Neturus High... That's the name of the high school I had transferred to.
This school was almost at the very center of the region of Neturus, and got its name from the region as well. Despite this, it's not very well known, especially not to anyone coming here from another region, like me. And yet, I still decided to transfer here, about six months after the school year had begun.
It might seem strange to a lot of people. I know that. To be honest, it kind of worries me, as I don't like standing out much, and in this situation... I want to stand out even less. But still, even knowing that, I decided to face my fears, and come to this school. Because I have a very important reason for coming here...
To be honest, this is definitely not the first time I've gone to an unfamiliar school. My family's moved around a lot in the past, and I've been to many different towns and schools as a result. It was hard enough for me to make friends as it is, but realizing that I'd have to leave behind any friends I did make discouraged me from making any at all.
Eventually though, my family stopped moving around, and finally settled in one area. Finally, I thought, I had the chance to make at least one true friend. A friend that will be friends with me... forever. If I just mustered up enough courage, I could do it...!
... But then, I learned that there are some friends that you just can't be with forever, no matter what...
--
... U-um, s-so, I'm not forgetting about anything, am I?
I thought to myself, standing right in front of the school entranceway, looking up at the enormous building.
Let's see... I brought my luggage to the office already, so all I need to do is to go to my first class for the day, right...?
... U-um, where is my first class again...?
I was so nervous I couldn't think straight. Even though I've had to prepare myself for all the different schools I've been to, it has never made things easier for me. Especially in... this situation...
Even though I was still feeling rather unsure of myself, I decided to just step inside the school anyways. I mean, I figured that even if I entered the wrong classroom, I could just ask the teacher for help, right? It'd be really embarrassing, but...
To make things worse, the school was actually really big, even moreso than it looked from the outside. Thankfully, I knew that my classroom was on the first floor at least, so I ignored the huge flight of stairs ahead of me and searched one of the hallways for my room.
Lucky for me, I found it almost right away.
Room 17... This is it. ... I-I hope...
I breathed deeply, to try and calm myself.
I've gone this far; there's no turning back now. Let's do this...!
I opened the door to the classroom, trying to hide my nervousness from the other students. Unfortunately, a lot of my classmates had already taken the seats at the back, so I was stuck sitting in the front row.
So much for not standing out... I don't even get a window seat...
I stayed sitting at my new seat quietly. None of the students seemed to pay any attention to me, and continued to do what they were doing before I had arrived. For me, that was a huge relief, and helped me relax a lot.
However, that made me notice something: it was warm. Really warm. It seemed to bother the other students too, as I saw some of them attempt to fan themselves with their hands or pieces of paper. I especially felt the heat, because I was wearing a rather warm sweatshirt.
It's almost the end of September, isn't it? I thought it'd be colder by now...
I sat there, fighting the urge to fan myself as well, until I saw someone else walk in.
It was a boy, who didn't look that much older than me. He had a rather neutral expression on his face, but he still looked kind of intimidating. I thought it was for the best that I interacted with him as little as possible, so I tried my hardest not to look after he sat down...
... Which wasn't actually that easy, because he had chosen to sit right next to me. Thankfully though, I didn't have to worry about him trying to start a conversation with me, as the teacher walked in shortly afterward.
"Quiet down, everyone." The room became completely silent once she spoke. "Everyone, get back to their seats."
They did as they were told immediately, suddenly making the room completely silent as a result.
"We have two new transfer students today." She stated, her voice filled with very little emotion. "I am Ms. Reachet, your homeroom teacher. The both of you should get up and introduce yourselves."
That statement sent shivers down my spine. I knew that my introduction to the class was inevitable, but it didn't make me feel any better or more prepared. I was so nervous, that even if I had remembered to come up with something to say, I would've completely forgotten what to say at this point.
"You. Introduce yourself first."
Actually, that wasn't directed at me. Ms. Reachet was actually pointing to the boy who had chosen to sit next to me earlier.
Oh, thank goodness... I thought to myself, breathing a sigh of relief. Now I get a bit more time to prepare...
Once I had calmed down a bit, I finally realized the oddity of the current situation.
W-wait, there's another transfer student!? That boy is one too? W-what are the chances, especially in the same class!?
"I'm Ail, I'm 16 years old, and I've just moved here from southern Neturus. Nice to meet you all, I guess." He said. It was a simple introduction, but he seemed satisfied with it, as did the rest of the class...
... except for Ms. Reachet. "Is that all you're going to say?!" She glared at him, showing some emotion for the first time since she came in the room, although that wasn't really a good thing right now.
Ail, however, just sat back down, not seeming affected by her gaze.
W-wow, he's kind of cool... I wish I could be more like that.
"... Never mind." She eventually gave up with him, and turned her attention to me next. "It's your turn now."
I stood up slowly, looking downward towards my desk. Although I couldn't see any of my classmates, I could feel their gazes on me. I was trying my best to not catch too much attention, but that didn't seem to be working.
"M-my name... is Tear..." I finally managed to utter, failing to hide my nervousness.
"... And?" Ms. Reachet told me, giving me the same, harsh stare she gave to Ail earlier.
"U-uh... um..." I stammered, inadvertently looking around the room awkwardly, trying to think of something else to say. "I-I'm 15 years old, and I've just moved to Neturus..."
In the end, I just pretty much copied Ail's introduction...
"Is there anything else you'd like to add?" The teacher asked me, her mood not getting any better.
"U-um, no thanks... I-I'm done..." I answered her, sitting back down quickly.
I could still feel her glaring at me, while I continued to look down nervously. Thankfully, she eventually gave up and walked back to her own desk.
I actually managed to make it through that surprisingly easily; what a relief... I hope Ail isn't mad at me for copying his intro...
I turned my head a little too the right, and noticed that he was glaring at me now.
"E-eh?" H-he is mad at me!
I backed away from him in fear, almost falling off of my chair.
"Uh oh, he's dead meat..." "That scary guy's picked his first target!" "The other newbie's a goner!" I heard two other students comment from behind me.
Oh no! I'm starting to get attention again because of him!
Fortunately, Ail turned his attention to the whispering students, and they quieted down.
I have to make sure to stay away from him at all costs...
"Why can't anyone give a proper introduction anymore?" I heard Ms. Reachet say to herself at her own desk. "I've only been teaching for about a year now, and I'm already beginning to get overstressed..."
I wonder what kind of introduction she was hoping for. I don't think ours were that unusual...
"If it's a proper introduction you need..." Someone exclaimed from the back of the room, standing up suddenly. "... then I, the Master Chef, will be more than glad to supply you with one!"
W-who is that!?
"The given name for I, the Master Chef, is Barry Fesch. But the title that I should be always be referred to as, is of course, the Master Chef!" He then took out and held up a spatula, in a confident-looking pose.
W-wait, Barry Fesch?! Is he...!?
"Why are introducing yourself again, Barry? We already know who you are." Ms. Reachet asked him, not amused by what he was doing. The students had a similar reaction, seemingly used to his... er... "unique" personality.
"The Master Chef is aware that he introduced himself already." Barry said, continuing to refer to himself by his given title. "But the two transferees have not had the pleasure of hearing the Master Chef's introduction, have they? The Master Chef merely felt sorry fo-..."
"Enough. Sit down so we can start class." She cut him off, not seeming to care at all about what he was saying.
"..."
--
The first lecture of the day was rather long, lasting about three hours. I'm guessing that it isn't normally that long; I'm sure it only was so this time because the two new students, Ail and I, needed to catch up on what what the rest of the students had been learning in Ms. Reachet's class. I felt sorry for the other students though, because they had to spend so long going over material they had already learned over the last five months. At least, since the class lasted such a long time, we all got to have lunch break afterward.
I can't wait to get something to eat. I'm sooo hungry!
I noticed a lot of the tables had been taken by a couple of groups of students already.
I had better pick a table to sit at, before I'm forced to sit with people I don't know. But I have to go buy lunch... Ah, I know!
I went over to a vacant table, and placed my bag on one of the chairs.
There, that should work. If anyone sees this here, they might reconsider sitting at this table. At least, I hope so...
Leaving my bag behind, I went to where they were selling food. Thankfully, the line wasn't very long.
"Enjoy your lunch!" I heard the lunchlady say to another student while I was waiting in line.
I continued to walk forward while each person in line received their food, not really focusing on what I was doing.
"Excuse me, young man. Do you have your money ready?"
I-I wonder what I should have for lunch today? I hope they have food I like here. N-not that I'm really picky or anything...
"Um, young man? Excuse me!" The lunchlady said in a louder voice, getting my attention.
"W-wha!" I said, startled. I looked up, and noticed I was at the front of the line now. "U-um, I'm sorry. W-were you talking to me...?"
"Yeah, of course I was!" She answered, looking a bit upset. "Can you get out your money, please?"
"R-right..." I went through my pockets nervously, searching for the money I'd prepared.
But then, I realized... O-oh no, I forgot! I put the money in my bag! And right now, it's...
"Well, are you going to give it to me or not?" She asked, looking more upset now. I could even hear the people behind me complain now. "Did you forget it? If so, then I ca-..."
"I-I'm so sorry!" Before she could finish, I ran away in a rush, the others looking at me in confusion.
Wah! I'm so embarrassed!
I eventually slowed my pace on my way back, since it was fairly crowed near the tables.
"So, how does the Master Chef's food taste?" I heard a person with a familiar voice sitting at a nearby table say. "Delicious, is it not?"
"Very delicious, Master Chef!" "It's, like, suuuper deliiish, Master Chef~!" "Like, it's, liiike, um... O-omega hyper mega delish, Master Chef~♡☆<3" Three girls sitting at his table said to him.
... Barry Fesch...
I decided to leave them be, and continued to make my way back to my own table. I walked slowly, approaching the chair I placed by bag on.
"I can't believe I forgot to bring money to buy lunch..." I was so upset, that I said it out loud.
I can't believe I did something like that on my first day. Now I don't have anything to eat, and I'm still really hungry...
I sat on the chair, moving my bag onto the floor. Even if I wasn't too humiliated to go back there, I'm sure it's too late to go back and buy lunch right now. W-well, at least I still get this table for myself...
"... Yo." I heard suddenly, startling me.
"Eeeyah!" I exclaimed in shock, realizing that there actually was someone else sitting at the table. "W-what are y-you doing here...?!"
Even worse, that person was Ail!
"Too bad for you, but the 'demon' of room 17 has taken over this table." He told me, with a terrifying grin on his face. "So you'd better take a hike, fellow newbie."
I-I knew it, this person is definitely dangerous! I have to g-get out of here!
I hurriedly grabbed my bag, got up, and tried to walk away...
"Hold on, stop." He told me, stopping me from attempting my first ever 100-meter dash. "I was only kidding, sheesh. And besides, I'm pretty sure it's too late to find a new seat right now; it's almost the middle of lunch break."
I looked around, noticing that practically every table was already occupied by other students.
H-he's right...
I hesitantly gave up, and returned to where I was previously sitting. I stayed silent, neither of us paying much attention to each other. I watched him eat his sandwich and guzzle down the rest of his bottled water, although I tried my best to avoid eye contact with him.
I really wish I could ask him for some of that sandwich, but I doubt he'd give me any...
"Can I help you...?" He uttered, now looking at me strangely.
A-ah! D-did he notice me looking at his food?!
"N-no, it's nothing!" I cried out, admittedly louder than I meant to. "I-I'm just... a bit..."
"Just a bit what?"
"I-it's nothing, never mi-..." I began to say, but was interrupted by a loud growling noise, coming from my stomach. In response to this, I instinctively hugged my stomach nervously.
H-he didn't hear that, did he? I-I'm so embarrassed...! A-again...
He simply sighed. "Word of advice, make some friends. Then you'd be able to sit at a lunch table, without having to worry about me, from now on. You'd even be able to mooch some food off of them if you forget to bring money again."
"U-um... A-actually... I'm not really good at making friends. Even at the last school I went to, I wasn't able to make any at all..." I looked down, trying to hide how sad I was. "I've always... been all alone..."
W-why am I even telling him this? I highly doubt he cares...
All of a sudden, Ail tossed something over to me. Because I wasn't expecting it, I almost didn't catch it.
"E-eh? W-what's this?"
"Can't you tell just by looking? It's a pear, stupid."
"U-uh, that's not what I meant... Are you... g-giving this to me?"
"No way. I just need you to hold it for me for a sec."
O-oh, so he just did it to pick on me... And I really wanted to eat it, too...
But he sighed again, and said: "Of course it's for you! Go ahead and eat it if you want."
"A-are you sure?"
"Yeah, yeah. It was supposed to be part of my lunch, but I'm already full from my sandwich, so I don't need it anymore."
"T-thank you... Thank you very much!" I couldn't help making a big smile, as I was so happy that I could finally eat something.
I guess I shouldn't have judged a book by its cover. Ail is actually a very kind person!
"Jeez, you don't need to be so happy about it; it's just a pear..."
W-well, it's a really yummy pear! Probably the tastiest I've ever had! B-but that's probably because I'm so hungry right now...
While I ate the pear slowly, Ail took out a bottle of water from his bag to drink while he finished his sandwich.
W-wait, didn't he finish drinking another bottle of water earlier...?
When lunch was over, the school bell chimed, as usual. All of the students responded to this by getting up and heading to each of their next classes.
"Alright, time to go." Ail said to himself, grabbing his bag and getting up from his seat. "My next class is... math. In room 27, I think?"
"W-wah!?" I squeaked in surprise.
"What's wrong? If you don't hurry up, you'll be late, y'know."
I hurriedly finished the pear, wiped my mouth with a napkin I found on the table, and got up. I then quickly went over to his side before he walked away.
"U-um...!" I started to say. "I-I...!"
"If you have something to say, just say it already. I don't want to be late to class, either."
"I-I... have math next, too... I-in room 27, also..."
"... That's nice."
"C-can... I go to class together with you...?" I practically begged him. I almost got lost last time, so I'm worried...
He sighed again. "Sure, why not. We're going the same way, anyways."
T-thank you, Ail... I was too shy to actually tell him that, so I just silently smiled at him.
"... Let's go." He told me, before we began to make our way to our next class.
I nodded, following behind him nervously. I stayed quiet for a while, but...
"A-ahhh!" I shouted, upon realizing something.
"W-what?!" He exclaimed, startled by sudden shout.
"I-I'm sorry... Please wait a minute..." I rushed back to the table we had been sitting at before, and then rushed back. "I-I almost forgot my bag..."
"Jeez..."
"I-I'm sorry..."
"Whatever, let's go already..." He said, starting to look mildly annoyed.
I-I'm really sorry, Ail...
We continued on our way to our next class. I figured Ail knew where he was going, so I figured we would get there without any problems. But...
S-something doesn't feel right... M-my head...
"Ow!" I shouted again, holding my head in pain.
"You okay, Tea-... Agh!" He suddenly shouted as well, holding his head the same way I was. "W-what the heck..."
All of a sudden, all I could see was white, and I eventually lost conciousness...
--
"...-ck are we!?"
"O-ow... My head..." I uttered, getting up groggily from the ground. "E-eh? W-where are we?!" I cried out in shock.
"I already asked that question..."
"W-what is this place...?" I looked around uneasily.
Before I fainted, we'd been in the hallway, heading to room 27 for our next class. But not only did we not wake up in the same place, it didn't even seem like we were in the school building at all anymore...
The walls, ceiling, and floor were all a single shade of azure, and all appeared to be made up of all similarly shaped blocks. The floor in particular was pretty odd; it was see through, although I couldn't see anything below it but some strange liquid. Was it water? I couldn't tell.
Aside from Ail and I, there wasn't anyone else in the room. Despite the strange appearance of the large room, there wasn't really anything of note, except for the large, scaffold-like platform at the very end of the room. It didn't look like there were any doors anywhere, unless they were some behind the platform.
In confusion, I turned to Ail. But he just shrugged, as clueless to the situation as I was.
"Welcome, you two." Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed from above us, from the platform.
Part of the wall near the top of the platform opened up, almost like a shutter, and someone stepped out of it. Soon, four more people followed her, standing behind her atop the platform. Some of them were familiar faces, which surprised me.
"Ms. Reachet?! And... the chef boy!?" Ail said, surprised to see them as well.
"Indeed, it is I, the Master Chef! The one and only!" Barry exclaimed, in his usual tone. "You two must be wondering why you were brought here, yes?"
"Of course we are! And what the heck is this place, anyways?!"
"Calm yourself. Everything will be explained to you shortly." Ms. Reachet cut in, calmly adjusting her glasses. "We are currently underneath the school building."
"U-underneath the...? Seriously!?"
W-wha? H-how did a place like this get here!? A-and for what reason?
"Indeed. However, the existence of this area is unknown to everyone but the ones currently in this room. Not even the principal knows about this place."
"Uh... okay. So, if this place is so secretive, why bring us here? I mean, we just transferred here..." Ail said, asking something I was curious about myself.
"Actually, we had already known that you two would transfer to our school eventually." One of the men standing behind Ms. Reachet, a fancily-dressed man with an equally fancy mustache, continued. "In fact, we have been waiting for you for some time now."
"K-kyahhh!" I screamed in horror, startling Ail. I hid my face in my hands, shaking in fear.
N-no way... D-do they know who I am!? And about why I came here to this school...?
I-is that the reason why I was brought to this strange room? Have I already... fai-...
"Relax sweetie, there's no need to be so alarmed." The art teacher, standing on the platform above with the others, said to me before I could finish my thought. She was wearing a beret and a painter's smock. "It's not like we've been spying on you or anything. Spirit Guardian Tansa told us about you."
The Spirit Guardian Tansa!? W-what would he want with me...? Well, I doubt it has anything to do with what I came here for, at least. That's a relief, I guess...
"So, that means Spirit Guardians really do exist?" Ail uttered in disbelief. "Or are you just messing with us...?"
"How rude! Of course they're real, you buffoon!" Ms. Reachet exclaimed in anger. "And he has chosen the both of you to undertake a very important task."
"And what would that be?"
"It will be the job of you two, along with Barry, to vanquish all of the monsters that have begun to plague this land."
"M-monsters?!" I shouted in fear once again. "L-like actual demonic monsters!?"
T-things just went from bad to worse!
"Yes. I'm sure what you are imagining in your head right now is what we are speaking of."
"H-hold on a sec!" Ail shouted, obviously upset. "You're joking right?! First, you say you talked to a Spirit Guardian, then you also tell us monsters exist too?! There's no way I'm gonna buy any of that crap!"
O-of course! This all can't be for real. T-there's no way something like monsters could exist...
"Oh dearie me, it seems the young cupcake will be hard to convince..." The last one to speak was a rather portly man, wearing a cooking apron and a chef's hat.
"The Master Chef understands. Even he was skeptical at first." Barry added, speaking in some sort of 3rd-person fashion as he always does. "But after what they showed the Master Chef later on, he was a lot more understanding."
"This is a very serious matter." Ms. Reachet told him sternly, in her usual serious, monotone voice. "These are no ordinary beings. They are merely harmless shadows at first, but they can attain a physical form by consuming a person and using their power as an energy source."
W-wha!? N-no, this isn't real... T-this must be some sort of bad dream...
"... Okay, fine. Let's say I buy this whole 'monster' thing. Why then, are we the ones who have to do something about them? Why can't it be the job of, I don't know, you guys for example?"
"I already explained that to you, didn't I? Spirit Guardian Tansa himself has chosen you three." She told Ail, looking at him rather impatiently. "As for why he picked you, it has to do with your affinity for something special."
"My boy, have you heard of 'Paint', "Treble', and 'Culinary', by any chance?" The well-dressed man asked him.
"Are you talking about those three heroes, spoken of in Neturuan legends?"
"Precisely, my boy. Back in the day, they fought terrible beasts as well, in order to protect this region from destruction. And we need you three to do the same."
So the legendary heroes actually existed? I guess that means that the monsters they fought existed, too. And monsters like those will appear in this region again? B-but why do we have to fight them!?
"Ail, what is your biggest passion in the world?" He asked Ail suddenly. "Something you enjoy more than anything in the world."
"U-uh, I guess I've always had a thing for music... But what does that matter?"
"The Master Chef's passion is cooking." Barry cut in. "Of course, that should be obvious."
O-oh my goodness! I-is that why...?
"Tear, sweetie, what's your greatest passion?" The art teacher asked me gently.
"U-um... It's painting..." I uttered nervously, still a bit frightened.
"Just as I suspected. You three all meet the requirements." Ms. Reachet said. "You three will be the new Paint, Treble, and Culinary, and wield the weapons that they previously used against the monsters."
"We have already received them from Guardian Tansa, and have been instructed by him to give them to you." The well-dressed man told us.
"I have already given the young cookie his weapon already. Now it's time to receive yours~!" The one in the chef's hat added.
"Barry, could you be a dear and give the weapons to your classmates?" The art teacher asked him nicely, handing him something. The well-dressed man did the same.
"The Master Chef will gladly do so, especially if upon the request of a lady. But... how will the Master Chef get down from her-...?"
Before he could finish, Ms. Reachet stomped one foot on the ground, apparently activating some sort of trapdoor that sent Barry into the platform, and out of a chute that appeared at the bottom. He ended up sliding down head first, him still lying down on the floor in a daze. Despite being taken by surprise, he still managed not to accidentally drop what he was holding from either of his hands.
O-oh no; the poor guy!
"A-are you alright, Barry?" I asked him in concern, running up to him, who was left lying face-first onto the floor.
"The Master Chef is alright..." He uttered, while I helped him up. "He was merely taken by surprise, is all!"
"You still got those weapons for us?" Ail asked him, having already made his way over to us.
"Indeed; they are both safe and sound! But since you are asking the Master Chef that question... It must mean you are willing to help this region, correct? You are willing to risk your life for the greater good?"
"To be honest... not really." He said bluntly. "But it's not like I've got much choice. If I don't do it, it's not like you guys have anyone to replace me, do you?"
"That should go without saying." Chef boy responded immediately.
"That would leave you and Tear to handle the monsters alone. Obviously, it won't be as easy with two people instead of three. If I left and made you guys do everything, I'd feel pretty guilty about it..."
Ail...
"How admirable! The Master Chef is touched that you would be so concerned for him like that!"
Ail gave Barry a slightly peeved look. Then both of them turned their attention to me.
"What about you?" Barry asked me enthusiastically. "Will you fight alongside the Master Chef and defeat the evil monsters of this land?"
"..." I said nothing, keeping my head down, avoiding either of their gazes.
W-what should I do...?
Eventually, I came to a decision.
"... I-it'd be selfish of me to say no, w-wouldn't it?"
Barry looked at me happily, but Ail was surprised by my answer.
"Was it about what I said before? Don't worry about it. You have no obligation to do this, especially since you aren't even originally from this region."
... Obligation, huh...
"... N-no. I-I'll do it." I stated, trying my best to put on a brave face.
"Wonderful! The Master Chef was upset at first that neither of you turned out to be ladies, but he is happy to be comrades with such brave souls!" He handed Ail and I each something. "Here you are."
Huh? What is this?
I thought they would be our weapons, but instead they appeared to be medallion-like objects.
"What the heck is this thing? It doesn't look like any weapon I've seen..." Ail held his up in the air, looking at it strangely. His had a music-note on it.
"Mine doesn't either..." I showed mine to him, which looked the same as his, except it had an image of a painter's palette on it instead.
"Indeed, they don't look like weapons in their default state." Barry explained, taking out his own medal, which had an image of a spatula on it. "These 'Art Emblems' must be activated first in order to use them."
"Activated? What does that mean?"
"The emblems take their current shape in order for you to hide them while not in use." Ms. Reachet cut in. "It is to prevent anyone not involved with this from seeing them."
Ail sighed, and asked again: "Wait... Is this all supposed to be kept a secret?"
"Of course it is. To keep this region as peaceful as possible, you must make sure all of the monsters are eliminated before anyone knows they even existed in the first place. I would prefer to keep all of this simply between the ones currently in this room, if possible."
Yeah, I guess that would be for the best, right...?
"Anyway, to answer your question." Ms. Reachet continued. "To activate the emblem means to unleash its power; to actually be able to use it in combat."
"So, how do I activate it, exactly?"
"Simply call out the name of the emblem, and think of the type of weapon you want to use."
"The... name of the emblem...?"
"The Master Chef will show you." He held his emblem up above his head, with flair. "Culinary!"
The emblem started to glow, until it transformed into his weapon, which he now held in his hands.
Oh, so the names of the emblems are the same as the heroes then?
"You call that a weapon?!" Ail remarked, referring to what Barry was now holding. "That's just a giant spatula!"
"Oh no, it is not merely a spatula, my comrade. It is..." He held it up, with the same dramatic pose as before. "... a dual-headed spatula! A perfect, grandioso weapon for the Master Chef, is it not?"
W-wow... I want to try and do that, too...
Ail sighed. "Whatever, I've officially given up on trying to understand you, chef boy..."
I hesitantly poked Ail's back, to get his attention. He turned around, and looked at me in slight confusion.
"U-um, excuse me..." I started to say nervously. "You wouldn't mind if I tried it first, would you? T-transforming the emblem, I mean..."
"Knock yourself out. There's no need to ask me."
"O-okay then..." I held up my emblem above my head, trying my best to do it the same way Barry did it earlier.
"You don't have to make the same pose, y'know..."
"A-ah!" I lowered my hand down immediately after Ail said that, looking down in embarrassment.
W-wah! I-I thought that's what I was supposed to do!
"You don't need to be embarrassed, comrade! The Master Chef's pose is a magnificent pose!"
"Be quiet, chef boy..."
"A-alright, here goes..."
I held up my emblem directly in front of me this time, assuming it was fine to do it this way. I turned my head slightly to look at the art teacher, and she gave me a kind nod of approval. I looked back in front of me and closed my eyes in concentration.
M-my weapon of choice... A weapon related to painting... That would be...!
"P-Paint!" I cried out, transforming the emblem into my weapon of choice. It appearance was just like I had imagined it to be, although...
"... Seriously; you too, Tear?!" Ail exclaimed, in reaction to the weapon I chose. "How do expect to fight with that!?"
The emblem had turned into a giant paintbrush, which I was looking at uneasily.
"I-I'm sorry... I wasn't expecting it to be so big..."
Ail looked at me with a dumbfounded look, but didn't say anything because Barry had interjected.
"There's no need to look so disappointed, comrade! That is a perfecto weapon, perfect for a painter like yourself!"
O-oh... T-thank you, Barry...
"The Master Chef looks forward to what his other comrade will conjure up!"
He said nothing, holding his emblem in front of him, like I had earlier. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the small object in his hand.
"Treble!" He eventually shouted out, transforming his emblem into the weapon he thought up, which he now held in his hand. "Hm, not bad..."
W-wah!? It's possible to turn it into something like that?!
"A sword, huh?" Barry commented, looking at Ail's weapon questioningly. "It's a bit... cliché, but it suits you."
"Cliché or not, I'm glad I got something that I can actually use..."
"Alright, now that the two of have successfully activated your weapons, try and change them back to their emblem forms once again." Ms. Reachet told us.
"How do we do that?" Ail asked her.
"Simply place them into a small space, like your pocket, and they will do so automatically."
"Like... this?"
He slowly put his sword into his pocket, and it began to glow again. Like she said, once he had it in about part of the way through, the weapon had turned back into its original emblem form.
Wow, will the same thing happen with mine too?
I attempted to place my paintbrush into my pocket, going with the head of the brush last because it was thicker, and it changing back into emblem form the same way Ail's did. Of course, Barry's weapon acted the same way as well.
I'm glad my weapon doesn't have any pointy parts... I'd be afraid of accidentally poking myself with it...
"And that'll do for the time being. It's better that you not miss too much class today, especially for the two of you that just transferred today."
Ms. Reachet stomped again, somehow turning the chute into stairs. She went down the stairs she just, um, "created", and came over to where the three of us were.
"I will guide you all out of this place. Follow me." She told us, walking toward the large wall behind us, not stopping to wait for us to follow behind her.
W-why is she heading over that way? There isn't anything over there...
As she made it to the wall, she placed her hand on it lightly, and part of it opened up, revealing a hidden pathway. "Hurry up, you three. Let's be going, now."
Is that where we came here from...?
Barry did so without questioning her, and Ail and I followed behind him. The new room was a lot smaller than the last one, and the only thing of interest in the room was what appeared to be an elevator. I wasn't exactly sure though, as I had never actually ridden one before.
"... Ah right, we're underneath the school right now, aren't we?" Ail stated, although I wasn't sure why.
"You'd already forgotten? The Master Chef is amazed by your forgetfulness."
"Shut up, chef boy. After everything that I've been told today, something like this was the last thing on my mind."
"Hm, I suppose the Master Chef understands. Even he was rather baffled the first time he was told as well."
I wonder why the three of us in particular were chosen. I mean, I'm sure there are other students who have interests in art, music, and cooking besides us. N-not that I'd wish this kind of situation on anyone else or anything! But... M-me? Fight monsters!? I-I don't think I can do something like that. I-I'm sure I'll just make things harder for the others... And this will make it a lot more difficult to do what I came here for. Unless... this whole situation actually has some relation to what happened back then? ... N-no, that's impossible. What am I thinking? The monsters haven't even appeared yet...
... I don't know why I've been put into this predicament, but I'll, u-um, do my best. I-I guess...
Ms. Reachet pushed an up-arrow button that was on the wall near the elevator, and it opened up instantly.
"Let's go. Hurry up."
We did as she said, and entered. As soon as we were all inside, the elevator doors closed. Soon enough, the elevator began to rise upward. Although I could barely feel it, I began to feel very uneasy. Even though I knew we were travelling upwards, the fact that I had no way of physically being able to tell where we were headed kind of terrified me.
I-I mean... If this elevator started to move down instead for some reason, would I even be able to tell? If it stopped working properly, and started plunging down rapidly, and we ended up all dyi-...
Before I even dared to finish that thought, I instinctively latched myself onto the wall, shaking in fear.
"After all of your classes are finished, the three of you are to report to me immediately. We will return here to give you some lessons on how to use your new weapons." Ms. Reachet told us, seemingly unaware of what I was doing. "The other teachers are preparing for that as we speak."
"Is that why they didn't come with us?" Ail inquired.
"That's correct."
"Of course, the Master Chef has already learned how to use his, but it couldn't hurt to train alongside you all a bit more."
Ail then turned to look over at me, his face looking concerned. But he then sighed, and turned himself back around, no longer paying attention to me.
"Tear, what are you doing?" Ms. Reachet berated me, apparently having noticed me as well. "You shouldn't be so uneasy about something like this. At this rate, you'll never be brave enough to take down the monsters."
Y-yeah, she's right... If I get scared by every little thing...
"H-hey!" Ail suddenly yelled at her.
"What!?" Ms. Reachet snapped at him intimidatingly. "Do you have something to say?"
"... It's nothing." Ail said with a less harsh tone, then decided to keep to himself.
"I-I'm sorry..." I uttered shyly.
No one said anything else until the elevator finally reached its destination. The doors opened, and revealed to us another passageway. However, this one was a lot longer than the last one.
"We still have a ways to go. Let's move." Ms. Reachet stated, continuing onward unfazed.
I just hope we don't have to ride another elevator again...
--
Once the rest of our classes were over for the day, Ail; Barry; and I headed back to our homeroom, where Ms. Reachet had been waiting for us. Standing behind her desk, she turned to her whiteboard, and pushed it aside, revealing a secret passageway. That passageway leading to the big, blue room we'd been in earlier.
I can't believe that's been there this entire time...
"Let's go." She said simply, going down the passage first.
The three of us followed without a word, first down the long hallway, then down the elevator. And finally, into the blue room, where the three other teachers had been waiting. Unlike last time, there were now odd-looking targets and training dummies all around the large room.
"I'll let the three of them take care of the rest." Ms. Reachet stated, then turned around toward where we came from without waiting for a response. "I'll be going now." She said before leaving the room.
The three teachers chose one of us to focus their attention on, and walked up to them. The one who chose me was the art teacher.
"Are you ready, sweetie?" She asked me, in her usual gentle voice.
"U-um, I guess so..." I answered her meekly.
"You don't need to be so nervous, Tear. My name's Ms. Pensil, and I'll be your art teacher from now on. I look forward to having you in my class!" She said to me happily. "Oh, and I'll be your weapon instructor too, of course."
"B-but... M-Ms. Pensil... How do know how to train us to use our weapons? D-did Spirit Guardian Tansa tell you...?"
"Ah! Heheh..." She looked at me with a bit of surprise, but then giggled to herself softly. "Well, let's just say... as a art teacher, I know a lot about how to use painting tools!"
But does that even apply to a painting weapon...!?
"Listen sweetie, your weapon is a reflection of your passion, and your true self. Since your paintbrush ended up being so large, I think it means that you must like painting a lot! I think there's a lot of power packed in your weapon. Would you mind taking it out and showing me?"
"U-uh... a-alright..." I took out the emblem from my pocket... "P-Paint!" ... and transformed it into a weapon again. I looked at it curiously. "Is there really a lot of power in here?"
Ms. Pensil took a look at it herself. "Yep, there sure is! I can tell! After all, I am an art teacher!"
I really don't get what being an art teacher has to do with anything...
"Let's give your paintbrush a try. See those targets over there? Try hitting one of those."
"Uh, o-okay..." I uttered, running up to the target.
No hard feelings target, b-but I'm gonna brush you into oblivion!
I stroked the target as hard as I could with my brush... but nothing happened.
"D-did I do it wrong...?"
"Sweetie, I think you're going to need some paint on that brush first." She told me. "It'll have as much power as an ordinary brush otherwise."
"B-but where am I going to get paint from?"
"I told you before that there is power in your brush, didn't I? Just think of the paint you want to use, and it should appear automatically."
"Hm..." But what color should I pick? There's so many to choose from...
"You can't decide on what kind of paint to use, sweetie? What about using the color of your hair?"
"M-my hair color...? U-uh, that is... u-u-um... W-what was it again...?"
"Heehee, are you so nervous that you forgot your own hair color? It's green, silly!"
"Y-yeah, of c-course it is! H-heh..."
Ms. Pensil placed her hands on my shoulders gently. "It's okay. Relax, sweetie. Relax and concentrate your power on the brush and use it on that target."
"R-right..."
Concentrate my power... Concentrate on the brush... Imagine... green!
"Green Paint!" The paint I called out appeared on my brush, and I swung it at the target. The paint turned into wind, and destroyed it instantly.
"W-whoa...!"
"Wow, you did it on your first try! Good job, sweetie!"
"But why did it turn into wind just now...?"
"The color of the paint determines the effect of the magic your brush will use. Green is wind... apparently."
"M-magic? I can use magic!?"
This is actually kind of exciting! I wonder what else I ca-...
All of a sudden, I heard a sharp, pinging sound from behind me. I looked over my shoulder, and saw that came from where Ail was training.
"W-wha!?" "Oh my!" "Dearie me!" "The Master Chef is now deaf!"
"It seems Ail is training pretty hard, huh?" Ms. Pensil said to me, after our ears had stopped ringing. "Let's do some more training, too. Let's see what other kinds of paints you can use!"
"O-okay!"
--
We all trained for a few hours; about two or three to be more precise. The training was so interesting though, that it only felt like a couple of minutes had passed by. Despite that though, I was getting really tired, and so were the others. The teachers decided it was a good time to call it a day, and all six of us went through the elevator and the passageways like before and made it back to Ms. Reachet's classroom. They then sent us off to head to our dorm rooms to get a good night's sleep.
Having just realized something, I rushed to the school's entranceway.
I still need to get my room key! I hope I'm not too late...
As soon as I made it to the exit door, I turned to my left to enter the office room.
"Good evening, young man." A woman at the desk greeted me. "How can I help you?"
"E-excuse me, I need to get my room key..."
"Oh, you must be one of our transfer students! Hold on a moment..." She went into one of the back rooms for a minute, then returned with a key in her hand. She handed it to me. "Here you are."
"T-thank you very much!" I thanked her, and left the office, heading to the dorm building this time.
My luggage should already be in my room, so all I need to do is go there now.
I entered the dormitory and began searching for my room. I looked at the number on the key.
39... I need to look for room 39...
On my way there, I made a left turn in the V-shaped hallway.
35, 37... 39! There it is!
I was about to put in the key to open the door, until I heard something from the other side of the door...
"I finally get to be by myself. All alone... This is paradise; I wish it could last forever..."
"E-eep, a ghost!"
W-wait, it must just be my roommate. What am I thinking; I'm so silly!
"Nrgh... Why am I still thinking about these kinds of things?"
I figured simply entering the room would be rude, so I decided to put the key in my pocket and knocked on the door.
"Jeez, who is it!?" I heard someone yell from inside the room. I heard them get up from their bed, approaching the door.
W-wait, that voice sounds familiar...
They opened the door slowly. I was nervous about who it could be, so I timidly lowered my head.
"U-um... e-excuse me, sir..." I uttered.
"You... What are you doing here...?"
"U-uh, actually..." I raised my head back up slowly, continuing to speak. "T-this is m-... EEEH!?"
In front of me was the other person who transferred into this school, one of the other ones who was asked to fight monsters and got a weapon... That same intimidating, irritable boy was standing before me...
... Ail.
"I-I can't believe it... I-it's you?"
"Huh? What's me?" He asked me in confusion.
"Y-you..." I took out my room key, and showed him the number on it. "Y-you're going to be my roommate, f-from now on..."
"Seriously?!" He yelled in shock.
Well, for better or worse, I'm going to be spending a lot more time with Ail from now on...
Jeez, finally! It's seemed like forever since I've written a new chapter of something. Well, at least the day I'm uploading it on is an interesting one... I mean, it's definitely not going to be often when you see me put up a chapter on Leap Day!
This, of course, is chapter 1 again, but from Tear's point of view. What significance does this have on the series? How many new chapters will Paint & Treble actually have now...? Well, that's all a secret. Sorry!
I can tell you one thing; there is going to be a lot more chapters than I thought there would be originally. Because of that, this probably won't be all done by the end of this year. I promise the end result will be great(er), though!