Minato had a lot of things on his mind when he arrived in Shibuya Square—musings on how the game had went for him, intrigue at how it had gone for others.
None of that mattered, however, when they reached the Square.
Minato clenched his jaw and hardened his brow as he watched what was about to unfold. It was tough, but...Well, tough. There was a game with rules to play, and if people didn't follow the rules, then of course they'd get erased. It was unfortunate, but that's just how it was. They'd died already, anyways—cheating death was always a gamble, and death always had the best hand. Still, he found himself turning his gaze away as the dead were carried off—that, he found, was difficult to watch. Instead, he cast his eyes downwards, running a glance up around the pattern of the ground beneath them.
That was, until a familiar voice piped up.
Quickly, Minato's head rose. His gaze was laser focused, tracking Sho as he stepped up to the gallows. Minato swallowed down the lump in his throat, his face cycling through expressions in tandem with his cycle of emotions. Denial, at first—maybe he wasn't a Player after all, but a Reaper. Maybe he was here to give them the next task? Anger, then, as he curled his fists tightly. What the hell was this guy thinking? He could have just stuck with Minato and he'd still be alive. He didn't even need to stick with Minato—evidently, the man was clever enough to solve all
three riddles alone. Why had he just stood by idly, and let himself die? He needed to know what he knew, dammit!
"Hey!" Minato yelled aloud, his vexation taking hold of him. He stepped forward, pushing past the crowd to stand at the front.
"What are you doing?!? You still owe me answers!"
A horrible feeling stirred in Minato's chest. A nauseous pit grew in his stomach as realisation dawned upon him—this was it. He could try lash out at the Reapers, but they'd surely overpower him. He could bargain, but they wouldn't accept. There was no way to fix this: It was done.
"Wait," he called out to the Reapers, his voice cracking. "Wait, I just need to—I just need to talk to him, I have to...I have to know!" He gritted his teeth, leaning forward. They had a deal, goddammit! They had a Bond.
But his protests were for naught. In the place of what he wanted, his outstretched palm was filled with a parting gift—Pins. He stared down at them, bringing his hand closer to inspect them—before quickly stuffing them into his pocket, his attention immediately turned back to Sho.
"Wait." Minato's voice broke. "What do you want me to do? What am I supposed to do?"
All this time, he'd been thinking he could lead his friends like he did before. He thought he could beat this game and leave it behind, never to think of it again—but there was something more. Something he had to solve, something Sho needed from him. But what? What was it? How was he supposed to know without him? How was he supposed to protect everyone if he didn't know what he was protecting them from?
Even if he knew, could he?
He'd never know. At least, not from Sho, as he was carried up into the air and so cruelly snuffed out by the Reapers' Game.
And he was gone.
God, he was just
gone. He was over. He'd introduced himself to Minato, saw something in him, and yet Minato knew so preciously little of him. They'd forged a Bond, promising something more than just a simple meeting. Then, he'd stared death in the face and smirked, ready and willing to pass on into erasure. And he left it to Minato to solve his equations.
Gaze cast down to the ground, his expression hardened. There were no tears. There was no sound of protest of despair.
There was only fire.
Reaching his hand up to the air, Minato outstretched a palm and turned it to the evening sun. He cocked his wrist back. He held it there, a motionless wave to send him off.
Before he died, Minamimoto put his trust in me. I'm going to solve this equation for all possible solutions, however much I have to factorise to get there.
A mysterious voice rang in his head...
"I am thou…Thou art I.
The bound thou hast nurtured hath finally matured."
"Thou hast solved the ultimate equation of the Magician, granting thee infinite power..."
From above, Minato saw a trail of light descend from on high. Gently, it spread out across his outstretched palm, running through his veins and up into his heart. The true power of his Bond was finally taking form...
Before his eyes, he saw Jack Frost change shape: Cowl covering its head, hat brim outstretching, coat lengthening around it. A strange looking tool clutched in its hand, the light burst forth, revealing from within...
"'Sup, Rhombicosidodecahedron! I am Mina-hee-mot-ho, and I am thou! You're crazy zetta powerful now, so I'll lend you my strength! We'll solve for x and show these denominators who's REALLY above the vinculum in this expression!"
From the sea of Minato and Sho's souls, Mina-hee-mot-ho emerges...
Slowly, Minato's arm fell, back to his side. The Reapers were gone, but the fire remained. He was going to win this.
He had to.
Turning away, Minato stuffed his hands into his pockets, breaking away from his team and stepping through the crowd.
"I'm taking a break. I'll text you when I'm done."
He needed to be alone for a while.
Minato wasn't in his room when his roommates arrived. Though his things were—his schoolbag, packed with miscellaneous bits, alongside his school uniform. Evidently, he had
changed into something lighter. Beyond that, though, there was no sign of him having stayed too long.
For rather than hang around in his room, he had snuck up to the roof, where he sat by the ventilation and pondered.
As the sun set over an orange horizon, Minato turned the Pins over in his palm, inspecting them closely. The Player Pins gave them the power of Sense, but...what could these do? And why give them to Minato? Did Sho just decide to trust him out of all people, or...Could it have something to do with his power as a Wild Card?
Whatever it was, he had to find out somehow. But who else here could know?
Sighing, he lifted his face up towards the sunlight, casting his gaze out over Tokyo at dusk.
It was times like this that he missed Koromaru.
