Chapter 2 Since We’re Living Here Now, the Uninhabited Island Is Technically Inhabited, but Pay That No Mind.
Their first morning on the uninhabited island…
Masato woke up early, got out of his (very comfortable) bed, changed into a Hawaiian shirt and shorts, and quietly left his room.
“No trace remains of the whole ‘survival on a deserted island’ thing…but I can’t let this situation get the best of me… I have to put myself in a harsh environment and make myself stronger without relying on my mom! Then I can accomplish at least one thing on my own…”
His mind made up, he started for the front door.
He was channeling his inner lone wolf…
“Oh, Ma-kun! You’re up early! Are you heading out for your usual morning training?”
Mamako had poked her head out of the kitchen, where she was busy making breakfast.
“Uh, no, mostly looking for Porta’s bag. Might do a little light training on the way.”
“Don’t go too far! Mommy’s making a very tasty breakfast! Take care out there.”
“Uh, yeah…I will.”
He couldn’t bring himself to say he didn’t need breakfast. And feeling like a well-fed pet was not pleasant.
First, he had to find this bag. Masato made his way through the jungle around the cottage. Leaves wet with morning dew slipped past him.
“Ugh… it’s colder than I expected… Ew, a spiderweb! Augh, what the hell is that bug?!”
Direct contact didn’t spook him or anything, but it could be dangerous, so he picked up a stick and started pushing the vegetation aside.
He searched around the cottage, gradually widening his search range until he couldn’t see the building anymore…but didn’t find the bag.
“I knew it wouldn’t be that easy. Ah, well. That’s enough bag searching for the day…time for some training.”
He found a decent clearing and held the stick up high.
Eyes forward, mind focused.
Feel it… The man within… The wild power…
Just as his spirits reached a fever pitch…
There was a rustle from the brush nearby. “Who’s there?” Masato quickly raised the stick and swung it toward the sound.
A pair of tiny hands shot out of the brush, ready to catch the stick!
Donk. Only after it hit did the hands clap together.
“Heh… Good swing, sonny.”
His stick had hit a head full of dull white hair—Fratello. There was a faint glimmer of tears in the boy’s dazed-looking eyes.
“Yo, I thought you were a monster! …Er, sorry about tha—”
“Gotcha!”
The moment he tried to apologize, Fratello shot out of the brush—“Mah!” “Wha?!”—and tried to punch him in the face.
Masato had been about to bow his head, but he quickly jerked it up, avoiding a direct hit.
“Whoa, whoa! I was trying to apologize! Nice manners you got there.”
“This here’s how men greet each other! Come at me, sonny!”
“Whoa, hang on… I owe you for saving me earlier…”
“Gratitude ain’t gonna make me stronger. But joining me in my morning training? Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about. C’mon, sonny, do your worst. I won’t hit ya too hard.”
This offer annoyed Masato.
Fratello likely intended it to. He was grinning from ear to ear.
“Oh yeah?” Masato said. “Then let’s go.”
As out of it as this boy seemed sometimes, he sure knew how to drop a challenge. Masato gladly accepted it.
He adjusted his grip on the stick. Fratello rolled up the sleeves of his leather tribal garb; he was ready.
Both braced themselves. And then…
“Mah!”
Fratello’s fist went for Masato’s chin.
The blow was swift, but his reach just wasn’t enough. Masato took a step back and dodged.
“This is how real men greet each other, right? I won’t hold back!”
“That’s the spirit, sonny!”
Masato took a quick step in and a sideways swing…but…
Fratello was even quicker than he looked. His tiny body left the ground, jumping higher than Masato’s eyeline and sending a kick toward his face.
Masato’s arms shot up, blocking and pushing back.
“Mahh?”
“Too bad! Flying enemies are mine!”
With Fratello off balance in midair, Masato attacked, his stick striking dead center on the boy’s belly!
Fratello took 1× damage!
“Huh? My attack only did 1× damage?! Whaaat?!”
“That was downright wimpy. Now’s my turn… Mahhhh!”
Fratello began charging, a powerful aura concentrating within his fist.
The same attack that had easily blown away a giant monster!
I can’t soak that head-on! Gotta dodge!
Masato quickly backed away, but Fratello moved fast, closing the gap.
Fratello swung!
“Mahh!”
With a weird little yelp, his unleashed his ultimate attack! Direct hit to Masato’s abdomen!
Masato took 1× damage!
“Uh…only 1× damage?”
“I thought so… My moves don’t work right against ya… Grrr…”
“Are your attacks only effective against certain opponents? And totally tragic against anything else?”
“Mm.” Fratello nodded.
He was honest, at least.
“And you called me wimpy? You’re way wimpier.”
“No I’m not! I can still rough up a whippersnapper like you without breakin’ a sweat. Just not at the moment. Ain’t got my equipment.”
“W-well, I don’t have my gear, either! Not right now anyway. That’s why I can only do 1× damage! That’s what’s going on here!”
They were the same level. The same sad level.
This mutual admission had brought them closer, at least.
“Anyway, now we know… Ha!”
“Mah!”
Masato’s stick slipped past Fratello’s guard, smacking him in the side.
But Fratello stood his ground, punching Masato in the side as well. Payback.
Both combatants took 1× damage!
Yep. They were evenly matched and equally low level.
“Mah! Mah! Mah!”
“You little… Why I oughta… Hey!”
Masato sliced downward! Fratello nimbly evaded!
Fratello thrust his fist out! Masato blocked with the stick!
Masato went for a diagonal slash! It struck Fratello’s shoulder! 1× damage!
Fratello scored a body blow! Masato was hit in the abdomen! 1× damage!
Fratello…you’re the best! You’re the rival I’ve been searching for!
Same here, sonny… Fighting a young fella my level is the most fun I’ve ever had.
As they continued to trade blows, they spoke with glances alone—two warriors, equally leveled, their ferocious battle spanning hours…
Or at least, that’s how it felt. In truth, it had only been around ten minutes.
“Hahh…hahh… I…I think that’s…enough for today…”
“I…I’ll let ya off…with that… Be grateful, sonny… Mahhh…”
Both boys fell to the ground, utterly spent.
They basked in the afterglow of battle, both completely unharmed, riding the high of meeting their perfect rival.
Then Fratello stood up.
“…Going already?” asked Masato.
“Mm. I’ve confirmed the location in question. Met you, did some sparrin’. I’ve handled all the business I had this morning.”
“Location? …No, never mind. Men don’t sweat the small stuff.”
“Mm. You’re a real man, sonny. You get it.” Looking quite pleased, Fratello turned to leave. “Oh, right,” he said. “There are some real troublemakers roaming this island. Watch yourself, sonny.”
“Troublemakers? I dunno who you mean, but okay. I’ll watch out.”
“Mm. Farewell, my equal match…k-kindred spirit.”
Fratello snapped a thumbs-up and raced off. He expression appeared slightly dazed, and he seemed to be blushing a bit.
“Kindred spirit? The heck is he even saying? Geez…”
Masato shook his head, looking secretly pleased. He, too, raised a thumb.
“Hum hummm, hum hum hummm, kiiindred spiiiiriiit…”
“Ma-kun, you’ve been in such a good mood since you got back! Did something good happen?”
“Yeah, kinda. To put it mildly, I’m in the best mood. Ha-ha.”
“Well, that’s lovely! Hee-hee.”
It was time for breakfast. Laid out on the dining room table (there were chairs, too) were rice, miso soup, fried river fish, and lightly pickled veggies. They were even served on real dishes, not plates made of leaves or anything.
“The cottage came complete with rice, miso, dashi, and dishes? Man, the power of Mother Earth sure is incredible. This doesn’t even count as roughing it… But hey, that’s fine! Ha-ha! Oh, is this sweetfish? The grated daikon and soy sauce sure go well with rice! Ha-ha-ha!”
“Make sure you get enough to eat! …Oh my, I’d better make our lunches!”
Masato was all smiles, thoroughly enjoying himself and plowing through breakfast. Next to him, Mamako plucked a grain of rice off her son’s cheek and ate it adorably.
Meanwhile, across from them, the three girls were getting suspicious.
“What’s going on? Yesterday he was all ‘My survivalist life is doomed’ and totally despondent.”
“And now he’s oddly cheery… Did he eat some weird mushroom that’s made him delusional? Porta, can you detect anything?”
“Hmmm… No weird status effects! Masato’s totally normal!”
“He clearly isn’t! This is obviously abnormal!”
“Whew… That was a great meal! Thanks, Mom!”
“I’m so glad you liked it.”
Totally ignoring their inquisitive looks, he washed down the morning the Japanese way—with green tea. Slurrrrp. “Hah…” Bliss.
So. With the meal done and the table cleared, Masato started the discussion.
“Everyone ready? We’d better talk about our plans. What? You want to hear my idea? Cool, happy to share.”
“I didn’t ask.”
“I know, I know, just hear me out. We’ve lost our luggage. So our first order of business is to find Porta’s bag.”
“Yes! We have to find it!”
“But it won’t be easy to locate. We don’t have clear memories of where we landed or how we moved from that spot.”
“Because Mommy panicked and ran all over! I’m so sorry.”
“No, no, this is perfect… Cough, cough… I—I mean, since the search will be a difficult one, we’ll be forced to stay on this island for the time being. Everyone agrees, right? Right?”
He beamed at all of them, awaiting their agreement.
Wise was getting even more suspicious. “Girl squad, assemble,” she said. Everyone but Masato began whispering.
“Does Ma-kun want to stay here for a while?”
“Seems like it… I’m sure he’s got his reasons, but—”
“Whatever that is, it’s perfect for us. We should probably fill him in.”
“Yes! I’m sure Masato will agree!”
“Mm? What? What’s going on?”
The girls all lined up before him.
“Well, Ma-kun, we have something we want to ask you.”
“Ask me? Um, okay. Lay it on me.”
“Last night, while you were dead, we got to talking…,” Medhi began.
“Why don’t we turn this island into a resort and have our vacation here?” said Porta.
“Turn the island into a resort…? Vacation…?”
The girls all beamed at him.
“It’s got water, food, and perfect weather!” said Wise.
“Everything we need to live, surrounded by untouched nature… This place is far better than some dumpy resort area,” added Medhi. “So…”
“You want to open a new one? No, no, that would be a ton of work. How would we…?”
“Don’t be dumb, Masato. Did you forget who we have with us?”
Wise, Medhi, and Porta all gathered around, fluttering their hands at her, like they were trying to demonstrate how much she sparkled. It almost worked.
Mamako—the her in question—smiled.
“The whole point of our journey was to have a vacation! But after that accident, we have no way of getting to the southern island… This place would make a great replacement!”
“And your mom powers will easily develop this resort…?”
“Oh, but we’re not going to destroy the environment or anything. We’ll make sure to ask Mother Earth not to force it at all. But if we open the jungle up some, it’ll make it easier to find the bag.”
“Mamako doesn’t want to use her mom power too much,” explained Medhi. “So we’ll be hunting for the bag ourselves while we develop the land.”
“We’ll make our own resort, find my bag, and have a celebratory vacation! What do you think, Masato?”
Grins, excitement, sparkles. The girls all looked expectant.
Masato’s brain went into overdrive.
Mom’s gonna unleash her powers again… I’m not a fan of that, but…
If they were vacationing here, that meant he could stay longer.
And finding the bag themselves worked for him.
A competitive treasure hunt with him…could be fun.
He was sure Fratello would be all, “Perfect. That’s the sort of thing that stirs a man’s soul, sonny.” The two of them would compete like real men and deepen their friendship.
Not bad at all. Actually, it sounded pretty great. Masato nodded.
“Okay, then…”
“I mean, it’s not like it matters what Masato thinks. The moment Mamako was on board it was a done deal. Let’s get this resort started!”
“Hey, I didn’t even finish! …Fine, whatever. I’m used to it by now… Oh, right! I ran into Fratello again this morning, and—”
“Let’s go! We should start at the beach,” said Medhi.
“Yes,” agreed Mamako. “If we’re looking for the bag, we should head into the forest…but there’s something I’d like to check on at the beach first.”
“If Mama’s curious, I’m curious! I don’t mind starting there!”
“Uh, hello? Is anyone listening? He said there are troublemakers on the island—”
“Let’s build the best resort ever! First…we’ll need a place to swim!”
“““Yeah!!”””
“Yeah! …No, seriously, people! Listen!”
They seemed ready to leave Masato behind.
The party left the cottage and headed to the water’s edge, relying solely on their sense of direction. “So many leaves!” “Oh, a monster!” “Go away! Shoo!” “Am I gonna get to do anything?” “Oh my!” Jungles and monsters were no obstacle between a group of girls and a resort.
But they were a little too focused on the resort, and never noticed…
…the pairs of eyes watching them.
“…They’re on the move.”
“Indeed, they’re quiiiite eager.”
Amante and Sorella had been lurking in the brush by the cottage.
“They’re going toward the beeeach… Whyyy?”
“I don’t know…but we can’t have them poking their noses everywhere.”
“Riiight. The beach isn’t a prooooblem. But if they go into the woooods…or beyoooond…that would be baaad.”
“We’ve gotta drive them off this island first…by posing as mysterious locals.”
Amante pulled a strange mask made of leaves out of her bag and equipped it.
She was already dressed for the part—instead of her Libere Rebellion coat, she was wearing tribal clothing made from leather.
Sorella donned a similar mask, and their disguises were complete.
“I don’t need to explain our plan to you, do I?”
“We pretend to be locals and say, ‘This island is our sanctuary! Begone, outsiders!’ and make them leeeave. I knoooow already.”
“But if worse comes to worst, we’ll have to force them. So be ready… Mm?”
There was a sound behind them. Something was coming through the grass.
The first thing they saw was…a spear? No, a horn.
A long, sharp, gleaming horn and a fat canary-yellow body.
A bug the size of an elephant—a Hercules beetle.
“A monster? Heh-heh-heh. Perfect. We’ll ride this and catch Mamako Oosuki’s party off guard.”
“Ooooh… That does make us seem like locals with mysteeeerious powers. Niiiice. I’m iiiin!”
The two of them hopped onto the beetle’s head.
And they were off!
“Okay, Sorella! Order this thing to fly us to Mamako Oosuki!”
“Whaaat? Don’t be sillyyy. You’re the one controlling iiiit.”
“Huh? What are you talking about? You summoned this monster!”
“Ummmm, no, I didn’t. I thought youuu did.”
They stared at each other.
““……Uh?””
Then the giant beetle spread its wings and began furiously flapping them.
“W-wait! Then this monster isn’t one of us?!”
“I gueeeess not?! Which meaaaaans…”
“Trouble! Aiiieee!”
And thus, a passing giant insect (not a monster at all) flew off toward the mountains with Amante and Sorella on board.
Meanwhile…
“Whew, we made it… Still, there was a whole lot of nothing on the way. Kinda disappointing…”
Masato’s party had reached the coast.
The sandy beach traced a gentle arc. And beyond it, the sunlight’s gleaming rays reflected off the ocean’s surface. There was nothing but blue as far as the eye could see.
Below the coconut trees were coconut crabs, clinging to coconuts bigger than themselves and rolling them along.
It was the perfect beach.
“Whoa, the grains of sand are shaped like stars! Star sand!”
“We call it Hoshizuna in Japanese. The ‘sand grains’ are actually the fossilized corpses of protozoic creatures.” Grin.
“Someone tell the resident blackhearted babe standing in the surf to a put a lid on it.”
He begged for help preserving the emotion of the moment, but none came.
The girls were already hard at work developing the resort.
“How about we have a really long pier here, and cottages on the water at the end of it?” suggested Wise.
“That would be lovely! I’ve seen things like that in travel brochures, but never had a chance to go myself. How exciting! Hee-hee.”
“I’ve never stayed anywhere like that! I’d really like to try!”
“Right, right? ’Kay, it’s settled, then! Which means… Mamako!”
Wise and Porta snapped to attention, bowing. ““If you please!””
“You got it!” Their plea reached the doting mother nearby.
Mamako stood in the surf, placing her palms on the incoming waves.
“Mother Ocean… If you too are a mother, then surely you know how I feel… If we could vacation here, everyone would be so happy… So please, lend us your power.”
Mamako’s wish mingled with the water, washed away with the undertow, and drifted out to sea…or so they thought.
But suddenly the wave imbued with her wish was pulled beneath the ocean, vanishing.
“…Oh my?”
“Er…wait, what’s up with that? What’s going on?!” cried Wise.
“It looked like it got dragged under!” said Porta. “Eep! There’s a hole down there!”
Wise and Medhi came splashing over and saw a pit yawning open in the shallows—one big and deep enough for a human to fall into.
Porta stared into the depths and saw something moving below.
“Eeeep! There’s something down there! I-i-it’s…!”
“What? What is it?”
“A monsterrrrr!” Porta shrieked, throwing her arms above her head.
A jet of water shot out of the pit. Wise and Porta were caught up in it and flung into the air.
“What the?!” “Eeeek!” “Wise! Porta!” Mamako reached out, but too late: They were tossed onto the beach…
“…Hmm? Gahhhh!!”
But fortunately, Wise and Porta landed on Masato. They were both unharmed, landing butt-first on the back of Masato’s head and lower spine respectively.
“Ow! Geez, Masato, your head’s as hard as a rock! It hurts to sit on!”
“It’s not supposed to be sat on! Get your butt off my head!”
“Sorry, Masato! But that really helped!”
“Oh, sure, Porta, you can sit on me anytime. Think of my back as a cushion for a true lady.”
Permission granted. “Don’t mind if I do.” “Then Mommy will, too!” “No, wait!” Medhi and Mamako also sat on Masato, and they all took a rest. Everyone except the human cushion was very soft and supple.
“Wait, this isn’t the time to goof off! Masato, get up! There’s a dangerous monster blocking our resort wish from reaching the sea!”
“Seriously? Say that first! Humph!”
Saying farewell to all the butts, Masato stood up…and beheld the monster.
A shellfish. The two halves of the shell were easily twice as wide as Masato was tall.
“What the heck is it? A clam? A cockle?”
“Hmm…it’s really big, but I think it’s a clam. I wonder how much miso soup we could make with it!”
“Ooh, clam in miso? That sounds delicious! Come on, everyone! Let’s beat this thing and have a beachside miso soup party!”
No one heeded Wise’s call.
“Wait, why isn’t anyone shouting? Are you guys not into it?!”
“I dunno, miso soup just doesn’t seem right…but I’m up for some seafood barbecue! Come on, people! Time to fight!”
Masato was totally ready to fill his belly with monster clam and nothing else.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mamako and Porta whispering to each other.
Masato picked up a stick and charged. But it was a clam. A well-armored one, obviously.
No point in attacking the shell… In which case…
Watching his enemy’s movements, he inched closer, and the moment the shell opened—“Now!”—he shoved the stick into the gap. It was your classic “poke it” plan.
“Hiding in your shell won’t do you any good! I speak from experience! Take it from me!” Medhi yelled, following up with a stick poke of her own. The end of her stick was forked, and she wedged it in so the clam couldn’t snap its shell closed.
The writhing edible part throbbed angrily…and then began to quiver.
“Ha! Look at it… Wise, you’re up!”
“Huh? Me? Um, I can’t use magic, so I’ve got no way to attack…”
The quivering monster clam unleashed a strange vibration!
Masato was unaffected! Medhi was unaffected!
Wise’s magic was sealed!
“Great work again, Wise! You’ve fulfilled your quota of uselessness!” Grin.
“Nobody is better at getting their magic sealed than you!” Grin.
“Hey, assholes! This isn’t funny!” Grrrr!!
Wise came after them in a violent rage, but Masato let Medhi handle this.
“We need a finisher… Were Mom and Porta planning something?”
They were on the beach behind him, making some sort of circle at their feet with bits of driftwood.
It seemed Masato had distracted the enemy long enough for them to finish.
“Yo, Porta! Mom! You ready to cook this thing?”
“Yes! Anytime!”
“Oh my! Ma-kun knows just what Mommy’s thinking! I’m so glad!”
“Like mother, like child, I guess. Honestly, the second we started talking about eating it I kinda figured this was the plan. So…”
“Yes! Leave the rest to Mommy!”
Mamako stood in the surf and put her palms in the water.
“Mother Ocean… Can you give us a little spurt like this shellfish just did? Please?”
The ocean heard her call.
The water around the monster clam pulled back and then slammed in hard, rocketing the thing high over their hands, and it landed…
…right in the circle of wood.
Mamako turned and placed her palms on the sand.
“Mother Earth… My precious son and his friends want to have a beach barbecue. Lend me your power!”
A rumble deep inside the earth responded.
Underground magma rose up (super-localized), heating the crust above. Directly below the circle of wood. Which caught fire. Directly roasting the clam.
Now they just had to wait.
“In this world, it’s eat or be eaten. Wham, bam, thank you, clam.”
“Okay, everyone! Time for the barbecue!” Mamako called.
“Yay! This will be so much fun!” squealed Porta. “I’ll watch closely and make sure the fire doesn’t go out!”
“Skewers are the key to any real barbecue, but… Eh, this is close enough.”
“Hee-hee. Don’t sweat the small stuff, Ma-kun. Now, Mommy will finish her other job.”
“Other job?”
Mamako shot a quick smile at the ongoing showdown between Berserk Wise and Medhi and then stepped into the surf once more, putting her hands in the water.
“Mother Ocean… I’m sorry for all these requests… But they’re all for these precious children… Could you please give us a lovely cottage on the water?”
This time the wish was granted.
A long pier and cottages made of driftwood rose out of the ocean at one end of the beach. It was still soaking wet, but with the sun pouring down on it, it would dry in no time.
“And that’s it for the first phase of our resort development! We have a private beach now!”
“That sure seemed simple… Are there any limits to Mom’s powers?”
Masato looked from the pier to the cottages to Mamako’s back, shaking his head…
And then he saw something else.
“…It happened with the earth, and now the ocean…,” Mamako mumbled.
It wasn’t anything major. Hardly worth staring at.
But he could see sweat rolling down Mamako’s back.
Not just a single drop, either, but one drop after another.
I dunno if I’ve ever seen Mom sweat like that…not that I remember anyway.
She was sweating more than Masato, despite all the running around he’d done in that fight.
“…Eh, whatever.”
The inviting scent of the sea’s bounty over the fire was clearly more important.
Some time later…
“Hahh…hahh… We finally made it…”
“That beetle flew tooooo far! Did it really have to go all the way to the top of the highest mountaaain?! We had to climb back down and then cut through the jungle just to get here, and now I’m exhaaaausted! Boooo!”
“I’m the one who’s tired! I was carrying you piggyback the whole time!”
“I mean…if we rode my tooooome, they’d see us comiiiing. Amante, you agreed this would be faaaaster.”
“Yeah, I did! Argh, this is so unfair!”
Still carrying Sorella, Amante stepped onto the beach. They’d managed to keep their native islander disguises intact.
“Anyway, let’s find Mamako Oosuki’s party. They were headed toward the water, so…”
“Hmm… Where could they beee?”
They looked carefully around. Ocean. Beach.
Cottages on the water. A pier. A giant shell with steam rising off it.
“I don’t remember those buildings… Also…”
“Ahhh! That claaaam! That’s the guardian we placed heeeere!”
“You’re right! Did Mamako Oosuki defeat it?! And eat it?!”
“I’m sure she diiiid! I bet it was deliiiicious! Arghh…that was our emergency proviiiisions!”
“Tch…and no signs of Mamako Oosuki and the kids… They had fun at the beach, ate, and moved on… Still…”
Amante frowned at the cottages and pier, thinking.
“This island should make it harder to use motherly powers…yet she went ahead and made all that? Without the Holy Swords, she shouldn’t be able to summon the full force of the Earth and the Ocean…”
But she’d still managed it?
Was there no limit to Mamako’s power?
“She is a constant source of terror… There isn’t even any point explaining how terrified I am of her.”
“Then doooon’t… Anywaaay, if they’re not here, we should look arooound.”
“Yeah. I guess the traps we set against invaders didn’t work?”
Sorella showed no signs of getting down, so Amante kept carrying her and headed over to the coconut trees.
At their bases, coconut crabs were rolling around coconuts several times their own size.
“This is the right place! They see this comical movement and get too close…”
“And the coconuts fall on their heeeads!”
“Yeah. But those are no ordinary coconuts…”
Both girls looked up just as two coconuts fell on them. There was a blinding light…
Ka-booom!
Masato thought he heard an explosion in the distance.
“Mm? Hmm… Was it just my imagination?”
They’d left the water cottages behind as they followed the coast around the island.
It was pretty noisy here; construction was in progress.
“Mother Earth…we’d like to make this road a little wider. If you don’t mind…”
Mamako had her hands on the ground. The expansion of the jungle promenade began. The trees and shrubbery near the path moved sideways, the ground groaned, and stone tiles paved the open space.
There was now a broad road leading into the heart of the island.
“Whew… Wise, sweetie, how’s that look?”
“Perfect! Just as planned. Having you around sure is a lifesaver!”
“Hee-hee. I’m glad to be useful. Next up is… Whoops!”
As Mamako stood up, she swayed, and Masato caught her.
“Uh, careful, Mom. Dizzy spell?”
“S-sorry, Ma-kun. I must have tripped.”
“Nothing to apologize for, but… Wow, you’re drenched in sweat.”
“Yes, it’s so humid! I’m sweating all over.”
It was certainly a sultry jungle, but…this seemed excessive.
When he took his hands off her shoulders, his palms were soaking wet.
“…Uh, Mom?”
“Thank you, Ma-kun. Let’s keep moving! What’s next after the road?”
“Once we get a little farther back, we could make a hotel or a gift shop—something kinda resort-y, y’know? What do you think, Mamako?” asked Wise.
“That would be lovely! Let’s do it.”
“Great! Then let’s get started! Go, go, go!”
“Go, go, go!”
“Go, go, no! Mom, you’re… Ah, forget it.”
Mamako was clearly in good spirits. The three of them pressed farther on.
Medhi and Porta were a good distance ahead, scouting.
“This is where the main road stops… So maybe we should have something here? Like a symbol of the island?”
“Yes! A fountain or…ooooh, a statue of Mama!”
“Great idea! A giant marble statue of this island’s founder!”
Mamako would soon be looming over the center of the island.
The idea was enough to give Masato a headache.
“Hold it, you guys! Please, anything but that! Gimme this one thing!”
“You glance up, and there’s your mother! No matter where you are on the island, you need only turn around, and she’s waiting for you! Isn’t that lovely?” Grin.
“Ha-ha-ha! That smile is downright diabolical! You’ve clearly proposed this just to torture me! I won’t stand for it!”
“Well, Mamako. Hotels, shops, and a statue! When you’re ready.”
“A statue of me? Goodness, that’s a little embarrassing…but I’ll see what I can do!”
“Yo, don’t even try!”
Masato reached out to stop her…
…but before he could, something grabbed him from the side.
“Mm? Is this…a vine?”
It was.
The vine was coiling around him like it had a mind of its own.
“Eep! M-Masato, this is bad! Look around us!” yelped Porta.
“Around—? Whoa! What is this?!”
There were vines all around them. Writhing like snakes, the color of poison, raising their “heads” at the party like cobras.
“What are these, monsters? Everyone, look out!”
“Vines…in a jungle…,” said Wise. “Hold up, this could be real bad! Especially for cute girls like us!”
“They wrap around our limbs and hoist us in the air, squeezing…and as we groan in agony, they mockingly slip inside our clothing and… Oh! We can’t let that happen!” cried Medhi.
“I’m a noncombatant, so… Eep! There’s one after me!”
The vines were rubbing their leaves together as if mocking them, confirming their fears!
A moment later…
“Oh my! Eek!”
They all ensnared Mamako!
The self-proclaimed cute girls were unharmed.
“Mm, yeah, I was afraid of that… Sigh… Those things have no taste! Tch.”
“I know it’s an incredibly undesirable position to be in, but being snubbed doesn’t really feel good either… They should understand how a maiden’s mind works! Tch.”
“Hey, you two! ‘Maidens’ don’t stand around clicking their tongues at a time like this!”
“Mama’s in real trouble!”
“They’re so tight… Ahh!”
The narrow vines were wrapped around and around Mamako’s hands and feet…around her chest and hips…pulling her off the ground.
“Oh my! Oh no!” Digging into places they really shouldn’t. So tight Mamako couldn’t move!
Mamako was in physical danger, but the greatest threat was to Masato’s eyes. This was not something any son should have to see.
Yet, someone else was looking directly at her from the brush nearby. On the flowers and buds and stalks of the giant broccoli nearby were a great number of eyeballs, all staring avidly at Mamako’s predicament.
“I never thought the forest itself would be a monster… Argh! Everyone, help me save Mom! We’ve gotta stop these vines!”
He hit one as hard as he could with a stick! “Ahh!” “Wah!” The vibrations traveled up the vines and made weird noises come out of Mamako.
“Crap, blunt-force attacks aren’t working! All they’re doing is creating aural disasters! Anybody have something that can cut vines?”
“Urgh… I’m so sorry… This is all because I lost my bag…”
“Porta, don’t worry,” said Medhi. “Let’s just stay focused on helping Mamako.”
“Yeah, Porta! Never fear! Even without her swords, Mom can… Oh! We can fix this with Mother Earth’s power! Right, Mom?”
“I—I thought the same thing, and I’ve been asking, but…I can’t reach!”
“You have to be touching the ground to do it? Then…”
Masato leaped on the nearest bunch of vines, pulling himself toward Mamako. They didn’t really budge.
The girls followed suit, and everyone yanked.
“Here goes! Heave ho! Heave ho!”
“Heave ho! Y’know, I’ve been wondering… Why do we say heave ho when pulling things?” asked Wise.
“It’s from old sailboats! They used to chant heave ho when raising the sails!”
“Wow, Medhi! You know so much! You’re amazing!” said Porta.
“Well, with that question answered, let’s pull!” shouted Masato. “Heave ho!”
Everyone pulled together, and Mamako slowly got closer to the ground. She managed to adjust her posture a bit, reached out toward the ground…
…and she touched it!
“Mom!”
“Right! …Mother Earth…you’d be furious if anyone did this to you! These bad little boys and girls have tied me up in front of my son and his friends… They need to be punished!”
The fury of a mother (who’s so not into being tied up) was activated!
Meanwhile…
“Arghhh! We got caught in our own traaap! You’re so stuuuupid, Amante! I’m changing your name to Dumbanteeee!”
“You’re the one suggested we take a look, Sorella! And I saved you from the trap, so quit griping! If it weren’t for my Reflection skill, you’d have been screwed! You oughta be thanking me!”
“Sure, sure, thaaaanks. Aaaanyway, keep it moooving. Looook! They’ve made a rooooad. We’ve got to do something about Mamako’s party quiiiick! Or they’ll ruin everythiiiiing!”
“I know that! Geez!”
Wearing masks made of leaves, Amante and Sorella turned onto the newly paved jungle promenade.
The moved farther into the jungle, searching for their targets.
“Mamako Oosuki must have gone this way… Heh-heh-heh…that’s perfect.”
“Riiight? This leads to one of our best traaaaps.”
“Yep. I don’t need to explain what it is, but the plants back this way are all monsters, and they’ll bully you so badly that you’ll never want to come back to this island… Mm?”
Amante noticed the ground shaking and looked up to see what the commotion was…
Ahead of them, a giant broccoli stalk was swelling up. What looked like windows appeared on the surface—like an apartment complex.
Around it, daikon, carrots, and other giant root vegetables were growing, too, and becoming different kinds of shops.
Also…
“Huuuuh? Something’s coming toward uuuus?!”
“That’s…”
Jungle plants. Flowers, grass, vegetables, vines—a swarm of monster plants, furiously pumping their roots, stampeding toward them…or maybe running away from something?
Things were getting weird at the back of the stampede. The stragglers were getting pulled to the sides of the promenade and being transformed into fences woven from vines, flower-shaped streetlamps, street signs made from fruits, etc.
“She’s using the monsters to make a rooooad!”
“Is this Mamako Oosuki’s…? Wait, no time to think! We’ve gotta run!”
It was already too late. Amante and Sorella were getting caught up by the fleeing monsters.
A giant broccoli high-rise hotel, cottages made from other vegetables, each with pools of natural spring water for use by any guests.
Rows of fruit-shaped shops and facilities.
And a giant Mamako statue made of white marble.
The finishing touch.
“This! This is the resort we dreamed of!”
“From concept to completion in a matter of hours! Very impressive.”
“I’m so happy! Yay! Yaaay!”
The girls were dancing with joy.
Meanwhile, Masato was shaking his head.
“Punishing monsters by turning them into building materials… That’s beyond ridiculous, beyond impressive, beyond words.”
He looked up at the glittering statue of Mamako and sighed.
But when he glanced at his mother…
…he found her sitting on the ground, breathing heavily.
“Hahh…hahh…”
“Wha…? M-Mom? You okay?”
“Hmm? Oh…yes, I’m fine, Ma-kun. Don’t worry. Mommy’s fine. See? Look, I feel great.”
She flexed her slender arm, grinning.
That smile certainly looked like it always did, but there was a lot of sweat running down her face. With a few grunts, Mamako managed to get to her feet.
“Whew. And now the resort’s finished!”
“Uh, yeah, well…seems that way. You satisfied now, girls?”
Guess not. Wise was happily yelling, “Mamako! Listen to this!” Her eyes were glittering. Apparently she’d had another idea.
“She’s still going? Enough already. Mom’s…”
…clearly tired. They should let her rest.
But she just patted Masato on the back, stopping him.
“Ma-kun, I’m fine. Don’t you worry.”
“You say that, but…I’m, you know…”
His feelings were simple enough.
I’m worried about her!
But actually admitting that was too much for him to put into words.
And in his strained silence, Mamako pushed past him.
“Ma-kun, Mommy feels certain she can do anything for you and your friends. The power just keeps coming! As long as you’re with me, my mommy power is infinite.”
“Don’t be ridiculous… But, well, you’ve been ridiculous since the moment we set foot in this game.”
“So don’t you worry about letting Mommy dote on you. I’ll dote on you aaall you like! Doing that makes Mommy happy. So really, don’t worry about it.”
She was saying it again. With a smile.
If she insists, then I guess it’s fine?
He still wasn’t sure. Part of him took her at her word, part of him didn’t…
But the girls weren’t giving him time to think. They were already gathered around.
“Whatcha talking about? Fill us in!”
“…Nothing. Never mind. What did you want?”
“Fine. Masato—ha, I mean Mamako!”
“Faking like you want something from me out of spite now, are we?”
“Yes, Wise? What is it?”
“You’ve built all kinds of shops, but what if we were the owners of these shops? What if we ran them ourselves? Wouldn’t that be fun?”
“What kind of idiot runs a shop on an uninhabited island? There are no customers! …Ow!”
She’d stepped on his foot. Without even looking.
“This is a resort made by Mamako! Customers will show up any minute. So, Mamako, I want the clothes shop, Medhi’ll take the cosmetics store, Porta the tropical juice stand, and that leaves you working as the hotel owner. What do you say?”
“Oh, that sounds lovely! This will be such fun! I’m in.”
“Er…do I get a shop?”
“Great! That settles it! Which brings us to the next request…”
“Can we use your mom power to make everything the shops sell?” asked Medhi.
“If it’s not too much trouble, could you do that? Please!” pleaded Porta.
“Hmm, well…” Mamako considered it. “Okay. I think I can handle everything we need. Hee-hee.”
She agreed with a smile.
“Right! Then let phase two of the resort development begin!”
“““Yeah!”””
The girls were certainly getting themselves very worked up.
Not so much Masato.
“…I’m left out again.” Sulk.
“W-we didn’t mean to!” said Porta.
“Th-that’s right, Ma-kun! That’s not our intent! Right, Wise?”
“Of course not! We’ve got the perfect role for Masato.”
“Oh yeah? What is it?”
“You have a grass skirt. This is an island paradise surrounded by beautiful ocean! There’s only one thing for you to do. As the evening sky turns red, you’ll provide the perfect entertainment… I’m talking…fire dance!” Fiyaaaa!
“My entire value is now in this grass skirt, huh?”
“That was just a joke,” said Medhi. “I think it would be best if you do whatever you most want to do, Masato. Is there anything you’ve known was unachievable, but wanted so much it killed you inside?”
“What I want to do? Well…”
He looked at Medhi’s smiling face, and it came to him.
“…survivalism?”
“Yes. Why not create a sort of attraction area that would allow just that?”
“Hmm…”
He could take over a section of the jungle and make it into a survivalist zone.
All that was required was to pick the location. He wouldn’t need equipment or anything. That would just get in the way.
Which means I can do this without using Mom’s power…or worrying about doing so.
And he could experience the blood-churning, skin-crawling, wild-man life he’d dreamed of.
“…Not bad.”
“Not bad? It’s perfect for you! Admit it!”
“It’s! Perfect! For! Me!”
“Good. That’s settled. So first—”
“Gotta designate a survivalist zone! Where should it be…? There are no monsters left here, so that’s boring… I’ll go see if I can find a good spot! Be right back! Rahhhh!”
“Oh, wai—Masato?!”
He was off, in perfect running form, headed right down the promenade toward the coast.
Nothing was left in his mind but the survivalist life he’d been dreaming of and the face of his kindred spirit.
“Honing myself in the face of nature’s harshest threats! Battles between men! Ohhh, this is gonna be great!”
Masato went blazing away.
Right past two island locals trapped in a vine fence, their behinds stuck in the air.
“Survivalist lifestyle, here I coooome!!”
Masato never even saw them.
“Sheesh, there he goes… What a dumbass.”
“He must be very happy,” said Medhi. “Good work, Wise.”
“My! Were you the one who suggested the survivalist idea, Wise?”
“Er, well, um…I think it was Porta…”
“It wasn’t me! It was Wise! She was thinking so hard about what would make Masato happeeeeagh?!”
“Portaaaa… Not. Another. Word. Got it?”
Porta’s cheeks were twisted into silence.
Wise fanned her burning face, trying to cool them down. She got back in the driver’s seat. “Okay, enough talk! Let’s get to work. First—”
“What should I make? Tell me anything you like.”
“Thanks, Mamako. But not yet… Before we start phase two, we need to find Porta’s bag. We shouldn’t overwork you any more than we have.”
“Huh…?” Mamako looked surprised.
But all three girls lined up, bowing their heads.
“Sorry, Mamako. Really.”
“Huh? Where’d this come from?”
“Using the power of the Earth without the Holy Sword is really exhausting, right?”
“When you finished this round of construction you were so worn out you couldn’t even stand,” said Medhi. “Even after the water cottages… We should have noticed then. Sorry.”
“Th-that’s not true! I’m fine…”
“You aren’t fine! Mama, you always try too hard when you think it’ll help Masato or us! We just want you to be honest with us!”
All three girls looked very serious.
Mamako gave up trying to smooth things over and smiled apologetically.
“Okay, yes. I’m definitely more tired than usual… How should I put it…? Normally it just takes a pinch, but now I have to put in several tablespoons!”
“Um, so…doing all this crazy stuff is basically the same as cooking to you?”
“But I don’t think I’m feeling this way all because I don’t have my swords. I certainly miss them, but…more than that…it’s like I’m turning the flame up, but it just won’t give me anything but the weakest flicker. Or like I’m turning the faucet and turning it, but only a trickle comes out.”
“So something’s clogging the works?”
“Ha-choo! Argh…well, at least my nose isn’t clogged now. Thanks a lot, Medhi.”
“Don’t worry, Wise! I’ll be delighted to put you out of your misery.”
“Is there something jamming you?” asked Porta.
“Jamming me? Hmm… It does feel like there’s something interfering with the entire process. I wonder if it’s something about this island…”
Mamako suddenly looked up.
Her eyes fixed on a tall mountain in the distance.
“But it isn’t very clear to me…so I’ll just accept your feelings gladly and say that getting our equipment back seems like a very good idea. We can start phase two after that.”
“Okay, cool! Then let’s go find Porta’s bag.”
“Which means finding where we landed,” said Medhi. “Where was it…? I don’t think it was all that far from the jungle cottage, but—”
“Guess we should head back there first, then?”
“Yes!” agreed Porta. “But if we try to force our way through the jungle, we’ll get lost!”
“That’s right. Safety first,” said Mamako. “Let’s go! Onward!”
The party set off, moving away from the island shopping district and down the promenade.
As they walked, they kept chatting—something any lady has a knack for.
“Still, you surprised me, Wise… Hee-hee.”
“Uh, Mamako? What’re you laughing about? What did I do?”
“You really thought hard about Ma-kun. I was so glad to hear that! Hee-hee.”
“We’re back on this again?! Enough! I did think about it, just…not for that reason!”
“I would welcome you with open arms. You pass the mom test! Hmm…I suppose we’d need a bigger house if you were going to move in with us.”
“You’re planning on living there, too?! Wait, I guess if it’s Mamako I’d actually prefer that…”
“If that’s a benefit, I’d like to put myself forth as a candidate. If you’ll have me.”
“I want to live with Mama, too!”
“My, my! Then, Medhi and Porta can all live in the same house with us! We’ll figure out which of you will marry Ma-kun later. Hee-hee.”
“Flawless housekeeping, unrivaled in combat, the ultimate mother—living with her is the real objective, and Masato just a bonus… That’s been his destiny all along, huh? …Hang in there, Masato.”
The hero had a harsh road ahead of him, and Wise offered up a silent prayer on his behalf…
But just then.
“…Hm? What’s that?”
Wise noticed something sticking out of the vine fence on the side of the road.
Two round things, covered in a sort of rind, with a crack running down the middle.
“Some kind of peach? …It’s awfully big for a peach…and not quite the right shape…”
“Is something the matter? Wait… Those are…”
Medhi stepped over, inspecting them up close.
Then she tried pinching them. “Oh, they’re soft!” “Quite soft.” Pinches. Squeezes. Quite resilient!
““Eeeek?!””
The peaches let out some weird, alluring squeaks. Wait…
“Mmphh! Mmmphh mmph mutt! Mmmph-mmphmmp mmmphh!”
“Mmmphhhhhhh. Mmmph mmmmph-mmph mmphhhh!”
“Huh? Talking peaches? …Wait… Do those voices sound familiar?”
“Wise! They do! Look here!”
They peered over the fence and found two upper bodies, bound tightly. And two familiar faces…
Amante and Sorella, with gags made of vines.
“The Heavenly Kings of the Libere Rebellion?! Why are you guys here?! …And how the heck did you end up like this?!”
“Clearly, this is how they get their kicks.”
““Mmphh-mmmphmmphh!””
“Wise! Medhi! What’s—eep?!”
“Oh my! Amante and Sorella!”
““Mmmm?!””
The moment they saw Mamako, both faces stiffened.
Meanwhile…
“I don’t get it…but this is our chance, right?” Wise grinned.
“The perfect opportunity. They’re positioned right where we need them.” Medhi grinned back.
Their smiles growing even more malicious, they picked up two sticks and took some practice swings. Vvvp! Vvvp! ““Mmmphhhhhhh!!” It seemed that the Heavenly Kings’ asses were doomed…
But instead…
“No need to punish them. I’ll handle that.”
…A cold voice came from the brush across the fence. A small figure stepped out.
It was wearing an oversize coat, black as a shadow, yet the short hair was a dull white. The figure had a dazed look about the eyes.
Its face and voice were both cute, like a girl’s…
Then, multiple skeleton soldiers emerged, grabbing Amante and Sorella. ““Mmmmppphhhphhh?!”” They yanked on the two girls and started to drag them away into the jungle.
“This is part of their punishment. Don’t hold back. Pull tighter so the vines strangle them.”
““Mmph?! Mmm-mm-mmph-mmppphhh!””
“W-wait a moment! That looks painful! You should be a little nicer…!” Mamako ran toward the fence.
But a tiny palm thrust out in her direction.
“You’re Mamako Oosuki? Consider this my way of saying hello.”
The palm pushed into Mamako’s belly.
“Er……?!”
Mamako was sent flying backward over the fence behind her and into the jungle beyond.
A single blow—not even a blow, just a gentle push. But it had easily launched her—launched Mamako.
Wise, Medhi, and Porta had all seen it happen, witnessed it with their own eyes, yet could not comprehend it. They were left speechless. Too stunned to even breathe.
“Is that all? No—is this merely what you are without your equipment? Then there is no need to fight you further. We shall meet again.”
And with that, the interloper vanished into the brush, following the skeletons as they dragged Amante and Sorella away.
Long after they’d vanished, long after their footsteps had faded from earshot…
…the girls finally snapped out of it.
“Wh…what was that?!”
“I saw the Libere mark on his back… There’s a third one?! N-no, before we worry about him…”
“Mama! Mamaaaa!”
They scrambled into the jungle to see if Mamako was all right.
“……Okay, here’s far enough. Ditch these idiots and get back to the lair.”
The skeletons obeyed his order. “Mmph?!” “Mmph!!” Amante and Sorella were flung onto the jungle floor as the skeletal minions stalked away.
Furious at this treatment, Amante and Sorella managed to gnaw through their gags and glare up at their tormentor.
“Fratello! Who do you think we are?! Treat your cohorts better!”
“Every part of me huuuurts! If this leaves any scaaars, it’s your faaault! You’d better make it up to meee!”
“Shut up, you incompetent clowns.”
“How rude! We aren’t—!”
“Did you drive Mamako Oosuki off the island according to the plans we laid yesterday?”
“Uhhhh… Weeeell…that didn’t work ouuut.”
“You got trapped in some vines in a very undignified position AND they found out your identities… What else could it be but incompetence?! Tell me that, you useless idiots.”
“Ack…”
“Urrrrgh…”
He gave them a cold, listless glare. Neither could argue that he had a point.
“You women are so stupid and incompetent… It makes me want to puke.”
Fratello was done looking at them. He turned toward the jungle.
“Change of plans. Amante, Sorella, use your stupid strength and undead army to locate Porta’s bag. They already know you’re on the island. No need to be choosy about your methods. Make sure you get it first.”
“Boooo! We’re all beat up and you want us to wooork? Is this a jungle or a sweaaaatshop?!”
“What’re you gonna do with the bag, anyway?!”
“Give it back to Mamako Oosuki. Once she’s in peak condition, I’ll fight her fair and square, and I’ll win.”
“Er…w-wait, are you insane?!”
“This is Mamako we’re talking abouuut! If you have to fiiiight, do it now, before she gets her equipment baaaack! This is our chaaaance!”
“Not a problem.”
Fratello looked down at his hands, tightening his grip.
“Y’all…”
““Y’all?!””
“Ahem… I possess immense power—power that enables me to blow away the strongest mother one-handed. I am one of the Libere Rebellion’s Four Heavenly Kings, the one who threatens the power of mothers—and Mamako Oosuki ain’t no threat to Frighten-Mom Fratello, ya hear?!”
““Ya hear?!””
“Ahem.”
The lone wolf named Fratello stalked off, his expression blank.
“I’ll monitor their base. If you locate the bag, bring it to me. Understood?”
“Wait one minute! You don’t get to boss us around!”
“Just because you’re a little strong doesn’t give you the riiiight! Fratelloooo! I hope you get caught in a jungle trap and sufferrrr!”
“Humph. Unlike you, I’m not stupid enough to get caught in the traps we set. I’m not that stupid!”
He repeated the most important part of his statement a second time and promptly vanished into the jungle.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login