Characters

Sayo Kagohara 籠原 小夜

A resident of Area One, she is a second-year high school student at Hakua Private Academy. Her parents are elites, and have high expectations for her future.

She loves singing and wanted to pursue a career in music, but her family didn't take her seriously. Although she plays the role of an honor student in order to follow the path her parents want her to, she just can't stop singing, so she disguises herself as a different person, and works mainly as "Nightingale" through streaming.

A Tesseractor has latched onto her darkness, feeding on her depressed heart and growing, and beginning to harm others. Sayo herself seems to be vaguely aware that her singing has a special power.

Yuuki Kayama 加山 夕希

Sayo's friend. She has known her since elementary school, and is a second-year high school student at Hakua Private Academy.

After entering high school, she joined the light music club with Sayo, but when Sayo suddenly decided to quit the club, she heard about the situation.

She knows about Sayo’s streaming activities and supports them, but refrains from direct contact.

Because she never misses any of Sayo's live streams, the Tesseractor sees her as easy prey, and she continues to lose a little bit of energy every day.

Scene 0: Collapse

The earth is cracked. Buildings are collapsing. A group of bizarre monsters. People running for their lives.

The city of Kamitsubaki City, which has come to an end, spread out below.

You are now looking down on the scene from the roof of the building.

It's strange that you can't remember what you were doing until just now.

Suddenly, a huge shadow blocked your vision.

A monster that can only be described as a “flattened fish” suddenly appears from under a building.

When the fish-shaped monster opens its mouth wide, black energy gathers.

You instinctively understood.

If this energy were to be unleashed, you would definitely be wiped out, along with the buildings...

What can you do with the little time we have left?

You can fight, you can use the power of “A.”

…But no matter what you do, you will not be able to inflict even a single scratch on the Tesseractor.

The Tesseractor uses "Q: Demise,” (Q: 終焉（しゅうえん)) dealing massive damage to all co-creators.

Scene 1: Co-Creation Department

“This is the end of the simulation. Please remove your display.”

Hearing that voice, the co-creators all understood the situation.

They were so immersed in the experience, that they had completely forgotten that the scene they had just seen was a simulation using VR equipment.

Staff in suits remove the VR equipment from the co-creators and leave the room.

The image of a black bird appears on the monitor in front of you, and then it speaks to you.

"Thank you for your hard work. I saw everyone's actions earlier. I am in charge of the Co-Creation Department. Please call me Co-Creation Manager." 

This is the avatar of the Co-Creation Manager of the Kamitsubaki City Co-Creation Department.

The Co-Creation Manager does not appear in public, but instead communicates through digital comms.

Since the co-creators started working here, they have never met him in person.

(To the co-creator who tried to run away)

"It is important to retreat and regroup. You made a good decision."

(To the co-creator who tried to fight)

"Your bravery is impressive. I look forward to seeing you in your future endeavors.”

(To the co-creator who tried to survive with "A'')

“You have already grasped your own power. You have amazing talent.”

(To the co-creator who could not make a move)

"It can't be helped that you couldn’t react quickly in that situation. Please don't blame yourself."

The co-creation manager gives words of kindness to the co-creators and praises their choices.

Once everyone has confirmed that they understand the situation, he begins explaining the content of the simulation.

“What you saw in the simulation earlier is the future that Kamtsubaki City could face. The monster you encountered is called the Tesseractor. Some of the accidents and disasters were caused by the Tesseractors.”

“We , the Co-Creation Department, are an administrative organization organized to protect Kamitsubaki City from the Tesseractor. The only ones who can counter the Tesseractor's power “Q” is you. Only the special power called "A" possessed by the co-creators can defeat it.”

“Without your help, the scene of the simulation just now will become reality. In order to prevent the collapse of Kamitsubaki City, you will have to lend us your strength. We need your cooperation.”

“However, we will not suddenly throw all of you who have just become co-creators into a battle with the Tesseractor. In order to get used to the activities, I would like you to do a simple investigation first.''

"Everyone here is in the same boat, so to speak. Let's start by introducing ourselves."

After making their self-introductions, the co-creation manager conveys the following information to the co-creators.

What is the Tesseractor?

“It's a monster that attacks people. There are many mysteries about its true identity, and the details have not been clarified.”

“It basically takes on a shadow-like form, so if you witness it unknowingly, you would probably just think that a shadow had crossed the street.”

“The paranormal phenomena and supernatural powers caused by the Tesseractor are called “Q.”

“To avoid confusion, the Tesseractor is kept hidden from the general public, so “Q” is sometimes talked about as an urban legend. ''

About “Q”

“The types of “Q” vary depending on the Tesseractor, and they range from distorting the laws of physics, to causing paranormal phenomena, to having psychological effects.”

“The Co-Creation Division constantly observes Kamitsubaki City. It is possible to predict and discover the occurrence of a powerful "Q" or Tesseractor, but it is difficult to detect small-scale ones, so you, the co-creators, can look into the rumors and urban legends circulating in the city. We may request an investigation.”

Urban Legend “Nightingale”

“Recently, it seems that an urban legend called “Nightingale” has started circulating in some circles. The rumor describes “a singing voice can be heard in a back alley even when no one is around,'' but it doesn’t seem to occur in a specific place and seems to appear out of nowhere. Even after checking, it’s like no one can find the source of the singing voice.”

“No major damage has been confirmed, so it could just be a ghost story or just someone’s prank. It seems the risk level is rather low, so it would be perfect for your first mission.”

Co-Creation Department exclusive app “NARRATIVE CC”

“The mobile devices we provided to you all have the employee-only app NARRATIVE CC developed by the Kamitsubaki City Co-Creation Department installed. In addition to being used for communicating and sharing data, it also has various support functions. I'll explain how to use it when the time comes.”

“In this mission, I (Co-Creation Manager) will act as your guide through this app. First, we'll start by conducting a steady investigation... It's around noon, so let's head to the Area Zero Shopping Street, which seems to be crowded with people.”

Scene 2: Area Zero Shopping Street

Kamtsubaki City is structured in the shape of a flower, with Area Zero at the center and surrounded by areas with different atmospheres.

A few years ago, a major global disaster occurred. The world was divided, and the city that the co-creators now live in, "Kamitsubaki City," was the one that was able to quickly deal with the situation, where chaos engulfed the entire planet.

Although the city continues to be disconnected from other areas, Kamitsubaki City has regained its functions using unique technology, and is beginning to rebuild.

The office of the Co-Creation Department is located in the center of Kamitsubaki City, called the Co-Creation Building. Area Zero, the center of the city, is where urban functions are concentrated, but if you walk a little further you will find the Area Zero Shopping Street, which is full of old-fashioned downtown atmosphere. 

There was a time when it was deserted due to the effects of the disaster, but reconstruction has progressed and it has now regained its liveliness. There are many visitors from other areas as well as nearby residents. It would be a perfect place to pick up gossip.

It’s noon, and the co-creators’ mission is to ask passersby and shopkeepers whether they know about the urban legend of the Nightingale. Before that, though, they can decide to grab lunch together to get to know each other.

Advice from the Co-Creation Manager

“Although the existence of the Tesseractor is hidden from the general public, it is widely known that the Co-Creation Dpearment is officially the department in charge of city reconstruction and security maintenance, and that the employees are called Co-Creators. We have also issued a notice for citizens to cooperate as much as possible with your activities, so you may reveal your identity if necessary. The badge you are given is proof of your identity. Of course, when talking with citizens, please hide the information about the Tesseractor in discussion.”

About action support

“Also, let me explain about action support. Action support is a function where the AI ​​of the Co-Creation Department analyzes the current situation and proposes the optimal action through NARRATIVECC.”

“Try getting action support for your current situation. These are just suggestions from the AI, so you don't have to follow them.”

The co-creators can use action support to conduct the investigation.

Investigating the urban legend of Nightingale

The Co-Creation Department AI seems to have suggested interviewing people through negotiation and investigation, as well as pursuing occult rumors. Of course, it is possible to judge even if the skill is not the one proposed, as long as it suits the situation. If you succeed, you'll be able to hear from the townspeople.

This also serves as a practice for judging, and there is no penalty if you fail. It would be a good idea to check if there are any other skills or special abilities that could be used, or to change the situation slightly and have them try again. Let's pass the information so that everyone can make the judgment at least once.

If you try again and it doesn't work, it's a good idea to take the time to find out and pass on the information.

Depending on the result of the judgment, you can hear the following stories.

Stories from people in shops and passersby

“I've heard a rumor from a customer. It seems like a very beautiful woman's singing voice. It's said that you can always hear it at night. It seems that her voice was so good that they wanted to see what she looked like, but... They said they couldn't find it even after looking for it.”

“I thought it was about drunk people anyway, but it seems like it's happening all over the place these days.”

A story from a young couple

"Nightingale? I don't know much about urban legends, but I feel like I heard about it somewhere recently."

"Isn't that it? The song in that viral dancing video! "

"Ah, that's it!! Hey! Wait… I can't find it at all.”

“I don't know where I saw it. But the song was kind of cute, so I remember the melody.”

They remember most of the lyrics because it was used in a video they tried dancing to. Although it is about 10 seconds of the chorus, it is reproduced by humming. It might be a clue.

A story from a tired office worker

"Singing? By the way, I heard a song the other day when no one was around. I wonder if it was about that."

"To be honest, I didn't really understand the lyrics, but it felt comforting and I strangely found myself listening to it...and before I knew it, I'd fallen asleep. I was really tired that day."

"I don't think there were any people there. It was just some birds. It was dark, so I couldn't really make out what kind of birds they were."

"Do you remember the song? …I’m too embarrassed to sing in front of people.”

The co-creators can either encourage the office worker to sing, or they can hum the melody they heard from the couple. Either way, they can confirm that the melody is the same between the office worker’s story and the couple’s story.

Situation Arrangement by Co-Creation Manager

Once all the information has been gathered, the Co-Creation Manager will talk to you through NARRATIVE CC.

“We searched major video sites based on the information you asked for, but we couldn't find anything relevant to our situation. Then, either the video has already been deleted, or… it's something we don't know about. There is a possibility that something is happening somewhere else.'' 

“Let's ask young people about their input. If you're going from here, why not talk to the students of Kamitsubaki Academy, which is also located in Area Zero?''

Scene 3: Kamitsubaki Academy

Kamitsubaki City High School-Level Academy, commonly known as Kamitsubaki Academy.

It is a representative public high school in Kamitsubaki City, with many students in attendance.

As a valuable source of information, this is a place that the co-creators will likely continue to rely on in the future.

When they arrived near the school gate, they saw students who had just finished class and were on their way home, discussing their after-school plans.

---------------------------------

Investigating the “Nightingale” video

Among the many students, they can ask if anyone knew anything about “Nightingale.” They will be able to hear the story without even entering the premises. 

About buzz videos

“Oh, that 's the popular one called PickPop, right?”
“It's all the rage right now. Hey, look here.''

The students launched an unfamiliar app and showed it to the co-creators.

The thumbnails on the top screen display videos with the most views.

A video of “The Nightingale” occupied one of those pages.

Flashy hair color, strong makeup. The girl on the screen was expressing her life-sized anxiety in her song. The song had a charm that couldn't help but attract the listeners.

What is “PickPop”?

A video/streaming app that has recently become popular among junior high and high school students. Although it mainly focuses on short videos and live streaming, it also has a rich avatar function and serves as a social media platform.

Most of the users are teenagers, and because it is not yet well-known and its moderation is relaxed, it’s popular among young people because “there are no annoying adults.” There seems to be a silent agreement among users not to bring up topics regarding PickPop too much to avoid attracting attention.

“Please keep it a secret that we taught you.”

“You seemed like a nice guy, so I told you, but I don’t want it to get out of hand.”

"Nightingale" Account

Looking back at the videos posted, it turns out that she has been a user since the app's early release.

"Now that you mention it, users from this period are pretty hardcore."

“This was before it became popular.”

“Isn't this app popular because of the kids at Hakua Academy?”

“I have a friend in Hakua, so why don't I ask her if she knows anything?"

Hakua Academy is a private school located in Area One.

The girl sends a chat here and there with practiced ease, and soon she smiles at her co-creators.

"There was a girl who seemed to know something!

But she didn’t feel like texting is good for this, so she wanted to talk to you directly. She said she’d be a little late, since she needs to finish her club activities. She said that you could just come up to the light music club's practice room."

Through the introduction of the students, the co-creators make an appointment with Yuuki Kayama, a student at Hakua Academy. Since they won't be able to meet her until after 7pm, her co-creators will head to Hakua Academy alone.

Scene 4: Hakua Private Academy

Area One has two sides, one as an old port town, and the other as an uptown area lined with high-rise buildings and tower apartments.

Hakua Private Academy is a prestigious private school – within the school, it provides integrated education from elementary to high school. It's a so-called “elite school.”

Security was tight, but if you revealed your identity as a co-creator, you could enter the premises through a simple process.

It's past 7pm, and the students who have finished their club activities are getting ready to go home.

Proceed through the hallway lined with classrooms, the lights already dimmed, and head to your designated location.

A girl was waiting for you in the practice room that the light music club was using as a studio.

She asked, “Do you guys want to hear about the Nightingale?”

Yuuki's attitude

"Why are you looking into 'The Nightingale'? Do people at City Hall even do things like that?"

"Isn't she just singing? Is she causing trouble to anyone?"

Solving Yuuki's misunderstanding

Through conversation, Yuuki is trying to determine whether the co-creators are people who can understand her and Saya.

If the co-creators talk sincerely, her attitude will soften.

She apologized and said, “I'm sorry for being so rude. I thought her parents were looking into something...'' and she explained the situation.

“That girl is my friend. Her name is Sayo. She’s a good singer.”

When she says that, she shows a photo of them together in the practice room (this room) on her smartphone. However, the girl in the image bears no resemblance to the girl in the “Nightingale'' video they saw earlier.

"Sayo's family is very strict. Both of her parents are doctors, and they seem to have high expectations for her. When she entered second year, there was career guidance, and when she said she wanted to pursue a career in singing, her parents didn’t seem to approve of it… she ended up giving up and quitting club activities. For me, it was just a hobby, but that girl was serious about it.”

“But she couldn't help but sing. So she became Nightingale, and secretly started streaming her singing.”

“She looks completely different, and her singing style has changed… but I could tell it was her right away, I think.”

“I want to support Sayo. Not only does she not tell me anything, but she avoids me… I wonder if she doesn't want me to know. But I listen to her all the time. I really like her songs.”

After the co-creators understood Sayo's situation through a conversation with Yuuki, the time turned around 8pm and Nightingale’s livestream began.

Scene 5: Anomaly

"Ah, I got a notification. It looks like the livestream has just started,"

Yuuki says, and launches "PickPop."

On her smartphone, a picture of a "Nightingale'' standing against the night sky was displayed.

She has no words. The song starts playing immediately.

“This song really hits home...it makes me realize that the world is not so kind.

It feels like the ugliness of humanity is being exposed.

It's a feeling like our suffocation and the frustration of not being able to do anything. 

It's like I'm being able to put it into words.

I don't need dreams, hopes, etc. They're just getting in the way."

Yuuki looks strange as she looks down at her smartphone screen and listens to the song. .

She is clearly different from the girl you were just talking to.

The light disappears from her eyes, and she begins to mumble to herself.

“Don't you guys think so too?”

When she looked up again, a “shadow bird” appeared from Yuuki’s shadow.

The ”Shadow Bird'' sings in the voice of “Nightingale” as it flaps its wings in all directions, as if gliding across the surfaces of the classroom floors and walls.

The song, which feels "alive" and not coming through a smartphone, is sure to shake your hearts.

Open "Q: Sing at Night" (夜に歌う)

(ref: Umi ni Bakeru by KAF)

The co-creators must deal with the “Shadow Bird” that appears in front of them and the singing voice that comes from it.

• Will you be able to resist the singing voice?

• Conquer the “Shadow Bird'' and save Yuuki.

Resist the “singing voice”

The co-creators have different reactions to the singing voice.

Failure

When you listen to this song, you suddenly feel like things like “aspirations,” “dreams,'' and "hope'' have faded.

Life doesn’t go your way, and the more you have expectations, the more hurt you will be when dreams don't come true.

If that's the case, maybe it's better to give up on your dreams... As soon as that thought crosses your mind, the Shadow Bird pecks at your shadow.

Success

The song certainly shook your heart.

It was as if it was telling you that giving up and not dreaming about the future was the right thing to do. 

But you managed to resist that voice. 

If you had lost sight of yourself here, your energy would have been consumed by the Tesseracter.

Magic

You strongly felt the heartbreaking wishes and cries beyond the song.

The thoughts of a girl who was not allowed to see her dreams are probably being distorted and amplified by the Tesseractor.

This song is trying to pull the listener into the same place as her.

However, something certain that supported you, your existence, strengthened your heart.

The Shadow Bird flies around the room while singing in the tone of a girl's voice.

As if in response to her song, Yuuki let out a groan.

“Shadow Wings” crawl out from her shadow.

It covered her face, blocking her vision.

It's as if she were claiming that this world isn't worth seeing.　

Yuuki's body swayed dangerously.

Her will to live is being sucked away by the shadows.

Rescue Yuuki

The co-creators can use their skills and “A” here to defeat the Shadow Bird and heal Yuuki.

After Yuuki's rescue

“Oh, I… what on earth…? Um, we were in the middle of talking, right?

Ah, the live broadcast has already started! It seems like she’s always filming on the rooftop here. Sayo, she can’t sing at home… 

...Actually, I'm not allowed to enter, but the lock is broken and I can open it with a little trick. Everyone, you’ll keep it a secret, right?”

Apparently, Yuuki doesn’t remember what happened when she was attacked by the shadow.

Suddenly, something crosses outside the window. They saw that the Shadow Bird was trying to possess another student who was still inside the school.

Immediately after, the co-creators’ mobile device rings. It is an urgent message from the Co-Creation Manager.

Contact from the Manager

"We are monitoring the city, and we have observed countless black birds… 'Q' is being released from the direction of Hakua Academy. There is no doubt that the livestream and 'Q' are related.”

"We didn't anticipate it growing so quickly. We'll send reinforcements, but if hesitate even just for a second, the damage could spread. We need to strike at the source, the Tesseractor. I'm sorry, but could you please head to "Nightingale" first?"

According to Yuuki's story, “Nightingale” is on the roof.

The team decides to head to the roof.

Scene 6: Rooftop

The door to the rooftop was unlocked. As if to show that there is someone behind it.

On the other side of the door was a girl singing under the night sky.

The audience is a fixed smartphone and countless people on the other side.

And the co-creators who have arrived here now.

As Nightingale takes steps while singing, birds fly away from her shadow one by one.

As long as that song continues, there will be more victims like Yuuki.

Open "Q: Birdsong” 鳥騒

If the team doesn’t stop the livestream, not only will the song spread, but everything that will happen will be streamed live. The Co-Creation Department’s AI seems to have analyzed the situation and determined that the livestream should be stopped.

Fortunately, Sayo's smartphone is kept far away from her. It's easy to steal it if the co-creators act quickly.

When Sayo is interrupted, she stops singing and takes out her anger on the co-creators.

“This is the only time I can sing, so are you going to take that away from me?''

"I realized that my songs had special power. I was scared at first, but people listened to me.'' 

“The more people there are, and the more my songs reach, the more power they give me.”

"It's not fair. Adults tell me to think about money, business, and efficiency.

“The right way a person should be, telling me to do this or that...that's how they take away so many things from me. So I don't mind if I end up being the one taking things away from them."

"An urban legend? A delusion? It doesn't matter. It's more beautiful than reality, right?"

Scene 7: Climax

"If I were satisfied… I wouldn't be singing in a place like this!''

With Sayo's words, the scenery on the rooftop completely changed.

Her shadow stretches unnaturally.

And it’s not just hers. All the shadows on the rooftops, including water towers and tower houses, rose up and formed a lattice, enveloping the area like a cage.

It looked like a giant birdcage.

And the Tesseractor "Nightingale" finally materialized.

When Saya's shadow leaves the ground, it covers her body.

Her wings spread from her back, and her entire body was dyed black like a shadow puppet.

Defeat Tesseractor “Nightingale”

Nightingale possesses the following Q’s:

• Q: 影巣（えいそう）/ Shadow Nest

• Q: 鳥騒（ちょうそう)  /  Birdsong

• Q: 夜に歌う / Singing at Night

• Q: 黒羽の矢 / Arrow of Black Feathers

Call to Sayo

The main Tesseractor of "Nightingale'' is a possessive type, and its roots lie in the shadow of Sayo Kagohara.

She is semi-brainwashed, but if you defeat her Tesseractor, she will be able to regain her identity.

In order to erase Sayo's negative emotions and awaken her hope, the co-creators must call out to the depths of her heart.

It won't be easy because she's brainwashed.

Don't just judge her, try to say something that will touch her heart.

If successful, the Tesseractor possessing Saya will separate, and all that remains is to defeat the Tesseractor.

Scene 8: Final Song

At the same time as the Tesseractor "Nightingale'' dispersed, the "bird cage'' covering the rooftop also melted away.

The birds made of shadow are also gone. The students who remained inside the school will soon regain their senses.

From the rooftop, the co-creators could see several people gathered near the school gate.

They’re sure that's the support from the Co-Creation Department.

The affected students will be taken to a hospital arranged by the Co-Creation Department.

Sayo bowed to you with a look of complete dismay on her face.

"I'm sorry. I... I did something terrible to everyone…”

“I just wanted to sing, that's all."

Even though she was under the influence of the Tesseractor, it didn't seem like she had forgotten everything.

There is no way to gauge how much of what she said at that time was sincere.

Thanks to the efforts of the co-creators, the incident was resolved without causing any major damage.

The co-creators speak with Sayo before departing.

Scene 9: Ending

“Thank you for your hard work until late at night.

I was only planning to do some research, but I never expected that all of you would be able to destroy the Tesseractor on your own… This is an amazing accomplishment.''

To the team who returned to the Co-Creation Department office, the Co-Creation Manager looks over the monitor and gives words of encouragement.

"Thanks to everyone, we were able to prevent major damage. If we had delayed a little longer, what would have happened to Sayo Kagohara? She has been examined at the hospital, and it appears that none of the injuries are life-threatening. Thank you very much.''

The team can't read the emotions in the Co-Creation Manager's avatar.

Was it really a miscalculation that this mission was not just an "investigation"?

Or is it part of the co-creation manager's calculations?

He won't tell them even if they ask.

"How was your first mission?

You can tell us later, so please send us a report on your activities this time through "NARRATIVE CC.'' The report will be confirmed and the mission will be completed.

We will also send you a reward via the app.”

“Thank you for your hard work this time. We ask for your continued cooperation in maintaining public order in the city.”

This marks the end of the co-creators' first mission.

Until they are summoned by the Co-Creation Department again, they will probably go back to their daily lives.

Characters

Teruru / テルル

A whale that can only make sounds at certain frequencies. He was unable to communicate with other whales, he got separated from the group and got injured. He was rescued by Hibiki Senba, who helped him and became his friend.

After Hibiki stopped coming to sea, his body rapidly weakened and his life as a whale came to an end.

Hibiki Senba / 千波 響

An orphaned young boy. A few years ago, his parents, who were both researchers, left Hibiki behind to go to a conference. However, the plane they were on was involved in a disaster and crashed. Hibiki was left alone after his parents died and was taken in by the boss at the same research institute, Youji Senba. He was attached to Youji and looked up to him like a real grandfather. One summer day, he named the whale he rescued and became friends with it. Since then, he looked forward to meeting him at the sea every year, but he died in a sudden accident. 

Youji Senba / 千波 洋治

He was Hibiki's parents' superior and mentor, but was known in his field as a difficult researcher. He has now retired from research and is in retirement. The reason he took in Hibiki has never been openly discussed. At the very least, it is certain that he did not think ill of Hibiki's parents.

Amihama / 網浜

A fisherman and co-creator. He fishes around Juukuri Coast, and was included in the Tesseractor extermination team to keep watch. In the scenario, he first appears as an informant disguised as an ordinary person. At the climax, he cooperates with the co-creators.

Scene 0: Introduction

Area One, the uptown area of Kamitsubaki City. Here the co-creators end up at the beach of Jukuri Coast and hear about the urban legend of the Umibouzu. Around this time, a huge shadow appears on the horizon of Jukuri Coast, and this shadow lets out a terrifying roar. People who hear the roar throw themselves into the sea.

Scene 1: Umibouzu

It’s sunset. The co-creators witness a sudden shadow on the horizon, and hear the mysterious roar, making eerie sounds. The people around have started to walk towards the sea with blank expressions.

Here the co-creators try to resist, but one way or another they all end up going towards the sea anyways, with all the people swallowed up by the Umibouzu.

Scene 2: Inside the Body

When the co-creators come to, they find themselves in a dark and spacious space. There are other civilians, floaties, surfboards, etc lying all over the place.

This seems to be the belly of the Umibouzu, an “Incomprehensible Space.” A black shadow taking the shape of a fish seeps out from the wall, trying to pull the humans and debris into the wall. The co-creators realize this is a Tesseractor that’s trying to eat them – like digestive juices for the Umibouzu – and try to fight it. 

But no matter how much the co-creators try to fight, more and more small Tesseractors keep coming. They have to find an escape route.

Scene 3: Distant Memory

As the co-creators wandered inside the Tesseractor's body in an attempt to escape, they arrived at a small room with an atmosphere that felt different from the rest of the space.

A mysterious stone about the size of a crystal ball is stuck in the wall. Upon touching it, images flowed directly into their heads.

A large shadow and a small shadow swimming side by side in the sea.

Unbearable pain, blurred vision, and the sound of someone's voice from far away. Incomprehensible words.

Swimming desperately in search of something, but quickly growing impatient… 

Suddenly, water rushes into the room, engulfing everyone – and they were expelled from the Tesseractor’s body. The co-creators find themselves upon the calm sea, and swim back to the coast.

Scene 4: Co-Creation Department’s POV

It’s night, and the Co-Creation Manager approaches the co-creators, confirming it was indeed a Tesseractor they encountered on Jukuri Coast, and begins to explain the situation.

• He did not expect that the co-creators would encounter the Tesseractor by chance.

• The Tesseractor continues to grow and the damage is expanding. If it is not stopped this time, it could cause major harm.

• They’ve analyzed the appearance pattern, and there might be a full-scale attack by the Tesseractor on the night of the next full moon. A team that specializes in underwater combat has already been arranged.

The co-creators think that the Tesseractor shouldn’t be subdued so quickly, and think it has had a purpose other than destruction or that it’s looking for something. 

The co-creators request an investigation, and they have three days to uncover the truth – or else the Tesseractor will be killed.

Scene 5: Begin Investigation

The co-creators go to the hospital to meet victims and gather testimony. While most victims have only vague memories, it seems boys of a certain age have clearer memories about the event. The testimony is as follows:

• "When I heard that voice, I felt like I was being called to the sea. It seemed so lonely."

• "It was like it was looking for someone. When it realized it was the wrong person, it left."

• “I didn't get eaten, but I was swept out to sea, so I was rescued.''

They also analyze some video footage, and can determine that the shadow resembles a whale and there is an old scar near the tail fin.

Gathering what they know so far, the co-creators determine the following:

• The reason why the Tesseractor is whale-shaped is that it is based on a whale, and it is highly likely that it imitates every external feature.

• The two shadows that appeared in that flashback are the whale and the boy.

They ask around for more testimony, and encounter a fisherman who gives his testimony:

"Oh, I know about that kid. He came here almost every year."

A fisherman with noticeable tanned skin answers. He said that the boy was the grandson of ocean researcher Youji Senba, and that every year around this time of year he would accompany his grandfather on his research and play in the sea.

“After a certain point, I stopped watching, but from what I heard, that child died in an accident. Since then, Senba-san has also been depressed. I haven't seen one at sea since I retired as a researcher.”

The co-creators research more about Yoji Senba, finding out he’s a knowledgeable ocean researcher, but rarely opens his heart to people. They were also able to figure out his home address.

Scene 6: 52 Hertz Whale

Senba has retired in New Peace Town within Area One. The co-creators have to find a way to open Senba’s heart, and by doing so, he tells them his story.

Friendship Between The Two

Senba conducts observations of Jukuri Coast every year after major disasters, and his grandson Hibiki wanted to come along as well.

The whale in question was born with a strange sound, and it seems that it was abandoned not only by its group but also by its mother.

Hibiki rescued it when it was unable to ride the ocean currents, and was injured when he got caught on a rock.

Perhaps it remembered that he treated him, and the next year, when we went to the beach, it approached him from the other side.

It had a distinctive cry, and most importantly, there was a scar around its tail, which made it clear that it was the same individual.

About the Flute

Hibiki names the lonely whale “Teruru” and urges Senba to “do something for him.”

After explaining that Teruru's cry has a special frequency and that there are no whales in the world that can understand his language, Hibiki says that he wants to make a whistle that makes the same sound as Teruru.

“That child picked up many shells and made it through trial and error, making it a special flute that cannot be easily made.”

“When Teruru sang, they played the flute in response. It was a strange but beautiful melody. I don't know if they were communicating through words, but I knew that their hearts were communicating.''

Hibiki’s Death

Hibiki died in an accident. Senba hasn’t returned to sea, and had no way of telling Teruru about his grandson’s death. That whale may be waiting for his grandchild without knowing that he will die.

"I'm not directly related to that child by blood.

After his parents died young, I took him in and looked after him. He has no other relatives.

After he passed away, I realized that before I knew it, that child had become my everything."

"When I go to the beach, I think of that child. I haven't been to the beach since then."

“Hibiki is probably Teruru's only friend. If we had remained alone forever, maybe we wouldn't have felt this way.”

The co-creators can comfort Senba, and confide in him about the situation regarding the Tesseractor and their suspicions about the whale. By doing so, Senba will entrust him with Hibiki's memento flute.

However, no recording data remains, so it is unclear what kind of melody is correct to play.

Scene 7: Determination

It’s the day of the subjugation, and the Manager asks the co-creators about their progress with the investigation, and if they have a plan.

The co-creators think that if they play the song the boy once played on the flute, they can bring peace to the Tesseractor. To uncover this melody, it seems possible to explore it from past memories by touching the core of the Tesseractor once again.

But this will prove to be risky, as the Tesseractor has only become more powerful. The co-creators decide to risk contact with the whale to put their plan into motion. The subjugation team also provides backup for the co-creators.

With the full moon ahead of them, the team sets out to the planned coordinates. The manager introduces the co-creators to Amihama, the fisherman from earlier.

Co-Creation Manager: Let me introduce you. He is Mr. Amihama. I have kept this a secret from you all, but he is also a co-creator and a member of the subjugation team. Please report on the latest developments with the Tesseractor. I was there.

Amihama: I wasn't fooling you, it's true that I was a fisherman. But I never imagined that the Tesseractor was that whale… until you asked me. I've always thought about that whale and the boy. I was watching them. If I can do something about it, I want to do it.

The team sets out to sea on a ship, ready for the climax.

Scene 8: Climax

At sunset, the sea turns red, and that great shadow appeared again. The co-creators now know it is the shape of a lonely whale, and that the remains of memories are engraved on its tail.

Amihama asks the co-creators if they are ready, and they all dive into the sea as the whale screamed. He used “A” to block out the sound to protect the team as they swam towards the whale. Its mouth opened, swallowing the team – just as planned.

The Tesseractor remembers that its core was touched by its co-creators last time, and as a precaution, a thick wall of flesh covers the core.

Also, there are a lot of fish-shaped Tesseractors floating around, far more than before, and they are trying to eat away at the invaders. It is necessary to damage the flesh wall and expose the core before it collapses. If they can touch the core, they can know the melody.

The Tesseractor can attack with a variety of Q’s, fighting ferociously against the co-creators.

• Q: きみを呼ぶ声 / A Voice Calling to You (ref: “Recall Me” by Koko) (?)

• Q: 存在侵食 / Erosion of Existence (ref: “Carnivorous Plant” by RIM)

• Q: 穿 （うが） つ水 / Piercing Waters (ref: “Haru wo Tatsu” by KAF) (?)

• Q: 排斥の渦 / Vortex of Exclusion (ref: “Eye of the Storm” by Harusaruhi)

The co-creators fight back to lower the flesh wall’s HP to 0. They find the weak point of the flesh wall, increasing their damage against the whale.

Once they destroy the flesh wall, the core is exposed, and the whale stops fighting for a moment. Taking this opportunity, the co-creators touch the core of the Tesseractor. The feelings of the lonely whale, Teruru, are revealed.

“When I touched that core, images flowed into my head like a torrent.

Unlike the last time, it looks clearer now.

There was a young boy, Hibiki, with a big smile on his face.

In Teruru's memories, that smile was always there.

The whale sings. A song that won't reach its friends.

The boy plays. A song just for two friends.

Their songs echo together.

It was like the sound of waves echoing in the ocean somewhere, not here.”

The whale spits them out again, shuddering at the outsiders who touched its core, and Amihama is outside to save the ejected co-creators. 

The co-creators take this chance to play a melody.

That might be an unpleasant sound for people to hear.

However, for some reason, the co-creators found it beautiful.

When the feelings expressed in the sound reached it, the giant Tesseractor chirped in response.

Along with that cry, the shadow unraveled and withered away.

Before they knew it, the lonely whale had swelled to a size that could be held in both hands.

The feelings left behind by the lonely whale, Teruru, are healed by the melody of the flute, and purified by the power of the "A" placed there.

If there were words it wanted to say to him in its final moments, it would be able to say them now.

After everything disappears, the co-creators may see an apparition of a round shadow and a small figure leaning over it on the horizon.

Scene 9: Ending

When the co-creators returned to the coast on Amihama's boat, they received a message from the Manager, who expressed his gratitude and praise to the co-creators who had defeated the threat of the Tesseractor.

Characters

(listed with given name first, in Western order)

Aruto Hano / 羽野或都

A first-year high school student attending Kamitsubaki Gakuen. He has a strong admiration for protagonists and heroes, dreaming of being one who conquers evil like in manga or anime. He’s friends with Taiga because of their similar interests. He is not good at studying or sports, and has a complex about not having any redeeming qualities.

When he accidentally witnesses a co-creator around his age defeat a Tesseractor, he is devastated by the fact that supernatural powers exist but he was not chosen.

T/N: I actually don't know why they say he's a Kamitsubaki Gakuen student here, but later it says he attends Hakua. This is an inconsistency by the writers themselves.

Targeting his weakened mind, one of the Don Quixote entities chooses him as a host. At first, he has no intention of abusing his supernatural powers, and only uses them to punish the delinquents who mugged Taiga. However, every time he uses his supernatural powers, the Tesseracter erodes his mind, and he eventually develops a strong sense of justice mixed with complicated feelings toward the co-creators. After coming to believe that "Sandou was harmed because the Co-Creation Department has no intention of protecting the city," he began to actively try to cannibalize the Co-Creators in order to replace them.

Taiga Sandou / 山藤大河

Aruto’s best friend. He has a timid personality and is often mugged, but he is proactive.

He noticed that Aruto was acting strangely recently, since he stopped coming to school right after talking about the “Protagonist Audition.” He is trying to find him on his own.

He has an account called “Sandou@OccultAcc” on social media that is popular with young people.

Karasu Kagami / 加賀美鴉

(T/N: Please note there is no clear indication towards this character’s gender throughout the entire story. Gender neutral pronouns will be used. In addition, they are often referred to by surname, so they will be referred to as Kagami rather than Karasu.)

A veteran employee of the Co-Creation Department. They usually work as the manager of a cafe and bar. In the Co-Creation Department, they specialize in investigations and aren’t good at fighting.

They are in charge of the aftermath of the Tesseractor incident that Aruto witnessed. While checking whether the memory processing of the surrounding residents was working properly, they encountered a Don Quixote and came very close to defeating it.

Because they were able to fight with ease, and because it was urgent to confirm the memory processing, the co-creators were asked to investigate and defeat Don Quixote.

Scene 0: Area Zero Meeting

The Manager of the Co-creation Department has gathered a few Co-Creators to investigate a Tesseractor, and debriefs them on the situation.

 “Yesterday, an employee of the Co-Creation Department was patrolling the back alleys of Area Two and encountered a Tesseractor. To give you an idea, it looked like a knight wearing shadows like armor.”

"The Tesseractor launched an attack, so the employee had no choice but to deal with it alone. Fortunately, the threat level was quite low, and it was cornered to the point where it could be wiped out in just one move."

“However, the shadow the Knight was wearing peeled off and disappeared, as if seeping into the ground. After the shadow disappeared, a student was left behind with injuries all over his body. Prioritizing the student’s safety, the employee gave up on pursuing the Tesseractor.”

“The possessed student kept repeating, “I thought I could be the protagonist,” over and over again, until he lost consciousness.”

“The employee testified that “The Tesseractor seemed to have abandoned its host. It is highly likely that it was not completely extinguished.” I named it Don Quixote.”

"Your current mission is to investigate and subjugate the Tesseractor Don Quixote. Do you have any questions so far?"

Protagonist Audition – Case Information

“Normally, an investigation mission begins by investigating urban legends and rumors to determine whether or not it is the work of the Tesseractor. However, this time it’s reversed – it is clear that it is the work of the Tesseractor. We need to find out if it's being spread as an urban legend, and what kind of nature it has.”

“What I'm curious about is what the possessed student said, “I thought I could be the main character.” Do you all know the urban legend of the “Protagonist Audition?”

The "Protagonist Audition" is an urban legend circulating among junior high and high school students. Children who long for something extraordinary or for supernatural powers are invited to audition, and are said to be able to obtain the "power of justice" like a story's protagonist.

"Investigating the “Protagonist Audition” was originally planned further in the backlog, but the observations of Don Quixote have made it more urgent. It would be a good idea to start by researching the 'Protagonist Auditions'."

 About Don Quixote

Basic Information

The Tesseractor was encountered and named by Karasu Kagami, an employee of the Co-Creation Department. He looks like a medieval knight wearing shadows. Its main attacks include charging and brandishing a spear made from shadows, and it moves on foot like humans.

It is capable of possessing humans, and its main body is thought to be a shadow that covers humans like armor.

Its “Q,” which disappears as if blending into the shadows, has been confirmed.

Threat Level

Kagami’s fighting ability is average even in the Co-Creation Department, but they did not suffer any particular injuries in the battle with Don Quixote. They said, “Oh, he was  ridiculously easy to deal with,'' so it seems that the Tesseractor’s threat level is quite low.

Additional Notes

For the above reasons, and because Kagami is currently engaged in another mission, the investigation will be delegated to another party (the Co-Creators of this story.)

 About the possessed student

Based on his uniform and the Co-Creation Department’s database, the student was determined to be a student at Kamitsubaki Gakuen. He regained consciousness at the hospital this morning, and his injuries are not life-threatening. However, his memory is hazy and he doesn’t even remember saying “I thought I could be the protagonist,” so it will be difficult to get useful information out of him.

“That's all for the mission explanation. Begin your investigation immediately. Don Quixote's threat level is low, but we recommend that you stay alert and act as a team.

If you would like to gather information first, it would be a good idea to interview at Kamitsubaki Gakuen in Area Zero. Of course, you can head straight to the site in Area Two. I'm looking forward to a good report.”

Scene 1: Investigation of Area Zero

The co-creators head towards Kamitsubaki Gakuen to gather information and gossip about the “Protagonist Audition.”

The testimony they gather is as follows:

• From a talkative female student: The “Protagonist Audition” has been going viral for about a month. Apparently the rumors spread from Kamitsubaki Gakuen's general chat.

• There is a “preliminary round” for the “Protagonist Audition”. It is said that if an eligible participant passes the  “preliminaries,” they will be able to acquire the rumored extraordinary power.

• From a depressed student: A friend of mine was bragging to everyone that he had passed the "preliminary round" of the auditions. I laughed at the time and thought it was just a joke, but he hasn't come to school for about three days, and I'm starting to get worried.

• From other students and teachers: Apparently, there are reports of students at other schools suddenly stopped coming to school, only to end up being hospitalized. The timing of the absences and hospitalizations varied, but the number of cases started to increase suddenly about a month ago, when rumors about the “Protagonist Audition” began to spread.

The talkative female student suddenly remembers something, and starts speaking to the co-creators to give them more information.

“Come to think of it, I was asked about the “Protagonist Audition” on the street a while back. It was a boy, must’ve been a first-year. He told me to contact him through this account if anything happened.”

She shows her social media account on her smartphone.

A certain social media account

• An account named “Sand@OccultAcc.” It posts a lot about various urban legends, and seems to be a miscellany of rumor-level information to the OP’s own speculation. It may also have valuable information about the "Protagonist Audition".

(T/N: The account is called サンド@オカルト垢 in Japanese. The 垢 is pronounced as “aka,” a shortening of “account,” though it’s a word that means trash/dirt; hence the choice to abbreviate it as “Acc” in English.)

• Perhaps he uses social media in the same way as a closed community, as he frequently posts personal information. The latest post is, "Inquiring in Area Two. Apparently there is an unfamiliar student there. It could be him."

The female student looks worried as they look at the account together.

"I know I'm showing you, but this account is leaking a lot of personal information. Come to think of it, when you asked me about the urban legends, it seemed a bit risky. It's at a level where one could be identified if someone out there wanted to find out."

"And of all places, it's Area Two. They told us in homeroom that the area is a little unsafe and we should stay away. I wonder if this kid is okay..."

The latest post was just a few minutes ago. If they go to Area Two now, they might be able to follow the post and find an opportunity to encounter the account owner.

Scene 2: The Hustle and Bustle of Area Two

The co-creators arrive in Area Two, an entertainment district within Kamitsubaki City with restaurants and shopping streets. However, there are slums on the outskirts of the district, and it’s generally considered unsafe.

There’s the same old busy atmosphere in Area Two, but also a sense of tension.

A middle-aged man carrying a baton approaches the co-creators. He doesn’t seem to be a police officer.

“Hey there. I haven’t seen your faces around before. Where’d you lot come from?”

His expression stiffened as he noticed the ID badges of the co-creators.

“Oh? I don’t suppose you’re the co-creators who’ve come to deal with the current situation in Area Two…? Well, I’ll let you in on the details anyways, just in case you are.”

He seems to belong to a vigilante group in Area Two. He explains why the security situation in Area Two is getting worse.

“Delinquent Hunting” in Area Two

About a month ago, "Delinquent Hunting" became a hot topic in Area Two. The main victims were delinquents and thugs in Area Two, all of whom were found unconscious in the back alleys. It seems middle and high school students with good behavior have also been victims (although in less frequency than delinquents.)

The delinquents are quite angry, and are conducting their own searches to make the “Delinquent Hunter” pay for their actions.

The vigilante man continues to explain.

• "The delinquents are making a fuss about settling their differences, and good students are also being victimized. In any case, it's best not to go out too much right now."

• "I saw a student walking around with a cell phone in his hand earlier. He said he was on his way home, but I wonder if that's true."

• "He was a slightly timid-looking male student. Maybe he was about a first-year high school student? If you meet him, tell him to be careful. And be on your guard."

After the man leaves, the co-creators continue to investigate Area Two. The posts on “Sand@OccultAcc” will be updated as they interview the delinquents targeted by the “Delinquent Hunter,” and as they investigate the scene of the Don Quixote incident.

! New Post: “The city is feeling tense, but we have to do something.”

Testimony from Delinquents

• Although no victim was able to clearly see the “Delinquent Hunter” there is a consensus among the witnesses that “they were probably wearing a uniform, wearing all black.” This is one of the reasons why it is said to be dangerous for students to be in Area Two.

• According to the victim, the “Delinquent Hunter” was about the size of a high school student. He moved in a way that was almost inhuman, and he was taken down in an instant.

• Several victims testified that they heard the shutter sound of a camera app or the sound of video recording starting just before they lost consciousness, after being attacked by the “Delinquent Hunter.”

! New Post: "I've mustered up some courage. I think I’m almost there."

When the co-creators asked about the owner of “Sand@OccultAcc,” the delinquent told them that a boy wearing the Hakua Private Academy uniform had come to investigate the account. When the delinquents overpowered him, he became frightened and ran away.

Investigation of the Don Quixote Scene

• There are marks on the wall that look like they were pierced with a spear. This must have been the work of Don Quixote.

• Tesseractors often cause destruction that is impossible for humans, but this site is not very rough. His report that the threat level is quite low seems to have some credibility. In addition, it was destroyed in an instant.

! New Post: "I'm glad I set my sights on Weekly."

(“Weekly Bright” is a video contest held every week on a certain website. It’s an app you can go viral on easily.)

The co-creators decide to investigate into “Weekly Bright.”

Weekly Bright Investigation

Overview: It seems a certain video went viral on Weekly Bright about a month ago. A user posted a video of themself beating up several tough-looking delinquents.

The violent video was viewed 500,000 times within an hour before being deleted. Comments include “that was so cool” and “that guy seemed like the protagonist, right?”

Although another video won that week, many users thought that video should’ve won.

• An article online describing the trend of violent videos. Even after the initial incident, various violent videos continued to be uploaded by throwaway accounts. There are even "copycat criminals" who submit violent videos to Weekly Bright and deleting them afterwards as well.

• User reactions – the majority of users seem to disapprove of these violent videos, but there are a vocal minority who support the posters as “heroes of justice” and “protagonists.”

• Additionally, it seems likely that violent videos are posted by multiple users, with varying video recording methods and sound quality. People who post violent videos are given nicknames, and topics such as this week's "protagonist" are commonly discussed, like speculating which "hero" will win Weekly Bright this week.

• “Sand@OccultAcc” has a series of posts that discuss a series of violent videos. It appears that they hypothesized early on that the violent videos were created by multiple users.

Additional Information about the Don Quixote scene

 We obtained a captured image of a violent video that was deleted from social media. Analysis revealed that some of the violent videos were filmed near the scene of Don Quixote.

! New Post: “This is bullshit. I’d rather there’d be no result at all…”

After seeing this post, the co-creators receive an urgent message… 

Scene 3: Clash in Area Two

(Area Two: Kamitsubaki Area Two Central Marketplace)

The Co-Creation Manager contacts the co-creators.

“This is urgent information. Kagami Karasu, an employee of the Co-Creation Department, encountered Don Quixote at Sadness Alley. There’s a battle going on right now, and they’re asking for your help.”

“I’ve just sent you the location information. It’s about a five-minute drive from your current location. Please, give your support!”

Just as the co-creators are thinking about going, they witness a strange scene that catches their eye.

A timid-looking boy with a pale face was talking to an old woman who was holding a cane. The boy was smiling awkwardly, and the older woman was asking him about something.

The next moment, an arm wrapped in swirling shadows dragged the boy into a back alley.

The boy's smartphone falls at the feet of the old woman, who is stunned, staring into the back alley.

Grandma’s Condition

 The old woman who was talking to the boy bent down and pointed toward a back alley.

“He was walking around with a pale face, so I thought he was asking if he wasn't feeling well...I'm fine. Now, please go after that child.”

The smartphone

When they looked at the smartphone with the cracked screen, they saw the page for “Sand@OccultAcc” displayed on the app screen.

It can be determined that the boy dragged into the alley is the account owner.

Chasing after the shadowy arm

The co-creators run through the alley, and eventually reach a dead end. They find a knight clad in shadow – the Tesseractor Don Quixote beating up the timid boy.

When Don Quixote sees the co-creators, he drops the boy and speaks to them in a muffled voice.

"You lot! It's dangerous here. Dear civilians, please run away."

"That boy? He was talking to an old lady. He was probably trying to mug her, no doubt about it! That's why I'm stopping him before it happens! As a champion of justice, I protect this town from the shadows!"

"What? Are you getting in my way? Getting in my way is getting in the way of the champions of justice. That means you're enemies, no, evil! I will punish evil!"

At the slightest expression of doubt from the co-creators, Don Quixote begins to attack, and the co-creators enter a battle.

Don Quixote only has one Q, called “Devour the Present” – an attack with a shadow spear. It’s not very effective.

(T/N: Reference to KAF’s “Devour the Past.”)

Though the co-creators easily prevail over Don Quixote, suddenly another mysterious shadow-clad knight appears and crushes Don Quixote with ease.

As Don Quixote falls to the ground, the shadow he is wearing falls completely off. The shadow tries to flee somewhere, but is pulled back by an invisible force and absorbed into the shadow of the knight who suddenly appears.

The new shadow knight looks exactly like Don Quixote, but with one clear difference. The shadow surrounding his body is overwhelmingly powerful and sinister, shaking the surrounding atmosphere.

The co-creators sense a strong hatred or hostility, and depending on their traits & rolls:

• Fail: Lose 1 HP.

• Success: Sense this is definitely Don Quixote. Lose 1 HP.

• Magic: The hatred seems to be directed not at themselves, but rather at the general concept of “co-creators.” No HP lost.

 The shadow knight, who crushed the similar-looking Tesseractor, glared at the co-creators and spoke.

"For now... this is enough... I don't have enough power... to completely defeat you… Well, see you…”

Those words were full of hostility, but the Shadow Knight didn't attack – rather, he disappeared, blending into the darkness of the back alley.

After the Shadow Knight leaves, an injured and timid-looking boy (Taiga Yamafuji) and a student who has been trampled and is no longer possessed by Don Quixote are found lying on the ground. The student has lost consciousness, but Taiga Yamafuji remains conscious. It seems tracking the Shadow Knight will be difficult, and that their priority should be getting the two fallen boys to safety.

When helping the timid-looking boy to his feet, he weakly mutters, “Is that voice… Aruto…?” and faints.

Compared to the student who was possessed by Don Quixote, the wound is less severe, and it seems he is likely to regain consciousness soon. It seems the two of them can rest up at the facility owned by the Co-Creation Department in Sadness Alley.

Support at Sadness Alley

It takes several minutes to travel to Sadness Alley. Once the co-creators arrive, they receive a message from the Manager:

“Kagami is still continuing their battle with Don Quixote. We expect it to be a tough battle, so please come and support us as soon as possible.”

As they arrive in Sadness Alley, they notice a bunch of unconscious delinquents lying around with broken bats and wood. When they arrive at the specific coordinates, Kagami Karasu is confronting Don Quixote. Using the A: “In A Picture, Without Anyone,” Kagami draws a crow that materializes to launch an attack, but but Don Quixote continues to evade with three-dimensional maneuvers that also make use of walls and pillars.

(T/N: “A” here is a reference to Isekaijoucho’s “Daremo inai e de.”)

Taking advantage of a momentary gap, Kagami is hit by the spear Don Quixote is swinging.They are already wounded all over their body and are on the verge of collapse.

As the co-creators come to Kagami’s rescute, Don Quixote, or rather someone possessed by Don Quixote, shrugged.

“There’s no point in fighting you. Bye byeee.”

The voice is different from the Don Quixote the team fought earlier, and different from the mysteriously powerful shadow knight as well. He waved his shadowy hand and picked up his smartphone, and vanished as if melting into the shadows.

Kagami thanks the co-creators.

“The co-creators who took on the investigation of Don Quixote? Thank you, you’re a lifesaver.”

"Don Quixote has become much more formidable than the last time we fought. Also, his movement habits are different."

Kagami continues while healing their own wounds with A: “Of Pain.”

(T/N: Reference to KAF’s “Itami Wo.”)

“Sorry, I’m gonna focus on healing my wounds. Go report back to the head of the Co-Creation Department.”

“There’s a vacant house nearby that the Co-Creation Department is renting. You can make your report there.”

Kagami guides them to the base located in Area Two Sadness Alley.

Although the boy who was possessed by Don Quixote is not fatally wounded, he probably won't wake up soon, probably due to the influence of being possessed by the Tesseractor. The timid-looking boy's injuries were shallower, and with some treatment, it’s certain he would regain consciousness.

Either the co-creators or Kagami can heal the two boys. After that, the Manager contacts the team again.

Scene 4: Investigation of the Shadow Knight

The Manager confirms the safety of the team.

“Thank you for your hard work, everyone. I heard that Don Quixote also appeared in the area where you were right after we requested relief for Sadness Alley.''

“Furthermore, according to reports from the scout team, multiple Tesseractors that appear to be Don Quixote have been confirmed in various locations around Area Two.”

“We need to find out the true nature of Don Quixote ASAP. We would appreciate your reporting along with your investigation of the Protagonist Audition.”

After reporting to the Manager, the department’s AI analyzes the report. The AI’s analysis is as follows:

The true nature of Don Quixote

• As a general rule, Tesseractors do not have advanced intelligence, so the person who conversed with the employee was a student possessed by Don Quixote.

• Don Quixote has the ability to possess humans and influence their actions. Each individual that the team has encountered operates with a different thought pattern, and it is very likely that different individual Don Quixotes possess humans and give them “Q” .

• In other words, "Don Quixote" is presumed to be a "group-type" Tesseractor.

The truth about the Protagonist Audition

• There is no doubt that the “Delinquent Hunter” in Area Two was actually some of the people possessed by Don Quixote.

• The violent video posted on social media by the “Delinquent Hunter” may have been controversial on “Weekly Bright,” but it also attracted enthusiastic supporters. Words that hailed the posters as “protagonists” boosted the possessed students’ self-esteem, and as a result, the number and severity of the crimes in creased.

• Which protagonist will receive the most attention in this week’s “Weekly Bright?” One user, amused by this situation, casually coined the term “Protagonist Audition.” As a result of this, the “Protagonist Audition” gained a life of its own, and an urban legend was born – that there really is a “Protagonist Audition” in which participants are given extraordinary supernatural powers.

A Group-Type Tesseractor?

• A Tesseractor consisting of several to hundreds of individuals with the same properties. There is no main body, and defeating one individual will not affect the others.

• “Group-Type” Tesseractors may engage in “cannibalism.” This is the process of becoming one giant individual, and it is difficult to deal with individuals that have undergone repeated cannibalism. Therefore, it is best to destroy it in its weak state before they can cannibalize each other.

• When subjugating a “Group-Type” Tesseractor, it is necessary to destroy all individuals, regardless of whether they are cannibalized or not.

The manager continues to speak.

“The first individual that Kagami dealt with, and the individual that you engaged with earlier, were easier to defeat. However, it appears that cannibalism between the Don Quixotes is already underway.”

“The individual that appeared before you probably has the most power. If that individual absorbs all the other Don Quixotes, we’ll definitely struggle against it.”

“Currently, we’ve gathered staff who are accustomed to combat, and we’re issuing orders to destroy the weaker Don Quixotes. It is difficult to stop the cannibalism itself, but we can destroy some of the weaker ones before they’re cannibalized. By subduing them, the overall threat will decrease.”

“Everyone, please interview the boy you rescued in the shopping district. Right now, we need to get at least a little information about Don Quixote.”

The conversation ends there, and the timid boy begins to awake thanks to the treatment.

Scene 5: Shadow Knight’s Friend

Although the boy is shaken, he understands that the co-creators helped him, and he thanks them.

“Thank you for helping me. My name is Taiga Sandou, and I’m a first year at Hakua Private Academy. Um, you’re the co-creators, right?”

“I was walking down Area Two because I had some personal matters.”

The co-creators have to choose their words carefully here to get Taiga to open up properly. Questions such as:

• I’m researching the Protagonist Audition,

• I’m chasing the Delinquent Hunter,

• I know you’re the account owner of Sand@OccultAcc, or

• I’d like your cooperation for the peace of the city,

He will timidly tell the co-creators about what he knows.

Taiga’s Explanation

“The true identity of the Delinquent Hunter in Area Two is probably my friend. His name is Aruto Hano, and he’s also a first-year at Hakua.”

"Hakua was a school with an escalator system from elementary school onwards, and I transferred in the middle of high school… So honestly, I was a bit of an outsider… People often said I was timid and annoying… But Aruto and I became really close, talking about heroes and Sentai shows. He had a strong sense of justice, and would get angry whenever I was ignored."

“But a little over a month ago, Aruto started acting weird. There was a gas explosion accident in Area One. Miraculously, no one was injured. Apparently, Aruto was at the scene of the accident.”

“I tried to ask him about the accident, like how I usually just ask him things, but he seemed to be shaken up. Something was off. He looked pale, and he kept muttering nonsense words on repeat, like “it couldn’t be me.” I don’t even know what that means. We even stopped talking about superhero movies, when we used to talk about them every day…”

Kagami speaks to the co-creators, so that Taiga can’t hear.

“As you know, incidents caused by Tesseractors can’t be made known to the public. So, we cover them up as accidents and incidents – to obscure the reality of the situation.”

“Sandou-kun just talked about “the gas explosion in Area One about a month ago.” The “accident” is actually one of the pretenses we use at the Co-Creation Division.”

Kagami and the co-creators look into the records of this incident.

Incident Record – Tesseractor Incident that occurred about a month ago.

Overview: 

About a month ago, a bee-shaped Tesseractor named “Galatea” appeared in Area One’s New Peace Town. Three co-creators, including a student, handled the incident. It’s been confirmed Galatea was completely defeated here.

Notices:

After Galatea was dealt with, nearby residents gathered at the scene after hearing the explosion caused by the “Q” that Galatea used. In cooperation with the police, we conducted interviews and administered simple amnesiacs to 11 residents. Among the list of amnesiac subjects is the name of Aruto Hano.

Kagami continues to whisper to the co-creators regarding the incident record.

“While you were assigned to the Don Quixote investigation, I was dealing with the aftermath of the Galatea incident. I had a suspicion that the memory processing was incomplete. It would be a problem if the general public knew about the existence of the Tesseractors, “Q,” and “A.”

“10 out of 11 had no problems. The one person that there was an issue with, though. My mission would’ve been finished once I finished checking up on the child named Aruto Hano.”

Seeing the co-creators and Kagami talking, Taiga continued to talk uneasily.

“Yeah, something strange happened to Aruto… Ever since he saw the explosion, he’s just become weirder and weirder…”

“A few days after the explosion, he suddenly became cheerful and said to me, “Heroes are the best, aren’t they?” in his usual tone.”

“At first I was relieved that things returned to normal, but he suddenly started arranging five wallets on the desk. One was my wallet that was stolen from me, and the other four were some other leather-covered wallets.”

"Aruto said he'd talked to the delinquent who'd mugged me, and he'd given me my wallet back. The other four were as an apology for mugging me. There's no way that could happen."

"Not only that, but the classmates who always picked on me, and the teachers who always yelled at me in class, were hospitalized one after the other. Aruto gradually stopped coming to school. Soon, rumors of a 'Delinquent Hunter' started to spread."

"Even when I sent him a message, he would just say, 'I passed the preliminaries, "I'm going to protect the city," and other things I couldn't understand, and it seemed like he hadn't even come home... I was worried, scared, and confused, so I decided to look for Aruto."

"To be honest, I thought it would be better to tell my parents, the Co-Creation Department, or the police. But if I did that, it would become a big deal, and Aruto might get expelled. I thought that I wouldn't be able to talk to Aruto during breaks or after school anymore, so I couldn't tell him, so I looked into it on my own... I'm really sorry."

"He hasn’t even marked my messages as read recently, but yesterday I got a message for the first time in a while."

Taiga Sandou shows the message he received last night.

"At last, the final round. It's time for both the fakes and the Co-Creation Department to fall. I'm the one who will protect the city."

“I'm sure you don't understand, but I want you to remember this. When this is all over, I'll tell you a really interesting story. Please wait.''

Aruto’s “Protagonist Audition”

Aruto Hano doesn’t use social media, and there is no evidence that he has uploaded violent videos to Weekly Bright. He seems to have uniquely interpreted the “Protagonist Audition” as a test to gather the power of ``Don Quixote'' and accomplish his own justice.

Taiga’s Explanation

“Aruto is probably hurting a lot of people. And yet, he’s trying to protect me. I know that. But... when I was knocked unconscious by someone in the back alley... I felt like Aruto had helped me. He has an incredibly strong sense of justice."

"Co-Creators, please. Please stop Aruto. And... if possible, please don't punish him too harshly... please."

“I think Aruto is based in an abandoned building in New Peace Town in Area One. It's like our secret base, where we often stopped by on our way home from school. I looked in various places, but... I just don't have the courage to go there…”

Taiga Sandou bows his head many times and begs to the co-creators.

After hearing from Taiga, the Manager contacts the co-creators. When they relayed the information they heard from Taiga, he started talking.

“The possessed person of that powerful Don Quixote you all encountered is most likely Aruto Hano. Aruto-san’s Don Quixote is steadily increasing its power. I was afraid, but it’s clear that… attacks targeting the Co-Creation staff have also been confirmed. It’s unclear why Aruto-san is hostile towards the Co-Creators, but direct combat is now unavoidable.”

“I have a new mission for you all. Head to the abandoned building in Area One’s New Peace Town and defeat Aruto-san’s Don Quixote. Although Aruto-san will be attacking us, we’ve also made progress in defeating the weaker Don Quixotes.”

“This is our only chance.”

When the co-creators agree to the task, the manager  calls out to them.

“The co-creator's extraordinary ability “A” was borrowed from the “special power of song'' possessed by the Witches. It is the only power that can counter Tesseractor's "Q". And the Witches will only form a pact with those they trust, and will bestow her magical powers."

“In other words, what makes a co-creator a co-creator is not a special ability, but a heart. I believe in your hearts. Please protect this city and its people.”

After the manager spoke, Kagami stood up.

“Now that the wound has closed up, I’ll go hunt after the smaller Don Quixotes.”

“Honestly, it’s a bit tiring, but we have to protect the city. Let’s give it our all.”

The co-creators head towards the abandoned building in Area One’s New Peace Town.

Scene 6: Shadow Knight’s Cry

In Area One, in a slightly deserted corner of New Peace Town, the abandoned building Taiga mentioned was standing alone. There were many unconscious students lying on the stairs of the building. A moving shadow rises upwards. When the team arrived at the roof of the abandoned building, they saw the shadowy figure of Hakua Academy student... Hano Aruto.

“How did you find this place? It must’ve been hard work, co-creators.”

“I know you have special powers. And you don’t deserve that kind of power.”

“You talk about maintaining and restoring Kamitsubaki City? You can’t even deal with the thugs in Area Two, and you’re going to protect the city? Don’t make me laugh! I’m the only one who can use this power properly. I’m the only one who can protect the city. I’m the chosen one! And you bastards who get in my way are the bad guys here!”

A shadow surrounded Aruto’s body as he spat out his words. The team could hear a horrifying crawling sound below, or perhaps it sounded more like a scream. The shadow turned into armor and covered his entire body, with a swirling shadow fluttering around his neck like a scarf.

“Come now. There is only ONE hero, and it is I!!”

The knight, clad in jet black justice, pointed his twisted spear at the co-creators.

The co-creators fight against Don Quixote, who possesses the following Q’s:

• Q: シャドウディメンション / Shadow Dimension (ref: “Dimension” by Isekaijoucho)

• Q: 影に化ける / Turn into Shadow (ref: “Turn into the Sea” by KAF)

• Q: 安易な偽法 / Foolish Falseness (ref: “Luscious Lawless” by RIM)

• Q: 遺世界の砲石譚 / Gunstone of the Ancient World (ref: “Isekai no Housekitan” by Isekaijoucho)

• Q: レグルスの脳髄 / Brain of Regulus (ref: “Heart of Sirius” by Isekaijoucho)

It is possible for the co-creators to disable Aruto’s Q’s by talking to him, or persuade him using the power of A.

By successfully persuading him, his Q’s will gradually become unusable one by one, satisfying the victory conditions for the team.

Upon defeat

“Ha, ha ha… Wha, what the hell was I even talking about… Was… Was I really the bad guy after all…?”

The Don Quixote that was clinging to Aruto disappeared before it even got the chance to escape. All that was left was Aruto Hano, weakly kneeling, looking up at the co-creators.

“I just wanted to punish the guy who robbed Taiga… I was jealous of you guys… That’s all there is, really…”

After a while, the team got in contact with the Co-Creation Manager to inform of the subjugation of the final Don Quixote.

Scene 7: Ending

Don Quixote was completely exterminated. The rumors about the Protagonist Audition and the stories about the Delinquent Hunter will soon fade and be forgotten.

The students who were possessed by the Don Quixotes have no memories of being possessed, including the battles with the co-creators and the fact that supernatural powers actually exist in this world.

Except for one person, Aruto Hano.

Aruto Hano is left with memories of being possessed, perhaps due to the aftereffects of coming into deep contact with the Tesseractor while conscious.

Normally, amnesiacs would have been processed, but Taiga had been following Aruto’s movements for a long time, even though it was impossible to identify the individual – there were too many sightings of those who looked like Aruto. Furthermore, even though Aruto was once subjected to amnesiac treatment, his words and actions have been confirmed to suggest that he retained his memories.

The co-creators can decide what to do with Aruto, whether it’s erasing his memory (as well as Taiga’s) or having Aruto work in the Co-Creation Department.