The Sum Is Greater Than The Parts

Daichi and Keisuke were outside, Captain Kawakami had joined his childhood friends to offer any conciliation he could muster. Daichi had swapped places with a potted plant, that fell from being transported and was now broken in Vice-captain Kirigaya’s living room. Keisuke had teleported to follow him, winding up in a tree. They were now taking a walk to blow off energy.

Daichi’s sister was shackled in a magical ball, on the roof of the Magic and Monster’s Association’s roof, wearing a relic made from dispersing Hyottoko.

 Kei’s sister, me, was now a wanted criminal. All because he couldn’t leave the house after five years, making her do all his dirty work. Which I found completely offensive. He was my father too, and no one made me do anything. Did I like being on the news, no. It was an awful picture they used. 

Keisuke had bottled up his feelings, and himself, for years. Now he was paying the price for that. He was a guy that could do everything but couldn’t do anything, and he felt that most right now. I couldn’t be of much comfort.

Daichi’s situation was much more serious, his sister had nothing to do with this at all. Her likeness was being used by an arch monster for unknown gain, and now she was held hostage as blackmail. This was after being held hostage for who knows how long. All because her brother wanted to help a friend. The whole situation was a lose-lose.

Not to mention Okame's brother.

My friend Hyottoko. Who had helped me chase after a dodo so I could reconnect with my brother. Who helped break into the MaMA for my father’s sake. Who had sacrificed himself so me and Daichi could escape. Was now reduced to a relic. If I could bring someone back right now it would be him. 

My father died trying to help his son, it was his choice to go there. Did he know how dangerous it would be, I didn’t know. Did Hyottoko, probably not. He was such a pure spirit: I guess most monsters were pure essence. He was maniacal and unhinged but he never deserved the judgement I gave him just for being a monster.

I held Okame close. She was crying and sobbing like any little girl would when her family member died. Like I had five years ago when Keisuke told me, our father wouldn’t be coming back. That was the day I got my second epiphany; I just wanted him to stop talking. I petrified him, and left him as still as stone for over an hour.

 The essence wouldn’t clump for me right now. I was frozen, I wish I could join Okame in crying. I was just shocked, after all we’d been through, it still led to this. I had no idea the can of worms I had opened by trying to find some answers. The problem's of a child snowballing into the problems of an adult. It started so simple, not like this mess I was suddenly thrust into.

Captain Kirigaya was wordlessly sweeping up the broken plant. I took a glance out the window. Captain Kawakami had convince his two friends to lay on the grass. They were staring up at the clouds. Chihiro’s hands moving up and down like he was leading them in yoga, or trying to get them to breath. It then went into much more animated gestures as he got caught up talking about something.

“Rei?”

“Yes, Okame?”

“Is there any way to bring my brother back.”

I gave her a weak smile.

“I have a few leads, but nothing concrete right now.”

“What does that mean?”

Her little eyes were welling up, about to cry again.

“It means I’m also trying my best to bring someone back. And if I? When I. When I find an answer; you’re the first the person I’ll share it with.”

She wiped away her tears, and put on a brave face.

“And if I find the answer first, you’re the first person I’ll share it with too.”

She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed me tight. I squeezed her tight. Monsters did have family; she had said that was her brother. Who was I to argue. I was a girl fighting for her family too. No better than Okame, actually Okame was probably better than me in a lot of ways. She wasn't wanted on the news.

“Come on girls, I’m really trying not to cry right now.”

Asaka wrapped her arms around us, tears streaming down her face. Cool ladies cry too.

We sat there for a while, until Okame’s breathing settled down.

“Alright enough of that, let’s go see if these boys have come up with any half decent ideas on what to do next.”

As we stood up, I felt it. A large amount of essence clumping outside. I looked at Asaka, she looked at me.

“That’s a lot of essence, maybe Chihiro got his fifth.”

We both ran outside onto the patio.

The wind was rushing around the three boys standing in the middle of the garden. Essence clumping in large swirls around them, a sleek and mysterious blend.

“Get back!”

Captain Kawakami yelled and motioned for us to retreat. It wasn’t him that was having an epiphany, it was Daichi and Keisuke. Both breaking into the realm of an Elite Mage.

“Stack the deck, load the dice,”

“Gather dense, and gather deep,

The two of them chanting and focusing. The two men usually caught up in theory, obsessed with the rules and consequences of life, unable to deny their feelings today.

“drug the horses, fake the rice,”

“Swirl like a circle just for me,”

Maybe it had something to do with their friend Chihiro being around. Maybe if they had kept in better contact with their friend who's head was in the clouds, they wouldn’t have been guys with their heads in the sand. They might have had their epiphanies sooner. Life was full of possibilities, but I couldn’t think of a much better time than now.

The magic clumped around the two of them, with a slight mist pooling around their feet.

“LOADED-DECK!”

A burst of essence clumped around Kei's hand as the essence changed and a new chant was called.

“LIGHTNING BRANCH!”

Tendrils of Lightning started bubbling from Kei’s hand destined for the sky.

“MYSTERY MARBLE!”

Daichi had finished his chant, and the chant of Kei’s was cut short. The lightning essence swirled and wrapped up by Daichi's essence until the air was still, and a small glass-like orb fell onto the grass.

The two boys looked at the marble, and then looked at each other. Looked at the marble again, then looked at each other again. Who knows how long that would’ve gone on without Captain Kawakami putting an arm around each of them. The three of them wrapped up into a hug. As giggles began escaping the men.

“Do you know what this means?”

“You’ll be able to stop me before I turn anyone into stone ever again!”

“Yes! But also I’ll be able to take anything Sukimoto throws at me, and throw it right back.”

He ran over to the marble, a small amount of essence clumping into his hand and he threw the marble into the air. The chant released and lighting spread out like a giant tree’s branches into the sky.

Captain Kawakami clapped. Me and Asaka, had our hands on the railing enjoying the show. Daichi was now able to store chants. Daichi ran over to Kei, and pulled him up from the ground.

“What does yours do?”

“It narrows down the possibilities of the chants summoned. I think of attack, defense, heal, buff, summon, and it gives me a random one in that category.”

Keisuke began to cry again, but what else is new.

“I’m finally useful!”

That cry came from somewhere deep in his chest, something he had been wrestling with long before he locked himself up. The reason why they went on that research trip in the first place. That then became the reason he became a shut-in.

Daichi looked at Kei, and a mad scientist grin crept over him. Reading his mind, the same thought appeared in Keisuke’s head. I could tell because an evil smile was over his face as well. I bet these two were menaces when they worked together. 

“You thinking what I’m thinking.”

“We have you cast as many spells as you can, and save the most powerful.”

“Then we hit Sukimoto with every marble we have?”

“We could take on the whole association this way.”

Vice-Captain Kirigaya, walked across the lawn.

“Hold up boys, we still have room to negotiate. There’s a lot of people involved, and that ball is the best essence containment the MaMA has.”

Daichi looked at her serious, and measured.

“That man is ruthless, he’ll take whatever he deems useful from anyone no matter who they are. He has to be stopped.”

“He’s a liar, and showman. He can’t be allowed to go on Asaka!”

Keisuke had his friend's back.

“Do you mean we just let him threaten us and give him what he wants.”

Captain Kawakami, turned his head to the house like a dog hearing a whistle. The other three kept arguing.

“You saw the way he strung up an innocent woman Asaka. He’s not a good man.”

“We go there tomorrow and take him down. I have five years essence built up. And also five years of rage.”

“I’m not saying he’s good, I’m saying we explore all our options.”

“Guys, look.”

Captain Kawakami pointed to the upstairs of Kirigaya’s house. Essence was clumping once more. Thicker and faster than when the boys simultaneously broke through. I had felt this before, my hair stood up. All five of us began to smile, then giggle, then laugh rolling on the grass. The windows on the room burst, as a woman’s laughter could be felt from all the way on the lawn.

A young lady flung her upper-half out of the window, her face covered fully in a mask of a laughing woman’s face.

“I’m going after Hyottoko! I’m going to get the last laugh!”

Okame shrieked and giggled, floating on the breeze above us, bubbles coming out of her ears. Holding her stomach as she giggled and shrieked with joy, rolling on the wind.

A new Arch-monster had manifested.

Vice-captain Kirigaya propped herself up, wheezing from the laughter.

“Well, there goes negotiating.”