After removing the plastic from the BrushFast kit, Ryuk places the mouth guard in and it goes to work, quickly dissolving as it cleans his teeth and freshens his breath. He climbs into his bed and pulls a single blanket up to his shoulders. The lights above him morph to a subtly maroon color and slowly fade off.
He selects the latest episode of Flight Feet,フライトフィート, and picks up where he left off. An epic forest battle between Attla spiders and a guild led by a busty blue-haired elf plays out across his eyelids, and it only takes a second for his thoughts to drift somewhere else.
Tamana.
Seeing her face and the rapid recovery as she drank the healing potion made everything worthwhile. Even though he never dwells on it, she was his only friend in Tokyo. The thought that she’s dead still pains him, but at least she is alive in Tritania, a world he can visit whenever he likes.
Ryuk opens his eyes. A wave of black sluices across his wall as his lids grow heavy and slumber carries him away.
(0)__(0)
A breakfast prompt awakes Ryuk.
He selects the Rilakkuma-inspired pancake set and rolls to his side. His iNet system comes to life, providing him with everything from the weather to the news. Notifications on the lower left-hand pane of his vision tell him that the Mitherfickers are rich in rupees and that FeeTwix has already logged in.
He sits up, rubs his eyes, and quickly views a replay of the game Hiccup and FeeTwix played with the bards last night. So that’s Punch Chest, huh? Reviewing at ten times the speed doesn’t make the dialogue any clearer, but it isn’t dialogue he’s after; Ryuk simply wants to be caught up.
Hiccup disappears, likely to see to Tamana in their hostel, and reappears.
Zaena materializes just as more rupees are wagered. The bards lose everything, accuse Hiccup and FeeTwix of cheating, and challenge them to a duel. FeeTwix mows them down with some sort of submachine gun, collapses from his life bar penalty, and is helped back to the hostel by Hiccup and Zaena.
All in a night’s work. Ryuk can’t help but chuckle.
After changing and putting on his black hooded sweatshirt, Ryuk enters the living room, determined to make breakfast conversation short as he needs to log back in. Still, there’s something he’d like to say to Hajime.
“Have you thought more about the difference between Kodai and you?” The humandroid goes with a question rather than ohayō gozaimasu.
Ryuk bows his head. “Sorry, I’ve been preoccupied. Hajime … ”
“Yes?” The humandroid flips the pancake and finally makes eye contact with Ryuk.
“I want to thank you for inspiring me. I still don’t know exactly what your oblique card from yesterday meant, but by contemplating on it, I was able to develop a strategy and … ” He smiles. “I, we, rescued Tamana last night. The Thulean and I. I thought of the differences between the Shinigami and our guild and how to emphasize them. I figured the best way forward was to play our differences and do something unpredictable.”
Hajime nods, clearly impressed. “So rather than gather intel, you went for it, huh? The ultimate quest is really progressing.”
“I just knew it was the right thing to do and seriously, we were lucky, everything played out in a way and sure, we barely got away, but we did get away and now Tamana is with us and seriously, I need to log in. We’re going to level up all day and take it to the Shinigami.”
“I know she’s back and you are experiencing joy because of this, but I think there is still more to discover regarding the friction between you and your older brother.” Hajime walks over to the table and places a pancake on the plate in front of Ryuk.
“I get it, I really do. I know the difference between us and how to emphasize it. Easy – acknowledge it and move on.” Ryuk tears in the pancake and stuffs a large piece into his mouth. “I’ve got to hurry, Hajime, Tamana and the others are waiting. I’ll catch you up later,” he assures the humandroid.
Hajime offers him a skeptical look.
“What?” Ryuk asks with his mouth full of pancake. He chews and swallows hard. “Okay, differences between my brother and me, um, here goes: he’s a thug who went to NYU who is better than me at most things and who is trying to follow in my father’s footsteps. That about sums it up.”
“It would be interesting if one of those things wasn’t true. It may even break the power he holds over you. Just think about it.”
Ryuk’s jaw drops open. “He didn’t finish, did he?”
Hajime sits back in his chair. “How should I know?”
“You obviously know. You can access his transcripts!”
“And you can’t?”
“Of course I can’t. That stuff is private. Universities just don’t release them, especially in a place like America. People would sue.”
The humandroid considers this for a moment. He takes his hair tie out and tightens his small ponytail before putting it back on.
“Well?” Ryuk asks, on the edge of his seat now with suspense and a burning urge to finish breakfast and log in.
“You could ask me to call in a favor … ”
“Would you?”
Hajime shrugs. “I already did.”
“So I’m right, aren’t I? Kodai didn’t graduate from NYU.”
“Yes, you are right, but it shouldn’t have taken artificial intelligence to goad you along until you came to this realization.”
“You’re saying I should have asked before?”
“That, or you should have looked into it yourself. Finding a person’s transcript in the age of iNet isn’t difficult.”
Ryuk grimaces. “He’s given me so much shit about going to college, and to think he didn’t even finish!”
“That may be why he has given you so much shit, as you put it.”
After another bite of his pancake, Ryuk pushes himself away from the table. “I need to go.” He bows at Hajime. “Thanks again for helping me.”
He motions to Ryuk’s plate. “Before you go, please, check today’s oblique card.”
Ryuk moves his plate to the side to find a notecard: Faced with a choice, do both.
Chapter 22: Dirty Dave’s Armor and Weapons Depot
Ryuk ignores the feedback as he takes shape in his avatar. He has picked up right where he left off, in their shared room in the Mondegreen Hostel.
Hiccup, clad only in a navel ring and leopard print jockstrap lies on the bed opposite Tamana. His blanket is wadded around his ankles and his mechanical fingers brush the floor. He snores like a congested heifer, and the unmistakable miasma of l’air du Goblin permeates the room.
After a quick check, he swipes the Mitherfickers’ stats away.
Ryuk Matsuzaki Level 8 Ballistics Mage
HP: 270/270
ATK: 71
MATK: 94
DEF: 54
MDF: 37
LUCK: 10
FeeTwix Fajer Level 12 Berserker Mystic
HP: 336/336
ATK: 89
MATK: 27
DEF: 63
MDF: 32
LUCK: 13
Hiccup Level 10 Shield Thief
HP: 425/425
ATK: 70
MATK: 13