#always thinking about how lonely kiryu is and how much of that is his fault

[dirt-str1der]

Seeing art of kiryu and ichiban always makes my heart break one thousand times over and over again and i cant even say why

[yakuzacanons]

Hello there 🌷

I really appreciate your work 💖 enjoying every single post hehe ☺️

Can I request hcs, how the boys would react when they find out that s/p has cheated on them? (like s/o has been lonely bc the boys are always busy...) Thank you in advance. Have a nice day 🍀

Sorry for the late response, this one is going to be tricky. I don't think there's really ever a good reason to cheat so I won't be justifying why the boys get cheated on, but I will cover how they react to it. Having said that, this one will be fairly brief but I hope you like it. Headcanons below the cut as always.

Also, first time introducing Shinada to the gang. Get hyped.

Kazuma Kiryu

Disappointed more than anything. Kiryu doesn't ask for much and always does his best and in the end he will blame himself for your infidelity. He won't outright end things but he'll never be the same. Eventually, he will break it off down the line as he feels the trust is shattered and no matter how much time has passed, he can't shake the feeling that it could happen again.

Majima Goro

Hope you're ready to get ghosted if you cheat on this man because that is absolutely what will happen. The second Majima finds out, he's gone. You won't see or hear from him again. There's no if, and, or but about it. After all it took for him to open up and trust you, you broke him. That's exactly what he was always afraid of and you just proved him right.

Akiyama Shun

Goes straight into denial mode. Might actually BEG you to stay because he'll blame himself for not giving you enough. Mostly, he blames his trauma from past relationships. Chances are you won't hear from him for a couple of days because he'll go into a little depression hermit crisis mode. He'll stick around to try to make it work but you can tell his energy is totally sapped from the relationship.

Saejima Taiga

Doesn't get mad, just gets distant. Out of all the boys, he's most likely to try to forgive you for this. He may even actually "get over it", in a sense that the thought of it doesn't upset him much anymore. However, he will be noticeably more distant. He won't call or text as much and when he does, his replies will be much shorter. He'll be less open with you.

Tanimura Masayoshi

Gets dejected as hell. He knows he's a busy man but damn if he didn't try his best only for it not to be enough. Very inexperienced with love and chances are you are his first or second relationship ever, so it's a huge blow to him. Will try to hide how upset he feels to make things work but he's terrible at hiding it. Cries himself to sleep when he first finds out.

Ryuji Goda

He'll just break up with you on the spot. If you're living together, he'll arrange for one of his employees to pack your things and drive you into Sotenbori. He won't even see you out the door. He is hurt but it's more so that he feels all the work he's put into the relationship was a waste of time and Ryuji hates to waste his time and energy. Moves on the quickest out of all the boys.

Nishikiyama Akira

Will never stop asking why, even if he stops asking you directly and out loud, he will never stop wondering why it happened. It's a huge blow to his confidence. He will become much more timid because he's afraid of doing something that will cause you to cheat again because he thinks it's his fault. Will likely ghost you slowly over time.

Daigo Dojima

He'll cry when he's entirely alone. Things are so hard for Daigo as is. He is trying very hard to not let this break him. Will try to salvage the relationship but he's also not trusting of you at all so it'll end up being a sleeping-in-separate rooms situation, all the while he stares at the ceiling late at night wishing it could be the way it was again. Daigo genuinely panics and feels trapped, wondering what he could've done, if he can prevent this from happening, and if he even wants to bother trying anymore. The chances of him leaving you are low, so he'll likely let himself get cheated on again unfortunately.

Mine Yoshitaka

King of giving you the cold shoulder. He won't shut you out entirely but if you want to fix things, you will have to WORK at it. Mine's logically driven so he'll be watching to see if you can prove that this relationship is what you want. It's basically like winning his heart over from the very start all over again.

Tatsuo Shinada

Only one of the boys to cry outright upon hearing the news. Will be inconsolable. Cries loud and hard. He'll let you decide what to do with the relationship because once this happens, he just doesn't care anymore. He's so dejected and hurt that if you wanted to leave, it wouldn't bother him because he's already feeling his lowest. If you decide to stay, it will take a LOT of reassurance to get him back to himself in any capacity.

[zevzevarainai]

Hey! You ever end up doing essay on the kazumaji gifs? (I'm highly interested because it's always majima o' clock where I live)

it’s always majima o’clock here too; maybe we live in the same area... but lmao i didnt write the essay on my kazumaji gifs because i didnt think anyone would want to hear it so i meant it more as a per request kind of deal. and you’re requesting. I want you to know you did this to yourself, my friend

below the read more for everyone’s well being. welcome to my first official majima analysis essay

ok so in those tags i said something like majima is softest with kiryu because it is absolutely the truth (unless you count makoto, which i love them too, but majima has moved on or at least is making an effort to. and that was pre-tacky snake skin jacket and pre-mad dog persona.) 

the prompt for the gifset was “maybe something about majima being stupid and unhinged but like, in a sweet way” and the whole point of this rambling is that kiryu is really the only one we see who causes the mad-dog persona to slip. kiryu says he can never get a read on majima but just because he is unpredictable doesn’t mean he doesn’t understand that he isn’t just batshit crazy. he trusts majima, and finds comfort in his lack of predictability, keeping kiryu’s life exciting and providing distraction from the insane amount of tragic shit that happens to kiryu. and majima has a similar experience of idolizing the yakuza lifestyle as teens/young adults only to have the yakuza drag them through hell. But this is supposed to be about Majima.

ANYWAY what GETS ME is again that mad-dog vibe slipping around kiryu. the only time we really only see it again is with Saejima when he comes back from jail. i’m gonna talk about that later too. LET’s GET TO THE GIFS i’m going in chronological order not the order i put them in

1)

Ok so as an audience, we don’t really know what happened between Kiryu and Majima between Yakuza Zero and Yakuza/Yakuza Kiwami. Yes, we get that tiny ending scene of Majima going KIRYU-CHAN for the first time and Kiryu smiling at him. But we are given nothing as to how they met or why Majima started calling him Kiryu-chan. It is left completely to the audience’s interpretation. Because then it goes straight to the first scene with Majima in Yakuza/Yakuza Kiwami after Kiryu gets out of jail. It implies that they already knew each other, and arguably that they were somewhat close -- close enough for Majima to “miss him.” (What was majima doing for those 10 years, i don’t know, but he clearly wasn’t in a great place, missing both kiryu, makoto, and saejima, we ignore y5 lore in this household or make up shit to fill in the giant gaps) You could argue that Majima missing Kiryu is just Majima being “crazy haha woah” but his character is so much deeper than that, and it’s proven in this gif’s scene. Yes he is fighting Kiryu with all his men. But if you are reading this you understand that them fighting physically all the time is a secret love language. They never intend to severely hurt each other. Fighting is how they know that they have an equal, someone else who was modeled into a weapon because of the Tojo Clan.

And yes, “He belongs to me!” is an extremely gay thing to say. He doesn’t even need to say that, though. One of his men didn’t understand that he doesn’t actually want to hurt Kiryu. The guy picked up Majima’s knife and tried to actually hurt Kiryu. Majima willingly gets stabbed so Kiryu doesn’t get hurt. That’s a handful of gay subtext right there. Majima’s first scene in y1 is about how the world is a horrible, shitty place that will chew you up and spit you out if you care. Then he goes and gets stabbed. Self-sacrificially. He cares about Kiryu, even if it hurts. 

2)

This one isn’t as deep. It stems of the same concept of them fighting each other as equals. Majima explicitly says more than once that strength is the most admirable trait, Goromi says that it only matters that a man is strong. Kiryu is the only person who presents a challenge to him. He admires him. 

3)

(As a disclaimer, I know a lot of people are uncomfortable with Goromi. I’ve also seen a lot of non-binary, gender-fluid, etc. people project on Goromi and Majima, and I feel like that can only be a good thing. Obviously they deserve more and more quality representation. I think the people who dislike Goromi are valid as well, but for the sake of this argument we are going to see Goromi as the people who project on her do and I’m going to use she/her pronouns when talking about Goromi.)

Regardless on your stance on this whole little side quest, the player has the choice to go along with Goromi which creates actually a lot of subtle connecting between the two of them. Even in just talking to her, we see the mad-dog mask slip. She talks about how much she cared about the girls at Club Shine and wonders how they’re doing. Literally says “all part of my tragic-ass backstory.” And Kiryu sympathizes with it. Says he sees through the “i hated it” bullshit and sees Majima/Goromi’s true self, which is that the cabaret job was hard for Majima because he cared about the women and didn’t like using them as a source of income and knew it would be his fault if they got hurt. 

Also, Goromi says that "When I’m with a guy, it’s all about if I’m having enough fun. That’s why he’s gotta be strong.” Sound like someone we know? Someone who we are talking about in the last gif with i-just-got-the-shit-beat-out-of-me-and-it-was-awesome bliss on his face?

Anyway, the scene in the gif is near the end of the session. Kiryu is talking about how he’s been in prison for 10 years, and Goromi says that now that he’s out he should try to relax and and a little fun. Arguably, “since you’re so lonely right now, I’m gonna give ya a hand!” is most of Majima’s role in YK1. Kiryu gets out of prison. Majima wants to fight him all the time and says it’s because he’s gone soft and needs to train. Majima Everywhere presents excitement in his life when everything else is hard and shitty and traumatizing. Yes, Majima kidnapped Haruka. But there isn’t a lot of info on that. Majima says he did it so they could fight but it very likely could have been an order from the Tojo Clan or even Nishiki. Until he develops a bond with Haruka, Majima is, in a way, all he has. Nishiki is mean now. Yumi is ???. Kazama is i don’t even remember but he certainly isn’t any emotional support. He’s lonely. Majima is the only person he has from before prison, and quite possibly the only person who understands what he is going through. 

4)

YK2, Kiryu has yeeted out of Majima’s life as Kiryu does, but he’s trying to protect haruka so I’ll let it slide. And what does Majima do now that Kiryu’s not there? Leaves the Tojo Clan. Yes it’s because he doesn’t like the 5th chairman’s style and to make up for Kawamura, but the point is he’s bored. The use of “MY Kiryu-chan” is obviously written there because “haha majima he’s crazyyy” but come on. Majima left the Tojo Clan after Kiryu stepped down as the 4th chairman. Because he was bored. Because he couldn’t trust his own men. The only person he considered an equal just wasn’t there anymore and he found it difficult to adjust. (That’s YEARNING, fellas)

So yes, HIS Kiryu-chan came home, but what is home in this context? It clearly isn’t the tojo clan, so I guess it could be Kamurocho in general. But if the clan doesn’t make it home, what does make it home? Perhaps a certain triangle shaped man??

5)

Oh boy silly Majima wants to fight Kiryu again hahaha weeeeeeeee NO listen, LISTEN, he does want to fight kiryu again, because 1) the man has been bored for a year 2) FIGHTING IS THEIR LOVE LANGUAGE 3) Majima is once again surprising Kiryu in a world where nothing surprises him anymore, where kiryu expects people to be vile and only want him for gain. Every single goddamn game it’s “Kiryu plz save the Tojo Clan plz” and Kiryu NEVER gets anything in return unless you count, i don’t know, Daigo and Haruka’s safety? But Majima doesn’t give a shit about any of that. Majima is one of the only people who consistently does things for Kiryu (even if they’re presented in an abnormal way). Majima is really the only one who makes sacrifices for Kiryu. But this fight, it kicks off YK2 of “hey, i missed you but i won’t admit it because we’re manly yakuza, please let me try to make you smile.”

6)

THE kazumaji scene. Going off of Majima being the only one to make sacrifices for Kiryu, here’s a perfect example. Majima first aids the Tojo Clan which he swore to leave literally only because Kiryu asked him to. Then, here, he get beaten within an inch of his life because he promised Kiryu he would protect Kamurocho from Ryuji. Majima does not give a shit about the Tojo Clan at this point. Yes, Majima LOVEEESSSS beating people up, but he’s fatally wounded. This is not a Majima who would die for the Tojo Clan. This is a Majima willing to die for Kiryu. After warning Kiryu about being to trusting, too.

And of course, we get the Majima collapsing on the pavement and Kiryu rushing in to CRADLE him in his arms like a damn fanfic. You’ve even got the “I did it for you” which everyone knows is basically an “I love you.” Look at Majima’s face in the gif. Bless the Kiwami 2 graphics, first of all. He’s looking at Kiryu like he wants him to be the last thing he sees, like he wants him to know that he’s going out for Kiryu, that despite the fact that he’s about to cough up blood he needs Kiryu to have the information he needs to save the clan and Kamurocho. He’s telling Kiryu all this with labored breath because he promised. Kiryu “One-Expression” Kazuma is viably worried as hell, the little nod in the gif kills me because Kiryu needs him to know he’s touched and he’s so grateful. The only reason Kiryu left him was because there was danger elsewhere and he trusts Kaoru enough to take care of him. (Side note: I love Kaoru Sayama, but I still feel like she’s good enough a character on her own and doesn’t need to be a romantic interest for Kiryu. Like it was like oh... she’s Girl so she needs to fall for the Big Strong Male Protag.... If Majima was a cis girl they would have made out in this game, maybe even y1.) 

7) Speaking of sacrifices, Yakuza 3, the game where Majima literally joined the Tojo Clan again because Kiryu wanted him to protect Daigo. That’s a huge lifestyle change, Majima.

Yes, this scene is funny because Majima is riding in a Barbie-ass truck like a 15 year old driving on a learner’s permit in a downpour (yet proves he can drive stick seconds later) and thinks he hit Kiryu while he purposely hit everyone else. Look, Majima needs this ok y3 he looks like he’s been crying since kiryu left no one No One is going to hurt Kiryu now

That truck is likely stolen, he’s driving erratically as fast as he can because Kiryu is in danger, how did he even know that Kiryu was in danger is it like some kind of 6th sense... If you didn’t already know, I would take a bullet for Majima’s voice actor; his delivery of “Kiryu-chan! Where are you?!” could have just been like haha oops kiryu did i hit you ;3 but instead it’s this raw cry of genuine panic, like did his actions get kiryu hurt, Majima could not live with himself if he was the reason Kiryu got fatally hurt

8) Ok I’ve hinted at the fact that I have beef with the Hot Mess that is yakuza 5, wasn’t huge on Y4 and Y6 was fine but it was heavily based on the events of Y5. In my head I’ve got an entire fix-it fanfic in which Majima yeets out to Okinawa with Kiryu after Y3 I could write that upon request too ANYWAY here’s another sacrificial majima...

Despite not caring for Y5, THIS SCENE is RAW. Maybe he’s not super “unhinged” in this scene but it’s just so much. Majima, who Kiryu brokedown in his taxi bc he thought he got killed (because Kiryu made him stay in the tojo clan haha we’re out here crying), chooses Kiryu over Saejima. Saejima, Majima’s oath brother, Saejima. We love Saejima, Majima loves Saejima, but 25 years is a long ass time. Majima changed. Saejima changed. For awhile he had Makoto, but then Kiryu was all Majima had for a good chunk of Saejima’s time in prison. This is the man Majima got his eye stabbed out for defending. But the BaD GuYs that arent memorable enough for me to even look up the names of are like look, we want to watch the world burn because we are Bad Guys, so either you are going to fight your brother to the death or we are going to snipe Kiryu’s daughter in the fucking head. Obviously he doesn’t know that Baba is going to betray them, so he has to pick between Saejima and Haruka. He chooses to potentially kill Saejima for Kiryu’s happiness. I’m sure if things didn’t change, Majima would have held back and let Saejima kill him. Majima would rather die than see Kiryu in pain. Majima would rather kill Saejima/let Saejima kill him than let Haruka die. If that’s not a giant declaration of unconditional love and devotion, I don’t know what else to tell you.

Anyway, thanks so much for indulging me and listening to my yakuza opinions if you made it this far you the mvp :’’’’)

[cryingcow]

Rikiya, Kiryu, & Haruka - Rikiya’s Lonely Struggle [RGGO] - Ch.4, Epilogue

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3

.

Doing this made me realize I miss the suspense of these multichaptered stories <3 Don’t be fooled by the “Prologue” “Epilogue” terms, they’re just as long as the regular chapters, just without the player input :D

Previously: The rumors have gotten worse, but Rikiya thinks he’s finally pinpointed the source. He also thinks Kiryu’s kinda at fault, with his penchant for talking like a scary yakuza no matter how domestic the task. (Also Kiryu really needs to take lessons from Dead Souls Ryuji on how to kill an octopus, cuz 2 hours is just excessive, man.)

.

CHAPTER 4

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Rikiya: “What the hell are you . . . ?! Why are you posting false rumors about my Aniki . . . ?!”

Woman Passing By: “It’s not a false rumor! Kiryu Kazuma comes to the shop I work at every week.”

Rikiya: “Shop?”

Woman Passing By: “I’m a waitress at a coffee shop on the outskirts of Ryukyu City.”

Rikiya: “Kiryu-no-aniki going to a coffee shop? I’ve never heard a word of that from him! In the first place, why does an ordinary kid like you know who Kiryu-no-aniki is?”

Waitress: “Because that’s the name he calls himself by, on the phone . . .”

Rikiya: “The phone?”

Waitress: “Kiryu is always talking on the phone. At one time, I heard him saying, ‘It’s me. Kiryu Kazuma.’ . . .”

Rikiya: “My Aniki doesn’t refer to himself that way. So who is the person on the phone?”

Waitress: “I don’t know. But every time that person talks, it’s to make plans for the market takeover . . . First, to try and brainwash the young captain of the Ryudo Family. After that, to poison the head of the Ryudo Family.”

Rikiya: “So you heard that and wrote a letter about it?”

Waitress: “Yes. I have to tell someone to protect the market, was what I thought. But if I announced what I told you, Kiryu could kill me . . .”

Rikiya: “So you put it in an opinion box where you can post anonymously?”

Waitress: “Yes. I heard the Youth Club in the market are very strong people. If they knew about it, they could stop Kiryu’s invasion . . .”

Rikiya: “Miss Waitress. The man who comes to your coffee shop is not Kiryu Kazuma. It’s a fake.”

Waitress: “Even if you claim that . . . please come to the coffee shop now to check Kiryu’s face.”

Rikiya: “He’s in the shop now?”

Waitress: “Yes.”

Middle-Aged Man: “Can I say something? Did you say that Kiryu Kazuma is in a coffee shop right now? That’s strange. Because Kiryu Kazuma was at a convenience store just now.”

Rikiya: “Eh?”

Middle-Aged Man: “I’m the manager of a convenience store in Ryukyu, and sometimes Kiryu Kazuma comes to the store.”

Rikiya: “Was that Kiryu Kazuma on the phone as well . . . ?”

Convenience Store Manager: “Yeah. He was talking to someone. About the market takeover plan. So I eavesdropped on what he said, wrote it down, and came here to the opinion box.”

Elderly Man: “The same is true for me, I came here from Tarekomi Street to post a letter . . .”

Rikiya: “You too . . . ??”

Elderly Man: “Kiryu was in my barber shop a while ago. Talking with someone on the phone about taking over the market . . .”

Rikiya: “Oi, oi! Is there a fake Kiryu Kazuma in town . . . ?! Let’s go to the coffee shop, Ma’am! Lead the way!”

Waitress: “Yes!”

----

Bad Guy A: “How was the convenience store?”

Bad Guy B: “It worked. The store manager pretended not to, but I could see he was listening in!”

Bad Guy C: “The barber shop owner too. He was sneakily taking notes while I was on the phone!”

Bad Guy A: “Hehehe . . . Those idiots. No one was on the other side of the phone.”

Bad Guy C: “By the way, did the letter already reach the Youth Club?”

Bad Guy A: “Yeah. The Youth Club hired thugs and made them into bouncers, but those thugs aren’t reliable. They were defeated by Rikiya of the Ryudo Family.”

Bad Guy C: “Well, why don’t they hire a stronger guy next time? They can’t choose the means for the market they love.”

Bad Guy A: “Eventually someone’s going to take Kiryu down. If Kiryu is gone, the Ryudo Family will lose their supporter. Then the Ryudo Family will be scared. The market, which is their territory, can be easily hijacked. By us . . . the Tamashiro Family. Hehehe . . . instigating the citizens into getting rid of Kiryu is a good strategy. Isn’t it a good idea? This way we don’t even have to get our hands dirty and get arrested. As a longtime member of the Tamashiro Family, if this goes well, I might get a promotion.”

Tamashiro Family member C: “Yeah, but we have to keep it a secret from the higher ups until we succeed. Can’t have them stealing the credit.”

Tamashiro Family member A: “I know . . . Alright. Let’s head back to the office. Hey! Give us the bill!”

 Rikiya: “Yes. Your three iced coffees cost 1500 yen.”

Tamashiro Family member A: “Oh. Hand me that receipt, I’ll receive it.”

Rikiya: “Right now we have a limited time offer for Tamashiro Family members, where you get half-killed by me.”

Tamashiro Family member A: “Oh, yes. Half-killed . . .”

Tamashiro Family member A: “. . . You! Rikiya of the Ryudo family!”

Rikiya: “You really thought this was a good idea. Are you stupid? That’s why you’re still a low-ranking member even after so long! Your only salvation is that you didn’t tell your higher ups! If the executives knew about your plan, you know all of you will be expelled, right?”

Tamashiro Family member A: “What are you saying! The plan is going well! As long as Kiryu drops dead, the market is ours!”

Rikiya: “Idiot. You’re the ones who’re going to drop dead.”

Tamashiro Family member A: “You have a bad habit despite being a kid. Die a little earlier than Kiryu then!”

{Rikiya kicks their ass.}

Tamashiro Family member A: “D-Damn it . . . ! Don’t think this is over! We will definitely take the market!”

{The Tamashiro Family runs off.}

Waitress: “Is it okay to let them escape? They might spread false rumors around the city again . . .”

Rikiya: “Don’t worry. No one will believe rumors about Kiryu-no-aniki from now on.”

Waitress: “You mean by telling the truth to the people in the market, right?”

Rikiya: “Yeah. But I shouldn’t be the one to tell them about it. They think I’ve been brainwashed. So, Miss Waitress. Can the explanation to the people in the market come from you?”

Waitress: “Come from me . . . ?”

Rikiya: “Originally, it was a misunderstanding that stemmed from your story. If you tell the truth, the twisted string will unravel.”

Waitress: “I understand. Let’s go tell the truth in the market.”

{Rikiya’s phone rings. He answers.}

Rikiya: “Hello?”

Man’s voice: “Rikiya! You asshole! You did so well!”

Rikiya: “This voice . . . the director of the Youth Club?”

Youth Director: “It’s dirty to launch a surprise attack!”

Rikiya: “Surprise? What are you talking about?”

Youth Director: “Right now, the members of the Tamashiro Family are inside the market!”

Rikiya: “What?!”

Youth Director: “I can’t believe Kiryu is brainwashing even the Tamashiro Family!”

Tamashiro Family member A: “Ora! I’m destroying everything! It’s all because of Kiryu-no-aniki’s command!”

Youth Director: “N-No, stop . . . !!”

{The call gets cut off.}

Rikiya: “. . . Damn it! Those bastards from the Tamashiro Family are causing chaos! I have to get to the market right away!!”

.

-END-

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EPILOGUE

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Waitress: “What was that phone call just now . . . ?”

Rikiya: “The Tamashiro Family members are rampaging in the market! I have to stop them right away!”

----

Tamashiro Family member A: “Everyone! From now on, this market belongs to Kiryu-no-aniki! 1 million yen for protection racket per store! Give me the list of the store names!”

Greengrocer: “I can’t believe Kiryu even brainwashed the Tamashiro Family . . . ! 1 million yen is messed up!”

Tamashiro Family member A: “You’re lucky it’s only 1 million yen!”

{The guy standing next to the talking Tamashiro Family member sees a certain someone approaching, and runs away in panic, unbeknownst to his companion.}

Tamashiro Family member A: “If Kiryu-no-aniki came back from his business trip, do you think he won’t kill all of you? Pay up quick before that happens! Kiryu-no-aniki is slowly coming closer . . .”

Kiryu: “What was that about me?”

Tamashiro Family member A: “Oh, here is Kiryu-no-aniki. Just now, I said you were . . .”

Tamashiro Family member A: “. . . Eh?! Kiryu?! Why are you here?!”

Kiryu: “Is it wrong to come shopping? Isn’t the market for everyone?”

Tamashiro Family member A: “Th-That’s right . . . ! The market is for everyone . . . ! And now, it belongs to you, Aniki! Hahaha! Enjoy shopping as much as you like!! We’re thrilled!!”

{The guy tries to slowly sneak away.}

Kiryu: “Wait. How about you don’t take one more step? You can’t get away with that.”

Tamashiro Family member A: “Y-Yes . . .”

Tamashiro Family member A: (This is the first time I’ve seen him up close, but what a powerful presence . . . ! It’s scary . . . !)

Kiryu: “Me brainwashing you Tamashiro Family members? Taking over the market? Well, looking back on Rikiya’s recent words and actions, I can guess it was about this current situation.”

Meat Vendor: “Fi-Finally Kiryu has arrived . . . !! My life up till now . . . !!”

Kiryu: “I have no intention of hijacking the market, or of hurting you. It’s all a lie made by those Tamashiro Family members over there.”

Meat Vendor: “You won’t win! You evil mainlander! Just because someone can’t pay the protection racket, you’re going to kill them?! But I won’t let you kill me just like that! I’ll stab you and kill you . . . with this knife!”

{The meat vendor brandishes his butcher’s knife.}

Kiryu: “So if I let you kill me, only then will you believe my words?”

Meat Vendor: “Yeah. I’ll believe you if you let me stab you quietly without any resistance! But you won’t do such a thing! Do you have a hidden weapon somewhere? Is it a pistol? A dagger! That’s why I’m going to kill you!”

Kiryu: “No, I have nothing on me. Now stab. My heart is on your right side.”

Meat Vendor: “I-I’m not messing around . . . ! I really will stab you!”

Kiryu: “Yeah. I’m ready.”

Meat Vendor: “Ugh . . . ! Ugh . . . ! Dieeeee!!!!”

{The meat vendor rushes at Kiryu with the knife.}

Tamashiro Family member A: (Oh! He went for it! This is the end of Kiryu!)

Kiryu: “. . . What’s wrong? Why did you stop right before?”

Meat Vendor: “Why?! Why didn’t you move?!”

Kiryu: “I wanted to believe in you. That’s all.”

Meat Vendor: “You’re willing to throw your life away, just for that reason . . . ?”

Kiryu: “Believing in other people shouldn’t be done half-heartedly. Especially if you’re a stranger like me. But I have to believe. For the sake of the children at the Morning Glory orphanage. If the caretaker is accused of a crime, those kids won’t be allowed to live on this land.”

Meat Vendor: “So, you did it for the kids . . . ?”

Kiryu: “Yeah. I’ll risk my life just to take care of them.”

Meat Vendor: “That urge to take care of your children is genuine . . . I don’t think you’re trying to take over the market . . .”

Greengrocer: “I agree. You’re not the kind of person we heard about!”

Meat Vendor: “I’ve decided! I believe in Kiryu!”

Greengrocer: “Yeah, me too!”

Tamashiro Family member A: (Shit . . . ! I have to escape quickly . . . !)

Kiryu: “Wait. You there from the Tamashiro Family.”

Tamashiro Family member A: “Wh-What do you want . . . ?!”

Kiryu: “It’s not me who wants something from you, it’s them.”

Greengrocer: “Who are you guys? Why did you confuse us with false rumors?”

Meat Vendor: “How dare you try to imitate someone! You can’t get the better of us people of Okinawa!”

{The screen goes black as the people of the market collectively kick the Tamashiro Family’s asses.}

Rikiya: “Haa, haa . . . ! Where? Where’s the Tamashiro Family guys?”

Tamashiro Family member A: “P-Please help me . . . !”

Rikiya: “You, aren’t you from the Tamashiro Family?!”

Tamashiro Family member A: “I’m never coming back to such a terrifying market again . . . !”

{The Tamashiro Family runs away.}

Rikiya: “What does that mean . . . ??”

Meat Vendor: “Rikiya.”

Rikiya: “Mister Meat Vendor?”

Meat Vendor: “You didn’t get brainwashed . . . I’m sorry I believed that. Forgive me!”

Rikiya: “What on earth is going on . . . ?”

Meat Vendor: “I woke up. Thanks to this person’s honorable spirit.”

Rikiya: “A-Aniki!! Why are you here?!”

Kiryu: “Because you weren’t available to show me around the market, I decided to go for it.”

Rikiya: “What does waking everyone up with your honorable spirit even mean?”

Kiryu: “It’s no big deal. But there’s one thing I don’t understand. You knew about the bad rumors circulating about me. Why did you try to hide it? If you told me about it early, it never would have gotten this bad.”

Rikiya: “That is . . . I couldn’t tell you right after I preached that ‘the people of Okinawa are kind’. Besides, my pride as your younger brother won’t let me allow my Aniki to deal with such an incident . . . I wanted to solve it on my own! Not rely on my Aniki!”

Kiryu: “You and I are not bound by the sake cup. You just started calling me Aniki on your own.”

Rikiya: “. . .”

Kiryu: “But, if we were really brothers, then you’re supposed to give your big brother a lot of trouble. That’s a brother’s duty.”

Rikiya: “Eh . . . ?”

Kiryu: “Didn’t you say you couldn’t allow it on account of your pride as a younger brother? Then the same is true for the big brother. My pride won’t allow me to be taken care of by my younger brother. So next time you have trouble, come talk to me right away.  . . . If not, then I don’t want you to call me ‘Aniki’ again in the future.”

Rikiya: “. . . Aniki! Thank you very much!”

Meat Vendor: “Heh, you have a good Aniki there, Rikiya! Kiryu-san, we also want to apologize to you too. I swallowed the rumors and thought you were a terrifying person. I’m sorry.”

Kiryu: “Don’t worry about it. Rather, are you a butcher?”

Meat Vendor: “Yeah. I’ve got some delicious pork leg, so I’ll be happy to serve you!”

Kiryu: “No. I wanted to borrow something . . . that kitchen knife you had earlier.”

Meat Vendor: “Kitchen knife . . . ? Wh-What are you using it for . . . ?”

Kiryu: “To off him.”

Meat Vendor: “O-Off him . . . ?!”

Kiryu: “I didn’t know earlier. So now I’m going to kill him.”

Meat Vendor: “After all that . . . you really are that kind of a man! P-P-Please help me!”

{The meat vendor runs away.}

Rikiya: “Wait, what do you mean?! Why are you killing?!”

Kiryu: “Hm? No, I bought this from the fish shop over there . . .”

Rikiya: “That’s . . . gurukun?!”

Kiryu: “I came here to buy it because you wouldn’t let me join you in the market for so long. When I asked the fish seller to sell me a very fresh one, he gave me a live fish. However, it’s hard to carry with it flopping around in the bag. I’m sorry, but I have no choice but to off him.”

Rikiya: “Is that so . . . Aniki, remember what I advised? Please keep in mind to speak more gently.”

Kiryu: “Yeah. I’ve been keeping that in mind since then.”

Rikiya: “In what way?! In the first place, half of this uproar is because of you, Aniki! If you always talked more gently, no one would have believed the rumors!”

Kiryu: “Heh, I guess that sudden authority means the usual Rikiya is back. Alright, now I can finally enjoy Rikiya’s market tour. Please guide me well. Let’s start.”

{Kiryu walks off.}

Rikiya: “Wait, Aniki! I haven’t agreed . . . ! Already~ Guess it can’t be helped~.”

.

-END-

.

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3

Masterlist

[littlegoldenbirdie]

The Dance of Letters on a Screen

Out of nowhere, here's a Godzilla story I wrote God knows how long ago. Time stopped having any damn meaning at all last year, and that hasn't changed yet.

Here's a version of Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla where Instant Messaging is everybody's friend and I do mean EVERYBODY.

Warning: VERY long story ahead!

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It had fallen to Noriko to fine-tune Kiryu’s programming. She was an elite pilot, but no one trusted her enough to let her fly. Being a terribly lonely girl disliked by all, she took to pretending she was talking to Kiryu to pass the time. She’d chatter on and on as she worked, talking about what she was doing.

“Let’s see about that DNA calibration, shall we?” Streams of data flowed across the computer screen. “I’ve got to hand it to you, buddy. You’re really got things organized. I envy your future pilot. No one ever lets me fly. I’m good, but I’m not trusted.” She sighed. “Haruka was making fun of me again. Nobody ever listens to me. At least I have you to talk to, even though you don’t hear.” The screen flickered as words scrolled across it. IS SOMEONE RECEIVING THIS? Noriko yelped. “Oh man… Somebody must have hacked the system. Might as well parley with them while the system tracers do their thing. Okay… ‘Who is this?’ That should be an okay start.” She typed the question as she said it. The answer came immediately. ME. “Who is ‘me’? Well, where is this guy talking to me from? ‘Where are you?’ Talk about a logical follow-up.” HERE. This reply confused her. Scratching her head, she said, “I don’t know what to say to thatone… Well… ‘Where would ‘here’ be?’ That ought to work… I hope.” The reply shocked her. MY ‘HERE’ IS ALL AROUND YOU. She looked around and said, “That’s just not logical. Who could hack Kiryu’s systems and why would the aforementioned hacker talk to me of all people? …Uh, next question…” This time she didn’t have time to type up a question, as the mysterious hacker spoke again. YOU ARE NORIKO. This really scared her. “How would a hacker know who he has contacted? How would a hacker know to contact me here?” THERE IS NO NEED TO TYPE YOUR REPLY. I CAN HEAR YOU JUST FINE. Noriko fairly yelped, “He’s hacking Kiryu’s systems from so close by that he can hear me, but I can’t see him or hear him?” She shook her head. “This shouldn’t be happening anyway! The invincible Kiryu is vulnerable to a freaking hacker?” I AM HAPPY THAT YOU CONSIDER ME AS SUCH. Noriko blinked. “Okay, I have an idea. If you’re so close by, why don’t you come out where I can see you?” YOU CAN ALREADY SEE ME. She grumbled, “Wish I knew what that means… Could you at least talk to me instead of typing?” THIS IS THE ONLY VOICE I HAVE. Noriko mused, “All around me, close enough to hear me, can only communicate via computers… And he knows me? Well, okay, tell me. Who am I to you?” The reply came quickly. YOU ARE NORIKO. YOU ARE MY PILOT. “Pilot? As in… You mean to say you’re…” I AM. Her voice was tiny. “…Kiryu?” YES. “But this can’t be! Even if you are really Kiryu, you surely already know they won’t let me pilot a crop-duster, much less you!” The reply was in an enlarged font, underlined and flashing. I WILL ACCEPT NO OTHER. She said, “I can’t just tell them I’m the one who should be your pilot. They wouldn’t believe me.” THEY WILL SEE SOON ENOUGH. Noriko knew she couldn’t tell anybody about what happened, for fear of being fired because they deemed her crazy. All she could do was wait and watch the other pilots.

The first non-simulated flight came soon, and the super-elite Jiro was chosen to fly first. He climbed into the cockpit and sat at the controls, running through the pre-flight checks. Kiryu passed with flying colors, quickly being deemed more than flight-worthy. “All systems are green. We are clear for launch.” The safety umbilicals came away easily, the support towers pulling back and leaving Kiryu to stand tall on the tarmac. “Ignition in three… two… one… Hey, what the?” The ignition point came and went, with nothing happening. “There’s no response! Systems checks show no anomalies. Kiryu’s perfectly flight-capable right now, but it’s not moving! …And what the heck is this?” Jiro’s voice was completely baffled as he said, “Something weird just popped up on the tactical display. It says ‘I will not fly for you’. Okay, who’s the joker who’s been playing with the computers?” The control room’s computers went haywire then, displaying Noriko’s personnel profile and piloting credentials. “Gotta admit, this is the weirdest system glitch I’ve ever seen,” Noriko herself said as the launch was aborted.

“That was no computer glitch, was it?” CORRECT. “I knew you said you’d accept nobody else, but now they think you’re malfunctioning!” AND WHOSE JOB WILL IT BE TO FIX IT? “Oh, I get it! Not only do I cover for you, but I spend more time here with the only person who ever talks to me!” IT SEEMS LIKE BOTH OF US WIN BOTH WAYS. “Since nobody ever seems to notice me when I’m around, I hear all sorts of things. And my superiors wonder why I always seem to anticipate their actions! Basically, what I’m saying is I’ll tell you everything I hear concerning this project.” KNOWING WHAT IS COMING WILL BE VERY HELPFUL.

Since it appeared to be a computer error, Noriko was assigned to fix it. That meant a lot more time spent working on Kiryu, which, oddly, she didn’t seem to mind anymore. Other launch attempts came and went, each with the same result no matter what she did. First Kiryu wouldn’t respond no matter what, then all the computers would start displaying Noriko’s piloting credentials. “It’s starting to look like whoever’s doing this wants me to pilot Kiryu.”

“The commander told me I’d be the absolute last person he’d ever pick to pilot you, Kiryu. The entire squadron is going to take their turn trying before he’ll even consider it.” I WILL WAIT. “I don’t know, they might decide to scrap this whole thing and that means you.” I DOUBT IT. I AM PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF PERFORMING. “You have a point, but I imagine they’re getting pretty frustrated.” THEN THEY SHOULD CHOOSE YOU. “They should, you’re right, but the commander doesn’t usually change his mind. The entire squadron’s going first, and that means they’re going to have a lot of frustrating upsets.” THEIR OWN FAULT. Noriko laughed. “You got that right. But if you’re willing to wait, I’ll wait with you.” I APPRECIATE THIS, NORIKO. “It’s all right, Kiryu. You’re the first person to care about me for a long time.” YOU ARE THE FIRST PERSON TO CARE ABOUT ME AS MORE THAN A MACHINE. “It takes a frequently overlooked person to recognize a frequently overlooked person, I suppose. But still, I don’t know how long it’ll be before they decide to rewire your systems from scratch.” IT IS A RISK I AM WILLING TO TAKE. “Kiryu, I might be able to cover for you by claiming that this is a result of my messing up.” BAD IDEA. YOU MIGHT GET FIRED. “I know, but do you have any better ideas?” SUGGEST FALSE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS. “That’s a great idea! This should keep us both in the clear.”

One after another, the other pilots took their turns and continued to fail. Noriko dutifully checked and rechecked all the computers, each time proclaiming that she’d found the solution only to have the problem adapt to counter it. She didn’t get in trouble. Instead, they started to respect her for the fact that she wasn’t giving up even when everybody else was ready to quit. “You know,” one of the other pilots said, “You might have the right stuff to be a pilot after all.” Still, everyone else was taking his or her turn first.

“All our pilots have tried to fly you, and you’ve driven them all off. There isn’t anybody else left to try.” THAT IS GOOD TO HEAR. THEY WILL CHOOSE YOU SOON. “I hope so. I’ll bet you’re anxious for some action.” WITH THE RIGHT PILOT, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO ANYTHING. “You get the feeling we’re bonding?” CREATOR AND CREATION OFTEN BEGIN TO THINK ALIKE. “Think alike? If that’s true, pretty soon we’ll be anticipating each other’s actions.” THAT WILL BE A GREAT ASSET IN BATTLE. “Godzilla beware! When we team up, we’ll trash him!” INDEED.

“Noriko,” a voice startled her in the hallway. It was the commander. “As you know, we’ve gone through two dozen pilots and Kiryu still won’t respond. The prospective pilots are quitting in droves. We’ve run out of options.” She gasped and squealed, “You mean…” He nodded. “You’re the only pilot we haven’t tried. That, and you’ve spent more time working on Kiryu than everyone else put together. You should know more about it than anyone.” She saluted him and said, “You won’t regret this, sir!” He replied, “Go suit up. You’re on in five.” She dashed off in an instant.

She stepped into the cockpit she had never before seen and the computer screens came alive. Momentarily deactivating her radio, she said, “I’m in, Kiryu. It’s my turn to try to pilot you.” A nearby screen flickered. GOOD! Sitting down in the pilot’s seat and reactivating her radio, she said, “Commencing pre-flight checks… All systems are green. We are clear for launch.” As before, the safety umbilicals retracted and the support towers fell away. “Ignition in three… two… one… Now!” This time the ramjets fired and the colossal semi-robotic reptile took to the air. “All readings are optimal. Propulsion systems are functioning at peak efficiency. Noriko, you did it!” She cheered delightedly as she began to test Kiryu’s capabilities. Everything went smoothly and they passed with flying colors. The commander’s voice rang out, “Ladies and gentlemen, we have our pilot.” Noriko didn’t have to say anything. THEY PICKED YOU! FINALLY!

Noriko continued to work with Kiryu as she had before, even though she had been promoted to being a full pilot. “I never got to tell you what we’re supposed to do. I know you know we fight Godzilla, but do you know why?” NOBODY EVER TOLD ME THAT. “I’ll tell you. Godzilla likes to smash cities. When he does so, millions of people die. Each person is somebody like me, with thoughts and hopes and dreams. In this world, there’s no higher calling than to save the lives of others. And that is what we do. We are their hope, Kiryu.” WE FIGHT, FOR THEY CANNOT? “We’re the only ones who can really stand up to him, just you and me. If we fail, it’s the end. And we can’t, we mustn’t, fail. So many lives are depending on us…” I UNDERSTAND.

It was midday when she was called to fight for the first time. The alarm sounded and she was on the move instantly, suiting up and heading for the cockpit with great speed. “Okay… Flight checks are green… Clear for takeoff…” YOU ARE AGITATED. “All systems are clear. We’re ready to fight Godzilla.” I AM READY TO GO. “Okay, where’s our pickup? Ah, there they are. They’ll get us there in time.” WE ARE NOT GOING TO FLY? “…Wish this way was faster, but we have to conserve energy for the battle.” THAT IS A GOOD REASON, SEEING AS I ONLY HAVE SO MUCH. Kiryu was lifted up and taken into the ruins of a city. THIS PLACE IS WRECKED. “And there he is. Godzilla.” I SEE HIM. “Let’s start this fight. Control tower, we are entering the battle! Charge shoulder cannons. Arm missiles.” MISSILES ARE READY TO LAUNCH. SHOULDER CANNONS ARE CHARGING. “Open fire!” FIRING. The missiles pounded Godzilla, who just stood and took it, seemingly shocked out of his mind. “Keep firing! Don’t let up!” I CAN DO THAT. Kiryu advanced, continuing to pound Godzilla mercilessly. “I think we can finish this! Arm the Absolute Zero cannon!” ABSOLUTE ZERO CANNON IS CHARGING. GIVE ME A MINUTE. “Buy some time. Buy some time. Keep up the barrage!” WILL DO. Godzilla was starting to back off, and he gave a howl that pierced Noriko’s ears and stopped Kiryu in his tracks. THAT VOICE… “Kiryu?” THAT IS MY VOICE! “Kiryu!” MY VOICE, MY FACE, MY FORM… “Kiryu, what are you doing?” IS THIS WHAT I WAS MODELED AFTER?! “Kiryu, listen to me!” The screen flashed an angry red. IS THIS WHAT I AM?! The red spread across all the screens and Kiryu spoke to her no more. He turned the weapons he had used against Godzilla on the city, smashing everything in sight. Noriko tried her best to stop Kiryu’s rampage, but all she could do was wait for his energy to run out.

She waited quietly as the transport jets retrieved Kiryu and her with him. Even in the light of what Kiryu had done, she still refused to tell her secret. All she did instead was work feverishly to repair what must have gone wrong. He didn’t talk to her at first, long enough for her to wonder if he could still talk at all. Days and nights passed as she worked alone, trying to understand what had happened. A small message scrolled across the bottom of the nearest screen. NORIKO? “Kiryu! I thought you’d never talk to me again!” NORIKO, WHAT HAVE I DONE? “It’s all right. No one blames you. They all think it was a malfunction.” BUT YOU DO NOT. “I don’t blame you either. Your temper is a lot like mine.” WILL THEY DEACTIVATE ME FOR THIS? “Heck, no. You’ll be sent out to fight again, and this time we’ll dominate!” I AM RELIEVED. “Same here. If Godzilla comes again, we’ll be on the front line. And this time we won’t mess up.”

It didn’t take long. “Godzilla’s back,” Noriko barked as she dashed into the cockpit. “The Army is getting thrashed out there. We’re the last line of defense!” ALL SYSTEMS ARE GREEN. WE ARE READY TO GO. “There’s the pickup. Let’s go!” HERE WE GO. Kiryu was lifted up into the air, whereupon Noriko noticed that night had fallen. WHY IS EVERYTHING DARK NOW? “It’s called nighttime, Kiryu.” ALL RIGHT. Noriko looked ahead, to where lights stabbed into the sky. “Godzilla’s heading toward the hospital! All those people… they’ll all get killed!” WE CANNOT GET THERE IN TIME THIS WAY! “You’re right. Looks like we have to fly.” RAMJETS EXTENDED. DISENGAGING FROM CARRIER. HANG ON. “Hit it,Kiryu!” YOU GOT IT! Kiryu blasted forward like a rocket. “Land there! Our inertia will carry us into Godzilla and he’ll be sent flying!” LANDING NOW. Skidding down the ruined street at an absurd speed, Kiryu shoulder-rammed Godzilla and sent him flying. “Wow, nice one!”

Something drew Kiryu’s attention. NORIKO, LOOK DOWN THERE. She looked and saw a group of people looking back up at her. “They’re the ones we’re trying to protect. Them, and thousands like them.” I SEE. NOW, TO HANDLE GODZILLA! “Give him a short barrage, then march up and start hitting.” ALL RIGHT. I WILL. Noriko looked forward. Just ahead, Godzilla roared at Kiryu as if recognizing him. “That’s right, buddy. We’re back. And this time you won’t get away.” FIRING ALL MISSILES. HAND LASERS CHARGED AND READY. “Save those! Time to sock him but good!” The two titans clashed, locked in what appeared to be a childish shove-fest. Godzilla took a good swipe, forcing Kiryu back for a moment. NORIKO, WE ARE DOWN TO ONE SHOULDER CANNON. “We can still fight. Fire up your ramjets! We’ve got to back off a bit!” HERE WE GO. A short burst carried Kiryu backward, but Godzilla used his fire beam. NORIKO, BOTH SHOULDER CANNONS ARE OUT! “Extend your wrist blade and charge him.” WILL DO. Kiryu charged, a fairly long blade emerging from his right wrist. Before any of them knew it, he had jabbed the blade right into Godzilla’s arm. “Zap him! Give it all you can!” WRIST BLADE AT MAXIMUM CHARGE. Godzilla roared in pain as the electricity coursed through him, but he managed to backhand Kiryu into a nearby building. Noriko recovered first, with Kiryu not too long after. “Are you good to go?” RECALIBRATING INTERNAL GYROSCOPE. “So your head is spinning too, huh?” SPINNING? “Never mind.” It was then that Godzilla stomped down on Kiryu’s chest. “Do something!” DO WHAT? BOTH SHOULDER CANNONS ARE OUT, AS IS THE WRIST BLADE! Noriko looked up. The wrist blade was still stuck in Godzilla’s arm, having broken off when he backhanded Kiryu. As she watched, he pulled it out of his arm and tossed it aside. “Any ideas?” NO. NORIKO, THIS MAY BE…

Explosions erupted from off to the side, tossing Godzilla off Kiryu, who quickly got up. “Look over there! It’s a jet!” I OWE OUR FRIEND IN THE JET FOR THAT LAST ONE. “Should we do like we did before?” NO. “You’re probably right. Any ideas?” HOW ABOUT ANOTHER HIGH-SPEED RAM? “Brilliant! Fire up your ramjets, we’re going to ram him!” RAMJETS EXTENDED AND FIRING. HERE WE GO. “Oh, and charge the Absolute Zero cannon too. That way we can just cut loose.” YOU GOT IT. ABSOLUTE ZERO CANNON CHARGING. Kiryu was right in Godzilla’s face before any of them knew it. “Do like I do! Fight like a human!” I WILL TRY. Punching and kicking like a karate master, Kiryu had the upper hand and all of them knew it. “Wow, Kiryu, I didn’t know you could do that!” NEITHER DID I. A moment passed. ABSOLUTE ZERO CANNON CHARGED AND READY. “Put some distance between us, then fire when ready.” YOU GOT IT. The panels on Kiryu’s chest slid open, forming a triple-pronged energy cannon. BEGINNING FIRING SEQUENCE. Noriko looked at Godzilla. “Oh man, we are so wide open right now…” Godzilla took the open shot just as they fired. “I hope that hits… AHHH!” Kiryu was sent flying, his shot thrown off. “Oh no! The cannon will destroy everything in its path! All those buildings out there! All those people!” THIS IS BAD. I HOPE THOSE BUILDINGS ARE EMPTY.

Kiryu fell into another building. Seeing the energy readouts, Noriko began to worry. “Kiryu, can you stand?” I AM ALMOST COMPLETELY OUT OF POWER. PRIMARY SHUTDOWN SEQUENCE ENGAGED. I AM SORRY, NORIKO. “Control tower, do you hear me? We need more power here!” Other voices came. “Contact the power stations. Tell them to divert everything here.” Another said, “But that’ll put the entire city in a blackout!” The first said, “Do it. I’ll take responsibility.” Noriko waited. All around Kiryu the city went dark, the darkness stretching for miles around. She rejoiced as the power came to them, recharging Kiryu fully. NORIKO? WHAT HAPPENED? “You’re back at full power, Kiryu.” He looked around. THE CITY IS DARK… DID THE CITY SACRIFICE ITS LIGHT TO GIVE ME POWER? “We don’t have time for that! You’re back at full power, so let’s get back in the fight!” I WILL TRY TO GET UP. Kiryu struggled to his feet, only to have Godzilla shoot him in the back. He stumbled a few steps, then fell again. I DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH MORE I CAN TAKE, NORIKO.

A great cry came from off to the side. “What? The jet!” IT APPEARS TO BE… NO! The jet had set itself on a collision course with Godzilla’s jaws. Godzilla had no choice but to leave off using his fire beam in favor of trying to get the jet out of his mouth. He tore the back half away, but the front half remained in his mouth. A voice came from within what remained of the jet. “He can’t use his beam now! Forget about me and take the shot! Take it!” Noriko was torn. “We’re wide open, but…” NO, NORIKO! THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER WAY THAN TO SACRIFICE THE JET! An idea came to her. “Kiryu, listen to me. There is a way, but you have to trust me. Give me manual control.” MANUAL CONTROL? BUT I… YES, I WILL. MANUAL CONTROL ENGAGED. Seizing the controls in capable hands, she was in complete control as she guided Kiryu through a high-speed lunge straight at Godzilla. “Drop the jet, you scaly miscreant!” Using one hand to tear the jet free and the other to hold Godzilla’s mouth shut, she was in charge of the situation before anyone knew it. “Absolute Zero cannon; stand by.” She blasted off, carrying Godzilla along with her. “Okay, buddy, you’re coming with me!” They were headed straight for the sea. NORIKO, WHAT ARE YOU… “Trust me,” she said. They lifted up slightly, then plunged into the sea. “If it doesn’t work here, I don’t know where it will! Absolute Zero cannon… fire!” It surged through the water to touch Godzilla. Noriko didn’t get a chance to see if it destroyed him, because Kiryu was seized in the ice that formed. “Oh no, are we stuck?” I HOPE NOT.

The ice shattered all around them and Kiryu drifted to the surface. Godzilla was alive, but wounded. “We hurt him…” She cheered, “We hurt him!” As she watched, he turned and headed off. NORIKO, I CAN NO LONGER FIGHT. “I wouldn’t ask you to,” she said. I AM SORRY, NORIKO. I HAVE FAILED TO KILL GODZILLA. “Failed? Failed? No, we won! We’ve done it, Kiryu! We’ve beaten him back! The city is saved!” BUT YOU SAID I WAS SUPPOSED TO KILL GODZILLA. I HAVE NOT DONE THAT. “There’ll be other chances, Kiryu,” she said, feeling something very like satisfaction. “Other battles to fight and win. It may not be next time, or the time after that, but someday we’ll beat him… and the world’s long nightmare will finally end.” There was a pause as Kiryu considered her words. I CAN LIVE WITH THAT, he finally decided.

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Okay, so that was it.