"Hey! Hey! Hey!"
"""Hey! Hey! Hey!"""
When it was decided that the battlefield would be Ginza, they chose a venue far enough from it. Since Yokohama has one of Japan's biggest domes that can fit 70,000 people, it was chosen as the venue.
"Altitude. 11,000 Feet. The positions of Alicetaria and Altair is confirmed."
"Stop airing the previous reruns. Check the conversion filter before switching."
"Understood!"
Japan does not have the technology to convert real life into "2D Anime" with just a camera. Fortunately, Meteora's magic applied to technology made it possible. Even, every creator who saw this technology marveled at it. Hundreds of hours of work... everything was done in a split second.
Seeing that "real-life" is turned into "2-dimensional", the staff switched it to the screens connected to Nissan Stadium. After that, the excited cheers of the crowd rang out.
"It is time."
Meteora nodded before she started to chant:
"O' Inimitable key that will never rot through the depths of time." (The birdcage is unaffected by space and time.)
"You shall even surpass the dark river of Styx." (It surpasses every prison of legends.)
"Time freezes in your dominion." (Time doesn't exist in its world.)
"Never-ending changes shall turn into nothingness..." (The continually-changing world becomes fixed...)
"...and then becomes infinite." (...and its area boundless.)
"Gates of Prison, the truth behind my key has been revealed here." (The birdcage's sole purpose is divulged at this moment.)
With each chant, the rules of the world were twisted. Somehow, the will behind this world acquiesced to everything. It is not that she gained its approval, but the approval of the world. The audience thought of a "stage" where this big "battle" would occur, thus it shall appear.
"Close oneself!" (Activate!)
Buzz-!
A visible spark of blue electricity was generated with Meteora as its origin. The world had seemingly shaken, but nothing in and of itself changed. Being familiar with this phenomenon, Shiro immediately recognized it.
'She's manipulating the world itself. A creator..!'
Even if it's due to the support of the audience, a creator-class being born in such a normal world would be surprising to others. Many strived to become the supreme being of their world but never had they expected that it is possible through the help of mortals.
Shiro: "Everything's starting. The birdcage is deployed."
Touka: "So that's what it is. I thought that I accidentally used up my power."
Shinji: "Something changed! Did we travel through dimensions?"
As a chat group member, dimension travels is something Shinji is extremely familiar with. Albeit the fluctuations produced by Meteora's actions are extremely small, he could still notice such a change.
Kuroneko: "The enemies are sighted in that place. Remain vigilant, everyone."
Kal'tsit: "The sun had fully set."
An irrelevant comment was made by Kal'tsit. Though, the ones inside the stadium couldn't see it personally. They could only see through the cameras that the sky is already starting to become darker; a transition to nighttime.
'A night battle.'
Touka: "It reminds me of that time. Was it around 1:28 AM back then?"
Shiro: "Yep. That sudden battle led to a full-blown one against the peak of Madoka's world."
Madoka: "Walpurgis night..."
Shiro: "It's going to be alright this time. Don't worry."
"You with your words." Kuroneko chided before smiling, "Make sure to fulfill them."
"...I will."
Shiro felt that the weight behind his half-baked promises had increased to something he might not be able to handle properly.
*****
Upon the creation of the birdcage, the creations decided to split into two: the ones with mechas and the ones without. The former scouted for any traces of Altair and the rest while the latter surveyed the area that could become advantageous to them. The audience didn't mind this part as it would lead to a good build-up, or so they believe.
After all, an event with more than a dozen anime series coming into one deserves that level of hype.
BAM-!
A hooded man suddenly fell from where Yuuya is standing just now. He managed to dodge that strike, but he was stunned upon seeing him.
"Shou..?"
"It's been a long time... you bastard."
"Heh. A long time, indeed. You weren't the type to spit out curses." Yuuya commented.
"I am. Until you took our friend and sister away from me!"
Swooosh-!
The nunchucks cut through the air as they aimed for Yuuya's head. He swiftly dodged it, but the nun-chucks changed directions as the chain was twisted.
Clang-!
He blocked it using his black katana. Just as he was about to plan his next step, he noticed his reflection in the puddle of water.
'That-!'
Swooosh-!
BAM-!
A metallic silhouette came out of the reflection and thrust its rapier at him. If not for Hangaku manifesting quickly, he would have had a hole pierced through his chest.
"Bayard... You're using what that old geezer gave."
Instead of commenting, Shou replied with a murderous gaze.
"Tell me. Why did you kill them?"
"Would you believe it if I told you that was not me?"
"You're still trying to lie."
"See?"
While the two had their battle, the previous serenity was replaced with chaotic explosions due to several ongoing battles. Everything was captured by the cameras around them—be it the perspective shots through their body cameras to the flying drones above, everything was shown understandably to the audience.
"Damn! Alicetaria and Kanoya fighting is the least I expected to see!"
"No, no. That fight between the two brothers is something that I waited for since Chapter 1!"
"Wait a minute, isn't that..."
"Shit, shit, shit!!!"
An anime that was created back in 2014 resurfaced in everybody's minds. It became a huge hit that its "poster girl" could be recognized by anyone inside this stadium.
"Her color scheme is different..."
"But it's no doubt..."
"""SEIBA!!!"""
"""WOOOOOOOOOOAAHHH!!!"""
At this moment, the neko doctor and the expressionless King of Knights faced off once more.
"Our last fight went interrupted. It would be different this time, however." The latter proudly declared. "To succeed, I need you to disappear."
"Our feeling is mutual, then."
Kal'tsit readied herself in the same stance as last time. Salter believed that the conclusion would be no different than before—with her winning—but Altair reminded herself that they could have received a new power.
Kal'tsit didn't wait for her vigilance to become higher before striking.
Clang-!
Sparks flew in the air as the two blades clashed. What was surprising is Salter's invisible air being damaged. A portion of it was cut down in their initial clash.
"Magic Resistance..."
Right after that, a resounding explosion can be heard. The ground shook, reminiscent of the magnitude 7 earthquakes.
Boom-!
Rumble-!
Through her earpiece, Kal'tsit could discern who was downed just now.
"Kanoya-kun..!"
"Kanoya?"
Selesia's and Yuuya's voice was heard consecutively.
"I am really strong..."
"Is that your doppelganger?" Yuuya asked.
"Yes. He did not pull any punches from the beginning."
Looking at the screen, Kanoya could see the glowing red mecha from a few days ago. Besides it is another humanoid mecha that is smaller than it. It has a black-red color scheme and looks similar to Selesia's Vogelchevalier.
"Selesia-san. You might need to see this..." He said. "It... No, he..."
"...Charon?"
Selesia's most trustworthy partner. She had hoped that he would not be involved in this fight, but when she heard that the creation besides Hikayu, the heroine of an eroge game, has a black mecha, she already have some expectations regarding it.
"He... He's here..."
Just as she was experiencing her inner dilemma, a huge black shadow shrouded the night sky. The moonlight, which was supposed to shine at Ginza, was blocked by something. It has the shape of half of an hourglass, something that immediately triggered the memories within the involved parties.
"Fuck..."
"What..?"
"It..."
Shiro couldn't help but curse while Touka deadpanned at the sight of it. Madoka has a concerned look on her face before disappearing upon remembering her current powers.
Besides the hourglass figure, a revealing woman in a black dress can be seen. She has thin black translucent wings that made her look like a fairy, but she is the exact opposite of it.
"My, my. So here you are, chosen one."
Madoka was surprised to see that Mamika went along with her to intercept the two figures.
"You are here." The latter said with a grave expression.
"Hm..? The smiles here are more radiant. Why would I miss this out?"
"Mamika-chan, she is?"
"The Evil Fairy, Akumarin. She is the source of all the suffering in my world." She replied. "What about that huge doll?"
"It... It is 'Walpurgisnacht'. The embodiment of calamities and disasters in my world. To Magical Girls, she embodied... despair."
Looking at their respective enemies, each of them thought that this battle is far greater than they have expected.
*****
A/N: HYPEEE!!! Honestly, I am very excited as to how this arc would turn out. I made a draft for these fights, but writing them is on a whole another level of excitement. The all-star appearances, twists, and narratives of this [Birdcage Arc] are something that came from my imagination when I first watched Re: creators. Back then, I wondered how a messy fight would feel; now, I know how it does. To this simultaneous battle that I strive to write with good quality and the process of unfolding the plot on my mind, do look forward to it~!
"Hey! Hey! Hey!"
"""Hey! Hey! Hey!"""
When it was decided that the battlefield would be Ginza, they chose a venue far enough from it. Since Yokohama has one of Japan's biggest domes that can fit 70,000 people, it was chosen as the venue.
"Altitude. 11,000 Feet. The positions of Alicetaria and Altair is confirmed."
"Stop airing the previous reruns. Check the conversion filter before switching."
"Understood!"
Japan does not have the technology to convert real life into "2D Anime" with just a camera. Fortunately, Meteora's magic applied to technology made it possible. Even, every creator who saw this technology marveled at it. Hundreds of hours of work... everything was done in a split second.
Seeing that "real-life" is turned into "2-dimensional", the staff switched it to the screens connected to Nissan Stadium. After that, the excited cheers of the crowd rang out.
"It is time."
Meteora nodded before she started to chant:
"O' Inimitable key that will never rot through the depths of time." (The birdcage is unaffected by space and time.)
"You shall even surpass the dark river of Styx." (It surpasses every prison of legends.)
"Time freezes in your dominion." (Time doesn't exist in its world.)
"Never-ending changes shall turn into nothingness..." (The continually-changing world becomes fixed...)
"...and then becomes infinite." (...and its area boundless.)
"Gates of Prison, the truth behind my key has been revealed here." (The birdcage's sole purpose is divulged at this moment.)
With each chant, the rules of the world were twisted. Somehow, the will behind this world acquiesced to everything. It is not that she gained its approval, but the approval of the world. The audience thought of a "stage" where this big "battle" would occur, thus it shall appear.
"Close oneself!" (Activate!)
Buzz-!
A visible spark of blue electricity was generated with Meteora as its origin. The world had seemingly shaken, but nothing in and of itself changed. Being familiar with this phenomenon, Shiro immediately recognized it.
'She's manipulating the world itself. A creator..!'
Even if it's due to the support of the audience, a creator-class being born in such a normal world would be surprising to others. Many strived to become the supreme being of their world but never had they expected that it is possible through the help of mortals.
Shiro: "Everything's starting. The birdcage is deployed."
Touka: "So that's what it is. I thought that I accidentally used up my power."
Shinji: "Something changed! Did we travel through dimensions?"
As a chat group member, dimension travels is something Shinji is extremely familiar with. Albeit the fluctuations produced by Meteora's actions are extremely small, he could still notice such a change.
Kuroneko: "The enemies are sighted in that place. Remain vigilant, everyone."
Kal'tsit: "The sun had fully set."
An irrelevant comment was made by Kal'tsit. Though, the ones inside the stadium couldn't see it personally. They could only see through the cameras that the sky is already starting to become darker; a transition to nighttime.
'A night battle.'
Touka: "It reminds me of that time. Was it around 1:28 AM back then?"
Shiro: "Yep. That sudden battle led to a full-blown one against the peak of Madoka's world."
Madoka: "Walpurgis night..."
Shiro: "It's going to be alright this time. Don't worry."
"You with your words." Kuroneko chided before smiling, "Make sure to fulfill them."
"...I will."
Shiro felt that the weight behind his half-baked promises had increased to something he might not be able to handle properly.
*****
Upon the creation of the birdcage, the creations decided to split into two: the ones with mechas and the ones without. The former scouted for any traces of Altair and the rest while the latter surveyed the area that could become advantageous to them. The audience didn't mind this part as it would lead to a good build-up, or so they believe.
After all, an event with more than a dozen anime series coming into one deserves that level of hype.
BAM-!
A hooded man suddenly fell from where Yuuya is standing just now. He managed to dodge that strike, but he was stunned upon seeing him.
"Shou..?"
"It's been a long time... you bastard."
"Heh. A long time, indeed. You weren't the type to spit out curses." Yuuya commented.
"I am. Until you took our friend and sister away from me!"
Swooosh-!
The nunchucks cut through the air as they aimed for Yuuya's head. He swiftly dodged it, but the nun-chucks changed directions as the chain was twisted.
Clang-!
He blocked it using his black katana. Just as he was about to plan his next step, he noticed his reflection in the puddle of water.
'That-!'
Swooosh-!
BAM-!
A metallic silhouette came out of the reflection and thrust its rapier at him. If not for Hangaku manifesting quickly, he would have had a hole pierced through his chest.
"Bayard... You're using what that old geezer gave."
Instead of commenting, Shou replied with a murderous gaze.
"Tell me. Why did you kill them?"
"Would you believe it if I told you that was not me?"
"You're still trying to lie."
"See?"
While the two had their battle, the previous serenity was replaced with chaotic explosions due to several ongoing battles. Everything was captured by the cameras around them—be it the perspective shots through their body cameras to the flying drones above, everything was shown understandably to the audience.
"Damn! Alicetaria and Kanoya fighting is the least I expected to see!"
"No, no. That fight between the two brothers is something that I waited for since Chapter 1!"
"Wait a minute, isn't that..."
"Shit, shit, shit!!!"
An anime that was created back in 2014 resurfaced in everybody's minds. It became a huge hit that its "poster girl" could be recognized by anyone inside this stadium.
"Her color scheme is different..."
"But it's no doubt..."
"""SEIBA!!!"""
"""WOOOOOOOOOOAAHHH!!!"""
At this moment, the neko doctor and the expressionless King of Knights faced off once more.
"Our last fight went interrupted. It would be different this time, however." The latter proudly declared. "To succeed, I need you to disappear."
"Our feeling is mutual, then."
Kal'tsit readied herself in the same stance as last time. Salter believed that the conclusion would be no different than before—with her winning—but Altair reminded herself that they could have received a new power.
Kal'tsit didn't wait for her vigilance to become higher before striking.
Clang-!
Sparks flew in the air as the two blades clashed. What was surprising is Salter's invisible air being damaged. A portion of it was cut down in their initial clash.
"Magic Resistance..."
Right after that, a resounding explosion can be heard. The ground shook, reminiscent of the magnitude 7 earthquakes.
Boom-!
Rumble-!
Through her earpiece, Kal'tsit could discern who was downed just now.
"Kanoya-kun..!"
"Kanoya?"
Selesia's and Yuuya's voice was heard consecutively.
"I am really strong..."
"Is that your doppelganger?" Yuuya asked.
"Yes. He did not pull any punches from the beginning."
Looking at the screen, Kanoya could see the glowing red mecha from a few days ago. Besides it is another humanoid mecha that is smaller than it. It has a black-red color scheme and looks similar to Selesia's Vogelchevalier.
"Selesia-san. You might need to see this..." He said. "It... No, he..."
"...Charon?"
Selesia's most trustworthy partner. She had hoped that he would not be involved in this fight, but when she heard that the creation besides Hikayu, the heroine of an eroge game, has a black mecha, she already have some expectations regarding it.
"He... He's here..."
Just as she was experiencing her inner dilemma, a huge black shadow shrouded the night sky. The moonlight, which was supposed to shine at Ginza, was blocked by something. It has the shape of half of an hourglass, something that immediately triggered the memories within the involved parties.
"Fuck..."
"What..?"
"It..."
Shiro couldn't help but curse while Touka deadpanned at the sight of it. Madoka has a concerned look on her face before disappearing upon remembering her current powers.
Besides the hourglass figure, a revealing woman in a black dress can be seen. She has thin black translucent wings that made her look like a fairy, but she is the exact opposite of it.
"My, my. So here you are, chosen one."
Madoka was surprised to see that Mamika went along with her to intercept the two figures.
"You are here." The latter said with a grave expression.
"Hm..? The smiles here are more radiant. Why would I miss this out?"
"Mamika-chan, she is?"
"The Evil Fairy, Akumarin. She is the source of all the suffering in my world." She replied. "What about that huge doll?"
"It... It is 'Walpurgisnacht'. The embodiment of calamities and disasters in my world. To Magical Girls, she embodied... despair."
Looking at their respective enemies, each of them thought that this battle is far greater than they have expected.
*****
A/N: HYPEEE!!! Honestly, I am very excited as to how this arc would turn out. I made a draft for these fights, but writing them is on a whole another level of excitement. The all-star appearances, twists, and narratives of this [Birdcage Arc] are something that came from my imagination when I first watched Re: creators. Back then, I wondered how a messy fight would feel; now, I know how it does. To this simultaneous battle that I strive to write with good quality and the process of unfolding the plot on my mind, do look forward to it~!
