"Yeah, why didn't you tell them?" Kishimoto continues pressing Nishi, as does Kato.
He becomes visibly angrier as he continues on.
"Why did you knowingly steer these people into their deaths?! Why didn't you tell us and didn't clarify the situation? Answer Me!"
Nishi remains with a stoic expression.
I know where Kato is coming from but most of these guys either wouldn't be useful enough in the remaining Missions or are just straight-up terrible people, like those two Yakuza's. I would say I am pro-life myself but since I didn't know these people I don't have strong emotions towards their Deaths. Sure it was gruesome but... I don't really care. The Blonde guy was also really getting on my nerves...
Both Kato and Nishi are sweating so much that you could guess that the Room's temperature went up by looking at their faces.
While they are occupied with their dispute I think I'll put on the new Suit, it gets a little cold ironically...
"I thought while they were getting slaughtered, the targets would let down their guard.." Nishi says in a calm manner.
I don't know if he is really being honest with his reasoning to us and even himself, I mean he is clearly stressed despite having gone through this enough times to have about 80 Points, Even a situation like the one right now should be familiar to him, I think Nishi has way more struggle in all this then he let's on.
"So you spend your time hiding and waiting until the danger was gone? Is that it?" Kato continues.
"Yeah that's it"
But is it really though? Maybe the Point Kishimoto made about Nishi mimicking the cruelness of the Situation he finds himself in is more true than she thought ...
And even though I thought she was beginning to understand him a little better and sympathize with him, she still views him as a threat, while also probably not overthinking all this as much as I am.
This she makes clear as she points her gun back at him, with an angered expression.
"So when both these Green People attacked, you let it happen and watched from afar?!"
"Yeah, that Yakuza Guy sure got sliced up good." Nishi puts up his shit-eating grin again " What's up are you angry now gorilla? What's with that face? Are ya going to cry? Need a Banana?"
The Water forming in Kato's eyes is clearly visible. He has a strong sense of justice.
I can respect that, but I think in the world I find myself now in... always acting upon a set-in-stone moral code might be impossible.
"Other people die right in front of your eyes and you don't care at all?!"
"Why would I care if any random people I just met would die or not?"
He has a Point.
Kato forms a fist again, the veins on his suit pulsating.
"Oh, you wanna hit me?" Nishi again begins sweating a lot more " You wanna act all high and holy? You're the biggest hypocrite of all! Why didn't you kill the Alien when you had the chance maybe the other guy would have lived?"
Kato lifts him up by the collar and draws his arm back.
"Does the little crybaby finally have power with the cool suit Mama bought him? And you're supposed to be older than me."
"Go give him what he deserves!" Kishimoto screams.
Before Kato does something reckless I move next to them with my new Suit on and grab the Arm where he balls his fist.
"Don't do it Kato, he isn't worth it"
I always wanted to say something like that!
Kato looks at me distressed but he takes my words in and thinks about them for a couple of seconds.
"...You're right" Kato says as he lets him down and takes a few steps back.
Even though Kato may have sensed there is something different about Me/Kurono, he still seems to trust in my judgment
Kishimoto seems a little disappointed though.
"As always without him all of you would be completely lost. I mean I launched this guy across the room and he still acts with his brain intact" Nishi snickers "Is that how you thank me for sharing all my information with you? You two should check your manners" He says viciously even though the sweat doesn't leave his face.
"I am not finished with my question and if you continue to talk like that maybe my enhanced fist and I can change our opinion about you being worth the effort" I try to intimidate him, while also sounding cool… I don't think it really worked.
"Suuure.. what is it?"
"What is the Point scoring about?"
"Ooh, a good question. For that, I'll tell you all I know. Come on listen up you both can learn something from him" Nishi says speaking to both Kato and Kishimoto.
"Well as you probably already knew we all died before coming here" Nishi looks around like he is awaiting an answer " Yeah so we get awarded points for not only killing the Target that is shown on the screen at the start of the mission, but also every single other one that is in the area which iI mentioned before, you can find them by using this radar." He shows us the device which is also able to turn him invisible"After all of our targets got killed we get sent back here and get awarded Points. And as you can see by this Monkeys regrown Arm, all our wounds get regenerated. Most of the time the difficulty in regards to killing an Alien shows itself in the Points you get awarded being higher"
"So these Monsters we had to kill are for sure Aliens? Like beings from space that have come to our planet? That's a little hard to believe..." Kishimoto says.
"If you would have seen these as much as I have you would believe that description is appropriate, but I also just adapted it from people who were here before me and Gantz also describes them in this way. So you can call them Boo Boo's if you want Pinkie" Nishi tries to annoy Kishimoto.
"Anyway, what are these points good for?" I reason.
"Here comes the most interesting part to probably every single one of you. Gantz open the 100 Point Menu!"
This Time the Ball does react immediately and displays a screen with the 3 Options that are the exact same as in the Manga:
1. You will be freed along with your memories erased
2. You will be given an extremely powerful weapon
3. You will be able to revive a human being from the memory
I pretend to be as surprised as the other 2 newcomers in the Room as we watch in awe at the display.
You can see both their faces beginning to light up. I just continue on with a calm expression.
"So this means we have to get 100 Points and then choose from these 3 things?" Kishimoto questions?
"Yay, congratulations you got the most obvious thing right for once." Nishi just doesn't seem to stop his trash-talk.
"... So if we get 100 Points we can Leave this place?" Kato asks his voice full of hope.
"Yes, you can go back to your pack of Monkeys and use the second chance you got, be happy and thank the mysterious powers that be. I certainly wouldn't have decided to bring back someone who would be dumb enough to jump in front of a Train back to life..." Nishi says sleazily while looking at Kato.
He not only fronted him and the original Kurono with that but unintentionally also me in the way I died in my past life...
I think I'll just let him get killed by the next Aliens.
"Not like Gantz really revived you anyway..." Nishi touches on the next revelation.
"What?! You mean we actually are dead?!" Kishimoto asks distraught.
"No, you right now in that body you inhabit are alive. But you are not the same as the person you were when you got killed"
"What do you mean by that?" Kato asks.
Nishi exhales "...What I mean by that is that all of you and also me aren't the same person that we were when we died."
All of us (me putting my acting skills to the Test of course) continue to look at him in confusion.
"Gantz isn't Perfect and he also isn't some almighty artifact that was sent from heaven..." I mean if this has the same Origins as in the Manga it was technically created by a God-like creature. "... This means that he doesn't bring your Original Body back to life. It just copies the state it was in shortly before you hit the bucket."
"H-How would you know that?" Kishimoto asks a little unsettled.
Actually good question.
"Well, sometimes Gantz is messy with its work and makes mistakes. I have heard and seen people before whose original bodies were still alive even though they were brought here."
Both Kishimoto and Kato seem unable to comprehend the Info and break into sweat.
Nishi seems to get his composure back and takes a few steps away from us while putting on his shit-eating grin.
As both Kato and Kishimoto can't seem to break their confusion Nishi casually walks towards the Door of the Room.
"Wait I have one more question!" I demand.
Nishi stops in the door frame.
"You know you are starting to get on my nerves too."
Maybe I would buy that statement, if not for the wide grin that is plastered on his face. Probably because he was able to bring the other two people who are still not moving in inch and standing before the black ball into such turmoil.
"Yeah, Yeah I just want to know when we are going to get brought back here and how."
Nishi fiddles with the Alien tracking device on his arm and starts to disappear. I get ready to act if he tries something.
"The timeframe between Missions is always different, it can be just 2 days or as long as a full month. You're gonna get brought here with the same beam that transported you to the Mission spot. You'll hear a loud ringing in your head from the chip in your head before it will happen so stay on guard...." Nishi is fully invisible now "... and not just because of the next time you get here hehe"
Kishimoto finally snaps out of her stupor and looks at the spot where Nishi's voice is coming from.
"What are you implying?!"
"Maybe one of you will find their end even before the next Mission starts" Nishi's voice rings diabolically through the room.
Both Kato and Kishimoto have an even more scared expression than before on their faces
"Hahahaha are you two shitted now? Come on, go Home you're embarrassing yourselves."
His light steps can be heard slowly stepping out of the apartment.
All of us stand there locked in place for a while.
Even I have to think about what I am going to say now.
"... I think he is really gone now. We should get out of here." I explain.
Both of them nod and we step into the Hallway
"...Uh guys can I put this suit back? I don't like how it clings to my Body and I don't think I want to take it Home" Kato speaks up.
"Sure the both of us don't have the luxury to change our clothes like you." I tell him with a smile.
Kato nods and goes back into the Gantz Room to change into his School Uniform.
"You know… I see where Kato is coming from. I also don't know if I'm a Fan of putting on this Suit. Sure it gives you all these awesome Powers but I don't like how tight it is. I wouldn't skip out on also taking it off if you hadn't stripped us of the opportunity…." Kishimoto says while stretching the material at her wrist a little, only for it to snap back right back into place.
Oh Lord... How do I pay my appreciation for her form without also offending her somehow...
I can feel my face heating up a little.
"Sorry if I don't remember correctly but weren't you the one who wanted to move away as fast as possible from our changing spot?" I ask her.
"Well... It was a weird Situation. I just wanted to break the tension you know... You gave me this funny look... very similar to the one you're giving me right now actually..." Her View focuses on the ground.
Well, she got me good.
"Do I make you uncomfortable?"
"Well... not really. I'm used to boys staring at me in school. But they do just that and nothing else. Never even speak to me... I mean you're completely different from them. You saved my life and actually tried to help me through all this crazy stuff that happened." She says while looking up and back at my face with a light smile.
" You also saved me from getting sliced into pieces from these Aliens. Don't sell yourself short. And if all the guys in your school are too afraid to talk to a beautiful girl I'll gladly take up the opportunity." I say while grinning at her.
Kishimoto blushes.
"...I never met a Boy that was as forward with their intentions before as you. I mean you already made it obvious when you spoke to the small guy about the points you gained...." Kishimoto gives an exaggerated sigh "Maybe you should tone it down a bit big boy" while putting her index finger on my chest and pushing me back a bit.
By the way she said that I can tell she is enjoying the attention and just playing around.
"I don't think I can hold myself back when you're still dressed in a Suit like that."
"Which I only put on because you initiated it. Maybe you just wanted to see me in Skin Tight clothing?" she says smugly.
"Well, I think we both can agree that without the Suits we'd both not be here right now. So I just wanted for you to be safe. I had no ulterior motives whatsoever..." I say with a sarcastic undertone.
"Suuuure... tell that to him right there, maybe he'll believe you." Kishimoto says while pointing at Rice who is running around our feet.
I crouch down to him and pet him for a little while. After a few seconds, Kishimoto joins me. Petting a Dog can ease a lot of stress.
After a little bit more time. Kato comes back into the corridor.
"... Everything alright?" he asks
"Yeah, Miss Snipergirl here is just complaining about her current attire." I say with a smile while pointing my thumb at her.
She tries to put on an annoyed face again in response to my comment. Failing to make it serious as usual.
" I can understand that well. For me, it was embarrassing enough to just put it on under my normal clothes." Kato explains " But look what it helped..."
Kato opens his school Jacket and shows his shirt underneath which is pretty battered from the Alien. With even its right sleeve being completely missing from the Alien cutting it off.
"I guess I am the only one not getting scolded by my parents for missing clothes..." Kishimoto says while looking thoughtfully at Kato's attire. Probably about the way she appeared in the Room.
"I'm actually not living with my parents anymore and Kato also doesn't if I remember right." I explain.
"Yeah, my Parents are both deceased. They died shortly after my Brother was born and also shortly before I left the school where I and Kei were on..." Kato says in a sad but composed way.
"Oh my God. I'm so sorry I didn't want to offend you..." Kishimoto fastly apologizes.
"... You really didn't. I have already accepted that they are in a better place and I still have my Brother..." Kato says with a smile.
He's a really honest Guy.
"I think we should finally leave it's already after eight" I say to break the sad and kinda awkward Atmosphere.
Both of them nod and we move out of the apartment. Although Kishimoto clearly still regrets what she said just now. As we step Outside of the apartment complex and look around Rice runs through between our feet and makes off fast.
"Where is he going?" Kishimoto questions.
"I don't know maybe he got somewhere to be?" I say jokingly.
"So this just some normal flat huh?" Kato says while taking in the surroundings.
"Seems that way..." I agree and put my handle on the door behind us. "... as I thought it is closed. We can't go back."
"Until the Ball calls us back..." Kato says kinda distraught.
"Let's go now and search for a Taxi" I say and all of us take leave from the building.
As we move down the stairs I still think about what Kato just said. It's so crazy that this great person emerged from all the hardships he had to undertake. He doesn't even resend the crappy...
*Arrgh
Just as Kato's living Situation jumps into my Head I suddenly get a lot of Pictures running through my thought process... I think they're Memories but they obviously aren't my own.
"Kei! Everything alright?!" Kato asks as he walks next to me.
"Yeah, everything is fine... I think I just got whiplash from everything that's happened." I shrug it off and we move on.
When we get to the Ground level though I still have the urge to ask Kato something.
"So Kato if both your Parents are gone... where are you living right now?"
"Well, Aunt Matsura took us in."
"No way... not that Matsura. Her sons were loads of crap back in elementary"
" Yeah, but she is nice... she is just strict with us sometimes..." Kato says with a forced smile
"Does she hit you and your brother?" I ask honestly.
"Well... yeah now and then but just when we make a mistake and I am allowed to take it for Ayumu if he does something wrong" Kato says just fading out how he gets completely mistreated.
I just shake my head and keep on walking.
I'll also get you in a better place Kato... somehow. A nice and honest person like you doesn't deserve to get treated in such shitty ways.
We approach the Road and stick our thumbs out to finally get away from this place.
"Hey, there is a Taxi!"
It approaches our location but it drives right past us.
"Hey!"
"Are we still invisible to other people?!" Kishimoto screams in question.
Right after she said that the Taxi stops in its tracks.
"He must also think his Part if he sees you both dressed like this" Kato says.
Me and Kishimoto both look at each other and get a little redfaced.
The Driver though doesn't seem to care, as the three of us get in quickly and Kishimoto says she wants to get home first and tells her address.
"We can finally go Home"
"It's so crazy to remember all this actually happened" Kishimoto says.
"... I don't want to really think about that right now" Kato says while looking down at his lap.
Kishimoto wants to rapidly apologize again but I stop her.
"We understand."
We both give sympathetic looks at him but Kato remains with the same kinda sorrowful expression for the entire drive.
As we finally arrive at Kishimoto's Home both me and Kato are in awe at the nice house she lives in. It's no Villa but it's still quite big.
Kishimoto looks a little sad though as the car parks in front of it.
She steps out of it and takes a look at it before drawing herself back to us still sitting in the car.
"So I guess this is goodbye then..." she says. Clearly in fear of the prospect that awaits her back in her home.
"Goodbye..." Kato says
"Well, we're probably gonna see each other again." I try to cheer her up while also not drawing suspicion from the Taxi driver about our situation. "Just don't throw the Suit away it's important"
"Yeah yeah, I'll watch out. Hopefully, you will be a little less of a mouthful when we meet again." she says with a smile.
"Can't promise anything"
She shakes her head and turns around to walk to her front door while Kato already tells his Address to the Driver.
Ok if this is still the same as in the Manga I can't leave Kishimoto here.
As the Taxi has began to drive a short distance I make my move.
"Stop. I'll leave here."
The driver stops and I open the Door.
"Wait Kei what's going on?"
"Kato, what's your phone number?"
"Well I don't have a phone but I'll give you the number of my aunt's House..."
Kato tells me the number. The Driver gives me a Note and a Pen to write it down.
"But why Kei?"
"I want to stay in contact with both you and Kishimoto."
"That's the name of the Girl?"
I nod.
"And what do you want to call us about?"
I draw closely towards his ear so that the Driver can't hear it
"Maybe we can better prepare ourselves if all this happens again. By training together or something like that."
"Well ok, we could try to do that..." Kato thinks a little bit before getting a small smile on his face "... are you sure that is also the same reason in regards to that Kishimoto girl?"
"Why wouldn't it be that?"
"Well, you both were pretty close when I was done changing." Kato says with a smirk.
"Kato I can assure you it's not like that"
He just raises his eyebrow and keeps staring at me.
"...Well maybe it's a small influence that I also want to stay in contact with this really pretty girl... sorry."
"Hahah. Don't apologize Kei I was just playing around and I prefer for you to be honest." Kato smiles " I can say that the both of you look quite nice together and I think that she also really likes you and is just a little shy."
"Well, you laid the groundwork with the introduction back in the room. Without that maybe she would have never spoken to me."
"Don't blow it all out of proportion. She would have still been interested in her savior without me."
"Well if I remember right you rescued me also. So I'll play you back the expanses for the Taxi after I get Home. So that we're close to even"
"Come on Kei that's not necessary. I can pay for a three-people Taxidrive."
Kato says that but he still has to take care of both himself and his brother with the little Money that is left by his parents.
"Kato that's the least I can do. But go Home now Ayumu is gonna miss you."
"...Yeah! You're right Goodbye Kei and good luck." He says while stretching his Hand out.
"We'll do this together and get through this like old times" I say as I bump my fist with his.
Kato nods and I close the Door of the Taxi as it takes off.
I stand on the Sidewalk with the House of the Kishimotos just a few meters away.
Somehow I think I have gained the memories of the original Kei in regards to everything that he and Kato experienced together in elementary.
I don't know why it happened but it certainly saves me a lot of trouble.
I have to help Kato and his living Situation. It is the same as in the Manga and just as shitty.
I slowly walk towards the beginning of the Kishimoto Property and wait a few steps away from the front door.
Speaking of Situation's being just as shitty as in the Manga, even though Kishimoto lives in a House that is quite nice, her troubles with her family should not be undersold. Her Mother was putting her under so much pressure that she was willing to commit suicide. And now that she is back in her home she is gonna find out that she actually didn't die and she is a copy with the original still alive.
This was always so fucked up to me. Imagine you have someone who is the exact same as you and because of that, you can never return to the place you have lived your whole entire life. Oku just used Kishimoto as mostly fanservice in the Manga but after going through all this with her I can't see her as just that anymore.
But there were until now also a lot of things that have changed. So maybe this also has and her original now died and she can return to her home. I certainly don't want her to be in the bad scenario. Maybe I'm just standing here outside waiting for a girl that is way out of my league to come and live together with me... yeah right as if tha-
*Bam
"Kei!"
I hear a girl's voice scream her name out as she runs out of the front door now dressed in more moderate clothing.
I can clearly see the tears in her eyes as she runs fast down the Stairs in front of the door she just bashed open.
"Kishimoto!" I scream out.
She stops in her tracks as she seems to recognize my voice. She looks around and as she sees me she gets a surprised look before taking off fastly towards my direction.
"Kurono!"
As she has reached me she Hugs me really tight and sobs over my shoulder.
"Kurono!...Kurono...Kurono" she tries to get her composure back although I'm still stunned.
*sniff
*sniff
She pulls back and looks into my face.
"I'm... I'm... I'm not dead!"
As she finally is able to bring the sentence over her lips she breaks down again and goes into my embrace as I try to calm her down.
I think I am right in the assumption that a lot of things are still the same.