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fandom.07th-expansion | # Escape (song)
| Escape (song) |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Eua
is a mysterious being similar to Hanyuu that appears as one of the main antagonists of and .
While the character debuts in the story in Satokowashi-hen Part 3, she was unnamed until the official site added her profile on March 11, 2021 shortly before Satokowashi-hen Part 6 aired.
Profile.
"A woman with horns not unlike Hanyuu's. Calls Rika her "cat". Awards Satoko with the power to live in loops to provide her with entertainment. Satoko calls her "Eua", but her true name and nature are unknown."
Appearance.
Eua has purple hair in a hime cut and has a silver horseshoe-shaped pair of horns (referred to as a memory device) floating around her head. She wears a shrine maiden outfit with a green sash adorned with a medal and white socks with wooden sandals. In her hand, she holds a .
Personality.
Eua speaks in a condescending tone and a rather archaic manner of speech, and refers to humans as "child of man". She has a tendency to laugh and giggle when she's entertained by something, most especially because of Satoko's actions. Eua draws a twisted satisfaction from seeing people suffer, most exemplified when she forces Hanyuu to watch as Satoko tortures Rika in one world. She also has a rather nonchalant demeanour, as even when Hanyuu damages her horns and defeats her, she acts like nothing had happened to her.
Abilities.
Eua can give humans the power of time looping, allowing them to travel between Fragments. Due to her power not being imperfect like Hanyuu's, humans granted the power of time looping by Eua fully retain their memories from the fragments. She is often seen having her staff float or telekinetically controlling it.
In "Kagurashi", Eua is shown to easily overwhelm Hanyuu, as a sign of her mighty power. She is capable of conjuring powerful balls of energy that easily blasts Hanyuu back and can restrain people with bindings made of energy. She is also seen disappearing in the blink of an eye, telekinetically controlling a variety of furniture, and stopping people in place.
Background.
It is currently unclear as to who she is or where she came from, but she seems to recognize Satoko from another world with a "red sea". Eua describes herself as a nameless being and decided to call herself "Eua" after asking Satoko to create a name for her, getting "ehs", "oohs", and "uhs" in response.
In "Kagurashi", Eua refers to Hanyuu as her "failure" and "part of her", and refers to herself as the "original", though it is currently unknown what the exact relationship between the two is. An interview says that Eua is the "perfect" version of Hanyuu.
Hearing Satoko's wish to create a world where Rika can stay by her side, Eua bestows her with the power of time looping, similar to the one Rika has, except Satoko will be able to retain her memories when she dies unlike Hanyuu's power.
Relationships.
Satoko Houjou.
Eua regards Satoko as an old friend, referring to her with the names "Vier", "Mitsuyo", and "Anomalous Spinal Cord Specimen LD3105". She claims that Satoko has forgotten who she is after millions of years. Eua derives a lot of entertainment from Satoko's actions in the various Fragments she goes to and is very fond of her.
Hanyuu.
Eua's exact relationship with Hanyuu is currently unknown, however Eua refers to Hanyuu as her "failure" and a "part of her", and implies that Hanyuu was created from Eua given that she refers to herself as "the original". In "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Mei", Eua's "birthday" is even the same as Hanyuu's, August 1. An interview additionally adds that Eua is the "perfect" version of Hanyuu. Eua is antagonistic to Hanyuu and takes pleasure in making her watch Satoko torture Rika.
Role in the Story.
and.
Eua has appeared as a shadowed figure in the "Gou" opening from Onidamashi-hen Part 2 to Satokowashi-hen Part 1. Her actual appearance is revealed in the opening of Satokowashi-hen Part 4.
Satokowashi.
When Satoko returns to Hinamizawa in 1988, she hears a sound coming from the ritual warehouse near the Furude Shrine and walks into it. Satoko hears the sound emanating from the Oyashiro-sama statue and touches it to reveal a horn-shaped object that transports her to the Sea of Fragments, where Eua is introduced standing before her.
Eua seems to recognize Satoko as an old friend and calls her by several names, regretting that Satoko doesn't seem to remember her. She knows of Satoko's wish to go back in time and fix her friendship with Rika, offering to grant her the power of time looping. The woman stipulates that Satoko must die for it to work and that it has a cost, but she won't mind so long as she's entertained by what Satoko does. Though Satoko is reluctant and confused, Eua sends her back to 1983.
As Satoko loops repeatedly trying to stop Rika from wanting to go to St. Lucia, Eua is entertained by Satoko's actions. After one of Satoko's many attempts, Eua explains Rika's past looping experience to Satoko and allows Satoko to view the Fragments that Rika has experienced throughout her 100 years. After Satoko finishes, she asks if Eua can bestow the same time looping power onto her. The horned woman can, but she explains that the power of looping doesn't necessarily make the mind immortal. Eua bestows this power onto Satoko, making her able to retain the memories leading up to her death; unlike Rika and Hanyuu's own powers. She also grants Satoko the power to go to the same Fragment the original Rika goes to, so long as Satoko dies after Rika.
After Satoko experiences several loops, she asks for a name for the horned woman, wanting to have an easier time referring to her. The woman proclaims that she's nameless and asks Satoko to pick a name for her. Satoko struggles to think of one, and the woman decides to name herself Eua after Satoko's grunts of speculation.
Satoko's loops manage to reform Teppei into a better person. Eua reminds Satoko that the accumulation of memories is irreversible, and each new loop will make the memories grow stronger; Teppei remembering previous Fragments might be a burden to Satoko going forward. Satoko doesn't mind however, as she can use Teppei to great effect. Satoko expresses her desire to make Rika pay for wanting to leave Hinamizawa despite being Oyashiro-sama's priestess, and Eua decides that Satoko is the new Oyashiro-sama and will be carrying out her own curse.
Wataakashi.
Eua and Satoko watch a Fragment of Rika and Hanyuu speaking in the Sea of Fragments after Rika's suicide. When Satoko complains of still feeling pain from stabbing herself in the neck, Eua comments that Hanyuu's memory loss power makes her a failure. Later, Eua reminds Satoko that Hinamizawa Syndrome affects people who are far from the queen carrier or are experiencing mental stress, which Mion has never faced in any world because of her duty as the next Sonozaki family head.
Tatariakashi.
Satoko continues planning to make Rika suffer. Eua warns her that if she ever dies before Rika, then Satoko will go to a Fragment where Rika doesn't exist and was never born. Satoko accepts these conditions.
Eua continues to be entertained by Satoko's antics, especially her tricking Rika into thinking Satoko's abusive uncle returned and all of the later charades Satoko pulls off.
Satoko's human and witch sides begin coming into conflict when she attempts to kill Teppei. Eua enjoys herself watching them fight and stops the human side when she tries to run away. Eua allows the witch side to seemingly kill the human side.
Eua continues to enjoy the witch Satoko's antics. After Satoko and Rika's deaths, Eua acknowledges Hanyuu and comments on her being unable to view the Fragments, asking what she plans to do now.
Kagurashi.
Eua enjoys watching a deranged Keiichi wreak havoc at Angel Mort when Hanyuu suddenly appears, announcing that she's finally found her. Eua shows her the Fragment where Satoko gets up after playing dead, horrifying Hanyuu since she now knows Eua gave power to Satoko. Eua once again calls Satoko "Vier", regretting that she lost her memories, but is still entertained. Hanyuu and Eua exchange blows, however Eua restrains Hanyuu while referring to her as another part of her. She forces Hanyuu to watch the next Fragment, where Satoko performs the watanagashi on Rika. Eua is greatly entertained by Hanyuu's despair and taunts her, asking what Rika will do now.
Eua watches as Rika and Satoko duke it out across multiple Fragments. When Hanyuu tries to escape her restraints, Eua stops her by stabbing her with her staff. Eua is still waiting for Hanyuu to display her miracle, promising she will do whatever she says if she succeeds.
At the final confrontation where a superpowered Rika prepares to finish off Satoko with the Onigari-no-ryuuou, Hanyuu breaks free from her restraints and rushes at Eua, but Eua stops her with her staff again and says Hanyuu needs to show her miracle quickly or else she'll disappear. Hanyuu declares it's her friends who helped her see miracles and Eua grows tired, dropping several pieces of furniture on her.
Hanyuu emerges and declares that a miracle will never side with Eua, and when Rika discards the Onigari-no-ryuuou in the human world, Hanyuu obtains it and uses it to attack Eua. Hanyuu proclaims that her friends are much stronger than Eua realizes, and the horned woman commends her. Hanyuu successfully strikes Eua and creates a crack in her horn, and Eua cackles and au-au's as she shrinks to a childlike form. Eua admits that Hanyuu has won and disappears.
Other Appearances.
Higurashi Gou (manga) and Meguri.
When Satoko returns to Hinamizawa in 1988 to reunite with the club, she recalls happy memories of the club as teenagers. Eua suddenly whisks Satoko away to the Sea of Fragments and, understanding that Satoko wants to return to June of 1983, says she can grant that wish. Eua explains that she needs a "replacement" after Rika finished her time looping journey and fills Satoko's mind with all of the memories and Fragments of that journey.
Satoko is overwhelmed and doesn't quite understand, and Eua explains that she can send Satoko back to 1983 as many times as she wants and work for the ending she desires. She then proceeds to do so; Satoko returns to 1983 and spends many loops trying to stay by Rika's side and help her brother Satoshi return, but they all keep ending in tragedy. Eua seems amused as she continuously loops Satoko. By the end, Satoko has given up on trying to bring Satoshi back and decides to continue looping throughout 1983. Eua is pleased and waits to see what she'll do next.
Eua and Satoko talk about how they'll loop from now on. Since Hanyuu disappeared, Satoko can't rely on using paranoia and suspicion to make people suffer from Hinamizawa Syndrome, so she'll resort to using H173. Eua makes it so that Rika will lose the memories leading up to her death, and Satoko adds another condition that if she ever dies before Rika, then she loses the game and will stop looping in June 1983. Eua also tells Satoko about the Onigari-no-ryuuou being a weapon that can kill loopers. She notes that Satoko never talked about turning her other friends into loopers and figures Satoko is subconsciously exluding them since they can't handle it.
At this point, Satoko creates a proper name for Eua after grunting audibly. Eua then sends Satoko back to her body in 1988 as the club reunion starts. Satoko successfully kills Rika and then herself to begin.
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Mei.
Eua was added as a playable character.
"" Eua.
Eua summons Satoko to the Sea of Fragments, with Satoko instinctively knowing her name despite having no memory of ever meeting her. Eua says she came to this world out of boredom and notes that she was able to connect with this Satoko now that a "link" has been established. She saw Satoko talking with the club about what food to eat while watching movies and tasks her with finding "exciting" food. Satoko returns to the human world and gets advice from her friends, settling on churros and getting their help in cooking some. Satoko takes some churros to the Furude Shrine's ritual storehouse and calls for Eua, then is sent back to the Sea of Fragments.
Eua obtains the memory of eating churros from Satoko's mind and sends her back, ominously mentioning that she's returning to a "broken world". Satoko forgets about the entire event when she returns. Eua then addresses an unknown person as a "shattered being" and reassures them that she is not interfering with the game board. She says the being was able to observe her appearing after they obtained the Fragment containing the possibility of it occurring, and says that their presence is influencing the people around them and causing them to suffer.
| Eua |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Eua/Gallery
| Eua/Gallery |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Eua/Sprites
| Eua/Sprites |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Eva
| Eva |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Eva's diary
| Eva's diary |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Eva-Beatrice
| Eva-Beatrice |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Eva Ushiromiya
is the second child of Kinzo Ushiromiya and third ranked member of the Ushiromiya family.
Appearance.
Eva is a middle-aged fair-skinned woman. She has ginger hair that forms a straight fringe over her forehead and is tied up in a high bun held by a purple hairpin. She has black eyes in the original sound novel and purple eyes in the anime and PS3 port.
Eva's family conference outfit is a black dress (dark purple in the PS3 and "pachinko" sprite sets) reminiscent of the Chinese , emblazoned all over with the Ushiromiya family crest: the One-Winged Eagle. She also wears two gloves, a long right one and a shorter left one, which reveals the One-Winged Eagle tattooed on her arm. She also wears a pink bracelet, white pants and black orthopedic shoes. Eva also carries a maroon hand fan with her, which she sometimes opens up.
Personality.
Eva is a hard-working woman who trying to holds her own in the male-dominated society of post-war Japan. She projects an attitude of confidence and self-assurance, though this can quickly change if she loses the upper hand in a discussion. Eva is also quite cunning and will pounce on opportunities as she sees them, a trait that helped her retain the Ushiromiya name after marriage by exploiting Kinzo's dissatisfaction towards Natsuhi.
Eva has a great amount of pride in the Ushiromiya family name and its history. She believes herself to be the ideal successor to the family headship, especially in comparison to her elder brother Krauss, who she views as an inferior and an unjust heir. Due to Kinzo's rejection of her efforts, she channeled her efforts towards raising her son George to be an ideal successor, hoping that he would one day wrest the headship from Krauss and his family. As a result, she assumed a great deal of personal control over George's life, signing him up for an array of supplemental lessons in academics and the arts and limiting his romantic involvements. Eva's pride in the family name also led her to develop an elitist attitude, which is shown when she looks down on Shannon's servant status and Maria's immaturity.
Eva's easygoing attitude in casual conversation belies her sharp tongue and sardonic manner. While she rarely resorts to open verbal abuse as an adult, she enjoys subtly demeaning or undermine those she dislikes or looks down upon. One example of this is during the welcome tea in "Legend of the Golden Witch", where she notices Shannon is unaware of the brand of the tea and proceeds to pile increasing pressure on her to undermine their host Natsuhi. When questioned on her actions, Eva replies that she was merely imparting some knowledge to the servant. While Eva herself struggled with discrimination on the basis of her gender, she does not hesitate to level the same gender roles that were imposed against her on other women such as Natsuhi and Jessica, particularly when it allows her to elevate her own son George over them. Her hypocrisy can also be seen when she criticizes Natsuhi for pressuring her daughter to become the successor despite the fact that she does the same for her son.
Due to her having internalized the sexist dynamics that both Kinzo and Krauss have applied to her, Eva also has a very contentious relationship with most of the island's female residents; in addition to her already mentioned one-sided rivalry with Natsuhi and Jessica (as respectively wife and daughter of the firstborn son of the family head) and Shannon (as she sees the young servant as an unsuitable partner for her son), she does not get along very well with her younger sister Rosa either; having verbally bullied and psychologically abused her as a kid since Rosa herself has memory of it, until she was unconsciously submissive to Eva in adulthood. The only apparent exceptions to Eva's misogyny appear to be her sister-in-law Kyrie and her daughter Ange, whom Eva even asked about how her niece was staying home sick in "Legend of the Golden Witch".
While there is no doubt that she is a woman of considerable talents and has a quick mind (traits which have enabled her to solve the epitaph, largely by herself, and find the gold before all others in the third game), very often Eva also greatly overestimate her intelligence and underestimate and belittle that of those around her (especially her siblings). In particular her desire to succeed Kinzo as the new family head is due to her considering herself and proving in the eyes of her father as the best of his four children.
While Eva publicly projects an air of confidence and strength, she has moments of sensitivity and vulnerability which she tends to only express in private with her husband Hideyoshi. It is during these periods that she can also be quite reflective and question her motivations for her actions. Despite Eva's lack of concern for the rest of her extended family, she sincerely cares about her husband Hideyoshi and her son George, and becomes frantic at the possibility that either of them may be in danger. Apart from her business pursuits and raising of George, Eva also expresses an interest in travelling and enjoys martial arts, the latter of which was disapproved of by Kinzo and Krauss for being traditionally masculine.
At the end of "Banquet of the Golden Witch", it is revealed that Eva fell under great public scrutiny and criticism due to being the only survivor of the Rokkenjima Mass Murders. While she initially tried to develop a loving relationship with her adoptive daughter Ange, her foisting of her dream for George onto her, combined with immense public pressure and suspicion as well as Ange's rejection of her led to Eva gradually becoming more controlling and hostile towards her. Eva's enemies in the business world grew as a result of her opportunistic and sneaky tactics, leading her to become increasingly paranoid and unable trust anyone.
Abilities.
Eva has experience with a wide variety of martial arts, including but not limited to , , and . She has a high-degree of skill with kicks, and occasionally shows it off to intimidate her siblings. She also displays some proficiency when wielding Winchester Rifles, however they pale in comparison to Kinzo, Rudolf, Kyrie and Rosa.
According to her husband, Eva is talented at cooking.
Background.
As a child, Eva developed a great amount of pride in her status as a member of the Ushiromiya family, and immensely respected Kinzo for his mythological revival of the family's status. As such, she channeled her efforts towards developing herself as a person of status, accreditation, and capability, wanting to become someone she saw as worthy of the name, of value to Kinzo, and eventually the successor to the headship. She developed a rivalry with her older brother Krauss, the natural successor by way of birthright, who she often managed to outperform in school. Her efforts however were unacknowledged by Kinzo, who viewed a woman's role to be limited to the domestic sphere and as a support for her husband. To him, Eva's only purpose in the Ushiromiya family was to marry out of it to someone profitable to him. Krauss often echoed Kinzo's attitude, taunting her by reiterating their respective roles as men and women.
While the discrimination she faced under Kinzo and Krauss led her to push herself harder in her efforts, she eventually came to accept that Kinzo would never see her, a woman, as a potential successor. As such, she decided to devote her efforts towards finding a man that could rival Krauss to take as her husband. When entering into her arranged marriage with Hideyoshi, Eva observed that Krauss' wife Natsuhi had failed to give Kinzo a child, and took advantage of Kinzo's dissatisfaction towards Natsuhi to convince him to allow Hideyoshi adopt the Ushiromiya name instead of have her lose it. To her delight, she bore a male child, George, while Natsuhi's child that followed was a girl, Jessica. Eva thus placed her dream on her son's shoulders, putting every effort in order to raise him as a worthy successor to the Ushiromiya family.
At the time of the 1986 family conference, Eva was the wife of a businessman who aided her husband at in the management of his popular fast-food chain company. However, as a result of a malicious buyout of the company's stock at the time of its entering public listing, she and Hideyoshi found themselves in financial trouble, needing a large amount of money to reach a settlement that would preserve their control of the company. They thus entered the family conference with the intention of extorting money out of Krauss. Eva also strongly disapproved of her son George's relationship with the servant Shannon, believing her to be an unsuitable wife for the next head due to her status, and wanted to pressure him into an arranged marriage of her own choosing instead.
At the end of "Banquet of the Golden Witch", it is revealed that Eva was the sole returning survivor of the Rokkenjima Mass Murders. As such, she inherited the entire Ushiromiya family fortune and gained custody of Ange, Rudolf's daughter who was absent on the day of the conference. While police investigations found no evidence that could connect her to the crime, she faced widespread media scrutiny and was viewed as the culprit in the public eye. This pressure escalated as she began making many enemies in the business world by performing the same aggressive and underhanded tactics Hideyoshi's company had been hit with before. Her relationship with Ange also became increasingly strained, and she died in 1998 unable to trust a single person and despised by many of them.
Relationships.
Overview.
Ushiromiya Family
Other
Hideyoshi Ushiromiya.
Hideyoshi and Eva are happily married and do not appear to face any significant issues in their relationship. The two met each other through an arranged marriage, and Hideyoshi, who had no close relatives, happily agreed to take on the Ushiromiya family name.
Eva supports her husband in his business enterprises, while Hideyoshi's pleasant and easygoing disposition allow him to complement Eva's interpersonal shortcomings. Hideyoshi often finds himself stepping in during Eva's verbal attacks against others, holding Eva in check and deescalating the tension. Being an outsider to the Ushiromiya family, he also lacks Eva's elitism and provides a more supportive counterbalance for George against Eva's control, though he falls short on pushing back on Eva's helicopter parenting. Hideyoshi is an important source of emotional support for Eva, and is effectively the only person she has shown herself to be willingly vulnerable around.
George Ushiromiya.
George is Eva's only son and the only person besides Hideyoshi that she deeply cares for. Due to Kinzo's rejection of her aspirations for the headship, Eva decided to raise George with the intention of grooming him to be the next successor of the Ushiromiya family, effectively pushing her dream onto him. As a result, she gave George a strict and intense upbringing, sparing no expense at signing him up for private tutoring, arts classes, and martial arts training. Eva's overbearing control of her son's life resulted in him having little free time for leisure and personal development. Although George was already an adult by 1986, she still attempted to exert control over his life, disapproving of his relationship with the servant Shannon and pressuring him into an arranged marriage with a reputable woman of her own choosing: Ayumi.
While George does not show it publicly, he feels a great deal of frustration over his mother's micromanagement of his life, and wants to break free of her control to become his own person. The two confront each other in "Dawn of the Golden Witch", clashing over both his relationship with Shannon and Eva's control over his life in general. Despite their conflicts, George and Eva do love each other as family, and each is overcome with grief whenever the other is killed. In "Legend of the Golden Witch" and "Banquet of the Golden Witch", Eva also expresses regret at her treatment of George, realizing that her overbearing control of his life was unjust and may have been the result of her trying to get back at Krauss.
Kinzo Ushiromiya.
Eva deeply respects and idolizes her father Kinzo for his legendary turnaround of the Ushiromiya family fortune. This admiration led her to try and follow in his footsteps, developing herself in her schooling and personal qualities with the goal of becoming the next successor. Kinzo however did not approve of her efforts, believing that a woman's role should only be to support her husband and bring the family benefit through her marriage, and thus that she ought to dedicate herself to domestic skills instead.
Krauss Ushiromiya.
Eva and her brother Krauss spent their childhood in an intense sibling rivalry. Eva constantly outperformed Krauss in school and in their accomplishments, and believed herself to be a more suitable successor to the headship as a result. Krauss however would repeat the same gender essentialist sentiments that Kinzo did, reiterating that her ambitions were conceited for a woman and that the role of successor ought to naturally go to him, the firstborn son. Eva despised Krauss for his attitude and the injustice of her situation, and continued to push herself in order to outdo Krauss in any way she could. While their rivalry is less overt as adults, she views him as incompetent and continues to make verbal jabs towards Krauss over issues as minor as the family dinner.
Rosa Ushiromiya.
Eva often bullied Rosa when the latter was young, primarily through verbal means such as lying to her. She has little respect for her sister, viewing her as incapable and stupid. Her attitude towards her sister is carried over to adulthood, and is openly displayed when she calls Rosa a "brainless idiot" in Chapter 2 of "Banquet of the Golden Witch". She also makes more covert attacks at Rosa by putting pressure on her during the family conference as well as by bringing up Maria's immaturity, condemning her as an unfit parent by extension. In "Banquet of the Golden Witch", Eva tells Rosa that she is the sibling she trusts the most. Given the circumstances however, it is implied that this trust is merely because she sees Rosa as less crafty than her brothers.
Natsuhi Ushiromiya.
Eva has a poor opinion of Natsuhi and offer makes the her the target of her verbal attacks. She particularly dislikes it when Natsuhi asserts her authority or tries to command the situation, viewing her actions as shameless and a challenge to her superior family rank. Her verbal attacks on Natsuhi include both open confrontation and her more sly subtle use of words to embarrass or undermine her. Despite being the target of gender discrimination in her childhood, she does not hesitate to turn those same remarks onto Natsuhi, reminding her that she is merely someone who married into the family and should not dare to challenge her.
Jessica Ushiromiya.
Eva sees Jessica as a rival for George's claim to the future headship of the Ushiromiya family. Given this, she takes great delight in the fact that Jessica is both a woman, and thus less eligible by the Ushiromiya's patriarchal standards, as well as less studious and well-mannered than her son. Eva sometimes brings this up to Natsuhi in an attempt to elevate her own son and undermine her. In "Turn of the Golden Witch", Eva showed solidarity with Jessica in the face on Krauss' criticism of her unladylike mannerisms and pointed out her learning of makeup to Natsuhi. While this measure pleased Jessica, it also embarrassed Natsuhi and Krauss, which may have been Eva's true goal.
Shannon.
Eva is aware of Shannon and George's romantic interest in each other and strongly disapproves of their relationship, primarily due to the fact that Shannon's status as a servant of the Ushiromiya family would cause many complications for George if he were to become the future family head as she intended. It is unknown if she is aware that they are dating, but she tried to pre-empt that possibility by highlighting George's marriage meeting to Shannon and warning her that she is far less suitable in status and capability than her pick for George. She also sometimes picks on Shannon in an attempt to undermine Natsuhi's position as host for the family conference by suggesting that she had improperly prepared her servants for the job.
Inner Self.
Eva's internal conflicts are explored in "Banquet of the Golden Witch", where she is shown interacting with a younger version of herself. The young Eva would appear by her side in times where she struggled, offering her support and cursing her adversaries in her place. She held on to Eva's childhood dream of succeeding the headship and getting back at Krauss, and pushed Eva to solve the epitaph in order to become the family head. While Eva still valued her childhood goals, she also developed a love for her husband and son, one which her younger self did not share. This conflict escalates when Eva finds the gold and her younger self gains witch powers and the title of EVA Beatrice, and the two of them sharply disagree on whether they value the gold and headship or her family more while EVA Beatrice carries out the murders of the epitaph.
Ange Ushiromiya.
As the only survivor of the Rokkenjima Mass Murders, Eva gained custody of her niece Ange, who had been absent on the day of the 1986 family conference. She tried to accept Ange as her new daughter, but her intentions were muddled by her grief regarding the loss of her son George. She thus tried to raise her as the successor in her son's place, but Ange was less receptive to her strict upbringing and unwilling to accept her as her new mother. This was further strained by Eva's constant comparisons of Ange to her deceased son. As a result of Ange's rejection of her and increasing pressure put on her by the public, Eva's relationship with Ange grew increasingly sour and resentful. By the time of Eva's death, their relationship had deteriorated beyond repair, and Eva's categorical refusal to tell Ange the truth about her family's death infuriated her further. She died cursing Ange, with her final action being to grant her the entirety of the Ushiromiya fortune and name in an attempt to lead her to the same fate she ended up in.
In the final two arcs, it is revealed that Eva had refused to tell the truth to Ange in an attempt to hide the fact that her parents had been responsible for the massacre. The side story The Witches' Tanabata also revealed that Bernkastel played a role in Ange's rejection of Eva, by having her promise to never accept Eva as her new mother for the illusory possibility that that would allow her parents to one day return home.
Tetsurou Okonogi.
Okonogi was the president of a foodstuffs distribution company and had a close relationship with Hideyoshi's business. As such, he was one of the people that had Eva's trust, and was appointed by her to a high position in the Ushiromiya Group following her inheritance of the family fortune. He seems to also trust Eva very much in return, and made the case against her being the culprit of the mass murder incident in a discussion with Ange.
Story.
Legend of the Golden Witch.
Eva is first introduced at the airport prior to the departure for Niijima. At the island, she takes advantage of Shannon's clumsiness and lack of knowledge to make snide remarks with the intention of humiliating her and their host Natsuhi. Her attacks against Natsuhi continue during the family conference, where she calls her a "lowly maidservant" and highlights their difference in rank in response to her indignant defense of Krauss against Eva's accusations of embezzlement. This causes Natsuhi to run out of the room in tears. The siblings' attempt to extort money from Krauss is unsuccessful however, as he had researched their own financial troubles beforehand and thus managed to expose their motives.
At dawn of the second day, Eva tries to taunt Natsuhi on the issue of whether Kinzo would come down for breakfast or even dignify her with an answer. She meets Natsuhi as the latter leaves Kinzo's study, but finds herself unexpectedly rebuffed with confidence by the woman. Back in the parlor, Kanon informs Eva of a strange occult symbol painted over the rose garden storehouse, and she heads over with Hideyoshi, Kanon, and Genji to discover the victims of the first twilight murders inside. When the others arrive at the scene, George asks about a ring on Shannon's finger. Eva, realizing that George had proposed to the servant, responds indignantly, but finds her objections silenced by Hideyoshi.
Upon returning to the mansion, Eva and Natsuhi proceed to inform Kinzo, but find his study empty. She later discusses the issue of the first twilight murders with Battler, and suggests to him that they may have been the result of a servant conspiracy, possibly with a mastermind. Battler rejects her argument and points out that she herself is suspicious, but Eva argues that she would gain very little from showing off the murder in such a flashy manner. Some time later, Eva raises the question of Kinzo's disappearance and accuses Natsuhi of having killed him and hidden the body. She reveals that she had placed a folded receipt in the crack of the door after meeting Natsuhi on her way out that morning, and had found the receipt still lodged in the same position upon returning to the study after the discovery of the victims. According to her, this indicated that Kinzo could not have left the room between the time Natsuhi had claimed to meet him and their later discovery of the empty study, and suggests that Natsuhi was lying about meeting Kinzo. The argument escalates to the point where Natsuhi points a gun at her, but she shows no fear and dares her to shoot. Battler then proposes an alternative explanation for how Kinzo would have disappeared and berates her for making such an accusation when her own alibi for the first twilight murders was uncertain, bringing the argument to a halt. As a result, Eva and Hideyoshi decide to retire to a guest room alone. George rejects her offer for him to join them.
In the guest room, Eva reflects on her life and expresses regret for using Hideyoshi and George as a way of getting back at Krauss for his arrogant attitude towards her regarding the headship. Hideyoshi comforts her, telling her that he regrets nothing about his life with Eva, and the two of them talk about plans for a vacation in the Maldives. Eva and Hideyoshi are later found dead in the room by Kanon and Kumasawa, forming the victims of the second twilight. The room was sealed with a chain lock at the time of discovery.
Turn of the Golden Witch.
Sometime before 1986, Eva and her family make a private visit to Rokkenjima in order to obtain a business loan from Kinzo. During this visit, she overhears Jessica teasing George and Shannon about the possibility of a relationship between them. Disapproving of the pairing, she brings up George's arranged marriage meeting in front of them, and the two of them clash regarding their views on love and marriage. After George leaves, she quietly whispers in Shannon's ear, reminding her of her status as a servant and warning her not to get romantically involved with her son.
During the 1986 family conference, she makes a snide remark towards Rosa regarding Maria's apparent immaturity. While she is initially skeptical on Beatrice's identity following Kyrie's sighting of her, she eventually acknowledges her as a witch with the other family adults in the chapel on the evening of the first day. The next morning, Eva's corpse is found in the chapel with the other victims of the first twilight murders.
Banquet of the Golden Witch.
Eva is the focus character for this episode, and we are introduced to a representation of her younger self, who speaks to Eva at many points in the episode. Eva's childhood and discrimination under Kinzo and Krauss is shown, and she wonders if this grudge towards Krauss had led her to unfairly impose her dream on George. Young Eva rejects Eva's decision to live vicariously through her son as cowardice, and pushes her to take advantage of the witch's letter to solve the riddle of the epitaph and seize the headship from Krauss.
As the first twilight had spared the family members this time around, Eva discusses several theories with the other adults as they barricade themselves in the guesthouse. While they fail to solve it together, Eva manages to figure out the solution with the aid of her younger self and an offhand hint by Rosa. After checking a book in the guesthouse library, she exits the guesthouse and finds an underground tunnel at an unspecified location, and follows it to find a room filled with the mythical ten tons of gold. Eva is ecstatic at her discovery, believing that all her problems would be solved by this. However, she runs into Rosa, who had also figured out the solution to the epitaph, on her way out. After a tense confrontation, they decide to work out a deal for splitting the gold. Eva and Rosa disagree on the issue of whether to announce the gold's discovery, and Rosa compromises to allow Eva one night to analyze the situation before revealing the gold.
Separately, Beatrice meets Eva's younger self and passes down to her the titles of the Golden Witch and Endless Witch as a reward for solving the epitaph. Eva's young self also inherits the name of Beatrice, becoming EVA Beatrice. Back in the guesthouse, Eva develops a fever and confines herself to her room with Hideyoshi, frequently experiencing strong headaches and visions of EVA Beatrice's as she continues to carry out the murders of the witch's epitaph. Due to her connection with EVA Beatrice, she knows of the dangers that the victims of the second to sixth twilights face, but only becomes aware of this in time to have the others discover the corpses. EVA Beatrice promises Eva to spare Hideyoshi from the remaining murders, but breaks her promise due to his interference. Eva is distraught at this, as the two of them place different weights on the importance of her childhood dream and her family. Eva wonders if the dark desires in her heart led to her killing them. While she leaves the parlor to make coffee, Krauss and Natsuhi are killed by the Chiesters.
Finding George, Krauss, and Natsuhi missing, Eva and the remaining survivors leave the guesthouse to look for them. They find Krauss and Natsuhi's corpses in the rose garden arbor, and George's corpse in the locked mansion parlor. Eva and Jessica break into a fight with each accusing the other of bearing responsibility for their loved ones' deaths, and she accidentally discharges a rifle round near Jessica's face, temporarily blinding her. While Nanjo proceeds to treat her, Eva runs out to the corridor frantically, with Battler pursuing her.
Battler confronts EVA Beatrice in Purgatorio and asserts her to be a cover for the human culprit Eva. He faces little resistance for the murders of the second to eight twilights, but is unable to argue her or anyone's guilt for Nanjo's murder. Following Beatrice's denial of witches in red to save Battler, the Battler on the gameboard finds himself face to face with Eva, who admits to being the culprit and kills him with a shot from her rifle. In the Golden Land, Eva and Natsuhi hug each other, commiserating over their children's romantic interest in the servants.
With the end roll showing that Eva was the only survivor of the third game, the ??? explores a future 12 years after the incident. Eva, being the only survivor of the Rokkenjima Mass Murders, came to inherit the entire Ushiromiya Group and custody of her absent niece Ange. While police evidence found no evidence of a crime or link to her, the public rejected this and fanned the flames of a conspiracy with her as the culprit. Facing immense pressure and finding herself unable to trust anyone, Eva gradually began to transform into the type of person the public expected of her, and her relationship with Ange became extremely strained. Eva eventually fell victim to a terminal illness, and passed away in 1998 a bitter and distrustful woman. Her final action was to call Ange to her bedside, declaring that she would curse her to the same fate by passing down all of her wealth and the headship to her.
Alliance of the Golden Witch.
Eva plays a minimal role on the gameboard. She is shot and killed by the Chiesters in the dining hall as part of the first twilight murders.
Eva is dead at the start of Ange's 1998 scenario. Nevertheless, she plays a prominent role as a primary target of Ange's resentment. Okonogi challenges Ange's perception of her, suggesting that Eva had survived the Rokkenjima Mass Murders because Kinzo told her the answer to the epitaph and led her to Kuwadorian in a bid to make her the successor. He also personally believes that Eva would not be capable of murdering her immediate family: Hideyoshi and George.
Following Ange's confrontation with Kasumi and her henchmen, in which she uses magic to summon the Seven Stakes to kill them, EVA Beatrice transforms into Eva to try and finish off Ange. Eva uses her black magic to prevent Ange from calling upon the Seven Stakes. However, as she pulls the trigger on Ange, the gun explodes in her face as a result of Mammon's intervention. Incapacitated and writing in pain due to the injury, she is given a mercy kill by Mammon and Ange.
End of the Golden Witch.
Eva and the other siblings suspect that Kinzo's death is being covered up, and decide to use this possibility to put pressure on Krauss and attempt to extort money from him. After Battler and Erika announce their discovery of the gold, Eva piles on even more pressure for them to meet Kinzo. She notes that according to their prior agreement, the 50% share for the successor would go to Battler rather than Krauss, much to Krauss and Natsuhi's distress.
The next morning, Eva finds her son's body with its throat slit in the cousin room and is overcome with grief. She vows to avenge George's murder. When the survivors enter Kinzo's study, Eva directly accuses Natsuhi of covering up Kinzo's death to hide Krauss' embezzlement. She reveals that she sealed the study with the same folded receipt seal she used in "Legend of the Golden Witch" after seeing Natsuhi leave the study at 23:00 the previous night. Hideyoshi is later stabbed by an unknown assailant in a guest room, and Eva finds the guest room locked moments after he was attacked. She rushes to bring the others and a pair of wire cutters to cut the chain, but is too late to save her husband.
During the trial conducted by the Great Court of Illusions, Eva reveals that she had brainstormed the issue of the seals together with Erika, devising a seal using perforated packing tape and a repeated signature on the seal's borders. She had sealed the mansion servant room Genji was in at 1:00 AM on the second day, and the seal had not been broken till the discovery of his body the next morning. After Erika successfully proved Natsuhi's guilt by the standards of the court, the scene switches to the parlor where a distraught Eva confronts Natsuhi for the murders.
Eva is alive at the time of the game's suspension.
Dawn of the Golden Witch.
George confronts Eva and informs her of his decision to marry Shannon. Eva is furious that he did not consult her regarding this decision and accuses her of having faked pregnancy to force him into marriage. She rejects George's ideal of love-based marriage, asserting that issues of status and long-term suitability are more important, and that her chosen arranged marriage partner for George, Ayumi, is a far better candidate than Shannon. She tells George that it is her job as a parent to guide him into making the right decisions, but George replies that she needs to let go of her son. Hearing this, Eva transforms into EVA Beatrice and engages in battle with George. Besides the fantastical aspect, the two of them also fight over issues of Eva's strict and controlling upbringing of George. George wins the battle, fulfilling his task in the Love Trials, and leaving a corpse of the human Eva in the real world.
It is later revealed that Eva had faked her death as part of a prank on the haughty detective guest. Erika however was unsatisfied with an ambiguous investigation, and guaranteed her death by severing Eva's head herself.
"Her corpse was found in the VIP room."
"Her neck was completely severed by a blade."
"The most perfect kind of corpse, both impossible to mistakenly identify and completely recognizable."
Requiem of the Golden Witch.
Eva plays a minimal role in the main story of the arc.
In the Tea Party, the true events of the Rokkenjima Mass Murders are shown. Eva and the adults solve the epitaph together, with Eva making the critical discovery of the Danshui Railway Line and the relevant kanji radicals in its stations' names. As the adults enter the gold room, they encounter Beatrice who explains her plan and the bomb mechanism on the grandfather clock. Eva is suspicious of the witch's words, and suggests that she may be lying about the side of the bomb's "on" switch. The adults enter into a tussle regarding this, and midnight passes with the bomb undetonated and the witch's words proven true.
The adults continue to argue over the division of the gold, and Eva accidentally shoots Natsuhi through her eye during their struggle, killing her. Krauss is subsequently killed by Hideyoshi during a struggle over one of the guns. Eva and Hideyoshi maintain that it was an accident, but the others do not willingly accept that explanation. Frantically trying to find a way to cover up the deaths, Eva comes to the idea of using the bomb to bury all traces of the evidence. Rosa rejects her proposition as that would destroy the gold too, counter-suggesting that Eva turn herself in, a solution which Eva vehemently rejects. The two enter into a struggle, but Kyrie resolves it herself by firing her gun at Rosa. Eva realizes too late that Kyrie intends to kill all of them and is shot by her.
Eva wakes up some time later and realizes that the bullet had merely grazed her. She had fainted due to the shock of the event. She cries over Hideyoshi's death, but soon realizes that George and the others are in danger. Eva confronts Rudolf in front of the chapel and shoots him dead, having seen through his lies and attempts to distract her attention. Eva then confronts Kyrie in the rose garden. Kyrie tells Eva that with Rudolf dead, Ange is of no value to her. Shocked by her words, Eva kills her and vows to bury the truth of the incident and the true character of Ange's parents in the cat box. After the confrontation, she escapes alone to the Kuwadorian, where she survives the explosion and then returns to the mainland.
Twilight of the Golden Witch.
During the Halloween Party, Eva and the six-year old Ange both find an almond in their slice of cake, winning them the honor of being the "king" for the night. Though there was only intended to be one winner, they resolve the situation by having Ange be the princess and Eva the assistant. In the subsequent quiz tournament, Eva helps Ange and the reader by providing hints for the riddles that the others present her with. During the tournament, Eva reflects on her treatment of Ange after the 1986 incident and expresses regret for her inability to endure Ange's rejection of her and be a proper mother to her. Hideyoshi, Rudolf, and Kyrie comfort her, recognizing her intentions and the efforts she made, and tell her that they do not blame her. In the manga, the quiz tournament is replaced with a hide-and-seek game where Eva also accompanies Ange. Eva's moment of reflection also happens while Ange is counting to 50, but without the interaction of the other family members.
In Bernkastel's game, Eva's corpse is found in the dining hall as one of the victims of the first twilight.
When Ange returns to the party after her conversation with Featherine and brings up Eva's diary, Eva frantically insists to her that the words she wrote in the diary do not reflect the truth of the incident. Ange however does not believe her. Eva plays a minimal role in scenes after this. In the manga adaptation, Tohya reveals that Eva had visited him after the publishing of "Banquet of the Golden Witch" and a few other stories. She explained the events in the VIP gold room, clearing up his confusion, and left him with her personal diary and its key.
| Eva Ushiromiya |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Eva Ushiromiya/Gallery
| Eva Ushiromiya/Gallery |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Eva Ushiromiya/Sprites
<tabber>
</tabber>
| Eva Ushiromiya/Sprites |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Eye Opening Arc
| Eye Opening Arc |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Eye Opening Arc Manga Volume 1
| Eye Opening Arc Manga Volume 1 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Eye Opening Arc Manga Volume 2
| Eye Opening Arc Manga Volume 2 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Eye Opening Arc Manga Volume 3
| Eye Opening Arc Manga Volume 3 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Eye Opening Arc Manga Volume 4
| Eye Opening Arc Manga Volume 4 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # FFC
is a Japanese artist.
| FFC |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Falco
is a character appearing in "Vespio 2438".
| Falco |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Falco/Sprites
<tabber>
</tabber>
| Falco/Sprites |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Famitsu Characters DVD Vol. 2
| Famitsu Characters DVD Vol. 2 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Famitsu Characters DVD Volume 2
is a magazine and DVD published by Enterbrain on January 25, 2007. The magazine contained an article about "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Matsuri" and the short story "Nashikuzushi-hen", and the DVD contained a video discussion between series creator Ryukishi07, Alchemist producer Shigeru Nakagawa, voice actress of Rena Ryuugu Mai Nakahara, and MIDI Harafuji.
| Famitsu Characters DVD Volume 2 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Famitsu Special Interview 10/24/2019
The following interview is taken from the October 24 issue of Famitsu, which contains a special interview with the staff of in celebration of the release of Phase 1. The interview is translated by rockmor. Source
Transcript.
From the desire to once again create When They Cry.
Please tell about the developing of this game.
Ryukishi: As an author, I created many different things, but the titles that made the biggest impact are and from so-called series. I thought that I needed courage if I wanted to make a new game in that series. So, after rising my motivation levels for some time, I finally decided to start, and I feel that maybe it was time to do so. Or rather, the right answer is that I’ve created a lot of stories that I couldn’t do inside When They Cry series in these 9 years (laughing).
Did you have the desire to make When They Cry inside yourself?
Ryukishi: I did. I think there wouldn’t be Ryukishi07 without When They Cry, so I wanted to return to my roots once more and do some writing activity. And also, there were a lot of fans who were demanding for new When They Cry, so I wanted to answer their request. And when I decided that I will do that, right at that time an idea that is perfect for When They Cry has come. In that sense, it was just the right timing.
My goal was “Evangelion genre”.
You mentioned “a perfect idea for When They Cry”, so do you have a standard that is suitable for the series?
Ryukishi: For me, the world-view of When They Cry is “pieces moving on the gameboard and a player that observes them and tries to find out the rules of the game”. Each piece on a gameboard has its own winning conditions and moves by its own rules. These pieces meet, interfere with each other, some invisible from the first glance chemistry borns between them. By actions that these pieces take in those situations you can understand the rules, and that world-view is a fundamental rule of When They Cry.
So, the idea for Ciconia was born with that rule in mind?
Ryukishi: Yes. Moreover, the intention behind Ciconia is for it to be a little bit different from other When They Cry entires. Both Higurashi and Umineko urged a player to “do solving”. In Higurashi, you were looking at the serial murders in a village with strong traditions, and in Umineko, there were closed-room murders in a Western mansion on an isolated island. Both games wanted a player to solve the mystery.
It’s one of the distinctive features of When They Cry, isn’t it?
Ryukishi: However, after seeing how players reacted to the first two entries, I decided to change it up a little. Now you can simply enjoy the story, or you can think and speculate as you like. Ciconia is a game that doesn’t force you to solve it.
It broadens the ways to enjoy it, right?
Ryukishi: Exactly. You can have fun even if you don’t think deeply about it. In my head, I call it “Evangelion genre”.
“Evangelion genre”?
Ryukishi: Yes. For example, if I’d write a zombie thing, nobody will probably call it a “Romero rip-off”. Evangelion is such an influential title, that it became an outline for the whole “sekai-kei” genre. As you know, Neon Genesis Evangelion can be seen as a “mysterious robot future thing”, and you can also speculate about the secret organisations and other things. Trying to figure out the mysteries of this world from little information that the show gives you is very fun. However, it doesn’t force you to solve it. Evangelion can be simply “cool” and “fun”, but you also can try and solve it. It doesn’t press you to choose either one or another. I wanted to imitate this style with Ciconia. This is what I call “Evangelion genre”. The motive of small children having to deal with the world’s fate is also here.
It seems that Ciconia has a similar world-view to previous WTC entries, but it also has that “genre Evangelion” thing going?
Ryukishi: Yes. Higurashi was set in an isolated village, Umineko takes place on a small island cut from the outer world by the typhoon, so the setting was getting smaller and smaller. I wanted to try to make a game set in a big world for once. It would be tough to make it even smaller (laughing). Plus, taking part in conventions overseas and getting to communicate with foreign fans in these 9 years has influenced me a lot. I had received a lot of passionate messages from my foreign fans, and I wanted to answer their feelings. I thought that maybe by making a game with characters from different countries, I will be able to make those fans happy and show them my gratitude. So, I tried to come up with a story that would have children from all over the world.
Ciconia is set in a world “100 years after the WW3” and has an apocalyptic feeling yet to be seen in the series. Is it also the influence of Evangelion?
Ryukishi: Maybe it has similarities in terms of the atmosphere. I also sense some vague feeling of isolation in the world right now. Probably, even more than in the 1900s, there is a feeling that there could happen a war between some countries soon. In the 20th century, even during the Cold War, there was a feeling that a real war won’t happen. I think that young children who live now can sense the feeling of isolation that is characteristic of this time. So, this game is a message to these children. That’s why I picked the title “For You, the Replaceable Ones” for Phase 1.
That’s a pretty deep title… Is there some antithesis to that feeling of isolation in the story?
Ryukishi: People often misunderstand this, but my works are not the manifestation of my own thoughts. As in the Trolley dilemma, presented by philosopher Philippa Foot in 1967, I want everyone to think about problems that I present with my stories.
Speaking if witch, “For You, the Replaceable Ones” sounds pretty poignant.
Ryukishi: I think, they more than anyone else understand that. This world is big, so I can’t say “Become number one”. At least, I want you to become the number one for someone. I hope that young people who are battling with a fear to be forgotten, with the help of this story could find some source of sympathy. And that it will allow older people to begin understanding children.
Creators hustle in order to make this game’s charm shine.
What was the process of developing from the point when you had the original idea?
Ryukishi: It was 2 years ago. 2 years ago in November dai-san and others created Haworthia Drama CD, which was a test-case for Ciconia’s concepts. Of course, from around that time, I was carefully developing plot and setting, while also working on a number of side projects and also started the production of Ciconia. I was working on scenario and art, and one by one other staff members began coming in. First, Nakao-kun, who was working on script, staging and also post-processing backgrounds and unifying the whole world-view based on my scenario.
Nakao-san, what were the points in staging that you put the most effort into?
Nakao: That’s will be battle scenes, after all. I tried to make scenes of characters flying the sky with their Gauntlets fascinating. Because they fly in the sky, the backgrounds tend to turn out blue or red, so I wanted not only to implement those colors but also to give a feeling of flying.
Ryukishi: You’ve put a lot of effort into that flying scenes.
Nakao: I wanted to implement some comics elements there. Like comas in the manga. Showing sounds as letters… And other such things. In the latter part of Phase 1, there are scenes where people talk to each other wireless, and I wanted to show it with comas.
Ryukishi: The script is pretty complicated this time. Next, there are character illustrations. For this work, I asked Remotaro-san to help with coloring. It’s pretty obvious, but when you lay in colors nicely, illustrations shine. Thanks to Remotaro-san, even my sprites started to look better (laughing).
Remotaro: At first, I received sketches for the sprites, then I created line-art from them, and then did coloring. There are characters from different countries in this game, so I tried to divide groups of characters based on their countries and teams to some extent. Because of that, I experimented a lot with colors of eyes, hair and clothes and different color patterns in order to give each character a unique vibe. Especially at first, I spend a lot of time on colors, shadows and texture for the protagonist Mitake Miyao.
Is coloring that important?
Ryukishi: It’s very important. When Higurashi became a hit, one person gave me an
advice: “If you ask a pro to color your sprites, they will look totally
different”. From that point, I started to pay close attention to it.
What in coloring was the most important for you, Remotaro-san?
Remotaro: There are a lot of people who are hardcore fans of sensei’s art and who’s motivation is “I will play it because it has art by Ryukishi-sensei”. Because of that, the scariest thing for me is to destroy that motivation. I made sure to preserve the charm of the original Ryukishi-sensei’s sprites as well as possible. I tried
to guess what is the ideal form that sensei has in his head and to add more details and make the sprites shine even more while exchanging opinions with sensei. In other words, the thing I was conscious the most… is how to make it so the charm of sensei’s art will be communicated to fans.
Nakao: Remotaro-san is a passionate fan of Ryukishi-san. She has thought a lot about how to “communicate the charm of his art”.
Ryukishi: And, there is the music. In charge of sound is dai-san. He has been in
charge of music since Higurashi, so he is one of our oldest members.
dai: Regarding the music in Ciconia, Ryukishi-san and Nakao-san usually had an idea for a song, and I either tried to grasp that image and make a song out of it or selected tracks that fit that image from songs that other composers created. That was my main job.
What was the main direction for music in Ciconia?
Ryukishi: It can’t describe it with words well, so I listened to lots of different music and asked dai-san to listen to those tracks that fit the vision in my head. Then, after dai-san has digested that vision, he gave other composers instructions in terms that only a musician could understand. Of course, dai-san himself also created some tracks.
In some sense, he was like a translator.
Ryukishi: I guess so (laughing). I also often gave instructions like: “Please make sure you will be able to feel the mood of the song in the first 2 seconds”. Some composers sometimes make songs with very beautiful melodies, but with long preludes, so it takes like 1.30 minutes before you can feel the mood. In those cases, the scene could be over while the prelude is still going.
What were the biggest obstacles during the developing?
Ryukishi: In my previous works, the text for the first arc usually was somewhere in the range of 300.000 characters, but this time the first arc turned out to be 400.000 characters. Because of that, we struggled with how to distribute the responsibilities even between our most experienced staff members and misunderstood the time we needed to finish the work. In the end, we had to postpone the release 2 times.
It was the bloodbath in the end, wasn’t it?
Ryukishi: It also depended on whether it was a battle scene or not. In fact, if it is just one character doing a monologue, even if it’s 10,000 characters, it doesn’t take a lot of time to do. However, if there are ten people performing a majestic air fight, it can take the whole day to do just 3.000 characters.
Nakao: I decided to put extra effort into action scenes, so it took a lot of time to do them.
Ryukishi: Nakao-kun is an enthusiast, so he always does his best when working on staging. However, we needed to decide where to put extra effort and where not to, because of how long the whole production took. Even so, it didn’t make sense to invite Nakao-kun to the team and not to allow him to do what he does best, so I gave him permission to go wild in those action scenes.
Nakao: It was fun (laughing).
Condensing Questions and giving more space to Answers.
Was there any reason why the first arc turned out to be 400,000 characters?
Ryukishi: We are planning Ciconia to be four arcs in total, and this first arc contains a lot of information. Lots of themes and things to think about… It’s like “exploring” a dungeon. I left a lot of room to do so. Usually, in the first arc, I am focusing on presenting setting and characters, and the story starts out pretty slow. In Higurashi, an incident doesn’t occur until the first 150.000 characters. In terms of a normal light novel, it would be roughly 1.5 volumes until something happens (laughing). In Ciconia, it feels like it’s Episode 3 or 4 of Umineko. Before we could think things like “It would be a waste to throw this away, so let’s put it somewhere in arc 2 or 3”, but now we decided to put everything in arc 1. That’s why the volume of text increased.
Why did you decide to cram so much information into it?
Ryukishi: The flow of the times… I guess. Both Higurashi and Umineko took 4 years and 8 arcs each to conclude, and for many players waiting for 2 years just to finish Question arcs would make it hard to arrange all that information in their heads… So, we tried to condense the information from the “Question arcs” part and put give more space for the “Answer arcs” part… We thought that maybe it would be better that way.
Even if you condensed the information, all the characters have distinct personalities.
Ryukishi: In Sound Novels, the biggest part of distinguishing between characters is the way they speak. Even if it doesn’t sound very natural, when a character has a unique speaking manner, it’s easier to distinguish between them. Maeda-sensei (Maeda Jun from Key), whom I have a lot of respect to, also gives his characters distinct speaking manners, so it’s easy to differentiate between them. Also, each character should have their own visuals and face expressions. I think it’s important to put as many emotions into expressions as you can. In fact, when a person acts on their own, they tend to become expressionless. For that reason, I try to do as few such scenes as possible. Characters should always act together, have conversations and show their hidden emotions. I think it’s the next big thing after you managed to make your characters distinct.
You don’t differentiate them with their backgrounds that much?
Ryukishi: I don’t. I try to show it with their actions. If you try to do that with backgrounds, it will just tun into a pile of setting materials. For me, it’s important to show individuality with actions and speaking, things that have the energy of human relationships. Actually, I decided to enter the world of Sound Novels thanks to games like Kamaitachi no Yoru and Otogirisou that left a deep impression on me. I think I create in order to make things that combine text, visuals and music together. It’s also reflected in how I do characters.
By the way, let me ask you about the title. Why Ciconia?
Ryukishi: I’ve been thinking about different things, and, after I decided to make childer the theme, I remember storks (kounotori). However, “Kounotori no Naku Koro ni” would sound like a title for a sub-replacement fertility counterplan, I though… Then, I asked one person on a con overseas, how you would call “kounotori” in English so it would sound cool, and he answered “Ciconia”. It seems that “kounotori” can be directly translated as Ciconia in English and pronounced as チコニア (starts with “chi”), but in that person’s pronunciation it sounded like キコニア (starts with “ki”). I liked how that sounded… I thought it would fit the SF setting, so I decided to use it.
What will be the development after the release of Phase 1?
Ryukishi: There will be 4 Phases in total, and right now I am slowly starting to build the plot of Phase 2. The goal is to release it somewhere around May. However, it’s just the goal, so I hope you will be patient!..
In conclusion, please leave a message to all the fans who enjoy this game.
Remotaro: We did our best so you could dive into the world of Ciconia. There are a lot of characters in it, and I hope you will love them all. As a fan, I wish each character will find their happiness.
dai: Speaking of characters, I hope all of you will be excited for a character named Naima, and send messages so she meets a happy ending (laughing). Though, I don’t know at all, what awaits her in the future…
Nakao: The scenario for this game turns out great. I hope you all will pay close attention to battle scenes.
Ryukishi: I put a lot of mysteries in Ciconia, and created it so everyone who loves to solve and speculate could engage in it. On the other hand, you can enjoy it casually as well. There are many ways to enjoy Ciconia, so please have fun with it.
| Famitsu Special Interview 10/24/2019 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Famous Scene Investigation File 100 Q&A
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Famous Scene Investigation File 100 featured a Q & A with Ryukishi07, Yatazakura, and BT, where they each answered 100 questions about their personal lives and their work on .
Translated by Omegabodega.
About the Current Profile.
1. Pen Name
2. Origin of pen name
3. Role in the production of "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni"
4. Birthday
5. Birthplace
6. Gender
7. Blood type
8. Height
9. Weight
10. Shoe size
11. How would you describe yourself?
12. Favorite phrase
13. Stress reduction methods
14. Hobbies and Interests
15. Dog or cat person?
16. How to spend money
17. Do you believe in fortune telling?
18. Do you believe in ghosts?
19. Favorite food
20. Favorite beverage
21.Favorite alcohol
22. Do you smoke?
23. Favorite manga
24. Favorite novel
25. Favorite game
26. Favorite music
27. Favorite anime
28. Favorite movie
29. Favorite sport
30. Favorite TV show
31. Favorite celebrity
32. Favorite website
Past and Present Career History.
33. What I was passionate about as a child
34. Dreams of the future you had as a child
35. What you were passionate about as a student
36. Future dreams and goals as a student
37. Club activities you were involved with (multiple answers possible)
38. Favorite and least favorite subjects
39. Moments that determined your way of life and personality
40. The most gratifying experience of your life
41. The most upsetting experience of your life
42. The saddest experience of your life
43. Most enjoyable event in your life so far
44. The most horrifying Higurashi-related moment of your life
45. What did you do before working on "Higurashi"?
46. Licenses and Qualifications
About Current Creative Activities.
47. How did you get into the doujin industry?
48. What is the most unforgettable doujin work? (Blind recommendation or otherwise)
49. The most popular doujin artist at the moment.
50. What do you think of the current doujin industry?
51. What do you think will happen to the doujin industry?
52. When did you start your creative work? Why did you do it?
53. Event that most influenced your current style
54. How do you generate ideas?
55. What do you do when you can't come up with an idea?
56. What’s the most important part of creating?
57. Necessary equipment for work (Computers, etc.)
58. What kind of reference materials do you use for your work?
59. How much can you get done in a day if you're on top of your game and you're working at your highest tension? And what is the most you've ever written?
60. If you’re in a funk and go into work at your lowest point, how much can you get done in a day? Also, what is the least you’ve written?
61. How many days off per week?
62. What does "deadline" mean to you?
Regarding Current Plans.
63. What are you most excited about for the next work Umineko When They Cry?
64. If you had to make something of a completely different genre, what genre would it be?
65. If you had no work at all and could go on a trip for one week, where would you go?
About Higurashi When They Cry.
66. What does "Higurashi" mean to you?
67. Say something about the current "Higurashi" boom, please
68. In a word, what is the main theme and message of Higurashi?
69. What’s your favorite Higurashi episode? (should be XX-hen)
70. And why?
71. A comment about Keiichi Maebara
72. A comment about Rena Ryuugu
73. A comment about Mion Sonozaki
74. A comment about Satoko Houjou
75. A comment about Rika Furude
76. A comment about Shion Sonozaki
77. A comment about Hanyuu
78. A comment about Mamoru Akasaka
79. A comment about Satoshi Houjou
80. A comment about Akane Sonozaki
81. A comment about Tatsuyoshi Kasai
82. A comment about Rumiko Chie
83. A comment about Jirou Tomitake
84. A comment about Kuraudo Ooishi
85. A comment about Kyousuke Irie
86. A comment about Miyo Takano
87. A comment about Rina Mamiya
88. A comment about Teppei Houjou
89. A comment about Okonogi
About Higurashi When They Cry (What If...? Chapter).
90. Out of all the characters in the story, who would be your friend?
91. Who would be your lover?
92. Who would be your sibling?
93. Who would you take home?
94. In the morning, you wake up and find you are a resident of Hinamizawa Village. What's the first thing you do?
95. A Hollywood live-action adaptation of Higurashi is suddenly being produced. Who are the director and actors?
In the End....
96. Please say something you believe in.
97. Please state what your next goal is.
98. Do you have a message for newcomers who are debuting their works at Comiket?
99. Please leave a message for all of the Higurashi fans.
100. One last comment.
| Famous Scene Investigation File 100 Q&A |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fatma
is from ABN Turkey and a member of the Gauntlet Knight squad Yeladot Shavit.
Profile.
"From ABN Turkey"
"A member of the ABN Peace Department's 012th Holy Agent Corps "Yeladot Shavit""
"A popular blogger who writes about the daily life of an active-duty member of the Aerial Augmented Infantry. In a poll of ABN elementary schoolers, her popularity was always in the top 3."
"Some reports say that, before joining the ABN Peace Department, she received missionary training at the ABN Missionary Department."
"Her P3 levels are not public knowledge, but it's clear from her excellent movement that it's a very high number, and that her Aerial Augmented Infantry aptitude is quite high as well."
Appearance.
Fatma appears to wear a black hijab to cover her hair and wears a nun outfit with black boots. Her Gauntlet has a shoulder guard resembling a pope mitre.
Personality.
Fatma and her allies love to espouse love and peace, yet she often gives harsh messages and orders as part of her job.
Special Abilities.
Trinity Comet Deathblow (SS)
"This is supposedly a magnificent three-person joint finishing move, which was revealed in a video filled with special effects. "
"But, of course, that was just some fun for the sake of the video, and this technique's true power is obviously still classified."
Sixth Sense Mental Analysis (S)
"She has the power to accurately psychoanalyze people using only brief gestures and pieces of conversation, via a non-statistical sixth sense whose scientific basis is unknown."
"When she's more familiar with her target's cultural sphere and style of life, her accuracy increases dramatically."
Super Popular Blogger (A)
"She's incredibly good at communicating with youngsters of the ABN. Sometimes, she publishes articles critical of the government, but those who post sympathetic comments there seem to vanish from the comments section."
Story.
Fatma is first introduced in Chapter 2 with her squad at the International Battle Standard Festival.
In Chapter 23, after the drone revolt Fatma is concerned that the ABN is focusing so much on arresting religious criminals instead of administering emergency relief.
In Chapter 25, Fatma and her squad are invited to Miyao's Christmas party despite the fact Yeladot Shavit is supposed to be hated by others. They later give a message to ally Gauntlet Knights saying that they must fight or be struck down, and Fatma can't seem to follow this directive.
| Fatma |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fatma/Gallery
| Fatma/Gallery |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fatma/Sprites
<tabber>
</tabber>
| Fatma/Sprites |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Featherine
| Featherine |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Featherine Augustus Aurora
is the witch form of Tohya Hachijo and has been spectating Beatrice's previous games. She first appears in "Dawn of the Golden Witch."
Appearance.
Featherine appears as a mature lady with dark violet hair styled in a classic , purple eyes and a well-proportioned figure. Always sporting a composed and lackadaisical demeanour, she exudes an aura of wisdom and power. Yet, her expression may take on a hint of mischief if she finds herself entertained by something; or turn sightly pensive when she muses about the story she is observing as a theatergoer.
The Great Witch carries herself with grace; but on extremely rare occasions of amusement, her face may twist into an inexplicably cruel sneer which rivals even those of the other witches—as seen in the manga. She is almost never surprised by anything—the only one exception in the story being the conclusion of Twilight of the Golden Witch in which she watches the climax unfold with wide eyes lighting up in unadulterated wonder.
She wears a sweeping strapless light pink ball gown which resembles a kimono; yet the layers seem to be mere stripes in green, blue and red in some adaptations. A yellow sash-like accessory is draped around the skirt. The dress is held in place by a formal magenta with red padding, accessorized with a red and white obijime.
The outfit is complete with matching light pink gloves and a light green fringed scarf draped over her left shoulder. Pinned on to the scarf is a brooch—comprising of a striped flag matching her dress layers affixed to a star-shaped pendant; resembling a military medal of sorts. She also carries a cane. Her most notable accessory is the metallic horseshoe-shaped object that seemingly levitates around her head; later revealed to be a memory storage device which maintains her existence.
Personality.
Similar to her human counterpart, Featherine speaks in an eloquent and condescending manner, often referring to other humans as "child of man." She considers humans so below her that she doesn't even acknowledge their names. Like other witches, Featherine considers boredom to be a "fatal illness" and likes reading stories to cure it.
Abilities.
As a witch with the rank of Creator, Featherine is capable of creating just about anything, spinning entire narrative worlds. Not only can Featherine manipulate the human world, the meta-world itself also bends to her will, as she can change events even as they are happening to her.
She has a personal guard formed of the overlords from many worlds that take the form of cats as respect to their master. Each one is the final form of a main character from a Game Board. They are capable of drawing magic circles and chanting to cast spells, being able to greatly boost Bernkastel in her fight against Battler during "Twilight of the Golden Witch".
Featherine has a weakness in the form of her memory device, which retains everything about her appearance, personality and memories. Damaging this could result in her becoming a completely different person.
Background.
Featherine is said to have created Bernkastel from her pet cat and sent her throughout the Sea of Fragments on a search for stories to cure her boredom with. In the past, Featherine's memory device was damaged, which resulted in her gaining a completely different appearance and personality. Featherine has amassed many stories in her long lifespan and has them collected in the City of Books.
An interview suggests that Featherine used to be a piece and died when she realized she had no free will and was being manipulated by a higher order. After becoming a writer and writing herself into her own story, Featherine gained true free will and revived.
At some point Featherine took the form of the author Tohya Hachijo in the human world.
Relationships.
Ange Ushiromiya.
Ange first meets Featherine in her human form as Tohya and soon becomes her Reader. Though Ange speaks to her very rudely, Featherine overlooks this and is actually amused by it greatly.
Bernkastel.
Bern has served Featherine the longest out of all her mikos, having been granted her witch form by her in the past. She credits Featherine with having taught her how to tear up guts and drag them out. Bern is arguably more impolite than Ange, but Featherine still likes her and is grateful to Bern curing her boredom so long ago.
Role in the Story.
Dawn of the Golden Witch.
Featherine is first introduced. She first appears in her human form as Tohya Hachijo and meets Ange and Amakusa when they visit her. Ange remembers she contacted Tohya earlier but never got word back and determines that something is wrong with her memories. Ange figures that a witch is playing with her again, and Tohya changes into Featherine before commending Ange for her insight. Featherine explains that she was observing Beatrice's games through the eyes of Battler, but now that he's become Game Master, he's no longer suitable as an observer. To that end, Featherine summoned Ange to act as a Reader for her so she can still enjoy the story and reach the truth herself. Ange agrees to become Featherine's Reader, knowing that she'll be treated as her miko and will be protected from danger until she finishes.
As Ange reads, she and Featherine pause the story at several points to talk about what's going. They hold many discussions about the characters and events, including the different meanings of death, the circumstances behind Beatrice's own death, and how she could revive. Later, Featherine comes up with a theory for Battler's sin but presses Ange to read on, only wanting to explain it when she's certain.
When Chick Beato shows a desire to learn more about her original self, Featherine intervenes and allows her to read up on Beatrice's previous games. She summons Chick Beato to her library, where she holds books containing Beato's games. She encourages the wannabe Beatrice to solve the epitaph, as even the original had to do that.
When Battler makes a Logic Error, Featherine explains to Ange why this is dangerous. As they watch the ensuing debates over the logic error, Featherine comments that Battler may still have an escape route, but the trick behind it means exposing part of Beatrice's heart.
In the Tea Party, Ange finishes reading "Dawn" and figures that Beatrice was finally put to sleep, which Featherine considers an appropriate interpretation. She has no idea if Battler was truly released since that's where the story ends. Featherine thinks of a reward for Ange being a good miko and decides to relieve her of duty, allowing her to return to the human world. The witch alludes to doing something she hasn't done in a long time, mentioning her inkwell drying up.
Ange returns to the human world with Tohya and Amakusa. She asks if Tohya is Featherine or the other way around, but the author has no idea what she means.
In the ???, Featherine reunites with Bernkastel when she leaves the wedding cathedral, leading her to a strange area. Bern is disturbed by her messenger cat being led to eat bloody meat, and Featherine says it was eating biscuits all along; the food bowl seems to retroactively change accordingly. Featherine summoned Bern because she wants to know the answers to Beato's game. She knows there are still some secrets waiting to be uncovered, and even though Bern played the part of an actor all this time, even she wants to know as well. Featherine likens her desire for answers as a burial for Beatrice and allows Bern to take charge.
Featherine summons Beatrice's game board and hands it to her former miko. Bern will become a Reader with the condition that her reading will be a loveless interpretation. Featherine agrees and then summons the Game Master's throne for Bern to sit upon, asking in return that Bern answer all of her questions when she asks them.
Requiem of the Golden Witch.
Bernkastel opens "Requiem of the Golden Witch" on behalf of Featherine.
In the ???, after Bern has presumably killed Lion and Will, Featherine compliments her for her reading. Having seen the truth, she plans to go back through the previous stories and uncover the closed rooms. Featherine relieves Bern as a miko and plans to go back to sleep, expecting her to find her yet another entertaining story next time she wakes in a few centuries. Bern instead bids farewell forever, and Featherine laughs as her consciousness fades away.
Twilight of the Golden Witch.
Bernkastel brings Ange to meet Featherine again, who explains that Ange's key represents an important decision she is to make. Featherine then shifts the setting to the human world, where Tohya reveals to Ange that she possesses Eva's diary, which is supposed to hold the truth of Rokkenjima behind its lock. Ange's key is missing in the human world however, and when she returns to the meta-world, it reappears but the diary doesn't. Featherine explains that the diary has to exist on this game board otherwise there wouldn't be a game, and Ange remembers she saw it at the chapel. Featherine confirms in red that this diary contains the truth of Rokkenjima.
Tohya prepares a public unveiling of Eva's diary in the human world to a crowd of Witch Hunters while Featherine prepares to unveil it in the City of Books to a crowd of goats. Bern asks if she can borrow the diary so she can show it to Ange, having promised she would be the first to look inside. Featherine allows it.
Lambdadelta, Battler and Ange launch an offensive on the City of Books to retrieve Eva's diary. Featherine catches wind of their plan, but she lets it happen as it's according to her plot. As Battler and Ange go to unseal the crystallized diary, Lambda stalls Bern and fights her when Featherine suddenly appears, wanting to begin the ceremony. Lambda attacks Bern again and Featherine warns her not to continue, but Lambda ignores her and prepares to attack her memory device, hoping that she can bug it out. However, Featherine stops the story. She decides to reward Lambda's bravery and give her a heroic battle, but is too drunk to write properly, so she skips to the end of the fight and has Lambda slammed into a bookcase with her limbs falling off. As Lambda wonders aloud what killed her with her dying breath, Featherine asks her for some good ideas.
During Battler and Bern's final battle, the Witch of Miracles yells for her master to help but Featherine says she's busy writing Lambda's last moments and instead sends the cat overlords to help her. When Battler finally invokes Endless Nine, Featherine comes to understand that nobody can interfere with his tale anymore. She apologizes to Battler on behalf of Bern, however he still needs to take care of Bern since she's also the Game Master. The Great Witch promises to return everyone to the Golden Land if they defeat Bern.
Bernkastel is ultimately defeated, and Featherine applauds Battler and Ange's efforts. She gives Ange the title of Lady and thanks her for not killing Bern, as she too would die of boredom. Featherine also says Lambda is still alive and moved her to "audience seating." Finally, Featherine promises to be a witness to the end of Battler's game and record it.
In the magic ending, Battler and EVA-Beatrice stay behind when everyone else enters the Golden Land. Featherine says she needs to clean up the game board and put it away. She returns to the human world as Tohya and announces that Eva's diary will not be opened, much to the ire of the gathered Witch Hunters.
In the Tea Party, Featherine sits alone in her study and muses to herself after writing several manuscripts for Beatrice's story. She reminisces on what an old friend told her, that a human's life is is always an adventure, but Featherine thinks someone has to stop writing it at some point and leave the rest to other's opinions. She wonders if she should refrain from writing the result of Rokkenjima and keep it within the cat box, and after seemingly getting an answer, Featherine decides to write some more before saying goodbye. She leaves Bern to entertain this mystery being.
| Featherine Augustus Aurora |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Featherine Augustus Aurora/Gallery
| Featherine Augustus Aurora/Gallery |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Featherine Augustus Aurora/Sprites
<tabber>
</tabber>
| Featherine Augustus Aurora/Sprites |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Featherinne Augustus Aurora
| Featherinne Augustus Aurora |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Festival Accompanying Arc
| Festival Accompanying Arc |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Festival Accompanying Arc Manga Volume 1
| Festival Accompanying Arc Manga Volume 1 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Festival Accompanying Arc Manga Volume 2
| Festival Accompanying Arc Manga Volume 2 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Festival Accompanying Arc Manga Volume 3
| Festival Accompanying Arc Manga Volume 3 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Festival Accompanying Arc Manga Volume 4
| Festival Accompanying Arc Manga Volume 4 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Festival Accompanying Arc Manga Volume 5
| Festival Accompanying Arc Manga Volume 5 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Festival Accompanying Arc Manga Volume 6
| Festival Accompanying Arc Manga Volume 6 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Festival Accompanying Arc Manga Volume 7
| Festival Accompanying Arc Manga Volume 7 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Festival Accompanying Arc Manga Volume 8
| Festival Accompanying Arc Manga Volume 8 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # File No. 34
| File No. 34 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Final Thoughts on Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
is a analysis book written by KEIYA. It features an interview with Ryukishi07.
| Final Thoughts on Higurashi no Naku Koro ni |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Finale
UraHigu.
A very windy day. Girls from the club struggle to keep their skirts on, but the wind is so strong that it blows Rika away and uncovers Shion's underwear. Then, Rena admits she's not wearing underwear today.
| Finale |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fireworks Crossing
was the twenty-second event in . It is a fireworks-themed event that ran from July 22, 2021 until July 31, 2021.
Boosted Units.
The following units increased event-related drops when brought into battle. They are units associated with this event.
All following units have a rarity of SSR.
| Fireworks Crossing |
fandom.07th-expansion | # First Love
| First Love |
fandom.07th-expansion | # First Move
First Move is the second episode of the and the second episode of Legend of the Golden Witch.
Synopsis.
With the potential existence of an unknown 19th person, the guests become concerned over the letter from "Beatrice" and their threat to take everything from the family. Despite the uproar, George proposes to his fiancé Shannon, hoping to get an answer by the next morning. When morning finally comes, some people, Shannon included, seem to have disappeared.
Plot Summary.
First Half.
During dinner, no one admits to giving Maria her umbrella, leaving them to wonder if there is a 19th resident in addition to the original 18 guests. After everyone finishes eating, Maria pulls out a letter she claims to have received from Beatrice earlier. Everyone notices how the letter is sealed with Kinzo's ring, marking it as official. Maria begins reading the letter and takes on a sinister disposition. In the letter, Beatrice welcomes everyone to Rokkenjima and introduces themselves as the Ushiromiya family's alchemical advisor, working under contract with Kinzo. Kinzo has terminated the contract, and so Beatrice is resigning, but not before fulfilling certain conditions.
One of Beatrice's conditions was lending Kinzo a mountain of gold, which was to be returned at the contract's end, along with everything the Ushiromiya family has as interest. As the family listens in shock, Maria reads out a special clause: if anybody, not just the family, solves the witch's cryptic epitaph and discovers the hidden gold, then Beatrice will abandon their right to the gold and return everything that has already been collected. Beatrice caps off the letter by announcing that they've taken Kinzo's Head Ring, and that they hope the night turns out to be intellectual and elegant.
The adults can hardly believe this and go to Kinzo's study to question him about the letter, but to no avail; Kinzo ignores their pleas and looks forward to seeing the roulette that Beatrice is planning. Maria, sad that no one believes in Beatrice, cries in front of her portrait.
Soon after, Battler and Kyrie discuss the letter, with Kyrie posing two theories: either there really is a hidden 19th person, or one of the 18 is posing as Beatrice. Kyrie believes the latter. Using "chessboard thinking," she puts herself in Beatrice's perspective and deduces that one of the 18 wore a disguise and gave a letter to Maria, creating an illusion that there is a 19th person. Rudolf interrupts them to call Kyrie back to the conference. Afterwards, Rudolf wants to have a private talk with Kyrie and Battler, making an ominous remark that he will probably be killed tonight.
Meanwhile, Krauss shows Natsuhi into a locked room containing a single gold bar; the letter's mention of solving the epitaph and claiming the gold might be true after all. The clock strikes 20:15.
Second Half.
Jessica later runs into Natsuhi, who's suffering from another headache, and gives her Maria's scorpion charm.
The cousins then head to the guesthouse, with George inviting Shannon to play cards with them. They also want to invite Kanon, and Shannon heads to the servant room to see if he's available. There, Kanon and Genji explain that Krauss has made changes to the work schedule, and so Gohda has the midnight shift in the mansion while Shannon and Kanon have midnight shift in the guesthouse. Genji and Kumasawa are to spend the night in the guesthouse. Genji starts to leave and says to contact him if anything happens, and reminds them that they have special guests tonight. Shannon says the cousins invited them to play, but Kanon rejects it since they have midnight shift. He also says playing is unnecessary for furniture like them. Shannon is dejected, and Kanon tells her to inform the cousins of that.
In the guesthouse, Battler expresses shock that George and Shannon are dating. George and Shannon go to the rose garden in private, where George refers to Shannon by her real name Sayo and proposes to her, asking that she wordlessly give her reply the next day by wearing the ring on a finger of her choosing. As the conference continues into the night and the servants perform their duties, a golden butterfly is seen floating through the mansion halls. The clock strikes 24:00.
The following morning at 6:00, the servants awake and start to prepare breakfast, only to see that Gohda is nowhere to be found. Genji goes to wake Natsuhi, who put the scorpion charm on her doorknob, and tells her that the phone lines are out. Natsuhi then sees strange marks and what appears to be blood all over her door, thinking it to be a disgusting prank. The other relatives awake and find that not only is Gohda missing, but Krauss, Rudolf, Rosa, Kyrie, and Shannon are also missing. Natsuhi goes into Kinzo's study to look for them while the others search elsewhere.
Inside the study, Natsuhi and Kinzo have a discussion about Natsuhi's past with her old family and her marriage into the Ushiromiya family. Kinzo blesses Natsuhi and says that even though she doesn't wear the One-Winged Eagle on her clothes, she wears it in her heart. Uplifted by this conversation, Natsuhi leaves the study and Eva returns with the servants to report their search: they believe the missing people are inside the outdoor tool shed, where a strange symbol is drawn on it.
The cousins and Nanjo, who were oblivious to these events, are relaxing in the parlor when Nanjo is called to investigate the shed. Battler, Jessica, and George follow to discover the family standing around the open tool shed, with the missing people's brutalized corpses inside. Battler and Jessica break down crying at the sight of their dead parents as Shannon's body is shown to be among them, wearing George's ring on her left ring finger.
Teaser.
Maria narrates the preview, happily saying that witches really exist and is saddened that nobody believes her. She says that witches are capable of a lot of great things, including raising hourly wages, adding pork to ramen, and turning snacks into cream puffs. She says the next episode title and then excitedly says Beatrice's name as a clip of Battler looking behind him is shown.
Comparisons to Source Material.
This episode adapts the visual novel chapters "Letter and Umbrella", "Legend of the Gold", "Night of the Storm", and "The Six Chosen By the Key".
| First Move |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fishy Aroma
| Fishy Aroma |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Five Years of Innocence
| Five Years of Innocence |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Flauros
is the sixty-fourth-ranked Demon of Hell. Flauros only appears in "Our Confession."
Profile.
"She has beast-like ears, an active personality, and a habit of saying "dazee"."
"She possesses terrifying powers and specializes in chewing up and burning up her summoner's enemies. Originally, she made a contract with a witch who was opposed to Beatrice, but now she cooperates with Beatrice out of respect."
Appearance.
Flauros has orange hair tied into a pair of braids and has leopard ears and a tail. She wears a white top with a transparent skirt and white cuffs around her wrists.
Personality.
Flauros acts very childish and shows delight in killing people.
Abilities.
Flauros can transform into a giant leopard and devour any human with a single gulp. Her claws are also sharp enough to slice through skin. She can cause fires and explosions at will. When Flauros gets excited, she releases her pent-up energy as heat and can burn holes through walls.
Background.
Flauros was created by Beatrice as a contrast to Gaap and Ronove, as they are adults while Flauros was made to look more like a child.
Story.
Our Confession.
Flauros is summoned by Beatrice and kills the victims of the first twilight in Kinzo's study. She changes into her leopard form and devours Kinzo in one gulp before changing back and killing Eva, Hideyoshi, Rudolf, Kyrie, and Rosa by tearing their intestines out. Afterwards, Flauros releases some of her pent-up energy and burns a hole in the study. The rest of the gameboard is arranged such that Flauros takes credit as the culprit.
| Flauros |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Flauros/Sprites
<tabber>
</tabber>
| Flauros/Sprites |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Flower Road
| Flower Road |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fluctuation
"Not to be confused with the "TrianThology" ending theme song"
UraHigu.
Rika is attempting to contact Akasaka via phone booth. Then Ooishi informs her, that he is not in Okinomiya, but with his wife at the spa.
| Fluctuation |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fluctuation (song)
"For the "Higurashi When They Cry Kai" anime episode, please refer Fluctuation"
| Fluctuation (song) |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fool's Mate
Fool's Mate is the fifth episode of the and the fifth and final episode of Legend of the Golden Witch.
Synopsis.
Thirteen people have died as per the witch's epitaph, and the culprit is nowhere to be found. Time is running out; the witch shall soon revive, and none will be left alive.
Plot Summary.
First Half.
The group stumbles into the parlor, where Genji, Nanjo, and Kumasawa are dead, having been part of the sixth, seventh, and eighth twilights of the epitaph. Upon being pressed about the murders, Maria tells them that Beatrice is the culprit. She says that Genji locked the parlor door, but Beatrice came inside with magic and asked Maria to stand in front of the wall and sing.
Battler refuses to accept this explanation and begins arguing with her until Jessica notices that Natsuhi is missing. Maria saw Natsuhi leaving the room reading a letter, and they find that she barred everyone inside the room. Natsuhi stands outside the parlor and demands Beatrice show herself, seeing a golden butterfly. By the time everyone breaks out of the parlor, they see Natsuhi as she drops dead, apparently having committed suicide.
Maria is ecstatic and congratulates Beatrice, announcing that the ninth and tenth twilights are soon to pass. Battler is enraged that Maria is still supporting Beatrice when they're the last four survivors, and picks up Natsuhi's gun. He announces his resolve to defy Beatrice until the very end when Maria points at the clock. The clock strikes 24:00, and golden butterflies begin to fill the room. Battler starts shooting them, only for the butterflies to split and turn into more butterflies. As George and Jessica stare in awe, Battler is still defiant, denying the existence of magic; the scene ends with ominous cackling heard in front of Beatrice's portrait.
Outside Rokkenjima, some fishermen discover a message in a bottle floating in the ocean. It's a message written by Maria, asking whoever finds it to reveal the truth. Some text on the screen appears, saying "Even now, the truth behind the Rokkenjima Island Witch Mass Murder Case has not been revealed".
Second Half.
Battler and co. are seen relaxing in a tea room. They all died on Rokkenjima, but have been revived and are now joking about how they should have solved the epitaph, rather than determine who was committing the murders. Shannon arrives with a tea cart and Jessica comments on how awful her death was; Shannon laments it by saying that was her role to fill. Kanon arrives bringing dessert, and Battler notes how he actually got to face off against the culprit. As they discuss the murders, everyone except Battler is convinced that the culprit is a witch. He insists that everything that happened was carried out by human means, even though he has no proper explanations. Maria refutes his theory, asking if he believes one of the family was responsible; Battler doesn't want to suspect anybody close to him, instead believing in a 19th person who isn't a witch.
Maria is still confused, and Battler states that if they want him to believe in witches, they just need to show one in front of him. As if on command, lightning strikes, and ominous cackling is heard. A blonde woman in a dress appears, and Battler is confused as to who they are; Shannon and Kanon introduce her as Beatrice, the Golden Witch. George and Jessica vouch for Battler's stubbornness, but Beatrice is amused. She admires how Battler still refuses to believe in witches even though she's right in front of him. Battler declares Beatrice to be an illusion and that he'll solve every event with human tricks; Beatrice then questions him about things such as Maria's letter and the chain lock in Eva's room. She then asks him to explain the fates of everyone in the parlor; Shannon and Kanon fall over in pain, with the wounds they originally died from reappearing. George, Jessica and Maria start falling apart, saying that Battler's disbelief in magic is making them dissolve. Despite this shock, Battler expresses his desire to solve all of the crimes and deny Beatrice.
A blue-haired girl in a dress is seen drinking tea when Beatrice appears. This girl is introduced as Bernkastel, a traveling witch who's come to speak with Beatrice. Bern is in awe at how powerless she is compared to Beatrice's power to kill people endlessly; Beatrice compliments her, saying how Bern's "powerlessness" to make miracles happen with a nonzero chance was enough to defeat the Great Witch Lambdadelta, who could kill anybody with certainty. Bern explains that she's come to watch the events Beatrice has set into motion, hoping to be entertained. Beatrice leaves, and Bern begins addressing the viewer, offering to lend her power.
Teaser.
Beatrice narrates the preview, excited to finally meet the stupid humans sitting in front of their TVs. She knows they've been anxiously awaiting her appearance, and says it'll be her turn forever so they can relax. She wants to begin by casting a spell to turn Battler's breakfast into bread crusts, a spell to prevent George from ever taking his glasses off, and a spell to turn Maria's crown into a can of mackerel. Beatrice then thinks of a spell for Jessica, and settles on one that'll force her to perform an insane character theme song in front of a crowd, cackling as clips of said theme song are shown. She says the next episode title and wonders if she'll have to perform a theme song herself.
Comparisons to Source Material.
This episode adapts the visual novel chapters "The Golden Witch", "Notebook Fragment in a Wine Bottle", and the Tea Party and Hidden Tea Party/???.
| Fool's Mate |
fandom.07th-expansion | # For You, the Replaceable Ones
is the first story arc in the series. It was released worldwide on October 4, 2019, the same day was released.
The current official policy is that video streamers and uploaders are only permitted to upload up till the end of Chapter 14 (out of 25) and the data fragments included in the demo. This is reflected in an in-game notice and was last updated on April 30, 2020 in the third demo release.
Introduction.
"Thank you for waiting so long for us to prepare.Now, I will finally start up the game. However, are you sure about this?This is merely my personal opinion, but I believe the difficulty level is quite high, given the present circumstances.Still, I am well aware that you know the joy of achieving victory, especially over conditions such as that. This is a considerably high tier of difficulty, after all.Your opponent is already fully prepared."
Release History.
Demo 1
The first demo of Phase 1 was released on September 4, 2019 in order to test the game's engine. It was available as separate Japanese and English digital versions. The first demo covered the prologue of the game and part of Chapter 1, up till the James F. Kennedy quote.
Demo 2
The second demo was released on September 27, 2019. It included the same main story contents as Demo 1 as well as two additional Data Fragments, "Regarding Selcoms" and "The Okonogi Crappy Collage Grand Prix". This version of the game included Japanese-English language switching capabilities. All content was available upon boot-up.
Original Release
Phase 1 was first released on October 4, 2019. A Japanese-only physical version was distributed in Japanese retail stores, while a digital bilingual English and Japanese version was available on MangaGamer and Steam. Unlike in Demo 2, the Data Fragments were only available after the completion of the main story.
Patch 1
A patch for both versions of the game was released on November 10, 2019. Most notably, Maricarmen's nickname was changed from Marica to Mari, and Gunhild's sister had her name changed from Maya to Maja. Several other improvements were made to the script for clarity, and English titles were added to Japanese track names in the Music Room. The patch also fixed several image issues such as inconsistent application of backgrounds to the characters' headshots on the character profiles page.
Demo 3 (Version 1.01)
A third demo was released on April 30, 2020 on the official Ciconia website. It is not available on Steam. The new demo covers up to Chapter 14 of the story, with data fragments 1, 3, 5, 6, and 10 unlocked afterwards. This excludes data fragment 2, which was previously included in Demo 2. The streaming restriction policy has been updated along with this to include all the content within this new demo.
Reception.
Both Phase 1 and "Umineko Saku" completely sold out in some stores on release day.
| For You, the Replaceable Ones |
fandom.07th-expansion | # For You, the Replaceable Ones/CG
| For You, the Replaceable Ones/CG |
fandom.07th-expansion | # For You, the Replaceable Ones/Characters
This page contains the in-game character bios for the arc, including factions and squads.
Arctic Ocean Union.
Warcat.
Miyao.
<tabber>
</tabber>
Jayden.
<tabber>
</tabber>
Gunhild.
<tabber>
</tabber>
Grave Mole.
Chloe.
<tabber>
??? (SSS)
</tabber>
| For You, the Replaceable Ones/Characters |
fandom.07th-expansion | # For You, the Replaceable Ones/Data Fragments
This page aims to provide a summary of the Data Fragment scenes from Phase 1.
There are sixteen total Data Fragments; fifteen are unlocked after finishing the story and the sixteenth is unlocked after viewing all 15 Data Fragments. Following viewing the sixteenth Data Fragment, the Character Tips and Music Room are unlocked.
Virtual Experience Presentation.
Warcat and Grave Mole enter a virtual room and decide to present virtual experiences they've created and determine whose is the best. They have Keropoyo decide the order, which is Lilja, Jayden, Miyao, Koshka, Gunhild, and Chloe. Everyone based their experiences on the same topic, which is "the most delicious way to eat an energy bar."
Lilja's virtual experience takes place in a classroom, where a student is hungry and is waiting for lunch. As he and his classmates stares at the clock, he notices Lilja sitting in the back and pulling out an energy bar. Lilja offers a bite and the student thinks about how wonderful it must be to eat, but then Lilja eats the entire thing, ending the experience. The group thinks it was good because she portrayed the energy bar as like a forbidden fruit, but Lilja says it was because she was looking down on a starving classmate.
Jayden goes next, where his experience has him winning a sports competition and being bathed with glory. A trophy is presented to Jayden, which is shown to have an energy bar inside it before the experience abruptly ends. Miyao mocks Jayden, saying he should be called Superidiot instead.
Miyao goes third, where he and his squad are in the midst of battle and running out of ammo. With all the explosions and jets flying around, Jayden claims Miyao stole this from a game. After locking on to targets, all of Warcat pulls out an energy bar, recharging and jumping back into action.
Koshka is fourth, whose experience opens on a Sunday morning, bright and sunny. Koshka wakes up and gets hungry, not wanting to get out of bed for food. She feels around in her bed and finds an energy bar that she'd put there some time ago. She eats it, and the experience ends; everyone praises her for making such a cozy feeling experience, but Chloe mentions that the energy bar must have been there for days.
Gunhild goes next, opening her experience at a music festival. Gunhild and her friends go to get some food, but because of the long lines they decide to split an energy bar they had brought along. Everyone also liked that one, and Chloe tries to rush everyone home before Miyao remembers that she was going to go last. They pressure her to show ti, but Chloe keeps saying hers isn't good at all.
Chloe finally gives in and plays her experience, which has a lot more production value than the other experiences. It opens on a gray sky as zombies stroll around. Everyone immediately comments on the detail and how realistic it feels. Chloe has a tent set up on top of a supermarket counting how many days she'd been up there. She only had one energy bar left as food. Chloe eats the bar and gazes down at a horde of zombies surrounding the supermarket. She has a shotgun with six shots left, deciding on shooting five zombies down below and using the sixth for herself. The experience ends, and the group is left in awe at how incredibly detailed it was from start to finish. As everyone praises her for her talent, Lilja thinks that Chloe's experience in making virtual experiences comes from making ones she can't show to others. Chloe quickly dismisses everyone, but Gunhild sends an email saying she already follows Chloe's account, waiting for her to finish "The Sweet Summer of the Stolen Bride and the Wolf Butler."
Background Music
Regarding Selcoms.
Keropoyo welcomes someone to the Selcom Shop, surprised that they don't know what a Selcom is. He explains that a Selcom is like a smartphone inside their brain, asking the person to attach a Selcom Sheet to the underside of their left upper arm; upon being asked why the Sheet goes there, Keropoyo dismisses it, saying "the brilliant researchers and engineers said to stick it there." The person does so, and Keropoyo asks if they can see the display inside their brain. He suggests adjusting their internal 8MS or doing PP training if the image is fuzzy. Keropoyo sees that the user has become acquainted with using the Selcom, and the scene cuts to Okonogi ranting about how people are too dependent on Selcoms and technology. As Miyao and Chloe have a private chat, Okonogi goes on about how the brain is a muscle to be trained and how "Selcom humans" rely too much on the internet to look things up instead of memorizing it. Chloe understands Okonogi's point that humans aren't born with Selcoms and are no good if they rely on them too much, and Miyao thinks it's not a problem in the AOU since humans are born in electric incubators. Okonogi continues ranting and the narration adds that the creation of Selcoms brought an end to education through memorization, Chloe adding that Selcoms destroyed the significance for the education system. She understands that the power of life is something not to be underestimated, and Miyao muses on the power of life that humans have, being able to convert Spiritium into energy using the Dreissig Conversion; robots and drones couldn't do that, so humans are capable of being Gauntlet Knights. As Miyao thanks Chloe for the insight of not taking the power of life lightly, Keropoyo suddenly pipes up about search suggestions, implying that Chloe stole her line from something else. Chloe karate chops the AI frog to shut him up, but accidentally attacks Okonogi in real life, receiving several chops in retaliation.
Background Music
The Okonogi Crappy Collage Grand Prix.
While getting chewed out during another Okonogi lesson, Miyao invites the rest of Warcat and Grave Mole to take part in a Crappy Collage Grand Prix. They enter a virtual room and start venting their frustrations about Okonogi, swearing up and down to be censored by Keropoyo. As Okonogi berates the Knights for embarrassing him during an important demonstration for some higher-ups, the Grand Prix begins; Okonogi's head becomes pasted onto images of swimsuit models and random people. The Grand Prix soon evolves from simple image shops to almost nonsensical edits; Jayden makes a fake movie poster starring Okonogi while Lilja chimes in with an Okonogi clicker game. Koshka creates an edit using Chloe's face as well, and Chloe accidentally emails the image to Okonogi himself.
Okonogi's lecture is interrupted when he checks the email he had just received, glaring at Chloe as she looks pale. The image is revealed to be Chloe and Okonogi's faces pasted onto an old romance movie poster; she receives yet another disciplinary chop to the head.
Background Music
Training with Grave Mole.
Koshka trains her accuracy skills, using an anti-Gauntlet sniper rifle to shoot a drone. The drone dodges and Koshka misses; Keropoyo makes fun of her as Lilja says she can easily predict Koshka's moves. Chloe asks them to take a break, but her fellow Grave Moles are unwilling to stop; Okonogi lets them stay in the simulation since they're so fired up. Chloe protests but receives another disciplinary chop, and Koshka and Lilja continue their training.
Lilja sends out formations of drones and Koshka's shots seem to hit most of them. Okonogi mentions how Koshka is lazy but can snipe accurately when her P3 levels are high, and Chloe sees how she's sniping better now that she's focused; Koshka has memorized Lilja's tempo and is sniping based on instinct instead of making trajectory calculations.
Koshka was actually a supergenius Knight with very high P3 levels, but she was uncooperative and only did training when it was necessary. When Lilja arrived, she constantly egged on Koshka and the two have had a fierce rivalry ever since. Chloe wonders what would happen if Lilja were moved to a different squad but Okonogi stops her, knowing that Koshka needs her in order to stay focused. Chloe is sent to take a shower, and after Keropoyo mentions how Lilja and Koshka's stress levels are incredibly high, Okonogi tells them to take a break as well. The two Grave Moles are still unwilling to quit, mentioning how they're high-grade Geroy equipment and thus Okonogi and Chloe can't tell them what to do. Despite this, Chloe mentions how she has "authority" to stop them, mentioning how Geroy equipment have miniaturized punishment devices embedded in their skulls. Lilja and Koshka begin to realize what she's up to, and Chloe activates the punishment device, making the two become electrified and leave the simulators. Unfortunately, Chloe activated it while in the shower when one of the rules of this device was not to use it when the user is wet; she ends up becoming electrified as well.
Background Music
Regarding Rejection Shields.
Keropoyo reads out the search results for "Rejection Shield", defining it as a shield that can repel every form of weaponry. However, it expends a lot of energy and thus cannot be active all the time. As Keropoyo explains that Gauntlet Knights are the only people who can use Rejection Shields thanks to the Dreissig Conversion, Okonogi cuts in, telling a group of Knights that without the Shield they'd die in seconds. The Rejection Shield is important not just for blocking attacks, but it prevents Knights from getting blasted to pieces if they fly at high speeds and run into something. Okonogi adds that Rejection Shields are activated within the brain so it takes minimal effort to use it, and Keropoyo adds that by default, the Rejection Shield is set with maximum safety-first settings and will go off at the slightest touch.
Okonogi states that if a Knight uses their shield too much, even for the smallest things, then their shield will explode. He'll be training each Knight hard to teach them to use the least amount of energy possible; energy drain is based on the user's emotional state, so if a Knight were caught off guard or had a heavy disadvantage compared to their opponent, they'd expend more energy. Anti-Gauntlet fights depended on finding ways to make the opponent use up all their energy as soon as possible, with the Warcats' finishing move of bombarding the area with missiles proving to be a great example.
Keropoyo adds that incredibly skilled Gauntlet Knights can do so much more with their Rejection Shields, like Miyao shielding not only himself, but nearby allies and all his trainees as well; Jayden likewise is skilled enough to deflect bullets with shields just a few centimeters in diameter. Okonogi caps off by saying that all the ace Knights of the world can do things like that, but it takes a lot of willpower to build up to that level of skill.
Background Music
Stinky Food Showdown!
Keropoyo talks about food culture, wihere many wonderful foods and drinks have developed all over the world, but not necessarily in a positive way. The taste of food is supposed to get better as time goes on, but sometimes the taste gets worse, leading to cases where outsiders can barely stomach something a native person would find delicious. Food like this tends to be reconsidered, but it can seem like some foods are designed specifically to drive away foreigners; Northern Europe's salmiak licorice is one such food.
At a restaurant, Gunhild shows off some salmiak licorice, having recorded Miyao and Jayden's disgusted reactions as Lilja laughs in joy. Keropoyo plays the video back, where Miyao and Jayden are being dared to eat some licorice. Jayden worries if it's spicy, but Lilja tells him how salmiak licorice is the soul food of Northern Europe; she and Gunhild eat a piece to show how safe it is. Assured that everything is fine, Miyao and Jayden eat some pieces of licorice as well, only to start spitting it back out. Gunhild and Lilja laugh at their pain while casually eating more licorice.
In Northern European languages, "salmiak" means "ammonium chloride"; as such, salmiak is incredibly salty, and there exist several salmiak-flavored foods in Northern Europe. Miyao and Jayden want to get back at the girls for making them eat such a horrible food, and Miyao considers feeding them kusaya. Lilja and Gunhild look it up, learning that kusaya's an incredibly smelly dish. Lilja voices her displeasure in being forced to eat a smelly dish, and Miyao suggests that she apologize instead. Lilja continues voicing her displeasure and Miyao claims that kusaya is the smelliest dish in the world, wanting to record Lilja's reaction when she eats it. After hearing the words "smelliest dish in the world," Gunhild pulls out a can of food, thinking it to be a challenge; as she opens it, Lilja and Jayden realize that she has surstromming.
Kusaya is considered Japan's smelliest food, having an odor index over 1200. Surstromming is salted herring that has fermented for years, and continues to ferment even after being sealed in a can; it has an odor index value of over 8000. The stench of surstromming is said to be the strongest smell in the world, such that in B3W a bomb disposal unit was supposedly called to take care of a 25-year-old can of surstromming found in Sweden. Gunhild wants to prove that surstromming is the smelliest food in the world, but Miyao and Jayden quickly voice their defeat, accepting that Northern Europe has the smelliest food in the world.
A few days later, however, Chloe appears to present her own smelly Canadian foods, with the smelliest only having an odor index of 1300. Nevertheless, Gunhild wants to see it, but Chloe only has the data. Gunhild looks up the food, called kiviak, and learns that it's a traditional Canadian Inuit food, made by stuffing seabirds into a seal skin, letting it ferment for two years, and then eating it by slurping the bird's innards through it's anus. Having read this definition, Gunhild grows pale and soon apologizes to Chloe and the others for what she'd done the other day. Each country and culture had various kinds of traditional food, and none are better or worse than other foods. Jayden suggests eating some mild salmiak to build up tolerance to try real salmiak, and Miyao adds that there exists odorless versions of natto. Koshka takes no interest in any of this and states how she'll just eat cereal and milk for the rest of her life.
Everyone is relieved that they didn't go to war over smelly foods, but the narration reveals that Chloe placed an order for kiviak during her argument with Gunhild and forgot about it, with the website stating "No cancellations".
Background Music
Koshka's WanyaDora Adventure.
Koshka invites Miyao to a virtual room and asks if he's good at WanyaDora. Miyao says he's alright at it, and Koshka explains that she needs his help. During a WanyaDora fight against Lilja, Koshka lost because she had weak monsters. After reading some walkthrough sites, she decided to get Miyao's help in farming resources; specifically, Stardust Scrubs, which are being dropped from an event. Miyao asks for something in exchange, but because Koshka started playing WanyaDora recently and is still low level with no good items, he suggests to get paid back outside the game. He requests that Koshka find 10 cat videos that he's never seen before, and Koshka agrees. She sends her entire folder of cat videos to Miyao, but after screening all of them he only finds 7 videos he's never seen before. Koshka becomes determined to find 3 more videos, and figures that if she can find someone who owns a cat, she can just make videos.
Koshka goes to Gunhild, who owns two cats. Recognition software can be used to scan cats and determine who their owners are, but there are people who leave comments on cat videos and claim the owner is abusing their cats or make similar statements, and thus people are reluctant to upload their own cat videos. Gunhild initially refuses to record her cats but after Koshka explains that it's for Miyao, Gunhild agrees and asks for something in exchange.
Koshka goes to Chloe, who had something that Gunhild wanted. Gunhild mentioned something about Chloe producing a feature-length virtual experience movie that she had only made a preview for, and Chloe becomes flustered, trying to deny her involvement with it; Koshka begins saying the name of the experience but is cut off by Chloe's babbling. Chloe refuses to make the movie, and Koshka threatens to have Okonogi ask her instead; Chloe quickly accepts the offer, but has a request of her own to make.
Koshka goes to Jayden, asking him for his avatar data and saying he's not allowed to ask what it's for. He finds it a creepy request, even coming from a friend. Koshka knows it'll be used for something creepy and asks Jayden what he wants in exchange for his avatar data.
Koshka goes to Lilja, who's asked for a ticket to a Finland beauty contest. Lilja compliments Jayden for his good taste, as Finland is said to be the country with the most beautiful people in the world. Koshka thinks it'll be easy for Lilja to get the ticket since she's a citizen from the area the contest is held, but Lilja wants something in exchange.
Koshka goes to Miyao, asking for 800 Stardust Scrubs from the WanyaDora event. Miyao expresses his confusion, being asked to get 800 Scrubs for Koshka and 800 more for Lilja. Koshka understands that Miyao won't accept until she brings him some cat videos, and remembers that Gunhild had two cats of her own. Koshka starts walking off and Miyao agrees to help, not wanting this endless loop to get ridiculous.
Background Music
Scolding Withdrawal Symptoms?
During a training simulation, Miyao reprimands Lilja for focusing too much on controlling her drones and forgetting where her body was. Miyao then yells at Koshka to focus more, as his moment of weakness just now should've been picked up by her; Koshka says she was slow because she's hungry. He finally calls out Chloe for not supporting Lilja and Koshka enough, saying she was having fun on her own, which she admits to.
Outside the simulation, Lilja calls Miyao a pervert, accusing him of staring at the Grave Moles a lot during training. Koshka joins the accusations and Miyao defends himself, saying he wanted his comrades' movements to be as good as they can be. Lilja says they don't need another instructor after Okonogi, and Jayden asks them to stop being so hard on Miyao. Jayden tries to defend him, saying that Miyao talks too much and spots people's mistakes 24/7, and Miyao beats him up; Miyao agrees not to stare at the Grave Moles anymore and leaves. Chloe tells the girls that they didn't need to go so far, but Lilja and Koshka are happy that they can now fly around however they please.
Grave Mole soon begins another training session, with Okonogi saying it'd be a while before they'll be able to eat. Lilja and Koshka notices that Chloe's flying appears strange; Koshka says that if Miyao were here, he'd call Chloe's flying sloppy. Chloe asks how her flying was sloppy and how to improve it, but her fellow Grave Moles can't offer any advice. Lilja remarks how she can still hear Miyao complaining about them even when he's not there; every time Lilja and Koshka think they mess up, they can feel Miyao calling them out. Lilja brushes off this feeling and asks the AI controller to give them a small break for a planning session; Keropoyo initially denies her request but relents when Lilja states how it's for improving the effectiveness of their training.
Outside the simulation, Grave Mole comes to the conclusion that they must be suffering Miyao scolding withdrawal symptoms. Lilja finds this idea outrageous, that they can't calm down unless Miyao yells at them. Chloe says Miyao's criticism was always on the mark and that they've improved many of their skills because of him. Koshka still refuses to believe this, and Chloe suggests that they go apologize to Miyao together. Koshka finally admits that Miyao helped her figure out when she went wrong, but Lilja is still unwilling to follow along; Koshka says that if bowing to Miyao will help her surpass Lilja, then she'll do it. Koshka doesn't acknowledge or believe in anyone, but she still understands Miyao's good points. Lilja is surprised to see Koshka make such a comment, but Koshka says she always does the opposite of her, and the two get into a argument over who will apologize first. Chloe exasperatedly watches them fight and the Grave Moles suddenly receive an apology email from Miyao. Miyao apologizes for staring at Grave Mole a lot and didn't mean anything bad by it; he wanted them all to get strong together. The email ends with him promising not to overstep his boundaries, and Lilja and Koshka get to work on writing an email back, competing over who can apologize and offer gifts the most.
Later, Miyao gets confused over all the weird emails he's been getting, and Lilja and Koshka ask whose apology was better; Miyao thinks both of their emails were heartless. He says that Chloe's email wins by all accounts, and the girls wonder when she emailed them. Miyao explains that five minutes after they fought, Miyao and Chloe had been emailing each other and made up, though Miyao was going easier on her when commenting about Chloe's flying data. The Grave Moles realize that Chloe was pretending to be calm when she'd been making up with Miyao by herself, and Chloe nervously says she still wanted to hear Miyao's criticism even though her teammates were angry and saying apologizing was wrong.
Miyao bids them farewell and the Grave Moles begin encroaching on Chloe with angry looks, only to be electrified by Chloe's remote. She apologizes for shocking them and believes the Grave Moles are sorry for taking out their anger on her, and Koshka sees that Chloe has scary eyes. Chloe sees that they're not apologizing and threatens to shock them again, and the Grave Moles realize that this must be Chloe's "dark personality," which comes out when something sets her off; they call it Evil Chloe, or Chloevil, and Chloe wishes to forgive whoever apologizes first.
The girls apologize and Chloe wonders who she should forgive first only to get interrupted by Okonogi, who reprimands them for slacking off. He gives "Chloevil" another karate chop and she returns to her senses, with Koshka remembering how Chloevil was fixed last time when Okonogi chopped her. Chloe wonders what she was doing and Koshka, spurred on by Okonogi's rage, tells her they were all training happily. Chloe is confused, saying she feels like she was doing something really fun, but Lilja tells her to ignore it and get back to training.
Background Music
Earthquake Restoration Lottery.
Warcat is having a stroll when they suddenly feel an earthquake. Gunhild asks Keropoyo for any news about earthquakes for the day, and the frog replies with info of earthquakes centered in central Siberia of AOU Russia, Tromso in AOU Norway, COU Singapore, and LATO Ecuador. Miyao remarks that earthquakes are all about luck and that every person gets hit by one sooner or later. Jayden hopes that if they do get hit by an earthquake, they'll be flying with their Gauntlets in the air; Gunhild notes how tragic it can be if the earthquakes hit someone close to them.
Keropoyo quickly chimes in with an update about the earthquakes, calling it a "modern simultaneous earthquake" and that money has been given to affected cities by the World Earthquake Response Fund. He asks them to buy lottery tickets for the Heart-Pounding Miracle Restoration Lottery and help fund the World Earthquake Response Fund. The Warcats discuss their bets for the lottery, with Jayden betting on Eurasia and Miyao betting on Latin America; the earthquake in Ecuador might cost him his winnings. Gunhild bet on various countries all around the world, with Miyao saying it makes sense since the point of the lottery is to help restore countries affected by earthquakes. Jayden jokes that if Gunhild really did win, she'd make a lot of money; she estimates her total winnings to be 100 million krona, or 11,000,000 US dollars.
Keropoyo makes another advertisement for people to buy earthquake lottery tickets and explains that the goal of the lottery is to guess which places "won't" be hit by a modern simultaneous earthquake, with the winnings increasing the more countries are selected. The frog gives some more information, noting that there's a lack of financial transparency at the office of the World Earthquake Response Fund and the director is living a life of leisure, He also adds that if someone wins big, the earthquake isn't designated as a modern earthquake and that the Fund uses mysterious definition criteria.
During a lecture session, an instructor explains that modern simultaneous earthquakes are earthquakes that occur simultaneously in various areas across the world, caused by some unknown mechanism. Earthquakes used to be caused by movement along fault lines beneath the earth's crust, and thus earthquakes were concentrated around those areas. Modern earthquakes don't do that, and it's unknown how they happen or why they occur at random parts of the world. The instructor states that modern earthquakes were first observed in A3W and are theorized to be the result of either the environmental damage caused by World War III or Environmental 8MS; excessive extraction of Spiritium is another possible cause.
In B3W, people assumed that earthquakes tended to happen around certain areas, but in A3W, no city in the world was truly safe from earthquakes. Due to 4D-printing construction techniques and the development of Anti-Earthquake 8MS, earthquake-resistant buildings were built around the world, and every person on Earth became used to their regular occurrence. Keropoyo adds that when the World Earthquake Response Fund was first created, earthquake-resistant buildings weren't widespread and thus earthquake damage was very great, making the fund very vital; in the modern day, almost no casualties resulted from earthquakes.
Background Music
Mind your Manners in Competitive Games!
Warcat and Grave Mole meet up in a virtual room based off the game salon Armageddon, where Jayden welcomes them. Chloe is afraid, saying game salons are places where delinquents hang out, but Miyao tells her that that info's outdated and Jayden proclaims that Armageddon is a gathering place not for delinquents, but for warriors. Jayden begins to explain that he's called everyone there for a matter concerning the pride of the AOU Aerial Augmented Infantry, and Gunhild thinks that Jayden just got beat really bad in a Gauntlet Knight video game. The rest of the knights make fun of Jayden, who says that the guy he lost to exploited a bug and got a cheap win. They think he had voice chat disabled and turned it on just to insult the guy, but Jayden says he was congratulating them while telling them that dirty tricks wouldn't work in the real world.
The knights realize that Jayden called them together so they could take revenge on the guy he lost to. Chloe wonders if it'll be okay since they're actual soldiers, and Jayden reassures her that the guy doesn't know who they are, as the game has voice changers. Miyao decides to help Jayden since they're partners, but Lilja says Grave Mole doesn't need to help. Koshka mentions how it's happening a lot today and Gunhild asks what she means by it, but Chloe quickly says that it was nothing; Lilja says the Grave Moles are really busy and wants to leave Warcat to their own problems. Jayden wants them to stay but Miyao gets their point, as Jayden's fight only concerns the Warcats. Koshka says they have fights of their own to settle and Miyao asks if the same thing happened to them; Lilja says Chloe was playing a game when someone started saying lots of horrible things to her. Chloe determined that Grave Mole needed to band together to take that guy down. Miyao and Gunhild note how Jayden and Chloe's stories are very similar, and Lilja states that it's almost time for Grave Mole to deal with their opponent. Jayden thinks their fights starting at the same time are like fate, and he hopes that they both win and get an awesome story to tell.
Gunhild asks Jayden what he argued with the other guy about, and he starts complaining about how his moves were practically bugs and begins swearing up and down. Gunhild asks Chloe how his opponent might respond to that, and Chloe says that the guy's moves were features, not bugs. She asks Jayden not to act like she's the only one at fault, and the two begin swearing at each other. As their teammates watch in amusement, they remind them that it's time for their fights to start. Jayden says he looked up a bunch of bugs and exploits and sends them to his fellow Warcats, and Miyao questions his determination to win so badly.
The Grave Moles voice their words of support for Chloe, and Gunhild asks if she finished the report she was making for Okonogi; she doesn't know what she means, but realizes that she completely forgot. She leaves the room and her teammates follow. The Warcats start preparing for their fight and Gunhild leisurely eats salmiak licorice, assured that they'll be waiting a long time.
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Training with Grave Mole 2.
Okonogi delivers a series of karate chops to Chloe's head, saying she has no confidence in herself as the rest of Grave Mole watches, uninterested. Koshka says Chloe lacks so much confidence that she's cowardly, and Lilja mentions how she was dregs at Cold Lake but received an SS rank on the new aptitude test, changing the way she was treated and resulting in her getting the best grades. They think Chloe was AOU Canada's top ace from the start but was just treated badly by the adults.
Cold Lake Air Force Base is explained as being AOU Canada's training ground for elite Gauntlet Knights. Chloe had enough talent to become a knight since the beginning, but the old aptitude test didn't measure her talent properly and thus she was seen as the lowest scorer at the base. No matter how hard humans try to be independent, they can still be swayed by what other people think of them and if everyone treats someone as incompetent, they'll wind up becoming what everyone sees them as. The Cold Lake instructors kept Chloe in her current position instead of returning her to her former squad, and her presence allowed other elite knights to experience victory and increase their confidence in themselves.
Lilja realizes that Chloe is just like her and Koshka. As soon as Chloe's talent was recognized, her treatment changed; the instructors treated her differently and training was designed with her at the center. Chloe's grades became much better, but they were far from what her aptitude test suggested they could be. The Grave Moles lament Chloe's background, with Koshka comparing her to Cinderella and Lilja saying that, even if the dregs were suddenly made into princesses, that doesn't mean they can learn to trust the people or the world that treated them so horribly.
Grave Mole was aware that Chloe's heart had been wounded by selfish adults, and the higher-ups hid this fact when Chloe became chosen as their representative for the Battle Standard Festival; if the public were to find out that their hero was treated this way, it would be very bad for the adults involved. Chloe was deluded into thinking that she truly received an elite education and as grateful to her instructors and superiors. Koshka asks Lilja where she heard this, and she replies it was heard from the lab people at Geroy laughing about it.
Okonogi finishes her reprimanding of Chloe, threatening to send her back to Cold Lake, and Lilja steps in, asking him to stop. She explains that if Chloe left Grave mole, she and Koshka would start ignoring the orders of everyone. Okonogi begins questioning her stance for saying this but Lilja replies that she and Koshka are Geroy equipment and repeat offenders earning over a hundred years of prison time; anything the instructors did to punish them would have no effect. Okonogi becomes angry that he can't hit them, as the girls were high-grade equipment and had been lent to him from a research center; he opts to chop Chloe once again. He tells her that Grave Mole has accepted her and that she needs to up her game.
Okonogi leaves and Chloe thanks her team for helping her, but they brush off her thanks and leave to get food. The narration ends by telling Chloe not to give up now that everyone has accepted her as part of Grave Mole.
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Siblings' Day.
Jayden says goodbye to his siblings, over 30 of them, after spending the day together. He runs into Gunhild, who's also celebrating Siblings' Day; many of her siblings don't live in Japan, so they're doing it in a virtual room. Jayden complains about how much easier it is to organize virtual meetings compared to real life, where people have their own complaints and problems that get in the way. Even so, Gunhild says real life meetings can be a lot of fun. She expresses her jealousy that Jayden has over 30 siblings living in Japan, and he says Gunhild must have even more all over the world. Keropoyo pops up and says that meeting people in real life means he doesn't have to use filters, and Jayden tells him to turn them off for the time being.
Keropoyo then gives an introduction to his conversation filter system. In AOU countries, harassment caused by talking about socioeconomic privilege is strictly forbidden and penalized. AOU cities had people living in places suitable to their unique needs. This was done to protect the happiness score in each area, especially since the happiness score worldwide plummeted before WWIII. People associated the phrase "countries with high happiness scores" with dictatorships and places with restricted internet access, and countries that had big drops in their happiness scores tended to give rise to far-right regimes, blaming other countries for it. It seemed as though simultaneous happiness score drops around the world gave rise to world wars, so AOU countries in A3W sought to raise scores by combating capitalism. In capitalist countries, it was necessary to get people to buy new things and make them spend money, leading to society expanding and producing new technologies for people to buy. If more and more products are released and people can't keep up, then society would stop expanding, and the gap between the rich and the poor would increase even more. The constant advertising of new products to those who couldn't afford it made them feel trapped, which would drop happiness scores all over the world if it was believed people could never live happily.
The AOU had taken measures to isolate the have-nots, classifying them according to their tolerance against information. Among Jayden's siblings, there was a chance one of them could have been in a "protected class," and if Jayden had said something like "I got to eat all I wanted for free at the dessert buffet in the officers' dining hall", it could be considered harassment against that protected person and get him in legal trouble. Keropoyo's conversation filters are meant to protect against situations like that, alerting people if they're about to say something potentially harmful. These were a perfect tool for politicians; people in B3W might consider it a method for the government to brainwash people, but new technologies have always been regarded as harbingers of dystopia, up until people start spreading them around with little thought.
Jayden wonders how people could live peaceful lives back then without filters, and Gunhild asks if he turned off a few alerts earlier. Jayden sees that he accidentally turned off his mail checker. Turning off as many Selcom features as possible would reduce the stress on the brain, but turning off the mail checker was a bit too far; it was normally only done by people who contemplated suicide or were in some kind of emergency forcing them to shut off their Selcom. Jayden checks his mail to see a lot of messages sent by Miyao. The first email contained notes regarding their simulator training earlier; Miyao loved to analyze his teammates and give pointers, but he was also very hard on them. The next few emails were Miyao sending messages trying to talk to Jayden, sounding more and more depressed when he apologizes for the notes. Gunhild had also got an email from him, telling him that Jayden was at a siblings' gathering and joked that Miyao's harsh words could make the Supergenius depressed.
Jayden regrets turning off so many random settings, and thinks Miyao should know what Siblings' Day is like; Gunhild reminds him that Miyao doesn't have siblings. In the AOU, babies are raised in incubators run by government facilities. They didn't have families or parents, yet there are dozens of "siblings" all born in the same facility. The AOU had labeled the last Sunday of every month to be Siblings' Day, where siblings could get together and strengthen their bonds; Miyao always felt left out due to being a normal birth. Gunhild tells Jayden that every Siblings' Day, Miyao sends them flight data with notes attached, a sign that he wanted them to pay attention to him. Jayden wants to send a message back to Miyao, and Gunhild suggests to do nothing; he already thinks Jayden is depressed because of his harsh words, so Miyao will eventually apologize and be more kinder with his next lecture. Jayden likes the idea, but he likes Miyao's scolding even more, so he wants to send a reply back anyway. Gunhild offers some help in writing emails, but Jayden wants this first one to be his own words.
At home, Miyao is curled up in his bedsheets when he gets an email from Jayden. He reads it, insults Jayden, and then goes to sleep, feeling relaxed.
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The Nation Where Ciconia Don't Cry.
After having dinner at the training facility, Jayden asks Miyao what it's like to have parents. Since Miyao is ciconia-born, Jayden thinks having actual parents must be great, thinking of them as like a personal teacher; Miyao says otherwise, calling his own parents annoying and too clingy. Jayden figures Miyao's parents must be very rich since they could choose to have a ciconia birth, and Miyao replies that he knows nothing of being particularly wealthy. Miyao did PP training as soon as he was born, so his parents must have been rich; with all the fuss people were making back then about PP training for babies having safety issues, maybe Miyao's dad was turning him into a test subject. Jayden thinks it's amazing that Miyao became a top-class Parallel Processor because of his training, and Miyao wonders if he even dreamed of being a Gauntlet Knight, having had that dream forced upon him by his dad.
Gauntlet Knights were something that existed a generation prior, but the technology was still developing, and many young people jumped at the chance to become one despite the fact that they often died, and even death row inmates were being used as test subjects. Technology improved and talented people could safely become Knights, but this only applied for the new generation; the old generation had aged, and they weren't young enough to properly receive PP training.
There would be nothing strange about the old generation having kids and instilling in them the dream to fly, but ciconia don't bring babies in the AOU. Miyao was an exception, hearing stories from his dad about Gauntlet Knights and how jealous he was. Miyao thinks this is what really influenced him to become a Gauntlet Knight, calling it true freedom to not be ciconia-born. Jayden thinks ciconia-free like him aren't completely safe from being brainwashed since birth, and Miyao replies that people's lifestyles are influenced by their surroundings, and trying to be truly independent is arrogant. Gunhild jumps in, having been listening to them the entire time. Gunhild is also factory born, but she wishes she could have parents. Miyao jokingly offers to lend her his, and Jayden muses that people always want what they don't have.
Gunhild says that it must be great to have parents, a resource with a lot of life experience that she could go to anytime, regardless of what communities or groups she's in. Miyao also admits that he's relied on his dad a few times when he wanted to talk about something he couldn't ask anyone else. He also mentions that he only has one parent, and Jayden asks if they're supposed to come in male-female pairs. Miyao replies that he's only ever known his dad and has no idea what his mom looks like. Jayden apologizes for bringing it up, and Gunhild says that the Warcats are like a family they can each entrust their lives to. Miyao thinks about responding to some of his dad's emails, and their conversation trails off, ending on a positive note.
Later, Gunhild wants to ask Miyao and Jayden something; Miyao thinks it's another question as to whether parents or siblings are better, but Gunhild asks what it would be like if the two of them got married and tried to have kids. Miyao and Jayden are confused and try to brush it off, and Gunhild laughs. She asks the question again, presenting a hypothetical situation where if they "did "have children, would they want them to be ciconia-born? Jayden would like to see his kids, but Miyao says he'd lose ten years of his life for raising them; Gunhild mentions that parents who choose ciconia birth have to follow very strict regulations to protect the child's rights, and training for them could take years. Miyao realizes how hard it must have been for his dad to raise him all alone, feeling bad for calling him irritating and annoying. Jayden remembers that pregnancy is rough and giving birth must really hurt, not wanting to force it on his partner. Miyao decides that he'll pass on having kids, instead sending them off to the factory and praying they grow up healthy. Jayden would want to talk it over with his partner first but personally thinks it's far too expensive and time-consuming to raise kids.
Gunhild then mentions a theory she heard where the ideal age for humans to give birth is in their late teens, and by the time they turn 20 they're past their peak, but humans aren't easygoing enough to wait for it. Jayden thinks about how in the distant past, people must have had kids without thinking and abandoned them so many times, leading to a large amount of kids living in poverty. Miyao says that by the time people were complaining about it, the birth rate had plummeted, and the decision to raise babies in factories was the AOU's answer to the problem. Gunhild is asked if she would give birth, but she isn't able to make a decision, lamenting how humans live in a world where they can give birth but it's almost impossible to do, sacrificing some of their life for it. Jayden wonders if one could just love their child until they got tired and then send them to the factory, but Gunhild and Miyao don't like that idea of treating kids like a pet.
It's then explained that people in the AOU were free to marry as they pleased, but pregnancy was severely limited by rules and regulations, and parents who gave birth had to take responsibility for them until the end. Despite that, there were people who "retired" halfway through raising children and would be imprisoned, with the child losing all ties with them and being sent to a childcare institution. It was hoped that the child could form bonds with other children who faced a similar predicament, but sometimes it didn't work, leading to another violation of human rights. The AOU's child protection services still debated as how to make a safety net for abandoned ciconia-born children, with some people suggesting that the option to have ciconia-born children be removed entirely. Others wanted to save all ciconia-born children without any restrictions, but that was compared to treating them like pets; no verdict could be reached on this issue.
It's beginning to get late, so the Warcats all decide to stop with the talk about babies until they actually have a partner in mind. Left by herself, Gunhild wonders if humans are meant to argue even when talking about kids, thinking they're all just animals in the end and that something must be wrong with the world.
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Gunhild and Miyao.
Okonogi berates a group of new recruits for throwing up in the Gauntlet Knight simulator, with Gunhild and Miyao talking about how tough it is to get used to. The simulators are expensive, and the experience people go through is enough to make them throw up, so ejecting is encouraged; Gauntlet Knights get bad grades if they eject, so they're forced to try and keep it in. Miyao's never thrown up, which is owed to his lifelong training, while Gunhild says she probably filled up several buckets' worth to get to where she is. They talk about how some people are born luckier than others, and Gunhild expresses her jealousy at how Miyao had everything lined up for him like a full house in poker, but she still understands he trained really hard despite it. Okonogi continues talking down to the trainees, forcing them to clean the simulators and asking how they even made it past the Gauntlet Knight tests.
Miyao wonders what happens to people who can't become Knights, and Gunhild explains that their training is unlike anything else in the military, who think they're just an esport. Trainees have spent their entire lives training to become Gauntlet Knights, and they're treated like students with the goal of graduating. They sometimes have trouble thinking of what to do later in life, and Miyao thinks it may be better to finish them off now if it looks like they can't become Knights, giving them more time to prepare for the rest of their lives. Gunhild pokes fun at how much Miyao scolds his underclassmen in their flight data, and he reiterates how he tries to give a positive note at the end.
Out of all the people in the world, only 150,000 people have P3 levels high enough to wield a Gauntlet, and only 1000 had succeeded in becoming Gauntlet Knights. Gunhild says that, compared to Supergenius Jayden and Miyao, she must be on par with them because of how much she's worked to get to where she is. They think the kids getting scolded by Okonogi will probably fail in the end, and Miyao wonders if a notice of expulsion is what they need the most to move on with their lives. For a normal person to become a Gauntlet Knight, Gunhild thinks getting there with just the power of dreams takes a lot of effort. Miyao asks if she means for people to limit their dreams to what they're capable of, and she replies that it must sound unsatisfying to a boy. Even if they cheered on the new recruits, statistically speaking it wouldn't amount to anything. A long time ago, it was possible to encourage people to follow their dreams or die trying; Gunhild agrees with Miyao's thoughts, as they live in a world where they have the responsibility to tell people if they clearly don't have talent. Miyao remembers that Gunhild mentioned having nightmares of studying and taking tests, seeing it in a more positive light; even if Gunhild's dreams didn't come true in the end, she could've lived easier with herself knowing she really gave it her all. His dad said a similar thing, saying that even if Miyao failed to become a Gauntlet Knight, he shouldn't regret it as long as he really gave it everything he had.
Miyao declares that there is no useless effort, and that if the trainees worked hard at being Gauntlet Knights, they could work hard at other places in their life. He goes up to them, who are still cleaning, and opens up their flight data for a harsh lecture. He points out the things they did wrong but also explains how they could improve it, pointing out some good things they did in the end. Gunhild thinks about how Miyao's own best feature was that he looks after others, something that had been encouraged because he was ciconia-born. She mutters how she used to hate people like him, who could win with no effort while she studied to the point of having nightmares. Gunhild realizes that Miyao's talent was a coincidence, and that if he didn't have it, he would still use every ounce of his being to become a Gauntlet Knight; she wishes to have met him sooner, hoping she would've become a different person and become able to like someone else more than herself. Gunhild voices that she really does love Miyao.
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Auxiliary Major General Gustafsson.
At the Geroy Level 4 Heavy Military Research Center, people saw it as a last resort to become Gauntlet Knights, which meant subjecting themselves to all sorts of human experimentation without limit if they signed up. Despite the risks that came with training, people still enrolled at Geroy to become trainees, and such a center for creating Gauntlet Knights was paramount to national defense. A VTOL craft lands, and officers from various countries disembark to inspect the facility. They split into two lines: one for the VIPs, and one for their companions. The VIPs all contained people who were of dignified ages, but a young woman stood out among them. A soldier tells the woman that she's in the wrong place, but he's directed to look at her ID again, and he apologizes for his rudeness.
The woman finally goes to sign in with a bio-scanner, revealing herself to be Gunhild Gustafsson, an Auxiliary Major General attached to the AOU Combined Military Central HQ. Her inspection permit had been issued by the Speaker of the AOU Joint Parliament and President of AOU America, with a security clearance of SS-. It's also noted that the department of the head rank must accompany her, and after the inspection is completed, all information regarding her presence must be removed from the records and kept as a lifetime secret.
Gunhild is guided past a training area through a security gate and goes deep underground on an elevator, where an attendant thought she was there to inspect the Pandora. Gunhild asks if it's possible to copy the Pandora, but she's told it's currently not, with the attendant calling it a miracle that all of God's dice rolled the same number. Gunhild says it must be good news for the Pandora since they can't perform any more experiments on her if they can't copy her, ominously remarking that Pandora's box is the last hope for humanity. The attendant agrees, saying humanity doesn't have much time left and without the Pandora's secret, they can't leave any part of humanity or civilization behind. Gunhild then asks if the Pandora is aware that they're the only ones who can go into the new world, and she's told the Pandora thinks they have a special brain structure that must be analyzed; the Pandora believes she's assisting in research in exchange for being spared the death penalty.
The atmosphere within the elevator was very different from up above in the training area, where Lilja was complaining about her struggles. She talks at length about how she got Koshka to open up to her, playing through a boring puzzle game and tacking "meow" onto the end of her sentences just to make conversation starters. As Gunhild was walking past her earlier, the two of them suddenly exchanged glances; Lilja knew Gunhild, but she was still confused to see her in such an unexpected place. She tried to ask Gunhild what she was doing, but the presence of guards made it apparent she was being treated differently, and Gunhild goes off without saying anything. The attendant addresses Lilja by her full name, Lilja Viljakainen, and tells her to forget everything she just saw. Gunhild asked about Lilja to the attendant, who explains she is also assisting in research in exchange for being spared the death penalty. Until they copy the Pandora, Lilja might be the greatest thing the center has produced.
The pair finally reach the Data Room, where Gunhild wants to see trainee records, specifically the records of Maja Forsberg from AOU Sweden. The operator searches for that name under former trainees and reads that Maja left the training program of her own accord due to special circumstances. People who signed up at the Geroy Research Center couldn't leave until their research program was complete, and Gunhild asks what special circumstances allowed Maja to leave. The record says Maja was in extremely good health when she arrived, having average P3 levels and a grade of C+. There's an attached document that is locked to level S clearance, which means nothing to Gunhild's SS-.
The document shows that Maja was a potential candidate for the Pandora Replication Experiment, receiving counseling as to what it meant to participate in it. She was told of all the related dangers and signed a consent form agreeing to all of it. Gunhild is surprised to see she was a test subject for the Pandora Transplant Experiment, with the attendant saying it was the last hope for someone who lacked aptitude as a Gauntlet Knight; if it was successful, she could've been reborn on par with the Pandora or a genius GK. Gunhild asks if Maja knew the success rate was zero, and she's told the consent form said it was extremely low, with a note mentioning it had risen 300% due to repeated experimentation.
After signing and testing, Maja was given the subject code 091 and sent to participate in the experiment, being treated as having left of her own accord. She became part of the 12th Pandora Replication Experiment, receiving a noise rate of 0.225, which was poor; the experiment was suspended and Maja was processed in accordance with the Human Rights Manual. Gunhild asks what it means to be processed in accordance with the Human Rights Manual, and the attendant replies that they inject them with high amounts of hypnocine to numb all external sensations and induce a euphoric, dream-like state; it's the same as how they did lethal injections in B3W. Maja was disposed of 12 seconds after injection and transferred to the examination department, then sorted and transferred to other research departments. Her brain was sent to the Dreissig Conversion Research Department, which was to be used in experiments with artificial Dreissig Conversion apparatuses; due to errors, the brain decayed while in its brain pack and was incinerated. Maja's case was officially resolved as that of a person who had gone missing after her discharge, with her life-or-death status being unknown.
Gunhild thanks the attendants for their time, having discovered something of worth from that file. Gunhild says to herself that this world is worthy of destruction, not wanting to forgive those who brought about Maja's death and their world. The scene then flashes to Gunhild's final moments, where Keropoyo has started a self-diagnostic and made her unable to bring up her shield. Her fellow Warcats tell her to dodge the incoming projectile, but a flash of white is seen.
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The Revelation of Saint Ioánnis.
Seshat and Toujirou are gathered inside a virtual room made to resemble a church, with Toujirou motioning towards a single document put on display. Seshat explains that the Council of Carthage identified 26 books as canon, with a 27th canonical book rumored to exist. There were traces of it within the Muratorian Canon, but it had disappeared by the time the Council of Carthage gathered. This document they have is probably the last volume that remains, and the only work of prophecy within the entire canon: the Revelation of Saint Ioánnis.
It's explained that canon serves as a guide for a religion, and some people have tried to insert their own forgeries into the canon and pass it off as real. Religious groups will hold councils to decide what is canon or not, expelling any forgeries they may find. There are cases where something is identified as canon, then expunged after later extensive research. The Revelation of Saint Ioánnis was one such book, having been accepted by the Muratorian Council and then removed by the Council of Carthage. Seshat adds that when Carthage took place, the Revelation was never discussed, and it's name never appeared in any documents from that time; between the second and fourth century, the Revelation of Saint Ioánnis was completely erased from history. Seshat thinks it was too unnatural and thorough, as if someone just deleted the phrase from history.
Toujirou asks if the Revelation really contains a prophecy about how humanity will be destroyed, and Seshat replies that it's more of a plan, saying it'd be a real prophecy if 100% of it had happened; in their current state, it's 80% accurate. Toujirou replies that they have a 20% chance of victory then, assuming that their opponents were aiming for a perfect 100. He thinks their opponent must be doing this for entertainment, as they must be holding back if all they can offer is 80 points. Toujirou sees the Revelation as God's plan for exterminating humanity, and Seshat laughs at how dramatically he put it, saying it must be a possibility given that exceptions like her exist. This so-called plan has been erased from history except for the one document they have, and Toujirou wonders if their opponent purposefully left it for them. Seshat thinks so as well, saying their opponent claims to be an all-seeing and all-knowing messenger of God; they must see themselves as a chess veteran facing an amateur with a chess manual, smiling confidently and allowing that amateur to take a shot.
Even so, Seshat still thinks of the Revelation as a plan, not a prophecy; if it really was a prophecy, then they would be stuck, and all of their efforts would be for nothing. Toujirou assures the Grand Master that is is not a prophecy, for it would have recorded the fact that their Order of Prometheus would've stopped it. Toujirou knows that their opponents are following the outline of the Revelation, and thus they can predict what happens next and deal with it somehow. Seshat says humanity has made their opponents take a seat at the game table, even knowing that their Order has prepared for so long. Seshat expresses her desire to win, saying humanity will forever become game pieces for the monster calling itself God's representative if they fail. Toujirou says humanity will win, as written in his new version of the Revelation of Saint Ioánnis. Seshat laughs at his joke, and the two them wonder how much of humanity will be lost until then.
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| For You, the Replaceable Ones/Data Fragments |
fandom.07th-expansion | # For You, the Replaceable Ones/Music
The Music Room is a function allowing players to listen to the music present in Phase 1, unlocked after completing all 16 data fragments.
While the music files are present in the game's BGM folder, listening to them in-game will show the artist's name.
| For You, the Replaceable Ones/Music |
fandom.07th-expansion | # For You, the Replaceable Ones/Summary
This page aims to provide a detailed plot summary of each of the chapters in Phase 1.
Song titles are in bold only when they are played for the first time.
Prologue.
Propaganda Video
The story opens with a propaganda video for the recruitment of new Gauntlet Knights from the AOU's children, which showcases the abilities of the Gauntlet Knights in a very bombastic fashion.
The video shows the Gauntlet used in action by a boy soldier. Upon whistle cues, he floats off the ground and flies around an airstrip at will. The narration tells the audience that these Gauntlets give soldiers the mobility and speed of the best fighter jets, while the Anti-G 8MS in their bodies are able to ease the g-forces on their bodies. The scene switches to a camera pursuit from a plane, and the soldier proceeds to demonstrate "ricochet flying" by rapidly changing his trajectory in mid-flight without losing speed. Because of this, the fire control system is unable to target the Gauntlet Knight. Despite such ability, Gauntlet Knights are shown to not be restricted in take-off and landing, being able to do so anywhere a human can stand.
The video then showcases the Gauntlet's firepower capabilities. Due to the Dimension Container System, Gauntlet Knights are able to carry a tremendous amount of weaponry with them, sometimes up to the amount of an attack carrier. After this, the video shows off the unique Rejection Shield system of the Gauntlets, which can easily deflect a barrage of bullets from a spot in front of the Gauntlet Knight. The scene shifts to show the boy make it through an explosion unharmed due to the Rejection Shield. The video finally closes with the narration calling the Gauntlet Knights the future of military warfare, and calling young boys and girls to join them as Gauntlet Knights.
Viewing Theater
An old officer compliments the video, but suggests that it be made shorter and flashier. The other officers bring up the duration regulations but also show deference to his authority. Okonogi watches the scene and cynically criticizes the video in his mind. The Gauntlet Knight capabilities were still theoretical, and the video had exaggerated the contraption's abilities while omitting its shortfalls. The eyes of the boy in the video had ruptured after the excessive ricochet flying, and he was rendered unconscious. The Dimension Container was also prone to malfunctioning when opened, causing immediate explosions. The Rejection Shields too had only become stable recently, and still had issues when used while flying at high speeds. Still, he comments that the propaganda video would be effective for recruitment, and decides that the technology would more or less end up only used in simulations anyway.
The old officer asks about the boy in the video, hoping to meet him and give his career a boost. Okonogi however tells him that the boy perished in the line of duty, and his narration notes that the boy had actually been killed during the explosion scene due to messing up on the deployment of his shield, likely because of overwork. The video was thus edited in order to cover up this fact.
As a secretary guides the old officer to a car, he comments on the fact that Miyao, a Gauntlet Knight from AOU Japan, will be representing the AOU during the upcoming International Battle Standard Festival. Okonogi expresses his cynicism that the skinny boy is acting as their representative.
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Chapter 1: Battle Standard Festival.
Super Tokyo Tower
Miyao stands wearing a Gauntlet on the top of the Super Tokyo Tower, 666 meters above the ground. He takes a deep breath and steps off the edge, plummeting down in freefall. The instant before he smashes into the ground, Miyao changes his trajectory to a right angle, leaving a white phosphorescence like angel feathers at the position he ricocheted off from. As Miyao passes through the city, he describes the sights of A3W Tokyo, which had a 19th century architectural feel to it. The trains seemed to run on a steam engine, but their source of fuel was the newly discovered fuel Spiritium, which exceeded the capabilities of nuclear power. It expels large clouds of mist when used. Despite his misgivings about society, Miyao is thankful for his ability to fly freely like this.
Keropoyo, the frog mascot of the Selcom, appears in the corner of Miyao's mental display to inform him that a friend is nearby. Miyao's partner "Supergenius" Jayden shows up to tease him over the mental display, and offers to compete against him. Miyao begrudgingly agrees, and the two register each other as hostile, locating each other through their Reaper's Eyes.
They begin circling the Miyu Spiritium building. Miyao makes the first move, launching a burst of guided missiles towards Jayden, whose trajectories could be individually controlled by him. He then immediately summons a massive gatling gun and fires it off to intercept Jayden's missiles heading towards him. Jayden similarly intercepts Miyao's missiles.
Jayden changes tactics and bursts through the 58th floor of the building, which is a single observation deck restaurant. Miyao barely manages to dodge Jayden's attempt to slam into him, but the sudden trajectory change consumes almost all the Anti-G 8MS in his body. While waiting to recharge, he is left unable to do anything but freefall straight down. Jayden takes advantage of this and aims a .50 caliber heavy machine gun at him, and Keropoyo proceeds to mock Miyao's predicament.
Taking advantage of Jayden's attention being focused on him, Miyao summons a missile in freefall directly above Jayden, set to explode after a few seconds delay. Jayden manages to activate his Rejection Shield in time, and comments that Miyao had probably expected this and deployed the missile knowing the shrapnel would also hit himself at this close of a range otherwise. The two then rapidly charge at each other.
Upon collision, the two of them are left in freefall. However, due to Miyao's shorter stature, only Jayden's arm was able to hit the other person. Miyao cries out in frustration over this, exclaiming that he hated this arm and would rather replace it with a rocket fist. Jayden laughs at him, but internally remarks at Miyao's skill. Miyao however vents that he should have won, and then proceeds to provide a barrage of criticism on the detailed shortcomings of Jayden's combat performance. Jayden resigns himself to listening to him, but notes that his observations are accurate and show that he's really looking out for his opponents. At the end of it, Jayden is complimented on the good points of his performance. Jayden is embarrassed at blushing from a guy's compliments, and reaffirms his friendship with Miyao.
Keropoyo notifies them on the arrival of four more friends, who are their squadmate from Warcat Gunhild and the three members of Grave Mole squad: Chloe, Lilja, and Koshka.
Jayden feels mild irritation at the others interrupting their flirting. Lilja and Koshka register themselves as hostile, the former taunting both her opponents and Koshka. Chloe exasperatedly tries to stop them from fighting. Gunhild agrees that they should do a squad battle and also registers as hostile, commenting that Chloe despite appearances is probably also on board with this. The six of them then proceed to battle.
Battle Standard Festival
At a stadium full of people, military planes fly overhead as an announcer provides commentary. The Battle Standard Festival sees the participation of the Five Great Factions (The Arctic Ocean Union, Central Ocean Union, Abrahamic Brother Nations, Africa Commonwealth Realm, and Latin American Treaty Organization) in an Olympic event style military contest. It is hosted by AOU Japan this year. The announcer thanks the soldiers for supporting the Walls of Peace.
Virtual Room
An old instructor describes the concept of Kennedy's Powder Keg, with his Gauntlet Knight students watching his lecture from their mental displays. He draws an image of it on the blackboard using his mental tablet, before asking them to excuse his poor drawing and to look up an image of the keg with their own mental tablets. While the studious ones did so, other students were using them to watch television, play games, or mentally chat with their friends in virtual rooms.
Kennedy's Powder Keg was filled with the "gunpowder" of conflict, and its boards represented the military might of each country that sealed the gunpowder. When one board was removed, all of the gunpowder would pour out, illustrating the importance of each country carrying out its duty in maintaining military might to prevent the outbreak of conflict. This philosophy was the opposite of that in the B3W era, where disarmament and pacifism had been extolled. Because of the outbreak of World War III despite this, the philosophy of pacifism was seen as foolish and negligent in the current A3W era. The International Peace Mediation Association was tasked with maintaining a healthy military balance across all countries, in order to preserve world peace. The borders of the keg were known as the Walls of Peace, and military might was seen as a bitter but necessary "nutrient" for the health of human society. Soldiers were also redefined as servants of international peace.
Toujirou, a middle aged man, and Seshat, a young woman in a skimpy Egyptian-mythology themed outfit, look upon the scene. Toujirou, who addresses Seshat as Grand Master, comments that military might is a double-edged sword, and expresses his belief that an alternative way should be sought both by proponents and opponents of it. Seshat remarks that debate between people is merely a means to an end, and cannot be used as an end in itself in guiding the common man. Toujirou agrees, but maintains his view that the extreme changes are unpleasant to him.
Though humans disliked military might in the B3W era, they did not abandon their dislike of other races, and the door to World War III was opened by the military actions of a few people with self-righteous ideals. In contrast, criticism of the military was blasphemous in the A3W era. Ironically, both eras were unable to accept opposing views, and were only able to view things in extremes. Many were unable to accept diversity of opinion, and those who could were often also unable to accept opposition to that belief.
Seshat remarks that people can only go where they are led to go, and it is the role of a king to guide them. Toujirou however maintains his faith in humanity, hoping for a miracle to one day occur. The two watch the Battle Standard Festival of Peace together, but for middle-aged people like them, it is little more than an event to enjoy a drink over and bet on.
Background Music
Chapter 2: The Athletes Arrive.
Mysterious Room
A luxurious triangular table is dimly illuminated in a dark room. A hand passes a bag of gold embroidery to a woman, and commands her to open it. The woman opens the bag, and removes from it two gold coins and one silver coin.
Battle Standard Festival
An announcer provides commentary on the events of the Battle Standard Festival, remarking at the various competitive decisions made by the nations and the new military technology on display. While military soldiers participating in the events fought as if they were enemies, they grew to learn from and respect one another in their interactions, deepening the relationships between nations. The fact that new technologies were put on display also allowed the factions to share in their technologies, preventing an imbalance of military power. However, though the young were the main participants in the event, they were pushed to succeed by the expectations of the old, and there were rumors of bribery and doping behind the scenes.
In a waiting room, Okonogi scolds Chloe for not watching over Lilja and Koshka, who had disregarded instructions and gone to get parfaits at the athletes' cafeteria. While the two are able to tease Okonogi, he could not do anything to them due to their positions, and thus took out his anger on Chloe by karate chopping her head.
The Warcats comment on the quick recovery times of Gauntlet Knights, with Jayden also teasing Miyao. Miyao also comments at Gunhild's maturity. In their combat formation, Miyao and Jayden served as Attackers, while Gunhild served as a Supporter. Gunhild filled this role with a great degree of skill, and was often able to beat Miyao or Jayden in one-on-one matches.
In contrast was the more problematic squad Grave Mole. According to rumors, Koshka had been granted some sort of "exemption" in exchange for participating in Aerial Augmented Infantry research and human experimentation, and was officially designated not as a soldier but as "equipment". She was the highest tier of equipment and took advantage of her position to disregard Okonogi when it suited her, knowing that he could do nothing against her in return. Lilja was also equipment, and loved to pick fights with Koshka. Despite Chloe's pleas, the two of them only relish seeing her bear Okonogi's anger. Chloe herself was a top Gauntlet Knight, and could perform extremely well alone when the other two went back to the research center for "maintenance".
The Arrival of the Squads
The Gauntlet Knight representatives of the different factions arrive in turn at the virtual room's stadium, where they were able to show off their combat abilities without worrying about safety. Spectators viewed the simulation as if it were happening in reality. The AOU squads enter first.
Following them are the two squads from the COU. The first is Baibao led by Lingji, who is supported by Momotake and Aysha. Aysha teases Momotake for his cheesy line.
They are followed by Suparna squad, comprising their leader Sujatha and members Rukhshana and Andry. Lilja comments that the squad seems serious and uptight. Andry tries to get Sujatha to loosen up and waves to the crowd. Rukhshana tries to follow him but is admonished by Sujatha.
The squads from the ABN arrive next. Thalathat Suyuf is led by Naima, a small and excited girl. Naomi tells her not to get overwhelmed, and Stanisław administers a sedative to her.
The next squad is Yeladot Shavit, comprising their leader Leah and members Fatma and Stephania. The three of them excitedly gossip about a relationship between two members of the audience.
The ACR squads follow them. Rethabile, the leader of Squad 601, gives a haughty declaration, but her other squad members Ishak and Abdou only make fun of her.
Gannet from Cairo Squad eagerly tries to engage their leader Noor with the scene, but she expresses her frustration at her in return and tries to strike up a conversation with Mariana. Mariana on the other hand agrees with Gannet and tries to pet her, but is rebuffed, and the three of them make up a triangle of one-sided affection.
Finally, the announcer introduces the two referees fielded by LATO: Maricarmen and Valentina. LATO had unfortunately been unable to field a team due missing the deadline as a result of internal disagreements.
While the Gauntlet Knights were a symbolic representation of the world's military might, many older people in the audience were skeptical of their abilities, possibly in part due to their own frustration that they could never wield the Gauntlets. Gauntlet users were required to be able to perform a "Dreissig Conversion" on Spiritium, as well as have high parallel processing ability, the latter of which required special training from a young age. The efforts and achievements of old military soldiers seemed to have their weight displaced by the power of this new technology.
Okonogi receives a complaint from the Director General about Koshka's yawning and complains about Chloe. At that moment, Chloe lets out a sneeze.
Mysterious Room
The dimly lit triangular room was filled with ornate furnishings, and had a ceiling so high it could not be seen. Sitting at the three sides of the table are the Three Kings (of Ridicule, Fury, and Sorrow), whose faces are shrouded by masks and hands are covered with white gloves. The three of them watch the Battle Standard Festival through their mental displays. The Kings lament the state of humanity and ask Jestress to turn off the broadcast.
Jestress appeared to play the role of a secretary, but also possessed the privilege of being allowed to mock them much like a court jester would. While her hands are exposed, the center of her face is concealed by a triangular visor with an eye design on it. The King of Sorrow gives a passing mention of his granddaughter. The Three Kings lament the stubbornness of humans and their resilience against eradication. They remark that the time has come to bring civilization back to square one, allowing them to put more distance between human society and civilization's end.
Jestress delivers a report from the Grand Master of the Ninth Prime Chivalric Order, bringing news that they have managed to sneak members of the Order into ace Gauntlet Knight units from each of the four factions, one member per faction. These members were participants at the Battle Standard Festival. She asks the Kings about their manipulation of public opinion, and they remark that it is going smoothly. The King of Ridicule asks if Jestress' group has still not found the research center, and she remarks that though they have set out his bait, it has not been responded to.
The Kings observe that civilization's end is drawing near, and declare that they cannot fail again in bringing it about. Together with Jestress, they declare the motto of the Order: "All is in the name of guiding humanity down the right path".
Battle Standard Festival
A message is displayed on screen, written by an unknown sender. It tells her that if they remain concealed here, "those people" will surely try to make contact, and promises to report to her on anything that happens immediately.
The announcer declares that the first match, involving an attack on a fictional military base, is about to begin. Chloe tells her squad to be serious or she will use her trump card. Meanwhile, the Warcats affirm their friendship and get ready for battle.
The message finishes with the Order's motto, and is sent to Jestress.
Background Music
Chapter 3: It's a Wrap Public Bath.
Arrival at the Public Bath
Miyao and Jayden discuss the creation of a virtual room for the Gauntlet Knights of the Battle Standard Festival. They eventually decide to give it appeal to tourist sensibilities for Japan and use the data from their hotel's public bath. Miyao randomly names the room "It's a Wrap Public Bath". Gunhild is excited that the level of detail is such that water feels hot when touched, but remarks that she cannot take off her clothes in her avatar form. As Miyao grants the other Gauntlet Knights access, he expresses concern that geopolitical debates with the COU over the Glass Sea and ACR over the Atlantis Spirit Field might flare up.
Baibao squad is the first to introduce themselves, and Momotake remarks at the indecency and un-Japaneseness of AOU Japan to host the celebration in a public bath. Aysha suggests that Lingji might change to a nude avatar to match the setting, much to Momotake's embarrassment. Momotake tells Lingji she need not do such an undignified thing, but she instead suggests that the dignified thing might be to change to a bath towel avatar rather than be fully clothed.
Suparna squad introduces themselves next, and Andry comments that he, being from Madagascar, would normally be with the ACR, but ended up with the COU instead. Rethabile of Squad 601, which introduces themselves next, suggests that they avoid the topic of the Mozambique Channel dispute for the day. The others mention that Rethabile is a princess of the ACR royal family.
Cairo Squad introduces themselves next and the three of them display their one-sided affection triangle. Yeladot Shavit exclaims with glee about the yuri-ness of the scene, and declare that they together will show "humanity's greatest and most miraculous harmony". Stanisław of Thalathat Suyuf tells the others that Yeladot Shavit is in charge of public relations for the ABN, and do pop idol performances as well. The leader of Thalathat Suyuf, Naima, bubbles with excitement and apologizes for going too far in the match before. Lingji and Rethabile tell her to hold her head high, and Naomi gives her some anti-anxiety medication.
Finally, Lilja of Grave Mole introduces herself in glowing terms, while throwing shade at Koshka. Chloe apologizes for being late due to getting the room name wrong, and Lilja tells them she looked up "It's a Wrap Public Lust instead". Chloe defends herself by saying that the Kizuna translation tool converted it wrongly, but Aysha adds that this happening must mean that she uses the word "lust" frequently, which she ashamedly denies. Andry points out that in Japanese, "bathhouse" and "lust" are both pronounced "yokujou". The others make jokes about it to Rukhshana's embarrassment. Yeladot Shavit members fantasize about lust between Ishak and Abdou, to the annoyance of several others. Rethabile tries to prevent Naima from looking for a naked avatar mod, while Lilja and Koshka try to egg her on by sending some data of their own.
All of the Gauntlet Knights made friends with each other easily despite them being from different factions. While each faction had geopolitical disputes with every other faction, and some of them had wanted to confront each other about them prior, none of this seemed to matter when they actually gathered together. The narration describes national borders as a necessity for the division of different principles and cultures, but that these differences were sometimes not so important for everyday youth.
Kizuna
Gunhild asks if any of the others use Kizuna, and to her surprise everyone raised their hands. Kizuna is a simple Japanese-made universal translation tool created by the young, which had resisted attempts by large corporations to buy it up. It had gained a large amount of popularity with the young due to its avoidance of paid features, and due to widespread use had trained itself to become even capable of translating modern slang. The tool would allow people to speak in their own native languages but instantly convert what you say into the language used by the Kizuna-using listener.
Kizuna had many other functions, and was roughly capable of doing anything that a past-era smartphone could do through the use of mental displays. While adults had difficulty devoting mental resources to utilizing it well, the young were used to background operation and multitasking, a phenomenon referred to as Parallel Processing. Children with a certain skill level at this were called Parallel Processors, and their ability to do this was measured in units of Parallel Processing Power (P3). Due to practical concerns for future technologies, Parallel Processing training was made mandatory for children in countries across the world. The people at the public bath were from the first generation of Parallel Processors. While it was forbidden to use Kizuna on the job, something like this was difficult to detect. Soldiers often preferred using it to inflexible military communication tools, and would chat with each other even during missions.
The Gauntlet Knights here ended up using Kizuna for a multitude of reasons. Some were drawn in by the stickers and Keropoyo mascot, while others simply jumped on the bandwagon. Several of them played a free Kizuna game called WanyaDora, and begin bonding with each other over it. Abdou observes that the word Kizuna, meaning "interpersonal bonds" is truly an appropriate name for something that brings together people from around the world. The Gauntlet Knights begin sending friend requests to each other.
Overlooking the Glass Sea
The Gauntlet Knights naturally shift to the open-air portion of the public bath, which has a scenic view of the Glass Sea. The Glass Sea was created during World War III due to the effect of a solar warhead that annihilated the region of Japan between Gifu and Osaka, dividing the nation into two and leaving behind an ocean of glass. However, as the world had chosen to seal off information regarding World War III, none of those present knew what had created the sea. Even major details like the combatants and resolution of the war were sealed from the public.
Naomi wonders why humanity had made the decision not to learn from their mistakes, and Sujatha suggests that they may have realized that it was pointless to. Gunhild adds that humans interpret history in their own ways, and the conflicts between these interpretations can provide new fuel for conflicts. Research on the causes of wars meant to prevent future wars inadvertently ended up causing them instead. Driven to the brink of extinction, humanity thus made the radical decision not to record this history. Information was removed from public access, and research on it was only permitted in specialized institutions. Trying to find out about the war was even made a crime.
Jayden and Miyao tell each other that even if they had such knowledge, the details of the war had nothing to do with them, and would not stand in the way of their friendship. The other Gauntlet Knights agree with this sentiment. Gunhild tells them that the one thing the Glass Sea ought to represent is the knowledge that if people around the world became friends, a terrifying ocean like this would never appear again.
The Gauntlet Knights decide to affirm their friendship with each other, even despite the fact that they might one day end up in conflict. They decide that their role is not to kill, but merely to buy time for diplomacy by supporting the Walls of Peace. Miyao suggests that they create a code of combat engagement and the others add on to it. Combatants would not kill each other. They would not fire at a retreating opponent whose shield was broken. They decide to call this the Public Bath Oath and swear by it while reaffirming their friendship.
Miyao's Mental Space
The screen is torn through the center, and another Miyao (henceforth referred to as MIYAO) laughs out loud. MIYAO mocks Miyao's naivete, telling him that he (Miyao) will be the one doing the killing. Asked by Miyao who he would kill, Miyao shifts the scene to focus on Lingji and Koshka, who are bonding over WanyaDora with him, and tells him that he will kill them by his own hands. He tells Miyao that killing and destroying is the reason he was created in the first place, and that all actions he takes, even becoming a Gauntlet Knight are merely a means to that goal.
MIYAO tells Miyao that he is one of the many selves within him, and has come to put a stop to the horrible future he is able to create. Miyao however has no idea what he is talking about. MIYAO decides to describe the future to him, and tells him that all of them will end up killing each other. Lingji will face Miyao in a close range aerial fight, and due to being unable to deploy her Rejection Shield will end up with her skull crushed by his fist. This would not be a malfunction, but simply a plotline that is carried out. Koshka will end up swallowed by guided missiles fired by Miyao, and even he and Jayden would end up fighting to their deaths.
Miyao rejects the images he is shown as illusions, but MIYAO calls them a future guaranteed by his existence. He offers Miyao just one way to prevent this future, and that is to will himself to disappear. MIYAO tells him that his biographical details are merely his backstory, and that he is really a program of destruction given that name.
Public Bath
Valentina and Maricarmen enter the room. Valentina turns out to have encountered the same translation error that Chloe did, and Maricarmen makes the same joke. Upon entering, they are inundated with a barrage of friend requests. They introduce themselves, and Maricarmen tells them they can call her Mari. They decide to perform the Public Bath Oath again for the new arrivals.
Background Music
Chapter 4: Parallel Processors.
Gauntlet Knight Training
During an AOU Gauntlet Knight training session, Miyao ends up going off on Jayden with his "lecture mode", overwhelming him with a barrage of trajectory data while chiding his flight inefficiency. Due to this, they end up stalling their training for a moment and are caught by Okonogi in the training room. The Gauntlet Knights however do not take him seriously and make fun of him via mental communication. Chloe accidentally utters her thoughts in speech, a phenomenon known as "self-destructing", and Okonogi responds by doubling down on their training.
Public Bath
After the training, some of the boys from the Battle Standard Festival gathered back at the virtual public bath to hang out and complain about their instructors. The location had become a sort of international gathering spot for the participants, who were now good friends. Due to their ability to parallel process, the young could chat with their friends in a virtual room regardless of their current activities in the physical world. The development of new drugs also eliminated the need for sleep, rendering the concept of time zones meaningless.
Shopping District
Similarly, the shopping district that Jayden was strolling through was also still bustling with activity. As he wanders through it, his mind ruminates over Miyao's lectures and Miyao himself. To Jayden, Miyao was the only person who he felt outmatched him as a Gauntlet Knight, and the criticisms made in his lectures were always valid. Today however, instructor Okonogi had interrupted Miyao's lecture before he could finish off with his usual compliment, and this fact inexplicably left Jayden feeling down.
Game Center
Jayden realizes that he's brooding on Miyao's words way more than he should be. Scanning his surroundings through an information filter, he decides to visit a recommended game center nearby. Though any game could be played on a mental display in this era, game centers still retained their social significance as a site for gamers to bond while playing or watching each other. As Jayden connects to his seat, he is prompted to enter his Kizuna ID to qualify for a promotional campaign. He however had decided to leave his Kizuna turned off, as he often did when he some time alone from his friends.
The game he had chosen was a Gauntlet Knight simulation game, modeled after the actual military simulator and real-world military ships. After getting a feel of the controls, he decides to go for the highest difficulty setting: "Real Gauntlet Knight". The crowd at the game center goes wild over his immense skill at such an infamously difficult setting, which helps to restore his cheerful mood.
Prompted again by the system for his Kizuna ID, Jayden decides to give in and turns it on. He immediately receives a notification that a friend is nearby, and looks around the game center for the source of the signal. Before he can go back to check the details on the notification however, his friend decides to turn their Kizuna off. He scans the store and notices the shadow of a person who looks like Miyao leave through the back door.
Shopping District
Jayden pursues the person and calls out to Miyao, anxiously asking if he had done something to upset his friend. The person however does not respond.
Jayden finally catches up and grabs hold of the person's arms. Looking at the person's face and body, it seemed evident that they must be Miyao, but something about them seemed a little different, and struck Jayden as feminine. Confused, he asks if the person is indeed Miyao, but his question is met with denial.
Restaurant
Jayden decides to take the person to a nearby store. There, he begins wonder if this may be a case of Miyao being a Congenital Parallel Processor (CPP). CPPs are people who are born with multiple consciousnesses in the same body. Consequently, they have a natural talent for parallel processing, and 30% to 60% of Gauntlet Knights are estimated to be CPPs. The person meekly acknowledges that Jayden is right.
Jayden reflects on his past and expresses shame regarding his insensitive behavior towards a CPP friend. His past lack of understanding was something that was still quite common in this era, and few CPPs would come out about it due to this. Feeling regret for his past actions, he decides that he ought to make an effort to treat his friend right. He asks about his friend's name and gender identity, and the person responds that her name is Meow.
Meow apologizes for running away from Jayden and not telling him. While appreciative of his efforts, she tells him not to worry too much about appropriate behavior, since it made the situation a little uncomfortable for her. She tells him that both Miyao and her are present at the same time, and the two divide their observation work during training.
Miyao was the main personality, and as such Meow was often kept hidden away. The two of them had a brother-sister relationship, though other CPP personalities varied depending on the person. At times such as this, Meow would put on makeup and spend the night out somewhere far from Miyao's usual haunts, giving her the opportunity to enjoy herself while reducing the chance that someone who new Miyao would find out that they were a CPP. The situation however makes Jayden a little concerned for her safety, and he offers to be her bodyguard the next time she wants to do this. While expressing his desire to protect his partners Miyao and Meow, Jayden finds himself turning red in embarrassment.
As they continue their chat, Jayden realizes that Meow was probably the one who would give him that small bit of praise at the end of Miyao's lectures. Meow is surprised that he managed to figure this out, and feels heartened by his words. Jayden wonders if this means Miyao is also watching their conversation, but Meow tells him that she is able to shut Miyao out of her experiences for privacy when she wishes to. The two continue to talk through the night about all sorts of things.
Shopping District
As dawn begins to break, they decide it time to finally return home. Meow tells Jayden that she wants to go back secretly in order to hide her identity. Jayden however suggests that it may be better for her to go back with him in that case, as he could simply tell anyone who asked that she was a girl friend of his rather than Miyao. Meow blushes as a result of Kizuna's mistranslation of "girl friend" as "girlfriend".
Meow remarks that even though technology has advanced this far, communication is still made up of so much more than just words, encompassing everything from body language to emotions to setting. Though this was a complaint made much more often by the older generation, the two really did feel that an electronic world and the communication barriers broken down by technology may still not be able to beat face to face interaction.
Background Music
Chapter 5: Vier Dreissig.
Deep Underground
A suited man travels down an elevator, escorted by two guards with no clear affiliation. They reach the bottom and are met by two girls with crystal blue skin and devices on their arms that resemble Gauntlets. The girls conjure gigantic cannons aimed at the guards next to the man; the soldiers had orders not to step outside the elevator, urging the man to go ahead. He steps out of the elevator and the door closes behind him, sending the guards back up. The blue girls send away their cannons and a woman in a lab coat then appears, greeting the man and calling him Doctor. The doctor is shocked to see the woman, using his Selcom to run a facial recognition scan on her; the woman is revealed to be Vier Dreissig, a genius physicist and the inventor of the Dreissig Conversion. Vier was supposed to have received the Bernhard Prize in Physics award for this achievement, but she had mysteriously disappeared from her hotel room in Oslo and was found dead two days later. The Oslo police determined Vier had gotten drunk and fell into a trash compactor, getting incinerated. The doctor is dumbfounded, saying Vier's death had happened so long ago, and she laughs, saying the world they’re in is not for humans, and they’ve moved past the concept of time. The doctor begins asking Vier all sorts of questions, coming to the conclusion that she truly is Vier Dreissig and not someone pretending to be her.
As they walk through the facility, the doctor sees other people in lab coats walking around, face-matching them to other brilliant young scientists who had all vanished after mysterious accidents. Considering the conspiracy theories built around these disappearances, the doctor is amazed to see that all these people are really alive, and Vier replies that it's more fair to say that they’re all dead, having cut off all relations to the surface world. Looking closer at the scientists, the doctor sees that all of them are very enthusiastic despite their ages, giving off a disturbing feel. Vier knows the doctor wants to join her side, saying that their facility is an institution for “translation” instead of research. Spurred by the doctor's confusion, Vier explains that there are many techniques of the gods written in the language of gods, and mere Humans cannot read them so easily; Vier's goal is to translate these techniques and learn their secrets. The doctor wishes to know more, but Vier says she only shows this "Wisdom" to people who are already comrades. The doctor then makes a joke about this Wisdom being left behind by ancient civilizations, and Vier takes offense to it, saying that the source of Wisdom means nothing to them. Vier's subodinates dedicate their time and money to translating Wisdom becuse they enjoy it.
Vier then remembers that the doctor has said many times into his Kizuna that he wishes to touch the wisdom of the gods, even if it means losing his life. The doctor nervously says he’ll only join them if he sees one of these Wisdom, and Vier decides to make an exception if it means recruiting the doctor’s talent. However, there’s one other condition: Vier wants the doctor to tell her about the Three Kings, knowing he was sent by them to investigate her. Having been found out, the doctor tries to call for help on his Selcom but keeps getting error messages. Vier laughs, having encountered many other agents of the Three Kings and converting them to her side once they learn the joys of translating Wisdom. One of the other scientists from earlier, Ogawa Seiei, suddenly appears, cackling madly. Vier explains that Ogawa was also an agent of the Three Kings, and has since joined her side after learning of wisdom. The doctor becomes horrified at the idea that Ogawa had been transformed into a madman with everything not necessary for translation ripped out of him, and he becomes surrounded by blue Gauntlet girls.
Simulators
Miyao and Jayden are having a duel while Gunhild and Grave Mole watch. Miyao winds up victorious, and Lilja and Koshka prepare to fight next. Gauntlet Knights were always going through strict training, but all of their instructors were adults and couldn’t actually use Gauntlets, giving what amounted to armchair advice. Therefore, Gauntlet Knights had to train by fighting with each other, similar to what fighter pilots did when transitioning from 2D space to 3D space. The simulators helped Gauntlet Knights train, but it also put a lot of strain on their brains because of the Dreissig Conversion, which used glucose to convert Spiritium into energy. As such, Gauntlet Knights ate lots of dessert and sweets to build up their glucose levels.
Cafeteria
Warcat and Grave Mole are joined in the cafeteria surrounded by dessert, their underclassmen eager to hear the results of their training. Miyao examines Gunhild’s flying, who does spirals while flying between dlag A and flag B. Miyao says that Gauntlet Knights can fly in impossible ways, but being too impossible will use up more energy, so he suggests to stop fighting gravity when a GK doesn’t need to move in dramatic ways. The underclassmen ask a bunch of questions to Miyao, and Jayden sits down next to him with a big plate of dessert. He comments on how Miyao’s toppings always look so pretty, and Miyao doesn’t respond. Instead, he sends Jayden another mock battle critique, and Miyao says that Jayden’s changed recently, and it’s creeping him out.
Miyao remembers how Jayden used to be more brutal during combat, but now Jayden is giving him compliments like “you’re nothing less than beautiful” and asking that Miyao use Jayden's towel because “your sweat smells pretty good.” Jayden retorts that they’re partners and that it’s normal for guys to do that, and Miyao mentions how Jayden keeps getting too close to him, smelling him and messing with his hair. Miyao storms off and Jayden follows him, watched by Gunhild and Chloe. Jayden tries tickling Miyao to get him to relax, and he starts laughing while trying to fight him off. Jayden starts tickling Miyao in his back and Meow comes out, whose face turns red while telling Jayden that her back is really sensitive. Jayden is surprised to see Meow, and she gives control back to Miyao, who yells for Jayden to get off of him.
Background Music
Chapter 6: An Identity Confusion Violation.
Public Bath
Jayden regrets having tickled Miyao like that and is conversing with Andry, Stanislaw, Momotake, Ishak, and Abdou, getting advice on what to do. Jayden texted Miyao an apology, but he never responded to it. Stan asks if Jayden isn’t a CPP, and Momotake mentions that CPPs dislike it when people get confused when interacting with their multiple personalities. Jayden asks if anybody there is a CPP, and Ishak tells him that it’s a bad thing to ask, as not many CPPs who have come out have enjoyed the experience. Single Personalities are actually a minority when it comes to Gauntlet Knights, and there are cases where someone falls in love with one personality of a CPP and their other personality starts to hate them; this often happens when one of the partners is a Single Personality. Stan figures that Jayden developed romantic feelings for Meow and subconsciously started treating Miyao as the opposite sex, much to Jayden’s embarrassment.
In another Public Bath room, Miyao, Meow, Lingji, Rethabile, Naomi, and Naima are talking to the Mitakes about their relationship with Jayden. Meow thought Miyao was too harsh when he went off on Jayden, where Miyao thought their bond was like a family, becoming shocked when Jayden started treating him like a girl. The other girls all think this fight happened because of identity confusion, with Naomi thinking Jayden wasn’t properly educated about CPPs. Aysha jokes that Miyao doesn’t like being seen as a girl because he’s thin like one, and this prompts Miyao and Meow to start arguing with each other; Miyao never exercised and put on muscle because he thought Meow wouldn’t like it if her body didn’t look female, and then Meow claims she never said anything like that. As Miyao and Meow fight (looking like Miyao pinching himself and pulling his cheeks), the girls realize that Miyao was also at fault because of his inferiority complex about his body, and they relay this information to Jayden’s group. Stan and Naomi determine that Jayden and Miyao can make amends through a male bonding ceremony, and they contact Gunhild. Jayden doesn't want to bring other AOU members into his problem with Miyao, and Stan replies that Gunhild knows the two of them best; Gunhild soon texts her fellow Warcats, wanting them to join her at a specific location. Jayden and Miyao leave, and the rest of the Gauntlet boys and girls meet up to talk about their own problems.
The virtual room is summarily emptied, and MIYAO suddenly appears, this time sporting a body with crystal blue skin. He’d given himself a new body because things were getting confusing, plus it matched his tastes. MIYAO finds it a strange era, one where soldiers, whose jobs are to fight enemies, decide to not do so. Even if the Gauntlet Knights were to try to uphold the Walls of Peace, even if war still broke out, it would not be enough to solve anything, and the cost would be very high. Miyao swears that the Gauntlet Knights won’t kill each other, but MIYAO doesn’t care, having come to tell him of a prophecy. He asks if Miyao knows about the Three Kings, a group of old men who claim to be humanity's guides. MIYAO states that the Three Kings are planning to create hell on earth, a world where humans hate each other as part of their plot to end the world; the Gauntlet Knights who were just getting along and sharing relationship advice will wind up killing each other amidst anger and sadness. Miyao swears that he will prevent this hell on earth, and MIYAO tells him that the only way he can do it is to find the Three Kings and kill them.
Yeladot Shavit suddenly barges into the Public Bath, proclaiming loudly that religion and gender cannot separate those who are in love. After seeing that the virtual room is completely empty, Yeladot Shavit leaves as quickly as they arrived. MIYAO then laughs, saying that even the comet girls will die unless Miyao kills the Kings or kills himself.
Training Room
Miyao and Jayden are engaging each other in a boxing match, punching each other and sweating buckets while Gunhild watches. She agrees with Stan’s idea of having boys restore their friendship through releasing their fighting instincts. After an exchange of taunts, Jayden winds up to deal a finishing blow, but Miyao suddenly cries out for him to stop, making Jayden think it was Meow saying that. Miyao uses this opening to launch a cross-counter, which fails because his arm is too short. Getting beaten because of a height differene once again, Miyao falls over exhausted and starts complaining about his height. Jayden says the Meow trick won’t work on him because he’s already memorized the way Miyao and Meow talk. Miyao exclaims that he’ll train harder and harder to defeat beasts like Jayden, and Meow derides him for calling his best friend a beast. Miyao and Meow fight once again, and Meow tells Jayden to keep training her brother since he’s actually very grateful for it.
LATO Brazil
Toujirou goes to a LATO Brazilian bar and meets up with a cheery man, drinking together and talking about an amazing musical score Toujirou had recently found. Toujirou asks if the man was able to play the score, and he replies with doubt that not even five people in the world could play it. Keropoyo notes that Toujirou has received 13 data items, and the topic of conversation quickly switches to that of 8MS blueprints. The cheery man wants to know how Toujirou got a hold of these Environmental 8MS blueprints, saying they should've been kept under close guard by their original countries; Toujirou calls it a business secret.
The origin of 8MS is explained, being a series of nanomachine systems designed to do just about anything, starting with purifying the earth's atmosphere and changing the environment. The development of 8MS brought similar concerns to that of the hydrogen bomb, where humans thought their usage would cause a chain reaction to destroy the planet.
Toujirou says it really isn't that simple, noting that developing 8MS takes a lot of resources and work; the IPMA manages all 8MS research, and every country shares data with one another, so it’s impossible to make a malicious 8MS. Toujirou and the cheery man wonder what was going on in the hacker’s head when they got a hold of these 8MS blueprints, joking that they must've been a supergenius moron who only hacked the systems just to sell the blueprints. Toujirou and the cheery man talk more about the blueprints, revealing them to be various kinds of purification systems; 8MS to purify water and air, essentials for human life to thrive. With other forms of environmental 8Ms, a terrorist could easily take advantage of them and destroy the world if they so chose. Toujirou rebuffs this hypothetical, saying the terrorist wouldn't be able to do it because every lab on Earth is monitored, and the cheery man jokingly suggests that maybe a lab deep underground could do it. Toujirou acts confused, saying his Kizuna translates the man's Portuguese weird sometimes, and the cheery man leaves for an upcoming appointment.
Valentina then arrives to sit next to Toujirou. Some MPs from the LATO military also appear, and Valentina tells Toujirou that they could’ve arranged for a proper welcome if he’d told them earlier. Valentina says His Excellency wishes to see Toujirou and he accepts, walking with her as the MPs escort them.
Background Music
Chapter 7: The Three Kings.
Mysterious Room
The Three Kings watch the world news, where Prime Minister Zeidan of ACR Libya had supposedly passed away because of illness, but it was discovered that he died from a gunshot wound. A civilian claims that the ACR Royal Family assassinated him, and they want the ABN to provide humanitarian military support. An ACR Royal Family Press Secretary, Rafini, says they lied about Zeidan’s cause of death because they were still performing an investigation and didn’t want to cause panic. Rafini then says secret agents in the ABN Guidance Department, who have always challenged the hegemony of Africa, were responsible for the crime, having arrested a man and a woman and sent a notice to Interpol saying that four others are involved.
The narrator is about to report that the ABN Department of Friendship, their equivalent to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expresses regret at these comments, but another reporter cuts them off with news that ABN Pakistan’s mining machines have started functioning again, marking the end of the Kashmir Spirit Field Dispute agreement. A commentator reminds viewers that the spirit field discovered in the Kashmir region was a source of dispute between the ABN and COU, who each claimed control of the region while encouraging the other to show self-restraint. COU China and COU India’s Foreign Ministers have released statements criticizing the ABN for this action, demanding that the ABN take responsibility for breaching their agreement and resuming mining operations. Jestress comments on how exciting the world news is, and the King of Sorrow says news announcements are just the reading of the Three Kings’ manuscript. The news commentators start talking about the Glass Sea, where a spirit field of Rare Spiritium was also found there. AOU Japan did a soil analysis but withheld their results, effectively preventing COU Japan from performing their own analysis. This has caused a dispute between the two regions; AOU Japan wants to maintain the Glass Sea’s status as neutral territory and COU Japan wants to claim the western half as theirs, planning to station border guards there.
A black-suited man refers to Seshat as Her Excellency and passes a report from their comrades in COU Japan that border guards will be stationed in 48 hours. Seshat replies that things are proceeding smoothly, impressed that they’ve been able to recover after losing most of their pieces in the big war 100 years ago. The black-suited man also reports that their pawns all over the world have started moving all at once, wanting to know if they should make a move too. Seshat says it’ll be fine, thinking humanity needs to have half of the world destroyed. She likens civilization to a unicycle that humanity’s riding, where if they stop, they fall, and so humanity must keep moving. Civilization has to end however, and when it happens, “they” will appear to host a harvest festival and reap everything; World War IV would be much more humane by comparison.
The news reports that the ACR Combined Navy has deployed their warship "Atlantis" into the Atlantis Spirit Field, and AOU America wants them to withdraw it, otherwise the AOU American Navy will send a fleet to them. A commentator explains that the "Atlantis" is classified as a warship but is actually a Superfortress-class Segmented Warship, made from 7 linked warships. Another news report comes in that the ACR Royal Family wants Supreme Chancellor Belloumi of the Liberal Democratic Party African Liberation Front to be returned to them, who is currently receiving political asylum in COU Madagascar. They also reference 12 murders, including that of Prime Minister Zeidan. A narrator thinks the COU will not respond to this problem, as it will complicate matters in the Mozambique Channel regarding travel restrictions near the Lemurian Spirit Field. It’s then reported that the ABN Oracle Department has issued a cease-and-desist to the Seven State Alliance in Western ABN Ukraine, which wants to seek admission into AOU Russia. The AOU Russian military is concentrated on ABN Ukraine’s border and has hinted that they will enter as part of a humanitarian operation to protect Russian citizens. The ABN Peace Department has opposed this, with suspicions that religious issues behind-the-scenes that have been suppressed are now exploding, not helped by the arrests of several VIPs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
A blogger thinks it’s a conspiracy by LATO, claiming they want the other four factions to wipe themselves out. The blogger calls for the anti-pacifist LATO to be taken down and for them to share their Rare Spiritum fields to the rest of the world. Some commentators talk about how LATO was always made the villain of various conspiracy theories. Many major countries who looked down on LATO’s allies back in the B3W era were unsatisfied with LATO’s leadership.
LATO Brazil Hotel
Toujirou had been escorted by Valentina and her military police guards to eat with His Excellency in a private hotel room. His Excellency tells Toujirou about how there’s been a lot of unsettling news that day, and Toujirou says His Excellency knew all about it beforehand. They lament how humans are despicable, feeling superior just from knowing things sooner, and Toujirou says they should all get sobered up if World War IV hits. His Excellency laughs and then says tension like this builds during peacetime and makes for good news stories when everyone makes up in the end. Toujirou adds that humans will forget how precious peace is and how grateful they are to those who fought for it if they don’t experience some tension every now and then.
These worldwide incidents will finally give countries a chance to show off their military prowess, whose only job thus far is earning medals in the Battle Standard Festival. Humans respect proactive occupations but disrespect reactive ones. Militaries were supposed to be guarding the Walls of Peace, but they’ve been facing declining budgets in recent years. Healthy military balance led to protected national borders, and the invention of the Gauntlet had made most militaries obsolete; militaries worldwide would probably be dismantled, much to the expense of old, high-ranking members. These global tensions rising were a chance for many old veterans to retire and rake in some money.
His Excellency compliments Toujirou for his work as a broker, saying he’s got a friend in the Department of Defense who made a killing because of him. Toujirou wonders who that person might be, as he has a rule for business partners to not reveal anything. His Excellency assures him that his friend will never speak of Toujirou again, and then says he has lots of strong cards to support Toujirou with. Toujirou asks to see one of these cards, and upon request by His Excellency, an MP sends him an email. Toujirou had been sent a recording of a top-secret meeting at the IPMA, who decided to take a wait-and-see approach regarding the simultaneous feuds popping up all over the world. Toujirou likes what he sees, saying his own cards are no match for His Excellency’s. His Excellency asks to be Toujirou’s business partner, offering a handshake; Toujirou takes it, but their handshake is unique, one involving a strange arrangement of fingers. His Excellency celebrates being Toujirou’s new friend, promising to earn him lots of money. He then asks to see a card of Toujirou’s, who asks if His Excellency has any stock in Environmental 8MS-related companies. Toujirou suggests that he sell them off bit by bit, and His Excellency becomes concerned, asking why. Toujirou says that’s another card of his, but he suggests that if anything were to happen to the Environmental 8MS, the world will suddenly go back to hating nanomachines like 100 years ago, and it will already be too late. Understanding the danger, His Excellency tells Valentina to inform the Public Safety Office that they may remove their mark on Toujirou, as they are friends.
Valentine salutes and leaves the room, and she then receives a message from Maricarmen. Mari is freaking out about all the worldwide news, afraid that she might be caught up in some kind of conspiracy. Mari is afraid that war will break out, as she only became a Gauntlet Knight because she wanted to fly. Valentina sends a message telling her not to worry, as the world is just amusing themselves with a situation that looks like war, similar to how people enjoy being scared by ghosts on Halloween. After it’s sent, Valentina laments that Mari is a fool; she became a soldier because she wanted to fly while others have predicted the future and are aiming to survive and get rich. Valentina remarks that Mari’s cheap resolve is going to cost her.
Neo Akihabara
Jayden and Meow meet up for a date in Neo Akihabara, where Meow is now sporting a pink dress. Inside a virtual room, the male Gauntlet Knights are watching Jayden’s interactions with Meow and commenting on them. Jayden compliments Meow on her appearance, saying she looks cute when she’s not Miyao; Stanislaw immediately berates him, saying one shouldn’t be comparing a CPP’s personality to their other personalities. Meow is having trouble walking because of the shoes she picked out, and the guys offer Jayden some lines to use on her. In another virtual room, the female Gauntlet Knights are also watching Jayden and Meow’s date, giving the latter advice as well.
Meow was always hiding in Miyao’s shadow and so Jayden never got to talk to her often, so one night he messaged her while Meow was asleep. He had asked Meow out and set up their date to be in Neo Akihabara, a city in the center of Tokyo. It was named after Akihabara, said to be the holy land of otaku culture with many restaurants, conventions, and other sorts of shops. Jayden had intended to go somewhere girls would like, but the guys told him to go somewhere that caters to everybody instead. The Gauntlet Knights all talk about Neo Akihabara, and Jayden and Meow talk about their interests. Jayden thinks about how much his affection towards Meow has grown, amazed that the inside of a human is more important than their outside. Jayden asks the guys if they’re still around, preparing to ask what may be an inappropriate question since he still misunderstands CPPs and wants to be more considerate. The guys voice their support, and Jayden then asks what Miyao or Meow’s sex is.
Out of consideration for various genders, the AOU was a nation that was anti-sexual-discrimination, with residents of AOU countries not requiring they put their sexes on their IDs. Information about sex was only shared at medical institutions between the resident and their doctor, and the information would be removed after a certain time anyway. There were also public bathrooms that accommodated both males and females, only having stalls; Gauntlet Knights had their own private rooms and showers to go with them. Additionally, any action that could be used to determine someone’s sex was illegal in the AOU.
Jayden had no idea what Miyao’s biological sex was since he has a neutral build, and Jayden was concerned over building a relationship with someone, getting steady with them and then escalating towards sex with a 50% chance they might not be biologically compatible. Andry knows that Jayden didn’t fall in love with Meow because of her body, and Stan suggests that Jayden resolve this issue with Meow quickly, for the sake of his mental health. Ishak asks what will happen if Meow’s body is male, and Jayden becomes even more unsure of what to do. Abdou says that’s up for Jayden and Meow to decide where their relationship goes afterwards.
Jayden and Meow grew up in the same cultural sphere and had similar values on romance, plus the AOU accepted all genders and legalized same-sex marriages. However, not all factions were the same way; the Gauntlet Knights may have given different advice if Jayden and Meow were from different cultural spheres. Jayden asks if his relationship with Meow could’ve gotten messy if they weren’t both from the AOU, and Stan mentions that the ABN accepted homosexuality on the surface but the Unified Religious Council hasn’t made a proper decision regarding it. Ishak mentions that the ACR accepted same-sex marriages, but one of the princes came out as gay and was then chased out of the royal succession, becoming a monk. Jayden laments that the world has so many issues to it, and Andry asks if he remembers his squadmate Rukhi. COU Saudi Arabia had a culture that considered it immoral for men and women to share the same workplace. When it was found Rukhshana’s squad would have a man in it, there was a lot of fuss raised in her home country; the COU government intervened and the king of COU Saudi Arabia announced that Rukhshana had special permission, allowing her to stay on. Andry was the ace of Suparna and the government couldn’t just let go of him for Rukhshana’s sake.
Andry and Momotake tell Jayden how fortunate he is to live in a nation where the issue of relationships only concerns the two people involved. Despite how different the laws and cultures of each nation are, they have been built upon over many years; if their culture doesn’t fit the current era, it’s up to the people living within that cultural sphere to change things.
Jayden decides to talk it out with Meow, not worrying about what others say and instead focusing on deepening his relationship with her. As Jayden and Meow’s relationship deepens, they’ll figure out the proper distance they’ll need to keep around each other. Jayden figures they’re already working on it since he and Meow have been so relaxed after coming to Neo Akihabara, and Meow turns to Jayden, saying he probably wants to know her biological sex. Jayden starts to panic, and then he realizes Meow must’ve had a conference with the female Gauntlet Knights like he was doing. Jayden tells Meow that he loves her, saying he fell in love not because Meow’s a girl but because she’s Meow. He doesn’t want to force Meow to tell him what her sex is, and then Jayden jokes that maybe he isn’t a guy after all, having long hair and might be wearing miniskirts in his room. Meow laughs, and Jayden says they live in a time where the ciconia don’t carry babies, so worries about biological sex are a thing of the past. Meow still thinks it’s unfair to him, as she likes Jayden for being wonderful, and he likes Meow even though he doesn’t know her sex.
The other Gauntlet Knights talk about their own views on gender and love, and Meow says she wants to tell Jayden about her sex one day, wanting to prepare herself mentally for it. If Jayden and Meow continue to be in a relationship by Christmas Day, then Meow will tell him. Jayden accepts this proposal, and then tells Meow that she is a wonderful girlfriend and loves her regardless of what her sex is. The two of them walk past a home appliance store, where a TV on display features a news reporter standing in front of the IPMA HQ in LATO Brazil. Many simultaneous conflicts have sprung up around the world, and the IPMA is concerned that any interventions at this point may benefit or harm other factions, so they’ll be waiting for things to de-escalate. The reporter is about to say more, but they’re cut off by Keropoyo asking if anybody has upgraded to his latest version yet. A notice then appears on screen, reminding readers that this is the cutoff point for videos and streams.
Background Music
Chapter 8: The Third Aptitude.
Geroy Level 4 Heavy Military Research Center
Inside a massive training facility, Gauntlet Knights are doing military drills, the instructors barking out commands. This facility was the Geroy Level 4 Heavy Military Research Center, which used to be an AOU Russia medicine research center. It was now being used by the AOU Combined Military for training Gauntlet Knights.
One group is running on a track, with the instructor insulting the kids who’ve fallen behind. He orders everyone except for the two kids in first place and deals physical punishments to them. Corporal punishments against children were forbidden in all AOU educational institutions, but this place was unaffiliated with any institution, thus they could punish kids without mercy. The kids in this facility were split into classes based on their ages and builds, with the youngest looking too young even for grade school. This place was not peaceful and fun like a kindergarten, and the instructors would yell at these kids all the time; the expressions on their faces were not something to be expected from children their age.
Several cameras were filming this scene and playing it back in a monitor room. Many inspection officers from all over the AOU were watching these kids and listening to a staff member explaining things. These officers all spoke different languages; translation tools could be added to Selcoms to make translating languages very easy, but these officers were old and couldn’t run Selcoms very well with their brains, thus they were accompanied by translators.
The staff member explains that Parallel Processing Power is important for measuring someone’s aptitude to become a Gauntlet Knight, but just because their P3 levels are high doesn't mean one can automatically become a GK. If someone has high P3 levels but also has a fear of heights, enlisting in the Aerial Augmented Infantry is not for them; neither is having decent P3 levels but lacking spatial awareness. P3 levels and GK aptitude are important, but this facility focused on researching a third kind of aptitude. An officer thinks this third aptitude must be fighting spirit, and Okonogi chuckles, saying that many kids these days are lacking in it.
The third type of aptitude is actually self-empowerment, or confidence. Humans were able to draw out their abilities based on their confidence in themselves, but nobody had researched how to induce this effect. Someone who lacks confidence and notices something important may second-guess themselves, thinking they saw it wrong. Someone who has lots of confidence will trust their instincts and trust in the important thing they saw; this difference meant life or death to a Gauntlet Knight flying through the sky at 140 meters per second. Gauntlet Knights needed to have enough confidence to go along with their aptitude and P3 levels. However, confidence has to be acquired, something one gains after repeated experiences.
In B3W, education encouraging growth through praise was very common, but no one knew of any favorable results coming from it. The strict training and corporal punishment used at Geroy was like the answer to that. Okonogi had grown up in a world where educational institutions used corporal punishment, and he was unconvinced that this could be used to make kids confident. The restoration following World War III was peaceful, and people assumed kids were slacking off because they never experienced any major wars, thus they were punished very strictly. Okonogi thought that kids in the modern era needed something to help nourish them, but he still didn’t think corporal punishment would solve that. He says that many kids have gotten good grades after becoming confident, and the staff member tells Okonogi that that’s exactly what they’ve discovered at Geroy: self-empowerment can be effectively achieved by experiencing victory.
People blessed with talent cannot achieve anything if they lack confidence. On the other hand, those who lack talent from the start will never achieve anything no matter how much confidence they have, and will wind up getting in the way of those who do have talent. Therefore, self-empowerment must only be given to those who have talent. The B3W world knew of the existence of self-empowerment, but didn’t know how to cultivate it. School education was unintentionally providing an environment for building confidence. Early levels of education had split students into classes, not factoring in how good their grades were. Mandatory education in the AOU put students into classes at random, and in the higher levels, they would be divided based on their grades and sent to institutions that matched their level of talent. However, academic ability varies a lot between children, so why aren’t classes split based on ability? The method the AOU uses appears to be splitting students evenly. In biology, animals formed social hierarchies within their groups, and humans do the same. It was believed that individuals with less ability to survive would be cast out, leaving the strong to reproduce.
At Geroy, they discovered that experiencing victory is the most important factor to self-empowerment; the more it happens at a young age, the stronger the person’s confidence is. In other words, whether or not someone is a winner or a loser is determined at a young age; Okonogi doesn’t understand who was able to come up with this technique. He’d believed education was an example of showing society’s unfairness: breaking the rules gets one scolded, but being the only one following them makes them an outcast. People learn who to be nice to and who to stay away from, and mandatory education was a way to beat all of these rules into kids. Okonogi then considers if the true purpose of education was actually something else: locking up the elite students into the same class as their prey.
At Geroy, certain students are marked based on their talent, and they’re placed into classes designed such that they will experience a sufficient amount of victory, thereby increasing their confidence. The monitors recording the training children displayed every kid's ID inside a green box, but one girl had a blue box instead. This singled-out girl (the Blue) was doing long-distance running, and despite how much pain she seemed to be in, she was ahead of everybody else while the other kids (the Greens) looked exhausted just pretending to run. The instructor blows his whistle, calling everyone to line up. The Blue still had some energy left in her while everyone else was staggering to get in line, and the instructor summarily beats the Greens. The staff member explains that the Blue was their target, with the Greens part of their environment constructed to make the Blue experience victory. He pulls up a monitor showing the Blue's condition and data, all collected from her Internal 8MS. She was very exhausted after doing heavy exercise, but her mental state was shown to have improved. This environment was made to improve the confidence of the Blue by giving her a sense of superiority from having the best grades in the class while everybody else had low grades and were punished. An officer asks if this environment will result in the girl getting a big head and discouraging her from working hard, and the staff member replies that hard work is only necessary for average people.
Out of all the children in the world, less than 200,000 children have the talent required to join the Aerial Augmented Infantry, and those with sufficient P3 levels and aptitude to be in the top 1% are geniuses, supergeniuses even. Supergeniuses don’t need hard work but enough confidence in their own abilities. An officer asks if this Blue girl is a supergenius, and Okonogi replies that she’s one of theirs: Second Lieutenant Chloe Ironside, formerly in the Canadian Air Force. Chloe looks at all the kids getting reprimanded, feeling a hint of relief that she wasn’t getting punished like them and feeling superior. The instructor harshly scolds the kids and demeans them while beating them. Harsh training like this had to be endured in order to become a Gauntlet Knight, and these kids had signed contracts where they weren’t allowed to leave until a certain amount of time passed. However, these kids had all filled out a general application form and were all given green ID boxes; Geroy was not intending to grant the Greens their dreams of becoming Gauntlet Knights. An officer sees that the harsher the punishments, the greater the feeling of victory is, and the staff member adds that contingency fees and other methods of success aren’t cost effective. Another officer asks Okonogi if Chloe was the one to represent them at the Battle Standard Festival, and he replies that Chloe’s talent was very high class, but she couldn’t produce results, thus she ended up at Geroy.
Virtual Room
Chloe enters a virtual room to be greeted by Lilja and Koshka. The other Grave Moles are brimming with energy, but Chloe is still very tired from exercising. Lilja starts boasting about her skills and insulting Chloe, and it’s shown that Lilja’s sensation data is being projected into the room as part of parallel thinking training. Lilja has first place with her very high P3 levels, seeing as how she’s one of AOU Finland’s top Gauntlet Knight aces. Lilja was very satisfied after seeing how much her level was compared to her other training mates, but Chloe shows concern over the audio data of an instructor berating a bunch of kids. She laments how the instructor was specifically insulting the poor performers in such a way to shame them and cause them mental anguish.
Chloe wonders if there’s something wrong with her, not wanting to beat down a bunch of other people just because she wanted to be a Gauntlet Knight. Koshka says Chloe should just drop out if she doesn’t like seeing others cry, and Lilja says that Chloe doesn’t need to be soft. Chloe wants to know why they have to use others as stepping stools to reach their dreams, and Lilja replies that only a select few people can become Gauntlet Knights, so she must beat down everyone for the sake of her dreams.
After some thinking, Chloe then asks why there are so many kids around; humanity was almost destroyed in WWIII, and they’ve recovered past that point, so why are more kids being created? Lilja simply says that one can never have too many dice for the next time they have to be rolled. Chloe doesn’t like the idea of being dice in someone’s game, and Koshka replies that because Chloe rolled a six, she got to be a Gauntlet Knight. All of them are GKs because they rolled sixes; the people who roll ones get weeded out all on their own. After being reassured that Chloe isn’t bringing anyone down, she apologizes to her squad mates for being so negative. Lilja suggests that Chloe cheer up by taking more meds; Lilja was acting very happy because she may have taken more than her usual amount of stimulants, but Chloe had a natural resistance to them, so a quick shot was not enough. Koshka tells Chloe to relax because she isn’t a “one”, and Chloe thanks her and leaves the virtual room.
Lilja and Koshka talk about how rough it must be for Chloe, and how they aren’t making things any easier for her. Koshka muses that if the world is hard for Chloe to live in but easy for broken people like them, then the world must be really messed up. She thinks the world should’ve been destroyed back in WWIII, and Lilja says it already was; they’re living in a world of death now. Koshka swears that she will destroy this screwed-up world, and Gunhild enters the room asking for Chloe. Lilja says she just missed her, and then asks Gunhild how she did during training. Gunhild had an easy time, saying people who roll a six or seven have it very easy, enough to make one jealous.
Geroy
Back inside the Geroy facility, Chloe suddenly runs into Okonogi, who yells at her and delivers a karate chop to her head. He asks Chloe why she’s slacking off in her training even when he’s not there, saying he watched Chloe from the monitor room. Okonogi could tell that Chloe’s mind was wandering and made her hesitate; Chloe apologizes as Okonogi deals even more karate chops to her head. Chloe’s grades weren’t actually bad, but Okonogi was berating her for it anyway. An officer appears, asking Okonogi to translate something for him, and recognizes Chloe as the Blue girl from earlier. A staff member also appears and asks Okonogi not to interfere with development targets without permission, as corporal punishment can screw up Chloe’s confidence, and then Okonogi goes off on him.
Okonogi says that Chloe will never turn her cowardice into fighting spirit while she’s in an institution like this, and giving her karate chops is the best way to do it. Okonogi gives Chloe another series of chops, much to the staff member’s dismay, and Okonogi tells Chloe to leave with him. He says Geroy isn’t suited for someone like Chloe and that he’ll get her fighting spirit back into shape. The staff member is about to say that Okonogi can’t take Chloe out without following proper procedures, and Okonogi gives him another lecture. Geroy’s broken style of training may work for broken people like Lilja and Koshka, being treated like equipment, but Chloe isn’t broken at all. The officer sees that Okonogi is still as hot-blooded as ever, and the captain gives one last message to the staff member: it’s true that Lilja and Koshka are Geroy’s equipment, but Tetsurou Okonogi is Grave Mole’s instructor, and anyone who messes with them will receive Okonogi’s karate chops. Okonogi and Chloe finally leave, and the officer comments that he prefers Okonogi’s methods.
Virtual Room
Back inside the virtual room, Lilja, Koshka, and Gunhild are still talking when Koshka suddenly glitches out. Gunhild is confused while Lilja says Koshka’s Kizuna must be acting up, as Koshka is saying gibberish while phasing in and out. Lilja laughs at Koshka’s predicament and says she’ll record her gibberish and play it back later. Koshka stabilizes for a bit, apologizing for how rough it got, and Lilja suggests they get off for the day. Koshka says her drugs are wearing off because “the guys today” were sloppy, and she suddenly disconnects from the virtual room, which Keropoyo says is due to an error. Lilja decides to leave as well and bids farewell to Gunhild, but Lilja’s cut off and also suddenly disconnects due to error. Gunhild ruminates that the difference between people who can enjoy their youth and those who can’t is harsh, and Koshka repeatedly rejoins and exits the virtual room, still speaking gibberish. Gunhild bids farewell, and Koshka says “nononononono” before Gunhild disconnects.
“Nonononononono” keeps being repeated, and it’s shown that Koshka’s naked body is lying on a bed, her head opened up and her brain taken apart and strewn out. Koshka's bed had harnesses attached to it, all connected to machines. Doctors wearing airtight suits are reading the graphs displayed on these machines, and a doctor reads that the data transfer is holding at the Madonna’s Maximum Speed. Another doctor refers to Koshka as "the Pandora," noticing that the burden on her is increasing and asks if they should use more painkiller. Their request is denied, as it’ll add noise, and they want to hold at the current rate.
About 10 other girls were in the room with Koshka, their heads opened up in a similar fashion. One doctor reports that Subjects 040 through 048 are NULL, while 049 received a signal; Subjects 048 and under are to be disposed of. The lights dim around the girls except for one, who was apparently being made to reproduce something from Koshka’s brain. The machines monitoring this girl start sounding alarms, and a doctor reports that 049 is receiving the signal well and is getting minimal noise. It’s noted that Koshka has been at the pain limit level for over a minute, and they’ll need the Director General’s permission to continue the experiment for longer. 049’s noise rate is at 0.193, but it’s far from their goal of 1.15; the doctor says to suspend the experiment and give painkillers to Koshka, leaving it up to the surgery team.
Subjects 040 through 049 will be disposed of in accordance with the Human Rights Manual, and the other girls are injected with hypnocine. 12 seconds pass, and the doctors determine that it’s humane enough, sending the Subjects to the examination department. The girls all around Koshka are then dropped into a gaping abyss, even though their heads were still torn apart. These girls had volunteered because they had dreams of flying in the sky, not to be specimens in some experiment; these girls were all Greens, while the Blues, the ones who would really be able to fly, were chosen when they were just fertilized eggs.
Koshka is given painkillers, taking her out of the pain limit level, and a doctor wishes that if they had another Pandora, they could’ve pushed through. They ask if anybody has been able to find another one, and another doctor replies that Pandora’s Box was a gift from the gods, so they can’t expect a replacement for “Miss Kitty.” Koshka’s bed is automatically wheeled out into the surgery department so her head can be stitched back together using robot arms and 4D printers, where they had replicas of Koshka’s skull using synthesized calcium.
Koshka returns to the virtual room, relieved that the pain has died down. She asks if anybody is still there, and is greeted by Lilja repeatedly joining and leaving the room. Koshka asks Lilja what’s going on, but she speaks gibberish in response. Koshka is amused, saying she’ll record Lilja speaking and play it back to her later.
Deep Underground
Inside a library, the doctor that visited Vier is reading books. He was reading tons of books and putting them into a pile, getting so engrossed that he would keep reading even after the pile fell on him. Vier then appears, saying his new look suits him. The doctor embarrassingly rubs his head, still not used to the feel of it. Translation in excess can harm the body, so Vier wants to take a walk with the doctor for a change in atmosphere. Vier drags him out of the pile, and she mentions that these books were written by the best translators all throughout history. The little bits of God’s wisdom they noticed and work they did still provide contributions to Vier’s work.
Vier supposes that the doctor was interested in immortality, judging by the books he was reading. Several of Vier’s comrades have attempted to translate wisdom regarding eternal youth, though one of them gave up and started working on teleportation. Vier takes the doctor on a tour and goes to a room which had many machines, pipes and power cords everywhere. Vier says the comrade in this room had invented 8MS to make the body forever young, figuring that he succeeded and motions to a display showing what appeared to be a bacteriophage. Vier muses that the closer they get to unlocking the mysteries of life, the more they find things that resemble what God has created.
Vier is asked by the doctor if he can try out the Immortality 8MS, but she says to wait until it’s fully complete. It makes humans immortal, but it also inflames the skin, causes pimples and blisters to appear, wracks the body with fevers, and impairs their consciousness. Vier expresses her jealousy that her comrade has found joy in translating this aspect, and then wonders where he went off to. Vier then realizes where he is, giggling and leaving the room with the doctor. Her comrade then is shown to have hung himself from a pipe in the back of the room; it wasn’t done recently, but he was probably still alive thanks to his invention.
Vier and the doctor descend a spiral staircase into the lowest level of the underground lab. They come upon a ring-shaped catwalk, where there was a hole gazing into a deep black void. Blue-skinned girls are silently standing at attention, and Vier tells them to pay the doctor no mind. This place they’re in is Vier’s favorite place, telling the doctor to gaze into the abyss. Inside that abyss was what appeared to be a giant hatch. Vier says that beyond that hatch is 1000 years into the future, and that the hatch was already there by the time Vier first came there. She didn’t know who translated it or when, but the partial translation they had explained that a “twisted, isolated spacetime” is in that hatch, and anybody who goes in there will emerge a thousand years later. Unlike the Immortality 8MS, this was supposed to keep the person young and healthy for that time; a time capsule, in other words. Vier imagines that a thousand years from now, there will be unknown civilizations, art, and knowledge, but some of her comrades say humanity will be destroyed 1000 years from now.
This time capsule wasn’t activated and was empty; someone made it to send someone or something into the future, but what? Vier wonders if humanity of the future will open it with high hopes and despair to find nothing inside, giggling at the thought. The doctor, meanwhile, keeps gazing into the abyss, giggling and rubbing his head over and over again. It's shown that he had been lobotomized, looking like the top part of his head had been sliced off.
Background Music
Chapter 9: Monster Party.
Neo Akihabara
Warcat was taken to a study center in Neo Akihabara where they listened to old people give words of wisdom. In this day and age, kids were able to use Selcoms to chat with friends while they appeared to pay attention to old people; old humanity didn’t have this luxury, which Gunhild attributes to them being very patient. Although kids like Miyao were Gauntlet Knights and underwent strict military training, they were still given enough time and privileges to enjoy themselves and live a normal student life.
Since they were in the area, Warcat wanted to relax after the study session and wandered around Neo Akihabara, with Gunhild taking them to a store her friends ran. In Neo Akihabara, real estate was expensive, and Miyao says Gunhild must have a lot of friends since they’re always there wherever Warcat goes. Jayden wonders how Gunhild is able to avoid mixing up her siblings, and Gunhild replies that parallel processors are able to do this sort of thing easily. Jayden feels guilty for talking to someone while having other conversations in a mental room, comparing it to playing a game while having a serious conversation. Miyao thinks it’s fine so long as Jayden doesn’t post in the wrong chat, adding how he doesn’t dislike that Jayden acts concerned for small details. Jayden thanks Meow for the compliment, and Miyao exclaims that "he" was the one who said it. Warcat soon finds the store, which was inside a back alley two rows away from the main street.
Monster Party
Warcat heads inside the store and is greeted by the owner (Owner), who expresses joy that Gunhild actually came. Gunhild asks how the store is doing, and Owner replies that several supporters in Japan have already visited and now they need word-of-mouth to spread. Gunhild and Owner start speaking very rapidly, too fast for Keropoyo to notice. Miyao says Gunhild and Owner are siblings around the same age, but they haven’t met for 10 years.
Jayden wonders how his own siblings are doing, and Miyao jokes that Jayden didn’t like having company. Jayden says that’s partially correct, explaining that he’s been estranged from his siblings for years. Being born a supergenius, Jayden kept getting good grades and got so absorbed in himself and reaching for the top that he never once thought of his siblings or friends. Recently, Jayden was trying to fix that problem and connect with his siblings more, but it was still a long way to go. Miyao shows remorse for calling Jayden a loner, saying he no longer is one because Miyao’s there. Jayden thanks Miyao for the compliment, who sheepishly says that Meow was saying it. Jayden ruffles Miyao's hair, liking it when he says something nice as the latter tells him to stop. Owner sees that Miyao and Jayden are very close, and Keropoyo says the restaurant they’re in is called Monster Party, a costume cafe.
Miyao sees the cafe has a CRT TV, which Owner got via crowdfunding. With mental displays being so common, everyone assumed that old technology such as TV monitors had all but disappeared. Gunhild liked seeing old TVs because of the feeling that everyone was watching the same thing. The TV starts playing a government broadcast, which Miyao calls boring; Owner offers to turn it off, and Gunhild says there’s an urban legend where the government leaves a mark on someone’s record if they turn off a broadcast.
In the AOU, every channel was forced to air government broadcasts at a certain time every day; this was typically done to show how life in the AOU was better than ever. In B3W, people hated propaganda broadcasts like that and compared it to brainwashing and dystopias. These broadcasts criticizing the current state of the B3W world had also encouraged global paranoia. Weather, health, diseases: everything was blamed on corruption in the government, and this led to people becoming unsatisfied with their living conditions and pushing for emigration. Meanwhile, immigrants to other countries were being blamed for all sorts of problems, and this led to far-right groups rising up. This was one of many things that led to World War III; countries all over the A3W world resorted to daily broadcasts to try and raise the happiness index.
The narrator on the TV tells the viewers to reflect on the happiness in their lives, asking if they’ve heard the phrase “going on a journey to find yourself.” This phrase is no longer used in the AOU, but other factions still repeat it. The phrase means for people to figure out their strengths by trial and error, and young people in other factions are forced to spend time trying out different things to discover their true strengths. People think of the optimal ways to use their individual traits, but sometimes these traits are negative and hard to use in society. Miyao says that even now, traits that stem from the brain are still misunderstood. Jayden thinks they really are living in a nice era, and Gunhild says that genetic tests are performed as soon as there is a fertilized egg, so a person’s strengths and weaknesses are known before birth. This way, kids are able to receive guidance and have a lifestyle and job prepared for them. Positive traits have opportunities to distinguish themselves more, and negative traits are given support. Kids in the AOU are able to live the perfect lifestyle that suits them without having to search for it themselves. On average, other kids took up to 24 years searching for themselves. including people who gave up on their journeys. Miyao laments how the B3W world saw this idea of self-searching as completely normal. The narrator reassures viewers that the genes they’re born with don’t determine everything about their life, as the AOU gives opportunities to everyone to learn or change professions.
The broadcast ends, and Jayden figures that people in the past would’ve thought that having people decide their whole future was pretty nosy. Miyao says kids back then were just rebellious, always doing the opposite of what they were told; Miyao originally hated the idea of joining the military when he was younger and wanted to be a cat video uploader, having tried it out with a Job Experience Simulator and getting a grade of D. Owner consoles Miyao, saying the simulators always give bad grades, and then mentions Gunhild’s job aptitude grade for becoming a Gauntlet Knight, a C. Jayden is amazed that Gunhild was able to get to where she is now, and she replies that fate is something a person forges themselves. Miyao sulks, saying he should’ve lived life as he pleased instead, and Jayden says that no matter what grade Miyao got, he was fated to become Jayden’s partner and the strongest Gauntlet Knight in the sky. Miyao says Jayden has a C in aptitude for being his partner, and the two banter and fight some more. Miyao takes offense that he might have an inferiority complex for not having muscles, and Meow comes out to say that he does have a complex and is sensitive to being weak. Miyao and Meow fight again, and Meow takes control, as she and Miyao agreed to switch after studying anyway. Meow apologizes to Jayden for their behavior, and compliments Gunhild for her studying and Owner for her shop. Jayden and Meow pay for their meals, leaving a big tip, and exit Monster Party, leaving Gunhild with the owner.
Owner is surprised at how big of a tip she got, and a derisive expression appears on Gunhild’s face as she shows contempt for Miyao and Jayden having more money than they know what to do with. Gauntlet Knights get food, clothing, shelter, and other benefits for free, so they’re saving lots and lots of money and could even live their lives without ever using it. Owner also expresses her jealousy of the two, and Gunhild says they were just lucky to be born with good talent and genes; Miyao and Jayden must’ve had good previous lives, so God made their next lives a bonus stage. Owner says Neo Akihabara feels like a bonus stage for having clean air, and Gunhild says they use very high-quality Spiritium, nothing like their old city. Gunhild never told her siblings about the clean air because she didn’t want them to get depressed, and Owner shows gratitude that Gunhild supported her and Maja by giving them money. She and Maja had studied seriously while all their other siblings took Gunhild's money, saying it was only natural for the successful one to send some their way. Gunhild doesn't blame her other siblings, as living in a city like that would corrupt anyone, just eating junk food and wasting away playing on apps. Even living a life like that felt like happiness, with Owner saying the AOU seems like a terrifying place to live in. If someone isn’t born with excellent genes or doesn't have enough fighting spirit, then one has to suck up to the rich or live in a daze. Gunhild wonders if they should forget their past, and Owner says she wants to forget, not wanting anything to do with her old city.
Gunhild then asks if Owner has been in contact with Maja recently, and she replies that all her Kizuna messages to Maja have been marked as unread. She hopes Maja is still giving it her all to become a Gauntlet Knight like Gunhild. Gunhild figures that Maja is still in a tough spot because she’s still a trainee. There weren’t any age restrictions for Gauntlet Knight tests, as parallel processing ability was the most important aspect, but apparently the ability would stop growing once someone reached a certain age. With how hard Maja worked, Gunhild figured she’d become a Gauntlet Knight before her; Gunhild hopes Maja’s pride wasn’t hurt when Gunhild became a GK instead. Owner reassures her that Maja was the happiest person around when Gunhild became a knight, and that she’d be even more excited from getting training tips. Gunhild says the world of Gauntlet Knights is filled with monsters like Miyao and Jayden. Those two all had natural born skills and could leap off of Super Tokyo Tower like they were putting sandals on; monsters like those two are fighting over the Gauntlets, and even if a C-grade worked hard, they still needed a miracle to stand up to them.
Gunhild and Owner talk more about Maja, and Owner asks if Gunhild will listen to her complaints since Gunhild was venting a lot. She struggles to ask if Gunhild suffered like she and Maja did, and Gunhild replies that she had to, in order to match up to the A students. Even Gunhild wants to forget about all the times she’d suffered, stressing out for a bit and then suggesting that she and the owner increase their meds by two pills. Owner thanks her for the help, and Gunhild suggests that she create a new self in Neo Akihabara, one that can forget her painful past.
Meanwhile, Meow and Jayden go on a walk and talk. Meow says good and evil don’t exist in the world, instead comparing the world to a mirror. People who feel dark will look at the world and see dark, and people with brightness in their hearts will look at it and see brightness. Meow compliments Jayden for his cute smile, and he gives another endearing response. Meow says to be careful or else Miyao will start sulking, as he's jealous and apparently thinks his best friend got stolen. Jayden is surprised to hear this, as he always tells Miyao that he’s his perfect buddy. Meow thinks it’d be cute for Miyao to finally admit that and accept Jayden as his partner; and Jayden says the world would be brighter if Miyao smiled more.
Hotel
Inside an ultra high-class hotel, a party was being held full of military officials. One such official had gotten drunk and fell asleep on a sofa in a private room. His shirt was opened up with several electrodes stuck to his chest, all connected to a laptop Toujirou was using. Selcoms stored information inside the human brain like a hard drive, and one could steal that information by connecting to it. Hackers in the old days could access the secrets of the world while sitting at home, but hackers in A3W were more akin to classic spies. Keropoyo decrypts the files inside the military official’s mind while Toujirou kept his eyes on a warning indicating the estimated time before the officer woke up. Keropoyo finishes decrypting, and Toujirou tells the frog to keep watching the timer while he copies each of the files. Toujirou comments that these files are showing what’s going to happen next in the world, finding it shameful that the world’s future lies not in the hands of the young, but in some old unhealthy guy’s mind. Keropoyo alerts that the officer is waking up, and Toujirou pulls off all the electrodes and hides his laptop, preparing a glass of cold water and offering it to the officer as he wakes up. The officer, oblivious to what had just transpired, tells Toujirou that he feels better and wants to party again. The two of them return to the party hall, where Toujirou wanted to leave after getting what he came for, putting up a fake smile. Toujirou calls the party an ugly banquet, looking around at all the high-ranking military officials, who were using their connections to start side businesses and rack up tons of money. Many of these officials were hanging around cute girls, who instead of wearing uniforms or medals had skimpy swimsuits on. This party was officially reserved as a training session for military officers; all these women were military secretaries, also known as “secondary secretaries.”
Secondary secretaries were mistresses that military leaders could hang around with officially, with most having signed a contract in exchange for financial support. Toujirou muses that those in the AOU who weren’t born with good genes and wanted to reach the top couldn’t be picky about the jobs they took, and these military officials were certainly picky with the girls they chose for their secretaries. Parties like these were just ways for officers to show off their harems and their money and positions; despite how enthusiastic the girls acted, one could tell how much pain they were in from trying to survive in smelly cities like this. Toujirou didn’t like to see scenes like this, but he kept it all to himself while maintaining his appearance. The officer from earlier asks Toujirou to come join him in a game, and Toujirou reluctantly agrees.
This was a game they were playing with their secretaries, where the girls would go topless and the men would wear blindfolds and try to guess whose breasts they were touching. One girl was reluctant to take her top off, and Toujirou could see how she was one of many girls being forced to sell her body and soul. The other officers ask why she’s not joining in, all laughing when the girl meekly says she didn’t expect things to be like this; some officers would intentionally not tell their secondary secretaries what they were being hired to do, finding it to be a prank. They’d treat the girl to a high-quality lifestyle and then suddenly bring them to parties like this, all to see their innocent reactions. The officers and other secretaries were pressuring this girl to join in, with one officer threatening to fire her and make it difficult for her to get other jobs. The girl finally exposes her breasts on the verge of tears as Toujirou silently watches, degrading the men and thinking to himself. The officer pulls the newly-topless girl around his shoulder and happily says she’ll never have to want anything under his care, referring to her as Maja.
A narrator says that, just like flower petals are fated to fall, humanity must fall too. Humanity has reached civilization’s end, and they must now scatter their petals. “All is in the name of guiding humanity down the right path.”
Mysterious Room
Jestress holds the Three Kings to a vote, with many black-masked people lining the walls and watching. Jestress hands each King a gold coin and a silver coin. She announces to the crowd that their calling is to guide humanity down the right path, and when civilization grows fruits of evil, they must harvest it and return a just and ordered society. They've prepared for the harvest festival, and now they must determine if now is the time. The Kings lament how short the A3W era was, and if they're not thorough then A4W will be even shorter. Two bags are passed around, and the Kings put one coin in each.The gold-embroidered bag was then given to Jestress, who opens it to reveal all 3 gold coins.
It has been said: the Three Kings wish for the harvest to be carried out now. The black-robed crowd applauds as the Three Kings stand up. They all recite their creed, and the black-robed men are ordered to go forth and harvest; they set out to make their first moves in a very large game. Sorrow hopes that their longtime wish finally comes true and they can set down their crowns. Jestress takes her leave and vanishes into the darkness, the other Kings following.
Background Music
Chapter 10: Simultaneous Global Conflicts.
World News
The date is December 1st. The news was still going on about how factions all over the world were staring each other down and could go to war at any moment, but everyone believed the year would end just like any other; everything will be left unsettled and forgotten, and peace should return once more. After a report that COU Japanese military guards patrolling the Glass Sea had shot down an AOU Japanese recon drone, a COU Japanese press secretary tells reporters that their actions in shooting down the drone were justified self-defense and are now taking defensive measures. An AOU Japanese press secretary condemns COU Japan’s construction of bases using military printers in the Glass Sea, as it’s supposed to be a World War Relic. The news thinks a peaceful solution for the AOU and COU Japan debate is optimistic at best.
Meanwhile, tensions keep rising in the Kashmir Spirit Field. Despite the COU’s calls to cease mining operations, ABN Pakistan has not responded to them and have introduced anti-aircraft weaponry into the area to protect their workers; this action violates the Kashmir Treaty, and COU India is strongly condemning ABN Pakistan. Another COU secretary says they are planning to use military force in responding to this treaty violation.
The ABN Joint Parliament expresses regret towards the ACR taking military action against refugee camps in ACR Algeria, and the ACR Royal Press Secretary replies that this was a peacekeeping operation and that the ABN is interfering with international affairs. An ABN Press Secretary issues a warning to the ACR, wanting them to suspend their persecution of refugee camps while calling it a sinful assault on world peace.
Another news report says that AOU America’s Atlantic Fleet has started moving, having been ordered to push towards the ACR-occupied Atlantis Spirit Field. If the ACR Navy doesn’t withdraw, then the Atlantic Fleet won’t hesitate to strike. An AOU Press Secretary wishes for the ACR Royal Family and ACR government to comply calmly, as they just want to discuss the ACR's illegal occupation of the Atlantis Spirit Fields. An announcer says World War IV seems to be approaching, wondering if all these events had been planned.
Public Bath
After hearing this disturbing news, Gauntlet Knights all over the world had started gathering inside the Public Bath. They all came from different backgrounds and had their own things to say about their factions, but it soon devolved into heated arguments. Everyone calms down after the LATO girls arrive, with Maricarmen saying they should all avoid careless actions and statements while Valentina suggests they all delete those arguments from their logs, chuckling. Miyao and Lingji tell their respective squad mates to apologize, and Mari reassures everyone that none of their countries want war. Naima tries to cheer everyone up, and Miyao asks why so many conflicts are erupting if nobody wants war. Mari asks everyone to tell their friends not to do anything too rash, and that they must uphold the Walls of Peace. The LATO girls leave, and the other Gauntlet Knights start talking about war.
The Gauntlet Knights find it sad that people would intentionally start wars, and Abdou figures that some people would profit from it. Stock in defense contractor companies has skyrocketed, and people who invested early would benefit. With the IPMA hinting that they would step in and then announcing a policy of nonintervention, stocks suddenly plummet; the IPMA reverses their position, and stocks climb back up. Rukhshana wants the Gauntlet Knights of the world to join together and fight the people who start wars for money, comparing it to fighting a secret organization, and Rethabile says it sounds like a comic book. Rethabile thinks there really is some secret organization trying to overthrow the world order and line their pockets, and her bodyguards remind her that an event is coming up. Squad 601 leaves the Public Bath, following by Cairo Squad who has their own business to attend to. The other squads summarily leave the room, but Miyao thinks about Rethabile’s mention of a secret organization running the world before becoming the last person to leave.
Miyao’s Mental Space
MIYAO appears once again, saying the idea of joining hands to fight some mysterious secret organization only happens in comic books. Rather, the Gauntlet Knights are going to kill each other, and it has already been decided.
Miyao decides that maybe secret organizations don't exist after all, and he’s interrupted by a ringtone. Miyao checks his mental display to find an email from “The Old Bastard,” Toujirou. Toujirou was in the area and wanted to know if Miyao would eat with him. Toujirou had been very busy lately, so he and Miyao didn’t meet IRL a whole lot. The two had recently started exchanging emails; being a Gauntlet Knight, Miyao could be sent into battle at any time, so he figured he’d meet Toujirou while he could.
Restaurant
Miyao meets Toujirou at a restaurant, who says he has a limited amount of time. Miyao says the bespectacled man is his father, a rarity in the AOU where the ciconia no longer bring babies. Toujirou apparently works for the AOU Combined Military HQ as a reporter and had recently been transferred to the IPMA, so he was flying around the world a lot. Miyao had been rebellious towards Toujirou for a long time and had recently started to feel grateful for his dad raising him, so this was the first time they’d met in person in a long time. Toujirou compliments his son for his work in the Battle Standard Festival, and Miyao says he only embarrassed himself. Toujirou thought Miyao’s movements before getting shot down were amazing despite what the commentators said, and then talks about his opponent Lingji. She was about to gray out and won because it was a competition, but in a real battle she would’ve fallen unconscious and crashed; Miyao and Lingji could’ve taken each other out then. Miyao pays no heed to his words, saying Lingji is an amazing Gauntlet Knight by herself, and Toujirou offers some flight data of Miyao’s movements he analyzed to try and boost his confidence. After talking some more, Miyao considers that, in a world where being ciconia-born is rare, maybe having a father is a positive experience. Toujirou asks if Miyao has seen the news lately, and his son wonders if there really are lots of people who want to start wars. Toujirou offers words of good luck to his son, as Gauntlet Knights are supposed to fight against people like that.
Toujirou then asks Miyao to turn off his Selcom and listen closely. Older people asking kids to turn off their Selcoms was typically a sign they were going to give a scolding, as having their Selcoms on meant the kid wasn’t really listening. Miyao does such, bracing for a lecture from his dad as Toujirou brings him close. Toujirou tells Miyao that kids like him may think the news is just fanning the flames and that nothing serious will happen, but a military conflict really will occur; the A3W era will soon be called the B4W era. Miyao is initially shocked and confused, and Toujirou continues that Gauntlet Knights are much closer to becoming complete military technology and will probably be sent into combat soon. Miyao isn’t concerned about that, and Toujirou says the entire world will be drawn into conflict. Miyao may not know who his enemies are, nor whom he should fight for. Miyao takes his dad seriously, as he’d always made weird predictions that came true, and Toujirou says his predictions are more like prophecies, words that have been left in someone’s care.
MIYAO temporarily flashes on-screen as Miyao remembers what a prophecy is: words from God about a future that will come to pass with certainty. Toujirou knew this day would come for a long time, he just didn’t expect it to be today. Gauntlets represent the ultimate tool for changing fate, and humanity has never had a greater method for individuals to do such. Miyao realizes why Toujirou wanted him to become a Gauntlet Knight, and his dad tells him that things would’ve been fine if nothing happened in Miyao’s generation. Miyao tells his dad to stop saying such weird things, feeling like the fate of the world is on his shoulders, and Toujirou tells him to never stop thinking, no matter how incomprehensible it may all seem. Toujirou raised Miyao to be the strongest Gauntlet Knight in the world because the young are the main characters of every era, having spared no effort in making it happen.
Miyao thinks about how grateful he is for Toujirou giving him a gifted education for becoming a Gauntlet Knight when a waiter interrupts them and asks what they want to order. Toujirou orders a coffee and asks Miyao what he wants, making him blank out from the sudden conversation. Miyao asks for tea and then Toujirou suddenly asks for the check, making Miyao confused as to why he’s leaving now. Toujirou reminds him that he didn’t have much time and tells Miyao that he’s going to get a call soon, asking him to turn his Selcom back on. Miyao turns it back on and is greeted by a military emergency alarm, signaling that Miyao had to respond to military summons and stand by. Miyao asks if Toujirou knows what will happen later, and after a brief silence, Toujirou says he does know. Miyao begs for Toujirou to tell him, asking if war really will happen and people will die. Toujirou responds that many people will die, more than in WWIII. Miyao wants to stop WWIV before it starts, as he has friends all over the world who don’t want war and figures there are people behind-the-scenes who are masterminding it. Toujirou also knows about people like that, and asks Miyao what he’ll do about it; Miyao’s not a police chief, he doesn’t have any connections to a counterintelligence agency, plus Miyao had a stand-by order and couldn’t do anything or else he’d violate military law. Miyao will have the chance to act, but not yet; he’ll know when his time comes soon enough. Toujirou plans to tell Miyao everything when the time comes, hoping it will never happen. Toujirou signs the check and bids farewell, as he’s a soldier too; this may be the last time he and Miyao say goodbye. Miyao expresses his determination, and Toujirou expresses his hope for him.
Miyao later sends emails to the Gauntlet Knight squad leaders of the world, telling everyone to become guardians of peace and stop World War IV. The leaders share it with their squadmates, and they all discuss their jobs as soldiers and how they must obey orders, but they can still become dogs or guardians under those orders. Warcat gives their support to Miyao, who declares that they aren’t pieces on anyone’s gameboard.
Virtual Room
Jestress receives a message from one of the Gauntlet Knights, who says Miyao has had lots of influence over the GK's from each faction ever since the Battle Standard Festival, and everyone in their squad has agreed with the email Miyao had just sent. If things continue, their comrades of the Ninth Prime Chivalric Order will be restricted in their movements. The Gauntlet Knight plans to leave everything to Lady Jestress and recites the Three King’s creed.
Keropoyo then announces that Toujirou has entered the virtual room. Toujirou apologizes for the wait, and Jestress understands that Toujrou was meeting his son for the first time in a while. Toujirou asks Jestress to stop showing off that she’s monitoring him and retorts with the fact that Jestress had been eating biscuits. The masked girl laughs and asks how things went on Toujirou’s end, who replies that it’ll be on the news soon. Jestress laments that some people are difficult to be moved with connections and money, with Toujirou joking that they have to play James Bond now.
Keropoyo announces a news report that Defense Minister Yunoki of the AOU Japanese government had been rushed to the hospital with an unknown condition, with the Prime Minister’s office scrambling to get a replacement for him. Yunoki was the leader of the moderate party currently in power, and his retirement will likely unleash AOU Japan’s war hawks. Toujirou says that in a few days, the former minister’s secretary will leak some information about shady political contributions, making it clear that some of these contributions came from COU Japan and throw everything into chaos. Jestress says World War IV cannot be stopped at this point, with Toujirou hoping this becomes the last major war. Jestress teases Toujirou for being a bad dad, working to start WWIV while his son is trying to prevent it. Toujirou says the meaning of justice is something one decides on their own, and that no one ever does as they’re told unless they’re moved by the voice of their heart or money. Speaking of which, Jestress sends Toujirou payment and then wonders what he’s saving up for since the world is ending soon. Toujirou thinks it’s fun to save up a lot and then see what he can do once the world is destroyed, finding it a wonderful feeling to be drinking with some beautiful girl while watching humanity's last twilight. Jestress replies that she’ll probably still be caring for the Three Kings once the world ends, calling them terrifying for having the ability to bring war to the world over and over again until humanity’s numbers reach their intended size.
Jestress must still give in to the King's desires so she can grant her wish, and Toujirou hopes Jestress becomes a good woman so she can sip wine with him while watching the last twilight. Jestress blows off his advances and says she'd rather die along with her opponent, calling it a victory for humanity so long as one man and one woman survive. Toujirou prepares to leave and repeats the Three Kings’ creed in a questioning tone, getting confused when Jestress doesn't respond; she says it’s their job, not hers. Jestress says that ever since she was born, she’s lived for the sole purpose of erasing "that nightmare", wanting to do so until the day her last cell is destroyed. Toujirou adds that humanity will be having quite the nightmare themselves, all for the purpose of erasing Jestress’. If her wish is granted, humanity will be grateful to Jestress and see her victory as humanity’s victory, though there’s no telling how many humans will be left.
Toujirou makes another advance and Jestress leaves, saying it’s technically cheating. Toujirou leaves the room soon after.
Background Music
Chapter 11: The Guardians of Peace.
Gauntlet Knight Debriefing
A strategic officer announces that the AOU Joint Parliament has authorized a military assault on the COU Japanese military’s border guards for illegally expanding into the Glass Sea. Their targets will be anti-aircraft platforms and anti-aircraft vehicles being brought into the area. The Aerial Augmented infantry will enter at low altitude and take care of the anti-aircraft vehicles while fighter jets take out the rest with air-to-ground missiles. Okonogi tries to psych up Warcat, as now is the time for them to show the world what Gauntlet Knights can really do. The officer explains that these anti-aircraft vehicles are King’s Shield 2900 Supers, which are autonomous air-defense systems armed with rotary autocannons and missiles; the software they’re running on is old-generation, so they’ll likely have difficulty targeting GKs. Okonogi tells the Knights that once they destroy the vehicles, they’ll need to get out immediately to avoid the Longbow missiles being launched afterwards.
Warcat holds a mental chat while Okonogi is speaking. Gunhild is amused that Okonogi’s giving them so much support after calling them esport gamers the entire time. Miyao expresses his desire to show those old people that military might is in the hands of the young, and Jayden agrees. Miyao then receives a message from Lingji, who tells him that many people in the COU are not in favor of attacking the AOU and prefer to avoid war. Rethabile joins in, saying that the ACR Royal Family has ordered the Aerial Knight Corps to intercept the AOU Atlantic Fleet that’s approaching the Atlantis Spirit Field; Rethabile will be leading that attack. Miyao says many people in the AOU are also against the Atlantic Fleet moving.
The three leaders come to the conclusion that their respective factions don’t want war, and that it’s the fault of those old warmongers trying to make money. However, if they go too far then things will get even worse. Rethabile plans to pay a visit to the aircraft carrier and see what she can do, vowing to do her best. Stan then sends a message about an order to attack a refugee camp. Rethabile says the Father-King, the founder of her nation, said to never reject anyone who came and chase none who left, which is in their national policy. Because the ACR Royal Family has so many people in it, many princes are vying for the chance to gain more influence and come off as more patriotic than the others; the rest of the ACR also wishes to avoid war. Rethabile knows the ABN has its own reasons for doing what it does, and if they go too far, then even the Royal Family will be forced to go all out.
Lingji asks Stan if the Kashmir spirit field dispute was a result of an ABN hard-liner faction doing their own thing, and he affirms it as such. The ABN Leadership Council wanted the mining machines to stop, but the military opposed it for concern of looking weak. The COU Press Secretary has announced that they won’t attack if the machines are stopped, but not doing anything will give the hard-liners more power. Miyao comes to understand what this means: they must fulfill their orders neatly but not go too far in order to crush the sprouts of war. The squad leaders all express their gratitude that Miyao united them all, with Rethabile thanking him for sending the email, otherwise they all would’ve thought of themselves as game pieces.
A COU strategic officer announces that 8 squads including Baibao will destroy 8 mining machines, with full permission to respond to any attacks by the ABN military. Lingji tells her squad that they will attack only the mining machines and nothing else to send a message to the ABN hard-liners; human casualties must be avoided.
An ABN strategic officer states that three squads led by Thalathat Suyuf will head in to protect an ACR Libyan refugee camp located on land leased from the ABN. The camp is holding a Leader of Peace who must be protected, as the ABN government wants to retrieve them. Naomi comes to understand that they’re buying time for a political solution to be made, as ACR Libya’s borders are like a minefield, and many old people in power are rushing to solve the issue and gain more influence. Naima hopes the ABN will accept the refugees seeking asylum.
Rethabile sends a message to all of her squad mates, telling them that their only mission is to make the AOU Atlantic Fleet retreat, and they’re merely paying them a visit. This will be the first campaign of the Aerial Knight Corps, and they will fight with honor.
Glass Sea
In the center of Japan lay the Glass Sea, a 100 kilometer in radius crater created in World War III by a solar warhead. Miyao’s squad exits a vehicle parked on the edge of the Glass Sea. In order to keep up stealth, Warcat had to fly by skimming over the surface of the ground. Gunhild says the 8MS flow conditions are favorable, so they should be able to avoid alerting the enemy until they make contact. Warcat banters with each other, and Keropoyo announces that the command center has ordered them to begin the operation. Warcat runs and jumps into the crater, igniting their boosters with a splash of angel feathers.
The sounds of construction could be heard in the center of the Glass Sea, where 4D printers were building anti-aircraft equipment. If these had been completed, the COU could grasp the initiative all over the entire Glass Sea. A COU colonel marvels at the construction of the equipment and gloats, saying the AOU can’t possibly beat them. An officer tells him that the COU air force won’t be flying for 24 hours, and the colonel gets angry. The officer secretly messages Toujirou and thanks him for the financial support. Toujirou expresses his sentiment for breaking the “old assholes'” gameboard, and the officer recites the Three Kings’ creed.
Worldwide Conflicts
A news anchor comments on ABN Pakistan still continuing their mining operations, where the ABN’s complicated political situation has led to a bizarre problem where nobody has authority to stop the mining machines. The news then shows citizens in Islamabad protesting the government, with the police starting to fire off tear gas. The broadcast is turned off by an ABN officer, who shows glee in his exploitation of the spirit fields.
The captain of the aircraft carrier "Roger Jamison" speaks to a high-ranking AOU officer, who tells him that the ACR will not withdraw from the Atlantis Spirit Field, so the Atlantic Fleet should prepare to fight. The captain opposes this order, as the Atlantic Fleet is supposed to uphold the Walls of Peace; the officer doesn’t like this pacifistic attitude and wants to take command of the ship, but the captain ends the transmission. The captain orders every ship to standby and forbids them from attacking unless he gives the order or they get hit. Another officer is concerned that they’ll be destroyed if the ACR launches a saturation attack, and the captain expresses his faith in Vice-Admiral Krumar, the First Captain of the ACR "Atlantis"; they were rivals in the Battle Standard Festival, and Krumar should be aware the captain is commanding the fleet and will avoid unnecessary combat.
A caravan of ACR military vehicles drives into an ABN refugee camp. An international volunteer protests that the ACR military isn’t allowed to trespass in an ABN base, and an ACR officer goes off on them, calling the refugee camp a rallying point for terrorists who oppose His Majesty. The officer was searching for a certain man, a Leader of Peace, wanting to arrest him as a suspected spy. Many religions and races had existed in Africa, and the Hero King, the founder of the ACR, had united them all very forcefully, so there were a good number of people that couldn’t stay in the ACR. These people leased land from the ABN and formed a refugee camp, and the camp’s existence was ignored for a long time to prevent tension between the ABN and ACR. In recent years, extremist ACR generals claimed that the camp was hiding terrorists that objected to the foundation of the ACR. The volunteer tries to defend the Leader of Peace, saying he was only helping refugees out of goodwill, and the officer threatens that they will kill the people in this camp one by one unless the Leader shows himself; they won’t actually kill anyone, the officer just wants the credit for finding the man. The volunteer is horrified to hear that the ACR officer is doing something so cruel just to boost his career, and another officer announces that they’ve arrested the man. The vehicles are thus ordered to move out before the ABN military shows up, or else things will get messy.
Atlantis Spirit Field
The Atlantis Spirit Field was named as such because it was located in a region where the legendary continent of Atlantis supposedly once existed. The spirit field was the ACR’s greatest supply of Spiritum, and there were disputes with the AOU over who actually owned it. The ACR stationed the "Atlantis" there for protection, a true fortress on the sea. Vice-Admiral Krumar opens communications with Rethabile, who asks if Krumar has been ordered to decouple the Atlantis and enter an intercept formation. The admiral affirms such, and Rethabile tells him not to worry, as they can stay coupled and claim that the decoupling mechanism wasn’t working properly. Rethabile tells Krumar to leave it to the Aerial Knight Corps to deal with the AOU. Despite the admiral’s pleadings, Rethabile assures him that there is no danger, echoing Krumar’s own words that the person in charge of the AOU fleet is a respectful peace-loving man. If the fleet doesn’t respond in kind, however, Rethabile won’t hesitate to show them the might of the Aerial Knight Corps.
Krumar accepts Rethabile’s plan and wishes her luck. A lower-rank officer asks if this is really a good idea, and Krumar sends an order to the rest of the Atlantis fleet to stand firm.
A COU colonel and officer argue. The officer says they were only constructing a base with the assurance they would have air support, and the colonel wants to push forward anyway using the military’s fighting spirit. The officer asks who will take responsibility if they get attacked, and the colonel replies that he’ll just push the blame onto the lower ranks and claim bravery. The colonel taunts the AOU and dares them to attack, getting surprised by a vehicle exploding behind him. Jayden celebrates having destroyed the vehicle and Miyao berates him for shooting the fuel tanks, asking what would happen if someone got caught in the explosion. Jayden made sure there was nobody around, zooming off to the next target as Miyao follows. Warcat was using anti-material rifles to snipe the anti-aircraft vehicles with super high density shells, the same kind of weapons used by anti-tank infantry. The rifles’ power dropped off with distance, so the Gauntlet Knights were flying in close to use them. COU soldiers fire at the Gauntlet Knights, but their bullets have no effect thanks to the Rejection Shields. The soldiers fall back, and Warcat destroys the other vehicles in succession. The command center confirms that the Warcats have completed their mission and emerged unscathed, informing them that fighter squadrons are flying in to deliver a missile strike. Miyao calls his fellow Warcats to return to the base, and the COU colonel gazes at the destroyed anti-aircraft vehicles in despair. As the COU military retreats, they look back at the ninjas in the sky that are Gauntlet Knights, flying away and leaving behind trails of angel feathers.
In ABN Pakistan, the air defense system wasn’t working properly because the Gauntlet Knights are too close for it to function. The soldiers could hardly believe that Gauntlet Knights were actually capable of fighting outside the simulators, with an ABN officer raging over his mining machines getting destroyed. Lingji confirms that neither side has suffered any casualties, with Aysha saying that a good number of soldiers have stopped firing and are now filming them. Momotake regrets that after this day, all existing military might will become obsolete because of how well the Gauntlets perform.
Lingji prepares to destroy the last mining machine, but Aysha holds her back so Momotake can show off. The wannabe samurai stammers, and Lingji allows him to show off his finishing move. Upon hearing that Momotake also came up with a name for his move, Lingji becomes excited to see it in action. Blushing, Momotake dashes over to the last mining machine and takes a stance. As Momotake focuses, Aysha spurs him on to use his finishing move and call out its name, not wanting to waste all the time she spent helping him with it. Momotake struggles to get the words out and winds up biting his tongue, much to Aysha’s disappointment. Regardless, Momotake unleashes his Dimensional Slice, cleaving the machine in two as the ABN officer watches in despair. Momotake gives a one-liner and also butchers it, turning even more red.
Stan informs his squad mates that they’ll be reaching the target in five minutes, reminding them of their mission to secure the Leader of Peace and defend the camp. The command center calls to update the mission, saying the ACR military has invaded the camp and abducted the VIP. The squad receives images of the VIP’s face and info about his physique, where he also has a military tracking device on him. The command center believes the VIP is being taken to an airforce base and will be transported by air, so the situation will get more dangerous the closer the convoy gets. Stan understands the new situation, and Naomi wonders why a Leader of Peace in a refugee camp would have an ABN tracker on him. Naima ssumes it was given to him as a good luck charm.
Rethabile contacts the captain of the "Roger Jamison" and asks that the fleet return to port. Neither side wanted to fight, but there might be war hawks within the fleets that would overreact or “accidentally” trigger a conflict. Rethabile and her squad stalling could give the politicians time to cool their heads and negotiate peacefully, but negotiating in such a volatile situation like this was like playing poker without chips; both fleets needed to put as much distance between them as possible. The captain of the "Roger Jamison" wants to uphold peace, but as a soldier he cannot disobey orders to retreat. He asks if Rethabile’s squad can possibly stand up to the Atlantic Fleet, and the princess tells him to take a defensive position, as her squad mates will soon come into range. Rethabile wants the fleet to fire everything they have. The captain orders his men to prepare, who begin to wonder if Gauntlet Knights really could exist in real life.
Background Music
Chapter 12: A Gift.
Saint Florian International Airport
An announcer welcomes travelers to the Saint Florian International Airport in the ABN. The news reports that AOU Japan has taken military action against COU Japan’s anti-aircraft base on the Glass Sea. After a siren, another news report comes up that the COU Combined Military has attacked ABN Pakistan in the Kashmir Spirit Field. Many people were stopping in their tracks to watch the news bulletin, as hearing of their home factions getting attacked was enough cause for concern. Seshat lounges in the airport, commenting that things have finally begun. She messages Toujirou and asks if his son has made an appearance yet. Toujirou affirms it, as Gauntlet Knight fever has taken over and they’ve started giving out Medals of Honor. Seshat congratulates Miyao for destroying the targets without any deaths, and Toujirou hopes his son understands that it’ll take more than that to stop a war. Seshat says kids truly believe that they’re the main characters of the world and that the only game pieces that exist are those they can see. She says the old always fall, with the young being the ones to defeat them; Sehsat hopes Miyao will be the person to do it. Toujirou would be very happy if Miyao were to step over his corpse, calling it the greatest thing to make a father proud. Toujirou then starts gushing over how cute Miyao was as a baby and Seshat interrupts to say she’s beginning her job. Toujirou says there’s no need for her to get her hands dirty, and Seshat says she must interrogate traitors personally and pass judgement as the Grand Master. Seshat welcomed in that person personally, so she must take responsibility. There’s a 99% chance they’re guilty, and she must believe in that other 1%; Seshat cannot decide it through video or electronic information, rather it must be face-to-face. Seshat finally signs off, asking for Toujirou to believe in that man’s innocence.
Seshat notices that hidden cameras were placed everywhere in the airport, leaving no blind spots. She walks through a VIP area reserved only for P4 passholders, which celebrities and business executives could get a membership for by paying 10,000 credits annually. Despite access to this area being given to those trusted by society, Seshat was still being tracked by at least three cameras, monitored by an AI that would shift to a higher surveillance state if it detected anybody doing anything suspicious. As such, the AI shifts to a higher level after Seshat stops in front of a door. Behind this door were rentable conference rooms, and the AI knew Seshat didn’t have an entrance pass. The cameras monitor Seshat’s movements more precisely as she conjures a green tablet in her hand. The AI tries to determine the tablet’s model and fails, raising the suspicion level even higher. Mental tablets were commonplace in A3W, but midair tablets like Seshat’s were more popular half a century ago. One could use midair tablets to type in empty space; it was taxing on the fingers and led to poor public reception, but there were still people who enjoyed using them.
Seshat opens the previously locked door and enters. The AI determines that access was gained through improper means, raising the suspicion level high enough to alert airport security. Before it can, however, Keropoyo suddenly appears and issues commands to lower the security level. The security level returns to that of a normal state, with Seshat’s data being completely erased; the AI no longer identified the Grand Master as an object. Pleased by this development, Seshat asks Keropoyo to also delete all records of her from the time she arrived at the airport. It’s been a while since she took a trip in the flesh, so Seshat made some small mistakes. All the data collected by the AI was summarily erased, and Keropoyo searched through the security system for video recordings and altered them, with the outie frog starting lose function as it works. It was normally impossible to interfere with a security system on the same level as the ABN international airport, as they were well-equipped to deal with terrorism. Seshat casually hacked the system as if she were adjusting a thermostat, and a massive amount of machine power was needed to do it. If Seshat were using a Selcom for this, she would be using her own brain to process the hack, and no single human brain could ever manage that. Keropoyo successfully finishes deleting Seshat from airport records, and the Grand Master tells the frog to rest, turning it off. Seshat heads inside to pass judgment.
Conference Room
Several old military generals were sitting in a conference room and watching the news on their mental displays. The COU’s attack in the Kashmir Spirit Field was the first live combat scenario and major victory featuring Gauntlet Knights, and videos of the event were circulating worldwide, causing a great stir. A LATO officer is forced to admit that things are proceeding as predicted, with a suited man, Mr. Gray, telling him that there really does exist a group trying to restart civilization: the World Reset Cult. Throughout history, many elites have become enamored with the idea that humanity is foolish and must be thinned out so civilization may be made more wonderful. World Reset Cults such as these were a popular concept used in movies and novels, and it was hard to believe they could actually exist. No one of high influence and wealth would want to destroy the world and render all those resources useless. Gray gestures to a folder on the table, a written plan by the Three Kings; the prophecy of the world’s destruction was written within that folder. The LATO IPMA is the only people who can stop this plan, with the officer thinking this means bringing about the A4W era. Gray agrees, saying that out of the five great factions, LATO must lead the new world order. Not only was LATO seen as the world’s police, they contained some of the richest countries in the world because of its monopoly of Rare Spiritum. In B3W, LATO wasn’t able to face the same amount of success, and the idea of becoming the leaders of a new world order by fighting a world war-waging cult was very enticing.
Valentine and Maricarmen were standing nearby as guards. Tina finds the idea of World Reset Cults ridiculous with Mari thinking the same way, mentioning how Gray has brought something that would convince them to believe. The officer says LATO would never abandon their duty to achieve world peace, but unless they can make something to surpass Gauntlets, then world war is unavoidable; LATO had a lead on Gauntlet development because of their abundant military funding, but it was not enough. Gray says he can offer technology to help with that and pulls out a duralumin case.
The officer asks what’s inside the case and is told that Wisdom is inside. Seshat suddenly appears, being met by shocked gazes from everyone except Gray. Seshat says Wisdom is beyond humanity’s understanding, but those who actually call it Wisdom are insane, with the Grand Master preferring to call it by number. Seshat refers to the wisdom inside the case as 19080630, something that might be the key to Vier Dreissig’s search for “The Third Missing Link,” something most of humanity would recognize as just a geometric object. If used properly, this wisdom could stop wars before they even start, but Seshat requires this world war to happen. Gray introduces Seshat as his superior officer, a member of the World Reset Cult and the Grand Master of the Order of Prometheus. Seshat sees through the his ruse, with Gray replying that this was their last chance to stop WWIV.
Tina and Mari conjure their Gauntlets, with the other soldiers in the room drawing their weapons and aiming them at Seshat. Seshat asks Gray if he admits to betraying their order, and the suited man replies that Seshat betrayed "their" order. The Order of Prometheus' goal was to protect wisdom and use it to save humanity at the right time; now is the time to use it, as the Three Kings are preparing to destroy the world. Seshat asks Gray to remember where their Order came from, with him replying that they were a brother to the Ninth Prime Chivalric Order.
Gray realizes that even though they separated, their goals have remained the same. He accuses Seshat of having sold the pride of the Order of Prometheus to the Three Kings, and Seshat admits to it; Seshat and Gray are both traitors to each other. Seshat asks to have her wisdom back, with Gray saying wisdom should belong to all of humanity. Gray demands that Seshat step down as Grand Master, motioning for the LATO officer to take her into custody. Confused, the office orders for the Gauntlet Knights and soldiers to take aim at Seshat. Mari deploys an electric gun and fires it, rendering Seshat’s Selcom inoperable. Law enforcement agencies worldwide used these weapons to disable the Selcoms of anybody they needed to arrest, as restraining someone’s body wouldn't disable their Selcom. Gray asks for Seshat to interact with him more amicably, saying she can use her other pieces of wisdom and connections more effectively. Seshat decides she has had enough of Gray and determines that he is guilty, summoning her Gauntlet as a flash of white is seen.
ACR Convoy
A hole is blown into the ACR vehicle containing the captured Leader of Peace, leaving the soldiers inside stunned. Naima flies inside, sees the handcuffed VIP and presses her face up to his, scanning his eyes and confirming that he’s the target because his retina pattern matches. The soldiers realize what’s going on and draw their handguns, but they’re knocked away by Naima’s Rejection Shield. Naima grabs the VIP and flies back into the air with him, taking extra care not to harm him since he doesn’t have the Anti-G 8MS that GKs have. An ACR officer orders everyone to fire and Naima is soon showered with bullets, all blocked by her Shield once more. Naomi throws several smoke grenades to provide cover, and Stan shoots at the convoy using a revolver cannon to distract them. By the time the smoke settles and the soldiers regain their composure, Thalathat Suyuf has already escaped with the Leader of Peace.
Naomi commends Naima for being able to fly towards the target after pinpointing them from so far up and stopping in front of him so precisely. Stan suggests to give her some sedative, as Naima is acting overexcited from performing this feat. Naomi says to leave her for a while since it’s their squad's first major victory, and Miyao sends her a message saying Warcat has succeeded on their end. Stan says Lingji has also succeeded, if the COU news coverage is anything to go by. Naomi hopes Rethabile succeeds in her mission too, saying the world will change a lot after today. Naima chimes in with extreme excitement over young people becoming the guardians of peace, and Naomi then gives her some meds. Rethabile soon sends a message to all Public Bath members which is just a Keropoyo stamp, indicating things have gone smoothly.
Atlantis Spirit Field
Squad 601 flies over the sea, a carrier fleet disappearing in the opposite direction. Ishak tells Rethabile not to use such forceful methods next time, as the Rejection Shield isn’t that invincible. Rethabile voices her enthusiasm for cutting down the sprouts of war, with Abdou surprised that the princess would be moved by Miyao’s Public Bath Oath; ideals without power are just naive delusions, yet Gauntlet Knights have the power to protect peace worldwide and make those ideals reality. Ishak suggests changing the story a bit so Rethabile gets the credit for the Public Bath Oath instead of Miyao, which the princess likes. Abdou then starts shaking at the sensation of having fought off a carrier fleet, and Rethabile says it wasn’t a fight, more like giving them a forward-looking present.
An AOU officer talks to the captain of the "Roger Jamison" and demands to know why they’re retreating. The captain says he already sent the battle data to the command center, which the officer has not seen at all. Regardless of what the data shows, the Atlantic Fleet was unable to fight three Gauntlet Knights and accepted a gift from the ACR Commonwealth King, now returning to port. Confused by the use of “gift,” the officer looks at an image of the bridge and asks what these objects are: they're ACR heavy torpedoes. Rethabile had announced to the fleet that she would initiate hostile engagement, and the soldiers took battle stations. Squad 601 intercepted and blocked all of the fleet’s torpedoes and air-to-air missiles. The GKs then touched down on the flagship and cut into the bridge using a tool. Rethabile asked for the fleet to surrender and left a courtesy gift, pulling several torpedoes out of her Dimension Container and leaving them behind. The fuses in the torpedoes were taken out so there was no danger, but in order to remove these objects from the ship, they had to return to port. Angered, the officer starts berating the captain, who replies that the times have changed now. They didn’t understand the Gauntlet Knights until the day they were used, and they pretended not to notice that new technology was overriding their future. The officer then gets so irritated that he faints, and the captain continues to wax poetic about how old soldiers who can’t accept the new era must withdraw before ending the transmission.
Soldiers were supposed to obey orders without question, but with the start of A3W, people became more concerned about eradicating WMDs and maintaining a healthy military balance. The struggle for medals in the Battle Standard Festival turned soldiers into sports contestants, causing the bad aspects of soldiers and athletes to fuse together and bolster support in the theory that fighting spirit trumps all. The military became reformed around the idea of fighting spirit, and old people clinging to past glory were controlling young people and forcing them to suffer like they did. The creation of Gauntlet Knights allowed young people to take back the role of “servants of peace” from those old people in the military. Some of those soldiers in the Atlantic Fleet were still in shock, but some of them understood that they just witnessed the dawn of a new age.
Saint Florian International Airport
Inside the airport, the news reports that the AOU Atlantic Fleet has pulled a u-turn after the ACR Aerial Augmented Infantry repelled their advance. Seshat sits in the first-class section of a passenger jet, ordering something from a flight attendant.
Mari wakes up inside a hospital, with Tina standing nearby watching her. Tina says they were all found lying on the floor of an airport conference room, apparently having been sent there to guard His Excellency. Tina isn’t able to remember much after that, but neither could anybody else, including His Excellency. Mari thinks they were attacked and their memories erased, but Tina says it’s unrealistic. Selcoms wrote data to the brain like a hard drive, and it wouldn’t be impossible to make technology to delete someone’s memories, but Selcoms only affected unused parts of the brain; it couldn’t interfere with the parts a human normally used. Selcoms could install and delete apps, but they couldn’t affect memories. Supposedly, memory rewrites had been achieved in labs but only on rats, requiring a ridiculous amount of time and equipment. Rewriting human memories was virtually impossible, to say the least.
Mari suggests looking through the airport’s security footage to figure out why they were all lying on the floor, and Tina says there was nothing; no data was found that looked suspicious at all. Even His Excellency’s notebook, which should’ve contained an analog record, didn’t provide any info, leading Tina to think it was also erased. His Excellency thought they were victims of a high-level attack and asked LATO to investigate the matter, but he was told to forget everything and pretend like nothing ever happened. Mari shows a lot of confusion to this development, jokingly suggesting that aliens wiped their memories. An earthquake then suddenly rumbles; modern earthquakes were common in the A3W world, but this earthquake felt more like a monster pulsating in an abyss.
Seshat orders champagne, saying she’s run out of gas from performing a little job like this.
Background Music
Chapter 13: Proof of a Program.
Public Bath
The virtual room was amass with activity from Gauntlet Knights all over the world, including some fresh faces. Keropoyo was unable to render these hundreds of avatars and only displayed a few dozen of them. The aces bragged about their feats and gave compliments to each other, analyzing their battle data as well. News stations worldwide announced that Gauntlet Knights were the new face of military might, a reversal from how they were always being treated like esport gamers and exhibitionist flyers.
Lilja, Sujatha, and several others expressed jealousy at not being able to go into combat, but they were still happy to know that Gauntlet Knights were getting the praise they deserved. The warmongers in the militaries worldwide should have received enough of a shock, but it’s still not enough to completely eradicate war. Andry says the people in charge of the Kashmir Spirit Field started arguing over whose fault it was to start mining, and the masterminds are all trying to weasel out of it. Miyao says preventing warmongers from accomplishing anything will make them lose their positions, which should be a surefire way to preserve peace.
Many of the Knights happily agreed with Miyao’s position, but others were more concerned about the state of the world going forward. Each faction had responded differently to the simultaneous Gauntlet Knight battles. When the AOU announced victory in the Glass Sea, Gauntlet Knights became hailed as heroes of a new era. Hollywood would probably be pumping out scripts about GKs, and there were lots of calls by citizens for a return to the B3W era’s glory. Meanwhile, the incident with Rethabile’s squad repelling the Atlantic Fleet was being covered up and barely being reported on by the media. Young people on the internet already knew the ACR GKs had fought off the fleet, and distrust of the media grew.
The COU announced victory in their attack on the Kashmir Spirit Field, and after the initial praise died down, criticisms regarding the Glass Sea incident grew more prominent. There was much outcry from COU citizens to pay the AOU back, and thus the COU made a rash decision in taking preemptive action against the AOU, being met with more criticism. The appearance of Gauntlet Knights meant the attackers were placing more pressure against the Walls of Peace, and the defending side needed to apply just as much pressure; a new cold war had emerged, only with GKs instead of nuclear weapons. In the interests of maintaining a healthy military balance, Stephania suggests that the COU made the right choice here.
The ABN treated their rescue of the hostage as a protective measure taken for the sake of human rights, with the public barely garnering any interest in this event. Even though they were attacked by the COU in the Kashmir Spirit Field, it was determined that a small group of military officials were responsible, having started mining for personal gain. Nobody was killed, so the ABN dismissed said officials and reopened negotiations with the COU to resolve things peacefully. Aysha wonders if it was really such a good idea to pander one-sidedly to the COU, and Naomi says it was also the right decision to make for preserving world peace.
Abdou says they should ease up on their attacks, as Rethabile was being treated like a goddess of war for her repelling of the Atlantic Fleet. It soon gave rise to sentiments in ACR citizens that they should repay the world for all the years Africa had been colonized and faced suffering. Gannet says more and more people are saying that they’re unpatriotic for not sharing the same views, and the other Knights ruminate on this, having heard it many times before. Many people on the net want the GKs to attack the "Atlantis" after hearing that they lost, and Lingji’s relatives are asking her to take revenge for what happened in the COU.
Nationalism existed in every country, and it had to be taken in small doses for the sake of military balance. Nationalism combined with peer pressure leads to a deadly social chemistry, which the Healthy Military Balance Oversight Committee has always emphasized; too much nationalism would cripple a nation’s ability to reason. The knights lament that the world doesn’t seem to understand what they’ve done by dispelling military tensions, and Koshka sarcastically says people who group together never produce anything good. Koshka accepted the Public Bath Oath on the surface, but she wasn’t actually interested in it and just bowed to peer pressure. Despite Koshka’s sarcasm, some of the other knights wondered if the Public Bath really was enough to pluck the sprouts of war; everyone looked like they were celebrating, but there was a hint of unease deep down. It was possible that the Gauntlet Knights would all fight each other someday, and everyone including Miyao was pretending not to notice.
Miyao’s Mental Space
MIYAO asks if Miyao really believes that deepening his friendship with the other GKs would prevent a world war. Miyao remembers their oath where if the GKs fight and someone’s shield breaks, they’ll just retreat, and the losers won't be pursued. MIYAO says buying time by fixing fights won’t lead anywhere. While it was the job of guardians of peace to buy time, there were other methods to use. MIYAO says the only thing that can satiate warmongers is bloodshed, especially the bloodshed resulting from people killing each other. The old always appreciated the young sacrificing their lives for them, and once the internet starts filling with pictures of young Gauntlet Knights turning into mincemeat, that should make the old come to their senses. The idea that their own grandchildren could have faced the same fate will make them lose their taste for war; time alone cannot do that. MIYAO harkens back to those legendary news photos in the past that triggered public opposition to war, asking Miyao to think of how many young people lay dead in them; humans fear death, and witnessing death will make them calm down.
Miyao says the Knights definitely won’t die in vain, then asks MIYAO why he suddenly showed up like this and has the same face. MIYAO says he and Miyao are one and the same, with the blue-bodied one being a “new” Miyao planted inside of him. Miyao refuses to accept that MIYAO could be a new personality of his and denies that he ever existed. MIYAO reminds him that he not a personality but a program; Miyao asks what kind of program MIYAO is then and demands to see proof. MIYAO replies that he exists to kick him out, claiming he and Miyao are both programs, copies of the real Miyao Mitake’s soul, who used to exist. An image of Miyao lying on the ground is then displayed. A Gauntlet is visible in the picture, and one could tell Miyao had been in fierce combat, but the right half of his body was missing; this was an image of a Miyao Mitake that was undeniably dead. Miyao thinks his other self is insinuating that the real Miyao is dead and he’s just an AI modeled after him, recalling his memories of his friends, his dad and his training experiences. MIYAO asks what he would do it it turned out that his Selcom just installed all of those memories one day and tricked him into thinking he was Miyao Mitake; having human memories does not prove he is human.
Miyao retorts by asking how MIYAO can disprove him, saying the image of his corpse could be fake. MIYAO admits defeat on that aspect, and then claims he can prove Miyao is a program. A certain reaction had been planted in him, one that the real Miyao Mitake would never show. Miyao is supposed to be a murder program created for the sake of killing someone. MIYAO’s going to show an image of said person, and Miyao should realize something is wrong once he sees it. Miyao has never interacted with this person or seen them ever since he was born, and when he see it Miyao’s murder-switch will flip in an instant, and he will kill anybody who gets in the way of his objective.
MIYAO claims that Miyao's journey in becoming the best Gauntlet Knight in the world was all for the sake of carrying out his murder program. Miyao asks why MIYAO doesn’t just delete him if they’re both programs and he’s supposed to kick him out; MIYAO says he wouldn’t have taken the time to show up like this if it were possible. The trigger is finally pulled on Miyao’s murder program as MIYAO shows him the image. Miyao, with doubt, says there's nothing happening, but is cut off before he can even finish his sentence, a black screen appearing with Miyao merely saying, “What…?”
Factory
A narrator wakes up inside a factory, seeing machinery and cogs everywhere. A track like that of a meat processing factory had naked humans hanging by their necks from hooks and cycling through various machines. Men and women, young and old, many live humans were being processed. They were all barely conscious thanks to paralyzing gas, and they were all crying and screaming. There were humans with clothes still on who were dipped into a vat of chemicals, their clothes, hair and skin melting off soon after. The humans were then passed through various inspection machines, with no regard to their size or age. The narrator finds it fortunate that their family is still with them, seeing their brother hanging in front of them with their parents in the distance. The narrator is put into a machine that sticks needles into their ears to analyze something as Dad is split off into a different group.
The narrator sees Dad heading towards a machine making loud crunching noises, hacking apart anybody who was carried into it. Their arms and legs fell onto another track and were swallowed up into another machine. The family continues passing through inspection machines, with the narrator beginning to regain their sense of pain; they felt happy to be with their family, and now that feeling was starting to disappear again. The sensation of pain finally returns and the narrator screams out, becoming fully aware of their situation and of everyone else around them. The narrator also hears Brother screaming in anguish and calling for their mom; he saw Mom being processed in a machine earlier, and Brother soon meets the same fate. A metal claw holds him in place as his arms and legs get lopped off, leaving behind his head and attached spinal cord, still twitching. The narrator understood that their brother was still alive, unable to cry out and suffering unbearable pain. Now it's the narrator’s turn, being held in place as sawblades pierce their skin.
Someone tells Miyao to listen closely, calling him adorable and saying that this “hell” is one they once experienced and will happen to Miyao's world in the future. This is a certain prophecy which can only be avoided if Miyao kills “them.” No matter what Miyao does, he must find and kill them.
Background Music
Chapter 14: The Value and True Weight of Peace.
World News
AOU Japan’s decision to use military force against the COU is being praised as a wise move, even by other AOU nations. Various citizens are also voicing their support for AOU Japan, saying that dealing with problems immediately instead of putting them off for the next generation to deal with is a good idea.
A COU secretary gives a statement that the COU will be mobilizing their militaries to avoid another preemptive strike. A reporter says many view these statements as saber-rattling, that the COU is lacking resolve. People all over the COU internet are deriding the government and calling them cowards. Another person claims that those in the COU assembly were arrested on bribery charges.
Public Bath
Warcat and Baibao gather in the virtual room. Tensions between the AOU and COU were rising, and Lingji feels her squad will be ordered to attack soon. Of course, they’ll be doing the same thing they were doing earlier in avoiding casualties as much as possible. Miyao says buying time is still important for letting public opinion die down. Miyao finds it creepy how public opinion is getting very heated, as they seemed to switch from wanting peace to wanting war incredibly fast. Jayden wonders if it’s really someone scheming behind the scenes causing it, and Gunhild reminds Miyao of the Sarajevo Incident which triggered World War I. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated on June 28, 1914, and WWI started exactly one month later. Of course, there were other reasons that led to WWI, but with the technological advancement of A3W and how much faster information travels, such a war can happen even sooner. Everyone is silent, knowing that even humans acted on impulse sometimes. Passionate lovers can become enemies because of misunderstandings, and doing something unforgivable would have fatal results; individual humans could laugh off these issues, but entire countries?
Miyao hopes that these worldwide tensions can be laughed off if no one dies. Gunhild agrees, as if someone died, public opinion would explode in the COU, which still carried children by ciconia. The Gauntlet Knights reiterate their desire to avoid human casualties, with Aysha wishing they would just settle conflicts in the Virty Arena already.
Miyao asks if there’s still anything they can do, a melancholic expression appearing on his face. As guardians of peace, they must pluck the sprouts of war to buy time, but is that really everything they can do? Miyao wants to get it into the heads of those warmongers and calm them down, and Aysha and Gunhild say that kind of thing is better left to a politician. Jayden suggests they form an Army of Peace with every Gauntlet Knight in the world and smack down any country trying to wage war. Lingji says that job belongs to the IPMA, and they’re hardly doing their job at the moment; even LATO only exists because of balance between the other factions. Miyao thinks they can form that army now using Kizuna, and Jayden says they should do it, as the young are all main characters.
Miyao ruminates on his statement, feeling unconfident that he really was the main character; Gauntlet Knights are still pieces in the end. Miyao remembers how he wanted to learn chess when he was younger and got shocked by a line that said, “chess is a game where you try to take your opponent’s king. It doesn't matter how many other pieces you lose in exchange for that.” Chess is a war game with the ultimate goal of taking the opponent’s king no matter how many pieces are sacrificed. Even the kings are pieces, and pieces must obey the player’s orders. Would a queen piece get tired of war and appeal to their player, and if she can’t would she become a player herself? Miyao brushes off his uneasy feelings and proclaims that as the strongest people in the world, those with the burden of being Gauntlet Knights, they must use their power to stop the chessboard dead in its tracks. The group swears to end these conflicts by Christmas.
Miyao’s Room
After sending another email to “the old bastard,” Miyao wonders if he got too hasty in sending it to Toujirou with his concerns over world peace. Keropoyo announces that Miyao has a call, signaled by a ringtone. Miyao soon picks up and talks with Toujirou about the idea of the young being the main characters of every era. Miyao once said that no matter how strong a piece is, they cannot escape the gameboard; Toujirou asks his son if it really isn’t possible to break that rule. Miyao says that if he breaks the rules of Gauntlet Knights, then he should become more than a GK.
Toujirou tells an anecdote of how he was in the military’s news department, and he asked for the position because he wanted to show people the true nature of world peace and how hard it was to protect. As Toujirou worked, he started to feel the same worries Miyao did, that he was merely being used by the higher-ups. Toujirou then formed his own secret society. Miyao gets shocked when hearing this, and Toujirou tells him not to get the wrong idea, saying it’s more like a chivalric order. In A3W, chivalric orders were not just organizations for knights. They were like clubs formed of people with similar interests. They would have a secret code and keep their existence hidden, but chivalric orders weren’t thought of as mysterious or profound. Long ago, there did exist secret societies like the Order of the Knights Templar, the Order of the Rosy Cross, and the Order of the Three Kings. These Orders had a thousand years of history to them, and elites all over the world were secret members, but now anybody can form an Order for something as simple as drinking out at bars. Toujirou realized that there were many other military reporters and officers who felt the same way and were getting worn out from trying to maintain world peace. Miyao asks what kind of Order it was, and Toujirou says he can’t answer that, as it would violate his code.
However, Toujirou explains that his order was like a hotline for peace that had members from various factions. Poor communication and misunderstandings would lead to fights and estrangement, and the Cuban Missile Crisis was one such example. A Soviet submarine carrying nuclear weapons was attacked by an American fleet that had no idea it had nukes. The submarine captain believed this was an act of war and moved to fire the nuclear torpedo, but another officer on board had vetoed the decision and stopped the firing. After a fierce argument, the captain reconsidered his position. On most submarines, the captain and a political officer’s approval was enough to launch a nuclear strike, but this was a special case since the other officer was the same rank as the captain and so they had to consult him. If this missile had launched, the A3W era might very well have become the Stone Age. After this incident, the US and USSR established connections and formed a hotline, so if similar incidents happened in the future, the heads of each country can talk directly.
Miyao realizes that his formation of the It’s a Wrap Public Bath was similar to what Toujirou did and feels a little embarrassed. With Toujirou’s order of military reporters, they could share information and get a bird’s-eye view of the world. Announcements made by the Foreign Affairs Department or the media were always tied to some faction, and this would influence articles. Even if someone means well, they talk about news from sources they don’t trust in a suspicious way and discuss trustworthy sources very naively and carefree. Toujirou’s order sought to catch those seeds of misunderstanding and crush them before it was too late to change things.
Miyao asks how Toujirou’s order views the current state of the world, including the affairs between the AOU and COU. Toujirou is unable to say anything about it because of their code, but he assures Miyao that they’re fighting every day, saying that “all is in the name of guiding humanity down the right path.” Miyao recognizes that catchphrase as secret code words said by the Order of the Three Kings. Toujirou asks Miyao if he feels better, and his son replies that he’s going to create a chivalric order too. Toujirou supports that decision, as the Gauntlet Knights will give Miyao much better advice than he can. They end the call, and Toujirou laughs to himself about how adorable Miyao is. He then wishes for Miyao to work hard, as the rest of the world won’t wait for him. Miyao probably thinks this eve-of-war atmosphere is the beginning of the end, but that’s not the case; once it has begun, it has already ended.
Virtual Room
Toujirou enters a virtual room used by his order. While it was true that they were gathering information from all over the world, they were also learning of military events before they were publicly announced and selling this information if it influenced military-related businesses. War could break out in the world at any time, and Toujirou could control information even more than usual. A member, Comrade 211, opens a conversation with Toujirou, calling him Grand Master and reporting that they've obtained the minutes to a COU assembly meeting. Toujirou likes this news and reports that the AOU has no problems either. He especially likes that because the AOU has no ciconia, few people interact with generations other than their own, so it’s easier to make them play along. Comrade 211 replies that it’s the same in the COU, where people are still bound by old-world values of family and region, so they still submit easily to their elders. They could have reformed that philosophy in A3W, but didn’t.
TV broadcasts and public opinion graphs start appearing all over the virtual room, showing that public opinion in both the AOU and COU was reaching a level that put them on the brink of war. Toujirou muses, saying that nobody tries to collect information with their own hands, instead going to news sites and TV and thinking they know everything. When people encounter food prepared by someone they don’t know, they’re hesitant to eat it. These same kinds of people will blindly accept information without considering that someone may have tampered with it; idiots like them is why Toujirou’s group makes money. In B3W, there were growing concerns of food safety, so people started checking calorie count and pesticide data, later checking out pictures of the people who were supposed to be processing and growing their food. Articles on the other hand are assumed to be politically neutral, with many sources and writers either unnamed or nonexistent. People attempt to maintain a healthy nutritional balance, but do they try to maintain a healthy information balance?
Toujirou remembers that the ACR agricultural plant mishap is about to become public knowledge and asks his subordinate if they’ve sold their stock in it already. Comrade 211 replies that they have, laughing to themselves and soon exiting the room. Toujirou says there soon won’t be a world to use that money in as Seshat enters the room. She compliments Toujirou for stringing along the AOU and COU, and for having a lot of workers in his Order of the Wisteria. The members of the Order of the Wisteria are all motivated by greed, and they have no idea that their work is being used by Seshat. Toujirou says it’s about time to pop the balloon that is war, and Seshat figures the Three Kings are all prepared for that. Seshat thanks Toujirou for the COU minutes and says she’ll be tracking the movements of the Order of the Holy Ark. She also asks Toujirou if he’s heard anything from his ex-wife, and he replies that she’s out in the world somewhere and fulfilling her hobbies; it's unlikely that she'll be contacting a husband from her time as a game piece. After a brief pause, Seshat tells Toujirou that she’ll believe everything he’s said and suggests that he not betray their Order’s wishes. Toujirou promises such, and Seshat clarifies that she herself doesn’t mind being betrayed, just that the Order itself must not be betrayed. Seshat leaves off saying that she would rather not pass judgment on Toujirou and soon exits the room.
A look of concern appears on Toujirou’s face, and Jestress soon joins the room. She notes how she was kept waiting for a long time, figuring he was having a long conversation, and Toujirou apologizes. Jestress says the Three Kings want to suitably reward Toujirou for his work, and he calls it the highest form of praise one can get from them. Jestress reports that the 76 chivalric orders owned by the Kings are all prepared to wage war, also complimenting the Order of the Wisteria in that they alone could have started WWIV. Toujirou hopes the “invitations” will arrive safely; the Three Kings were intending to wipe out all of humanity, knowing that some people will still survive and repopulate, but if they overdid it, extinction of the human race will surely happen.
Jestress then asks Toujirou what he wants as a reward, and it better not be her body. He gestures towards Jestress’ mask, asking that she take it off. Jestress wasn’t really wearing a mask. It was actually a visor-shaped wearable terminal, a popular item before the age of mental displays. Jestress rejects his offer, as she’s fond of it. Toujirou tells her to keep it on in real life, instead requesting that she keeps it off when meeting him in a virtual room like this. Jestress thinks about it and then says she’ll do it, as the Three Kings would probably tell her to do it anyway. Since Jestress doesn’t have an avatar without a visor, she takes some time to put one together and soon pulls her mask off. One could see how troubled and youthful Jestress was despite her adult behavior. She asks if this is fine, and Toujirou says it reminds him of the time they first met. Jestress asks him how many times she’s told him to stop doing that.
Background Music
Chapter 15: Forming a Chivalric Order.
Public Bath
Miyao gathers Jayden and Gunhild in the virtual room and asks them what they think the sprouts of war really are. The COU bases built on the Glass Sea were one such sprout of war, as they caused tensions with the AOU. The Atlantic Fleet was another one, as they were going to attack first; by that logic, Warcat themselves were sprouts of war when they attacked the COU bases. The problem of who takes responsibility for attacking first is confusing, and Miyao thinks that, even though they are supposed to be guarding peace, they may end up contributing to war. Miyao’s concern is that while their earlier missions contributed to world peace, there may come a time when they get a new mission that benefits the AOU but results in a sprout of war. Soldiers in the AOU Combined Military were allowed to refuse a mission if it conflicted with their beliefs and conscience, but it was practically suicide, as a lot of paperwork would be involved in becoming a conscientious objector, and it would label them as unfit for soceity and result in a voluntary discharge. This would leave a mark on the soldier’s record, and they would be prevented from finding normal work as early as the background check.
Miyao realizes the seriousness of their conversation, questioning their beliefs and roles as Gauntlet Knights, and he wants to know what to do with all of their power. Miyao then announces that he wants to form a chivalric order. Jayden and Gunhild look at him in shock, and Miyao explains that Gauntlet Knights in this Order can refuse missions if they deem them detrimental to supporting the Walls of Peace. If Miyao were to be given a mission that would lead to becoming a sprout of war, he would accept it as a soldier but ensure it does not succeed as a guardian of peace. There are many excuses that could be given for why Miyao failed the mission, and if there was an enemy Gauntlet Knight involved, they could just say it was a draw. Jayden is amazed by how crazy this whole idea sounds and then agrees to join the order. Gunhild also joins, though they still need to work out the finer details. Miyao wants to get every Gauntlet Knight in the world involved, as they can’t do much with just the 3 of them.
Jayden asks what Grave Mole will think, and Gunhild says she already told Chloe about it. Chloe soon joins the room and voices her support for Miyao’s Order, saying they’re naturally justified in wanting to return the military to their original job as guardians of peace. Chloe loudly extolls the virtues of Miyao’s Order, calling him Grand Master and saying that every Gauntlet Knight in the world should join. The rest of Grave Mole soon enters, who see the Order as a way to slack off while on duty. Miyao asks if Lilja and Koshka will take this seriously, as they may go through an inquiry if they get arrested. Koshka doesn’t mind, saying she’s Geroy equipment and gets killed every time she goes in for maintenance. Lilja says she also doesn’t mind and insults Koshka, causing the two of them to fight as Chloe begs for them to stop. Chloe then pushes the punishment button, breaking them up. Miyao reiterates to Lilja and Koshka that because they’re in a sensitive position, things will get awful if word gets out to the higher-ups about his Order. The two girls promise that they’ll follow whatever Chloe tells them to do, and they soon leave the room. Chloe reassures Miyao that despite her comrades’ personalities, they really do sympathize with him; Gunhild figures them showing up was proof enough, as they were even in the middle of a game. Miyao feels better, as he was feeling confused and surprised after suddenly gaining six members after announcing his order. Jayden excitedly says that he wants to name the Order because he proposed it, and Miyao starts bickering with him over the name. Gunhild thinks they’ll wind up calling it “Order of the Public Bath (temporary name)” and adopt it later.
Gunhild then puts on a serious expression and says they should make a policy to decide who’s qualified to join, as it will become extremely risky if anybody can invite anybody. They decide that Miyao will be the only one recruiting for now, with the others offering nominations. If aces from other factions join, then they should be allowed to recruit as well. Miyao thinks about recruiting Lingji and Rethabile, but because Rethabile is a princess, it’s unclear if she’ll really agree to ignore ACR defeats. Gunhild reminds him that the Public Bath is meant to be a place without social classes or nationalities, and Jayden reassures Miyao that Rethabile will listen. He also suggests recruiting the ABN and LATO GKs, and Miyao agrees. Gunhild is sure that Stan will join, as they’d been talking with each other about their concerns for world peace. Jayden thinks the LATO girls will join, as he’d also been emailing them.
Miyao thinks to himself about how easily the Order of the Public Bath (temporary name) got approval and how they’ll need to judge the situation carefully going forward. He also thinks the name should be changed to something better.
A narrator sends a message to Jestress, saying Miyao’s creation of a chivalric order may cause problems down the line; a single tip-off should crush his order if need be. They’ll pretend to approve of Miyao’s order for now and see what happens later on. They end the message with the Three King's creed.
Background Music
Chapter 16: It's a Wrap Public Lust?
Virtual Room
Toujirou talks to an unknown person and laughs after hearing that Miyao made his own chivalric order when they just had a discussion about it. Upon being questioned, Toujirou says he doesn’t mind that Miyao is taking action on his own; he understands it’ll cause trouble if anyone hears about it, though it shouldn’t matter soon anyway. Keropoyo tells him that 15 minutes have passed and Toujirou says he needs to get back to work, ending contact with the unknown person and leaving off with an “I love you.” Toujirou then gazes upon dozens of worldwide news broadcasts. The public opinion everywhere was that military force should be used to solve all their problems. Human emotions typically sloshed about like waves, and it tended to shift to the left or right. With a world that has 10 billion people on it, even though it may look peaceful, the emotions of a country would sometimes sway drastically to the side.
If one were to roll a lot of dice, it wouldn’t be strange to get some ones, though if every die were a one, that would be reason to suspect somebody is behind it. While rolling all ones was mathematically possible, it was impossible for humans because they were built with a “divine program” to prevent universal agreement. Humans, like animals, live in societies. Their instincts encourage them to follow the majority opinion. Multiple conflicting views are what allow human intellect to function and rational decisions to be made, however if one side becomes overwhelmed, then peer pressure takes over and society’s will changes in an instant. At the same time, not every human follows the same direction, as they would’ve gone extinct long ago if that were the case. “God’s program” calls for a certain number of humans to be born with genes that make them resent the majority. Toujirou uses video upload sites as an example of this, noting that no matter how innocent or perfect the video may be, between 5 to 20% of viewers will reject the opinion of those who like the video; no matter how horrible or divisive a video may be, 5 to 20% of people will like it. For the longest time, people assumed that these people were all “evil,” but research at the end of B3W revealed that some of these “evil” people had a similar standard to the majority. In other words, evil people had a second standard that took priority over their honest opinions of the videos: dislike of the majority view. Whenever a crowd gathers, that’s reason enough for them to dislike something. Even normal people who aren’t aware of God’s program can notice it if they think: liking something and then losing interest when it becomes popular and famous, hating something just because they hear it has been all the rage. This fail-safe is what prevents humans from going extinct en-masse. No matter the groupthink, there will always be someone with God’s fail-safe to oppose it, and the smaller the minority, the more they refuse to join the majority. Perhaps the officer who stopped the nuclear launch in the Cuban Missile Crisis also had God’s failsafe inside him.
Totalitarian dictators have taken notice of these minority fail-safes and have tried to exterminate them, which proves difficult to do the more their numbers dwindle. Not only that, God’s program is designed to create more fail-safes when enough of them disappear, much like how animals will spontaneously change genders when many of the opposite gender disappear.
However, in A3W, every fail-safe has been eliminated, and everyone in the world unilaterally thinks that war will solve everything, the result of a fatal bug in God’s program. Toujirou’s Order of the Wisteria has taken advantage of that bug with their vast information and news network. Makeup commercials and such are always talking about their customer satisfaction rate, but it’s never 100%. If it really were 100%, people would think it’s fake and won’t conform. If the rate were changed to 80%, suddenly people agree; spicing up this fake minority with statistics and events to make them detestable will further push public opinion. Loading up these fictional minorities to cause disgust in normal people will cause them to fiercely hate these minorities, and the subconscious knowledge that there are enough people in a given minority means God’s program won’t activate. Such is the power of the Order of the Wisteria. With careful planning, an AI can set aflame message boards enough that the media reports on it, spreading that information like a chain of dominoes.
Toujirou presses a key on his input device, a grin appearing on his face.
Public Bath
Miyao, Lingji, Stan, and Rethabile are all gathered in the virtual room, having shown interest in the Order of the Public Bath. They all agreed that recruiting Gauntlet Knights from all over the world would be key, but they wouldn’t join unless they knew they could make it happen. Miyao repeats his spiel again, and Rethabile understands the need to hold back, seeing as how a single squad could wipe out an Atlantic Fleet. Stan understands that it would be disastrous for a single GK to go wild during a battle, however they already swore an oath during the Battle Festival. Miyao still thinks that following every order regardless won’t prevent casualties. He compares themselves to the fuse on a bomb, where the Gauntlet Knights are right on the end while regular people are in between. Regular people are letting the flame get closer and closer to the fuse and when the bomb explodes, they’re going to blame those right on the end. Miyao doesn’t want the GKs to live with the regret that they’re living in a post-WWIV world when they could’ve prevented it in the first place. Miyao rants on about how adults are always telling them to follow orders, and if they were ordered to kill a bunch of people then it would somehow not be their fault; this is not what guardians of peace are supposed to do.
Stan compares Miyao’s thoughts to that of a leader in a certain Nazi concentration camp back in A2W, who claimed they were “just following orders” yet were not given justice. Of course, there were Nazis who protected Jews, and Sugihara Chiune defied the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and issued visas for Jews; they all acted according to their consciences instead of to higher authority. Miyao asks how many people they can save if they represent the ultimate form of military might, and Rethabile in return asks if becoming a conscientious objector will go against the A3W concept of maintaining a healthy military balance. Miyao reiterates that all they’ll be doing is making missions fail and avoiding casualties, and Stan asks what standards they’ll be using to decide such. Miyao suggests that they individually decide for themselves which missions they should and shouldn’t do, and the others agree; if Miyao were the only one to decide which missions to take, then they’d still be a fuse on the bomb. Having awakened to Miyao’s philosophy, Rethabile says she will ask the ACR Gauntlet Knights if they agree as well. Lingji and Stan will also recruit on their ends, however Stan asks Miyao to keep his hopes in check, as the ABN was very strict on thought policing; if the government found that someone intended to disobey them or the military, there would be consequences. Miyao thanks all of his friends for listening, and they all start talking about a better name for the Order of the Public Bath (temporary name). Lingji likes the current name because it reminds her that they all came together in It’s a Wrap Public Lust, and then suggests they be called the Order of Public Lust.
Valentina and Maricarmen soon join the room, with the latter complaining from entering the kanji wrong and getting errors. Soon, the LATO girls listened to Miyao’s concerns and agreed with them, however they won’t join the Order but instead will act as observers. Mari wants to watch Miyao’s Order and determine if they really have what it takes to dedicate themselves to peace, and Tina knows the Order will be watching them back to ensure the IPMA is doing its job; if they determine that the justice dealt by Miyao’s Order conflicts with the IPMA’s justice then they will be dealt with accordingly. Rethabile thinks the LATO girls’ opinions will be valuable, as they have an overview of the entire world. With Miyao as the Grand Master, Lingji, Rethabile, and Stanislaw as the branch leaders, the Masters, and the LATO girls as observers, this makes for six leaders of Miyao’s Order. Lingji suggests they recruit a seventh person, and Keropoyo suddenly announces that he wants to join. Miyao decides to make him the secretary of the Order, as he can easily scroll through the logs.
Lingji then suggests that they make a separate room for the Order of the Public Bath to differentiate it from It’s a Wrap Public Bath. Miyao asks Keropoyo to search for a wallpaper, who inputs keywords for “public bath” and “lust”; Miyao tells everyone to close their eyes after seeing the search results.
World News
Monitors featuring Keropoyo start filling up the screen, with each one reporting worldwide cases of terrorist attacks and domestic violence. Children were being killed and politicians were being murdered. Governments worldwide are responding to these attacks and are preparing for military action.
Warcat is sent a Level 1 Emergency Deployment Order, and it is not a drill. A slamming sound is heard soon after.
Background Music
Chapter 17: Don't Die, Don't Kill.
Glass Sea
Miyao refuses to believe that World War IV is starting now. Though people are pushing against the Walls of Peace, it hasn’t completely broken down. In an AOU control room, plans are being made to push across the Glass Sea to prevent more bases from being built. The COU is planning to respond in kind. Miyao thinks back to his last mission in the Glass Sea, wondering if they were really sprouts of war for destroying the COU’s base. He determines that they were in the right as an operator gives Miyao instructions to destroy the COU’s 4D printers. Miyao relays this info to the ally squads Kingfisher and Tripleburger, demanding that they not try to show off. Jayden reminds them that their only enemies are the drones and printers, not the opposing Gauntlet Knights.
On the other side, Lingji tells her ally squads Sakurafubuki and Fudou that their goal is "do not die and do not kill”, as promised in the Public Bath. They all agree, and some doubt falls over Lingji as she wonders if all they can really do is delay war for a few days. She determines that, no matter how weak her power is, it’s still power, and even a single person can change the world. Miyao and Lingji both remind their squads to not die and not kill, the motto of Miyao’s Order. Chloe tells Miyao that Grave Mole is doing fine, with Lingji and Koshka excited to run wild on drones. In B3W, many people were afraid of combat drones because of the fear they would turn against humanity. This mindset changed in A3W, so now people were much more comfortable with combat drones, as large numbers of them could be deployed and destroyed without causing casualties. Because of the initial shock of Gauntlet Knights, soldiers started feeling very empty, so the front lines were populated entirely by drones.
Grave Mole was fighting in a buffer zone between AOU Russia and COU China, with each side of the Amur River being covered aflame with drone fire. Chloe and Lilja were defending with their own set of drones, and Koshka was sniping enemy observation drones. The control center tells Grave Mole that the Baba Yaga squad along with more drones are being sent to help them. AOU Russia and COU China had a long history of conflict over the Amur River, and treaties in B3W had resolved the issue, however society’s emotions could burst and would easily brush those treaties away. Lingji warns Chloe that Baibao will be preparing to attack Grave Mole, much to her surprise. Human emotions could be overwhelming, but over time, anger fades and calmness returns. Miyao hopes that the world will regain its calm and wants everyone to give it their all until then.
Public Bath
Miyao congratulates all the Gauntlet Knights and asks how things are doing. Stan reports that the ABN is still having scuffles and fighting is fierce between COU India and ACR Libya; skirmishes were erupting all over the world in places like buffer zones, national boundaries, and disputed territories. Though there are many potential sources of conflict between countries, making them sprout or not is the most important thing. Miyao and Lingji accept that Japan and China have had many disputes in the past, yet they’ve managed to get along. Miyao thinks it’s all because the old men in charge put them aside, but Stan thinks pushing them away is a sign of wisdom. To completely solve problems between two nations, some people resulted in genocide; Miyao asks why they couldn’t just talk it out peacefully instead. Lingji says that even if they did, the next generation would think it was an unfair decision and want to strike back or renegotiate, causing conflict once again. They’ve all inherited the embers of conflict from their ancestors, and all they can do is pass it on. Dejected, Miyao asks if problems between countries really can’t be resolved, and Lingji says it’s more like keeping a garden: friendship between countries needs to be maintained. The world has realized this after going through three world wars, and when they realized that future wars can be foreshadowed, they sealed up everything related to WWIII. Even now, the ACR is causing skirmishes over the Atlantis Spirit Field and the Mozambique Channel, and they’re also fighting with the ABN over the Mediterranean Sea; both factions think they’re in the right, and debating over it seems pointless. Putting problems aside may seem like a negative thing, but it has ensured that peace lasts.
Miyao still doesn’t understand why everybody in the world is getting so excited over going to war, as there’s usually some people who will get scared and say they actually oppose war. Rethabile says a few people in the ACR are like that, however they’re being spurred on by anti-monarchists. The ABN also has people like that, however they’re radical fundamentalists who oppose the integrated religion. Lingji found a group like that in the COU and thought to check their site to spread their views, but she trails off. Miyao agrees that, even though these organizations sound like anti-war groups, they don’t seem peaceful. Stan sends him a video with a “Viewer Discretion Advised” warning on it, an ABN news report of a religious fundamentalist group marching down a road and espousing anti-war sentiments, then beating up a boy after he made a rude hand gesture. Miyao thinks these guys are just thugs, however similar news reports were happening in the ACR and COU. Groups claiming to be peaceful are acting incredibly violent, and nobody can agree with them. People are afraid of saying that they support peace for fear of being associated with those violent groups.
A narrator says that these are the decoys made to be minority groups that people cannot agree with; the bug in God’s program.
Keropoyo suddenly announces breaking news worldwide. Apparently, there’s a virus going around that was created by ABN-allied countries long ago and was supposed to have been destroyed. As Stan and the masters of the Public Bath watch in shock, an announcer says their team working with LATO has determined that this virus is indeed Erbil L5, a weaponized virus created during B3W. It was named such because its first victims were discovered in Erbil, a city in northern Iraq. It was introduced into the city by some secret agent during the worldwide feuds occurring near the end of the B3W era, and it would target certain crops and destroy them. It destroyed many crops across the Middle East, and it was believed to be one of the triggers for World War III. After the start of A3W, research and storage of bioweapons and viruses became forbidden worldwide. The country that created Erbil L5, which joined the ABN, announced that they destroyed every trace of the virus, yet it has resurfaced. Miyao thinks a greedy warmonger recreated the virus and planned to frame the ABN for it; Stan agrees, though the other factions may not believe it. The current affected areas are the top half of Africa, AOU Russia, and COU India, which all surrounded the completely unaffected ABN. Rethabile thinks that, even if the ABN wasn’t researching the virus, they could still take measures to ensure their crops wouldn’t be affected in the future, with Stan refusing to believe such a thing. Keropoyo starts displaying news programs and message boards talking about the virus, pulling up several opinions that seemed to be representative. Massive famines will most likely occur in the affected areas and require food assistance programs to be set up worldwide. The ABN is being blamed for the spread of Erbil L5; Rethabile asks that, if they were to attack ABN agricultural plants, should they make the mission fail? Should they ignore that half the planet has been struck by a virus and ignore the damage done to ACR citizens? Stan figures the ABN will compensate them as taking responsibility for creating the virus in the first place, but the victims won’t be too happy.
Miyao laments once more that the Gauntlet Knights are unable to do anything, as all they have is swords; they have no eyes to find their true enemies and no shields to preemptively block attacks. Until the real enemy is found, affected people will continue crying out for revenge to be taken against the ABN, and if the Order of the Public Bath made that mission fail, their anger would only increase. Criticism of the government will increase, and either they will take more dramatic actions or fall into chaos until a solution is found. If the attack succeeds, the ABN will retaliate, and the cycle of revenge will be perpetuated. Lingji thinks that maybe Gauntlet Knights protecting peace was just a dream after all. Miyao says that they need to have eyes if they want to protect peace otherwise their efforts will be wasted, and the others assure him that his dreams are not meaningless. Miyao thinks they should recruit people from intelligence agencies or the police, but his suggestion is dissuaded since their Order’s goal may not be legal in some countries. Military regulations worldwide forbid the use of tools like Kizuna, and inviting military members will be too risky. The mood of the Battle Standard Festival has allowed all the Gauntlet Knights to get along, and now that warfare is taking place worldwide, some people are too afraid just to enter the virtual room. Rethabile understands Miyao’s concerns, however she wants him to give up on recruiting police and intelligence agents, otherwise she will disband the ACR from his Order; she cannot afford to put her friends who agreed. She knows Miyao wants to do more, but it’s not his place as a soldier. Miyao reluctantly accepts this idea, as despite his attempts to become more than a game piece, he is still a game piece, only able to move in certain directions. Rethabile soon leaves, as the ACR GKs have all been ordered to install map data for ABN agricultural plants. She will determine if the mission needs to fail, but if she withdraws, someone who hasn’t agreed to Miyao’s philosophy will take her place. Stan leaves as well, as the Peace Department has ordered them to raise their alert status to prepare for potential attacks. He and Lingji reassure Miyao that they are impressed with his Order and want to give him some time to relax. Miyao continues to lament his powerlessness.
Background Music
Chapter 18: God's Scenario.
Meeting Room
Toujirou writes an email to Miyao congratulating him and showing his respect for making a chivalric order for the sake of peace. He promises to offer his assistance if he learns anything. Toujirou says it’s possible that the kind of evil organization Miyao’s talking about doesn’t exist, as wars don’t just happen because someone wills it to happen, they’re a result of societies and countries. The only true evil would be a flaw in humans that makes them desire war. Toujirou advises Miyao that he not be impatient, as he’s likely being overwhelmed with feelings of responsibility and feels inclined to do something. The time will come when Miyao can fulfill his role in a way he understands.
Toujirou sends the email and laughs to himself, with Seshat asking what’s so funny. Toujirou gushes over how cute Miyao is, and Seshat remembers that he recently earned a Distinguished Service Medal; with a reward being given if he earns ten. Toujirou replies that the reward is an honorary position, honorable discharge, and lifetime pension, however nobody thus far has earned ten medals since there’s been no wars since the beginning of A3W. Seshat then asks what kind of email Miyao sent Toujirou, learning that he established a chivalric order with Gauntlet Knights for the sake of world peace. Seshat wonders if it’s part of the “plot,” and Toujirou replies that God’s scenario isn’t so flimsy that an Order like that could stop it. They think Miyao is a powerful trump card, though it’s unclear whose card he really is. Toujirou figures that if his ex-wife were to contact Miyao, he’d tell Toujirou about it. Seshat his ex-wife is also a powerful yet unknown trump card, and Toujirou compares them to Tetris. Any piece can get in the way if they’re misused, but setting them right will make them fall into place; Seshat wonders who’s really playing a game, them or “them.”
Mysterious Room
Jestress congratulates the success of Erbil L5’s spread. The King of Fury doesn’t like that secret information about the virus was leaked, as it ruined their plans; they intended to wipe out crops all over the world and didn’t even manage half of that. The King of Sorrow says they need to prepare two planets’ worth next time, and Jestress demeans them while suggesting they up it to three. The King of Ridicule is satisfied, as even though they hit 30% of the globe, it should be enough to affect humanity. He compares the situation to knitting, where making a mistake means undoing everything and starting over from where the mistake was made. Humanity tried to do this at the start of A3W, but they still went wrong; Jestress calls it proof that the Three Kings were incompetent back then, with Fury saying she was also incompetent at that time. Sorrow hopes that a splendid king to replace them will rise from the ashes of the new world.
Public Bath
Erbil L5 has spread to the northern half of Africa, the western part of Eurasia, and the Atlantic Coast of North and South America; three tenths of the world’s crops destroyed. A brave individual had released data about the virus worldwide, and LATO labs were able to quickly develop a counter-measure and give it to all the factions. A news report states that, despite stopping the spread of a deadly virus, that doesn’t change the fact that it will take years to recover from this disaster, and a worldwide famine may be unavoidable. Businesses affected by the damage have crashed. LATO wants all the factions to call a truce and aid each other, however the ABN still claims they were not responsible for the virus and wants this to be acknowledged before they provide support. The ACR, having been hit the most by Erbil L5, opposes the ABN’s precondition and will resort to military retribution if need be.
Miyao turns off the news and thinks back to Rethabile’s prediction. The ACR striking the ABN’s agricultural plants is equivalent exchange, the simplest kind of retribution there is. From a worldwide perspective, the ACR is being foolish. Many crops were destroyed and a mass famine was approaching, yet even more crops were going to be destroyed just to soothe public opinion. Miyao thinks that Toujirou was right about humans being flawed, and he wonders if it’s something that they have to accept or something that cannot be forgiven in exchange for being allowed to live on the planet’s surface.
A pro-peace faction in the ACR Royal Family asked the ABN for unconditional compensation, but they rejected it and refused to provide support so long as they were treated as the de-facto culprits. Despite this, the ABN has still been unable to prove its innocence. The only way out was to discover the true culprit, but they didn’t seem to be making any progress. The ACR was planning a retaliatory strike, and it could happen as early as tonight. Meanwhile, the COU was planning the same thing. They had damage in COU Saudi Arabia, COU Yemen, COU Oman, and part of COU India; their policy of preemptive action made it easier to accept the idea of retaliation. The AOU was in a complicated situation, as the countries composing them have historically had ties with Europe, and due to a treaty, the AOU was supposed to fight alongside the ABN if they were attacked. Several AOU countries were hit by Erbil L5 and demanded investigation into the ABN. The AOU Joint Parliament feared a split between AOU America and AOU Russia, and at some point AOU America would submit to AOU Russia since the East Coast of America was also hit by Erbil L5.
The Middle East was an especially complicated area. There were many countries there who respected religion and were populated by devout followers, so it was assumed they would join the ABN. However, they all joined the COU, which was forcefully enveloping all of the countries surrounding the Central Ocean. This was believed to be caused by resistance to the ABN’s rough and rapid push for religious unification, which was too radical. AOU took advantage of the chaos by admitting Georgia and Armenia, and the ACR turned Egypt into a forward base to prevent ABN extension into Africa. Azerbaijan was threatened by multiple factions, so they reached out to LATO and became the first country outside Latin America to bear the LATO prefix. LATO Azerbaijan and ABN Israel shared borders with all the Great Factions, and drone armies were converging there for war. Miyao laments his powerlessness once more.
Meditteranean Sea
Rethabile reminds her allies to not die and not kill, and to ensure that they return with their Gauntlets safe and sound. She will personally deal with anybody who dares to attack a shieldless enemy. The kette all voiced their enthusiasm, but they were still tense. An ACR officer orders Rethabile to show the ABN their rage with their attack drones, and Rethabile ends the transmission. Abdou figures this operation is going past the Walls of Peace and asks what they should do. If this mission were to fail, the ACR might just regroup and attack again, causing the ABN to respond, resulting in a bloodbath and unstoppable war. The front lines were filled with ACR Gauntlet Knights with attack drones formed behind them. GKs were able to use their Parallel Processing ability to control attack drones as if they were their arms and legs. However, it placed a huge burden on their brains, and if they lost control then the drones would return to their original programming; they weren’t programmed to follow the Order of the Public Bath’s philosophy. Many of the GKs were tense, so their P3 levels were lower than normal, and the fear of drones running wild was even greater. Noor reports that Cairo Squad is preparing to make contact with ABN air defense forces. After a short discussion, Noor says she will follow the princess’ decision and is met with criticism by Mariana, who claims she’s just pushing responsibility onto others. Ishak tells Rethabile not to bear such heavy responsibility; both sides are doing their best as soldiers, and the result will be left in God’s hands. Rethabile considers the idea, but she instead proclaims that she will not use fate as an excuse to avoid making decisions or taking responsibility. She praises Miyao for creating such a fascinating Order and blasts off.
Keropoyo tells Naima that a friend has arrived, and Naomi finds it sad that such a cheerful message would signal an enemy attack. Naima hates hearing Kizuna notifications like this, and while she could just turn it off, that would mean they really are enemies. Stan reassures her that they are all friends working to protect the Walls of Peace. Yeladot Shavit appears and announces that they will soon be engaging the ACR. Stephania and Fatma say that the ACR are like lost sheep and require guidance from God and the ABN. Stan and the rest of Thalathat Suyuf reiterate to not die and not kill, as God is the only one who can take life.
Yeladot Shavit sends a message saying that God has given them permission to kill and to defend their territories, and Naima starts raging at them, yelling out her support for world peace. Leah threatens to report this disorderly outburst to her superiors later and Naomi asks her to forgive Naima, as her drugs must be making her overreact. Thalathat Suyuf starts talking about Miyao’s ideals, which Naima has resonated with, and she announces that she will see them through. Naima blasts off with a wild expression appearing on her face. Rethabile tells Naima that combat shall commence in ten seconds, and they exchange blows.
Agricultural Plant
Sujatha announces that Suparna has finished carpet bombing the target and is now returning. Rukhshana wonders why they are doing something to make the famine worse, and Andry replies that it’s a plan to make the ABN agree to pay reparations only to the COU. Rukhshana still doesn’t agree with the attack, even though there was nobody present on the farm. Andry voices support for Miyao, saying he’d only kill people, even civilians, if he got paid for it. Of course, he understands that he might kill someone unintentionally.
Suddenly, Rukhshana starts panicking over an ABN news report talking about the city Suparna just attacked. The news is claiming that the COU’s bombing run killed 40 kindergarteners on a field trip to a farm, and the city is in an outrage. Rukhshana swears that there was nobody on the farm, which was completely unmanned and automated; Sujatha figures this is a scenario fabricated by the ABN Guidance Department to inflate their casualties. Andry thinks that, even though there were no direct deaths, they may have still caused some. Cityfolk were in a panic because of the sudden air raid alarm, and it’s likely that confused drivers can get into accidents and kill people. Andry criticizes Sujatha and Rukhshana for only attacking after making near approaches to ensure nobody was hit, and if they were more irresponsible then more people would’ve died. Sujatha still believes it’s enemy propaganda, and Rukhshana continues to panic. Andry leaves it to the higher-ups to take responsibility.
Lilja shields herself against midair mines, and Chloe authorizes her and Koshka to take injections if need be. Rejection Shields caused different levels of strain depending on the situation, and unprecedented attacks would cause a lot. Some countries were developing techniques to transform stealth drones into mines that would float in the air as anti-GK weapons. Lilja’s sudden expenditure of energy to block the explosion had given her symptoms similar to anemia, and injecting cranial secretion regulators would improve her condition.
The enemy noticed that Grave Mole was disoriented, so a salvo of cluster missiles was launched at them. Lilja tells the squad Baba Yaga to get a hold of themselves and get away, but one of their members Praskovya is in condition red; her state is at 13%, just above the Madonna’s Minimum Speed. Baba Yaga is unwilling to abandon their squad mate and attempt to shoot down the missiles. The missiles are too great in number for Koshka to shoot down, and as Chloe cries out Baba Yaga’s name, a flash of white is seen.
Public Bath
A melancholic Miyao has a moment of silence for their comrades who protected the Walls of Peace even in death. Rethabile says that many countries are dragging inexperienced people into combat to increase their number of Gauntlet Knights. She apologizes for the harm they did to the ABN, and Miyao demands to know why they’re suddenly fighting actual wars when people were watching them fight in VR at the Battle Standard Festival. Stan says that in the ancient Olympics, winners were given olive wreaths unless they killed their opponent; Miyao thinks their problems can be solved with VR if they’re concerned over winners and losers. As VR became more and more real, certain cultured individuals and religious advocates began arguing against the need of having a physical human body. VR was a paradise where anything done can be undone, and destrouction and murder had no consequences; physical bodies were a gateway to irreversible tragedies and horrible calamties. Miyao asks why they don’t just get rid of all the militaries in the world, and Rethabile replies that no militaries means no support to the Walls of Peace, and no Walls means humans will show their hatred for each other in the form of genocide and ethnic cleansing. Stan says the noble sacrifices made by their comrades have upheld the Walls, and this was all because of Miyao’s philosophy of “don’t die, don’t kill.” Rethabile and Lingji agree, as without Miyao’s guidance they may have unfriended each other and become absorbed with hatred.
Miyao wonders if the world has calmed down after all their suffering. They watch the world news, where a news anchor reports that the public's rage at civilian casualties has reached its peak. A president vows to mete out justice for what has been done. A video uploader says to steal from foreigners and stone them. A civilian anti-war group was revealed to be a spy for another faction, and they appear to be connected to a recent school bus bombing. An internet forum is aflame with messages to arrest anti-war supporters as spies.
As the world seemingly loses its mind, Rethabile comments that they’ve stayed sane because they’re putting their lives on the line for the sake of peace; those who have never been on a battlefield think war is the same as in the Battle Standard Festival, and the addition of actual casualties makes it easier to push towards war with anger and hatred.
Factory
A narrator hears a voice talking to them, referring to them as “children of man” and calling their current state liberation. They have stopped evolving because they could not break out of their shells of flesh, so they are receiving aid in their soul’s evolution. Rails full of naked humans were being processed, losing their “shells of flesh” and transforming into brains with spinal cords. The voice promises a new world, a heaven where there will be no sadness, aging and pain. There is no need to be afraid; they must accept liberation and be invited into the “eternal garden”, where their family and friends have already been freed and are waiting.
The voice then cites the flaws of having flesh; misfortune, anger, war; all of it can be explained by desire for food and procreation. Liberation from the flesh means freeing oneself of suffering like animals. The narrator comes to understand that this voice is God and asks them to guide humanity to the promised land.
Background Music
Chapter 19: Simultaneous Global Truce and Terror.
World News
The news reports that every faction in the world has agreed to enact a global truce and attend a conference after the IPMA’s response. Valentina and Maricarmen send an email to Miyao, assuring him that they've been working. Though their reputation has been hit because of the world feuds, LATO has still pulled through in the end; Rethabile figures that war could have been prevented entirely if LATO acted sooner. Miyao hopes the world will regain its composure.
The IPMA had been working with leaders from each faction to establish a truce, however they were all caught up in warmongering, so instead the IPMA investigated VIPs who still had a sense of duty towards world peace and made them provisional directors in the IPMA. It was an outrageous move since it was equivalent to meddling in internal affairs, but LATO was able to get away with it by leveraging their massive financial and military power and their position as the largest producer of Rare Spiritum. Rethabile figures that, even if the worldwide wars ended soon, LATO’s meddling will still cause political turmoil, not to mention the issues concerning national borders that were suspended.
The news centers a camera on Liu Tiankai, a COU Chinese influencer in the COU Joint Parliament. Miyao notices the similar name to Lingji and asks her about it, who replies that Tiankai is her grandfather. The Masters of the Public Bath comment on how haggard Tiankai looks, as he must have shouldered a huge responsibility in attending this conference. Rethabile says there were some members of the Royal Family who were asked to attend, however they backed out when they heard they couldn’t join anonymously; the risk of losing their political positions in the ensuing chaos outweighed their roles as heroes of peace. Miyao and Stan contest this idea and praise Lingji’s grandfather for standing against the will of his country. Back when Sugihara Chiune did his work saving Jews, he was treated as a traitor for disobeying orders, and it wasn’t until 14 years after Chiune’s death that he was properly recognized as a hero. In Dante’s "Divine Comedy", the lowest level of hell was where the sin of betrayal was punished; betrayal of the state was believed to be something nobody could repent for. Lingji’s relatives tried to stop Tiankai from taking this position but he ignored them; Rethabile wishes the Royal Family had a backbone like that.
Miyao figures that all the people at this conference are aware of who’s fanning the flames of war and know their true enemies, the true sprouts of war. Miyao gets some renewed hope after knowing that there are others fighting for world peace just like them; because Lingji is still in contact with her grandfather, Miyao wants to ask if there’s anything they can do to help. Lingji agrees, however she won’t mention the Order of the Public Bath. Rethabile asks Miyao permission to approach her big brother, who was invited to the meeting but rejected it without the promise of anonymity. Miyao allows it, and Stan laments that he doesn’t have any political connections, though he will try to gather more information. Miyao decides to talk to his dad, remembering his network of friends all over the world. Stan thinks having a military reporter for a father is a very important asset to have. Miyao is excited for the Order to finally fight for real.
Cafeteria
Warcat talks in the officer’s cafeteria about their friends and connections, where Gunhild jokes that if girls were saying they had connections to an older generation, people would think they’re a secondary secretary. Jayden expresses his jealousy at how ciconia-borns are able to have such strong interpersonal bonds as opposed to factory-borns. All of Jayden’s friends are in no position to help the Public Bath in any capacity, and he wonders how any of them could even know what goes on in the government. Gunhild can’t help either; while she has older friends because of her hobbies, it would be rude to ask them about their social positions or professions. They’ll have to rely on Miyao’s dad for now, however Miyao doesn’t feel like he can trust Toujirou more than just a close friend. Gunhild and Jayden praise Miyao for creating the Public Bath, and he reflects on the circumstances that led to it, thanking his fellow Warcats for being there for him.
Jayden then mentions a rumor of a secret topic of discussion that’s going to be at the LATO conference. With everyone in the world conveniently getting excited over war, someone must have planned it all out, so LATO’s going to pool together information from all the VIPs and sniff out the mastermind. Gunhild figures the enemy must have some influence over the military, and some extra firepower on their side wouldn’t hurt when the bad guys are exposed. Jayden then gestures towards a TV, where one of the LATO girls has appeared on the news. All the Gauntlet Knights of LATO are standing guard for the VIPs. Miyao says LATO Gauntlets have higher specs than anything else from the other factions, so this conference must have the tightest security on Earth. Jayden figures that LATO is very confident that the information held by these VIPs is enough, and Miyao notices his dad on TV. As Gunhild asks Miyao to point out his dad, Jayden jokes about telling Toujirou that he’s entered a serious relationship with Meow, causing Miyao to get flustered and lose track. Miyao plays back the news in his mental tablet and sees that Toujirou is indeed there, holding a camera and walking past the LATO MPs that are holding back the press. Being a military reporter, it wasn’t strange for Toujirou to be there in LATO Brazil. However, Toujirou looked very calm; to outsiders, this was a normal, easygoing expression, but to Miyao, his dad’s expression seemed like an eerie smile.
IPMA HQ
Brasília, the capital of LATO Brazil, was where the IPMA headquarters were located. Public opinion in LATO was pro-peace, so crowds of people were cheering on the people who sought to end this war. However, this was a passive stance, as people in LATO were promised prosperous lives and didn’t care much about conflicts between other factions; even LATO itself didn’t want to get involved despite calling themselves the World’s Police.
Security at the conference was incredibly strict, with armored cars surrounding the building and Gauntlet Knights everywhere, with an air defense system protecting the skies. ID checks and metal detectors were also being used to prevent the infiltration of assassins and terrorists. Toujirou enters the building and is checked by Valentina, who tells him that they’ve raised the identity check level to level 4 for foreign soldiers. The technology of A3W allowed IDs to be checked just by having them on their person, however having security personnel directly speaking to someone in person applied a silent pressure. Toujirou passes his ID inspection and Tina guides him to a special spot where he can take pictures. Inside the conference hall, over 100 directors were all talking with each other, with the VIP provisional directors at the center. Some people didn’t join in the conversation and were intent on serving as directors not for world peace but to benefit their nations. Some of them may have felt that the other directors were secret traitors, and as the VIPs were speaking, they were considering ways to restrain them while feigning support for peace.
Eventually, all the VIPs were called to take a group photo, with the provisional directors front and center. Tiankai makes acquaintances with Simon Wicksell from the AOU Joint Parliament and expresses his desire to find out the mastermind behind this incident of organized crime as he pulls out his smartphone. Smartphones were widely used by people in Tiankai’s generation since they were unable to use Selcoms. Tiankai sees that his beloved granddaughter Lingji has sent an email; Wicksell asks if it’s urgent, and Tiankai says he’ll read it later. Wicksell believes that, for the sake of people like Lingji, they should kick out the people who’ve waged war. Mari calls the directors to attention as the military reporters start coming in. They were all escorted by multiple Gauntlet Knights, who had enough shields to protect the VIPs should anything bad happen. Mari announces that the reporters may now take photos, and if any photos are taken after the end signal is given then their equipment will be confiscated. Furthermore, their passes will deactivate 300 seconds after the signal, and anybody still remaining after that point will be arrested unconditionally. Toujirou pulls out his own camera, a retro camera that had been created in B3W. This was a perfectly normal camera with no fancy tech, something that appealed to Toujirou’s sense of aesthetics. Toujirou peers through the viewfinder and focuses on Tiankai and the people standing next to him, all big-shots in the pro-ceasefire faction; Toujirou wants to preserve this shot for posterity. He presses down on the shutter, and a flash of white is seen.
World News
As television static is heard, an announcer talks to staff members, noting that the video’s cut out and tells them to get it back online. A news anchor reports that a large explosion has occurred at the IPMA Headquarters and connects to a reporter at the scene. The reporter says that a large explosion followed by a massive tremor has occurred inside the conference hall and is cut off by LATO police, who announce that all passes are suspended and order all the press to leave.
Cafeteria
Warcat watches the news broadcast horrified, having suddenly lost the peaceful atmosphere that came from the hope of world peace. Miyao asks Keropoyo to find if this was a terrorist attack or not, and the frog replies that nobody is sure; furthermore, there are at least 100 injured. Jayden is asked to contact the LATO girls and see if they’re alright, but he accidentally sends an incomplete, inappropriate draft and is mocked by Keropoyo for it; Meow comes out and beats up Jayden for his perverted thoughts. Gunhild figures the LATO girls won’t respond since they’re on duty and remembers that Miyao saw his dad at the scene earlier. Lingji sends an email to Miyao expressing her concern over her grandfather and asks if Toujirou has any information. Miyao decides to contact his dad and learns that Toujirou is safe. The explosion happened right in front of his eyes, which Toujirou captured with his eye camera. Miyao asks to see the video to ensure if Lingji’s grandfather is safe. Meanwhile, a nearby Tina remarks that Toujirou was in such a convenient position to be saved by her. She says that when most reporters take photos, they don’t try to frame things that aren’t the subject of their picture, and Toujirou happened to be in a position where he’d be protected by Tina’s shield while many of the other reporters were injured or killed. Toujirou pays no heed to this insinuation, saying he’s always had good luck at times like these. Miyao asks Toujirou to respond, and his dad replies that having two separate conversations is hard. Toujirou says he can send the video so long as it’s in a format that can’t be copied and deletes itself after being played. Miyao desperately wants to know if Tiankai is safe and Tina notices that Toujirou is looking tired; she’d escort him to his hotel room but she needs to bring him somewhere first. Toujirou knows what’s up since he was the only foreigner on the scene.
Toujirou agrees to send the video and warns that it’s marked as 18+, asking what age Miyao was again. Tina says that Toujirou isn’t allowed to reproduce anything seen today without LATO’s express permission, and he agrees to it as he sends Miyao the video. Tina then says she’ll need to restrict his Selcom usage for a while, which Toujirou gladly accepts before getting zapped.
Miyao thanks Toujirou for sending the video and gets annoyed when he doesn’t respond. Miyao tells the other Warcats about the video and Jayden suggests they call Lingji over so she can watch. Miyao decides not to and says he’ll take responsibility for telling her the result. Warcat soon joins a virtual room, and Miyao says to play the video. Keropoyo asks if he should remove the filter for grotesque content, as the mosaics will get in the way of their search for Tiankai. Gunhild isn’t fazed by the gore warning, and Miyao says this video could have vital clues in it. Jayden thinks they should get a bigger audience since this video can only play once, but Gunhild says they should keep it to just Warcat, for Toujirou’s sake.
Miyao tells Keropoyo to play the video.
Background Music
Chapter 20: Disaster Utopia.
Public Bath
Keropoyo plays the video. Mari is seen giving orders to the provisional directors for the group picture. Despite how revolutionary eye cameras were, they weren’t very popular because the human eye is very hyperactive, always jumping from one object to the next, with the brain automatically smoothing out the shakiness. The video was especially blurry because Toujirou still wore old-style glasses and never had vision recovery surgery. Even Keropoyo could barely recognize people’s faces if they were standing still. Jayden notes how perverted Toujirou is for always looking at Mari’s back and butt, earning a slight insult from Meow. Mari gives the signal to take pictures and Tina comes into view as Toujirou pulls out his camera. Keropoyo finds Liu Tiankai standing in the front row of the group. Toujirou lists off the names of everybody standing next to Tiankai and positions his camera in such a way that Tina’s butt was covering half of it.
Jayden loudly complains about Toujirou making the video uncopyable when the explosion happens. Blood and flesh flew all over the conference hall, with people moaning and screaming shortly afterwards. Toujirou gets up and looks around him, seeing Mari turn off her Rejection Shields and call HQ for help. Tina drops her own Shield and is surprised at how Toujirou was unscathed. Toujirou thanks her and calmly watches over the scene as paramedics and security guards pour in. He then looks over at where the directors were gathered and Warcat comments at the gruesomeness of the scene, fortunate that Lingji isn’t watching. Keropoyo attempts to find Tiankai and is unsuccessful.
The video ends, and Jayden asks what they should tell Lingji. Miyao says to just send an email saying “I don’t know” and then asks to let in the Masters of the Public Bath. Stan, Rethabile and Lingji soon enter the room, where Lingji thanks Miyao for investigating and says the Foreign Affairs Department is trying to confirm her grandfather’s safety. Stan laments that LATO had brought together people working for world peace only for them to get wiped out and apologizes for his poor choice of words. Lingji says that, regardless of this being an accident or terrorism, the masterminds must be enjoying themselves. Rethabile demands to know how LATO allowed something like this to slip through the cracks, and Miyao mentions that there were several deaths among the directors. Stan finds it strange, as Gauntlet Knights were mobilized to protect the VIPs, and the only ones shown to be safe in the video were the GKs, Toujirou and a few reporters behind him. Nobody was protecting the directors. Gunhild thinks one of the directors carried in an explosive without their knowledge, as they had diplomatic immunity and didn’t need to be checked. Rethabile says that in B3W, people could carry switches for nuclear missiles in briefcases, and with modern technology it could be as small as someone’s fist. Jayden privately messages Miyao and says there’s no way someone could massacre so many people with a weapon that size; Miyao thinks that LATO could have set it up beforehand, and Jayden can’t comprehend why LATO would implicate themselves with something so flashy.
Stan figures that LATO will try to pass it off as an accident, and Gunhild says it might actually be one. One of her band groupies turned out to be a LATO police officer and sent her an email saying that the explosion was caused by a Gauntlet Knight’s Dimension Container suddenly going off. Gunhild joins Miyao and Jayden’s private chat and says she checked out all the GKs that appeared in the video. Sure enough, there was one missing after the accident, and they most likely were in the center of the explosion. Miyao thinks about how the Dimension Container caused several horrible accidents during experimentation. One miscalculation would cause an effect similar to particle annihilation, which normally occurred on a microscopic level. The worst recorded incident was in a LATO Peru Level 4 Heavy Military Research Center, where hundreds of people were killed or injured. Technological advancement and awareness meant explosion accidents were mostly avoidable, however improper adjustments and trainees can still cause accidents.
Lingji yells that this makes no sense, as LATO’s Gauntlet technology is more advanced, so explosion accidents should be near impossible there; Miyao also can’t believe that any of the guards were trainees. If this were a plot set up as an accident then someone could have tampered with the GK that was the bomb, which still implicates LATO. Gunhild reminds him that it wouldn’t be impossible for the mastermind, the people the Order of the Public Bath has been searching for, to tamper with LATO’s Gauntlets. To use a Gauntlet Knight, a symbol of the Walls of Peace, as a bomb was unforgivable to Miyao.
Lingji then receives an email from her family, who’ve identified part of Tiankai’s body. She lowers her head as Rethabile prays for all the people who died for the sake of peace. Miyao says it wasn’t just the provisional directors who died for peace but all their Gauntlet Knight comrades, who sacrificed themselves for this day to come; it’s up to everyone still surviving to take that baton and give those deaths meaning. Miyao doesn’t want to admit it, but everyone who might have been able to restore world peace has been killed, and the masterminds will surely try to break the global truce and resume fighting. Rethabile sympathizes, but there isn’t much they can do except continue the Public Bath’s mission as guardians of peace. Giving up means Tiankai’s death will really be meaningless. Rethabile says there are still people who support peace but are too cowardly to say it, so Miyao wants to give them strength and support them. Jayden doubts that anybody who backed out would suddenly rise up after an attack like this; LATO’s list of provisional directors is like a hit list. Miyao remembers that Rethabile’s brother was asked to be a provisional director, and she gives his name, Cyril Negentien Africacommonwealthrealm. Keropoyo searches for information and reads out that Cyril is 19th in line for the Royal Family’s throne and made a social media post criticizing maintaining a healthy military balance. Cyril eventually retracted those statements and apologized, soon ceasing his activity on social media. Rethabile laments how cowardly her brother is, but even so, Miyao thinks they can get some use out of Cyril since his position in the South African Spiritium Research Corporation gives him some political power and a lot of influence in the ACR. Rethabile has been trying to get in touch with him and only got a reply recently. She figures that Cyril will succumb to fear and refuse to help. Miyao and Lingji desperately want to get Cyril’s guidance in knowing where they should use their GK powers and are willing to accept all responsibility for what happens next.
Stan reminds them that their Gauntlets are lent by their countries and managed by them, so they shouldn’t get too fired up. Rethabile promises to do her best and then says that issues in actual society are not that easy to solve. Military force cannot stop poverty, nor can it stop society itself. She tells Miyao not to forget that they are all game pieces; they may feel omnipotent as the strongest people in the world and may feel the desire to do anything, but they still have loyalties to their factions. Stan says that he will not completely ignore his duties to the ABN Peace Department just to adhere to the Public Bath’s ideals and is about to restate it when Lingji suddenly stands up, tears streaming down her face. She professes that she has loyalty to her country, but after knowing how much Tiankai worked for world peace, Lingji wants to do the same thing, even if it means rejecting the COU. Gunhild tells her to calm down and avoid saying such things to her COU comrades. If this were Naima arguing with Stan, he would’ve given her a sedative right then and there, but this was different. Stan tries to change the subject while Rethabile muses that she had anticipated something like this, having said that she didn’t know if she could help. In the end, everyone had the ability to do as much as they wanted as Gauntlet Knights, but it was their countries that kept them tethered. Lingji continues to rage at the insinuation that her grandfather was using the wings granted to him only to plummet to his doom, and Stan suggests to Miyao that they call it a day. Miyao agrees and apologizes to Rethabile, becoming a subject of Lingji’s rage when she says Miyao shouldn’t apologize for it; Keropoyo forcibly ejects everyone from the room.
Miyao’s Thoughts
The explosion accident that the IPMA HQ was treated as a minor news item that night and was forgotten about the next day. The news continued to talk about hateful topics that spurred on wars, and public opinion was returning to its previous warlike fervor. Miyao had come to a single conclusion, but he had no intention of saying it out loud since it would be a dangerous idea. Miyao understands how precious peace is because he’s always preparing for war. The people stirring up wars are gobbling up peace and getting bored with it eventually.
People who never experience war don’t know the true value of peace, therefore the entire world should become a battleground. An accident, a natural disaster, something should happen that puts average people in a position such that they start clamoring for peace once more. There exists a term called “disaster utopia” where when peace is lost, people work to regain it because of the good in their hearts; even people who fought each other during peacetime will join hands. Once everything is peaceful, people will go their separate ways and eventually resort to war again. Miyao calls peace a poison, making people irresponsible and causing them to seek out war as an antidote. Peace itself isn’t wonderful, but rather humanity joining together to obtain it. With Miyao’s left arm, with the power of a Gauntlet Knight, he can teach all of humanity the true meaning of peace.
Miyao's Room
Miyao suddenly jolts awake in a cold sweat after having had such a bad dream. He could barely remember what it was about, but he has a good idea of what it was. Miyao looks at various news headlines in his mental display, where several countries have abandoned the peace treaty and are sending out swarms of attack drones once again. At the start of A3W, there was a plan to have a universal conscription so everyone would experience supporting the Walls of Peace, however people pushed back against it and prioritized post-war restoration. The plan was thus abandoned.
Miyao compares humans to animals, flawed creatures driven only by desire for nourishment and reproduction. He thinks back to the line in Toujirou’s email earlier about how the true evil is the flaw in humans that makes them desire war. Miyao finally accepts that there’s no such thing as evil masterminds trying to take over the world full of good people. Keropoyo interrupts to ask if Miyao’s enjoying the chorus of cricket noises that he’s playing, and Miyao says to never play it again and asks to see the World News Channel. On the news, more people are expressing outrage at being attacked and wish to retaliate as military stocks rise to their previous state. Simon Wicksell has been caught up in another scandal, using peace as a means to build his business. Many people are starting to oppose those who say they’re for peace, and Miyao figures similar things will be said about Tiankai in the COU; Miyao breaks into a sweat after thinking about how Lingji will react to this. A breaking news report comes out that the ACR and ABN are continuing their dispute. Miyao thinks about how much war has changed since ancient times as Keropoyo plays a wildly inappropriate song for the mood. Miyao asks to search how to delete Keropoyo, and an earthquake suddenly happens. Miyao realizes that he bet on AOU Japan during the Earthquake Lottery and asks Keropoyo for breaking news on earthquakes. Keropoyo is unable to respond as the connection is unstable, and Miyao worries if everything is okay.
Background Music
Chapter 21: The Dignity of Returning to Dust.
Underground Lab
Vier and a dozen scientists congratulate their comrade Mario for the completion of his project after many years. As Mario basks in the praise, his fellow scientists, who were supposed to be of mature age, were all acting like elementary schoolers and being abnormal. Vier found this behavior normal, applauding alongside them as blue-skinned girls stood at attention. Mario’s project was a massive machine connected to several pipes, rumbling fiercely and emitting Spiritum steam. The machine rumbled once more, creating a massive earthquake. Vier asks Mario what this machine is supposed to do, and the mad inventor replies that it is a machine to restore the dignity of himself and the earth. Mario believes the planet has gone mad, and the current humanity sees nothing wrong with this twisted world. In B3W, it was commonly understood that when it gets hot, you put on lighter clothing, and when it gets cold, you turn up the heater. Now, in A3W, the term “four seasons” doesn’t even exist, being a relic of old poems and literature. Only plant and animal production plants knew what the four seasons were, and even then they were recreated artificially. The average summer temperature was 25 degrees Celsius, and the winter temp 15 degrees; this was the same all over the world. Mario believed all of this technological advancement to be a defilement of the planet. 8MS was first created as an emergency measure to stop the nuclear winter created by World War III, but then people kept on creating new forms of 8MS to satisfy their whims. The second Mario touched God’s wisdom, he knew he had a sacred duty to restore the Earth’s dignity. Vier asks why Mario doesn’t just modify the 8MS if he wants he return Earth to its original state. Mario isn’t interested in restoring the climate of the past, but rather the right to control one’s fate. Vier fully understands what Mario’s trying to do, impressed that he managed to pull off something like this despite becoming something not quite human. The machine fizzes and sparks, creating yet another earthquake, this one big enough to knock down everybody except the blue-skinned girls. The machine’s movement ceases while spewing smoke and Mario rejoices, having completed his mission.
Vier asks what Mario plans to do next, and he replies that he will now restore his own dignity. He tells everyone to stand back and pulls out a revolver from his coat as the blue girls equip their Gauntlets. Mario gives his regards to the other scientists and attempts to shoot himself in the head, only for one of the girls to shoot his hand off. Having anticipated this, Mario tells Comrade David that he’ll be borrowing his translation and pulls out Wisdom 18721205. The Gauntlet girls take aim but are unable to shoot it. Mario holds the Wisdom up high with it emitting a high-pitched sound as his body glows gold. A few seconds later, Mario disintegrates, crumbling into a pile of soot as the Wisdom falls on top. Vier commends Mario for dying in such a wonderful way and says to herself that she should prepare for her own death as well, having satisfied her intellectual curiosity here. Vier then looks at the machine and says there was no way Mario could have finished it. He was struggling to find the missing links, and suddenly it was completed; someone else wanted this machine to be made.
World News
This modern earthquake wasn’t like any others. Normal modern earthquakes happened in random locations across the world and were completely random; this earthquake was felt everywhere. A3W technology allowed buildings to be very resilient to earthquakes, and Anti-Earthquake 8MS further bolstered them. There were other forms of 8MS, including Anti-Tsunami 8MS, that could protect against other natural disasters. Humanity’s reaction to hearing that the entire world was struck by a modern earthquake was dismissive, and even after hearing that things were looking bad, they still paid it no mind. A government official tells citizens that large earthquake outbreaks they will be unable to recover from are sure to happen, and to learn the proper methods for dealing with earthquakes. A reporter asks for clarification and finds it silly at the idea of having to crawl underneath the table during dinner like children. A news commentator says that, even though everyone thinks of the lottery when they think of earthquakes, they are in fact quite dangerous. The Touhoku earthquake that occurred in B3W-era Japan had 20,000 casualties, and one out of the seven modern earthquakes that typically occur are on the same scale; Anti-Earthquake 8MS completely mitigates the damage caused by those.
Virtual Room
A panicked Jayden asks Miyao if he’s been watching the news, and he says that the giant earthquake apparently destroyed all of the Anti-Earthquake 8MS. The repair work for the 8MS should take a few days, but statistically speaking it should be fine. Miyao says that the earth has gotten angry.
Government Facility
A government official asks some engineers why they can’t repair the Anti-Earthquake 8MS. The problem isn’t the 8MS itself but rather the transmitters sending bad orders. They can’t just find the transmitters and fix them because it’s called the Eight Million System; there’s countless types of 8MS on Earth, and many more transmitters giving them instructions, even counting what’s in the atmosphere. Toilet-Odor Removing 8MS is involved in regulating Sunlight Management 8MS, Geothermal Management 8MS is involved in regulating What Diseases and Pest Removal, Luminescent, Rapid Communication, and Tulip Breeding 8MS is involved in Cow Milk Management; 8MS in it’s entirely is a mess, and not even the engineers know how it works. An engineer mentions an incident 30 years ago where modern rabies spread throughout the world and many dogs were put down; it was all because of Aurora Color improvement 8MS. The engineers make minor adjustments to solve regional issues, but there’s still unforeseen consequences even when they test them. They discovered 8MS to grow nutmeg while fixing Anti-Freezing 8MS and 8MS to promote spread of honey bees while fixing Weight Loss 8MS. The government official can hardly believe these people are getting paid so much for making such minor adjustments and then asks who even created 8MS in the first place. The Yaoyorozu Nanotech Company, the ones who made 8MS around the start of A3W, must have had an inventor to create it from scratch. 8MS was a double-edged sword since it was made for restoration but could bring disaster if not properly maintained. In exchange for not being prosecuted for releasing such a dangerous tool, Yaoyorozu’s inventors and technology were transferred and isolated inside top-secret research facilities and placed under protection. 8MS plans were created in these facilities and shipped off to development companies worldwide, who would make “minor adjustments” to suit their local environments as part of the industry. The engineers here are unable to do much unless they get a Base 8MS, in which case they will work tirelessly.
The government official fears that this planet could end at any time, and an engineer replies that it has been that way for years. The world really was destroyed in World War III, and 8MS was just life support. 8MS manipulated the corpse that is the Earth to look alive and healthy; atmospheric and ocean cycles, weather, polar ice caps, the ozone layer, all of it was changed. A3W humanity was content with this idea and rather took issue with the B3W mentality of the world ending at any time because of one superpower launching nuclear missiles. Once humans accepted there wasn’t anything they could do to change things, they stopped being bothered by it. This is a fatal flaw in humans: being unable to imagine what problems may occur after their lifetimes. The technology to fix the world was limited to the greatest minds in the world, and if they failed to pass on that information, then the world would turn back into a corpse.
A narrator says that this planet shall now regain its dignity.
Public Bath
Mari arrives with some top-secret information for the Order of the Public Bath. She says it may be good or bad news depending on the situation, much to Miyao’s inquiry. Mari expresses her respect for the Public Bath still trying to protect peace despite worldwide conflicts resuming and starts coming onto Miyao, asking what shampoo he uses and why his skin is smooth. Miyao wasn’t sure if Mari’s lack of aversion to physical contact was a result of LATO always being sunny or just her true self showing. Stan asks what this news is, and Mari replies that another global truce will be enacted, for real this time. This is supposed to be revealed on the news a few days later, but Mari figured it was fine to tell them now. The Public Bath members express their relief that things are finally turning around, and Rethabile asks why another truce is being called, seeing as how the explosion accident obscured the previous one while the world went crazy again. LATO only managed to bring about the first truce from brute-forcing it, and the backlash from the accident made it unlikely for the factions to agree a second time. Miyao realizes that the truce is not for a positive reason; something worse than war has come up, so war has become less of a concern. Mari comments on how sharp they all are, and if they were any more observant then they’d suffer more. The others realize that Mari’s hyperactive behavior was a result of getting some shocking news.
Mari has several pieces of information, with one thing being that the Anti-Earthquake 8MS wasn’t the only thing to get damaged. Atmospheric Cleansing, UV Ray Management, Weather Management, a lot of 8MS managing the atmosphere is breaking down. The nuclear winter that had been avoided at the start of A3W is now returning. The 10 billion humans that currently lived on earth were producing massive pollution year-round, and they relied on 8MS to take care of all of it. At the current rate, a Snowball Earth scenario may occur, where the global temperature drops to freezing levels. Mari says there’s still hope, as they can take the remaining functional Environmental 8MS and make them run at full capacity to make up for the others; Miyao doesn’t like this idea, as overloading the other 8MS could make them break as well.
The second piece of information is that the 8MS will take months to repair. A modern earthquake happening during that time would be catastrophic, and if one hit as big as the one from the other day, then civilization will collapse before a Snowball Earth even happens. Lingji finds it ironic that humanity would need something worse than war to wake up. Rethabile thinks the term “disaster utopia” is very fitting for what they’re dealing with, despite her role as a princess.
Mari says a calamity that can be seen with the eyes will soon take place. Erbil L5 had been contained due to Anti-Biohazard 8MS, but even that has been damaged; losing the 8MS managing the environment means damaging everything related to nature, and so a global food crisis will occur on top of a nuclear winter. Erbil L5 had apparently mutated and was now attacking the ABN’s crops. Livestock will soon suffer as well, and even the oceans will become affected. Nations are supposed to have stockpiles of food for times like these, but they’re supposed to last for a few weeks until outside support comes; worldwide food crises were unprecedented. Until the 8MS is repaired, humans will succumb to chaos and may fight each other for food, becoming no better than animals. Mari says they won’t make this information public knowledge, rather they’ll keep it between the governments and factions under strict secrecy. Politicians are likely to secretly buy up food supplies, with Mari suggesting the others prepare as well.
Mari’s next prophecy is that the global truce will be enacted by the IPMA at 24:00 UTC on December 25th. Hopefully, all the factions will stop waging war and agree to the truce. Until then, there is sure to be chaos, and the Gauntlet Knights will continue to guard the Walls of Peace. Stan and Rethabile don’t think it’s that simple, as in history it’s not uncommon for a third country to wage war when another war is about to end, thereby robbing the losing country of their land. Near the end of B3W, a certain foreign minister said that national borders settled by war must not be disputed. The meaning of this phrase wasn’t clear, but some people interpreted it as that if you weren’t happy with your national borders, then the only choice is to wage war. The original intent behind the phrase was most likely to encourage people not to dig into old territory issues since World War II was so long ago, however it was still a phrase that caused a lot of uproar; this phrase may or may not have contributed to WWIII.
It’s likely that there will be a last-minute battle being waged once the end of the war is nigh, and the Gauntlet Knights will be at the forefront. Miyao decides to give an order as Grand Master to turn all fighting from then on into a farce. Until the truce is made, the GKs will continue to not die and not kill. The drones shouldn’t be a problem. Stan says if they do that, the current national borders will likely become permanent, and there are many countries who will gain or lose from such a thing. Miyao says it’s not their job to decide where the Walls of Peace should be, just that they must defend them. Lingji says COU Japan has established a military base on the Glass Seam and Miyao’s order implies letting it be. Miyao adds that the people will decide which countries will win or lose in territorial disputes. Rethabile agrees to this plan, however Stan wants to hear Mari’s opinion. Mari agrees to the plan, and everyone else voices their support. They all have a shared camaraderie in wanting to become Gauntlet Knights so they can fly, and after a brief moment of peace, Mari gives the others some “big-sister” wisdom. This world is very villainous and cunning, and no matter what trials the Gauntlet Knights may face, Mari wants everyone to be proud of the purity and beauty of their hearts. She adds another line to the Order of the Public Bath’s creed: don’t die, don’t kill, and don’t fight.
Miyao reinforces his belief that humanity will finally stop wishing for war.
Background Music
Chapter 22: The Second Simultaneous Global Truce.
Briefing Room
Okonogi and some AOU generals tell Warcat that the IPMA will be enacting a global truce in a few days and insert some snide comments about it. The AOU can’t possibly say no to LATO since they produce Rare Spiritium, and the truce will probably be based on whatever LATO wants, disregarding what the other countries involved want. The present national borders will also likely become permanent, provisional in name only. Okonogi reminds Warcat that the Glass Sea is supposed to be a monument to those who died there, and the COU building bases on it is defiling them. Okonogi then talks about rumors that the truce will be held either on Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve and bets it’ll be the latter. Inside a private virtual room, Warcat mocks Okonogi for his answer and Jayden comments that this all feels wrong. They really are planning for a last-ditch war before the truce goes live, and Miyao wonders why they didn’t just do it all in the Virty Arena from the start. The AOU is likely going to attack the COU’s bases on the Glass Sea and turn it into a vacant lot; the COU having even one shack remaining by the start of the truce means they’ll win. Similar games of musical chairs are going to pop up all over the world, and the Order of the Public Bath will do everything in their power to stop them.
Rethabile privately messages Miyao and asks if he remembers Cyril. Rethabile managed to set up an appointment with him, and it turns out Cyril is not that cowardly after all. Ever since Cyril declined the offer to become a provisional director, he had been preparing a written accusation; he anticipated that something like the LATO incident would happen and has been preparing secretly. Cyril is currently in a safehouse for fear of assassination, and his chamberlain is supposed to guide Rethabile there. Miyao hopes that Rethabile will come back safely.
Miyao then gets a message from Chloe, asking if it’s okay to talk. Chloe worries that it’s still too soon to assume peace will come just because there’s a truce, and Lilja and Koshka seem to have received a heavy shock. Miyao is surprised, thinking that the two would have been excited to fake all the fighting before the truce. Chloe then asks a question reserved for the Grand Master of the Order of the Public Bath, and that is if it’s really enough to support the Walls of Peace and nothing else. Miyao has thought about the same thing. The Order of the Public Bath is supposed to support peace until justice returns to people’s hearts, but what if that doesn’t happen? There’s no guarantee the truce will be permanent. There will still be a food crisis, and Erbil L5 is still rampaging, leaving only a few crops behind in the best-case scenario. People will be fighting over those next, despite destroying them as revenge a few days ago. Miyao says it’s their job to have faith in people’s hearts and says it’s up to God to lead them to good, causing Chloe to angrily question why a soldier like him is relying on God to solve his problems. Miyao understands Chloe’s frustration, as even he has lost patience with humanity, but there isn’t anything else he can do. Gauntlets represented ultimate power, but Miyao was still one person. Their Gauntlets are borrowed items, and they can only ignore the military’s orders for so long; having their own countries as their enemies means losing safety anywhere on Earth. Chloe apologizes for bothering Miyao, thinking the shock of the world ending is getting to her. Even so, she hoped that Miyao’s big group of friends and viewpoints means he could’ve given them all a faint chance of saving the world. Miyao says nothing in response to this.
Chloe prepares to hang up and Miyao starts to say something, but he drops the thought as Chloe says she’ll follow him. Miyao is confused, and Chloe compares the world to a tower, as they had flaws with the foundations as they were building up, and the tower will eventually crumble and bring misfortune to lots of people. They should rebuild the tower and remove the flaw when that happens. Chloe has seen how twisted this world is, and despite being blessed with a good life, she cannot ignore what’s happening. She believes it’s the will of those watching above humanity to set things right. Miyao is speechless, and Chloe says that once the time to swing the sword of peace comes, and Miyao knows who to use it against, then Chloe will gladly obey any orders given to her. Chloe finally leaves, telling Miyao to remember that no matter what happens, there are others like her. Miyao reflects on his role as Grand Master, calling it a burden.
Mysterious Room
Jestress calls it a miracle, saying that heaven has finally decided to help the Three Kings because they were acting too slow. Fury scoffs at her remark, saying their plans have been interfered with because of the earthquake. Ridicule laughs and finds this opportune, as civilization may destroy itself without any more involvement from them. Fury wonders if the world really can be destroyed by relying on random earthquakes, and Ridicule says to call it a blessing from God. Sorrow agrees that civilization would be destroyed if they did nothing, but that wouldn’t be merciful; when someone is given the death penalty, they have the right to a painless death. Sorrow is grateful for this turn of events as their goals will be carried out faster, thus they must accelerate their schedule. Jestress is then told to command all of their chivalric orders to execute their plans. Fury thinks this is going too fast, as they need to maintain a certain level of caution; Sorrow found it best if they responded to Jestress’ provocations every now and then. Jestress hopes they won’t be pinning the blame on her and then announces to the 76 chivalric orders under the Three Kings to carry out all their plans without waiting for the intended date. She also orders the Ninth Prime Chivalric Order to eliminate anybody who gets in their way and gives all Grand Masters complete authority to act. A member of Ninth Prime tells Jestress that they all swear on their Gauntlets to do as she says.
The Grand Master of Ninth Prime tells their subordinates to watch out for Miyao Mitake and the Order of the Public Bath, as he has spread his philosophy to Gauntlet Knights all over the world, and the Public Bath Oath has established Miyao in a position that speaks for all of the GKs worldwide. Ninth Prime now controls the game board of Gauntlet Knights, and they cannot allow Miyao to take control. Miyao most likely intends to get in the way of their plans, but he has no idea that Ninth Prime members exist within the Public Bath. A member asks the Grand Master for permission to assassinate Cyril Negentien Africacommonwealthrealm, as LATO did ask him to become a provisional director, and he could be problematic if certain information reached Miyao’s ears. Permission is granted, and Miyao is called a fool for practically helping Ninth Prime seek out assassination targets for them; he’s dancing in the palm of their hands.
Safehouse
A chamberlain directs Rethabile to Cyril’s room, and she asks to be left alone with him. Cyril’s safehouse was a penthouse suite in a massive hotel. This hotel was managed by a school friend of Cyril’s, so he was able to borrow the room without using Royal Family connections. Rethabile greets Cyril, and the latter asks what Rethabile has to say, finding it rare that she would want to talk about something so urgently and in person. Cyril gestures for Rethabile to sit and prepares a drink, but he starts flailing around like he was swatting a bug. Cyril crouches down and pokes at his right ear canal as Rethabile goes up to see what’s wrong, but half of Cyril’s head suddenly explodes. Keropoyo gives out a missile alert, with impact inbound in a few seconds. Rethabile cries out in agony, soon donning her Gauntlet and defending from the incoming missile.
Cyril was indeed dead, and his penthouse blown up by a missile strike from a hacked drone. The written accusation he had was gone. However, it was clear that someone was masterminding a global conflict, and they were eliminating all of the IPMA provisional director candidates. The mastermind was like a fish swimming under a lake, and once they disappeared into the depths, it was impossible to chase them any further. The Order of the Public Bath was once again unable to do anything.
Glass Sea
Miyao laments that they’re still fighting wars when a global famine is coming and the world is freezing, wondering if there's any point to this. An AOU operator tells Warcat that a fighter squadron is about to commence bombardment with cluster missiles and tells the GKs to initiate terminal guidance on them. Okonogi says Baibao and Suparna have been spotted on other battlefronts, so there’s nobody to stop Warcat here. Miyao accepts the mission and talks to Jayden, who asks what they should do. Gunhild says there’s only one kette above the COU base, and she doubts they’re skilled enough to intercept the bombardment. Miyao asks Lingji if she can hear him, who replies that she’s currently fighting so it must be brief. He tells her about the impending attack on the COU base and says there’s one kette defending it, asking how skilled they are. Lingji checks them and is shocked to report that that kette was formed as a stopgap measure; they’re all inexperienced and aren’t used to their kette link. Jayden thinks they’re supposed to guide the missiles badly on purpose, and Gunhild says Okonogi is actually very observant and will cause trouble later if he sees through it.
After hearing that this kette is affiliated with the Order of the Public Bath, Miyao wants Lingji to tell them to accept Miyao’s friend requests, and quickly. The kette, Setsugekka, accepts Miyao’s friend request and makes acquaintances with him. Miyao asks them if their squad is capable of intercepting cluster missiles, and Setsugekka replies that they can’t, not even in the simulators. The fighter jets simultaneously launch their missiles, and Gunhild warns Miyao of this. Miyao has one last move he can make: he asks Setsugekka for the master key to their Gauntlet. Jayden is shocked, and Miyao explains that they’ll guide the missiles in and then shoot themselves down.
Master keys for Gauntlets weren’t literal keys, but rather a way to transfer Gauntlet control. Gauntlets were customized for individual people, and most people hated it when others messed around with them; transferring control while in the air was like giving up your life, especially when the receiving person is an enemy. The missiles approach, and Jayden takes control of them while informing Okonogi about it. Okonogi expects Warcat to show the same moves they did at the Battle Standard Festival. Gunhild tells Miyao that time’s almost up, and Lingji asks Setsugekka’s squad to believe in Miyao. Setsugekka finally sends their master key. Miyao tells Jayden to guide the missiles while he and Gunhild control Setsugekka and intercept them. After they take control, Setsugekka becomes surprised at the sudden burst of movement. Jayden’s missiles launch the submunitions, and Miyao tells him not to hold back or else they’ll realize it’s a farce. The enemy air defense AI tries to lock on to them, but the missiles are too fast; keropoyo complains and leaves it to the Gauntlet Knights to deal with them. Miyao has Setsugekka deploy a pair of gatling guns and shoots down the missiles, much to the kette’s awe. After everything's said and done, Gunhild tells Setsugekka to change the codes on their Gauntlets and ends transmission. Setsugekka thanks Miyao profusely and swears to improve their training.
Thalathat Suyuf hears from Lingji what happened and congratulate Miyao for it. Miyao tells them to do the same thing in such a way that they don’t get found out, and Stan says it’s become very common for ABN GKs to intentionally miss targets and say it was a bug in the FCS software. This happens so frequently that the software engineers think it’s actually real. Stan also heard that ACR GKs were making unnatural mistakes, sure that Rethabile is doing a fine job of leading them. It’s certainly a long way until the Christmas truce, and the world will only get more unstable. Naomi asks Miyao how the skies are on his end, and he replies that ever since the Atmosphere Cleansing 8MS went haywire, it became smoggier. It was hard to see in the sky, and the dull fog covering the buildings and billboards made them feel like they had a headache. According to Gunhild’s friends in Northern Europe, the possibility that the atmosphere will affect the human body has resulted in people panic-buying air purifiers and masks. Miyao figures there isn’t more of a panic because people think the weather is causing the darkness. Jayden expresses worry that people have to deal with such bad visibility long before knowing that a Snowball Earth or global famine is coming, and this take became less and less ridiculous over time.
The government kept saying that the remaining 8MS is working at max capacity to improve things over the next few days, but atmospheric pollution on this scale doesn’t just stop immediately. The sun became dusk-colored in midday, mornings grew darker and evenings came earlier. Sunlight Management and UV Ray Protection 8MS were erroring out, so the evening sun started to look the same as if you viewed it through sunglasses. The temperature was also starting to decline, being 7 degrees Celsius lower than the previous day. People were told that they’d see snowfall for the first time in 50 years, and the lack of Atmospheric Stench Reduction was such that you’d smell bursts of ammonia every so often. This was especially causing trouble in LATO, where people were talking on the Internet that Spiritum steam was hazardous to health and were spreading false medical information. The government kept saying that it was safe, but people holed up more in their houses. The average person was finally starting to realize that war was meaningless.
Super Tokyo Tower
Miyao stands at the top of Super Tokyo Tower, gazing at the once-lovely view that has now been dimmed by polluted mist. Miyao and Meow comment that the world looks like it’s sunken into a sea of lead. Keropoyo announces breaking news that the IPMA will hold the Second Simultaneous Global Truce on December 25th at 24:00. Even though the citizens are holing up in their own houses, Gauntlet Knights are still out there fighting wars. Nobody was driving down on the streets except for autonomous trucks. The world seemed very empty, so why were GKs still fighting? Meow is asked what she thinks of the Order of the Public Bath, and Miyao can’t tell if they’re being passive or proactive. Everybody calls Miyao Grand Master, but he can’t really show them what to do about anything, and he struggles to give orders even when they ask for it. Meow assures her big brother that he’s not at fault, understanding his pain. If Miyao knows that he’s a game piece, then he shouldn’t be beating himself up so much. Meow is sure that a wonderful player will soon appear and place Miyao on the spot he needs to be; if Miyao loses his composure, then the Order will suffer as well.
Miyao then remembers that Meow had set up a date with Jayden on Christmas Day, and she replies that the atmosphere isn’t right for it. Jayden was really looking forward to it, so Meow decides that the date will be a commemoration of the truce. She asks Miyao if it’s fine for them to kiss, and he allows it so long as Meow gargles a lot afterwards. Meow sees that Miyao is fond of Jayden himself, and Miyao tries to end the conversation.
Meow disappears, and Miyao comments that he always gets this unpleasant feeling unless someone’s making fun of him; Jayden really must be the perfect partner for him. He wishes for the war or the world to just end already.
Miyao’s Mental Space
MIYAO appears, commending Miyao for being a murder program. Miyao’s started to get infected by the Three Kings’ thinking in agreeing that humanity needs to be destroyed. MIYAO swears to delete the program that is Miyao when Keropoyo is suddenly alarmed, asking MIYAO who he is and calling him an unapproved program. Groups of Keropoyos call an emergency meeting and MIYAO disappears, unpleased by the situation. The frogs are unable to determine where he went and decide to report to the Mistress that they’ve found a weird program, fighting over who will report first.
Background Music
Chapter 23: Revolt of the Drones.
AOU Airspace
The world is covered in a thick fog. Nations were fighting over contested areas until the December 25 24:00 Truce, however people were more concerned with the extreme atmospheric pollution. The approaching global cooling was much faster in nations close to the poles, and the excessive heating going on was producing a lot of Spiritum steam, further accelerating the pollution. The International 8MS Management Committee was attempting to reduce the rate of cooling and expected to release new updates within the next few days; the worldwide average temperature would recover to 10 degrees Celsius if they succeeded. Even then, polar nations would be hit with a cold wave close to the freezing point. A3W humanity was not used to such cold, knowing that B3W humanity managed to deal with it somehow. The most common search results were for things related to protecting from cold. Because there was no need for coats and cold-weather outfits prior, supply was unable to keep up with the sudden demand; the government was suggesting methods to make simple cold-weather gear with household items. Jayden finds it ironic, as the term “white Christmas” used to refer to Christmases where snow was on the ground, and now people are freaking out at seeing snow fall. Gunhild says that if you fly through the skies like this, then the wind chill gets below -50 degrees Celsius. Jayden realizes that their Rejection Shields weren’t the only things protecting them. Miyao and Gunhild wonder how B3W humanity got by without 8MS, as nowadays they can control temperature and air pressure. Luxury is very easy to get used to; people are panicking over all the 8MS breaking down when that’s actually the norm for the Earth. Jayden wonders if humans have any right to call Earth their home if they can’t handle the normalcy.
Miyao starts complaining about the intense ammonia smell, having been used to the Stench Reduction 8MS. Rumor says the smell is being caused by Spiritium steam, and Gunhild says there’s no Stench Reduction 8MS in cities that aren’t prosperous; the smell reminds her of her hometown. Miyao and Jayden then say they’ve been getting annoying rashes lately, with Gunhild adding that young trainees were getting them too. Jayden thinks it’s creepy that so many people are facing the same problem and worries it’s related to another rumor about Spiritium steam building up toxins in people’s bodies. Gunhuod thinks all these odd effects on the human body aren’t strange since the world’s environment is rapidly changing.
Jayden then hears an explosion in the distance. This wasn’t a battleground, yet Warcat was seeing flashes that looked like explosions through the fog below. Keropoyo sends a message from the AI command center, saying that many non-friendly flying objects are appearing in their vicinity. Other Gauntlet Knight squads have been warned. Miyao activates his Reaper’s Eye and tells his fellow Warcats to prepare for battle. An AOU operator tells Miyao that large numbers of allied air defense drones have suddenly gone out of control and are indiscriminately attacking the nearby city. The cause is unknown. Jayden is unable to understand how this happened. Many Gauntlet Knights had the ability to hack enemy drones, and Chloe was especially skilled at it. Using their high P3 levels, GKs could break past the drone’s security and take control, however hacking a large number of them meant bypassing the military AI itself. It was near impossible to hack a large number of drones like this, even with a supercomputer. Gunhild figures this was caused by someone with military AI access privileges, adding on to Jayden’s list of worries.
Warcat flies down to the scene, where 40 drones are firing into the city. The AOU operator removes friendly tagging from all the hacked drones and relays an order from the command center that they all be shot down. Miyao hears many other operators in the background panicking, and he figures that similar situations are happening elsewhere; his suspicions are soon confirmed when Sujatha sends him a message about it. Sujatha realizes that she sent it in the wrong chat and tells Miyao to forget that, but Miyao asks if the COU is really having the same problem as the AOU. Andry chimes in with relief that the COU’s drones aren’t just pieces of junk. Sujatha demands that Andry end the transmission and to not reveal more than is necessary. Rukhshana relays an order to intercept the drones with discretion, and Sujatha tells her squad mates to be careful when fighting in the city, as everybody’s holed up inside from the pollution. Miyao shares his concern that these drone attacks are occurring on a massive scale, and Rukhshana confirms that 79 rogue drone attacks have been carried out over COU India alone. Sujatha yells once more that they end transmission. Rukhshana gives Rukhi some calming words while Andry relays a message from an African friend that the ACR is also dealing with drone attacks. Jayden says that people all over the internet are talking about drone rebellions in the ABN and LATO as well; lots of drone swarms are out of control. Andry wonders if the World Reset Cult is really behind everything, and Miyao says it’d be better if the masterminds crushed their heads before crushing the world, a win-win.
Rukhshana starts laughing madly after hearing this, yelling that they should take all the warmongers and throw them in a coliseum, letting them fight to their heart’s content. Miyao asks if Rukhshana always laughs this much, and Andry replies that when Rukhi finds something funny, she lets loose. Sujatha gives yet another order to stop chattering during combat, and Rukhi fires off some cluster missiles while happily telling her to take care of terminal guidance for them. Sujatha is overwhelmed from receiving this sudden responsibility and soon flies off. Relieved, Rukhshana thanks Miyao and says they can now focus on fighting. Sujatha complains over having to control so many missiles, and Rukhshana gushes over her while firing off several more. Miyao tells his squad that they need to focus too.
Miyao received several messages from other members of the Public Bath during this time, and they were all saying the same thing: swarms of attack drones were going out of control and attacking everything. If these were simple air defense drones then it’d be no problem, but these were specially equipped for frontline assaults and were causing much destruction. Miyao and Jayden detect 64 drones above a main road and blast off to deal with them.
LATO Resort
Toujirou comments that he’s always wanted to visit a LATO resort, but all the destruction has ruined the mood. Overturned umbrellas, dropped cocktail glasses, abandoned sandals; it looked like a warzone. The city was empty since people were taking refuge in government-provided air raid shelters; even tourists knew the way to shelter because of their Selcoms. Toujirou admires the goodwill of the prosperous LATO people, as nobody is taking advantage of the situation to steal dropped wallets and other things. Tina chuckles nearby, saying that LATO may have been too prosperous in leaving all air defense up to drones, resulting in the current situation. Mari wonders if it’s safe to be standing in the open like this and should take Toujirou to a shelter. They were supposed to escort Toujirou to the airport, but when the drone attack started, Toujirou went reclining in a poolside deck chair instead of getting to shelter.
Toujirou says to be patient and tells his escorts to examine the damage around them. The drones aren’t attacking randomly and indiscriminately, they’re distributing the damage evenly and efficiently. Mari sees that the drones are indeed focusing on efficiently damaging a large area, and Tina asks what she means. During warfare, it was sometimes necessary to precisely concentrate attacks to defeat an opponent. These drones looked like they were attacking randomly, but an analysis would show that there was a clear purpose. Toujirou says these drones are trying to destroy the city itself. If the drones were to attack vital establishments, the defenses there would be strong, and such places would already have plans in place for the worst-case scenario. When attacking roads, it was more efficient to aim at multi-level crossings, causing more destruction when the structures collapsed. Shooting luxury establishments lined with glass would cause unimaginable destruction with the ensuing rain of glass shards. Spreading fire would be incredibly efficient and preserve ammunition; the drones were specifically targeting flammable objects and firefighting facilities.
Toujirou poses a thought. Humanity prioritizes defense of vital establishments because they tend to be the target of attacks, including Spiritium conversion facilities and 8MS factories. Protection everywhere else is lax; it’s people that ought to be protected. In A3W, even when people saw world wars on the news, they were always disconnected from it. They always believed flashy wars would occur on the other side of the screen and lived in safety knowing that shrapnel wouldn’t come flying at them from behind the screen; this era of technology allowed for weapons to launch pinpoint attacks and still cause no damage to those living nearby. More noncombatants than soldiers die during war, and thinking that nothing on this side of the TV will be affected is naive; humanity is about to remember this obvious fact.
Toujirou’s group hears some explosions and looks to see several fireballs making arcs over the city. Toujirou recognizes those as MLRS bombardments utilized by heavy drones during coastal defense operations, perfect for attacking cities; he bids farewell to Rio de Janeiro. Several more MLRS bombardments are heard, and Mari suggests they take shelter immediately. Toujirou isn’t concerned, as he’s being protected by lovely escorts, and the area they’re in shouldn't be attacked again. Mari asks how he knows that; in short, the drones compare the damage in an area to the valuation methods used by the International Disaster Agency, and if they’re similar enough then the drones stop attacking that area. Tina is impressed by Toujirou’s knowledge, and Mari thinks to herself. Major Toujirou was acting like a James Bond wannabe, yet the drone attacks here were sure to cause many casualties and much chaos. Many people can relax when the TV’s separating them from war, but Toujirou doing it from this close was incomprehensible. Mari is scared, wondering if Toujirou isn’t human and is just watching their own world like on a TV; she wonders if this person really is Miyao’s father, and Mari can’t bring herself to describe him.
Tina says that people in Toujirou’s line of work call him a prophet, that he knows what will happen in the future and sells that info. She asks if this was one of those things, and Toujirou simply says this is something that you’d know of but can’t do anything about. Tina rephrases the question and asks if similar disasters will happen in the future. Mari desperately wants to know who’s planning it and what they want, and Toujirou ruminates a bit before deciding on a tip. He answers Mari’s first question, saying it’s hard to explain who the mastermind is, but they’re undoubtedly human; the World Reset Cult is a fitting name for them. Mari starts panicking, and Tina chuckles while saying the World Reset Cult is probably trying to play God and destroy humanity to guide them to the right path; every VIP feels this way at least once, where they get hit with the belief they’re one of the Chosen Ones. Mari asks if he knows who the mastermind is, and Toujirou says it’s expensive, willing to consider an answer if they become his escorts again; Mari becomes frustrated further. Toujirou then answers Tina, saying he has no idea how far their plan has proceeded and isn’t privy to the full details, so it’s hard to say. However, the drone attack is no natural disaster; it was caused by humans, and it can be prevented by humans. Toujirou compares them to rain ceremonies, as they’re rituals made to summon actual natural phenomena; Tina takes this to mean that a real natural disaster will occur that trivializes all these other incidents, the ultimate goal of the mastermind. Toujirou then compares the situation to chess, as playing with a board like Earth means a lot happens in darkness, and you can’t be sure the opponent is even seated. Toujirou continues using chess metaphors, and Tina and Mari are unable to follow; they figure he was sharing his knowledge and diluting it enough that he could talk about it openly. In short, this incident doesn’t deserve to be called a natural disaster. Tina asks if it was okay for him to tell them that, though at this stage it won't matter anyways. Toujirou says that in the end, they’re all pieces on a game board, waiting for the player who owns them to use them to contribute to victory. He says to have faith in humanity as they’ll definitely win, though who knows how many pieces will be lost before then; if it’s for the sake of saving humanity, then it shouldn’t matter how many people die.
ABN Airspace
On a military radio, the operator relays a report from the Central Command Center that all non-friendly drones have been suppressed; the connection is bad, as the operator keeps cutting out. For the moment, all usage of drones is forbidden. Every active Gauntlet Knight squad is asked to visually confirm the damage. The radio continues with information that Wisła Bridge is collapsing and Eastern District emergency vehicles are unable to proceed. A government spokesperson tries to reassure the citizens, asking them to check safety information on their Selcoms. The drones had caused an unprecedented amount of damage; B3W humanity was always afraid of the possibility that they’d lose control of their automated weaponry, and there was a failsafe added in drones to combat this. Similar to how human cells that mutate will become attacked by other cells, drones were programmed to destroy any friendly units that behaved strangely, and this was all protected by a military AI with advanced security. The military AIs of every faction and every country had been breached with proper passwords, ones used by people in high authority. Whether or not the passwords were hacked or handed over by traitors, this was sure to cause a blame game for the widespread damage, so this information was kept secret.
A firefighter radios for support, as firestorms have erupted at a scene and the wind is spreading it. An operator mishears them and thinks they’re trying to put out the fire with bombs, yelling that there's over a hundred people trapped in there. The megacities created in A3W resulted in areas having extremely high population densities, and disasters like these caused massive casualties. This was made worse by the 8MS breaking down when they relied on them a lot to deal with disasters.
Naima wonders how many casualties there are in total, and Naomi figures around 20 million have died in ABN France alone. Stan thinks this day will become the day with the greatest number of human casualties since the beginning of history. Thalathat Suyuf laments the destruction of the Eiffel Tower, fearing how easily military AI took it down.
Yeladot Shavit gives a broadcast to ABN citizens telling them to show everyone peace and harmony. Leah says that a special order of harmony is in effect, where people accused of religion-based hate crimes shall be given justice without the need for a trial. Fatma tells the citizens to report as many atheists and fundamentalists terrorists as they can, happily saying that she just made one herself. Stephania is spurred on by Fatma’s declaration and swears to report as many suspicious people as she can for contribution points. Yeladot Shavit ends their broadcast, and a worried Fatma says they should be focusing more on fires and disaster victims instead of religious crimes. Leah is surprised that armored cars with religious police are given higher priority over fire trucks, calling it a miracle of love and harmony. Stephania says the death count in ABN Romania is over 8 million and she can’t get in contact with her mom. The squad becomes worried.
ACR Airspace
The news reports that the casualties will number 500 million in the ACR. Mariana says this will solve the world famine issue, and Gannet berates her for calmly saying something like that; billions of people probably died worldwide. Gannet says some of her own friends have died as well and accuses Mariana of being heartless. Noor tells them both to remain calm, as the Walls of Peace are being tested, and they must maintain their composure. Mariana says that no matter how gruesome things get, they still have a mission to chase out all the ABN bases in Africa before the Global Truce. Gannet complains over the government playing musical chairs and her Dimension Container being filled with ammo, calling it insane. Noor tells her to be quiet, as if anybody heard her then Gannet would be replaced by someone who doesn’t mind having a full Container. Spurred by the thought of Gannet being replaced, Mariana says that Gannet’s right, as she’s complaining for the three of them.
Abdou relays the news to his squad that use of drones will be suspended indefinitely, and Ishak figures it was natural, as humanity would be destroyed if a similar event happened again. There’s still the truce coming up and the situation regarding conflicted areas, so the Gauntlet Knights will finally be fighting directly, not that manned weapons could scratch them anyway. Rethabile silently stands by, and Ishak suggests she take a rest. Rethabile is prepared to experience death up close as a soldier, and with her mission of protecting the people, she cannot lament Cyril’s death any longer. She wonders how much Cyril knew, thinking he anticipated more than just the drone revolt; his death was brutal enough as to be appropriate. She then wonders if Cyril, with his position in the 8MS industry, could have been involved with an international conspiracy; he’s not greedy, so could he have a secret Rethabile didn’t know? Cyril was indeed a member of several international gentlemen's clubs, and groups like those tended to act like they were the Chosen Ones. Some people were charitable and donated out of genuine goodwill, others will act like needy people are animals and give themselves a pat on the back for helping them. Rethabile stops thinking and gets a stern expression on her face.
Background Music
Chapter 24: A Kids' Meal of Natural Disasters.
World News
The news criticizes the world factions for allowing this drone revolt to happen despite the copious amounts of countermeasures. A commentator believes the earthquake that disrupted all the Environmental 8MS also had an effect on the drones’ circuits. Human soldiers will once again be sent to the frontlines like in B3W, except this time Gauntlet Knights are center stage; fighting to a draw will be difficult. The number and skills of each nation’s GKs will likely dramatically influence the state of the world going forward. It’s possible for large groups of GKs to launch a coup d’etat, however they would inevitably need fuel and rations. Gauntlet Knight technology may become commonplace in the future, but for now only a limited number of youth can use them.
Seshat turns off the broadcast and comments that it is now the era of the young. She looks at images of various Gauntlet Knight squads, saying they’ve all been given power and are now the only ones populating the gameboard. Never before in history has any human child had this much power; these kids have all sprouted, and now they must bloom before they get eaten. Seshat loves to watch kids do their best, however she won’t take responsibility for what happens next, laughing to herself.
Mysterious Room
Jestress reports that the drone operation was a success thanks to their chivalric orders. Sorrow was checking the news, however he doesn’t have a good grasp of the damage. Fury believes the results are not enough, still a long way from their plans. 3 billion people have died worldwide, with 500 million more expected due to how stretched out medical services are. Ridicule laughs gleefully upon hearing this number; out of the 10 billion humans that were on earth, one-third had been wiped out. If this happened during B3W, civilization would have ended in an instant. A3W supertechnology kept things running despite the extensive damage.
Many survivors still believed this was someone else’s problem, ironically preventing panic and stabilizing the people. This attitude was also caused by a large gap between affected and unaffected areas, as more than twice the amount of attacked cities weren’t touched at all. Because of how lopsided the affected zones were, many people only knew about the event from TV. It might seem strange for people to feel disconnected from such a tragic event, even if they didn’t experience it directly, however humans are surprisingly indifferent when it comes to fellow human lives. It doesn’t matter how many people die, if they aren’t from your country then the weather is more important; having your dog die would be much more heartbreaking. People mourn the dead because of the interpersonal bonds they developed while they were alive. Remove those bonds, and humans will not care unless they see death in person. It’s certainly a heartless feeling, but remember that almost half of all babies born into this world are not carried by ciconia. Many babies are born in factories, categorized by talents and sent to different institutions, only able to make friends with those of the same generation and similar talents; interpersonal bonds in A3W were much weaker than in B3W. People like this might feel a twinge of sadness when seeing tragedies on the news, but as long as their city and loved ones are safe, all of it goes away once the channel changes.
As Sorrow puts it, 3.5 billion deaths is not very many. Jestress laughs, amused that her masters are unsatisfied with such a big number, and Fury regrets that this destruction wasn’t merciful enough and leaves it to the incoming food crises and earthquakes to finish off humanity. Sorrow hopes they’ll find people worthy to leave everything to. Jestress agrees, as an ark is worthless without Noah and his wife. The Three Kings espouse how they have lost patience with humanity so many times, yet this time they believe they will get it right. They are lovingly swinging down their hatchet to prevent humanity from reaching a gruesome end; all is in the name of guiding humanity down the right path.
Skies
Grave Mole is gathered with several trainee Gauntlet Knights. Since drone usage is forbidden, factions are sending out newbie Gauntlet Knights into combat without proper training; many of them haven’t even finished adjusting their Gauntlets. Lilja says the newbies should be told not to use their Dimension Containers, as an ally self-destructing would take out even the strongest shields. Chloe relays this warning to all of the inexperienced GKs, and a trainee takes that to mean they’re not allowed to fight. Lilja replies that all of them should just watch the veterans do the work. Chloe wants the trainees to focus on defending and keeping themselves safe rather than attacking, as it will do them more good in the end. Everyone should return their Gauntlet in one piece, as people can be replaced, Gauntlets not so much. Lilja yells that if their shield is broken, they should retreat, punctuating it with meows. Chloe also reminds them of the moral code not to attack retreating enemies, as they are all comrades in upholding peace. Many of the Gauntlet Knight aces shared in Miyao’s philosophy of not fighting and not killing, but these trainees were different. Some of them wanted to become aces and make a name for themselves, others saw their opponents as genuine enemies. Others held more loyalty to their commanding officers than to the veterans, and they might report it if they were told what the Public Bath was doing. Koshka is disgusted by Lilja and Chloe’s actions, saying that everyone can just go die if they want to. Lilja tries to reassure her that she was joking but Koshka leaves the virtual room. Lilja is silent, and Chloe asks who she really is. Lilja simply says that she is Lilja Viljakainen, a girl who as a trainee flew past an annoying instructor and wound up macerating him and other officers when the wind changed her trajectory. She was slated for execution by firing squad but accepted the offer to become Geroy equipment.
Lingji sends a message to Grave Mole on behalf of Baibao, hoping that their upcoming fight will be good and clean. Chloe has some bad news to give and Aysha calls it a coincidence; the COU is also sending trainee Gauntlet Knights into combat. Baibao has given their newbies the same speech that Chloe did, but most of them are too immature to understand. Chloe relents, saying they can more than make up for the trainees by changing the ace squad’s behavior. Aysha comments on this unseen side of Chloe, as the old her was more kind and peaceful. She and Momotake agree, as far too much has happened, and anybody would change from it. Chloe hopes Baibao won’t be too hard on them as Keropoyo announces that COU forces are approaching. Chloe says that maybe this world should be destroyed, and she doesn’t know if it’s really her job to follow Miyao’s dream of believing in the good in people’s hearts.
Sujatha talks to Miyao, apologizing for sending him a message meant for Lingji the other day. Sujatha has a message for him that she would normally give to Lingji, however Lingji respects Miyao. The Order of the Public Bath’s philosophy has been noticed by some disagreeable superior officers in the COU when they analyzed Gauntlet Knight movement data and looked at failed attacks that could only have been caused intentionally. They began to realize that these failed attacks were sabotage happening on an organized level instead of just issues with individual soldiers. Gunhild resigns that they would be found out eventually, and they hoped to push it off until the truce. Jayden remarks that their mental care doesn’t get enough analysis. Miyao says the “don’t die, don’t kill” part applies to social death as well, so Sujatha should play dumb as best she can, even if it means forgetting everything about the Order. Sujatha agrees, as they’re at the point where the world may be destroyed no matter what they do.
Miyao asks why Sujatha didn’t tell Lingji, and she explains that Lingji greatly adores Miyao’s Order, truly believing that happiness would come to the world if everyone joined hands. Sujatha supported the Order but still believed they’d be exposed and told Lingji not to get too emotionally involved, but she ignored her. Sujatha felt Lingji would listen if it came straight from Miyao’s mouth. Sujatha wants Miyao to tell her about what’s happening, as they’ll be analyzing movement data from all kettes deployed. Lingji may not care what happens to her, but her comrades will be punished alongside her. It’s Miyao’s responsibility as the Grand Master. Miyao promises to do it and tells Sujatha and her squad to take care of themselves. Sujatha says it’s safe to assume that the AOU has begun analysis of movement data as well since the COU higher-ups are always bragging about being one step ahead. Sujatha ends the transmission and thinks to herself, as there was no way they could play hero without the old men watching.
COU Meeting Room
A COU colonel berates Suparna, demanding to know why their FCS support was turned off when they initiated terminal guidance during several conflicts. A nervous Rukhshana and the colonel exchange silence, and an officer slaps Rukhshana when she doesn’t respond; Sujatha had also been slapped beforehand, the both of them continuing to stand at attention. The colonel brings up the attack on the agricultural plant, where Suparna neglected to check for nearby civilians and caused casualties, stopping his spiel when Rukhshana starts laughing. Sujatha tells her comrade to stop but Rukhi laughs heavily, wanting to know if they’re in trouble because they hit things or because they missed things. Suparna might as well be disbanded if they’re so untrustworthy after the COU Joint Parliament spent so much effort putting them together. If the COU Combined Military’s murder weapons arent working properly, then blame it on them for slacking off during maintenance. Sujatha implores her to stop, but Rukhi keeps on voicing her discontent with the COU. They beat up Kozèko Squad earlier as an example and promised a carrot, then when Kozèko showed good results at the Battle Standard Festival, they got nothing. The men in charge were all bragging about how well they raised Kozèko Squad, and yet the squad was standing at attention at their own sendoff party. The colonel raises his cane and swings it onto Rukhi only for Andry to stand in front and take the hit. Rukhshana is surprised, and Andry tells the colonel that after flying she suddenly becomes hyperactive due to cranial secretions and starts acting like a different person, promising that they’ll have it examined later. Andry assures the colonel that Rukhshana’s condition is being caused by weariness and negative side effects from the drugs she’s taking, and as a COU soldier, Rukhshana must recognize her failure in solving those problems. A trail of blood drips from Andry’s forehead, and he continues defending Rukhshana and begs that her re-education be held off until the truce tomorrow. Rukhshana is silent, telling Rukhi to calm down and to hate herself as much as she wants when this is over. The colonel struggles for a response, and another colonel says there’s nobody as good as Suparna for fighting ace kettes, so they’ll overlook these incidents once. Suparna is dismissed, and Sujatha thanks the colonels.
Miyao’s Mental Space
Miyao is unable to comprehend what’s going on, as the young are supposed to be the main characters yet there’s nothing they can do. Natural disasters that would happen every once in a millennium are all happening at the same time, and a fourth World War is occurring; superearthquakes, world famine, drone revolts; it’s a kid’s meal of natural disasters. There’s no way these are coincidences, yet people believe they are, as that’s what a natural disaster is. Supertechnology will take care of it all, so why should anyone bother? Miyao says everyone is out of the loop and compares it to battle manga, where the villain is like, “let me show you my power” and vaporizes a bunch of random characters. People like Miyao are those characters, getting dragged into incidents they don’t understand and waiting with bated breath for the chance to strike back. Miyao knows this kid’s meal won’t end so easily and asks for a prophecy. MIYAO soon appears, and Miyao asks where his enemy is if he’s supposed to be a murder program. MIYAO asks why he should help if he’s an enemy trying to erase Miyao, and the latter replies that it’s MIYAO’s goal to prove Miyao is not Miyao Mitake. Miyao continues venting, and MIYAO sighs at the thought of being used in this way. Miyao demands to see a prophecy, wanting to know how much more insane things will get. MIYAO relents, as Miyao calling for him means he’s accepted his existence. He says the tragedies will continue so long as Miyao exists, and Miyao takes this to mean he’s a global destruction program on top of a murder program. Humanity’s weaponry will continue to malfunction; they took care of the ones on the ground, but not the ones in space.
At the end of WWIII, all weapons of mass destruction, including satellites that could attack the ground from space, were disposed of. For some reason, this didn’t include 4D printer satellites. It was believed that 4DP satellites would pave the way for building space stations and were vital to space development, yet all factions lost interest in the space race and focused more on preserving a healthy military balance and drone swarms. Space centers worldwide had already seen what was happening, and it was only a matter of time. 3 days ago, all 5 4DP satellites stopped responding to ground orders and began constructing mysterious objects with unknown materials. They resembled totem poles with 8 wings growing out of them, with incomprehensible patterns carved into them. These objects were being referred to as “19940305” and had separated from the satellites two minutes ago. The Earth’s gravity pulled them towards the surface, and if they land in cities, they will cause major damage; not so bad after a drone attack to kill 3.5 billion people. It will be discovered that the totems will land in the oceans, but they’ll continue sinking towards the ocean floor, fatally affecting the 8MS managing the seawater environment. Nearly all the Earth’s environments were supported by the sea, and 2/3rds of the world's oxygen came from the sea; even though the Environmental 8MS was having trouble, the 8MS in the oceans is what kept humanity upright like a crutch. The totems will cause water intake facilities and Water Purification 8MS to start sending out alerts, and eventually drinking water will become contaminated. Water can be purified, but 8MS can’t; the eight million gods cannot be rid of. MIYAO says to be patient, as the kid’s meal will soon become a full-course meal. A Medical 8MS with very dangerous side effects will create a biohazard, attacking all of humanity. This 8MS would have been a wonder to humanity if it were completed, however the side effects made it practically useless; much chaos was to come from its spread. It won’t kill people, but it will impair their intelligence and reasoning abilities. Humans are emotional creatures, as even the biggest genius can’t think clearly when faced with emotion or their current environment. Humanity has already been acting irresponsibly, so imagine what would happen once they lose their intelligence.
Miyao thinks MIYAO is trying to make people kill each other, and the blue-bodied-one replies that it’s the opposite; Miyao caused everything because of his program. MIYAO was too late to stop the kid’s meal, but he can still stop the program. Miyao refuses to accept that he’s actually responsible for all of this, denying that he is a god of pestilence destroying the world. MIYAO asks if ebola viruses would feel murderous intent towards humans if they had emotions. They wouldn’t; they’re just doing what they’re meant to do. Miyao is simply doing everything he’s meant to do, and the Earth’s destruction approaches ever closer because of it. Miyao asks if everything would be fixed if he disappeared, and MIYAO quickly affirms it. Miyao falls into more disbelief, and MIYAO figures he’ll start believing and erase himself before long. MIYAO refers back to the prophecy that Miyao will kill Lingji and the others, and it’s soon to pass; Miyao can prevent it if he erases himself now. MIYAO decides to continue telling Miyao about future tragedies and will let him decide who’s right in the end.
Miyao promises that if it’s definitely proven that he is the one destroying the world, then he will disappear. MIYAO gladly accepts this proposition, and an alert is suddenly heard. Keropoyo has started to become alerted to MIYAO’s presence again, and Miyao is told not to tell the frogs about him, otherwise their partnership ends there; MIYAO is the only way for Miyao to free himself as a cog in the machine he’s in. Miyao sends him away, and several Keropoyos arrive while talking about an unapproved program. Miyao denies ever seeing one, and the rest of the frogs continue searching. Miyao then asks what he is, and Keropoyo falls silent. Miyao asks if he really is just a program made to resemble Miyao Mitake, and Keropoyo starts croaking rapidly. Miyao becomes confused, and Keropoyo suddenly calls him adorable while telling him to sleep. Keropoyo soothes Miyao, saying it is not yet time to wake up.
Background Music
Chapter 25: The Hour of the Prophecy.
Skies
December 25th, the day the truce to end the global conflict would be made. Miyao and Jayden are together when Jayden suddenly receives a message from Meow. Meow wants him to keep this a secret from Miyao, as he doesn’t like it when she talks to him while he’s working. Meow laments that this was supposed to be the day of their date, and Jayden says to move it to another day, wanting to take her to a place in Neo Akihabara, the Yellow Submachine Gun. Jayden and Meow excitedly talk about otaku things, distracting themselves from the fact they were flying over cities ruined by the drone attack. The temperature had also dropped considerably, feeling like they were freezing in midair. Meow voices her concerns that the oceans are going to have problems next. Jayden says Miyao was calling it a disaster kid’s meal and Meow smiles, having heard it from him earlier. Meow then tells Jayden that even though their date is being pushed back, they should still have a Christmas party. They should gather all the Gauntlet Knights into It’s a Wrap Public Bath and have fun since everybody must be feeling down from defending the Walls of Peace. Jayden agrees, as it’ll be a good way to celebrate the global truce. Meow asks Jayden not to tell Miyao she suggested it, as he always fights with her when Meow says anything. The conversation ends, and Jayden suggests this to Miyao and Gunhild.
Miyao thinks Jayden is insane, but Gunhild likes the idea. Mental multitasking is commonplace for people in A3W, and they can’t just focus entirely on fighting. Miyao eventually agrees to the idea, but he doesn’t hold responsibility if he invites people and nobody comes. Keropoyo gives a salute.
Sujatha and Lingji are surprised to hear that Miyao is actually throwing a Christmas party, and Aysha thinks it’s great to cure their depression before they go into combat. Andry suggests to Rukhi that this is a good time for her to let loose now that she’s gotten comfortable with the Public Bath members. Rukhshana tries to keep Rukhi under control, and Momotake says to let it all out and bites his tongue, eliciting a response from Rukhi. Rukhi happily agrees to join the party, and a surprised Sujatha says to focus on fighting as Rukhi mocks her, saying that Sujatha uses all of her P3 just for 2 missiles; Sujatha surrenders and agrees to come.
Noor and Cairo Squad will come to the party since Rethabile is also going. Abdou and Gannet like the idea of being able to party while fighting each other, as they’ll truly meet as friends. The user’s heart condition affects the Gauntlet, and if everyone were to go into combat as stressed as they are, it wouldn’t be good. Rethabile commends Miyao for being deeply interesting, being unable to doubt him.
Naima is ecstatic at being able to attend the party, and Naomi says this announcement has raised her condition 14% towards the Madonna’s Maximum Speed. Invitations are sent to Yeladot Shavit since they are also members of It’s a Wrap Public Bath. Leah is silent for a bit, and when Stephania asks what’s wrong, she replies that being seen as a comrade makes her emotional. Yeladot Shavit is the squad everybody hates, yet they were invited too; Leah wants to attend so as not to disappoint Naima.
Public Bath
Christmas originated from various religions, yet the idea of a Christmas party as a cultural festival was spread separately from religion. It was celebrated worldwide in A3W, no matter the culture and religion. Santa Claus was still an important part of Christmas, and many regions had different interpretations; the Akita region of AOU Japan believed Santa came with a knife and a bag to carry naughty children in, terrifying them as a way of ceremonial cleansing. Many Gauntlet Knights were flooding into the festively-decorated Public Bath, much to Keropoyo’s dismay in handling the server load. Miyao offers to handle some of the load and Jayden becomes amazed at handling this many people. Gunhild says it’s possible because Miyao has the highest P3 levels in the entire world. The Gauntlet Knight ace squads all arrive and converse, Rethabile and Ishak talk about how there are no enemies when protecting peace, and Rukhi chimes in with discontent for the old leaders forcing the young to fight for them. Rethabile is confused as to why she’s acting differently, and Andry explains that Rukhshana is showing her true self now that she trusts everyone. Gannet makes her acquaintances with Rukhi, and the others talk about how much they’ve cheered up. Gunhild asks Lilja where Koshka is, and she replies that they had a fight and so Koshka is sulking. Miyao decides to let her be since pestering Koshka at a time like this would make things worse for her. Jayden starts talking about how laggy things in the room are getting, and Miyao swears that he put the server at full power. He then shows surprise at there being over a thousand people logged in. Tina says this is the same number of Gauntlet Knights as there are in the world, and Mari says this may be a major history moment. Miyao is asked how he’ll introduce things, and they notice how GKs aren’t just hanging around their own squads and are talking with those from other factions. Gunhild says that Kizuna really does have a good name for it, meaning “bonds between people” in Japanese.
Miyao wishes that Gauntlet Knights could fly forever, being freed from those adults who see them as tools. Flying through the sky makes him forget all about the disaster kid’s meal happening, and he wishes that a tsunami would just wipe everything away. Civilization is going to be destroyed, yet Miyao feels relieved. He thinks life shouldn;t originate from factories, rather they should be born in nature and die in nature. Gazing at the darkened, polluted sky, Miyao says to himself that this planet is beautiful, and he doesn’t know if humanity deserves to see tomorrow.
Keropoyo sends a message from the AI command center, complaining that he’s being called a murder AI just for following and processing commands during the drone revolt. Miyao doesn’t understand, as using the excuse of “just following orders” is something only AIs can use; humans are expected to follow their consciences in times like these. Keropoyo relays an emergency notice to all Gauntlet Knights and one from Captain Okonogi. Okonogi frantically speaks to Warcat, asking if they’re doing anything weird and saying that even though he was harsh, he never doubted their souls as soldiers. An AOU general reports that after analysis, there is a strong likelihood of organized sabotage within the Aerial Augmented Infantry, as over 300 cases of suspicious combat activity were found. Gauntlets were new technology, and so there was no precedent to compare them to; militaries were accepting reports from GKs and putting in faith that combat failures were legitimate. Yet, they began to accept that GKs were purposefully failing their attacks. Many people in the military had been pushed off to the side because of GK activities, and they found it easy to criticize them. With the concern that a large number of them could stage a coup d’etat, many officers pushed for closer inspection iof Gauntlet Knights. The AOU general continues, saying that normally they would recall every GK and do a thorough inspection, however since it’s the date of the truce they’ll save that for later. Until 24:00, they will be appointing combat surveillance teams to watch every Gauntlet Knight’s movements and give instructions, ensuring that no improper actions are taken.
Barrier troops were units tasked with watching soldiers from behind who have low morale; they even have permission to shoot if their allies try to run from the enemy. These were typically employed in important situations that had to be won with low morale troops. These situations typically involved the enemy having overwhelming numbers, and defending a position to the death. Deploying barrier troops was basically saying “attack and die or retreat and die.” Okonogi continues, saying that he did notice suspicious combat data, but real war is more than just numbers. Only brats assume that anything done in training could be done in actual combat, and Okonogi expresses that he has faith in Warcat before suddenly getting cut off. An AOU analyst then speaks to Warcat, saying that their team will be watching until the truce. They’re aware of the specs of their Gauntlets and will be offering tips to improve their combat abilities. All the AOU GKs in the Public Bath became shaken, and the ones from other factions started to feel the same. Rethabile gives a message to all the ACR Gks, telling them to fight with all they have. A COU analyst says they will be graciously rewarded if they show exceptional prowess. Aysha says that not all Gauntlet Knights do it for a hobby or as a pastime; some do it because it’s one of the few jobs you can get solely with talent, not through family connections or money. Becoming part of an ace kette in the COU meant one got lots of good treatment and honor, and Aysha’s family found much happiness upon learning she joined Baibao. She asks Momotake not to assume that all Gauntlet Knights fly for pride and adventure, and then she asks Lingji if she remembers how she’d join the Order of the Public Bath, but only if she could keep her job. Momotake sees what she plans to do, and Aysha exclaims that she will gladly perform exceptionally, as Lingji is the COU’s princess, and if they go all out they can get them to overlook everything Baibao’s done. Momotake shows opposition to this idea, and Aysha begins berating him for how he’s had a privileged life, not knowing what foul air tastes like and how there are many other cities that aren't so good. After seeing everyone complain about the Atmospheric Purification 8MS breaking down, Aysha began to realize that everybody else was breathing nice air while she struggled to get to where she is now. She shows resentment towards her old classmates for mocking her smelly formal wear, laughing.
Lingji is silent for a moment and then sends a message to all COU Gauntlet Knights, asking them to show their loyalty and do their best.
Leah sends a message to all ABN GKs, saying Yeladot Shavit has permission to strike down allies that lack the will to bring justice. She asks that they not be forced to do that. Naima and the rest of Leah’s squad mates don't like having to kill either their allies or their enemies, and Stan relays a message from Miyao saying it’s okay to forget the Order. Naima calls it interesting, as people telling you to obey is a pain, but being told not to worry about obeying makes you want to do it anyway. Naima still wants to hold true to the Order’s philosophy, however she tells the enemy Gauntlet Knights to run or else they’ll be killed by her. Naima blasts off.
Keropoyo sends several alerts of friends arriving, and Miyao laments why young people have to be tried by heaven.
Inside the Public Bath, everybody was having fun despite the fact their real bodies were approaching combat. Rather, their virtual avatars were now their real bodies, as their physical ones were being turned into tools used by adults. As Keropoyo gives combat notifications, the GKs continue chatting happily. Miyao and other aces wish they could just abandon their real bodies and live in a virtual world forever as an analyst complains about someone not firing, saying it will be considered sabotage if it happens again. Jayden says the next stage after the industrial revolution will be everyone getting uploaded into a massive server somewhere. Gunhild is concerned over who would be managing that server, and Jayden says to leave it to AI and robots, soon wondering who will maintain them. Miyao then asks Jayden a hypothetical question of what he’d do if someone really did make a server like that; Jayden would happily do that if Meow were there. Meow pops up for a bit to express her love for Jayden and Miyao sends her away, not wanting to go. Jayden says he and Miyao are like one flesh, so they’ll always be together anywhere. Keropoyo and analysts keep giving alerts, and Gunhild wonders if a human soul can tolerate the concept of eternity. Jayden figures that deleting your old memories would help to stave off that boredom.
Momotake comments that factory-born people have an interesting way of thinking, and Leah calls it discrimination for only girls to give birth; Chloe mentions that artificial wombs allow men to get pregnant.
Koshka gets pestered by messages from analysts and tells them to shut up, looking at some former WanyaDora party members. She wants them to escape or else she’ll really shoot them.
Miyao pops open a virtual champagne bottle, and Stan asks everyone to focus their attention on him. The room suddenly quiets down, and Miyao starts giving a speech as champagne glasses appear in the hands of everyone. Miyao says that they are all comrades supporting the Walls of Peace together, and this is a first and final toast to celebrate that. Everyone holds up their glasses and toasts to Grand Master Miyao. MIYAO briefly appears, saying it’s time for the tragedy.
An ACR analyst threatens someone with arrest and losing the right to become a Gauntlet Knight, saying re-education will take up to 10 years. A few people in the room seem to disappear, and Jayden suggests they all sing a Christmas song. Gauntlet Knights in the real world are now fighting and killing each other, being spurred on by the analysts. Another GK is threatened with getting their family arrested for unpatriotic thinking, being made socially dead regardless of whether they're innocent or not. Angel feathers fall out of the sky as the people in the virtual room sing arm in arm, with people disappearing sporadically and the gaps being filled soon after. Naima finds the singing fun as she berates her allies for shooting someone when their shields were gone, threatening to kill them instead. Naomi tries to calm her down but Naima continues to follow Miyao’s ideals.
Rethabile gives the order to the ACR Gauntlet Knights to follow her command. Lingji tells the COU GKs to suspend the latter half of “don’t die, don’t kill,” much to Momotake’s concern. Aysha figures that Lingji saying it must have hurt, as she has now taken responsibility and become a true warrior. Baibao blasts off. Keropoyo continues speaking for other Gauntlet Knights, asking why they have to die when they just wanted to fly. Analysts keep demeaning Gauntlet Knights, saying it costs a lot of money to let them fly, and there’s many people to replace them. Okonogi sends a message asking the analysts to calm down, as those kids are putting their lives on the line. Okonogi yells that because they’re all sitting in spotless monitor rooms, they have no right to criticize people taking risks before getting ejected from the chat.
Stephania sends a warning to someone saying their efforts are lacking and they will be shot next time. Leah wonders what kind of heaven awaits those who are shooting frightened lambs in the back. An analyst says rebellious allies have been marked and asks for terminal guidance to be initiated on cluster missiles. Leah quickly changes her behavior, and Yeladot Shavit reluctantly fires the missiles.
People in the virtual room keep disappearing, and Miyao says they will always be comrades. Koshka says that Miyao must now understand what’s going on. This world has lacked love from the start, and kids like them are made just to be game pieces. Miyao shows despair that they can’t rebel no matter what they do, and Koshka replies that as long as they have the courage to throw away their flesh bodies, they can still shoot back at those adults. Koshka swears to destroy this broken world and blasts off. Jayden calls Miyao back to attention.
An unknown person receives an email from someone for the first time. The sender declares themselves to be part of the Ninth Prime Chivalric Order and appeals to the recipient's loss of hope for the world. They invite the recipient to join their cause in rebuilding the world from scratch.
Miyao reminisces on the past, thinking about the time spent with his fellow Gauntlet Knights. Gunhild suddenly receives an alert that Keropoyo is running a self-diagnostic, so her shield won’t come up. Miyao and Jayden yell out for her to dodge the incoming missiles, but a flash of white is seen. Another memory with Gunhild is shown, and Lilja suddenly gets electrocuted by Chloe’s remote. Getting shocked while flying in the sky meant death, and missiles start approaching Lilja as she curses Chloe; Chloe says she’s free to blast her to bits if she survives, grinning sinisterly.
MIYAO had prophesied that Miyao would kill Lingji and Koshka, yet Miyao refuses to accept that it will happen. Miyao and Lingji exchange blows as angel feathers scatter around them, and Miyao tries convincing his friend to stop. As Lingji brandishes a golden Gauntlet, she says it was more than just a message: it was the responsibility of one who bears the weight of her comrades’ lives and deaths. They were barraging each other with Rejection Shield-powered punches, and Keropoyo warns that Miyao’s shield was no match for Lingji’s and was going to break soon. Miyao is sure that Lingji’s faith in the world will return before his shield breaks and then asks how Lingji can even call herself a Gauntlet Knight, desperately telling her to stop as his shield begins flickering from lack of energy. Keropoyo suddenly announces that external access has been given to Miyao’s Gauntlet. Toujirou had entered an admin password and was assuming control of Miyao’s Gauntlet. Miyao asks his dad what he’s doing, and Toujirou replies that Miyao cannot die yet. Toujirou presses a few keys and Miyao is forced to give one last punch towards a surprised Lingji, his fist easily passing through the air with a splash of blood. Keropoyo announces that Lingji has left the room due to an error; she should’ve had more than enough energy to uphold her shield, so why did it suddenly break?
Lingji’s body with its head half destroyed plummets out of the sky as a blood-spattered Miyao cries out in despair. Toujirou looks concerned before giving a small grin.
The news reports that the simultaneous global truce is now in effect. All fighting between factions has ceased. The credits roll.
Background Music
Epilogue.
A bloodied Koshka happily says that she can now abandon her old body and start over in a new world with a new body. She sits on the ground surrounded by bits of flesh and police officers armed with Anti-Gauntlet weaponry.
A maskless Jestress flies over the ocean, leaving angel feathers in her wake and trying to catch up with an unknown Gauntlet Knight. She's unwilling to let them get away after all the work she's put in.
A Gauntlet-equipped Seshat arrives at an underground facility, commenting that someone’s sleeping face is cute and that they can’t sleep for a whole millennium; she needs them to call back “those two.” Seshat holds out an object that soon glows brightly.
A gun-wielding Vier is guided by Toujirou to a replica of the Venus de Milo, which had been built with a secret compartment. Vier lowers her gun and smiles upon seeing the drawer open.
A mom and dad talk, with Dad asking if she’s thought of a name for their child. Mom settles for Miyao (都雄), meaning the best hero (雄) in the city (都). Mom soothes Miyao, calling him adorable and telling him to sleep, that he doesn’t have to wake up yet. She admits that she’s a bad mother, using up the world for her own sake. If Miyao gets a chance to fulfill his mother’s wishes while he’s still alive, then he should do it. Mom apologizes for giving birth to Miyao simply to use as a game piece, figuring that he will complain about it; in exchange, he’ll become the best Gauntlet Knight in the world. Miyao will be happy and everyone will praise him up until the day he becomes a game piece; Mom hopes that day never comes.
A narrator speaks to Miyao, asking if this is really the world he wished for and why he’s refusing it. In a cloudy sky, Jayden appears with a blue body and a veil around his head. He promised that he’d go anywhere if it was with him, the camera zooming out to reveal a red moon behind him. A "To be continued..." screen appears.
Background Music
| For You, the Replaceable Ones/Summary |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Forced Move
Forced Move is the twenty-fifth episode of the and the seventh episode of Alliance of the Golden Witch.
Synopsis.
Ange heads to Rokkenjima to end her journey and learn the true meaning of magic, but Kasumi and her men are expecting her there.
Plot Summary.
First Half.
In 1998, Ange is on a boat heading to Rokkenjima, guided by Captain Kawabata. Amakusa asks if Ange remembers anything about the island, but she only went there a few times when she was young. Amakusa asks Kawabata about the "other harbor," and he explains that there was only one harbor that was publicly known. There was a second one hidden on the other side of the island that was only known to a select few people including Kinzo, Genji, Nanjo, and some other boat captains and servants; no one else in the Ushiromiya family knew about it or the second mansion Kuwadorian. Ange asks the captain what he thought of the theory that a woman named Beatrice lived in Kuwadorian, and he explains that he carried various goods there, including items only women would use; he believes the theory is correct.
Amakusa then asks if he's ever seen this Beatrice, but Kawabata denies it. He adds that 30 years ago, around 1968, he was suddenly called by Genji to stop transporting things to and from Kuwadorian; after watching the servants' reaction, he deduced that Beatrice had died, so there was no need to bring food anymore. Ange then wonders that if Kuwadorian was abandoned for so long, how come Eva was able to escape there during the incident and survive? Kawabata explains that there's 2 km of distance between the main mansion and Kuwadorian, and a typhoon would make it impossible to get there; Ange wonders if there was an underground passage connecting the two, and Kawabata says he wouldn't be surprised if Kinzo built one.
They finally reach the island, and Ange wants to go off by herself so she can pay her respects to her dead family with some flowers. She says that if Amakusa came with her, it'd be a pain for them as his anti-magic toxin is too strong. Amakusa has no idea what she means, and Kawabata tells her to just go; her family is waiting. Ange goes through a path that's incredibly overgrown, reaching a "do not enter" sign. She goes past it and follows a map, remarking how she was always told not to go near the forest because of the witch living inside it. She gets closer to a certain area and starts feeling the witch's presence, coming out onto a cliff. Mammon appears and suggests climbing down, but Sakutarou appears to tell her that she can't come back if she does. She agrees with him, remembering why she left on this journey: Ange originally wanted to die, but now she wants to accomplish something; if she hadn't changed, she would've climbed down the cliff with no hesitation.She looks up to the sky and tells her family: Rudolf, Kyrie, Battler, Maria, that she's come home to them. She's the last daughter of the Ushiromiya family and the last witch of Mariage Sorciere, and she understands everything; she knows the magic between them is faint but she can sense it. Ange is fully aware that magic exists, and that without love, it cannot be seen. She pulls out Maria's diary and reads it, lamenting how her magic was kind and gentle before changing into corrupted magic. At first it was magic to make sweets fall from the sky and create all sorts of happiness, but then it became magic to make the bully catch a cold. Magic to injure classmates until they died. Magic to make a bus carrying all the bullies fall off a cliff. Ange regrets hurting Maria, for Mariage Sorciere would not have turned out like this otherwise. She realizes that her goal was to stop Maria from becoming an evil black witch and make her white and pure again. She calls for Maria and asks her to show herself, but Kasumi and her henchmen suddenly appear.
Kasumi notices that Ange brought flowers, so she allows her to throw them before they get down to business. The henchmen surround her and Ange asks how long she's been waiting; Kasumi's been there since early in the morning. Ange mocks her, saying that she might've had to use the bathroom behind a tree, and she gets slapped. Kasumi sees that she really is Kyrie's daughter, not having any elegance at all. Ange asks if she really resembles her that much, and Kasumi grabs her face, comparing all of Ange's features to that of the former Sumadera. She says she's spent her entire life cleaning up after Ange's mess and throws her to the ground, asking if Ange knows how much trouble Kyrie caused her when she ran away.
Ange begins receiving a physical beating from the henchmen, and Kasumi laments that she was forced to carry the burden of the Sumadera family when Kyrie left and married Rudolf. She had such a carefree life, but was then forced to undergo strict training, and all of her relatives hated her because of what Kyrie did. She was even forced to break up with the man she loved and marry Kyrie's ex-fiancee; the Sumadera family never punished Kyrie because she married into the wealthy Ushiromiya family. Ange says that what she gets for not taking life seriously, but her men beat her up even more for insulting her. Kasumi hates that Kyrie was the only one who got to be happy, and that if she kills Ange she'll be able to forget her hatred and start all over.
Mammon and Sakutaro watch, unable to do anything, and Ange realizes that Kasumi's life is very similar to hers. She remembers how Eva told her to act like the family successor and was always tormented by her education and bullying, and she begins to sympathize with her. Eva felt all the pressure of the Ushiromiya family, and Rosa may have felt the same way. She notes that people tend to push pain they're burdened with onto other people, and Eva, being the oldest daughter of the Ushiromiya family, passed all that pain to Rosa, and she passed it on to Maria. She realizes that Maria's magic was incredible, dissolving her pains with with it and never forcing her anger or sadness onto anyone; she gains more respect for Maria and her magic for stopping that passage of anger.
Ange wishes that if Eva had learned white magic, her life could've been different. She's also surprised that she could sympathize with Eva after hating her for so long; she remembers all of the talk shows and magazines at the time who accused Eva of murdering her family on Rokkenjima, and Ange realizes that "she "should've been the white magician. She was Eva's only living relative and the only one who could share her pain as her ally. EVA-Beatrice then appears, surprised that Ange could see her.
Second Half.
Ange realizes that EVA-Beatrice, the black witch, was the one standing by Eva's side and influencing her. EVA asks if Ange hates her, but she pities her instead. EVA laughs and mocks Ange, thinking she's acting so enlightened. Meanwhile Kasumi and her men have finished beating Ange, and Kasumi asks if she hates her now. Ange looks up to see EVA next to her, telling Kasumi that Ange represents her past self. She begins extolling the virtues of how fun it is to torment people and how pleasant it is to take something done to her when she was weak and do it to someone even weaker. Kasumi wants Ange to cry and apologize to her, and EVA grows more ecstatic at her,the two sharing a laugh.
EVA then guides Kasumi to read through Maria's diary. Ange tells her to stop, but Kasumi begins ripping out Maria's pages and mocking them. She even rips out the pages talking about the Seven Sister of Purgatory and the lion cub as Mammon and Sakutaro tell her to stop. Kasumi finally the page with magic to get along with Rosa, and Ange tells her not to rip that one. She ignores her and mocks Maria's "uu" tic as the henchman laugh. She then throws the ruined diary to the ground and asks Ange to show them magic, mocking her and Maria for being stupid kids who deny reality.
Ange finally stands up, asking Kasumi if she'll believe in Maria if she shows them magic. She accepts her challenge, and Ange declares that magic does exist; EVA reminds her that many people have relied on magic and miracles only to fall into despair, and that true magic can only be gained by black witches. The henchman provoke Ange even more, asking her to show them explosive magic. Kasumi is convinced Ange can't actually do anything, and her men aim guns at her. Ange invokes the Seven Sisters of Purgatory, and a henchman thinks she's praying.
Ange warns him not to shoot; if he pulls the trigger, he will die. The man fires anyway, and a hole suddenly appears in his chest; he'd been pierced by Leviathan. The rest of the Stakes appear, and Kasumi becomes horrified, asking Ange what she did; she replies that Kasumi can't see the Stakes because she has no love. Ange remembers that day in St. Lucia, where she couldn't use magic because she didn't have the guts to kill her classmates then. She's changed since then, and now wants to create a magical miracle so she can protect Maria's world and Mariage Sorciere. The rest of Kasumi's men ready their aim, and Ange gives one last warning not to shoot and to leave the island. They ignore her and fire, only to be swiftly killed by the Stakes. EVA and Kasumi are horrified even more, and Ange proclaims that she's a real witch. Kasumi refuses to believe that magic is real, and she grabs a gun and aims it as Mammon and Sakutaro say that magic leads to happiness. Ange tells Kasumi her hatred will only hurt her in the end, and she wishes for Kasumi to end up in a quiet place as Mammon kills her.
Ange tells EVA that she's next, finding it insulting that she looks so much like her dead aunt. EVA laughs, and then changes into her human form, holding a Winchester. Ange sees that Eva's become a real living human, and Eva says the black witch was the source of her magic, completely different than Ange's magic for escaping reality. Ange laments that Eva still doesn't know what real, white magic is, and she decides to prove which one is stronger.
Eva acts haughty, thinking Ange can't use anymore magic since all the Stakes had already been summoned, and she fires her gun. However, it suddenly blows up because of Mammon, and Eva rolls around in pain clutching her face. Ange calls it a shame that it's come to this now that she's finally met Eva. Ange decides to ease her pain, picking up a henchman's gun and finishing her off, with Eva's last words being "Cool."
Ange returns to the rooftop, where Bernkastel congratulates her for becoming the true ANGE-Beatrice and discovering true magic. Ange has inherited the world of Mariage Sorciere, and is the last witch; she's the only one who can destroy Beatrice's world. Ange tells Bern that she's always suspected she was being lied to, citing her knowledge that she can only revive her family for the Ange of 1986, not her in 1998. Bern confirms this, and Ange accepts that in the end, she still learned how to bring her family back.
Teaser.
The final preview is Beatrice delivering a monologue, remembering how the world burst into gold when she met with Battler. She calls it a dream, life and death repeated for infinity; it was all an illusion created by her, the miserable witch. She wishes to have a pair of wings, so that she may fly into the sky.
Beatrice states her soul holds no title and no longer needs the name "Endless Witch." She wants to fly wherever she pleases, wishing only that Battler remembers everything about her. Beatrice says the next episode title and gives a question: "who...am I?"
Comparisons to Source Material.
This episode adapts the chapter "Journey's Endpoint".
| Forced Move |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Forgeries
| Forgeries |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Forgery
A Forgery is a work of fiction written by a later author in the style of the message bottles of the Rokkenjima massacre. The concept was first introduced in "Dawn of the Golden Witch".
Proliferation.
Following the discoveries of the first message bottle by a Shikenijima fisherman and the second contradictory message bottle by the police, the Rokkenjima incident gained a great deal of attention from the public and occult interest groups. The first forgeries were written as pranks or attempts to scam would-be collectors in response to the explosion of interest. They were often posed the third or fourth message bottles.
Later, certain message bottle forgers claimed to have discovered the truth of the original message bottles, and began writing forgeries as new stories in themselves, without intent to deceive. These new works were often written with the Forger's own interpretation of the incident and message bottles. As such, the theories behind some of these forgeries would gain a large amount of interest and support on the internet. Occasionally, a forgery would become widely accepted enough that it would be regarded as having some grain of truth behind it.
More straight-laced Witch Hunters despised these forgeries, and referred to their writers as "Forgers", "Counterfeiters", or "Witches". However, many more others enjoyed these forgeries as entertainment, treating the events of the Rokkenjima incident as an occult fantasy. A smaller number of people also regarded these works as having literary merit.
The most famous Forger is Itouikukuro Reigonamu, who wrote the tales from "Banquet of the Golden Witch" to "Dawn of the Golden Witch".
Known Forgeries.
As each forgery is in essence a work written by a later author about the incident, there is no limit to the number of forgeries that can exist, and many more unmentioned ones have been written in-universe.
| Forgery |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Forgery no.XXX
is an extra arc from . It was first released as a booklet on June 19, 2011.
An English translation for the original booklet was done by haguruma on AnimeSuki.
Plot Summary.
Battler Ushiromiya returns to Rokkenjima after a six year absence, but instead of having a friendly reunion with his family, he has plans of murder.
Release History.
Original Release.
"Forgery no.XXX" was originally a text story released as a booklet at the "Hinamizawa Village People's Assembly tetra" event on June 19, 2011.
Hane.
"Forgery no.XXX" was adapted into visual novel format with "Umineko no Naku Koro ni Hane", released physically at Comiket 81 on December 31, 2011. It features additional prose and expands the story some.
The First and the Last Gift.
This arc was republished in "" on December 16, 2015. An additional line is inserted at the very beginning of the story:
Saku.
"Umineko no Naku Koro ni Saku" is a rerelease containing all previously-released "Umineko" content, which includes "Hane" and thus this arc. "Saku" released on October 4, 2019.
Ports.
Symphony of Catbox and Dreams is a PS4 and Nintendo Switch port of "Saku", which released on January 28, 2021.
| Forgery no.XXX |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Forgery no.XXX/Summary
Summary.
On October 4th, 1986, the Ushiromiya family arrives at Rokkenjima and marvels at the beauty of the rose garden. This year is special because Battler Ushiromiya has returned after a six-year absence. Battler jokes around with his relatives, telling Maria that in a few years she’ll be growing upwards and forwards, prompting a smack from Jessica. Gohda arrives to take everyone to the guesthouse when Rudolf notices that Battler is just gazing at the rose garden. George asks if there’s anything wrong, but Battler tells everyone to go on without him so he can feel the wind just a bit longer. George figured that Battler needed some time to sort out his feelings after being away for six years, so he leaves Battler to himself. In those six years Battler had been away, a lot changed: his height, his features, even his mind; Jessica understood this as well, and goes with Maria to the guesthouse.
After seeing that everybody had entered the guesthouse, Battler relaxes. He thinks about the name Battler Ushiromiya and how it’s supposed to be his name, but he says that the Battler he is and the Battler he knows are quite different. Just then, a wind sweeps around the rose garden and blows petals into the air. The world swiftly changes to that of the Golden Land, and the rose petals coalesce into the form of Ronove, who welcomes Battler back. Battler, now donning a purple suit and with red eyes, asks how long it’s been since they last met. Ronove explains that after Land of the Golden Witch, Ronove was at Battler’s side for Trinity of the Golden Witch, and that Bernkastel's game board may have been the last one, but Battler says they still just met. Ronove offers Battler some tea as he sits down, wondering if he ought to be playing his part now that he’s arrived.
Battler muses that once a piece has been put on the board, they can run wild as much as they want; Battler has been summoned for that exact purpose. Battler reiterates that he is indeed free to do as he pleases and Ronove confirms such, but there is only one rule: “don’t ever bore us.” Ronove is excited to see what the aspiring murderer will show them, but Battler compares himself to TV variety shows that call a young actor to the stage and have them perform without any preparation. Ronove tells him that the preparations have already been made and offers him assistance, asking if he’ll introduce a letter announcing murders in the rose garden or preparing the stage of the tragedy. Battler thinks about ‘how’ he will kill people, and the narration asks if this can even be called ‘Battler’; he’s a piece that resembles Battler Ushiromiya, but his role was very different. This murderous, “black” Battler tells Ronove that he doesn’t want to see any killings or corpses, but rather that “one instant,” which Ronove likens to the flicker before a candle blows out. Battler wants to see what color George’s tears will be when he strangles Shannon to death in front of him; what shade Rudolf’s blood will be when he learns his son is the culprit, moments before getting his head blown off; the tears Natsuhi will shed when finding the bloody corpse of her daughter. Battler will take Natsuhi in his arms and pretend to cry with her, calling it the greatest form of entertainment for the scenario that is “Battler Ushiromiya as the culprit.” A roar of thunder is heard, which Battler likens to applause from a group of spectators.
Ronove wants to know who Battler will kill first, but Battler says he wants to "tune his instruments" and will make Romove his first victim. Ronove prepares himself as Battler considers all the horrible things he can do to him. Ronove gives a very heavy laugh in response, something that has never been seen of Ronove before. The two of them fight but the demon butler falls to the black culprit, who remarks that he will never serve tea again. Beatrice arrives while applauding, impressed by Battler’s performance, noting how there’s not a single scratch on him after his fight. Battler commends Beato for being the most beautiful instrument he has ever heard, asking if he is really “Battler.” He turns to face her, with a single rose petal on his face. Seeing this, Beato acknowledges that he is indeed Battler, expressing her happiness at being able to meet him again and becoming more beautiful and dreadful.
Battler muses some more, saying that he gets more power the more forgeries are made featuring Battler Ushiromiya as the culprit. Beato asks what the spectators might expect of them, but Battler replies that they both know it well: “never bore us.” More lightning strikes, calling a rain storm with it. Beato asks Battler what his plans are: he’ll go to the mansion and drink Gohda’s disgusting black tea, gaze at the witch’s portrait and epitaph and ask about them, anything to kill time until 24:00, when the real killing will begin. In return, Battler asks who the author of their forgeries are, which Beato thinks is someone like them: someone who despises boredom and loves tales with bloodshed. Battler proclaims that, even if nobody were to write about them anymore, they will still exist; he looks to the sky again and dares Tohya to stop him soon.
The scene returns to the gameboard, where Battler is still looking at the rose garden despite the rain. Kanon arrives to take him inside, and Battler says it’s been a while; Kanon understands what Battler is planning for tonight, and the soon-to-be culprit asks if he wants to see Jessica reduced to tears, cutting off her own fingers again. Kanon takes offense to this statement, wanting to know who called a devil like him to the island; Battler replies that it was the cause of the huge number of spectators wanting to see him as the culprit that brought him there. The two of them leave the rose garden, and Battler hands the servant a letter; at 24:00, Kanon must knock on the door of the dining room and pretend to have found the letter. One more strike of thunder, and Battler laughs at the sky once more, taking solace in the fact that the infinite catbox and the endless fantasies of forgers would never make him bored; Battler’s eyes turn red as he declares the game to begin, wishing to quench the thirst for blood of those black kitties.
Background Music.
Characters appearing
| Forgery no.XXX/Summary |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Forgery of the Purple Logic
| Forgery of the Purple Logic |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Forgery of the Purple Logic Chapter 1
is the first chapter of "".
Colored Text.
Purple Statements.
Before the murders
Discovering the corpses
| Forgery of the Purple Logic Chapter 1 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Forgery of the Purple Logic Chapter 10
is the tenth and final chapter of "".
| Forgery of the Purple Logic Chapter 10 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Forgery of the Purple Logic Chapter 2
is the second chapter of "".
Colored Text.
Red Truth.
About the study
Purple Statements.
Sealing the study
The letter
Alibis
Sealing the mansion
| Forgery of the Purple Logic Chapter 2 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Forgery of the Purple Logic Chapter 3
is the third chapter of "".
Colored Text.
Purple Statements.
Retrieving guns
Discovering the second twilight corpses
The arrival of the witnesses
The chain lock
| Forgery of the Purple Logic Chapter 3 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Forgery of the Purple Logic Chapter 4
is the fourth chapter of "".
Colored Text.
Purple Statements.
Sealing the room
Confirming alibis
Isolating the suspects
| Forgery of the Purple Logic Chapter 4 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Forgery of the Purple Logic Chapter 5
is the fifth chapter of "".
Colored Text.
Purple Statements.
The garden warehouse
Discussing the murders
Inside the warehouse
| Forgery of the Purple Logic Chapter 5 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Forgery of the Purple Logic Chapter 6
is the sixth chapter of "".
Colored Text.
Purple Statements.
Discovering the corpses
Locking the warehouse
Confirming alibis
| Forgery of the Purple Logic Chapter 6 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Forgery of the Purple Logic Chapter 7
is the seventh chapter of "".
Colored Text.
Purple Statements.
The warehouse
Discovering Rudolf and Kyrie's corpses
Confirming alibis
| Forgery of the Purple Logic Chapter 7 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Forgery of the Purple Logic Chapter 8
is the eighth chapter of "".
Colored Text.
Purple Statements.
Sealing the room
Checking the mansion and guesthouse seals
Freeing Erika
Deducing the culprit
Battler's death
| Forgery of the Purple Logic Chapter 8 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Forgery of the Purple Logic Chapter 9
is the ninth chapter of "".
Colored Text.
Purple Statements.
Checking the seals
Alibis
| Forgery of the Purple Logic Chapter 9 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Forgery of the Purple Logic Volume 1
Forgery of the Purple Logic Volume 1 is the first volume of "".
Publisher's Summary.
<tabber>
"Umineko When They Cry is now available as a completely new mystery with a trick from Ryukishi07's original work. Find new clues in the Purple Statements and break apart the contradictions in testimony!"
"竜騎士07原案のトリックにて「うみねこのなく頃に」が、まったく新しいミステリーとして登場。新たな手がかり「紫の発言」を集めて、証言の矛盾を打ち崩せ!"
</tabber>
| Forgery of the Purple Logic Volume 1 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Forgery of the Purple Logic Volume 2
Forgery of the Purple Logic Volume 2 is the second and final volume of "".
Publisher's Summary.
<tabber>
"The newest Umineko When They Cry comic, a complete mystery without magic. As the serial murders on Rokkenjima reach their climax, and the suspects are narrowed down, will Battler be able to find the lies in the Purple Statements only said by the culprit?"
"魔法なしの完全ミステリーで送る「うみねこのなく頃に」コミック最新作。六軒島での連続殺人事件も佳境に差しかかり、容疑者は絞られてゆく中、戦人は犯人のみが発する「紫の発言」の嘘を見破ることができるのか?"
</tabber>
| Forgery of the Purple Logic Volume 2 |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Four Men Assembled
was the forty-second event in . It is a Batsukoishi-inspired event that ran starting on May 1, 2022.
Boosted Units.
The following units increased event-related drops when brought into battle. They are units associated with this event.
All following units have a rarity of SSR.
| Four Men Assembled |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fragment
| Fragment |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fragments
| Fragments |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Frederica
| Frederica |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Frederica Bernkastel
Frederica Bernkastel is a fictional writer of poems that appear in . This page compiles all of her poems from various versions and console ports.
For more information on Frederica herself, see the Character subpage.
Main Story.
Matsuribayashi (1).
Most versions of this poem are identical, however the Japanese text in the Steam version appears to be slightly different.
Saikoroshi-hen (1).
Translations of "Saikoroshi" poems are from xPearse's English patch.
Console-Exclusive Arcs.
These poems were translated by 07th Mod.
Other.
These are poems that were cut/changed.or released in other media such as postcards and guidebooks.
Onikakushi (C63).
This is a poem from the version of "Onikakushi" that released with the original version of "Watanagashi" and was changed in later releases. English translation is by rockmor.
Watanagashi (C63).
This is a poem that was included in the original version of "Watanagashi" and was changed in later releases. English translation is by rockmor.
Hinamizawa Village Watanagashi Festival 0.5B.
This is a poem included in an for the Hinamizawa Village Watanagashi Festival 0.5B fan event. It was published in Toratsu issue 91 on November 25, 2004. Translated by Omegabodega.
Private Investigation File.
These poems are stylized as written on pieces of notebook paper. The book also includes a poem that was later included in "Matsuribayashi."
These poems were machine-translated.
Onikakushi (GanGan Powered Spring 2005 Postcard).
English translation by kj1980 on AnimeSuki
Watanagashi (GanGan WING June 2005 Postcard).
English translation by kj1980 on AnimeSuki
Tatarigoroshi (G-Fantasy June 2005 Postcard).
English translation by kj1980 on AnimeSuki
Official Character Guide.
English translation by Idran on Tumblr
This peom-like paragraph is from the "Frederica Bernkastel" section, which is placed immediately after Rika's section, of the Dictionary portion of the "Official Character Guide" on Page 80.
Himatsubushi (GanGan March 2006 Shitajiki and Manga).
This poem was first included in a shitajiki with the March 2006 issue of GanGan. It was later reprinted in volume 1 of the "Himatsubushi" manga adaptation.
Tsumihoroboshi (Production Diary).
This is a poem that was posted by Ryukishi07 to his Production Diary on April 11, 2005. It was originally going to be released with "Tsumihoroboshi" but it was changed. English translation by kj1980 on AnimeSuki
Umineko EP3 Novelty Shorts.
This booklet released alongside "Banquet of the Golden Witch" at Comiket 74 on August 16, 2008 ends with a poem credited to Frederica Bernkastel. Part of the booklet, including this poem, was later compiled into the story Bernkastel's Letter in .
This poem is included at the end of .
Translated by MeeraMalhotra.
| Frederica Bernkastel |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Frederica Bernkastel/Character
is the writer of poems that appear throughout the chapters of . She is a version of Rika Furude that resides in the Sea of Fragments.
Appearance.
Frederica is not given an appearance in the original visual novels. When she appears in the secret ending of "Matsuribayashi", she is assumed to look like an adult version of Rika, which is carried across in various adaptations.
The manga version of "Minagoroshi" features her as looking the exact same as Rika with her dress, but with an empty look in her eyes obscured by her hair.
Personality.
Frederica is inferred to be the persona of Rika Furude who has aged mentally. She exhibits many psychological characteristics that are abnormal for a child of Rika's age,which she personally admits.
In emphasis, her speech pattern is different from that of Rika, which is more apparent in the original Japanese releases. For example, Frederica uses the pronoun "watashi" (私), a standard pronoun used by adults and young people who want to be taken seriously in social situations. Whereas, Rika uses "boku" (僕), which is a misuse of the pronoun and is a common behavior seen in young children of Rika's age who want to assert their individuality ("see "bokukko"").
Frederica speaks in a very mature tone using , without any honorifics or the sort.
Frederica is rude, sardonic, and possesses a unique worldview after having lived over a hundred years and observing humans from a distance. She is cynical, melancholy and apathetic which is reflected in her poems. She doesn't mince words and is brutally straightforward to both herself and those around her. Even though she may arguably be Rika Furude, she is also not, and this dissociation from her human counterpart is what defines her existence.
Background.
In the "Minagoroshi" prologue, Frederica refers to herself as one of many Rika Furudes and says she was created when Rika lost interest in breaking her fate. She makes her first physical appearance in the "Minagoroshi" manga, seeming identical to Rika Furude. She explains her existence to a bewildered Rika who has just emerged from the world of "Tsumihoroboshi" and awakened in the Sea of Fragments. "Minagoroshi" also features Rika reciting a poem to Keiichi Maebara and asks him what he thinks of it. This very poem is later retold by Frederica in "Matsuribayashi".
Interviews with Ryukishi07 add that Frederica is meant to be the amalgamation of every Rika that had died in her 100-year journey, comprising of all of her memories and negative emotions.
"Saikoroshi" is perhaps the arc where Frederica truly separates herself from Rika. In "Saikoroshi", Rika is sent to a new Hinamizawa in a twist of fate, where everything and everyone are different. As a result of certain aberrations, life in this world will continue peacefully. There is no one who would kill Rika and her parents along with everyone who were supposed to have died unfortunate deaths are alive and well. Those who faced misfortune and those who were affected by the Hinamizawa Syndrome were spared from those circumstances. As a result, many people exhibit personality traits which are different from what Rika knows of them.
Rika wonders about how the Rika Furude from this "perfect" world was truly a different person who may have lived a happy life if "she" hadn't come along. Consequently, she becomes much more aware of how desensitized she has become after her journey across the Fragments. She also begins to realize that throughout the course of her journey, she may have stolen away the lives of the young and innocent Rikas in all the worlds she has traveled to, feeling especially guilty for the Rika of the current world.
Out of respect for the original owner of that body, she decides to give the twisted version of herself who has been disillusioned after years of roaming the sea of fragments a different name. Here, she begins to call herself Frederica Bernkastel, with "Frederica" being a corruption of her own name and "Bernkastel" derived from the Bernkasteler brand of wine she is so fond of. "Furude Rika" in katakana [フルデリカ] is one character off from "Frederica" [フレデリカ]. "Saikoroshi" is the very first arc in which Rika has explicitly referred to herself by this name in the narrative.
Role in the Story.
Frederica's poems preface many of the arcs.
Minagoroshi.
Frederica Bernkastel makes her first proper appearance and speaks to the reader about the Rules X, Y and Z that affect Hinamizawa in every Fragment.
Rule X is where someone succumbs to paranoia because of Hinamizawa Syndrome and winds up turning violent, using Keiichi Maebara, Shion Sonozaki and Rena Ryuugu as the prime examples.
Rule Y is where Jirou Tomitake and Miyo Takano are killed on the night of the Watanagashi Festival, marking the fifth year of Oyashiro-sama's curse.
Rule Z is where everyone believes the Sonozaki family are responsible for carrying out the curse every year amongst other things, which makes it difficult to find the true answers otherwise.
The manga adaptation has Frederica appearing in physical form and conversing with Rika about these Rules.
Matsuribayashi.
Frederica speaks to the reader once more and tasks them with connecting Fragments and revealing the truth of everything that happened before June 1983.
In a secret Fragment, unlocked after redoing the Fragments section after finishing the story once, Frederica in adult form explores a Fragment where she meets a young Miyoko Tanashi and averts the situation that led to her parents being killed. Afterwards, Frederica continues to have fun exploring other Fragments.
Other Appearances.
UraHigu.
The final parody short special of features a parody of the epilogue of End.
Frederica meets Mion, Rena, and Satoko. They call her "aunt" and wonder why they have never seen her before. They ask her if she's lost or has an age crisis, to both of which she replies negatively. She then also states that she is not an aunt, to which they tell her that she is because she appears to be over 20 years old.
In console releases of "Higurashi" from onward, a final Fragment named "From Frederica to You" can unlocked in the connecting Fragments section, typically after completing all arcs featured in the corresponding game.
| Frederica Bernkastel/Character |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Friend
| Friend |
fandom.07th-expansion | # From the Future
was the twentieth event in "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Mei", and the third collaboration event. It is a collaboration event with Steins;Gate that ran from June 25, 2021 until July 8, 2021. From this event onward, a (SR) unit is no longer given as a reward for completion.
Plot Summary.
Kazuho, Miyuki, and Nao are excited to attend their first Watanagashi Festival, but they're shocked when the timeline changes and Keiichi is seemingly replaced by Satoshi. Meanwhile, Rintaro Okabe and his lab mates build a VR device to enter the world of the game and travel to a supposedly-virtual Hinamizawa. When Okabe and the club meet, they begin repairing the timeline.
Boosted Units.
The following units increased event-related drops when brought into battle. They are units associated with this event.
All following units have a rarity of SSR.
| From the Future |
fandom.07th-expansion | # From the Future/Summary
This is a plot summary for the From the Future story.
Main Event.
One day, the club is going to the Furude Shrine in the morning to help with Watanagashi preparations. Kazuho, Miyuki, and Nao run into Mion and ask where Shion is. Mion says her sister and Kasai went to Tokyo to get some souvenirs for everyone and bought some strange drinks. Miyuki is excited since this will be her first Watanagashi. Kazuho parks her bike and begins walking up the steps to the shrine when she gets a strange sensation, feeling a distortion in front of her eyes. Miyuki and Nao sense it too. Rena sees that everyone is acting weird and they try to explain, but the group brushes it off.
As they walk, Mion says she recruited some boys to help with preparations as well. Kazuho, Miyuki and Nao compliment Keiichi for his good abilities but everyone else says they have no idea who that is. Kazuho tries to explain but Miyuki and Nao stop her. Miyuki reminds her that many times in the past, the others’ memories have gotten weird, but nothing as severe as forgetting Keiichi’s entire existence. The group gets to the top of the shrine and meets everyone: Shion, Rika, Satoko, Hanyuu, and Satoshi, who’s wearing a shrine maiden outfit. When they hear Satoshi’s name, the trio remembers that that’s the boy Shion said she was looking for. Satoshi meets the girls, but everyone is thinking the same thing: why is Satoshi wearing a shrine maiden outfit?
Elsewhere, Rintaro Okabe laughs maniacally, having finished his latest invention as Kurisu Makise appears and asks what this is. Okabe says he’s finished the prototype that Daru worked on. Kurisu says it looks like the PhoneWave (Name subject to change), but Okabe insists it’s not. The time machine is a wonderful invention, yet rewinding time and interfering can cause great risks, so Okabe’s turned to virtual reality. Any changes made in VR won’t affect the real world, and this invention will allow people to send their minds into game worlds: the PhoneWaveRevision (Name subject to change) VR.
Kurisu asks what inspired him to make this, and Okabe hands her a light novel: “I was reincarnated into another world, and I became a hero who was tired of the real world, and I was very active with a great sword!” Okabe says there’s a new isekai craze going on called “Naruzo-esque”. Kurisu says Naruzo is the name of a posting site and that the genre being isekai doesn’t explain anything. Okabe says he’s set up a reveal party, however several people went to the May Queen Nyan-nyan event that day instead. Luka Urushibara appears, bringing over several bags of vegetables. Okabe welcomes his arrival since this will now be a three-person experiment. Kurisu explains to Luka what’s going on, and Okabe says they’ll be entering the world of "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni". It’s a novel game with a reputation for being based on real-life incidents. The story’s about solving murders and disappearances in the countryside, and Kurisu figures that Okabe just wants to play detective in its world when he knows everything about it. The purpose is to prove that if it happened in real life, Okabe’d be prepared for it. Kurisu notices that there’s two telecards that came with the game, and Okabe says that this version of "Higurash"i is a rerelease, which reprinted the telephone cards that came with the original. The Rika and Satoko cards were especially valuable.
The trio puts on the VR helmets, and Okabe starts the machine. Okabe’s vision fades, and when he wakes up he finds himself in the Sea of Fragments. Okabe gets confused since he never implemented a scene like this and there should be a loading screen. A mysterious voice tells him to stay away. The trio finds themselves in a forest. Okabe is excited since his invention worked, and better at that; somehow they’ve created 3D environments from 2D pictures, and even recreated the smell and feel of things. However, Okabe has no idea how to get out, much to Kurisu’s frustration.
Meanwhile, the club does festival preparations and takes a break. Mion passes around drinks to everyone. Satoshi and Satoko do some work, and Satoshi is encouraged to take a break as well since Satoko will copy him. Kazuho and her allies wonder what happened in this world to erase Keiichi and replace him with Satoshi. They also wonder what to do with Satoshi’s outfit. When they asked earlier, everyone claimed that Satoshi always wore that when working part-time, seeing nothing wrong at all. Shion tells Satoshi to eat the broccoli she packed for lunch and jokingly says she’ll give him a kiss otherwise.
Miyuki and Nao take a sip from their drinks and are disgusted by the taste. Kazuho meanwhile drinks hers with no problem. The other club members are having similar reactions, with Mion explaining that it’s “Dokupe” a foreign drink brand that Shion bought. Rena and Rika don’t like it, but Mion, Hanyuu and Satoshi do. Shion also claims to like Dokupe, making Satoko the tie-breaker. Satoko takes a sip and gives a half-hearted smile, and Satoshi says he can finish the rest and gives her a headpat. Kazuho is reminded of her own brother and wonders if he might exist in this world too. The group then hears people talking near the overlook and goes to check it out.
Kurisu is giving Okabe a hard time, shaking him around and asking how he’s going to take responsibility for dragging Luka. The club arrives and wonders if they should get involved, thinking it’s a lover’s spat. Okabe sees them and asks for help, and the club walks over to separate them. Okabe takes a strange look at Satoshi’s apparel and Mion asks who the three of them are. Okabe introduces himself as Hououin Kyouma and Luka and Kurisu as the Future Gadget Lab members, saying they’re from another world. Kurisu is about to chastise him for it when everyone readily accepts his story and welcomes him. Okabe then gets a call on his cell phone. The club offers their new friends to come hang out at the Watanagashi. Luka points out to Kurisu in private that Satoshi’s form seems to be flickering.
Okabe’s group explains how they came to this world, and claims that it was a shooter-type game world that they entered. Kazuho and co. immediately notice the lie. Okabe asks what year it is, confirming that it’s indeed June 1983. The club gives them drinks, with Okabe immediately recognizing the Dokupe. Miyuki asks Okabe about his smartphone thing and wonders if it’s still connected to his original world and can help them escape. Kurisu doesn't think it’ll work, and the others say it might since their consciousnesses were sent to this world through waves.
Okabe manages to call Daru on his phone. Okabe asks about the VR device and how to exit, with Daru surprised that he got it working. Daru says he made an app for it and directs Okabe to hit “force quit” in the settings but it doesn't work. Daru says he can fix the bugs after he finishes his show and hangs up. Kazuho gets a notification on her own pager, signaling that she needs to talk to Tamura. Kazuho, Miyuki, and Nao asks where a pay phone is so they can call, and they get directed to one that’s a ways away. They take Okabe’s group with them as the rest of the club goes to the festival.
As Kazuho’s group walks, Miyuki asks Okabe to name the other members since he knows so much about this world. He confirms that Satoshi Houjou is indeed with them. He also confirms that Miyuki is Miyuki Akasaka and gets confused since she should be 5 years old in 1983, yet she currently looks like a middle schooler. Miyuki explains that she, Nao and Kazuho are just like them, strangers from another world. The group reaches the payphone and speaks to Tamura, who loudly asks what Kazuho is doing. This world is going to collapse if they don’t remove the “foreign object”, which is damaging the law of cause and effect. Tamura hears that Kazuho has friends with her and thinks it’s two women and a man, but Okabe says it’s two guys; Luka is male. Tamura explains that those three entered through a hole caused by some foreign object, so they need to eliminate it to fix everything. Okabe asks what they mean by “foreign object”, and they explain that it’s monsters. They explain the existence of tsukuyami and Role Cards, and Okabe gets frustrated since "Higurashi" never had anything like this. Tamura says it will be difficult to defeat the monsters since they’ll need something from the same world as the foreign object. Luka searches his pockets to find he has a Role Card. Kurisu finds she has the Rika and Satoko telephone cards. The telephone cards are put into the payphone, and Tamura transforms them into Role Cards before disconnecting.
The group plans what to do, with Nao saying they should go to the shrine stairs. Just then, Rika, Satoko, and Satoshi arrive, searching for the group since they took so long. They heard some scary things about foreign objects and world destruction, and Kazuho’s group explains. Satoko learns that in the original world line, Satoshi is missing and Keiichi is there. Rika asks if they can fix the world to keep Satoshi there, but they can’t. Kazuho sympathiszes, as if she were Satoko, she would resist changing the world and saying farewell to her brother. Okabe apologizes and says there’s no choice but to create a world line where Satoshi is missing. He doesn’t have the right to ask this, but this is an emotional choice that has to be made to protect everyone. Satoko admits that when she saw Satoshi’s outfit, she wondered when he started wearing those. Satoko says she’ll be fine with erasing him to protect the world and starts crying. Luka wipes her tears and hugs her. Satoshi consoles Satoko and asks Kazuho what happened to him in the original world. Kazuho says he went missing and they aren’t sure if he’s dead or alive, and Satoshi says that’s good enough for him. Satoshi tells Satoko that he’ll definitely come back for her, and Satoko says she’ll be waiting. Suddenly, the new Role Cards glow brightly, seemingly spurred on by Satoko’s determination. Satoko and Rika each take a card.
The group goes to the Furude Shrine steps, where the distortions were. Okabe asks if the girls have Reading Steiner but drops the thought. Nao can tell that Okabe must have lost someone dear to him in the past. The group asks what kind of things they do at the Future Gadget Lab, showing interest in joining. Okabe declares that he will open a Hinamizawa Branch and invites them to it. They have fun pondering the future and are interrupted by tsukuyami, one large one joined by many smaller ones. Rika and Satoko use their Role Cards to transform, with Rika gaining Kurisu’s outfit and Satoko Okabe’s.
They destroy the tsukuyami. Satoshi’s body starts glowing, and he bids farewell to Satoko. Satoko promises to wait for him and Rika swears to protect her, and Satoshi disappears. Okabe says that even if she’s in a desperate situation, she can change the future if she doesn't lose heart. The fact that they’re here right now is proof of that, Steins;Gate’s choice. Okabe also tells Rika not to give up, and she asks him to please call them by their real names. Okabe refers to her as Frederica, which catches her by surprise. Satoko is confused since that’s not a foreign name, and Okabe refers to her as Satonorichalcum. The bodies of Okabe and his friends begin glowing, and they disappear as well.
Kazuho, Miyuki, and Nao suddenly return to their original world. Rika and Satoko find them and tell them to join Keiichi and the others. Kazuho asks about Okabe but Rika and Satoko don’t know who that is.
Okabe wakes up and sees Daru working out some strange errors on the VR machine. Okabe ponders the meaning of the Hinamizawa world lines when Luka and Kurisu wake up, taking off their VR helmets. They felt like the VR world was really real. Kurisu sees that the telephone cards are now missing from her pocket, nor do they have Role Cards. Okabe asks Daru where the game case is for "Higurashi", but he gets confused and thinks he’s talking about an insect. Daru insists that no game called "Higurashi" exists. Okabe wonders if it might not exist because the incidents inspiring it never happened, meaning those girls must have changed the future or interfered with the real world line through the game data somehow.
Okabe laughs and expects to see the lab members of the Otherworldly Branch soon.
| From the Future/Summary |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Frustration
Frustration (フラストレーション・"Furasutorēshon") is the opening for the new Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Mei game for iOS and Android. It was performed by Ayane; who also performed many of the console opening songs beginning with Nageki no Mori and the latest ending; Kamisama no Syndrome.
The song was written and composed by the famous anime producer/lyricist and composer Chiyomaru Shikura. A single containing the full version was released on 4th November, 2020. The song was first heard in the PV for "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Mei"; and can be heard playing in the title screen of the game.
Video Releases.
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Lyrics.
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| Frustration |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fuhka Takatori
is a character appearing in "High School Love Adventure".
| Fuhka Takatori |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fuhka Takatori/Sprites
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| Fuhka Takatori/Sprites |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fujita Shingo
| Fujita Shingo |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fujita Shingo/Sprites
| Fujita Shingo/Sprites |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fukisokusei Entropy
Fukisokusei Entropy could refer to:
| Fukisokusei Entropy |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fukisokusei Entropy (Song)
| Fukisokusei Entropy (Song) |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fukisokusei Entropy (song)
"For the album, please refer Fukisokusei Entropy / Ayane"
is the second ending for the new anime. It was performed by Ayane; who also performed many of the console opening songs beginning with Nageki no Mori. The song was written and composed by the famous anime producer/lyricist and composer Chiyomaru Shikura. A titular single featuring the full version was released on 6th February, 2021.
Video Releases.
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Lyrics.
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External Links.
Translation:
| Fukisokusei Entropy (song) |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fukisokusei Entropy / Ayane
"For the song, please refer Fukisokusei Entropy (song)"
is a single album released for the series. It is composed by Chiyomaru Shikura and dai and performed by Ayane, who also performed many of the console opening songs; beginning with Nageki no Mori. M.Zakky and xaki were in charge of the arrangement and the lyrics were written by Ayane, Shikura and Motoki Zakuro. The single was published by MAGES. and MAGES Inc. on February 06, 2021 and sold for 1600 JPY. MAGES Inc. is also in charge of distribution.
The featured song Fukisokusei Entropy is the second ending theme of the television anime . The B-side contains the insert song from the Pachinko Release P Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Meguri and a new track, Hakumei no Monologue.
Tracklisting.
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Disc1.
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Retailer-Exclusive Merchandise.
Outlets.
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L-size 2 piece set (A photo of Ayane reproduced with a digital autograph and message/Jacket illustration drawn by Akio Watanabe)
L-size bromide of Ayane with a digital autograph and message
L size bromide photograph of Ayane with a digital autograph and message
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First time orders will receive a special original B2 size poster
| Fukisokusei Entropy / Ayane |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fuko Ibuki
is a character appearing in in the "" collaboration event Maidens Traveling in Summer.
Appearance.
Fuko has medium-length grayish-black hair and amber eyes. She wears a school uniform.
| Fuko Ibuki |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fuko Ibuki/Sprites
| Fuko Ibuki/Sprites |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fukuin House
The , also called the Gospel Home in the official manga, is an orphanage and welfare institution for unfortunate children mentioned in . Select orphans at the Fukuin House are trained as maids or servants. who end up employed with the Ushiromiya family, working on Rokkenjima, which is usually considered a privilege and a ticket to living better lives in society. Every known orphan's name ends with the character "音" for "on" or "ne", meaning sound. These names bestowed upon the residents by the orphanage are referred to as "blessed names", given to them after they are adopted, in addition to their real names.
In "Twilight of the Golden Witch", the "Magic" ending shows the Fukuin House to have been taken over by Ange Ushiromiya, after having been shut down for decades with the interruption of support from the founder, Kinzo Ushiromiya. After stepping into her new life as "Kotobuki Yukari", Ange had taken it upon herself to remodel the facility into an elegant establishment the children would appreciate. One of the halls in the facility had been refurbished to look like a replica of the Entrance Hall of the Ushiromiya Family Mansion, complete with a portrait of Beatrice. Ange invites Tohya Hachijo and Ikuko Hachijo here on Halloween, in order to allow Tohya to make peace with his memories as Battler Ushiromiya.
| Fukuin House |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fukushuu wa Ougon no Kaori
is a "Rose Guns Days" prequel manga series illustrated by Mei Renjouji with two volumes.
| Fukushuu wa Ougon no Kaori |
fandom.07th-expansion | # Fukushuu wa Ougon no Kaori Volume 1
Fukushuu wa Ougon no Kaori Vol. 1 is the first volume of "Fukushuu wa Ougon no Kaori".
| Fukushuu wa Ougon no Kaori Volume 1 |
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