Chap 75: Beaten
Takeshi threw the door open. Outside, the rain poured like a deluge; lightning lit up the entire sky. Thunder cracked, making the heavens shake.
Takeshi didn't hesitate; the boy remained in his arms. He ran outside with determined eyes.
Takeshi ran out, footsteps splashing into the water on the ground, spraying his pants. His hair and body were gradually soaked by the rain.
The three girls followed right behind. One by one they ran out…
Takeshi was running, but he heard no sound from the three girls behind him. He immediately turned his head…
But no one was there. Airi, Ayaka, and Elyssia had disappeared at some point.
Takeshi panicked, scanning his surroundings through the heavy rain that obscured his vision.
His face contorted in confusion. His voice shook with panic at his missing friends:
"Where is everyone?"
He walked back, searching, but found nothing.
Suddenly, a light sensation on his arms caught his attention. He looked down, only to find that the boy he was carrying had disappeared at some point without his knowledge. Even though his arms were still circled as if the boy was sitting there, there was nothing now.
His eyes flew wide in shock; his pupils trembled slightly. His breathing became rapid; he was extremely panicked and bewildered.
His voice was urgent, mingling with gasps:
"What the hell? Where is everyone?"
"D-Disappeared?? How? Clearly the boy was in my arms, how can this be?"
"And the others... I just heard them breathing behind me... how could they suddenly vanish? This is illogical..."
But suddenly, the man ran up with the sharp sword in hand, eyes full of rage.
Takeshi instinctively backed away; he knew he had to run. He turned and fled.
But when he turned, an unbelievable sight appeared before him…
Dozens of "Takeshis" were standing and wandering everywhere. They looked exactly like Takeshi in every detail.
His pupils dilated; he couldn't believe what was happening…
Suddenly, another Takeshi brushed past him while running; it seemed they would collide. He couldn't stop in time, eyes clamped shut, bracing for impact…
But Takeshi ran straight through him. In his mind now, there was only bewilderment and fear.
—"What?"
—"I ran through him?"
He didn't hesitate, running deeper into the crowd of other Takeshis…
After running for a while, he was still gasping for air. But now, he didn't care about the fatigue.
He stood before another Takeshi and stared. But it seemed they couldn't see Takeshi. It just looked up at the sky, then down at the water-logged ground.
Takeshi frowned, waving his hand in front of the Takeshi's face. No reaction.
—"What the hell? Why are there so many of 'me' around here? Are they clones?"
The man had stopped chasing him long ago.
Takeshi surveyed the area; panic remained, though he had calmed down.
—"Temporarily, I'll call them my clones."
He approached a clone and reached out; his hand passed through the clone's body easily. No sensation, no obstacle, as if he were simply waving his hand in the air.
—"Can't touch them, and they can't see me. But I can see them..."
He nodded, feeling his theory was correct.
—"So, consider me the original, and I can see clones of myself..."
A spark lit up in his head.
—"So clones can't see each other. Their actions make that clear. Two clones even walked through each other."
—"I can see everything, but they can't."
He grimaced in confusion, clicked his tongue, and ruffled his wet hair which was being soaked further by the rain.
—"But what does it mean? Seeing clones is just a clue? I really don't understand anything..."
He stood thinking for a long time without anything useful. He sighed and looked around.
There were different houses scattered about, spaced evenly…
—"Maybe I should find a house? Staying out here will make me sick to death."
He looked around, but the clones blocked his view, which was quite annoying.
—"Now I need paper to record this. If something happens and I don't write it down, I'll lose so many details."
He began walking, passing through clones without bother. Footsteps treaded on the water-covered ground. His body was drenched; hair matted and dripping. The cool rain flowing over his face helped him feel a bit more alert.
—"I wonder how the others are?"
—"Thinking back, how did they just vanish?"
—"Does this challenge forbid going outside?"
Takeshi walked while observing. He noticed the clones' mouths were moving, as if speaking or deducing something.
He reached a clearer space with fewer clones. He noticed one clone walking alone, not standing with the rest. A quick glance showed it had a purpose.
—"Huh?"
—"Do these clones have consciousness too? Let's try following to see. Maybe there's some useful info."
He quickened his pace, trying to catch up to the walking clone. Unfortunately, other clones kept passing in front of his eyes, blocking his view. It was frustrating; he tried to break free from the crowd…
But now, he couldn't tell which clone he wanted to follow. Angry, he watched clones walk past his eyes, but he could do nothing.
—"Damn it, lost the trail."
He looked around.
—"What now? If they can't see me, just pick a random clone to follow? I'm at a dead end."
He tried to escape the crowd of clones, ignoring them, wanting to find a lone clone.
He walked a distance but there were only clones wandering and blocking his sight.
He didn't want to search or bathe in the rain anymore; he wanted a house. He stood before a house. Under the porch, he looked out at the black sky and sighed.
—"I wonder if the owner will let me in?"
Takeshi raised his hand and knocked.
Knock... knock…
He waited in silence, then repeated the knocking. He grew impatient and knocked faster. But still, no one opened the door.
Frowning slightly, he didn't want to wait. He pushed the door open without permission…
Creak…
The sound of the door opening rang slowly as he pushed it very gradually; it was quite irritating to hear.
When the door opened fully, Takeshi froze, eyes wide in shock. He stood staring inside.
The house looked very different from their initial house on the outside. But strangely, the inside was identical, no different from the house Takeshi first appeared in.
And standing before him were another Takeshi, and Airi, Ayaka, and Elyssia. Everyone had the same expression: stunned and silent.
After a moment of silence, the Takeshi outside pointed inside, trembling.
His voice stammered:
"W-What... what is... this...?"
The Takeshi inside also pointed out, trembling. His voice was no different:
"W-Who... are you...?"
Airi stepped forward, the shock leaving her eyes. Her voice was firm:
"Who are you?"
Takeshi saw Airi standing before him asking who he was. But he had grasped the situation slightly. He quickly raised both hands, trying to explain:
"I don't know, I only know I'm Takeshi."
Hostile glares sharpened.
The Takeshi inside growled: "Are you transforming into me?"
The Takeshi outside waved his hands.
"No, I am Takeshi."
Elyssia was standing there, writing it down.
Airi stood in silent thought.
—"Better to subdue him. If he turns into someone else, how will we recognize him?"
Airi walked closer, trying to look as calm as possible, speaking as she walked:
"So, do you have a way to prove you are the real Takeshi?"
Takeshi watched Airi's movements.
Ayaka standing behind added: "Let us question you."
Takeshi nodded confidently.
—"I am Takeshi, what the hell am I afraid of?"
Airi moved closer to Takeshi.
"Then let me ask you one thing?"
Takeshi nodded, waiting for the next chance.
Suddenly, Airi threw a right hook; Takeshi couldn't react. The punch landed straight on his lower jaw.
His jaw bone shifted slightly, sending a shock to the brain via the temporomandibular joint. This rotation caused the brainstem to jolt suddenly, immediately interrupting his nerves.
Takeshi went limp, body falling back and collapsing onto the floor. The three behind were also very surprised by Airi.
Airi jumped on Takeshi and threw punches at his face. But he hadn't fully lost consciousness; his hands rose to block the blows.
"Help me!"
Ayaka and Elyssia immediately ran over to subdue Takeshi. The two girls pinned Takeshi's hands to the floor, leaving him open for Airi's punches. They pinned him with their knees and body weight.
The clone Takeshi inside also ran over; his hand reached out, wanting to grab the neck that was swaying to dodge punches. But unexpectedly, his hand passed through the original Takeshi.
The clone Takeshi looked bewildered. The girls paused for a split second and turned to look at him.
Seizing the chance to escape, Takeshi jerked his right hand from Ayaka's control. He threw a direct punch into Airi's face; she immediately fell back, no longer pinning him.
With Airi down, Takeshi immediately stood up and ran outside.
Airi chased after him instantly, turning her head to shout:
"Chase him!"
—"Damn it, this is a vital clue. Must catch him at all costs, otherwise we might not get another chance."
Ayaka and Elyssia followed right behind. When the three girls ran outside, they immediately lost sight of each other. Airi scanned everywhere but there was nothing.
She didn't see any clones like Takeshi.
They left the clone Takeshi inside the house, silent, looking at his own hand.
—"I passed through him?"
Then he went to the door, looking out at the rain. But the three girls were gone; not even a voice remained.
The original Takeshi ran outside, heavy footsteps splashing in puddles.
He turned to check behind. But no one was chasing; only his clones wandering everywhere.
He stopped, hands on knees, gasping for air; a melody harmonizing with the rain.
Lightning flashed... then Boom!! A thunderous roar.
The pain remained on Takeshi's jaw. He stood straight, rubbing his right jaw; the pain was quite irritating.
—"Hurts."
—"What exactly is going on? Airi was too impulsive; she must have considered carefully before hitting me."
He shook his head, trying to dismiss it.
—"But that probably wasn't Airi. There was another 'me' inside. So I'm separated from everyone."
—"And that Airi could be a clone of the original Airi?"
Hand still rubbing the spot where Airi punched.
—"Her strength is reduced, but she hits hard."
Looking around once more, he didn't know what to do. He looked up at the sky covered in black clouds. Closing his eyes, he felt each large raindrop hit his face—a relaxing sensation that made him feel much better. He took even breaths to calm down completely.
Opening his eyes, raindrops fell into them, but he didn't flinch, letting them wash his eyes.
Slowly lowering his head, the look in his eyes changed; every expression on his face relaxed.
—"For now, I'll try finding another house."
—"That house looked very different from our first one. But inside, it was identical."
He began walking, thinking as he went.
—"Action is better than standing still and gaining nothing."
He observed the surrounding houses. Each house was different; no two were alike. Every house was dark; no light spilled from the windows.
He walked through clones, ignoring their actions. Some clones sat in silence, stood thinking, scratched their heads in confusion, or clutched their heads…
He saw a clone standing in thought, mouth constantly moving. Takeshi stopped and moved close, squinting to read the clone's lips.
The clone thought while slowly turning to look around. Takeshi followed right behind to observe the lip movements.
Clone: "What is it exactly? Where is everyone? Why, when I was clearly holding Airi's hand to run out, did she suddenly disappear? No strange sensation, but when I turned, she was gone."
It looked around. In its line of sight, there was nothing. Only black clouds, rain, the wet ground, and endless houses.
It stood alone in the gap, bewildered and confused.
"What should I do?"
The original Takeshi, reading the lips, only caught bits and pieces. Some parts were lost. But he grasped the clone's situation.
He stroked his chin, thinking over the scant information.
"So this clone is also separated from the others? Seems like me. I was holding that kid; the feeling was clearly there, but when I looked down, the feeling vanished, and the kid was gone."
He watched the clone's lips again.
"Now finding everyone is top priority. How can I finish the challenge like this?"
"So the challenge space isn't just indoors, the outside counts too. It's ultra-wide."
"First, find the original house."
He looked at the houses.
"This space is quite large, like a city. I wonder if there are others in the challenge?"
"I heard Airi say Vilkel is very strong. Maybe he created more. So these houses hold potential dangers I don't know. Must be careful."
The clone began walking, looking around focusedly, observing every detail.
"Problem is, I don't remember what the old house looked like. So how do I find it? Needle in a haystack?"
The original Takeshi watched the lips silently, seeing it analyze everything. The clone started moving, but Takeshi didn't follow; he watched its movements.
—"I'm bad at lip reading, only caught some sentences. Information is fragmented."
He looked at his own drenched body. He felt quite uncomfortable wearing these heavy, wet clothes.
—"What to do? Find another house? Is that wise?"
He recalled Airi's surprise punch; he almost lost consciousness. He instinctively rubbed his jaw in a show of fear.
—"Thinking about getting punched again is scary. Is there no other way?"
He pushed his red hair back; the rain had soaked it, making it stick to his head and droop over his eyes.
—"But I have to go."
Takeshi began moving, carefully observing the clones around him.
—"Should I read their lips to gather info?"
He clicked his tongue in frustration. His lip reading was poor.
—"But if these damn clones say the same things as that one, it's a waste of time. Talking in circles, coming to a dead end, then questioning themselves. What kind of info is that?"
—"I need a solution, a higher way. Why is it so hard? Am I stupid?"
He stood thinking in the pouring rain; lightning struck repeatedly, but he ignored nature.
—"Earlier when I entered the house, the clone could see me. But when I went outside, it couldn't. And specifically, I couldn't be touched."
"That means something abnormal happens when stepping out of the house."
—"Or is it because I'm the original, and clones can't do anything to me?... Yeah, maybe."
He bit his lip in frustration. His body twisted as he ruffled his wet hair, making it messier.
—"Damn it. Can't I think of anything higher? Just deducing from existing things, ending up with nothing, and doing nothing but bathing in the rain."
He slapped his head a few times, trying to call Vermyx to help.
—"Hey Vermyx? Where are you? Help me, I won't torture you anymore, come out and help!"
But nothing echoed in his head, only silence.
Takeshi grew suspicious:
—"Strange. Usually, he's egging me on to do nonsense. Why is he gone today?"
—"With my brain, I can't think of anything else right now."
—"Hey Vermyx? Did you die somewhere inside me?"
He tried calling, but there was no stir. As if Vermyx had vanished.
Takeshi seemed to realize something; his expression grew grave.
—"Could it be Vilkel has more power than Vermyx and has suppressed him? Is that why he's silent?"
He wiped the rain from his face. He bit his lip lightly.
—"I remember on nights we slept, Vermyx bragged he was strong. His name is definitely in the books. Was he lying to me?"
—"Without his reminders, I'm lost."
He sighed in helplessness.
—"I'm weak, can't think like everyone else."
He shook his head, clearing those thoughts.
"Must observe and think from many angles; simple thinking won't work. The challenge will have confusing parts or details requiring thought that I might miss."
—"Whatever, I'll just pick a house. Thinking too much is tiring, and it's all useless info anyway."
After a few steps, he reached a house. Its exterior was completely different from the surrounding ones.
He stepped onto the porch. He stood silently looking at the door. Worry was clear in his red eyes. He didn't notice the crack in the door allowing a peek inside.
—"Now when I open the door, if they approach me, I must back away and run."
—"I won't get too close or trust them. Even if it's 'me.' They might want to catch me again."
—"Or if it's not 'me' and it's a monster in disguise to lure and kill me."
—"If I die, memory wipes again. And I have nothing to record with."
He felt quite regretful.
—"If I had a pen, I'd write on my hand. Tiresome."
He pushed his hair back once more. He seemed ready to open the door.
Deep down, he prayed it wouldn't be a scenario of two Takeshis. He just hoped for someone else who could help. He desperately needed paper to write down what he knew. Then he could risk more instead of being so cautious. It felt like a massive waste of time.
He touched the wooden handle. The wood felt smooth and skillfully crafted. He gripped the wood, praying.
Slowly... he pushed the door inward.