Chapter 9 Episode 8: Vessel of God 1

It’s time to turn the clock back a little bit and follow one of the other groups the guild has split off into. Here we’ll be following the pairing of Shirou and Kengo as they go to Kabukicho, and the camera tunes in as a mobster welcomes the duo to the host club Night Emperor, inviting them to forget about their day and spend some time with kind and funny people.

Given the business model for these types of places tend to involve charging exorbitant prices for drinks while you schmooze with professional nice eye-candy, Kengo and Shirou have a quick talk about their on-hand wallets.

Kengo: ...hey Shirou. Do you have any money?

Shirou: ...do you?

Kengo: Does it look like I have money?

Shirou fumbles and asks for some tea as he is a student. Kengo just goes for water. Tetsuya happens to be there too and stares in silence. The mobster quickly moves on to making a hyped up intro for the club’s number one host and asks for a big round of applause, then prompts the Night King to reveal himself.

Spotlights shine in seven colors as a jaunty Touhou-esque music track starts playing. Fog coming from dry ice fills the air and clouds the guys’ vision, and suddenly Tsukuyomi appears. There are apparently other hosts present who are adding to the cheering, and Tsukuyomi snaps his fingers.

The mobster keeps up his flattering spiel, talking up Tsukyomi’s charming, bewitching eyes and enchanting smile as the camera pans over him, before finally naming Tsukuyomi as Kabukicho’s Night King and number one host. Tsukuyomi finally steps down from the stage (or just walks over to Shirou and Kengo) and apologizes for the wait. The intro prep took some time.

Shirou says he thought the host club wasn’t open at the moment since it’s currently not business hours, then asks if Tsukuyomi does this intro every time. He answers that of course he does. An intro must be showy and impactful, and in Tsukuyomi’s turf every host club and store lets him do this. Shirou inwardly wonders if Tsukuyomi does this outside too.

Tetsuya continues staring at Kengo, who gets fed up with this and tries to pick a fight over it. Tetsuya scoffs saying they told him not to come by for something as dumb as that. Kengo spites that saying he’ll go wherever he damn well pleases. Shirou yells at Kengo, and Tsukuyomi asks Tetsuya to not be rude to the guests that came to his bar. Tsukuyomi also reminds Tetsuya that he doesn’t want to recklessly start a war in the neighborhood.

Tetsuya backs off saying he knows, and that he can’t go against the word of the face of the nightless city. Tsukuyomi gets right into his personal space and whispers in his ear, calling him a good boy and saying he likes the way he pouts like a steamrolled baby of the bunch. Tetsuya swats at him and steps away.

Anyways Tsukuyomi sits down ready to start the discussion and begins by suggesting both sides agree to non-aggression. He offers to swear as the proxy guildmaster for the Outlaws, so Shirou agrees as the Summoners’ guildmaster’s advisor. He goes quiet right after that so Tsukuyomi asks why, smiling pleasantly.

Shirou admits to being surprised negotiations have gone smoothly so far. Tsukuyomi says he already knew about this meeting, which Shirou notices and asks about. Shirou also adds that he was surprised to see Tsukuyomi is part of the Outlaws, and that he’s famous enough that even Shinjuku Academy knows of him.

Tsukuyomi asks if he’s famous for being a student and a host or for being a truant who almost never shows up. Kengo attempts to say both, so Shirou has to shut him up before he tries to keep things diplomatic. Tsukuyomi does admit he’s infamous for never being at school and adds that even in the guild he dumps the work onto the others.

Tsukuyomi calls himself the number one host of the nightless city Kabukicho, yet ironically never works when it’s night. As he laughs about it, Tetsugyuu comes over and suggests he actually do something then. Tsukuyomi welcomes him back and asks how his meeting with the Ones in the West went.

Tetsugyuu says he came back from the front lines. There was a skirmish, but Suzuka and the others pulled through it. He was sent over to tell him that Suzuka and Ibaraki should be fine thanks to the Ueno guild’s help.

Tetsugyuu then takes the moment to ask if Tsukuyomi knows that he won’t trust anyone who didn’t dance at death’s doorstep with him at any point. As he leaves, Tsukuyomi laughs and says he knows, thanking him for his work. He then turns back to Shirou and says this is one of the answers he’s been looking for.

Shirou elaborates for him saying that he doesn’t really have time to be dealing with the likes of them when he has to deal with the guild of warmongers and politicals. Tsukuyomi tells him that, bluntly speaking, that’s correct. The same probably goes for the 21 remaining World Representatives.

At this level, what you guys do wouldn’t make much of a difference while they have tons of other things they could be doing. They have to use the knowledge they’ve collected from past loops, plan out their strategies, and obtain all the necessary members they need.

Shirou says it’s a good thing since you guys can use the time to gather info and work out countermeasures. Tsukuyomi tells him that isn’t enough on its own. He starts leaning into his sofa seat and props his head on his hand, then looks at Shirou as though he can see everything.

He declares that what you guys are lacking is the information of every loop until this point. Or in other words, a collaborator who possesses an artifact with the concept/general idea of a Pillar. He summons his own Pillar.

A giant tower of glasses appears behind Tsukuyomi, its shining light trickling down from further than the sky. The light of it casts Tsukuyomi in shadows, and narration compares him as looking like an avatar of the night. Shirou initially sees it as a tower of champagne glasses before realizing it’s an artifact with a Pillar’s concept. Tsukuyomi confirms that, saying he possesses one of the Pillars of Takamagahara.

Shirou quickly puts the dots together and figures that’s why Tsukuyomi said he knew about this meeting. Tsukuyomi is quiet for a moment before he starts talking about how you met Michael and Azathoth, and the rest of the Representatives. However, the possessors of Pillar artifacts are not at all equal. There are those who possess Pillars that support their world yet aren’t World Representatives, like himself.

Tetsuya snorts, saying that if Tsukuyomi’s Pillar were perfect the Outlaws wouldn’t be behind on things. But still they have to rely on him, and he sighs over the difficulties. Shirou wonders what the World Representatives are, then says he doesn’t know how to interpret what’s true about what Tsukuyomi said or anything else really.

Tsukuyomi calls him honest and says knowing yourself is a good thing. In his opinion you guys should find a Transient with a Pillar willing to help you. Shirou asks if he can do it, to which Tsukuyomi turns down. His reasoning for it is that the Outlaws and Summoners have goals that will one day differ.

Kengo asks straight out if he means you guys will battle it out one day, which Shirou doesn’t try to stop. Tsukuyomi just laughs and says you guys don’t understand his real motives yet, and that’s what not having any past loop memories would result in. Shirou is dejected and takes it as “you guys know nothing.” He still thanks Tsukuyomi for the help he has given and says he’ll think on things.

Tsukuyomi yawns and apologizes for it, saying he’s usually not up at this hour. Shirou says it’s okay and excuses Kengo and himself since they have to go to Ikebukuro next. Tsukuyomi stops him for a second saying he has someone he wants to introduce to them. He then calls out his new black suit staff member Replicant 19.

As he snaps his fingers, a Transient walks out from further inside. Shirou recognizes the term and says he can see some mechanical parts from R-19’s cuts. Tsukuyomi describes him as a visitor from the future world of Utopia, and R-19 introduces himself as a scouting model created in Utopia and year 19 model.

Shirou is confused by the year number designation before setting that aside to focus on the Utopia bit, then asks about him as he makes a reference to Algernon. Tsukuyomi confirms the commonality and their possession of time travel tech. He says it should be deeply connected to the loops happening in Tokyo, and as long as you are unable to counter it, it is impossible to survive the coming battles.

Tsukuyomi says R-19 has been seeking protection here in Tokyo for that purpose, except that the Outlaws can’t give that to him. He concludes it’s more appropriate to send him to you guys, because what he wants and what the Outlaws want are total opposites.

It isn’t about escaping from the grasp of law of 19 years. It’s more about knowing the emotions that have been planted in him about achieving something in the life span he was given. Shirou asks if the 19 Years means what he thinks it means. R-19 preempts him and confirms that the number 19 refers to his preordained by Utopian law service life.

Tsukuyomi repeats that he wants to introduce bot boy to us. He can probably supply us with information about Utopia at any rate. When asked what he thinks, R-19 nods. Shirou also agrees to the arrangement when asked and thanks him for this. Tsukuyomi says R-19 will be sent to your portals when he’s ready to go, and R-19 exchanges formalities with Shirou.

Shirou decides to ask Tsukuyomi one other question, who offers to answer if if he can. Shirou asks why Tsukuyomi is helping so much if he’s so sure you guys will go separate ways. Tsukuyomi is actually surprised by this, but decides it’s okay to talk about.

He starts talking about how he “used to have” a younger brother that he thinks was so cute. He doted on him dearly with no regrets, even if he would have to turn over everything he possessed and wander through the world’s shadows. Anyways, he doesn’t see eye to eye with his sister about their brother. Or in his view, the one who inherited his brother’s memories.

Shirou asks about that last bit. Tsukuyomi explains that Amaterasu sees you as her brother reborn while he himself doesn’t. He goes weird for a second as he describes him as cute, sexy, bold, yet fickle, but above all else irreplaceable. He downplays it as a sibling squabble as says he doesn’t mind if the guys laugh.

Even so, Tsukuyomi says that it’s just a matter of being bothered if he were to push away the friends of the one who carries his brother’s traces. He then says outright that his sister is Amaterasu and his brother is Susanoo, the hero of Takamagahara. Shirou is shocked to hear that as he flashes back to Amaterasu’s appearance from before.

Tsukuyomi says that Susanoo is one of the people whose memories are in our artifact. He calls Amaterasu too serious and also says that’s why she’s so fixated on what’s in your sword. At the same time, the other World Representatives probably share her viewpoint.

That’s not all. He says that there are those that cling to the memories left in your artifact. There are those convinced that they have to be the same person. Here in Tokyo, there are plenty of people who think that way. Shirou and Kengo are silent at that.

Tsukuyomi says that even now there’s someone next to you like that as he looks up at a disco ball and smiles. And there ends the episode.