She turned to the camera. “If you want to see that crab of yours alive, then you won’t want to wait until tonight. I’ve just given my orders to that weapons factory, so you’d better move quickly.”

Her pitch-black eyes gleamed behind her dark glasses.

“We’ll meet again soon, hero. I’m looking forward to it.”

Kurokawa flicked the camera lens, which cracked, reverting the broadcast to static snow and a drone of white noise.

2

“On the chime, the time will be…nine…PM…exactly.”

Tick…tick…tick…BONG.

With the ring of the bell, a chill wind blew, causing a green-colored Immie security guard to shiver.

“He’s late… I’m freezin’ my ass off out here.”

The Immie placed a cigarette through the mask’s mouth (it was made to open and close) and to his lips. After skillfully taking a drag, he dropped the cigarette on the ground and stamped it out, before gazing helplessly up at the dark sky.

“Suddenly callin’ me out for a shift on Friday night… City of Love, my ass. This whole town can go suck it.”

“Heyyy, I’m back!”

“There you are.”

All of a sudden, another Immie, yellow and slightly shorter, came running over, flapping their arms.

“You took your time,” said the first. “Did you have enough money?”

“I’m sorry,” said the second. “They were all out of your usual. Completely, utterly out! But don’t worry: I picked one that’ll blow your brains out!”

Is that a good thing…?

“Man, I’m starving! Aren’t you hungry, too? Let’s sit over there and eat.”

The green-colored Immie took his junior’s advice and sat down against the front gate of the weapons factory, placing the bag of piping-hot food between them. Whether the taste would “blow his brains out” remained to be seen, but the smell wafting from the bag really tickled the green Immie’s nose.

“Here’s your coffee, sir.”

“Oh, thanks. So what’d you get?”

“Feast your eyes on these, sir! Hippo rice balls, hippo sashimi, hippo-tail stew, a Big Hip and fries…”

“Is there anything here besides hippo meat?! You’re trying to ruin my stomach!!”

“Oh, quit talking like an old man. Just try it. They’re running a promo now with the takeover of Gunma. They’ve got access to new stock, much better than the old stuff!”

“Really…?”

The guard Immie gave his junior a suspicious glance and picked up one of the synthetic rice balls, eyeing it carefully. It didn’t have the characteristic stench of low-quality hippo meat, and instead smelled quite tasty.

“Right then.”

““Bon appeti—””

Crashhh!!

Just as the two were about to stuff their cheeks, the factory gate behind them shook violently, launching them forward. The food in their hands fell to the ground.

“Aaah! My rice ball!!”

“Get up, idiot! Shit, the gate!!”

Crash! Crash! Crash! Crash!

With each sound, the metal of the gate warped out from the inside, before finally, on the sixth…

Ker-ashhh!!

““W-waaaaagh?!””

The doors were flung from their hinges and catapulted high into the sky, but not before catching and tearing off the younger Immie’s rabbit ears. The doors then sailed through the air and came crashing down on a research facility some distance away. White smoke billowed into the air from the landing site.

“That was damn close… I thought we were dead…”

“S-s-s-s-s-sir! Look!”

The guardsman Immie slowly looked up to see an enormous crab, its orange carapace gleaming in the emergency lights.

Ka-bang!!

Freed from its restraints, it swung its greatclaw, angrily toppling a wall that read WEAPONS FACTORY #3.

And then, from atop its back came a voice.

“The hell are you two doin’, sleepin’ on the job? Get outta the way unless you wanna die!”

The emerald glint in the speaker’s eyes shone through the darkness.

“It…it’s the Man-Eating Redcap, Akaboshi!!”

Indeed, atop his noble steed sat none other than that famous villain, wanted throughout the nation.

“You’re a free crab now, Actagawa!” he cried. “Ride on!”

“Eeeek!”

The earth shook as the giant crab scuttled ahead. The green Immie leaped sideways, grabbing the yellow one, who was pinned to the spot in fear, and pulling him into a decorative planter beside the gate.

Next to the fearsome Akaboshi rode his partner, Milo Nekoyanagi, the Man-Eating Panda. “I’m sorry for interrupting your lunch break!!” he shouted back.

“S-sir…,” said the shorter Immie, now caked in soil, as they passed.

“What?”

“Do you think we’ll get workers’ comp for this?”

“You got some brass ones, kid.”

The two of them watched as the giant crab rode off into the night.

“Well, that was easy. I didn’t have to fire a single arrow. I thought we were walkin’ into a trap.”

Imihama’s industrial belt was awash with searchlights and droning sirens. Actagawa hopped across factory roofs, leaving a trail of toppled chimney stacks and water tanks in his wake.

“Yeah,” said Milo as they landed on the highway. “Something’s not right. Given that creepy invitation, I figured Kurokawa would have done something to stop us!”

“We ain’t done yet—I can smell it.” Bisco frowned. “Knowin’ Kurokawa, she’s got somethin’ hidden up her—”

Flash!!

Suddenly, a searchlight illuminated the three fugitives.

“Nicely done, Akaboshi, nicely done!”

The source of the beam, a large aircraft, slowly made its way out from behind a building with a low drone.

“Got it all on camera, in a single take!”

“Speak of the freakin’ devil!” yelled Bisco, squinting into the spotlight. “What even is that thing? Looks like a giant flying starfish!”

“Watch out, Bisco! That’s one of Matoba’s newest models, the Dacarabia!”

The Dacarabia was an enormous flying machine that took the form of a spinning, five-pointed star. It was created using starfish bred for their size and rigged up with cameras, lights, microphones, and everything else needed for filming. It was frighteningly agile, tuned to perfection so as not to miss a single shot.

“The stillness of the night is shattered as the giant crab breaks down the walls of its confines! And atop its back…”

Kurokawa herself sat in a metal cabin suspended from the starfish’s center, bellowing into a megaphone.

“…Bisco Akaboshi, a new generation of hero! Phew-ee! The audience’ll love it!”

“Dammit, Kurokawa, what are you after?!” barked Bisco, his voice like a thunderclap as he spurred Actagawa on. “If you wanna fight, let’s fight! Why we gotta do this bullshit every time?”

“Akaboshi. Weren’t you listening to my broadcast?” said Kurokawa, before turning to micromanage the cameraman Immie by her side. “…Hey, lower the shot,” she said, then turned back. “All I want is to create the world’s greatest work of cinema…starring you.”

“A movie?!”

“This might come as some surprise, but my dream has always been to capture a great hero on film.”

This revelation actually did come as a surprise to the two boys, who froze in shock.

“The moment you shot me through the heart, erasing me from this world…”

Kurokawa continued speaking in soft, amorous tones.

“…I knew. I knew you were the hero I sought. So I made up my mind—I would make you a star. It was tough after that, you know. Coming back to life, finding employment at that prison, and bowing down to that silly little flower girl…”

“Bisco, watch out! She’s trying to distract us!”

“Yeah, I know! We ain’t got time to listen to your crap, lady!”

Before Kurokawa could launch into her painfully contrived spiel, Bisco passed the reins to his partner and drew the bow from his back.

“You talk big for someone who’s supposed to be dead, Kurokawa. Allow me to finish what the Reaper started!”

“Ohh, here comes Akaboshi’s big scene! Don’t miss a second of it!”

Shwf!

Bisco’s arrow hurtled through the night like a thunderbolt. But just centimeters from the governor’s nose…

Bwonggg!!

…the sweeping, half-circle motion of an iron staff knocked it clean out of the air. The arrow fell to earth, where it exploded at one end of the factory, covering the area in red oyster mushrooms that glowed faintly in the night.

“Hoo-ee! Your arrows never fail to put the fear of god in me! …Hey, step in sooner next time.”

“Yes, Director.”

“Bisco, look!” said Milo.

The two boys cast their gazes to the familiar figure standing beside Kurokawa on the edge of the cabin, her sleek dark hair fluttering in the wind.

“Bisco Akaboshi! Milo Nekoyanagi!” she roared, pointing the tip of her staff toward the moving crab. “Your insolent behavior toward the director cannot be ignored. I shall spare your life for the sake of this production, but know that not a single one of your arrows shall harm anyone aboard this craft!”

“What…?!” growled Bisco.

“Listen to me, husband. You should be proud to have been selected for this opportunity; do not shirk your duties!”

“The hell?! What’s more important to you? Your family or your job?!”

That’s rich, coming from you! thought Milo, as he skillfully maneuvered Actagawa through the factory district. They were now approaching the Imihama northwest gate leading to Niigata, and it was starting to concern the two boys that Kurokawa had not yet tried to attack them even once.

“All right, scene one, ‘Escape from Imihama’—that’s a wrap!” said Kurokawa, peering over a script in her hands and nibbling on the end of a ballpoint pen. “Not bad, I must say. Now, let’s move to the next location. Scene two takes place on Kobiwashi Island, off the coast of Niigata. We need to head over and make sure the place is ready, so take your time getting there.”

“Are you crazy?! You think we’ll go there just ’cause you told us to?!”

“Oh, but you will. You know what’s there, don’t you?”

Suddenly, Milo seemed to realize something. “The sporko! Kobiwashi Island is where all the Hokkaido Mushroom Keepers are! Chaika, Cavillacan, and the others!”

“It’s a good thing Nekoyanagi’s here. It seems Akaboshi’s too stupid to follow the plot by himself. Yes, in precisely forty-eight hours, I will fire our newest Ganesha gun at the island. Wait until you see the punch it packs this time. There won’t be a single blade of grass left standing.”

“What…?!”

“If somebody doesn’t save them, the very last of the sporko will go extinct… What a tragic tale. Is there no hero willing to stand up for these poor, oppressed minorities?!”

Bisco clenched his teeth and glowered at Kurokawa with all his might. His jade-green eyes twinkled like flames, reflected in the governor’s glimmering shades. Her blood racing with excitement and fear, she wrapped her arms around herself, staring directly back into Bisco’s eyes as though to say, “Now I’ve got you.”

“…Those eyes. Those are the eyes I’ve been waiting for, Akaboshi! This isn’t a game. I would do anything to bring out your full potential… Do you remember what kind of person I am?”

“You’re a sick bastard!”

“Not anymore. I’m a sick lady now. Toodles.”

Kurokawa snapped her fingers, and the Dacarabia began to spin, giving rise to a great storming gale, like a tornado. The two boys raised their arms to shield their eyes as their cloaks flapped madly in the wind, and the flying machine took off in the direction of Niigata.

“…The conquest of Imihama. It was all for the sake of this film…”

Milo thought back to what Kurokawa had said on the TV broadcast last night.

Could it really be true? She’s doing all this for a movie?

Milo thought back to what he knew of the governor. This new female Kurokawa seemed even more unhinged than the old one.

“No time to mope, Milo. We gotta get over to that island.”

“So we can save the sporko, you mean?”

“I don’t know what Kurokawa’s deal is, but I can tell she’s serious. She looked me right in the eye. That means she’s stronger than when she was a guy, at least.”

Milo nodded and took the reins. Then something occurred to him.

“Bisco,” he said. “Why don’t we split up? One of us can go get help.”

“Help?” asked Bisco. “From who?”

“You know who! He’s helped us before! I’m sure he’ll be glad to—”

“Stop. Don’t say any more, Milo.”

Bisco narrowed his eyes. Without turning to look at his partner, he continued.

“I can’t rely on my old man to break us out of every jam. We’ll do it ourselves. Me and you—his student and mine. I wanna give him somethin’ nice to take with him when he passes on, and this might be our last chance.”

When Bisco finished speaking, Milo nodded, and placed his hand over his partner’s.

“I get it. Shall we go, then?”

“You bet your ass.”

“All right. Ride on, Actagawa!!”

The two boys and the giant crab dashed off in the direction of Kurokawa’s aircraft, moving through the black of the Imihama nightscape, with the usual fire back in their eyes.

3

“Hyo-ho-ho! So high up! The buildings look like ants!”

“Splendid, isn’t it? This canyon is one of our most popular destinations… But I must warn you to keep away from the edge, sir. The winds get awfully cold up here.”

“Don’t treat me like some old man, sonny!”

Earthmirror Gorge, in the northern reaches of Yamagata Prefecture, possessed a peculiar soil that was filled with tiny gemstones, causing the earth to glisten in the sunlight. This made it one of the most famous natural heritage sites in all of Japan.

However, few tourists were willing to brave the treacherous roads to Yamagata, and the land was too barren to use for farming, so the Yamagata government was at a loss for how to capitalize on this natural wonder.

That was where the Yamagata Air Force came in. A few enterprising pilots with time to spare roused their freeloader escargot planes and started up a small skydiving venture over the valley. The sight of the sparkling colors as one parachuted through the air was something to behold, and word quickly spread until the business had the official support of the Yamagata treasury.

“Ha-ha! What a magnificent sight! It wasn’t cheap comin’ up here, but I’m glad I did!”

“We’re so happy to hear that, sir. Now we’re coming up to the drop point, so—”

“Can’t wait. I wanna drop now!”

“What?!”

As the old man approached the plane’s open side door, the staff hurried to stop him.

“W-wait a minute, sir! You’re not even wearing your parachute!”

“What’s that, sonny? That old thing ain’t gonna save me! When it’s time, it’s time!”

“S-somebody help! Hold him down!”

“Grrrrgh! Get…off…meeee!”

A total of three staff members barely managed to fit him with his diving suit and parachute, after which the old man grumbled, “Bah. This old junk’s just gonna weigh me down.”

“Phew! What an energetic gentleman. Now, we’ll jump on three. Are you ready?”

“Ready!”

“That’s what I like to hear! Three…”

“Hup!”

The old man immediately leaped into the wind, his white whiskers flapping.

“Two— Wait, whaaat?! I can’t believe this customer!”

The startled diving assistant quickly hopped off the plane in pursuit. The elderly gentleman screamed a lively “Wahoo!” as his white ponytail fluttered behind him.

“Please don’t hurt yourself, sir!” called the assistant, diving after him. “I’ll get fired!”

“What a bother,” the old man grumbled. “Can’t you stay outta my way when I’m havin’ fun?”

“I have to make sure you’re okay…”

“Escargot to Dive Leader Hirasaki, please respond. We have a problem.”

“I know! I’m trying, but he won’t listen!”

“Not him! We’re picking up weapons on the radar. Something in the clouds ahead. Something… Whoa, what is that?!”

This concerning message caused Hirasaki to turn and look back at his plane, just in time to see a bolt of lightning rush out from a cloud and pierce the escargot’s belly. The engine exploded, and the blast wave caused Hirasaki to lose control, tumbling through the air.

“Oh my god!” Hirasaki wailed, as a stray piece of wreckage cracked his goggles. “An escargot plane, destroyed? That’s never happened before!”

Just then, a broken-off wing sailed through the air toward him.

“W-waaaah?!”

He threw his arms over his face, knowing full well it would do nothing to protect him. Just then…

Fwip! Fwip!

…two arrows flew past him, skimming his ears before landing in the wreckage and exploding with a Gaboom! Gaboom! into two clusters of white mushrooms that tore the wing apart, saving Hirasaki by the skin of his teeth.

“…Wh-what happened? Mushrooms?!”

“Hyo-ho-ho-ho! Clever of you to include this little surprise for me!”

“O-old man! You’re a Mushroom Keeper?!”

Hirasaki turned to see the elderly gentleman with a bow in his hands, firing shot after shot with untraceable speed and astonishing power. A rapid succession of arrows flew past the soldier once more.

Gaboom! Gaboom! Gaboom!

Debris rained down incessantly on the pair, but the old man blew every last piece away with his arrows and mushroom arts. Once the sky was clear again, he casually put away his bow.

“Now, to enjoy the rest of my flight!” he quipped.

“You’re amazing, sir! What’s your name? You must be famous!”

“Pipe down, sonny, and mind yer own business! Now, tell me how to use this parachute thingamabob. That’s what I paid you for, ain’t it?”

“O-okay!”

The bewildered diving instructor did as he was told and guided the elderly gentleman to the designated drop point.

The night air was still, the heavens illuminated only by countless stars. A gentle pillar of smoke rose from a tent erected at the top of the gorge, where a pot was simmering over an open fire. The old man dipped his wooden spoon into the bubbling ocher stew and brought it to his lips.

“Mmm. Mmm. Fwoo!”

His reaction failed to make clear whether he enjoyed the taste. To the unsuspecting, he was just a happy old man, but those who sensed the true power lurking beneath the surface could see him for who he truly was: Jabi, hero of the Mushroom Keepers.

“Hyo-ho-ho! This skydiving lark ain’t as bad as I thought! Just wait until the old hag hears about this!”

Jabi dipped his spoon once more into the mysterious stew (which, according to him, consisted of rat meat and hen-of-the-woods mushroom soup) and slurped it up ravenously, before pulling out a notebook from somewhere on his person. He made a large tick on the page and glanced over the remainder—a written list.

“…Skydiving…check. Not many left now! Maybe I’ve been a bit overzealous. Wonder if I should add a few more for good measure?”

He scratched his head for a few moments, when all of a sudden, he heard a noise.

“Hmm?!”

Outside the tent, a few rocks and boulders broke away from the cliffs and tumbled into the gorge. Jabi had set up truffle incense to ward away insects, so anything that approached the tent was most likely a dangerous predator.

“Who’s fool enough to disturb my mealtime?” he grumbled. “Show a little respect.”

Jabi picked up his bow and exited the tent. At the same time, he cleared his mind and extended his senses for any turbulence on the still surface of the pool that was the world around him. The technique was called “Soulprinting.” Banryouji monks studied for years to learn it, but Jabi had just kind of figured it out by himself, and for him, executing it was as simple a task as breathing.

…Hmm? That’s odd. I ain’t pickin’ up a darn thing. False alarm?

“H-help me!”

“Hyo-ho?”

Just as he was about to give up and head back inside the tent, Jabi heard a staticky voice coming from behind him.

“I—I can’t hold on! I’m fallin’, I’m fallin’!”

“Well, I’ll be! Busy day for savin’ lives!”

Jabi tottered over to the cliff edge, where he spotted a strange robotic jellyfish, painted bright pink, hanging from the brink.

“What in the blazes?!”

“G-Gramps! It’s me, Tirol! You gotta help me!”

“Goodness, lassie! You gone and replaced your body with some sort of mechanical contraption? Even I ain’t that kooky! What a waste of a pretty gal!”

“Y-ya think? Eh-heh-heh… Wait, no, ya old coot! This ain’t me—it’s a remote-controlled drone! I came to talk to ya; ya gotta pull me up!”

“Come to talk to an old man like me? So kind of you, lassie. Let’s get you up, then!”

Jabi lowered his bow and allowed the dangling Tirol drone to grab on to it, before flinging her back onto solid ground. The drone cried out, retracted its arms, and turned into a ball, rolling across the ground and into Jabi’s tent.

“Oops. Guess I don’t know my own strength.”

There was a clang and a shout, and Jabi zipped back inside the tent to see that the Tirol drone had knocked into the pot of stew, spilling the contents all over itself and the floor.

“Oh, what have you done, girl? That was supposed to be my supper!”

“That was your fault, old man!” yelled the drone, stripping the pot from its head and casting it aside. “Seriously, like son, like father! You both gotta be a little gentler with these things!”

“So what is it you wanted to tell me, lass?” said Jabi, whipping out his pipe and taking a few careful puffs. “…Actually, on second thought, I don’t wanna hear it. Just leave me be.”

“It’s about Bisco! He’s in huge danger!”

Tirol’s own face appeared on the large display attached to the drone’s head, as her static-laden voice came through the speakers.

“His wife’s been taken hostage, and the sporko are all gonna die! Milo and Akaboshi are trapped, with no choice but to do what Kurokawa says!”

“…”

“The thing is, Kurokawa’s totally fixated on him! She won’t be expectin’ an attack from outside! But the Kusabira and the Benibishi are busy with their own problems, so…”

“So you want me to stage an attack on Kurokawa, that it?”

“Yeah! You’re the only one we can count on! It was hard to track ya down, I gotta say, but now I’ve found ya! And there ain’t no way Kurokawa’ll be ready for your legendary skills!”

“I ain’t doin’ it.”

“Whaaat?!”

“I said, I ain’t doin’ it.”

Tirol was taken aback. Before she could respond, Jabi reached into his pocket and pulled out the notebook from earlier.

“Wh-what’s this?” Tirol asked as the drone’s camera zoomed in on the cover. There, in whimsical lettering, were the words AKEMI HEBIKAWA’S BUCKET LIST.

“…Akemi Hebikawa?”

“Jabi’s just a nickname. That there’s my real name. Oh, the girls used to go wild for old Akemi… You can call me that, too, if’n you like.”

“Like hell I will, ya senile old fart!”

“Reckon I’ll be dead by the end of the month…”

“Listen up, Gramps! Those boys of yours are in trouble! Are ya gonna let a little thing like dea—? Wait, what?!”

“Really pulled out all the stops back in Tokyo, ya see. By rights, I should be dead already. It’s only ’cause of this Bishamon concoction that I’m still kickin’.”

“Y-you can’t be serious…”

“But I’m tired o’ cheatin’ death, lassie. Reckon I’m about ready to lay these bones to rest. Bisco’s all grown-up now; he don’t need an old man like me to look out fer him no more. I’m gonna do the things I wanna do, and then I’ll be on my way.”

At Jabi’s urging, Tirol turned the pages of the notebook and peered inside.

…

“…”

“What? There’s more on the next page, y’know. Take a gander.”

“No, It’s fine. I got the gist of it…”

Tirol’s voice took on a grave tone, and she handed the notebook back. Then, not quite knowing what to say, she fumbled with her words for a while.

“…Bisco would blow a fuse if he knew I’d come to talk to ya today,” she said at last. “And I know I don’t have the right to tell you how to live what’s left of your life. But…”

“…”

Jabi patiently awaited Tirol’s next words with a smile on his face.

“But…that’s why you gotta go see Akaboshi one last time. He’s still just a kid…and you’re his hero, y’know? He’d never forgive himself if he wasn’t by your side at the end…”

Jabi was silent for a moment, then he exhaled a puff of smoke and asked, “You sure you’re the real Tirol, lassie?”

“What?! You don’t trust me?!”

“Hyo-ho-ho! Just a joke, lass. Your earnest words threw me for a loop, that’s all.”

With his peaceful smile, Jabi looked ready to ascend to heaven that very moment. Tirol could say nothing to change his mind, so she stood the drone up and made to leave the tent.

“…See you, old man. Or maybe I won’t. Have a good death…I guess. Is that what they say?”

“Never heard you sound so considerate, lassie. Tell Bisco he’s an idiot for me, will ya?”

“Sure. Good-bye…”

Then the Tirol drone retracted into a ball and rolled away. Jabi watched it go and took another puff of his pipe.

“Hmm… Bisco, eh?”

A childish grin crossed his lips as something occurred to him. At the bottom of the list, right under Skydiving, Jabi scrawled another entry.

4

“Namari interceptor craft synchronization rate at ninety percent.”

“All systems nominal. Both main engines and all four sub-engines ready.”

“Mantra reactor link secure. Ready for takeoff.”

The fleet of Milo Primes uttered their final reports. The hangar doors opened, and out came Actagawa, his claws raised triumphantly in the air, with several gleaming flight attachments equipped to his carapace. His two masters sat atop him.

“Bravo!” came a voice. “I’m seeing—Cough!—a twelve hundred percent power gain over the average steelcrab specimen!”

“Is that a good thing, Professor Namari?”

“Shut up, Milo! We ain’t got time to listen to his explanations! We’ll be here all day!”

The two boys were fastened into their upgraded saddles with seat belts. Namari’s excited voice came through a speaker in their headrests.

“Listen, boys. This flight system draws its power from the mind of the crab that pilots it. That means that Actagawa there will be the one in control. Cough! Simply put, if he wants to be free of it, he will. From here on out, it’ll all be about the bonds of trust between you!”

“Hmph. Same as always, then,” grumbled Bisco. Something obviously upset him about the whole arrangement. As he traced his finger along his tattoo, he asked the gods for forgiveness.

Bisco and Milo hadn’t been sure how they would reach Kobiwashi Island before the end of Kurokawa’s two-day time limit. This was where Tirol, the brains of the party, came in. She suggested reusing the Actagawa jet boosters from back when she helped the boys inside Hokkaido. However, Tirol was currently busy acting as a double agent for Kurokawa, and couldn’t lend a hand with the engineering, so the boys were left with only one choice: to seek out Professor Namari, the figure who had originally assisted Tirol with this technological leap in crustacean aviation.

And so it was that the boys came to Niigata, which as of now was still narrowly outside Kurokawa’s control, to find the reclusive engineer and secure his assistance.

“Whoa! Doesn’t this just get your heart racing, Bisco?!”

“Like hell! The only thing making my heart race is what the gods are gonna do to us for makin’ crabs fly!”

Below them, Rocket Actagawa, his joints clad in engines, stamped his legs onto the catapult rail with an enthusiasm his brother very much lacked.

“This is it, boys! You’re going to do what Mother Nature could not! Cough! You—no, we—no, I! I shall be the one to pull this lever, and herald in a new age! A new age of decapodan evoluuutionnn!”

“E-erm… Professor?”

“Oh crap, all the blood’s gone to his head.”

“Are you ready, boys?! Oh yes, you are!! All hands, prepare for takeoff!”

In the control room, Namari was so flushed, his face was practically steaming. The more his blood boiled, the more blood seemed to drain from the two boys’ faces.

“P-Professor!” Milo yelled. “Perhaps we should…calm down and—”

“Let’s go!! Disengage safeties!”

The Milo Primes all ducked for cover as Actagawa’s main engines began to roar, blue sparks dancing within them. Actagawa trembled with anticipation and raised his greatclaw high overhead.

“W-w-wait, wait!” protested Bisco. “W-we don’t actually need to go that fast…”

“Give my regards to Kobiwashi Island, boys!!”

Namari pulled the takeoff lever, and the catapult rails sent Actagawa hurtling down the launch corridor at breakneck speed, flinging him out over the vast ocean. However, Actagawa’s back boosters had yet to ignite, and the giant crab simply sailed through the air toward the water’s surface.

“W-waaaagh?! Wh-what are you doing, Actagawa?! Fly, fly!!”

“We’re gonna crash!!”

Actagawa pitched forward like a large plush doll. Then, just as he was about to hit the sea, his eyes twinkled.

Roooaaaaarr!!

The engines ignited, and blue flames erupted from their rear, kicking up a spray of seawater. Actagawa went speeding forward and upward like a rocket, spinning in the air as though unsure what to do with all his excess energy. It was lucky the two boys were strapped into their seats. Otherwise, they surely would have been flung from their saddles.

“Waaaaaaagh!” screamed Milo, as though his delicate throat would tear. Bisco, meanwhile, clapped both hands over his mouth and tried his hardest not to throw up. Actagawa paid no mind whatsoever to the two boys, setting his thrusters to full throttle and jetting off in the direction of Kobiwashi Island.

“Are you all right, Bisco? Do you need another shot for the nausea?”

“…Urp. I’m fine… I think Actagawa’s calmed down, too.”

Thirty minutes after launch, Bisco and Milo were flying over Kakudahama Bay. Actagawa had grown used to his newfound movement capabilities, no longer overeager to loop and twirl in the air at the expense of his passengers.

“We’ll make it in plenty of time at this rate!” said Milo. “All thanks to Tirol and Professor Namari!”

“I get we’re in a hurry, but have you thought about how we’re gonna get back?” asked Bisco.

“Professor Namari included a collapsible cargo hold,” Milo explained. “It’ll be a tight squeeze, but we should be able to fit all the sporko in there, and then carry it behind us with Actagawa.”

“I don’t like this,” Bisco grumbled, his crimson hair flapping in the wind. “There’s no way an engineer like Namari has flown under Kurokawa’s radar. That lab might’ve already been under her control.”

“I guess. So?”

“So?! We could be flyin’ a mechanical death trap!!”

Milo laughed, his aqua hair blending in with the sky. “Well, it’s not like we can do anything about it. We can’t start doubting everyone, Bisco; that’s what Kurokawa wants. Let’s just— Wah! Bisco! Look at that!!”

Milo tensed and stared straight ahead. Following his gaze, Bisco could see a towering cumulonimbus cloud, and in front of it, a swarm of winged scorpions heading straight for them.

“Seagull-eaters,” said Bisco, drawing his bow. “Not a threat on their own, but in those kinda numbers…”

“What should we do, Bisco? Shall I cast a mantra?”

“No need. A quick burst of numbshroom spores oughtta do the trick,” said Bisco, attaching an arrow to the string and drawing it back. “You just keep your hands on the reins, and—”

Before Bisco could finish, a loud Bzamm! heralded the appearance of a mysterious bolt of lightning. It snaked through the air before striking one of the seagull-eaters, and with a Bzzzt! the creature’s carapace was scorched black. Its four dragonfly-like wings tattered and torn, it spiraled helplessly out of the air, landing with a Plop! in the ocean.

“What the hell? Lightning?!”

“Actagawa, watch out!”

Milo pulled on the reins, causing Actagawa to veer to the side, narrowly avoiding a bolt heading straight for him. The lightning skimmed the steelcrab’s underbelly and hit a seagull-eater behind him. It then darted between the creatures one after another, sending them all to a watery grave.

“It’s aiming for the scorpions… Bisco! This is no ordinary lightning!”

“It’s comin’ from that big-ass cloud!” shouted Bisco, lowering his cat-eye goggles. “I’m pickin’ up heat from inside it. There’s something livin’ in there!”

“Correct, Akaboshi!”

They could hear a wicked voice from within, amplified by a megaphone. Then a starfish-shaped flying machine burst out, splitting the cloud like cotton candy.

“I was hoping to delay that reveal a little longer. Oh well. I couldn’t exactly let those scorpions interfere with your big scene.”

“Kurokawa!”

“Thought I smelled somethin’ rotten.”

“I see you two are raring to go. That’s good. Personally, I’ve been too stressed over the shoot to get much sleep lately. Anyway, it’s time for me to explain scene two.”

Inside the cabin, Kurokawa adjusted the newsboy cap—a directorial cliché—on her head as she brushed her other hand through her pine-needle hair.

“Since time immemorial,” she bellowed through her megaphone, “car chases have been an absolute must in any action movie. Take Die Hard or Mission: Impossible. Whatever you watch, there’s bound to be a chase in there somewhere. Now, I don’t really get the appeal, but this is an action movie, so we have to put one in… But here’s the thing: There’re almost no highways suitable for car chases anymore, and barely any cars to drive on them. Plus, you guys don’t even have driver’s licenses!”

“Where are you going with this, Kurokawa?!”

“That’s when I had an idea. Instead of a car chase, why not a dogfight over a vast expanse of ocean?”

Kurokawa pointed at the orange meteor that was Actagawa and whistled gleefully.

“And to fight your flying crab, I came up with this! The Cumulo 5! We tested its power en route, and it brought down an escargot plane with a single blow. Will our brave heroes outlast its fearsome lightning and reach the island to save the sporko?! This is a lot more exciting than watching some dumb old cars play tag on the ground, don’t you think, Akaboshi?!”

“Do you have to flap your gums every time we meet?!”

Bisco loosed a mushroom arrow, but once again that glimmering staff appeared and knocked it prematurely out of the sky with a Bwonggg!! Pawoo stood atop the Dacarabia, her long raven hair streaming in the wind.

“I told you, your arrows are futile! Brute force will get you nowhere, my love!”

“You’re one to talk!”

“Lights! Camera!”

Kurokawa bellowed into the megaphone, and the Immie cameramen aboard the craft all pointed their cameras toward Actagawa. The Cumulo 5 rumbled ominously, purple bolts running like snakes all across its volume.

“Aaaction!”

Kurokawa swung her megaphone, and lightning shot out of the cloud toward Actagawa. Milo cried out, “Bisco, get down!” and pulled the reins, sending the rocket-propelled crab into a nosedive. This evaded the first bolt, but the cloud expelled a second, and a third, relentlessly bearing down on the trio.

“We have to fight back,” said Milo. “But where do we even begin?! How are we supposed to fight a cloud?!”

“The goggles’re tellin’ me it’s some kind of giant basket star,” said Bisco.

“Basket star?! You mean those wiggly starfish things with all the feelers?”

“Yep. Dunno how they got one to fly, though.”

Deep-sea creatures such as basket stars and anemones were often used as animal weapons, owing to their simple brains and strong life force. However, nobody had ever made one that flew around in a cloud and shot lightning. It only went to show the depths of Kurokawa’s insanity that she was prepared to funnel enormous amounts of cash into the production of such a beast just for the sake of a movie.

“But if it produces heat, I can see it. And if I can see it, I can hit it!”

Once Actagawa was steady, Bisco nocked three arrows to his bow and fired them into the cloud. The arrows all stuck into one of the feelers of the Cumulo 5 just as the beast was gathering power for its next attack. A moment later, there was a series of Gabooms! from inside the cloud, and a cluster of red oyster mushrooms burst out.

“All right!” cheered Milo. “You hit it!”

“Bravo! Marvel at Akaboshi’s skills, everyone! Hey, you better be getting this on camera!”

“Dammit, I can’t take this anymore!”

Keeping a careful eye on the Dacarabia as it circled Actagawa, Bisco took a deep breath and focused on the dormant Rust-Eater spores within him. As the power awoke, his body began to sparkle with a golden light.

“I’m done entertainin’!” he said. “Let’s see them try to film this!”

“You have a plan, Bisco?”

“That cloud, there’s one part that’s darker than the rest. Can you get us there?”

“Leave it to me!”

Amid the fluffy white was one region that crackled with ominous lightning. Aided by his goggles, Bisco could see that was where the body of the Cumulo 5 lurked. Milo lashed the reins and drove Actagawa right into it.

“Uh-oh. Are they going to defeat it already? That’s no good; that thing cost me a fortune. If they end things too quickly, it’ll screw up the pacing!”

“Allow me to prevent that, Director.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! The director’s assistant doesn’t get a cameo!”

Actagawa wove between bolts, deflecting others with his greatclaw, before eventually arriving right at the beast’s belly.

“Take the shot, Bisco!”

“All right!”

Bisco exhaled, drawing an arrow so bright, it gave off a crimson halo.

“Take this!!”

Pchewww!!

A red light streaked through the sky, faster than the eye could follow, piercing the dark cloud and striking the creature’s core. The Cumulo 5 rumbled, its body writhed, and it began launching bolts of lightning everywhere.

“Got it!”

“…No, Bisco! It’s still alive!”

There was a Bzzzam! as a stray bolt flickered toward Bisco, and…

“Deploy shields!”

…Milo’s cube immediately shrouded the pair in a force field, narrowly deflecting the blow. However, another bolt came for Actagawa the moment Milo’s hands were off the reins, and managed to strike the crab in the stomach.

“Aaagh!! Actagawa!!”

Actagawa lost control and fell into a tailspin, smoke spewing from his engines.

“What the hell?!” cried Bisco. “The Rust-Eaters didn’t grow!”

“Stay with me, Actagawa! I’m sorry, but this’ll sting!”

Milo rummaged around in his medical bag for a bright-red syringe, then thrust it into Actagawa’s joints between sections of armored carapace. Actagawa fell toward the ocean, but just as he was about to hit the surface…

Fwoosh!

…the giant crab regained consciousness in the nick of time, reigniting his boosters and jetting back up into the sky. The two boys clung to the reins for dear life, before letting out a sigh of relief once their rocket-powered steed was safely back in the air.

“We were almost shark bait,” said Bisco. “Milo, what did you do?”

“I used the Bishamon compound to bring him around,” Milo explained. “Actagawa’s bad with lightning, remember! One more hit like that, and we’re dead!”

“I thought I dealt the killin’ blow,” grumbled Bisco. “Did I miss or somethin’?”

Meanwhile, a huge chunk of flesh fell from the cloud. Still in midair, a host of Rust-Eater mushrooms burst to life across it. The limb then continued falling and hit the ocean with an enormous splash.

“…I see,” said Milo. “There wasn’t anything wrong with your arrow, Bisco. The basket star used its lightning to cut off the infected limb before the mycelium could spread!”

“Wh-what?!”

“If this drags on, it’ll have the upper hand. We need to stop it from using that lightning,” Milo said, deep in thought, with one hand pressed to his head.

“Wh-whoa! Milo! Look out!” cried Bisco, snatching the reins from him and dodging the incoming blows. Just as Bisco was about to throw up from all the ducking and weaving, Milo hit upon an idea.

“I’ve got it!” he said. “We’ve just got to make the clouds go away! There can’t be any thunder if there are no clouds!”

“Make them go away?! Who do you think you are? Amaterasu?! We can’t control the weather!”

“Yes, we can! I learned how at school!”

Milo fished through his quiver for several identical-looking arrows and passed them to Bisco. Then he lifted one hand in front of his face and began chanting. The next moment, all the Rust particles in the air swirled and gathered in his palm, coalescing into an emerald cube of mantra power.

“What’re these?” asked Bisco. “Heatwave arrows? What am I meant to do with them?!”

“I’ll explain later!” Milo shot back. “For now, just fire them on my mark!”

Milo flew Actagawa around the Cumulo 5, dodging its attacks while suspending cubes of Rust in the air. On Milo’s command, Bisco fired at them, hitting each and every one with peerless bowmanship, turning them into spherical red mushrooms.

Heatwave mushrooms, as the name suggested, took advantage of nucleosporous fusion to produce radiant heat. They were very useful to the nomadic Mushroom Keepers, who used them as portable heaters.

However, they were also very dangerous, with the potential to spiral out of control if handled incorrectly. When loosed weakly, they gave off only a paltry warmth, but if fired from a strong bow, they could easily burn down a tent by mistake.

And if fired by Bisco, the greatest bowman in the world, they could even make the cool autumn air feel like it was the height of summer.

“Wh-what a scorcher!! What’s that Nekoyanagi kid up to?!”

Kurokawa and her film team were starting to feel the heat.

“D-Director! Th-the tripod’s getting hot! Ow, it’s burning my hands!”

“Quit whining! Our lead’s out there risking his neck for this film, and so should you! You’ll keep those cameras rolling even if the flesh melts off your bones!”

Kurokawa puffed out her sweat-slick chest and began wafting herself with a large fan.

Meanwhile, a veritable minefield was taking shape around the cloud, the red mushrooms pulsing and floating as if they were at sea.

“That’s right! Looking good, Bisco!” Milo said.

“Tell me what the point is already! Don’t say you’re tryin’ to steam us all to death!”

“Do you know how clouds are made, Bisco? Allow me to explain.”

“Um, what?!”

Milo went on, all the while dodging incoming bolts of lightning.

“When air rises and expands, it cools, causing all the water vapor you usually can’t see to condense out of the air and form tiny particles of water. That’s what clouds are made of! So that means—”

“All right, I get it, I get it! Just tell me the point already, Professor Smartass!”

“The point is…!”

Milo muttered one last mantra to the cube in his hands and clicked his fingers. When he did, all the cubes on which the heatwave mushrooms were growing suddenly grew spikes of Rust, impaling the mushrooms and causing them to explode. An incredible rush of temperature caused a wave to form on the ocean, expanding outward from the blast. Bisco closed his eyes in an attempt to withstand the heat. And when he opened them again…

“…What?! The cloud’s gone!”

“Right?”

Indeed, the cover that once cloaked the Cumulo 5 like a big ball of cotton wool was nowhere to be seen. Lightning crackled along its tentacles, but it was unable to muster up a single thunderbolt without the charge dispersing into thin air.

“Ruuuuuugh!”

The basket star wiggled and coiled, bereft of its weapons and armor. Milo looked at it and smiled, his sweat-drenched brow glistening.

“See that?!” he yelled. “That’s the power of education!”

“Don’t get cocky,” spat Bisco. “This ain’t over yet.”

“Oh, come on! Can’t you say, ‘Well done’ or ‘That’s amazing’?!”

The Cumulo 5 lashed out with its complex, overlapping appendages, but against Actagawa, this was a fool’s struggle. Aided by his rockets, he swung and slashed, tearing the creature apart and dropping severed limbs into the ocean.

“Looks like Actagawa’s been itchin’ for some payback,” said Bisco. “Milo! Do your thing!”

“Got it!”

Bisco took over the reins, and Milo placed his hand on Actagawa’s giant claw, chanting his usual weapon-creation mantra.

“Won/shad/viviki/snew!!”

Crystalline Rust covered Actagawa’s claw. It gleamed in the cloudless sun as he stretched it out ahead like an emerald spear.

“Look, it’s their finishing move! Make sure you get it on film!”

“S-sorry, Director, we’re just changing the reels…”

“What?! Get on with it! Sometime before we all die of old age, please!”

Paying no mind to the argument on the Dacarabia behind him, Actagawa fired his main thrusters and shot toward the center of his foe.

““Go for it, Actagawaaa!!””

Thud! His claw sank deep into the creature’s core.

“Ruuugh…”

Then, with fearsome strength, he sliced upward.

Slash!

“Ruuuuuughhh!”

A cascade of green blood poured from the resulting gash. Actagawa turned his back on his foe, then swished his claw to fling off the creature’s guts. The emerald coating, its job now complete, glinted and dissipated into dust. The Cumulo 5, now unable to sustain its buoyancy, slowly but surely began plummeting into the ocean.

“We did it! Good job, Actagawa!”

“It’d be a lot more satisfyin’ without that asshole grinnin’ at us.”

Bisco glowered at Kurokawa, who was still in the Dacarabia’s cabin. She was beaming proudly, having caught everything from the finishing blow to Actagawa’s victory pose on her beloved camera.

“Excellent work, Akaboshi! This is exactly what I was after! What kind of car can take down a giant floating weapon and top it all off with a cool pose? This is just another element that sets my film apart from history’s finest… Huh?!”

Kurokawa’s gloating was interrupted when a device went off in her pocket.

“What is it?! Don’t you know we’re filming?! …Huh? The Ganesha gun? Oh! Power it down. We’ve got all the necessary footage, so there’s no need to— What?! You fired it?!”

A stir went through Kurokawa’s team members, Pawoo included. Kurokawa grabbed the phone from where it was wedged between her shoulder and her ear, her tone growing agitated.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?! I said not to fire until twelve! …It’s twelve now?! You idiot! I meant midnight! Midnight!!”

Bisco and Milo watched them from off in the distance.

“What’s going on?” asked Milo. “They seem to be arguing about something…”

“Why don’t we just shoot her now? Even Pawoo’s not payin’ attention.”

Soon, however, Kurokawa grabbed the megaphone and started shouting.

“Er… Sorry for the holdup, Akaboshi. I was going to call off the attack, since you won, but there’s been a little mix-up.”

“A mix-up?”

“Turns out the Ganesha gun’s already been fired. Just now. Whoopsie!”

Kurokawa tipped her head and assumed the cutesiest pose she could muster, but the wildfire in Bisco’s eyes caused her to stand back at attention.

“Erk! W-well, you know what they say! No use crying over fired artillery! There’s bound to be a few mishaps on set! Let’s just bring this energy into the next scene, and—”

“Bisco, look!” Milo yelled, cutting off Kurokawa. Rising from the continent in a ballistic trajectory was what looked like a giant cannonball moving at incredible speed.

“Agh! The shell from the Ganesha gun! We’d better make ourselves scarce before it blows!”

“That’s it,” said Bisco, his eyes trained on the target like a hawk, analyzing its trajectory. “It’s gonna sail right over us and score a direct hit on the island.”

“What do we do, Bisco? Do you think the Mantra Bow can…?”

“No need. We got the perfect weapon to stop that thing, right here!!”

Bisco flashed his partner a cheeky grin and pulled a good old-fashioned anchor arrow from his hip. First, he ordered Actagawa to turn. Then he aimed his bow at the still-falling remains of the Cumulo 5.

“Bisco, you’re not serious!”

“Time for a little pole fishing! Help me out, Actagawa!”

Bisco fired his arrow, which landed in the core of the Cumulo 5. Its enormous bulk was far too heavy for a normal human to lift, but with Bisco’s monstrous strength, it was like hauling cotton.

“Rrrrrrrggghhhhhhh!”

“B-Bisco! That’s amazing!”

Actagawa supported Bisco by firing his rocket boosters, and as soon as the deadly projectile was straight overhead…

“Rrrraaaaaagh!!”

…Bisco hoisted the legendary catch into the air, where it was perfectly timed to collide with the oncoming artillery shell, resulting in an enormous explosion.

““Waaaaagh!!””

“Whoaaaa?!”

Neither Actagawa nor the Dacarabia could escape the powerful blast wave, and both were knocked clean out of the sky. Moments before hitting the sea, Actagawa rolled level, weaving left and right to dodge the chunks of basket star meat raining down from above. Seafood shower thus averted, Actagawa fired his boosters, setting a course straight for Kobiwashi Island.

5

“…Zzz… Zzz… Hnguk…”

The autumn wind jostled some paper scraps, carrying them up to tickle the nose of a brawny-looking, bearded sporko keeping watch over the vast ocean.

“…Grott, been sleepin’ ’gain. Better pull in some fish else the womenfolk’ll tear me head off.”

This particular sporko, it seemed, had a habit of blurting out his every thought when no one was around to hear. He clambered down from the watchtower and walked out into the shallows, digging through the sand until he found the tip of his net.

“Not that I ’spect to find more than a few grottin’ bleakfish, mind. We ’ad it all in Hokkaido: tuna, skipjack, eel… What I’d nae give for that kind o’ grub ’gain.”

The bearded sporko gripped his net and, with a heaving yell, hauled it as hard as he could.

“…Whit?!”

The fisherman was surprised to find the net much weightier than he’d expected. He could feel something large caught in it, twisting and trying to escape.

“Wh-whit a catch! We’ll be feastin’ tonight, fer sure!”

The sporko pulled out a bone horn and blew into it, letting its tone ring across the island. In a few short moments, more sporko appeared from the forest.

“Ouya!”

“What’s happening?”

“It came from the beach! Get over there! Ouya!”

They flocked to the struggling fisherman, each bearing the tools of the work they had just been doing.

“We got a reight big one in the net!” the bearded one explained. “It’ll be enough fer a feast tenight, I kid ye nae!”

“Ouya! You don’t say!”

“Hey, everyone! Get down here and give Induk a hand!”

About a dozen sporko grabbed the net and began heaving, but even their combined might could not draw the mysterious catch inland.

“Grott, ’e’s a feisty bleighter! He’ll tear the net to shreds at this rate!”

“Induk! Ey heard ye horn and came a-runnin’!”

“Aye! Grab the net and let’s— E-Elder?!”

Induk turned to see the latest helper was none other than Cavillacan himself, a polar bear of a man with legs like tree trunks.

“Gyah-ha-ha! Te fish givin’ ye trouble, young’un? Slack nae, the Ghost Hail gods be watchin’ over ye!”

“I—I ken, Elder, bit we be dealin’ wit a real monster here! It don’t wanna budge!”

“Hrm…”

The other sporko could see Cavillacan working up his rippling muscles even from under his thick wool coat. He squatted, and then…

“Yaaaah!!”

…with incredible speed and force, he snatched the net and hoisted it clean out of the ocean, causing the water to rush like a tidal wave. The dark silhouette of the catch loomed overhead.

“O-ouya! What strength!”

“Cavillacan, son of Hokkaido, strongest in all the land!”

The other sporko rejoiced as Cavillacan approached the beached catch and eyed it suspiciously.

“Hrmmm…??”

“Great Elder, just look at the size of this thing! The whole tribe’ll be eating crab leg stew tonight!”

“Hold on… Jest where’ve I seen this crab before…?”

“Take care, Elder… I fear that thing be still kickin’…”

Cavillacan ignored Induk’s warning and approached, when suddenly he noticed the two saddles atop the giant crab, and the two unconscious boys sitting in them.

“Grete balles o’ fire!!”

“E-Elder?!”

“Akaboshi! This be Akaboshi’s crab! An’ the boye’s still reidin’ it!” He turned to Induk, agitated. “They meight’ve swallowed te sea. Tek ’em te the village te see Chaika!”

“Grott! Akaboshi, in me net, of all places?!”

“Ouya! Carry him back! Quickly!”

The sporko clambered onto Actagawa and unfastened the two drooping boys, causing a great commotion as they carried them back to the group’s makeshift village.

“…

“G…

“Gblaaagh!”

From out of Bisco’s mouth came a long, narrow eel, covered in his gastric juices but still alive.

“Bisco! Milo, Bisco’s awake!”

“Chaika! Stay away from that!”

The eel’s skin glowed a pale, eerie shade of blue, and it leaped for Chaika’s open mouth. Milo snatched it out of the air in the nick of time and crushed it in his fist, a display of brutality very much not in keeping with the good doctor’s looks.

“Eek! Th-that was frightening!” exclaimed Chaika. “What was it?”

“That was a Stomach Eel,” said Milo. “They go inside people and devour them from within; it’s horrible… I guess Bisco’s guts were a little too tough for it.”

“You know, the more I hear about you, the less I think you two are even human…”

“Koff. Quit talkin’ shit and help me out. I’m dyin’ over here.”

Bisco cleared his throat of any remaining mucus, then took a look at his surroundings.

“Where am I?” he asked. “I remember flyin’ away from an explosion on Actagawa, and then…I don’t really remember. What happened? We need to go save Chaika and the others!”

“Who do you think just saved you?”

“Huh?!”

Bisco looked down and was met with the adorable gaze of the oracle he had rescued only one year prior.

“What the—?! You’re Chaika! The hell are you doin’ here?!”

“What do you mean?! This is our home! You’re the ones who came crashing in uninvited!”

“I didn’t recognize her at first, either,” offered Milo in an attempt to back up his partner. “The sporko all wore such thick coats before. Look at her now; she’s like a fashion model!”

Chaika proudly puffed out her chest in agreement. While she still wore her trademark hat, the girl had ditched her coat in favor of a midriff-baring crop top, making the difference in her islander genes plain to see. Puberty had hit her like a storm and granted her a figure the envy of any modest young Japanese lady, while her fair skin and shimmering golden hair all contributed to the northern princess’s majesty.

“Well, I couldn’t keep wearing that stuffy old thing,” she said. “It’s so hot down here, I can’t believe it’s only fall. How do you people live like this? No wonder you all act like barbarians; it’s the heat getting to your heads!”

“Chaika!” said Milo. “That’s no way to speak! It’s only Bisco who acts like a barbarian!”

“Way to throw me under the crab, asshole!”

“Anyway!” said Chaika, changing the subject. “Poor Actagawa is recovering under our care. He’s so dizzy now he can’t even walk straight. Honestly, I can’t believe you two. Actagawa’s such a sweet little thing, and you two have been driving him around like a pair of madmen!”

“Hey!” Bisco protested. “We came all the way across the sea to save your asses, and—!”

“That’s not the point! What’s the good of all your mushroom powers if you can’t even keep one little crab safe! If you’re his big brother, then start acting like it!”

The oracle’s scolding was like a punch to his gut. Bisco wasn’t normally one to sit and listen to somebody complain after he’d just saved their life, but Chaika’s words struck a chord with him, and soon he and Milo both found themselves sitting meekly in repentance.

“…Hmph! It’s good to see you two know how to listen! Very well, that’s all. Do better next time!”

Chaika took their hands and helped them to their feet, a beaming smile across her face.

“If I know the pair of you, I know just how hard you must have been fighting for our sake. As oracle, I must treat our saviors. Tonight will be a feast! We may not be able to offer you the same hospitality we could in Hokkaido, but for tonight, you can forget all your worries and cares!”

“Lookit her, Akaboshi… Me Chaika… Leike a wee angel, she be…”

“Don’t know any angels who talk like her.”

“We sporko ’ave bit one hope…that our daughters meet wit strong husbands… She’s me only daughter, Akaboshi…”

“Aw, hell! Why’s everyone I meet always pawnin’ their kids off on me! I’m a married man, dammit!!”

Several of the sporko came over, saying to their elder things like, “C’mon, you’re drunk!” and “You’re making our guest feel uncomfortable!” but Cavillacan was already so far gone that he refused to listen to them.

“Well, somebody’s popular,” said Milo, stuffing a whole fish skewer into his mouth and side-eyeing Bisco from across the table.

A cluster of women noticed the doctor boy’s dashing good looks and exchanged giggle-filled whispers, before picking themselves up and trotting over, intending to fill the seats around him. However, just before they could reach him…

“Milo! Looks like my father is giving Bisco a hard time, wouldn’t you say?”

Chaika stepped in front of the women and shot them a harsh look. The girls sulked and sat back down. There wasn’t much they could say to the oracle of their village.

Chaika gently seated herself beside Milo and softly pushed her shoulder into his. However, Milo’s gaze was fixed intently on his partner, and his expression didn’t budge a centimeter.

“Come on!” said Chaika, annoyed. “Eyes over here! I’m the oracle of this village! You could at least blush or something!”

“Sorry, but I have to monitor Bisco,” he replied.

“Monitor him?!”

Milo took the cup of white sake Chaika was offering him and downed it in a single gulp.

“There wasn’t any need for this before,” he explained. “Not when everyone was still scared of him. But now he’s softened up.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Chaika asked. “I mean, who minds him lightening up a little?”

“I mind!!” yelled Milo, rosy-cheeked, his sapphire eyes flashing as he pointed at the cause of his distress. “Look at him! I used to be the only one who knew how cute he really was, and now everyone can’t get enough of him! I have to keep an eye out so none of these overly forward sporko girls try to lead him astray!”

Chaika gave a deep, exasperated sigh. “You’re overreacting,” she said, waving her hand in front of Milo’s eyes in a vain attempt to make him so much as blink. “Bisco’s a hero. He saved Hokkaido. It’s no wonder everyone loves him. And Father’s been lonely ever since his Mushroom Keeper partner passed away… He probably just enjoys talking with him.”

“…What’s that? Cavillacan’s flying solo now, is he? …You don’t say…”

“W-wait, Milo!”

“Just try to switch partners, hedgehog-head; I dare you. I’ll poison you and then myself…”

…I let his pretty face fool me. It’s the blue one I should be afraid of!

Chaika was taken aback by the handsome young man’s inner darkness, but it wasn’t long before the atmosphere of the party caused her to forget all about it.

The fire crackled as sporko musicians played relaxing folk songs on flutes of bone and lutes strung with Hokkaido’s muscle fiber. The haunting melodies seemed to call back memories of the womb. It was a touching performance that Milo did not expect from the rough-and-tumble Mushroom Keepers of the north.

“…I’m glad to see the sporko are doing well,” he said at last. “I was worried about what would become of you after you were forced out of your home.”

At Chaika’s insistence, Milo had sobered up a little, at least to the point where he could hold a conversation without paranoia getting the better of him.

“You were right to worry,” said Chaika sadly. “Our people are not as happy as they once were.”

“Really? But everyone seems to be having so much fun!”

“Before, they’d be three times merrier. You only have to listen to this melody… It’s a ballad to Hokkaido, our mother. Nobody will say it, but they’re worried about her.”

“…”

Hokkaido had fallen.

After Mepaosha had revealed herself to be Kurokawa, she had granted the power of the Rust flower to her Neo-Immie army. The sporko Mushroom Keepers, Benibishi soldiers, and Kusabira devotees all teamed up to combat this threat, but even this trifecta of mushrooms, flowers, and Rust was ineffective against Kurokawa’s terrifying new invention. Before long, Hokkaido was recaptured, having only just won its freedom from Shishi’s camellia, and now it floated weakly in the Pacific Ocean, defeated.

“It’ll be okay, Chaika,” said Milo, a troubled look on his face. “Whatever Kurokawa’s planning, we won’t let it happen. Bisco and I will figure out the secret of her Rust flowers and save Hokkaido, I promise!”

“You don’t need to promise me anything, Milo. I know you can do it!”

Chaika gently wrapped an arm around him and shot him a cheeky grin. There was no trace of the frightened little girl he and Bisco had run into so long ago inside Hokkaido.

“Actually, Chaika…I have something to ask you.”

“What is it? Anything!”

“I need a sample of the Ghost Hail spores. They might be the key to unraveling this whole mystery.”

Milo produced a small notebook and turned to a page of handwritten notes. Chaika took a peek, but the whole thing was covered in chemical formulas she didn’t understand.

“I’m working on a vaccine, and the Ghost Hail is one of the necessary ingredients. I figured you would be able to help me… Can you?”

“That…might be difficult,” Chaika admitted. “The Ghost Hail only grows in the depths of Hokkaido. It’s too delicate to exist for long outside— Oh!”

Chaika’s face lit up as she realized something. She reached up inside her hat and rummaged around.

“Is this it? No…that’s my sweets collection… And that’s where I keep my amulets…”

“How much are you hiding under there?!”

“Ah, found it! Here, take this!”

Chaika pulled out something small and white, and held it reverently out to Milo.

“What is this…? A crystal?”

In the light of the fire, it sparkled like a diamond. Its surface was as pure and unmarred as freshly fallen snow, and glittering white spores fell off it like snowflakes.

“It’s crystallized Ghost Hail spores. Unlike regular spores, they won’t decay.”

“A Ghost Hail…crystal?!”

“It’s a secret treasure of the village. I took it with me when we fled Hokkaido. I’m not supposed to show it to outsiders… But for you, Milo, I’ll make an exception!”

Milo wasn’t sure he could take something so precious, but it was clear in the oracle’s eyes that she trusted him, and Milo wanted to live up to that trust.

“Thank you,” he said. “I’ll be sure to put it to good use!”

“…Tee-hee!”

“What?”

“It’s just, sometimes, Milo, your eyes look just like Bisco’s.”

Hidden behind her golden hair, Chaika’s cheeks reddened ever so slightly. In one determined gulp, she drained her cup of fermented goat’s milk and gazed at Milo with dreamy eyes. There was no trace of her usual haughty attitude whatsoever.

“I already thanked Bisco…,” she said. “Now it’s time to thank you…”

“…Erm… Chaika? I—I think you’ve had a little too much to drink…”

“Sit still, Milo… That’s an order.”

“Time out! Time out!”

Now it was Milo’s turn to deal with an overstimulated drunk. Chaika may have been an innocent girl, but she came from a long line of brawny Mushroom Keepers, and strength was in her genes. Milo looked like a deer in the headlights as Chaika held him in her unbreakable grip, slowly bringing her rosy lips closer…

“Wagh!!”

Something leaped out of the bushes nearby, only to trip on a rock seconds later and fall face-first into the dirt.

“Wh-what?!”

“Chaika! Get behind me!”

Milo recognized the threat immediately and went straight for the dagger at his belt.

“Owww… What’s this damn rock doing here? You’re supposed to clear these away, Assistant! Now we’ve missed our chance to capture this totally organic kiss scene!”

A woman picked herself up off the ground and patted the dust from her outfit. She quickly inspected the camcorder in her hand for damage, and upon finding it intact, let out a “Phew!” and wiped her brow exaggeratedly. “Thought I’d broken it for a second there… Looks like the tape’s all good, too.”

“Kurokawa!”

As soon as Milo said her name, the whole party descended into chaos. From out of the bushes stepped dozens of camera-wielding Immies. Kurokawa’s forces had surrounded the entire place while they were feasting.

“Finally decided to show up, huh?!”

Bisco leaped off his lavish seat of honor and into the air, tearing up the grass as he landed beside Milo.

“Never thought you’d show your face,” he growled. “For a third-rate director, you sure got some guts.”

“I don’t suppose there’s any point in asking for a retake?” Kurokawa said with a shrug. “Sorry to spoil your meal, Akaboshi. Entirely the fault of my witless staff. How about I go back into the bushes and we try this again?”

“Like hell, dumbass. You’re not gettin’ away this time. I’m gonna leave your precious film on the cutting-room floor!”

In the blink of an eye, Bisco readied his bow and loosed a shot at Kurokawa, but her fearless grin didn’t crack as the projectile hurtled toward her.

Bwonggg!!

A raven-haired whirlwind appeared from one side, deflecting Bisco’s arrow with one swing of her staff. Pawoo landed beside the governor, her lithe muscles rippling like a panther’s. Then she stood up and pointed her gleaming staff at the two boys.

“That’s amazing, Pawoo!” cried Milo. “You blocked Bisco’s arrow at such short range!”

“This ain’t the time to be impressed, dumbass!”

Bisco looked back at Pawoo, his teeth clenched and eyes gleaming. He took a deep breath, and the golden light of the Rust-Eater enshrouded his body. Kurokawa watched all this with the same unbothered grin.

“Oh? Sure you don’t want to calm down a little there, Akaboshi?” she asked. “I suppose if you go all out, you could bore a hole straight through my little bodyguard and get to me easily.”

“…!”

Seeing Bisco had understood her point, Kurokawa smiled and went on.

“She’s brainwashed, you see. She’ll gladly give her life for me. And you, Akaboshi… Is our hero so determined to defeat the evil villain that he’ll turn his beloved wife into mushroom food?”

“…You sick bastard…!!”

Bisco paused, his bow fully drawn, his teeth clenched so hard they nearly cracked. Milo couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his partner so furious.

“It’s all part of Kurokawa’s game,” he whispered in an attempt to pull Bisco back to his senses. “Don’t fall for it!”

“I know. Dammit!”

“It’s nice to see you have someone with brains on your side, Akaboshi… All I have is this gorilla woman, and she doesn’t even laugh at any of my jokes.”

“Don’t say another word about her!” Milo scowled. “Or I’ll make you regret it!”

“Oh my. Looking at the two of you gives me the willies! All right, you win. I’m leaving.”

Kurokawa snapped her fingers, and the Immies all receded into the forest and disappeared. With one last wave and a “Ciao!” Kurokawa followed suit. The two boys watched them go, unable to fire a single shot.

“Oh, yes, I almost forgot,” said Kurokawa, just before she was out of sight. “Our next location. Powder Mountain, in the north of Yamagata. Queen Shishi and the rest of the Benibishi are being held there. The bombing is in two days, so don’t be late. I wouldn’t want to see our expensive set piece destroyed…”

6

Traveling along the Weeping Valley to the southern reaches of Akita, one comes upon the Swaying Plains, a field of swaywheat almost three meters tall. On foot, a person could lose their way amid the long stems, but the pair sitting atop Actagawa’s back encountered no such issues.

Flying close to the ground with his jet boosters, his carapace glinting orange in the sunlight, the giant crab offered a pleasurable cruise across seas of gold. It was a majestic sight, but one that the two boys were very much not at liberty to admire.

“Hmm… Got it! Now, if I could just reduce the stickiness…”

“The hell’re you mutterin’ to yourself back there?”

It was rare for Bisco to be holding the reins, but Milo was otherwise occupied. Somehow, he’d managed to set up his medicine-mixing machine on Actagawa’s back and had spent the journey puzzling over it and, as far as Bisco was concerned, speaking complete nonsense.

“I’ve started to get a hold on what the Rust flower is composed of,” he replied, “but I still need more time. Kurokawa’s gone to great lengths to make sure I don’t reverse engineer it so easily.”

“But this is you we’re talkin’ about. You’ll find a way, won’t you?”

“You bet!”

The trio was moving fast, and they very quickly put the Swaying Plains behind them. Before long, a tall gray mountain loomed on the horizon.

“There it is,” said Bisco. “Powder Mountain.”

Powder Mountain was a rich source of redpowder, the explosive mineral that gave the peak its name. Even now, miners chipped away at the rock, selling their hauls to Matoba. It was a lucrative venture, and a month’s labor could earn you enough to live on for a year. However, the mountain was also home to a powder miner’s worst nightmare, the firebean: a round, bulbous insect that gorged itself on redpowder and exploded in order to scatter its grubs.

“It smells like guns,” said Milo. “And it’s so barren. Couldn’t Kurokawa have picked a livelier spot?”

“What do we care?” Bisco grunted. “C’mon, Actagawa, let’s go!”

Bisco lashed the reins, and the crab’s thrusters ignited, taking the three of them up the slope of the mountain.

The apex of Powder Mountain was an ominous place, with veins of redpowder sewn into the rock like bloody scratches. But the most unsettling sight of all was the bizarre construction atop the mountain’s peak.

“The hell is that?!”

Actagawa thudded into the earth, blasting away bits of rock and redpowder as he landed.

“Whoa! Bring us down gently next time, Bisco!”

Bisco was unable to spare an ear to his partner’s objections due to the unbelievable sight before him. He peered through his goggles at the building’s signage.

“Kurokawa’s…Professional…Psycho…Thriller…House?”

The building itself was clearly hastily constructed, mostly rectangular and painted all black. The sign Bisco had read was made up in striking, gothic letters, and above it was an amateurish drawing of a cartoon Immie displaying its perpetual smile. The two boys were deeply unimpressed with the craftsmanship on display.

““…””

They dismounted, walked up to the building, and stared at it with blank looks. Beside what appeared to be the main entrance was a tacked-on notice at a wonky angle that read:

GREENROOM FOR MR. AKABOSHI & MR. NEKOYANAGI

“Oh boy! I wonder if they made us lunch.”

“Like hell they have, dumbass!”

Bisco smacked his partner on the back of the head and scowled at the waiting door.

“How stupid does she think we are? I’ll level this whole place from the outside with one shot!”

“You can’t do that, Bisco! What if—?”

“—The hostages are inside? That would be the obvious conclusion, wouldn’t it, Akaboshi?”

From a speaker high up on the wall came Kurokawa’s voice.

“I know you’re smarter than this, Akaboshi, and I intend to prove it. In this scene, we’ll be seeing the ferocious Man-Eating Redcap’s clever side.”

“Kurokawa!!”

“Apologies for the mess. I know it looks cheap, but it was the best I could do on short notice. No need to worry; I assure you the inside is done up much better. Besides, Saw didn’t have any exterior shots, did it?”

“That bastard…always hidin’ somewhere my arrows can’t reach!”

Bisco scowled and ground his teeth in anger. Milo looked at him. Then, after a moment, he pinched his partner’s cheek. Hard.

“Owww! The hell’d you do that for?!”

“Calm down, Bisco. C’mon, let’s go,” he said, striding through the front door.

“Y-you’re just walkin’ right in?!” asked Bisco with astonishment as he hurried after his partner. “Ain’t this an obvious trap?!”

“If Kurokawa wanted to kill us, she’d have done it already,” Milo replied, no trace of worry on his face. “Besides, by following your instincts, you’re doing exactly what she wants. We’ll never find an opening that way. What we need to do is make her doubt herself, and the fastest way to do that is to follow her instructions exactly.”

“…”

“That way, she’ll start thinking, ‘What does he know that I don’t?’ If she’s going to slip up, that’ll be when she does it.”

“…Yeah, that’s what I was thinking, too. I was just testin’ you.”

“Whatever you say.”

“You callin’ me a liar?!”

“Oh? Akaboshi, I see you’re not your usual rebellious self today. Yes, that’s right, come inside. Wait in your room here until everything’s ready… Hey, somebody get our actors some refreshments! …What’s that? Giraffe brains? You idiot, we can’t serve them that mush! You’re fired!”

Listening to Kurokawa’s lively exchange on the other side of the speaker system, the two boys followed the marked path deeper into the mysterious building.

The bare light bulbs dangling from the low ceiling were so hot they roasted the dust in the air, filling the narrow corridors with a burning scent. The walls were unpainted concrete with bare wiring, and it was clear no effort had been put into looks back here, either.

“Owww!!”

“Bisco?! What’s the matter?”

“I hit one of the light bulbs… Shit, I think it burned me. What’s wrong with this place?! Spare a thought for the stagehands, won’t ya?!”

“It left a mark on your forehead. I’ll put some cream on it later… Oh, isn’t this the place?”

Milo pointed to a door that read GREENROOM FOR MR. AKABOSHI & MR. NEKOYANAGI. It was the only thing in sight that looked halfway decent.

“…I don’t like this,” said Bisco. “Watch out—there could be spore gas or anythin’ in there.”

“Coming through!”

“Waaagh!! What are you, a five-year-old?!”

With no concern for his partner’s fears, Milo turned the doorknob and marched into the room.

“Oh, it’s quite big in here… Looks okay to me, Bisco. Come on in!”

How the hell ain’t he freakin’ out?

Bisco accepted Milo’s point that against Kurokawa, jumping at shadows was a sure path to defeat, but Milo’s degree of carefree abandon was almost unimaginable. Bisco didn’t know whether he should be impressed or worried.

“There’s a dresser, a makeup stand… Do you think I should cover up my panda mark?”

“What the hell’s up with this room…?”

Bisco crept in, still determined not to let down his guard. It was a stark contrast to the halls outside, with all sorts of creature comforts like air-conditioning, a humidifier, and even a full-length mirror.

On the table in the center of the room were plastic bottles containing refreshments such as Flamebound tea, gilded elephant tea, orange juice, grape Fanta, and even a powerful pick-me-up called Firesnake Drink.

“Hmm, none of ’em seem poisoned…”

“Bisco, look at this! They even made us lunch boxes!!”

Still in awe of his partner’s childlike glee, Bisco wandered over and followed Milo’s starry-eyed gaze. There on a table in one corner of the room sat two lunch boxes. The one labeled MR. NEKOYANAGI looked exceedingly expensive, made of several lacquer containers bundled in fancy wrapping paper and tied with a golden string.

“Look, Bisco, a golden lunch box! These are hard to get!”

“Never even heard of it. What’s inside?”

“Give me a second… W-wow!!”

Milo loosened the string and lifted the lid off the first box. It was still warm, and released a heavenly scent that filled the two boys’ nostrils.

“It’s royal salamander! This would cost you over one thousand sols at a restaurant!”

“Wh-what?!” exclaimed Bisco, looking over at the sleek salamander flesh adorning a bed of brown rice. Ever since becoming apprenticed to Jabi, Bisco had been obliged to put up with his master’s strange tastes, and for a long time, he hadn’t known what it was like to genuinely enjoy a meal. It was one of the many pleasures he’d only learned after journeying with Milo.

“You don’t see food like this every day! Let’s eat it together, Bisco!”

“F-fine, I guess… Can’t fire a bow on an empty stomach.”

“Oh? It looks like yours is different from mine.”

Bisco looked down once more and found his own lunch box. Upon closer examination, the only part resembling Milo’s was the label saying MR. AKABOSHI. Alongside it was a small rectangular card with these words, written in powerful strokes:

FROM YOUR WIFE.

“…From Pawoo?”

Puzzled, Bisco flipped over the card to find a hastily scrawled message on the back.

“P-Pawoo made this?!”

“Whaaaat?! Bisco, you have to open it! Quickly!”

“Like hell! What if there’s a bomb inside?”

“There’s not! Pawoo would never do that!!”

Faced with Milo’s wide-eyed eagerness, Bisco reluctantly popped open the lid and took a look inside.

“…Ooh?”

“Wow! Way to go, Pawoo! This looks amazing!”

In the lower box were three smallish rice balls, while the upper box was full of all sorts of colorful side dishes, with great care apparent in their placement. The star of the show was grilled sea urchin, alongside green peppers wrapped in dolphin bacon. It was garnished with toasted tomatoes, lentil-and-senju potato curry, and fried baby iguana tails, a lineup guaranteed to seize the heart of any meat-loving man. There was even a small dessert in the corner: white mochi with orange juice drizzle, a loving present from a wife to her darling husband.

“Hmmmm.”

Milo, however, was even more interested in the lunch box than its recipient was, scrutinizing the contents carefully before finally giving it a thumbs-up. “Perfect score!” he practically yelled.

“Whoooa! Don’t spit all over it!” shouted Bisco.

“Pawoo’s never been a great cook,” Milo went on. “It’s her love that inspired her to make all this. Aren’t you lucky to have a wife like her? Or rather, a friend like me to introduce you…?”

“All right, all right! Let’s just eat already. The note said we only got thirty minutes!”

The two sat themselves down excitedly and got to work. The moment Milo placed the salamander meat on his tongue, its juices filled his mouth with a savory taste.

“Mmmm!”

“Grrr…”

“You want some, too, Bisco? Here, open wide!”

“Piss off! Mine’s just fine!”

Bisco turned back to his own meal in a huff and tried one of Pawoo’s offerings.

The taste was nothing to write home about, but every part of the meal was made with care and consideration. This didn’t go unnoticed by Bisco, trained as he was in the art of perceiving his opponents’ intentions. Granted, that usually occurred in the context of a battle, and not at lunchtime, but the theory was the same.

“Listen, Milo,” he said. “Your salamander might be tasty, but that’s all it is. This meal has purpose. The secrets of her nonlethal staff techniques are hidden within it.”

“What?! In the food?!”

“Yeah. Take this rice ball, for example…”

Bisco picked up one of the appetizers and popped it into his mouth.

“Ggh?!”

“B-Bisco?!”

With a complete disregard for etiquette, Bisco pulled the half-eaten piece of food back out. Miraculously, it was the same shape as when it had gone in.

“Wh-what’s the matter? Was there too much salt?”

“It’s…”

“It’s…?”

“It’s hard as a damn rock!!”

Bisco’s best guess was that the woman’s unnatural strength was to blame. When molding them, she must have pressed so hard the ingredients compressed, like carbon into diamonds, with an equivalent effect on the human teeth that dared to bite into them.

Milo picked one up in his hands. “It’s like metal…,” he said. “I knew something wasn’t right; Pawoo’s attempts at cooking have always been doomed to failure. Don’t worry; leave the rice balls and just have the meat. You can share some of my—”

“No. I’ll eat it. Pawoo worked her ass off to make this.”

“Wh-whaaat?! A-all of it?!”

“She put her blood, sweat, and tears into this meal, so I gotta do the same, even if it kills me! Now, hand that back so I can—!”

“Hello, boys! Hope you haven’t been waiting too long!”

Just as Bisco fought to steal back his lunch, a familiar voice echoed over the greenroom’s speakers.

“Sorry about that. It took a little while, but we’re ready to start shooting! I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to cut your lunch break short and come over here immediately.”

“We’re still eatin’ here!” Bisco yelled back at the speaker. “Can’t you push back the filmin’ instead?!”

“Heh-heh-heh. Oh, by all means, continue your lunch if you wish, Akaboshi…”

The governor’s voice grew dark and ominous.

“But know that the clock is already ticking. Do you really wish to sit around sipping tea while the poor queen’s head is split open like a tomato?”

7

“Hurry, Bisco!”

“Is she in here?!”

Bisco kicked down a door at the end of the hallway, revealing a pristine white room completely unlike the previous corridors. It was small and plain, and in its center, behind a thick sheet of tempered glass, were the Benibishi children, huddled and cowering.

“What does Kurokawa want with them…?”

Milo didn’t have to ponder this for long. Soon, a voice came in over a hidden speaker.

“Get ready! It’s time to begin scene three!”

The voice took the two boys by surprise, and they instantly prepared for trouble.

“Now, we got to see a lot of your crab in scenes one and two, but we can’t drown the audience in action scenes—it’s time for a little suspense. You ever seen the movie Cube? I’ll lend you a copy sometime.”

“I’ve had it up to here with your yappin’!” yelled Bisco. “Just say what you want us to do already!”

“Wonderful! It’s so good to see you getting into character!”

Her voice laced with excitement, Kurokawa launched into an explanation.

“Let’s start with a little warm-up, shall we? Beyond the glass in front of you, as you can hopefully see, are a bunch of innocent Benibishi children. Oh, just look at their lovely skin! I bet you can’t keep your eyes off them, can you?”

“What are you goin’ to do to them?!”

“See the timer up top? You have three minutes. When that timer reaches zero…”

Kurokawa left a dramatic pause, punctuated with chuckles.

“…I’ll fill the room with my patented Wither Gas, and all those poor little children will die.”

“Kurokawa!!”

“Assuming you wish to prevent that, you’ll have to take my special quiz. Answer all questions correctly, and I’ll stop the countdown… Uh-oh! Not so fast, Akaboshi! Touch your bow, and I’ll set off the gas immediately!”

“That sick freak…!!”

Presently, an Immie came in pushing a small portable table and gave a sharp bow to the two boys.

“The hell’s this??”

“Now, let me explain… Hmm, where was it? Page forty-five? No…”

The sound of flicking pages came over the speakers as the timer continued ticking down.

“Hurry the fuck up!” Bisco yelled.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry! Okay… Ahem. I’m only going to explain this once. The rules are as follows: You should see two buttons, one red, one blue. One will stop the gas, while the other will release it immediately. Only the Immie in front of you knows which is which. This Immie is either a lying Immie, who always lies, or a truth-telling Immie, who always tells the truth. The problem is, lying Immies and truth-telling Immies look completely identical in every way. You may ask this Immie one, and only one, yes-or-no question! Which singular question can you ask that will allow you to press the correct button and save the children?!”

Milo furrowed his brow and pondered the problem deeply. Then he noticed Bisco looking calm as a summer’s day.

“You seem confident,” he said. “Have you worked it out already?”

“I think so,” replied Bisco. “But no, that can’t be it. It seems too easy…”

“Wow, I’m amazed! So what’s the answer?”

“It’s a fifty-fifty guess,” he explained, rushing over to the buttons. “We’ve been coastin’ through on one percent chances this whole time, so this is like a godsend.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Stop!”

“Stoppp!!”

Bisco’s bold solution terrified Milo and Kurokawa both. Milo raced over and grabbed his partner around the waist, pulling him back.

“What kind of scene would that be, Akaboshi? Play the game seriously! I’m adding a new rule: Press the buttons randomly, and you lose!”

“I am bein’ serious!”

“It looks like we can’t rely on brute force, Bisco. We have to play Kurokawa’s game and solve the riddle…”

“Then let’s take that bunny guy’s mask off! One look at his eyes’ll tell me whether he’s lyin’ or not!”

“That’s not how you solve a riddle! You have to use logic! No instincts or gut feelings allowed!”

With yet another of his “brilliant” ideas shot down, Bisco crossed his arms and grumbled, struggling to come up with anything else. Milo, however, now that his partner was prevented from doing anything drastic, turned his thoughts inward, fishing for a solution in the sea of his inner knowledge.

“Only one question… Hmm…”

“This is dumb,” protested Bisco. “It doesn’t matter what question we ask. We don’t know if he’s lyin’ or tellin’ the truth!”

“…”

“Dammit! We’re runnin’ outta time! Let’s just press one of ’em, Milo!”

“No! I’ve got it! It doesn’t matter whether or not he’s lying!”

Milo’s sapphire eyes glimmered, and he turned to the Immie and posed his question.

“If I were to ask you, ‘Does the blue button turn off the gas?’ would you answer ‘Yes’?”

“…???”

Bisco couldn’t make head nor tail of Milo’s interrogation. The Immie remained silent for a few seconds, before raising a sign in his left hand that read NO.

“It’s the red button, Bisco!”

Trusting his partner’s words, Bisco immediately leaped to the buttons, pressing the red one. The two boys turned their eyes toward the timer on the far wall. It had stopped with only two seconds to spare.

“Countdown aborted,” came a computerized voice. “Shutting off gas.”

Behind the glass, the Benibishi children cheered and hugged one another.

“I don’t get it,” said Bisco, wearing a puzzled frown. “How did you know if he was tellin’ the truth? Was it just a guess? If so, that was my idea.”

“No! I did it properly, unlike you!”

Milo pointed an accusatory finger and launched into his explanation.

“I still don’t know if he was a truth-telling Immie or a lying Immie, but it doesn’t matter. With my question, even if he was lying, he would have answered truthfully.”

“H-huh??”

“Basically…”

“Nekoyanagi’s question would have caused the Immie to lie twice,” interrupted Kurokawa, sounding extremely satisfied. “If there’s only two answers, then a lie about a lie is the truth. And the truth of a truth is also the truth. Oh, I knew I could put my faith in you. The good doctor of Imihama never fails to disappoint.”

“…Huh???”

“It’s okay, Bisco. You don’t need to understand it…,” said Milo.

“Anyway, excellent work clearing the demo round! Oh, and by the way, if you hadn’t found the correct solution, then either button would have caused you to lose.”

“What?! That ain’t fair!”

“Show them to the next floor, if you please.”

The Immie nodded and led the pair out a door to the next level of the building. Bisco picked up his pace and caught up to the suited goon.

“So tell me,” he said. “Were you a liar in the end or what?”

“A truth-teller,” was the Immie’s curt reply. With this new information, Bisco pondered the puzzle once more, before shaking his head and forgetting all about it.

U-urgh…

Shishi groaned inwardly as her mind dragged her back into consciousness. Shaking her head to dispel the fog, she found it oddly heavy, and from the touch of steel on her forehead and neck, she surmised she was wearing some sort of metal torture helmet.

Wh-what have they done to me?!

She was strapped to a chair, with belts around her legs, and both hands handcuffed behind her back. About the only thing she could move unrestricted was her neck.

I’ve been tied up! she thought. What a disgrace, for me to become a prisoner once more!

The terror of waking up to find oneself a hostage in some unknown location would be overwhelming for most people, but Shishi’s will was strong.

…Do not panic, she repeated to herself. Do not be angry! They have left you alive, and that hubris shall be their undoing. You are king now, and a king always finds a way out. Now think: What would Father do?

Shishi had suffered far worse than this at the hands of the merciless vice-wardens of Six Realms. Her mind was therefore unperturbed as she pondered a means of escape.

Impressive-looking manacles. But the mechanism is quite simple.

Before her eyes was a glass pane, but there was no guard in sight. How fortuitous, Shishi thought, as she focused on her wrists, and pollen danced in the air around her.

Come on, reach! I beg of you!

Dark ivy snaked up her wrists, painfully slow, and crawled into the keyhole.

Yes! I still have enough Florescence!

The mask around her head was made of steel and protected by three thick locks, but like the handcuffs, their construction was simple. Shishi concentrated, extending her vines, and soon they reached the inside of the first lock.

Okay, nearly there…

But just as she was about to pick it, her father’s knowing eyes flashed in her mind.

…This is too easy. What’s going on?

She was up against Mepaosha, who previously had not only Satahabaki, but all of Six Realms wrapped around her little finger. Plus, she now bore the power of the Rust flower, whose might young Shishi knew only too well. How could she possibly have thought such flimsy restraints would hold her prisoner?

…No. I mustn’t hesitate, or I’ll lose my chance! Flourish!

A Bwoom! came from inside the lock, and a bright-red camellia blew it open. Just then…

Crkcrkcrkcrk!!

Rrgh?!

…an electric current issued from the torture mask and made her whole body go stiff.

“Urgh… Aaaaagh!!”

Shishi curled backward until her spine creaked as she screamed her throat raw. The electricity was enough to burn her vines black, and they crumbled to ash.

“Now, welcome to the next room— What’s going on in here?! Oh, that silly child! Cut the electricity, quick! You’ll kill her! Oh dear…”

From somewhere far off, she heard Kurokawa’s panicked voice. Just as she was about to pass out, she heard a Ker-lunk! and the electricity stopped. Shishi went limp and collapsed in her chair, steam rising off her body, her crimson eyes hollow. From time to time, her body emitted a little spasm.

Suddenly, someone kicked down the door and came in, yelling at the speaker.

“Shishi!! Damn you, Kurokawa!!”

“Who set the shock collar to lethal?! I said to leave it on punish! She could have died!”

Shishi could smell her own scorched blood, but she managed to raise her head toward the familiar voice and smile.

“B-Broth…er…!”

““Shishi!””

Bisco and Milo ran up to the glass barrier separating them from Shishi. Milo stared into her eyes, then sighed in relief.

“Phew, she’s okay! This isn’t fair, Kurokawa! You haven’t even told us what we’re supposed to do yet!!”

“She tried to escape! …Which I predicted, but unfortunately, some fool set the output on the shock collar too high. Rest assured, the individual responsible has been fired. Hey, it turned out all right, didn’t it? Don’t get so angry. Besides…”

A spotlight inside the room illuminated the suffering Shishi.

“…now you know what will happen should you fail.”

“G-grrr…!!”

Shishi bit her lip, filled with regret.

I was too naive!

She had followed right along with Mepaosha’s script, humiliating herself while Bisco was watching. From between her barely open eyelids came a single tear that dripped down her cheek and into her lap. Milo couldn’t bear to watch, and his eyes glowed with rage.

“Oh, don’t give me that look, my dear Panda. You’ll get me all excited. Now! On to the next game! Ta-daa!”

The two boys watched in confusion as an Immie with a towel over his shoulder entered the room and placed some sort of game on the table, before bowing and taking his leave.

“Wh-what’s this?” asked Bisco. “Wait, I’ve seen this before!”

“Ah yes, a game so famous, even our resident barbarian has heard of it! Correct! Your next challenge will be to play this game of Pop-Up Tyrant!”

“…Pop-Up Tyrant?”

“Watch closely, if you please.”

Upon the table was an old children’s game with which Bisco and the other amusement-loving Mushroom Keepers were deeply familiar. The centerpiece was a plastic barrel with slots for swords, containing a miniature statuette of Kurokawa herself.

“What do you think? Beautiful, isn’t she? I had them go back sixteen times to get the teeth just right.”

“We don’t care! Just get to the point already!!”

“Well, somebody woke up on the wrong side of the forest, my dear Panda. You realize this game requires patience, don’t you? In the original, you take these swords and slide them into the barrel, and if the pirate pops up, you lose. However, this version is different. In this game, when the tyrant pops out, you win.”

“…Hmm? Then we just gotta keep jammin’ swords in until it does! C’mon, Milo!”

“H-hey, let me finish—!”

But Bisco immediately picked up one of the swords on the table and pushed it into a random slot. When he did, he heard a crackle, and Shishi recoiled in pain.

“Gah!!”

“…Shishi?!”

“That’s why you’ve got to let me finish, silly. You see, if you put a sword in the wrong slot, then the queen there gets a little shock. The level increases with each failed attempt. That was level one, and just for reference, level four can fry a person’s brain in five seconds.”

“Th-that’s horrible!”

Milo shuddered as Shishi groaned and spasmed.

“This isn’t a puzzle; it’s just random!! You want us to bet Shishi’s life on a game of chance?!”

“Well, they can’t all be riddles, Nekoyanagi. Sometimes you just need a little dumb luck. Like, do you cut the red wire or the blue one?”

Suddenly, Shishi called out. “B-Brother! Milo…! I…I have already died twice. There is no worth in saving me now! I could ask for no greater honor than to be killed by Brother’s hand! Do it! Please…”

“Oh, you’re going to make me cry. But you just don’t get it, do you? Pleading for death is only going to stay Akaboshi’s hand!!”

“Okay.”

“…Whaaat?!”

Bisco met Shishi’s gaze and nodded once. Then he immediately picked up the next sword, jamming it into another slot as the shock helmet crackled once more.

“Bisco!! Stop it! There must be another way!”

“Yes, have you gone insane, Akaboshi? Your student’s life is on the line here! Can’t we at least have a few seconds of inner conflict?!”

“The longer we draw it out, the worse it’s gonna be. Here goes another.”

Bisco could not be stopped. He picked up a third sword, and a fourth. Each time he fitted them in the slots, a jolt of electricity ran through Shishi and caused her pale body to contort in pain.

“Bisco, please!!”

His heart about to burst, Milo looked imploringly at his partner. For all Bisco’s conviction, he was sweating even more heavily than usual, and his face screwed up in regret whenever the Benibishi girl screamed. Even after Bisco placed the sixth sword, there were still over thirty slots remaining.

“Next is level seven! A shock powerful enough to take out a king turtle! Our little prisoner will be scorched black in an instant, so think long and hard about where you’re going to put this one, Akaboshi!”

“Brother!! Finish me off! Do it now!!”

Shishi was screaming through the glass. Bisco wasted no time picking up a red-colored sword and slamming it into his chosen slot.

“Oh dear, now look at what you’ve gone and done! That’s the end of the—”

Pwoof!

Before Kurokawa could finish, the barrel activated, launching the pop-up tyrant into the air.

“Whaaat?!”

The figure was flung with such force that it rocketed straight up and cracked the ceiling, lodging itself there. Bisco and Milo could only stare at its bottom half in shock as bits of ceiling plaster fell to the floor.

“I-impossible! You guessed right?!”

There was a loud Pshoo… as the electricity flowing from Shishi’s mask was cut off, and the girl fell limp with exhaustion. Milo ran up as close as he could and, after looking her over for a moment, turned to Bisco and nodded.

“It’s a good thing you were quick to decide, Bisco. Looks like she’s still alive!”

For a while, no sound came from the speakers. Then…

“…I see… Not quite the scene I had in mind, but by overcoming your doubt, you were able to minimize the time the girl spent exposed to the shocks. Simple in theory, but hard to pull off. I think we’re starting to see what makes you such a compelling hero, Akaboshi.”

“Shut up, Kurokawa! Get rid of this glass so I can treat her!!”

“Oh, don’t worry—we’ll take care of that. I’m more concerned about where to go from here. You see, it was certainly a dramatic scene, but it was over so fast I’m not sure how we’ll pad out the run time. I suppose we’ll have to bring back one of our scrapped ideas. Bear with me a moment…”

At this, the speaker cut out and all was silent. On the other side of the glass, the Immie from earlier reappeared and gave a short bow. He then lifted the unconscious Shishi up over his shoulder and disappeared into the wings.

Milo watched him go with a scowl, then remembered himself and turned back to Bisco. By the time he was once again at his partner’s side, Bisco’s tension seemed to have dissipated entirely, and he was back to his usual sour look.

“That was amazing, Bisco!” he said. “You were so brave! I could never have done what you did…”

“Brave? Nah, I wasn’t brave. I just knew it would grow after the seventh.”

“Grow? What would?”

“A little bit of my blood. I put it on the tip of the first sword.”

Bisco showed Milo his thumb, where there was a small bloody mark. In its partially awakened state, Bisco’s blood gave off a sunny, golden glow.

“I did it while that asshole was distracted readin’ out the rules,” he continued. “Then all I had to do was slam the swords in hard enough that it’d grow.”

“Th-then…you never picked the right slot at all!!”

“Nah, it was the Rust-Eater that pushed the figure out. Weak enough that it wouldn’t look too suspicious. The hard part was doin’ it before Shishi kicked the bucket. I knew she had it in her, though.”

Milo just stared, dumbfounded.

B-Bisco’s really smart, in his own way!

Bisco had played the image everyone had of him to his own advantage. He’d acted out the role of the hasty, short-tempered fool, all the while executing his plan right under Kurokawa’s nose. It wasn’t the first time Bisco had used the spores to his advantage, of course. But this time he’d come up with a way to subvert the rules mere moments after being suddenly thrust into a new and confusing situation. Milo had to admit, his partner was a lot cleverer than people gave him credit for.

“…I just thought about what Jabi would do,” said Bisco, folding his arms. “I’ve lived through ten years of that man’s schemes. I’ll never measure up to him, though. He always said I didn’t have a head for strategy.”

“But you managed to outwit Kurokawa!” Milo retorted. “That’s got to count for something! You’ve changed, Bisco, and I bet Jabi would be proud if he could see you now!”

“…Proud? Of me?”

“Yeah! Of course!”

Bisco looked up at the ceiling, wondering what to make of Milo’s claim. But instead of an answer, he just blushed. Seeing that, Milo couldn’t control himself and bounded over to his partner’s side, taking his hands and shaking them up and down in glee. Bisco cried out in surprise and shook him off, placing his finger to his lips and going, “Shhh! Be quiet, or Kurokawa’s gonna know we were cheating! Remember, she’s still got Shishi and Pawoo under her thumb!”

“I’m not sure Kurokawa would even care,” Milo replied with a shrug.

“Akaboshi! Nekoyanagi! Sorry for the wait! The next room’s ready for you, so come on through!”

At the sudden return of Kurokawa’s voice, the two boys stood up straight and cleared their throats.

“Now, just wait right there, and I’ll send someone to fetch you. Oh, and feel free to take the Kurokawa figure if you like. A little memento of this adven—”

Ker-rash!

All of a sudden, the whole room shook as if they were in an earthquake. The two boys shared a confused glance as panicked voices came over the speaker.

“Wh-what?! What was that?!”

“Director! Director! It’s the prisoner! He’s woken up! He’s still hazy, but we can’t contain him!”

“He’s woken up, you say?” There was irritation and annoyance in Kurokawa’s voice. “Don’t be silly. We pumped him with enough tranquilizers to take down ten king turtles! He should be fast asleep until we give him the antidote!”

Crash! Crash!

“NRRRRGHHH!”

Along with the noise, the two boys heard a familiar cry—like the king of the dead rising out of hell itself.

“Bisco, that voice!” cried Milo as he tried to peek into the next room.

“…!! Milo, look out!” yelled Bisco. He leaped over, grabbed his partner, and jumped back. Only a moment later, a blast demolished the wall, and a giant of a man appeared in the breach, clad head to toe in navy-blue armor, and with hot steam rising off his body.

“What is the meaning of this…?” he muttered.

“Y-Your Honor!!”

Of course, this giant was none other than the Lord High Overseer, Someyoshi Satahabaki, a man whose name was known and feared by criminals across the land.

“For what reason…do you imprison me without CAAAUSE?!!!”

Satahabaki brought his wrists, bound together in thick steel manacles, in front of his face. He clenched his bare teeth, like white pillars, and pulled. The muscles all over his body tensed, and soon the metal cuffs began to crack and break apart.

“I shall not…tolerate…this injustice…”

“He’s breaking out on his own? That’s ridiculous! Forget it; we’ve seen enough. Everyone evacuate! Protect the equipment!”

“How dare…you imprison…the Lord High OVERSEERRR!”

Clang!

The manacles snapped in two, and Satahabaki slammed his freed fists into the ground. The impact shook loose several lights from above, and the weakly constructed set began to collapse.

“Wh-whoa there, big guy! You didn’t have to wreck the place!”

“The tranquilizer hasn’t worn off yet! He’s still woozy, and he’s letting his anger take over! We’ve got to get out of here before the whole place collapses on us!”

“KAHHH!”

Satahabaki thrust his huge arms, like tree trunks, into the floor. They began to throb, and all across Kurokawa’s Professional Psycho Thriller House, the walls began to bulge, until Bwoom! Bwoom! Cherry blossom trees burst through, breaking down the supports.

“Waaagh?!”

Tossed to and fro by the sprouting cherry trees, the boys finally tumbled through a broken bit of wall, narrowly escaping with their lives. Bisco picked Milo up off the floor, and the two of them dashed away just as one final tree burst from the building, shooting them up toward Powder Mountain’s peak.

“Th-that was close…!” Bisco sighed as the two of them sat down, exhausted. Above them, the fleeing form of Kurokawa’s craft streaked across the sky.

“Wh-what a force of nature! Aah, look at the set! He’s ruined it! Whose idea was it to cast that big lug?!”

“Wasn’t it yours, Director?”

“Whatever. We’ll have to cut that last scene, but otherwise we have enough to work with. Akaboshi! I’ve left a message with that Benibishi girl! Speak with her to find out where you’re going next!”

Bisco and Milo watched in shock as the Dacarabia disappeared over the horizon. Meanwhile, pink cherry blossoms fell like snow, collecting in their hair.

8

“Look this way, please, Shishi. Now, open wide and say ‘Aah.’”

“A-aaahhh.”

“You’ll feel a small jab at the base of your tongue… Okay, all done!”

Shishi grimaced as a bitter sensation spread throughout her mouth. After Milo’s treatment was done, the Benibishi children rescued during the first demo round came running over to her.

“King Shishi! Dr. Panda, is King Shishi going to die?”

“She’s fine!” said Milo. “Shishi’s very strong, you know. That’s how she was able to save you all from the cherry trees.”

“Please, Milo. I just did what any king would for their people.”

“King Shishi, your breath smells weird. Like burned Kaso cakes.”

“Ha, now you’ve done it. Come here, you little troublemakers!” said Shishi, capturing the children and exhaling into their faces.

“Waah!”

Milo breathed a sigh of relief at their frolicking.

“I’m just glad to see there aren’t any lingering effects,” he said. “You may be strong, but you’re still just a girl— Er, I mean…”

Seeing Milo fumble his words, Shishi held back a chuckle.

“It’s okay, Milo. You’re a doctor, and biologically, I am a girl. I understand. It’s just…perhaps Mepaosha was right about me. I was a fool. A fool who let her people be captured.”

“…”

“If Father were here, instead of me, then maybe this never would have happened. Perhaps I’m just…”

“Stop it, Shishi. Don’t say any more.”

Milo crouched down beside her and lifted her head. She gazed into his starlight eyes, her lip quivering.

“Do you think Housen was always King Housen?” he asked.

“…Milo? What do you mean…?”

“Your father had to go through all the same things to get there. Screwing up, crawling through the mud… I’m sure he had thoughts just like yours, both good and bad. It’s not fair to compare your darkest moments to his brightest, is it?”

Even Shishi couldn’t hide from Milo’s sparkling gaze. She silently nodded.

“But Housen knew he had gone too far. That’s why he staged his final gambit in an effort to purify the Benibishi.”

“His final gambit?”

“For you…”

““…to kill him.””

Shishi completed the thought alongside Milo. Then she silently wrapped her arms around herself.

She thought back to that decisive blow. All she had felt as her blade sliced the king’s flesh was his love and acceptance. It was a pain nobody else knew, and one she’d tried hard to paint over in blood.

“The only one who hasn’t forgiven you, Shishi, is you.”

“…”

“Ever since you took the crown, the Benibishi have been gaining more and more of their individuality. You’ve been following in your father’s footsteps, but you’ve also begun to open a path of your own. What would he think if you threw all that away?”

Shishi was silent for a moment, then she breathed deeply and let out a bitter laugh.

“I should have you beheaded, you know. That’s no way to speak to a king.”

“Huh?! Th-that’s a joke, right?!”

“Ha-ha-ha! You’re brave, Milo. Not as brave as Brother, of course. I should take a page from his book. He’s never content to walk in another’s shadow.”

“Hmm? I wouldn’t be so sure about that…”

Milo smiled and cast his eyes over to where Bisco was standing. Then he whispered:

“He’s quite devoted, too, you know. To his own father.”

Bisco, meanwhile, was engaged in a conversation of his own with Satahabaki.

“Gaze upon these marvelous blossoms, Akaboshi! Despite months of lying idle, it is good to see my Bountiful Art has not yet waned!”

Bisco, however, was in no mood for flower-gazing.

“It’s your brain I’m worried about!” he roared. “You damn near took us out with those blossoms, and Shishi and the kids as well!”

“Nearly, but I did not. Now, was my prudence the cause, or your heaven-sent luck? That is the question… Aah, ’tis cleeear a sign of fortuuune to round out the spriiing!”

“It’s the middle of freakin’ fall!”

Satahabaki raised his scepter to the strum of a shamisen as blossoms fell gently around him. Bisco just watched, his face twitching. The judge had a real habit of running away with the conversation—it was no wonder Kurokawa got sick of him so quickly.

Luckily, Shishi picked just then to walk over, and Bisco scurried behind her. “Someyoshi,” she said. “These are splendid blossoms indeed, but I fear we must be on our way. Tell me, were you ignorant of Mepaosha’s secrets this entire time?”

“That has been weighing heavily on my mind,” Satahabaki replied. “As I recall, she came highly recommended by Matoba Heavy Industries. I made her and Gopis my vice-wardens in order to monitor my dictatorship. She was skilled at her tasks, and I never thought her any more ambitious than her counterpart. I was blind…”

Monitor…??

So you admit it was a dictatorship, Your Honor?

“Regardless, to oppose her now, with the power of the camellia at her back, would be suicide for all the Benibishi. Akaboshi, you must do something!”

“All right, all right! Milo’s workin’ on it!”

Bisco looked to his partner, who nodded and turned to Shishi.

“That’s right. I’m working on a vaccine that will counteract the power of the Rust flower. It should be able to undo Pawoo’s brainwashing and that of everyone else affected.”

“If you say so, Milo, then it must be true. Tell us, is there anything we can do to help?”

Milo thought for a moment before answering.

“…Actually, there is. I need a sample of the Benibishi’s Florescence to complete the vaccine. Is there any way you could give me one?”

Milo looked at her sheepishly. Perhaps it was a terrible thing to ask, given the girl’s traumatic past with her flower, but Shishi gave a firm nod.

“A trifling request, Milo. Take anything you want. In fact, take this…”

Shishi closed her eyes and focused, and her wrist glowed gold. Ivy sprouted forth, taking shape. When Milo recognized its form, he blurted out a name.

“Th-the Lion’s Crimson Sword?!”

Shishi winced as she tore the ivy sword from her arm, then smiled and handed it over to Milo.

“As much as I would love to join you, I fear I can only do so in spirit. I am not yet strong enough to protect my people and also offer my aid. Please take this, so that at least part of me may help you on your journey.”

“Thank you so much, Shishi!”

“Only two people have ever bested me at the sword,” she said, stroking Milo’s sky-blue hair. “Father…and you.” Her voice was tinged with love and affection, but also with a little regret. “Allow me to protect my brother, Milo. Allow me to stand by his side.”

Milo gazed into her earnest eyes and nodded. Bisco, standing a little ways off, looked at the pair and said, “That’s not fair. How come Milo gets a new toy, and I don’t?”

“I understand your plight, Akaboshi. Here, pray take my scepter with you.”

“…Wh-whoa!! How the hell am I supposed to lug this thing around, you colossal dumbass?!”

“Come, Someyoshi,” said Shishi, stepping in to rescue Bisco from an impromptu slapstick act. “Parting is such sweet sorrow, but we must not stop them. They must hurry to their next destination, lest yet more innocent lives be lost.”

Bisco and Milo stiffened, listening attentively for Shishi’s next words.

“Mepaosha has told me where you must go,” she continued. “The next location is…”

“Banryouji Temple?” asked Pawoo.

“Yep.”

“The head temple, in northern Iwate Prefecture? That Banryouji?”

“That’s what I said.”

Kurokawa was busy looking over the recorded footage, occasionally exclaiming things like, “And then…bam!” or “That’s it, Akaboshi, you sexy man!” Whenever fresh inspiration came to mind, she would pull out a red pen and scribble into the script.

“We need a scene with all the women Akaboshi’s helped along the way,” Kurokawa went on. “Otherwise, the second act is going to drag on. I asked the queen to pass on my message, so Akaboshi should be here shortly.”

“But, Director, unlike the other locations, Banryouji is outside of Imihama’s control. The people call it the last bastion of religion in Japan.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Of all its leaders, Banryouji’s High Priest Ochagama is perhaps the most skilled in the mystic arts. And he has the backing of the other sects, such as the Kusabira sect of—”

“Oh, shut up, shut up, shut up! You’re supposed to deal with that stuff! You took out Actagawa and those Benibishi, didn’t you?! What’s a few out-of-touch Buddhists to a woman with the Rust flower on her side?”

“…Understood.”

Pawoo’s expression was unreadable behind the shadow of her skullcap. Kurokawa paid the woman no heed. It seemed she had complete faith in the strength of her brainwashing.

“However!” Kurokawa declared. “I have a request for you this time. They say the priestesses of the Kusabira sect are all pretty ladies. Capture a few of them alive for me, would you? We can use them as extras.”

“Alive? But, Director, those priestesses are extremely powerful…”

“I thought you were an expert in nonlethal takedowns? Surely you can handle it,” Kurokawa replied. Then she began humming to herself. “We’ll need them alive for the big romance scene. I want to treat Akaboshi after all he’s done for this production. We’ll set up a hidden camera and—”

“Romance…scene?”

“Oh, um…”

Kurokawa fell silent as Pawoo’s voice took on a dark tone. Her emotions, usually silenced by the brainwashing, were beginning to boil.

“And who, pray tell, is participating in this scene?” she spat.

“Wait, wait!! Did I say Akaboshi? I meant…er…a pair of star-crossed lovers reunited by the gruff, loner protagonist! You know, like in Yojimbo!”

Somehow, Pawoo seemed convinced by this patchy explanation. She returned to her usual, brainwashed monotone.

“…Director. We will soon be arriving at Banryouji.”

“G-great, great! I…just need to dash to the little girls’ room.”

Kurokawa excused herself and ran to the onboard bathrooms, wiping her sweat in the mirror.

That woman is triggered by the strangest things. My brainwashing is solid, but I get the feeling all it’ll take is one slipup and she’ll be at my throat. I’d better not let her see the—

“…Oh, shit, the script!”

Kurokawa hurried back, but Pawoo and the Immie guards were nowhere to be seen. It appeared they’d already commenced the mission. And there, on Kurokawa’s desk, was the script.

“Oh… Oh no…”

It looked as if it had been crushed in the iron grip of a monster before being discarded. The title at the top of the page read “Akaboshi Harem Scene.”

Banryouji Temple was positioned atop an enormous boulder in the Iwate wastes. One long, winding path snaked around the boulder to its peak, and the way was lined with scriptures carved into the rock face, so that travelers could deepen their understanding on their way to the summit.

Upon reaching the end of this path, pilgrims had to scale the famous “Hundred and Eight Steps” before arriving at the temple proper. These steps were each about one-and-a-half meters tall, and their existence was said to be the primary reason that modern believers were all so rugged and tough. “No salvation without exertion” was the mantra of the day.

It was in complete defiance of this long and pious tradition with which, like a shooting star across the night sky, Bisco and Milo catapulted through the air on their jet-powered crab to land directly and conveniently on the hundred-and-seventh step.

Ker-rash!!

The two boys leaped out of the smoking crater and rolled along the ground. Milo stood and looked back at Actagawa, letting out a yelp of surprise as he saw the steam rising off the crab’s body.

“Actagawa?! …Oh, phew, he’s just gone to sleep.”

Bisco, meanwhile, gazed up at the majesty of the temple, before suddenly grabbing Milo and shaking him by the collar.

“The hell do you think you’re doin’?! You tryin’ to get us both cursed?! We’re supposed to climb these stairs, not just drop outta the sky! These Banryouji gods watch over us Mushroom Keepers! What are we gonna do if you piss ’em off?!”

“Oh, calm down! Don’t you think some things are more important than that?!”

Milo gripped Bisco’s nose with surprising strength, as if training an unruly hound, and twisted. Bisco cried out in pain, rubbing his bright-red nose with tears in his eyes, but Milo only shushed him.

“I made Actagawa go as fast as I could, but I wasn’t able to catch up to Kurokawa,” he said. “Anything could be waiting for us inside there, so keep your guard up!”

“…All right. Let’s split up and head inside,” said Bisco. He was still rubbing his nose, but his expression was serious. “Kurokawa’s got all her attention on me. If we go different ways, she can’t capture both of us. Whatever happens, one of us can still save the other.”

“Okay! So who’s taking the front?”

“Me, obviously. You go around back.”

“Knew you’d say that. Don’t overdo it, Bisco!”

Without waiting for Bisco to finish, Milo turned and was already on his way to the back of the temple. Bisco watched him leave but stopped before heading in himself.

Come to think of it, this is my first time here. I’d better apologize for breakin’ the rules.

Putting away his bow, Bisco lowered his head before the main gates, then tossed a few coins in the offering box nearby.

“We Mushroom Keepers share your beliefs through the guidance of Enbiten, Yoten, Keppaten, and Josanten. In the spirit of goodwill between our people, I humbly ask that you forgive our trespasses…”

“Whatever are you muttering about over there?”

“…Huh?!”

Bisco opened his eyes to find a familiar face standing in front of the main doors.

“…I-it’s you!”

Fluffy white hair and a dainty figure. Her left eye held open in a permanent, unblinking gaze. The person before him was none other than the high priestess of the Kusabira sect, a girl so famous and revered throughout the land that anyone would have recognized her.

“Amli!” he cried in surprise. “The hell are you doin’ here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” she replied. Peering curiously at Bisco’s face, she smiled. “I never thought the fearless Mushroom Keepers would have cause to entreat their gods for anything.”

“’Course we do. Without the gods’ help, our arrows wouldn’t strike true.”

“An admirable creed, Mr. Bisco, sir, but I fear your humility might cause some distress. You see, here in the Kusabira sect, we worship you as our god, and a god can’t exactly pray to other gods, can he?”

Bisco suddenly felt as though something was off. It wasn’t like Amli to act this subdued when the two hadn’t seen each other for so long.

“Now, take off your shoes so we can show you around. Please step inside.”

“Show me around? This ain’t even your temple!”

“Come, my fellow priestesses. Our god has returned. Show him to the inner sanctum.”

“Listen to me! Where’s Tirol’s old man? Where’s—? Whoa!”

Suddenly, two robed priestesses appeared out of nowhere and hooked Bisco’s arms. With beautiful smiles, they hoisted him up and carried him away.

“W-wait! What’s goin’ on?!”

“Worried about High Priest Ochagama? Why, you really have changed, Mr. Bisco, sir,” said Amli with a chuckle. “You’re a shining example to all of us mere mortals.”

“L-let go! Let go, I said! Amli, tell ’em!”

“However, it must be terribly stressful putting on a good face all the time. Allow us to provide you with some comfort…”

As the two priestesses dragged Bisco along, Amli danced and twirled ahead of him.

“Just think of this all as a dream, Mr. Bisco, sir. It shall be a wonderful, most pleasurable dream—I can promise you that.”

“Come now, Akaboshi. If you struggle, I won’t be able to focus.”

“Focus on what?! Get off me! I’m here to rescue you!!”

“There’s nothing to fear. Once you’ve had a taste of my massage, you won’t desire anything else… I’ve always wanted to test my art on a divine canvas.”

“That’s not fair, Mother! I had him first! I want Mr. Bisco to see my arts!”

“I’m afraid this isn’t the same as your children’s games, Amli.”

“Grrr!!”

“Both of you, shaddup! Get the hell off me!”

They were in a room that looked suspiciously like a bedchamber, deep within the temple. As a result of his careless struggles, Bisco had inhaled a considerable amount of the dense incense filling the space. It wasn’t poisoned, or else he would have been quicker to react, but it seemed to contain some kind of medicinal compound that made his eyelids feel weighty.

Upon entering the bedchamber, a half-naked Raskeni had pinned Bisco to the bed with her formidable strength. Even if he could escape her grip, her loyal warrior priestesses would ensure that he didn’t leave the room.

S-somethin’ ain’t right! Even for a joke, this has gone way too far!

“What powerful muscles,” Raskeni mused. “Like a wild beast. And your eyes, those of a hunter. They send a chill down my spine. Oh, what was wrong with me? Why did I ever serve that awful man, when I could have had a boy like you…?”

With the lightest, most tantalizing touch, Raskeni traced her long fingernails down Bisco’s neck. He was overcome with a sensation of pure, utter fear unlike anything he’d felt before.

“Waaaagh!!”

“E-erm, Mother? Don’t you think you’re getting a little—?”

“Silence, child!”

Raskeni was not her usual calm self. Right now, she was like a starving wolf eyeing her prey.

“You’re the one who’s not playing fair!” she roared. “You get to cavort around with Akaboshi and Nekoyanagi all you like, and nobody says anything because you’re just a child! Why, if I didn’t have to be your mother, I’d be out there, too!!”

“Wh-whatever is the cause of all this harsh language, Mother?!”

“Come, Akaboshi. Let me help you fill your lungs. This is part of the process. It’s most certainly not because I want to kiss you.”

“K-kiss me…?! S-stop it! Hey!”

“Now relax…”

His head and shoulders pinned in place, all Bisco could do was look up at Raskeni’s inverted smile. As she slowly brought her face closer to his, Bisco’s face contorted in fear. He was more terrified than he’d ever been in his life. Pushing his voice to the limits, he cried out.

“MILOOOO! HELP MEEEEE!!”

Ker-rash!

A black meteor came crashing through the ceiling and landed in the center of the room. The cold autumn air rushed in, dispelling the incense and putting an end to the steamy atmosphere that had built up inside.

“Tch! Who dares interfere?”

Raskeni leaped back and summoned a spear of Rust in her hand.

“Reveal yourself! We are administering to a god! This is an act of blasphemy!”

“Blasphemy…?” the intruder spat back in a menacing tone. “You dare speak of blasphemy…?”

A splinter of wood cracked beneath the figure’s boots as they stepped into the light. Fwoom, fwoom, fwoom! The weapon in their fingers twirled, cutting through the air. It was a hexagonal rod of steel weighing twelve kilos.

“You’re the one laying your hands on another woman’s husband!” screamed Pawoo. Her spirit seemed to ignite the very air around her, blasting away the rubble on the ground.

“Aaagh!” “Eek!”

Raskeni and Amli tumbled off Bisco as Pawoo swung her staff, striking the ground between them. A rush of air destroyed the bedroom floor and nearly tore their thin clothes to shreds.

“Oh, Pawoo! Thank the gods!”

Bisco found his mind steadily returning as he lay in Pawoo’s arms, gazing beneath her visor into her eyes.

“You saved me! …Wait, aren’t you still brainwashed?”

“Was it good?”

“H-huh?”

“That kiss. Was it better than mine?”

What the hell’s wrong with her?!

Bisco hadn’t the faintest idea what Pawoo was trying to ascertain, but he got the sense that the wrong answer might spell his doom, and so, mind racing, he chose to shake his head as fast as he could.

“…”

“…”

“…Of course not. I just thought I’d ask.”

Her eyes were darkened from the brainwashing, but for just one brief second, Bisco saw a glimmer of satisfaction pass through them. At that, he inferred he must have given the correct answer.

“We’ll talk later,” she said. “For now, I must deal with these women…”

“Y-yeah! They’ve all been brainwashed! Do you know how to—?”

“…by killing them.”

“Wh-what?”

“Hi-yah!!”

The black whirlwind tore through the room, sending the priestesses flying with nothing more than the force emanating from her staff. Shrieks were heard as they went sailing into the walls, knocking them down and revealing the hidden cameras set up on the other side.

“Y-you were filming this?!”

“Fret not, my love. I shall destroy the evidence…after I deal with these harlots. Especially you, Raskeni!! I’ll turn you into mincemeat!”

“S-stop it!” cried Bisco. “Don’t kill her!”

“Yes, stand down, Captain! Thanks to you, this entire scene has been ruined. You’re just the assistant director, remember?! Meddling with the set is above your authority!!”

Kurokawa’s voice came from high up in the air. As soon as she heard it, Pawoo froze and brought her staff back to her side.

“Oh, and it was all going so well, too. The look on Akaboshi’s face right at the end… Well, we’ll fix it in post. We just reached the end of the reel anyway.”

“Kurokawa! It ain’t fair to harm the hostages! Bring Amli and the others back to normal now!”

“Oh, don’t worry,” said Kurokawa dismissively. “I didn’t use the Rust flower on them. It would’ve dulled their senses, and I wanted this to be sexy. This is just an ordinary stupefying drug. Your panda friend should be more than capable of countering its effects.”

She sighed. “This scene’s a bust. We’ll head back to the studio for now. I’ll let you know the schedule in good time, Akaboshi, so just sit tight. Assistant! Get back here! We’re leaving!”

Pawoo turned, ready to jump into the air and rejoin her master, when Bisco grabbed her hand.

“Pawoo!”

“Release me. I have a job to complete.”

“I’m sorry for gettin’ you wrapped up in all this,” he said. “Don’t worry. I’ll find a way to free you. Just wait.”

“…”

Their eyes, jade and indigo, locked in a magnetic pull. It was Pawoo who broke away first, shaking off Bisco’s hand and leaping out through the broken roof to catch hold of a ladder dangling from the Dacarabia.

Bisco watched her go, then cast a glance around the pulverized remains of the bedchamber.

“A-Akaboshi…help me…,” said Raskeni.

“I—I think all my bones are broken!” Amli cried.

“Now you want my help? And after the shit you two pulled…,” he muttered, cracking his neck and lumbering over to pull the pair free from the rubble.

9

“…No, it’s still not pure enough. Come on, Amli, focus!”

“Are we not done yet, Mr. Milo, sir? I fear if you take any more, I shall wither up like a dead plant!”

“And you’d deserve it, after what you did to Bisco. Now, come on. I need to finish this medicine!”

“I—I told you, that was Kurokawa’s doing! I had no agency in the matt— Eep! Don’t be so rough!”

Milo held Amli’s head so that she couldn’t run. His mantra cube spun rapidly above her vacant eye socket, drawing forth the Rust power that dwelled inside the high priestess’s body. A raging torrent of purple-glowing rust streamed out of her head and into the cube.

“Yes, looking good. Just a little more, Amli!”

“Make it stoppp!!”

As Milo’s emerald cube absorbed more and more of Amli’s power, it turned a deeper and deeper shade of violet. At last, after absorbing everything it could, it had become a shimmering black.

“Yes! All done!”

“Fwehhh…”

Amli promptly conked out, and Milo dashed in to catch her. After lowering her gently to the floor, he turned his eyes on the jet-black cube in his hand and gulped.

Before him on the table stood his medicine mixer. Each of its cylindrical tanks made an impressive whirring sound as Milo’s special mixing liquid bubbled inside them.

Suspended in the liquid of the first two were Chaika’s Ghost Hail crystal and a flower from the Lion’s Crimson Sword.

“This is the final ingredient…!!”

Milo sent his Rust-saturated cube into the third cylinder. As he did, all three liquids shone brightly, and the mixing machine began to rattle.

“Uh-oh!”

Milo immediately pulled the drive lever, engaging the motor. The three cylinders gave off a dazzling light, and then…

Bang!

“What the—?! Milo!!”

Bisco, who had been sleeping, shot up off the floor. All he could see where Milo had been sitting was a cloud of black smoke.

“Milo, what happened?! We bein’ attacked? Dammit!!”

Bisco drew his knife and was just about to plunge into the cloud when Milo came staggering out of it.

“M-Milo?”

“It’s done,” Milo said, before coughing up smoke. His skin was all sooty and black, and his sky-blue hair was frizzy and scorched.

“Done? What’s done?!”

“One sec.”

Carrying Amli under his arm, Milo walked over and laid her on the ground. Then he rummaged around in his pocket, pulling out a syringe filled with an unknown silvery substance.

“Wh-what’s that??” asked Bisco.

The silver spores within it danced like bubbles rushing up through boiling water. Even Bisco could tell it was a very powerful serum.

“They may look like ordinary Ghost Hail spores,” Milo explained, “but they’ve been combined with antibiotics made from the Florescence and the Rust. We can use this to counteract Kurokawa’s Rust flower.”

“You made the vaccine already?! That was fast!!”

“I already knew how to beat Kurokawa,” said Milo. “I just needed the ingredients: highly concentrated mushrooms, flowers, and Rust.”

Puffs of black smoke streamed from Milo’s mouth as he spoke, and he glanced at the syringe again. Its silvery glow lit up his face.

“If we can inject this into the Rust flower, we win! Let’s apply it to your arrows and save Pawoo!”

“But the flower grows at the back of the neck. How am I supposed to get to it?”

“Well, you could…er…”

“Never mind. I’ll think of somethin’.”

Bisco took a corner of his cloak and wiped the soot from his partner’s panda face.

“Mmrgh.”

“You’ve swapped colors… Hold still. I’m tryin’ to clean it off.”

“Hey, Bisco?”

“We can’t dance to Kurokawa’s tune anymore. It’s time to take the fight to her.”

“Who do you like more, Pawoo or Raskeni?”

“Tomorrow, we head for Imihama. Get some sleep.”

“So you can’t answer? Is that because you feel guilty? Shame on you, Bisco. As Pawoo’s brother, I’m disappointed.”

“The hell have I done to deserve this?! What is it with you two?!”

As the boys descended into another one of their pointless quarrels, Actagawa sat atop the temple roof, as noble and majestic as though he had been carved from brass. The moon glinted off his carapace as the giant crab looked out over the wasteland like a guardian spirit.

“Good luck, Mr. Bisco!!”

“Akaboshi! You let that Kurokawa beat you, and I’ll come down to hell myself and kill you again!”

In the glimmering sunlight, the Calvero Shellsand Sea flickered in all the colors of the rainbow. Nuts, Kousuke, and the other children cheered and cried out in support as Actagawa circled Tetsujin Town one last time before departing southward.

“So those kids managed to get out of Imihama?” asked Bisco.

“It was Pawoo. She was able to buy time for them to escape… I’m glad they’re doing okay.”

Milo was looking over his shoulder and waving back at the town when his eyes fell on Plum. She seemed to have grown quite a bit since their last meeting, and as soon as the two made eye contact, Plum blushed and turned away without saying anything.

“Remember all the shit we went through last time we were here?” remarked Bisco. “Feels like cheatin’ to just fly over it all.”

“Aren’t you warming up to it? The travel is smooth, and you have to admit it’s kind of cool. A rocket-powered crab!”

“Bullshit. Soon as we beat Kurokawa, I’m takin’ these things off!”

Though he wasn’t fully sold, Bisco was starting to see the genius of old Japanese technology. What had once been a three-day journey now only took the boys a few hours, and already they had passed beyond the sea’s edge.

The driftweeds below were starting to shed balls of algae, the color of autumn leaves, that would carry their seeds on the wind across the plains.

“We’re over the Driftweed Plains now,” Bisco pointed out. “We’re close enough to Imihama that Kurokawa might see us, so watch out.”

“Roger!” came Milo’s enthusiastic reply. Then, all of a sudden, his face froze. “Bisco, what’s that?!”

“Hmm?”

With a Boom, Boom, two objects appeared out of nowhere in the air directly ahead of them, softly drifting like a pair of parachutes. They were round, with silvery skin that occasionally crackled with lightning.

“Are those…mushrooms?” Milo asked.

When Bisco saw them, his eyes went wide. “…Electroshrooms!!” he exclaimed, drawing his bow and loosing a pair of arrows. The projectiles struck the electroshrooms before they’d fully charged, bursting them like balloons and sending them falling to earth.

“Milo! We have to turn back. Somethin’s not right!”

“What is it?”

“Electroshrooms are a Mushroom Keeper crab huntin’ trick! It’s not Kurokawa! I didn’t think it was possible, but we’re probably facin’…!!”

Before Bisco could find the words to express himself, their foe struck again. Several arrows came flying up from ground level. The electroshroom spores still hung in the air, and when the arrows hit them, they exploded into a line of mushrooms that blocked Actagawa’s path.

“Waagh! Actagawa, swerve, swerve!!”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Whoever the enemy was, they had laid this trap ahead of time. The air was already thick with spores, and when the arrows triggered them, the resulting electroshrooms caged Actagawa in, cutting off all escape. The shock passed straight through the steelcrab’s carapace, numbing his limbs and causing him to lose control of his thrusters.

“Actagawa’s goin’ down!” shouted Bisco. “Milo, hen-of-the-woods, on my mark!”

“Got it!”

Actagawa fell out of the sky, taking several of the electroshrooms with him. Bisco and Milo aimed their bows at the ground.

Pchew! Gaboom!

Mushrooms bloomed with explosive force, saving the trio from a crash landing but throwing the two riders clear into a conveniently placed driftweed.

“Owww… Who would do something like that?”

“Milo! Get up! They’re coming!”

As if to emphasize the point, an arrow whizzed by and landed with a Thunk! in the ground between the two boys. It immediately exploded into a cluster of bright-yellow oyster mushrooms, flinging the pair apart.

Milo righted himself in the air and gazed in shock at the result of the attack.

“Mushrooms?! B-but that means…!”

“Oyster mushrooms are the art of my clan,” said Bisco. Milo had never seen him look so grim. “That’s who we’re up against… The Shikoku Mushroom Keepers!”

“Excellent deduction, Akaboshi! Aaah-ha-ha-ha!” Kurokawa’s mad laughter echoed across the Driftweed Plains. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to brainwash fifty Mushroom Keepers? But the show must go on!”

“Kurokawa!! Where are you? Show yourself!!”

“The genius Dr. Panda has gone to all three locations and succeeded in obtaining the ingredients he needs to complete the Rust flower vaccine!”

Huh?!

“However, he only has enough for three doses. Isn’t that right?”

D-dammit! She knew I’d been working on the vaccine this entire time!

Kurokawa chuckled, amused beyond belief at the accuracy of her prediction.

“It’s time to see our protagonist’s inner conflict. Will Akaboshi do what is necessary to succeed? Will you slaughter scores of your former comrades just to save one woman? Cut them down mercilessly for your one true love? Well, Akaboshi?!”

“Shut the hell up!!”

“Bisco, watch out!!”

A Mushroom Keeper emerged from his hiding place, and Milo leaped for his partner. He managed to tackle Bisco out of the path of the arrow, but it created a yellow oyster mushroom that blasted them both to the ground. Just then, another arrow landed beside them, and a cluster of mushrooms threw them high up into the air. Meanwhile, more and more Mushroom Keepers came out from behind driftweeds, firing arrow after arrow at the boys. If just one of them landed a hit, the pair would be torn to shreds.

Milo landed atop an ancient, rusted tank, destroying the gun turret and crushing the frame. Bisco grabbed his stunned partner and pulled him free just seconds before a hail of mushroom arrows blew the tank apart.

“Cough! Cough!”

“Milo! Keep it together!”

“We have to run, Bisco!” cried Milo as he popped his dislocated shoulder back into place. “You can’t bloody your hands here; it’s what Kurokawa wants! I won’t let her boss you around anymore!”

“I know! But…!!”

Modern Japan was home to all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures, like the Pipe Snake, the Cumulo 5, and even the Island Whale, Hokkaido. The Mushroom Keepers, and especially those from Shikoku, made it their mission to take down these formidable beasts. On top of this, the mushroom bow was a weapon designed specifically to hunt fleeing creatures, so even if Bisco and Milo tried to run, there was no guarantee they would make it.

“We need to break through their ranks,” said Milo. “If we can just take out one of them…”

“What?! We can’t kill ’em, Milo! That’s my tribe!”

“I know you can’t do it, Bisco. That’s why I have to!”

“Milo?! …Wait, over there!”

The two hit the deck just in time as four Mushroom Keepers jumped out wearing tattered cloaks. Two of them fired arrows at the boys, while the other two took up formation to cut off any escape routes. Thinking quickly, Milo raised his right hand and uttered a simple mantra.

“Shield!”

An emerald wall blocked the two arrows flying their way.

Gaboom!

“Urgh!!”

The arrows exploded into yellow oyster mushrooms, eating away Milo’s shield in a flash. Against the Rust-eating properties of the mushrooms, Milo’s mantra was all but useless.

Crap!!

The other two archers fired their arrows, fast as a gale. One of them whistled directly toward Milo’s throat.

The sound of tearing flesh. A spray of blood.

“Rgh… Huh? Ah…ahhh…”

Milo felt his partner’s weight in his hands. The smell of the sun drifted off his scarlet hair, and Milo’s fingers grew slick with his blood. The burning heat of it left him shaking.

“Bisco!!”

“Don’t…shoot, Milo…”

The arrow had pierced Bisco’s lung. A horrid amount of blood spilled from his lips and onto Milo’s chest.

“It don’t make it any better…for you to bloody your hands instead. We’re one, dumbass. Our karma…and our fate…”

“Aaaaaah!! Bisco! Bisco!!” Milo screamed, unable to stop the blood. All he could do was hold his partner close. The regenerative power of the Rust-Eater had always saved Bisco from lesser threats, but his fellow Mushroom Keepers were a force to be reckoned with.

The more powerful a creature, the larger its reserves of vitality, and it was the source of that vitality that Mushroom Keepers aimed for with their strikes. Thus, Bisco’s great strength became his downfall, as he was exactly the kind of monster the hunters were trained from birth to defeat.

“Grhh, they got me good. I can’t summon up the spores…!”

I need to operate! But…

While Bisco focused on holding back the mushrooms’ growth, Milo’s mind raced. However, the Mushroom Keepers were not about to show mercy to a wounded foe…

“I ain’t feelin’ the Rust-Eater no more,” one said.

“We’ve hit him in the cultivator! The next shot’ll end it.”

“Don’t get careless, fellows. Remember, that kid’s the strongest Mushroom Keeper alive. Who knows what he’s capable of when his life’s on the line?”

The hunters moved in cautiously, not dropping their guard for a moment. Milo had few ideas, and very little time to think.

“Stay back!!” he yelled, his sapphire eyes burning like stars. His terrifying glare made the advancing figures pause in their tracks.

I’m a doctor. Protecting life is my mission. It’s why I’m here.

“Ain’t that the new kid? Where’d all that spirit come from?”

“Don’t underestimate him. Remember, he’s the man Akaboshi calls his partner. Kill him from a safe distance!”

But to save Bisco…I’ll do anything!!

Milo’s despair became a beastly rage. He bared his teeth and growled.

“I don’t care whose blood I have to spill. I don’t care how many of you there are. If anyone takes another step, I’ll rip you all to shreds!”

A swarm of mantra cubes materialized in the air around Milo. They spun so fast the hunters’ eyes could barely follow as they waited impatiently for Milo’s order.

“Don’t do it…Milo!!” pleaded Bisco.

“He’s casting some kinda spell! Shoot the newbie! Do it now!”

“Won/shandreber/vacurer…”

The Mushroom Keepers drew their bows taut, while Milo, resolve strengthened by Bisco’s peril, prepared the most devastating mantra of his life. At the precise moment the two forces seemed poised to wipe each other out, an arrow streaked down from the sky and embedded itself at Milo’s feet.

Boom!

“Sn— M-mmph?!”

The arrow exploded into what seemed like a giant ball of cotton wool, engulfing the pair. Before the surprised hunters could react, their bows were assaulted by sand velvet mushrooms, breaking the weapons to pieces.

“Wh-what?! What happened to our bows?!”

“It doesn’t matter. Bisco’s in there! Draw your daggers and finish him off!”

The hostile men descended on the cotton, but before they could reach it, a short-statured Mushroom Keeper burst out of the top, carrying Bisco and Milo in his arms. The man seemed far stronger than his physical size could account for.

“Shikoku folk may be the best around, but y’all youngsters ain’t scratch compared to me. You let yerselves get so distracted, you didn’t even notice my spores infectin’ your bows!”

“Cough! Cough! Wh-what just happened?!”

“Hyo-ho-ho!”

Up in the air, his ivory whiskers trailing in the breeze, was a man whose face the two boys had never expected to see.

“Tear ’em all to pieces, you say? Why, my boy, you’ve got one hell of a mouth on that pretty face!”

““Jabi!!””

“I had to free Actagawa, ya see,” the old man said. “So I ran a little late.”

“Where have you been?! And how did you get here?!”

“A little birdie showed me the way. See?”

Jabi motioned ahead of him, to the side of an unusually steep cliff. Milo could see something pink hopping up and down in front of a cave entrance.

“Over here! Over here!” the figure cried. “This way, Gramps!!”

““T-Tirol?!””

“If you want the full details, ask the pip-squeak,” said Jabi. “I gotta go talk some sense into the young’uns!”

Jabi moved like the wind and landed swiftly by Tirol’s side, dropping the blood-soaked pair onto the ground before turning back the way he came.

“Jabi, wait!” said Bisco. “I’m comin’, too.”

“Like that? I don’t think so, kid. Let the panda take care of ya,” Jabi said, before turning to Milo. “The boy’s been hit in the cultivator, laddie. That’s spooked the Rust-Eaters, but it ain’t as bad as it looks. Remove the arrowhead, and he’ll be right as rain.”

“O-okay!”

“Are you gonna be all right by yourself, old man?!” shouted Tirol. “Why don’t ya stick around until Akaboshi gets better?!”

“You’re the one who dragged me out here, lassie! Don’t fret—these kids ain’t got nothin’ on me.”

Jabi lifted his hat and fixed the jellyfish-haired girl with a toothy grin.

“Besides, those kids called Bisco the greatest Mushroom Keeper alive, an’ I don’t recall bein’ dead just yet! I’ll show ’em who’s really top dog around here!”

With that, Jabi leaped back into the sea of dying driftweed. In only three seconds, he had disappeared.

“Get to the back of the cave!” yelled Tirol. “I’m sealin’ off the entrance!”

“Are you crazy?!” Bisco shot back. “Jabi’s out there fightin’ by himself!”

“Once you get yourself healed, you can join him! Fire in the hole!”

Tirol pressed down a lever, and a mighty explosion shook the cave mouth. Falling rocks and stones sealed the way completely. Tirol wiped the sweat from her brow and sighed, her firebeetle lantern now their only source of light.

“Th-thank you, Tirol!” said Milo.

“I bet you got questions for me,” she replied. “But right now Akaboshi comes first. ’Sides, I gotta protect the old man my way.”

Milo watched as Tirol took out some sort of boxy portable computer with an integrated display and began tapping away at the keys. Then he turned his attention to Bisco.

“We’ll have to skip the anesthetic,” he said, unrolling his medical supplies. “It’ll interfere with the treatment. Do you think you can bear with it?”

“Who the hell do you think you’re talkin’ to? Just get me back in the fight, so I can go after Jabi!”

Bisco’s eyes were completely fearless. Milo nodded, then selected a sharp metal scalpel and, without hesitation, cut into Bisco’s abdomen near the base of the arrow.

It’s been a while since I last saw the inside of Bisco’s stomach… Oh no! His muscles are too hard; I can’t cut through!

Bisco hadn’t shown any indication of pain so far, and his breaths were calm and meditative. He was utilizing a technique Jabi had once taught him, shutting out the outside world and focusing his energy to preserve his life for as long as possible. Obviously, this was a technique beyond the reach of most people.

Trying not to let this amazing skill distract him, Milo switched out his scalpel for his trusty lizard-claw knife, plunging it into Bisco’s stomach and slitting it open. Inside, Bisco’s organs pulsed violently, lighting up the abdominal cavity with an otherworldly golden light. Milo paused. He felt as though he were gazing upon a living universe, each organ a star in the endless void.

…It’s beautiful…

“…What’s up—got the hots for your partner’s insides? You’re into some freaky shit, Panda Boy.”

“D-don’t say that! It just surprised me a bit, that’s all!!”

Milo anxiously cleared his throat and took another look inside Bisco’s body. The tip of the arrow was embedded in a particularly bright organ, which seemed to be preventing the Rust-Eaters from healing him, just as Jabi had said.

Is this the cultivator? What even is it? Where did it come from?

The glowing organ was positioned just above Bisco’s liver. Milo had never seen anything like it in all his years slicing up patients. It reminded him of the Ghost Hail Node, the unique organ found in the body of Hokkaido. Milo could only guess that it had grown there some time after Bisco’s blood became infused with the Rust-Eater. But if so, he couldn’t help marveling at how quickly the transformation had taken place.

Still, Milo couldn’t allow this baffling new information to distract him from his job. With practiced ease, he extracted the arrowhead and stitched up Bisco’s pierced organ. As soon as he did, the Rust-Eater spores, which had been spilling from the open wound like fireworks, began flowing into Bisco’s bloodstream once more.

“Urgh…”

Milo heard Bisco groan and watched as the color slowly returned to his face. Seeing that the procedure had been a success, Milo removed the arrow piercing Bisco’s lung as well. As he did so, the wound miraculously healed itself before his very eyes.

“Th-that’s it!! It’s all over!”

“It’s all over? You killed him?” asked Tirol without looking up.

“Like I would ever mess up an operation! Bisco’s fine…but he still has to rest. He’s lost a lot of blood, and the Rust-Eater is still reproducing it.”

“Normally, I’d tell you to just wake him up already,” said Tirol, “but I think it’s gonna be okay, actually.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…get a load of Akaboshi’s pappy. He’s toyin’ with them. Even I can see that.”

Without bothering to clean the blood off himself, Milo left Bisco’s side and wandered over to Tirol. It looked like she was using the computer to control her personal drone. The reception was rough, but the screen displayed a staticky view from its camera feed as it scuttled like a spider across the Driftweed Plains.

“You’ve been following Jabi?”

“Just watch. Here they come!”

The drone turned its gaze upward, and Milo caught sight of three figures jumping overhead. He recognized two of them as the Mushroom Keepers who had attacked him and Bisco, and the third was…

“Jabi! Oh no, watch out!”

Two arrows came flying toward the old man, but just as they were about to skewer him, Jabi stretched and contorted his whole body like a snake, dodging them completely. Then, as if that wasn’t shocking enough, he grabbed the two arrows out of the air with nothing but his bare hands.

“Whaaat?!”

“Whoa.”

Milo and Tirol were both shocked. Meanwhile, Jabi swung his serpentine body around like a whirlwind, flinging the two arrows back at their owners. They caught the Mushroom Keepers’ cloaks, knocking them to the ground, where the arrows exploded into bright-yellow oyster mushrooms.

He’s still trying not to kill them!

Jabi’s techniques were like the yin to Bisco’s yang. While Bisco’s arrows were hard-hitting and impactful, his master’s were deliberate and precise. Jabi’s sharp eyes picked out the Tirol drone, and he called out to it.

“Runnin’ low on arrows! Pass me my spares!”

“Here ya go!”

The drone tossed Jabi a fresh quiver, whereupon the old man disappeared once more into the plains like a mist.

“See?” said Tirol, stretching. “Jabi’s fine. He don’t even need Bisco to— Whoa, Panda, you reek of blood! Even you’ll turn off the girls smellin’ like Freddy Krueger!”

“It was you who went and found Jabi, wasn’t it? Thank you, Tirol! You’re a lifesaver!”

“Kurokawa was busy followin’ you two, and there aren’t many people who can fight back… I figured, if there’s one guy who can do it, it’s him.”

Then Tirol muttered, “I’m hungry,” and rummaged around in her luggage, pulling out a large bag of green sugar–fried beans. She stuffed a handful into her mouth and began chewing on them.

“How come I always gotta save you guys anyway? I’m gettin’ bored of this job. Hurry up and beat Kurokawa so I can switch careers.”

“With Jabi on our side, we can’t lose! We’ll just wait for Bisco to heal up, and then—”

But Milo’s newfound optimism didn’t last long.

“Simply amazing! The mushroom master beat fifty of his peers without killing a single one! Not bad for a decrepit old fogy, Jabi!!”

Kurokawa’s voice came through the computer. Tirol jumped and started pressing buttons, panning the drone’s camera to a spot above the driftweeds, where Jabi was currently facing off against the Dacarabia.

“Your little game of make-believe ends here, Kurokawa. You’ve had your fun, stringin’ Bisco along for the ride, but now it’s time to put down the camera fer good.”

“Heh-heh-heh. Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Jabi.”

Kurokawa remained defiant in the face of the triumphant Mushroom Keeper.

“That ambush was nothing more than bait to draw you in, and here you are. You’re the true focus of this scene, old man.”

“What’re you yappin’ about?”

“Before Obi-Wan’s tragic demise, we need the audience to understand his full power! You played the part magnificently, I must say. The fiery bow of the disciple has been utterly outshone by the still water of his master’s!”

Kurokawa folded her arms beneath her chest. Her carefree gaze met Jabi’s down below, and sparks flew between them like lightning.

“However,” she went on. “It’s time to draw this scene to a close, I think. We can’t devote too much time to what is, ultimately, only a supporting character.”

Then she switched from her usual mocking tone to something much darker.

“Actors who have played their part must leave the stage.”

“Why don’cha just say how you really feel? You want me dead ’cause yer scared of me, that’s all!”

“Mmm! Now, that’s a one-liner! Aah, just twenty years younger, and you could have been a star…”

Kurokawa smiled—a broad grin that revealed her sharpened teeth. She snapped her fingers, and Pawoo leaped from the craft in a flutter of raven hair. Swinging her staff, she tore apart the driftweeds in her path, closing in on Jabi. The old man kept his eyes fixed on the tip of her weapon, his expression unchanging.

“Will you tear apart a promising young couple for a few more years of life? You know how this has to go, don’t you, old man?”

Milo tore his eyes from the display. “Kurokawa’s entered the fray!” he yelled. “This is bad. Jabi doesn’t have the vaccine yet!”

“But to get outta here, we gotta open the cave!” shouted Tirol. “Where’s my blasting kit? I know it’s around here somewhere…”

“Out of the way, Tirol!”

Tirol ducked to the side with a yelp just as a scarlet flash from Bisco’s bow grazed her braids and embedded itself in the fallen rock.

Gaboom!

There could be no greater demonstration of the red oyster mushrooms’ superior power compared to their yellow counterparts. The blast obliterated the fallen rubble in an instant.

“Milo!” Bisco called to his partner. “Let’s go!”

“Okay!!”

“Frick, my hair’s caught in the… Hey! Don’t leave me behind!”

Tirol watched the boys disappear into the wilds like bullets, one of her braids pinned beneath a sizable chunk of displaced rock.

“Bisco!! Are you sure you’re okay to fight?” asked Milo.

“It don’t matter! Jabi and Pawoo are gonna fight to the death! Even if my heart collapses, I gotta stop them!”

“There they are! Oh no! Pawoo!”

As Milo watched, the Whirling Steel descended on Bisco’s aged master like a storm, lashing out mercilessly with her thick iron rod. Jabi’s superior skill and experience served him well in predicting Pawoo’s blows, but he was clearly fighting a losing battle. Pawoo’s forceful swings unleashed heavy blasts of wind that countered Jabi’s light, snakelike movements and prevented him from reaching his full potential.

“Hyo-ho-ho! You’ve got strength, lass! Save some for your husband!!”

“Jabi!” Bisco called out. “Get away! Leave Pawoo to us!!”

“Ah, Akaboshi takes the stage. Let’s get a close-up… Hmm? Hold on a second…”

Kurokawa put down the megaphone and sank into thought.

“Now, I know that gorilla can take the two pip-squeaks, but can she handle three at once…?”

“Bisco!! We just need to hold Pawoo back!!” cried Milo.

“Got it!!”

“I shall not let you interfere!!”

Pawoo’s deep-blue eyes glowed under the shade of her steel visor as she turned her staff on her husband. Bisco blocked her overhead swing with his bow, but she swiftly followed up with a sideways sweep, and when he blocked this, too, Bisco heard an unsettling creak from his weapon.

“Urgh. My bow can’t take much more!”

“Let’s switch, Bisco!”

Milo blocked the next swing, taking over for his partner. In his hands was the Lion’s Crimson Sword. It glowed gold with the light of the Rust-Eater, having sucked up Bisco’s blood off Milo after the operation. In its awakened form, it could block Pawoo’s weighty blows without suffering a single nick to the blade.

“Milo! You dare defy your elder sister?!”

“This is an abuse of sibling privilege, Pawoo!”

But Pawoo showed no signs of leniency toward her brother. In fact, if anything, her blows became fiercer and fiercer. Still, with Bisco and Milo able to cover each other’s defensive weaknesses, she was finding it difficult to land a decisive blow.

“Grr, this is taking forever!” muttered Kurokawa, watching the fight from the deck of her craft. “Somebody go down and help—”

“D-Director! He’s here! We’ve been boarded!”

“Whaaat?!”

She had only taken her eyes off Jabi for a moment, and yet in that time he had combined his clamshell mushrooms with a wire arrow to catapult his lightweight frame up onto the body of the Dacarabia.

The Immies pointed their rifles skyward. “Shoot him! Don’t let him reach the engine— Gwah!”

Sweat ran down Kurokawa’s neck at the detestable Gaboom! Gaboom! sounds coming from above. Suddenly, she heard a different kind of explosion, and a Klaxon began blaring in the cabin as the entire craft pitched forward, slowly falling out of the sky.

“Impossible… He took out the reactor! How is this old coot giving you idiots trouble?! Get up there and fix it!”

“Hyo-ho-ho. Surprised?”

“Grh!”

Kurokawa froze as Jabi’s gloating face suddenly appeared upside down outside one of the cabin windows.

“I’ll wager this wasn’t in your script, eh?! But don’t worry—retirement ain’t so bad!”

“Director! Watch out…!”

Several rabbit-headed Immie guards jumped out to protect Kurokawa, but Jabi kept blasting them away with his lightning kicks, sending them over the edge to plummet, screaming, into the driftweeds below. Drawing his trusty shortbow, he advanced on Kurokawa, keeping his weapon level.

“Well, you got me,” Kurokawa said, smiling. “I didn’t plan for this at all. In fact, I was kind of hoping those fifty Mushroom Keepers would do you in. But Akaboshi just had to—”

“Bisco ain’t your toy, Kurokawa.”

For a moment, Jabi was no longer the doddering fool. His words were like jet-black knives in Kurokawa’s mind. He was the one people told stories of: the mad bowman, Akemi Hebikawa.

“Looks like we’re both gettin’ a one-way ticket to meet the ferryman, kid. We’ll have plenty o’ time to talk on the boat to hell.”

“Y-you…”

Kurokawa gulped.

Then a wide grin spread across her face.

“That’s a good look on you, Jabi…”

Shwf!

“Whoopsie-daisy!”

Kurokawa drew her pistol and fired in Jabi’s direction, but the old man backflipped out of the way. Then, as soon as Kurokawa appeared in his line of sight once more, he unleashed four different arrows that lodged in a row up Kurokawa’s extended arm toward her shoulder.

“Huh?!”

“You still got a few seconds before they bloom. Enough to make your peace, Kurokawa.”

“Waaaaahhh! Aaaah…! Aaah…ha! Aaah-ha-ha-haaaa!!”

“!!”

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a flash of light came flying toward Jabi. He dove to the side, but as if predicting his movement, a second flash rushed toward his new location at supersonic speeds.

Splat!!

“G-ghhgh!!”

“I can’t believe you managed to dodge one of them,” said Kurokawa leisurely. “What a fearsome old man you are.”

One of five long black spikes pierced Jabi’s throat and lifted him up into the air. The mysterious weapons were Kurokawa’s own fingers.

“But there’s something you failed to consider,” the dark-eyed woman went on. “I’m a coward. You didn’t think I’d appear before Akaboshi with only one gorilla for protection, did you?”

Slurp. Slurp. A black metallic substance coated Kurokawa’s injured arm. It pulsated, feeding on the arrows and drawing them into her body.

“Gh…bah… Y-you…”

“Think, you old fool! Wouldn’t it make sense that I already had a means of taking Akaboshi on myself?”

Kurokawa retracted her fingers, drawing Jabi closer. Now he could see the full extent of her transformation, and the black steel that covered half her body. It was a person-sized Tetsujin—but this one hadn’t been left to rot in the Rust Wind, or reawoken after centuries of disuse. This was the weapon’s true form.

“Bisco!! Over there!!” shouted Milo.

“Jabi!!”

“Mrh…!”

Bisco, Milo, and Pawoo paused their battle to stare at the horrifying scene unfolding within the cabin of the descending Dacarabia. Kurokawa, noticing their gazes, gave a little wave and turned her mechanical body for them to admire.

“Sorry to ruin your hopes and dreams, boys, but you know what they say: True beauty is only skin-deep.”

“Kurokawa!! Let Jabi go!!”

“I still remember the day you tore my flesh apart with those arrows,” said Kurokawa, ignoring the request. “After you put an end to Tetsujin, a group of people arrived to take away what remained. The leader of that group was none other than Zenjuro Matoba, the chairman of Matoba Heavy Industries.”

“Matoba recovered the Tetsujin?!”

“Their aim, of course, was to see if the weapon could be mass-produced. However, what they didn’t know at the time was that a teensy-weensy bit of my mind still inhabited it.”

Kurokawa waved her fingers to and fro, flinging Jabi around as she moved.

“One of Matoba’s technical advisers was assigned to watch over me, and in an incubation vat, I began my new life as Perfect Tetsujin… I also asked them to make me a woman this time, since that sounded like a lot more fun. But that’s beside the point. After I obtained my new body…”

Shwf!!

Bisco wasn’t going to listen to another second of Kurokawa’s monologue. He fired an arrow her way, and although Pawoo jumped in to protect her, Milo blocked her staff with the Lion’s Crimson Sword. The red streak barreled through the air unhindered, heading straight for Kurokawa’s head.

“Oh, sorry. My story’s boring you, is it? Well then, how about this?”

Kurokawa raised her other arm, and a black ripple emanated from her fingertip, creating some kind of force field in front of her. Bisco’s arrow disappeared into the barrier, leaving Kurokawa completely unharmed.

“What?! I missed?!”

Gaboom!!

A second later, a sound came from below—at ground level. Bisco looked down and saw a cluster of bright-red oyster mushrooms sprouting from the Driftweed Plains.

“After Effects,” Kurokawa explained in a low, gritty voice. “A reality-editing tool that allows me to take your arrows and put them somewhere else.” She cackled. “You may be divine, Akaboshi, but even you can’t stand up to this marvel of twenty-first century engineering! You’ll never land a hit on me!”

“Kurokawa…!!!”

“Now do you understand?! I’m the director! I get to exist outside the rules and watch over you forever! And as thanks for putting me here, Akaboshi, I’m going to turn you into the greatest hero who ever graced the silver screen!”

“Rgh! Gh! Gaah!”

“Jabi!”

“Aaand action.”

Kurokawa gave a slimy grin, and vines of Rust crept from her fingers. They crawled along Jabi’s throat, converging at the back of his neck and culminating in a single Rust flower that suddenly blossomed into existence. Jabi flinched at the violent growth, but then hung his head limply and stopped moving.

“Teacher and student, forced to do battle against their own wishes! Does Bisco have what it takes to strike down his beloved master? …Phew-ee! Sometimes my own genius scares even me. Even George Lucas never got a scene like this!”

“Jabi, nooo!!” cried Milo.

“Get back here, Assistant! One of our cameramen was killed; I need you to take over.”

Pawoo shot Kurokawa a questioning glance before heading back to the descending Dacarabia. Kurokawa, meanwhile, transformed her arm into a mass of fibers that snaked their way to the craft’s engines and brought them back online.

“They’re getting away! We need to give Pawoo the vaccine!”

“Wait, Milo!”

There was anger in Bisco’s voice as he cut Milo off and took a step forward into the windswept plains, as if to protect his partner. A few meters ahead, a small figure dropped down to face him. The man’s silvery whiskers swayed in the breeze, and beneath his tricorne hat lurked a pair of hawkish eyes.

“So, old man, you finally went senile,” muttered Bisco through gritted teeth. “Serves you right for lettin’ all the fame go to your head. You’ve gone soft—the Jabi I know would never lose his mind to a couple’a damn tricks!”

“…Hee-hee-hee.”

Slowly, Jabi lifted his head. The expression on his face was like nothing Milo had ever seen. It was something he knew only from stories—stories Bisco had told him of the mad bowman, Jabi, who left naught but destruction in his wake.

“You know, sonny…”

The man’s tone was just like it had been in his heyday. Bisco broke out in a cold sweat. He remembered that voice.

“…it ain’t so bad bein’ controlled.”

“What?!”

“I gave rise to the world’s strongest Mushroom Keeper. That’s somethin’ I can be proud of.”

His cracked lips parted, revealing the gaps in his toothy grin.

“But I can’t pass on like this. You understand, don’cha, boy?”

“Spit it out, Jabi! What are you tryin’ to say?!”

“We’re warriors, son. Both of us.”

The fire in the old man’s gaze burned a hole straight through Bisco’s jade-green eyes.

“For sixty years, I broke down everything in my path. There was nothin’ in the world my arrows couldn’t pierce…until you showed up.”

“…”

“I wanna fight ya, sonny.”

“Hrgh…!”

“I wanna see how far my bow’ll take me against the world’s strongest Mushroom Keeper. You’ve lit a fire in my heart, boy. Now show me what you got!”

“No, Jabi! Don’t do this!”

“Stand back, Milo!!”

Spores blew out from Bisco’s body like his skin was boiling, enveloping him in their golden light. Milo just stood there, dumbfounded. He had never seen his partner look so dead serious.

“My old man means business,” he said. “It’s my job as his disciple to make him eat those words!!”

“Eat my words, hmm? Hee-hee-hee. You’re a sweet lad, Bisco.”

Shwf!

Bisco nocked an arrow and fired it with supernatural speed. No ordinary human could have dodged his lightning arrow, much less an old man of sixty, but Jabi had the agility of the monkey king himself.

“Still think I’m so sweet, Jabi?!”

“Hee-hee-hee! So sweet I’ll lose the rest of my teeth!”

Pchew! Pshoo!

Like a Wild West shootout, the two parties drew their bows and loosed their arrows in perfect unison. Bisco’s shot hit Jabi’s head-on, and the power of Bisco’s superior draw destroyed the opposing arrow completely. However…

“!”

“Silly boy. You think I didn’t see that coming, when you’ve been using the same trick your whole life?”

…Jabi’s arrow had been tipped with a scattersoot mushroom for precisely this reason. When Bisco’s arrow struck it, it threw up a cloud of smoke that obscured the old man from view. Moments later, three arrows flew out of the cloud and embedded themselves with a series of thuds at Bisco’s feet.

“Ha!” Bisco laughed. “I was just checkin’ your joints hadn’t froze up!”

“Hyo-ho. If I was young again, I’d have you trapped in three more moves!”

“Yeah? Well, unlike you, I’m still learnin’ new tricks!”

Bisco clenched his teeth and drew his bow back as far as he could, loosing a golden arrow at the source of the smoke. An enormous Rust-Eater exploded into being, and the burst of spores blew the soot away.

“Hyo-ho-ho!” laughed Jabi, pressing his hat to his head before the force of the mushroom’s awakening blew it clean off. “You never did have a soft touch. You really need all that power just to defeat one little old man?”

“Quit yammerin’ before I save your dentist some trouble!”

Bisco fired more and more Rust-Eater arrows into the earth, their long stalks stretching upward after Jabi. But the old man kept weaving and leaping between them, never allowing one to hit.

“Dammit! He’s as slippery as ever!”

“…Oh no! Bisco!” cried Milo. “Stop firing!”

“Huh?!”

Distracted by Jabi’s flitting movements like a bull by a matador’s cape, Bisco failed to notice what the old man was doing before it was too late. The Rust-Eaters Bisco had fired began changing color, their caps becoming dark as coal.

“The hell?! What’s happening to the Rust-Eaters?!”

“He’s rewritten the mushrooms!” Milo cried, eyes wide with wonder. “Jabi fired his scattersoot mushrooms into your Rust-Eaters, replacing them with his own! Just how skilled in the mushroom arts is he?!”

“He did what?!”

The golden stalks went dark before his very eyes, like storm clouds passing over the sun. Bisco felt himself break into a cold sweat. In all his years studying under Jabi, he’d never seen him use this technique before.

“I may have been your teacher, but I’m still a Mushroom Keeper, boy, and a Mushroom Keeper never reveals his hand!”

“Hrh! There you are!”

Bisco turned and loosed an arrow, swift as lightning, in the direction of Jabi’s voice, but the new scattersoot mushrooms had already cloaked the area in darkness, and Bisco could barely see the tip of his own nose. Jabi had succeeded in turning Bisco’s overwhelming life force to his own advantage.

“I can’t see a thing!” cried Milo. “Bisco, use your goggles!”

“I am, but it ain’t workin’! Jabi ain’t showin’ up!”

“He’s not showing up? But how?!”

“He musta used a mortishroom to lower his own body temperature!” Bisco shouted back. “Only my old man would do somethin’ so— Grrrh!”

From out of the darkness came a single arrow, speeding through the air and landing solidly in Bisco’s leg. The master archer had put a spin on it, lending it enough penetrative power so that even Jabi’s waning strength could deliver it through Bisco’s hardened muscle.

“Bisco!! You can’t give up!”

“Goddammit… You crazy old man!!”

I need to hit that flower on Jabi’s neck with the Rust flower vaccine. But how, when Jabi’s so strong?!

The two boys fled aimlessly through the smoke, but Jabi was simply toying with them. He fired a couple more arrows, which found their marks in Bisco’s shoulder and arm. Bisco grunted through the pain, trying to turn his grief into anger.

“B-but how?!” exclaimed Milo. “How can Jabi see where we are?!”

“How can I not?” came the old man’s voice. “It’s like lookin’ directly into the sun! I couldn’t miss ya if I wanted to! Have ya really grown so weak you didn’t even realize that?”

“Goddammit, if only we knew where he— Urghh!”

“Bisco!!”

Another arrow planted itself in his thigh, and Bisco fell to his knees at last. Milo wrapped his arms around him, trying desperately to protect him from any more unseen attacks.

For a short while, all was silent. Then a low, dark voice issued from within the smoke.

“…You disappoint me, laddie. The power o’ the divine only made you weaker.”

“Weaker…?!” Bisco’s eyes trembled as a bead of sweat dripped down his back. “You think I’ve grown weaker?!”

The voice from the darkness lashed out at his pupil’s denial. “You have. Used to be, you put your life on the line each time you took up the bow. Not anymore.”

This was neither the doddering old fool nor Bisco’s fiendish master. This was the voice of a mad warrior, concerned with strength alone.

“You’ve prayed too much for the world, Bisco, and you’ve forgotten to pray for yourself. You’re so addicted to helping people that you forgot you’re nothing but an arrow. You’ve grown stale, boy. How can I make you remember your true self? Gouge out your eyes? Cut off your ears? …Or maybe this’ll do the trick…”

Pshoo!

The sound of Jabi’s bow came from behind. Bisco braced himself for the inevitable impact.

Splat!

“…Huh? G-guhh…!”

“Milo!!”

Jabi’s arrow had skimmed Bisco’s ear and penetrated Milo’s neck in a splatter of blood. Milo pressed one hand over his throat to stop the bleeding, and in spite of his fading consciousness, rummaged around among the needles at his waist. Just as he picked out a lurkershroom medicine, however, another arrow impaled his hand, breaking the vial and scattering its contents.

“Aaaagh!!”

“Milo!!” Bisco’s eyes ran red with fury. “Leave him alone, Jabi, or I swear I’ll tear you apart!!”

“It’s all…his fault.”

Bisco drew his dagger and sliced apart another arrow moments before it reached Milo’s skin. However, no sooner had he done that than two more arrows came flying in from a different direction, hitting Milo in the hip and thigh.

“Gggahh!!”

The doctor’s scream sounded as if it might rip apart his throat.

“It’s all his fault,” came Jabi’s voice. “Because of him, you have everythin’ you need! I gotta kill him, so you’ll remember the way you used to thirst!”

“Stop it, Jabi! This ain’t right! I don’t wanna have to kill you! …You’re my old man!”

“You’re weak! Weak, weak, weak! You ain’t a god, Bisco! You ain’t a devil! You’re an arrow! And there’s only one thing arrows are meant to do!”

Jabi unleashed a hail of shots, and while Bisco could still dodge, Milo was in no state to do so. The arrows perforated him like a pincushion, leaving him unable to even speak, for the blood clogging his throat.

“Bis…co…,” he gurgled.

“Milo!! Keep it together!!”

“Stay with me…”

Milo collapsed into Bisco’s arms, fully aware of his own impending death. As he felt his partner’s warm blood on his hands, Bisco’s eyes gleamed with a terrifying light. Raw determination blossomed in his heart like a mushroom, wiping away all hesitation.

His light was noble and pure, ready to stake it all on a single arrow—for the one he couldn’t allow to be taken from him.

“Now it’s time to finish you off,” came Jabi’s voice.

Archery…is two things.

Bisco took a deep breath and pulled back on the bowstring. The two boys’ blood mingled and soaked into the arrow’s feathers.

No… Only one thing matters!

In response to Bisco’s fierce will, the mixture of their blood began to glow. Starting from the fletching and working its way up, the light engulfed the entire shaft in a prismatic, multicolored glow. These were the miracle spores that Bisco’s body had been able to produce on only one prior occasion. The rainbowshroom.

“Hngaaaah…”

“!!”

Through the soot-black smoke, Jabi saw the light of Bisco’s hair, like an aurora flickering in the night sky.

Here it comes!

Jabi smiled giddily at the transformation taking place.

Here it comes! I’m about to witness a monster!

He drew his bow, but no longer simply to torment the pair. Now his weapon was filled with purpose, as though its arrow contained all his remaining life.

I knew I would have to resort to this, Bisco. This technique, the Soulprint Arrow, only works on foes stronger than the user. My craving drives its path. It will never stop chasing you so long as I will it!

Kurokawa’s Rust flower augmented Jabi’s strength. The vines crawled up his arms and across the arrow, pulsing ominously.

“All that remains of my life…I stake on this single shot!”

In the darkness, Bisco closed his eyes.

Archery…the soul of archery is simply…

…to believe.

His partner rested softly against his chest. All Bisco could feel was his warmth.

“It’s time to settle this, Bisco!”

Believe…

Bisco thought of nothing but Jabi. With eyes closed tight, he fired.

Pchew!!

Pshoo!!

Bisco’s rainbow arrow glistened like a smattering of diamonds.

But it missed its target by a long shot.

Jabi’s arrow, meanwhile, flew on a perfect trajectory toward the center of Bisco’s forehead.

I…I won!

A flawless victory.

…Or so Jabi thought. But as he watched, he couldn’t help but sweat, as though poised on the verge of a hundred deaths.

My arrow was perfect! he thought. My entire life’s work! However he tries to dodge, the Soulprint Arrow will hunt him down!

The arrow, infused with the Rust flower, didn’t so much as tremble as it swept through the air, piercing the darkness on an unstoppable path to Bisco’s skull.

This is good-bye, Bisco!

And then, just as it reached its target…

…it stopped.

“…Wh-what?!”

It hung impossibly for a moment in midair before gravity took over and Jabi’s ultimate arrow clattered to the ground.

“Th-the Soulprint Arrow! That ain’t possible!”

“You lost faith,” muttered Bisco, resolute. “Just for a moment, you didn’t think you could win.”

“…Shut up!!”

Pchew! Pchew! Pchew!

Jabi hid his astonishment behind a flurry of arrows. He spun like a gale, releasing projectiles in all directions. All of them curved to meet their target, and all of them froze and dropped to the ground mere centimeters before Bisco’s head.

“…This can’t be happening! How?!”

It was impossible. It defied reality, physics, and common sense. Jabi felt a power much larger than himself wash over him, and he shivered with fright.

“The Soulprint Arrow can’t ever miss,” he said through ragged breaths. “You musta done something! Some new trick or power I ain’t never seen before!”

Bisco rose to his feet, his rainbow hair swaying in the wind.

“I didn’t do anything, Jabi. I just had faith.”

A single tear ran down his tranquil face.

“I believed. Just like you taught me.”

Jabi couldn’t take his eyes off Bisco’s expression. This was the face of his loyal student from all those years ago. He allowed it to distract him, just for a moment…

Fwoosh!

The soot smoke parted as a rainbow-colored streak passed through on its way to Jabi. A startled cry escaped his lips as he realized what it was. It was the very arrow Bisco had fired a few moments ago. Like a flash, Jabi pointed his bow at the ground, releasing a cluster of clamshell mushrooms that propelled him back into the air and out of the arrow’s path.

“The Soulprint Arrow?! No, this is… Nrgh?!”

As Jabi tracked the arrow with his eyes, its motion shocked him a second time. A short fraction of a second after it missed him, the rainbow arrow changed direction, switching back in midair like a bird of prey and dispelling the dark clouds of soot. Jabi fired leadshrooms one after the other in an attempt to block the arrow’s path, but the rainbow streak shattered them all without slowing down.

“…No! This ain’t the Soulprint Arrow! It’s…something else!”

Jabi’s eyes sparkled, enraptured by the sight.

“It ain’t just changin’ direction; that arrow’s destined to hit me! There ain’t a force on earth that can stop it!”

Jabi jumped up into the now clear air, avoiding Bisco’s miracle arrow for as long as possible.

“Hyo-ho-ho! I ain’t never seen nothin’ like it! He changed the rules, just by thinkin’ about it! Bisco’s faith rewrote the world!”

He was happy, smiling like a child. He looked down at Bisco, meeting the boy’s pleading gaze.

“I call it the ‘Ultrafaith Arrow,’ Bisco! Well done! I have to admit, you got me beat! Or no…’cause I taught you everythin’ you know, I guess it counts as my win! Hyo-ho-ho!”

“Jabi!! No, don’t go!!”

Perhaps Bisco already knew. The Rust flower had ingrained itself too deeply. This conversation with his master would be Bisco’s last.

“It’s not fair!” Bisco yelled. “Don’t leave! You gave me everythin’, and I never got a chance to repay you!”

“You just did, sonny! Nothing could make me prouder than seein’ my kid surpass his old man!”

Jabi smiled, the wrath exorcised from his face. Then he readjusted his hat before delivering his final words.

“Bisco, my boy! We were the greatest!”

Thudd!

Framed against the moon, Bisco’s rainbow arrow pierced Jabi’s silhouette.

Bisco didn’t look away. His jade-green eyes quivered as he burned the scene into his mind, watching his master fall to earth like an injured swan. All the rage and pain threatened to drive him mad. It was at that moment that someone placed their arms around him.

It was Milo. In the new world Bisco’s arrow had created, he was fully healed. Wordlessly, he clung to Bisco’s shoulder, catching the emotion that poured from his partner’s heart like water from a brimming cup.

Bisco watched the wind beat his master’s cloak where his body lay on the ground, never looking away. His trembling hand found the back of Milo’s sky-blue head and clutched it tightly.

“Hey, what’s going on down there?! Nobody told me that old fart was going to use scattersoot mushrooms! The cameras can’t see a damn thing!”

Kurokawa sat in the Dacarabia’s cabin, no longer even attempting to conceal her mechanical body. With the thumb of her right hand transformed into a film camera, she gazed through it at the battlefield below.

“We have cat-eye lenses. If we fix those to the cameras, then…”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You think we’re filming some experimental art piece here?! We need clear footage! Besides, that crazy coot fired a mortishroom into himself, so even the thermals won’t pick him— Huh?!”

Kurokawa watched in shock as the scattersoot spores faded and Jabi leaped out of the dark into the sky.

“!”

Pawoo felt a strong wave of power wash over her body and looked up.

“Director,” she said. “We must retreat. I sense…a disturbance. Some great power we have yet to experience.”

“Well, that’s exactly what we’re here to see! Surely you’re not suggesting we pack up and leave?”

“You could die, Director. The film cannot continue without you.”

“Bullshit! Our leading man is down there risking his life! The least I can do is— Wh-what the…?! Look!!”

Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash of rainbow light, and a shimmering streak pierced the old man. Kurokawa managed to get the exact moment on camera.

“Whoa?! Wh-what just happened?” said Kurokawa, greatly agitated. “Was that Akaboshi? Did he kill him? I—I can’t believe we got that!”

Pawoo, meanwhile, ran over to the windows and gazed out, her indigo eyes quivering beneath her skullcap.

…Master Jabi…!!

“Hmm, I double-checked the footage, and I still don’t get it. It looks like an arrow…but it doesn’t move like one. It keeps bending around. Did Nekoyanagi do that with his magic?”

“Director! Look!”

An Immie assistant pointed a finger outside, and when Kurokawa saw what he was pointing to, she leveled the camera at once.

It was Bisco, his master’s lifeless body under one arm, supported on the other side by his partner, Milo. He was just standing there, glaring at the Dacarabia.

Pawoo snatched her staff and prepared to protect Kurokawa against an attack, but as soon as she looked into Bisco’s eyes, she found herself arrested, as if by some mysterious force, unable to utter a word.

“…Oh, Akaboshi. That look…,” murmured Kurokawa, intoxicated. Even with all the rage and despair swirling around within his heart, Bisco Akaboshi’s face held only fierce resolve. He had taken the storm inside himself and made it part of his infinite determination. The boy’s noble gaze struck Pawoo so deeply, it seemed for a moment she might break free of Kurokawa’s subjugation.

“A boy, standing tall in the wilderness… Oh, it gives me the shivers. No one else could see you the way I do. No one else could capture the truth on film. We’re approaching the final scene, Akaboshi. And I’m counting down the seconds…”

As if struck by Bisco’s mighty gaze, Kurokawa’s emotions spilled forth. No mockery, only the truth. Then she put away her camera, took out her megaphone, and bellowed down at the two boys.

“Akaboshi! The scene is set! The table laid! The final act will take place in Imihama, back where it all began!”

The wind rolled across the plains and whistled through their hair. Two jade-green eyes and a pair of jet-black pits called out to each other across the void.

Kurokawa turned off the megaphone. “…I’ll be waiting, Akaboshi,” she said. “I love you.”

The Dacarabia turned and flew off toward distant Imihama, leaving only the two boys, windswept and alone beneath the starry sky.

10

“Is this some kind of joke?! What kind of hack editing is this?! We had much better shots. Why didn’t you use those?!”

“W-well, they all have you in-frame, Director…”

“Then edit me out! What do you think the CGI department is for?!”

“Eeep…!”

The Imihama Prefectural Bureau had been transformed into a giant editing studio. Rows of desktop computers filled the space, with industrious editor Immies tapping away at the keys. Their equipment was brand-new, but the cardboard boxes it came in were all they had for chairs. Everywhere, Immies cried out in pain and rubbed their aching backs.

“Chop, chop!” yelled Kurokawa. “We have to tie up the rest of the movie before Akaboshi arrives! Otherwise, I won’t know how to shoot the final scene!”

“W-we can’t! The machines are at their limit!” one Immie cried. “Any faster, and the rendering cores will overheat!”

“Then cool them down! Wrap your bodies around them and draw away the heat! Don’t forget, we’re making a masterpiece here! Sacrifices are part of the process! The next time I hear the words ‘can’t,’ ‘limit,’ or ‘impossible,’ you’re all fired!”

Kurokawa stood before a large screen, urging the workers on. Sweat dripped down her chest, and she boldly unfastened her top and began fanning herself with her megaphone.

“Hee-hee-hee… Oh, this film is gonna go down in history…”

A pointy-toothed grin spread over Kurokawa’s face, and she tossed aside her thirty-sixth empty bottle of grape Fanta. As soon as the repurposed wine bottle shattered on the ground…

Ka-boom!!

…a tremendous explosion rocked the foundations of the building, and the sound of a Klaxon filled the room. The Immies looked at one another in confusion, but Kurokawa only smiled.

“He’s here. Where did that come from?!”

“Fourth floor, west wing! They’re destroying the equipment storerooms as they go!”

“Pawoo! I have some final checks to take care of. Go greet our guests, will you?”

“As you wish.”

Pawoo shot out of the room like a gale. Kurokawa watched her go, then turned to the screen behind her, which featured a shot from the film’s penultimate scene. Bisco stared intently into the camera, the body of his fallen master in his arms.

“Our lead has already given so much…we cannot allow this film to fail. I will oversee the final scene personally.”

At last, the screen went black, displaying the words FINAL EDITING COMPLETE. Then one of the nearby tape decks popped open, revealing the movie’s master reel. Kurokawa stood up out of her chair and was about to collect it when a pink-colored Immie placed her hand on Kurokawa’s shoulder, gently sitting the governor back down.

“Don’t trouble yourself, Director. I’ll get it.”

“Hmm? Oh, thank you. How kind.”

Kurokawa watched the short-statured Immie wander over toward the tape deck.

“…Hmm?” she said aloud. “I don’t remember one like that on the staff…”

The pink Immie arrived at the machine, picked up the completed film reel, cast a shifty glance from side to side…then bolted for the studio door.

“…Huh?”

Kurokawa wasn’t sure what had happened at first. As the truth began to dawn on her, she felt the hairs at the back of her neck prick up.

“…S-somebody stop her! Thief! Movie burglar! She snatched my film!”

“Director! Assistant Director Pawoo will make contact with the intruders shortly!”

“Who cares?! That girl just stole the masters! What are you doing?! Go after her!”

But none of the staff listened to Kurokawa’s impassioned plea. They were all so engrossed in their work that they couldn’t spare an ear. Not even the slam of the studio door roused a single one from their workaholic trance, and Kurokawa kicked her chair in frustration before heading for the door alone.

“Who dares steal my tape? That’s my life’s work!”

As she moved, her iron legs transformed into the powerful limbs of Tetsujin itself. She flung a heel at the weighty iron door of the studio, delivering such a devastating kick that it flew off its hinges and down the hallway.

“Eeeep!”

The door snagged one of the pink Immie’s ears, pulling off the mask and revealing four pink braids that bounced as the girl ran.

“I should have known it was you, Jellyfish!” roared Kurokawa. “I thought you’d help bring me Jabi, so I spared your life, and this is how you repay me?! You’re meddling with my magnum opus!”

“Magnum opus? I’d rather watch an ant colony live-feed than this snoozefest!”

“Arm cannons!”

Kurokawa raised her right hand, and there was a Boom! Boom! as the integrated cannon fired, blasting apart the walls and floors. Tirol was tossed this way and that by the explosions, but always managed to land on her feet like a cat, and never stopped running.

Kurokawa growled. “Of all the…! Akaboshi’s right here in the building, and I’m missing it! I need that tape!!”

Tirol disappeared into one of the many doors lining the hallway. Kurokawa walked up to it and once again kicked it off its hinges before stepping inside.

“Storeroom Number Three? Where are you, Jellyfish?! Show yourself!”

The room inside was large and full of dust. Kurokawa peered around in the darkness, when suddenly there was a Bam! Bam! from overhead as the lights came on.

“?!”

“Heh. Led you right here, sucker.”

There, atop a mountain of steel crates, sat Tirol. Her nose was bleeding, but the golden glimmer in her eyes was as strong as ever.

“One year! One whole year of lickin’ boots and livin’ in the worst city on earth! Did you never wonder what I was up to this whole time?”

“You think I care who you’ve been screwing behind my back, you little whore?”

“Oh, you’ll wanna know this!”

A concert of whirring noises rose up from all corners of the storeroom. Then dozens of pairs of crimson pinpricks appeared in the darkness. Slowly, their owners stepped into the light.

“Wh-what are they?!”

“Lightweight Mokujin, Tirol-Ones!” shouted Tirol, wiping her bloody nose. “I been workin’ on ’em every day for the last year! Even you can’t handle thirty of ’em!”

At Tirol’s command, the pink Mokujin attacked. Their left arms transformed into cannons and fired upon the evil director from all angles.

“Aaaaaagh!”

Kurokawa attempted to protect herself, but the cannon blasts tore apart her clothes and flesh, revealing the machine beneath.

“Those were my best clothes, you brat. And those thighs were to die for!” Kurokawa’s face became a twisted mask of rage. “You worm… Have your fun, because in three more seconds, it’ll all be over.”

“Tsk. This ain’t workin’. Get in there and beat her to a pulp, Tirol-Ones!”

The Mokujin transformed their cannon arms into crowbars and launched themselves at Kurokawa, but…

Bang! Bang! Bang!

…a series of gunshots rang out. Six Tirol-Ones were struck.

“Agaric Magnum…direct hit.”

Gaboom! Gaboom!

The struck Mokujin were torn apart by bright-red mushrooms that grew from their circuits. Two large, bulky pistols sat in Kurokawa’s hands. She spun them, and the spent shell casings clattered to the floor.

“What the hell?! A mushroom gun?!”

“Is that the end of your little scene?” Kurokawa jeered. “A shame. I would have liked to—”

“Don’t stop!” Tirol yelled. “Turn her into scrap metal!”

“H-hey, wait!”

The other Mokujin all took their crowbars and began beating Kurokawa over the head with them. Her face turned redder and redder in indignation.

There was a Click! as she reloaded her twin magnums. “Don’t…interrupt…me…while I’m gloating!!”

Bang! Bang! Gaboom! Gaboom!

Kurokawa fired into the swarming Tirol-Ones, sending them flying back. The toadstools shredded their engines, scattering parts and machinery around the room. A stray screw scratched Tirol’s cheek, drawing blood, and she scowled.

“Damn. All this, and it still ain’t enough to beat her?”

Kurokawa blew at the smoke rising from her magnum pistols. “I’m impressed you managed to get this old scrap moving again,” she sneered, “but at the end of the day, these are nothing but mass-produced fakes. My power is Tetsujin’s power, combined with a miracle of modern science: me. Even a hundred wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“It ain’t over yet! I can still—”

“It’s time for you to leave the limelight, you ham actress.”

Gaboom!

Toadstools exploded behind Tirol and blasted her off the pile of crates, sending her rolling along the floor until Kurokawa’s heel stopped her.

“Now, the tape, if you please. And careful—it’s delicate.”

“Grrr…!”

Since Tirol was unwilling to part with the goods, Kurokawa grabbed her fingers. There was a sickening Crakk!

“Grrrraahhh!!”

“You’ve wasted enough of my time, girl. Seriously, I throw you a bone, and this is the thanks I get? No amount of book smarts will change what you are, I’m afraid. Go back to selling your body on the street—it’s what you’re good at.”

“Grrh… Fuck, my phalanges…!”

Tirol clutched her bent fingers and scowled up at Kurokawa through tears. Kurokawa rolled her eyes and slammed a heel into Tirol’s face, breaking her nose.

“Gyah!”

The force of the kick nearly knocked Tirol out. Kurokawa bent over and lifted the girl by her braids.

“Now… What were you planning to do, stealing this tape? It’s hardly the most valuable thing around here.”

“…”

“Answer me. I have a torture scene I’m workshopping, you know, and I don’t mind using you to test it out.”

“…Kheh-heh-heh.”

“Hmm…?”

Half of Tirol’s face was stained with blood, and yet she wore a defiant smile.

“Planning? Ya got it all wrong. My part’s already done. Heh. Look at ya, all proud of yourself for breakin’ some cheap dolls. Can’t wait to tell the others about this when I get to hell…”

“You worm!”

Kurokawa transformed her other arm into a spear, but just as she held it over her target, poised to strike…

“Oh, Director. There you are.”

“One moment, please,” said Kurokawa without turning around. “I’ll be right with you after I exterminate this pest. You all find Pawoo and… Hmm? That voice…”

Kurokawa began to turn around, but before she could…

Slice!!

…there was a flutter of blue hair, a glimmer of steel, and the arm she was using to hold Tirol was lopped off. The assailant sent Kurokawa reeling and followed up with a spinning kick to her throat, delivered with all the grace and precision of a naginata blade.

“Grrrh?!”

Kurokawa hit the wall hard and looked up just in time to see dozens of stacked crates toppling down on her. After watching to make sure she didn’t get back up, the newcomer darted over to Tirol.

“Tirol!! Oh no, there’s blood everywhere! Tirol, stay with me!”

“Urgh… What took you so long, Panda?!”

“I’m sorry! But I got Bisco and Pawoo face-to-face, and it’s all thanks to you for distracting Kurokawa!”

“You’d better be payin’ my hospital fees! That’ll be a million sols, you know!”

Tirol smiled. Milo hugged her tight, before drawing his dagger and approaching the spot where Kurokawa lay.

“How long do you plan to keep this up, Kurokawa?” he said. “You’re no actor.”

“…Hee-hee-hee…”

Kurokawa’s laughter could be heard from beneath the crates.

“I see, it was all a ploy,” she said, “and I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. But are you sure Akaboshi can undo Pawoo’s brainwashing by himself? The Rust flower connects to its victim via the spinal column. There’s no way to shoot it without killing the host.”

“You’re awfully cocky for someone who died once already,” Milo shot back, unperturbed by Kurokawa’s words. “Bisco’s faith is enough to change reality. He doesn’t have to dance to your tune anymore!!”

“Well, you sure have hyped him up. I can’t wait to…see!!”

A jet-black spear shot out from between the boxes toward Milo, but quick as a flash, he swung his lizard-claw blade, knocking the spear aside and cutting the tip clean off.

“Still resorting to sneak attacks?” said Milo. “You’ll have to be smarter than that. I’m not the same naive little boy I was in Imihama!”

“Oh, I know that,” Kurokawa said, grinning. “Keep watching.”

The severed spearhead flew across the room and hit one of the broken Tirol-Ones, covering it in a cobweb of dark vines. This ivy then spread to the other Mokujin, turning their bodies as black as coal.

Milo gasped.

“Th-that freak, she’s doin’ somethin’ to my robots!”

“Tee-hee-hee-hee. Just a little reprogramming. All these Mokujin are now under my command. I’ll teach you what happens to those who get in my way!”

After blasting away the crates, Kurokawa stepped into the light once more. Half her body and face had peeled away, revealing the jet-black body of the Perfect Tetsujin beneath. One eye glowed an ominous red.

“I’m glad you’re here, too,” she said to Milo. “Now I get to kill you both! I can’t stand sneaky little know-it-alls who think they’re so smart just because they managed to pull one over on me!”

“Well, I did also go to school.”

“So did I, shithead! Now die to my Director Cannon!”

Kurokawa’s arm transformed into a megaphone-shaped rocket launcher, and she unleashed a shot that shook the whole room. Milo grabbed Tirol and leaped aside, letting the cannon blast a hole in the side of the building.

“M-Milo! How the hell are we supposed to win against that?!”

“Hmm, I don’t think we can.”

“Wh-whaaat?!”

“At least, not alone. Let’s go!”

Milo picked up Tirol and jumped out of the hole into the night sky above Imihama. Kurokawa, who had been expecting a counterattack and still had her shield up, cocked her head.

“Huh? …Th-they’re getting away! After them!”

The reprogrammed Mokujin streamed out of the hole one after the other, while Kurokawa activated her leg boosters and jetted into the night in hot pursuit.

Pawoo Nekoyanagi, the Steel Cyclone. Her staff was said to be a hurricane that shredded everything it touched. However, the true nature of this fierce technique was surprisingly gentle.

Pawoo was dedicated to nonlethal combat, avoiding killing her enemies wherever possible. Honed with the aim of protecting her brother and all good people of the land, her technique allowed Pawoo to eradicate evil without harming anyone besides the truly evil.

By saving lives, I suppress the demon within.

Sooner or later, all masters had to run up against their inner brutality. It was through this dialogue that Pawoo came to the following conclusion:

My staff is the staff of life… And that is why I will never best Bisco.

The Clack, Clack of her heels rang out against the linoleum floor.

My staff delivers the one life amid a hundred deaths. Bisco will spot that and seize it like a hawk; it’s how he’s survived all these years.

And yet never have I been so grateful for this technique as I am today.

For I could receive no higher honor than to fall in battle against my beloved husband.

Pawoo strode through the halls of the bureau. The Rust flower had taken root deeply at the top of her spine, and dark vines extended outward from it. The last remaining vestiges of her sanity breathed a sigh of relief as she arrived before the door to her fate.

“Hi-yah!!”

Boom! Boom!

With two perpendicular swings of her staff, Pawoo shredded the heavy iron door. In the room beyond lay a dozen Immies, sprawled out across the floor. And at the other side of them, atop the pile of rubble his mushroom arrows had made of the exterior wall, sat the redheaded rogue himself.

“Yo,” he said, but he didn’t look at her. He was busy struggling with a bag of chips that one of the Immies had been carrying. Despite the big letters on one side reading OPEN HERE, it appeared not to yield to anything the boy tried.

“Still having trouble with those?” Pawoo asked. “Give it here. I’ll do it.”

“Don’t make fun of me… There! Got it!”

Eventually, the bag burst open, revealing that the contents had been completely pulverized by Bisco’s attempts. The boy seemed unbothered by this and poured the dust into his mouth before tossing the empty bag aside.

“Been waitin’ for this,” he said, with a mouth full of food. “Ready to throw down?”

“Bisco,” said Pawoo. “Perhaps you know this already, but the Rust flower has spread its roots deeply. It can no longer be removed through normal means.”

“Hmm…”

“Once this fight begins, your life shall be in my hands. I will use everything in my power to destroy you.”

“No, you won’t.”

Bisco swallowed the last of the chip dust and wiped his mouth, before descending from his throne of rubble and looking Pawoo directly in the eye.

“You’re a shitty liar, unlike your brother,” he said. “It’s obvious as all hell that you came here to die.”

“…”

“Jabi said it, too… That it wasn’t so bad bein’ controlled. Now you can be closer to your husband than ever before.”

“What do you mean by that?!”

“Since we got married, there’s been a weird barrier between us. But now that you’re brainwashed, you can smash it down.”

Pawoo’s eyes trembled, but Bisco’s were as firm as iron.

“For the next three minutes, you don’t have to lie to yourself anymore. Come at me like you mean to kill me, Pawoo!”

Bisco’s spirit exploded in a gust of wind that made their hair leap and flutter. His jade-green eyes twinkled with a mixture of fierce determination and utmost trust.

“K-kill you?!” repeated Pawoo.

“You know, I always respected how you could fight without killin’. But you’ve been holdin’ yourself back. You’ve never fought at your full potential.”

“B-but…!”

“I’ve never seen the real you, underneath it all. I’ve failed at bein’ your husband. I hate to admit it, but I know when I need to own up.”

By now, Bisco’s cheeks were bright red, but he filled his lungs with air, turned toward Pawoo, and did something unbelievable. The man who acquiesced to nothing but the gods bowed as deeply as he could.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“D-do you have any idea what you’re asking?!” Pawoo yelled, voice aquiver. “Even if I am doomed to fail, you ask me to seek your life! To unleash the demon within and slay my beloved husband!”

“If I can’t handle you at your worst…,” Bisco replied, “…then I don’t deserve you! I’d have no right to call you my wife!”

Those words drove a spike through Pawoo’s heart. Something inside her began to collapse. Despite Bisco’s abnormal moral compass and absurd understanding of marriage, something within his words struck her deeply.

I want…him.

The man I love…

I want him to defeat me!!

Her fingers curled tightly around her metal staff, her teeth clenched and ground together, and the very air around her strained.

I want to fight. Without bonds or chains. Without duty or law. Completely unfettered, as I truly am.

And I want him to destroy it all!!

Pawoo found herself panting like a starved wolf, holding herself back from the strange ecstasy and wild rage building up inside her.

No, no, no! I can’t lose myself; that’s the antithesis of everything I strive for! It’s the Rust flower, driving me to do something I don’t want to do!

“Pawoo!”

Bisco’s clear voice brought her out of her daze. She looked up into his burning eyes.

“Do you really not trust me? Do you really think I’m that weak? Well?!”

He flew at her—so blindingly fast that the sound of his foot leaving the floor reached her only after he did. Pawoo moved before she could think. Her sleek raven hair rose like a nest of rearing vipers, and her expression was that of the ice queen, a face she’d forsaken long ago.

“Biscooo!!”

Boom!!

Pawoo’s staff came down with zero hesitation and enough force to shatter Bisco’s skull. The redheaded rogue dodged the blow by the breadth of a single one of his spiky hairs and flashed her a daring grin.

“Hah!” he said. “Now that’s more like it! It’s gonna be tough to get through that guard!”

“I held it in for so long!” yelled Pawoo, through teary eyes and between devastating swings. “I swore a vow to protect you, to be modest and virtuous! Now that you’ve seen the real me, there’s no going back!!”

Pawoo’s long hair fell across her face, and behind those inky coils her eyes burned like those of some vengeful fiend. The light within them was Pawoo’s very soul, an inseparable mixture of murder, excitement, and uncontainable pleasure.

Oh, wow. She’s even more strung out than I’d thought…

“You must accept it all, Bisco!!”

Bam!! Clang!!

Bisco caught her powerful swing on the side of his bow. His muscles screamed out in protest, and his hand dropped to the dagger at his belt, but…

“Hi-yaaah!!”

…the opposite end of Pawoo’s staff came round and slammed Bisco in the side. Pawoo had spun the weapon 360 degrees around her body to attack Bisco in his unguarded spot. Not even a sound betrayed its supersonic speed.

“Grugh?!”

Bisco groaned as the impact shattered his rib cage and sent him hurtling into the storeroom wall in a cloud of dust.

Pawoo stood there, panting and using her staff for support. She wanted to jump in and finish him off, but her body was too exhausted.

“…The forbidden technique, Snakebite!”

Pawoo’s staff technique was meant to disable the foe in a single blow, so follow-up strikes were not normally part of her repertoire. However, unfettered as she was now, it was only a matter of unleashing her full power on the reverse swing. The toll on Pawoo’s muscles was considerable, but the Snakebite was meant to be unblockable and impossible to survive.

However…

Bisco will not die so easily! Come on, stand!

Sweat drenched Pawoo’s face as she watched the spot where Bisco had fallen, fire in her eyes. Then, just as the strength returned to her legs, an arrow flew from the dust.

“There it is!!”

Boom!

Pawoo’s lightning-fast swipe caught the tip of the arrow and, with incredible control, rotated the projectile so that it shot back toward its master.

You took me by surprise before, but now I can read you like a book!

Then Pawoo’s powerful thighs launched her into the air, cracking the ground at her feet. She would take advantage of Bisco’s moment of weakness.

“Die with me, Bisco!!”

“I knew you could do it, Pawoo…”

“Huh?!”

“I knew you could deflect that shot back at me!!”

Gaboom!

The mushroom arrow exploded in the air before her. It was Bisco’s signature King Trumpet, its ivory body stretching toward Pawoo. And in its center, borrowing the ferocious momentum of its growth, came Bisco himself, hurtling like an arrow.