So, Himavat is different from the Gongen thing. He's both a representation of the Himalayas and a a human-made form. A watcher from the highest point over 50 million years. He's seen the rise of humanity, though none ever came to his heights. That place was called the Ceiling of the World, a pillar that supported the world with all the memories carved into it. Himavat has those memories, and getting the top of success in Tokyo was easy for him. He became a famous sports brand model! And when you stand that high above society, it's easy to make your way through. Top of his school class! Tokyo's top fashion model! Everyone was in awe of him, but Himavat never really cared because he couldn't really talk to people. How dare people not have his perfect memory and repeat some mistake they made a century ago? Aliens, the lot of them. And then one day he met Zao...
Present
Some cave
MC: where am I? I saw Zao before and...
MC: I got flooded? Then there was a giant hole...
Welp, MC and Zao fell into the big sky hole together!
MC: Oh right where is Zao?
MC thinks back to finding Zao and Not MC up top. Zao stepped forward and then fell into the hole. The hole swelled as it filled with water, and MC fell in too.
MC: Where's Zao!?
Flashback!
Himavat: You're a terrible club captain for not setting it up to be able to work without you!
Zao: !?
Himavat: You know what the difference between work and hobby, right?
Present
MC: Right, calm as the mountains. Zao would want to make sure everyone's okay!
Elsewhere
Himavat managed to stop himself from falling by sticking a stake into the rock wall.
Himavat: I've seen this happen before. Keep calm and carry on.
This is some world's caldera lake. A natural phenomenon.
Himavat: That hole opened like a snake's mouth. Seen it before too...seems like the other investigation members fell in.
Himavat calmly descends in. Then he picks up on something invisible.
Himavat: Geomagnetism. That explains the comms jamming.
Himavat checks his ski pole artifact. Enigma would say a magnetic storm is warping spacetime. The big hole is collecting energy like some antenna. Himavat then holds his poles up.
Himavat: Show me what happened with Zao.
Memory replay!
Zao: KOOOOUHAAAAIIII
Himavat: (frowns) You care about MC that much...?
Himavat starts remembering his first night with Zao...
Flashback!
It happened one night at some overworld shifted mountaintop.
Himavat: Someone actually made it up here? There's no oxygen! Who are you!? ...whoa!
Zao: I made it! Also who are you?
First person to ever make it asks that while hugging him. They talked all night, and it was a first of many things for Himavat. First contact, impressed by Zao's passion.
Himavat: Why go back down? This is the highest mountain in the world!
Zao: Who cares about height if that's all it has? I just came because I felt like it, and I'm going because I like people.
That smile.
Zao: I'm gonna start a mountaineering club!
Himavat decides he'll go down too then. And make his own club so he can stand equal to Zao forever!
Present
Himavat: Why do you care so much about a normal human...? ...hm?
Something's there. Weird wyvern MC thing!
Later
MC: wait what I can't see what's happening
Wyvern Himavat thing!
MC: wait WHAT
BATTLE START (more happens after)
MC: What the hell is going on!? Wait this is like before with Zao!
That was earlier, when he tried attacking but then fell into the hole. Maybe their recognition of what's happening is wrong.
MC: Hmm...
MC: (push back) / (spread your arms) / (judo catch)
Strange noises!
Eventually the distortion disappears and Himavat is revealed!
Himavat: Huh. Didn't expect that to be done.
MC: Himavat? I can finally see I guess? Good thing we can stop now.
Himavat: You did that as a blind guess? Who would actually--no wait, it suddenly makes sense you're Zao's heir now.
MC: where are we? / where's everyone else? / Is Zao...okay?
(B) Himavat: You're always so concerned with others. But I'm sure they're okay. My school's at least.
(C) Himavat: ...I didn't expect you to look like that too.
Himavat: ...we're in a tunnel towards a caldera lake basically. I'd bring along my team if it were safe, but somehow you landed outside my hypothesis.
Himavat looks right at MC.
Himavat: I lost sight of things. You did well after Zao disappeared. Even if you all don't individually remember, you showed you're connected on a scale bigger than I am. I was jealous that Zao cared about you so much, a human. But now I greet you, Zao Fan 2!
MC: excuse me???
Himavat: I'm Zao Fan 1 by the way.
MC: explain later! / what? / let's go somewhere next time, the three of us
---
(C) Himavat: Okay! I'll tell you about the time we first met!
---
Himavat: Well you're the first to meet up with me, so I'll tell you my experience-based guesses. I've sensed the atmosphere from the dragon vein leyline in here lots of times before. Snake dens from different worlds, a trap to speed up competitive scrambling for survival!
Tram Station
Andvari: What the hell, the phones aren't working!
Andvari's waiting at the station. Wires surround the mountains like snakes!
Elsewhere
Kumano Gongen: ...I sense Mt. Kumano. Are you there, Kiyohime?
Her. The one who chased him for marriage. Kumano's artifact rings quietly, an invitation to hell.
End of Episode
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