Hell's Hot Paradise Prologue Part 2

Life really can escalate from zero to apocalypse in sixty seconds, but never mind that for now. One morning, you head over to the cafeteria where all the Summoners are making noise about one thing or another. You greet the gang and ask what they're talking about, so Moritaka greets you good morning and says they were talking about that rumored ghost story that's been the talk of the town. Ryouta asks if you heard about Awakage-sama since it's apparently a legit story. You either say you don't know what that is and ask for an explanation, doubt the story, or say it's creepy. A gets an extra bit of text glossing over Ryouta telling you about the unidentified black bubbles that appear out of nowhere and swallow up anyone who touches them. But it still sounds like a ghost story of the week.

 

Anyways, Shirou says Touji's heard that there's been a lot of victims from a bunch of different guilds, so this isn't just some ordinary ghost story. Touji adds that Hougen told him so in secret, so he's sure it's accurate info. If Hougen went out of his way to tell Touji of that, then Touji reasons it must be that dangerous. He and Shirou then start discussing what the guild will do after school during this incident, and Moritaka soon brings up that Touji handles ghost cases at a shrine as he asks what he thinks as a specialist in the field. Touji says he's not that big a deal, but in his personal opinion this doesn't seem to be spiritual in nature. He can't prove it with anything since it's just a gut feeling, but he suggests that everyone be careful.

 

You sit down with everyone at this point, and you notice that someone isn't there. You ask where Kengo is since he'd be fine hanging around at that time. Ryouta notices now that you've mentioned it and says Kengo will miss out on Chouji's breakfast if he doesn't show up soon. Shirou notes that Kengo has mostly stopped cutting class ever since you joined the school, and he figures he's just overslept or something. It's probably nothing, so the gang talks about other things and stick around to wait for Kengo to come. But he never does turn up even after sticking around to the last second.

 

Time skips to after school, and you express some worry about Kengo not turning up at all, especially since he doesn't seem to be in his room. You make your way to the guild safe house, but a foreboding feeling sticks to the back of your mind because of the ghost story topic earlier in the day. A chill running down your spine prompts you to move faster.

 

Once you get to the safe house and open the door, you give your greetings to Agyou. On any other day he'd bounce out and welcome you with a smile, but today you are instead greeted with silence. Peaceful days are already over, and you find Agyou, Hanuman, and Tsathoggua's darkened bodies. You react in disbelief at this as you try calling out to them, but the three of them are wrapped up in darkness like the rumor says and look for all the world like they aren't breathing. You try to stay calm as you think of calling for help, which in turn gives you the idea to contact Shirou. When you try, all you get is continual ring tones. Nobody else in the guild answers your phone calls either. You begin hesitating over either staying and waiting for someone to come or to look for help yourself, but soon after you hear someone's voice outside.

Tadatomo turns up yelling for you to respond if you're okay, so you run outside to see him. He's relieved to see you're alright, and he's breathing hard since he's been running hard to get to your location. It's clear that him turning up like this means something big is happening. Tadatomo informs you that all of Tokyo is being involved in a strange mystery case, though you might have figured that out already. But yeah, Awakage-sama has caused everyone caught up in it to die he says as he glances towards the safehouse. You worry about what to do since Hanuman and the others have been affected, and you can optionally express relief that Tadatomo is okay. If you do so, you get an extra bit of him blushing and saying he doesn't warrant your concern. He looks away as he tries to pin his tail wagging down with his hand, then continues on once he finally calms down.

Anyways, Tadatomo tells you that he knows almost nothing about what's up with this current incident. There's nothing in common among everyone who's been affected, and he doesn't know of any way to fight back either as he sighs apologetically. There is however someone Tadatomo believes may be able to explain more about what's happening, the sports doctor at Yoyogi Academy who has been investigating the case already. He's a pretty good doctor too, so maybe he has a clue and can save your friends.

Two figures approach as you and Tadatomo talk, and when he notices he goes on guard. He demands to know who's there and asks you to stay behind him, but you ask Tadatomo to wait as you realize it's Kamui and Xolotl. Kamui is glad to see you safe, saying he wouldn't know what to do with himself if you weren't. Xolotl meanwhile is in hysterics as usual as he tells you that Hakumen has gone all dark and stiff. The two of them throw themselves at you, which Tadatomo objects to since he's still in the middle of talking to you about what to do from here.

Once Tadatomo pulls Kamui and Xolotl off, the two calm themselves down a bit and start telling you what's going on with their guilds. Kamui says the Berserkers have taken heavy losses from this incident. He's tried calling a bunch of people in the guild, but nobody answered. Xolotl says the same has happened to the Tycoons, with many of the leaders being victims as well.

Flashback kicks in showing Hakumen getting suddenly attacked by the evil bubbles, which she calls gross and says she can't move. Xolotl attempts to save her, though he has no clue on how to do that. Hakumen calls him a dummy and to run, saying if both of them get caught then there's no one who can go get help. Xolotl attempts to protest, so Hakumen gives an exasperated and resigned smile as she declares that living is her big duty even if she turns to stone. She commands Xolotl to run for help since he can't do anything if he stays. Xolotl promises to do so and asks her to wait, wiping off his tears as he leaves. Hakumen watches him go, already resigned to the worst and starts thinking about how this wasn't how she figured she'd go. Her last thoughts are about whether you're okay, and she wishes she could've seen you one last time if this is how it ends.

Back to the present Xolotl cries about failing to protect someone important to him again, but since he promised to help Hakumen he asks you to help him. You say you need to save Agyou and the others too, so you need to ask for his help as well. Kamui says he'll help too for both your sake and for the Berserkers. Tadatomo comments that there might be too much going on here, but he figures it's better to have more protection for you. He then says he'll summarize everything for you.

Narration skips over Tadatomo telling Kamui and Xolotl about how Mineaki may know something, and the party decides to hurry over to Yoyogi. Before you guys can leave, black bubbles burst out from under Tadatomo and catch him. When you look at them, they seem to lead to a bottomless darkness. You call out to Tadatomo and reach out to him in alarm, but Tadatomo warns you away, saying it's too dangerous to get close to something you guys don't know how it works. He tells you to leave him as darkness encroaches on his body, and he looks like he realizes what's going to happen. Tadatomo apologizes for not being able to stick with you until the end, then asks Kamui and Xolotl to take care of you in his place. The two of them nod, and they take you by the hand as they lead you away.

Time passes to the point where the party reaches Yoyogi, and from what you guys have seen the Awakage-sama rumor is clearly no mere ghost story. The effects are widespread, people are hiding within their homes, and barely anyone is out in the streets. Normally at this time there's be tons of noise from sports teams doing their things, but an eerie silence hangs instead. Xolotl comments on how creepy the lack of noise is and questions whether Mineaki really is around. Kamui says he doesn't sense anyone around, but since you guys have no other leads you'll just have to hope Mineaki is around.

The three of you enter the building, and you quickly discover the dark still bodies of all the casualties inside. When you reach the nurse's office, Mineaki is revealed to also be one of the victims, which you lament in shock. The dark bubbles attack Kamui and Xolotl out of nowhere, freaking Xolotl out and surprising Kamui since he never let his guard down. You react in despair, beg them to stay, and/or call out for anyone to help. Kamui apologizes for not being able to continue on with you, but he was glad he could protect you at least. Xolotl screams an apology to Hakumen for being useless and laments that he couldn't do what Tadatomo asked of him either.

You have no time to say anything to them as the darkness covers them, and you decide to leave since anywhere else should be more safe than your current location. The moment you open up the door, the bubbles get you too, foaming up the moment you notice to swallow you up. You feel something like your life energy leave your body as the darkness takes you, and your consciousness fades as you resign yourself to an unavoidable end.

Title card pops up, and the prologue is titled Awakage-sama is Right Next to You

Some time later you realize that your body is rocking and that you seem to be carried by something. You open your eyes to see Mineaki and Xolotl, and Mineaki asks if you're okay. He was worried since you weren't waking up. Xolotl sniffles and says he's glad you woke up, and you notice that Kamui is carrying you. Your head is still foggy as Mineaki and Xolotl look at you in concern. You either express confusion since you thought you died, say everyone looks okay, or start to suspect where you are. Mineaki says he's pretty sure he knows what you're thinking, but all of you aren't strictly speaking okay. He prompts you to look at where you guys are since that'd be fastest. When you do, Mineaki says this is the world of the dead, which means you guys have all died. And on that note, the episode ends.