on? If you want, Momo can sign the magazine too.”
“Oh! If so, then…”
Saki once again ransacked her rucksack, making the numerous pins on it clatter, and fished out a shikishi paper and a marker from it.
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“Umm…please sign this!”
She then handed them to Momo with both hands while bowing. Momo received them with a smile, saying “Of course!”
That was when Jun chided from the side.
“I’m surprised you brought something like that. What else do you have in that bag?”
“I’ve come prepared for anything! It’s actually much bigger inside than you think, you know?”
“Heeh, so it’s like a Fourth Dimensional Pocket.”
Takumi immediately elbowed Jun for making that joke. That was when Momo called out to the confused Saki.
“Young missy, what’s your name again?”
“Ah! It’s Kobayashi Saki, Saki with Hiragana.”
“I’m Tada Jun, Ta from Talkativeness, Da from Dandy Country Gentleman, and Jun from Innocent.”
“No, nobody asked, and why are you using difficult Kanjis when it’s just Jun. —When it’s just Jun.”
“Nice pun, Saki-chan.”
Saki couldn’t hold it and played the straight man. Momo laughed at that.
“Momo’s name is Momoka Momo! Momo from Peach Blossom, Ka from Peach Blossom, and Momo from Peach! Subscribe to my channel, okay!”
“Here you go, Saki-chan!” Momo introduced herself as she handed Saki her shikishi paper back, on it was her autograph and a small note saying “to Kobayashi Saki-chan” that ended with an upside down heart mark.
“Thank you very much!”
“Anytime!”
Saki lowered her head to Momo, and Momo answered her with a smile. Once they were done, the other older woman who sat in front of Jun spoke up.
“I’m her manager from Blue Peach Agency, Uesugi Miruna. Nice to meet you.”
The three of Saki, Takumi, and Jun lowered their heads as well, answering her with “Nice to meet you too.”
Somehow, it became a self-introduction even before they knew it.
“Excuse me, Momo-senpai! I don’t know if I can ask this or not, but Momoka Momo isn’t your real name, right?
Asked Jun after raising his hand. To that, Momo validated his question.
“That’s right! In this line of business, protecting private information is vital after all, that’s why Momo uses a stage name! A lot of Momo’s friends use their real name because they want to stay true to their fans, and Momo thinks that’s great too, but a woman is more charming when she has a secret or two, right? Besides, not only does it add to the characterization, it makes it easier to separate private life from business so…”
Momo’s words trailed off, and it sounded like a little bit of her true self was leaking out at the end of her speech.
“Anyway! What about you, Junior-kun? Momo suggested you make a handle name too, right?”
Takumi nodded at Momo’s sudden question.
“A-ah, yeah. I’m registered as Kou, it uses the same kanji as my given name.”
“I see! Momo will start calling you Kou-kun then, okay? From Junior-kun to Kou-kun, that’s quite funny.”
Without waiting for Takumi’s answer, Momo nodded in self-satisfaction. A normal boy would’ve taken that as flirting, Takumi, however, was too busy being nervous to properly respond to Momo.
And so, the story returned to the beginning.
♤♠♤♠♤
The limousine slowed to a crawl, it seemed they had reached their destination. Takumi had seen roads leading to the bay along the way, so he had his suspicions, but it seemed that their destination was somewhere in the area of abandoned warehouses. There was a rumor that there was an EXP zone here, and it seemed that the rumor was true.
What Takumi, and Saki and Jun for that matter, didn’t quite expect was how packed the area was with people.
In dramas, movies, anime and manga, the abandoned warehouse was usually depicted as a dark place outside the eyes of the law where some ruthless yakuza would bury someone in a drum of cement and invite them to swim in the bay.
The abandoned warehouse in front of them, however, was nothing that shady. If anything, it was a buzz of activity. There were flood lights to better illuminate the area even though it wasn’t dark yet, people were pouring out from busses wearing merchandise t-shirts and holding sign boards as if they were on a concert, while some individuals with badges that said STAFF were coming and going in a flurry whilst carrying various equipment such as camera and torch and microphone.
Neither Takumi, nor Saki or Jun for that matter, had ever gone to a movie shooting site or a live concert, but they felt like this was the combination of both.
The limousine they were in stopped far from the crowd. They had circled the warehouse and entered an area behind the security line.
“Whoa, it’s like we’re getting the VIP treatment!”
“Of course. We are VIP, after all~”
Saki exclaimed, and Momo chimed in with a playful wink.
Once the limousine truly stopped, the driver stepped outside to open the doors for Takumi and the rest of the passengers. As they saw Shizuka, who sat on the passenger seat, stepped outside from the limousine, Takumi, Saki, and Jun were drenched in excitement and anxiety.
Before long, the door next to Saki opened, inviting her to step out.
Once she stepped out from the limousine, Saki would truly enter the glamorous world of Omega Battle that she had only seen through her screen — such a thought made Saki hesitant.
But then — Momo grasped her hand, offering a smile.
“Let’s go together!”
“…yes!”
Following Saki and Momo, Takumi, Jun, and Miruna the manager also stepped out from the limousine. The driver then handed each person their respective bag.
The air outside was much different. Of course, there was the salty breeze coming from the sea, but there was also the electrifying tension and excitement in the air. Saki felt like, just by standing here, she was part of something bigger.
She couldn’t help herself from making a huge, nervous grin.
The sentiment, however, couldn’t be shared with Takumi. Ever since he stepped foot on the premises, the thumps in heart were getting louder. His mind was racing, trying to calm down, but his own heartbeat drummed in his ear.
“—kumi-san. Takumi-san!” Shizuka called him out, finally snapping him back. “Are you really okay? You don’t look so good. …It’s not too late to call it off.”
Her voice sounded genuinely worried. Takumi put on a smile and answered her.
“I’m fine, mom.”
“Don’t put a brave front for my sake. I know when you’re hiding something from me, Takumi-san. No need to worry about the money, if I ask your grandmother—”
“Mom.”
Takumi wouldn’t let her finish her words. He didn’t shout, but the voice came out sounding a bit harsh. After a deep breath to calm the nerves, he spoke up.
“I’m fine. …besides, that is just an easy way out. I don’t want to be someone who runs away from m-my responsibilities.”
“Takumi-san…”
Takumi must’ve tried to make his voice come out sure, but the tremble at the end betrayed him once again. Being faced with her son’s determination, Shizuka could only stay in silence.
That was when Momo chimed in from the side, hitting Takumi on the back so hard Takumi winced.
“Aren’t you manly, Kou-kun! You’re right, running away is a coward’s way out. Yup, yup.” Momo nodded her head. “But if you’re going inside the ring just to get humiliated in front of the whole world, then running away is a much better option. Everybody knows Zero’s notoriety, no one is going to blame you if you want to call it quits now.”
Kurosaki Zero, real name Daniel Mitchell. In the past week, Takumi had seen videos of him battling other newbies like him.
Knowing is half the battle. By studying how Daniel fought, Saki, Takumi, and Jun hoped they could find a way to turn this hopeless crisis around. And yet, what they found was a one-sided massacre.
Out of the six videos that they could find, Daniel landed the first hit in four of them. He made use of the reach of his attack to keep his opponents away from him, not giving them any chance to attack him back. He wouldn’t stop attacking even when his opponents were screaming like hell. They weren’t given time to say give up either. Only when his opponents lost consciousness and had to be teleported out did Daniel stop.
In the fifth video, Daniel was up against a photokinesis user. His opponent manipulated light and shot a low-power laser beam before Daniel could land his attack. Daniel immediately screamed something, then started flailing his arms wildly, unleashing a barrage of flying slashes everywhere. At the end of it, the sight of his opponent had to be censored behind a mosaic, though miraculously still alive.
In the last video, Daniel was defeated by a female teleporter. She was apparently a huge fan of Mad Hatter and copied his fighting style the best she could. After a quick search on the internet, however, Takumi and the others found articles of said teleporter receiving death threats in her house, and even becoming a victim of assault. She was now under the custody of a witness protection program, possibly undergoing rehabilitation.
In the end, instead of learning anything that could help them fight Daniel, what Takumi and Jun learned was the feeling of anger that Saki showed back then.
And now, Takumi was next in the chopping block. For Daniel, it might be just another victim to his ‘holy cause,’ but for Takumi, this was the beginning of his journey.
“It’s okay, Momo-senpai! We have a surefire plan that can’t possibly fail!”
Jun’s voice cut through Takumi’s worries. Saki followed him.
“Yeah. Daniel’s viewers want to see his opponent getting beat down, so we’ll just give them what they want. We’ll make a hologram that shows Takumi-kun being defeated, while the real Takumi-kun will be invisible and safe from attacks. That way, we won’t have to forfeit from the battle, Daniel’s maniac fans won’t come for Takumi-kun’s family, and Takumi-kun won’t have to go through a painful experience in his first Omega Battle.”
“That sounds like a plan!” Momo gave her acknowledgement, earning a triumphant smug from Saki and Jun. She then glanced at Takumi. The boy with the long bangs stayed silent, not acknowledging nor denying the plan.
Would someone who’d say that he doesn’t want to run away because that’s cowardly agree to that plan? It was hard to think that Takumi himself came up with that plan.
After letting out a sigh in her mind, Momo spoke up to her junior.
“Kou-kun, we’re rivals once we’re inside EXP zones, but as your senior, let Momo give you another piece of advice.”
Takumi seemed riddled when Momo spoke up to him out of nowhere, or presumably he did behind his bangs, but Momo continued.
“When people do evil in the name of justice, they usually have a symbol of ultimate right, an idol to say. You just need to expose the true face of their idol, and their belief will backfire.”
Yup, Momo is such a good senior after all, Momo thought as she nodded to herself.
Saki and Jun seemed confused, but Takumi seemed to catch what Momo meant, so she let them be.
“Okay then! This is where we part. See you in the arena, Kou-kun!”
Leaving those words behind, Momo and her manager Miruna headed towards a container that had been repurposed to be a waiting room with her name on it.
“We should go too.”
Prompted Saki. They would wait in Takumi’s waiting room until Takumi was summoned for the demonstration recording before the battle.
Inside the waiting room, which also served as a dressing room, Takumi changed into his suit. White vest, crimson red tie, black long-sleeved shirt. Takumi’s mother, Shizuka, gave an acknowledging hum when she saw her son dressed for the first time.
She also asked Saki what the name of the brand was, which Saki couldn’t immediately answer.
“Are you sure about this, Takumi?”
Jun asked, in his hand was a bottle of stiff hair gel.
“Yes. Borrowing Momo-san’s words, it’s to build characterization.”
Answered Takumi resolutely. As he looked in the mirror, he saw Jun applying the hair gel on his bangs, which he pulled to the back of his head, revealing his eyes.
What looked back beyond the mirror was a pair of sharp and clear blue eyes, a mutation that Takumi inherited from his foreigner great-great grandfather. However, what drew the attention the most was the nasty stitched scar that went from above his right eyebrows to under his right eye. Even his right pupil was not safe from the scar, as it showed slight deformation.
Whenever he saw that obnoxious scar, Takumi was reminded of the girl who tried to gauge his eye out out of jealousy. This was his trauma given shape, a dark past he’d rather forget forever. Which was why he grew out his bangs, shielding himself away.
However, in this industry, even a dark past could become a trademark. Rather than running away from it, Takumi decided to turn this into his strength.