First Day. [text/action for rocket base.]

[laplaceattorney]

[Keisuke's not really feeling up for too much talking, given his situation, but he feels the need to take care of some basic business between his Rocket training seminars, etc.]

I've already figured out that this isn't a dream. Though it may not seem normal, the universe itself makes too much sense for that. Knowing that doesn't solve my problem, though...

Why am I here? Is there a way to get back home so I can finish something I need to do?

...If anyone knows Atsuro Kihara, Midori Komaki, or any of their friends, I would appreciate it if you'd tell me. I can't be the only one here, after all.

K-T

[God, he hoped he wasn't the only one here.]

Comments

[text]

[laplaceattorney]

[RELIEF HITS HIM LIKE A BRICK. Good. He has a friend in this bizarro world.]

Thank you.

Johto?

K-T

[text]

[jumyouboshi]

Johto is the name designated to this region.

As for why you are here...I do not know. You must search for yourself the path you must walk.

[Though he can probably come up with a cause why people have been taken here, he couldn't find a reason, and it probably wouldn't make sense to the poor guy.]

[text]

[laplaceattorney]

I see. I'm afraid it's not one I'm exactly familiar with, but I guess I shouldn't really be surprised.

What if we received a path when we got here? Or perhaps it should be seen more as a 'starting point'...

K-T

[text]

[jumyouboshi]

[The first part is to be expected.]

It is up to you whether to continue on that path or search for a new one.

[Human choice...it was something rather powerful, to him.]

[text]

[laplaceattorney]

[Huh... Well that makes him feel a tiny bit better.]

Again, thank you. I will keep that in mind.

Ah, I'm afraid I haven't introduced myself. My name is Keisuke Takagi.

K-T

[text]

[jumyouboshi]

I am the Anguished One. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Think of him as similar to a certain Gigolo, Keisuke.]

[text]

[laplaceattorney]

[...]

That's a rather interesting name.

K-T

[He did sort of get that mysterious, possibly helpful vibe off him...]

[text]

[jumyouboshi]

You are not the first to say so. I admit it must seem strange to you humans.

[If he could somehow transfer faint amusement through text, he would.]

[text]

[laplaceattorney]

[...Well, with a name like 'the Anguished One'...]

You're not a human, then? Are you perhaps a demon, or maybe an angel?

K-T

[text]

[jumyouboshi]

I am neither, though I know of them.

[There's a noticeable pause, before he remembers something else. If Atsuro was familiar with a summoning program...would this boy be as well? It sounded like it, if he knew about demons and angels. And he was rather interested in learning what he could about this other DSP.]

Keisuke Takagi...a question.

[text]

[laplaceattorney]

[...Well, what was neither? You certainly are interesting. Keisuke pauses before sending off his next text.]

I do suppose I owe you that. What is it?

K-T

[text]

[jumyouboshi]

Are you familiar with a demon summoning program?

["A", not "the". Interesting indeed.]

[text]

[laplaceattorney]

[AND IF HE WASN'T SUSPICIOUS BEFORE--]

Yes. I've used it, before, to combat demons.

K-T

[text]

[jumyouboshi]

[He's like Loki 2.0, but without the trolling. And just demons, hmm...]

I see. Was the summoning procedure run by a handset or a COMP?

[The latter of which Atsuro mentioned. But if it doesn't run on a cellphone/smartphone/whatever you kids are using nowadays, then it's not his. He just needs to make sure of their similarities and differences.]

[text]

[laplaceattorney]

A COMP. I wasn't aware that another portable summoning system was around--I haven't seen anyone summon demons not using a COMP.

K-T

[text]

[jumyouboshi]

[So it's specifically created to run on DSes COMPs, and modded ones at that. If they could run it on cellphones, people probably would, given that cellphones were something most people had on them most of the time anyway.]

A bit different from the demon summoning application, then.

[Though maybe most of the gameplay features things associated with the program were the same.]

[text]

[laplaceattorney]

An application for summoning demons?

How is it possible that the program is used on another device? And how do you know so much about it, if you're neither demon nor angel?

K-T

[With the lockdown in place, the chances of a COMP escaping for study were pretty much impossible. And with the blackout, working from the inside didn't seem too likely, either.

Unless...they failed, of course. But there were still problems, with that scenario.]

[text//filtered]

[jumyouboshi]

[There's a long, noticeable pause here, as the text cursor simply blinks. Finally, he sets up a filter. It wasn't exactly classified, but he'd prefer it if it was...kept on the down low, at least for privacy's sake.]

I created the demon summoning application for humans to use through their handsets. At least, where I am from.

[Shooting down two questions with one answer. There's no point in denying it at this rate. It's not as if he was hiding it back home either, since JP's personnel and anyone related to Hiro's group knew it anyway too, and he divulged that (and more) as soon as Hiro asked. Plus, since Keisuke had experience with what seemed to be a very similar program, he could prove to be helpful in understanding the program this "Naoya" made.]

[text//filtered]

[laplaceattorney]

[Keisuke stares at the reply for a long moment, thinking. He thinks about all the trouble going on back home in Tokyo, caused by the demons being summoned.

About the fact that, had the lockdown never occurred, tensions gotten high, and Midori never threatened by those she helped...he wouldn't have been a murderer.

He takes a deep breath, counting backwards from ten--and repeating, when that doesn't quite do the job of calming him. The next text is rather simple.]

Why?

K-T

[text//filtered]

[jumyouboshi]

The tragedy that befell Man was sudden. Even I was upset that it happened. That is why I followed my own path and gave humans the power to fight.

[At least, those are his reasons. Yes, he saw the result of failed contracts and yes, he also saw humans literally unleashing hell with his technology. But he also saw possibility. It was the only way the deletion could be stopped, before all became nothing.]

However, I cannot speak for "Naoya", who I presume is the creator of the Demon Summoning Program you and Atsuro Kihara use.

[Demon Summoning Application and Demon Summoning Program. Similar, yet different.]

[text//filtered]

[laplaceattorney]

[It...sounded like a good reason, at face value. Didn't mean Keisuke wasn't still wary.]

The tragedy? Could you explain it further for me?

K-T

[text//filtered]

[jumyouboshi]

[He doesn't blame the boy at all for being wary. Normally, he'd only give this information out to select people such as Hiro's group (again), but...he's not fond of lying. And when asked a direct question like this...]

The administrator deemed the world to be deleted.

[Short and not so sweet. He's thinking over how to explain it enough yet not give away too much at the same time.]

[text//filtered]

[laplaceattorney]

[Deleted? The world wasn't some kind of program that could just be struck from the record...]

Administrator?

K-T

[Keisuke doesn't appreciate the dodgy attitude, but... With the various people he's met in the lockdown, he's used to it.]

[text//filtered]

[jumyouboshi]

The center of all that is. The arbitrator of everything that exists.

[In other words, God, or what might as well be the equivalent of.]

[text//filtered]

[laplaceattorney]

[Jeez, God, stop interfering with us puny creatures.]

I see. I don't suppose your city was placed under a lockdown and blackout, with a specific date set for destruction?

K-T