The Vr-cade belonged to Hitori, he owned it in a way. Only for the previous two and a half hours, that is. He came out of the cafeteria with his hand full of Blue Lagoon.
He went to the fourth alley and took his seat around the table, facing the alley's entrance. He placed his drink on the table and continued examining the map.
"Maybe this will be enough of a plan," he muttered. "To end this... it will be impossible to get out. Besides," he sighed, "he is someone Kamiya should deal with, my concern is with someone else."
It was quarter to ten, fifteen minutes till they would return with Adventurer's cards. He gave them three hours but they said it does not take that long, then what was keeping them?
Hitori took a sip of his drink. He did not want to think of the worst case, but what if Tengoku has found them? What if they failed to save themselves from the enemies?
A light glowed in front of Hitori and two people appeared in the fourth gaming alley. "Hope your plan is ready," Kakashi said, as he walked to the table and took a seat.
Eya followed him from behind, carrying snacks in her hands. "We stopped to get a few snacks for ourselves, I thought we might need them."
She presented the food to them. "Start explaining your plan, boy." Kakashi spread his knees and kept his hand over one of his knees.
"The first step of the plan-- did you know got what we needed?"
Eya giggled. "Yes. We did, too easily that the Guild Master has to take the test twice."
"If they find a warlock talent, they perform the test twice, just to make sure they are right."
Hitori nodded. "Can I see it?" he asked.
Eya raised her hand and a maroon color card appeared. Her name was in the middle and her photo was on the side, at the bottom was written: S-Class Warlock.
Hitori bent to the map. He raised his fist and banged on the borders. "The borders," he said. "We will take the borders. We can not pass legally, we will have to use this half-legal, half-illegal way."
"The forest?"
"We will get out legally," Hitori said. He pointed at the Ministry's backside, the getaway for adventures to the Forbidden Forest.
"Uh, Hitori-san," Eya interrupted, "we heard a few things about the forest... we would like you to hear them."
"We do not have time, but okay, I guess we will have to wait till it is midnight."
Eya nodded. "There are numerous deadly monsters inside the forest, we can't risk it. Rumor says numerous monsters have created their lairs in the forest, and some have even built their kingdom (sort of)."
"It is a straight path to Onogi's house, we do not have to risk with the monsters."
"It is not a straight path," Kakashi said.
Eya continued, "We asked the Guild Master for information on the forest, and he handed us a booklet. But he told us one thing: Our City is haunted by a forest-loving adult green dragon."
"Dragon?" Hitori tilted his head.
"Yes. One of the deadliest dragons, that too, an adult dragon."
Eya glanced at Kakashi. "He's right. Even if do not encounter the dragon, there are too many monsters in the forest."
Eya waited for Hitori's reply, and he nodded. Then lifted his head and said:
"We have a few monsters on this side, too, named Onogi, Kuzu, and Tengoku."
Eya opened her mouth but ended up shaking her head hesitantly. "Uh... you are right, in a way."
"It is all right as long as we do not encounter the dragon, what else does the forest have?"
"Minotaurs, Elves in the deep woods, dwarves, horned viper, electric wasps, great spiders, shape changers, goblins, orcs, ogres, and many more."
Hitori sighed. "So it is a zoo."
Kakashi opened a pack of noodles. He handed Eya her favorite chocolate. "No, I will gain weight," she whispered. But ended up eating it.
"I meant to ask you... have you two ever been to the other side?"
Kakashi slurped a noddle. "To the Science prefecture? Yes, we have, actually."
Hitori raised his head. "Really?" He looked at the map, he pointed his finger at the ministry's back forest. "After we teleport to the forest, we will take his route."
He moved his finger across the forest, to his house in the north, Ministry was on the west.
"We will reach my house-- the forest behind my house. Then we take this straight path to Onogi's house, the back of Onogi's house---"
"Then comes the borders, what about them?"
"You have been to the other side, have not you? We will teleport from the borders-- the closer the better, right?"
"The part of forest till your house is cleared-- pretty much, but from the partition part till the Onogi's house is dense forest, Mages have never reached that part, and the scientists would not bother clearing it. You know what I mean," Kakashi said.
"Wait," Eya said. "We indeed have been to the other side but if have to teleport, the distance is still tens of miles from the place we have been to, it is impossible."
Hitori frowned. "What place have you been to?"
Kakashi had to think, Eya replied, "To the science academy."
"Huh?" His mouth dropped.
"When we were third-years, we went to the science academy for the leap-year tournament."
"The one that happened this year?'
"Yes. It happens once in four years when we go to the other side to compete with people on the other side. We went to the science academy in 2044, where Kakashi won this ring, that was the year when Mages went to the science prefecture. In 2048, the scientists came to our prefecture, and I guess the mages went to the science prefecture this year."
"Does that mean..." Hitori frowned. He brought his finger back to the ministry, then he moved it down to Mahoutokoro (at the south), moved it further to the city hospital's right wing, crossed the city partition borders, and reached the science academy right next to the Community of Scientists.
"We will have to take this way."
"Now that is the safe one, I agree," Kakashi said, finishing his noodles.
Eya nodded. "Since this is Mahoutokoro's side, it is cleared to keep the students and the academy safe from monster attacks, we might still face problems around the partition, but it is safe around the science academy's backside."
Hitori got up. "Done then, we take this route. Since you are S-class warlocks, we have the permission to go deeper into the forest."
"At our own risk, that is." Kakashi took a can of hot coffee. "Cheers." He raised his can.
Hitori raised his half-finished mocktail, and Eya grabbed a can of hot milk. "Cheers."
This was the first time Hitori had seen the Ministry building. It was as tall as it could be, just the height of the observatory tower in Mahoutokoro.
He was waiting at the entrance. there were twenty feet long stairs at the entrance, and benches at the corner where used to be the garden. The fence guarded the flower plants and bushes that welcomed the citizens, and in the middle stood the Minister's statue, lamps and candles surrounded the statue.
Kakashi and Eya were inside the building, they were getting their cards checked in and ready for an adventure. Apparently, the cards were enchanted with the Trackers. The Minister of Adventure did not stalk them all the time but if they entered the dense part of the forest, they would alert the adventurers.
Hitori took a glance at the entrance, it was late night and hence the ministry was closing the entry for citizens. He glanced again after a few minutes and saw Kakashi step out.
"What took you so long?" Hitori asked when they reached him.
"The lack of teleportation," Eya said. "The building is huge and enchanted with an anti-teleportation spell by the minister and the Guild Master himself, way more powerful than us. We had to walk down the long corridors."
"Did you do it?" Hitori asked.
Kakashi nodded. "We talked a few meters to the west, I think it will be enough."
"Let us do it then." Hitori stretched his hand.
Eya grabbed his hand, and Kakashi took his time before grabbing the hands. And the next second, they disappeared. The guards did not care much as people usually used teleportation around the Ministry building.
Cold air welcomed them. Hitori opened his eyes. He saw dark wood all around but the area was lightened with lamps and light wasps around the corners.
"This is the safe region, it has been conquered by the mages and is under control, although settlements could not be established, walk-in restaurants have been established."
Kakashi walked past Hitori, Eya followed him with her hand still in Hitori's. She wanted to keep him near him, he would get lost or wander anywhere, or a monster could get him without anyone's knowing.
"As we go deeper, we will encounter the area with thick woods, this is the area with moderate danger, danger level up to five out of ten," Eya explained.
Kakashi contained, "The master said, fog will blind you if you go too deep. That is the area no one has ever dared to touch, it is the habitat of dinosaurs and dragons, including other dangerous monsters."
He paused as they approached the area with woods. He looked at Hitori as he drew his wand.
"Sleep in the lamp area if you want to, but never go near the fog alone. Never."
They encountered minotaurs, goblins, and wolves on their way into the woods. They cleared without much trouble. Eya told Kakashi to let Hitori take most of the monsters here, it would add up to his experience.
They crossed the Ministry building. That was when they reached the city river that flowed behind the academy building. It consisted of snakes, crocodiles, and other water creatures but they were no threat to Hitori.
They had collected over fifty cores and monster gems. Hitori killed the monsters, then used levitation to pull the gem-shaped cores.
They met a few mutated plants through the forest's river. The plants did not give any cores but they sure give herbs to add to potions.
Crossing the Mahoutokoro's building meant crossing the god damn river by its side. They had not noticed but as they crossed the river, their vision blurred, the fog danced on the dark river.
Kakashi lit a fire on a stick and guided them through the river's corner. "The fog," he whispered, "beware of sea monsters. It mostly has creatures who will pull you into the river with their vines."
It did not happen. "The fog is getting thicker, do not you think?" Eya asked.
"We are getting closer to the partition," Kakashi replied.
It was chilly near the foggy area. Hitori wanted to pull a blanket over his jacket, Eya tightened her grip on Hitori's hands, and Kakashi increased the fire on the stick.
Kakashi came to a stop. Hitori could see the tall walls in front of him. It was just across the river, about ten feet away, and on the other side was the electric fence. It was the partition.
"Eya," he called, looking at her.
She nodded and took out her adventurer's card. She handed it to Kakashi, he enchanted the cards with a spell, then released them in the air– like releasing birds.
The cards levitated and went back to the deep woods which had less fog. "That will show our activity. Can not let them see us entering the other side."
They continued. After walking for another ten minutes, Kakashi stopped again. "This is it, I can see the academy's building." Kakashi pointed straight in the dark.
It was past eleven, the moon was bright, and the fog was thick. They were lucky, I guess, they did not encounter any deadly creature on their way.
"Do the guards leave the academy at night?" Hitori asked. Being curious why they were not worried about the professors and guards.
"They do not. But the place we are going to teleport to will buy us time to teleport out of the building, we will have to sneak all the way to the north. A long way, if you ask me."
"What is the place?"
Kakashi stretched his hand. Eya grabbed it. "The Men's." He replied.
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