Parallel Vol. 6

Chapter 9: Mission Failed

While Suzuki sent the Crazy Heads hurtling to their death, two men watched the rising sun from a helipad atop one of the Research Buildings. Akari Seki took a deep breath, savoring the early morning breeze that tickled the few strands of hair that escaped the glue-like gel. It was such a rare moment of peace and quiet; one he would have relished were it not for the harbinger of doom by his side.

Akari closely monitored the blond demon stood by his side, searching the man's placid smile for any hints of the almost assuredly bad news. Unfortunately, James Shouyou was a hard nut to crack at normal times, let alone when he wanted to hide something.

No longer in a mood to enjoy the scenery, Akari glared at his old frenemy and asked, "Spill it, James. What did you do? You wouldn't call me here, otherwise."

"Heh. Is it a crime if I want to hang out with my old friend?"

Akari's brows furrowed, but he retained his sanity enough to refrain from punching James' smug grin. "We both don't have time for that. If you don't have anything to say, I'm leaving."

"Okay, okay, wait. Damn, you're no fun," James complained with a long sigh. Then, with a thin smile, he said, "The others are close. This place won't be safer much longer."

Color drained from Akari's face like polish from nails. Holding onto the final shreds of hope, he asked, "How long do we have?"

"Six months? Give or take three months." James' lips curled in a wry smile as he said, "Do you know the biggest cliché in videogames and anime?"

Akari's hands shook as he reflexively fixed his glasses. "Why are you doing this?"

"A world-ending plot." Spreading his arms out wide, James chuckled as he watched the rising sun's red sea slowly sweep over the horizon. "You know, I've always hated those. It's like, 'Are the writers incapable of writing believable stakes in their story, so they need to rely on a gigantic McGuffin? Do they think I'll care about destruction of the one thousandth fiction world?'"

"James—"

"But, you know. Now, I understand." James lowered his hands, his gaze turning frosty as he glared at the sun. "It's not the world we care about. It's the few people our MCs care about. We care because the people the MC loves happen to live in that world."

Unable to contain his rage any longer, Akari grabbed James' collar and roared the question he had held in for over twenty years. "Why the fuck are you doing this!?"

James, seemingly unbothered by Akari's rage, softly smiled as the sunlight streamed over their bodies. "Don't worry. I might not be the world's main character, but this planet has people I care about. Pops, little Saeko, that brat, Suzuki and even you, Seki." James patted Akari's shoulder, causing the older man to stiffen. "Don't worry. I too have a stake in this. I'll do what I must."

Akari searched his old friend's eyes, but as always couldn't find anything to read. Realizing he stepped out of line, Akari released James and took a few breaths to calm himself. Moments later, after regaining his calm, he asked, "Tell me frankly. What are our odds?"

"Currently? About twenty percent," James replied. "That will rise to around forty if both games complete their tutorials. Add another five if Genaco finishes its project, and a final five if the world's leaders get their shit together in time."

Akari let out a wry laughter at the dire odds. "So, even at our best-case scenario, the probability is still 50-50?" Adjusting his glasses, he remarked, "I suppose we should be grateful to even have a chance."

"Maybe. But you know, I'm pretty confident," announced James with a grin.

"What is that confidence based on?" Akari asked, but then his brows rose as he thought of a name. "Don't tell me you're banking everything on your daughter?"