Game 39: Gaming for an Nth Chance at Life?!

Takeshi found himself in what appeared to be the Badlands. He wasn't sure what had just happened. One moment, he was climbing up to the top of the Tower of Power… The next moment he was here…

“Did I… Did I do it…?” Takeshi asked himself. He then reminded himself of his surroundings. “No, this is the Badlands. I'm still in The Game.”

“Not quite, Mr. Ishida,” Mr. Set told him. “It may look like the Badlands, but this is a level I've kept hidden away from the world.”

Takeshi turned to see Mr. Set was standing at the top of a very tall cliff.

“I've always been alone in this place, waiting for someone worthy to complete the process,” Mr. Set explained.

“Where is everyone?” Takeshi asked him.

“Home,” Mr. Set answered, “or on their way home. They aren't needed anymore. You and I are the last two players. Welcome to the Final Game.”

•

“What is this process you're talking about?” Takeshi asked Mr. Set. “What is this place?”

“This is one of the three Creation Engines I placed throughout the map,” Mr. Set explained. “The one you destroyed in Mossy Hills was the first. The Tower of Power was the second. This is the third.”

He paused for a moment.

“I must thank you, Mr. Ishida,” he then said, “for making all of this possible.”

“What?” Takeshi couldn't understand.

“It took me way too long to realize this, but my daughter had been hidden away in plain sight. And Mr. Ishida, you kept her safe. For that, I must thank you.”

“Aisha…” Takeshi realized.

“That's correct. Keeping Aisha safe for me was what allowed this Final Game to commence.”

“So what is this Final Game?” Takeshi asked.

“The Final Game takes place in three rounds: a test of luck, a test of skill, and a test of strength. The first person to two victories will win The Game.”

“There's still a chance to end this, Mr. Set… Aisha wouldn't want you to do this.”

“Aisha is the reason why this is all happening! The Creation Engines, the kill switches, the essential energy, the whole Game itself. All of this was so I could give her the life she deserves!”

Suddenly, a bright flash of light erupted near them. A pillar of light shot up into the sky.

“Speaking of the Creation Engines,” Mr. Set said. “They appear to be activating early. Change of plans, Mr. Ishida. The first test will be one of will. Would you like to test out your wish?”

Mr. Set then entered the pillar of light. Takeshi, having no other choice, followed him.

•

Takeshi found himself in the middle of… absolute nowhere.

Swimming…?

No, not swimming. Floating.

Takeshi tried to go somewhere, anywhere, but there was just empty space.

A voice asked him, “What is it that you wish for?”

“What do I wish for…?”

Takeshi couldn't make sense of this place. He couldn't determine his up from his down, his left from his right, whether this was in The Game, or in the real world, or somewhere else entirely.

“I… I don't know…”

•

Takeshi awoke in bed. This bed was not familiar to him. He was woken up by a gradual rocking back and forth. He wasn't sure what was happening.

“Captain Ishida, you idiot!” cried out a voice from the other side of a door. “The Navy is here, and you're still in bed!”

The voice sounded very familiar. “Rita…? Navy…? Captain…?”

“Did you hit your head in bed or something?” the voice asked. “I'm your first mate, dummy. The King has a warrant for your arrest! Do something instead of just laying around!”

Takeshi… Captain Ishida… stepped out of his cabin and onto the deck of a pirate ship.

“Captain Ishida, mon ami,” another voice, this time that of a male, called out to him. “It's about time you showed up! The kingdom of Eclipsaria will be most pleased to see your head on a spike! Your days of plundering are at an end!”

“Jacques…? I thought you were dead!”

“Dead?!” Jacques and the other members of his crew laughed. “Do I look dead to you, mon ami? Look, you have two choices: come along quietly, or we will have to take your ship by force. Which one will it be?”

Rita walked up to Takeshi. “Sir, I recommend we fire broadsides.”

“Of course you would, Rita… Fire broadsides! Concentrate all firepower on… their battery!”

“You WHAT?!” Jacques was stunned to see this. “Hard-to-starboard! Return fire! Prepare to board!”

“Are you crazy?!” Takeshi yelled. “That kind of maneuver will get your entire crew killed! Have you not seen Pirates of the Mediterranean?”

A screen popped up in front of him.

Unique Skill: Master Swordsmanship

Undefeated in battle. Many cower before your blade.

“Now, this is what I'm talking about!” Takeshi shouted as he engaged Jacques in battle. Just as the screen said, Jacques was no match for Takeshi. However, this was clearly not the Navy's first dance with the legendary Captain Ishida. Not afraid to play dirty, Nikolai slashed at Takeshi's back, sending him tumbling off the side of his ship and into the ocean below.

•

Takeshi awoke to a splash of water hitting him in the face!

“Ugh!” Takeshi groaned. “Are you trying to drown me or something?”

A laugh track could be heard nearby, though Takeshi couldn't see anyone except for an obviously not laughing Rita.

“Is that really any way to greet your best friend, Takeshi?” Rita asked. “Hurry up, dummy! We're gonna be late for school!”

The disembodied laughter resumed.

This world seemed rather normal, except all of Takeshi's friends, and even some of his enemies, were all living in the same random city in Japan. It definitely wasn't Tokyo or any city Takeshi recognized.

Takeshi and Rita were running down the street. Thankfully, it seemed they didn't live too far from their school.

The bell rang to mark the beginning of the school day. After the homeroom period, Takeshi and Rita made their way to their first period class. There, they were met by their friends, Makoto, Proteus, and Aisha as well as their teacher…

“Mr. Set!” Takeshi yelled.

“Ishida!” Mr. Set shouted back jokingly. “You seem awfully surprised to see me!”

More disembodied laughter.

“Alright, class! Today's history lesson is on the Sengoku Period!” Mr. Set began his lecture. “Now, many countries have had their ups and their downs…”

Takeshi remembered now. He always hated these kinds of lectures. But something about Mr. Set's way of speaking made Takeshi feel very… sleepy…

•

“Takeshi!” Rita's voice called out to him

“Takeshi!” Makoto's voice followed.

“Oh great… Where am I now…?”

Takeshi woke up to see Tokyo in blazing ruins. This time, he was in a world where dark magic ruled and those who wielded it fought each other. Apparently, he, Rita, and Makoto were fighting this world's version of the Slicer.

“Goodbye, Takeshi Ishida!” The Slicer put his hands together into a very unusual shape, like he was trying to use a magic attack in The Game.

“Territory Contraction! The Haunted Halls of Fatal Death!”

Takeshi Ishida didn't get to see very much of that world. He began to realize he was subconsciously rejecting all of these wish worlds.

•

The next world was one where everything was made of candy. The people, the buildings, the vehicles… Skip.

•

The world after that was a steampunk fantasy world where apparently nobody had the ability to see in color and everyone spoke like they were in a spoof of The Godfather. Next…

•

And the world after that was one where Aura was both your power level and your currency. Takeshi for some reason had seven lifetimes' worth of Aura stashed up, making him one of the richest and most powerful people in this world. Boring…

•

Takeshi awoke in yet another bed. Must be a recurring theme, he thought to himself. No… this can't be a bed… Too fluffy. After some exploration, he realized he was under something fluffy, and he could hear deep, quiet breathing.

“Wait… am I sleeping under someone?”

Trying not to disturb whoever, or whatever, was on top of him, Takeshi tried to crawl his way out to explore his surroundings. He realized he was inside a house, but everything seemed enormous now.

“Am I inside a giant's house?”

Takeshi explored the house further, finding a mirror. For some reason, he was very curious to see what he looked like in this world. He crawled up to the mirror to see… a lemur.

Takeshi screamed. “That stupid game turned me into a furry!”

Three tails slowly sprouted up behind him. One! Two! Three!

“Nope! No! No! No!!!” Takeshi yelled into the void. “I am not doing this!”

Takeshi Ishida had enough. He wanted to go home… wherever that was...