CHAPTER 5 BETTER
<span>It wasn’t long until Maasaru and Nishi were teleported with me. Kurono wasn’t teleported with Maasaru. The taller man was still bent over as if cradling his friends body.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“He’s gone dude. Get over it,” Nishi said. The middle schooler was pissing me off. Maasaru continued to cry, staring up at him. “Gantz will start giving out points now.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">He and I turned to the ck orb. White words appeared on the ball again.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">TIME TO SHARE THE POINTS
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">I noticed then that the dog had survived as well. Nishi, the dog, and I walked over to the orb. A mugshot of the dog appeared on the orb. With the name Dog it received 0 points. My face was next disyed. By my picture was the name Know-It-All. I earned 0 points as well. Kato had his name listed as Crier and he had no points. Nishi was listed as Mr. Nishi and he had 3 points. The surprising thing was he had a total of 90 points listed under his mugshot. I was impressed.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Only 3?” Nishi asked. “Barely worth my time.” He acted bored, but he had been hiding the whole time. The kid knew how dangerous it could be.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Gantz, show me the reward list,” I said. Nishi gave me another surprised look.
<ol>
<li style="list-style-type:decimal;vertical-align:baseline">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">You will be freed along with your memories erased.
</li>
<li style="list-style-type:decimal;vertical-align:baseline">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">You will be given an extremely powerful weapon.
</li>
<li style="list-style-type:decimal;vertical-align:baseline">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">You will be able to revive a human being from the memory.
</li>
</ol>
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Maasaru, look here,” I said. The man wasn’t listening. Walking over I grabbed his shoulder My suit kicking in I picked him up. “Read those.”
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">The man did reluctantly. As he read thest line his eyes widened. “What? Really?”
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Yes,” I said.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Is Kurono in the memory?”
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Gantz, show the memory list,” I said. The orb popted with mugshots of those dead. Thest icon was that of Kurono’s face.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“H-How?” Maasaru asked.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“If we get 100 points, we can bring him back to life,” I said. The man’s eyes sparkled.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Are you serious?” He asked, his lip quivering.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“I am,” I said. “I’ve seen it done. We will be summoned back here. Have to kill aliens. But some day we should be able to earn 100 points.”
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Why? Why would you do that?” He asked, hesitant.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Because he deserves to live. I didn’t mean to kill him. We will have to risk death, but I promise. If you work with me. We can earn enough points to bring him back,” I said. I really wanted to do it for the quest. Nishi was a lost cause, but Kato was an asset.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Okay,” he said simply. Drying his eyes as he snorted up some snot. “How do we do that?”
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“We train,” I said. “We could be summoned back here tomorrow night for all I know. We need to get used to these suits.”
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Yeah, okay,” he said. “Whatever. I just, have to bring him back.” <span style="vertical-align:baseline">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“I know. And again, I’m sorry for shooting. I-I was scared too,” I admitted. When I originally read theic I thought they were always stupid. Standing around as people got eviscerated. But here now I had locked up and done the same thing. I needed to train. Get used to the suit, I hoped that would help.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“You’re idiots,” Nishi said, drawing our eyes. “Don’t waste you points on other people.”<span style="vertical-align:baseline">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Yeah,” I said. “That’s why you showed up all on your own. You guys get a bad missionst time and you let everyone else die again?”
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">Nishi’s face contorted in rage. But he didn’t say anything. No retort. Just a simple tsk and he turned and left. The door mmed as he exited. Maasaru was quiet as we stood alone. The dog whined at my feet but I ignored him.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Do you really mean it?” Maasaru said hesitantly.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“I do,” I said. “I am willing to risk it. I need to make up for this mistake.”
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“You know, Kurono was the most fearless kid I ever knew,” hemented. “I was so happy to see him. He stepped up to help me pull someone up from the train tracks before this.”
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“You will see him again,” I promised. “Keep the suit and the gun with you. Let’s exchange numbers.” We did so and we were soon walking out of the door. The dog ran off when let out and I headed in the opposite direction of Maasaru.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">I was left with my thoughts as the memories of the person I had taken over led me to my apartment. I lived the ssic impossible Japanese kids life. My parents rented me an apartment, like they had Kurono. The ce to myself I grabbed some food with the meager money I had and headed inside.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">I would like to say that memories of my past life gued me. Those of my wife and kids. But in all honesty I sat on the couch and passed out. Terrible dreams of blood and gore gued me. It wasn’t till I awoke that I realized I had slept in my Gantz suit.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">Taking it off I threw it in my backpack. It was already 9 in the morning. I didn’t bother going to school. I spent the day thinking. Was I really cursed to have to go to the worst of the worst of animes? The most dire of situations thrust on me. What was the point of this? Why me? Could I get out of it?
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">It was sad to say but Gantz gave out more information than whatever entity had decided to put me through this. Either way, I needed to focus. Ignore those from myst life as I tried to survive. Letting out a sigh I got up and made myself some food.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">Familiarizing myself with the new life I checked out the mirror. I really did look like my younger self. But I was Weston Watanabe now. Some half-Japanese kid with my same unruly hair. But I also had some opportunity. Gantz was a world where aliens would keep attacking. An apocalypse event would happen and they would need me, Kurono, Maasaru and everyone else I could save to survive.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">I began to remember back to what I knew of Gantz. Writing everything down in a notebook. It waste when I got a call from Maasaru. We met up and began working with the suits and guns. Out in the middle of nowhere we practiced jumping as far as possible. First on the ground, then between brick walls. Only a few feet off the ground, but still. It was hard tond on the correct spot but we did.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">After that we tried punching. As I hit the wall I didn’t feel anything too tough from it. Each punch getting stronger until I punched straight through the bricks. Maasaru yelled in excitement as he tried as well. Eventually doing it we shared stories andughed as we continued to practice. I only told stories from this version Weston, but they were my memories too, so I felt fine with it.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">When it started to get dark a ringing went off in our ears. “What’s that?” Maasaru asked.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“That’s the signal to go back to the room,” I said. Butterflies in my stomach.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“We will have to do this every day?” Maasaru asked as we headed toward the train station.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“No idea. Think it’s random,” I admitted. We talked and headed to the apartment.
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">When we got there the dog and Nishi were waiting next to the ball. People began appearing as I pulled up my Status Screen.
<table style="border:medium;border-copse:copse">
<colgroup>
<col width="143">
<col width="152">
<col width="60"></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr style="height:16.5pt">
<td style="border-left-width:2.25pt;border-left-style:solid;border-top-style:solid">
<span style="font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline">Name
</td>
<td style="border-top-width:2.25pt;border-top-style:solid">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">Weston Watanabe
</td>
<td style="border-right-width:2.25pt;border-right-style:solid;border-top-style:solid"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:15.75pt">
<td style="border-left-width:2.25pt;border-left-style:solid">
<span style="font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline">Current Quest:
</td>
<td style="vertical-align:bottom">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">Bring Kei to Life
</td>
<td style="border-right-width:2.25pt;border-right-style:solid"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:15.75pt">
<td style="border-left-width:2.25pt;border-left-style:solid">
<span style="font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline">World 1:
</td>
<td style="vertical-align:bottom">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">High School of the Dead
</td>
<td style="border-right-width:2.25pt;border-right-style:solid"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:15.75pt">
<td style="border-left-width:2.25pt;border-left-style:solid">
<span style="font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline">World 1 Quest:
</td>
<td style="vertical-align:bottom">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">Escape the School
</td>
<td style="border-right-width:2.25pt;border-right-style:solid"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:15.75pt">
<td style="border-left-width:2.25pt;border-left-style:solid">
<span style="font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline">World 2:
</td>
<td style="vertical-align:bottom">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">Gantz
</td>
<td style="border-right-width:2.25pt;border-right-style:solid"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:15.75pt">
<td style="border-left-width:2.25pt;border-left-style:solid"></td>
<td style="vertical-align:bottom"></td>
<td style="border-right-width:2.25pt;border-right-style:solid"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:15.75pt">
<td style="border-left-width:2.25pt;border-left-style:solid"></td>
<td style="vertical-align:bottom"></td>
<td style="border-right-width:2.25pt;border-right-style:solid"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:15.75pt">
<td style="border-left-width:2.25pt;border-left-style:solid">
<span style="font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline">Passive Skills:
</td>
<td style="vertical-align:bottom">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">Memory Meld
</td>
<td style="border-right-width:2.25pt;border-right-style:solid"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:15.75pt">
<td style="border-left-width:2.25pt;border-left-style:solid"></td>
<td style="vertical-align:bottom"></td>
<td style="border-right-width:2.25pt;border-right-style:solid"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:15.75pt">
<td style="border-left-width:2.25pt;border-left-style:solid">
<span style="font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline">Usable Abilities:
</td>
<td style="vertical-align:bottom">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">Status Screen
</td>
<td style="border-right-width:2.25pt;border-right-style:solid"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:15.75pt">
<td style="border-left-width:2.25pt;border-left-style:solid"></td>
<td style="vertical-align:bottom">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">World Escape
</td>
<td style="border-right-width:2.25pt;border-right-style:solid">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">0:00:01
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:15.75pt">
<td style="border-left-width:2.25pt;border-left-style:solid"></td>
<td style="vertical-align:bottom"></td>
<td style="border-right-width:2.25pt;border-right-style:solid"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:16.5pt">
<td style="border-left-width:2.25pt;border-left-style:solid;border-bottom-style:solid">
<span style="font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline">Bonuses
</td>
<td style="border-bottom-width:2.25pt;border-bottom-style:solid">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">N/A
</td>
<td style="border-right-width:2.25pt;border-right-style:solid;border-bottom-style:solid"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<span style="vertical-align:baseline">“Oh thank god,” I said aloud. Maasaru gave me a look. “Fuck this. World Escape.”