Chapter 30

    A Story on the Cruise Ship

    Having loaded the shotgun shells he got from the repair manual into his shotgun, Möbius sat alone in his cabin to brace himself. Although he had already shot himself twice, this time with buckshot, it took him much longer to steel his nerves.

    "Here goes," Möbius aimed the gun at his forehead, resolved that today he must fix the gun, no matter what.

    Bang!

    "Möbius..."

    The bang was followed by Leia bursting through the door forcefully, her petite frame staggering as she weakly called out his name.

    "Are you alright, Young Miss?"

    Möbius, who had yet to shoot himself, quickly rushed to support Leia who seemed about to fall, her complexion looking far from well.

    "I never knew that being on a ship could give such a headache."

    Leia complained. Since the ship was mid-sized, it still swayed somewhat. Initially, she tried to get some fresh air on the deck but found the swaying too severe. One of the crew suggested staying in her cabin located in the middle of the ship where the swaying would be minimal. The best solution was to sleep through it, though she doubted she could sleep at all.

    Seeing the young girl, usually so composed, now showing such vulnerability, Möbius couldn't stand by. He thought of ways to alleviate her seasickness, but before he could act, Leia collapsed onto him, overwhelmed by dizziness. Soon, Möbius figured it out and pulled out the large bed from his room, placing it in the middle of the cabin.

    Grativa

    Möbius altered the direction of gravity so that the bed became the center of gravity, ensuring that no matter how much the ship tilted, he and Leia would stick to the bed as if it were on solid ground.

    "Uh, thanks, Möbius."

    Leia, clinging tightly to Möbius's shirt, managed to say. He merely smiled at her endearing nature. The young man had to force himself to stay awake for a long while, using his abilities continuously. Fortunately, Leia was already quite headachy, which meant the young girl soon breathed deeply, the signs of her falling asleep.

    Although Leia was a mysterious young woman whose depth Möbius didn't fully understand, he believed she was one of the people who meant him the most well. He couldn't remember when this little girl had come to play such a big role in his heart. The petite girl with long purple hair lay on the bed, her sweet face with a hint of a smile was harmless. From any angle, she was a woman who seemed to need to be cherished. After watching her contentedly for a while, he left the room to find a place to continue his self-shooting.

    Möbius, shotgun in hand, made his way to the rear of the ship. There, a horseshoe-shaped lounge surrounded the outer deck with two to three tables set up. He sat in a secluded corner, steeling himself before once again aiming the large shotgun at his head.

    Bang!

    "Those darn federations are truly vile."

    The loud noise came from Teppanyaki on the other side of the lounge where Möbius was sitting. The bang was actually Teppanyaki slamming the table forcefully because Möbius had not yet pulled the trigger on his gun. Driven by curiosity, Möbius, shotgun in hand, approached Teppanyaki, Sashimi, and Kujikatsu, who were huddled together.

    "Ah, Mr. Möbius, what are you doing here? Just in time, I've just received a report from Nikiri about the Bushido Federation pestering him."

    Teppanyaki invited Möbius to join them. This was another matter Möbius was eager to learn about: why the Bushido Federation was harassing an ordinary merchant like Nikiri.

    "I was just hanging out. So, what did Nikiri do?"

    "He accidentally met the legendary swordsmith Muramasa and received some training from him."

    "Muramasa?"

    After Teppanyaki explained, Möbius said the name of someone he didn't know with curiosity.

    "Don't worry if you don't know him, Mr. Möbius. He is the finest swordsmith around, but he only forges one sword per year. Last year, after the Bushido Federation won the war, their leader commissioned a sword from Muramasa, making him the strongest sword-wielder in the federation," Sashimi elaborated.

    "Oh, I see. Where did Nikiri meet him?"

    Möbius wasn't particularly interested in Muramasa since he didn't use a sword as a weapon, but he would like to meet someone who was considered a legend.

    "It's usually confidential, but we can share it with you, Mr. Möbius. Nikiri encountered Muramasa while lost in the Ten Thousand Doors Dungeon in Sakura City."

    Teppanyaki whispered because it was a highly confidential piece of information that he couldn't tell anyone else.

    "And what are you doing with that shotgun? I've seen you carrying it around for a while now."

    Kujikatsu asked Möbius, who had been carrying a shotgun since he joined them. There were no enemies on the ship, so it was very strange to see someone walking around with a weapon.

    "Oh, I'm about to shoot myself to learn a skill."

    "Wow, gunslingers learn skills by shooting themselves? That's tough. My profession just requires reading a book."

    Teppanyaki said, acknowledging that some skills might require stabbing oneself with a sword.

    "I thought archers had it tough, needing to stick a flower pin in our arms to learn," remarked Kujikatsu.

    "Warriors sometimes have to stab themselves too, but usually, a master provides the manuals."

    Sashimi added, as Möbius seemed to understand why so few chose the gunslinger profession.

    "Well, I guess I'll go find a quiet place to steel my nerves."

    Möbius excused himself to walk away from the three young men who continued their discussion about the federation.

     Mobius's next destination was the observation deck at the top of the ship. He sat there, lost in the beauty of the sea for a while, before once again aiming the gun at his head and closing his eyes, planning to pull the trigger at the fifth chirp of a bird.

    Chirp... Chirp... Chirp... Chirp...

    "What are you doing here, Möbius?"

    A sweet voice sounded next to his ear. When Möbius looked, he found Inari sitting beside him, giving him a curious look with a sly fox-like tilt of her head, charmingly endearing.

    "Oh, nothing much, just hanging out."

    Möbius replied, quickly stowing away his gun. For him, among Gumiho, Leia, and Inari, Inari was the most dangerous because Möbius could never predict what the seductive fox mother was thinking or planning to prank him. So, keeping Inari in the dark about his self-shooting was safest, although she might have guessed what he was about to do when she saw him pointing the gun at himself. But today, Inari seemed in too good a mood to bother teasing Möbius, so she pretended not to notice.

    "The sea feels wonderful, doesn't it?"

    Inari moved closer to him, resting her chin on the iron railing and gazing out at the sea. The young man, already entranced by the sea's beauty, nodded vigorously in agreement.

    "Yes, it's lucky to be here."

    "I'm glad I followed you, Möbius; otherwise, I would just be stuck in the forest."

    Inari spoke, her index fingers twirling around each other, a gesture of her shyness. This was the first time she was with Möbius alone since they had agreed to be partners.

    "It's me who should thank you for agreeing to come along, Inari. Hmm..."

    Möbius looked at Inari, her golden hair fluttering in the wind, her sparkling gold eyes admiring her short kimono that barely concealed the beauty of this gorgeous woman. Inari was a perfect match for the red rose brooch that Möbius had given her.

    "Inari, you are reliable in every situation. Having you by my side always comforts me, and besides... you are also very beautiful."

    Möbius said, as Inari turned to look at him with surprise, then blushed softly, her eyes narrowing with tenderness.

    "Promise me that once you recover, you'll come back to visit me, and take good care of Leia."

    Inari whispered gently. During the time Möbius was unconscious in the underground dungeon, Leia had confided the truth to her and Gumiho.

    "Of course, I promise."

    Möbius pledged solemnly. Even though for him, the two foxes were just AI, his feelings for them were genuine. Part of him wanted to wake from this dream quickly, yet another part wished this dream with Inari and Gumiho could last forever. But reality is reality, and dreams are dreams, a bitter point in Möbius's heart that saddened him every time he confronted it.

    "There's another thing that really bothers me. I use Inari and Gumiho to fight. Sometimes it gets tiring, sometimes it's dangerous, all because of my selfish desire to win the war."

    Möbius confessed to Inari, feeling so distressed he almost cried. As he spoke, Möbius blinked rapidly to hold back his tears.

    "Don't worry, Möbius. Just keep taking good care of us as you have always done."

    Inari gently wiped the unshed tears from his eyes with the sleeve of her garment.

    "Thank you, Inari."

    Möbius turned to gently stroke the head of the fox mother for a long time. This conversation made him feel much relieved.

    "Alright, I'll give you this time. I won't bother you. Go ahead and shoot yourself now, before I change my mind."

    The fox mother stood up, her expression quickly turning mischievous with the blink of an eye. She gave Möbius a look, then walked away. Now Inari's face was flushed to the ears, due to the charming care and affection that Möbius himself did not realize were the very things that had captured the fox mother's heart.

    After soaking in the pleasant moments with the fox mother and the sea, Möbius found a place where no one could disturb him. This time, he ventured into the storage room.

    "Hello, are you really going to hang out in here?"

    A crew member passing by asked Möbius as he entered the storage room.

    "Yes, I just need a quiet place to think about something."

    He smiled at the crew member, who opened the door to the outer deck for him to enjoy the sea view. The room was spacious enough, so he brought out the Black Lightning close to the exit that the crew member had opened.

    [Hello, Mr. Möbius, are we at sea? Oh!! Great, will I see all my pretties in swimsuits? I bet Inari looks the best. As for rust, don't even worry about it. I was made to withstand rust very well; even sea water won’t do it.]

    Black Lightning, which rarely got to come out, started chattering non-stop again.

    "I'm sorry for not letting you out often, Black. Whenever you do come out, we're always on the run."

    Möbius felt guilty towards Black Lightning. If it weren't alive, he wouldn't be in such a difficult situation.

    [... Don’t worry, Mr. Möbius. My real duty is to aid in escapes anyway. I was originally designed to be destroyed in that dungeon, no one was supposed to take me out of that elevator. Mr. Möbius, you gave me life and a chance to continue living, whatever you do with me, I’ll accept it, sir.]

    Black Lightning, whose mood had changed quickly, replied to Möbius in a voice tinged with sadness.

    "Thank you very much. This trip to the sea, you can run at full speed. But for now, let me have some quiet time."

    Möbius told Black Lightning as he sat in the driver's seat and again aimed the shotgun at his head, which it acknowledged immediately.

    [Understood, Mr. Möbius.]

    This time, he believed no one would interrupt him, so he closed his eyes to prepare himself for self-shooting, even though he had braced himself several times already, it still never felt routine.

    "This time, for sure."

    Möbius opened his eyes, his finger poised over the trigger of his gun, but then...

    "Scream...!!!"

    The scream of a young woman echoed from above, accompanied by the shadow of someone falling. The young man quickly hid his gun.

    It was Shabu-Shabu herself who was falling. Using grativara while seated in the car, Möbius was lucky to have parked right by the exit, sparing him much effort. He also took out a wooden spear he had acquired from a forest dweller to catch Shabu-Shabu as he neutralized the gravity but not the inertia accompanying the fall. Soon after dissipating the inertial forces, Shabu-Shabu floated in mid-air but not for long.

    "Scream...!!!"

    Another scream rang out, clearly Tempura jumping down to help her friend. Möbius did as he had before, effortlessly saving her.

    "Would you like to come inside?"

    Möbius smiled at the two women floating in the air, holding onto his wooden spear to avoid being blown away by the wind. The women nodded vigorously, urging Möbius to pull them in quickly. He swung the two women to sit on the back seat of Black Lightning just right.

    [Oops, hello. I've never met the lady in white before. I'm Black Lightning, Mr. Möbius's pet car, nice to meet you. Oh, Mr. Möbius, you are really a dream owner, aren’t you? Every time we meet, there are always more girls. Too bad I was born a sports car and can't seat everyone at once. If I were a bus, it would be nice, or hey, a train would be good too, you could add more trains continuously.]

    Black Lightning, never quite still, like a talkative car.

    "Here it is, Mr. Möbius's car I was telling you about. Hello, I'm Shabu-Shabu, and this is Tempura, nice to meet you."

    Shabu-Shabu, who had once fainted in this sleek black car, wasn't as shocked that it could talk.

    "..."

    Tempura's jaw dropped in awe. She hadn't expected Möbius's car to be so cool and even capable of speaking, needing a nudge from Shabu before she could compose herself. Once she regained her composure, she began to engage Möbius in conversation, as they hardly knew him.

    "Hey Möbius, what's the relationship between Leia, Gumiho, and Inari for you?"

    Tempura asked Möbius directly, while Shabu eagerly awaited his response as well.

    "They are very important to me. It wasn’t wrong saying that they are my confidants."

    Möbius responded according to the feelings that these three were the ones he must protect no matter what.

    "Then watch out for Teppanyaki, Sashimi, and especially Kujikatsu. They've got their eyes on your girls."

    Tempura grimaced as she mentioned the Japanese Food-named guys.

    "I'll be careful with Sashimi and Kujikatsu, but Teppanyaki is different."

    Möbius, who could guess Tempura’s feelings towards Teppanyaki, commented.

    "How different? I see him looking at Gumiho and Inari all the time."

    Tempura, who had been secretly observing the Teppanyaki all along, spoke up. Although she admitted that Möbius's girls were prettier than her, she still didn't like it that the guy she had a crush on was always eyeing other girls.

    "Remember the start of the event in Tanuki City? When I went to help you guys in the bedroom and Teppanyaki came later? I saw that Teppanyaki was really worried about you then, and now he's all bruised up. He wouldn’t have gotten those injuries if he hadn’t rushed to help you."

    Möbius told Tempura, who was unconscious due to blood loss at the time and didn’t see Teppanyaki’s concerned expression.

    "Uh, true because I was there too. We've been together with Teppan for so long. The only time I saw him about to cry was when he saw you covered in blood," Shabu-Shabu added.

    "Oh, we'll go look for Teppanyaki first."

    Tempura's mood immediately improved, and she excused herself to go find Teppanyaki. But before they left, Shabu-Shabu turned to ask Möbius,

    "And for Möbius, what am I to you?"

    Shabu didn't want to keep her feelings secret any longer and asked Möbius directly, thinking she would be with him for a long time and should address her feelings first.

    "You're a friend who makes every encounter fun."

    Möbius smiled at Shabu-Shabu, thinking that every time he meets her, there's always something fun happening, from Efrik, zombies, Nemesis, and just now, their dramatic entrance by falling off the ship.

    "Though I think of you more than just a friend, Möbius."

    She confessed her feelings to him right away. Tempura, who seemed to know already, quietly listened for his response, which Möbius paused to consider while maintaining his smile.

    "Yes, no matter how you feel about me, I think you’re a friend who makes every encounter enjoyable."

    "Uh..." Shabu-Shabu accepted the words, then invited Tempura to leave. The priestess changed their destination from finding Teppanyaki to their own private room, as her friend probably needed some time alone now.

    [Master, you did your best.]

    Black Lightning said briefly but meaningfully to Möbius. He sat silently for a while, grappling with the pain of having to confront someone who cared about him. It took a long while before the young man started speaking again.

    "Alright, Black, go into the fourth dimension first. If we reach Maldives, I'll definitely get you a chance to sprint."

    Möbius patted the steering wheel of the magnificent vehicle a few times before taking a deep breath, seeking more solitude.

    This time he chose a spot by the pool on the deck, guessing the system would send Gumiho to interrupt him for sure. Möbius just sat with his eyes closed, not planning to do anything.

    Splash…Splash…

    He thought the sound of the waves hitting the boat was so pleasant that he closed his eyes and listened to it for a long time before taking out his shotgun and pointing it at his head, assuming Gumiho would be at the dining hall and wouldn't bother him as he prepared to shoot himself.

    Slap…

    "Möbius, I've seen you sitting here for a long time. Are you feeling unwell?"

    It was the voice of his fox-girl, Gumiho, her hand damp as she touched his forehead. The young man had expected her to interrupt but didn't mind; it gave him a chance to talk to her, feeling that they hadn’t spoken much lately.

    He slowly opened his eyes. Before him was Gumiho, her golden hair wet, eyelashes beaded with droplets, her lips glistening with moisture just inches away from him. She wore a revealing, wet white two-piece swimsuit that highlighted her irresistible curves. The deadly round-shape allure of this fox-girl were almost touching his face. Möbius remembered the first time he shot himself, feeling as tense now as then. Every muscle in his body tightened, including his finger on the shotgun's trigger, though he... had intended to talk to her...

    Bang!

    1749 (Remaining 1/1750)

    The shotgun's recoil sent Möbius flying from his chair, with Gumiho falling in front of him, and then everything before him faded to black. The last thing he saw was the fox girl's face rushing towards him, her lips nearly touching his, but then everything went dark, and he never knew what happened next... forever.

    'Mr. Möbius, you have gained the skill to repair guns.'