There was once a city in fog where many cultures developed, and many people gathered in the East End. It was a brilliantly shining city that showed people all manner of joys, and actors strove to achieve their dreams. But this city also had a red light district slum town of brothels called Whitechapel. There was also a serial killer that targeted the prostitutes of Whitechapel. That was the first urban legend, the beginning of the theatrical criminal. The serial killer would leave behind dismembered body parts of his victims, but why? And why did he only target prostitutes? And how could Scotland Yard fail to solve this case? If this were a mystery novel, there could be answers. But it's not, so there wasn't. The case was sensational to the people of this theater town, and it too became entertainment in time. And they called the killer...
Present
This is Chiyoda Yurakucho, Tokyo's theater town. Entertainment facilities everywhere! Lots of rich and famous people come here.
Cop: I NEED REINFORCEMENTS!
This cop came over to go undercover because of a tipoff that Something is sold here.
Cop: The phone's not working! And I just figured out their secret! That guild's name is--!?
Suddenly color inversion!
Cop: I hear music?
Creepy music for an underground theater! Livestreamers start crowding the cop...
Cop: AAAAA
The cop loses his grip and his mind is filled with maddening joy...
Later
MC: So, Yurakucho. Is Bigfoot here yet? (thinks back)
Flashback!
Bigfoot: MC, please accept invitation. Promise, your friends be okay until you return. Me, no lie. Waiting in Yurakucho. (silently leaves)
Shirou: The Yurakucho guild? If our intel is right, they're allied with the true big three guilds. Seems like a trap to tell you to go there alone.
MC: I'll go. We need info.
Shirou: I know, we don't have a choice... here, look on the app. Our info's suddenly been hidden on the app a second ago, so the other guilds can't come at us. Bigfoot did say he'd guarantee all our safety...but if this is an admin thing, we don't have much options to resist. If we say no, who knows what admin stuff they'll pull on us? Be careful out there MC. Call me if anything happens!
Present
MC: Lots of cops around, wonder why?
Bigfoot: ...MC.
MC: Did someone call me?
Bigfoot: (drops invisibility) MC, thank you for coming. Me happy.
MC: WHERE'D YOU COME FROM
Bigfoot: Me, guide you. This way.
MC: I'm watching you!
Yurakucho Nightpool
Barong: Welcome!
MC: what
Barong: I'm Barong, a dancer and Entertainer! Heard you were coming, VIP. Let me entertain you! Tell me if you need anything.
MC: what / I don't get it but tee hee
---
(C) Barong: Wow, you're bold. But hey, why not make life fun? If you give me a tip, I'll give you an even better show.
---
Bigfoot: Me, told to welcome you MC. Have lots of fun today.
Later, Yurakucho
Magami: (sniffs) Bark! The scent disappeared.
Hougen: Ugh, we've lost a cop and the trail went cold. Good old Leeroy Jenkins going in alone. I'd like to keep investigating further ahead, but...
Horus and Nobumichi are around.
Tajikarao: How can they be a step ahead of us!? It's one of our Shinjuku folks missing!
Magami: Bark? Who are they?
Hougen: The Special Judicial Police? Didn't you learn about them in class?
Magami: Who?
Hougen: They get special crime scene investigation privileges, usually do organized crime cases. Anyways, this is outside our jurisdiction. We can't push on, what with Tajikarao getting pushed back there.
Magami: ...Instructor, didn't our coworker come all the way here for--
Hougen: Yes, the rumors that that one case in Shinjuku will start up again.
Remember the case with dismembered body parts being left around in Shinjuku? They're happening again in Yurakucho now. It's on the news and internet.
Hougen: ...the Entertainers always were suspicious. They may be part of the game management, but rumors said they're involved in slave trading. Then the Japanese Jack the Ripper case opens back up here, we lose contact with the officer who ran over...and now we found a piece of him lying around. What are we supposed to make of that?
Magami: The Entertainers did it! They caught our colleague and left a taunt for us!
Hougen: ...that's one way of looking at it, but I think something else is going on.
Magami: What?
Hougen: ...the one upshot of the cop who's arm got cut off is that the arm was also his artifact. We can just tape it back on if we find him...if he's still okay. We still need more info on Yurakucho...but if we can't do so legally we'll need to think of something else.
Magami: Are we going to sneak in and inves--
Hougen: No, they've seen us already. Things will be okay if we already have an inside agent though. Okay, time to ask the Wanderers for help. Tajikarao knows one of them!
Nightpool
Drinks for everyone!
Barguest: Hello, what would you like to drink? ...oh, MC. Haven't seen you since Roppongi.
MC: who / Barguest!?
Flashback of Chapter 6 when Barguest and Kenta were near the Tokyo Casino!
Barguest: Yeah, thanks for back then.
MC: How come you're here?
Barguest: Work. We have a Portal, but we move around a lot. Still need money for food though. And Kenta's waiting for me. The Portal's been a little dangerous lately though, so Kenta's hiding nearby.
MC: You okay? Need help? You can come to Shinjuku if anything happens.
Barguest: ...thanks, you never change. But anyways, I'm working now. Tell me if you need anything. I hear you're a VIP, and I'm a waiter here. The bosses want you to be safe.
MC: ...wait, what?
Later
Bigfoot: MC, you have fun?
MC: Bigfoot... / You're in a swimsuit! / It looks great!
---
(C) Bigfoot: Thank you, me happy you like.
---
Bigfoot: ...what wrong? You look like want ask me something.
MC: what is your deaaaaal?
Bigfoot: ...me, no plot. Me, just want you be happy. Thanking you for saving Wakan Tanka.
Bigfoot takes MC's hand and puts it over his heart. Part of his mind flows through his hand.
MC: WHAT
Bigfoot: Yes, Great Spirit's Great Mystery. Me, shaman...spare World Representative.
Flashback of Wakan Tanka talking about how he wanted to see MC again last chapter!
Bigfoot smiles innocently as he moves next to MC.
Bigfoot: Me, no lie. Me like you. Me, love you. Me, Wakan Tanka's replacement. You, me, one. Me, want you happy. (gently holds MC's ringed hand)
Elsewhere
Bertro: I never thought I'd see this line open up again, Isaac. Oh wait, AIsaac. Hello how are you?
Isaac: Hi Robert. Oh wait, I mean Bertro. How's Duo? Isn't he hitting his expiration date soon? And last I checked, you should be getting that one disease my original got soon, right?
Bertro: Is it enough to say I'll keep working until the end of this loop?
Isaac: Oh okay. Tell Duo I said hi.
Bertro: Okay enough small talk. We have a problem.
Isaac: Yeah, the Rule Makers are cheating! I mean so did we but still. Oh look.Karen Curren: Hi Robert, I'm surprised you can still move. And Isaac...or Isaac 2.0. Remembering the day you died feels like just yesterday. Thanks for coming on, this might be the last time we talk.
Bertro: You're funny.
Isaac: It feels like forever since we've talked together, even if I'm not how I used to be. So, care to explain yourself, C?
Karen Curren: No, I just wanted to say bye to the siblings who were born from the same place I was. It's my turn to pull something now.
Isaac: ...wow, Curren.
Curren: Bertro's Plan B proved things will collapse one day, and mankind is one bad dice roll away from gaming over. Plan A was pretty good, but you only just got a bit further ahead. Instrumentality is just too old school for mankind now, so I'm going to do something different.
Isaac: ...I see. So you're saying that's why the Rule Makers allied with the Entertainers?
Curren: Yes. There's no deus ex machina in the world, so this will solve everything. Time for humanity to graduate from its moratorium as someone said, but the script going ahead is mine.
Curren: ...bye.
click
End of Episode
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