Saturday, April 22, 2023

Chapter 13 Episode 8: Opening Fire in the Storm 2 (Abridged)

One of the big three guilds is the Invaders, based in Shinagawa. The seven World Representatives there can penetrate deep into others to change their dignity, their future, or even their faith. They can revolutionize a person's identity without it being recognized as an attack, and those affected can even start behaving like they worshipped or loved them from the beginning. All the World Representatives in that guild have changed the world just by existing.
One of the Representatives is Shinya Tennouji, World Representative of Olympus. He is unmistakably human, but he has also been selected to serve Zeus's role in his place. In Olympus Zeus was chosen to be connected by the bond of love to all things, and anyone who was important or had power was made to be connected to him as a lover, descendant, or blood relative. That in turn led Shinya to have the power to be loved by everyone just by existing. His original family was destroyed by this because of the fights that resulted.

Present
Perun: Shinya Tennouji. You were once one of us, and in other loops you were our enemy. We're paying you back now for what you've done to us!
Kalki: I object! I was born to destroy, but I came to know love here and shall fight for it.
Taromaiti: Don't forget about me. I was moved by how hard Shinya tried to protect Tokyo, and I won't let you Invaders destroy it!
Perun: Nuisances! Volkh, clear the way.
Volkh: Yes, Your Majesty! Fight me, minions!
Taromaiti: We're his friends, thank you!
Volkh: Behold the power of the Werewolf Prince!
POW

Volkh: Heh.
Kalki: I can't believe he's holding me back on his own!
Taromaiti: Keep him there! Flanking attack, go!
Volkh: Stop!
Taromaiti: ...what!?
Volkh raised an arm and froze the air to stop Taromaiti.

Taromaiti: I THOUGHT I recognized you! This is almost...actually it's exactly the same power as Horokeu Kamui's!
Shinya: You did it again, didn't you Perun?
Taromaiti: What?

Shinya: Perun has the power to grind and mix memories. Volkh Vseslav must be mixed with another Transient!
Perun: Correct! I added Complete Loyalty to Horokeu Kamui so he's now both Horokeu Kamui and Volkh Vseslav and neither of them! He's still strong enough to hold off two people at once, hahaha! Also what right do you have to speak with your nature of charming everyone and their grandmother? Is the friendships your friends have with you REAL?
Shinya: ...!
Perun: Can you truly declare you have not inflicted madness upon their selves?
Shinya: No...no! I never did that!
Perun: You can do that without lifting a finger, so you might as well act like kings as we do. You spout false words of friendship and bandy a shallow justice while turning your eyes away from your own karma and--
Shinya: YOU SHUT UP
Perun: Haha! (blocks arrow) Just like that! You use your sweet words to lower my guard and attack me!
The chestplate that is supposed to be Zeus's is shining.
Perun: Roppongi Academy has already fallen! My power shall crush your egos and make you part of my history! Indoeuro Thunder Crash!
Kalki and Taromaiti: Shinya, get away!
Shinya: Kalki! Taromaiti!

Roppongi
Baron: Y-you would turn against us? AGH
Servant Mobs: For Perun, the true king!
Roppongi Academy buildings are being destroyed and exposing the students to the rain! The place is falling to the Invaders!
Ifrit: Hey you! Eat shit! Fire Punch! (pow!) HA! Seriously though, what now? I hope Nobuharu's okay...huh?
Takeminakata: ...
Ifrit: Haven't I seen you somewhere? Oh right, you're one of the Tycoons leaders with a name. The sumo guy, Takem--ow, what the hell man!?
Takeminakata: (stares in traditional Japanese)
Ifrit: Are they controlling you!? Say something dammi--OW! Nobu...haru...
Takeminakata: (frowns)

Some Tycoons safehouse
Melusine: Master Licht, the scout has returned.
Licht: Oh! Bring him in.
Melusine: I have concerns he may be affect by the enemies...
Licht: Nah, he's fine. Bring him in.
Touji: I'm back. How are you, Licht?
This is the Tycoons' last safehouse Licht kept somewhere. Touji keeps watch as he goes in.

Licht: I'm glad to see you doing well, Touji.
Touji: The rain has some spiritual attack enchanted in. I'd be affected if I didn't have barrier magic. (shows some seal on his hand)

Licht: This must be an Invaders plot. Everyone touched by the rain shows mental abnormalities and enemy soldiers are forcing people outside. We just lost contact with our remaining forces at Roppongi Academy...the Tycoons as a group are done. We don't know if there's a traitor, and since nobody actually died or whatever, I can't collect on their powers. The other leaders must have been backstabbed or something, though I don't think they've been done in that easy...
Touji: (frown)
Licht: Thank you again to you and the Summoners for helping us. Your ability to stop the enemy mind hack means we have some room to maneuver.
Touji: Yeah about that. I saw a traitor contact enemy forces.
Licht: Takeminakata!?
Touji: Yes, I saw him slap down Ifrit. I don't know if he's mind controlled though...
Licht: No. If it's Takeminakata, I know that possibility is out.
Touji: ...you're sure?

Licht: Yes. First of all, the mental attack rain seems to be someone else's power. Anyone hit by the rain hasn't actively helped the Invaders even if they were put into a trance. Also we know the latter is being caused by Perun and his millstone artifact's power to change history. It brainwashes people to think they were always his servants. I can't get into it now, but it can't work on Takeminakata for being Unrecorded. It's also why I thought he'd be our ace against the Invaders.
Touji: So he's choosing to help them out purely by his own will?
Licht: ...does anyone really have their own will? Actually never mind the philosophy question, I can at least answer you with my guesses. So unlike most of us, Takeminakata isn't the type to turn coat over self interest. That means he must have been ordered to do so by someone he knew before coming to Tokyo.
Touji: what

Licht: Previous vows cannot be broken. Hierarchy things... anyways, sorry but I need you to look into someone else Touji. Takamagahara's former World Represntative. He used to be Onamuji no Mikoto, and later he became Okuninushi. That's who Takeminakata served before, and I'm highly certain he's helping the Invaders out.
Touji: Wait I don't understand what's happening anymore. What do our enemies want?
Licht: Do they even see us as enemies...? I bet even this rain is just some end goal setup. You remember Rule 1 of this game? Majority trumps everything. The Berserkers and Wisemen proved it in an experiment back when we were still fighting against each other
Licht: ...you know, I've always thought we had the order of things backwards in this attack.
Touji: what
Licht: We thought the East was moving faster than the South, and that the Missionaries were attacked first before the Tycoons. Tactically speaking it should be the case, but the Invaders are going at everything backwards. I don't like making guesses on top of other guesses, but the Invaders might be trying to pull a revolution on the game's Law of Hierarchy and pulling everyone in Tokyo into participating!
End of Episode

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