Episode 4: Fam | i | ly (Part 1)

 

(𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑵 𝑻𝑶 𝑹𝑱𝑫2 - 𝑯𝑰𝑮𝑯 𝑳𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑺 𝑾𝑯𝑰𝑳𝑬 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑷𝑼𝑻 𝑰𝑻 𝑶𝑵 𝑳𝑶𝑶𝑷)∇∇∇

...

The jarring transition from the remnants of the West Exit Bus Terminal to the next stage of the Reaper's Game was abrupt, yet familiar. One moment, they were standing amidst the debris, the next, the world dissolved into a fleeting sensation of falling, of being pulled, and then, a sudden, solid re-entry.

**Tsugumi**'s eyes snapped open first, her senses immediately assessing their new surroundings. The air was colder here, heavy with the scent of damp concrete and vehicle exhaust, even though no cars were present. Above them, the grimy underbelly of an elevated roadway stretched into the distance, supported by massive, stained concrete pillars. The sound of distant traffic, muffled and indistinct, was the only auditory sign of the living world above. This was the **Shibuya Underpass**.

She pushed herself up with a low grunt, her muscles still protesting from the grueling battle of Day 3. The lingering ache was a testament to the immense power they had wielded, and the energy it had cost them. She glanced down at her hand. The timer was gone, replaced by a fresh, blank slate. It was Day 4.

Beside her, **Ao** let out a soft groan, stirring from her forced slumber. Her hair was even more disheveled than before, and she blinked several times, her eyes struggling to adjust to the dim, oppressive light of the underpass.

"Ugh... my head," Ao mumbled, pushing herself up with a wobbly attempt at her usual bounce. She swayed slightly, then caught herself. "Where... where are we now, T-chan? This looks even grungier than the last place." She rubbed her eyes, then looked around, her typical wide-eyed curiosity returning, though still laced with morning grogginess.

Tsugumi surveyed the vast, cavernous space. The underpass was a maze of shadows, broken streetlights, and discarded refuse. It wasn't as open as the terminal, offering more concealment but also more blind spots. "Shibuya Underpass," she stated, her voice quiet, a hint of analytical observation already creeping into her tone.

Ao shivered, pulling her arms around herself. "Brrr, it's cold here. And super creepy. Like a giant concrete cave. Do you think we have a mission yet? My hand feels totally blank." She held up her palm, confirming the absence of a timer or directive.

Tsugumi remained silent for a moment, letting her senses expand, searching for any subtle resonance of Psych, any tell-tale hum of Noise. "No." Tsugumi looks away. "What a strange spawn point to start from..." Tsugumi thinks to herself.

The silence of the underpass, punctuated only by the distant rumble of the city above and the soft drips of moisture from the concrete ceiling, pressed in on them. Day 4 had begun. And the Reaper's Game, relentless as ever, was already waiting.

The dim, cavernous expanse of the Shibuya Underpass offered no other visible paths. Tsugumi's analytical gaze scanned the dilapidated concrete walls, the shadowed alcoves, the choked drainage systems. Every alternative route seemed blocked by debris, or simply led to dead ends. The only viable way forward, or rather, backward, was the way they had entered.

"It appears the only option is to backtrack," Tsugumi stated, her voice echoing faintly in the oppressive silence. "The passage to the West Exit Bus Terminal."

Ao groaned, a dramatic sound of protest. "Ugh, really? Back to that broken place? My head is still hurting from all the explosions! And I thought the Game was all about moving *forward*." She slumped her shoulders, but began to follow Tsugumi regardless. There was no arguing with Tsugumi's logic, especially when there were no other options.

Their return journey through the underpass was uneventful, but oppressive. The cold, damp air seemed to cling to them, and the muffled sounds of the city above provided little comfort. It felt like walking through the belly of a concrete beast, a stark contrast to the open, if chaotic, spaces they were used to.

As they approached the exit of the underpass, the light ahead grew stronger, beckoning them back into the more familiar, albeit still unsettling, realm of the surface Shibuya. The faint hum of the city, the invisible crowds – it all began to filter back into their senses.

Stepping out from beneath the underpass's grimy archway, they found themselves precisely at the entrance of the **West Exit Bus Terminal**. The devastation from their previous battle was gone, everything going back to normal.

And then, Tsugumi looks around. Seeing two familiar faces coming towards them.

**Ai** and **Mina**.

They were looking still lost, their expressions a mixture of confusion and dawning horror. Mina was rubbing her arm, while Ai had her hand pressed against her forehead, clearly overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the game.

Tsugumi's gaze flickered to their hands. No timers visible. Their own hands were blank. A flicker of recognition crossed Tsugumi's face. *Day 2 for them.* They had completed Day 1, and now, like themselves, were starting a new cycle. The Game's timeline for Players on different "days" was becoming clearer.

Ao, noticing Tsugumi's sudden stillness, followed her gaze. Her eyes widened, and then a brilliant, surprised grin broke out on her face. "Ai-chan! Mina-chan!" she cheered, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten. She immediately bounced forward, waving enthusiastically. "Whoa! Fancy seeing you guys here! What are you doing?"

Mina gasped, startled, then her eyes lit up with pure relief. "Ao-chan! Tsugumi-san! Oh my gosh, I'm so glad to see you!" She rushed forward, a genuine smile spreading across her face. "We just... woke up here! There is a bunch of people here i kinda feel dread on the air! What happened?" Her eyes darted around, a clear question in them.

Ai followed at a more measured pace, her eyes scanning the scene, then settling on Tsugumi and Ao. A rare, faint smile touched her lips. "Good morning," she said, her voice a little tired. "It seems we're on a similar trajectory. It sure feels odd here," She nodded towards the extensive damage. "Is it normal too feel like this here?"

"You bet it is!" Ao puffed out her chest, radiating pride despite the lingering aches. "This was our super-duper mega-battlefield on Day 3! We fought like, a bazillion Decadraven and then a super-sized Easterraven that was guarding the mission pin! It was totally insane! We blew everything up!" She gestured expansively at the wreckage with a flourish, her enthusiasm contagious.

Mina's jaw dropped. "You... you blew it up?" She looked at Ao, eyes wide with astonishment. "That's... incredible! We were just running and trying not to get erased yesterday!" She shivered, remembering their own close calls. "Our mission was just to survive until the timer ran out. We didn't have to fight anything that big!"

"Every day is different for every Player," Tsugumi interjected, her voice calm, confirming her theory while facing away. "Isn't that clear? This is Day 2 for you."

"Yeah! Our timers just vanished!" Mina confirmed, holding up her hand. "And we just woke up right here! It's so confusing, the Game just... changes!" She looked at the destroyed terminal with a new sense of awe, knowing what it meant.

"So you completed your Day 1," Ao said, leaning in. "Did you guys get any cool new Pins? And did you find out anything super weird about the Game? We met a really weird Reaper just now! She was super bored but then she kept denying she helped us with a super combo, and then she gave us back this cool pin and said her name was Uzuki!" She held up the Harmonizer Pin Tsugumi had tucked away, then quickly put it back, remembering Uzuki's strict instructions.

Mina's eyes widened. "A Reaper? You talked to a Reaper? What was she like? We only saw a really scary, quiet one on Day 1, and he just glowered at us from a rooftop!"

Ai sighed. "We acquired a few basic pins. Nothing as flashy as yours. And our encounters with Reapers were... brief and intimidating. We primarily focused on evading Noise and locating safe zones. We spent most of our time in the Scramble, ironically enough."

"Oh, Scramble is very good for beginners! If you guys stay there on a mission it won't be that hard" Ao chirped. "We just came from that Underpass there, It's super cold and creepy, huh? But now we're here, and we don't have a mission either! Do you guys have a mission?"

Ai and Mina shook their heads. "No, nothing yet," Mina said, looking around nervously. "Just... here."

"Same, looks like the Reaper's are still snoring, Tee-hee~" Ao giggles.

"So, what do you guys do when you don't have a mission?" Mina asked, her brow furrowed. "Do you just... wait? Or do you try to fight Noise? We're so lost."

Ao brightened. "We usually just try to explore! See if anything looks weird! Sometimes the Reapers give you hints if you just... walk around. Or sometimes the Noise just find *you*!" She giggled at the last part, a nervous energy.

Mina, ever the pragmatist, looked around the damaged terminal. "This area is unlikely to be a safe zone for long, given the evidence of a recent high-level Noise battle. It might draw more attention." She then looked directly at Tsugumi. "That super combo thing....how was it exactly?"

"Why would i tell you?" Tsugumi looks away.

"Come onn, T-Chan. We can tell them. We have to trust each other you know right? Right?" Ao bumps a little at Tsugumi, looking at her with a mischievous look on her face.

"You don't even consider anything huh? You are like a bug, always going towards the light and ignoring everything else....Tsk" Tsugumi crosses her arms.

"Tee-hee~!" Ao giggles enjoying teasing with Tsugumi.

Tsugumi considered this and then sighs. "The blank pin...may or not have the ability to chain my Psych attacks with the girl's and do a 'Fusion Attack' as you idiots say it."

"A Fusion Attack!" Ai breathed, her eyes sparkling. "That's so cool! So you guys did that together? Like a super team-up attack?"

"It requires perfect synchronization," Tsugumi stated. "And immense Psych output. I merely... achieved it through circumstance." She wouldn't admit it was also through desperate improvisation and sheer luck.

"We" merely achieved it, T-Chan. I am like still trembling..." Ao sighs sitting down on the ground.

"So, you guys are on Day 4, and we're on Day 2," Ai summarized, a hint of scientific detachment in her voice. "That confirms multiple Game instances running concurrently, with the same Players. Interesting."

"Yeah! So we're like, parallel friends!" Ao chirped, happy to have found a way to phrase it. "Even if we're not in the *exact* same Game Day, we can still, like, share notes! What kind of Noise did you guys fight yesterday?"

Mina shuddered. "Just... some basic ones. Grizzlies. And some of those hedgehog-like ones. They were still super scary! And their numbers kept growing! We just hid a lot."

"When you are weak the only thing to do is to hide." Tsugumi looks away once more, each time she says something harsh she turns away.

"T-Chan! They are still learning you know?" Ao pouts.

"We know, she is right Ao, but just learning isn't enough" Ai sighed. "We acquired a few more pins, but we're still figuring out how to use them effectively. I can use the **Thunderbolt Pin** properly now, and Mina still has her **Drink Pin** and some debuff stats Pins."

"Oh, the Drink Pin!" Ao exclaimed. "That's was super useful! Tsugumi and I actually used one you guys gave us yesterday! It totally saved us when we were fighting the Easterraven! Thanks again for that, by the way!"

Mina's eyes widened. "How was it? It also takes too much concentration to work with you guys?"

"Yep. But like T-Chan said yesterday, one heals and another covers, very simple." Ao smiles.

Ai smiles. "Woah! We are glad that it worked."

Mina smiles. "I am glad we did something useful to help you two."

"Right!" Ao said, brushing off the slight confusion. "So, you guys should really stick together! A healer is super important!"

"We will," Ai confirmed, glancing at Mina. "We're attempting to learn from our mistakes yesterday. Trying to attack and heal simultaneously was... inefficient. As you said is better to heal and cover... obvious."

Ao agreed wholeheartedly. "Glad you guys get it! Tsugumi always says to focus!"

The four girls stood at the entrance to the damaged bus terminal, a strange point of intersection for their diverging timelines. No missions had appeared yet for either pair, leaving them in a temporary limbo. The shared moment of conversation, of comparing notes, even of minor misremembered details, was a rare comfort in the isolating chaos of the Game.

"Well," Mina said, looking at the blankness of her hand, then back at Ao and Tsugumi. "Since we don't have a mission yet, we should probably... keep looking for one. Maybe somewhere else" She gave a nervous laugh.

"Good idea," Ai agreed. "This area is unlikely to be productive for long." She gave Tsugumi a respectful nod. "Thank you for the information. And the assistance yesterday."

Tsugumi simply nodded in return and looked away. "Don't get erased."

"You too, T-chan!" Ao chirped. "And you too, Ai-chan, Mina-chan! Don't get erased! Maybe we'll see you again on Day 5 or something!" She gave them a big, enthusiastic wave.

"You are the one who likely would get eraced first, wind head..." Tsugumi looks away thinking to herself about Ao words.

Mina smiled, a genuine warmth spreading across her face. "You too, Ao-chan! Tsugumi-san! Stay safe!" She waved back, her spirits lifted by the encounter.

Ai offered a small, almost imperceptible wave before turning. With that, Ai and Mina turned and began to walk away, heading towards the busier, more intact parts of Shibuya, their conversation already resuming in low tones, discussing their next steps for Day 2.

Ao watched them go, a bright smile on her face. "They're so nice!" she said, turning to Tsugumi. "And they seemed a lot less scared now that they know what to do! It's good that we could help them, even if we're on different days, huh?"

Tsugumi simply grunted, her gaze already scanning the surroundings. "Let's go."

Ao giggled, "Always so serious, T-chan! But you're right! No time to waste!" She skipped to catch up, her bright spirits renewed, ready to face whatever new challenges Day 4 would bring, even without a clear mission yet. The brief reunion had been a pleasant, if confusing, detour in their relentless journey through the Reaper's Game.

The conversation with Ai and Mina, though brief and strangely disjointed across their respective Game Days, had left Tsugumi and Ao with a renewed, if slightly confused, sense of camaraderie. They had parted ways from the West Exit Bus Terminal, each pair still without a clear objective, simply navigating the labyrinthine, invisible currents of Shibuya. Tsugumi, ever methodical, had decided to lead them away from the highly damaged terminal, back towards more familiar, and potentially less dangerous, territory.

Their steps had led them, almost instinctively, back towards the heart of Shibuya's most iconic landmark. The air grew subtly lighter, the oppressive weight of the underpass and the lingering scent of smoke from the terminal gradually dissipating. The faint, almost imperceptible hum of Shibuya's ordinary existence, the phantom crowds moving in their endless loops, grew stronger.

And then, they entered the familiar plaza.

They had just set foot onto the paved expanse surrounding the **Statue of Hachiko**. The bronze dog, eternally vigilant, sat patiently, its silent gaze fixed on the bustling, invisible crossing. It was a place of meeting, of waiting, a constant in the ever-shifting landscape of the Game.

Suddenly, a sharp, almost painful **sting** simultaneously pricked the palm of Tsugumi's dominant hand and the back of Ao's. Both girls instinctively looked down.

On their hands, where a moment before there had been only blank skin, a luminous timer had appeared. The numbers began to tick down, swift and relentless: **250:00**.

At the same instant, both of their phones vibrated intensely. A new message, etched in glowing green text, seared itself onto their screens.

𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡========================>

FIND THE CHECKPOINTS: AN ANT COLONY, A LOYAL DOG, TEN-FOUR, A RAMEN PLACE. TAKE THE PICS AND DON'T IGNORE THEM.

                                               - The Reapers.

================================>

The message remained on their screens, a constant, glowing reminder, while the timer on their hands continued its insistent countdown.

Tsugumi's eyes narrowed, her analytical mind already racing. "Checkpoints," she murmured, a single word that encompassed the immediate objective. The sting was fading, but the urgency of the timer is palpable. She immediately began to process the cryptic clues: "An ant colony," "A loyal dog," "Ten-four," "A ramen place."

Ao, however, reacted with a dramatic gasp. Her eyes darted from her glowing timer to Tsugumi's, then to the message on her phone, then around the familiar Hachiko plaza. "Agh! My hand! It totally zapped me! It gets me every time!" she exclaimed, shaking her palm. "And look at this! 'Ant colony'? What does that even *mean*? Are we looking for real ants? Because... ew! And 'loyal dog'? Like, Hachiko? But we're *at* Hachiko! That doesn't make any sense! And 'ten-four'? Is that like a code? Like 'roger that, over and out'?" Her initial panic quickly morphed into a flurry of bewildered questions, her usual energetic chaos kicking in.

Tsugumi ignored Ao's frantic questioning for a moment, her gaze sweeping over the plaza, trying to connect the clues to their surroundings. "A loyal dog," she repeated, her eyes falling on the Hachiko statue. "It is plausible the statue itself is one of the checkpoints. However, if that were the case, the mission would simply end here. The phrasing suggests multiple locations, requiring interaction."

"But if it *is* Hachiko, why do we need to take a pic?" Ao wondered aloud, already pulling out her **phone**, tapping its surface to bring up the camera function. "And what happens if we 'ignore' them? Do we just... disappear? Like, poof?" She made a little exploding motion with her hand.

"What do you think? Are you being serious or just acting dumb?" Tsugumi stated, her voice flat. "The instruction to 'take the pics' suggests digital interaction with the checkpoints, likely via our phones, which function as communication devices and cameras. 'Don't ignore them' means we must physically engage with each checkpoint and record our presence within the time limit. Since when this game's missions can be ignored eh?" She paused, her mind already moving to the next clue. "'An ant colony.' This is metaphorical. It refers to a location with a high density of... something. Perhaps a large number of people, or a place where many small, identical things gather."

Ao tapped her chin thoughtfully, already caught up in the riddle-solving. "Okay, so 'ant colony' could be, like, the Scramble Crossing? Because there are always a bazillion people there, even if they're invisible!" Her eyes lit up. "Or maybe, like, a toy store? With tons of little toys? Or, like, one of those gacha machine rows? They have tons of little capsule toys!"

"The Scramble Crossing," Tsugumi crosses her arms.

"Okay, so Hachiko, Scramble Crossing..." Ao mumbled, following close behind, still reading the message on her phone. "What about 'ten-four'? Is that, like, a radio code? Or a street address? Ten-four, over and out? Is there a police station? Or a CB radio shop? Or maybe it's like a secret handshake that only Reapers know, and we have to find a Reaper and say 'ten-four'?" Her ideas, while creative, sometimes lacked Tsugumi's precise logic.

"Ten-four," Tsugumi repeated, her brow furrowed in concentration. "104 Building."

Ao gasped, snapping her fingers. "Oh! The 104 building! You're a genius, T-chan! I was totally thinking about, like, walkie-talkies and stuff! So that's three! Hachiko, Scramble, and 104!" She held up three fingers triumphantly, a wide grin on her face. "Now we just need 'a ramen place'! That's easy! Shibuya's full of ramen places! But like I think that i may have a idea..." She scrolled through her phone, looking for a map app.

Tsugumi walked directly to the Hachiko statue, her movements precise. She raised her phone, aiming its camera at the bronze dog. A faint, almost imperceptible shimmer surrounded the statue, only visible through the phone's camera display. She pressed the capture button.

A small, chime-like sound emanated from her phone, and a brief green checkmark appeared on its screen, indicating a successful capture. The message on her screen briefly updated, showing "1/4 Checkpoints found." On her hand, the timer briefly flickered, then resumed its countdown.

"Hm," Tsugumi stated, confirming the interaction. "Done."

Ao cheered. "Woohoo! One down! See, T-chan, I told you! Hachiko's just that popular!" She immediately followed suit, taking a picture of the statue with her own phone. The same green checkmark appeared on her screen, and her phone vibrated slightly in confirmation. Her timer continued its countdown.

"Next, the Scramble Crossing," Tsugumi said, already heading towards the bustling intersection, her pace quickening.

As they moved into the Scramble Crossing, the ethereal crowds of invisible pedestrians seemed to swell around them, flowing like a silent river. The giant screens above flickered with vibrant, ever-changing advertisements, their bright colors a stark contrast to the muted reality of the city.

"So, what do we do here, T-chan?" Ao asked, looking around, phone camera ready. "Just take a picture of the whole place? Or, like, stand in the very middle? Do we need to find a specific ant? Or just, like, a really big pile of invisible ants that are actually just people?" Her questions were a mixture of genuine inquiry and playful absurdity.

Tsugumi ignored the 'invisible ants' comment. "It's the middle."

Tsugumi takes the picture, The same chime, the same green checkmark on the phone's display. Her phone vibrated, and the message updated: "2/4 Checkpoints found." Another objective complete.

"Alright!" Ao exclaimed, already rushing to the center. "Ants away! Take a pic of the super-duper ant hill!" She took her own picture with her phone, the device chiming in confirmation and updating its display. "Two down! We're totally crushing this! 250 minutes is plenty of time!"

"And you think that's a good thing?," Tsugumi warned, already striding towards their next objective.

Ao giggles following her behind. "Maybe? More time for to do something funny! Maybe we can go eat Ramen later! What do you think? Tee-hee~"

Tsugumi hisses. "Focus on what you are doing right now, Stop toying around!"

Ao bumps to Tsugumi's side with a smile or her face. "Alright! We are going to end the mission early and go eat Ramen together then!"

The walk to the 104 Building was quick. The large, imposing structure, with its distinctive '104' branding, loomed over them. It was a beacon, a clear target.

"So, 'ten-four' it is!" Ao grinned, looking up at the building, phone camera ready. "Do we need to take a picture of the whole building? Or, like, the entrance? What if there's, like, a secret tenth floor that's actually the fourth floor, if you count down from the top and ignore the basement, but only if you use a special decoder ring and a secret handshake?" Her imagination was already running wild.

Tsugumi merely sighed. She led them to the building's main entrance, where the large, glowing '104' sign was prominently displayed.

Again, a faint green shimmer emanated from the sign, visible through their phone cameras. Tsugumi raised her phone, snapped the picture, and received the satisfying chime and checkmark. Her phone updated: "3/4 Checkpoints found."

"Yes!" Ao cheered, immediately mimicking Tsugumi. "Ten-four, roger that! Three down! Only 'a ramen place' left!" She practically bounced with excitement, her earlier exhaustion completely forgotten in the thrill of the chase. "This one's going to be the hardest though, right? Because there are *so* many ramen places!"

"Now, for the final checkpoint," Tsugumi stated, her voice serious, her gaze already scanning their surroundings for clues that might narrow down the search. "This will be the most challenging. 'A ramen place' is deliberately vague. Must find a 'ramen place' that holds some specific significance to the Game, or perhaps to the Reapers.

"Or! Or!" Ao suddenly exclaimed, her eyes widening with a wild idea. "I got it! Its Dogenzaka, there is a bunch of good ramen places there and like the place I wanted to take you, Hehe~"

Tsugumi paused, considering this. "Hm, how do you know that?"

Ao giggles. "T-Chan, you are from Shibuya, the best place for ramen is Dogenzaka! I used to go there with my friends on the weekends and with my family too! We have a lotta of fun, 100% sure is there! Let's go!"

They continued their hurried pace, leaving Center Gai behind and venturing into the more winding, atmospheric streets of Dogenzaka. The district, known for its nightlife and a slightly different vibe, held a myriad of smaller, more specialized eateries. The phantom sounds of the city here were a mix of distant music and the chatter of unseen patrons.

"Okay, Dogenzaka..." Ao muttered, her phone still out, map displayed prominently. "There are a few new ramen places here... Which one is it now? Is it the one with the glowing sign? Or the one that smells super good, even if we can't actually smell it?"

Tsugumi, meanwhile, was scanning the area with her phone's camera, They passed one ramen shop, then another. Nothing. Ao tried taking pictures of several of them, her phone remaining stubbornly silent, no checkmark appearing, and the mission tracker on her screen stuck at "3/4 Checkpoints found."

"Ugh, this is harder than I thought!" Ao groaned, lowering her phone in frustration. "There is a lot of ramen places here and they are all very special you know? I wonder..."

Tsugumi ignored Ao's lament, her gaze around looking for the right spot.

"T-Chan! This one," Ao stated, raising her phone. Her voice was firm, confident. She aimed her phone's camera at the entrance of the ramen shop, focusing on the stylized kanji of its name.

"Hm?" Tsugumi rises her eyebrows.

Chime!

A clear, satisfying chime rang out from her phone. A brilliant green checkmark flashed across her screen. The message on her phone updated, displaying: "4/4 Checkpoints found."

"Care to explain?" Tsugumi crosses her arms.

Ao scratches the back of her hair while giggles. "Why not? This place is called Family, you know? Its cozy, humble, and very wholesome! This is the place that i used to eat with my friends and family!"

"Odd...." Tsugumi looks to the ramen place a little thoughtful.

"YES!" Ao shrieked, "We did it, T-chan! All four checkpoints! See? My crazy ideas totally helped, right? It was here!" She was practically dancing with excitement. "Now...we finish the mission on record time! We deserve to get some noddles!"

Tsugumi hisses. "You really can't think of something else than this stupid place today huh."

Ao smiles. "Its not stupid, T-Chan. I had many good memories from this place you know...." Ao looks to the ramen place, her eyes full of something... perchaps nostalgia.

Tsugumi crosses her arms. "This it's not the time."

Ao looks at Tsugumi. "Come on T-Chan. Let's go inside, i swear you are going to have fun with me! Pretty please!~" Ao smiles putting her best pleading eyes.

Tsugumi sighs. "Fine, enough with the stupid pleasing."

Ao rises her hands up celebrating. "Yay!!! T-Chan! Prepare yourself for a gastronomic experience of your life! We are going to have so much funnnnn!!!!~"

Tsugumi sighs again. Ao grabs her hand pulling her inside the ramen place.

Tsugumi and Ao enter the ramen place, Family together but timer on their hands, however, had undergone a startling transformation. Instead of continuing its countdown or disappearing, the numbers on their palms flickered wildly for a moment, the green light intensifying, then violently halved. If they had, say, 180 minutes left, it instantly became 90:00. The full 250:00 initial time was cut, leaving only half of what remained.

And at the very same instant, a sudden, searing pain ripped through both Tsugumi and Ao. A powerful, unseen electric shock surged through their bodies, originating from the points where the timers glowed on their palms. It wasn't enough to knock them off their feet, but it was intensely disorienting, a sharp, unpleasant jolt that made every muscle clench.

Gah!" Ao yelped, clutching her hand, her joyous expression instantly replaced by a grimace of pain. "What was that?! That was totally rude! And look! Our timer! It cut in half!" Her eyes were wide with a mix of shock and indignation, staring at the rapidly ticking green numbers on her palm.

Tsugumi let out a short, sharp breath, a sigh of exasperation that was more about the twist than the pain. "This was a wrong input," she stated, her voice tight with a mixture of annoyance and dawning realization. Her shoulders slumped slightly. "This wasn't the point of the mission."

Ao groaned, rubbing her tingling palm. "You were right, T-chan. We couldn't end a whole Day in just thirty minutes, could we?" The initial 250 minutes, now reduced to a mere fraction, suddenly seemed like an impossibly small amount of time. The thrill of the chase was gone, replaced by a cold, hard sense of dread. The Game had, once again, proven its deceptive nature.

Tsugumi and Ao stood, still reeling from the unexpected electric shock and the sudden, brutal halving of their timer. The initial 250 minutes, which had felt like a generous buffer, now loomed over them as a mere 125:00. The celebratory mood Ao had been in moments before had completely evaporated, replaced by a tense, wary silence. The ramen place, which had just been a beacon of nostalgia for Ao, now seemed to mock them with its ordinary, unreacting facade.

Tsugumi rubbed her hand, the phantom tingling a persistent reminder of the Game's capricious nature. Her eyes narrowed, scanning the UG around them. This wasn't how a mission was supposed to end. A successful completion usually meant a clear-cut victory, perhaps a pin reward, or a swift transition to the next objective. This was... punitive. And the clue had said "Find the checkpoints. Take the pics and don't ignore them, or face erasure." They hadn't ignored them. They'd found them. Hadn't they?

"Wrong input," Tsugumi murmured again, more to herself than to Ao, as if dissecting the very words of the Game. "But what could have been 'wrong' 'Ant Colony,' 'Loyal Dog,' 'Ten-Four,' 'Ramen Place.' We identified them. We took the pictures. The system confirmed it." Her brow furrowed in deep thought, her mind already replaying every step, every scanned thought, every interpretation.

Ao, meanwhile, was still clutching her hand, her mouth a tight line. "I just don't get it! We were so good! We were *smart*! And then... zap! And half our time is gone! Ugh! This is totally unfair!" Her usual bubbly enthusiasm was replaced by genuine frustration. "And you said it, T-chan. We couldn't end a whole Day in just thirty minutes. That's what, a quarter of the normal time? This game is seriously messed up." She looked around, as if expecting the answer to materialize in the air.

Just then, a figure emerged from the very ramen place, which seemed to be leaving the place.

It was a woman. She was tall, with striking, long dark hair that cascaded down her back. Her attire, while seemingly casual, had an undeniable edge to it, with subtle details that hinted at something more than just ordinary street fashion. As she stepped out, she stretched, a languid, almost feline movement, and let out a soft, tired sigh.

Tsugumi’s eyes immediately locked onto her. The woman carried herself with an air of distinct authority, a subtle aura that set her apart from the phantom pedestrians. She had a certain... familiarity. Tsugumi had seen Reapers before, of course, it was the one who gave them the blank pin.

The woman glanced around, her eyes sweeping over the place. For a split second, her gaze seemed to brush over Tsugumi and Ao, but then she turned away, almost dismissively. She raised a hand, brushing a few strands of hair away from her face, and that's when Tsugumi saw it. Her black wings, which she didn't quit see that day.

*Uzuki.*

Uzuki let out another sigh, this one more exasperated. "Seriously? *These two* again?" she muttered, though it was barely audible, a private thought, a flicker of deep annoyance that only Tsugumi's heightened senses could pick up. She began to walk, trying to move past them, her head slightly bowed, as if attempting to avoid notice. She even subtly adjusted the collar of her jacket, trying to obscure part of her face, to become just another shadow outside.

But Ao, ever the more impulsive of the pair, had also spotted her. Her eyes, still wide from the shock and the halved timer, landed on Uzuki, and a mischievous, albeit slightly desperate, idea sparked within her. This was a Reaper, a direct line to the Game's inner workings! And she looked... annoyed? Impatient? Perfect!

"Hey! You! Ms. Reaper!" Ao called out, her voice cutting through the subtle hum of the UG, loud enough to make Uzuki visibly flinch and freeze mid-stride. Tsugumi winced, knowing a more subtle approach would have been preferable, but it was too late.

Uzuki slowly turned, her expression one of utter, profound boredom, tinged with a heavy dose of irritation. She lowered her hand from her face, revealing a strikingly elegant, yet distinctly tired, countenance. Her eyes, a sharp, piercing green, swept over Tsugumi and Ao, a heavily exaggerated sigh escaping her lips.

"You two," Uzuki stated, her voice smooth, almost melodic, but laced with a clear thread of utter weariness. "Just *my* luck. What do you want? I'm off duty. For now. This is my 'personal time' for the next... oh, what was it again? Another hour and a half of blissfully ignoring you pests." She gestured vaguely at her table. "Enjoyed my lunch, now I'd very much like to continue enjoying my *peace*."

Ao, however, was undeterred by Uzuki's obvious annoyance. If anything, it seemed to fuel her. "Awww, but Ms. Reaper! You look so bored! Did your ramen not live up to expectations? Was it not spicy enough? Did they forget the extra chashu?" She edged closer, her expression a mix of genuine concern and playful teasing. "You know, a little sake always helps after a long day of... whatever it is you Reapers do. Or maybe some of that super sweet matcha ice cream? I bet you'd love that! Or a cool, refreshing soda? The ones with the marbles inside are the best, don't you think?" She was practically buzzing with a combination of lingering frustration and a newfound, slightly manic, curiosity.

Tsugumi stepped forward, placing a hand on Ao's shoulder, a silent warning for her to rein it in. She then addressed Uzuki directly, her voice calm and measured, cutting through Ao's flurry of suggestions. "Excuse me, Reaper. There is a bug witheen today's mission."

Ao hisses and pouts. "Not cool! We finish the mission earlier! It was suppose to be out day off!"

Uzuki’s sharp green eyes flickered to Tsugumi, a flicker of barely suppressed impatience in their depths. "There is no bug on this game honey...and you little thingy, who said you have day offs? Care to remember you where you are, or are you just too dumb to realize that?" There was a distinct undertone of exhaustion and a hint of impatience in her tone.

Ao pouts shouting at Uzuki. "Hey! We deserve to have a day off after having to fight Noise all day and doing this complex missions!"

"Shut up already," Tsugumi hisses and then sighs. "We completed the objectives," Tsugumi replied, her voice firm, ignoring the slight jab. "We found the 'Ant Colony,' the 'Loyal Dog,' the 'Ten-Four' Building, and this 'Ramen Place.' We took the required photographs. The system confirmed the capture of all four checkpoints."

"And yet," Ao chimed in, holding out her palm for Uzuki to see the halved timer, "our timer got cut in half! And we got zapped! That's not how a mission's supposed to end, right? Did we do something wrong? Is this a trick? Are you, like, messing with us? Stop it!" Ao's voice ended on a higher, almost whiny note, the frustration bubbling to the surface.

Uzuki’s smirk didn't quite reach her eyes. She pushed off the railing, taking a slow step closer, her gaze sweeping between their faces, lingering on their glowing palms. "Oh, the timer. Yes, quite the shock, isn't it? Literally. And the fact that you're standing here asking *me* suggests you haven't quite grasped the concept of the Game, have you?" She sounded more weary than amused, more bored than truly engaged.

"We followed the instructions," Tsugumi insisted, a flicker of irritation entering her voice now. "The message was clear: 'Find the checkpoints. Take the pics and don't ignore them, or face erasure.' We did not ignore them."

Uzuki let out a soft huff, a breath of pure exasperation. "Oh, but you did, little Player. You *absolutely* ignored them." She tapped a long, elegant finger against her temple. "You're so focused on the 'what' that you completely miss the 'how,' the 'when,' and the 'why.' You're like a pair of frantic pigeons, pecking at whatever you see first, without understanding the crumbs lead to a specific path."

Ao frowned, her annoyance intensifies. "What are you talking about? We took the pictures! All four of them!" She gestured around wildly. "Hachiko! Scramble! 104! And the ramen place! See? We're smart! Let us take the day off!"

Tsugumi shouts at Ao, it was getting annoying. "Do you care to stop with the day off thing?"

"Oh, you're *smart* enough to follow a direct command, I suppose," Uzuki stated, her voice flat, devoid of emotion, just tired. "But not smart enough to understand the *order* of command." She took another slow step, her eyes fixed on them, sharp but tired. "Did the message say 'find these four locations, in any order you choose, take a picture, and then pat yourselves on the back for being clever'?" She paused, letting the silence hang heavy. "No. It said, 'AN ANT COLONY, A LOYAL DOG, TEN-FOUR, A RAMEN PLACE.' It listed them, didn't it? In a very specific sequence."

Tsugumi's eyes widened. The realization hit her like a physical blow. The order. The *order* of the list itself. She had treated it as a simple bullet point list of objectives, not a mandated sequence. They had started with Hachiko, the "Loyal Dog," when the message explicitly began with "An Ant Colony."

Uzuki let out another tired sigh, a sound of profound boredom. "Honestly, you're both just so *stupid*. Why don't you follow the order of things? The natural progression? The *intended* path? You think the Game gives you clues for your amusement? It gives you clues because it expects you to *think*! To *deduce*! To understand the fundamental rules. You were given all the information, right there in the message, in the explicit sequence of the clues themselves. And you still managed to bungle it up with your simplistic, convenient thinking."

She shook her head slowly, a picture of weary disappointment. "No wonder your time was cut. Consider it a gentle reminder. The Game doesn't tolerate inefficiency. And it *certainly* doesn't tolerate ignoring its fundamental directives. You missed the entire point of the mission, you brainless imbeciles."

"Figure it out, Players," her voice echoed, calmly and then as she turns to Ao her voice becomes intense. "Or be erased, also, you pink hair girl, the next time you demand a day off again, I will make sure you are turned off a second after finishing a mission. Don't demand anything from me again. Got it?"

Ao covers her mouth quickly, nodding at her words.

Tsugumi sighs turning back. They indeed did a wrong input based on the order of the checkpoints and also learning that they are 'turned off' which explanes fainting after the missions.

And then, Uzuki was gone, taking flight leaving Tsugumi and Ao standing alone in Dogenzaka, the halved timer burning on their palms, and the bitter taste of a profound, frustrating failure heavy in the air. The ramen shop remained ordinary, unremarkable, no longer a beacon of success but a monument to their misunderstanding.

Tsugumi finally broke the silence, her shoulders slumping further. "The order of things... the natural progression... the intended path..." she murmured, her mind now replaying the exact wording of the mission brief. "An Ant Colony, A Loyal Dog, Ten-Four, A Ramen Place...it was logic."

Ao groaned, rubbing her tingling palm. "You were right, T-chan," she mumbled, staring at the rapidly ticking numbers. "We couldn't end a whole Day in just thirty minutes. And all because we didn't read the fine print... or, like, the *bold* print."

Tsugumi sighs. "I can't believe was sharing the same one braincell with you, anyway. Don't stay behind."

Ao sighs. "Okay T-Chan..."

"Now we have to restart," Tsugumi stated, her voice grim but resolute. "The objective is clear now. We begin with the 'Ant Colony.' The Scramble Crossing." Her eyes hardened with determination. "And we do it in the correct order this time. Every single one."

"But... what if we get zapped again?" Ao asked, her voice small. "What if it's, like, another trick? And our time gets cut even more?!" The very thought made her wince.

"Then adapt," Tsugumi replied, already turning and moving with renewed purpose. "The Game is designed to eliminate those who cannot. This penalty was for a clear error in execution, not an impossible task. We proceed."

With their remaining 125 minutes now ticking down, a newfound urgency propelled them. They moved quickly, their initial frustration momentarily forgotten in the rush to correct their mistake. Their path took them back towards the heart of Shibuya, away from Dogenzaka and towards the iconic intersection they had visited before.

(𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑵 𝑻𝑶 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑫𝑰𝑹𝑬𝑽𝑶𝑳𝑼𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵𝑺 - 𝑩𝑨𝑫 𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑲𝑶𝑵𝑮 𝑾𝑯𝑰𝑳𝑬 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑷𝑼𝑻 𝑰𝑻 𝑶𝑵 𝑳𝑶𝑶𝑷)

...

The invisible crowds of the Scramble Crossing swirled around them, an endless, silent river of humanity. This time, Tsugumi didn't hesitate. "The central point," she affirmed, leading them directly into the nexus of the phantom masses. She raised her phone, its camera trained on the swirling, vibrant space. This was it. The first, and correct, checkpoint.

"Here goes nothing!" Ao muttered, a nervous excitement mixed with lingering apprehension. She too raised her phone pressing the capture button.

*Chime!*

A loud, clear, satisfying chime echoed from her phone. A brilliant green checkmark flashed across her screen. The message updated: "**1/4 Checkpoints found.**"

"Alright!" Ao cheered, a surge of triumph briefly overriding her fear. "First one down! And no zap this time!" She grinned at Tsugumi, a flicker of her usual bubbly self returning.

But before Tsugumi could acknowledge her, a disturbance rippled through the air, directly in front of them. As a Reaper lands right on front of them.

Tsugumi and Ao froze, their celebratory mood instantly vanishing, both look to each other then to the Reaper, wondering what he wanted.

Before either Player could utter a word, before they could even fully process his sudden appearance, the Reaper's voice cut through the silent hum of the city, cold and unwavering, a pure command.

"Erase the Noise in this area."

The words hung in the air, a death sentence. The Reaper did not wait for a response, did not offer an explanation. He simply gave the command, his intent clear, his authority absolute. The Game had just escalated.

"Scan and fight," Tsugumi muttered, her voice grim but resolute, her hands already positioning for a psych activation. Ao nodded, her earlier cheerful demeanor replaced by a fierce determination. This was the language of the Game they understood best: combat.

Tsugumi raised her right hand, focusing her will grabbing the Player Pin tightly. A faint, almost imperceptible tremor ran through the air as her mind connected to the latent voices from people around them. Her vision sharpened, the chaotic swirls of Shibuya’s invisible populace momentarily fading as she activated her **Scan** psych.

Immediately, the world shifted around them, revealing peoples inner thoughts and struggles on the air.

Several blobs of indistinct, dark energy flickered into existence across the vast expanse of the Scramble Crossing. From Noise Tags the foes appear, they were small, yet their movements were erratic, twitching and hopping with an unsettling agility. These were **Dixiefrogs**, a common type of Noise, their forms vaguely resembling squat, grotesque amphibians. They pulsed with a malevolent aura, their presence a jarring note in the otherwise ethereal landscape.

But they were not alone. Lurking behind the Dixiefrogs, larger, darker forms began to manifest. These were **Bigbansprog**. Dark blue, almost black, their toadpole-like bodies were thick and muscular, with disturbingly large, round yellow eyes that glowed with an eerie, predatory light. Their forms were less defined than the Dixiefrogs, like shadows still partially immersed in the UG, but their threat was palpable.

"Dixiefrogs... and... toadpoles," Tsugumi stated, her voice low, a flash of recognition in her eyes. She knew these. Dixiefrogs were relatively simple, but the other Noise could be problematic. They had to focus on them.

"Ugh, we got the whole family to fight?" Ao groaned, though her psychs were already flaring. She was a master of direct, offensive psychs, and the sight of multiple targets ignited her combat instincts. Her hands began to glow with a vibrant, energetic orange, the tell-tale sign of her **Pyrokinesis Pin** activating. "Let's turn these bad boys into fried frog legs!"

Before the Noise could fully consolidate their forms or launch an attack, Ao moved. Her right hand shot out, palm open, and a torrent of small, searing **fireballs** erupted from her fingertips launching them forward. leaving shimmering trails of heat, and struck the nearest Dixiefrog with explosive force.

The Dixiefrog shrieked, a high-pitched, almost mechanical sound, and recoiled, its amorphous body momentarily flattening before it bounced back, visibly singed. It was resilient, but fire was effective.

Tsugumi, meanwhile, wasn't focusing on direct offense yet. Her role was control and defense. As Ao initiated the attack, Tsugumi brought her right hand up, activating her **Shockwave Pin**. A faint, shimmering ripple emanated from her palm. She thrust her hand forward, releasing a concussive slash of energy. The area directly in front of them vibrated violently, and the Dixiefrogs caught in its radius were immediately *shoved* backward, their erratic hops becoming jerky, their formation broken. It was a perfect tactical disengagement.

Tsugumi quickly dashes forward dodging the Dixiefrogs bobble attacks slashing them with Shockwave making the pop up one by use, then she lands a perfect punch on one of them using the 'Rock Bind' Psych to turn him into a solid rock and then she kicks him to peaces.

"Nice, T-chan!" Ao yelled, seeing her opportunity. With the Dixiefrogs pushed back, her fireballs became far more effective. She unleashed another volley, each blazing projectile striking with precision, causing the Dixiefrogs to ignite and sputter, slowly dissolving into purple static.

The Bigbansprog, however, were more cunning. While the Dixiefrogs served as a distraction, the dark blue toadpoles detached themselves from the main cluster and began to slither, not hop, across the ground, moving with surprising speed towards Ao. Their yellow eyes glowed brighter, fixed on her.

"Look out, Bigbansprog incoming!" Tsugumi warned, already shifting her focus. She knew the threat. Once attached, their slowing effect could be devastating.

Ao, distracted by her relentless fiery assault on the Dixiefrogs, didn't immediately register Tsugumi's warning. Her psychs pulsed, a continuous stream of orange flame, as she pushed the Dixiefrogs back, trying to keep them at bay.

One of the Bigbansprog lunged. Its thick, dark blue body shot through the air, propelled by powerful, paddle-like tails. It slapped onto Ao's leg with a sickening, wet *thwack*.

"Agh!" Ao cried out, a jolt of unpleasant energy coursing through her. Immediately, she felt a strange, heavy sensation, as if her limbs had been dipped in lead. Her movements slowed, her reflexes dulled. The vibrant orange glow of her psychs flickered, losing some of their intensity. The Bigbansprog, now firmly attached, began to pulse, a faint dark energy radiating from it, directly siphoning her agility.

"I can't move!" Ao gasped, struggling to lift her leg. The simple act of aiming her fireballs became a monumental effort. Her next fiery volley was sluggish, off-target.

The second Bigbansprog, seeing its opportunity, leapt towards Tsugumi.

Tsugumi was ready. Her own agility was still unhindered. She immediately unleashed another **Shockwave** psych from her palm. The concussive slash hit the lunging Bigbansprog full on, sending it tumbling head over tail, disrupting its charge. It landed with a squelch, momentarily stunned.

"Move, you need to break free!" Tsugumi called out, her voice urgent. She knew the mechanism. "Brutal maneuver! Dislodge it!"

Tsugumi slashes the Bigbansprogs one by one, dodging their attempts to stick into her as also delivering powerful kicks that send them away finishing with the use of the Rock Bind Psych to turn them into statues that she steps on.

"Brutal maneuver?!" Ao grumbled, struggling, her face contorted in effort. "What does that even mean?! Do I have to do a ballet pirouette while fighting frogs?!" Despite her predicament, a hint of her usual exasperated humor resurfaced. She tried to stomp her foot, but the Bigbansprog held fast, its suction-like grip surprisingly strong.

Meanwhile, the remaining Dixiefrogs, emboldened by Ao's slowed state, began to hop closer, their red auras flaring. They were coordinating, moving to surround her.

Tsugumi had to cover both of them. She rapidly manifested more **Shockwaves**, launching them towards the encroaching Dixiefrogs, forcing them to scatter and keeping them at bay. Her focus was on maintaining distance and protecting Ao while her partner broke free.

"If you don't do something you are done, move your ass!" Tsugumi yelled, watching her partner struggle. She knew Ao had **Psychokinesis**.

Ao, frustrated and desperate, took Tsugumi's "move your ass" to heart, looking at the Bigbansprog. Her left hand began to glow with a faint, shimmering blue, the power of her **Psychokinesis Pin**. With a guttural roar, she focused her will, not on an external object, but on the Bigbansprog itself. She violently *twisted* her psychic energy, creating a sudden, invisible, disruptive force around the attached toadpole. "Let me already!!!"

The Bigbansprogs detached with a gross, sucking sound, flunging across the invisible street like a soggy projectile by Ao's raw psychokinetic force. They landed with a limp thud, their yellow eyes flickering erratically, visibly stunned. The oppressive weight on Ao's leg immediately vanished, and the vibrant orange glow of her Pyrokinesis returned to full strength.

"Ha! Take that, stupid slug!" Ao cheered, rubbing her now free leg. "See, T-chan? I *can* move my ass! Even if it felt like my brain was trying to twist my leg off!" She immediately began unleashing a torrent of fireballs, aiming for the stunned Bigbansprogs. The fiery projectiles struck them repeatedly, causing them to writhe and sputter, its dark blue form slowly dissolving into static.

But the battle wasn't over. The initial wave of Dixiefrogs, though scattered, were now regrouping, and more Bigbansprogs were beginning to detach from the larger, shadowy cluster near the edge of the crossing.

"Don't hold back or they will overwhelm you," Tsugumi observed, The Scramble Crossing, though vast, felt increasingly claustrophobic as the Noise manifested. She had to ensure they didn't get overwhelmed.

Ao nods. "Uhum! Let's go T-Chan!"

Tsugumi decided to go on the offensive, focusing on the approaching Bigbansprog. She timed her movements, deploying powerful **Shockwaves** to intercept the larger toadpoles as they lunged. One **Shockwave** sent the Bigbansprogs careening into another, causing both to recoil. Another **Shockwave** pushed a group of Dixiefrogs back, creating a defensive perimeter.

"Keep the fire coming." Tsugumi yelled, coordinating their efforts. "Focus on the ones I push back!"

"Hah!" Ao understood. She unleashed a continuous **stream of fire** from her Pyrokinesis Pin, a scorching jet that swept across the ground, incinerating any Dixiefrog that dared to cross its path. She then switched to her **Psychokinesis Pin**, manifesting raw telekinetic force to create invisible pushes and pulls, disrupting the movement of the Bigbansprog, making them stumble or miss their leaps. A particularly strong **psychokinetic shove** sent one Bigbansprog slamming into an invisible billboard.

The combination was effective. Tsugumi's Shockwaves kept the Noise at a distance, preventing attachments and setting up targets, while Ao's Pyrokinesis melted the smaller Noise and her Psychokinesis disoriented the larger ones. They moved with a practiced rhythm, dodging incoming charges, unleashing their psychs in rapid succession.

The Noise, relentless but ultimately less intelligent, began to falter under their combined assault. Dixiefrogs popped like balloons, Bigbansprog hissed and dissolved into static. They pushed forward, clearing swathes of the Scramble Crossing with their synchronized attacks.

Finally, with a powerful, sweeping **Shockwave** from Tsugumi that cleared the last cluster of Dixiefrogs, and a final, fiery **psychokinetic blast** from Ao that evaporated the last stubborn Bigbansprog, the Scramble Crossing fell silent.

The silence that followed was profound, broken only by their ragged breathing. The Reaper remained, his form still impassive, but the air around them no longer pulsed with the immediate threat of new Noise. The Scramble Crossing was clear. For now.

"That... was close," Ao panted, leaning on her knees, hands on her thighs. "That *hurt*." She rubbed her arm where a Bigbansprog had attached. "Those guys are way tougher than the ones we fought before."

Tsugumi, too, felt the lingering strain of the battle, her energy reserves noticeably depleted. "Bigbansprog are designed to incapacitate. Their attachment ability is highly effective. And the Dixiefrogs, while weaker individually, served as excellent distraction. Looks like they aren't the Players aren't the only ones who can join forces...stupid" She scanned the area again, ensuring no lingering Noise. The field was indeed clear.

Ao giggles. "See? Thats why it's one for all and all for on! They may be strong together but our bond is stronger!~"

Tsugumi rolls her eyes, turning away.

The Reaper simply observed them, a faint, almost imperceptible nod of acknowledgment, a silent verdict on their performance. "Noise clear." Then he simply flies away.

"He's gone," Ao whispered, straightening up. She looked at Tsugumi, then at her phone, then back at her palm. The timer continued its relentless countdown, 115:00 now. "So... was that the point? Just to clear the Noise?"

Tsugumi shook her head. "Wasn't that clear?"

Ao groaned. "So we have to run all the way back to Hachiko now, just because we went out of order?" She looked at the timer, then at the distant statue. "This is going to be a long Day, T-chan. A very long Day....here goes the day off"

The scramble across Shibuya felt different this time. Each step carried the weight of their halved timer, a constant, nagging reminder of their past error. Tsugumi and Ao moved with grim efficiency, their focus absolute, their previous jovial banter replaced by terse, tactical exchanges. The Scramble Crossing, the "Ant Colony," was behind them, its Noise purged, its checkpoint correctly logged. Now, their sights were set on the second item on the Game's unforgiving list: the "Loyal Dog."

They reached the familiar plaza surrounding the **Statue of Hachiko**. The bronze dog sat patiently, oblivious to the Players' desperate race against time and erasure. The phantom crowds of Shibuya continued their silent, endless flow around the statue, a stark contrast to the invisible battles waged within the UG.

"Alright," Tsugumi breathed, her voice low. "The 'Loyal Dog.' Second in sequence." She gestured towards the statue. "Take the picture."

"Okay" Ao nodded, her earlier frustration with the time penalty momentarily eclipsed by the nervous anticipation of success. She raised her phone, aiming its camera at the Hachiko statue. The familiar green shimmer, unmistakable now, pulsed gently around the bronze dog, awaiting confirmation. Ao pressed the capture button.

*Chime!*

A clear, resonant chime rang out from her phone. A brilliant green checkmark flashed across her screen. The message updated: "**2/4 Checkpoints found.**"

"Yes!" Ao exclaimed, a surge of triumph briefly overriding her fear. She quickly checked her palm. The timer held steady. No zap. No further reduction. They had done it correctly this time. "We got it! Two down, T-chan! We're doing it right!"

But before their small moment of relief could truly settle, the air around the Hachiko statue warped. Another Reaper landing on front of them.

His face was as impassive as the last one, His eyes swept over them, devoid of any discernible emotion. He did not congratulate them. He did not acknowledge their correct sequence. He simply delivered his chilling pronouncement.

"Erase the Noise in this area."

The words hung in the air, cold and unwavering, a pure command that initiated the next phase of their survival.

"Scan and fight," Tsugumi muttered, her jaw tightening. Her earlier thoughts had been correct; these were triggers for combat. The Game was forcing them to fight for every step forward. 

Ao, her brief cheer dissolving, nodded grimly, already moving her hands, readying her psychs. "Okay! Let's go T-Chan!"

Tsugumi immediately raised her right hand, focusing her will on the Player Pin. A familiar tremor ran through the air as she activated her **Scan** psych. The world shifted once more as people's thoughts were again audible.

And then, they appeared. Not just a few, but a veritable **horde** of Noise.

From the Noise Tags, swarming outwards from the statue, came dozens of **Garage Wolves**. Their eyes glowed with an aggressive red light, and they moved with unnerving speed, their ghostly snarls almost audible in the silent of city. They were numerous, their sheer numbers a suffocating threat.

And above them, circling silently in the air, were the **Decadravens**. These were larger, sinister avian Noise, resembling grotesque crows or ravens with tattered, shadowy wings. They were fewer in number than the Garage Wolves, but their aerial advantage made them equally dangerous.

"Garage Wolves... and Decadravens," Tsugumi stated, her voice tight. This was a significantly larger engagement than the previous one. The sheer numbers of the ground-based Noise were a problem, and the aerial threat added another layer of complexity.

"Whoa! That's a lot of angry dogs!" Ao exclaimed, her eyes wide at the sheer volume of Noise swarming towards them. Her hands, however, were already flaring with the vibrant orange of her **Pyrokinesis Pin**. The sight of so many targets ignited a dangerous thrill within her. "Good thing I brought plenty of fire!"

The Garage Wolves, spurred by their aggressive nature, immediately rushed forward, a wave of snapping jaws and glowing red eyes. The Decadravens above began to descend in lazy spirals, preparing their own attacks.

Ao struck first. She pointed both hands forward, and a twin burst of concentrated **fireballs** erupted from her palms, They streaked into the advancing horde of Garage Wolves, detonating on impact with satisfying *booms* and flashes of orange light. The smaller wolves shrieked as they were consumed by the flames, their forms dissolving into shimmering static. It was effective, but the horde was vast, seemingly endless.

Tsugumi, meanwhile, knew that direct offense wouldn't be enough against such numbers. She activated her **Shockwave Pin**. She slammed her right hand into the ground, a powerful **shockwave** rippling outwards from her position. The ground-based Garage Wolves caught in the immediate radius were violently thrown back, their charging formation disrupted. It was a potent defensive maneuver, buying them precious seconds.

"Keep them off us, Tsugumi!" Ao yelled, already summoning a **stream of fire**, a continuous jet of scorching flame that swept across the ground, carving a fiery trench through the Garage Wolf horde. The smell of burning static filled the air.

But even as Ao held the line against the ground assault, the Decadravens began their dive. Two of the shadowy birds folded their wings and plummeted towards them, aiming for a direct impact.

"Look out!" Tsugumi shouted, seeing their descent. She knew they wouldn't use her Shockwave in place, as it wouldn't be as effective on fast-moving aerial targets. "Girl! Stop fooling around!"

"Got it! Got it!" Ao turns towards the diving Decadravens rising her hands up ready to use the Psychokinesis Pin to stop them. But quickly a Garage Wolf jumps at her pushing her back as the pin falls from her hands. "Eek!!!"

"Hey!" She quickly shifted her stance dashing forward and grabbing the fallen pin from the ground, she then aims her hands towards the diving birds. She activated the **Psychokinesis Pin**. She focused her will, creating invisible, telekinetic currents that met the diving Decadravens head-on.

"You stupid monster!" Ao stands up right after getting jumped delivering a quick tackle to the attacking Garage Wolf pushing him away and finalizing with a burst of fire right on his face.

The leading Decadraven suddenly jerked sideways mid-air, its trajectory violently thrown off course by Tsugumi's **psychokinetic shove**. It spun wildly, its shadowy form momentarily losing cohesion. The second Decadraven, attempting to avoid its companion, swerved, but Tsugumi rapidly adjusted the Psychokinesis, sending a smaller, precise **blast of force** that clipped its wing. It shrieked, an unnerving, high-pitched cry, and veered away, momentarily disoriented, before recovering his senses Tsugumi jumps to his direction and finishes him with a horizontal slash.

"Nice moves, T-chan! How do you like the new Pin? Tee-hee~" Ao cheered, momentarily glancing up before returning her focus to the endless wave of Garage Wolves. Her **Pyrokinesis** was a relentless barrage, fireballs exploding, streams of flame sweeping, creating a defensive inferno around them. But the wolves were just *so many*. They were starting to get around the edges of her flame wall, trying to flank them.

"You idiot! Put your remaining braincells on his battle! You almost lost a Pin!" Tsugumi, having fended off the initial Decadraven dive, immediately re-engaged with the ground Noise. The constant pressure from the Garage Wolves was suffocating. She unleashed another powerful **Shockwave**, this time aimed at the flanking wolves. The concussive force sent them sprawling, creating a small pocket of breathing room.

Ao laughs as she rises her hand burning the Decadravens who were diving down. "Tee-hee~ Right? Glad you are here to always save me! That wolf just cheated! I am not that good at multi-tasking! He should wait for his turn! Not to jump at me like a puppy~"

"Can you shut up? We need to thin their numbers faster!" Tsugumi called out, her voice strained. Her Shockwaves were excellent for defense and crowd control, but Ao's fire was their primary damage output.

"Roger that!" Ao, seeing the sheer volume of Noise, nodded grimly. She clenched her hands, focusing her **Pyrokinesis** power. Instead of rapid-fire attacks, she began to condense the heat, drawing it inwards. Her hands glowed fiercely, the air around them shimmering with intense warmth. A large, volatile **fireball** began to form, swirling with incandescent energy. This was her concentrated Pyrokinesis.

The Garage Wolves, instinctively sensing the immense energy, hesitated for a split second.

Ao unleashed the super-heated fireball. It erupted outwards, not as a projectile, but as a wide, devastating **burst of flame** that incinerated a vast swathe of the advancing horde. Dozens of Garage Wolves shrieked as they were engulfed, their forms dissolving into clouds of static. It was an immensely satisfying display of power, a temporary reprieve.

But the Decadravens seized the opportunity. While Ao was recovering from her large psych attack, two of them descended rapidly, targeting Tsugumi. Their shadowy forms elongated, and from their beaks, they began to emit piercing **sonic screams**, invisible waves of debilitating sound that vibrated through the UG, aiming to disorient her.

Tsugumi felt the first wave hit, a jarring sensation that threatened to disrupt her concentration. It wasn't physical damage, but it was disorienting, like an invisible hand trying to shake her brain. She gritted her teeth, relying on her mental fortitude. She swiftly deployed her **Shockwave Pin**, not as an attack, but as a defensive counter. She projected a precise **Shockwave** directly at the source of the sonic scream, creating a counter-vibration. The Decadraven's scream was momentarily distorted, its effect on Tsugumi lessened.

As the second Decadraven approached, Tsugumi focused the **Psychokinesis Pin**. She created a rapid succession of small, sharp **telekinetic jolts** in the air around the Decadraven, making it difficult for the creature to maintain its flight path. It fluttered erratically, unable to land a solid strike.

"Girl! Aerial targets!" Tsugumi called out, still managing her defense.

Ao, having recovered, immediately looked up. She activated her **Psychokinesis Pin**. She didn't have Tsugumi's precision with Shockwaves for aerial targets, but she had brute force. She focused her psychokinetic energy, manifesting it as powerful, unseen **telekinetic slams**. She aimed at the Decadravens as they circled, trying to batter them out of the sky. "Take this!"

One Decadraven, caught by a particularly strong psychokinetic slam, was knocked sideways, its shadowy body momentarily flattening as if struck by an invisible hammer. It spiraled downward, crashing into the invisible ground with a faint thud, its form flickering. It wasn't destroyed, but it was down.

The remaining Decadravens, seeing their companion felled, became more aggressive. One let out a piercing shriek and lunged directly at Ao.

"Got annoyed? Come get me!" Ao was ready. As the Decadraven came within range, she unleashed a close-range **burst of fire** from her Pyrokinesis Pin. The sudden inferno enveloped the Decadraven, its shadowy body writhing in the flames, its yellow eyes dimming. It shrieked one last time before dissolving into static.

But as the battle raged, the sheer persistence of the Garage Wolves was taking its toll. Despite Ao's wide-area fire attacks and Tsugumi's defensive Shockwaves, the Wolves were finding openings. Several of them had managed to slip past their defenses, now nipping at their heels, their glowing red eyes menacing.

"Too many of them!" Ao grunted, stomping her foot, trying to shake off a particularly persistent wolf that was gnawing at her invisible aura.

Tsugumi's mind was racing. They couldn't keep fighting an endless tide of Noise indefinitely, not with their dwindling time. They needed a decisive blow, something to clear the field entirely.

She looked at her **Drink Pin**. It was a utility pin, meant for quick buffs or healing. But there were no obvious uses for it in direct combat against a horde. No. They needed to finish this with their offensive psychs.

Tsugumi closed her eyes for a split second, taking a deep breath, ignoring the gnawing feeling of exhaustion. She was a master of psychs, of precision and control. She opened her eyes, green light flaring in them.

She activated her **Shockwave Pin**, but this time, she began to channel its concussive energy inwards, condensing it, building its force. Her hands glowed with a fierce, unstable blue light. She was charging a **focused, high-impact Shockwave**. It took a precious few seconds, making her vulnerable.

"Cover!" Tsugumi commanded, her voice strained with effort.

"Roger that, T-Chan!" Ao immediately understood the gravity of the situation. Tsugumi was preparing something big. She poured all her remaining energy into her psychs. Her **Pyrokinesis Pin** flared, releasing an immense, sustained **cone of fire** that swept across the remaining Garage Wolves, turning them into shimmering ash. Tsugumi throws the pin back and she grabs it, "Thank you!~" she grabs the **Psychokinesis Pin** tightly manifesting wide, invisible **force barriers** that pushed back any Decadravens attempting to dive, holding them at bay. She was buying Tsugumi the time she desperately needed.

Finally, with a guttural roar, Tsugumi unleashed the concentrated **Shockwave**. A long wide piercing slash of pure concussive energy that drilled through the last remaining Decadravens in the sky on a wide range.

The slash was immense. The Decadravens were caught divided on half and then exploding into showers of purple static, their haunting cries cut short. The ground below them, where the last Garage Wolves had been, rippled violently, the remaining smaller Noise simply evaporating under the sheer force.

The silence that followed was absolute. The Scramble Crossing was clear. The sheer exhaustion was immediate. Tsugumi staggered slightly, breathing heavily, the blue glow around her hands fading. Ao slumped to her knees, panting, her orange-glowing hands trembling.

The Reaper, who had been observing the entire brutal exchange, remained impassive. His eyes swept over the cleared battlefield. There was no visible reaction, no sign of approval or disapproval. "Noise clear." He drops a pin on the ground and then flies away.

"He's... gone," Ao whispered, pushing herself up, her voice hoarse. She looked at Tsugumi, her eyes wide with a mix of relief and lingering terror. "That was... a lot." She looked at her phone. The timer continued its relentless countdown. 108:00. Each battle was consuming precious minutes.

Tsugumi grabs the pin that the Reaper left behind, it had a image of a half moon on it. "Hm..."

Ao tilts her head. "A new pin? Wow it's very pretty!" Ao smiles taking a closer look to the pin.

Tsugumi sighs. "Let's go. Next is Ten-Four.

The relentless ticking of the halved timer spurred Tsugumi and Ao onward. The battle at Hachiko had been a grueling testament to the Game's escalating difficulty, but they had survived, their psychs pushed to their limits. With the "Loyal Dog" checkpoint correctly logged, their next target, the "Ten-Four" building, loomed large in the distance, a beacon of progress in the oppressive landscape of the city. Each successful checkpoint, each purged wave of Noise, was a step further from erasure.

They moved quickly, their exhaustion momentarily overshadowed by a desperate urgency. The invisible crowds of Shibuya flowed around them, their silent hum a constant backdrop to the Players' desperate race against the clock. The familiar districts blurred past as they navigated the labyrinthine streets, their eyes fixed on the iconic **104 Building**.

Finally, they reached its imposing structure. The large, glowing '104' sign was prominently displayed at its entrance, a clear target.

"Alright," Tsugumi breathed, her voice a little ragged from the previous fight, but firm. "The 'Ten-Four' checkpoint." She gestured towards the building's entrance. "Ao, take the picture."

"On it!" Ao nodded, her expression grim but resolute. Her fingers, still tingling from the intense use of her psychs, brought her phone up. She aimed its camera at the prominent '104' logo. The familiar green shimmer, almost a beacon now, pulsed gently around the sign, awaiting confirmation. Ao pressed the capture button.

*Chime!*

A clear, resonant chime rang out from her phone. A brilliant green checkmark flashed across her screen. The message updated: "**3/4 Checkpoints found.**"

"Yes!" Ao exclaimed, a genuine wave of relief washing over her. She quickly checked her palm. The timer held steady. No zap. No further reduction. They were maintaining the correct sequence. "Three down, T-chan! One more to go!" The end of this mission, and perhaps this Day, felt tantalizingly close. "And we still have a plenty of time!"

But their moment of triumph was brutally short-lived.

Instead of a Reaper, the air in front of the 104 Building began to shimmer and distort with a different kind of energy. It wasn't the clean tear of a Reaper's appearance, but a swirling, chaotic vortex of purple-black Noise Tag. From within the Noise Tag, a formidable figure coalesced.

It was a **Bigbanfrog**, Its eyes glowed a vibrant, malevolent **yellow**, fixed on them with an unnerving intensity. Dark blue, almost black, **tattoo-like patterns** swirled across its thick hind legs, giving it a menacing, almost tribal appearance. It pulsed with a raw, oppressive energy.

And with it, a new wave of its smaller brethren. Several regular **Bigbansprogs**, the familiar dark blue toadpoles with yellow eyes, slithered into existence, positioning themselves around their larger leader, like a loyal retinue.

The air around them thrummed with a heavy, oppressive silence, broken only by the faint, almost imperceptible croaks emanating from the Noise. There was no Reaper to issue a command. This was a direct, unprompted assault. The Game simply presented the next hurdle.

"A new type of Dixiefrogs" Tsugumi murmured, her voice tight with recognition. This was a stronger variant, a mini-boss. "And its kin. They're not waiting for a Reaper's order this time."

"Ugh, more giant slugs?!" Ao groaned, but her hands were already flaring with the vibrant orange of her **Pyrokinesis Pin**. The sight of a larger, more distinct target sharpened her focus. "Alright, big guy, let's see how you handle some heat!"

The Bigbanfrog, the light blue leader, let out a deep, resonant croak, a sound that seemed to vibrate through the very fabric of the UG. It coiled its powerful hind legs, preparing to launch itself forward. The smaller Bigbansprogs immediately began to slither towards Tsugumi and Ao, their yellow eyes fixed on them, aiming for attachment.

Ao wasted no time. She thrust her hands forward, unleashing a continuous **stream of fire** from her Pyrokinesis Pin. The scorching jet of orange flame engulfed the nearest Bigbansprogs, causing them to hiss and writhe. Their dark blue forms began to melt and dissolve into shimmering static under the intense heat.

Tsugumi, meanwhile, knew the Bigbanfrog leader was the primary threat. As it coiled, she unleashed a powerful **Shockwave** from her palm. The concussive burst of energy hit the toad-like Noise full on, sending ripples across its light blue body. The Bigbanfrog roared, a surprisingly deep, guttural sound, and stumbled backward a few steps, its leap disrupted. It was powerful, but Tsugumi's Shockwave could still affect it.

"Nice push, T-chan!" Ao yelled, redirecting her stream of fire to finish off the initial wave of smaller Bigbansprogs. "Keep it off us! I'll roast its little minions!"

But the Bigbanfrog was resilient. It quickly regained its footing, its yellow eyes narrowing. It opened its wide mouth and let out a chilling, high-pitched **sonic scream**, a wave of pure Noise energy that rippled through the air, aimed directly at Ao.

Ao felt the debilitating wave hit her, a jarring sensation that made her head swim. It was disorienting, disrupting her concentration. Her stream of fire wavered, sputtering for a moment. "Aarghh!!! Stop screaming!!!"

"Focus!" Tsugumi commanded, already reacting. She couldn't allow Ao to be incapacitated. Tsugumi quickly aimed her **Shockwave Pin** at the Bigbanfrog, unleashing another precise **shockwave** directly into its open maw. The concussive force violently disrupted the sonic scream, cutting it short, causing the Bigbanfrog to gag and recoil.

As Tsugumi distracted the leader, a new wave of smaller Bigbansprogs, more cunning than the previous ones, slithered around Ao's sputtering flames, aiming for her legs. Two of them, moving with surprising speed, managed to latch onto Ao's thighs with wet *thwacks*.

"Agh! Not again!" Ao cried out, her legs immediately feeling heavy, sluggish, as the draining effect began. Her movements became labored, her fiery psychs flickering in intensity.

"Move!" Tsugumi yelled, her voice urgent. She was already launching another **Shockwave** at the Bigbanfrog, pushing it back, trying to keep it from launching another sonic scream or a devastating leap.

Ao gritted her teeth, feeling the debilitating weight in her limbs. She focused her will, activating her **Psychokinesis Pin**. Instead of physical movement, she unleashed raw telekinetic force. She simultaneously generated violent, internal **psychokinetic surges** within her own muscles, twisting and wrenching her body with invisible force, making her limbs jerk violently.

The two Bigbansprogs were ripped from her legs with sickening, sucking sounds, flung through the air by the sheer, self-inflicted psychic force. They landed with limp thuds, their yellow eyes flickering wildly, stunned and disoriented. The oppressive weight immediately vanished, and Ao's psychs flared back to full power.

Some other Bigbansprogs jump towards Tsugumi ready to stung into her body, Tsugumi concentrates energy around her own body and releases it around her body, creating two ball of electricity spinning around her body, as the Bigbansprogs come closer she pushes the balls making them slam into them and making them desapear into static.

"Okay, *that* was brutal!" Ao panted, rubbing her now-free legs as she saw what Tsugumi did, the strange sensation fading. She immediately directed a torrent of **fireballs** at the two stunned Bigbansprogs, incinerating them into static. "That's soo cool! T-Chan the next pin is mine ! You are getting the cooler stuff and it's not fair!"

Tsugumi hisses, slamming the  Bigbangfrog back. "Concentration!"

The Bigbanfrog, however, was now enraged. Its light blue body pulsed, and the dark blue tattoos on its hind legs began to glow faintly. It lunged, a massive, arcing leap, aiming to crush them both.

"Incoming!" Tsugumi roared. She unleashed a rapid succession of **Shockwaves**, targeting the Bigbanfrog's trajectory, trying to deflect its immense mass. Each **shockwave** rippled across its body, causing it to wobble, but it was too big, too powerful to be fully pushed off course. It was going to land.

"I've got this, T-chan!" Ao screamed, her eyes blazing with determined fire. She activated her **Psychokinesis Pin**. As the Bigbanfrog descended, Ao focused all her will, creating a powerful, unseen **telekinetic wall** directly beneath its landing point.

The Bigbanfrog slammed into the invisible barrier with colossal force. The impact sent a tremor through the UG, but it was stopped cold, its massive body momentarily suspended in mid-air, unable to move forward, unable to pull back. It was trapped.

"Now, T-Chani! Hit it!" Ao yelled, her voice strained, pouring all her concentration into maintaining the psychokinetic hold.

Tsugumi didn't hesitate. This was their window. She channeled all her remaining energy into her **Shockwave Pin**. Her right arm pulled back, then thrust forward dashing towards the frog, unleashing her most potent, concentrated **Shockwave** slash. It was a focused cut of pure concussive force, aimed directly at the suspended Bigbanfrog's massive, vulnerable torso. Slashing him on the middle. "Riyaaah!"

The impact was deafening, even in the silent UG. The light blue body of the Bigbanfrog rippled violently, a wave of destructive energy tearing through its form. It let out a prolonged, agonizing shriek, its yellow eyes flaring wildly before dimming. Its body convulsed, the dark blue tattoos on its legs flickering, then fading entirely.

With a final, desperate twitch, the massive Bigbanfrog exploded into a shimmering cloud of  static, dissolving completely into the air. The smaller Bigbansprogs that remained, sensing the demise of their leader, panicked and quickly dissolved into the ambient Noise, vanishing from the area.

Silence descended once more, heavy and absolute. The air no longer thrummed with the malevolent energy of Noise. The plaza in front of the 104 Building was clear.

Tsugumi lowered her arm, her breathing ragged, her body trembling with exhaustion. The use of the powerful Shockwave had drained her significantly. Ao, her **Psychokinesis Pin** flickering and fading, dropped her hands, utterly spent. She collapsed to her knees, leaning against the invisible wall of the 104 Building, panting heavily.

"We... we did it," Ao gasped, her voice hoarse, a mix of disbelief and relief. "That was... hard. Really hard." She looked at her phone. The timer was down to 95:00. This fight had cost them dearly in time and energy.

Tsugumi nodded, slowly walking over to Ao, offering a steadying hand to help her up. "Come on. Let's go."

"Okay! Only one more checkpoint," Ao whispered, pushing herself up, leaning heavily on Tsugumi for a moment. "The ramen place." She looked at the dwindling timer on her palm. "We're cutting it close, T-chan. Really close. Free-time here we go!!!"

Tsugumi and Ao head to the final checkpoint. The "ramen place." They knew its general location from their earlier, failed attempt. But they just had to get there, and hope no more unexpected battles awaited them. Their survival depended on it.

                                           To Be Continued....