City Series:Volume8b Chapter10

But the Lord said to me,

“Do not say, ‘I am too young.’

You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.

Do not be afraid of them,

for I am with you and will rescue you,”

declares the Lord.

Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me,

“I have put my words in your mouth.

See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms

to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

(Book of Jeremiah, excerpt from the Call of Jeremiah)

Chapter 10: Battle Field

Welcome back!

Straight from DT Prison’s cathedral, it’s time for “Go, go! It’s the Oracle Message Board!” with Racter Nosrup Txt, member of the 13 Demigods and American with a bad Kansai accent!

Now, what’s going to happen to us here? A word mail from the Telyb Couple said Suedomsa has taken over the castle and Babel and that they can’t publicly announce his motive since they can only speculate at this point.

So anyway, I’m currently searching for the data on the civilian who supposedly entered the castle alone.

Old Man Telyb is being stingy and won’t tell me a thing about Suedomsa’s motivation.

Well, I can look into that myself. Today’s topic can be “capture”.

“They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”

(Luke 21:24)

test –Railswest Leab

Hello, hello, hello. Test, test, test.

This is RW, the young wife of Oilbaron Leab, one of the 13 Demigods.

Ding dong. Oh? I can’t get in. I can’t seem to get inside DT, so I’m going to be posting from England. So what is going on, Racter?

07/07/2000 DT 00:48 PM (-02:12)

Help Text

The Bible and the Son of God

The term Bible refers to all scriptures inherited from the previous eras through their Concept Existence Lives, including the Pseudepigrapha and the Apocrypha.

It is mainly divided into the Old and the New Testaments.

The Old Testament is mostly mythological stories starting with the creation of the universe and the New Testament tells the story of the Son of God until he ascends into heaven to be with god.

The New Testament shows the Son of God arrive with god through the following process.

• He is born to the Virgin Mary.

• The king tries to find and kill the Son of God, so his father takes him to Egypt.

• After the king’s death, he moves to Nazareth. He is baptized by John.

• He rejects the devil’s temptations and begins his ministry.

• He heals the sick, gathers 12 disciples, and spreads his word.

• He denies being a demon himself in the Beelzebub argument.

• He thrice predicts his death and resurrection.

• He enters the holy land.

• He works to make amends, but is arrested thanks to a disciple’s treachery.

• Fearing disaster, one disciple denies knowing him.

• He is hung on a cross and dies.

• A soldier stabs him with a lance to see if he is dead.

• Two Marys visit his tomb and learn he has been resurrected.

• He speaks with his disciples and spends a short time with them.

• He gives his blessing and ascends into heaven to be seated at the right hand of god.

This series of events was prophesied in advance, but it was only possible because the Son of God worked with his parents and disciples to follow that path.

The Son of God is not a title he received from the prophecy. He earned the title by fulfilling the conditions laid out to become the Son of God.

Aoe’s Board Mode: Inside DT Castle

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

You are in Rooftop Central Communications Tower – Top Floor, a Top Page of North District Castle – Castle Interior.

The current time is 12:48 PM.

You are in a space with a diameter of about 10 yards. Communications consoles are located along the stone wall. The ceiling is conical, but there are a few crossbeams and ceiling panels.

You have just entered through the hole in the floor leading to the stairs.

There are 7 NPC Bodies inside. They have all ceased functioning.

Monkey hops down from your shoulder and runs toward one of the communications consoles.

Aoe: <All the NPC Bodies stopped when I arrived at the floor below this.>

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

6 of the NPC Bodies are communication tower managers and 1 is a maid. None of them are moving.

Aoe: “I don’t know why they aren’t moving, but I have already reached my weapon’s time limit.”

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

The trigger of your submachinegun will not move. You are forbidden from using firearms.

Monkey is altering the console’s program settings.

Aoe: “Once you take control, tell Telyb and the others I have reached the central comm tower.”

Aoe: “And once you finish that, show me the word mail Yuo sent me earlier. I’m going to send her one.”

<Aoe’s Board Mode has updated>

Yuo’s Sight Mode: In DT Castle

<Yuo’s Over Reload>

Yuo attempted to hack into the castle management program to obtain further privileges.

Her smaller form meant she had her legs folded up underneath her while she sat in the chair. She used that to put her head above the desk and opened a program.

She was giving it her all, but it wasn’t going well.

<The enemy must have a good programmer.>

The data sealing and defenses were clever and they had even built an automatic counterattack program.

<Let my guard down and I’m the one under attack.>

She held her stomach.

<And I’m getting hungry.>

She sighed, let a subprogram handle the attack, and stretched.

Puppy suddenly hopped up onto the desk.

<Hey! Get off of there!>

Puppy answered her shouted thought by opening a window.

<Opening Word Mail Window>

Aoe’s Word Mail: To Yuo

hello. i am in the central comm tower. where are you

<Returning to Yuo’s Sight Mode>

Yuo’s Sight Mode: In DT Castle

<Yuo’s Over Reload>

It was a short message, but as soon as Yuo saw the way it was written and the sender’s name, she shouted in her window.

She reflexively opened a transparent keyboard and began typing out a response.

<Yuo’s Sight Mode has ended>

Yuo’s Word Mail: To Senpai

Hi. Sorry if I’m interrupting, but it’s Yuo!

The thing is <The message was too long to send in full. Please contact the sender.>

<Awaiting a response from Aoe>

Aoe’s Word Mail: To Idiot

hey idiot. your message was too long. fix it

<Awaiting a response from Yuo>

Yuo’s Word Mail: To Senpai

Hi. This is Yuo.

You insult me, but I know you were happy to hear from me.

I wrote all sorts of things in my previous message, so it’s real shame it got truncated. I mentioned some important things, some things that have been on my mind, and some lewd things, but now you’re never going to see any of them.

But all that aside, you say you’re at the central comm tower?

Please stand in the very center of the comm room. I have a map, so I can locate you and bring you into my Site Page’s Board Mode.

But the enemy might be on the way there, huh? Well, when you think it’s safe, stand there and send me an ‘OK’ message.

<Awaiting a response from Aoe>

Aoe’s Word Mail: To Yuo

ok

<Aoe’s Board Mode has been transferred to Yuo’s Site Page>

Aoe’s Board Mode: On Yuo’s Site Page

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

You are on a Site Page created by Yuo.

The page has been locked down so only you and Yuo may enter.

You cannot receive external data even by Over Reloading, so be careful.

Yuo: <Oh, wow. He’s really here! What gives, Senpai!?>

Aoe: <What’s with you? You’re acting kind of silly.>

Yuo: <Oh, that. I’m missing some programs at the moment. So what are you doing here?>

Yuo: <Feel free to be honest. Were you worried sick about me? Were you afraid I would fall into the bad guy’s hands? Or did you want to pay back the money I lent you?>

Aoe: <Well, I’m not telling you now, idiot.>

Yuo: <Oh, I see.>

Aoe: <Mh?>

Yuo: <I can tell. All I have to do is look at your text here. Maybe you can’t tell from my text, but I’m really happy. I’m moved. Really!>

Aoe: <Mh. I see. Then feel free to strip for joy. You have my permission.>

Yuo: <Eh? Um, uh, can we do this negotiation later? Like after you’ve finished rescuing me? Because I think I’ll have an easier time of it then.>

Aoe: <You fool. I’m not the kind of jerk who demands a girl’s body in exchange for rescuing her.>

Yuo: <Hm? Um, Senpai? I was only talking about stripping. My body? Um…>

Yuo: <Uh, well, that might be on the table if you risk your life to rescue me but get badly injured in the process and then I’m nursing you back to health and you whisper just the right words in my ear. In fact, there’s a very high chance it would happen then.>

Aoe: <That’s awfully specific for something that definitely isn’t happening.>

Yuo: <Well, I don’t expect my fantasies to be realistic. Yeah, you’re probably too strong to get badly injured… Which too bad, but probably for the best.>

Yuo: <Oh, but enough escapism. So in all seriousness, what are you doing here?>

Aoe: <I am here to rescue you.>

Yuo: <Well, this is sudden. Besides, how are you supposed to rescue me? You wouldn’t be much help if you showed up here. I’ve sealed myself in, so I can’t leave this room.>

Aoe: <We only need to hold on until Telyb gets here, but we thought you would have a hard time of it all on your own. You know what the enemy is trying to do, don’t you? And who Suedomsa really is?>

Yuo: <Eh? Um, yes, I suppose I do. You mean that they want to run a godtact experiment and that Suedomsa is my dad, right?>

Aoe: <Mh. Then have you figured out they want you as the godtact experiment vessel?>

Yuo: <…Eh?>

Aoe: <They intend to use you as the vessel for the godtact experiment they are about to run.>

Yuo: <Um. Don’t I get a say?>

Aoe: <It isn’t clear if they care about that at all, but they also said they would be erasing your current memories and overwriting them with the memories of the old you who volunteered to be a vessel.>

Yuo: <Wh-why would they want to do that!?>

Aoe: <According to one of them, your past self wanted to be a godtact experiment vessel after giving up on everything. He said that was the real you, so you would want the same thing if those memories were restored.>

Yuo: <Eh? Umm, what’s all this about me giving up?>

Aoe: <Mh. The point is they have some reason to want this. He seemed really insistent about it.>

<Yuo has left the Site Page>

<Yuo has entered the Site Page>

Yuo: <Sorry about that. I lost my focus and dropped out for a second there.>

Yuo: <Let’s see. I don’t really understand any of this, but I will trust you on this matter.>

Yuo: <If anything happens, will you be there to hear me complain afterwards?>

Aoe: <Mh. The way I see it, they are trying to steal you away from me and return you to a time when you had given up. I refuse to let them do that.>

Yuo: <Thank you for that.>

Aoe: <Thanks for what?>

Yuo: <Oh, you know. That was an awful forceful way of putting it, but it’s a very you way of putting it.>

Aoe: <It was me saying it, so of course it was. Anyway, I will be there soon.>

Yuo: <I suppose so. I’ll be waiting. I’ll send you a map showing my position and a management release program which I’m sure you want pretty badly at this point. Your Mouse will trigonize it, so use it when you’re ready. I have administrative privileges, so it will last 3 minutes. I will make sure it can be used for Grandloading.>

Aoe: <That isn’t very long.>

Yuo: <It’s hard to get permission because your attack power assessment was so high. How is one of your punches rated at 15% the power needed to conquer an entire city? But leave that one as a last resort. I will also send you a smaller release program that will let you use bladed weapons.>

Aoe: <I should be fine with two programs. Oh, and remember that explosion you bottled up yesterday? I have that with me.>

Yuo: <What, are you planning to blow up the castle? But just in case, I’ll send you a release program and boost program for that. Your Mouse should be able to combine them, so use them whenever you’re ready.>

Yuo: <A-and…one other thing.>

Yuo: <You said the old me gave up and chose to become a vessel, right? If so…what was the Day of the Oracle prophecy about?>

Yuo: <I apparently said everything would get better in 2000 years’ time, but was that the great god giving me a prophecy for everyone else because I had given up and decided to leave everything in those other people’s hands?>

Aoe: <How should I know? But remember: it is up to us whether or not that prophecy comes true.>

Yuo: <So you say. You always have liked showing off, haven’t you?>

Yuo: <But once we get past all of this, we should really talk about some things.>

<Aoe’s Board Mode has ended>

Aoe’s Sight Mode: In DT Castle

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Aoe gasped and looked up.

He stood in front of a transparent keyboard in the center of the communications room. He was watching Monkey begin to create the program trigons atop the communications console in front of him.

“The transfer is a lot faster when they’re close by.”

After a short while, Monkey tossed one trigon then another his way.

He caught them and saw one was printed with a black fist symbol and the other a black sword symbol.

Two windows opened in front of him.

<You are permitted to use the data trigons created by Yuo Natas Wav>

<Intruder Aoe Shouzou has been registered as a Yard Assistant>

The data trigon Telyb had given him felt a bit warm in his shorts pocket.

He had two powers in his hand and one in his pocket. He sensed their presence while recalling what Yuo had said.

“She wants to talk about some things? Probably about what she said last night about wanting to apologize.”

<But will I be able to hear her apology through to the end?>

He realized it would be a lot easier if it was just text. Because with text, he couldn’t see her expression and body language.

“There is that old saying: a letter does not blush.”

He sighed and nodded before Monkey tossed him a word mail. It was the message used to send the programs.

<Opening Word Mail Window>

Yuo’s Word Mail: To Senpai

I’ve sent you the program trigons.

I wish I could make a copy over here, but the copying process for criminal management programs is a real pain. I can’t get permission with the Yard and castle not functioning normally. Sorry. I think I’ll work on creating a different attack permission version before you make it here.

So anyway, I’ll be waiting.

What do you want me to be wearing when you show up? You get to choose.

P.S.

I know this is a weird time to ask this, but things are going to get complicated for us if you do rescue me. Because I’m a criminal’s daughter. …So what do you think about that?

<Returning to Aoe’s Sight Mode>

Aoe’s Sight Mode: In DT Castle

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Aoe looked away from the window.

<That was a weirdly cheerful message. I know she’s only forcing it to mask her nerves, though.>

He took a breath and drooped his shoulders. Then he pressed the reply button on the word mail window.

A blank window opened with the cursor flashing at to top left.

He placed his right hand’s index finger on the transparent keyboard and worked at using the unfamiliar alphabetic input.

“T – O – Y – U – O.”

He grunted in satisfaction at successfully capitalizing the appropriate letters this time. He kept typing from there, speaking the words aloud as he went.

“No matter what I might learn about you…”

He added “even if you are a criminal’s daughter” under his breath, but did not finish the sentence.

He had a glum look on his face as he continued typing.

After completing a few lines, he was about to hit reply, but he read through it again.

<There’s a typo.>

Just as he was moving the cursor up to fix it, his hands stopped on the keyboard.

He operated the mail window to save the message as a draft and closed the window.

He turned around and prepared for a fight.

His eyes were on the spiral staircase leading down the tower.

Someone was climbing up through the hole on the floor that the stairs exited through.

The tall, skinny man wore his long hair tied back high on his head.

Then Aoe realized the man’s eyes were shut.

But he did not need his vision for his feet to find the stairs. The weapon he carried with that firm footing was a metal rod of more than 3 yards held under his right arm and a wakizashi worn at his hip.

The hem of his blue and white Japanese clothing fluttered a bit as he climbed the last step. He turned his lidded eyes toward Aoe and named himself in a clear voice.

“I am Daikatana Uriel.”

He continued from there.

“I presume you are Aoe Shouzou, but I would like to test something with my life.”

<Aoe’s Sight Mode has updated>

Telyb’s Sight Mode: In DT East District

<Telyb’s Over Reload>

Telyb was finally able to take a break in front of the ruins of the Yard HQ.

“I received a word mail from Aoe’s Mouse earlier and it sounds like he can reach Yuo after all.”

He could still hear weapons fire coming from the west, where the prison was.

But he no longer heard it from anywhere else. He stood up from the rubble and looked across the city with relief written on his face.

<Telyb’s Over Zoom: Full Sight Open>

He saw smoke rising from a few points across the city.

He heard alarms in the distance and sirens coming from the firefighters.

“How is the evacuation of the city going? Has everyone been moved to the park in the south?”

He was answered by Fooblicky’s voice.

“Yes, although it feels weird evacuating people to the south when Suedomsa is the one behind all this. The people are on their way to the park near Babel.”

“I see,” said Telyb, looking toward the amusement park.

The amusement park located in front of Babel was not running due to the emergency, but a single large blimp floated above its white castle.

“That looks so weirdly peaceful when we’re moving to encircle the castle.”

“Is it really, though? By the way, I received a word mail from Ikemaru in Japan earlier. He asked if there was any way he could support Aoe and I told him to send us money. Money would help pay for boosting DT, so I wasn’t lying.”

“Yes, but phrasing still matters. We’re about ready here, so how about we start for the castle?” Telyb turned to look at the royal castle. “Once the evacuation is complete, we can encircle the castle. If Aoe fails to rescue Yuo, Suedomsa should have his enchanter link Babel and the castle soon.”

He sighed and added, “Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.”

He noticed something odd while viewing the castle again.

He narrowed his eyes to be sure. Something white was lowered from all the castle’s windows.

Cloths. Every single window had a white cloth hanging out of it.

“Uh, oh. We might need to expedite that encirclement,” whispered Telyb, turning toward Fooblicky.

He then shouted to her with a panic on his face.

“Send Aoe a message! It’s an old-fashioned method, but the enemy is about to locate Yuo!”

<Telyb’s Sight Mode has ended>

Aoe’s Continued Sight Mode: In DT Castle

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

The battle preparations began with a window opening.

<Daikatana: Uriel Word Race Conversion: Switching to C Word Race Traits: Limiter Off: Movement Stability>

Aoe clicked his tongue when he saw the window. Daikatana took a fighting stance in front of him.

In that moment, Aoe heard a voice come from within the staff Daikatana held at the ready.

“Strike”

With a splitting stone sound, an emblem appeared halfway up the metal staff.

The blade symbol was drawn in see-through gray.

The staff shook a bit and released a further Text as Daikatana held it up over his right shoulder.

“And fulfill all the anguish.”

Windows opened all around Daikatana. Rapidly and in great number.

A wind whipped up and Aoe saw text wrapping around the top half of the metal staff.

●Type-XX049 – Imperial-class – Moebius●

This was a Pseudo Grandload. A window saying the blade of text was in place appeared before Daikatana’s eyes, but his eyes remained closed. He did not even read the window.

As for Aoe…

<The Mind’s Eye Sword? I can’t believe anyone can actually use that.>

He placed his feet at shoulder width to deepen his stance.

Daikatana’s nagamaki shook slightly in response. He had increased his grip strength.

Aoe kept his eyes on that nagamaki. He could see the text subtly vibrating.

He held his breath and reached his hand right, toward a pencil on a nearby table.

Daikatana immediately opened his mouth.

“Do you think you will find a weapon capable of competing with my blade there?”

Aoe stopped his hand. He noted that Daikatana’s eyes were as closed as ever. He focused his own eyes on those shut eyelids and smiled in a bashful way.

“I was only testing you to make sure you weren’t faking it.”

“You would learn that soon enough once the battle begins.”

“Fair enough.”

He snapped his right hand back and passed Monkey the data trigon with the blade printed on it.

“Eat this, Monkey.”

A window opened in front of him before he was even doing speaking.

<Management Program Release: Blade Usage Allowed: Time Limit: 30 seconds>

The number 30 appeared over his head.

At the same time, Daikatana leaned so far forward it looked like he was toppling over.

<Here he comes!>

Aoe still had a trigon left in his left hand, so he shoved that into his shorts pocket and ran backwards.

A nagamaki attack struck the spot he had just vacated.

The roaring slash scattered the wind and was made so quickly Aoe failed to see the step forward or the swinging of the weapon.

“Oh!”

Aoe leaped to the right, pursued by the roaring wind that rushed in a moment later.

The downward-swinging blade suddenly changed direction to follow.

The metal trajectory skimmed across the floor and sloped up at the end to reach his flank.

<How can he move like that!?>

He quickly realized the trick behind his opponent’s movements.

<The text blade looks big, but the weapon is only as heavy as the actual metal staff he’s holding.>

The bending staff’s tip sliced through the wind.

It was coming. The text blade was on its way to Aoe’s torso. He let his willpower shout when he saw the incoming speed.

“Not bad!”

<Aoe’s Over Zoom>

Download.

A shattering glass sound came from his feet and he kicked off the floor to leap again.

He just barely managed to avoid the blade arcing up toward him.

He did not counterattack. He leaped toward the south wall behind him. The communication console and Monkey were there. And his backpack was beneath the console.

He landed with 5 yards due south until the console. He had put 3 yards between him and Daikatana.

Daikatana had just finished swinging up his metal staff and was preparing to swing it back down. Aoe concluded another attack was not coming soon, so he twisted toward the console and took off running.

He turned his back on Daikatana.

A moment later, he heard the wind whistling behind him.

That was Daikatana’s blade slicing the air. Aoe realized what this meant.

<He reversed the momentum awfully quick!>

He clicked his tongue, stretched out his leg, and stepped on the floor.

The wind washed over the back of his neck from top to bottom.

The blade’s arcing path down had passed very close by.

He did not look back. He leaped forward like he was grabbing at the floor with his toenails.

“Run!”

The console was close. Monkey stood on his hind legs and waved his front legs to say “get over here”.

Aoe heard Daikatana’s footsteps approaching from behind.

Another sword strike accompanied each step.

From above, from the right, drawing out an arc to connect to the next one, and from the left.

Aoe ran. He kept his hips low and made sure the soles of his shoes left the floor as little as possible.

He reached the console on the 7th step.

His left hand grabbed the backpack from the floor and snatched Monkey from atop the console.

He looked back.

Daikatana’s face was within arm’s reach.

He was preparing to swing an attack up from below.

“Do you ever give up!?”

Aoe could not immediately change direction after running to the console by the wall. Straight ahead would take him to the south wall of the central communications tower, but trying to escape to either side would get him cut down during his turn.

There was only one way out of this.

“Kh!”

He took a small leap toward the stone wall.

He arrived atop the console at about the same time Daikatana took his next step from behind.

Aoe instantly kicked off the top of the console, kicked off the wall, and leaped nearly to the ceiling.

But Daikatana’s nagamaki could still easily reach him. The attack skillfully avoided the console and carved into the wall to pursue Aoe.

Aoe could not dodge in midair.

Or he shouldn’t have been able to.

“I’m not done yet!”

There was a false ceiling made from a wooden framework overhead. It was used to support the base of the antennae.

He placed his right palm on the ceiling just as he kicked off the wall.

He used the kick off the wall and the attitude control of the hand on the ceiling to launch himself sideways.

He had successfully dodged.

By then, he was already thinking up his next move. And he acted on those thoughts before they could appear in the window.

<Aoe’s Over Zoom>

Aoe flipped around and landed.

The wall was to his left, the tables to his right, and Daikatana behind him.

He kept his back to the enemy he knew would be attacking again soon and he grabbed the closest table with his right hand.

“Ohh!”

The OS responded to his mental shout. A black spear emblem appeared on his right hand and a shattering glass sound surged out.

He lowered his hips and threw the table overhead with just his right arm.

Pencils, paper, pens, a ruler, and the files in the drawers were all scattered above him.

What goes up must come down. He ducked below the falling objects as he moved forward.

Behind him, he heard a spraying sound as Daikatana broke through the falling objects and the table.

Aoe shoved his hand into his backpack which contained paper plates, tape, writing implements, and a box cutter.

“That should do it!”

He looked over his shoulder to see the airborne papers and writing implements scattered like snow. And he saw Daikatana rushing through it all.

Aoe took action.

He pulled a single paper plate from the backpack and tossed it toward Daikatana’s face with a flick of his wrist.

The paper plate rotated vertically toward Daikatana’s face.

But even with so many small objects flying around, Daikatana dodged the plate with a minimal movement of his head.

Aoe jumped a large step back and whistled. He threw another paper plate while commenting loudly.

“You aren’t going to be hit so easily, are you!?”

“I have far more experience. What you said to Mekton does not apply to me.”

Daikatana dodged the second paper plate too. Then he stepped forward and launched an attack.

The metal arc he sent out sliced the already halved table into quarters.

Aoe immediately tossed another paper plate. Again aimed at Daikatana’s face.

“Take this!”

Daikatana raised his staff overhead and then frowned.

“This will never work against me!”

He took a step forward.

He swung his weapon down from above while he tilted his head to dodge the paper plate.

The dodged plate immediately curved downwards toward his face.

“What!?”

<Aoe’s Sight Mode has updated>

Daikatana’s Continued Sight Mode: In DT Castle

<Daikatana’s Over Reload>

The paper plate hit the right side of Daikatana’s head and bounced off.

It was a gentle blow, but a blow he had failed to predict.

A faint disturbance entered the giant blade formed from the C Word Race’s unifying power, but that rapidly grew to a much larger disturbance.

The metal staff veered off course on its way down, now on course to smash into the floor.

“Kh!”

Daikatana forcibly restrained the staff, moving it left.

He leaped toward the wall, looking like he was propping up a collapsing pillar with his left side.

He spun to the side to rid himself of the momentum from swinging down the weapon.

He crashed into the tower’s wall. The metal staff’s blade tore and stabbed into the wall.

The tower rumbled and shook while he frowned and focused on his ears.

While the scraps of paper and remnants of a table fell across the communications room, the paper plate that had hit him fell while shaking and spinning.

There was something unstable about the sound of its rotation, so he focused his ears on it without opening his eyes.

“Why would a paper plate move like that?”

“All I did was tape an eraser to it.”

The response came from dead ahead.

Daikatana raised his head and heard footsteps, telling him Aoe was rushing toward him.

He heard a blade slicing through the air from Aoe’s hand. Based on the volume of the sound, it was a knife of some sort.

Aoe charged toward him with that weapon at the ready.

<Daikatana’s Sight Mode has updated>

Aoe’s Continued Sight Mode: In DT Castle

<Aoe’s Over Reload>

Aoe charged forward without hesitation. The countdown above his head had already reached 9 seconds remaining.

Just as the 9 became an 8, he poured renewed strength into his legs.

“Didn’t that Mekton guy tell you? Every part of a battle is setup for what comes next!”

“Including what you said when the second one failed to hit me?”

Aoe did not respond while the remains of the table hit the floor.

He charged forward with the box cutter held in his right hand like a sword’s hilt.

But Daikatana reacted. His left hand held the grip of his nagamaki while his right hand reached for the wakizashi at his hip.

“Do not assume I have only the one blade!”

He drew the wakizashi and aimed for Aoe’s throat.

Aoe’s feet reflexively slowed when he heard the blade slicing through the air.

He twisted backwards before also tilting back his head and taking evasive action.

The wakizashi blade swished through the empty air in front of his throat.

A smile formed on Daikatana’s lips.

“Inconvenient for us both that neither of us are entirely reliant on our blades, isn’t it?”

With those words, the path of the wakizashi shifted from Aoe’s throat to his right hand.

<Aoe’s Over Zoom>

Daikatana’s blade shattered the box cutter blade Aoe held in his right hand.

The blade broke quite noisily.

Daikatana instantly returned the wakizashi to his hip. His now empty right hand joined his left hand on the grip of the nagamaki stabbed into the wall and he took a powerful step forward.

The blade sliced through the wall it was embedded in, allowing it to be easily raised overhead.

“Perish with your power taken from you!” shouted Daikatana, but Aoe had something to say back.

“You fool.”

Aoe stepped forward and manipulated the broken box knife. With a flick of his thumb, he pushed more of the blade out. Once the remnants of the broken blade came away at the break-off line, a short but brand new blade remained.

“Allow me to introduce you to a modern weapon!” shouted Aoe, jabbing the box cutter blade straight toward Daikatana’s chest.

Daikatana noticeably gasped and directed his face toward Aoe’s blade.

But his expression quickly returned to neutral and he did not let go of his nagamaki’s grip.

“Oh!” he roared, swinging the long weapon positioned to his left side. He swung it overhead and then to the right.

He sliced through the wall behind him.

The stone wall was at least a foot thick, yet he sliced an arch through it.

He backed away, right toward that wall.

Aoe saw an arch-shaped cutout of the blue sky behind Daikatana.

“…Oh.”

He stopped his forward momentum when he realized there was only empty air out ahead.

While he was braking, Daikatana tilted his body to take a defensive stance.

The full length of the box cutter’s blade stabbed into the left shoulder of his Japanese clothing and audibly struck flesh.

He frowned for one quick moment.

But that quickly changed to a smile.

A breath burst from his mouth, which could have been a gasp of surprise or a laugh of delight.

He pressed his back against the sliced wall behind him and leaped out into the empty air 15 yards from the ground.

The wind washed over him as he smiled and turned his head toward the red box cutter embedded in his shoulder.

“This was a good lesson for me.”

A moment later, the emblem vanished from his metal staff. The blade symbol drawn in see-through gray expanded as it vanished. With a splitting stone sound, the symbol image grew in front of him.

Aoe narrowed his eyes and took a defensive stance as that metallic light grew before his eyes.

“Mh.”

But when he looked up again, the light was gone.

As was Daikatana.

<Aoe’s Over Zoom>

Aoe frantically stopped his advancing feet.

He saw the castle’s roof below the hole cut in the wall.

A 20-yard castle lift formed the floor of that roof. The cut-away portion of the wall lay atop it, but Daikatana was nowhere to be seen.

“So he got away. I won the battle, but the war was a draw.”

A word mail window opened in front of his eyes. It was from Fooblicky and it was about…

“Cloths from the windows?”

He looked out from the hole in the wall and viewed the castle.

He could not see the side of the caste from the central communications tower on its roof, but he could see the inner side of the castle wall and the towers at the corners of the castle. He could see the same color from all the windows there.

The color of white cloths.

He shouted on reflex when he noticed that color fluttering in the breeze.

“Oh, no!”

<Aoe’s Sight Mode has updated>

Algo’s Board Mode: In DT Castle

<Algo’s Over Reload>

You are in 1F Audience Chamber, a Top Page of the castle.

The current time is 1:12 PM.

The rooms floor has closed. The queen’s throne sits at the end of the red carpet.

One PC Body accompanies you: Archon Suedomsa Txt.

One old-style NPC Body accompanies you: Alternative Kobayashi Asb. The old-style NPC Body containing her Mind Lives is in its miniature form.

Algo: “Now, then. We have 3 hours until we get started. The Yard should be encircling the castle since that’s the standard counterterrorism tactic. They will plan to attack when the barrier is brought down for our enchanter to link Babel and the castle.”

Suedomsa: “And it is Excel and Myst’s job to attack them when that happens?”

Algo: “Yes, that is the plan. Oh, excuse me.”

<Algo’s Over Reload>

You are coughing.

Alternative: <Algo, are you okay?>

Algo: “Ha ha. I am perfectly fine. This is nothing for you to worry about, Alternative.”

<Algo’s Over Reload>

Alternative is biting her lower lip. She appears worried.

Alternative: <Please do not push yourself too hard. It is the part of me residing in you that is causing you to break down.>

Algo: “I don’t mind. I am happy to have you with me, even if you are afflicted with Words Warn. I am not attracted to an overabundance of energy like we find in Yuo and Aoe.”

Algo: “While those two were always heading out to eat ramen and get into fights, we preferred a quiet life in Master Ungyou’s dojo. …Is something wrong?”

<Algo’s Over Reload>

Alternative is looking at you with her lips pouted. She appears exasperated.

Alternative: <You’re bringing up old times to avoid giving a straight answer again, aren’t you?>

Alternative: <But you’re right. Now, can I ask a fairly cruel question?>

Algo: “What might that be?”

Alternative: <If my sister hadn’t come to Japan, do you think Shouzou would have taken me out into the city to hang out instead of her?>

Algo: “Hmm, that certainly is a cruel question.”

Algo: “But knowing Aoe…”

Algo: “Yes, he probably would have done that. And I would have given my tacit consent.”

Alternative: <You would have? Why?>

Algo: “Because taking you out into the city would have been a good way to get a beating from Master Ungyou. It would have been good for you to get to see the city, but the risk of being reduced to a bloody pulp afterwards was too high. So I could let Aoe handle that particularly task while I took care of everything else.”

Alternative: <That’s an adorable opinion, Algo. But…isn’t it strange? We are both Minus people, as were my parents. But Shouzou and my sister are different.>

Alternative: <Have you ever wondered how those two managed to get along when one is Plus and the other Minus? Do you know, dad?>

Suedomsa: “That is a difficult question for me since I once shot Yuo.”

Alternative: <Oh, come on. Don’t be like that. Besides, you shot her back then because she was starting to become a great god and lose her humanity, right?>

Alternative: <You wouldn’t have shot her if she was still herself, would you?>

Suedomsa: “Well…”

Alternative: <You wouldn’t have, would you, dad?>

<Algo’s Over Reload>

Alternative is narrowing her eyes. It is a slight smile.

Alternative: <And now Shouzou is seeking her out just like you did back then. …It really is strange. He’s about as Plus as they come, which makes him the opposite of my sister. So how do they get along?>

<A new guest has entered the Page>

One old-style NPC Body has arrived: Myst Gabriel.

Myst: “Excuse me, but we have located Master Yuo. I had always wanted to redecorate this place. We hung cloths out of all the windows to search the rooms using an analog grid search.”

<Algo’s Over Reload>

Myst tilts her head when she sees Alternative crossing her arms in thought.

Myst: “Did I intrude on something?”

Algo: “No, not really. Where is Excel?”

Myst: “He has apparently begun restarting the Questron in the underground ceremonial ground. Once he is done, he will return and work with me to repel the Yard. I ask that you capture Master Yuo.”

Suedomsa: “And you will copy the Questron Body afterwards?”

Myst: “Yes. For Master Algo and Master Alternative. Excel should be programming the movement concepts necessary for that while he prepares to activate the Questron.”

Myst: “If we are lucky, Master Algo’s second phase will be unnecessary.”

<Algo’s Over Reload>

Myst bows and prepares to leave the audience chamber.

Suedomsa: “Myst, wait a moment.”

Myst: “Yes? Do you need something?”

Suedomsa: “Come here and hold out your hand.”

Myst: “…”

<Algo’s Over Reload>

Myst walks over and holds out her hand. Suedomsa takes her hand and removes the glove.

His gaze intensifies.

Myst: “Master Suedomsa, did you switch to Sight Mode for me?”

Suedomsa: “You are my family, Myst Gabriel. I apologize for working you so hard.”

Algo: “What do you mean?”

Suedomsa: “They are well past their service life.”

<Algo’s Over Reload>

Myst’s fingers are cracked and the texture is peeling away from the frame.

Her cheeks are flushed and her expression changes. Her eyes narrow. Meaning of expression is unknown.

Myst: “Please do not worry yourself over this. We were created to serve. That purpose was given to us from the moment of our birth. We were given the noble job of serving the Minus people.”

Myst: “Although I am currently working to ensure Master Yuo gives up.”

<Algo’s Over Reload>

Alternative tilts her head at Myst’s statement.

Alternative: <Um…Myst?>

Myst: “What do you need?”

Alternative: <Um, I’ve been wondering. The Quartet seems really fixated on fighting Shouzou and on my sister’s resignation. Why is that?>

Myst: “Well…”

<Algo’s Over Reload>

Myst lowers her head with her eyebrows drooping a bit. It is an expression of self-deprecation.

Myst: “That is probably our jealousy over not being chosen.”

Alternative: <Eh?>

Myst: “Long ago, Master Suedomsa left Master Yuo with us and we spent 2000 years with her.”

Myst: “We are NPC Bodies crated to serve, but at the time, we were feared due to our strength. But Master Yuo did not fear us. She played with us, learned with us, and looked at us as actual people.”

Myst: “That is why we decided to assist her in addition to our primary job.”

Myst: “Excel was her teacher and he taught her his Celestial Program Activator.”

Myst: “I would always chat with her and I would give her whatever pictures she wanted me to draw.”

Myst: “Daikatana often invited her to plays and he would fight for her.”

Myst: “Mekton would play with her and he was always protecting her.”

Myst: “But in the end, she chose resignation over any of us.”

<Algo’s Over Reload>

Myst has lowered her head.

Myst: “That Aoe person is ignorant of all this, yet he acts like Master Yuo has chosen him. In truth, she has simply forgotten her resignation after losing her memories.”

Algo: “I see. So that is why you are so obsessed with Yuo’s resignation and with fighting Aoe.”

Algo: “Myst, you believe Yuo will not choose this newcomer since she chose resignation over any of you?”

<Algo’s Over Reload>

Myst nods.

Algo: “I see. Then may I ask one question to determine your true purpose here?”

Myst: “Ask away.”

Algo: “If, way back then, she hadn’t given up and had chosen to stay with you, what do you think you would be doing now? You would have chosen a different, much better path, wouldn’t you?”

Myst: “That…is indeed a cruel question when my destruction is so close at hand, Master Algo.”

Myst: “But if that did happen…we would have wanted to ensure she felt no fear or worry even if we were destroyed. We would have given her and taught her many things to thank her and to prove that she could get by without us.”

<Algo’s Over Reload>

Myst’s eyebrows are lowered and her teeth are showing. She is smiling bitterly.

Myst: “But that never could have happened. Because the only way to know she can truly get by without us would be for us to test her and see if she has surpassed us.”

Myst: “I believe Daikatana made a promise to her once. It was when she said his deadly sword techniques were beautiful. He promised to one day let her see those techniques which are too fast to actually see. But if he were to test her…”

Alternative: <She would have to defeat his invisible sword techniques?>

Myst: “Correct. But she cannot do that, so we can never go all out and truly test her.”

Myst: “I know she would give up on me if I told her she had to draw a picture capable of convincing me she can get by without me.”

Myst: “In the end, we are no match for the allure of resignation.”

<Algo’s Over Reload>

Myst turns around.

Myst: “Also, we are Master Suedomsa’s NPC Bodies. Returning Master Yuo to her past version is our current top priority. We will not betray him like we once did.”

Algo: “I see. Your reasons are as complicated as ours. But do remember one thing.”

Myst: “Eh?”

Algo: “Even if you cannot go all out against Yuo who stands on the same Minus side as you, you can go all out without hesitation against Aoe, who stands opposite you on the Plus side.”

Myst: “What is your point?”

Algo: “Just remember that. I have a feeling it will be important later.”

Algo: “We can find peace of mind in the things we do even though we know they aren’t right because we know there are people working at it from the opposite side.”

Algo: “Alternative, this is the answer to your earlier question.”

Algo: “This is why Aoe and Yuo can get along.”

Algo: <Now, that’s enough talking. We should get going too. First, we need to pay Yuo a visit.>

<Algo’s Board Mode has updated>

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