Sunday, November 28, 2021

Halloween Police Episode 4 Part 4

Up on Umamichi's roof Touji can hear things are starting and regrets being unable to move and join in the fight. He settles for staring at the sky, and soon after Sanat Kumara pops up back to the sun to comment on how dumb he's looking. Touji is unable to make out a face given how Sanat is standing, but based on voice and silhouette he's positive Hougen turned up to talk to him. Sanat makes no attempt to correct this as he stays silent.

Touji asks 'Hougen' if he also knew that Touji was being given the Lord Impaler's relic. Sanat Kumara doesn't give a straight answer as he asks what Touji would do if he did. Touji is taken aback as he says his inner oni would have stayed sealed if he never took the thing. It's noted that the Sakimori barrier techniques are used to make walls in hearts and minds, which is what Touji was using to seal his oni side.

Touji says that he's been living to make the world a place where anyone can live happily, and he's frustrated that even trying to do the right thing and living for the future has blown up on him like this. Sanat Kumara however says that killing something within yourself for the sake of the world is wrong, which Touji is confused by. Sanat then talks about how things being cut away over and over again is a bald faced repetition, a mistake the world and history has continued to redo. He advises Touji to use everything within himself, and he says how his oni self over there and the part of him here do not make up everything about him.

Sanat Kumara opens his hand and takes Touji into a soulscape of the universe or something to synch with him on a mental level. Touji is baffled by the change in scenery and location, so Sanat explains that it is the world and little universe inside Touji himself. Sanat then prompts Touji to look at all the little lights, the lives that live inside him just like how many people live inside Tokyo. The awakened oni is just one of them. This place is also where many possibilities and pasts people can't look back upon reside. Things that are true or false, things that are material and immaterial, and any other descriptor you could come up with are things that exist inside this inner world.

Sanat Kumara says everyone has their own world inside of them, then talks about how Touji viewed his oni side as an enemy he sealed away with walls. Since those walls are made by the mind, there are times when they falter. Sanat tells Touji to remember that only he can save this small world and everything that lives within in, and he asks him why he'd save Tokyo but not save anything here. Touji is taken aback at the question, and Sanat says that if he was given the Lord Impaler's relic, he must need it for something. He also questions whether the oni is actually Touji's enemy. Sanat's psychedelic space vision ends there as Touji tunes back to Umamichi alone. He thinks about Hougen, the guy he's aware is called stuff like Horny Tengu and Bad Touch For Life, but he also knows about that serious side of him just now. Touji sees he can move now, so he gets up and wills himself to head out and regroup with the party.

Scene then shifts to your end as a battle has broken out. Hanuman and Nezha are laughing and spouting the trickster gang's catchphrase, exasperating Li Chou into telling them not to believe the goddamn rumor. Li then attempts to take the two of them back with him and snap them out of hit by going in with a kick. He gets bounced back so hard he gets sent spinning as Alp notes in horror. Ebisu goes oh no at that, and Hotei yells to Li that he's only wearing a police costume even if he's calling himself a police officer, meaning he didn't get a buff or anything. Azathoth laughs and agrees, saying it's just a skin change. Li protests in embarrassment that he knows and just wanted to do it, then complains about this being a regular battle. You either try to sugarcoat Li's behavior and say he got caught up in things, or point out it's just a costume again. Li insists that dressing up is very important, but catches himself as he says this isn't the time to discuss that.

The vending machines come charging at the party again, moving fast enough to kick up dust clouds. Jiangshi laugh and spout the trickster catchphrase, which prompts Li Chou to tell the stupid kids to stay away because vending machines are chasing after them. With little time to do anything else, Li jumps forward, determined but resigned to use himself as a shield for the kids, which Oni Touji laughs about. Li says he's in charge of Halloween this year, so he can't let little kids from elsewhere get hurt. Plus as a guy who tried to leave a civil servant post only to crawl back to it, he knows painfully well how event scandals can lead to promotions.

Li Chou dares the vending machines to come at him, bracing himself for impact. That impact never comes as Touji has come to help, surprising the party. You are happy to see Touji there, and Touji looks discomfited for a moment before turning his attention back to his other half. Oni Touji is intrigued that he's shown up, and Touji says he knows what it is he needs to do. 

Touji pulls out something he's been keeping in his chest pocket up until now, and Hotei is shocked to find out that Touji's had it all this time. Touji starts talking to you and begins asking for a favor if he ever loses sight of himself. You assure him you'll cut him however many times it takes, so Touji says he'll be counting on you and joins in whole ham on the sentai police thing the party is doing. Once he's changed he initially declares himself the exorcist before rethinking it and saying the protector of Halloween's peace, the Halloween Police. He says the trick and treat thing the tricksters have been doing ends now, and he tells his oni self it's time to settle things as he starts the episode battle. More happens afterwards.

After the battle, things tune near the end as Oni Touji laughs as he is impressed at how much harder you guys fought against him compared to earlier. He asks if you guys came to cut him down, then points out that this would be the same as cutting Touji himself. Touji however rejects the idea saying they aren't here to cut him. Oni Touji gets offended at him saying so while using the power of an oni, so Touji admits he's hated himself for being part oni at some point. But then he met people who knew he was part oni and still trusted in him, and he met people who had faith in his dreams and saw him off with a smile on their faces. And then there was someone who worked together with him despite barely just meeting him. These are all people who wish for him to be happy in life.

Touji says he had always planned to live his life alone because he never believed in himself. On some level, he believed he'd go on some blood rage and start attacking everyone around him. Now though, he's got people who will believe in him even if he doesn't believe in himself. And if he goes on a rampage? He has faith that someone will stop him. Touji then starts up his NP, comparing his swords to oni horns and saying they'll always be with him. He talks about how he'll accept his other half, telling Oni Touji he can run wild as many times as he likes, he won't fear him anymore. He reaches out to him, and you activate your own NP to separate Oni Touji from the memories of the Lord Impaler, which goes back into the vampire costume.

Oni Touji admits that he was also afraid of going crazy and hurting people, notably dropping the high born speaking style he had as Vampire Touji. Because of this fear he distanced himself from everyone, thinking of himself as some bloodsucking demon. But if there's a future out there where he doesn't have to be that way, then maybe he was wrong too. That time has already passed though, washed away like a message in the sand. Oni Touji then sighs about how it's been so long he had fun, and he compares the night to a dream. He disappears like mist in the wind, and Touji tells the Lord Impaler he'll carry on his regrets. He starts to say he'll do something else one day when you tell Touji he did great and/or ask if it's all over. Touji says there's still one last thing to do, so he asks you to watch him as he goes.

A little time later, Hanuman slowly wakes up from apparently getting knocked on the head, then wonders why he and the others were going so hard on pranks earlier. Nezha laughs about how much fun they had, though they too think that maybe they've had enough. Black slowly gets up from getting beaten, complaining about how tough the Halloween Police are. The possessed vending machines beep a little and say they're sold out of tricks for the day.

Touji walks up and points out how the pranks are stopping now for the Bad Brats Brigade and others. He orders them all to surrender and put their hands out, though he offers to listen to anything that they have to say first. Hanuman freaks out and attempts to excuse himself about hearing how Halloween is a day it's okay to play tricks. Nezha actually seems concerned about this predicament and tries to remember what to say here, and Black asks if they're getting arrested in shock. The vending machines beep, and Azathoth starts laughing as he wonders whether getting arrested means getting banned or something else.

Hanuman, Nezha, and Black all start apologizing and beg not to be arrested. Touji actually agrees to this to their surprise, so he explains he'll believe them if they say they regret it and won't repeat their behaviors. But if they do go back to shenanigans, he'll come back to face them as many times as it takes. He then reveals the reason he told them to put their hands out is to give them some wrapped Halloween candy, wishing them a happy Halloween and tells them to stop there with all the tricks as he smiles. And so the outbreak of pranks at Umamichi is contained, and the festival resumes as normal.

Out front, Motosumi is making and selling yakisoba for people, hyping up how big the portions are. Tetsugyuu is also running a stand selling Umamichi's newest local specialty, grilled pumpkin. Jiangshi are bouncing around acting as sales assistants giving people their food orders, and Ebisu accepts some as he thanks the kids. Hotei expresses surprise at all the things around besides the pumpkin, like that corn he's getting a good whiff of.

Li Chou says Halloween is originally a harvest festival, so he figured the school could put out a bunch of stalls for people to enjoy. It's been hugely popular, though he says it's still important to pray for the dead. Li talks some more about how food always gets attention, which goes well with how everyone at Umamichi wants to stand out and likes festival activities. Li goes on to start eating whatever it is he bought, which is so hot and fresh off the grill or whatever he burns himself.

Alp is starting up a dance that he leads, and some jiangshi join in thinking it looks fun. Hanuman is advertising a Halloween play he's worked on, and Nezha does as well describing it as full of action and including themselves as part of the cast. Gouryou is taken aback at this saying Nezha being in it can only be bad, and he sighs about getting stuck helping out with the play. Sarutahiko tries to placate him saying the ending is important too, asking him to gut up and make everyone happy. Touji talks about how he had forgotten how 'everyone' he wants to protect is supposed to include himself too, and he thanks you for reminding him of that. You politely respond or get shy at that, and Touji thinks to himself for a moment before pretending to be the Impaler Lord again. He asks if you've live with him for eternity as he calls you his bride. You can either react in surprise or agree after a moment. In A, Touji reveals he was kidding, though he admits that he may have been partly serious. In B, Touji is taken aback that you took it seriously and chokes on himself about how you're always messing with him.

Some time later, Arc apologizes and says they have to go for urgent business. Alp tries talking them into staying to enjoy things and asks where they're going. Arc thanks him but says they may need to take a while on something, so you ask if something happened. Arc takes a deep breath and works up the nerve to say something important. They ask for your help as they say they'll start with the end first: at the rate things are going this is going to be the last Halloween ever because Tokyo will end. Azathoth laughs, and Ebisu reacts in surprise as hands start reaching out of his necklace again.

Over at Kioh, Daikoku talks about how even if Halloween were to disappear it won't change what will happen to Tokyo. He pulls on his gloves again as if hiding something, smiling to himself, then talks about how all Enclosed Areas have the same fate whether created by the app's light walls or by schools. Transients and student App users all share a certain faith, which is the idea that if they are the only ones in an area, they can use supernatural powers. Daikoku compares this to playing superhero, and you can have any power you want within that fantasy. If everyone in the Enclosed Area agrees, that becomes the truth of that place.

Daikoku points out how Transients and App Users are increasing by the day, and one day they'll become the majority in Tokyo. It's just an inevitable consequence of population growth, but what happens when that point is reached? The inside and outside of the walls switch places, that's what. Every part of Tokyo becomes a place where you can use superpowers from other worlds, and the rules get applied to the natives. In this case, on Halloween the dead might come back to life, and Daikoku then thinks to himself how this is a problem since he isn't interested in ruling over a ruined hellscape.

Elsewhere Nyarlathotep starts gibbering about dreams and reality mixing up with one another like a marbled cookie. If there isn't enough stimulus, then he just needs to add some colorful, cute spices! If that's what Azathoth wants, then all the Nyarlathoteps will work to make it happen! He laughs about how it's his time to move now, and the episode ends with him cackling about bringing things to a bad end.

1 comment: