On the TV screen, a pair of figures confront each other while the wind billows dramatically. Surrounding the pair is absolute carnage, men and monsters battling for their lives while fires rage in the background. A young woman clad in a red gown cowers behind one of the combatants, her face fully hidden by a crimson veil. Her protector is a well groomed and richly dressed man in flamboyant robes while his opponent is a cloaked brute wearing a metal face plate that towers over both the man and his charge.

"Oh save me, Prince Enma!" the woman in red cries.

"Monster, you will have to get past me!" the anime representation of Enma declares heroically while he swings a short sword about.

As the monster, no doubt a representation of The Voice from what I know of this world's background, begins to explain in painstaking detail how and why Enma and Fate are doomed, I snap my fingers in front of Alley's face to bring her attention back to me.

"Eyes here. Not on the TV." I say, "You understand what you need to do?"

Alley resolutely ignores my prompting and keeps her eyes pinned on the pub's TV, pouring her full attention towards the monster chortling at how completely screwed Enma and Fate are. Which according to anime logic, means that the monster is going to get it's ass handed to it in short order.

"Hey! Pay attention!" I bark to no avail. Alley continues to ignore me, watching the admittedly awesomely animated fight scene between the monster and Enma taking place on prime time TV. She's really starting to test my patience.

"Stop wasting time with her." The Voice grumbles, and I am inclined to agree.

I wind my arm back and bitch slap Alley squarely in the cheek with a thunderous smack that resounds across the pub. The pub's other patrons turn to look at us as Alley's face snaps at close to a right angle from the impact. The other patrons quickly go back to their own business, ignoring Alley as she rubs her sore cheek, a trickle of blood running down her mouth.

"You paying attention now?" I question harshly, "Or do you need a remedial lesson?"

Alley glares sullenly at me as she responds, "You hit me."

"I can break bones as well." I shoot back, daring her to test me further. In the background, the anime monster roars in defiance as it flails ineffectually at cartoon Enma. Alley just lowers her head in hostile silence.

"You want me to participate in a crime." she finally manages to say.

"As the getaway driver." I roll my eyes as I clarify, "All the heavy lifting will be done by me. Will you just relax?"

"You're asking me to take part in a kidnapping!" Alley nearly shrieks but manages to stifle her cry at the last minute.

"Love and Justice will always prevail!" cartoon Enma pronounces from the TV. Sure, whatever you say fam.

"You're already a criminal." I point out to Alley, "I have no idea what you're getting so worked up about."

Alley twists her fingers together in a knot but keeps looking down, wrestling with her anxiety and doubt. Good thing I had prepared for this eventuality. I pick up the plastic bag at my feet and slide it across the table towards Alley.

"Half now. The remainder once the job is done." I say.

Alley unties the bag and looks inside, seeing the rolls of freshly spawned cash, courtesy of The Voice. She quickly pushes the bag away, as if it is filled with venomous snakes.

"I don't want it." Alley whispers, "I don't need it."

"Yes, you do." I smirk, "How long do you think the Academy is going to keep a Head of Administration that has been picked up by ORPO?"

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"I was cleared. There were no charges." Alley hotly rebuts.

"That can change anytime the boss wants." I snarl, "It could even change tomorrow."

"THERE IS NO ESCAPE." anime Voice bellows at the top of its, well, voice from the TV.

"I helped you! During the attack on the Academy!" Alley wails, tears building in her eyes, "Isn't that enough?"

"And you tried to sell me out while in police custody. Anyway, I had told you before." I tap on the table, leaning forward to emphasize my point, "You're part of our little gang now. Understand?"

Alley reluctantly accepts the plastic bag full of cash and slowly nods. Took her long enough.

"You got the plan down?" I ask again for confirmation. Another unenthusiastic nod from Alley.

"Alright. I'll pick you up from your home when its go time. Be ready." I say as Alley jerks back in shock from my pronouncement. I sigh at her display before confirming, "Yes. I know where you live as well. So don't even think of cutting and running."

"NOTHING CAN STOP THE DARKNESS THAT IS TO COME." Wow, anime Voice is way more dramatic than the actual article. More entertaining too.

Alley slumps out of the pub with the bag of cash cradled in her arms like a baby. Well, that sorts that out. I signal one of the waiters to place an order of fried chicken and turn to the window, gazing at the burned out husk that is Ascension Tower looming in the distance.

"That took long enough." The Voice harrumphs, "At any rate, the pieces are falling into place. My own preparations for the mission are making good progress as well."

"We did quite a number on Ascension Tower." I muse before turning back to the TV to see cartoon Enma getting his face broken by the monster, "Hey, I got a question for you."

"Ask." The Voice rasps.

"There's a cartoon screening on prime time giving the hidden low down of this world." I whisper, "But nobody knows anything about Fate and the hidden war. Why is that?"

"Never! I will never give up on Anri!" cartoon Enma shouts to the animated heavens.

"I could ask you the same about your own world." The Voice rasps, "The greatest mysteries are usually hidden in plain sight."

"My world? What are you talking about?" I blink with surprise.

The Voice laughs in amusement, "The bat god Transmigrator. I understand his battles with the entity known as the clown across your reality are stories worthy of legend. Yet no one takes those stories seriously despite almost everyone having at least some knowledge."

"Wait. Are you for real?" I almost jump from my seat, taking the waiter bringing the plate of fried chicken by surprise, "You're claiming all that shit in comic books is true?"

"Who knows?" The Voice gives a verbal shrug, "I am not at liberty to divulge the secrets of brother gods to a mortal. Though that hypothetical certainly got you thinking, did it not?"

I smile apologetically to the waiter, a hawk man, as he sets the plate down in front of me. Wasn't I served by him the last time I was here at this joint? And how in the world did he injure his arms to the extent he needed to bandage them up to such a degree?

"Yeah it got me thinking alright." I murmur once the waiter has moved away from my table, "Pretty scary how people will just ignore something if its obvious or outrageous enough."

"That principle applies to gods as well." The Voice continues, "For instance, I knew of the precursor legacy, but completely overlooked Fate using it to its advantage. Thankfully I was able to survive my mistake."

"AAAUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH." cartoon Enma screams as the woman in red fires off animated hearts in his direction, causing his body to blaze with power.

"He sounds like he's in the middle of taking a huge dump." I dourly remark.

"Garbage. Complete garbage." The Voice rumbles unhappily as the anime continues to run on the TV.

"Oh yeah? As an action flick its pretty good though. Its really cheesy though." I remark as Enma gets his mid-fight power up and begins mercilessly belting anime Voice with that short sword of his.

"Justice! Truth! Looooove!" cartoon Enma trills on the screen as he prepares to deliver his finishing move on the monster.

"Feeling sore?" I giggle quietly to myself. The Voice just makes an annoyed huff in reply.

Cartoon Enma performs an over elaborate slash with his short sword, filling the TV with CG effects. The monster as expected topples to the ground completely defeated and Fate rushes into her husbando's embrace.

"Why isn't the ultimate attack the fire of perdition?" I question, "Isn't that like, Enma's entire thing?"

"Its still too early in the continuity." an unexpected voice chimes in.

I turn around in surprise and see the hawk waiter standing close to my table, eyes glued to the TV screen.

"Prince Enma only gets the fire of perdition after the journey north." the hawk man continues not noticing me staring at him.

"Uh, OK. Thanks for that bit of information." I say, not quite sure what to make out of this.

"Oh!" the hawk man exclaims, "I didn't mean to hear you talking to yourself there. Sorry about that."

"Yeah. Got a bit caught up in the moment." I explain. Was this guy eavesdropping on me? The hawk man merely bows in apology and quickly disappears into the pub's kitchen.

"Our business here is done. Let us go." The Voice mutters sulkily, "I have watched enough rot for one night."

"Yeah." I concur, getting up from my seat and heading for the pub's door after leaving some cash on the table. The electronic doorbell plays its synthesized jingle as I depart.

I step out into the night streets and the shuffling crowd swallows me whole, the anime's ending theme song fading into the distance.