LEVEL 2 - GHOST TOWN

As he falls through the dark tunnel opened by Mono, Kazuya begins to open his eyes to see nothingness. That is, until the dark void he was falling through suddenly evaporates into a freefall down to the ground.

Kazuya begins to shout and yell as he falls down at a tremendous speed, before suddenly coming to a halt just before hitting the ground, after which he facepalms into the ground from a small distance.

"Ouch- what the hell was that?!"

As he stands up, he looks around him to see a bunch of empty huts, shops, and wooden traditional looking houses. The ground below him was the same dull gray, but the area was full of these small buildings. As he walks towards the houses, he feels a hand touch on his shoulder. In a panic he turns around, and finds Mono smiling behind him.

"So, you made it eh?"

At this point, Kazuya's confusion mixed with rage, and he snapped.

"You! Why the hell did you leave me up there?!"

"Hm? I thought I said you could follow me didn't I? I never abandoned you." Mono said in a smug manner.

"Well, still! I had to jump through that weird hole you made, and then my face met the floor! And where the hell are we anyway-"

"Yeesh, will ya shut up for a moment? Your voice gets irritating real quick. And to answer your question, this place is the next 'Sky Level, GHOST TOWN!'"

"A ghost town? Well that much was obvious, but what do you mean a Sky Leve-"

"Ooh! Look over there! Food! Come on Yap-uya, let's get something to eat, I'm STARVING!"

Mono then ran off like a child towards one of the food stalls in the town, as Kazuya followed him, he thought to himself: "Yap-uya… am I really that annoying? But I'm sure that I can't be, I just have questions since I just appeared here. I mean I don't know where I was before but still! I should at least be able to ask some…things…".

Kazuya pauses as he walks by one of the food stalls Mono is standing at, only to see a stick with an unrecognizable food item wrapped around it sitting on a grill that had been freshly lit. As he stares at this, he looks back at Mono, who is salivating at the smell of the food.

"Uh Mono, what're you making exactly?"

"Hm? Oh Kazuya! You decided to grab a bite too, eh? Well check it out, this here's called a Laistar, and it's suuuuper tasty!"

"I see. Well I guess I'll take one as well."

"Good choice! Hey, chef! One more order of Laistar!"

"Hm? Chef? Wait, are you not the one cooking this?"

"No, I don't know how."

"Wait, then who-"

Before Kazuya was able to finish speaking, a figure appeared out of thin air. They looked like a regular person, but were translucent. Additionally, they didn't look like they possessed a physical form, with parts of them floating away and regenerating in an endless loop. These were the ghosts of Ghost Town!

"Comin' right up!" exclaimed the ghost.

"Uh… Mono"

"Yes, Kazuya?"

"...Nevermind"

At this point, Kazuya was fed up, and went and took a seat on the ground, leaning against one of the huts nearby. As he laid back, he closed his eyes, trying to remember what had happened before coming to this strange land, but he couldn't recall anything. All he remembered were basic things and actions. He also knew for a fact that where he is right now is NOT where he is supposed to be. As he contemplates this, he opens his eyes, only to find to see this blurry and fuzzy. He rubs his eyes to no avail. He then moves away from the hut, and his vision clears up. As he looks back he sees a ghost standing in the same spot he was sitting, glaring him in the eyes. After realizing what had gone on, Kazuya screams internally, before trembling back to Mono.

"Ooh, just in time! Here, your Laistar's all ready! Now, eat up so we can get outta here to the next Sky Level."

Mono then looks at Kazuya's lifeless face and says "...What the hell happened to you?"

Kazuya remained silent, and just started eating the food he was given by Mono.

"...It's surprisingly good."

"Right?"

As they both eat their food, a loud thud is heard from nearby. As they both turn around they see a bright beam of light shine upwards. It was at this moment that three figures walked out of the light. They were dressed in bright white armor, with golden and blue accents on the outermost edges, covering their body from chest to toe. On their head was a golden ring, and they possessed a weapon on the right side of their armor.

"Find him." Said one of them.

In a hurry, Mono drops his food and grabs Kazuya's arm, while running at full speed. As they run away, one of the people that had shown up spots them, and alerts the other two. They begin a grand chase across ghost town, with Mono turning corners, jumping on stalls, running on the side of walls, all while Kazuya is dragged along for the ride. As they run, they find an isolated alley fast enough before the ones chasing them could catch up, and they lose them for the time being.

As Mono catches his breath, and Kazuya prays to god that he's still alive, Kazuya looks at Mono, with frustration in his eyes.

"Mono. Who the HELL were those guys? Why did you drag around like that? How the hell did you run on a LITERAL WALL? Why were those guys chasing-"

"Shhhhh! Shut up, Yap-uya. Right now, we just need to stay hidden. I'll explain to you everything lat-"

"Nope! You're explaining this NOW!"

"Ughh. Look, those guys are the guards of the Horizon Line. They're after me after my little 'adventure' when I merged with you and all that on the ground."

"I still don't understand what you mean by merge, but I'll let that slide. Right now, what happens to me if you get caught."

"Well, If I get caught, you have no one to help you, and you'll eventually die on your own. If they find you, then they'll kill you to get rid of any evidence of human existence in the Sky. Basically, if either of us gets caught, it's game over for BOTH of us!"

"Damn it, what do we do?"

While contemplating their situation, a strange aura forms near them, and a voice calls out "perhaps, I could help?" Before they're able to see who it is however, the footsteps of the guards got closer, until suddenly they are found. As the three guards approach from either side of them, escape seems impossible, until one of the guards is struck to the ground.

"Oi! What happened?!" yelled one of the guards whilst Kazuya and Mono miraculously made their escape.

However, as they were running, they were stopped by what felt like two hands grasping them on either one of their shoulders. They then notice the guards unable to locate them, despite them being in a completely open space.

"Hm? What's going on?"

"Hmph, it seems someone has come to help us." Mono said with an annoyed tone.

As Kazuya looks to his right shoulder, he sees a slightly transparent hand grasping onto him and Mono.

"Don't look back. Stay still."

As they both stand in place, they patiently wait in silence for an outcome, from either the guards, or the ghost blocking them from their demise.