The Game

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The Game is a competition held through the App that on its surface are guilds claiming territory to become the most powerful guild in Tokyo. As the story continues, it becomes more evident that the true purpose of the Game is far more encompassing than anyone had initially believed, encompassing not just Tokyo but the 23 worlds connected to the city as well as the fate of mankind as a whole.

Overview

The Game's true form is of a massive competition in Tokyo involving its true players (World Representatives), the Trophy of the Game (the Protagonist), and those who watch over the events that unfold.[1]13 The Representatives battle other Representatives to claim the Trophy for themselves.[2]2

Creation

The Game was proposed and created by Utopia and its Representative. Due to Utopia existing as a "world in the far future", they were well aware of what was fated for Tokyo as well as the rest of humanity. They also had the technology necessary to perform "time leaps", a power needed to create the ever-repeating time loops that encases the city.[3]30

Purpose

The true purpose of the Game is the creation of a new System, a new God, to govern over humanity to prevent their devastation in the far future. According to Unknown icon.pngKing Solomon, a God is a being seen as "sacred". Because of this, he believes that the current era of mankind is in need of a new God to lead them. By creating a game board where Tokyoites are used as the source of Transient summoning, in addition to the time loops, the Game would be stable and continue on for as long as it needed to until majority rule decides what the best course of action for humanity is.[3]30

Several theories have been discussed by other characters earlier in the story.

Shuichi proposes that the App is designed to unify all 24 mythologies, Tokyo in addition to the other worlds connected to it. Through this process, he believes that a whole new world will be brought into existence once a world wins and establishes themselves as the highest ranking world.[4]13 Later, characters discuss that its purpose is to consolidate which world's System should hold absolute sway over the other worlds, a war between Systems.[2]3

Goal and Win Condition

There are quite a few victory conditions one can attempt to achieve to claim "victory" in the Game, each goal depending on one's personal objectives and knowledge about the Game's true nature.

On its surface, many of the Game's causal App users believe the final goal of the game is to bring all the territories in all 23 wards of Tokyo under their own guild's dominion and control.[5]1

To the World Representative, their objective is to obtain the Trophy for themselves. This would naturally include eliminating all other Representatives, making them the only real player left in the Game. Nodens is the only Representative currently shown who had come the closest to winning the Game through this means.[6]13

On a greater scale, since the final objective of the Game is to find the most ideal path for humanity, one can also claim victory by achieving this as well. This is most evident with the various Plans of the Three Geniuses, the guild masters of the Three True Guilds. Each of their plans follow a theory about the ideal step humanity should take for their next evolution.[2]1

Azathoth claims that, for the Protagonist to win the Game themselves and stop the loops, they must overcome the Master Rule.[2]21 Alternatively, if they were to permanently destroy themselves, the Game would also end that way as the Trophy would be broken beyond repair.[7]16

Game Elements

The App

Main article: SUMMONS

SUMMONS, more commonly referred to as the App, is a supernatural smartphone application that hosts the Game. It handles various aspects of it, such as acting as a medium for summoning to take place,[8]1 ranking users in a hierarchy,[8]14 creating guilds, among other integral features.

Roles and Rules

Main articles: Role, Rule

All of the Game is dictated by Roles and Rules as well as the hierarchy people are placed on.[9]27 These titles determine who one is able to win against, who one will lose against, and what their predetermined fate and destiny entail. To defy one's own title is to defy their own fate.

Hierarchy

The hierarchy is a core rule of existence; the whole universe as well as the 23 other worlds connected to Tokyo are subject to it. It determines who each person is superior to and inferior to, ranking everyone in a grand order.[6]15 The World Representatives stand at the top of their hierarchies in their own worlds, but Tokyo's hierarchy has yet to be established.[7]23 The exiled souls within the Protagonist all rank below the Representatives.

Exceptions

Main article: Exception

Exceptions are individuals who have been removed from Tokyo and sealed into the Plane of Nihility because the power they wield can potentially cause issues for the Game.[10]8[11] Because of this, Exceptions are an extremely valuable tool to players of the Game if used properly because they allow a person to surpass the fate determined by their Role and Rule. However, this is a double-edged sword, and improper use of them can be harmful, such as Shiro's brief possession by Yog-Sothoth's memories.[9]27

With the help of Furufumi, several members of the Summoners have been able to access and communicate with the memories of Exceptions held within Gates, further unlocking the potential of their Sacred Artifacts.

Tsukuyomi claims that the organizers of the Game have no interest in loops that fail to produce Exceptions.[10]8

Guilds

Main article: Guild

Guilds are groups of App users which can include both Transients and Tokyoites.[4]6 United under a core ideology, these guilds fight other guilds to take claim over their territory.[5]1

Three True Guilds

The Three True Guilds is a term describing the guilds that hold various World Representatives. The three guilds under this category are the Warmongers, the Invaders, and the Rule Makers.

These guilds hold massive influence and control over Tokyo. These guilds are able to easily take control of many organizations within the city. This control ranges from nonprofits and corporations to all three branches of Tokyo’s government such as the Metropolitan Police, the Public Prosecutors Office, and the Special Judicial Constabulary. The military, police force, and underground terrorist groups have also fallen under the control of the Three True Guilds.[12]1

The Three True Guilds have established a series of treaties over numerous loops with the goal of suppressing tactics that would force the Game into a stalemate. The restrictions of some of these treaties include no direct contact with the trophy of the Game until its final stages, numerous battle plans that result in the total destruction of Tokyo (as it would be pointless to repeat these calamitous events over and over again), and numerous armistices.[12]14

Time Loops

Main article: Loop

The Game has started and ended several times because it is set up to loop by the App. When a Game ends, the environment within Tokyo's walls is reset and the Game begins anew. Memories of all individuals are lost, with the exception of individuals who have formed a connection outside of Tokyo, as well as individuals with Sacred Artifacts that act as pillars.

Master Rule

The Master Rule, also referred to as majority rule, is the powering force behind the Game. It functions under a very simple clause: Within a Battle Zone, the truth is always determined by the majority. Reality is shaped by majority rule, and no world is exempt from this. Majority vote determines the course of the world along with other things, and the majority always places above the minority in a hierarchy, thus being "above" them. As a consequence, the beliefs of the minority, those who do not fit within the majority, have never been accepted.[2]21[13]11[7]19[1]2

Faith

Faith is what gives the Master Rule its power and ability to function within the parameters of reality. Azathoth sees faith and belief as nothing but words and can be interchanged with other terms such as memories, information, and light. Walls only exist to trap faith in, whether it be the walls of a Battle Zone or the walls surrounding Tokyo.[2]21 Faith is not a literal substance that can be seen or held, but can be viewed as a manifestation of the collective beliefs of the masses.

Persons of Interest

World Representatives

Main article: World Representative

World Representatives are those who stand atop their respective worlds' beliefs and hierarchies. Despite there being many guilds and App users among Tokyo, only the 23 World Representatives are considered to be the Game's main players because they have the ability to stand in the way of other players. Those who do not stand in the way—those who present no threat or obstacle—can never truly be seen as players.[7]23

With 21 of them equally split into three True Guilds and the remaining 2 in the Genociders, they represent and fight for in proxy for their own worlds and Systems, seeking to obtain the Trophy. While they may be paired together, they all hold their own agendas and continually fight each other through the endless loops, rarely letting down their guard.[2]2

According to Fuxi, the Representatives see the Game as simply nothing more than a game, a brief moment of escapist without consequence. Compared to the responsibilities they wield, the game was nothing more than a diversion. Any unforeseen or ill-fated occurrence could be easily reset and they could even win the Trophy and see a soul whom they had thought was gone forever. However, after Fuxi revealed the existence of an unranked 24th soul within them, the Trophy has now become a threat to the existence of their own worlds, becoming the enemy of the world once again.[7]22

The two Representatives not in the Three True Guilds, Surtr and Azathoth, are always the first Representatives to lose due to the world and System they represent being frail and flawed in some way.[2]2[9]27

Breke

Breke was created by a combination of the worlds of Yggdrasil and Utopia to devour entities from other worlds, absorb them, and artificially reproduce their Rules.[14] He retrieves the Sacred Artifacts from the World Representatives who drop out of the Game, such as Surtr, Azathoth, and Shiva. It should be noted that while Breke is able to use the memories within these Sacred Artifacts to turn into its user, he is only but a recreation of the memories held within.[2]22 If one of the three prodigies were to unable to act, they are to be replaced by Duo with Breke acting as his familiar.[15]24

The Trophy

The Trophy of the Game, the prize all the Representatives are fighting to obtain for themselves, is the Protagonist, or more specifically, the 23 souls sealed inside them.[2]10

One of the conditions for being the Trophy is that they cannot be a player in the Game. They are not allowed to have the chance to stand against other players, namely the Representatives.[7]23

Boundless Tail

Boundless Tail is the Protagonist's main Sacred Artifact that holds the memories of its past bearers, namely of the exiles. It was created in the world of Takamagahara and was the sword of the exile Susano-o who slew the giant serpent Orochi, severing its jurisdiction and reign of power.

The Protagonist is able to call upon Susanoo's memories to wield his Rule of Rending along the other exile's Rules of Rending, thus being able to sever anything from anywhere at any time. This means that all the Rules and memories from various wielders holding the same Role have all been stuffed inside Boundless Tail, fragments of multiple blades being forged into one. As a result of the information overload, the Protagonist's mind broke, resulting in the loss of all their memories.[16]22

Like other Sacred Artifacts, Boundless Tail is a safety measure meant to carry and safely use the dangerous Rules held within. However, unlike other Sacred Artifacts, Boundless Tail has two layers of safety measures. One being Boundless Tail itself, and the other likely being the memories attached to Lil' Salomon.[2]17 This is done to ensure that the Rules within the Sword do not go berserk so easily.

After the Protagonist summoned Lil' Salomon into a Battle Zone during their fight with Musashi, Boundless Tail would break, resulting in the Rules bursting out and them turning into an Exception momentarily. However, the Sword was never physically broken, as per the rules of the App, it would go back to normal once the Battle Zone was closed. Rather, Boundless Tail was filled with something new in addition to the already existing 23 memories of various exiles. This led to the Sword's capacity to be exceeded, resulting in it trying to break out of its shell and be reborn into a new, larger form. This was achieved by using dark matter.[2]7 14 15 17

Ars Almadel Salomonis

Ars Almadel Salomonis, Unknown icon.pngLil' Salomon for short,[2]20 23 is a familiar created by Unknown icon.pngMononobe to act as the Protagonist's guide, though he claims to be a guide for new App users.[17] As he considers himself a tool for the Game, he believes it isn't possible for him to disobey his creators.[6]13 After being created by Mononobe for the Protagonist, their deaths happen a lot less frequently.[15]15

Mononobe gave Salomon the Ring he wears on his horns, warning him to never take it off or else he would become undone. He describes Salomon as a wyrm, the loneliest of demons who represent the scarcest of minorities in the world. He refers to Mononobe as Father and sees the Protagonist as his Master and being just like him—a lonely wyrm. Despite being older than them, Mononobe told Salomon that he should serve the Protagonist until he figured out what he wanted to do for himself.[2]23

His true identity is that of a construct of the Protagonist's memories cut away from them and given form. Musashi calls him a part of the Protagonist that had been cut off. He has also been described to be a Dragon, a shadow of a Dragon, a representative of the 23 dragon tails within the Protagonist's Boundless Tail, a demon, a wyrm, as well as a Sword.[2]5 7 14 15 23

Hephaestus calls him a draconic Exception residing inside Boundless Tail, a Rule that escaped its System with no vessel to house it. He believes that Lil' Salomon is stable and not berserk unlike other Exceptions because parts of the Protagonist's memory were taken from Boundless Tail and attached onto the berserk Rule.[2]17

Salomon acts as a safety valve to protect the Protagonist's mind. Being a construct of the Protagonist's memories, they were removed, stored, and made into another being to prevent the Protagonist's mind from breaking. He also acts as a safety measure in the case the Protagonist were to turn into an Exception by releasing the Protagonist's berserk Rule. This allows the Exception inside the Protagonist to calm down on its own.[2]15 This is likely the reason why the Protagonist never turns into an Exception whenever they cause a contradiction, an oddity Toji points out early on.[8]13

The Protagonist at first believes that they are unable to summon Salomon into a Battle Zone during an App Battle. However, once they do, they unlock their hidden potential as Salomon becomes a second Sword the Protagonist can dual-wield. This new sword is initially described to be invisible or like a dragon's shadow. Arc describes it as a dragon's tail. Later references describe the new Sword as a wavering shadow of Boundless Tail. With two Swords at hand, the Protagonist is able to combine two Rules of Rending. They use this ability to simultaneously cut through space and gravity, leaping into the air in a blink of an eye. They also use this dual-wielding for their Double Dragon technique.[2]7[12]19

Only those who have been separated from themselves in some way are able to see and interact with Lil' Salomon. This includes the Protagonist and Musashi, who have cut off a part of themselves,[2]5 or Snow, whose Role and Rule allow him to see him as the copies Snow makes exist in the same dimension as Salomon.[15]20

Characters Who Can See Lil' Salomon

Exiles

Main article: Exile

The exiles are the 23 souls sealed within the Protagonist. They were all wanderers whom were all exiled from their own worlds. Because they are now tied to the Protagonist, they will have to face their 23 banishers, the World Representatives.[16]22

Many of the Representatives have a special connection or relationship to an exile; some hold gratitude towards them, regret, or possibly anger even. They see the Protagonist as being the same person, that their voice, personality, and even scent all ring familiar to the one they long to see again. This complicated relationship acts as their personal motivation to claim the Trophy for themselves beyond winning the Game for their own world.[2]10 11

Double Dragon

Due to holding the 23 exiles within them, the Protagonist is unable to defeat any Representative because they are beneath them in the hierarchy of their original world. When face-to-face against a Representative, their Sword loses all of its luster and becoming noticeably heavier. They are able to bypass this hierarchy through Double Dragon, a technique where they clash two conflicting Rules of Rending to create an Exception Territory within themselves. This technique causes their Rule to flow into their body, granting them tremendous power. The Sacred Artifacts used for this is Boundless Tail and Lil' Salomon, a wavering shadow of Boundless Tail that feels like a dragon's tail. After using this technique, however, the Protagonist temporarily loses the ability to use their sword hand, disabling them for the time being.[2]7 17[12]19 20[15]21

Unknown icon.pngCurren believes that the Protagonist's body will not last long if they continued to use Double Dragon because of the physical toll that comes from creating an Exception Territory. If they're not careful, they may end up like Mononobe and be torn into pieces.[7]16

The Ring of Solomon

The Ring of Solomon the Wise is a Sacred Artifact gifted to the Protagonist by Mononobe after reuniting with Lil' Salomon at the end of Chapter 9. A copy of it also exists on Lil' Salomon's horn. Mephistopheles notably has infernal fire on the same horn where the Ring would be. The Ring is inscribed with a hexagram pattern.[2]23 24

The Ring is able to bind thoughts and memories from multiple worlds into one vessel, essentially forming contracts beyond worlds.[2]1[15]15 The Ring puts any angel, demon, or even the mightiest of wyrms under its control. It was able to bind 72 demons, also referred to as losers, from other worlds into the frame of one demon, one vessel. Those tasks are simply a few of the many miracles the Ring is capable of as the Ring holds a Rule that is extremely compatible with the Game. If the Ring were to fall into the hands of anyone who is able to wield its power, it would become a horrific weapon in the context of the war in Tokyo. As a safety measure, the Ring had been stored in a place where no World Representatives could reach it.[2]23

The Ring also allows the Protagonist to have extradimensional contact with Lil' Salomon. It allows them to escape the world alone.[15]15

The price of wielding the Ring and its Rule is that the owner must never relinquish it. If the owner were to break that rule, they would meet a terrible fate.[2]23 The Ring cannot be forcibly taken either because of the ward of protection placed on it. If someone unqualified would attempt to remove it, the Protagonist would be engulfed in a mass of blinding light. The Ring cannot be given to just anyone as well. Its inheritor is chosen deliberately, and only its rightful owner has that privilege. While this would normally allow the prodigies such as Unknown icon.pngCurren to take it because their genes originate from King Solomon as does Mononobe's, in the specific loop Chapter 12 takes place in, only a person the majority believes to be Mononobe is allowed to remove it. If no one had known of Mononobe before, they would be able to take the Ring.[7]16 17 19

Unknown icon.pngMichael had originally given the Ring to King Solomon in the past, who would relinquish the Ring to someone else, banishing himself from the world.[2]23 Mononobe would then take the Ring and place it in a book inside the library under the old school building nearby Shinjuku Academy, waiting for the Protagonist to find it.[15]15 After obtaining the Ring and reuniting with Lil' Salomon, the Protagonist's Role changed from Wanderer to Dragon.[12]21

The Ring Lil' Salomon has on his horn is the shadow copy of the Ring of Solomon. It's described to be the shadow cast from the original Ring's world onto Salomon's world. because of their connection to each other, Salomon is able to know the location of its other half and can teleport to wherever they are whenever.[12]1

The 24th Soul

During Chapter 12, the Protagonist's deepest subjective memories were unveiled to the Representatives, and it revealed world-shattering information. For one, the Protagonist was able to select their own body type and gender at birth, a privilege given to no other being.[7]20 This can be seen as a reference to the character creation at the start of the game.

Most notable, there exist a previously unknown 24th soul within the Protagonist. Fuxi describes it as incomparable, small and unique. The Representatives believed that the Protagonist was being manipulated by the exiles, but now know that this other existence had chosen the Protagonist to be their vessel and was the one who had chosen their body type and gender. They are also able to leave the world at any time as they are not bound to it unlike anyone else. Unlike all the other souls, this mysterious being does not come from the 23 worlds nor from Tokyo too, but somewhere outside it. This 24th soul holds no power to manipulate reality unlike the other exiles, but instead they influence the Protagonist's actions if only for a brief moment. Most notably, this being stands outside all known established hierarchies of all the worlds. This information has made the Protagonist the enemy of the world once again, antagonizing themselves to the Representatives who wish to protect their worlds because the 24th soul risks destroying their faiths or halting the continuity of their societies.[7]22 23 24

Because of the way Fuxi describes this unranked being, it is heavily implied that the 24th soul is the player themselves.

Watchers

Watchers are monitor terminals[7]19 charged with observing the movements of the Game's players. They aim to see what had and had not changed through the course of the Game. Ideally, they would prefer to abstain from intervening directly in the Game at all costs as to prevent giving any party an unfair advantage.[1]13

The watchers are notable for inheriting a piece of King Solomon's omnipotence and omniscience, shown by their white hair.[7]19

Despite being charged with observing the Game through countless loops, even they themselves will find themselves unable to tolerate the infinite loops and drop out from their position. This is not a danger to the Game however, as there are substitutes who will take their place in the next loop.[1]13

The Three Prodigies

The three prodigies are designer babies who underwent an experiment at birth during their time in the Academy, the predecessor to what was later known as the Tower of Babel.[1]1 Based on the data gathered from the Fujimi Academy Experiments, they took five children and attempted to make them into artificial pillars as well as give them enhanced artificial intelligence.[15]22 Only three children would be seen as a success: ∀Isaac, Bertro, and Unknown icon.pngCurren. Duo and Shuichi were designated as failures, though Duo was noted to have shown promising results because he possessed a pillar.[2]11 The memories they hold as an artificial pillar are stored in their Critical Memory Storage Unit, or CMSU. The CMSU is also made to store Mononobe's memories. It is described to look like a high-tech mechanical box.[15]24

In the event that he is no longer able to uphold his position as observer, he is to be replaced by Duo with Breke as his familiar.[15]24

The prodigies are tasked to monitor the players of the Game, the Representatives.[15]24 They only see others by the Role they hold. To them, the world is nothing but Systems, unable to comprehend the relevance and spiritual importance of individuality.[7]16

They have a private, secret communication line intended for the sole use of the three of them.[7]17

As the prodigies are all clones of King Solomon, they are subject to a one-of-a-kind clone disease. This illness slowly starts to paralyze those affected by it until they are rendered immobile.[18] Duo hypothesizes that the affliction operates as thus: Physical function ceases in direct proportion to the accelerated acquisition of knowledge. The order of who will be afflicted by it is: Isaac, then Bertro, then Curren, then Duo, then Shuichi. Duo has created a treatment program handled to combat that very disease, one that he had developed over the course of several loops.[1]1

The prodigies were tasked to research what the next step should be in the onward evolution of humankind.[1]1 Their theories would be designated Plans A-D, assigned to AIsaac, Bertro, Curren, and Duo respectively. Curren notes that simply combining the plans would only go so far.[2]1 The prodigies hold an immense feeling of responsibility on their shoulders to develop their theories, and so they use the looping Tokyo as a lab cage where they can freely test their plans.[1]1

  • Plan A: Progress through assimilation - AIsaac plans to network all the world's knowledge, culminating in the formation of a super, super meta-intelligence. This would also entail the assimilation of mankind's consciousnesses into a collective. He believes that removing any sense of identity, whether it be gender, race, strength, wisdom, or wealth, would be meaningless in his Collective Consciousness. With nothing left to divide the people, conflict and disparity would be wiped from existence, achieving world peace.[1]13
  • Plan B: Progress through battle - Bertro believes the spirit of human advancement lies in repetition, namely the constant cycle and acceleration of war and how humanity evolves through the pressures of conflict. To do battle is to develop, and to do war is to evolve. He tests this by attempting to perform the ultimate destruction—destroying Tokyo in a way that cannot be reset, killing anyone and everyone for good. He challenges others to overcome his ultimate obstacle, surpassing their previous limits to achieve victory.[15]22 23
  • Plan C: Progress through cultivation - Curren believes that humanity has the potential for salvation through sheer knowledge and intellect.[1]1
  • Plan D is the plan assigned to Duo, though its details are currently unknown. It was excluded from the experimentation phase and abandoned long ago.[1]1 It also involves R-19 in some way.[19]

Mononobe

Mononobe was a monitor terminal assigned to watch over the Protagonist. He served as a vessel to record memories of the heroes who attract the World Representatives to the Game.[7]16 He is also a copy designed to act on King Solomon's behalf, and thus inherited a small portion of his memories as well.[15]24

Upon giving up the Ring of Solomon, Mononobe is described to had broken down. Someone from the administration then split his consciousness, each of which was given to the three prodigies' CMSUs. These memory units contain invaluable data, information which caused them to diverge from their roles as observers and begin to take action in the Game itself for once. At this point, if there happened to be a next loop, Mononobe would be a different person entirely.[7]16 17

Mononobe's memories are considered to be the most important thing that exists in Tokyo because oh his small portion of King Solomon's memories.[15]24

  • Bertro's portion - This fragment of Mononobe's memories represents the vessel that had been worn down over countless loops. He wonders how long the loops have gone on and how many times he's redone the same scenarios with the Protagonist. He remembers in his past breaking down at his students over losing their memories, but has since learned to handle his emotions. He can no longer endure having to see the Protagonist once again lose the memories they made together, whether it be detention, summer school, or the festivals they attended together. Nor can he longer see them die time and time again. Despite the Protagonist making memories and bonding with everyone in Tokyo over countless loops, he wishes that they forget about him in the end.[15]15
  • AIsaac's portion - This fragment of Mononobe's memories holds all his rage, anger, hatred, and resentment towards the world. He hates the Protagonist, wishing they had never cared for him. He questions how the world ended up how it is currently, and who is to blame for its current state. His anger and frustration stems from the fact that he, Mononobe, was no longer all-seeing and all-knowing, with the only thing he could do now was watch over the Protagonist. At the same time, he couldn't stop thinking about the other versions of the Protagonist from other loops who had passed before. He desperately wanted to tell them how he felt deep inside, yet never wanted anyone to learn he ever felt such things.[7]19[1]31 33
  • Curren's portion - The fragment her portion represents is currently unknown.

Administrators

The Game's managerial staff is composed of two administrative guilds: the Game Masters and the Entertainers. The Game Masters ensure that the Game continues on forever, while the Entertainers strive to make the Game exciting and enjoyable. Their goals may clash, but both guilds are essential because the Game would go nowhere if only one of them were in charge.[7]21

The two guilds also hold special administrative privileges, such as being able to read user's background data,[16]14, hold dual guild membership, [7]21, and alter a user's information that is displayed on the App as well.[1]9

Other Games

Fujimi Academy Prototype

Main article: SUMMONS/Fujimi Academy Experiments

The experiment held within Fujimi Academy was a prototype version of the Game, a version that was designed for the purpose of creating an immortal, omniscient, omnipotent god. Each student would be granted powers from another world then let loose in a battle royale to the death.[20]14 The experiment would be cut short after the creation of an Exception, with only a few survivors making it out alive, such as Arc. The data gathered from the Fujimi Academy experiments would be used to create the App.[9]15

In addition, the goal of the Fujimi Academy experiment was observing immortality through a method known as Memory Inheritance. This method of immortality transplants one's memories onto another object or body. For the purposes of the experiment, they tested this theory on the students. This would become the prototype of Sacred Artifacts.[9]16

Nightglows

In Nightglows of the Starlit Sky, Nodens hacked the Game to create a fixed Game rigged in his favor. He changed the Game's structure to make it so that he couldn't lose.[6]13

Nodens changed the setting of the Game to take place in outer space. This granted himself a massive advantage over most other Representatives because they all lacked the concept of outer space and space wars in their world's faiths. The only ones that lacked this conceptual disadvantage were those from the World of the Old Ones as well as those from Utopia because they held the Role of Space Defense: to repel aggressors from the cosmos. They are experienced in interstellar combat.[6]12

Originally, Nodens was not qualified to be a player because he lacked a full Role. He had lost half of his Role of the Conqueror in his past. In addition, Nuadha from Tir na Nog also shares the same exact Role and Rule as him, and he too lost half his Role. Nodens took Nuadha's memories to reclaim his full Role of the Conquer and thus his Rule of Seizing in return. However, merging two people together would not immediately give him control over his Rule. To accomplish that, the Nightgaunts have parasitically attached themselves to Nodens and shared his life essence, making them the true culprit of the Nightglows incident. The Nightgaunts are noted to have dark matter-esque bodies that imprison countless memories within.[6]13

Duo speculates that this was able to happen because of a rare astronomical phenomenon, a phenomenon caused by someone in the Tower of Babel. That event would be covered by the news, and Nodens took advantage of that opportunity to give the people of Tokyo his memories of Earth being invaded by aliens. Once people went outside to look at the sky, they saw not a celestial event, but Nodens' memories of the invasion of Earth. Duo relates the event to being similar to a collision of worlds but across the entire city of Tokyo. Everyone was experiencing the same dream of a space invasion, but if no one had ever woken back up, that dream would have become reality. Once Nodens was defeated by the Protagonist, the whole event was destroyed by the Great Flood of Time, washing away the memories of it ever occurring from most of its participants.[6]14

To ensure that the events never happen again, the Game Masters sent Alice and Jambavan to put up posters around the city that has the Elder Sign, a symbol designed to repel the Great Old Ones, printed on it. Alice sees the effort as pointless because "it's a key to a treasure box...(but) the treasure inside has already been looted".[6]14

Despite failing in the end, Nodens and Azathoth sees it as a victory because they were able to win against the other Representatives. They had defied their own fate of being the predetermined losers of the Game, of all the other players always outranking the Old Ones. With this constant broken, the players can no longer count on consistency, the Game losing any semblance of order and structure. Nodens won against all the other Representatives as the Old Ones Representative.[6]15

Notes

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Anonymous user
No. 18130
2 months ago
Score 0 You
nah this icon won
Anonymous user
No. 18122
2 months ago
Score 0 You
<-- this mf just won the game
Anonymous user
No. 16852
8 months ago
Score 0 You
idk who updated the information of this page and added a lot of detail and info, but TYSM for that, you have done a amazing job! <3
Anonymous user
No. 16832
8 months ago
Score 0 You

>>2883

What the actual hell are you talking about. I want to think this is a troll. Seriously what does Kojima have to do with this. If you have a review to reference please try to link it because I feel it would be more coherent than whatever this rant is.
Anonymous user
No. 4936
48 months ago
Score 0 You

Mmm yeah mmm So blue blue blue blue yeah blue blue blue blue

The color of my heart is blue I’m not in a good mood, you know I’m a bit sensitive, especially to you You’re asking if I’ve been well, do you? Not really, I wish things were better

I’m sorry, I hate you, I like you a little Even though you look sad But I still can’t look into your eyes Feels like you still hate me

Blue blue blue, we’re getting colored When our hearts were getting bruised My heart is true true, when I’m with you

Being loved was so beautiful
Anonymous user
No. 4934
48 months ago
Score 0 You

>>4931

i came in MC. i am the winner of the game
Anonymous user
No. 4931
48 months ago
Score 0 You
You're all wrong, the virginity was actually mine all along
Anonymous user
No. 4921
48 months ago
Score 0 You

>>4918

no i took the virginity
Anonymous user
No. 4918
48 months ago
Score 0 You
no this one
Anonymous user
No. 4917
48 months ago
Score 0 You

>>4916

u fool, this one took MC's virginity
Anonymous user
No. 4916
48 months ago
Score 1 You
who cares who wins the game? this icon took MC's virginity
Anonymous user
No. 4915
48 months ago
Score 0 You
Not the red oni aka best Oni
Anonymous user
No. 4914
48 months ago
Score 0 You

>>4913

no its this one, git gud
Anonymous user
No. 4913
48 months ago
Score 0 You
It's this icon that wins the game
Anonymous user
No. 4909
48 months ago
Score 0 You
cum
Anonymous user
No. 4908
48 months ago
Score 0 You

>>4907

no, its this icon
Anonymous user
No. 4907
48 months ago
Score 0 You
Time loops don't exist and the first and only person who had killed MC is this icon
Anonymous user
No. 4906
48 months ago
Score 0 You
I LOST FUUUUUUUCK
Anonymous user
No. 4905
48 months ago
Score 0 You
What if the game was won by the one who's shown in the icon next to this comment
Anonymous user
No. 4363
49 months ago
Score 1 You
You just lost the game
Anonymous user
No. 2883
55 months ago
Score 0 You

Why would anyone be interested in playing a game set in the dullest fetish in the history of LGBT? Seriously each chapter following the protagonist and his pals from Tokyo as they fight assorted villains has been indistinguishable from the others. Aside from the gloomy imagery, the series’ only consistency has been its lack of excitement and ineffective use of special effects, all to make magic unmagical, to make action seem inert.

Perhaps the die was cast when LW vetoed the idea of Kojima directing the series; they made sure the game would never be mistaken for a work of art that meant anything to anybody? Just ridiculously profitable bara bait from the art. The Tokyo Afterschool Summoners series might be anti-Christian (or not), but it’s certainly the anti-James Bond series in its refusal of wonder, beauty and excitement. No one wants to face that fact. Now, thankfully, they no longer have to.

>a-at least the story is good though "No!" The writing is dreadful; the story was terrible. As I read, I noticed that every time a character went for a walk, the author wrote instead that the characters "kissed".

I began marking on the back of an envelope every time that phrase was repeated. I stopped only after I had marked the envelope several dozen times. I was incredulous. LW's mind is so governed by cliches and dead metaphors that they have no other style of writing. Later I read a lavish, loving review of Tokyo Afterschool Summoners by the same Shin Megami Tensei. He wrote something to the effect of, "If these gays are reading Tokyo Afterschool Summoners at 19 or 20, then when they get older they will go on to play Shin Megami Tensei." And he was quite right. He was not being ironic. When you read "Tokyo Afterschool Summoners" you are, in fact, trained to play Shin Megami Tensei.
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