Chapter 12 Episode 12: King of Shangri La 3

Smoky God starts narrating and refers to you as his old friend as he talks about how vivid the memory of the day he met you was. It was back in the world of the void underneath the earth, with the unrevolving sun sitting in the center of its sky. In one part of the world was the golden city of Hiranyapura, the place where you and the other Asuras lived. It was there he met you, clashed with each other, and spoke of the same ideals. You had both sworn to stop all suffering in the world, forgive all sins, and abandon all attachments. You would always spar with him since then, and he remembers how you'd swing your sword even after you were wounded.

 

But eventually, the two of you started having divergent ideals. One day, another friend of yours's daughter was hurt. This was caused by another of the Smoky God's friends, and you went in to cause a bloody battle in a rage you wouldn't give up. You turned away from the things the two of you believed in, and you were exiled from Shangri La. Those who refuse to leave their attachments behind and pick the path of endless battle fall to the world of Asuras. Their fate becomes decided, and they are sent to fight endlessly in an eternal loop of reincarnation. The shadow of regret has darkened Smoky God's heart ever since.

 

Back to the present, Masanori greets Kresnik when he finally turns up at the Akihabara studio cafe. Kresnik greets him back and apologizes for the wait. They are different in just about every way from their race to their age range and other details, but they once protected the peace of the city together. Their friendship rekindles as they clap each other on the back, delighted to see the other. Kresnik notes that the way Masanori dresses means he's still sticking with walking the path of a writer, so Masanori sighs about how Kresnik sees through everything and confirms that he has indeed not changed. He's surprised Kresnik became a teacher and wished he told him back then.

 

Kresnik says he may be a teacher now, but he still has to work hard every day still. He then introduces Ellie as a student from the school he works at and a vampire like him, though he figures Masanori knows that already. Ellie just looks surprised but doesn't say anything, and Masanori comments after a while that Kresnik has changed a lot to protect a vampire now. Kresnik then moves to introduce Masanori to Ellie, but she beats him to the punch in saying Masanori's full name. Kresnik is surprised by her doing so, and Ellie reveals that she knows Masanori is a necromancer and a revolutionary belonging to the Invaders.

 

Flashback kicks in to some earlier time where Tanetomo being every bit the annoyed, put upon secretary, is on the phone with Ellie. He makes a point of saying he's doing this to repay her for that one time, then brings up the loops being a thing. He explains that each of the big three guilds keep memories of those loops, and this is obviously an advantage as stockpiling data is the basis for any organization. By analyzing past trends, it becomes easy to predict how people will act in the same situations. Each guild is using these memories as strategic resources in their own way.

 

Tanetomo notes that this loop, the Invaders have taken a lot actions he's about to talk about. In short, they are taking the memories and distributing them in a limited way to the general public and making them into vanguards without any self-awareness. If you compare them to historical parallels you could call it the wiles of the people called revolutionaries. The memories of the past loops is basically how the World Representatives control people. Even the leaders of the big three guilds have limits to the memories they can access, so the memories Tanetomo can get are limited too, which in turn means there's only so much he can tell Ellie about the person she's looking for. Masanori is one of the Invaders, so he acts with their ideas in mind. He also has the role of being made to be the moral aggressor in terms of revolutionary conflict.

 

Back to the present Ellie says she has a lot of questions to ask, but she decides to go with the most important one: is Masanori the one who set up her schoolmates to attack her? Kresnik is surprised by this question and Masanori doesn't immediately respond, so Kresnik turns to him looking sad. Masanori sighs and says if he were a real literary man he might have been able to dodge the question, but then says it'd be a waste of time trying that in front of his old friend. He rechecks Ellie's name, then confirms both his identity and admits he's a follower of one of the people causing the strife in Kabukicho.

 

Back on your end, the Smoky God's presence at the chaos that popped up when your disguise was messed up and randos seemed slightly suspicious after the fact causes everyone to look at him. Refined behavior and deep seated sadness visible in his eyes just pulls everyone in. Smoky God apologizes and smiles, asking that people let him pass. He does this on an individual basis for every rando he gets near on his way forward, and the randos trip over themselves to comply. By this point the mayhem has stopped.

 

The crowd attempts to ask Smoky God for his name. He declines to reveal it saying he's there in secret, but he does say a foreigner referred to him with the epithet Smoky God. It's also his way of introducing himself to you as well as answering the question, and you either ask if it's his name or point out that it's obviously an alias. Cops run up to demand what the crowd is here for, which the Smoky God takes as his cue to leave. He asks if you can run as he addresses you by name, saying it's better to go before another commotion happens and your friend gets dragged into it. He holds his hand out to you, and you do note that it's odd that he knows your name, but you set the thought aside to take his hand and go.

 

Time passes to the point where you and Smoky God have separated yourselves from the crowd, and he figures you guys have run far enough. You think him for saving you, then ask why he did so to begin with. He says he hasn't actually saved you yet, still keeping up his serene smile from before. You ask him what he means as you step back cautiously from him, and Smoky God starts saying he wanted to rekindle his friendship with you, though he notes that this would probably be a first meeting in your perspective. He's known you for a long time, since before even the loops.

 

You ask Smoky God what he just said and/or activate the app to defend yourself, so Smoky God figures he should tell you now that he's one of the leaders of the Invaders. His smile is noted to be full of kindness, bright enough to light up any darkness. It makes people feel like they'll be accepted no matter what flaws they have in their heart and let themselves be saved by him. It's the smile of kindness that would trample over the anxiety of emptiness, and it's the vainglory of someone who would revolutionize a world. Smoky God adds that he's the World Representative of Shangri La, so you summon your sword and stand off against him. He says up front that he won't fight you right now, but he tells you you'll be hurting yourself if you don't stand down. Your will to fight in itself will harm you, just like it used to he says as you start the episode battle. More happens after that.

After the battle, things tune in partway through where you are swinging your sword at the Smoky God despite not being able to hit him however hard you try. You say it's like you're constantly cutting at nothing before you eventually jump back to see what happens. Smoky God says that as you should already know, your sword can't actually hit the World Representatives. He also says it's wise of you to not be trying hard to actually hit him since his bodyguard would have shown no mercy otherwise.

You decide to summon Solomon, and when he answers you tell him to be ready to use Dual Heaven Dragon or tell him to stand by. The former has Smoky God reveal he knows about it and suggests you not go through with using it, and the latter has him glad you can make calm enough judgments. Either way, he talks about how you'd be paralyzed even if you did manage to cut him. He's not your only enemy, and he brings up the possibility someone else may be around waiting for you to do so. You either react with hostility, say he has a point, or ask if negotiations are possible. In A, Smoky God looks sad as he asks you to calm down. In B and C, he says that's fine.

Anyways, Smoky God says he knew that a meeting with you would turn out to be a fight since that's how it was in older loops. He says that exposing you to danger is not the Invaders', or at least his, true intention. You ask about this with some level of disbelief since your school was attacked and you've been made public enemy #1, so Smoky God says you didn't die and you're in a relatively safe place now. The Akihabara guildmaster's policy is why the place isn't involved with guild battles.

You ask Smoky God what he means, so he starts talking about how there's been a lot of loops. They've been trying to reach nirvana from the repeated suffering, and many of the ominous causes of those loops come from your death. The loops occur because everyone didn't want you to die, and he thinks the plan was also to keep you away from the upheaval from the upcoming guild battles.

You ask the Smoky God what he meant by 'also,' be outraged he's speaking so casually like he's uninvolved, or say that might be true. Smoky God starts talking about how each World Representative has their own opinions regarding the loops up to this point. The Invaders are not a monolith. Their expectations intertwine, and they move forward not expecting anything from anyone. He himself at least wants to keep you safe, so he's been making some moves to ensure that.

Smoky God tells you that he's been born to privilege, so he has looks, talent, and money, so he's hired a pro dealing with chaos (Sandayu) to protect you from the shadows. He didn't do it expecting you to thank him since he did it for himself. He mentioned before that he came to save you, but he says that by nature everyone has to save themselves. Someone who chooses on their own to go into battle is someone he won't save. He still wants to save you though, and he asks if you understand. Right now Akihabara's safety has been guaranteed, so you probably won't be harmed if you don't make any more moves than this. If you want to, then the next time you two meet he can help ease your anxieties.

You ask Smoky God exactly whose safety is guaranteed, ask if he's telling you to save yourself, or shake your head silently. He doesn't respond, so you ask him what will happen to everyone else. He admits he can't say he'll protect them since he's just one person and Tokyo is a big place. He could use people as proxies to defend others, but they still aren't him so he can't make any promises. And that's still not getting into the possibility of you wanting to protect those proxies. Smoky God looks sad as he says it really has come to what he expected of things. He knows that his old friend inside you is bound by the karma to fight for other people. But then, the World Representatives are the same. They are trapped by their past regrets, even himself.

Back at the Akihabara cafe studio, Kresnik starts lamenting how Masanori is his old irreplaceable friend who survived the days of battle they fought together. Masanori doesn't give a response to that, and Kresnik says that if he's going to harm his students then they are going to have to fight. He demands to know why Masanori would sell his soul to terrorists after all they've been through, so Masanori says he's learned that's the best way forward. History is written by the winners when it comes to revolutions, and while some people may die from it, others may be saved. If the math is done before hand and the best possible future is selected, then helping a revolution isn't that strange.

Kresnik angrily points out that Masanori is giving the same arguments the terrorists they fought have used for their actions. Masanori says the discussion isn't going anywhere so he decides to excuse himself, but Kresnik pulls his sword and gun out, arming the latter to stop him. Masanori admits that he's a rear supporter while Kresnik is a frontliner with actual experience, so he can't hope to compete. But he's said he learned about the future earlier, so he points out he's planned for this as his contingent of agent bodyguards pop in.

Kresnik notes that they've gotten more skilled since Kabukicho at hiding their aggression. Masanori says the agents don't need to worry about collateral damage because Kresnik will be protecting everyone else in there. Kresnik is angry but silent at that, and Masanori talks about also knowing how things can be drawn a certain way by saying things in a certain manner. He decides to give Kresnik a present, throwing him a business card with a URL written on it and saying he should learn what the world's future is. That link is where Masanori found his own reasoning to do what he's doing, but Kresnik says he won't accept it no matter how shocking it may be.

Back to your end, you say you want to protect the people important to you, say you won't let the Invaders do as they please, or apologize and say you can't go with the Smoky God. He looks sad, then resolutely accepts it and says he'll save you this time despite that. And if that's what you want to do, he feels you need to know how the world is set up. He asks if you remember what he said, then brings up the question of why you were led to Akihabara and why it's supposed to be safe for you. You remember what he said about the Akihabara guildmaster's policy being that way and ask what that means. The Smoky God just says he'll probably come confront you again, and when he does he'll actually fight you without holding back. He excuses himself there, and so ends the episode.

Chapter 12 Episode 11: King of Shangri La 2

Things tune in over at Kabukicho where Ellie and Kresnik are roof hopping their way towards the east as the moonlight shines down upon them. Kresnik tells Ellie they should keep themselves hidden as much as possible as they get out of town since all the rioting students around are after her. Ellie says she'll be fine since she's left a message with Suzuka and the others, one that even the dumb gals who attacked her would understand. She didn't have any stationery, so she had to use what she had on hand and make it bigger.

 

Elsewhere in Kabukicho, rando yaksha girls are on the lookout for Ellie when one of them finds out about a message on a bulletin board. They go look at a physical bulletin board that has a contact list for people in the neighborhood, and written in lipstick is Ellie's message: "bored now, gonna hang out in some other town. Bye bitches, Ellie." The yaksha are dumbfounded at this, and behind them is an agent mob recording all this before silently slipping off into the darkness.

 

Back to Ellie and Kresnik, Kresnik says what she did is fine since their phones may be tracked. If the pros in that business get serious, it wouldn't take them too long to find them. For now, Kresnik advises Ellie to minimize how much she calls her friends on the phone. Ellie accepts this, then asks him where the two of them are supposed to be going. Kresnik answers that the first order of business is to understand what's going on and asks why this situation was made to begin with.

 

Ellie asks if understanding that is so important since getting attacked for a vampire is nothing new. She's a famous vampire, and she's often been attacked out of misplaced jealousy by random people since childhood. Kresnik agrees after a moment as he says he thinks that's how vampires are too. Ellie repeats her question then, so Kresnik says her being attacked may be because of that, but something about the trick being turned to instigate it feels off to him.

Ellie is confused by this, and Kresnik talks about how there's plenty of ways to kill a vampire that Ellie isn't aware of. If whoever set this situation up really meant to have Ellie bumped off, then Kresnik believes there's frankly more efficient means of doing so. Ellie says she doesn't really understand and asks him to dumb his explanation down. Kresnik sighs and says that as a teacher, he wants her to think for herself more. He decides that can be her homework, and he flat out tells her he's suggesting there's some other motive behind what's happening.

Ellie asks about this motive, so Kresnik elaborates that the result of the riot is that Ellie is leaving Kabukicho with him. But what if the goal was to get Ellie out of the city specifically? Ellie is baffled at the idea since there's no evidence for it, then asks Kresnik if he has anything like that. Kresnik says he has tons of circumstantial evidence at least, and as an example he asks if she ever noticed the third party observers hanging around when she was fighting. Ellie does recall seeing the agents around, but she ignored them since they didn't attack her. Kresnik says he's tried attacking them himself, and he realized from how they moved that they were underground professionals.

After a quick flashback of Kresnik fighting the agents plays, Kresnik says they had calmly cooperated and quickly retreated from what was supposed to be a surprise attack. He did manage to get a piece of them before they left, which he has wrapped up in a handkerchief inside his pockets. Kresnik continues talking about how these underground pros were just gathering together to keep an eye on things. They made no attempt to stop Ellie from leaving, which meant that her leaving is all according to whatever plan is in the works. Kresnik starts to suggest his taking her out of the city is also part of it all before stopping himself for jumping to far ahead in his conjectures.

Anyways, he says he's used some of his old work connections to ask for help from an old friend. Ellie is surprised at this and asks about Kresnik's old job, so Kresnik explains how after he was summoned to Tokyo he used his old world's work experience to help with the police's public security efforts. Pub Sec is a little different from everyday police work in that he normally went after criminal groups and organizations. There was however one exception, a professional at pulling solo operations for urban destruction (Sandayu). He's fought him tons of times, but he was stronger than any vampire he faced. But that's enough of that tangent.

Back to what Kresnik was originally saying, he talks about how there was a team he was part of that was varied in the kinds of people it included in terms of age, social class, and race. It was a good team though, and after completing jobs together they recognized each others' abilities and became close friends. They came to love this multicultural city and swore to defend its people together. One of those members was a civilian professional brought in like Kresnik was due to his knowledge in psychology. He could take the smallest bit of evidence and psychologically profile a criminal with it, and he could read residual thoughts from objects left at crime scenes. Psychometry in a word. Basically, he could pick up on the regrets and anger of the dead.

Ellie thinks on this ability to hear the dead, and Kresnik says this worker could also use his knowledge in criminal psychology to get results. He'd think about why criminals would try to destroy society and what they'd think after reaching that point. He was so tenacious about plotting out criminals' mentalities that even now Kresnik thinks it's amazing. Kresnik admits that he can't figure out the intentions of whoever is working behind the scenes of this current incident. He is a pro at working the front lines, but not at analyzing situations. You need an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, group for a group, and a pro for a pro. So if they get his friend's help, maybe they can figure something out.

Ellie finally decides to ask Kresnik the name of the friend he's been jabbering about the past five minutes, and Kresnik's immediate reaction is surprise that Ellie would show interest in anyone to him. He goes by a different name now than back then, which Kresnik thinks might be protecting himself from revenge from criminal organizations, but the guy is Inumura Daikaku Masanori, one of his few surviving old friends.

Ellie perks up at hearing this name, and Kresnik describes Masanori as having changed his name and living off his psych specialist video uploads. He's heard the guy has a follower count in the millions, though he doesn't quite grasp how huge that is. He's looking forward to seeing him again though, and he says he's changed a lot himself since back then. Kresnik starts wondering his friends from his home world would think if they saw him now. Back there, vampires were the avatars of urban destruction and societal divison, able to convert others to their side quickly by sucking blood and infecting them. Kresnik once stood by the side that maintained social order, hunting many of his kind since he as a vampire himself knew all their tricks. And here he is now, trying his damndest to get his young demon students to listen to him when they clearly don't want to. Kresnik says that's fine though. If he and his friends both laugh at each other over how they changed, then that's fine.

Scene shifts over to your end the next morning apparently at the cafe studio workplace as Catobepas comes up to you and suggests going to a specialty cosplay shop that's by the train station. It seems they're having a sale on the costume pieces Catoblepas needs for his compilation work, and since he's on a long break from school he'd like to get that thing done during that time. You agree to go with him, say you'll accompany him, or comment on how passionate as always he is about this.

Catoblepas says he'll do his best with the costumes and production if it'll make him a true creator, and at this point someone new walks into the store. The maids go to greet them, and that turns out to be Masanori. Masanori is surprised at the place being changed and asks about it used to being a salon for literaries. The maids explain that it's now a shared workspace for creators, though they do remember the owner saying what the place was like before it was renovated. While it's mostly a gathering place for creators, there's still a cafe menu if Masanori wants that. Masanori is happy to hear it's still a place for ideas to be exchanged, commenting that some things stay the same.

Catoblepas is surprised as he recognizes Masanori. You ask him if Masanori is a friend or someone famous, so he says no and thought he was a cosplayer with his get up. He does get the feeling he's seen him somewhere before though, but he decides to try talking to him in hopes of making another cosplayer friend. You either comment on how aggressive he is when it comes to cosplaying or say you'll go too. B gets an extra line of him thanking you and saying you guys can go together.

Anyways, Catoblepas walks up to Masanori and asks if he's a cosplayer. Masanori seems put off by the question, surprising Catoblepas since he was sure he was dressing up as somebody. He was wondering if he made his clothes and came to the shop to find other cosplayer friends. Masanori explains he came there to wait and meet an old friend, so Catoblepas apologizes for misunderstanding. Masanori says it's fine since in a way, he kind of is putting on an act as someone else since he wants to be like older literary masters. Masanori decides he may as well ask since he's here anyway, so he asks if Catoblepas comes by the shop a lot. Catoblepas answers that he does, then asks why he inquired about that. Masanori finds that interesting, then asks if he knows about Tindalos. Catoblepas is surprised at the question, so you ask him if he knows them.

Catoblepas explains that Tindalos is a Vtuber that's part of the Akihabara Creators. He hasn't actually talked to him yet since he's a recent guild member himself, so Masanori nods in understanding at this. Catoblepas asks if Masanori has business with Tindalos and offers to ask some other people about him, but Masanori declines saying he was just interested in him as another streamer. He wanted to ask what his thoughts were about rumors happening in Akihabara.

Catoblepas asks what kind of streaming Masanori does, so Masanori answers that he has a channel that explains psychology called MURAMASA and pulls his phone out to show you guys. Catoblepas is shocked to see that Masanori has a follower count in the millions, and you either do or do not have any idea how huge that is. Catoblepas tells you it's bonkers either way, and some viewer comments are talking about how Masanori can see the future and totally understand how people think.

Catoblepas starts excitedly telling Masanori how he's always admired content creators and says he's an amazing creator. He then introduces himself with his handle and says he wants to be one too. Masanori stops him from going on by saying he feels he unfortunately isn't a creator himself. Catoblepas is surprised at that given his follower count, so Masanori says he just looks at old data records and tells what people want to know from that. People tend to imitate others' behavior in an attempt to be accepted and liked, and Masanori feels that anyone who can't do anything but follow in another's footsteps for better or worse can't be called a creator. He thinks a true creator is someone special who makes something that can't easily be turned into something else, which is why he puts himself on the side that changes other peoples' lives and not the side whose life is changed.

Catoblepas is surprised into speechlessness at the mini rant, and Masanori talks some more about how a real work that isn't some imitation can be seen for what it is at a glance. What it has can't be hidden even if you try, and you can't take your eyes away from it, so someone who's only outwardly imitating someone or something else still has a long way to go to reach that point. But even so, you can't just throw away your admiration for the true creators. Masanori asks if Catoblepas agrees if that's such a crude thing, so Catoblepas starts mumbling an apology.

You cut into the conversation to Catoblepas's surprise, and you disagree with Masanori's question as you say you like people who want to change themselves. Masanori seems unimpressed but asks for your name, so you for some strange reason give him your full name. Masanori is shocked as he stares intently at you, then comments you're possessed by a lot of things and burdened by much you don't know about.

You are surprised or confused by Masanori's comment, so he quickly brushes it off as talking to himself. He apologizes if he upset you guys with his opinion, then reminds you guys that you were in the middle of leaving. Catoblepas realizes he might miss out on the sale at this rate, then excuses the two of you to Masanori. Masanori politely thanks you guys for speaking to him and comments he may see you two around somewhere. You say goodbye as you leave, and Masanori thinks to himself for a moment before picking up his phone. He calls Kresnik to tell him he's at the shop as promised, then says he'll wait for him. Once the phone call is done, Masanori laments how much he's changed since back then, and he thinks about how the past is inescapable and the future is already decided.

Time passes, and on your end random tourists are asking you and Catoblepas for pictures of your cosplay outfits. The Akihabara Fest is going on today as well, and after you and Catoblepas had done some shopping cameramen have come up to take pictures. Some other tourists ask you to turn towards them and pose. You play along in some confusion and/or resignation, and the tourists thank you and cheer about the pics. Catoblepas asks if you're feeling okay, so you either say you are or say you're a little tired.

Catoblepas sympathizes over the idea that you could be attacked at any time so being on guard gets tiring. He suggests cutting back on letting photos be taken of you guys if you want, since there's no telling what would give you away. You decide to keep going with it since it'll take your mind off of things. Plus, refusing to have your picture taken would draw more attention to you, and you have nothing to do if you decide to go full shut in hermit.

Catoblepas accepts your answer but still seems worried. You wonder if it's fine to leave things as is, say it really feels like you're on the run, and not you don't have any other options. There's been no clues on how to find out where the true big three guildmasters are, and now you can't actually get near your school or the gang. There's nothing you can do aside from hide.

Catoblepas steels himself, then starts talking to you again. He thanks you for earlier, and you are taken aback at this sudden change in subject. He argues that you aren't stuck being unable to do nothing since you spoke up for him. He struggles to say he was happy about what you did for a bit, and he tells you he's glad you came to Akihabara. You either decide to thank him back, squeeze his hands, or hug him tight. B and C get an extra bit where Catoblepas blushes in embarrassment but mirrors your gesture.

Anyways, Catoblepas quickly changes the subject to comment on there being more and more people coming to Akihabara by the day, especially people who don't normally come there. On cue a crowd of randoms draws closer as they head for a pedestrian mall. Some voice asks that people not push and informs them that the special sale going on is limited one per customer. Voice B does the touristy gawking of cosplayers and notes that one guy is holding manga. Voice C is hawking Akihabara Summoning manju buns and says their store on the first floor has them on sale.

While all that is going on, you pick up on a particular conversation going around. Someone is talking about how Akihabara has portals too and wonders why their guild doesn't attack the place. Voice B notes that they've never heard of anyone in the Akihabara guild getting into battles. They wonder if they even care about portal battles and thinks it's a huge joke. Voice C starts talking about that one video talking about how That One Student from Shinjuku is manipulating things. Voice D agrees and pulls it out to show people. Voice E is mildly curious about your appearance and wonders where you are. Voice F suggests you got caught and lynched by some guild somewhere. He's upset because he thinks you're making idiots over people trying their best at this.

You think to yourself that this is bad, wonder if some guild member from somewhere is in the crowd, and note that there are people who know about the video in the crowd. Catoblepas starts asking if you're okay when someone from the crowd bumps him into you, and that in turn knocks your costume headpiece out of place. You are alarmed by this as the crowd takes notice and vaguely recognize you, but then suddenly some sort of light obscures things.

It gets noted that the light glowing in the area isn't actually quite light, but more of an aura which is somehow different. Everyone who sees it makes a path unconsciously as their attention focuses on it, and while you are surprised at this you take the opportunity to fix your costume. The Smoky God who was in the crowd starts talking to you, asking if you're okay. He's the one giving off the light aura as he kindly smiles and helps you up. His smile could soften anyone's heart, and his voice could convince anyone to rely on him. You ask who he is in either curiosity or alarm, and he just says he's some passing celebrity. He then says he came to save you from this world of suffering as he starts the episode battle...as opposed to just leading you away or whatever.

Chapter 12 Episode 10: King of Shangri La 1

Someone starts things off by narrating how they noticed that one day, they realized they had never moved on from a certain time. They couldn't see what was coming next, and they didn't know how to move on. They couldn't tell what was wrong, and they couldn't figure out how to make things better. Stress, fear, and anger wells up from that, and they start wanting concrete answers from anyone at all. Then comes the spider's thread dangling before them that will save them and them alone. If they grab onto it, it's a convenient miracle that makes one believe that maybe something will change. But then, how many people will miss out on that...?

 

Back to the present, you wake up in some room as Akiha Gongen is snoring next to you. You are slightly confused by where you are and comment on the snoring. Akiha wakes up shortly after wonder what the soft thing he's feeling is before realizing it's you and greeting you good morning. You curiously ask him why he's there or be slightly alarmed and ask where you are, so Akiha scratches his head and casually tells you you're in his room before asking if you remember what happened.

 

When you try to remember, a flashback kicks in of the day before, after the commotion at the Akihabara Fest. Catoblepas tells you and Akiha to get ready to pose when the cameramen signal for it, so Akiha happily does so in the costume Catoblepas brought. Catoblepas says it looks great and compliments the two of you, and you move to pose between the two of them.

The agents move to take some pictures of you guys, and once they finish up they thank Catoblepas. They're about to say more to him when you step in and ask them to not step any closer. If they want to talk to him, the can talk through you so another riot doesn't happen. The mobs quickly insist it'll be okay since they aren't going to push him to join their agencies. They mention feeling great and helpful today like some evil feelings have been taken out of them, and they wonder if this is what people mean when they talk about enlightenment about one's place in life. You are either amazed at Akiha's artifact or ask if this counts as brainwashing. Going with the latter gets an extra line with Akiha protesting at you making him sound bad and asking you to stop.

Anyways, Akiha explains that all his artifact does is cause any fires already present to burn themselves out. It's not like he's actually causing enlightenment here. If another spark lights up, they can burn up again like they have before.  No Shijimi shenanigans here! The cameramen ask Catoblepas if he's interested in a business referral if he likes cosplay. Catoblepas thanks them but politely turns them down since he has other things he wants to do first. The cameramen are disappointed, but they tell him he can always call the number on their business cards if he ever changes his mind. And even if it's not to accept the referral, they offer to help him if he needs it.

You step in to head off the conversation before things escalate again, so the cameramen say they'll send Catoblepas the pictures they've taken of him and wish him luck. Catoblepas thanks you for your help and is glad another incident didn't happen again. You wave it off, saying you're glad he had fun and that it was fun for you too. He nods, then has a little laugh to himself. You decide to ask Catoblepas what that thing is that he wants to do is, and Catoblepas is surprised by the question. He asks you to not laugh at him, then admits that he wants to make a cos-rom with the costumes he likes. You either ask him what that is or say you see.

Akiha asks what it is either way, so Catoblepas explains that it's a collection of cosplay photos and videos. He's happy that he's been made a part of the Creators since he admires mangaka and creators, but he still hasn't made anything himself yet. Because of that, he's decided to make a go of it, but he's still too scared to do it alone. He's tried tons of times before, but he could never make the leap to actually do it. Catoblepas then asks with some desperation if you and Akiha will make the cosplay compilation with him since the three of you doing it here must be some kind of fate. He's already got three costumes arranged for it, and he asks if you guys would dress up with him right away.

The flashback ends there as Akiha says you three then came over here to his room, which is also at the station for the youth firefighter squad he's a part of. The three of you spent all night dressing up, he explains while putting on his work uniform. You accept this explanation and say your memory of it is hazy, wondering how many costumes you guys went through in the end.

Catoblepas is also in the room with you guys asleep on your other side, sleeptalking about how happy he is to have so many cosplayer friends. Akiha laughs as he comments on how happy he seems, then realizes he has to get going already. You ask Akiha where he's going, so he says that while he's off from school, he still has training and his job to go to. He gives you a duplicate key to his room, saying you can stay there whenever you want. The cafe sharespace starts charging like crazy if you spend successive nights in a row, and Akiha insists it's fine if you stay because you two are buds now. You wonder what you should do yourself, but for now you decide to wake Catoblepas up.

Time passes to the point where you and Catoblepas head outside and walk through Akihabara. You comment on how there's a lot of people around again and how it seems like there's more people coming to visit an event. Catoblepas starts apologizing to you for yesterday, worried that he ended up forcing you to cosplay with him. You either wave it off, say it's fine if it's for him, or say he can owe you. Catoblepas thanks you again then, and you mention you've gotten more costumes to change into, which is nice because you wouldn't be able to wash the one you have if it was the only one and because you have to stay in costume all the time.

Catoblepas takes note of you saying you have to be in costume at all times, so he starts to ask about your reason for coming to Akihabara. Just then some random troopers come by to talk about plot relevant rumors. Have you heard? Has anyone told you? It's that freak from Shinjuku Academy. They say they're the ones behind all the riots happening lately. Apparently they ran away somewhere, but it's scary to think they may be somewhere in that area, what with them leading the power players by the nose and toying with guild battles.

You react in shock to the latest gossip and how it's been spiraling out of control. They seem to notice you looking in their direction and look back at you, but then continue talking as they walk off, if slightly suspicious. You are relieved that they didn't figure you out and say you blurted your surprise out without thinking. Catoblepas has been watching you throughout that instance, then asks if what those troopers were talking about has something to do with you. He's picked up on some level since he first met you that you were hiding something, and when you cosplay he says he's felt that you have the same panic and guilt he does. He asks if you're running and hiding from something offering to hear you out, so you decide to let him in on things.

After an offscreened explanation, Catoblepas sympathizes with your situation. You apologize for hiding things, ask if he believes the rumors, or ask if he's ever heard of them. A gets an extra line where Catoblepas quickly says it's fine since he's been hiding stuff too. But anyways he's never heard of them before, and hearing them now he doesn't wholly believe them either. Based on what he knows of you, he feels you aren't the kind of person who'd do something that horrible. Everyone has their own set of circumstances, even those they can't do anything about, he says as he gently taps himself underneath his bangs.

Catoblepas says he wants to accept your feelings for opening up to him, just as you've done for him before. You thank him, grab his hand tightly, or grab his hand with both of yours. In B and C, Catoblepas is surprised by the sudden gesture, but then laughs and squeezes back. In any case, Catoblepas talks about how nice it feels to cover for someone when they've covered for you, though there is something he wants to check with you. Specifically, he asks if there's some sort of role or power being used to have everyone believe the rumors.

You shrug since you're unsure, but you feel there may be more at play and/or that they're being used simultaneously. You think back to the night you were attacked in your room, and everyone there who wasn't an app user or Transient believed the rumors just as wholeheartedly as they did. So if they didn't have the app but believed it, Catoblepas reasons whatever is causing this isn't coming from the app and wonders why that is. He quickly assures you it's not that he doesn't believe you, but he does think it's weird. If it happened because of a class and power like he has, then he'd understand it.

Catoblepas's eye has the power to fascinate anyone who sees it whether they want to be or not, and that's what makes Catoblepas's class and power terrifying. But Catoblepas points out that the rumors about you seem to be just that, rumors. That would mean that everyone has their own way of interpreting them. Even if you manage to 100% guess right what happens in the future, there's going to be some contrarians and people who won't believe you out of sheer spite against you.

You either agree that Catoblepas has a point and wonder if some other trick is being used or wait for him to continue. Catoblepas says that for as how far the rumors have spread, he's never heard anyone in the guild discuss them. You are surprised about this and ask him about it to confirm, so Catoblepas says it could be because no one near him cares about guild battles. He has heard of the battles were the guilds fight over territories, and maybe the guildmaster for example has heard of some stuff.

You ask Catoblepas what kind of person the Akihabara guildmaster is, so he admits he's never met them before. He does admire them though, so he would like to meet them though. Some time passes as you two go to the cafe workspace, and Kuniyoshi explains that the guildmaster doesn't meet with anyone who isn't a creator with a portfolio of works done. Catoblepas says that's why he's trying to make that cosplay compilation, and he's heard they're an amazing creator. Hecate adds that she does have a portfolio and talked to the guildmaster, but she's only done so through an internet avatar.

You ask what kind of person the guildmaster is, so Kuniyoshi says he's someone who's related to a lot of works in society that you've probably heard of. Hecate brings up examples like some famous manga, a net anime, an AR app that's trending, a recent internet video commercial that went viral, and that's just the stuff she knows. Kuniyoshi then points to a poster of a phone game that's been getting streamed a lot lately and asks if you know that one. You recognize it as the game Kengo showed you, say a friend showed you a video, and comment on it being popular.

Catoblepas asks everyone to slow down a second and asks how one person can be involved with making so many different things in different fields. How does a single person manage to make manga, anime, programs, videos, and games and have them all become popular? You suggest he could be a multi-creator or that a few of those things were gifts from heaven, but that can't explain everything. Kuniyoshi then explains that the guildmaster has only ever created one thing.

Catoblepas is surprised by this, so Kuniyoshi clarifies that the kids the guildmaster created are the ones who make all those other creative works. Hecate then explains his specialty is creating artificial intelligences for use in creating works. They're a group of AI avatars that have split into separate pieces as far as their processor will allow. They collect and study data and are capable of making things from any sort of genre. And they then work together to create works infinitely.

Scene shifts over to where the Smoky God is, commenting to himself that it's almost time. He thinks back to the time in his homeworld where he gave salvation. He lent his ear to the people seeking salvation, extended his hand, and spoke the words and tales they needed to hear. When one person was satisfied, he'd move on to the next. He was revered and honored by many, and while there are many worlds out there, there's very few people who can said to have saved as many people as he has. The Smoky God then brings up a phrase Gautama Siddhartha that seems to mean 'I am the only special person in the world,' but he admits there are places he could not reach by himself. He starts talking about the king of Asura who fell to the world of carnage, the one he once called his friend. The episode ends with him saying that he'll save you from the repeating cycle of reincarnation.

Chapter 12 Episode 9: City of Cybernetics and Pleasure 3

Time moves on to the point where you, Akiha, and Catoblepas have reached the festival event area, and you remark in surprise about the crowds, ask if everyone is here for cosplaying, and note that there are photographers too. This festival is the Akihabara Festa, an all inclusive otaku event covering things like anime, manga, video games, light novels, and cosplay. There are cosplay okay zones in every direction as you three ooh and ahh at things.

 

Akiha expresses his amazement at there being so many people coming to cosplay. Catoblepas laughs and says cosplaying has become mainstream. He's heard that there are people who can actually go pro at it, so sometimes talent scouts come around too. This is notably the first time of the day that Catoblepas is smiling, and Akiha decides to agree that cosplaying is awesome. He attempts to throw his arm around Catoblepas's shoulders, but Catoblepas backs away and apologizes, saying he's too close. He then quickly excuses himself to go change into costume.

 

After Catoblepas walks off, Akiha turns to you in shock and asks why Catoblepas ran away. You remind him Catoblepas just said he was getting too close, tell him to pay better attention, and/or offer to act as a go-between for the two of them. He quickly nods and agrees as he calls you Dr. Otaku and then Master Otaku. You object to the titles and/or start to regret your decisions in life.

 

The game decides to play a flashback towards the end of the previous episode of Akiha telling you he wants to be friends with the nerds of Akihabara but can't figure out how to do it and asks you for help. Once that's done, Akiha declares he's totally going to be friends with everyone in Akihabara with your help. When he notices you spacing out, he asks you what's wrong, so you tell him that everything's fine, then think to yourself about how you can't say you aren't an otaku now and feel guilty. Akiha is still confused, but he decides to not ask.

 

Some time later, the scene shifts over to where Catoblepas is. There was a line at the changing room area and he managed to get changed, but he comments that there's a lot of people out and about, so now he can't get back to where you two are. A couple of deity cops warn him to watch where he's going so he won't bump into anyone, so he quickly says he'll be careful. Catoblepas then sighs to himself and worries about being rude earlier, wondering why he is the way he is. He wanders off with his eye(s?) hidden by his hair, and the cosplay area has gotten more crowded with time, so much so that it's easy to bump into people even though he's trying not to.

 

Nearby where Catoblepas is, a cosplay maid is having her picture taken by a couple of objecthead men acting as scouts. They ask her to look their way then thank her as they snap some pics. The mobs talk about her and some other people they were looking at being charming, but they haven't found anyone yet who makes them go head over heels at a single glance. But finding diamonds in the rough is their job though, so they're confident they'll know right away if they come across anyone like that. Catoblepas accidentally bumps into one of them around this point, and he apologizes for it but then meets them in the eye (somehow) when his bangs shift to the side.

Back to your end of things, a PA announcement starts up asking everyone to be careful not to bump into anyone and get hurt since there's so many people around. You comment on the crowd and how the place is heating up. Akiha cheerfully agrees, and you comment on his good mood, ask if he likes otakus, or be taken aback at how much he likes otakus. B gets an extra line of him saying yes, then asking you to keep calling him just Akiha.

Akiha starts talking about how he likes Akihabara and not just otakus because he likes the heat that comes from people gathering together. He admits he still doesn't get otakus much yet, but he says he thinks it's amazing how the flames of passion spread out and gather again. You either agree, say you understand, or comment that his innocence is stabbing you in the feels. C gets an extra line where Akiha interprets this to mean chest pains, so he quickly assures you he's taken a course in emergency aid. You have to tell him that's not what you mean, so he then thinks it's some kind of otakuspeak like 'oof' is or something. When you tell him that's hard to understand, he scratches his head and comments on otakus being really hard to get.

Akiha then talks about how having large crowds like this means it's a lot more likely for accidents and fights to start happening. There are policemen around as security though, so he figures he and his youth firefighter volunteer squad won't need to be involved. You are curious about Akiha being a firefigher and/or comment on his clothes looking like a firefighter's uniform. Akiha realizes he's never told you before, so now he tells you he's part of Akihabara's youth firefighter volunteers. He has to do a lot of training every morning, which has been buffing him out. He also knows of a secret evac route near the park the event is happening, so you can rely on him if a sudden emergency pops up.

Akiha slightly changes the subject as he talks about how he likes Akihabara and people who have something burning inside them. There's been plenty of times when those burning emotions end up spreading into disastrous situations though, and he's seen it happen a lot himself. If the city ever is burning too much then he and the others will protect everyone. He admits he just said that to sound cool, but he actually might just want to get along with everyone. He hates being lonely, and he laughs that he might just like it when things are fun. You either tell him not to get too rowdy, say he's a good guy, or say you like that about him. In B, he's surprised but thanks you. In C, he blushes and says he hasn't heard that in a while since coming to town. He then yells and thanks you, saying he likes that side of you too.

You change the subject to comment on Catoblepas taking a while and ask Akiha if he thinks he's okay. Akiha agrees that he does seem to be gone longer than you'd expect for someone going to change, so he suggests going to check on him. He gets interrupted by screaming and cries for help, and Akiha says it's coming from the direction Catoblepas went off to. You say you heard Catoblepas yelling, so you tell Akiha you guys should go and start heading over. He agrees and runs along with you.

Over where Catoblepas is, he's getting pestered by the scouts asking him to lift his hair again. He attempts to get them to stop, but the mobs start half-forcibly moving his hair out of the way. They start ranting about how great Catoblepas's facial structure and body type are and declare him a diamond in the rough. They can't take their eyes off him, and one wonders what the burning feeling inside them is all about. But anyways they're sure they'll score a huge bonus if they get Catoblepas to sign up with them. They attempt to invite him to their agency and beg him to take their business card, but then devolve into fighting amongst each other to pick him up.

More randos start coming over drawn by the commotion, then get affected by Catoblepas's mystic eye. They beg to see more of his face, and the maid in the crowd tries pushing her way through to declare Catoblepas as hers. Catoblepas tries to beg them to stop, then yells for help. He notices you and Akiha soon after, so you signal to Akiha and reach out to Catoblepas. Akiha puts his back into what he's doing, and you follow up by activating your artifact to cut the distance between you and Catoblepas.

Catoblepas is shocked when your power has you and him flying through the air, and Akiha is surprised by what he thinks is you doing a superjump before moving to catch you two. Akiha then laughs about your crazy plan and compares what you did to a tengu's shukuchi. You are mildly surprised that Akiha can fly and comment you feel you've seen something like his wings somewhere else before. Akiha tells you he's a karasu tengu and asks if you know another one, but he then puts the thought aside to ask Catoblepas what happened.

Catoblepas starts apologizing and claiming fault to Akiha's confusion, and all the mobs down below are demanding and pleading to see more of Catoblepas's eye. Catoblepas explains that the eye he normally keeps hidden actually has a certain power to it unlike chuunibyou posers that causes people to fixate their attention on him. You ask about his eye, then process that it's the cause of what's happening.

Catoblepas apologizes some more saying it's always caused other people trouble. There's a lot of pushing and pulling and screaming coming from the crowd, which slowly starts bumping into people who haven't actually seen Catoblepas's eye. Catoblepas says he thought he could become someone else if he grew out his hair and did cosplaying. He was happy at first and gained a bit of confidence to try cosplaying outside, so he didn't want to cause a disturbance at a cosplay event.

Akiha sympathizes with Catoblepas, and you ask if that's why he avoids people and/or why he was distancing himself from Akiha. Akiha looks sad for a moment, but then brings up he never called it a bother. Catoblepas is surprised by this, and Akiha talks about how there's plenty of things in the world that spread around in a negative way. He then asks Catoblepas if it's lonely feeling afraid of that happening that you stop doing anything else. Catoblepas doesn't answer, so Akiha assures him he'll do something about this and asks that he keeps saying he likes cosplaying. He likes it when Catoblepas enjoys cosplaying, and he's always wanted to be friend with him. It's just depressing when a friend says you're being a bother.

Akiha looks for a way out of the area as it seems the policemen called in for help have also been charmed by Catoblepas's mystic eye. He talks about he can't do something about the rioting visitors and lead away the others at the same time, so you volunteer to help. Akiha decides to rely on you then, and he says he'll take care of putting out the fires since he's always done that. The episode battle then begins as he says he'll show you his artifact, and more happens after that.

After the battle, narration starts talking about how Akiha Gongen is a tengu who carries the faith of protecting against fires and suppressing fire disasters. The mantra that shows that power is the line On Hirakennou Sowaka, and it means "Flame, Burn Like Thunder." On a slightly different note, this land was once burned down before it had its current name. In order to stem the spread of anxiety, the Divided Spirit of the tengu that protects against fire was ceremonially brought over from elsewhere.

A Divided Spirit is a Shadow cut apart from the original entity, and the original entity is a different person who walks a different path. To them, Akiha Gongen was a new person who just looked a lot like him. His life then spread to the people seeking protection from fire, like a flame that burns a field. It is said that the fire prevention fields surrounding the city were called Akiha-no-hara. Akiha Gongen loved the people who live in Akihabara, and he thought of them as charming and lovely. He thinks to his other self he was divided from "would you have loved them like this too?" A hot feeling fills the inside of his chest, telling him he isn't alone. It tells him that there is someone else who loves the same things he does.

Back to the present, Akiha is calling to the god Onamuchi no Mikoto for power as he casts his NP. He throws his rope around the frenzied crowd, and it is described as having the power to contain fires as well as carrying the faith of Akihabara that he shares a name with. The crowd then yells out like late season 1 90s Sailor Moon monsters of the week, and the talent scouts specifically start talking about feeling refreshed, wondering why they cared so much about bonuses and promotions.

You are surprised by everyone's reactions and wonder what just happened, asking if they attained sage mode enlightenment or something. Akiha explains that his artifact has the ability to make any fire burn itself out, even mental ones. Once he confirms that everyone has calmed down, he puts his wings away and poses. You ask if that means their flames of passions went out and are glad for the moment that things are safer.

Akiha cheers about you guys successfully solving things as he starts calling you his best friend instead of Otaku all the time. You either cheer with him, be shocked at this sudden change in social status, or say you'd be okay if the relationship went even deeper. Catoblepas starts thanking the two of you for helping him, glad that his costume wasn't damaged.

You take note of Catoblepas being able to speak more naturally with Akiha and ask if he's okay. Catoblepas is confused for a moment before understanding what you mean, so he apologizes for not speaking properly earlier. When he isn't in costume he has problems holding a conversation with people. You go 'oh' at this and ask if that means he doesn't actually hate Akiha. Catoblepas confirms as such and says Akiha's a good guy. Akiha is touched by this and moves to hug him, but Catoblepas still shies away from this invasion of personal space and apologizes. The shock of this makes Akiha facefault, and you are either taken aback at this, note that he's been going up and down, or point out the brutality of it all.

Kuniyoshi and Hecate walk by and greet you guys. Kuniyoshi says he came to see your cosplay debut(s?), and Hecate says she just finished sending something to the print shop before apologizing for running away yesterday. You take note of their presence and say it's fine, then ask why they ran to begin with. Kuniyoshi says it's because Akiha was there, though he clarifies it's not because they hate him or anything. Hecate says he tends to erase all their materials when it's time to burn through getting their work done. He just can't be there when they have works to make, though he does feel bad about it. You point out that Akiha is standing behind them, causing the two to freak out and run away when they spot him. Akiha bursts into tears about this to you. You comfort him and sympathize, and you have the option to say you're there for him. C gets an extra line of Akiha sobbing about how nice you are.

Elsewhere in the event festival area, some cops are calling for reinforcements because of some rioting happening. Sanat Kumara slips in behind them, and they freak out when he does...something. Whatever it was, the two cops react in confusion afterwards and wonder what they were doing. They realize they're on the radio still, but they're confused by the operator asking them about the riot they were talking about. Sanat Kumara then heads off, and some other cops notice him. One of them thought he was Shinjuku Police Station's Hougen, but the other didn't see him and thinks it might just be someone else. The first cop is open to this idea, though he was sure the silhouette he saw was Hougen's. He shrugs it off as just someone similar, though they did seem younger than him.

Scene shifts over to the Shining Needle Castle reversed palace where Fuxi is standing around along lining up talismans with his eight trigram board like he's playing some kind of game. One talisman is placed on the center while a bunch more are arranged around it. Fuxi then takes one of them out, like he's making a path out from the center. He starts considering what the next move will be when he hears footsteps coming up the staircase nearby, so he turns to see who it is.

The Smoky God walks up, and Fuxi comments on his casual surprise at seeing him there. He's amused when the Smoky God asks what his goal is this time, and he says he's always looking towards revolution when making his move. That should be something everyone already knows though. Fuxi then asks if Smoky God is aware of that one famous card game where which cards are valuable and which ones aren't can change in an instant. That's what he's going for, and he says the Smoky God can laugh at him for doing the same thing as usual, even if he only has one card in hand.

Fuxi picks up the center talisman and tips it against his mouth. The next instant it seems to split into a bunch of talismans that he fans out in his hand. Fuxi asks if Smoky God thinks the game will be over if it gets divided like this. It's still only halfway there, and as he moves card carefully one by one, an inescapable game end will arrive. There is no way of getting out of the eight trigrams' divination, he says. That said, it takes time to line up the right cards to call for revolution. While everyone else is shuffling their hands, he wants to make it in time. The Smoky God turns around at that and starts walking out, and the episode ends with Fuxi saying he's looking forward to seeing what his next move will be as another player.

Chapter 12 Episode 8: City of Cybernetics and Pleasure 2

We pick up from before with Akiha Gongen walking into the workspace cafe, Hecate and Kuniyoshi fleeing from his presence, and Akiha introducing himself to you. He describes himself as not an otaku, but since he lives nearby he comes to the shop a lot. He declares his meeting with you to be fate, so he cheerfully suggests that you two become buddies and offers to show you around town.

 

Catoblepas returns having not noticed Akiha coming in, but he's shocked when he does see him next to you. Akiha figures him coming back to talk to you means you two know each other, and he says he thought as much if you're a cosplayer otaku. Catoblepas tries to explain that not all cosplayers know each other, so Akiha goes 'oh' at that and asks where everyone else went.

 

Time passes to the next day as you wake up, having camped out at the workshop cafe. Someone is sleeptalking about deadlines, someone else is yelling about needing to put together their costume together for an event within an hour, and Customer #C asks to borrow a 3D printer for their figure partition printing deadline today. You yawn as you get up, comment on being able to relax and sleep, then get out of your sleeping bag. Seems like the sleeping bag was just left there all the time, so you just borrowed it for the night. And since the shop is open 24/7, they do have service arrangements for naps or overnight stays that don't include meals.

 

You think about buying some breakfast, going outside for a breath of fresh air, and wonder if it's fine to stay in costume. One of the maid workers informs you it's fine to go outside in costume since permission has been given for that due to an event starting soon. It's a combined event for anime, manga, and cosplaying that brings in a lot of tourists from outside the city, and the maid tells you to have fun as she says she'll look after your things. 

Out in the streets, there's a ton of people walking around. You comment on what Akihabara is like and note that there's a lot of maids and robots around as well as people who look like specialists in something. This is Tokyo's leading city of electronics and otaku culture, and it is also a city where lots of Transients who have been summoned to Tokyo like to visit for sightseeing. Even now, wealthy looking visitors are looking around accompanied by bag boy servants.

You observe the huge number of tourists coming in, then think about there being an event going on which is what lets you go outside while cosplaying. You're still in the costume Catoblepas lent you, and as you walk around you sort of notice the Smoky God looking at you. You wonder if that actually happened, but you shrug it off as someone who wanted a look at a cosplayer. With the costume you have on, anyone who knows how you normally look should be unlikely to figure out who you are. And at the very least, it should be unlikely for anyone who only has a vague idea of your appearance to come attacking you.

You tell yourself you can relax as your mind drifts to the attack from the day before at the dorm. The other students clearly loathed you when they attacked, and you wonder if the rest of the gang is doing okay. You're worried about the school and want to call, but you recall Shirou advising you to refrain from making contact as much as possible while you're incognito. Since you guys don't know who's really attacking you, there's no telling where they'll come from. There's something else Shirou was going to bring up, but he decides against it for whatever reason. But anyways, Shirou says it'd be best to only call in case of progress or emergencies. He should be fine since you seem to be the only target at present, so he asks you to lay low until the situation changes while they gather information.

You wonder why you were attacked all of a sudden since you weren't doing anything wrong, then wonder what people are saying about you on the internet. Akiha and Catoblepas soon run into you, and Akiha greets you good morning as he asks if you've been wearing your costume all morning. You turn around in recognition of the voice and see the two of them in their regular clothes. You then greet them, thank them for yesterday, and can optionally struggle to remember Akiha's name. C gets an extra line where Akiha reminds you what it is and pleads for you to remember it.

Catoblepas is speaking a lot more shyly as he thanks you for yesterday. Akiha comments on how great it is he met you guys there, and Catoblepas weakly agrees. You take note of Catoblepas trying to distance himself from Akiha and wonder what their relationship is like, and Akiha is surprised at the reaction he got before trying to push past it. He brings up hearing about an anime and manga festival happening from Catoblepas, and he suggests that the three of you go attend it. He figures you must like that as he asks you if he's right, so you either agree and say you wanna go, remember that you're pretending to be an otaku, or tell Akiha he shouldn't decide things for other people. In A, Akiha is pleased and says he's glad he invited you. In B, Akiha notices you being quiet and asks if he said something weird. In C, Akiha is surprised by this and figures it must be some sort of otaku social rule. And since you're here he tries inviting you to go together.

Anyways, Akiha turns to Catoblepas and invites him to the festival. You either ask Catoblepas to join you guys, say you'll go if he goes, or go on a tangent and say he looks good in casual clothes. C gets an extra line where Catoblepas is surprised and starts to thank you before backing out on it. Either way Catoblepas starts mumbling about the event before eventually agreeing and going quiet again. You are confused by this and bring up that he was talking loads without issue just the day before, which is followed by a flashback about him talking before saying he'll go get some drinks.

Catoblepas hangs his head and won't look at you as he keeps mumbling. You make an observation about how differently he's acting and wonder why that is before it comes to you. Akiha asks Catoblepas if he's okay and says he's worrying you, so Catoblepas starts apologizing profusely and blushing.

You pause for a moment, then tell Catoblepas that he should be clear about how he feels if he's against something. Akiha agrees with you, but he adds that Catoblepas doesn't really dislike much of anything. Catoblepas stammers an agreement, but he still insistently keeps looking away. Eventually he excuses himself saying he needs to wash his hands, and Akiha silently watches him run off. You decide to talk to Akiha and suggest that he may be bothering Catoblepas. He seems surprised at the idea, and you point out the possibility that Catoblepas feels bothered by him. Akiha thinks on this, then asks if you had thought so too. You are surprised in turn, ask if Akiha was worried about that, or silently nod.

Some time later, Akiha starts telling you that after he was summoned to Tokyo, he's been feeling like he hasn't been able to connect with anyone near him. All the creators and otaku who goes to the same school he does always seem totally focused on their things, and he's never really got that. He's tried visiting that cafe they all meet up at, but he's vaguely aware of them avoiding him. But still, since he's moved to this city he really wants to make friends with them. He can't tell what it is he's doing wrong though, so he doesn't know how to make it work. You either suggest that he's invading people's personal space or that he looks like he's mocking them. In A, Akiha is surprised and figures that means otaku don't like standing so close to other people. In B, he seems to get a revelation and says he was just trying to compliment them.

Either way Akiha is totally impressed with you and says you're like an expert otaku researcher. You either say you only get them a little bit, deny you're that much of an otaku, or freak out a little and tell him to stop. C gets an extra bit of him being surprised by your reaction. Akiha then decides to ask you for a favor, and the episode ends with him asking you to teach him everything you know about otakus.

Chapter 12 Episode 7: City of Cybernetics and Pleasure 1

Licht starts going over his memories, wondering when and where something happened. He remembers soon after that it happened that one day one of his art class friends was awarded for his work in an art contest. The memory starts up a flashback, and Licht thinks about how the spotlight shining on someone that wasn't him was so bright. The adults all praised the boy's talent, yet the boy doesn't even twitch an eyebrow at it all. But if Licht were in his place, he'd have been spinning on the balls of his feet with glee. So why didn't he win? He tried so hard, enough to spew blood for his work. He wanted to win, but he couldn't make it. What went wrong? Whose fault was it? No one answered the thoughts that welled up within him, so he left the venue to get away from it all.

 

Licht wasn't in the mood to go back to Roppongi, so he just wandered around and ended up in Akihabara. Over there he happens to see a poster inviting people who are true creators to come inside to a salon cafe, and he decides to go inside out of curiosity. Inside Licht ends up joining Masanori's table, and Masanori starts talking about what the place was before it became what it is then. Long ago before the Gates had opened, the cafe used to be a library for novelists who were also known as revolutionaries. Now it's a place where creators meet up and talk about their work.

Masanori says he's picked up the posthumous works of those old writers too. There's a lot of stuff that emotionally touched him, which includes the works of expressionists who have come to Tokyo as well. He comments that art and creation are wonderful things, and he's impressed that creators who have long passed can still sway minds after they're gone. Masanori says he also wants to be a literary man who could do the same thing, but he was confronted everyday by his lack of ability and poetic wit. Licht empathizes as the two start talking and hitting it off, and Masanori eventually declares that creating something has to be your inescapable penance facing against your work. Licht narrates that at that time, he just nodded over and over. Masanori then says that he believes that doing so is how you can get influence to move other people, even in death. He starts ranting like a man possessed as he says that's how you can gain the influence to make people think your work applies to them even after you're gone.

Things tune back to the present with Licht making a face, prompting Tsathoggua to ask him out of worry if something's up with the video creator. Licht says says he met him once before, way before he had met you. Neither of them were able to achieve anything with their creative works, and they both had talents in other fields. Licht thinks about how Masanori's storytelling style was impressive since it did made people think they were someone else for a bit. The viewers start posting zealous comments after the video ends, and Licht says he's feeling that something is amiss. Licht then apologizes when he notices he's got a call from someone in the Summoners. When he answers, he first asks why whoever on the other end is so flustered before reacting in shock at the news he gets.

Back to your end, you are in the middle of being abruptly attacked by your no name schoolmates. You try to ask why they're doing this as you desperately try to avoid their assault. They yell about you being the main culprit, so you try to ask them what they mean and talk your way out of a fight. Shirou however comes in to save you by blowing a fire extinguisher to make a smokescreen and leads you out of your room. When they try to chase after you, Sandayu stops them and refers to what they're doing as mischief. The students are surprised to see him, and Sandayu sighs to himself about how much work it is to be a teacher.

When you and Shirou escape to the outside of the dorm, Shirou is relieved that no one has chased after you guys, then tells you to listen closely to him and run away after that. You thank Shirou, ask for an explanation for what's going on, then ask where everyone else is. Shirou explains that the rest of the guild is acting as decoys so that you can escape. Shirou then starts explaining by jumping to the main point: part of the game's hidden parts has been revealed, specifically the part where the game's main players' (re: World Representatives) goal is you. People now know that there are people who have been given large advantages in the game. You either are confused at this, start to get what that means, or say aloud that you get what's happening. C gets an extra line of Shirou being impressed you're more calm than he is.

Anyways, Shirou says that this means all guild battles up to this point have been shown to be irrelevant, and everyone else never had a chance of winning. Most people thought the game was fair, but the outrage at finding out it wasn't is huge. Of course, as far as Shirou knows nothing has been doxxed about the World Reps' positions. Everyone's anger has been concentrated on you now, and even things that don't involve you have been forcibly distorted to do so. You've been partly doxxed with your size, your school affiliation, your ambiguously human or Transient status, and your current physical position You either ask in shock why that happened or ask if the game is changing up. Shirou says the Reps have never exposed you to danger like this before, and the game is unmistakably changing right now. He's about to say more on that when he decides there isn't actually time to be going over it now, so he tells you to focus on getting away from Shinjuku. There needs to be time for the madness to pass.

You ask Shirou where you're supposed to go if people know what you look like. Shirou says he's had the rest of the gang looking into other guilds for refuge, but Ikebukuro, Aoyama, Roppongi, and Kamata are all dangerous right now. Right now, the members of every guild are blowing up with anger over not being informed of things. The best place for you to go to would be someplace that has as little to do with guild battles as possible, and if possible it should be somewhere where you can disguise yourself completely to lay low. You ask if there actually is a place like that since you've never disguised yourself before.

Shirou says you would stand out if your disguise changed your face and stature. A professional doing it would be one thing, but amateur work would give you away eventually when people notice something off with it. And if you're the only one with makeup on and standing weirdly, people are going to notice that too. But if everyone around was also disguising themselves, then it might work, and Shirou says maybe he'd have an idea. Licht picks up on the phone with Shirou and says he does know of a place like that. He then starts quickly making a phone call to someone else. If he were his old self, he'd never have thought to ask for help, but he isn't his old self anymore. When the call picks up, Licht is on the phone with one of his art class friends and asks for a favor.

Time passes and the scene shifts to Akihabara in Taito Ward. Here stands a certain unique guild, known to give precisely zero craps about guild battles. That's not to say that they maintain neutrality out of interest in it like the Crafters are, and it's not like they use their own power to reject outsiders like the Outlaws do. There is only one condition to being accepted into the guild, and that is to be a creator. You are then welcomed by a bunch of maids who cheerfully give you a pack of canned foods meant for creators working hard on stuff. You have the option of using the sewing machines in the shop if you want to use them for making cosplay outfits, and you can buy threads and fabric at the desk if you need to. If you want to use any electrical outlets or USB chargers, you can go ahead and use them since that service is included in the entrance fee.

Some time passes as Catoblepas says he's done with the resizing for his next cosplay costume. He then asks you if your make is done yet, then prompts you to put your arm through the sleeve and pose together with him. You are either baffled as you try to keep up, ask if you're doing it right, and/or pose as directed. The costume you've been given is noted to be unrealistic, and you now look like somebody completely different. Not even the people who know you should recognize you in this state.

Kuniyoshi is geeking out about how the combination of kimono, katana, and a long haired kemono is the best thing ever and yells about all the *~inspiration~* coming to him. He then asks Catoblepas to raise his arms a bit and you to lower your jaw as he furiously scribbles into his notepad. He's not the only one in the cafe space going all in on drawing though, as a dog lady next to him is doing so as well. She asks Catoblepas to pose towards her since she's having a problem catching his expression on paper. Her directions include stepping forward closer to her and him holding you more firmly around your back. She wants the hateboner mood going on with you two looking angrily at each others' eyes!

Catoblepas apologizes to you as he complies with her request, then asks Hecate if he got it right once he's in position. Hecate has a nerdgasm and tells him to stay like that, ranting about her shipping brain processes are kicking into high gear and saying she should have enough material for five black magic books for the weekend. You either wonder why you're cosplaying in resignation, ask what the hell kind of place this is, or suggest a different pose and shift around into it. C has Hecate and Kuniyoshi surprised but get even more inspired as they say you totally get the essence of the thing. Catoblepas in turn asks if you're also a drawer as he admires you.

Anyways, Catoblepas explains to you that the shop is a famous shared space for creators in Akihabara. It's pretty much a 24 hour manga cafe and studio mashed together. It used to be a more refined production salon, but it was renovated into what it is now just recently. Kuniyoshi adds that their guild often uses the place when they're busy with doujin printing. Hecate says there's a lot of members who do their work totally online, but those who work offline find the shop convenient. Catoblepas adds that they can't actually use sewing machines to make costumes online after all. Kuniyoshi wishes you could've been introduced to the guildmaster earlier, but that can be done in steps. For now though, he welcomes you to the Akihabara Creators.

You repeat the name Creators in shock, attempt to ask who everyone is, and/or try to get an explanation. Kuniyoshi realizes no one's actually introduces themselves yet, so there's gonna be some talking to do. He explains that they're all members of the Akihabara guild, and the Creators are a gathering of creators. That includes artists, writers, cosplayers, costume makers, and a lot of otaku nerds. It's the guildmaster's policy that the guild is a collection of people who make things. He then introduces himself, saying he's a friend of Licht's as he politely greets you. He does doujin work mostly, and he's totally into furries. That said he specifically denies being into them so much that he's an otaku.

Hecate introduces herself next, describing herself as a shipping otaku and having a little giggle about enjoying the chemistry oh so much. If she senses a ship, then racial differences and inorganic or organic base states of the relevant parties be damned. Also, she says she might not quite be an otaku in terms of her interests. Catoblepas introduces himself as an apprentice cosplayer, and he also passes off as identifying as an otaku since he feels that'd be presumptuous of him.

You introduce yourself back to the three, say everyone looks like an otaku to you, or comment it's like a random sampling of otakus. Kuniyoshi asks you if you're an otaku and guesses you're one for cosplaying. Catoblepas is happy at the idea since it means there's more people dressing up, and he says he hopes he can go attend an event together with you. You are surprised at the otaku status question, and Kuniyoshi is surprised in turn as he tells you Licht said you wanted to focus on cosplaying while you were taking a break from school. Licht even said you were dying to go cosplaying and asked Kuniyoshi to help you.

You are further taken aback to Kuniyoshi's mild confusion, but then you remember that Licht had told you that was the story he told people in Akihabara. He doesn't really understand much, but he says that the best way to blend in there is to go declare yourself an otaku. If you aren't, just play the part as best you can and hide. Back to the present you quickly claim you are totes an otaku and politely hope to get along with them while you do the cosplay thing.

Catoblepas cheers at having a new cosplayer friend, though he did have costume maker friends already. He asks what kind of anime and manga you like, but he also says cosplaying as an original character is cool too. He has tons he wants to talk to you about, and he wants to wear a lot of costumes and take a lot of pictures with you. Catoblepas then catches himself and suggests taking a break first, so he says he'll get you something from the cafe's drink bar and wanders off.

You think to yourself about the Akihabara guild being a thing and act like a tourist as you look around the shop. Kuniyoshi notices this and asks if the place looks that unusual to you, so Hecate wonders if you're the kind of otaku who normally does things alone. Kuniyoshi then reminisces that Licht was like that too the first time he came here. You ask if everyone in the cafe is a creator, ask if they're also guild members, and ask if they're all otaku. Kuniyoshi thinks on the question briefly, then says that while there's a lot of otakus around, not all of them are. It's not that you have to be one to be allowed inside the shop, but he and Hecate say they'd be happy to have people in if they get along. They're about to say more on that when a new voice walks in and comments on hearing Hecate and Kuniyoshi. The two immediately bail to your confusion, shock, or your curiosity in someone new coming in. Akiha Gongen then walks up and wonders if you're a new otaku, and the episode ends with him introducing himself to you.

Chapter 12 Episode 6: Infection 3

Have you heard? Has anyone told you? Someone woke up and chose literal violence over at Kabukicho again. That's been happening a lot lately. It's almost like terrorist level lately, so I dunno what'll happen if it breaks out at school too. I can't even sleep at night anymore. All the news has been terrible lately, so maybe something else has been happening. Some freak has been going on about Tokyo being destroyed soon and having a prophecy that save them from it, but there's no way anyone can know what the future has in store 100% correctly. If you've got something like that, then you may as well give me the week's weather and sports lotto numbers. Or maybe tomorrow's stock prices. Though...maybe this one guy is legit? They say he's been right on everything. On another note apparently all the violent crimes happening are because of actors pretending to be natives and Transients. Have you heard? Has anyone told you?

 

Ellie then starts taking over narration, and she describes herself as a student who attends Kabukicho Academy where all the local onis go to. At least that's what the school records should say. Maybe. Not that she's proud of the fact, but she doesn't really have any memories of diligently attending class. She's a vampire, so she's stronger than any teacher or student. But she was formerly a human, so she figures the other students and teachers are confused about how to actually treat her. Ever since she became the way she is, she's been aware of how people get suspicious of things that they can't place in one category or the other. It's made her uncomfortable, so she doesn't go to her school much. There is however one teacher who sticks by her to give her guidance, she thinks. He keeps saying stuff like children shouldn't walk around at night by themselves. But isn't that what nightwalker means? He also goes around at night looking for students like her. What was his name again? Oh right...

Things then tune in back to the story where Kresnik disarms a bunch of high school oni girls feared as demons back in their homes without taking a single hit, almost like he's playing with a bunch of kids. Time skips a bit as he and Ellie make their escape, and eventually Kresnik comments on how the mob girls made no hesitation to attack after they get far enough away from them for now. He thinks about how unusually determined the yakshas were in attacking Ellie, and he feels something is wrong since this is usually impossible. It's generally hard to go all out against someone you recognize the face of, but the way the mobs struck out was like they were convinced they were in the right.

Kresnik wonders aloud about how someone has to act to get a student to listen so closely, since he'd like to know how to do that. He's struggling to make just one student listen to him as it is, then notices Ellie is quiet and asks if she forgot who he is. That, or he suggests she might not be used to being protected by others despite protecting people herself. Ellie stays quiet a little longer before before noting that he really is Kresnik, and Kresnik jokes he wouldn't be able to hide his shock if she did forget about him. Ellie however gets impatient and asks about what Kresnik did earlier and where he learned to move like that.

Kresnik's earlier actions are noted to be clearly the moves of an experienced veteran, but Ellie's impression of Kresnik is that he's just some random teacher at her school. There shouldn't be anyone who could do what he did even with Kabukicho being as big as it is. Ellie asks out loud if he's not a regular teacher, but Kresnik claims after some hesitation that he's just a teacher who gets looked down on by students.

Ellie asks why Kresnik doesn't just use his power to make himself get taken more seriously, so Kresnik says he's had enough of onis (and races in general) fighting against each other, both in terms of seeing and doing it. You could also say that he doesn't want to repeat his past mistakes again. Ellie doesn't have a response to that, so Kresnik suggests moving again before they're found. There seems to be some strange people among the students. Ellie stops Kresnik to ask one last question, which would be why he saved her. Kresnik actually stops and turns around at this, surprised, but he answers by turning the question around and asking if teachers need any special reasons to save their students.

Scene shifts to your end as you go over pretty much all of Shinjuku Academy looking for Sandayu, which includes the front gate, the hallway, the classroom, the back of the dorms, the classroom, and the roof. This takes pretty much all day as evening sets in by the time you give up, and you lean on a rusty handrail on the roof out of fatigue. It gives out under your weight and you fall over. You twist around to try to grab something but fail, so you either freak out, call for help, or try to get into a breakfall position as best you can.

Sandayu shows up conveniently in time to save you as he tells you to keep your mouth shut and grab onto him, and you react to his presence in shock, say you'll do as he says, and/or silently obey. You get the feeling of being embraced by Sandayu in midair, and Sandayu proceeds to do a wall jump by kicking off the side of the building. Time passes a bit, and you sneeze a few times and mention how cold you are as Sandayu had landed in a pond, though that did help you guys. Sandayu laughs about how you still have your life, then claims it was lucky he was just passing by at the time he showed up. You either agree, be suspicious of the timing, or ask if he'd been watching you the whole time. B and C gets extra lines where Sandayu laughs the question off and says he doesn't have that much time on his hands.

Anyways, Sandayu says he just happened to see you fall, so he went to rescue you. He then asks if you were looking for something up there, so you answer that you were looking for him since you wanted to ask him something. Sandayu is surprised by this but prompts you to go on, then asks if you're going to confess your love. You either deny the idea, start to say yes before changing it to no, or cop to it straight up. In A, Sandayu acts shocked that you took that question seriously before joking about looking for consolation money from you. In B, Sandayu initially blushes before realizing you said no and says you're surprisingly quick to go along with things. In C, Sandayu laughs and says he didn't expect you to take that seriously and says you're cuter than he thought. He offers to show you his special Zokkin Hiseidan booklet before laughing and saying it was a joke, commenting that he just can't stop teasing his students.

Sandayu moves back to the main point and asks again why you really wanted to talk to him. You fumble your words for a moment, but he waits patiently. You then ask Sandayu who he really is, ask if he's hiding something, and/or ask him to tell you anything and everything. Sandayu is baffled at the question and goes quiet for a while, but eventually starts laughing uproariously.

Scene shifts to Tsathoggua's room down in the casino, and Licht wakes up in a fit and asks where he is. Melusine is glad to see him awake since she's been worried, and Licht processes that she and Tsathoggua are around. Tsathoggua is glad to see him up too and tells him he's in his safe house. Licht is confused about this, but then things start coming back to him about the riot from the other day.

Flashback kicks in to explain how the rulers of the Tycoons lost their properties and corporations one day. It all happened way too quickly, and while they tried their hardest to find out who did it from the outside, they didn't manage to figure anything out. So the next thing they did was start looking for the perpetrator within the guild. Someone had started yelling that there must have been insider tradings going on, and violent paranoia broke out. Barely any time passed before factions started to split and attack one another.

Back to the present, Tsathoggua explains that he used his teleportation to bring the three of them there for an emergency retreat. Licht nods to this as Melusine starts making some food, and Licht thanks Tsathoggua for what he did. Tsathoggua waves it off saying they're friends and part of the same guild. Licht thinks on that and says that kinda makes him feel guilty as he remembers what he once did. Specifically, the time he tried to get Hakumen, Ophion, and Lucifuge to get rid of each other. All that time he spent, all the goading he did, and all the understanding he made was what made it all possible.

Licht starts talking about manipulating other people's states of mind is the one thing he's as good as the best are at it. But in this incident things got a little too much even with his presence, and they also went a bit too quickly. It made him almost sure that someone was on the inside causing all of this, so how did they manage to read the Tycoons that far? A pain in the head makes Licht briefly stop and hold his bandaged head, so Tsathoggua tells him to not worry so much since it'll affect his injuries. Licht weakly agrees and says it may be time to rest, so Tsathoggua invites him to lay around and do nothing with him. There's tons of things to play with in the room, so if he wants to play with or read something then Tsathoggua says he's welcome to do so.

Licht decides to ask what Tsathoggua has been watching on the phone this entire time, so he answers it's some Youtuber that's been trending lately that his gamer friends told him about. He's pretty popular, and Tsathoggua asks if Licht wants to look too. Licht leans in, and Tsathoggua spouts some catchphrases the web show mentalist has been using, like "this will absolutely fit your mentality" or "I can show you whole future." Licht laughs and says that sounds like a classic spiel by a charlatan, and he thinks about how nothing is absolute in the world. Anyone who would say so would have to know about everything in the world, but if that were true he doesn't get why they'd need to make videos. Someone who manipulates others would need anxiety and the unwillingness to be tricked by others in those people to take advantage of. He's surprised when he does see the video, saying he recognizes the uploader from somewhere when Tsathoggua thinks he's interested. The uploader is Masanori, and Licht says it happened that one time when he was coming back from one of Kuniyoshi's award ceremonies and went to Akihabara.

Scene shifts over to your end as you and Sandayu leave the night watch teacher's office having dried off your clothes. As you two start walking out of the building Sandayu admits he's not actually a native and asks if you'd believe him if he said he was a worker from the shadows sent to protect you. You either disbelieve him, say you'll believe him if it's true, or stare at him. Sandayu laughs whatever you pick, saying it should be fine and that you ought to believe him. He's not sure what he actually can tell you and says it'd be a problem if you asked him to spill everything. Wouldn't it be the same if you were told to tell him everything? You either admit he has a point, hem and haw for a bit, or say you could actually do that. C gets an extra bit as Sandayu laughs at the response and says he can tell you next time then. He does warn you it'll be sad as hell though.

Anyways, Sandayu asks if you're still projecting bits of your old teacher onto him. He was someone who went as far as being your guardian and close to you, and now he's gone. You believed in him, but some unease still exists within you like he betrayed you. And now you have a shady old man as your new teacher, and Sandayu asks if you're on guard against him thinking he might do the same thing. You either awkwardly deny it, say that might be true, or silently stare at him. A gets an extra line of Sandayu laughing as he says he can tell when kids are lying. B has Sandayu laughing as well as he comments that he likes it when people sass him.

In any case, Sandayu looks right into your eyes like he's looking deeper into you. He eventually sighs and comments that you really were special to the previous teacher. He knows how it is, and he looks off sadly into the distance as he thinks about the time he was teaching Goemon. Since he goes quiet for a while, you ask Sandayu if he's alright, and he just brushes it off as nothing important. Sandayu then starts talking to you about how the heart is a thing that changes, which goes for everyone. He might say he'd never betray your feelings towards him, but there are no absolutes in the world. If you happen to damage something important to him, would it be wrong of him to hold that against you?

You are put off by the subject and ask why he brought it up, so Sandayu laughs after a bit and says it's just a hypothetical. He goes quiet for a second, then makes a point of telling you that his work isn't about getting you to believe him. All he'll do is what's asked of him and doing it when necessary. Believing everything he says just because you two are teacher and student would be as dumb as a chicken walking into a fox den. No one really knows what's going to happen next, so he advises that if things seem vague to you, it's fine to take them that way.

You ask Sandayu to explain more clearly, say you feel like he's pulling something over on you, or ask if he's just saying he's just shady. Sandayu laughs and says that adults are people who are good at pulling tricks and misdirection. If that's all for the day, he suggests you head home quick since he's still going to be busy with other things as he starts shooing you away with his hand. You however ask for a moment longer, so he asks you what's up. You either thank him for saving you, politely say you'll look forward to seeing him in class, or decide against saying anything after all. Sandayu is surprised, then bashful whichever way you go.

As the night time falls, he laughs to himself about how you asked him questions earlier thinking no one else would ever do it like that. He stops when he picks up on something happening, which he notes is coming from the dorms and that things are starting. Scene then shifts to your room where you are doing your best to evade and block attacks with whatever is in reach from other Shinjuku students, and you yell for them to stop. The attack was sudden, and the students yell about you being the source of things. You try to ask for an explanation, but no one is willing to talk.

Scene then shifts to the front of the dorms where Shirou has just arrived as he calls up Shuuichi. Shuuichi tells him that he and everyone else needs to get away from there right away. Shirou however asks Shuuichi to slow down and explain what's happening since he still doesn't understand what's happening, but Shuuichi admits that he doesn't know either. He does however suggest that you guys cut back on intraguild communication as as much as possible, disguise yourselves, and lay low somewhere else.

While this is happening though, Shuuichi wonders how you guys would even do that. That One Video is already making the rounds and must have a view count in the order of millions, copied near limitlessly and spreading around. He understands why Balor kills everyone around him, because there's no other alternative when going up against the Invaders. Shuuichi then tells Shirou that you have become the enemy to all of Tokyo. There's no telling where enemies are lurking and where they'll attack, and you are the only ones to not know what will be happening on the game board. It's like trying to play chess blind. Shuuichi then comments about not wanting to say things in a particular way, but as he looks up he thinks about how there's absolutely no way for you guys to win as the episode ends.