An Unusual Train Ride
On a sweltering August day, the sun blazed down on the high schoolers as they reveled in their summer break, planning vacations and spending time with friends. Amidst the heat, a new train pulled into Ikebukuro Station just before noon. The train's exterior was a magnificent sight with its bold green and blue shades, framed by vibrant orange borders at the top. As passengers boarded the train, they were greeted by a plethora of cutting-edge technology that adorned its interiors. The Manabi Express was not an ordinary train, but a special one with twenty-one compartments, including a robot-catering compartment built in memory of the former chairman of the East Japan Railway Company. The train's purpose was to inspire passengers to learn from their journeys by connecting with fellow travelers.
With a departure scheduled in five minutes, one hundred and thirty-five passengers had already taken their seats, while a few others scurried to board the train. Just before noon, the whistle blew, and the train began to move, picking up speed as it turned away from the station. Suddenly, a bright blue light appeared in the sky, flashing over the train. Although the passengers noticed it, they were too engrossed in their journey to pay much attention.
Minutes later, a little girl in the first-class compartment spotted a cute bird perched on a maidenhair tree outside, flitting back and forth. She watched it curiously for a while before turning to her mother and asking, "Mom, do you see that bird on the tree? It keeps sticking in one place. Am I hallucinating?"
Her mother grew concerned and asked, "What's wrong, Ana?"
"Nothing, Mother. I keep seeing the same thing repeatedly, so I asked," Ana replied.
She checked Ana's forehead to see if she had a fever, even though it was summer. Then she asked, "Where did you see that, sweetie?"
Ana pointed to the window, and her mother looked outside and saw what her daughter had seen. She trembled and shouted, "The train is running continuously in one place!"
The other passengers in the compartment noticed it too and started to panic, their voices rising in alarm. A man seated opposite the mother and daughter, dressed impeccably in a suit and wearing a fancy cap and bracelet, stood up and raised his hands, trying to calm the passengers. "Please don't panic, everyone," he said, his voice firm and reassuring. "Let's think about this calmly."
The passengers bombarded him with questions, asking him what they should do. A man in a blue waistcoat demanded, "Why don't you tell us something?"
The man in the suit took a deep breath, then said, "First, let's stop this commotion." With that, he snapped his fingers, and suddenly, everyone vanished into thin air, including the man in the suit. The only things left behind were the seats they had been sitting on and the little bird, still perched on the maidenhair tree outside.
As Jon slowly regained consciousness, a voice calling out his name grew louder and more urgent. "Jon, wake up, wake up, dammit! Wake up!" he heard Ashya's voice say.
Barely able to open his eyes, Jon struggled to orient himself and asked Ashya, "Why are you shouting?"
Frustrated, Ashya grasped Jon's collar and tightened her grip around his neck. "Why was it taking you so long to come out of unconsciousness?" she demanded.
"I don't know, Ashya," Jon replied weakly as she released her hold on him.
He slowly sat up and looked around, his eyes adjusting to the dim light. "What's going on?" he asked, still feeling disoriented.
Ashya motioned towards Germon and said, "Ask Germon. He was the one who woke up first."
Germon shook his head, saying, "I don't even know much, but..." He led Jon and Ashya to a corner of the room where a number was written on the wall - twenty-one. "Look at this. I don't know much, but I guess we've been transferred to compartment number twenty-one," he said, gesturing toward the number.
"But how? We were in our compartment, right?" Ashya asked suspiciously.
Jon's eyes widened with excitement. "Wonderful! Which means we're going to have supernatural powers, right, Germon?" he exclaimed.
Germon looked at Jon with confusion. "Huh? What are you talking about?" he asked.
Jon explained, "We get to teleport in this compartment, which means the thing that teleports us here has some sort of ability. And if I'm right, according to my anime tenfold rule, rule number three - here we have to find our ability, and then we have to find a way to escape from here."
Ashya rolled her eyes. "For now, we don't want this side of you. So get serious," she said angrily, urging Jon to focus.
Ashya Nahira is a petite and vivacious young lady with a charming personality that exudes tranquility and simplicity, evident in her stunning beige medium-length hair. She is a freshman in high school and has been friends with Germon since they were six years old, while she met Jon in middle school. Although Ashya and Germon share a common trait of being cool-headed, Ashya is known for her harshness towards Jon due to his love for anime, despite harboring some affection for him.
Unfortunately, Ashya recently lost her father six months ago, and she now lives with her mother and two younger sisters. While she didn't want to burden her mother and sisters, Ashya decided to take up a part-time job to support her family. As a result, she hasn't been able to spend as much time with Jon and Germon as she would like.
Germon, on the other hand, comes from an affluent family in Ikebukuro - the Tarahashi. He is a brainy young man with a neutral nature, often serving as the mediator between Ashya and Jon. His brown pompadour hair is his trademark and allure for many girls, complementing his dark gray eyes that often convey a sense of calm and levelheadedness. Germon considers Jon his best friend and a rival, balancing his relationships with both Ashya and Jon.
Finally, Jon is a spirited young man who is passionate about anime and often has a knack for getting on Ashya's nerves. He is originally from an orphanage and met Germon and Ashya during middle school. Although he may come off as a bit of a nuisance at times, Jon is a kind-hearted individual who is always willing to lend a helping hand to others. He listens to Ashya not out of fear but out of respect, and his low-fade black hair adds a touch of style and swagger to his overall appearance.
Ashya was apprehensive as she asked Germon a question that had been weighing on her mind, "Do you have any idea what happened to the other passengers and where they might be?"
Germon replied apologetically, "I'm sorry, Ashya. I have no clue what happened to them. However, I believe they might have been taken somewhere else, and we are the only ones left here."
Ashya heard a lip hitting the floor, and someone mumbling in the distance. Jon muttered in disbelief, "Out of the 135 passengers, only we are left on this train. We have to find them and save them, right, Germon?"
Germon murmured in response, "I don't know, Jon."
Jon continued, "What if they are already dead or have been attacked by some monster? We have to do something quickly because we are their only hope. It's time to get serious. Follow me, let's look for some clues."
Ashya chimed in, "I have been telling you the same thing for a while now." "Let's find the door that connects to the other compartment," Germon suggested, leading the way to look for it. Ashya was surprised, "What's he doing now, Germon?" she asked.
"For now, let's follow him. Sometimes it works, and I think we will find something," Germon responded. They searched for a while until Jon spotted a red marker line on the floor. "Germon, Ashya, come over here," he shouted.
As they approached Jon, he gestured towards the line and said, "Look at this, guys." Curious, they bent down to have a closer look. Jon suddenly stepped over the line, and the TV in the ceiling flickered to life. The three of them glanced up in surprise as a voice echoed from inside the TV, "Looks like you have woken up and crossed that line."
"Who are you?" Jon demanded.
"I am Zel, and welcome to the stage of Survival Game," the voice from the TV replied.
"What the hell is going on? Where are you?" Jon asked, looking around in confusion. The man spoke in a tone laced with anger as he barked out a command to the young person to look up. Startled, they quickly complied and gazed up at the screen, where a man in a fancy hat could be seen. Relief washed over Jon's face as he exclaimed, "Ah! There you are."
Germon, who was understandably confused, asked the man who he was and why they were there. "Who are you and why are we here?" Germon questioned, their voice tinged with anxiety.
The man, his irritation palpable, let out a frustrated sigh before saying, "Be patient kid, I'll explain everything about it."
But Ashya, whose curiosity had gotten the best of them, interrupted, "What do you mean by survival game?"
The man's face contorted with anger as he snapped back, "Didn't I ask you to be patient?" Jon, who had been silently observing the situation, knew better than to say anything and instead leaned in to whisper to Ashya, "He's even scarier than you."
Zel, who had been eyeing Jon with a glare, softened when Jon put a finger to his lips, indicating that he should remain silent. "Let's get to the point," Zel said, apologetically acknowledging his behavior.
The man then introduced himself and proceeded to explain that they were in a dire situation. He warned them not to attempt to escape through the windows and went on to elaborate that they would need to play a game in each compartment to escape. They were required to pass through each checkpoint and collect the keys. Once they had all the keys, a wrap would appear, and they could move to a different dimension by placing the keys inside it. They would need to press a gold button in a looping ball to end the loop.
Germon, eager to gather more information, pressed further, "How many checkpoints are there?"
Zel, who had seemingly taken on the role of spokesperson, replied, "The checkpoints are in multiples of three."
Germon then ventured a guess, "Hm! There are Seven Checkpoints, right?"
With a sly smile on his face, Zel divulged the details of the game to the frightened passengers. "Yeah, and in each of the checkpoints, not only will you get the key to pass, but you'll also find a hostage passenger that you have to release, so he/she can play with you on the next stage. If you fail the first time in the checkpoint, you can sacrifice them and get to the next stage without trying a second time," Zel said.
Trying to make sense of everything, Jon removed his finger from his lips and asked, "If I count then there is one person at each of the checkpoints, and counting us, there are ten people on this train. Tell us where are the rest?"
"Well seen, but don't worry, they're in a safe place and they're only safe when you're completing these stages," Zel replied with a laugh.
Trembling with fear, Ashya asked, "If we fail, what will happen to them?"
"They'll be eaten or erased, something like that. One more thing these stages need to be finished. Now it's time for me to leave. Near this compartment door, you'll find your first game," Zel replied.
"Wait! Wait! I want to ask more, who exactly are you, and why are you asking us to play this game? What's your motive?" Germon asked.
"Everything will be answered in the end," Zel said cryptically.
In between, Jon attempted to lighten the mood and asked, "Mr. Zel, where did you buy that hat?"
Zel chuckled and replied, "I'll tell you when you've finished the game. Now go ahead and don't let me down, I have high hopes for all of you," before the TV turned off.
"Okay, then let's go," Jon said, trying to muster up some courage. However, Ashya was still in despair.
Germon and Jon both cheered her up, saying, "Don't worry, we'll save them and finish the game, okay?"
She exclaimed, "Hmm!"
As Zel departed, he warned the passengers not to disappoint him and expressed his high hopes for them. Meanwhile, Zel reported to someone that his work was done and that he was awaiting further orders, leaving the passengers to wonder what lay ahead for them.