Part 21: Day 4: Pinned (Part 1)

Day 4: Pinned (Part 1)

W2D3P3 nearly broke the character limit so I'm going to go for a smaller update.





: This isn’t fair, Neku. When did you suddenly become a Tin Pin expert?
: And why should I answer that?
: How about because I’m asking you!?
: Have you been secretly training?
: Maybe. Look, a win’s a win. That means we wait another hour for the mission.
: Ugh, Neku... Cut me a little slack.
: Not happening. I won. Therefore, we wait.
: Ugh, fine... But this is a huge waste of time.


An exact scale for the size of Reaper's Games is never given.

: This is getting to him. Keep it up, and he’s bound to crack.


This would put the number at at least 18 given who show up.

: At this rate, the Game won’t last the week.
: About that, sir... No missions have been issued in the last two days.
: None?
: None, sir. Nevertheless, Players have been disappearing at a startling rate.
: And Minamimoto?
: AWOL. He broke off contact yesterday.
: Our Game Master’s gone missing?
: His so-called “works of art” have been sighted around the UG--thus, I suspect he is still in the area.
: ...Then let’s leave him be for now.
: Meaning you won’t require an inquiry into Minamimoto’s activities?
: Correct. He’s not a social animal. Give the man some space.
: ...Understood. As you wish, Mr. Kitaniji.
: Any other problems?
: Several Reapers were attacked on Route 5, sir. We suspect Taboo Noise.
: Taboo Noise... How does this affect our manpower?
: The losses are within tolerances. I’ve already set about identifying and locating the perpetrator.
: Very good. So explain the dwindling Player count...
: Yes, sir. I’m looking into any correlation between the two incidents now.
: Perfect. I’d expect no less. I leave it to you, Konishi.
: Understood, sir.

Kitaniji leaves.


but this is day 4, when Higashizawa had already deleted half of the players by this point last week.

: Tactics, intel, willpower, decisiveness, performance... His
numbers are just short of Mr. Kitaniji’s. Except for cooperation. A whopping zero... I’ll admit he has talent, but his quirks are beyond control. What is he after? My analysis suggests--

The scene shifts back to Neku and Joshua.


And Minamimoto is supposedly even better, so who knows for sure?

: ..Fine, fine. Sorry. ...Later. Ugh...
: Fifteen minutes and counting... Any minute now, he’ll--
: Say, Neku. Could you do me one teensy favor?
: Bingo. Now, to beat him to the punch. If this is about the wait, I’m not listening.
: Fine. How about a trade?
: Right on cue! OK...Answer my question, and I’ll go with you.
: You’ve twisted my arm. Go on, shoot.
: ...What are you after?
: You’re curious?
: If you don’t feel like talking, we can wait.



: ...Right. How ‘bout a real answer?
: That was a real answer.
: ...... What? How do you jack a town?



: My turn to ask a question. Do you really want a second chance?
: Huh?



: What’s the difference?
: ......
: Hee hee. You don’t have to answer. I don’t really care. Now let’s get started. How’s our signal today? Hmm... It’s coming from out past Shibu-Q Heads.



: Oh, right! You know the city well, Neku.
: Shibuya born and raised.
: My, my!
: It’s coming from Udagawa, right? Let’s go.
: Well, this is new... Someone’s an eager beaver today.
: The Udagawa district... Same place I saw in your head. Along with me, lying dead on the ground. How’d I die? And who the hell are you? I might find my answers there.


In dicking around one of my pins evolved. It covers a lot of area so it's good for keeping enemies stunned while one of my major pins is rebooting.


He points us at a noise number to the right of the Decadraven which means-


Bingo, say hi to the Easterraven. Normal drop is Rare Metal at a respectable 6%, Hard is more Tektite, Easy is the Sexy + we're after. Also joining them are another new enemy, Emo Corehogs. They drop Love Me Tether and Meteor Magnet if you messed up the ones from week 1.

Also I think Owari-Hajimari has started playing for battles by now and if it hasn't, fuck it, it'll do so soon enough, and this update is without either video or music without it.

Music: Owari-Hajimari


AMX is full of Noise so getting a 4-reduction chain is easy.


In particular, the bigger symbols have quite a few Jungle Boomers in them.


It'll be in a video for W2D5, but this is a screenshot of Joshua's level 2 Fusion. At x20 efficiency it'll clear out an encounter.


Like so.


Holy Frijoles look at all that yen!


It seems Neku and Joshua aren't the first people to reach Tipsy Tose.



: Um, hello? We’re metal. And Reapers! No way. We’d lose all our cred!
: Like you have any after boning this up.
: Sounds like an argument.



So we do for now.



: Know anyone else who’d put something like this together?
: ...There’s something written on it.



: ...... Uhh...what? First of all, sounds don’t really shake anything...
: I think he’s saying he’s better than air.
: ......Uh...huh.



: Ugh... Busted. Wait! You’re that--
: Hey, my man! I remember you. Perfect timing. You’re not busy, right? Help a brother out?


Sorry, but I think I hear my Udagawa calling.

: Look, we just need to get through here, and we're kind of in a hurry.
: Oh yeah?! yo, Tenho!


Tenho, the Reaper in red, erects a wall.

: You wanna get through here? Help us out.
: ......
: Thrusting your personal problems on Players? How very professional.
: So what’s the deal?



: ......
: Happened around 2: 00 yesterday. We had a little gig at Molco, right? Even unveiled a new track. Shoulda been no problem. But! The show ends, we split for the day--I let our stuff outta my sight for one minute, tops--I get back and the mic’s gone!
: Yeah, says you. You prob’ly just left it someplace.
: I’m tellin’ you, BJ, it was stolen! That thing is Def March’s heart ‘n’ soul! I wouldn’t just lose it.


BJ, the Reaper in black, isn't very amused.

: ...
: Wh-what? Hey, YOU lost it!
: Ugh... Fine. Let’s just split up and look for it, OK?
: Why are WE looking for YOUR junk!?
: Screw that, man. You lost it. You find it. I’m outta here



: Oh, snap...
: I found it lyin’ around.
: Thanks, man. I was wigging out trying to find it. Where was it?
: In the...uhh, I mean...S-Spain Hill!
: ......


He leaves.


As does Tenho.

: Thanks!
: I still don’t see how this is our problem...
: Aww, c’mon. Look, I’ll pay ya. Help us out.
: No way! We’re--
: Here, lemme pay you before I forget!
: Ugh! Punk beat me to the draw...


He hands Neku 30,000 yen.


Er, my bad, 30,005 yen.


Another pig that has to be erased in order, the kind Sweet Talk Tether loves. It coughs up yet another 10,000 yen pin.

Anyway, lets get to Molco and-



: Yoshiya Kiryu, private dick extraordinare...



: Can you give us a little more to go on?
: Sure! Whaddaya need to know?



The mic

: Describe the stolen microphone.
: It’s a stand mic with black wings.
: Black wings?
: Yeah, it’s the band’s symbol.
: Who’d want a bat-mic?
: I can think of one guy...



: BJ?
: Guy in the black hoodie? He was just here. He’s been whining about wanting to do vocals. We had it out over that yesterday. Said he wanted his share of the glory. The mic went missing right after that.
: Wait, he stole it because...he wanted to be a vocalist? That makes no sense.

The theft



: just before it disappeared, I got a call.
: A phone call?
: Yeah. Thinking back now, it was pretty shady.
: Why was the call shady?
: They didn’t give me their name... Just, “Meet me by Cadoi City.” “We need to talk.”
: Any guesses?
: Not really. Called ID said it was a public phone. Sounded like an affected voice, too.
: So...did you go?
: Yeah, but nobody was there. When I got back to Molco, the mic was gone.
: That IS shady.
: So someone called to lure you away. And you think the Reaper in black you were fighting with--BJ, was it? You suspect him?
: As much as I hate to consider it... Well, good luck, guys. I’ll be right here.
: Ugh... What a pain. So? What now?
: Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it?




And the great Def Märch Microphone Theft Investigation begins... next time!