Chapter 11 Episode 19: The Third Choice 1

Things tune in with Mahakala talking aloud about how his 'empty' vessel is being filled with the power of Deva Loka. Narration says that the role Shiva had been denying has been replaced with Mahakala, turning him into a substitute vessel for his power instead. This turns into a manifested Shadow that starts covering and absorbing the town. Things look as if the present world and world of the dead have switched places. There are no signs of anyone alive around, and the town looks like the realm of the dead where shadows of the deceased wander about.

 

Camera then tunes in where Tanetomo is, who realizes he can't move. All of Kabukicho is starting to sink into darkness, which sticks like coal tar that binds and blinds Tanetomo. Daikoku starts talking about how the darkness is the very memories of the dead, those who died in Tokyo. He then starts sighing about how familiar his body is with Mahakala's Great Darkness, then laughs. Daikoku proclaims his name and states that he has the same class as the Great Darkness. Daikoku is noted to be the only one around who can move freely among the sticking shadows, though narration backtracks on this to say it's more like Daikoku can manipulate the darkness as if it were a part of his own body, then says it's proof that Daikoku was once one and the same as the darkness.

 

Tanetomo tries to ask if Daikoku really is the same as the darkness, but Daikoku says Tanetomo knows too much now and decides it's time for him to go. He comments that he needs to keep the number of people who know he attacked a World Representative to be as low as possible, and he says Minamoto would agree. Daikoku then tells Tanetomo to rest in peace within his darkness before cackling like a lunatic. He moves onto ranting next about getting repayment for the disgraceful days he had to live hiding from the sun and associating with the Shadows in Ne no Kuni. He now has power (re: an army) that can work above ground, and he says he can finally oppose Amaterasu when a voice in the darkness interrupts to verbally side eye him for being too much of a wuss for not being able to walk outside without having a crowd with him.

 

Daikoku demands to know who's there as he sends some of his possessed minions towards the source of the voice. Said mobs are quickly slapped aside, which Daikoku grudgingly is impressed by. Ellie then reveals herself and greets Daikoku. She also adds that if she struck a nerve with her comment she'll apologize about that. Tanetomo is shocked to see her, and Daikoku attempts to be cordial as he moves to ask Ellie a question. Specifically, he asks how it is Ellie can move around without any issues inside the darkness. Ellie finds the question surprising, then explains that it's because she's a vampire. Anything that belongs to the night is something that she can get used to, whether it be bats, the mist, or darkness itself. She then tells Daikoku to remember who she is, for she is the girl who can walk alone in Kabukicho no matter how dark it gets.

 

Scene then jumps back to Ikebukuro, which is starting to get dragged into darkness like Kabukicho is. But just as things are looking to reach a new level of badness, Cthugha has shown up as reinforcements. A bunch of mobs try to rush him, so Cthugha yells about shining brighter than the sun before he attacks, yelling dramatic sound effects to punctuate it. The fire blast he unleashes dispels the Shadows possessing some of the mobs, and they come to as they note that they've regained control of themselves and the Shadows being blasted away.

 

You yell to the mobs to run away now and wave them towards you while they still can since the Shadows will return. One of the bug soldiers recognizes you as the one who saved them back in Kabukicho, then thanks you. Meanwhile Cthugha is singlehandedly blowing away the Shadow minions, and you are amazed at his strength and/or at him doing this alone. Cthugha can hear you and interprets you saying alone as 'all alone,' which triggers a minor emotional meltdown as he says it may be true but you shouldn't say it. He also threatens to burn you to ashes over how upset he is, so you quickly try to appease him and say you didn't say that.

 

Cthugha accepts your explanation well enough, then tries to restart the conversation so he'll look cooler this time. He introduces himself as Cthugha of the Berserkers and describes himself as something of an OP reincarnation. You express some surprise at him being a Berserker and ask he's who Snow was sending, then thank him. Kengo says he's never heard of him, but he compliments Cthugha for being so strong. You add your own compliments by calling Cthugha strong, cool, or say you might be falling for him. Cthugha badly attempts to play humble when he's really happy about the comments. He tries to remember your names, then wonders if you guys are actually good guys and says he totally wouldn't mind being friends with you guys or anything before visibly sorting through his emotions. Meanwhile Mahakala cannot comprehend how Cthugha could be moving around, then reasons aloud that being unable to put his shadows around a new fire Transient means...something transition cuts him off on.

 

Camera jumps back to the underground base as Snow starts up expositon about Cthugha. He describes him as someone from Old Ones and is believed to carry flames that can burn down even the horizon. It might not compare to the world without a horizon Shangri La and its power though. Shirou is amazed at his strength and asks about Cthugha being a Berserker, then teases Snow for being mean for keeping him hidden. Snow is quiet for a moment before confirming that Cthugha is indeed the Berserkers' secret weapon, though he coughs and adds that it'd be better if Cthugha stayed a secret. Shirou is baffled by this, so Snow says as the manager of the underground arena he never put Cthugha up for any of the matches, then decides he should talk about the first time Cthugha appeared at the underground fight ring.

 

Flashback kicks in, and Cthugha walks into the Ikebukuro arena commenting on how many people are and says he got there through following some rumors. He also comments on it being way different from his home star Fomalhaut in Old Ones, then insists to no one in particular that he's not some hick from out of town. Cthugha takes a moment to clear his throat as he wonders if this will be the start of his legend. He believes that if he keeps winning down there he'll get rich and popular, only to claim to himself that he doesn't need popularity and only came over to seek strength. He immediately laughs at himself over how cool that sounds, then starts fantasizing about making a harem as per light novel standards. Cthugha then says he needs to make a catchphrase and tries to remember what he wrote down in his notes, then picks "Call my name three times at dawn's horizon! The Living Flame Cthugha is here!" After that he realizes it's time for his debut fight and moves to get focused on that.

 

Over in the spectator stands, Claude takes notice of Cthugha and asks if he's the new rising star they've been expecting. Snow is surprised that Claude has shown up to watch one of the unranked matches, then confirms as such and says Cthugha is even stronger than he had expected. Pollux and Bathym are also watching, and Pollux is impressed as he asks for Cthugha's name. Bathym describes Cthugha's battle style as hot, beautiful, and not bad. Ikutoshi comments that his strength is reminding him of someone, though it's a little different from what he prefers. Andvari is also impressed as he considers organizing photo collections and meet and greets, and Macan takes a shine to Cthugha and tells him to get through the ranks so he can fight him already.

 

Everyone in the stands and on stage focus their attentions on Cthugha, and he takes note of this as he wonders if people are going to become his future frenemies/rivals. He gets into his head that he'll have the type of friends he can spar with and get along with, and the idea gets him so nervous that he says he could blow his fuse at any second. Snow observes Cthugha suddenly acting strangely and notes that he's starting to do badly. Rando swordsman takes advantage of Cthugha being distracted to attack him, and Cthugha freaks out and tells him to stop because touching him in that moment would be bad. But he's too late as he starts winding up to explode. Claude is baffled as he asks what's happening, and Snow yells for Claude to hide behind him as he covers him. The entire arena is nuked, and Macan stands long enough to cough up some smoke.

 

Flashback flashes forward a bit as Snow comments Cthugha really was a new rising star. Or rather, a new supernova. Cthugha's explosion had flat out leveled the entire underground arena, and Snow says he's deeply thankful the app could rewind all that. Now that aside, Snow asks Cthugha what's wrong. Cthugha turns out to be ugly crying in the corner of the room sitting there arms around his knees, and he sobs about doing it again and his dreams of being the strongest legend, having a hundred friends, and a harem have all gone up in smoke. Snow glances at him from the side of his eyes before sighing.

 

Snow starts talking about how Cthugha's outrageous physical abilities seem to be balanced out by his mental strength being...something he struggles to word politely. Cthugha gets further upset as he pleads for Snow to not call him trash mob tier shit for brains and launches more projectile tears. Snow says he wouldn't go that far, but he does note that Cthugha certainly can't go out in front of an audience looking like this. Cthugha starts begging for Snow not to kick him out since every other guild has done so and he finally made it here. He's finally gotten to somewhere where no one knows anything about him (re: some world that isn't Old Ones), then moans that he doesn't want to be all alone again.

 

Snow asks Claude what he thinks, so Claude considers for a second before deciding to ask Cthugha what it is he hopes to get out of fighting. Cthugha answers that he wants friends, anything really. He just doesn't want to be alone anymore. Claude asks if he can fight for that reason, no matter how strong an opponent he may be up against. Cthugha says he has nothing but strength, so Claude nods and says that's a good answer.

 

Cthugha is surprised by this, so Claude starts making a speech about how people who shine when looked upon and go mad in battle and people who know their isolation and what they want are the berserkers that he loves to see in his theater. Snow is happy to hear that Claude seems to be accepting Cthugha, and Claude goes on to proclaim that Cthugha is one of the Berserkers now. Cthugha is thrilled about this and yells to himself that he's so happy he can't hold himself back anymore, at which point he realizes he's going to blow again. Snow notices too, so he runs to chump block for Claude again.

 

The flashback ends as Shirou and R-19 are quietly taken aback at the story. Snow shrugs and says that was why Cthugha was appointed the guild's secret weapon, but right now is the perfect time to be sending him out. R-19 asks Snow to explain, so he answers that Cthugha is focused on his isolation and moves straightforward towards what he wants. He then talks about how Shiva is powerful and how Mahakala may be unlimited. If you put them together, they may Look Like they're one being now, but then Snow brings up the question about whether the two of them really do see and want the same things as each other.

 

Back to your end, Snow calls up Cthugha and asks him to take you and Kengo back to base as planned. Cthugha moves as directed, and you are confused for a second before you process the sudden movements. The two of you then appear in the underground base where Shirou welcomes you guys back and is relieved you're both okay. Kengo had fallen on his ass in the meantime, but once he sees the control team he asks how this can be happening. You note that you guys are at the underground labyrinth and ask how you guys got there so fast.

 

Snow welcomes you guys back, then answers your question by asking if you know about the power that only Transients from Old Ones have, at which point you figure out it's teleportation like Nyarlathotep and Tsathoggua have. Snow proceeds to say that while things get ready down here, Cthugha 'and the others' should go buy some time. You start to protest about Cthugha being out on his own until you process that Snow said others.

 

Back above ground, Cthugha is doing his best mowing down tons of mobs around, though he does need to stop to breathe as he says they just keep on coming. He then notices something coming, and Macan runs in laughing and calling out his NP. After kicking some possessed giants aside, Macan laughs and says he won't let Cthugha hog everything to himself and calls him a newbie as he greets him again after so long. Cthugha is surprised he, Andvari, and Pollux all came to help out, and he's so moved by this he starts to cry. Andvari and Pollux (despite having a defensive NP himself) freak out at this and hide behind Macan, who is slow to pick up on what's happening. Scene cuts back to the underground labyrinth as Kengo is surprised by a sudden shockwave coming from above ground, which he compares to an explosion like some sort of volcanic eruption. Snow tells him not to worry about it and says they're buying time just as planned.

 

Over to where Shiva and Mahakala are, Mahakala notes that all the Shadow soldiers he can see have been obliterated in one fell swoop. Now with all of them gone, there's nothing around to obstruct anyone's views, and Shiva-Mahakala mutters to themselves as they glare down at Cthugha. Mahakala comments that his soldiers are infinite, so this doesn't mean anything. He can just resummon them to fight for him, so no one can actually make it to where he is. He declares that the outcome is already decided and is about to say you guys have no chance at winning when Shiva actually speaks for himself about finding an opponent worth fighting who has strength from isolation. He runs off on his own, surprising Mahakala into telling him to stop.

 

Back at base, Snow talks to Mahakala of Shangri La and calls him king of the destroyed. He concedes that you guys might never manage to fight your way over to where he is since he can just sit back behind a limitless army. He can't lose if he does that, but what does Shiva think? Shirou speaks up to agree with Snow as he tells him Touji, Ryouta, and the others have been investigation for him. What they've found out is that Shiva has been wanting to fight strong opponents for the purposes of training.

 

Snow says if that's the case, Shiva might not just sit quietly when any of their stronger units get put out. He talks about how the term 'ultimate weapon' is appropriate for Shiva-Mahakala, and he concedes that he can be a trump card for his side...if they can obtain the power of Deva Loka's World Representative. Snow however notes that Mahakala is Not Shiva. He is a king while Shiva is an ascetic monk who wants rivals, and this difference is what you guys are planning to exploit.

 

Snow then turns around to ask how the preparations are going, so Moritaka and Shuuichi turn up as Moritaka tells you and Kengo the preparations are done. Shuuichi declares it's finally time for the results of the Wisemen's long research to be revealed. You ask about this research and start to ask if it's what you're thinking it is, so Shuuichi laughs and says he once talked about the idea of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. So for a controlled Exception, you should bring a controlled Exception. The Warmongers have just set up the ideal environment for you guys, so Shuuichi says you guys may as well take advantage of that. While the conditions are the same, the strategy just closely resembles theirs. He shrugs that this was originally Duo's plan, so it's not weird that a kid genius on the other side thought of the same thing. Kengo then turns up with Thor with him, and you recognize Thor as the episode ends.