Friday, July 8, 2022

Chapter 13 Episode 4: Heaven Reversal 1 (Abridged)

Great Spirit is a world of endless plains and wild lands where all life is equal. Their faith is in Equality, which they refer to as giving away. They give up their attachments to things, even though this sounds more like Buddhism. They give up ownership of their possessions. If something would benefit someone else better, they give that thing to them. Therefore the one who gives away the most is the strongest in Great Spirit, the embodiment of that faith and the World Representative Wakan Tanka.
Wakan Tanka gives away everything he has without reserve because he is more of an immaterial concept, a Law of Nature. He is the love in all things. He is the rain that gives life and the thunder that kills. All is equal before him. Those born into the world and those who intrude become a part of him, no matter who they are. For that reason Wakan Tanka is isolated, always hanging in the sky to look down at the plains. He exists only as a System to give love to all that lives...up until he was summoned to the surface on Tokyo. And so he inhabited the legendary white buffalo's body and lived through many loops here.

Yoyogi
Durga: DAMMIT we got an emergency warning over here! Where's Wakan!?
Kyuuma: I didn't find him behind the school building!
Gunzou: What the hell man!?
Yasuyori: ...
Yasuyori knows this isn't just an emergency warning, not at a time like this. The time of Tokyo's balance falling apart has come.
Yasuyori: ...I need to protect everyone!
Suddenly Babe Bunyan!
Yasuyori: Huh? Are you one of our elementary students? You should get to somewhere safe since--
Babe: ...Wakan won't come back. I came to tell you that.
Yasuyori: W-what?
Ring ring ring, phone call phone call

Yasuyori: My phone! Wait, where'd he go?

Tanetomo: Hello, Yasuyori? I called so we could fill each other in. The Invaders are making an all-out move on all of Tokyo. They've never done this before, so will you help me? We're shorthanded.
Yasuyori: Advisor...I mean Tanetomo. Sorry, I'm not...
Tanetomo: I know. You want to prioritize keeping your sports school friends safe? I can send them to somewhere even safer.
Yasuyori: ...!
Tanetomo: No promises, but if something happens I'll go too. This way should be better than you doing it all alone. Do you accept?
Yasuyori: B-but...
Tanetomo: ...and this incident also relates to you and everyone at Yoyogi.
Yasuyori: What?

Tanetomo: 3rd Year Yoyogi student Wakan Tanka is currently acting as one of the Invaders World Representatives.
Yasuyori: WHAT
Tanetomo: Yes I'm surprised too, this never happened before...at least, as far as I could see. Whatever, I'm tired of being forced to dance.
Yasuyori: You've changed.
Tanetomo: You think? It must be the influence of a bad friend.
Yasuyori: ...so what did you want me to do?
Tanetomo: Let me start by explaining the situation. Part of the Invaders are moving to eliminate the trophy, apparently because there's new information that's been exchanged between them. Since the West lost power, the South and East started moving. The Representatives with powers that can oppose this storm disaster in particular are moving first. It shouldn't be long before things start up near Shinjuku.

Tanetomo: I say all that, but I'm not asking you to fight them. Let the Warmongers Reps fight against the other forces since only they can do so. The Reps are all still enemies, so they should keep each other in check. I'm more interested that the Hakkenshi in the Invaders are moving. Eh, someone I know shall we say was involved with that. She said one of them said "we will change this cruel System and save everyone. There will be sacrifices, but they will be the last ever sacrifices."
Yasuyori: What?
Tanetomo: If they're being literal, they're saying this is the last loop. But why would they be sure of that? Do they know something I don't? If they do, we need to find them and find out what they know. Those bound by fate are drawn to each other, which means you'll do as another Hakkenshi.
The Hakkenshi is a term for the eight warriors who serve the Satomi family, a branch family of the Minamoto.
Tanetomo: ...but you and I also have a bond here in Tokyo. Wouldn't it be a waste to abandon it?
Yasuyori: ...agreed!
Tanetomo: Be careful. You know how strong the true big three guilds are. While the Warmongers give people back their past memories to restrict their actions, the Invaders excel at giving people other people's memories to invade their selves. I believe the South is spreading memories everywhere through the rain. This may have been a breach of the rules in the past, but...
Anything can happen now.
Tanetomo: Anyone touched by the rain lose the borders of their selves and assimilate. Don't get hit by it.

Somewhere in Shinjuku
Kengo and Shirou are being invaded by memories!

MC: Every raindrop is enchanted? / Dammit what do I do!? / (run out without thinking about it)
---
(C) Both: STOP
Shirou: What'll we do if you get affected too? Don't touch the rain!
---
Kengo: Hey Smartypants! Any ideas about the rain? I'm the group dumbass so you gotta be the one to think! (moves to cover Shirou as best he can)
Shirou: That's it! MC, do you remember what happened when you were in the Aoyama dungeon with Ryouta and the Missionaries?
MC: What / Oh!
Shirou: I went to Yog Sothoth and Kengo went to Thor so we could learn how to really use our artifacts! Ryouta went to meet his Exception too, and you guys met Fisher King. I remember Ryouta mentioned something from the memories he saw there. He said when the world is really ending, there's an angel who will appear at the Last Judgment and fill the world with his rain of tears that covers the world with faith. It was Israfil! Maybe he's related to this rain... Maybe Fisher King's artifact could show some more detailed memories. Call Ryouta and--AAAHHH

Kengo: SOMETHING'S CRAWLING INTO ME!
Shirou: No wait...what the hell, this is the opposite of what happened with Yog Sothoth!
MC: You guys! I'll call Ryouta right now and...somebody's coming!
Suddenly Koropokkur!
MC: WHOMST / (silently get ready to fight)
Koropokkur: I am the World Representative of Kamui Kotan, Koropokkur.
MC: I sense bloodlust! / Why!? / (remember what Smoky God said)
Flashback!

Smoky God: ...this long game is moving onto an all new phase because the trophy's value has been reversed. Well to be precise, it's not our values as World Representatives that has changed. It's the world's values that changed. The trophy is the enemy of the world again. 

Present
Koroppokur: ...I wanted to save you, Little Hero Ponyaunpe, before you turned into a dirty adult. I'm the one who protects children because that was my given role. But you've been polluted...so now I have to abandon you to keep Kamuy Kotan from being polluted too. Freeze. Noble Phantasm!
Snow covers everywhere except for Koropokkur.
MC: I can't use my power so he really must be a World Rep! I can't leave Shirou and Kengo!
Koropokkur: Are you cold? Yeah, the world is cold! Now freeze soli--
Babe Bunyan sneaks up on Koropokkur.
BANG

Koropokkur: WHAT (Leaf Shield!)

Babe Bunyan: ...howdy.
Koropokkur: Babe! You--
MC: Who is that and why isn't the rain doing anything to them?
Koropokkur: To avoid the effects of the rain you either need a power that shields you from the rain like I do, or...you've already been affected. You too, Babe?
Babe: ...
Babe: BANG
Koropokkur: !!
MC: He's holding up against a World Rep? Is he one too? No wait!
Babe: You're MC, right? You aren't lying down and dying here, yeah? I'm Babe Bunyan, from Great Spirit.
MC: What is your deal? / Great Spirit? What?
Babe: I'll tell you if you survive this. Time for a Wild West showdown!
BATTLE START (more happens after)

Kamuy Kotan is a world of intense natural disasters. Living by the laws of nature is approved of, and humans can only grow so much. Koropokkur is its World Representative. He is a supernatural being that symbolizes the harshness of nature, a little person beneath the butterbur leaves who never appears before adults. He decides the cap to the amount of nature's bounty humans may take and attacks those who go past it. The other kamui embody nature's gifts, but he embodies nature's severity.
Koropokkur is part of the Rule Makers of the East. He goes to Oujimachi Academy in Kita, a famous elementary school that he controls as a Rule Makers Portal. He loves and protects children, and he extends it to native children and Transients not of Kamui Kotan as well. Babe Bunyan attends Oujimachi and is his best friend.

Babe: Howdy! Get any taller?
Babe is from Great Spirit. He likes cowboys, baseball, oatmeal made with lots of milk, and barbecue. He wants to grow up and hasn't grown an inch, but Koropokkur likes him. Even the school teachers highly regarded his innocent, freewheeling behavior...

Present
Babe Bunyan: It's high noon!
Koropokkur: KAUKAU PRIWENPE
Koropokkur is clearly holding back against Babe. The power of his role imposes conceptual restrictions, and in particular he cannot harm those who are a Part of Nature. While he's trying to stop Babe, Babe fires back.
Babe: MARVELOUS EXPLOITS
Babe's horseshoes have the power to trailblaze lands untouched by civilization, which he uses to get close to Koropokkur!
Koropokkur: !
Koropokkur lowers his leaf and stops his blizzard attack.

MC: It stopped! I can see now!

Babe Bunyan: Wait, let me handle this MC. Yeehaw! (catches Koropokkur's arm with his rope and binds it) Caught ya now!
Koropokkur: Let go! Who did this to you!? It was HIM wasn't it!? Great Spirit's World Representative!
Babe: (whispers something into Koropokkur's ears) No. I [REDACTED].
MC: What I can't hear. I see Koropokkur stopped moving though.
Babe: You're not just here for MC, right? You wanted to stop the rain and keep us pure and ignorant of the past. So let me tell you something as a friend. My boss and all aren't the only ones doing something with this rain at the moment. Michael also has something to do with the rain happening.
Koropokkur: !!
Babe: Go ask him about Israfil. So, you really gonna stick around here? If you leave the rain alone it'll even reach the Portal in Kita Ward. You have to protect the other children. (unbinds Koropokkur)
Koropokkur: ... (raises his leaf again)
MC: ! Babe, get away from him! (goes on guard)
Koropokkur disappears.

Babe: It's fine, he just left.
MC: T-thanks, Babe / ...how do you know my name? / I heard some stuff. Are you...
(A) Babe: You might be wrong to thank me.

Babe Bunyan: So, I'm Babe Bunyan. I'm a gopher for the Invaders. (clicks horseshoe, tips hat)
Babe: My boss sent me to give you a message. "I'm waiting at Rainbow Bridge." I'll look after your friends in the meantime. No worries!
MC: ...wait what!? (looks at where Shirou and Kengo are)
Shirou and Kengo are gone.
MC: Babe, where are th--
Babe is gone too now. The rain actually parts like the Red Sea to give MC a path to probably the Rainbow Bridge.
MC: ...welp. / I should call Ryouta and the others first.
---
(BC) No signal detected. Maybe they're jamming it.
---
MC: FINE!

Elsewhere
Sanat Kumara: I have always watched over the lives of humans like this from the sky. (watches crows fly)
Sanat: Mankind will finally assimilate and evolve on a spiritual level. Individual limits will be surpassed and everyone will be connected to a single great wisdom! I have lived an eternity to see it happen for myself, so as another gestalt I support the Invaders' assimilation plan...and betrayed Leanan Sidhe and my friends, and the Game Masters I belonged to.
The Game Masters are neutral and will never support a single side of the players.

Sanat: Daikoku Okuninushi once helped the Warmongers, but he lost his cohort with them, has half-discarded his disguise, and has switched over to the Invaders.
Sanat worked with Okuninushi, an act of betrayal against the Game Masters.

Sanat: I had my doubts, but I believed I did that out of my own will...but who are you to look like me? You've been watching me this whole time. What do you want, and why do you look like me? Are you my imposter? Or...am I yours?
Sanat Doppelganger: ...
Sanat: ...fine. We decide who is real by force!

Rainbow Bridge, the connector of Minato and Shinagawa Wards
MC: I'm here! (looks for Shirou and Kengo and looks around)
Wakan Tanka Inf.: ...
MC: Is that the boss? / NO WAY
---
(BC) Wakan Inf.: ...you know who I used to be? Not that it matters anymore.
---
Wakan Inf.: ...I lived through endless loops meeting and smiling with everyone who lives here. You are one of them.
MC: What? (remember Jacob's memory show at the prison school in a flashback)
Wakan Inf.: I am Wakan Tanka, one of the Invaders World Representatives who lived through Infinity. After infinite loops I have abandoned all besides my name. Now accept it, I give all away I have to everyone I love.
MC: !?!?
Wakan Inf.: Remember the truth of the forgotten days of joy here in Tokyo, then give up the power to harm others. There is no need to fight, no need to be afraid. Become one with happiness.
And so light covers everything.
End of Episode

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