OCEAN EYES II

By noon, news had reached all hunters through the D-pad that a certain organization had claimed responsibility for the Iceberg town massacre. The organization, calling itself Ocean Eyes, consisted of several demons. This revelation came as a surprise to DDI, as demons had never previously displayed such social behaviour.

Meanwhile, Mario is training, his constant swinging eventually waking Mari up. Mari sluggishly gets out of bed to complain.

Mari: Excuse me, but someone is trying to sleep. And by the way, have you seen my lollipops? I can't find them in my dream realm or in reality.

Mario: It's noon, and I don't care.

Mari: So? I wouldn't need to be sleeping right now if a certain someone hadn't forced me into a duel. Speaking of the duel, how did you dodge the lightning bolt I threw at you?

Mario: I didn't. You just missed. No surprises there, seeing how much all bark and no bite you are. Is something wrong?

Mari: No. Everything is just fine.

Mari fakes a smile.

Mario: So, when are we going after that Ocean Eyes group?

Mari: Go after? Pump the brakes right there. We're not going after some group that openly took responsibility for massacring an entire town. The information is probably being taken down as we speak. It'll be downplayed as a prank or something.

Mario: You guys can do that?

Mari: Of course. We can't let the public find out about these things. At the moment, we're probably forbidden from investigating the issue or attempting to contact the organization without receiving orders to do so.

Mario: So what you're saying is that we can't go after them?

Mari: Precisely.

Mario: You all disgust me. How many people have died because of policies like this?

Mari: You may not like it, but we are humans too. We get tired, demoralized, hurt, and killed. It's decisions like this that make us remain the hunters.

Mario: So, you're just gonna sit around all day with your legs crossed?

Mari: Well, I did say we were forbidden, but I never said I was going to obey.

Mari smirks.

Mario: Are you saying what I think you are?

Mari: Get some rest. We'll be at Iceberg Town by nightfall. I need to check out something.

Mario becomes excited.

Mario: I knew you'd make the right decision. Open the kitchen cabinet, and you'll find a bunch of lollipops which I definitely did not hide up there.

Mari: Lollipop kidnappers like you do not deserve to live.

Mario: I wonder how you're still healthy, given the amount of lollipops you consume on a daily basis. That aside, what does this D-pad do anyway? Can I call Toro with it?

Mari: You can't call anyone with that, for pretty obvious reasons. Only captains can use such features. The D-pad is already a major blow to our personal safety as things stand. Only the owner can use it, but in a situation whereby the owner is being forced to use it by the enemy, we just have to count on the oath we all took.

Mario: No sacrifice is too great for peace, huh.

Mari: Well, if there's nothing else to say, I'd love to go back to sleep, and please do not disturb me with your swinging.

Mario: How dare you undermine my training.

Mari: I'm sorry, but training without results is kind of a waste of time and resources.

Mario: I'll cut your head off.

Mari: You would have if you could. See ya later.

Mari's D-pad beeps, and he looks at it.

Mari: On second thought, there's somewhere I need to be right now. Catch you later, and oh, please make dinner. Can't save people with an empty stomach.

Mario: Wai...

Mari zooms off before Mario could finish. Mari covers a few miles from home and sees Toro waiting.

Mari: Yo, little T.

Toro: I don't have time to complain about the nickname. How is he?

Mari: He's a lollipop hater and an annoying person to live with, but besides that, he's good.

Toro: Any signs that he might be able to use Kado?

Mari: Not really. He's good at sword swinging, but nothing extraordinary about him. Actually, there is one thing that got me thinking though.

Toro: What is it?

Mari: I threw a lightning bolt at him.

Toro becomes flustered.

Toro: You did what?!

Mari: I've thrown lightning bolts at you, I've thrown them at myself, I've even thrown lightning bolts at bad guys. Don't make it a big deal.

Toro: He's fast for a normal kid, but he isn't even half as fast as sound, and you threw a lightning bolt at him, and you're telling me he's all right...

Mari: That's the mysterious part. You, more than anyone, know that I never miss a target. I can hit someone from the tightest of angles. The only escape is either to deflect the attack somehow or to dodge. We were sparring, and I won, as expected, but then, O says something weird and gives off this ominous vibe. I didn't think twice before throwing a bolt at him. I felt endangered, and that was a last resort to escape harm, but then...

Mari exhales deeply.

Mari: Then, he's all normal, and there's no super evil bad guy vibe anymore, but... he's all right. He thinks I missed, and he didn't deflect it, and I know that I most definitely sent that bolt straight at him. The only possible way for him to escape getting fried at that moment would be to dodge, and to dodge a bolt, his reaction speed must be off the charts.

Toro: There's more to this than I feared.

Mari: Yup. So, now, I'm going to notify the authorities.

Toro: You can't do that. It isn't proper.

Mari: Why not? You're putting the entire organization in jeopardy. Listen, I like O. He's annoying and a lollipop hater, but he's determined and hardworking. But our personal interests remain just that—personal interests. We need to call it in.

Toro: Like we told the organization about your house?

Mari: Don't do that, T.

Toro: Like we informed them about your true identity? All I'm asking is for you to give this boy a chance, like I gave you.

Mari: Well played, little T. Fine. But if he tries to harm me or my lollipops... then I'll fry him and bring his corpse to you.

Toro: Fair enough. I need to go now. I've got a lot on my plate.

Mari: Ocean eyes, huh.

Toro: Yeah.

Mari: What if this is a good thing?

Toro: What do you mean?

Mari: They formed an organization. Which means they aren't just savage beasts, and there's a possibility that I'm...

Toro cuts in.

Toro: The only possibility is that they want something bigger than three square meals. If we don't resolve this quickly, then something bigger than Iceberg will happen. I'm not going to sit down and watch. We're prioritizing the use of masks now, by the way. We can't let this organization get a hold of our identities. Thanks thus far, and please continue to look after Mario. Later, Mari.

Toro disappears in the blink of an eye.

Mari: Bye, little T.

Mari makes his way back to his home. He sees Mario sitting on the couch.

Mari: Yo, O. Did you make dinner?

Mario: Where have you been?

Mari smiles and attempts to dodge the question.

Mari: Oooh, so, you're my mum now?

Mario: You've been hiding stuff from me, haven't you? I've put two and two together, and I've found out what it is.

Mari begins to sweat and fakes a laugh.

Mari: You have?

Mario: Yes. You've gotten my uniform, and you don't want to show me.

Mari lets out a sigh of relief.

Mari: Oh, yeah. You're really smart. But now that you've caught me, I guess I'm going to have to show you.

Mari brings out a package from his room and shows Mario a long-sleeved black hoodie with a matching pair of black trousers.

Mario: Awesome!

Mari: I added a hoodie for you because I thought you'd like it.

Mario: Like it? I love it!

Mari: The use of masks has become mandatory because of recent events, and so, I present to you, your mask.

Mari brings out a mask shaped like the face of a lion, with unique designs on it, and gives it to Mario, who takes it slowly as he stares at it.

Mario: This pattern...

Mari: Yup. It's an old style exclusive to House Daline. While it makes your identity a bit easier to figure out, it also gives you the confidence that you're representing your house.

Mario: I don't care about house Daline. Not anymore.

Mari: Ain't that what we all say? I mean, I don't care about house Real anymore, but I get annoyed whenever someone talks trash about the house. We both know that you have never for once decided to forget about your house.

Mario looks at Mari with his eyes shaking.

Mario: Thank you. This means a lot to me...

Mari: I didn't do this for your gratitude or for anything else, but I'd appreciate it if you stopped making fun of me for loving lollipops. It's sundown already. We need to get going. Suit up. Your mask has night vision, by the way, so we shouldn't have a problem navigating our way to the road.

Mario: I survived twenty-plus nights without a sophisticated mask. What do you take me for?

Mari: Just get ready, will you?

Mario: Fine. It'll only take a while, but first, you're going to eat dinner. I didn't go out of my way just so you could waste food.

Mari: I will, mum.

Mari laughs mockingly, to Mario's dismay.