Who Is the Dark Master?!

With the octopus monster out of the way, the game between Osaka International and Susaki High was allowed to come to a conclusion. But something strange happened… Myles Larson, the star of the Osaka team, went to Ishida-senpai and personally offered the team's surrender!

“I think the giant octopus was a sign from the kami,” Myles said. “Our run to the championship ends here. Your team is just too good for us.”

What?! I assumed he meant Ishida-senpai was just too good for their whole team to handle. Obviously. Still… It was a bit strange for a baseball team to forfeit out of the blue like that… And specifically because of the giant octopus? Even stranger.

“I accept your surrender,” Ishida-senpai said in response. They both bowed to one another before he continued. “Your team played honorably. While I am saddened by your sudden decision, I understand your reasoning.”

Ishida-senpai then offered a handshake to his rival, which was accepted by Myles. This made it official: Susaki High was going to the third round of the Summer Koshien!

•

Later that day, Aichi and I went to a small park in the city. There, Aichi lit a circle of eight candles and sat in the middle. He then began humming in a very low key, almost like he was meditating.

“Uh… Aichi? What is this?” I asked him.

“This is one of the most powerful spells a Hollow can learn ~woof,” Aichi explained, “the ability to drag someone out of place and bring them to you.”

“Isn't that just the Summon Hollow spell but for people?” I asked.

“Well, yes ~woof, but people weigh considerably more than Hollows do,” Aichi continued. “It takes a lot more mana to drag a person from place to place.”

“And yet people can teleport around to their heart's content?” I asked.

“That's different,” Aichi answered. “Teleporting spells are usually done willingly. This is forced teleporting. Takes a lot more mana to perform the spell. If this doesn't work, I might not be able to cast any magic for a while ~woof…”

“Oh dear…”

“Abracadabra! Alakazam! Summon a human to this location!” Aichi chanted a single time. Meteron, Servant of the Dark Master, suddenly appeared inside the circle of candles.

“What the?! Where am I? What am I doing here?” Meteron asked.

“You're in Nishinomiya,” Aichi answered him. “I've brought you here to answer one simple question ~woof.”

“I'm not talking!” Meteron snapped. “You want to know the identity of the Dark Master so you can bring her to that Count Franz guy. Not happening!”

“You seem to not understand the situation we are in right now ~woof,” Aichi told him. “You cannot leave that circle until I say so. And a random city in Japan could be destroyed if you don't answer this question.”

“There is no Dark Master,” Meteron answered. “At least… not yet… We had a candidate until she was defeated and had her magic taken away.”

She? Magic taken away? He must have been referring to Marie Sendou, whom I… actually it was Tsukiko, her own Hollow who defeated her. She must have been the Queen referenced on that sign Sakamoto and I found… It made sense considering she called herself the Ice Queen.

“How can you call yourself a servant of someone who doesn't exist?” I asked him.

“The Dark Master is currently more of a concept than anything right now,” Meteron elaborated. “On the night of Obon, we will crown the Dark Master, and they will lead us on our quest to conquer the world!”

“Do you know who they will be ~woof?” Aichi then asked.

“We have a candidate," Meteron continued, “but revealing his name would ruin the magic for us.”

“Why do you and your smug face have to be so difficult?” I asked him.

“I'm a supervillain who wants to conquer the world,” Meteron snapped back. “It's my job to make your job difficult. But I will say, because I want to make this fun, I saw that baseball game on TV. That game was obviously manipulated by magic. Just saying.”

“Count Franz said that the Dark Master was among us,” I said. “This means he was either playing in the game or he was watching it in the stands.”

“I won't say any more,” Meteron then told us. “If I speak, I'm in big trouble. Big trouble. And I don't want to be in big trouble.”

“Aichi, I really want to punch this guy,” I said.

“Unfortunately, I cannot hold this connection any longer ~woof,” Aichi then said. “I have to let him go…” In an instant, Meteron disappeared, most likely back to whatever little hole in the ground he came from.

“Well that was a waste of approximately four minutes,” I told Aichi.

“Not quite, ~woof,” Aichi countered. “Ayame, you were sitting right behind home plate. Did you notice any strange behavior from the players?”

“Well, I did notice Ishida would always mutter something to himself when he was ready to pitch the baseball,” I answered, “but I didn't think anything of it at the time.”

“You don't suppose he could be-”

“No! No… Absolutely not!” I interrupted. “He's too hot! Noooooot… Not evil… He's too nice to be the Dark Master!”

That was awkward…

“Well, I'd better get home, ~woof,” Aichi then said all of a sudden. “I have a lot of magical research to do. Also, your mom might start worrying about me. Hide Away, Hide Away!”

Suddenly, Aichi also disappeared. That was weird… I wondered why Aichi would run off all of a sudden… But before I could answer my own question, Kenichi Ishida, the boy we were just talking about, walked up to me.

“I had a feeling we would meet again, Ayame,” he said to me in his usual baritone. “Did you like the game?”

“I liked you…” I accidentally said. “Oops! I meant, uh… Yeah… I liked the game…”

He laughed at my flustered speech. He laughed at me!

“I like you, too,” Ishida then told me.

HE WHAT?! He… He said he likes me…? Oh gods, my heart… doki-doki… right out my body and all around the world. I couldn't believe it! The cutest boy in school just said he likes me!

Okay, this had to have been a joke. That Myles Larson guy must have put him up to it.

“Okay, if you really like me, what's your favorite thing about me?” I asked him bluntly.

“Your hair,” Ishida responded instantly. “The way it flows is quite soothing. Now it's your turn. What's your favorite thing about me?”

“Eyes,” I said without even a thought. “I always get lost in them whenever I think about them. Although... it could also be your voice... Or your hair...”

The way we both answered practically immediately indicated to me that we both seemed to be for real.

“Sorry… That was super embarrassing,” I said.

“On the contrary,” Ishida corrected me, “I've been waiting for you to say that.”

“You've… you were waiting? For me?”

“All the girls at school like me,” Ishida explained. “But none of them are honest with themselves enough to admit it, let alone say it to me. But you, Ayame, there's something special about you. I can't wait to find out what that is… when we go to the school dance on Wednesday.”

“I didn't know there were school dances during summer break,” I said.

“This one was originally planned to celebrate Susaki High's historic baseball season,” Ishida continued. “But, since we won our second round game, they decided to use that time to celebrate our victory. And I'd like for you to come with me.”

My heart melted into my stomach. Here was the cutest, dreamiest, most talented boy in school… He was looking right at me with his big, beautiful green eyes, asking me out to a dance…

“Yes!” I shouted. “I'll go to the dance with you!”

“Perfect,” he then told me. He then grabbed a hold of my hands. “I promise I won't disappoint you. I'll be at your house to pick you up at 8:45. Okay?”

“Okay!”

“I promise this will be the most magical night of our lives, Ayame,” he said, placing a very unusual emphasis on the word magical. “I'll see you then.”

He then let go of my hands.

“I'll see you then, Ishida!” I shouted as he walked away.

“You can call me Kenichi, you know,” Kenichi politely corrected me. “Especially since we're dating now.”

Dating?! Now?!

I was now alone, allowing my thoughts to wander. Oddly enough, my thoughts weren't wandering in the directions they usually went whenever I thought about Ishida… oops, I meant Kenichi: first date, first miss, marriage, honeymoon. No, none of that. Something seemed unusual about Kenichi that I couldn't quite understand. But maybe I would find that out at the school dance.

“It's a date, Kenichi…”