Saturday, April 29, 2023

Chapter 13 Episode 9: Opening Fire in the Storm 3 (Abridged)

The guild that has Tokyo Babel Tower as their Portal is the Taito Ward Oshiage Game Masters, the guild that manages the game happening in Tokyo. They normally act in two man cells with the Entertainers, but Alice who manages the Shinjuku and Shibuya areas is working with someone from some other guild. Their main job is to remove obstructions to the game, but they get the special privilege of hiding their actual affiliations and claim to be part of some other guild, which they use for infiltration. Alice isn't the only Game Master of course, so other members watch over other areas. There's Leanan Sidhe and Santa Kumara who are in charge of Taito's Akihabara and Asakusa areas. Leanan is a Creator and secretly investigating them since not even the Game Masters can figure out what their deal is.
The Creators guildmaster is Turing, a computer genius and authority on AI. The Creators are a fortress in the information war that even the Game Masters have trouble with, and the Game Masters need to know everything to manage the game. They sent in Leanan Sidhe, who found out that Turing is secretly connected with the Invaders. Sanat Kumara was then sent in to investigate further.

Sanat Kumara has the power to share memories by connecting to another person's mind. He's smart and honest, and Leanan trusts him deeply. He also has his own wish that works with his managerial supervising, so people thought he'd be best against the Invaders. But then he started doing things the Game Masters couldn't understand...
Flashback!

Police: We need help in Akihabara with a riot!
Sanat Kumara: Jedi mind trick!
Police: WHAT
poof!

Police: ...what happened? A riot? What riot?
Sanat Kumara has been hiding some of his actions and won't explain himself to Leanan Sidhe. And then, Sanat Kumara finally took direct action by kidnapping Akiha Gongen and disappearing. With him was Daikoku, also known as Onamuji no Mikoto, or Okuninushi.

Present
Alice: So was all that exposition right?
Leanan Sidhe: ...yes, mostly.
Jambavan: The tea we ordered is here! Here you go Alice, Leanan Sidhe.
Leanan: Thank you...
This is the community workspace that the Creators go to often. Alice called Leanan here to go over their information together.

Alice: I'm glad you aren't an enemy. But Sanat Kumara... (sips tea) ...you say he seems to have changed?
Leanan: ...he isn't Sanat Kumara. He'd never attack someone without provocation. He'd never be taken in by fame or temptation, so I was glad to pair up with him. I can't believe he'd go kidnap someone...it's like someone's pretending to be him.
Alice: ...it's likely the Invaders did something to him then. And they're using him as part of their forces? Sanat doesn't seem like the type to be done in so easily though.
Alice knows how strong Sanat is, and that it shouldn't be possible for anyone to unilaterally change his mind given his power.

Alice: ...Sanat Kumara should at least be capable of dragging an opponent down with him, so why? Oh whatever, we should think about other things.
Jamabavan: Like Daikoku, or...?
Alice: Sanat Kumara of course. Daikoku is working as an individual with the Invaders, and at the moment he's never gone past that line. Sanat however is a veteran Game Master, and if he's backing one group, we need to find out why. You're helping, Leanan Sidhe. Understood?
Leanan nods.

Alice: Okay, time to go...wherever it is we're going. I guess we have to start with eyewitness testimony for Sanat Kumara. He went to Umamichi in Asakusa, right? Know anything from around there?
Leanan: Umamich Academy is the Asakusa Taoshis' Portal. They're really old school, and Sanat Kumara is their main gang boss. He likes that school, but there's always something happening with all the punks and scrappers there. His eyes were always shining, but after he disappeared, some problem happening in Katsushika Shibamata came back.
Alice: What?

Leanan Sidhe: Shibamata has this one Transient who's really strong in a fight. He's, uh...Taishakuten? Sanat Kumara threw hands with him one time and really enjoyed it.
Alice: Hmm...let's go investigate Asakusa since it's close by.
Jamabavan: You think he'll show up for old friends if it's someone he has a connection to?
Alice: Yes...if he was the old Sanat Kumara.
Leanan: (frown)
Alice: Even if he doesn't, we might find clues of what he did and--
Thunderclap!
Jambavan: EEK
Alice: ...hmm. The storm's already reached parts of Minato and Chiyoda to the south of here. (looks at weather report)
Alice: We'd best get on a move on since I doubt the East and West will sit around.
Jambavan: Alice, you remember that I'm really part of the Ueno guild? I'm really only helping you part time so I'd like to go ba--OW
Alice: Move your butt if you don't want me pulling on it.
Jambavan: Okay...I hope everyone is okay.
Leanan: Sanat Kumara...

Meanwhile, at some safehouse Daikoku set up under a fake name and made to keep people away
Daikoku: ...Sanat Kumara? Where are you going? I'd rather you stay here as my bodyguard. Also this is my last safehouse...curse Hougen and his underlings being cleverer than I thought and pinning down my other safehouses. And the Warmongers figured out who I really am...
Sanat Kumara: Just have that crow tengu you brought here guard you.
Daikoku: ...
Sanat: Or you could get Takeminakata to do that. It's unnecessary for me to stay and guard you, and I have other things to do. I want to see how everyone in Asakusa is doing.
Daikoku: Ooh, did you have a change of heart?
Sanat: ...the Asakusa Taoshis have just allied with the Aoyama Missionaries. (pulls out phone)

Sanat Kumara: The remaining members of the Missionaries have evacuated to the school in Taito, but far as I know the Transients in Asakusa are still fighting.
Daikoku: ...and you think you can show yourself to your old friends? After helping the Invaders to bring this chaos to Tokyo?
Sanat: ...I haven't changed in my feelings towards my kouhais.
Daikoku: Haha, I hope they feel the same towards you...oh excuse me. Okay fine, there's always someone else. It's you and I switched to the Invaders with our own things going on. But I'll never join the Rule Makers. I have nothing after this, so I'm throwing everything into this operation to make it work. Safe travels then.
Sanat: ... (leaves)

Daikoku: Now then.
Akiha Gongen: (frowns)
Daikoku: Have you calmed down? Do you know who I am?
Akiha: ...Onamuji no Mikoto. Or Okuninushi. You were the World Representative of my world once. Why are you claiming to be Daikoku?
Daikoku: Precisely for the reasons you just said! I USED to be a World Representative, but now "Okuninushi" means nothing in the hierarchy of things! So I'm using Daikoku's name and Shadow and powers...though it's pulled half off now. You are someone who could be my Divided Spirit, so do you know why I brought you here? Tokyo's order is falling and the Hierarchy System is turning over.
Akiha: ...what?

Daikoku: Yes, you'd be done in if you stayed in Akihabara. You're welcome for that.
Akiha: I-I'm sorry milord, I have to go back and--
Daikoku: ...no. You and Takeminakata must serve me.
Akiha: Takeminakata is here in Tokyo???
Daikoku: Yes! You swore loyalty once before, didn't you? Well now's the time to show that loyalty!
Akiha: (frown)
Daikoku: Hahahahaha!
How wretched and pitiful to pull rank with a bluff on a ranking that doesn't exist anymore. All he's doing is taking advantage of guilt and compassion.

Daikoku: I've given up what's left of my pride. You'll get yours, Amaterasu!
Daikoku (narrating): And I'll do anything to make it happen! If this Invaders plot works, my position will flip around. This is my last wish, and I've given up everything else about myself because I have nothing else to do!

Elsewhere
Shinya: !!
Perun: Hmph. So you've run away using your minions as a shield, Shinya Tennouji. Well they're mine now!
Temujin: (barfs blood) ...well that was embarrassing. I'll settle things with Shinya next time. I must!
Temujin thinks about how he became ruler of the steppes after winning against Jamukha. His name became legend, and he became World Representative. Now he can't stop being a conqueror, or else there'd be no point to his cutting down Jamukha.
Temujin: ...yes, I chose to cut down even my sworn friend, so all I can do is continue walking on alone as a conqueror.
Perun: Hahaha! Yes, pillage and burn!
Temujin: The time for invasion has come!
Shinya: ...Kalki! Taromaiti!
The city burns as Shinya runs off alone and wounded.

Akihabara
Ulaanbaatar punches out some mobs.

Ulaanbaatar: Meeeeh, this smells just like Xanadu when shit was going down.
There was a time in Xanadu when all the crises were happening, so the son of some divine king came down on a rope of light and incarnated on the earth. He became a hero and fought since he was young and punched out like all the disasters. That hero's name is still revered. Once he was done, he declared he was retiring and said "mkay, I'mma lie down now and not do anything."
Flashback!

Akiha Gongen: Senpai! You have to go to practice and classes!
Ulaanbaatar: Nah. Let's kick back together and have fun Akiha!
Akiha: I can't, even if you are the one advising me!
Ulaanbaatar has zero motivation and makes zero effort to hide that fact.

Ulaanbataar: Pffft, my Tokyo life motto is "no zeal and no drive." I mean come on, I had to work nonstop back in my world once, so I should at least get to not bust my ass here and take a load off. I'm in my own trashy isekai LN, but in reverse!
Akiha: >:(
Ulaanbaatar: Aww, don't be like that.
Akiha: Go to practice! We have to save the town if something bad happens!
Ulaanbaatar: Fiiiine, one more minut--ow, stop pulling!
Present
The fire station alarm is ringing.

Ulaanbaatar: Meh. Where'd Akiha go? He's not the type to run if there's trouble, so...oh fine nobody else is here to do it. Time to show my old chops.
End of Episode

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