It was 2 pm now. The crowd was getting bigger every minute. It would probably get even bigger by the afternoon. There would be an opening ceremony at the auditorium at 4 pm.

"I guess this is the last place before we challenge that place again." Ruri stood in front of a room on the 4th floor— which was the topmost floor.

She still kinda felt bitter about her failure. Just what did those colors mean? She spent the last 3 hours thinking about it to no avail.

What if that problem appeared again? What if it appeared on the very 1st room???

"Ooh! Do you think they will have big mechas here?" Takeshi was quite excited about what was inside the room.

Of course he was excited. Ruri read the signboard outside the room.

ROBOTICS EXHIBITION

By the Electronics Club

Ruri kind of wanted to retort about how a bunch of high school kids will be able to create a big mecha, but then stopped. The boys and girls inside were probably also mech-nerds like Takeshi. Maybe they were crazy enough to try something like that?

They went inside.

"AWESOME!!!" Takeshi's eyes had stars.

"Wah!" Even Miki exclaimed, who did not have much interest in things that weren't cute.

"High school students of big cities are quite something..." Sayuri was amazed.

"...Just how much money did it take?" Sunohara wondered out loud.

And Ruri—she was dumbfounded by the sheer absurdity in front of her

There were mechas inside. Not the small miniature ones, the two mechas in front of her easily reached the ceiling. That was not definitely the skyscraper-tall mechs you'd see in the TV, but they were not something that were supposed to be made by a bunch of high schoolers.

These two mechas stood inside a circle that had ropes acting as boundaries. A fighting ring?

Ruri noticed another small signboard at the side. It read:

Extreme Mecha Battle

Odin vs Zeus

Starts at 2:15 PM

"WOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Takeshi looked like his eyes would pop out of his eye sockets anytime.

"Oi Takeshi! Ruri!...Eh? Miki chan's here too?!!" They found some of their friends also waiting for the epic battle to start.

"Sup, Kenta! Miura! Yoshi! Togashi!" Takeshi greeted his fellow nerd friends.

"Damn! Now I am really regretting not getting in the junior high section of Miyabi high! We really need to try harder to get in the high school section!" said the boy named Kenta. Miura and Togashi also nodded.

Takeshi had a wry smile on his face for a moment. Unlike these three, he was talented enough to get accepted in the junior high section of Miyabi High, but he got sick at the worst possible time. That however vanished in the next moment.

It did not escape Ruri's eyes however.

'Junior section of Miyabi, huh... Miki chan really wants to attend here because the creator of Magigal Utena also studied here, and the highschool in that anime is kind of based on this one—like, there are lots of similarities. I also want to be by her side so she does not get bullied. But then we will be in a different school from Takeshi kun huh... What if she gets a girlfriend there—'

Ruri loudly slapped both of her cheeks. Just what was she thinking?!! Damn that track and field girl! It's all her fault!!!

"Eh? Ruri chan, what's wrong?!!" Miki asked her with visible concern.

"N-nothing! I'm fine! Really?"

"...Are you sure? Your whole face is red, you know? Do you have a fever?" Takeshi tilted his head.

"Must be the heat, haha—Uncle! I'm fine, really!" Ruri's uncle directly checked her forehead.

"If you feel sick just tell me directly, okay. I will take you back home," her uncle said.

"Uncle, I am fine! I am not going back without completing that challenge!"

"We could always come here the next day."

"I have school tomorrow! And the day after tomorrow as well! I can't—"

"Ah! It's starting!" Ruri was interrupted by the loud cheers of others. Either way, she was not sick and she was not going back. Hmph.

"Welcome to the epic mecha battle ladies and gentlemen!!! Today you will be seeing something that has never been seen in the history of high school cultural festivals!!! Today, you will be witnessing the epic battle between the two mechas that we, the members of the electronics club have created by working day and night. May I introduce you to Odin and Zeus!!!"

There was a big round of applause from everyone.

Ruri could feel the excitement coming out of everyone. She could not find any fault in them, because she was feeling a little excited too. She looked at Sayuri.

She was the same.

Ruri felt proud of herself that she managed to bring Sayuri san here. She kind of always spent her time doing household chores, waiting for her husband to return and maybe playing with Ruri and Miki occasionally. She always seemed kinda lonely these days.

She should go outside more!

Ruri remembered that the candy store nearby was recruiting a part time employee. What if Sayuri san also worked there in the daytime! Then she wouldn't feel bored and lonely anymore! And more importantly, then Ruri could get various candies at discounts! She was a genious!

She would talk with Sayuri about this later.

"We will begin the fight in 3... 2... 1... GO!!!"

There was a loud cheer inside the room as the battle began. Ruri noticed the walls were all padded, so the noise will probably be contained inside the room.

The battle began with Zeus, that had two weird pole like weapons mounted on its arms, extending them with tremendous force as if they were punching! Did they try to emulate the rocket punch or something?!

The crowd cheered.

Odin, on the other side, started furiously rotating both of his arms. One of the arms smacked Zeus' hand down.

The crowd erupted.

'Okay, this is fun.' Ruri admitted.

Both Zeus and Odin kept exchanging blows without one gaining any edge over the other. Everyone was tense and excited. Takeshi was practically jumping on his feet beside Ruri.

Sayuri grabbed her skirt tensly. What would be the outcome?!

She kinda wished she could bring Satoshi here with her. But he was really busy with his work. He had to juggle between his time at his current workplace and his barely blooming business after all. Whenever she called him, he was always busy. Though, Sayuri tried not to be too much sad. Once his business bloomed, they could move to a better house and finally start thinking about having children—

"WOOOHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

She was brought back to reality thanks to the loud cheers. The battle was getting more intense.

Zeus dodged Odin’s hurricane charge to the side and thrusted one of its spears. Odin also dodged and swatted the pole away—but the pole got stuck in one of its joints!

The crowed grew more tense. Was the stalemate about to break finally?!

Zeus took the chance and charged forward with full force. Odin also started rotating at full force to get out of the bind.

The students that were controlling the two mechas with remote control forgot the world and started pushing at each other with full force.

They were being fueled by Adrenaline, of course. They were young high schoolers, after all. They were young, so full of energy...

and so lacking of experience.

Experience of power management and equipment rating. They forgot that brute forcing stalled motors would need more torque and thus, more current.

Currents that the building wires were probably not designed to handle.

And so, there were sparks at first. Everyone in their excitement thought that the sparks were just... staged visual effects. It looked cool.

The face of the club president paled. He shouted for the handlers of Zeus and Odin to stop, but his voice was drowned in the loudness.

But that very loudness was silenced by another deafening boom. The power board... it was caught in fire.

The crowd took a moment to register what happened. Then... it all began with a shout.

"FIRE!!!"

Everyone started to scream and run frantically.

"Mi chan! Grab my ha—wah! Uncle! Wait!!!" Ruri got separated from Miki and Takeshi as her uncle grabbed her and ran straight for the door.

"Miki!!!"

"ONI CHAAAAN!!!"

Takeshi was about to lose Miki in the frantic crowd, but then both of them were grabbed by another person.

"Sayuri san!"

"This way! We have to get out of here!" Sayuri pulled both of them with her while pushing others away with her body.

They needed to reach the door! The whole room was covered with styrofoam to reduce noise!!! The fire was spreading—

They almost reached the door... just another meter...

Something burning was falling from the above.

Sayuri forcibly pushed both the children towards the door. Both Miki and Takeshi were outside! They were safe!!!

But Sayuri's path was blocked now.

"Sayuri san!!!!!!!" They both shouted.

"Run and find Ruri chan!!! I'll be fine!!!"

"But—"

"JUST RUN!!!" They both started running, hearing her shout. Now they would be safe. And she wouldn't.

Sayuri took a moment to observe her surrounding.

The whole room was burning, and was filled with black smoke.

She was having trouble breathing.

'Is... is this how I'm going to die?'

She tried to reach for the door again, but more burning things fell from above, cutting her path completely off.

It was getting harder to breath...

'No... please... not like this...'

Her eyes started to become filled with water... and it was not just because of the toxic fumes.

She searched for her cellphone, but couldn't find it. She must have dropped it somewhere in the chaos.

Her vision started to blur, and her lungs started to feel like they were burning.

She was crying.

She would not even get a chance to say goodbye to her husband? To apologize to her mother?

"No... please no..."

She lay down on the floor and tucked her knees to her chest. Her head was spinning. Her world... was slowly getting dark.

"Somebody..."

"Please..."

"Save... me..."