Code Bm3: Kaiju City 2
Index
- Wild Roar
- Dreams and Desire
- Faith Mountain, Migrating Sea
- Shrine Maidens
- Board Game
- Tools and Machines
- Constellation Jewelry Box
- Bug-Loving Princess
- Caveats and Mutations
- Water God’s Secret Passage
- Made by a Dragon
- Worm Hole
- Bake Today, Brew Tomorrow
- The Gods' Selection
- Foreign God
- Nommo Spirit
- Forgery
Wild Roar
You
(W-We did it...!)
Azusa
[It's not over yet. Some are still alive.]
Azusa
[We'll handle this. Please stay back.]
Rabbit 2
Lady Otohime, Lady Kannagi...!
Azusa
[I'll deal the final blow.]
Azusa
[I do not sense Nayotake nearby. Let's continue on.]
Azusa
[Your Eminence, please come with us.]
You
(OK...!)
You
(Huh?!)
You
(It happened again... They randomly disappeared... Or maybe it's more like the scene was forcibly switched?)
You
(There's no point trying to figure it out right now. Besides, I'm more interested in knowing about this girl...)
You
(She looks too innocent to be a kaiju. And she doesn't seem to have any intentions of attacking.)
You
(But she's completely mute and expressionless like every other kaiju. Maybe they express emotions differently to humans.)
You
(If she didn't want to communicate, then she would have no reason to appear before me...)
You
(That means... She's trying to tell me something...?)
You
(H-How cute!)
You
(...)
You
(No, I need to focus.)
You
(Her movements... this has to mean something.)
You
(Actually... now that I look closely, this one isn't expressionless!)
You
(She's different from all the other kaiju that I've come across!)
You
(Maybe she's trying to tell me something extremely important―)
You
(Argh! It happened again!)
Renko
(Phew, we finally managed to come back!)
Merry
(I doubt our efforts had anything to do with it.)
Merry
(It kind of feels like we're just asleep when we can't go out onto the main stage like this. It's not scary at all.)
Renko
(But it sure is weird to be able to feel and have thoughts while we're asleep!)
Renko
(Oh, hello PLAYER. What's new? Has anything changed since last time?)
You
(I'm so glad to see the two of you again...)
You
(...But I'd have liked to observe that girl just a bit longer!)
Dreams and Desire
Renko
(Hm, OK, I kind of understand the situation now.)
Merry
(I think I understand, but then again, there's a lot that doesn't make any sense.)
Renko
(Yeah, there are even more questions now, right?!)
Merry
(Doesn't that mean we're right back where we started?)
Renko
(Not at all. Knowledge only makes us more aware of the unknown. So having more questions is actually a good thing.)
Merry
(Well, I guess it's always good to have a positive outlook.)
Renko
(But I'm really curious about this whole foreign god and "Your Eminence" thing.)
Merry
(It's not something new, is it? They've been calling PLAYER that ever since she got here.)
You
(Yes. A foreign god... is a god that originated in a foreign land...)
Renko
(This is a term that you come across in Japanese mythology. It's generally used to refer to the Buddha.)
Merry
(You mean PLAYER is the Buddha? Is that a good thing? Or a bad thing...?)
You
(Well, technically, they're referring to the "other me." I wonder who this person is to deserve such devotion.)
Merry
(Oh, I know!)
Merry
(Maybe it's not because you're the Buddha... Maybe they're calling you a foreign god because you're a divine marebito.)
Renko
(What do you mean?)
Merry
(Although this country embraces all cultures, it has its boundaries. A repetition of alternating between...)
Merry
(...the amalgamation and separation of cultures, sometimes in parallel. Marebito are people with that kind of spiritual nature.)
Merry
(The Buddha just happens to be one example of a foreign god. They are all just convenient gods from the outside.)
Renko
(Wait, Merry... What does that mean?)
Merry
(Hehe!)
Merry
(What's so confusing? A god is just someone who appears to fulfill a wish, a desire, or a prayer.)
Renko
(...?)
Renko
(Yeah, I guess that is what it means to be a god.)
Renko
(Some gods are spirits that normally can't physically exist in a location. You could even call them divine spirits.)
Renko
(The existence of such a god is more supernatural. And any being that exists independent of flesh is called a spirit.)
Renko
(This makes sense because, in most cases, it is inconvenient for paranormal phenomena to have a physical form.)
Renko
(The law of conservation of mass would cause problems if a channeler called forth a physical body.)
Renko
(A spirit, on the other hand, would cause no such problems. Thus, many gods are regarded as divine spirits.)
Renko
(...)
You
(After hearing you speak, I've finally understood what Merry was trying to say...!)
Renko
(Me too... I finally understood what she meant after saying it myself.)
Merry
(Hehe!)
Renko
(A god is a divine spirit... which is why they can be summoned immediately, whenever required.)
Renko
(Mass, speed, energy, distance... none of that matters, as long as the prayer is heard.)
Renko
(A divine spirit can be summoned from a foreign land...!)
You
(So, in a way, this "other me," who I'm possessing, is a god-like being because of survivorship bias, correct?)
You
(...)
You
(I can understand the logic, but all of this is still very strange.)
Renko
(Hm, it's just...)
You
(...?)
Renko
(No, I mean...)
Renko
(This is a dream.)
Renko
(I mean, I know this isn't normal, but aren't we currently inside a dream?)
Merry
(I guess so... since all of this started happening after we fell asleep. But what about it?)
Renko
(Isn't it obvious? Dreams are a way to communicate with gods.)
Merry
(Are you talking about gods that use dreams as a means to convey prophecies?)
Renko
(Well, that might also be related...)
Renko
(Doesn't all of this fall within your expertise, Merry?)
Renko
(A dream is like a stage where latent desires are expressed. You could say it's a place where the brain chooses to pray.)
Renko
(That's why we also use the word dream to refer to our aspirations for the future.)
Merry
(Oh, you certainly have a point there...)
Merry
(I see what you mean now.)
Merry
(Gods are concepts that are brought into existence by prayers. Gods exist because prayers exist. In other words―)
Merry
(―A god is a prayer in itself.)
Renko
(You could say that...)
Renko
(So it may not be so strange that there is a world where our dream selves are inadvertently treated as gods, after all.)
Renko
(Though I guess in this world, the body PLAYER is in, is the only one being treated as a god.)
Renko
(We're just some mysterious ghost characters...)
Renko
(Maybe the phenomenon where people PLAYER sees are suddenly switched out and replaced...)
Renko
(...is like channeling, and the channels are being switched?)
Merry
(Oh, you mean like spiritually zapping between channels? Now that's interesting...)
You
(Ah! There we go again!)
Azusa
[Are some still alive? No... I sense strong kaiju nearby! Why are there so many of them in such close proximity?!]
Otohime
No use crying about it. It's probably because we're in the area that Nayotake was heading for.
Kannagi
This just goes to show how powerful she is... The kaiju probably have the intelligence to learn and adapt.
Rabbit 2
The nerve of those kaiju...!
You
(...!)
Otohime
Rabbit 2 is right. How dare those kaiju...
Otohime
How dare they try to act like us humans.
Kannagi
This is a bad omen. Annihilation is our only recourse.
Azusa
[At this rate, we're the ones who will be annihilated. I would never forgive myself if we lost to these lowly kaiju.]
You
(Kaiju...! I'll handle this...!)
Azusa
[No. You are our last line of defense, so allow us to handle these kaiju, Your Eminence...]
Azusa
[Please take care of that one instead...]
Faith Mountain, Migrating Sea
Azusa
[Don't let your guard down, Your Eminence.]
Azusa
[It's not over yet...]
Kannagi
What's this...?! I sense a kaijin!
Otohime
This doesn't seem to be the one that took Nayotake, which means there are still many kaijin lurking in the Capital!
Rabbit 2
Your Eminence... Please... I beg of you...
Rabbit 2
Please protect us humans...!
You
(Is this what they call... faith?)
You
(What should I make of this...?)
You
(That girl! There's no mistaking it! She's...!)
You
(She's the same person!)
Shrine Maidens
Kannagi
My ability allows me to summon divine spirits into my body. I've always been a human with shrine maiden-like abilities.
Kannagi
However, I can only call on a maximum of eight million different gods...
Kannagi
And the gods that I can summon are also fixed...
Otohime
We made a decision when it became clear that Kannagi would run out of her remaining spirits.
Otohime
And that was to summon an extremely powerful divine spirit. Something that was never done before.
Azusa
[By the power bestowed upon us by the three leaders, we, the Four Temples... were reborn.]
Azusa
[As shrine maidens.]
You
(Shrine maidens...?!)
You
(They are clearly beings more powerful than any human. And yet they call themselves that.)
You
(Maybe their definition of a human is different from mine.)
You
(The word human is used to indicate a fellow person who shares the same cultural premise.)
You
(Which means they are beings who do not see the world the same way as I do. So this doesn't tell me much.)
You
(But they also mentioned shrine maidens...)
You
(A shrine maiden is someone who acts as a bridge between gods and humans...)
You
(Is that what they're talking about...?)
Otohime
The plan was to summon a foreign god.
Otohime
This plan was essentially bound to fail. The reason it succeeded...
Otohime
...was because we had special blessings from the three leaders.
You
(...?)
Otohime
First, I linked the supernatural sea and mountains...
Azusa
[Then I reversed the absolutely irreversible situation...]
Kannagi
After which, I summoned the divine spirit of the foreign god...
Rabbit 2
Would it be proper to talk about Lady Nayotake right now?
Otohime
No, I think that can wait.
Otohime
This is basically how we, the four supernatural shrine maidens, combined our abilities to make our plan a success.
Otohime
If not for that...
Otohime
Then summoning your divine spirit from a far-off land... from the ends of a galaxy far far away...
Otohime
...would have been impossible.
Board Game
Otohime
It seems we may need to consider that Nayotake has already "fallen"...
Azusa
[The same as what happened with me? Why should we assume that?]
Otohime
We have already covered more than 90% of the area that Nayotake was tasked with.
Otohime
That means she should be close by.
Kannagi
If Nayotake was still OK... then we would've found some indication of that by now.
Otohime
Especially since she stands out more than everyone else...!
Rabbit 2
Lady Nayotake...
Azusa
[Then we must hurry. If she has fallen and stays that way for an extended period of time... there's no guarantee she'll be...]
You
(...!)
Renko
(Ahaha. We're getting the hang of this now.)
Merry
(Speak for yourself... I would still like this to stop...)
Renko
(Now now, don't say that. Isn't this better than wandering around a city full of kaiju?)
Merry
(Well, I guess that's true.)
You
(I'm honestly relieved to see that the two of you are fine.)
Renko
(Likewise.)
Renko
(Well then, let's cut to the chase. Has anything new happened?)
Renko
(Hm, shrine maidens and summoning, huh? I'm not sure what it is, but there's something off here.)
Merry
(Why do you say that? Isn't summoning normal for shrine maidens, magicians, and the like?)
Renko
(Well, I'm not denying that. I just can't shake the feeling that there's something off.)
Merry
(You're being weird, Renko... is what I'd like to say, but somehow, I get what you mean.)
Merry
(Although I also don't have any idea where this strange feeling could be coming from.)
Renko
(Hmmm.)
Renko
(Speaking of strange... What do you think about the laws of this place? They called it... Spatial Reign, right?)
You
(Are you talking about the kaiju's ability?)
Renko
(Well, we don't know whether it's limited to kaiju, but there's obviously something very odd about those hexagons.)
Renko
(If the area is defined by hexagons on a horizontal plane, then what about the vertical plane? I can't help but wonder.)
You
(The vertical plane? What do you mean?)
Renko
(Since it's only hexagons, they can be tessellated. So if you could look at the world as a flat surface, it would be beautiful.)
You
(...?)
Renko
(But this world also has a vertical plane. Which means, the flat surface is filled with hexagons...)
Renko
(...and the 3D space is filled with 3D cross-sections... For aesthetic reasons, all the edges should be the same length...)
Renko
(Of course, this would only work if the space was filled with the exact same shapes.)
You
(Merry, what is she...?)
Merry
(Don't worry. She does this all the time. It's her little quirk. But Renko is a quick thinker, so she'll be done soon.)
You
(Wow. She sounds kind of cool like a detective.)
Merry
(You think? She acts pretty much the same way when she's trying to decide what to pick from a menu, you know.)
Renko
(―Oh, I get it! It's a truncated octahedron!)
Merry
(A trunca-what?!)
Tools and Machines
Azusa
[Humans are what make tools different from machines. Tools only work when humans become a part of the mechanism.]
Azusa
[Musical instruments are special kinds of tools because they produce sound.]
Azusa
[They are also used while chanting. The melody of a prayer is significant independent of the prayer itself.]
Azusa
[At that point, it's already―]
Azusa
[―a powerful enchantment.]
Otohime
You cannot mention Nayotake without mentioning her five treasures. And a treasure is just another special kind of tool.
Kannagi
I sense her... I sense Nayotake's presence close by.
Rabbit 2
Does that mean the kaiju around here are Lady Nayotake's...?
Kannagi
It's here...! Your Eminence, please prepare yourself.
Kannagi
Sister, Azusa, Rabbit 2. We'll take care of the surrounding kaiju.
Otohime
Roger.
Azusa
[Roger.]
Rabbit 2
Roger that!
You
(I think these kaiju are something more than just enemies to be destroyed. But it's not like I can ask for information.)
You
(If only these kaiju would talk...)
Constellation Jewelry Box
Kannagi
Be prepared! More are coming!
Otohime
―It's a kaijin.
Rabbit 2
I sense Lady Nayotake! But...!
You
(It's her again...)
You
(She's the one from that other dream...)
Rabbit 2
Your Eminence...
Kannagi
Please... We beg of you...
Otohime
You're the only hope we weak humans have...
Azusa
[Please protect us... Please save us...]
You
(Even these people with supernatural powers don't stand a chance against these kaiju and kaijin.)
You
(But this "other me" seems to be able to fend them off by using several of those shadow-like beings...)
You
(The shadows look a lot like the kaiju girls... And also a lot like those girls who fight alongside them...)
You
(That's what they look like to me... What is all this? Does this mean something?)
Rabbit 2
Your Eminence! Rain down a crushing blow upon these vile kaiju!
Kannagi
Destroy them all, so they may never return!
Otohime
Exterminate them! Purge them completely...!
Azusa
[Free this world from all traces of impurity...!]
Everyone
And bestow happiness upon us!
Bug-Loving Princess
???
Ahahaha! What's wrong? Why are you all gathered here?!
???
Did you come to pick me up?
Kannagi
Ah, yes. I had forgotten that this is the kind of person she is. I was worried for nothing.
Otohime
Right... Nayotake's body is special. There was no way she could "fall" so easily.
Nayotake
What's this?! What's with all the cold reactions?! I've returned alive, and this is the welcome I get...?!
Azusa
[I'm happy that you've returned unharmed, Nayotake.]
Nayotake
Thank you, Azusa.
Nayotake
Now try saying that once more without the mask.
Azusa
[No.]
Nayotake
Don't worry. Even if your words end up reversing fate...
Nayotake
I'll put things back in order!
Azusa
[No.]
Nayotake
Hmph!
Nayotake
Anyway... thank you, everyone!
Nayotake
It would've been difficult even for me to get out of that on my own. I could return because of your assistance.
Nayotake
It's thanks to you all.
Otohime
Then I think you should express your gratitude to someone else. Your Eminence is the one who rescued you.
Nayotake
Really?! You are... the foreign god?!
Nayotake
Are you telling me that this person here is the one we tried to summon in a last-ditch effort? Hmm...
Nayotake
―She's a lot smaller than I expected!
You
(Small...? Oh, this "other me" is small!)
Nayotake
Thank you for saving me, little Emmy.
Nayotake
I'm Nayotake... Nice to meet you!
Otohime
Nayotake, behave! This is Your Eminence! Address her by her title!
Nayotake
Aw, come on!
Nayotake
This is way better than fussing over her needlessly. Right, Emmy?
You
(Exactly my thoughts. I hope this "other me" feels the same way!)
Nayotake
See! I was right! Emmy agrees!
Otohime
A-Are you sure you're OK with this, Your Eminence?
Nayotake
Relax. It's fine. We're all comrades here. We're all equals. Right, Otohime? Since you're all about equality.
Otohime
I-I suppose...
Rabbit 2
A-Actually, I also found it a bit weird...! I agree with Lady Nayotake!
Nayotake
Rabbit 2 has agreed! It's settled then! It's not good to keep things bottled up, you know?
Kannagi
I see you've won one over. And, actually, what you say does make sense.
Kannagi
But can we just leave it as "Your Eminence"?
Azusa
[I'd prefer only Eminence.]
Kannagi
H-How daring...!
Rabbit 2
I want to call her Emmy, like Lady Nayotake!
Nayotake
Yes. Everyone has their own way... And each one sounds good.
You
(Wow...)
You
(The mood completely changed after Miss Nayotake joined us.)
You
(The change was pretty assertive, and it's much more cheerful now!)
Nayotake
OK then, Emmy...
Nayotake
We'll be heading to the kaiju's base next. We're going to have our final battle.
Kannagi
The kaiju's base...? Final battle...? What are you talking about?
Azusa
[How exactly are we going to do that...?]
Nayotake
Our little Emmy here holds the key.
You
(Me...? Oh, right. She means the "other me.")
Nayotake
Come now, Emmy―
Nayotake
―Take me to the "bug," that only you know about.
You
(...!)
Caveats and Mutations
You
(I've come to the metropolitan area with just Miss Nayotake...)
You
(Although she appears to be easy-going... there's something about her that sets her apart from the others...)
Nayotake
This isn't possible for Otohime, Kannagi, and Azusa.
Nayotake
No, maybe they could if they made good use of their abilities. But they are unable to come up with the fundamental idea.
You
(...?)
Nayotake
Do you know about the principle behind motion pictures? Or movie films...? Or cel animation?
Nayotake
Digital movies are also ultimately the same. Everything is the same at the creation stage.
Nayotake
That is if you process it visually. The same principle applies even to the world that you see as reality.
You
(...)
You
(I wonder what she's trying to say.)
You
(Maybe she's referring to Planck time?)
Nayotake
Yes, that's right. You could interpret it as Planck time.
Nayotake
Time is not something that continuously flows uninterrupted...
Nayotake
For movies that use Planck time, one Planck time of darkness goes in between every instant that's perceived.
Nayotake
And that period of darkness might be hiding a whole different world.
Nayotake
But that hidden world cannot be perceived by anyone―Unless someone shifts the perception cycle.
Nayotake
And that's possible with my ability to manipulate eternity and the instantaneous.
Nayotake
Sorry! I've been explaining it like how I explain things to Otohime and the others!
Nayotake
Let me simplify it for you. Hm, let me think of something you'd be able to relate to...
Nayotake
It's something like switching between TV channels or tuning a radio... That is what my ability lets me do.
Nayotake
Although, technically, it's slightly different.
Nayotake
However, I need to know the frequency of a channel to tune into it. And that requires time-consuming brute force.
Nayotake
And I could do that, given some time. But who wouldn't want to use the clues they are presented with?
Nayotake
The thing we lack most of all right now is time! So I tried to find an easier way... which led to me getting caught.
You
(So that kaiju girl is her clue?)
You
(But how does Nayotake know that girl exists...?)
You
(Ah! She's here...!)
Nayotake
Oh, great! It really was a good idea to summon you, Emmy!
Nayotake
Such a cute little kaiju. Where is your home?
You
(...!)
You
(Does Miss Nayotake also see kaiju as little girls? Just like I do...?)
Nayotake
Hmmm!
Nayotake
Emmy... Be ready...
You
(...!)
You
(The location... changed? This place is just like...)
Nayotake
Yay. It worked.
Nayotake
I'm guessing this is the kaiju's lair that's hidden on the other side of the Capital.
Nayotake
And that means...!
Nayotake
There are kaiju nearby!
Water God’s Secret Passage
Nayotake
It's finally over. Good job, Emmy.
Nayotake
...
Nayotake
Hm, a cave. A cave on the other side of the Capital... or should I say below the Capital?
Nayotake
This certainly does look like a place where kaiju would hide.
You
(...)
Nayotake
Oh, so we need to go that way?! OK then!
You
(This cave is pretty deep. I wonder how far it extends.)
Nayotake
Apparently, a long time ago, people used to believe that caves were made by dragons leaving their nests.
Nayotake
Isn't that interesting?! This means that there must have been a huge dragon living down here!
Nayotake
What's even more interesting is that, apparently, a tiny conch can grow into a dragon.
Nayotake
Well, there are clam-like dragons, after all, so maybe that's not so strange.
Nayotake
But if a cave is what's left behind by a dragon's passage, shouldn't the cave be one straight path? That is strange, right?
Nayotake
In reality, the paths within caves diverge and converge in a pretty complex manner. Caves have a very intricate structure.
Nayotake
So intricate that they are almost impossible to navigate without a guide...
Nayotake
Do real dragons actually have such an intricately shaped body? Or do multiple dragons dwell in one nest?
You
(Caves are formed in various different ways... Of course, none of those involve dragons.)
You
(Is she saying all of this despite knowing that...?)
Nayotake
It seems we are on the right path.
Made by a Dragon
Nayotake
Thank you, Emmy.
Nayotake
I'm sorry you were forced to deal with the kaiju because I couldn't handle it on my own.
Nayotake
Well, I could've dealt with it if I went all out. But I hesitate to do such a thing because of the situation we're in.
Nayotake
I'm generally not one to hesitate... But we can't afford to fail this time.
Nayotake
That's precisely why I stayed out of the fight and asked you to take care of it.
You
(...)
You
(Miss Otohime and the others aren't here...)
You
(Is she talking about this specifically because no one else is present?)
You
(And is this "other me" doing the same thing...?)
Nayotake
The truth behind folklore surrounding caves is wide-ranging and diverse. It's as complicated as the caves themselves.
Nayotake
When you think about it, a cave is where human civilization came into existence. Caves are the placenta of humankind.
Nayotake
They are also graves where humankind's ancestors have been buried.
Nayotake
Kaiju are like superstitions that must be eradicated...
Nayotake
In the name of science.
You
(...)
Nayotake
It looks like we'll be there soon.
Nayotake
There is a reason why these supernatural and mysterious stories about caves were created.
Nayotake
Is it because caves are dangerous? Or is it because monsters actually live in caves?
Nayotake
It's neither.
You
(This place... It's the same as that place from the other dream...!)
Nayotake
The stories about caves were created to protect secrets.
You
(There's no mistaking it. It's the same girl from back then.)
You
(They are the ones from the other dream...)
Nayotake
Come on. Let's finish this.
Worm Hole
Nayotake
Bravo, Emmy! You're amazing!
Nayotake
It would take us hundreds of years before we could ever handle such powerful kaiju.
Nayotake
Proper natural selection goes at a snail's pace. We don't have the time to wait for that.
Nayotake
Thank you, Emmy. I'm grateful to you from the bottom of my heart.
You
(...)
You
(This "other me" is like a savior. Someone they were eagerly waiting for... Even to Miss Nayotake.)
You
(This shows how much of a threat these kaiju pose.)
You
(But Miss Nayotake sees the kaiju in the form of little girls just as I do...)
You
(This means she's not terrified of kaiju for their grotesque appearance or destructive power, but for another reason...)
Nayotake
Those kaiju seemed to be something like gatekeepers. So now that they've been taken care of...
Nayotake
...let's call for the others!
You
(...!)
Renko
(We pretty much understand the rules of this place now, so you don't need to explain.)
Renko
(No matter how isolated a place might be, rules cannot be pulled out of thin air based on some random idea.)
Renko
(The people who live there are the ones who make the rules. I am a human, so I understand the rules made by humans...!)
Renko
(Detective Renko has figured it out!)
You
(Renko seems even more dependable than usual today...!)
Merry
(She's just being melodramatic. It's not a big deal.)
Merry
(We've managed to see everything you see even while we're not here communicating in this spirit-like state.)
Merry
(Both of us worked together and did our best to be able to see what you see.)
You
(What?! Really?!)
Merry
(Yes. Really!)
Merry
(My consciousness is all unstable, and even my thoughts are fuzzy―Further evidence that this has got to be a dream.)
Merry
(It's like a dream within a dream... It took us quite some time to figure it out because of how strange all of this is.)
Merry
(Seeing dreams clearly, is our forte. It's all about experience. We're like lucid dream professionals.)
Merry
(A dream is a reality, and reality is a dream. That fact doesn't change even if it's a dream within a dream.)
Renko
(Leaving aside the fact that we're lucid dream pros...)
Renko
(The reason we were able to see everything from your standpoint instead of floating around in the oblivion of sleep...)
Renko
(...is because we finally figured out...)
Renko
(...what this dream within a dream place is!)
Renko
(Now that we know, everything is but a story within a dream. Thus, we can see it clearly like every other dream.)
You
(So you've figured out what this world full of kaiju is?!)
You
(I can't make heads or tails of anything because it's all so incoherent...)
Renko
(Well, to be honest... Maybe the mystery isn't completely solved. Haha.)
Renko
(The logic is the same as eating or doing sports. Each step is essential and must be executed without haste or panic.)
Merry
(The same as the homework we get for summer vacation.)
Renko
(Indeed.)
Renko
(Well then, Merry―)
Merry
(All right, Renko―)
Merry & Renko
(―The Secret Sealing Club is now in session.)
Bake Today, Brew Tomorrow
Renko
(...Well, I skipped over a few things, but that's how we figured it out.)
Renko
(This might be a nonsensical world, but as long as there are rules, it can be identified as something made by humans.)
Merry
(But more importantly, how exactly do we return?)
Renko
(Geez, Merry. Why don't you try to enjoy living in the moment?)
Merry
(Sure, I'd love to do that. If I could enjoy my morning coffee at the same time.)
Merry
(And that's exactly why we need to find a way to get back.)
You
(I'm honestly curious about that as well.)
Renko
(Hm, let me think...)
Renko
(If this is all going to end anyway, then it'll end even without us doing anything about it. That's how it is.)
Merry
(You seem to know more about this than I do.)
Renko
(Well, that's because I find it interesting.)
Renko
(However, if you want to force everything to reach a conclusion, there should be something like a final ordeal.)
Renko
(That's how it's usually designed.)
Merry
(You sure love such things, don't you, Renko?)
Renko
(I-I guess I do!)
You
(What exactly do you mean by a final ordeal?)
Renko
(Maybe something boring like a battle. You might have to fight kaiju just like you've been doing until now.)
Renko
(But that's probably not all. That would be too boring.)
Renko
(I bet you'll have to guess something... Give an answer to finish the quest for the truth...)
Renko
(Maybe you'll have to guess a name...)
Merry
(A name? Whose name?)
Renko
(Or more like figuring out an identity, as a name reveals a person's identity after all.)
Renko
(The identity of the one who is behind all of this... the architect of this world.)
Renko
(The kaiju do not speak our language, and their names are a secret. These mysteries are probably fodder for the question.)
Merry
(Oh, this is just like Rumpelstiltskin, isn't it?)
Merry
(So, if we fail to guess the name, we'll be taken away?)
Renko
(I think this world will probably end before that can happen...)
Merry
(I don't know about that. My hunch says that this is not going to be good.)
Renko
(Your hunch, huh? ...Merry's hunches should never be taken lightly.)
You
(Predetermined rules, a progression that imitates a story... like a program?)
Renko
(―!)
Merry
(What is it, Renko? Have you figured something out?!)
Renko
(Yes... This is bad... Really, really bad...!)
Renko
(We...)
Renko
(We were wrong! We've made a terrible mistake!)
You
(Oh no, not again!)
Nayotake
So the thing waiting for us further in...
Nayotake
...is a powerful divine spirit. There's no mistaking it.
Rabbit 2
I-Is that true?!
Otohime
How is that possible?! How can the kaiju be divine spirits just like us?!
Kannagi
Even just thinking about this disgusts me! I'm not sure I can bear it if it is true...!
Azusa
[No, this makes perfect sense. That's why when we "fall," we turn into beings indistinguishable from kaiju.]
Rabbit 2
Th-Then what exactly were all the kaiju that we've defeated? What are the kaiju that keep attacking us...?
Rabbit 2
What in the world are they?
Nayotake
What are they? You mean, why did we have to come all the way here to fight them...?
Nayotake
Right?
Nayotake
I'll answer all your questions. But later.
Nayotake
There's no need to be afraid. The invincible Emmy is on our side.
Nayotake
We can't lose.
Nayotake
We cannot lose because Emmy is the symbol of eternal happiness.
Nayotake
Even if we have to fight... our former comrades.
The Gods' Selection
Nayotake
Come on, let's keep going. We can keep talking while we walk.
You
(Where did that bug-like girl go...?)
You
(...)
Nayotake
A world of everlasting peace would certainly be an ideal world. I understand why you would feel that way.
Nayotake
You probably think that in such a world, the gods of the Capital would not need to fight.
Nayotake
But that's not natural. It's an old-fashioned mindset.
Otohime
Old-fashioned? What are you trying to say...?
Nayotake
You, of all people, should be able to understand this, Otohime. Try remembering what you learned from Master.
Nayotake
Almost all of this vast universe is a vacuum... composed of empty space...
Nayotake
...and an astronomical amount of energy.
Otohime
I remember learning this. There's a high probability that...
Otohime
...the vacuum is not truly a vacuum, but a false vacuum.
Nayotake
That false vacuum represents everlasting peace... the eternal happiness that we can realistically attain.
Nayotake
Pair production and pair annihilation of matter repeatedly occur in a false vacuum. It's like a furnace of boiling sorcery.
Nayotake
In other words, we divine spirits also need to manage peace in this manner.
Nayotake
OK, end of explanation. Did you get it?
Kannagi
No, please wait a minute. Why... Why do the gods need to fight each other?!
Kannagi
Fighting equals peace...? What exactly are you trying to say, Nayotake...?
Nayotake
Don't be silly, Kannagi. What kind of question is that?
Nayotake
This isn't war. It's just an implementation of peace.
Nayotake
And although we're divine spirits, we're also humans.
Nayotake
A divine spirit is just a part extracted from a human. Divine spirits are made of elements derived from humans.
Nayotake
Thus, we're humans―Not gods.
Nayotake
Any other questions?
Kannagi
Ah... Um... No.
Azusa
[Kannagi, you should be more mindful of what you say. The three leaders are one with the truth. And Nayotake is their...]
Nayotake
Azusa, you're also mistaken.
Nayotake
Is everything OK? Are you doublethinking properly?
Nayotake
Is what you call truth really the truth? Haven't you just confused yourself?
Azusa
[...]
Nayotake
That's right. Sometimes silence is the best answer.
You
(...)
Nayotake
Oh, I apologize, Emmy.
Nayotake
We need to be "updated" precisely because we're like this.
Nayotake
And that's also why we need to defeat the kaiju.
Nayotake
We also need you.
Nayotake
Emmy...
Nayotake
Please guide us.
Nayotake
We must destroy our own people. It is an inevitable history that has been repeated.
Nayotake
But... that's not all.
Nayotake
We need to get blood from the outside. If not, the blood will go bad.
Nayotake
―It will become impure.
Foreign God
Nayotake
Brilliant, Emmy! Glory to us purebloods!
Otohime
...
Kannagi
...
Azusa
...
Rabbit 2
...
Nayotake
Come on, let's keep going. We're finally at the innermost part of this mysterious base.
You
(...)
Nayotake
―Now, show yourself.
Nayotake
The kaijin are the creators of the impure kaiju that have been trying to hunt us down!
Nayotake
And you're the impure mother who keeps endlessly spawning both kaiju and kaijin! It's time to reveal yourself!
Nayotake
Show yourself, Haniyasuhime!
Haniyasuhime?
...
Nayotake
Aha. I knew it.
Nayotake
Everything is just as I predicted. I knew you'd be here, Haniyasuhime. You don't stand a chance against Emmy.
Nayotake
I won!
Nayotake
I've won the selection.
Nayotake
I can finally... evolve!
You
(...)
You
(No...)
You
(You're mistaken...)
Haniyasuhime?
...
Haniyasuhime?
Hehehe.
Haniyasuhime?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Haniyasuhime?
Oh my.
Haniyasuhime?
How ludicrous.
Nayotake
She's... speaking? A kaiju is speaking?!
Nayotake
That means... you're not... Haniyasume?
Nayotake
And what's that bug kaiju doing here?! I thought it was just some cheap trap to lure me in...
Haniyasuhime?
Of course, luring you here was merely incidental. That was not her true purpose.
Haniyasuhime?
Everything you have said...
Haniyasuhime?
...is false.
Nayotake
That can't be...! It's not possible... there's no way...
Nayotake
It's not true... It's not true... It's not true... It's not true...
Nayotake
Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies!
Haniyasuhime?
It's true.
Nayotake
We...
Nayotake
We have the foreign god on our side―
Haniyasuhime?
Yes. So you do.
Haniyasuhime?
But...
Haniyasuhime?
I don't need you.
Nayotake
―!
Haniyasuhime?
How foolish.
Haniyasuhime?
Now then, Your Eminence...
???
Let's finish this.
You
(...)
You
(I need to remember.)
Renko
We're inside a game.
Merry
I-Inside a game?!
Renko
That's right. A game. To be precise, it's a game created inside a dream.
Merry
That's messed up. It's too confusing. And wouldn't it be kind of irresponsible if this is a game?
Merry
I'd be pretty mad if someone came out and said this was a game after being put in such a scary and dangerous situation.
Renko
It's the opposite. Wouldn't it be a lot worse if you were suddenly put in such a situation that was actually real?
Renko
A simulation conducted beforehand can help reduce mistakes when it's the real deal. Games can also be used for that.
Renko
You could call it an artificial dream.
Renko
A space marked by hexagons. And unrealistic switches between characters.
Renko
These things might imply that the resources required to generate this world are limited.
Merry
Huh? Do you mean to say that this game has flaws?
Renko
A perfect simulation is pretty much impossible unless you create a whole new world.
Renko
I don't know why, but simulations are always incomplete for some reason.
Renko
In the case of this world, it may be incomplete because it was made in haste. That's probably because...
Renko
...a system that wasn't originally a battle simulation was forcibly used as one.
Merry
I read somewhere that people have used farming equipment as weapons while revolting in the past.
You
(...)
You
(This will be the final battle.)
Nommo Spirit
You
(...)
You
(...)
You
(What happened...?)
You
(...)
You
(...)
You
(Is this world going to end?)
You
(Did I... make it end?)
You
(...)
You
(No.)
You
(That's not right.)
You
(...)
You
(I couldn't interfere with this world.)
You
(...)
You
(Oh, I see.)
You
(It'll be over...)
You
(Soon...)
???
Have you come to your senses?
???
I am speaking to you. The person who caused a world to end.
You
(...?)
You
(I did no such thing.)
You
(All I did was observe.)
???
How terrifying.
???
I am terrified of you. Yes, you, who has come from a land so far away.
???
Despite knowing that observations interfere with the results...
???
You spout fiction.
You
(Fiction...? If you want to talk about fiction, wasn't that whole world earlier just a product of fiction?)
You
(It was a battle simulation created in haste by someone rehashing something for an unknown purpose.)
You
(Originally, it was probably some kind of advanced board game... or perhaps a program created for another simulation.)
You
(You cornered the four girls, which caused them to activate the emergency program.)
You
(The three leaders probably refers to that program... Or something bigger that the program was a part of.)
You
(Your motives are deeply intertwined with that program, so its activation was exactly what you wanted.)
You
(But one of the four girls... The girl called Nayotake in that virtual world did something unexpected.)
You
(She used the three leaders to conduct emergency training to exterminate the kaiju.)
You
(Securing a virtual space with an extremely high clock rate was only possible because of the three leaders' authority.)
You
(The only way she could find a countermeasure against the kaiju... against you...)
You
(...was in this time between instants.)
???
Correct. So why did she fail?
You
(That's because you intervened.)
You
(You are an irreparable defect, an unexpected hindrance.)
You
(You are most definitely not an idol capable of becoming a true god...)
You
(You are...)
You
(You're a bug that wormed its way into the machine.)
???
...
???
...
???
Correct.
You
(That Nayotake girl still thought she could beat you.)
You
(However, this defect also affected the three leaders.)
You
(She couldn't predict that you, a defect, could use the three leaders.)
You
(She didn't think that you were capable of doing that, nor that the three leaders would allow such a thing.)
???
I actually hacked the three leaders just for an instant. Well, in this case, that instant was long enough.
???
Why was I able to do that? Even though I'm the antagonist―
???
―The enemy.
You
(...)
You
(That's because you had help.)
You
(For something that can't be accomplished alone, there has to be another.)
???
Oh, really? And who would that be?
You
(...)
You
(Most probably...)
You
(Rabbit 1...)
???
...
???
Very well, I'll tell you.
???
Let's see if you got the right answer.
???
Come now, pry apart those firmly shut eyes―
???
―and turn around.
You
(...)
You
(...?)
You
(The four girls have... vanished?)
???
―They've melted into the sea of the vast system...
???
...into the sea with their beloved, beloved, three leaders. They can no longer return...
???
They have been melted down into sludge and mixed in thoroughly.
You
(That voice... coming from behind...)
???
Are you ready?
You
(...)
???
ARE YOU READY?
You
(...?)
???
I am asking you whether you're ready or not!
You
(Am I ready for what...? To turn around...?)
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Yes, that's right!
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Eeeeeeeeverything you've said is correct! You didn't get a single thing wrong!
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Brilliant! You're brilliant! You deserve a reward!
Tiny Mysterious Girl
But I don't have anything to give you!
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Just kidding! Ehehe!
Tiny Mysterious Girl
But, no, really! A brilliant person like you is extremely rare since everyone is somewhat impure.
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Yes, they cause so much trouble. They're pests.
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Well, Rabbit 1 is a good kid, though.
Tiny Mysterious Girl
But let's keep that between us!
Rabbit 1?
Save these trivial things for later, Lady ■■.
Rabbit 1?
It's almost time!
Tiny Mysterious Girl
T-Trivial?!
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Rabbit 1 isn't trivial! She's more important and significant than anything!
Rabbit 1?
Who cares about all that?! Look! Please look at what's in front of you!
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Urk! Your words kind of hurt...!
You
(Huh...)
You
(Who in the world are these people...?)
Tiny Mysterious Girl
There it is! I've got the Brain of the Moon!
You
(Yet another girl?!)
Tiny Mysterious Girl
It's not XX, but that's OK!
Tiny Mysterious Girl
The girls have merged with the three leaders, so now I can deliberately break the equilibrium by intervening from within.
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Doing so will crystallize the ancient and rusty gods.
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Hehehe... Purification can also be prompted by intentionally adding impurities!
Tiny Mysterious Girl
If I keep repeating the process, I will eventually get XX!
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Victory is mine!
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Ah, the Brain of the Moon. Hehehe! *sniff sniff*
Tiny Mysterious Girl
You can't move. You can't move, can you?
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Can you even imagine how hard I've worked for this?
Tiny Mysterious Girl
I've been waiting so very long for this day to arrive.
Tiny Mysterious Girl
It's been tough. So difficult.
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Ah! How I've waited to meet you! I've waited so long!
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Yes, this is great! The real thing is always the best!
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Just a while longer, and I'll get to meet XX! The real XX!
Tiny Mysterious Girl
No, don't. Don't underestimate me!
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Stop messing with me. I said, don't mess with me!
Tiny Mysterious Girl
DON'T MESS WITH MEEEEEE!
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Oooh! Sorry. I'm sorry.
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Ahaha.
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Ahahahaha.
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Ahahahahahhahahhahahhahahahahfqghahabiahaaehabhqwjfbrhjersdhahahakbafgfufufufufufuasdahahahhahaahahahhahasd.
Tiny Mysterious Girl
111001111011010010010100111001011000110010010110111000111000000110011011111000111000001010001000
Tiny Mysterious Girl
It's just a matter of time before I get XX. But that will just be the beginning.
Tiny Mysterious Girl
That's when the real game begins.
Tiny Mysterious Girl
So...
Tiny Mysterious Girl
Please guide me―
Tiny Mysterious Girl
―Your Eminence.
Reimu
Welcome back. Good job retrieving the probability.
You
(...?)
Reimu
You can go now.
Marisa
It wouldn't hurt you to give her a little explanation, you know? Can't you see the kid is confused?
Reimu
There's nothing to explain though.
Marisa
There isn't?
Reimu
We already explained enough at the start.
Marisa
Didn't you say that you'd explain the details later?
Reimu
The kid is going to wake up anytime now, so there wouldn't be time to give any details, anyway.
Marisa
Well that was blunt.
Reimu
Isn't that how things always are around here? How can you not be blunt when cause and effect are so out of whack?
Marisa
I suppose you're right.
Reimu
This is not a story.
Reimu
It's not a detective novel, so making deductions is absurd. It's not an adventure novel, so there is no treasure or bad guys.
Reimu
It's not a science novel and nor is it a fantasy novel.
Reimu
Neither is it a romance novel.
Marisa
R-Right.
Marisa
Well, yeah, you're right. It's exactly as you say.
Marisa
We've already lost our home... and everything else.
Marisa
That's precisely why we don't have anything to pin our hopes on.
Marisa
We can't rely on someone else's ideas or the things created by someone else.
Marisa
Even time won't solve anything.
Reimu
Exactly.
Marisa
We have to carve out our own path.
Marisa
And...
Marisa
That path won't be an easy one for PLAYER.
Forgery
Merry & Renko
You've lost... your memory?!
Yes. I don't have any memories of my childhood.
Renko
So that's why you've been conducting your research, PLAYER... That's not normal, though...
Renko
Sorry, that was thoughtless of me. Please forget I said that.
No, don't worry about it. I don't think it's normal either.
Renko
Speaking of normal, people with memory loss always look for clues about their past sooner or later.
Renko
At least they try to.
Renko
They search for people who knew them, family records, photos of themselves, diaries, CCTV records...
Renko
And you couldn't find anything about yourself even after looking through all those things?
That's correct. I haven't found anything yet.
Renko
"Yet," huh? Haha.
Renko
This is kind of like a devil's proof.
Renko
There might be evidence of your existence somewhere in the world, even if you can't find it right now.
Renko
That's like the basis of occultism...
I won't be satisfied until I scour the whole world.
Renko
So that's why you've been doing such things as going through each and every book...
Renko
...and developing experimental equipment like that machine that looks like a particle accelerator?
Renko
Hmm... I guess that is the kind of stuff you have to do since you have decided not to give up.
Renko
The universe, elementary particles, history, any kind of occult...
Renko
Or even other worlds...
Renko
If you can't find any traces of yourself nearby, then I guess you have no choice but to try looking in those places.
Yeah, but it's not like I expect to find my name written...
...on neutrinos or a cosmological horizon.
Renko
Well...
Renko
That journal you're always carrying with you is the only thing you have from before you lost your memory, right?
Renko
And you haven't found any clues in there either?
At least none that I am aware of.
Renko
Hm...
Renko
Hey, Merry... Do you think we could do something to help PLAYER find where she came from?
What?! No! I could never ask you to do that for me!
Renko
Ah, it's nothing. I doubt we'd be able to help much anyway. But we'll do what little we can.
Renko
And who knows, maybe what we've come across during our Secret Sealing Club activities might help you.
Renko
We'll keep coming here from time to time.
Huh...? Huh...?
Renko
Wait... What?! PLAYER! Are you all right?!
Renko
What's with all those... tears?!
S-Sorry! I'm just really happy... and also surprised.
Ah... No... not sorry... I mean, thank you!
Renko
Ahaha! Stop being so melodramatic.
Renko
Merry? There's such a touching scene going on here, but where's your attention at?
Merry
...
Merry
Oh, I'm sorry! I was just taking a look at this.
Renko
Oh, that blank letter... What about it?
Merry
This blank sheet of paper... I was curious about the texture, so I held it against the light...
Merry
There are small holes in a precise arrangement.
Renko
What?! Really?!
Renko
You're right. We couldn't see them last night because it was dark!
Renko
Though they look more like square notches rather than holes, and there are lots of them... intermittent but orderly...
Renko
Is this a punched card?!
Merry
What's a punched card?
Renko
It's a data storage medium that was used a really long time ago!
Renko
Maybe... the equipment or machine used to punch these holes was so old that it couldn't punch the holes completely!
Renko
PLAYER... do you by any chance have a punched card reader lying around?
Oh... actually... I do!
It's in the underground research facility.
