OF THE IMMENSELY DEVASTATING DUEL IN WHICH OUR FIXER AND THE CINQ BATTLED (before battle)
<Hm? Who are those people accompanying Vergilius and Charon?>
Damn, not even a wave back, huh?
No, this wasn't about Vergilius...
Hoooagh... Hooah...!
Don Quixote, who stood next to me, was very gradually starting to hyperventilate.
<You... you okay, Don Quixote?>
The gradual acceleration of her breathing patterns was first observed ten minutes ago. I did not report it, as it posed no real risk to her health and well-being.
I know a good way of dealing with a case of hyperventilation.
Ryōshū regarded me with a look that clearly and concisely communicated that she wanted to choke out Don Quixote. I tried my best to look away.
HA... HAA...
HAAA... HA... HAAAGGHHHHH...
Haah....
Ishmael sighed and stepped forward, sensing that Ryōshū was about to do something we would rather not have her do.
Sigh, I can tell you what's going on. That Fixer's from the Hana Association.
<Uhh, the 'Hana Association' is the one that's overseeing all Fixer Association activities, right?>
I guess all the times Don Quixote went on impromptu Fixer-related lectures weren't all for naught.
I never paid much attention to it, but once you hear something enough times... those lectures just have a way of lodging themselves into your brain.
A Fixer from the Hana Association...?
That name alone clearly carried a lot of weight among other Fixers. As the Hana Association Fixer, dressed in pure white, walked into the room, they all slowly turned around to gaze upon her.
And...
The Red Gaze, too...?
Holy crap, a Color Fixer? Here...?
Hey... looks like we've got another superstar here...
Vergilius, who we'd somehow grown used to seeing after such a long period of traveling together, was commanding the attention of everyone in the room merely by his presence.
That reminds me. I heard that Don Quixote was overwhelmed by sheer excitement when she saw Vergilius on the bus. I'm pretty sure she was on the verge of passing out from the sheer joy of getting to work next to a Color Fixer.
I guess this was to be expected. Vergilius is one of the very few Fixers who has the honor of getting bestowed with the title of a Color.
Chat, are you seeing this? Crazy, right? Look, that's none other than the Color Fixer Red Gaze himself, in the flesh. This is no mere backwaters, Backstreets operation we're talking about.
Remember my pregame stream? I told you guys that this had to be more than an Urban Nightmare! Oh, you're worried about me? Guys. Listen. All I need is your support to...
Tsk, tsk... youngsters these days...
Between Camille's nonstop jabbering and Outis' tongue clicking in even, 3-second intervals, I wasn't sure which one of the two was more annoying.
... Thankfully, we weren't the only ones getting increasingly tired of Camille's antics.
From this point onward, any recording activity, save for official work-related recordings with prior authorization from the Hana Association, will no longer be permitted.
Should you be caught in violation of this decree, the Fixer Association will be levying penalty points to your name. And we who are gathered here must be well aware of the consequences of accumulating too many penalty points. Fixer License suspension, grade demotion...
Well, chat... seems like it's the curtain call for tonight's show. I'll give them a valorous, noble fight, and I'll see you guys next time. Oh, and don't forget about casting your votes for the 'Fixer I want to have dinner with' contest. It closes at midnight!
The Hana Fixer's cold declaration fell upon Camille and the Fixers inside the command tent like a heavy layer of snow. They all begin hurriedly fidgeting with their devices, trying to put them back in their respective cases and bags.
With that, the commotion inside the tent rapidly simmered down.
Serves them right.
You there. That woman with... an apparently dislocated jaw... appears to be a part of your group. Is she alright?
The Fixer from the Hana Association asks in our direction, glancing at Don Quixote.
... Don't mind her. It's easier that way.
Soon, a P Corp. employee walked out in front of the Fixers.
Right. Round four against La Manchaland, huh?
I am very glad to be here. Happy to see you all.
For someone who's very happy to see us... he didn't so much as glance up in our direction.
I am a Class 3 Documentation Staff Manager at P Corp. Archival Department. My name is Alessio.
And she is...
Han-ul.
So... Head Manager Cesara isn't here to brief us herself.
Not willing to dirty her boots by coming all the way out here, I see.
Right, then. Let's get on with the briefing, shall we?
As we were all standing here and sharing our predictions, the employee, who introduced himself as Alessio, started loading up various images on the monitor.
Yaaaaawn... Mate, do we really gotta go through all this bureaucracy?
T-the briefing is yet to even commence, however...
Heathcliff lets out a loud, exaggerated yawn. The reproachful glares of other Fixers were so palpable that I could almost feel them prickling at my skin...
Can we pretend we don't know him...?
<Huh, it makes me feel like I'm something of a Fixer myself, sitting here with all these people...>
Heh. Executive Manager, I have been a leader of numerous operations that would dwarf this little skirmish -
<Numerous...?>
I wanted to hear more about her story, but the mission briefing was actually getting started; I decided to table my curiosity until later.
La Manchaland, which will manifest here within the next three hours, is an officially-recognized Urban Nightmare class phenomenon. Dozens of Fixers have attempted and failed to take it down.
... We will now hold a moment of silence for its victims.
Don Quixote immediately cast her gaze downward with a graven expression, but... I could count with my ten fingers the number of people who seemed to be taking it even remotely seriously.
Some Fixers muttered amongst themselves that the victims were just fools who were in over their heads.
Even I, with my endless naïveté, could tell that none of the Fixers really considered them 'victims'.
A light buzz of murmurs and idle chatter fills the silence, a look of boredom clear on the Fixers' face as though they've heard it all before.
Now, if I may direct your attention to this screen.
Several low-resolution images began to load on the display.
It is speculated that the origin of La Manchaland dates back two-hundred years in the past, by a conservative estimation.
This has been determined based on photographic evidence, and the level of decay of the buildings and materials retrieved and analyzed from the phenomenon.
However, La Manchaland was largely unknown and invisible to the public until two months ago. And the raw material that makes up this 'amusement park' is -
Tsk, we know all this already. Just get on with it.
Ah, mm... P Corp. has the responsibility to share sufficient information to all participants of this mission.
And like I said, we all have more than sufficient information, got that?! Let's stop wasting time and -
You seem to be under a rather severe misconception.
Of course, I'm sure some of my present company are consummate professionals with the skill and grit most people wouldn't dare scoff at.
Heh...
Heh...
But the truth is, most of you are... fodder. Common as muck, painfully average, garden variety, bargain bin Fixers who are most likely going to meet their dirt-filled miserable ends while stuck on Urban Nightmare duty their whole careers. That's all you'll ever be.
... Most of you will fall by the wayside before this path leads to you anywhere of even passing significance, let alone joining the ranks of Grade 1 Fixers like myself.
Some, maybe one or two of you, may make it to Grade 1, sure. But I can guarantee that you won't even dare dream of getting anywhere near The Red Gaze's greatness.
Hm, maybe your best will be the honor of dying next to him. Feeling the disparity between yourselves and those who are at the top of the City.
The grin on the Fixers' faces quickly faded away as the boisterous Fixer fell dead silent.
Blimey. So that Hana Fixer is... almost right up there with the guide, eh? Or at least somewhere right beneath his level?
Aha, yet the Red Gaze shan't be outdone by a mere Grade 1 Fixer!
So, know your places and pay attention to the briefing.
Thank you for your cooperation. Now, let's see...
The reason for La Manchaland's sudden appearance here is yet to be explained.
Though its influence is still confined to the Backstreets, the uniqueness of La Manchaland poses a tangible threat to P Corp. merely by its existence.
Yeah, totally, dude. The local housing market hit rock bottom and continued to crash, didn't it~?
The Fixer from earlier, the one who tried to stop us from entering the scene before scuttling away, slowly sidled up to us and began chatting us up.
Most of us ignored him, but Hong Lu responds to him in a kindly voice.
Oh, is that right?
Yeah. It was insane when that thing showed up here for the first time.
It appeared in the middle of a dense population center. It was like two hells in one. All that screaming, all that blood and...
Two hells in one, hm? What a beautiful phrasing.
Well, P Corp. buildings are well-known for their elasticity, so while they all got bent along the newly manifested phenomenon, they didn't like, crumble or anything.
Anyways... when La Manchaland suddenly appeared there, pulsing and pushing away all the buildings that used to be there, people got crushed and a bunch of buildings got bent.
There were really a lot of survivors for something so devastating. All thanks to P Corp.'s Singularity, which kept the people inside the buildings safe.
They set up a three-kilometer radius buffer zone to limit any construction in the Area where it manifests, but~
... Just three kilometers?
Buildings utilizing P Corp.'s Singularity have a very high level of elasticity, meaning that buildings made using their technology are very unlikely to collapse or fall apart in response to shock. It is probable that they have decided that it would be safe enough to let the periphery of La Manchaland slightly overlap with the residential zone.
Well, you know what they say. P Corp. can make a safe home anywhere.
So imagine the shock when all that disaster happened. Their only claim to fame crumbled, the faith in their technology growing shaky... no wonder the real estate market crashed through rock bottom around here.
I mean, it was so bad that the locals banded together and stormed La Manchaland. Pickets and all.
<So that's what those banners were about, huh...>
As you can all see, La Manchaland presents itself as an extravagantly decorated amusement park.
One of the most commonly heard testimonies from the reports state that there is an eight-kilometer range radius from the epicenter in which people have been hearing a disembodied music of sorts. Several curious civilians, drawn by the music, approached it. Most of them are yet to return.
Is it possible that the 'music' holds hypnogenic qualities?
Hm, that is indeed a possibility we won't be ruling out. Too many visitors have ignored the obvious warning signs and perimeter tapes to call it a coincidence. Possibly erring on the side of caution, we and the relevant individuals will be equipping ourselves with earplugs.
What must we do once this 'La Manchaland' materializes?
Once you enter its perimeters, you will have to ready yourselves for imminent combat.
There aren't any kindly pierrots giving away balloons, no amusement park employees popping popcorns, no staff members greeting you with a welcoming song.
…….
... Only Bloodfiends.
Huh? Bloodfiends...? They're real?
Haven't you heard about the Blood-red Night, that infamous Star of the City? Some people say that the Blood-red Night was actually a really powerful Bloodfiend.
Yeah, and people say a lot of stuff. You know how rumors spread in the City. I bet it wasn't anything too crazy once you got down to it.
... Hah, rumors? You'll never know how resilient, how devastatingly powerful and stubborn the Blood-red Night was. You ignoramuses do not have the right to talk about that thing so lightly.
…….
Yes, the only things you'll find in there...
... are Bloodbags and the Bloodfiends that turned them, sharpening their fangs to fill their ravenous hunger with your blood.
Oh, here's a detail I was going to share earlier before I was cut off. The raw material that makes up every structure within La Manchaland... is human blood. Human blood dating back over two-hundred years in the past.
... Bloodfiends can make amusement parks out of blood?
Oh, now I'm looking forward to this. If it's only Bloodfiends we'll find in there, I'm sure they'll waste no time making mincemeat out of the greenhorns.
Is that how all Fixers talk? The way that guy's talking about Bloodfiends reminds me a lot of how Ishy used to talk about the Great Lake...
... Hey, you can't blame us for being on edge all the time when the smallest mistake could cost us our lives. Not to mention how irritating it is when others, who don't even understand the dangers, are dozing off like there's no tomorrow...
Uhnn. Didn't doze. Thanks to some sod who's been constantly stepping on my foot...
... Mm. Mm... What a nice weather today, huh?
It was Sinclair who was stepping on his foot, at the rather forcible behest of Ishmael, but I held my silence. The last thing I wanted was to have the two of them bickering again...
... Anyway. If you manage to survive for six hours within La Manchaland, the music announcing the closure of the park will start playing. We were able to cross-reference this fact from testimonies of every Fixer and civilian who managed to make it out alive.
Once the exit song starts playing, you will have thirty minutes to exit La Manchaland. Should you fail to do so... you'll be trapped inside La Manchaland until it manifests here again. Effectively putting you in an endless battle against the Bloodfiends.
If anyone even survives that long...
There also were eyewitness reports where some Fixers identified missing people aboard certain amusement park rides, but that's not an important detail for those who are present.
Based on testimonies and reports from the survivors, we have been able to establish a map of La Manchaland, comprised of four separate 'Areas'.
No one has yet to make it to the final Area, which is located here.
However, we were able to identify that a certain device in each Area... Area 1, 2, and 3 respectively, had to be activated first in order to unlock the final Area.
The devices within Area 1 and 2 have been activated in the past, but no one has managed to activate the one in Area 3 just yet.
Understood. I suppose we should beeline it to Area 3 to save some time, then?
No. It appears that the devices reset when La Manchaland disappears.
In other words, we will have to divide and conquer. Team up with other Fixers, choose an Area to tackle.
Hm, I see. Split up, activate our respective devices, and rendezvous at the final Area.
... assuming that every team successfully activates the device they're responsible for.
Correct. We suspect that the key to solving the La Manchaland problem lies within its final Area.
Pfft...
Is there something you'd like to share?
Isn't it funny? That we have to go activate some kind of device in each section of La Manchaland to unlock the final Area...
It's kind of like a game, isn't it? Like they're giving those who dare to challenge the might of La Manchaland stages to beat, conditions to fulfill.
How should we know what the Bloodfiends are thinking? Those monsters are born twisted.
Hana, we have something we'd like to confirm.
The Zwei Association is here to rescue our client, not for the eradication reward.
Mm~ Don't you mean the Zwei and the Cinq? Don't leave me out~
... Therefore, the Zwei and the Cinq have no reason to enter the three Areas to activate those devices.
... I suppose you could take over from here for the sake of accuracy.
Oh, sure.
Right. I'm sure you all have your own reasons for being here, yes?
Therefore, we at P Corp. set up an eradication dividend fund, which means that we will be giving out the reward money based on how much you have contributed to the eradication of La Manchaland.
... Assuming a successful outcome, that is.
If your goal isn't the eradication of La Manchaland, then feel free to roam on your own to fulfill your respective contracts. As long as you acknowledge that you won't be receiving any payout from that fund upon the successful completion of this expedition, you are free to do as you will.
However, we would also like to request that you submit a copy of that contract so that we are aware of its details.
Understood. I will hand it over as soon as this meeting adjourns.
Speaking of which, I'd like to take this opportunity to declare something. If you... and I mean if any of you intend to ride our coattails to pilfer more of that reward than you deserve... I'll hunt you down, too. Got that?
Ladies and gents, I can attest that he isn't one for empty threats. Can't promise I'll be able to stop him, hmm?
He sure is intense...
... I understand that a lot of money hinges on this contract. However, remember that our primary objective remains to minimize casualties and to prevent further disappearances. Leave some of that selfishness behind and cooperate for the greater good.
... Fine, I'll cooperate. If that's even possible.
…….
The Hana Fixer did not contradict him.
She was the kind of person who wouldn't hesitate to put her foot down... she could've easily forced us into cooperating. But it seemed that she wouldn't keep us from infighting, if it did come to that.
... Don Quixote was the only one passionately nodding along to her advice.
So, who's going with who? And to which Area?
Xichun, Hong Lu's little sister who'd been listening quietly to the briefing, raised her hand with a question.
You will be assigned to teams and Areas based on our internal data analyses of your individual capabilities, potential, and alignment.
So we should probably avoid overcrowding, huh.
Such as saddling us a group of dozen or so people, for example...
... We intend to avoid bottlenecking too many people in the same Area.
She's not hiding her disdain at all, huh?
W-well, i-it's not like we wanted her to tag along...
…….
If there are no further questions, I will be assigning you all to teams and Area pairs -
HOOOOLD!
Every single Fixer in the room whipped around to look at Don Quixote at her bellowing roar. Perhaps it was the sheer fervor in her voice... or perhaps, they were simply annoyed by her asking that 'one last question' when the boring briefing was almost over.
Oh please... don't tell me this is actually happening.
Ooh. Oi, that actually woke me up this time.
No, no. This might be the best time to go back to sleep, bud.
Would've resulted in a summary execution back in the day...
Okay... And the question is...?
Hark, it appeareth that the information of the greatest import is missing from thy briefing.
It... is...? Um, a moment, please.
Alessio began flipping through the briefing, flustered.
When shall the rescue operation for the victims of this terrible amusement park commence?
I believe that an operation of such a grand scale may be difficult to accomplish only with the help of Sirs and Ladies from the Zwei and the Cinq Association.
…….
Uhh...
Hey, is that like, a character you're playing or something?
That's not mainstream at all, I like it. Though I gotta say, playing a character's a bit old-fashioned. At least I know that my viewers won't enjoy something like that.
It appears that there has been some misunderstanding. Our contract has nothing to do with rescuing the visitors, let alone all of them. Our contract is a search-and-rescue operation for a specific visitor requested to us by our client.
Then...
... whoever shall make up the rescue party for the rest of its victims?
Hah, is she for real?
Where'd these idiots come from?
Dude, lemme see.
…….
Unless you have been specifically contracted to rescue someone, I recommend that you peruse the missing persons' flyers for the rewards.
Yet... it is not the promise of rewards that I desire.
So many valiant Fixers are gathered here, yet not one taketh up the role of a rescuer? Prithee, Fixer of the Zwei. Art thou not one of the Zwei, one of those who call themselves "Your Shield" -
Yeah, they're shields all right. The iron shield of whoever enters an official contractual agreement with them.
Fie, yet a Fixer mustn't wager their own life on shallow promise of capital! Pray tell, when did the Fixers of Associations abandon honor for greed?!
... Oh, jeez. Okay, that's enough playing around. Do you even have any idea who you're talking to -
I am very well aware, young Camille of Cinq Association, Section 3. Frequent feature of the Fixers Monthly magazine. Currently #7 in the 'Fixers I want to have dinner with' contest.
H-huh, so you know your... wait, I'm only #7?
Well, that's not important right now. If you're so knowledgeable about the Fixers, then I'm sure you know this as well.
That I, as a Fixer of the Cinq Association, am not one to waste breath on mere words. When we want to settle something or make a statement, we duel. An official duel to the death.
Then...
Wilt thou heed mine words should I best thee in a duel?
What?
Should I best thee in a duel...
... wilt thou swear on thine honor that thou shalt assist us in our rescue mission... for those who have gone missing?
Wait. Are you seriously challenging me to a...
<No...>
I, Don Quixote, perforce, shall not so lightly forsake my creed! I hereby challenge thee to a duel!
Things were quickly starting to spiral out of control.
Almost panicking, I glanced toward Vergilius...
…….
... but I couldn't read his expression. He was simply staring at us in that inscrutable silence.
... Silence that almost felt like... warmth...?
Somehow, I found myself getting more intimidated by this than outright anger.
... Okay, then. I'll end the briefing here.
It can be determined from prior experience that it will be impossible to stop the presently developing situation.
Pupils, dilated. Brows, furrowed at a steep angle. Clear refusal to heed any external input. Our attempts to coax her will not be met with any meaningful response.
<So she's lost it...>
I neglected to mention this earlier at the empty lot, Dante, on account of the lack of prying eyes...
... I recommend against turning your clock when the eyes of every Fixer participating in this case are watching us intently. Especially for a duel in which there is very little benefit to be gained.
This includes summoning Identities from different worlds or the use of E.G.O.
<W-well, yeah. But... it's not like we won't be using them once we get inside, right? I don't see what's wrong with - >
Just as I was trying to convince Faust otherwise, Don Quixote stepped in and resolutely shook her head.
Nay, worry not. 'Tis an unnecessary crutch.
<Wha... seriously?!>
A duel against a member of the Cinq Association must be fair and just! Never did I intend to borrow thy strength, Manager Esquire, for this hallowed battle of mine!
<…….>
... Fine.
Sucks that I don't have my fans here to watch me wipe the floor with you... But I'm sure someone here will spread the story by word of mouth.
I won't throw my gauntlet out of pity. En garde, petit nouveau!