Chapter 9 Episode 21: Borderline 3

Elsewhere in Tokyo, we tune in as Nomad approaches Algernon after looking for them for so long. Charlie doesn’t answer but the mouse AI does, saying they’ve heard rumors of the Shinjuku detective. They ask why Nomad was looking for them, and if it isn’t a job offer, that he makes it quick.

Nomad also would rather things be direct and demands to know the names of whoever remodeled Algernon. The AI asks what’d he do with that info, so Nomad says he wants to take revenge on the ones who turned him into an unsightly tiger. He talks about seeing someone with the same but more advanced future tech he has over in Chiyoda, the time travel to his acceleration.

Algernon is mildly interested that Nomad was around for the big incident earlier, and Nomad says he’s sure the ones who modded him are the same people who modded Algernon. They don’t respond to that, so Nomad repeats his demand to know who it is.

Algernon calls it risky business and asks him to calm down. They observe that Nomad is unhappy about the experimentation done on him, which is different from their own case. Algernon considers how to actually answer the question when Charlie cuts in to call Nomad’s revenge dumb and tells him he ought to drop it. He also teleports behind him at some point while talking to him.

Nomad grinds his teeth at the demonstration, asking if Charlie is trying to say their powers are too different due to being at different tech development stages. Charlie says it’s not about that and he only meant it was their approach to the future he was talking about.

Nomad thinks Charlie is trying to be cute, but Algernon pipes back up saying it’s unusual for Charlie to say more than two words at a time. Then they apologize to Nomad, saying their casual speech patterns won’t be changing. They agree with Charlie though, saying Nomad’s revenge is pointless.

Scene switches back to your side, picking back from the point Surtr transformed to Azathoth. Tezcatlipoca seems shocked to see him, and Azathoth comments on him attacking the Kamata portal directly again. He also laughs at him saying that Tezcatlipoca specifically really wants this particular portal, which Tezcatlipoca goes silent at.

You either call to Azathoth in confusion or turn to Arc. The wrestlers are confused by this and say this never happened in the memories they saw of the past. They thought they knew everything that had ever happened in Tokyo, and that Surtr and Azathoth are supposed to be eliminated. Bafflement and agitation spreads among them, which you comment on since they were so composed earlier.

One wrestler tries to rally the others and says Azathoth must be a fake, then tries to muster up an attack to keep Azathoth from interfering with Tezcatlipoca. This leads to the episode battle, and more story happens afterwards.

After the battle, things pick up with the mobs attempting to jump Azathoth all at once. He cackles at this and responds by replacing the current area with his Reality Marble, which surprises the wrestlers as they start falling off the edge of infinity. You say you saw this before, and narration calls it the place where his throne records the countless scenes of death and his court of madness.

The plant things that hang around here all move according to Azathoth’s will to welcome the intruders. Azathoth then says it’s time to hit replay on their bad endings because it’s game over for them! As the plants start invading the mobs’ memories, Azathoth notices that Tezcatlipoca has only shown the mobs only part of what has happened and comments on it. He seems offended and calls it a shitty five minute promotional trailer kind of thing.

Azathoth says he’ll do them a huge favor and show them everything, then activates his NP on them all to fling them across the horizon. Things then revert back to reality, and Xolotl asks in shock if you guys are back at the workshop. Amatsumara tries asking what just happened, and narration compares the feeling you guys have to waking up from an unfathomable illusion. There’s still some unnatural empty space around Azathoth where the mobs were beforehand though.

Azathoth says he sent the flunkies back to Tezcatlipoca’s den, which he says is in Nerima. Narration talks about it being the teleportation Old Ones possess that can’t be contained by the app. You either comment on Azathoth’s NP, say the teleport is the same as Tsathoggua’s, or comment about the real Azathoth’s artifact.

Arc asks if it’s really him, and whatever remaining mooks that weren’t fired into the distance start backing away from Azathoth. Tezcatlipoca says he’s surprised by that power and says that’s definitely Azathoth’s artifact, playing up his reaction with big sweeping gestures like he’s Zell. He never thought someone eliminated could come back, but that’s what makes lucha libre so fun, he says as he yells into a mic in his hand while pointing at him.

Tezcatlipoca says the real Azathoth is supposed to be gone and that info is supposed to be correct. Since their guildmaster and the others shared their info, what’s the deal here? He presses Azathoth mk.2 Mask De Azathoth for an answer, and Azathoth comments that every time he sees Tezcatlipoca his character blurs.

Azathoth then figures Tezcatlipoca must be dragged along by the vessel he’s using. He says it must tough to exist through the constant transfers. But back to his question, he says being called a mask isn’t totally right or wrong, since that’s kinda what this version of him is.

You ask him what he means by that, so he says he’s not the real Azathoth. He’s more like a left behind shell. The memories in it are real though, which is how that guy transformed into him and was able to use his throne. You ask if that means someone is wearing him and who it is. He seems surprised at the question at first but starts enjoying the reaction, then tells you that Wolf seems to be really worried about you.

It takes you a moment before you realize he means Breke. Arc interjects to ask where the real Azathoth is. Azathoth says he’s already said he’s not in Tokyo anymore. He, Surtr, and Harlot have all finished everything they needed to do here in Tokyo. He also tells you guys that with the summoning that goes on in the game, if a Transient is done with what they were summoned to do, they’d naturally have to leave.

Arc says it really was like that then and brings up what Surtr had told her. But if that’s so, she asks why Azathoth has left Tokyo. She knows Surtr left because he found the path that would end the endless world, and Harlot said her real wish came true. So what is it that Azathoth is done with?

Azathoth talks about how collecting bad endings is his hobby. He wants to see them all and won’t let any of them escape. He thinks it was fun even after living through them all, but he says he’s gotten them all now. Now his real self doesn’t have anything left to do here.

Azathoth then approaches you and asks if you understand him. You’re surprised to be addressed by him, so he calls your face dumb and says that’s why you’re a terrible gamer. You’re such a dumb scrub to have fallen for all the bad endings! But then, if you know how all the bad endings happen you can avoid them...right?

You tell Azathoth you don’t understand the words coming out of his mouth, say it’s too hard to keep up with the topic, and try to sum up what he means by avoiding the bad ends. He’s confused at first before remembering that you guys don’t remember any of the past loops, so he’ll give you guys some help even though he says he hates spoilers. Also he laughs about how no idiot could possibly stand dying the same way twice.

Azathoth starts talking about the Tokyo Walls and Guilds, and artifacts and Transients. He tells you there’s no need to think hard about them, because for both those sets of things? They are all the same. You repeat either of those groups back at him, and Azathoth says there’s only one master rule to the game: within enclosed walls there are vessels that do not let faith escape. The winner is the one that has more.

Faith can be memories, information, or light. You could also substitute it with other words you may have heard. And all the words about hierarchy and rankings the World Representatives have talked about? Nothing more than tools to make the master rule viable in reality.

Azathoth goes back to the point about artifacts being vessels for faith/memories. Then he brings up the subclass of Pillars that support the world that won’t shake in the reversing flow of time. Did you really think they were special? There’s tons of Pillars around, and you can see them all the time.

Azathoth points outside to the Gates dotting Tokyo. You ask in shock if the Gate pillars are World Pillars and talk about how there’s one near your school. He explains that they summon Light from the ends of the sky and seal it in the depths of the netherworld.

Also, beneath the Pillars are memories that are a bit special from the loops that not even the World Representatives have. Memories like those from Exceptions, or people the World Representatives cannot see. Memories no one has ever seen before.

Azathoth admits he doesn’t know if that would help you though, then laughs as per usual. You are interested in the idea of memories that no one has ever looked back on and ask if that would include...Solomon apparently. Anyways Azathoth says that if you get those memories, you might be able to defeat the Tokyo Walls. But since no one wants that he supposes that’s why things turn back to the repeated bad endings. He turns to Tezcatlipoca to see what he thinks, but the episode ends with him not answering.