Episode 5: Bonds of the Whitewings

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Scene: The streets of Edo.

Yuuki and the members of Weissflugel Landsol Branch, having escaped from Akudaikan, were catching their breaths in a corner of Edo.

Monika
... Hah, hah, we should be safe now that we've come this far. Ayumi, how's your injury?

Ayumi
I-I'm fine. It wasn't a direct hit -- just like Kuuka, I was just sent flying by the impact.

Monika
I-I see... That's a relief... Truly...

Kuuka
B-But Akudaikan is still searching for us... If he catches us, terrible things will happen to us... Fufufu... drool...

Teahouse Owner
So this is where you were! You'll be found by Akudaikan out here! Here, hide inside my store!

Monika
T-Thank you, Sir Manager! ... Everyone, get inside as fast as possible!

Scene: Inside the store.

Monika
Whew... Now that we're here, we can properly treat Ayumi's wound.

Ayumi
M-Monika, I'm really fine...

Monika
Even so, you must have it treated... Please.

Mayor
I agree. I truly apologize for what you had to experience.

Ninon
Mr. Mayor! You are not injured!

Mayor
Yes, and I'm sorry that I couldn't stop Akudaikan.

Monika
Just who is that Akudaikan?

Mayor
Akudaikan is a monster that suddenly appeared in Edo. With his terrible power, he brought the city under his control in an instant.

Kuuka
S-So he really is a monster. That's why he was that strong...

Yuki
But then, shouldn't you have Nightmare come and deal with him?

Mayor
No, Akudaikan has made allies in the royal palace by sending bribes. If anyone falls behind on their taxes even a little, he's free to do whatever he wants to them.

Mayor
Even if I were to report him to Nightmare, the report would never be acknowledged...

Kuuka
N-No way...!?

Teahouse Owner
... Even so, the mayor has been making arrangements to protect all of us. If he hadn't been here, even worse things would have happened to all of us.

Mayor
However, the townspeople have been suffering, reduced to poverty, their stores destroyed. Akudaikan cares nothing for any of that. ... Truly, I despise my own powerlessness.

Ninon
How terrible... I cannot tolerate that person just doing as he pleases!

Mayor
No, you had better not try thinking of ways to oppose him. It may be better for you to run now, and get far away from this town as fast as you can.

Ayumi
B-But we can't just leave the town in this state!

Monika
... No, the mayor is right. The rest of you should withdraw from this town.

Kuuka
M-Monika! Why!?

Monika
This enemy is in a different league from any we've faced before. If you fight Akudaikan... There is a chance that you may lose your lives.

Four
...!?

Monika
This guild was founded by me as a branch of Weissflugel... But in the end, the only soldier and member of Weissflugel is me, and not any of you.

Monika
... From here on out, I do my job as a soldier. I can't allow civilians to be caught up in the danger. That's why all of you should...

Yuuki
1. Pinch Monika's cheeks.
2. Give Monika a chop.

Option 1.

Monika
Fwah!? W-What are you doing... Ouch, ouch, ouch!!

Option 2.

Monika
... Ow!? W-W-W-What are you doing, Yuuki!?

End of branches.

Yuki
Good for you, Monika -- if Yuuki hadn't done that to you just now... I would've been forced to take out my makeup and give you a bit of a color splash.

Kuuka
I was just about to tie you down with the rope I bought earlier...

Ninon
Monika, how would you like a helping of Aojiru, the famous bitter vegetable juice from Togoku? ... Of course, there will be seconds, too!

Ayumi
And I would've taken off this bandage and slipped it right around your arm!

Monika
W-Why is what I said so unacceptable!? I'm only looking out for your safety...

Yuki
Honestly... I'd thought there was something strange about you when we were starting the investigation, but I never thought that this of all things was going through your mind.

Ayumi
U-Um, it's true that we're not members of Weissflugel proper, but we're still members of Weissflugel Landsol Branch.

Ayumi
And the leader of our Weissflugel Landsol Branch... is someone who could never look away from people in trouble. That's why we're all going to follow our leader.

Kuuka
A-And I also wanted to say... Um... We're...

Yuuki
1. "We're friends."

Kuuka
Y-You stole the last part of my line! Even in a moment like this, not letting me express the feelings within me... If Mister Sadist inflicts such emotional torment on me, I'll... I'l...!!

Yuki
Well, I value my own beauty above all else, but I've also grown rather happy to be a member of this guild. And as always, I do the things that make me happy.

Ninon
A friend in need is a friend! Let us fight with you to the end!

Ayumi
That's right! For us to go home without you... We could never!!

Yuuki
1. "Let's fight together."

Monika
All of you... Thank you. ... To protect the town of Edo, the Weissflugel Landsol Branch will defeat Akudaikan!

Everyone
Yes!!

Yuki
... Even though we've said that, there's still the fact that our opponent is terribly strong. I'll pass on fighting him head-to-head. If my beauty were to be lost, it would be a grave blow to the world.

Monika
I know that. We need to make a plan first.

Ninon
If only we could find a point of weakness...

Monika
A weak point... That reminds me, for some reason, Akudaikan went into a trance and started chasing after Kuuka, right?

Kuuka
T-That was pretty frightening... But it seemed like he wasn't really after me, but after my clothes instead... Because of that, my obi got all damaged... Ooh... And this is a rental, too...

Monika
... What's more, it's rare for enemies to actually aim for Kuuka. Usually, monsters are put off by Kuuka's actions and don't actually attack her much.

Yuki
Attacking Kuuka... Now that you bring it up, it certainly is rare.

Ninon
It certainly is strange for monsters that usually avoid Kuuka to attack her!

Ayumi
W-Well, she does behave strangely, and she always has an unexpectedly happy face in those moments, so they might find her hard to approach...

Kuuka
Ooh... When everyone calls me unapproachable and avoided by monsters, I know I should find it mean, but it gets my heart pumping...!

Teahouse Owner's Wife
Everyone. I have some tea for you. Would you like to take a break?

Monika
Yes, excuse us... By the way, who are you?

Teahouse Owner
My wife! Ha ha, she's far too beautiful for me!

Ninon
She certainly is very pretty, but she would be even prettier wearing eastern-style clothing!

Monika
Oh, that's right, all of the women in this town wear Landsol-style clothing... Why don't any of them wear eastern styles?

Teahouse Owner's Wife
That's... because of Akudaikan appearing in this town. Ever since then, if a woman wore eastern clothes out at night, something would come to steal her obi.

Kuuka
Her obi... So that means, it would steal their clothes, and... T-T-They'd be left naked outside...!?

Teahouse Owner's Wife
No, the obi was the only thing stolen. Their wallets and valuables would also be left as is, strangely enough...

Monika
So that's why they're all wearing western clothes. But the men are all wearing eastern clothes, even though they have the same obi.

Mayor
For some reason... Men's obis don't get stolen. It might well be because the women's obis are wider, and so they're easier to grab onto and steal.

Ninon
The theft of the obi... The torn obi... Akudaikan... And the clothes Kuuka is wearing... Especially the obi is targeted...

Monika
Hm...? What is it, Ninon?

Ninon
... This could be it! I have understood Akudaikan's point of weakness!

Ayumi
R-Really!?

Ninon
Mr. Manager! If you have any spare women's obis, or any other cloth items, please gather them all here!

Teahouse Owner
O-Okay! There should be more obis locked inside the house... And I'll work with the other townspeople to gather as much cloth as we can!

Ninon
And then, I will get Ayumi and Yuki to help... Kuuka? There is nothing to be afraid of, so come over here, closer!

Kuuka
F-From that wording... This atmosphere... And that look in her eye, I know what's about to happen! I should run away right now! B-But... Something inside of me is begging for it... Aahh...

Yuuki
1. "Are you okay?"
2. "Should I not stop them?"

Either option.

Monika
Ha ha... It's all right. Let's trust in our friend's plan.

Monika
Of course, you'll be helping too. We'll need your power at the center of all of this. I'm counting on you, O Shogun!

Mayor
Excuse me... Uh, I've been wondering this for a while, but are you actually...

Ninon
Shogun! Monika! It seems like three people are still not enough, so please come help!

Monika
... Let's go help, then. Sorry, Mr. Mayor, but let's talk later!

Mayor
... Heroes who bring peace and repel evil. At the center of them all is the one who will bring peace to the world, the shogun...

Mayor
Could he really be the shogun...?

Yuuki and the group gathered cloth in preparation for the battle with Akudaikan.