Arslan (narrating): You guys my life's been so cool! I beat 100 people by myself and got into an enemies to lovers arc with an enemy nation royal! I fought monsters and became a war hero! It all happened, hehe. What, you don't believe me? Well allow me to tell you about it!
Arslan (narrating): So I was born a prince, but I was raised as a merchant kid because reasons. But I got lots of training and education and became a sword prodigy who saved a bigwig attacked by animals. Merchant knowledge helped a lot in adventuring, like earning money, getting information, and working as a waiter. But also, I got into some big trouble because I was so strong, or because I was young and dumb. Like, oops! A little scuffle turned into a big duel! Oops, I tried to stop some violence and I cut off someone's head! Oops, a bunch of love rivals ganged up on me and it turned into a bloodbath! And then I picked up a shamshir fighting a demon, and that turned out to be King Solomon's sword! Then I became a king.
Arslan (narrating): Classic end to an adventure I guess but classic adventures are like full of tragedy, just like in monster movies. Heroes save the world and get glory, then die alone in misery and exile. I bailed out before that happened to me, and I stopped being in a heroic fantasy story. People call my life a fantasy, and no one knows what comes after "happily ever after."
Arslan (narrating): After I came to Tokyo I sealed my sword away and took up oil wrestling. I wondered if there really is a path with no bloodshed here. Was there a way for me to not have killed so many in my past?
Present
Morning of Day 4 of the shark security team's work
Andvari: Okay so the resort got damaged, but Kamata is paying for it and more importantly, no one got hurt! Good luck everybody, I'll pay good!
MC: Money! / Okay we'll be good for a while / man, it's all going into rent and overhead
(A) Ryouta: Yay! Let's use our money for a party when we're done!
Behemoth: Dude, I am so in! I wanna try the hotel's buffet!
Ziz: Oh that's nice you two! Don't go overboard though.
(B) Moritaka: Indeed! I have to pay so much for dojo expenses.
Kengo: Yeah, dojos use a lot of money. I'mma use my money for hiking food and stuff!
(C) Shirou: Right. Maybe we shouldn't think too much about it since our landlord is the one paying us here.
Touji: Pub sec jobs ending also end with low budgets. I'll put my wages all for the guild since I'm not using it for anything else anyway.
Everyone's at the camp area.
Andvari: Damn, I can't believe there's so many sharks out there. We got the things keeping them away, but you really oughta take out the boss soon. Maybe after the radar's done upgrading, but for now we're prepping on standby.
Dagon: Let's not be hasty. We still have our emergency supplies if need be.
Reprobus: (stares)
Gullinbursti: Are you still worried about last night's broken dishes?
Reprobus: No, thinking about something else.
Gullinbursti: Wha--
Andvari: Dammit you two could at least care about that some more!
MC: wow they're just continuing with the conversation / cut their paychecks! / I'm sorry about my servants
Gullinbursti: O-oh, I'm sorry FriendMaster and Owner! I do feel bad, I mispoke...
Andvari: Ugh, whatever. Anyway, what were you thinking of, Reprobus?
Reprobus: ...I was wondering if we can solve this incident with the shark peacefully.
Surprised party and friends!
Andvari: What!? We have to take it down if the boss comes here!
Reprobus: I know.
Andvari: Then what the hell are you talking about all of a sudd--
Arslan: Now now, let him speak. Maybe he'll think of a better idea for the resort?
Reprobus: ...I'm unsure. Do we really not have a spare option here? Hephaestus said he made the shark to help people. So why did it turn out the way it did? Can we fix it?
Reprobus always acted to fulfill his given duty before now.
Reprobus: It'd be sad to go out without doing its original job.
Andvari: >:C
He seems serious about this.
MC: I thought the same thing / maybe not... / Let's talk to Hephaestus
---
(A) Behemoth: I agree with Reprobus! I wanna help him!
Arslan: Beating the shark would be the fastest way to keep the resort safe, but hmm...
(B) Gullinbursti: I agree with MC. We have to focus on the guests's safety.
Arslan: Beating the shark would be the fastest way to keep the resort safe, but hmm...
(C) Dagon: I agree, MC. Let's ask him.
---
Dagon: We really should consult a specialist when possible. How about we talk with the Crafters?
Andvari: Yeah that'd be faster. Let's go!
Later
Hephaestus: I-I never thought you'd ask if we could find a way to fix the shark!
Andvari: Uh, you thought of one then?
Tvastar: I mean, that's the usual way of solving this sorta problem. We just kinda pivoted to breaking the thing since it might not have been a realistic solution.
Hephaestus: N-now that this got into the news, we have to focus on solving things quick. I-I'd rather we not shut it down, but we might have to here.
Talos: Allow me to thank you as another of Creator's creations for looking at an option you discarded beforehand.
Tvastar: Yeah, we caused this so we couldn't really ask that of you guys. We just love our mech babies!
Hephaestus: T-thanks, even if nothing's happened yet, hehe...
The Crafters start thinking on things.
Hephaestus: W-we figured out how to cut down on the spawned sharkbots thanks to the ones you caught.
Tvastar: And the shark repellent machine things gave us time to think of something! But we only have a little bit of time before it won't work and you'll have to kill the boss, okay?
Andvari: ...okay fine. You guys know what's up, so do whatever to keep the place safe.
MC: Just a little more! Strategy meeting time!
All present nod.
MC: So, why IS the help bot a shark bot? You said it used dark matter?
Hephaestus: F-faith. Different worlds believe sharks to be guardian deities. I put an AI into the shark's dark matter brain.
MC: what / oh right, artifacts are made of it
(C) Tvastar: That's right!
Hephaestus: D-dark matter holds light and memories, like how Transient bodies are composed.
Tvastar: You can dig it out of the ground near the light pillars.
Hephaestus: I-I gave it a personality so it could think and protect its owner.
Tvastar: Yeah, the shark bot isn't supposed to attack people.
Dagon: So maybe it turned out that way because of what people in Tokyo believe. Majority faith establishes power, and here in Tokyo sharks are the stars of horror movies.
Hephaestus and Tvastar: !!
Dagon: Get enough people, and maybe it'd turn the helper bot into a killer bot.
Flashback!
Kid A: Big shark!
kid B: Oh my god!
Girl C: OH NO
Girl D: It must be an experiment thingy. Reminds me of a movie I saw.
Wolf E: Oh god is it gonna attack!?
Guy F: Like in Sharknado!
Present
Hephaestus: O-oh...I messed up.
Tvastar: Oh right, that was when the shark bot flipped out!
MC: That happened? / Oh this again / Oh!
Dagon: Okay class, who here has figured out how to spare the helper shark bot?
MC: Tell us, professor! / Plot sword activate? / (Shirou help)
(A) Dagon: Ooh, this is the best feeling in the world. But my suggestion is that we cut it off from Tokyo's faith.
(B) Dagon: You know your artifact so well. But it might not stick if people in Tokyo still believe, so I think we need to move the shark bot somewhere else.
(C) Shirou: We have to move it away from Tokyo's built-in beliefs, right? I don't know how we're supposed to do that though.
Dagon: Correct. I wish I could be MC's tactical advisor.
Dagon: Tokyo's faith is nailed down by the 23 pillars of light, but we do have places in Tokyo that are Not Tokyo. Some of you may already know, but Tokyo Bay has a bunch of ocean based overworld shifts with the faith and belief of other worlds. We should move the shark into one of them that doesn't think of sharks as horror movie monsters.
Gullinbursti: Oh!
Kengo: You aren't telling us to throw shark bots in one at a time are you?
Ryouta: Uhh, use the shark repellant machine things to herd them in?
Behemoth: (raises hand) Uh, maybe I can do something? Like you saw how the flying shark bots all aggroed me.
Ziz: You were made to be loved by all animals, so you want to be bait?
Behemoth: Yeah. You read my mind.
Ziz: Now that you've said it, I can't talk you out of it?
Touji: You want to lure in ALL the sharks?
Moritaka: That's too dangerous!
Arslan: It's cool, I can protect him with holy oil. We can do it if we all guard him.
MC: Got it! / Gullinbursti, you move him / We got two pro movers
(A) Gullinbursti: Master, I will be your feet and bring you victory!
(B) Gullinbursti: Yes Master! I feel like I can do anything when you rely on me, MC!
(C) Gullinbursti: Yeah, me and Reprobus can take you anywhere!
Reprobus: When we move, I can use my artifact to keep you all safe.
Arslan: Ahh, youth. Jumping headlong into danger and facing it. I'll do everything I can to help!
Everyone coming together like this is so familiar to Arslan.
Arslan: (My old adventures were almost always about punching out my enemies. This time, we're gonna be trying to save an outcast.)
Arslan: Oh well, best to have a big dramatic finale for an adventure, right? By the way Dagon, which shift are we going for? We might get whoever's in it involved too depending on where we go.
Dagon: You're right. I already have a place in mind.
Surprised cast!
MC: Where?
Dagon: It's a shift I happened to find in the depths below Tokyo Bay. We're going to the sunken city of Y'ha-nthlei from Old Ones.
End of Episode part
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