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bergeronprocess · 5 months

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My 2023 In Anime

Ah, 2023. What a year! According to my Anime Planet custom 2023 list, I watched 20 anime this year. A couple of them I haven’t finished yet and a couple of them are DNF. As the year dwindles down to its final days, I’m gonna take a look back at what anime I watched in 2023. Beware of spoilery discussion for all of the tagged shows.

Sorted by season and then in the order they appear on my list.

Winter 2023

Nijiyon Animation: Nijigasaki is my favorite flavor of Love Live (it’s the first one I watched, I like the characters a lot, the songs are great and there’s literally a girl also named Emma in the cast) and so I will never say no to more Niji. Cute fun bite-sized episodes. There was even a touching farewell to Tomori Kusunoki as Setsuna. I just saw that they’re going to do a second season, so I’m looking forward to that.

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague: Holy crap, this show was a pretty little nothingburger. Literally NOTHING happened aside from the characters becoming friends. The two leads didn’t even kiss?!?! I wanted to see how they might handle that - the idea of people who are imbued with yokai powers is a neat one, but oof. This was unsatisfying.

UniteUp!: My dark horse favorite of the season, a bishonen idol show that dealt with some of the more realistic/uglier aspects of fame and the idol industry specifically. There were some production delays (that’s the story of 2023 across the industry, isn't it?) but I actually really enjoyed how they handled those - they showed these neat behind the scenes episodes with the voice actors. I love behind the scenes. The characters have a lot of heart, the songs were really good and the dancing looked excellent too. I think this is getting a second season too? If so, I’m thrilled to spend more time in this world.

Handyman Saitou in Another World: I actually watched an isekai! Holy shit! But it wasn’t one of those lazy paint-by-numbers isekai shows that are just a dime a dozen. I like how it showed Saitou using his skills (undervalued in our world) to get stuff done in the high fantasy world he found himself in after a Truck-kun situation. There WAS a bit too much fanservice for my liking - I’m a sports fan, so I’m used to that “oof, as a cis woman I am NOT the target demo here” feeling lol, but still - and I feel like they did a few too many “he’s dead! But not really because magic!” fake-outs. But hey! Ai Fairouz was in the cast here! I like her!

Buddy Daddies: OHHH did I enjoy this one. Great music, I love Kazuki and Rei, you could tell there was someone on the staff who is a gearhead based on how they portrayed cars, Miri is great, lol at how they overcome bureaucracy crime-style…Tumblr loved this one and with good reason. Also I definitely ship those two guys lol. The one downside is I feel like they kinda fridged Kazuki’s wife and Miri’s mom. They could’ve done a bit better by their adult female characters. I do still get the opening song stuck in my head now and again, though.

Soaring Sky/Hirogaru Sky Precure: Folks, this is the year I got Precurepilled. I tried Delicious Party last year but bounced off of it after episode 1 - it just didn’t hit for me somehow - but this one GOT ME! This is still ongoing and will be through the end of January (50 episodes y’all!), so I can’t speak with finality about it, but so far so good. The first boy Cure! The first adult Cure! She drives a Hummer for some reason lol! I think Mashiro is my favorite! It’s been so much fun to theorize about the story (I was SO wrong about Yoyo being Sora’s hero from her childhood, ha…) and watch it unfold. I do think they waited a bit too long to bring in the Kaiserin storyline, but hey, we’ll get a few more episodes to wrap everything up, right? As for Wonderful Precure, I don’t know lol the concept isn’t getting me hyped up, but I will at least watch episode 1 and go from there.

Spring 2023

Kira Kira Precure A La Mode: Still the only Precure season I’ve completed to date lol. This one was so much fun. I love sweets and baking, so I had great fun here, sometimes even shouting at the TV to try to help Ichika with her doomed bakes when she inevitably forgot baking powder or whatever. When I realized that Ciel had literally been in the opening credits since episode 1, that blew my mind lol. I DO wish they would’ve just let Julio become the first boy Cure, but hey, he walked so Cure Wing could fly. Himari is baby and Akira/Yukari is Haruka/Michiru for the 2010s. Aoi’s band made some good music. The very last scene was very sweet. Both ending songs are total earworms. Good stuff.

Skip and Loafer: This show is SO FREAKING CUTE. I just love these goofballs. I love how Nao-chan is able to just be herself and is not subjected to transphobia all the time. Mitsumi is adorable and also extremely relatable. I liked this one so much that I’ve started to read the manga, picking up where the anime left off. (2023 is also the year that Atlanta got a Kinokuniya location, which is very exciting for me, though maybe less so for my credit card lmao.) Season 2 pls? I would love to spend more time here.

Gundam The Witch from Mercury Season 2: Damn, this show needed at least one more season. Preferably two more. I was fully expecting 50 episodes like what Gundam Wing got lol. It needed more time to breathe, to show us more about the other characters (Lilique my beloved!) and to flesh out the big story. But alas, this is not a perfect world, and what we got was still pretty damn good, and also Sulemio married. That’s my interpretation. That's everyone's interpretation, isn't it?

Star Twinkle Precure: I’m still working on this one, but I FREAKING LOVE IT. The day-glo 80s aesthetic is right up my damn alley, I adore the transformation sequences, we get dark-skinned biracial representation with Cure Soleil, I enjoy reading the horoscopes at the end of each episode (my Japanese is at about a preschool level, so it’s great that everything has furigana lol), there’s space stuff AAAAAND this season has my very favorite Precure song ever. One of the only two so far to be in a minor key, folks, it’s PaPePiPu Romantic time.

youtube

I now have a new goal: sing this bad boy at karaoke someday. Pew pew! Pew pew pew!

Summer 2023

Yohane the Parhelion: I enjoyed Love Live Sunshine a lot, but phew, this didn’t do it for me. I feel like it would’ve been better as a 3 or 4 episode OVA (ONA these days I guess), but just didn’t have enough story for a full 13 episode season. My mom is fond of saying “just okay”...like, it wasn’t amazing, but it wasn’t awful either. Yohane the Parhelion is just okay. Please just watch Sunshine instead if you want to be introduced to these characters. Sunshine is so much better.

Zom 100: I watched the first episode of this and then didn’t bother with the rest. DNF. Sorry to hear about the production troubles - that’s especially ironic for this show.

Fall 2023

MF Ghost: The other DNF for me. Watched 3 episodes, heard they were about to introduce a character who is obsessed with 17-year-old girls, noped the hell outta there. Wasn’t impressed with the 3 episodes either. I love Initial D - we named our cat Hachi because she’s black and white just like the Hachiroku - but MF Ghost just had no heart or soul. The Toyota 86 was lovingly rendered but I hated the ugly black motion lines they added when it was moving. The race they showed was dreadfully boring, the worldbuilding felt extremely unrealistic and oooh did I HATE that “outfit” they put our underage race queen in, if you can even call that an outfit.

Overtake: Of the two car racing shows this season, Overtake absolutely wins. It looks great, it introduces F4 racing to the audience very well (there’s some show, there’s some tell, a good blend) and the characters have more heart in their pinky fingernails than the entire cast of MF Ghost combined. There’s a very real and affecting subplot about PTSD, realistic discussion of just how much racing costs for an amateur team and plenty of men being unafraid to feel their feelings and cry it out. Overtake is definitely on the top of the podium. It hasn’t gotten anywhere near the love it deserves - ANN didn’t do weekly reviews of it and Anime Feminist was hyperfocused on the lack of female characters (valid! But not a dealbreaker to me!) - so I hope that people discover it later.

Shy: Thank goodness this is getting a season 2 because we spent literally a quarter of the season focused on the Pepesha and her mother subplot. That could’ve been tightened up a bit - ANN’s review mentions how Amarariruku’s villain speeches tend to be very circular, which is exactly how I felt seeing Lenya explain herself for what felt like the 50th time over - and I was genuinely looking at the episode count like “uhh??!?” before the season 2 news came out. So other than that part being a bit too drawn out, though, this is a very interesting show with a cool concept (Teru experiences Personal Growth! We are so proud of her!) and I’m interested in seeing where it goes from here. Will we meet the USA’s hero next season? I kinda want to see who that might be.

My Daughter Left the Nest and Returned an S-Rank Adventurer: Ai Fairouz is in the cast of this one too, so maybe she’s just what needs to be present for me to watch an isekai/high fantasy show? I did enjoy this one, even though the action scenes were a little bit lacking, perhaps above the skill level of the animators. They did do lovely watercolor-like scenery shots, though. The characters are charming (Belgrieve, total DILF, also giving us disability representation) and the opening song is a bop. They did leave the door open for a season 2 - for example, the question of Ange’s parentage was never answered, although it is VERY heavily implied that she is also a demon. I mean, the little demon kid Belgrieve takes in at the end literally looks exactly like her, for crying out loud.

Spy x Family Season 2: Haven’t finished this one yet - I want to watch it with my husband because he also likes it and we’ve just had a lot of stuff going on! We have watched 4 episodes, which means we’ve watched a bunch of one-off side stories basically lol. He even remarked at some point that the episodes felt weird. I was like “Well, because they’re only side stories!” From what I have read, it sounds like things are about to pick up plot-wise, so we gotta just make some time to catch up soon lol.

Power of Hope/Kibou no Chikara Otona Precure 23: I have not seen ANY of the Precure series that have characters appearing here, so I came in fresh. This was enjoyable! I was originally bummed that we didn’t get to see them transform as adults, but the age reversion to transform was done for big story reasons and made perfect sense in that context. The episode that showed how the town was devastated by firebombing in World War II was deeply affecting - war is hell, no wonder Bell was changed by it - and it was great to see Cure Black and Cure White turn up. It reminded me of all the companions coming together at the end of Doctor Who season 4. Total fan catnip, I love it. I have not seen Mahotsukai Precure either, so I’ll be going into their sequel fresh too. (Is that what was being teased at the very very end of episode 12? Yeah probably lol)

16bit Sensation Another Layer: My winner for best show of this season. As you may have gathered from my mention of Doctor Who just now, I like time travel stories, so “Listen, Konoha Akisato has come unstuck in time” appealed to me right away. This show also genuinely taught me things about computer game development. I have a deepened respect for PC-98 game art (I follow such accounts on here now lol), which would surely make Mamoru smile. Plus, I like how it has a core message of “You can be a woman who works on erotic video games and that is not weird or perverted. Follow your dreams!” Toya does, after all - I would have loved to see her team up with Konoha and it sucks that she was being manipulated by the evil company. The show did take a turn for the Matrix-y in the fourth quarter, and I do feel episode 13 was a bit rushed (Konoha opens Comic Party and then is just immediately back in 2023? She and Mamoru explain how they told everyone about being time travelers instead of us getting to see that reaction?), but dammit, I teared up at the very end anyway. What a show!

Magic User’s Club OVA: I remember renting videotapes of this from Blockbuster way back in the day, but I didn’t remember much about the show itself, so I decided to watch it again after seeing this AnimeBackWhen video about it. It’s so fun and charming! And Ikuko Itou designed the characters and Junichi Satou is the director - a bit of a Sailor Moon reunion lol. (Fun fact I learned just now is Chiaki J. Konaka did the screenplay. This is very very different from his work on Serial Experiments Lain.) I’m not done with it yet. The opening song is a big ole bop!

2024 goals:

Finish Star Twinkle Precure

Watch Gunbuster (another "I rented it from Blockbuster during the Clinton administration" story - I bought Discotek's new Blu-Ray of it, just haven't cracked it open yet lol)

Continue to enjoy seasonal anime!

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itsuki-minamy · 2 years

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RED CASE FILES: HOMRA IN LAS VEGAS

CHAPTER 5: EDWARD, THE RED

* List of Chapters

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

The purple smoke was inhaled deep into the lungs.

Compared to last time, the surroundings were silent as a lie. All he could hear was the moaning of the black clothes that had been shaken. Suoh, leaning against the roulette wheel, slowly blew smoke towards the glittering chandelier.

Suddenly, he felt a signal behind him.

Looking back, the face he knew had a bitter smile on his face.

"That's a lot of flashy work against Shiroto-san."

"Hmm." Huffing, Suoh received a glass of whiskey from Kusanagi.

"It's self-defense."

Actually, it was the other side that was poking at. Until he bought a fight that was sold to him, Kusanagi didn't believe it. Arguably there should be a better way to do it. But, well, he understood.

He understood it, but he didn't mean to.

After picking up the whiskey, Suoh suddenly remembered:

"What happened to Anna?"

"She ran away with Totsuka and Yata. We're the only ones left here."

Suoh had a suspicious look on his face. Totsuka was fine, but why did Yata's name come up?

He maybe he read the question, Kusanagi had a hard time looking at him, took a sip of cocktail, and said:

"It's going to be complicated. Fushimi went on a business trip with a 'Rabbit'. Well, Yata is another matter."

"You don't know why."

"I don't know. But there is one important thing."

Suddenly Kusanagi's eyes were serious.

"Mizuchi is here. Looks like he called us."

"......"

Suoh blinked several times and stared at Kusanagi's face.

Kusanagi put his hand to his forehead and exhaled deeply.

"Ah, sorry. He's the director of the center that kidnapped Anna."

After being told so much, he finally understood.

"I see."

Suoh only had the acknowledgment that he was a scientist who had captured Anna and was conducting various experiments. He was the power of the "King", he was shouting in various ways, but he could barely remember that part. However, he remembered that he was a member of the Golden Clan and was taken to the "Rabbits" because he violated the internal rules.

If Mizuchi was the one who called them there, then the black clothes lying on the ground could be seen as Mizuchi's henchmen.

Suoh muttered.

"So, I'm glad I was able to beat them."

"That's right. I don't know who these over there are. Still, beating up such an ordinary person, no matter how I think about it, I'll either save time or stop."

Shrugging at Kusanagi, Suoh swallowed the whiskey. He put the empty glass down on the roulette table and left.

Kusanagi also drank the cocktail in the same way and started walking with Suoh. That hotel was part of the tour program. If so, he could think of it as the root castle of the enemy. In a place like this, he couldn't sleep.

As he walked beside him, Kusanagi suddenly muttered.

"I don't understand Mizuchi's purpose. To get revenge on you, or is he still trying to make Anna a king? If so, those black clothes are a strategy to separate you from Anna. Maybe it was."

Suoh looked at Kusanagi and said casually.

"It's okay."

Kusanagi looked at Suoh. On that basis, his eyes said it all.

Suoh laughed at Kusanagi's pessimism with his nose.

"There's Totsuka and Yata. If so, that's fine."

++++++++++

"Saru! The road is cut to the right, right!"

"I'm doing it right now, don't mess it up!"

Annoyed screams echoed through the vehicle. Every time the laser sight of the "ostrich" was aimed at the van, Fushimi would turn the steering wheel from left to right and somehow try to avoid it. He maybe he noticed that something was wrong with the other truck that was running next to him, slowed down and crashed into the "ostrich".

Sparks scattered across the road in the dark night and the red pointer moved. Almost at the same time, the Gatling gun attached to the body of the "ostrich" began to fire.

Along with the roar of the window glass shaking, the railing on the immediate side turned into a hive, growled, shattered, and disappeared back.

"......!"

Every person in the van was terrified and convinced at the same time. If they were shot at something like that, no matter how talented they were, they couldn't get away unscathed.

"Damn it! I'm sorry!"

Kamamoto barked, opened the back seat window and leaned forward. A Moorish red genie in his fist hardened, and he shot out like a ball of fire. Fireball is Kusanagi's ability, but it's not like the other clan members can't use it either. They just prefer human bullet battle.

The burning red fireball, however, did not catch the "ostrich". Just before landing, the "ostrich" flexed its legs a lot and jumped into the air. He jumped more than 5 meters, again, falling towards the truck.

"Hey, is it falling?!"

"Shit, gaak!"

Fushimi turned the wheel with tremendous force as he gritted his teeth. Kamamoto and Bando in the rear seats toppled like dominoes in a sharp turn that almost caused the rear wheels to skid. The claws of the "ostrich" attacking from above pierced through the driver's door and window together. Shattered glass shards glinted in the road lights.

The red light was absorbed by the "ostrich's" legs in a straight line to tear the brilliance from it.

A throwing knife thrown by Fushimi while he was driving pierced the "ostrich's" ankle joint and burned a red aura.

The "ostrich", which was running on both legs, lost its balance and slowed down. Still, the "ostrich" hadn't given up yet. The laser pointer shone like a beast looking for prey.

Fushimi stepped on the accelerator as much as he could and pushed the "ostrich" out of the way in one go.

The "ostrich" disappeared into the darkness behind, and the people in the car finally exhaled all at once.

"What is that? Robotic weapons...?!"

"But you're stupid, there's no such thing! It's not a movie."

"No. He's probably right."

The gentleman with the calm voice was Tanaka, sitting in the passenger seat. Keeping an eye on his back, he put his hand on his chin as if he was thinking.

“It has been more than half a year since the CIA captured Mizuchi. No wonder such a weapon was born if the military science of the US Army and the unique technology that Mizuchi knows are combined...”

"Huh?! We're being attacked by the CIA?!"

"Maybe it's the National Security Agency NSA, because it has a stronger connection to the military."

Fushimi clicked his tongue at Tanaka, who smiled.

"Don't be afraid, they won't ask the army to be your opponent...!"

"To be precise, it's more like one or two non-regular platoons belonging to the intelligence department, rather than the army. I don't think a decent civilian employee would have a shootout in the city."

"Soldiers of 100 people will attack with such weapons. It's not something amateurs can do. No matter what they say, it's better to return to Japan quickly."

"Hm..."

As Tanaka put his hand to his chin and tried to think about it, again, the footsteps echoed. Bando pressed against the glass of the rear window, he screams.

"Hey! It's already caught up with us!"

Fushimi looked in the rearview mirror and muttered in annoyance.

"What should I do?! The speed is higher there...!"

"That's right. So..."

Tanaka unbuckled his seat belt and slid out of the fully open passenger seat window. The terrified Yata, screamed.

"Hey, Ossan! What are you doing?!"

"It's my job to protect you."

Tanaka narrowed his eyes and looked back as he clung to the roof of the truck and was buffeted by the strong wind rushing down the road. The "ostrich" approached moving both feet at imperceptible speed. The laser pointer was aimed at Tanaka's inorganic features.

"Osan!"

Yata's screams echoed from inside the vehicle. As he listened, Tanaka swung an arm towards the "ostrich".

The Gatling gun began to fire.

Tanaka would be pierced by countless ammunition and his corpse would be thrown on the road; everyone in the vehicle anticipated that sight, and shrugged.

But that didn't happen.

The ammunition stopped just before it reached Tanaka, as if he had slammed into an invisible wall.

The "ostrich" kept firing. However, the bullets never reached Tanaka. All the bullets were locked in midair and lined up in a strange curve. It was like an avant-garde art.

Tanaka smiled silently and waved an arm that lit up the golden glow.

"I am a senior agent of the 'Rabbits' and 'Tokijikuin'. Don't expect this level of attack to do anything to me."

Amazed, Yata turned his soulful gaze to the ceiling.

"Impressive, Ossan, I understand! It's okay!"

Yata opened the truck door, slapping his cheeks with both hands. A strong wind blew across the road and Fushimi cried out in anger.

"What are you doing, Misaki?!"

"Ossan stopped me before, but I'm going to kill him now!"

Yelling back, Yata jumped out of the van.

Sparks were scattered by the wheels of the skateboard at a relative speed of 80 km/h. The sparks got bigger and eventually turned into a flame that engulfed the wheels. As he carved the fiery grooves into the asphalt, Yata began to spin the handle of the mop that he held in both hands at high speed.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Along with the screaming spirit, a red genie dwelled in the mop and exploded like a spinning flame. The skateboard's orbit jerked out once and Yata slammed the flame into the "ostrich", which was still firing, mixing acceleration and centrifugal force.

The steel fuselage fluttered and the spark flashed in the darkness of the night.

"Wow! What kind of things!"

Facing the victorious Yata, the "ostrich" began to wander. The rotation of both legs slowed down, the speed visibly decreased, and it fell as it was.

The laser pointer pointed at Yata before doing so.

"Shit!"

Yata hurriedly manipulated the skateboard and tried to get away from the "ostrich". But the pointer pursued him relentlessly. The cannon began to rotate at high speed while aiming at Yata's forehead.

A red butterfly was sucked into his snout.

An extraordinary butterfly with very little firepower, but it was enough to shut his mouth. The butterflies that touched the bullet exploded, shattering the barrel and igniting thousands of ammunition packed in the ammunition mechanism.

The body of the "ostrich" exploded from the inside.

The "ostrich", which became a moving ball of fire, lurched to the right, tilted to the left, and, on a drunken wobbly foot, detonated repeatedly. Like an ostrich that has lost its head, he kept running aimlessly, eventually going over the railing and falling far below the path.

"Hmm… I was scared…"

Manipulating the skateboard with the power of a different skill, Yata returned to the van. He smiled at Totsuka, who walked out the door.

"Thank you, Totsuka-san. You saved me!"

Totsuka returned a wink.

"Well, I'm still an executive of 'Homura'."

The two looked at each other and laughed loudly, then Yata turned to the passenger seat.

Tanaka was already sitting there when he returned. Seat belts were also fastened, and wind-disturbed hairstyles were patted down by hand. Yata laughed and pointed his fist at him.

"Ossan was nice too! If you weren't here, I'd be a hive right now."

Tanaka smiled like a mask, stared at the fist and gently punched his fist there.

"No, this is also a job, but is it okay to call me that?"

"Huh?"

"I'm still 28. How's that for Ossan?"

++++++++++

One of Mizuchi's eyes made a noise and moved, deciding the wrong direction.

"Hmmm~?"

Jane had a look of disgust on her face. From experience, she knew that when Mizuchi responded like that, that was when something was wrong.

"What is this time?"

"Uh, 'Glass Hopper II' was done. As expected, 'Homura', is it hard to kill with that kind of weapon?"

As he mumbled and mumbled, Mizuchi opened the door and got out of the car. Jane and her escorts also came out into the street.

"Well, I was able to record the W deviation from him, so let's do it. I really can't trust the average person's courage. Unless he's a threat, they won't take him seriously either."

"Why do you understand? Have you not received such a report?"

One of the eyes twitched at Jane's suspicious words.

"Oh, that's easy. I've set the feedback to come here when a cyber-weapon is destroyed. It's natural for parents to always want to know the condition of their beloved child, right?"

"I have received no such report."

"Is that so? Well, it would be better if we could always monitor the planes that could be used. There are still more than 30 "Glass Hopper II". If you get everything up and running, "Homura" will be a hive in no time."

As he shrugged and laughed, Mizuchi walked into the street. Jane followed him, looking at Mizuchi's rear.

Fremont Street was still packed with tourists. Unfortunately, it seemed to overlap with the time of the Viva Vision Show, and the semi-circular arcade that covered the ceiling began to display psychedelic images. All kinds of colors melted and tangled and distorted like liquids, Jane thought. The guy who made that video must have felt pretty comforted.

Looking at the casino shops to the left and right, Mizuchi greeted the children on the way with a smile. The boy also laughed and turned to Mizuchi. Fremont Street was also a mecca for artists, although it didn't seem like an attitude towards a monster. Perhaps he was recognized as one of them.

As he watched the boy walk away, Mizuchi only nodded.

"Children are good, because they are full of talent and future. Don't you think so, Jane?"

"When you talk about children, it gives me goosebumps for some reason, Mizuchi."

When she returned that answer, Mizuchi laughed out loud again.

During such exchanges, they reached the target store.

On the street of the bright neon and light show, that place was only dark as if darkness was in the air. It was originally a bar inspired by the Western era, but the appearance of many large motorcycles parked in front of the store and tattoo-covered bikers drinking around it was clearly decent, showing that it was not a good bar.

The motorcyclists were looking at them and the escort personnel were nervous. Before them, Mizuchi didn't seem to feel any pressure. He looked at the store sign and laughed happily.

"Blood and Flame. Hahahaha. To think it's the same as 'Homura'."

"Hey. It's not a night show, Asians."

The cyclists stood up and surrounded Mizuchi. The thick arm wrapped in a leather jacket could snap like a dead tree if it came to Mizuchi's neck.

Still, Mizuchi didn't show any signs of hesitation. He rolled all three eyes and said with a smile.

"When Mizuchi comes, Mr. Edward will take over."

The bikers looked at each other and separated from Mizuchi.

"Excuse me. Please go there."

The bikers reverently pushed the door of the bar with a polite attitude that did not resemble a strong physique. Mizuchi entered the bar, followed by Jane and her companions.

Harsh air was trapped inside the bar.

A neon signs with a jukebox that looked like a figurine and a spider web. At the counter, which seemed to have been uncleaned for several years, the hollow-eyed men sat vaguely. Placed on the counter was a box that was probably flour. Jane followed Mizuchi, avoiding looking at them.

"Client. Boss."

When the motorcyclist who opened the door called out in a low voice, a bright voice in contrast to that came back from the back of the store.

"Oh! I have been waiting for you, Mr. Mizuchi! You have often come here and there!"

VIP room at the back of the store. With multiple escorts behind him, the man was lounging on a leather couch.

Edward The Red. He was the boss of "Blood and Flame", a gangster who ruled downtown Las Vegas.

Blue eyes, long limbs, muscular and slender body. His dark skin indicated that he was a South American Hispanic. No shadow could be found on his smiling face. Jane knew it was a friendly attitude that didn't resemble the head of a violent group, but of course, it was a farce.

When he was asked who was the most dangerous man in the Las Vegas underworld, any thug would name Edward.

The Mexican mob, whose sphere of influence is Southern California, controls almost all of the Hispanic mobsters. They value order and discipline, and do not allow even the slightest deviation. Asylum if you submit, death if you refuse: this is how they have grown in power.

Under such circumstances, "Blood and Flame" did not try to obey any organization.

Of course, Chief Edward was ordered to kill several people. Many mobsters targeted Edward for money and honor, but none of them could take his life. Edward has always been at the forefront of the conflict, having even destroyed dozens of enemy hideouts on his account.

The appearance of Edward, who killed all the hostile organizations, burned them and laughed with blood, was called in amazement: "Edward, The Red".

Of course, if you think about it normally, that's just a junkie's wishful thinking.

However, that was the case. The proof of the fact was shown by Edward's right hand.

There was only a thumb on his right hand.

The other four fingers of his had become burned scars. Edward showed the sofa in front of him, waving his impressive hands like a normal human being.

"Come on, sit down! Hey, by the number of drinks!"

Edward raised his voice. Mizuchi sat face to face with Edward without hesitation, and one of his eyes caught Jane out of the corner of his eye. Jane reluctantly sat down next to Mizuchi.

Edward rounded his eyes and stared at Mizuchi.

"No, I heard about it, but there is actually a third one! Is it really visible? How many of these are there?"

Mizuchi's three eyes looked at Edward, who opened his right hand.

"It's a philosophical question, Mr. Edward. One in metamorphosis, but five in metaphysics. His deficiency seems to make him quite complete."

"Oh...? Hahahahaha, I don't know what the scholars say!"

Edward laughed, and the mechanical blankness of the escort behind them barely smiled. The distorted cheeks had crushed burn marks.

They brought the tequila shot.

"In Las Vegas!"

Edward drank it all at once in one gulp. Mizuchi did the same. Jane was lost, but she still shoved it down her throat. The taste of burnt sake spread in the stomach.

Edward dropped the shot glass and leaned toward the table. The eyebrows furrowed as if he was in trouble.

"By the way, Mr. Mizuchi. I'm sad. I'm a member of the group I lent you, but it seems you made a mistake. I don't know who you were dealing with, but it was sad that we were so weak. How much did the treatment cost for everyone?"

"It's $50,000, Chief."

"$100,000?! That much?! Wow, what a wheel of fire! That's right, we're going broke!"

Edward looked up at the sky, holding his head on purpose. Jane barely held her tongue. He really didn't understand the meaning of the wheel of fire, but, in short, he was trying to get money out of it.

And when Mizuchi started laughing,

"The wheel of fire, huh, do you remember it from Japan, Mr. Edward?"

Edward looked back at Mizuchi and shrugged.

"That's right. My youth was when I was in Japan."

"When were you in "Purgatory"?"

Edward blinked slowly.

The air in the room visibly changed.

The biggest change occurred in Edward's subordinates. The blood rushing out of their faces, they stiffened their bodies to see what Edward looked like. The impatience and fear of the time bomb just before the time limit appeared evenly on their faces.

Edward laid his back on a leather couch and said,

"Did you know?"

"Of course. I am a member of the clan. Like you, I am a former member."

"I..."

Edward's voice was cold and mechanically resonant, as if the joy up to that moment was a lie.

"I'm still from 'Purgatory'."

His blue eyes were devilish. As the escort staff tried to prepare themselves, Jane had to keep an eye on them. They shouldn't stimulate Edward there. If he exploded, every one of them would turn to coal.

"Purgatory", the predecessor "Red King", a clan led by Kagutsu Genji, the man who brought about the unprecedented catastrophe that killed 700,000 people in Japan in 1999. His habit was a fierce word, a group of extremely troublesome terrorists who they captured the lives of human beings, whether themselves or others, only on paper.

Edward once belonged to that group. They did not know what his position was. He may have been the bottom end. However, no matter who the members are, it's best to think of them as dangerous while in "Purgatory". Edward's career is a clear testimony of that.

It was not really known if he understood the danger, Mizuchi laughed happily and rotated all three eyeballs.

"I see, are you still from 'Purgatory'? The clansmen have died and Kagutsu Genji has disappeared. Still, 'Purgatory' still continues?"

"I am alive."

"I see, maybe it's true. You are alive. Even if everyone else dies or you lose the King, 'Purgatory' will continue as long as you are alive. Mr. Edward, do you know the new red clan?"

Edward's eyebrows moved sharply. Mizuchi continued talking happily.

"Of course you don't know. You escaped from Japan and came to the United States after the Clan Incident. You then used your abilities to grow up in the underworld of Las Vegas. There is no way you would have known the current situation of the clan in Japan."

Mizuchi looked at Jane. Jane took some documents out of her briefcase and put them on the table. There was a photo and information of Mikoto Suoh and other members of the "Homura" clan.

Edward picked it up with his right hand and began to read.

Eventually, he leaked a tweet that appeared to have been deleted.

"Who is this "Red King"?"

"To tell the truth, I got help from you to beat them up. To the newborn red clan, 'Homura'."

Edward looked at the documents with a look that seemed to bite at any moment.

"Unfortunately, all of your members have been sent to the hospital. Well, that's not surprising. After all, the opponent is the 'Red King'. For you who know the former Kagutsu Genji, it's quite profitable as long as you have one life."

The flame burst.

The roaring, burning, distorted, snarling arm of fire was released from Edward's right hand. A fiery hand that reached out to lick the ceiling made a fist in the shape of grabbing Suoh's information documents and slammed into the table. The smell of burning bangs gave Jane a premonition of death.

Edward had a low voice, with his dazzling and murderous blue eyes.

"There is only one 'Red King'."

The table turned to ash and shattered, and the store's sprinkler went off. The water mixed with the digestive agent spilled out, and the flame of the extraordinary skill did not go out. Edward's killing intent also burned endlessly. As if it represented the buried fire in his heart.

As he soaked himself, Mizuchi didn't break his smiling demeanor.

"Oh, of course. That's true for you. There is only one 'Red King' in the world, the only one in the world: Kagutsu Genji. It doesn't matter if his sword falls and the land of Japan disappears. That's why he can be precious. Kagutsu, who was ruined with hundreds of thousands of lives and laughed out loud, can be called a hero."

Mizuchi leaned forward. The smile disappeared from his lips.

"So, Mr. Edward. Kill Suoh Mikoto."

"Eh?"

Edward's killing intent was about to go towards Mizuchi. Taking it head on, Mizuchi said.

“Perhaps there is only one 'Red King'. So Mikoto Suoh, the existence of the current generation 'Red King' is blasphemy for Kagutsu Genji. In order for him to remain 'King', Mikoto Suoh must be eliminated, right?"

"......"

Edward's flame stopped.

Along with that, the sprinkler too. Edward's eyes, which gathered up his drenched hair and stared at Mizuchi, showed strong discomfort.

"Are you trying to use me?"

Mizuchi smiled.

"Of course. I'm trying to use you, so you should use me too."

He touched his finger. One of the escorts took out the briefcase and placed it in front of Edward.

"It's $500.000. I'd like you to receive it as an advance payment. If you have any other information or strength you need, I'll always provide it."

Edward looked at the briefcase under his feet as if he was looking at dirty things.

"Why do you want to kill Suoh?"

Mizuchi suddenly laughed.

"I have a personal grudge against Mikoto Suoh, but I'm not trying to get rid of it. I just want to know. How can I kill the King?"

"......"

"Regicide. I'm intellectually curious. It's because of your 'King'. Let's join hands."

Mizuchi extended his right hand.

Edward blinked. The blue eyes alternated between the passion of the beast and the intellect of the person.

After a long patrol, the monster from "Purgatory" took the hand of the third monster.

#k #k project #k stories #las vegas #homura #yata misaki #fushimi saruhiko #totsuka tatara #kusanagi izumo #kushina anna #kamamoto rikyo #suoh mikoto #homra #purgatory #red clan

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cinder-fall-bun · 9 months

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Cinder Falls...into Eorzea

Hello to those who somehow come across this small blog thing. If you follow my main, @la-scree , you may remember me mentioning about bringing one of RWBY's villains over to XIV's universe and how it was just a crack pot idea. Well, I made her in game and I guess it's no longer a crack pot idea.

If the title doesn't give it away, my choice was to take Cinder Fall from Remnant and yeet her into Eitherys just to see what would happen. Also because when I was really into the show, I actually enjoyed her more than the main cast. Hearing about how her lack of character is a thing still after ten years, I went with doing what every person who sees potential but canon squandering it: take them and go 'mine now'.

So in this case, Cinder is taken from the end of Volume 3 where Ruby had just unleashed her Silver Eye Truck-kun and instead of only taking her arm and eye and hair, it kills her. Her soul then gets thrown out of that universe and finds it's way to the original universe it came from. Hydaelyn then sees her soul and has a feeling that she knows whose it is but isn't sure. (Spoilers: it sure is) So, she decides with some of her power, she makes a vessel for the wayward soul and sends her to Eorzea to see if her hunch was right.

While Cinder is given new life as a fledging adventuring viera, she has no memory of her past life on Remnant except two things: her first name and that she wants power. Naturally she won't know anything about Eitherys except general functions like walking, eating, and cleaning. She'll still be like how she was during the first three volumes (at least during ARR) but within an unknown fear of big lights. She'll slowly regain her memories throughout the story with her needing to understand who she was then and how she would have changed by the end of Endwalker.

Long Story Short: Villain dies, gets isekai'd and has to learn to be a good person without memories of their past life.

So this blog isn't going to be an RP blog at all since I don't know how that works. Instead, it's going to be a playthrough of all of Final Fantasy XIV, from A Realm Reborn to Endwalker, no story skipping and seeing how Cinder would react and go through the story. (Job skips are another thing entirely since you know my thoughts on Dancer) I'll also attempt to do small gposes in between the story beats just to give more to the overall experience.

#ffxiv #final fantasy xiv #cinder fall #rwby cinder #get isekai'd #cinder bun #yeeted from one world to the next #cinder's grand eitherys adventure

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newsintheshell · 4 months

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youtube

▶️ NO LONGER ALLOWED IN ANOTHER WORLD: LA COMMEDIA ISEKAI FARÀ PARTE DEL PALINSESTO ESTIVO!

I tuoi continui tentativi di suicidio falliscono, ma alla fine vieni investito. È truck-kun però, quindi non muori comunque e finisci in un altro mondo: classic Osamu Dazai.

A dirigere quello che sembra già un nuovo must watch, targato Atelier Pontdarc (Uncle From Another World, Ganbare Douki-chan), troviamo Shigeki Kawai (Uncle From Another World).

La serie, fra l'altro, si basa sull'omonimo manga firmato da Hiroshi Noda e Takahiro Wakamatsu, i creatori di Love After World Domination e de La Sirena Cannibale.

#isekai shikkaku #no longer allowed in another world #comedy #isekai #manga #osamu dazai #fantasy #adventure #trailer #pv #serie tv #anime #drama #romance #slice of life

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conflagrate · 7 years

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Autumn 2017 Anime Season

Them seasons, they change too fast orz

Summer Recap

God Tier: Princess Principal Awesome Possum:, Aho Girl, Isekai Shokudo, Tsurezure Children, New Game!!,, Teekyuu S9 Pleasing but not Amazing: Ballroom e Yokoso, 7o3x, Yokai Apartment, Rinne S3, Nobunaga no Shinobi S2, Nora to Neko OK OK lah: Fate/Apocrypha, Shokoku no Altair, NTR, Konbini Kareshi, Mahoujin Guruguru, Vatican Kiseki Chosakan One Rank Above Shite: Yojitsu, Aoyama-kun, Skirt no Naka Godawful: Ikemen Sengoku, Yami Shibai S5, Bahamut Virgin Soul Dropped: Dive!!, Kakegurui, Made in Abyss, Jikan no Shihaisha Help, I am Falling Behind!: Goma-chan

Total shows completed: 18 + 1 to complete (Yami Shibai) Ongoing: 6

Pripri truly was a dark horse, totally did not expect it to be my AOTS. Makes me miss Bee Train and their guns + girls + yuri undertones yarns!

On to autumn where hopefully, more surprises lie.

Must watch: Kekkai Sensen S2, Mahou Tsukai no Yome, Shokugeki S3, Kino no Tabi, 3gatsu no Lion S2, Girls’ Last Tour, Hozuki no Reitetsu S2, Net-ju no Susume, Osomatsu-san S2, Osakefufu, Omitsuyo [11]

Most likely: Inuyashiki, Just Because, Kujisuna, Hoseki no Kuni, Code:Realize, Garo S3, Anime-Gataris, Two Car, Love Kome (HAHAHA) [9]

Not keen but….: Dies irae, Black Clover, Shobitch, 12 Taisen, Dia Horizon, Imoto sae Ireba ii, Osama Game, Blend S, Konohana Kitan, Urahara, Taisho Chicchai

Sequel Hell: Umaru-chan, UQ Holder, Love Live blah, Yuyuyu S2, Gintama Porori, WUG, ClassicaLoid, Time Bokan 24, Cardfight Vanguard G, Imas Cinderella, Ame-con!! (Fcuk this shit), Monster Strike,

Genre Hell: Sengoku Night Blood (Sengoku???? Again?????), Robomasters, Tsukipro, Idolmaster SideM, Dynamic Chord (maybe one of these idol anime will not suck? A la Magikyun??), Infini-T Force, Oretacha Yokai Ningen, Evil or Live (Chinese cartoons)

Trucking along: Ballroom, Fate/Apo, Goma-chan, Yoapa, Altair, Guruguru [6]

I’m happy things like Sareryu & Inazuma 11 got delayed to next year. Need breathing space! There’s also that Honeyworks thing that is not really a series & only comes in end-Nov. This list is not going to be sustainable….but I’m not going to give up! Ganba me!!

#misc

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thekawaiifanart · 2 years

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Truck-kun a la Arceus

#pokemon #pokemon legends arceus #legends arceus #pla #spoilers #legends Arceus spoilers #isekai #truck kun #arceus #dawn #sketch #art #my art #fanart

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a3-supeingo · 2 years

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Halloween (2021)

Diálogos de Halloween (31 de octubre de 2021)

Sakuya: Trick or treat! Qué bueno que tienes dulces... Nunca haría algo como gastarle una broma a alguien.

Masumi: Odio ver que los otros te hagan bromas. Me quedaré a tu lado el día entero. No te dejaré ir.

Tsuzuru: Ugh. Me quedé sin dulces, así que supongo que debo escoger el truco... pero aceptaré cualquier broma que me hagas.

Itaru: Trick or treat. ¿No tienes dulces? En ese caso, ¿qué tipo de broma quieres que te haga?

Citron: Truck or treatment! ...Esto es tratamiento y dulces, ¿sí? Eres muy inteligente, directora.

Chikage: Trick... Oh, me ganaste. Pero es una lástima, tengo una pila de dulces disponible.

Tenma: Trick or treat. ¿Mm? ¿Ya no tienes dulces? Entonces no me contendré y te haré una broma.

Yuki: ¿Cómo está ese disfraz? ...¿es lindo y te ajusta bien? Eso es obvio, dado que yo lo hice.

Muku: ¡Justo ahora Yuki-kun y yo tratamos de ponernos stickers de tatuajes que encontramos!

Misumi: ¡Directora, mira! Omi y yo hicimos juntos unas linternas~ ¡Sus ojos, nariz y boca son triángulos!

Kazunari: ¡Tu traje es completamente lindo! Oye, oye, ¡vayamos a tomar fotos enfrente de las linternas de calabaza!

Kumon: No tengo nada porque le di todos mis dulces a mi hermano... ¡Puedes hacerme una broma, directora!

Banri: Te encontré, Directora. Como el año pasado me obligaste a ponerme esa cosa rara en la cabeza, como venganza te haré una broma.

Juza: Le pedí a Yuki que me hiciera un disfraz que me ayudara a conseguir muchos dulces y, entonces, sugirió un disfraz de un gato negro... obviamente rechacé la idea.

Taichi: Estaba pensando en hacerle una broma a Chikage-san porque no traía ningún dulce, entonces empezó a sonreír y me asustó muchísimo...

Omi: ¿Debería hacer a Jack O'Lantern este año otra vez? Recibí algunas calabazas naranjas.

Sakyo: Tri-trick or treat... No, puedes quedarte con los dulces. Lo sabía. Me siento más cómodo dando dulces.

Azami: Aparte de los demás, también hice el maquillaje de Ken-san. Me hizo feliz el verlo tan contento...

Tsumugi: La Troupe de Verano está repartiendo dulces así que visita nuestras habitaciones. Te daré dulces de fantasma.

Tasuku: Oh, aquí estás. Tengo unas galletas de calabaza y okara para ti. ¿Ya fuiste a las otras habitaciones?

Hisoka: Te daré malvaviscos... Directora, trick or treat. Dame uno de esos.

Homare: Bienvenida al dormitorio 205 directora. Te daré cupcakes de calabaza.

Azuma: Bienvenida, directora. Tengo algunos manjuus de halloween para ti. Mira, este es lindo, ¿verdad?

Guy: Tengo una casa de dulces pequeña para ti. La pondré en una caja para que no se rompa. Pruébala después.

Matsukawa: Muchos, muchos dulces...♪ Oh, directora~ trick or tre... ¡ah, me ganaste!

Tetsuro: ...Directora ...trick ...or ...treat ...Seré... feliz... si me das... dulces.

Sakoda: ¡Hey, hey, hey~! ¡Quítense del camino, el desfile de los demonios va a pasar! ¿Ah? ¿Que soy muy ruidoso? Hombre, esta cosa de Halloween no es nada fácil, ¿eh?

#A3: Extras

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resident-normal-person · 4 years

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Great Warriors Crack Headcanons

all 13 of them were on a bus that got hit by Truck-kun

the Tower chose them right before impact, resulting in people (correctly) assuming that they got isekai’d. Whether it’s by rebirth or a portal, their loved ones will never know

they were on a school bus

they were all young (still in school) and took over the Tower, a la Choyoyu

#tower of god #tog #great warriors(tower of god)#isekai #truck-kun #my headcanons #crack #resident speaks

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chilly-territory · 5 years

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K Case Files of Blue 2, chapter 4 (part 1 out of 2)

Continuing with this, and the end is in sight! (one more part + epilogue is all that’s left)

Case Files of Blue 2 by Miyazawa Tatsuki

Chapter 4 (part 1/2) (volume 2, pages 197- 224) The Blues Rally

Dark clouds hang in the sky. The wind whistled. The door rattled noisily.

It was early morning, and Kamo Ryuuhou stood in the entryway to "Chuubairo". To make up at least a little for his stay, he decided to do a thorough cleanup of the kitchen. He'd finished sharpening knives and polished pots, then buying more of the condiments that were about to run out, doing grocery shopping and cleaning everything from drainage to ventilation fans - it was no exaggeration to say that the kitchen was licked squeaky clean.

His handpicked successor was scheduled to start tomorrow. It was a lady chef who Kamo had complete trust in to take good care of this eatery's future. She had studied under Kamo's father, which made her Kamo's fellow disciple. Having a frank and spirited personality, she was very kind and also a skilled chef at the same time. Kamo had specifically pulled 2 all-nighters to write down the recipes for her. If she had those, she could get to work without any delay tomorrow.

Kamo still stood in the doorway when a voice came.

"You're leaving?"

He turned to the source of the voice. In the darkness of the corridor there stood the young proprietress of this eatery. She wore a thin sleepwear that left her neck and both arms exposed, and their whiteness was starkly visible even without turning the lights on, as if the darkness was erased in those spots. Moist eyes and disheveled hair were strangely captivating. Kamo averted his eyes as if assaulted by the feelings of guilt.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" Having gotten no reply from Kamo, the proprietress repeated her inquiry.

But she had already understood. Kamo's white apron, his trademark as a chef, was gone, replaced by the blue uniform of the protector of order. Which could only mean that he'd been already done steeling his resolve.

Kamo's expression warped, as if in pain.

"To be honest, a part of me wished I could stay. But there are people out there who need me." "But so do I!" the woman suddenly cried out forcefully. Tears in her eyes, she implored, "I, too, need you!" She ran towards him with small steps and clang to his back. Pressing her cheek to his shoulder, she squeezed out in a whisper, "Can't it be me?"

Kamo shut his eyes, overcome with sadness.

"Sorry, but the cause..." He squeezed his fists tight. "I have a greater cause that I must protect."

He then bodily pulled away from the woman.

"A big storm is coming, so make sure to lock up the door. So long." He smiled. "Take care."

The woman broke down crying. Kamo purposefully pretended not to notice the hand she was reaching out towards him.

He opened the door, stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him, letting that banging sound sever all the lingering attachments for him. The last sight his eyes caught was that of the woman crumbled down on the floor, weeping.

Kamo started running through the incessant rain.

†

As he changed trains, heading towards the Scepter 4 HQ, all kinds of musings ran through Kamo's head - thoughts on what happiness was, and what it was that he must do.

But it was undeniable that the sense of duty made his hear tremble with exaltation. He'd heard that several members of the special ops squad were put out of commission, including Awashima. Scepter 4 would be hard pressed to function without him, no doubt.

Getting off at the nearest station and not bothering about opening an umbrella, Kamo broke into a run. It would be faster this way. And he wanted to be back at Scepter 4 as fast as possible and to do everything in his power.

According to Hidaka, even the electrical system of the HQ had started acting up.

Resolved to see the building sinking in the dark, Kamo couldn't help doubting his eyes when he finally arrived to stand in front of the entrance gates.

Every window was lit up with light. What's more, lively talk filled the front yard. Three special ops vehicles were parked there with engines running.

"Hurry up with the trucks' check! Once the Captain gives the order, all the vehicles will be deployed!"

The one to motivate the mechanics with those words in a taunt tone was none other than Awashima Seri wearing a blue raincoat.

'Eh, huh?' Kamo then thought. 'Wasn't she supposed to be MIA?'

As he stood there dumbstruck, the person in question noticed him and called out to him with a smile.

"Oh, Kamo. You're back."

Although she wore no makeup and was getting beaten by the rain, it took nothing away from her beautiful looks. If anything, she looked even more elegant, standing there coldly amidst the raging bad weather.

"Hurry up and go check in with the Captain. He's inside." "Ah, yeah," Kamo managed listlessly as he passed through the entrance after being prompted. Once he did, he ran into Gotou on the other side.

"Oh, Kamo-san. Welcome back~" Gotou passed him with those carefree words and an accompanying smile.

Without registering it, Kamo followed him with his eyes.

"Oh, Kamo-san. Welcome back. Sorry, but please make way for the dolly!" Hidaka was pushing a dolly with a floodlight mounted on it. The way he said those words couldn't be anymore routine.

Kamo proceeded forward giddily.

On the way, he passed Doumyouji who energetically raced somewhere - Kamo wasn't sure where.

"Oh, good to have ya back! And see ya later!"

As Doumyouji raised a hand in greeting, Kamo found himself doing the same. Although the return gesture on his part lacked energy.

Walking along the hallway, Kamo found the door to the data processing room opened, and through it the form of Enomoto animatedly working his computer could be glimpsed. Kamo wanted to call out to him, but then thought better of it. Somehow, he got a feeling that it wasn't the right time to bother the bespectacled man.

There was also Fuse who was talking to someone through the transmitter.

When Kamo had finally reached the Captain's office, he encountered the duo of Akiyama and Benzai there.

"Oh." "Glad to have you back with us."

Akiyama was the same as always, while Benzai gave him a slight bow and a smile. But that was all there was to it. The two then walked away at a quick pace as they were exchanging opinions on some subject or other on the way. By no means was this reunion especially moving or emotional.

For a while, Kamo just stared at their retreating backs.

Indistinct feelings started bothering him. Somehow... he couldn't accept what was happening.

And then, at last, Kamo managed to define them with a description which sounded suspiciously like 'What the heck, everyone's going around their business like usual!'

No, it didn't mean it was a bad thing per se, but...

Knocking on the door to the Captain's office that was left open, he entered.

"Ohh, welcome back, Kamo-kun." Munakata raised his face from the tablet he was reading reports on and smiled at the new arrival. "How was your time off?"

Kamo clamped down on the words welling up inside him, then straightened his back properly and saluted to his superior.

"Kamo Ryuuhou, returning to the assigned unit!"

His expression was a bit like laughter through tears.

Munakata smiled gently and nodded.

†

About the time Kamo was knocking on the door of the Captain's office, Fushimi had finally made a short while in his busy work schedule to take a break. Although it was called a break, it didn't really amount to much more than sipping canned coffee in the shadow of a pillar in a corridor that didn't see much traffic and fiddling with his PDA.

As he was doing precisely that, a new message dropped to his work address' inbox.

With a sigh, Fushimi opened it. And then...

"Huh?"

Without his intention, his expression turned grim.

It was from someone Fushimi had least expected to be getting mail from.

'Hello, Fushimi. How are you? It's Totsuka.'

Totsuka Tatara, one of the leaders of the Red clan Homura. That was who the message was from.

Fushimi clicked his tongue and muttered in a tone that was in equal parts fed up and impressed, "...How the hell does that guy know my work address?"

It went without saying that Fushimi would sooner die than tell it to anyone from the place he was affiliated with in the past. But he had to admit it was just like Totsuka having a grasp on things like this despite being an absent-minded oddball about everything else.

When Fushimi looked through the message, he found it was a letter of thanks for letting Totsuka peruse Scepter 4's documents the other day.

'Please give my thanks to Munakata Reishi-san and Zenjou-san who treated me extremely kindly.'

"I respectfully refuse. I'm not your messenger boy," Fushimi muttered his thoughts aloud.

Clicking his tongue once again, he was about to delete the message altogether when he found a postscript at the end of it.

'By the way, I have a message from Yata.'

Since that was what it said, he looked through the rest of it just in case.

'"The guy we met was the bad sort. He tried to kill Mikoto-san, and it turned into a full scale battle. So a warning for you. A huge storm is coming to Japan. Be careful," is what he says.'

"A huge storm is coming, eh?" Fushimi raised his head and snorted. "Well, duh, I can see that, moron."

The windowpanes rattled, shaken by the heavy rain and gales outside. The sky peeking through looked completely covered with leaden clouds.

Still, along with Yata's words, it was Totsuka's last remark that got Fushimi bothered. It read as follows: 'That storm Yata mentioned might be related to your case.'

For a while, Fushimi was deep in thought.

Seriously, what the hell had happened in Las Vegas?

†

In the Captain's office that Kamo had already left, Munakata was reading through a multitude of reports at an astounding pace. He would read anything written at a speed unthinkable for ordinary human on a regular basis, but today he increased that already amazing reading speed even more. It took him literally only a second to look through a report, memorize it, parse it, make a connection with other reports and reach a conclusion.

In other words...

'Looks like everything is going just the way I predicted, eh?'

Even to Munakata it was amusing, and his lips curved up a little in a tiny smile.

The reports covered quite a few areas. There was a message from Scepter 4 operatives about the seizure of a vehicle that Kounomura Zen'ichi had allegedly used, Japan Coast Guard's data on comings and goings to and from the harbor, information on the production of a certain construction that Munakata had ordered, and also news from Japanese Meteorological Agency.

Among them, there was a message from the young and capable attorney that had assisted Scepter 4 in the matters of Akiyama's defense, lawsuits against them and the mass media countermeasures.

The gist of his message was basically this: 'The moment Akiyama-san was found not guilty was when the tides had completely changed.'

It looked like by leaving that matter entirely to him and his trusted team of lawyers everything would be settled with no further trouble.

The message also contained the following bit: 'A few words about Doumyouji-san that you had put in charge of these matters. At first I wasn't sure it was a good choice, but surprisingly, it appears he really is equipped with the aptitude required to handle these kinds of matters. His grasp on what is vital is excellent. Truth be told, there is no pressing need for us specialists to keep an eye on the practical side of things when we handle the details of the judicial process. So in these types of cases, it is necessary for the client to understand what is important and what is not. And that is where Doumyouji-san left nothing to be desired. I daresay that is not something many youths can do. Moreover, his ever sincere attitude of an innocent child when dealing with the media apparently made a very favorable impression on them and won him a lot of sympathy.'

In a sense, it was high praise.

Munakata let out a tiny sigh. Actually, among all the personnel assignments this time, this was the one appointment he felt a little insecure about.

"Oh well, looking at the results, everything ended well, I suppose. If possible, I'd like for Doumyouji-kun to broaden his knowledge in this field from now on." But then Munakata reconsidered. "Although he's sure to go off the rails before he can apply it." He snickered.

In that sense, Doumyouji, perhaps, wasn't so well-suited to that kind of job. In Scepter 4, there were people with all kinds of personalities and all kinds of abilities. And bringing them together and giving them a direction to move in was Munakata's job.

It was at that time that his PDA emitted a beep to signal the arrival of a message. Munakata had already guessed what it was. A glance at the display confirmed his guess.

'Analysis complete. The location of Kounomura Zen'ichi identified with 92.978% probability,' the message from Tokijikuin read.

Although he half-forced them into allowing him to use their super computer, they didn't let it impact their job, doing it perfectly.

Munakata smiled.

"It's time at last, Kounomura-san." It was a truly refined smile without a speck of fighting mood. "I'm looking forward to seeing your face."

And so, he started towards the door out of his office to give the entire Scepter 4 move-out orders.

†

About the time Munakata received the message from Tokijikuin, Kounomura was on the top floor of a high class hotel that was still under construction.

He had a wearable PDA on him in the shape of a visor, reading thoroughly every piece of intelligence that was being sent him.

His reading speed was every bit as astounding as Munakata Reishi's. Piece after piece, he memorized and analyzed all the information the volume of which would be way too much for a regular person to process, which allowed him to grasp the situation accurately. That had become something of a daily routine to him since he'd initiated the confrontation with Scepter 4.

Reports from the observers dedicatedly watching Scepter 4's HQ, transmissions from the local police radio he'd wiretapped, communication records of the port facilities, the trains service information - all that and more formed innumerable informational fragments of the bigger picture. When he pieced all of them together in his head, Kounomura felt a sense of unity with the world.

Once Munakata got hold of required information, from there on out his thinking processes would unfold in a comparatively logical fashion, but in Kounomura's case, his perception was more ambiguous and more intuitive. As such, he let himself steep in the informational flood absentmindedly until the complete picture showed through it.

And then he burst into laughter. "Munakata-kun really is something. I should've known." His voice was slightly higher pitched than usual.

"Did you figure something out, Zen'ichi?"

Nakamura Gouki and Marumoto Keiji who had joined them at some point watched Kounomura seated in an armchair. Gouki looked composed, as usual, but Marumoto was somewhat nervous.

"Yeah. They've laid almost my every trick bare. I assume all the members of the special ops squad are back by now, too. Oh, and Kamo-kun seems to have returned as well. That's impressive, really, because in his case, pure coincidence was responsible for the turn of events so convenient to us, so all I did was simply watch it unfold without doing much, and yet he's still back at the most crucial time for them, just like that. Ah, and Munakata-kun sure acts quickly, so very quickly. He's making his moves one after another as we speak!"

Kounomura positively looked to be overjoyed. It was hard to believe that this was the same man who only recently represented gloom and doom.

Gouki smiled lopsidedly. "Zen'ichi, taking delight in your opponents' powerups is a bad habit, you know."

Meanwhile, Marumoto's expression turned openly anxious. "So what does that mean for us?"

It was Gouki who answered his question in place of Kounomura who was being wrapped tighter and tighter in the net of information galore.

"Well, I guess it's just a matter of time now before this hideout is found out." "Eh?" "Don't worry. You know how fast Zen'ichi is when he runs away, and you think he didn't take any measures? He's got dozens of countermoves at the tips of his fingers at any time." "Ah, I see. Great, then."

Marumoto Keiji had barely had any time to feel relieved when Kounomura spoke up in a stiff voice. "No."

Kounomura was shaken - a state that even his long time friend Gouki had seen only rarely, while Marumoto saw it for the first time.

"Huh? Eh? Wait a second." Kounomura rose, reading through the information changing on his wearable PDA with an incredible speed. "That's weird, what the hell?" "What's wrong, Kounomura-san?"

Marumoto tried to press for an answer, but Gouki's hand stopped him, demanding he let Kounomura concentrate.

When Kounomura spoke up, his lips were pressed together tight. "It can't be. Ah, I see. That's how it is. I can't believe it." He gave a laugh. "Out of 12 shelters here in Japan, 11 have already been cordoned off by the police and Scepter 4." "Eh?" "What?"

Marumoto and Gouki were reasonably shocked.

"Ah, and they've found my remaining shelter just now. Also, out of 24 routes out of the country that I had prepared, 22 are no longer usable. Oh, I get it." A shiver ran through his body. "Munakata-kun went and used the Coin Toss theory on me. Plans I'm likely to devise, actions I'm likely to take - he's analyzed it all and is now shutting them out one by one."

Gouki was speechless, Marumoto was dumbfounded.

Kounomura was getting covered with cold sweat as he went on, "What a pickle. There's still a move left up my sleeve that hasn't been predicted yet and another one that's probably impossible to even predict, but this bad weather renders them both effectively unusable."

"How is it possible?" After a long sigh, Gouki rolled his shoulders and giggled. "Oh well. Zen'ichi. I can't believe there was someone else who could use moves even craftier than you." "You said it. Ah," Kounomura opened his mouth. "This is not good. I'd say everything points to them having already figured out our location by now. They're massing the troops in front of their HQ. The dispatch orders are about to be given." "Eh? Eh?" Marumoto flapped about in confusion unable to keep up with the sudden turn of events. "What will become of us?"

Gouki gave him a wry smile. "We'll be arrested, I guess. After all, they mean business." "Ehhh?" "It's a given," Gouki added maliciously, "after how we've messed with them. Better prepare yourself while you can. If you're lucky, they'll only sock you a couple of times."

Hearing that, Marumoto's face fell, on the verge of weeping.

Just then...

"Agh!" Kounomura suddenly tore off his wearable PDA. He stood there in dazed amazement - something that even Gouki saw for the first time.

Looking at Gouki and Marumoto with an expression that was hard to describe but that could, perhaps, be that of rapture or of shivers-inducing fear, he muttered just one word, "Unbelievable."

"What happened, Zen'ichi?" That was enough to make even the ever composed Gouki worry.

"Munakata-kun has completely ignored us in favor of deploying the troops he'd gathered for arresting us to assist in relief and rescue instead." "Eh?" voiced Gouki. "Huh?" uttered Marumoto.

Both of them had their eyes opened wide in disbelief.

Kounomura shook his head with nakedly heartfelt delight, "What a man! What a man with a cause Munakata Reishi is!"

And then he burst into a loud laughter seemingly coming from the very bottom of his heart.

Gouki and Marumoto could only watch him, speechless.

†

Munakata, wearing a cobalt blue raincoat under the incessant rain, stood on the roof of a truck with a voice amplifier in hand.

Before him, there lined up in neat rows the members of the special operations squad in the raincoats of the same color worn over the head.

Akiyama Himori, Benzai Yuujirou, Kamo Ryuuhou, Doumyouji Andy, Enomoto Tatsuya, Fuse Daiki, Gotou Ren, Hidaka Akira - with the exception of Fushimi who was on a separate mission they all had assembled there, none of them missing anymore.

Awashima Seri also stood there, by Munakata's side, facing them.

Even beaten by large droplets of the rain and harassed by the blasts of the ceaseless wind, they all were showing elation on their faces. Fighting spirit and determination burned in their eyes. They finally knew the whereabout of Kounomura Zen'ichi - the man who dared make sport of them. Once they had the orders from their superior, they were willing and ready to hunt him down like hounds and aprehend him. Doumyouji and Fuse were especially eager, for all intents and purposes looking like they'd take off running any moment now.

"Ehem. Gentlemen," Munakata began speaking so calmly that his manner might be more fittingly described as carefree. Waiting when the static noise died out, he continued, "We have finally pinned down the location of Kounomura-shi. As such, I intended to go catch him, but..." His tone was completely devoid of any urgency. "Let's put that on hold for now."

That declaration threw several members of the special ops squad quite literally off balance. They all were single-mindedly prepared to hunt, and being denied it robbed them of their bearings or left them struck dumb.

Munakata went on indifferently. "I saw the Meteorological Agency's data, you see. A big tempest that might even be called unprecedented is on the way to this city. A rainstorm with wind speeds of 40 meters is expected to rampage throughout the area, with thunderbolts and heavy rain paralyzing most urban functions. Needless to say," suddenly he looked very serious, "that will put quite a few people in danger."

The faces of the special ops squad members tightened in response.

Munakata continued in an intense tone. "I dispatched Fushimi-kun earlier, and he's already finished making necessary arrangements. So gentlemen, during the time this storm rages, I want each and every of you to cooperate with the Fire Defense and Police Agencies and local autonomous units and do what you must do as members of Scepter 4!" His features then softened. "That said, this sort of matter is outside of our area of expertise. That's why we must always keep in mind to be humble when requesting to let us help and to respect and listen to the opinion of the professionals in those areas. If we do that," he asserted in no uncertain terms, "our super power will become the shield that defends the innocent citizens, no doubt." With that, he smiled. "Compared to this duty, the matter of Kounomura-shi is but trifle. We can easily postpone it and work something out later, at any time."

Those words were bound to send a shiver running down the spines of those listening. Their king had just called the possessor of talents that could only be described as abnormal who gunned for his throne nothing more than 'trifle'. Each of the Scepter 4 troops felt a surge of strong emotion, moving their hearts and making them straighten up with pride.

What was the greater cause?

To this king, it wasn't simply a figure of speech, he held to it steadfastly as one would to a belief or conviction.

Nevertheless, Akiyama still found it necessary to ask something.

"It is a reasonable to fear that Kounomura would flee his hideout in the meantime. Is it okay with you, sir?"

He just wanted to confirm it for himself.

"Let me think. If some of us find themselves free after fulfilling their duty by assisting the government agencies in relief and rescue, let's arrest him while we're at it."

The instructions Munakata had issued concerning that matter were quite vague. But the special ops squad members answered him with a 'Yes, sir!' regardless.

Munakata smiled.

"Well then, gentlemen, let us move out. Only, this time there is no need for us to draw our swords." Raising his voice, he declared, "For our cause is pure!"

His catchword was suddenly answered by Akiyama. "Akiyama, dispatching!" Making motions as if he was drawing his sword, he took his leave.

Benzai followed suit with a chuckle. "Benzai, dispatching!"

Kamo smiled. "Kamo, dispatching!"

"Doumyouji, dispatching! Here I go!" Doumyouji shouted gleefully as he raced off.

Enomoto and Fuse exchanged a glance. "Enomoto, dispatching!" "Fuse, dispatching!"

With that, Enomoto headed towards the command vehicle to devote himself to performing the operator job, while Fuse, as a field agent, sped off in the opposite direction to be on the scene of the disaster.

Gotou and Hidaka repeated the same stately motion of drawing their sword in turn. "Gotou, dispatching!" "Hidaka, dispatching!" They, too, then went off.

Awashima was the last one to fluidly unsheathe her invisible sword. "Awashima, dispatching... Captain," she smiled charmingly, "off I go then, sir."

Munakata's lips curved up in an answering smile as he watched her go.

"Our cause may be pure, but the same could not be said about the sky," he pointed out. Luckily there was no one around anymore to hear him make that silly remark.

†

Majority of the general public closed their doors tightly, took cover under their futons and then dozed off while listening to the updates on weather and disaster reports on the TV news or the internet. With modern disaster prevention technology, impossible a few dozens years back, one's safety was more or less guaranteed unless one decided to venture outside. However, the residents of old wooden houses and those who had to go outside due to the nature of their work still had a very good reason to worry.

Also, in some areas power cables got severed, which caused blackouts, and even fires resulting from ensuing short-circuiting. So the fire and police stations were pressed to operate at full capacity even at times such as this. And in the thick of it, a group in blue uniforms could be found cooperating with the public agencies.

They helped local crews repair embankments in places where they were likely to burst, freed ambulances with emergency patients from mud traps and did everything they could to protect the city against the disaster, like silent shadows. The police, the fire deparment and other pertinent agencies were greatly helped by those wielders of supernatural powers beyond common sense.

As were ordinary people living in the city such as the lady owner of a small eatery who had a little son.

In all honesty, she didn't think any harm would come to them because of this storm. But misfortune had paid them a sudden visit. An election advertisement board got launched by a blast of the gale, smashing the windows of the second floor and letting in heavy rain and wind. The child had started to cry, and the woman, holding him in her arms, found herself at a loss. She couldn't think of anything one woman entirely on her own could do.

As she was puzzling, a dashing young man she knew very well clad in a blue uniform appeared. He and a few of his colleagues rushed to the house and quickly completed stop-gap repairs. It appeared the gales so mighty they could send even an adult flying if one was not careful and the torrential downpour that beat down anything in its path with violence had no effect on them.

"Are you okay?" The man she once idolized as 'onii-chan' worried about her. He wore a dignified face resolute in a way different from when he stood in the kitchen. "Thank you," she said. "I'm okay now." "I'm sorry," said the man apologetically. "But there are still other places I have to go to." "Then, go," she replied in a flash.

She hugged the baby closer to her chest. Protecting this child was her job, while this man had a different job he needed to do, she realized.

After a while of silence, the man said, "Thank you. See you again sometime." "Yeah. Take care," she replied with a smile.

And so, he threw himself into the raging storm once again in order to help more people.

Having watched him go, she shed a single tear and decided to get stronger.

Her face was that of a mother who had overcome a difficulty.

†

In the dead of night, in the lobby of a certain hotel still under construction, there stood Fushimi Saruhiko. The result of the analysis stated that this was where Kounomura Zen'ichi and several of his followers hid themselves. Fushimi had completed his duty for the time being and, thus, was free to go after Kounomura's group faster than anyone else in Scepter 4. To be precise, he had provided necessary relief and rescue assistance in the area he had been assigned to and urgently contacted the relevant authorities, and somehow or other he'd been done with that in about 30 minutes. He had a plan worked out.

'I alone will be more than enough.'

Now that Munakata Reishi had seen through his opponent's every possible trick and stratagem, the Kounomura Zen'ichi faction had become nothing more than a paper tiger. There were presumably three of them hiding in here: Kounomura Zen'ichi himself, Nakamura Gouki and Marumoto Keiji. Among them, only Nakamura Gouki, a strain with a power that gave him herculean strength, could be considered formidable, but by Fushimi's estimations, even he couldn't be much more than Fushimi's own abilities allowed him to handle.

Fushimi was advancing further into the lobby of the first floor.

The opening ceremony for this hotel had been pushed back a month, but the interior of the building was pretty much already complete. The lights on the ceiling were on, and movables like sofas and tables had already been brought in.

Sweeping his wet bangs that clung to his forehead back, Fushimi muttered, "I see, it makes sense."

This hotel was perfectly ready for living even at this stage. Despite the fact, its name had yet to be added to digital maps. Kounomura had probably been moving from one such place to another all this time. It was also safe to assume that he was involved with the construction company or the hotel's management in some way.

Just as Fushimi thought that...

"Oh, Fushimi-kun, that was quite fast," his superior appeared from a shadow of the hallway and addressed him.

Fushimi very nearly clicked his tongue at him but managed to suppress the urge just barely.

"You're here, too, Captain," he muttered vacantly.

It was probably just Munakata being Munakata. Having finished everything that his duty demanded him to do with that ever nonchalant air, he'd arrived here even faster than Fushimi himself. Those ridiculously high capabilities were what made him Fushimi's boss alright, but sometimes it was just so very annoying.

"Fushimi-kun," Munakata inquired, "how much time do you think you can spare for this?" "From half an hour to an hour, I estimate. Then I'll go back to my assigned area." "I see. It's about the same for me, too. The storm has yet to show any signs of passing, after all." Munakata then smiled. "Well then, let's go, shall we?" "..." Fushimi only nodded wordlessly.

"Captain! Please wait!"

It was then that the automatic doors to the lobby opened, letting in a sprinting Awashima. She was soaked to the bone and dripping water, and she also was breathing hard, but still she lifted her head almost immediately.

"I'm going, too. Please let me accompany you!"

She, too, made some time for this somehow or other.

For a while, Munakata gazed at her gently before finally saying, "Alright. Since there is not much time to spare, let's split the workload. Each of us will take care of one of the opponents. Is that alright with you?" "Yes, sir!" Awashima's reply was loud and clear. "...Roger." Fushimi quietly nodded his agreement as well.

And then, the trio split up, each heading to the elevator, the staircase or the emergency stairs respectively.

#k case files of blue #k project #project k #k translation

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itsuki-minamy · 2 years

Text

RED CASE FILES: HOMRA IN LAS VEGAS

CHAPTER 2: NIGHTLESS CASTLE IN THE DESERT

* List of Chapters

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

Two men were looking at each other in the dry desert.

One was stripped to the waist, and though his woolen hat had fallen off, his eyes still held uncontrollable anger.

One person was leaning against the seat of the white truck, wearing an annoyed smile that seemed to enjoy his anger rather than anything else.

Misaki Yata and Saruhiko Fushimi. The two men looked at each other in the brilliant heat.

"Yata-san! I'm glad I finally found you!"

Suddenly, a voice echoed from behind the vehicle.

Yata opened his eyes and looked over there. There was a familiar face in the back seat of the boxcar. Akagi, Dewa, Fujishima, the people who were supposed to be in Japan leaned forward with joy.

Bando muttered in astonishment.

"Shohei? Why are you here...?"

"Ah, San-chan! No, actually there are several things."

"Hey."

Fushimi coldly interrupted the conversation. With a knife look at the backseat, as if he was throwing it.

"This story comes first. Don't get in the way, San-chan."

Akagi was full of words, and Yata felt anger rise from his temples.

"There's no reason for me to tell the traitor. Bastard. What did you come for, Saru?"

A teasing smile appeared on Fushimi's mouth.

"It's a job. Unlike you, who have free time, I'm a civil servant here. I have to go on a business trip abroad."

"Because you are a dog in blue, will you come to America if a bone is thrown at you? It is not like a monkey. There is no such possibility that you pass through here, what is the purpose?"

Fushimi's smile deepened. With his elbows on the window, he brought his face closer to Yata's.

"Is it a situation where you can say that? Think about your position with me now and say it properly."

"……"

Yata clenched his fist tightly.

The California sun was burning his neck. The dry wind evaporated the sweat in the blink of an eye and mercilessly deprived the body of water. In fact, Eric was dehydrated and fell. If he was left as he was, there was no doubt that he would fall into a serious situation.

"I'll say it again, Misaki. If you ask someone for something, there's a way to say it, right?"

Yata is the captain of "Homura". It was definitely himself who intervened in this situation. So he had to be the one to take responsibility.

Yata bowed his head as he bit his lip.

"...Saru. Ask. I'm begging you. At this rate, Eric will die if you don't help him."

"……"

Fushimi's facial expression had changed to something that looked bored.

5 seconds or 10 seconds. Fushimi lightly squeezed his chin after a choked silence.

"Get him in the back. There's water in the car."

Yata looked back and nodded. Bando and Chitose carried Eric, and Kamamoto, who had come to his senses, hurriedly opened the back seat door. Fujishima, who was inside, laid Eric down in the car and doused his lips with water from a plastic bottle.

After seeing Kamamoto board, Yata returned to Fushimi. Fushimi looked at him suspiciously.

"What are you doing? Get in quick."

"I won't go up."

A voice hard as steel bounced off the words.

"The reason I bowed down was for you to help them. I won't go up. I'll stay here."

Surprised, Kamamoto and the others stuck their faces out the window and shouted.

"What are you talking about, Yata-san?!"

"You're going to stay here; do you really want to die?!"

Yata didn't reply to that, but looked at Fushimi. He held the "Homura" mark that was on his left collarbone as if he was scratching it.

"I still can't forgive you for desecrating this pride, Saruhiko. It's better to hang out here than lay my head on a traitor and survive."

Fushimi narrowed his eyes and muttered coldly.

"...So is."

He turns forward and lift the window. The engine roared and the vehicle began to move slowly. A member in the car yelled to stop Fushimi, but he silently continued to press the accelerator. In the blink of an eye, the vehicle sped up and sped off, finally disappearing beyond the horizon.

Yata wiped away the sweat and started walking again.

++++++++++

How much time had passed since then?

The bright sunlight did not weaken, and the heat and dryness gradually drained Yata of his physical strength. As Yata walked down the road, he turned his grudge against the sky. The sky in California was as blue as black, and no clouds could be found anywhere.

At that time, he was about to lose the strength of his body and wanted to lie down on the road. Each time, Yata shook his head and berated himself. He couldn't die in a place like that. Anyway, he had to join the "Homura" members and play hard in Las Vegas. Good rice. Overflowing money. By the way, he would punch Fushimi in the face...

Yata stabbed his knee on the spot.

"Damn."

Consciousness was stunned. The field of vision was blurred. Desperately shaking off the thoughts that seemed to arise so far, Yata looked past the road that swayed in the heat.

Something was shining on the road.

At first, Yata paid no attention to him. He thought the bumpers and empty cans that had slipped were just reflecting light. Instead, he had to move to survive.

As he got closer, it became clear what was glowing.

It was a PET bottle.

Yata opened his eyes and approached with an unbelievable expression. When he picked up the PET bottle, he could feel the heavy weight in his hand.

As he held his breath, he opened the lid, placed it to his lips, and tilted.

Viscous water flowed into the dry mouth.

Even if he became slimy, it seemed to Yata like the finest sweet dew. He stopped thinking and swallowed hard, snorting. As the water level dropped by half, Yata suddenly returned to sanity. He couldn't drink it all. He didn't know when he could rehydrate next time. He had to save it in order to survive.

Yata hit his cheek with both hands.

"Ok!"

The relief of surviving restored vitality to the withered legs. Yata started walking down the road again as he carefully grabbed the plastic bottle with both hands.

Suddenly, he turned his gaze forward.

The road was flooded with strong sunlight. The water in the plastic bottle he bathed in was lukewarm but not rotten. That means it hadn't been long since it hit the ground.

Until now, there hadn't been any cars that had passed on that road other than that white van.

That's what he believed.

So who dropped that plastic bottle?

As the color of the sky changed from purple to ultramarine and the stars began to flutter in the sky, Yata heard the sound.

Sound of an engine. A car was running.

With the expression that he was finally saved, Yata raised his hands and tried to stop the car with his whole body. It was not necessary. The truck slowed down and stopped well in front of Yata. The driver jumped.

Not that he didn't expect this situation. Still, his English did not come out. Yata desperately spoke, moving his tangled tongue and his head forcefully.

"Ah, uh...hell! Help, too! Aim...um...um, come on, Las Vegas!"

"Las Vegas?"

"Oh, yeah! Las Vegas! Las Vegas!"

The driver blinked. He had a deeply carved face and dark skin. He shook his head and asked questions.

"Chinese? Japanese?"

The word Japanese was barely audible. Yata nodded many times,

"Ah, yes! So, Japanese!"

"Oh!"

The driver smiled and gave a thumbs up with his right hand out.

"Japanese! Nostalgic! Well, get on!"

Yata stared in astonishment at his right hand wrapped in black gloves. However, he immediately grasped the situation and quickly made his way to the passenger seat. As he sat down on the seat, he was thankful for his unexpected luck.

"Ah, thanks! Thanks, man! You really saved me!"

"Hahaha! No problem! It's a bit tight in here though!"

With a cheerful smile, the driver hit the steering wheel and immediately started the car. Yata hurriedly closed the door and fastened his seat belt. The driver looked at Yata out of the corner of his eye and smiled.

"Boy, what's your name?"

The usual Yata would have been angry at being treated like a child, but of course that kind of anger had not increased now. He answers honestly.

"It's Yata. Misaki Yata. What about you?"

"Edward! Call me Ed!"

"Well, Ed. No, thank you very much. If I had stayed like this, I would have been really dry or frozen."

Shaking himself off, Yata turned his gaze out the window. That heat was like a lie, and it was cold at night. Even if he managed to escape dry death, he might have frozen to death if Ed hadn't passed by.

"You walked through Death Valley, the Japanese have guts."

Yata smiled bitterly at the familiar word "guts" coming from foreigners.

"Ed is incredibly good at Japanese. Have you been there?"

"Yes! I lived there! It's nostalgic, my young days, it was more than 10 years ago."

"Hey... is it work?"

"Hmm, well, that kind of kanji? What about Misaki? Why are you going to Las Vegas?"

"That's a long story! Listen!"

Yata began to speak as if he had cut a dam. He desperately works part-time to save money and try to travel abroad for the first time with all his friends, but the destination was Los Cabos, and the van they got in to cross the border cheaply was actually from an illegal immigrant. That's it, and Yata suddenly stopped talking.

"Really?"

Ed's eyes widened as if he was surprised. Yata believed that he was in trouble. He talks too much, maybe they'll take him to the police, he wondered if he should cheat, but when he thought so much, Ed burst out laughing.

"Hahahahaha! Misaki, you! The Japanese have guts, I love them!"

"Well… really?"

"Yes! And I'm a friend too! Because I'm a foreigner too, it's okay!"

He said something out of the ordinary. Ed shrugged happily at Yata, who was scared.

"I was not born in the United States in the first place. Mexico! From Mexico to Nihon to Fuhonukoku, then from Nihon to the United States to Fuhonukoku. Ok! You rarely see a Japanese! Ordinary Japanese is not that crazy!"

Apparently, this guy named Ed seemed to be pretty tough. Perhaps he noticed Yata's confusion when he replied, "Uh, oh…". Ed casually got back on topic.

"And then, did you go to Las Vegas? You're not having such a bad time; can you go home on your way?"

"Well, that is..."

Then Yata suddenly stopped talking.

"Why did you want to go to Las Vegas?"

Anna won the ticket for the tour and everyone decided to go. Aside from Anna and Suoh, Kusanagi and Totsuka weren't dissatisfied with the fact that they were going. Since there were only four tickets, it was only natural that there were only four people in the end.

What he was really unsatisfied with was that they couldn't go together.

Therefore, Yata was burned. He tried to go to Las Vegas with all the instructions so that everyone could go. Those who didn't want to go couldn't be helped, but at least Kamamoto, Bando and Chitose agreed with Yata's philosophy. Doing a black part-time job, suffering all kinds of problems, the passion to go beyond the desert was born there.

Where he got stuck.

"I think because I have friends."

That was it.

Ed looked at Yata. Embarrassed, Yata scratched his cheek. But Ed didn't make fun of him or make a fool of him. With a bitter smile on his mouth, he nodded deeply.

"I see. Friends are important. I get it."

Yata was a bit surprised and looked at Ed. Ed smiled, but his gaze seemed to be somewhere far away. Yata stopped talking, thinking that he might be remembering his "friends". Everyone has memories they want to treasure.

Looking out the window again, Yata noted the change.

Before he knew it, the desolate desert was over. The two-lane highway had changed to four lanes, and beyond that, it was even wider. The volume of traffic was also different from before, and SUVs and sports cars were beginning to be seen here and there, mixed with large trucks and wagons.

In the distance, the night sky lit up brilliantly.

Ed walked over laughing to Yata, who opened his mouth halfway and looked at him.

"About time to arrive. The proud jewels of America's Nevada. Welcome to Las Vegas!"

++++++++++

This city is full of colors and light.

No matter where you look, neon lights and lightning will be reflected in your field of vision. Bright reds, poisonous purples, luxurious whites, and golds shimmer throughout, and it's a bit of a flicker for the eyes after a long plane ride.

If you look into the distance, the sky lights up brightly. Perhaps looking down from space, the city must appear to be a dome of light that drives out the darkness. Simply "City without night". Kusanagi and his friends have landed in Las Vegas, a city without night.

"Anna. Isn't it cold?"

Kusanagi called out to Anna's back as she walked out of the airport and stopped. Anna didn't react. She opened her mouth and looked at the city that was still shining.

For a moment, Kusanagi felt sorry for Anna.

What they see is different from what Anna sees. Due to a congenital disease, her eyes can only see red. The avalanche of colors that was spreading at that moment seemed vague to him.

Still, Anna seemed amused.

The life she has led until now is very different from that of a normal child. As a Strain, under the patronage of the Red Clan, she doesn't even go to school. To her, who has lived in the warm, cramped world of Bar HOMRA, the colors of Las Vegas may seem magnificent, if at all.

"Yes, Anna. Take this."

Totsuka handed Anna a steaming paper cup. It was hot chocolate. Anna grabbed it and took a sip as she looked at the sight in front of her. Her face was smiling.

"Delicious."

"Yes? Good! It's a souvenir of my first victory, so feel free to drink!"

Kusanagi was surprised at the word "first victory".

"Well, Totsuka. Have you already done that?"

"Because there are already slots at the airport? If so, I have no choice but to do it!"

Totsuka made a peace sign and Kusanagi showed a bitter smile on his face.

Surely, as Totsuka says, there are a lot of slot machines installed in the airport baggage claim. Tourists are sucked in like bugs jumping into a moth lantern by a cluster of machines that emit fluffy blue and purple light. It was a suitable setting for the entrance of the casino city.

Totsuka said with a smile as he waved the withdrawal coupon.

"I bet $100 and win $110. Well, the first game goes like this."

"Was it moderate? No, how did you feel?"

"Looks like I was finally able to quit smoking on the plane, so I said I'd smoke somewhere. Uh…"

Totsuka looked around and solidified. His smile was just as stiff. Seeing that, Kusanagi was caught in an unpleasant premonition.

It quickly came true.

"Kusanagi-san, maybe it's bad."

Kusanagi followed Totsuka's line of sight and also stiffened in the same way.

Suoh was surrounded by security guards.

Even in such a situation, he was truly a personality to calmly smoke cigarettes. However, in a foreign country where words cannot be understood, Suoh's personality only had the opposite effect. He could see from a distance that the guards were frustrated by that attitude. If Suoh was touched, Suoh would not hesitate: Kusanagi knew too much about the character of the Red King.

"Wait, wait, wait! Mikoto, hold still!"

As he yelled, Kusanagi ran towards them. Anna mysteriously watched his back as she tilted the cup of chocolate.

++++++++++

The truck stopped and Yata landed on the ground from the passenger seat.

"Uh, oh...this is Las Vegas!"

What he saw was a scene that he had only seen in movies and photographs. Heavy stones that make you feel history pile up endlessly towards the sky. Yes, this was the world-famous quadrangular pyramid, the Great Pyramid of Giza, which contained the sublime pharaoh's coffin.

Why is it in Las Vegas, it shouldn't be in Egypt of course? Why is the Sphinx sitting instead of the front door? He had many doubts and Yata was amazed. It was decided that this pyramid-shaped hotel would be the inn for Yata and his group during their stay in Las Vegas.

"Over there. It's famous, the pyramid! I know it too!"

As Ed said, the "pyramid" only seems to reach the locals. If so, this way can be quite useful on its own.

Yata looked back at the truck and gave a thumbs up with a big grin.

"Seriously, thanks, Ed! Thanks to you, I think I can finally join my friends!"

"Hahaha! No problem, Misaki! Say hello to your friends!"

Ed laughed happily too and gave a thumbs up and started the truck. Yata took off his beanie to a friend he met during the trip, he was shaking it until he couldn't see the truck.

A sudden call came from behind him.

"Yata-san! You're safe!"

Looking back, Akagi and Bando were about to jump out of the hotel like they were rolling. Yata smiled and opened his arms.

"Oh! Have you guys arrived yet?"

"I arrived at night and then I ran to help Yata-san! Kamamoto-san, Chitose and Dewa are now looking for a rental car or a taxi."

"Then, it's alright for you to come back, please contact them! My PDA can't be used here yet."

"I understand!"

Bando took out his PDA and began to make a phone call. As he glanced sideways, Yata asked Akagi.

"How's Eric?"

"He's sleeping in the room right now. I've seen a doctor, but it seems his life isn't in danger since it's mild heat stroke, and if he gets a night's rest, he'll recover soon. Fujishima is taking care of him, so I think he'll be fine."

"Oh! I'm glad..."

Yata exhaled deeply. If you get injured or sick due to your own poor driving, you can't really enjoy traveling. After deciding to check on the situation later, Yata looked up at the top of the pyramid.

For a while, after looking at this, Yata opened his mouth.

"What happened to that guy?"

It seems that he just came up with it. Akagi shook his head, looking up.

"When he brought us here, he left early. He had a job to do."

"I work…? Well, why did you come to this place in the first place? Also, with you?"

At that question, Akagi scratched his head as if he was weakened.

"I don't really get that either. When he was out, he suddenly came over and asked me where King was."

"Mikoto-san...?"

Yata's facial expression turned steep. "Scepter 4", where Fushimi belongs, is an organization that has a skirmish with "Homura". If such a person was looking for a "King" at work, he could not have been calm.

Akagi continued to explain in a traceable manner.

"When I said he was going to Las Vegas, he started contacting somewhere. So, we were on the sidelines too, so he told me to follow him and they put me in the car, and by the time I knew it, I was on a plane."

"Huh?! Guys, the Blues are our enemies! They told those guys where Mikoto-san is, and that's why you guys got trapped?!"

When Yata got angry, Akagi shrugged and Bando, who had ended the call, said something.

"It's different, Yata-san. Fushimi said that Mikoto-san is in danger. If he tells them that, Shohei and his friends can't just hold his fingers and look at him, right?"

Agitation spread in his chest.

Mikoto Suoh is in danger. If he had heard it, he would have laughed with his nose. He does not believe that there are so many things in the world that can harm the Red King.

However, on the other hand, Yata trusted Fushimi in a way. He is a traitor, dark, cunning, sarcastic, disgusting, and extremely capable. If such a man says "dangerous", it is definitely "yes".

"What is that danger?"

"Yata-san, do you remember Mizuchi?"

Mizuchi's name didn't immediately stick in his head. He tilted his head, he thought for a moment and said, "Oh.".

"Mizuchi, I'm sure he was the bad guy who kidnapped Anna and locked her up in a place called "downtown", and Mikoto-san finally beat him up. What happened to that guy?"

Bando's cheeks tightened with tension and he answered the question.

"He looks like he broke out of prison a while ago. He flew overseas, so he's here in Las Vegas now."

#k #k project #suoh mikoto #k stories #k seven stories #homra #k-project #yata misaki #las vegas #kusanagi izumo #kushina anna #fushimi saruhiko #scepter 4 #totsuka tatara #mikoto suoh #kamamoto rikyo #k novel

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