Chapter 9 Episode 4: Until Now, From Here On After

The story picks up the next day after the visit to the old schoolhouse, and Touji starts talking to us. You can either say you’re A-okay or be sad. In A he accepts it and says he needs to show some energy too, and in B he says you’ve seemed really down yesterday and asks if anything happened. Either way he says it’s time for the guild meeting and asks if you can go. You say you can and apologize for worrying him. He says it’s fine and that’s why he’s there.

Ryouta’s gone out to get some snacks for the occasion and everyone else is already there, so it’s just you and Touji left. He suggests you guys hurry because it’s rude to keep a guest waiting. You ask about this, and Touji says Shirou should have mentioned it a few days ago. He figures you must have let it slip your mind since you’ve been preoccupied. He says they’ve been wanting to see you, though you wouldn’t know that from their expression.

Scene shifts to the guild safehouse as you and Touji get over there, and Touji says he’s brought you over. There’s a bit of a cheer as the gang welcomes you. Shirou says everyone’s been waiting for you and prompts you to have a seat. He’s glad you’re here. Kengo hassles you for being late since the meeting can’t start without the guildmaster, then does the dumb thing of saying he’ll be nice and not say the thing he just said. He also playfully screws his fist against your cheek as he talks.

Kengo laughs and says having one guy on the team like him is okay. If he weren’t there then you’d end up as a fussy four eyes. Ryouta brings out the special snacks he stood two hours in line for and suggests having them together.

Moritaka talks to you next, saying he was waiting for you and tells you he’s formally joined the guild. Hanuman is next after him and says it feels like it’s been a while, and that he’s doing fine.

Sitting between Moritaka and Hanuman is Tadatomo. He takes a step forward and gets down on one knee to bow. He says that he’s been formally hired through a deposit from the guild alliance if I understand right. He hasn’t actually joined the guild for the moment due to his own goals, but he promises to serve faithfully. Whatever you want him to do, he says he’ll do it. You say you’ll count on him, and he says the same to you.

Hanuman is happy there’s a new ninja friend and that you guys are one step closer to his dream of a Summoners ninja band. Moritaka there’s one other person here and directs your attention to them. This turns out to be Shuuichi, who is leaning against the wall in his seat.

You’re surprised to see him, though he makes no reaction to you noticing him. Moritaka explains that when Shuuichi went missing after what happened in Chapter 8, he went out with some help to go looking for the guy. He was beaten all over when they found him. Moritaka asks if you’re okay with him being here. You say of course or comment about remembering that he knows Shuuichi.

Moritaka says that Shuuichi is a friend that he trains with at the same dojo. Shirou says he and Moritaka will take care of Shuuichi, and that there are safer portals than there. Moritaka thanks him for helping, and Shirou has a moment of sadness for Shuuichi.

Finally you look toward the main guest, and to your surprise it’s Arc. You either express some amazement, call their name, or quietly hide your face. She says it’s been a while and thanks you for everything since the incident. She says she’ll be joining the meeting today and extends her greetings to the whole gang.

Shirou proceeds to get things started and asks if you’re ready. You say yes and ask him to get it going. He starts from the beginning, though he feels everyone already knows from fighting together but prompts your new ally to introduce themselves. Arc steps up, and you either stay silent, clap, or nod.

Shirou introduces Arc as the Genociders guildmaster and prompts her for a name, and she says she wants to be called Arc. She also says that she will always be the Genociders guildmaster in terms of her relationship to you guys, swearing on the memories of the other members. She wonders if that’s okay. Moritaka and Tadatomo are quiet, and you call either of their names.

Moritaka and Tadatomo exchange glances, then nod to you. Arc asks what you think, and you either readily agree, say you welcome her, or shrug and reluctantly agree. Going A if it matters, she thanks you. Shirou asks if anyone else has an opinion. No one answers, so Shirou moves things along and exchanges formalities with Arc. She says she’ll behave in a way that won’t shame the others.

Shirou then moves the topic to sharing info on the present situation. Kengo questions this on the idea you guys might be attacked at any moment. Shirou believes that won’t be happening and looks to Touji for agreement. Touji backs him up and says he’ll explain as the one who’s been guarding the area.

In his frank opinion, he feels there’s been no real signs about attacks to take your portals. There have been new App users popping up lately though, just like the troopers you ran into at the park that night. That’s why he’s pretty sure there’s no active attempts to take your territory. What you ran into the other day is probably some other thing happening that you stumbled upon.

Kengo is baffled that after all the hostility Michael showed you guys he isn’t making any moves against you. Shirou doesn’t know but guesses Michael might not see you guys as enemies. Kengo argues against that and brings up a flashback to what Michael said about being the greatest Hero angel of Eden and the power he has. He also says he’ll make you see you have to give yourself up by crushing your friends, and that he’ll kill anyone and sacrifice everything to make you take that omnipotence. You won’t need your will where you’re going because the game was made to force ranks.

After the flashback closes, Kengo demands to know how Michael wouldn’t see you all as enemies. You either agree or catch on to the reasoning. Either way Shirou asks him to think about what some enemy might have as a motive if it isn’t you guys. Kengo has to think, and Ryouta speaks first and suggests if you aren’t the target, they would be after someone else.

Shirou suggests that you guys were never the target in the beginning, but it was Surtr and the others. Arc agrees with his reasoning. Shirou brings up something else Michael said. Flashback plays the part where he says you’ve made ties to so many people throughout the loops, including Surtr, Harlot, and Azathoth in another cycle. Shirou says it was definitely a taunt, but not aimed at you guys.

Arc agrees that it was meant to provoke the other Genociders, and Shirou says the goal was accomplished. Touji warns against being too fixed upon possibilities, but he does see it as a reasonable guess. After all, they haven’t made any moves to attack you guys since. They should have been able to pursue you any number of times. To not do so means they let you go, so Touji believes it’s likely they don’t consider you enemies.

You ask if it’s because you don’t have memories from previous loops or say it’s because you guys are behind on the information war. Shirou repeats Touji’s point against being too fixated on possibilities and that there could be other reasons they aren’t attacking. But in any case the only thing you guys know for sure is that you don’t know enough.

Ryouta speaks up and asks why you guys are having this discussion since he thinks Surtr, Shino, and the others should have come back. He suggests just asking them directly. You either ask what happened to the Genociders after what went down or start to say something about Shino. Arc goes quiet, Tadatomo seems angry, and Moritaka seems sad. Ryouta asks with some desperation if they’ve been brought back to life since things have gone back to before like how App battles close.

Touji says that Hanuman and Tadatomo have been investigating on his behalf while checking out the likely areas while prioritizing their safety first and foremost. All the casualties that occurred during the last incident have been reset much like a battle area shutting off. All except the Genociders, whose safety or whereabouts could not be confirmed. Ryouta tries to deny it in shock.

Arc tells him to calm down as she’ll explain. Starting from the end point, she’s unsure about them. When asked about that, Arc explains that she’s contracted with the Genociders as their summoner. Shirou is surprised by this, and Arc says she wasn’t the only one to summon them. The ones who did summon them aren’t alive anymore. As a result they needed someone who was born in the world Tokyo is in to be their summoner.

Arc is unsure how to describe how the connected bond feels at the moment, then goes with a sense of endless hope. She feels they aren’t dead, but they don’t feel alive either. When asked about that, Arc guesses that that might have fulfilled their roles here in Tokyo. You parrot that back to her again, so Arc says Surtr has talked to her about this once.

Flashback occurs as Surtr starts talking about summoning contracts. If both sides don’t agree to it, it cannot be established. For example, one person wants to accomplish something in another world, while the other person wants that person to do something. Just like how he wanted to find a way to escape the endless and meaningless ending.

If at some point the role given at the beginning is completed, the Transients will disappear from the world and leave behind only memories and feelings. Or rather, they have to disappear because that is what the contract does.

However, if that Transient goes and the summoner still needs them...like say, even if the Transient is reduced to a mechanism or something without a self and they still want to help their summoner... Surtr brings Arc’s hand to his helmet, then says that he feels sure that they’ll leave something behind for her. That would be a vessel that holds someone’s wish.

Flashback ends, and as soon as Arc’s explanation ends a bright light illuminates the safe house as her crest starts shining. The next moment, three artifacts are summoned in front of her. Kengo asks what’s happening before he notices the helmet, and Ryouta notices a chalice, while Shirou notices a throne.

Arc is quiet, and Hanuman points out that the artifacts were summoned, though without their owners. Arc hides her face as she holds the artifacts to her. Light shines again, and Moritaka thinks it’s coming from his and Tadatomo’s chests. Tadatomo corrects him and says it’s coming from their orbs.

You ask about them being Shino’s, and Tadatomo says that he saw them during that time with Azathoth. He saw the memory of when Yatsufusa’s body became eight orbs. Arc speaks up again and says Surtr has mentioned other things. An artifact is a vessel that a Transient has dedicated the most important thing(s?) in their life to. That would be their owner’s memories, the things they should leave behind. The artifact was meant to seal them.

Moritaka asks if that means Yatsufusa is within the orbs. Tadatomo reminds him that there are eight of them while they only have two. Also there’s something else to consider. You ask what happens to the Transient’s body and life. She says that if those are gone, then she doesn’t know how to take out and converse with the memories at the moment. She wishes she knew more about artifacts since she can’t answer where the other parts went.

Shirou suggests someone cleans those parts up, then says it’s a guess based upon other assumed guesses. Arc says that if the memories remain, then maybe there’s a way to see the Genociders again. She can’t stop thinking about the possibility, but then says you guys should focus on getting other things done like Shirou said. You however say there is a chance and choose to find some way to get to the memories.

Arc is surprised, but Ryouta supports you and hopes to see Surtr, Shino, and the others again. Kengo laughs about how even he’s surprised at how there isn’t a plan for that, but that’s who you are. Arc then swears that she won’t give up either. Shirou says that even so, you guys know nothing about artifacts or the App battles. Kengo complains about him ruining the mood.

Arc speaks up in support of Shirou, saying it’s because of that that you guys need to take action. The Genociders have been destroyed, yet she is still there. Arc then formally asks for an alliance between the Summoners and Genociders, guildmaster to guildmaster. You either agree in formal speak, say she’s reliable, or shake hands. She tells you to count on her.

Shirou says you guys should hurry then, saying he wants to split everyone up to get information. Luckily you can get the support of the Berserkers, Missionaries, and Tycoons. He says you guys need to know more about artifacts, and anything you guys find about them should be shared with the other guilds. The more people know, the better. On that note he thinks you guys should also go talk with the Outlaws, then smiles as he puts a hand on Kengo’s shoulder.

Kengo is less than thrilled about the idea of being made to talk to Tetsuya, and you recap the guilds the gang will be contacting. Shirou then suggests one more thing: that someone goes to Kamata in Ota Ward. You ask why, so he tells you that there’s a guild there that knows the most about artifacts. He turns to Shuuichi and asks for confirmation, and also if he’s actually listening.

Shuuichi sits there dead to the world, so Moritaka tries appealing to him as someone who once trained with him and as the one he told he trained for his brother’s sake. Shuuichi finally responds and says there are artifact research specialists in Kamata, and that the Wisemen once has contact with them. They are the Kamata Crafters, and Shuuichi knows someone there.

Moritaka thanks Shuuichi, who goes back to sitting in silence. You repeat this information again and say you’ll ask Shuuichi more about them later, and Shirou thanks Shuuichi. He worries over him again when Shuuichi stays silent, then turns to the gang to make sure everyone knows the plan.

Shirou suggests you all split into five groups since it’ll be dangerous to go anywhere alone. Kengo agrees and pokes fun at Shirou for having wandered off once. Shirou doesn’t argue and tries to quickly move on. Arc suggests that if the Crafters are to see the Genociders’ artifacts, maybe she should go see them.

Shirou asks your opinion, and you agree as she would need to summon them anyway. Shirou confirms that you and Arc will head to Kamata while the rest of them work out their assignments. He also reminds everyone to share information. Ryouta prompts everyone to get together to Shirou’s confusion, but Hanuman understands and tells Tadatomo to join in too.

Ryouta also asks Arc to join in too since she’s in an alliance, though she doesn’t understand where this is going. She complies anyway and puts her hand forward. Everyone else gathers in a circle, and Ryouta wishes everyone good luck, setting you up to do the cheer. Kengo cheers up and Moritaka says you guys should move ahead with a smile.

Hanuman says he’s having fun and says he’ll aim to be the boss of the guild’s ninja gang. Ryouta’s happy everyone seems a bit more energized, and Tadatomo has a small laugh. Arc says it’s lively here and feels nostalgic over it. Touji says you get used to it and that it’s not that bad, maybe. You say it’s time to go and everyone answers, except for Shuuichi’s dead eyed staring as the episode ends.