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Sonic Cyber Revolution, Entry 42: Mission: Omega

''E-123, you didn't know – now I'm gonna show you the power that is me. You try to take me down- stop the show, seems you've never tasted fear- or loss of control. The power lives in me- The power that is me!''

– This Machine by Sonic Heroes (Team Dark Theme Song)

xXxXxXx

''Seriously?! He wants you to do that!'' Minami exclaimed in surprise.

''We were just as surprised,'' Touka said.

''I wonder what Egghead is going to say about this,'' Sonic said with a devious smirk on his expression.

Touka, Shadow and Rouge had earlier in the day a briefing with the Commander in regards to their mission, and once they were done with it, they quickly went to Touka and Shadow's room to call Team Neos about it. They were told that ARMS had found one of Eggman's bases and wanted to send the three for a recon mission, clearly seeing the Doctor as a huge threat. Team Neos' reaction to this was… strangely positive, with Sonic even looking excited. The three ARMS Agents figured that this was because they would be dealing with a familiar foe rather than some random Irregular. Not to mention, Dr. Eggman was currently their ally until they resolved this situation with ARMS, so they could discuss their next move.

''I hope you better have some good news if you're calling me!'' Dr. Eggman finally appeared on the screen, looking as irritated as ever.

''It depends on what you define as good news, Doctor,'' Rouge said, pressing a button on the holographic screen, opening a map with coordinates. ''ARMS is targeting one of your bases, specifically the one located here.''

''What?!'' Dr. Eggman said, less in disbelief and more because he couldn't believe the audacity of the organization to go after one of his bases. He looked at the location, a bit lost in thought as he tried to recall which one of his bases this one was. ''Huh, never expected they'd find this one.''

''Is it important?'' Lucas asked, with the whole of Team Neos staring at him in curiosity and anticipation. Dr. Eggman just waved him off.

''It is actually a storage facility for my E-100 Series of robots. I haven't used it in ages. As a matter of fact, I had discontinued it a while ago,'' he explained.

''Why would you discontinue them?'' Tails asked.

''I moved on to different projects, but I might revisit this one,'' Dr. Eggman said, suddenly grinning deviously as he turned to the ARMS Agents. ''You said that ARMS is targeting this Egg Base?''

''That's correct,'' Shadow answered, not liking the look the Doctor was giving them. ''This is supposed to be a recon mission.''

''Ho ho ho, that's excellent! Let me guess, they're hoping to steal some information from me,'' Dr. Eggman said, with the ARMS Agents nodding, slowly starting to regret their alliance with the mad Doctor. ''Then, I have the perfect answer for this situation.''

''Which is…?'' Makoto trailed off.

''I recall that your idea was to blackmail ARMS, wasn't it, Kinomoto?'' Dr. Eggman turned to Lucas, who just nodded in response, furrowing a brow as he wondered where this was going. ''Well, let's just say that I had been inspired and had been working on a special virus that cannot be detected, and once it enters the ARMS network system, it would start to download all of their sensitive data to the EggNet, and eventually delete itself once it is done.''

''That's… Is that even possible to be done?'' Silver asked.

''Of course it is! Don't question my genius!'' Dr. Eggman shouted back in indignation, getting several eye-rolls in response. He groaned, but decided to continue, ''Regardless, I will leave the virus at the computer within the Egg Base Omega, along with some dummy data that will send ARMS on a wild goose chase. All you have to do is to download it and make sure it is uploaded into the ARMS systems. The virus will take care of the rest. Understood?''

''Loud and clear, Doctor,'' Touka responded in a snarky tone. Dr. Eggman shot her a glare, with Touka sighing. ''I suppose this shouldn't be too difficult then. We'll be in and out in no time.''

''That's what you think.'' Dr. Eggman's comment caused everyone to stare at him suspiciously. ''I don't plan to make this easy for you just because we're in an alliance. As a matter of fact, since you'll be breaking into my property, I'll make sure that all of the defenses are activated.''

''I guess we should've expected that,'' Lily suddenly said. ''Not to mention, if ARMS keeps tabs on the Egg Base, they would get suspicious if there isn't some kind of retaliation.''

''Lily's right,'' Amy said. ''If things are too easy, they might want to know why.''

''Tch, do I look like care about that?'' Dr. Eggman interrupted her, grinning. ''While having your teammates succeed would benefit me in the long run, that doesn't mean that I wouldn't relish in them being beaten by my robots.''

''No one is surprised by that,'' Lucas commented. Dr. Eggman just narrowed his eyes, but then disconnected, figuring this was enough information he had provided them with.

''I don't trust him,'' Knuckles said once the Doctor was disconnected.

''None of us does, Knux, but we all have the same goal now,'' Sonic said.

''Honestly, while I agree with Dr. Eggman's plan, I don't like the idea that he would be the one who have full access to such sensitive information,'' Lucas said.

''Well, if we knew where exactly this information is being uploaded to, I suppose we could create an encrypted file that Eggman wouldn't be able to access,'' Warren said. ''Actually, I'm sure that a file protected by a password or several of them would be enough to ensure that Eggman wouldn't be able to get through it, considering the poor security of his own network.''

This caused several of his teammates to chuckle in amusement, with Tails adding, ''Unfortunately, we won't be able to do this from here, as we would need a more direct access to the EggNet and the virus itself, but you guys could do that.''

''What do we have to do?'' Rouge asked.

''Once you have access to the computer at the Egg Base, you'll use the program we sent you and follow the instructions we've written down. If everything goes well, the program will trace down the location of the file, and you'll be able to encrypt it,'' Tails explained.

''No problem,'' Rouge said, glancing at Touka and Shadow, who just nodded in acknowledgement.

xXx

Shadow's ears flicked as he heard soft buzzing and opened his eyes, reaching underneath his pillow and taking out the AR Visor he kept hidden there. He turned to the bed on the other side of the room, taking note of Touka being fast asleep, her back turned to him and then sat up, throwing the blanket over his head before answering the call.

''Sonic, why are you calling me at 2AM?'' Shadow stared at the small screen that was showing Sonic, who was lying in his bed. Sonic, in turn, gave him a sheepish smile.

''I couldn't really sleep, so I wanted to check on you,'' Sonic replied innocently, having realized the moment he saw Shadow's annoyed expression that he really shouldn't have called his rival this late. However, he spent most of the night tossing and turning in his bed, until he decided to call Shadow for his own peace of mind.

''Well, I can sleep and you just saw me a few hours ago during the team meeting,'' Shadow replied in a matter-of-fact tone, his eyes narrowed as he wondered whether there was something more to this conversation. ''Is there anything you want to talk about? I sincerely doubt that's the only reason you had called me.''

Sonic fell silent for a moment, then sighed, a small smile forming on his lips, as he should've known that Shadow would be blunt about this. ''It is really dull without you.''

''I suppose you just got used to us having our daily sparring matches, so it is not surprising that you would feel like that,'' Shadow replied, keeping his voice in a whisper to make sure that Touka doesn't wake up.

''Yeah, you're right…'' Sonic trailed off, wondering if he really should continue the conversation. He knew that Shadow had a mission tomorrow and he probably shouldn't interrupt him like this, but on the other hand, he was genuinely happy to see him and hear him.

''Sonic?''

''Huh, yeah?''

''You're staring at me.''

''Oh, sorry.'' Sonic was flustered to be caught like this. Was it really that obvious?

Shadow sighed, wondering what this situation even was. His mind was still occupied with the mission, so having Sonic call him out of nowhere to talk to him was a bit jarring, albeit not unwelcome. Perhaps having someone to take his mind off the things that troubled him would put him at ease, if only a little bit. ''How was your day?''

''My day? Well…'' Sonic had to admit that he was genuinely surprised that Shadow would initiate small talk. ''Lucas, Warren, Tails and I had talked to Loki, the wolf Commander of the Hunters, and he knows about ARMS, but doesn't trust them because of an accident where an Irregular like us was taken by them and never appeared again. I don't think that the Hunters are too familiar with ARMS.''

''I wouldn't be surprised,'' Shadow said, narrowing his eyes. ''After all, ARMS treats Irregulars like dangerous weapons. They even wanted me to absorb as much of Touka's BioEnergy as possible, so I was forced to use Chaos Surge to stop it.''

''Are you okay?'' Sonic asked worriedly. ''I know that you're not to keen on using BioEnergy, even if it's for a Chaos Surge.''

''I'm fine, since Touka has also recovered from the ordeal. I'm concerned what ARMS might do if they attempt to investigate my Chaos Surge ability. They might go after the rest of Team Neos,'' Shadow told him, rubbing his temple as he felt an oncoming headache.

''Don't worry about us, worry about yourself,'' Sonic told him, giving him a confident smile. ''I wish I could just bust into ARMS HQ to get you out.''

''If it weren't for the current circumstances, I would've done it by myself,'' Shadow told him. Sonic gave him a sympathetic look.

''You know, I am a bit jealous that you get break into Eggman's base,'' he said, smiling cheekily. ''I bet it's going to be exciting.''

''You could join us,'' Shadow suggested. Sonic sighed.

''I wish I could, but you know, that would blow up our cover. I also don't want to get my friends into trouble by doing something stupid,'' Sonic told him. Shadow rose an eyebrow, giving Sonic a scrutinizing look, leaving the latter confused. ''Uh, Shadow? Is something wrong?''

''I believe that's the first time I heard you say something sensible. Maybe you aren't the real Sonic and were replaced by a look-a-like,'' Shadow told him. He couldn't help but smile when he heard Sonic groan in annoyance and saw him roll his eyes.

''I know I can be reckless, but this situation is different,'' he said in an exasperated tone, then muttered, ''I also talked to Lucas about there being a possibility to break in, and he told me that we can't do that.''

''There is a reason Lucas is the leader and you aren't,'' Shadow said in a teasing tone, only to add in a more resolute tone. ''Not many would have enough sense to admit that.''

''Not many have the humility to admit that,'' Sonic said proudly.

''Humility? Your ego is the size of a skyscraper,'' Shadow said, with Sonic snorting in amusement.

''Right back at you, Shads. You aren't better than me, Mr. Ultimate Lifeform,'' Sonic told him. Shadow rolled his eyes, but Sonic could see the faint smile on his lips, making it clear that the dark hedgehog was amused by their banter. It made him feel quite happy to see his rival being this relaxed. ''In any case, you have to tell me what happened once you return from the mission. I want to hear all of the details.''

''I will, because knowing you, you'll probably spam my inbox with questions about what had happened,'' Shadow told him in a dry tone. Sonic gave him a sheepish smile.

''Sorry about that,'' he said, knowing well that Shadow was referring to the event right after their meeting with Mephiles and Toshiro, where Sonic just wouldn't leave him alone. ''I guess I should let you sleep now.''

''I didn't mind having a conversation with you, even if it was this late,'' Shadow said, surprising Sonic, who smiled back warmly as he looked at the screen. ''Good night, Sonic.''

''Good night, Shads. I miss you,'' Sonic said, the holographic screen before him turning black. Sonic then lied back down on his back, taking a deep breath, only for his brain to finally process what he just said to Shadow. He turned on his side, a faint tint of red spreading across his fawn muzzle, his emerald green eyes wide as he placed his gloved hand on his chest, feeling his heart race as if he just returned from his nightly run. Wait! Why did I tell him that? I mean, I do miss him, but that wasn't necessary! I just hope Shadow hasn't noticed anything, because that was just weird.

Meanwhile, Shadow placed the AR Visor back under his pillow and lied down, pulling the blanket over his shoulder, turning on his side and staring at the wall, his mind in a disarray. Unfortunately for him, the image of Sonic giving him a soft and kind smile just wouldn't get out of his head, and he groaned, furrowing a brow as he tried to fall asleep.

''Of course that idiot misses me,'' he grumbled under his breath, trying to ignore the wave of warmth that spread through his body and the tint of red appearing on his tan muzzle. ''Who else is going to be his rival?''

xXx

''We are at our location, but I can't find a place to land.''

''Then, we'll get out here!''

''W-What?!''

The pilot of the ARMS helicopter turned his head around, stunned to see Touka, Shadow and Rouge get up and stand in front of the open cabin door. Before he could even say anything, Rouge leapt out of the helicopter, spreading her wings and flying down. Shadow was the next one out, using his air shoes and nearby trees to cushion his fall. Touka was the last one to leave, taking off the hoverboard that was attached to the strap on her back and jumping out, placing the hoverboard under her feet and descending down to the ground safely. The pilot just shook his head, flying the helicopter away from the dense woods he couldn't land in. Touka, Shadow and Rouge observed the helicopter as it left, with the three exchanging glances.

''I guess we're on our own now. Let's go!'' Rouge said, flying up and through the woods. Touka and Shadow followed her on the hoverboard and skating via air shoes respectively until they had reached what appeared to be a building built into a hillside. It had a steel gate with an Eggman Empire insignia on the front, with Egg Pawns patrolling the area. Touka took out a pair of binoculars from her waist bag, carefully observing the area.

''From what I can see, there are at least five Badniks on patrol,'' she said, giving the binoculars to Rouge, who hummed in interest.

''Eggman did say he won't make it easy, but this still feels a little disappointing,'' she said, offering the binoculars to Shadow, who shook his head, declining the offer.

''We should still be careful. We don't know what the Doctor has in store for us,'' Shadow told the two. Touka and Rouge nodded, with Shadow suddenly dashing forward, drawing the attention of the Egg Pawns. Touka and Rouge then followed closely and split up, with Rouge joining Shadow in fighting the Egg Pawns, while Touka went to the keypad panel at the front gate to type in the passcode Dr. Eggman had sent them to enter the Egg Base Omega. When she turned back around, she only saw scrapped robots lying on the ground, some being smashed to pieces and others having visible scorch marks.

''That was easy,'' Rouge said in a confident tone, grinning at Shadow.

''We're not done yet,'' Shadow reminded her, joining Touka at the entrance. Rouge shrugged, following the two into the Egg Base.

''Considering what Dr. Eggman had told us, this place is probably filled with Badniks,'' Touka commented as they walked down a narrow corridor.

''You know, I wouldn't mind exploring this place a bit more once we're done with our mission. Eggman said that this is a storage, so he might be hiding something more than just robots here,'' Rouge said, smiling at the thought of there being a secret treasure inside the Egg Base.''

''Don't lose your focus,'' Shadow told both of them, walking a bit ahead of the two and keeping an eye out for any enemy Badnik. However, as they walked deeper and deeper into the Egg Base, they came to a chilling realization that they hadn't seen any Badnik aside from some scrapped parts.

''What happened here?'' Rouge asked as they stopped at a pile of robot parts, with Shadow examining it, lifting a piece of the broken torso.

''It looks like something or someone had blasted them apart,'' he said.

''So, someone had been here before us? But, that shouldn't be possible,'' Touka said. ''We know that ARMS was just observing this area before they sent us here.''

''You're right,'' Rouge said, narrowing her eyes. ''It is possible that whoever had done this is not affiliated with ARMS, and it is also possible that they're still here. Although, if they destroyed the Badniks inside the base, why not destroy the ones who were patrolling outside?''

''I don't know,'' Touka said. ''However, I believe we'll find out soon.''

The three continued walking through the base, finding more and more destroyed robots, like some kind of macabre marking that led them towards their destination – the control room with the main computer. However, just as the door to the room had opened, they heard gunfire coming from it and hid behind the entrance so they wouldn't get hit by a stray bullet.

''Worthless consumer models!''

As Touka, Shadow and Rouge peered inside the room, they saw a sturdy black and red robot with red eyes, a yellow head casing and wristbands studded with large spikes, and a large red ''Ω'' on the front of the left and back of the right shoulderpad, a jetpack on his back, destroying the Egg Pawns that were inside the room with the rotary cannons his arms had turned into.

''I guess that's one of those E-100 Series robots Eggman was talking about. At least this solves the mystery of the destroyed Badniks,'' Rouge said, exchanging glances with Shadow and Touka.

''You two try to get to the computer. I'll deal with this one,'' Shadow said.

''Okay, but be quick. I have a bad feeling that this berserk robot is going to tear the whole place apart,'' Rouge told him. Shadow nodded, getting quickly inside the room and taking advantage of the robot being distracted to attack him, while Touka and Rouge sneaked inside, trying to get to the computer. Unfortunately for them, even though Shadow kept the robot distracted, he kept blasting his weapons around wildly, trying to hit the elusive dark hedgehog and forcing Touka and Rouge to crawl behind some machinery to not get hit.

''Must eradicate all Eggman's robots!''

''Huh, this one is committed…'' Rouge commented, only for Touka to quickly grab her by the shoulder and pull her away when a loose missile hit the machinery before them, causing it to explode.

''Are you okay?'' Touka asked her.

''Yeah, I am, but that one was close!'' Rouge replied, glancing back at Shadow, who tried to distract the robot, spin-dashing into him to knock him back. Rouge narrowed her eyes. ''Something's not right…'' She turned to Touka. ''Make sure that the computer didn't get damaged. I'll try to stop these two from blowing us up.''

''Got it!'' Touka nodded, and once there was an opening, she dashed towards the computer, while Rouge flew towards Shadow and the robot.

''Hey, hold up!'' Just as they were about to clash again, Rouge suddenly appeared between them and intercepted the attack, pushing both apart to break up the fight and breathing heavily as her gaze shifted from one to the other. ''I think we have a misunderstanding here!''

''My name is E-123 Omega. I am the ultimate robot. All who get in my path will be crushed!''

E-123 Omega pointed his cannon arms at Rouge, with Shadow stepping in front of her in a protective manner.

''Stay back!'' he said, but Rouge pushed past him.

''My name is Rouge and this is Shadow, and the girl over there is Touka. From what I've seen, you want to destroy all of Eggman's robots, right?'' she asked, with Shadow giving her a questioning look.

''Affirmative!'' Omega responded.

''Fortunately, none of us are Eggman robots, so how about we all calm down now and discuss the situation,'' Rouge suggested. Shadow shifted his gaze from Rouge to Omega, at whom he glared apprehensively, while Omega just stared back at them intently.

''Registering the presence of a human and two biodigital lifeforms. My sensors are overdue for a maintenance,'' Omega said, turning his arm cannons into arms with four-fingered silver claws.

''Is that supposed to be an apology?'' Rouge asked, a little confused. Shadow remained silent, still wary of Omega, considering how the robot had no issues fighting him just a moment earlier.

''Guys, I'm in!'' Touka called out, drawing their attention. Fortunately, the computer had survived the onslaught, with Touka placing an USB stick inside that the Commander had given her and started downloading the dummy data and the virus Dr. Eggman had sent. Shadow, Rouge and Omega had joined her, looking at the monitor. ''Okay, I think we should use now the program Tails had sent us.'' Shadow took out the AR Visor, with Touka connecting it to the computer and activating the program, following the instructions that were in it. Soon, a file had opened and she opened another window that enabled her to password-lock the file. She turned towards the three. ''So, what kind of password should we use?''

''I believe that we agreed that there would be multiple passwords,'' Shadow said.

''What do you plan to do with the data?'' Omega asked.

''It's a long story, but we currently have a temporary alliance with Eggman so we can deal with a different organization named ARMS. Once we're done with that, we'll go right back to being enemies with the Doctor,'' Rouge explained, her arms folded across her chest.

''You are enemies of Eggman?'' Omega asked, clearly wanting a proper confirmation.

''Correct,'' Rouge replied, tilting her head. ''Why are you so mad at Eggman?''

''Dr. Eggman has sealed me inside this base and abandoned me. I desire revenge!'' Omega said firmly, with Rouge, Shadow and Touka exchanging glances, all of them having the same thought on their mind.

''You know, you could come with us. Once we're done with ARMS, you'd be free to go after Eggman instead of wasting away at this base,'' Touka suddenly voiced their thoughts. There was a moment of silence as they all processed what she just said, only for Rouge to break it.

''Then it's settled! Now you two make up so we can finish our mission,'' Rouge said, pulling the wary Shadow and Omega closer, and placing Shadow's hand over Omega's and then motioning for Touka to do the same, as she placed her hand over their. ''Aw yeah, baby, this makes us a team! Now, all we need is a team name.''

Shadow and Touka exchanged glances, both of them feeling somewhat familiar with this scenario, as if they were experiencing some kind of déjà-vu. Shadow then sighed, feeling as if he was about to say something he was going to regret. ''How about Team Dark?''

''Team Dark, eh? I like the sound of that,'' Rouge said, elbowing Omega. ''What do you say, Omega?''

''Team name is acceptable,'' Omega replied. Touka just smiled at the trio.

''The only thing that remains is to explain the Commander why we have returned with a rebellious Eggman robot. However, I think this might get interesting,'' she said.

xXx

''Boss, we've got activity at Egg Base Omega,'' Orbot said, reporting to Dr. Eggman.

''Good, that must mean that Kageura, Shadow and Rouge have gotten inside,'' Eggman replied, smirking. ''What about the defenses? I hope they had a lot of trouble passing through.''

''Actually, someone else had destroyed your robots before they had even arrived,'' Cubot said, only to get startled when Eggman suddenly turned towards him.

''What?! And you're telling me this now?!'' he yelled at the cube-shaped robot assistant.

''Well, you never asked,'' Cubot replied, shrugging. Eggman groaned.

''Orbot, pull up the footage from Egg Base Omega,'' he said, with the orb-shaped robot assistant doing as he was told.

''This is footage from a few hours ago,'' Orbot said, with the three observing the huge computer screen before them. Eggman narrowed his eyes as he saw one of his robots, recognizing the individual as E-123 Omega, booting up and starting to tear through the facility. The Egg Pawns that were stationed around attacked back, but they were easily destroyed.

''Eh, I think this E-100 Series robot is really angry at you, Boss,'' Cubot added as they listening to Omega's declaration about destroying Eggman.

''I know that!'' Eggman growled, turning his attention back to the screen, with the footage now showing him Touka, Shadow and Rouge getting inside and meeting Omega. ''Why did I even create- Ah, right… It was all part of the game.'' He leaned back in his seat, leaning his chin against his hand in thought. ''I suppose this is what happens when you are an evil genius with the memories of your other self. While it is insightful, it is also incredibly troublesome...''

While Dr. Eggman was musing over the situation, Dr. Starline was standing at the entrance, peering silently into the room. While he would usually fawn over his idol, he did feel a slight sense of concern in regard to this situation. He certainly wasn't happy about the alliance with Team Neos, let alone allowing them inside one of the Egg Bases, as he felt that this was giving them too much freedom. Why should they even sacrifice their own forces to aid his enemies? It just didn't make sense.

Starline turned on his heel, walking away. ''Still, I have great faith in the Doctor. I assume that his mindset is that there need to be sacrifices to achieve a greater goal, but an alliance with the enemy is still too much. There had to have been a different way to get this done.''

''You're being really loud, you know.''

Starline was startled by a familiar voice and quickly turned around, only to see Ferra being leaned against a wall, her arms folded across her chest. Metal Sonic was standing next to her.

''Don't you have something better to do than scaring people?!'' Starline shouted at her. Ferra just smirked back.

''It wasn't my intention to scare you like that,'' she told him, with Starline wondering if she was being genuinely apologetic. ''Not gonna lie, it was fun to see you make that expression.''

''Tch, you have absolutely no manners,'' Starline responded, continuing to antagonize her. He didn't even see Metal Sonic's red eyes flaring up and him glancing at Ferra, who just shook her head in response. Unfortunately, Starline was their ally, meaning that he couldn't beat up the platypus for insulting Ferra… yet.

''You shouldn't be talking so loud like this, especially when voicing your concerns. People might think you're conspiring against the Doctor,'' Ferra told him. Starline gasped dramatically.

''Conspiring against Dr. Eggman? How dare you to suggest even something like that?! I live to serve him!'' Starline responded angrily. Ferra shrugged.

''If that's the case, then you'd follow him every step of the way, right? No matter how nonsensical the plan is,'' she said.

''Well, of course-'' Starline cut himself off, a sense of doubt creeping into his mind. He certainly admired Dr. Eggman, but he had to admit that he felt that he believed that there was always a different approach to a certain situation, one that required… a different way of thinking, to put it simply. Or, to make it precise – his way of thinking. He then huffed, walking away. ''I will not discuss this any further. You are simply trying to get a raise out of me.''

Starline then walked away, lifting his head proudly, while Ferra kept an eye on him until he was out of her sight. ''Dr. Starline is going to get kicked out of the Eggman Empire if he doesn't keep that beak shut.''

'Indeed. I hope I get the honors of kicking him out,' Metal Sonic replied, causing Ferra to snort in amusement.

xXx

''Ugh, this place is awful,'' Shiro muttered under her breath, entering an old warehouse. ''A proper lady like me deserves to be at a place much more luxurious than this.''

''You're absolutely correct, Shiro.'' The kitsune Irregular suddenly turned around, spotting a teenager sitting on one of the crates stored inside the warehouse, one of his elbows propped on his knee as he gave her a mischievous grin. ''After all, most parasites in society tend to be high up on the hierarchy ladder.''

Shiro gritted her teeth and lifted her fan to attack the teenager, only to get immobilized by a bunch of purple and light pink crystals that shoot out from the ground. She felt her heart racing as she realized that the sharp tips missed her only barely, else she would've been impaled on them. She looked up at the teenager, whose eyes were now glowing in a dark periwinkle purple colour, realizing that he was the one who had summoned the crystals.

''Let me guess, you had no luck in finding more victims so you decided to turn on me,'' Toshiro said, sounding quite amused. Shiro didn't respond, instead just glaring at him. ''I'll take that as a positive answer.''

''It is your fault that there are so many Hunters patrolling the city!'' Shiro yelled at him. ''You had forced me to lure them out and now my own life is at stake!''

''Yet, you still failed at your mission.'' Shiro suddenly turned to the other person in the building, a shadow-like figure whose eyes were glowing in the same dark periwinkle purple colour as Toshiro's, and his body was crackling with energy. ''The Irregular Hunters were never our target.''

''Then all of this was for nothing?!'' Shiro screamed, only to quickly shut up when one of the crystals' sharp tips touched her neck. She knew that if she moved, she was dead.

''Fortunately for you, it wasn't a complete failure,'' Mephiles said. ''The Hunters can reach their breaking point if a powerful Irregular causes enough chaos within Neos City.''

''If that's all you wanted, then you can let me go now…'' Shiro hissed, holding her head up to avoid being impaled by the crystal through her lower jaw. Toshiro leapt down from the crate, glancing at his partner.

''I don't know, Mephiles… Should we really spare her life?'' he asked, a smile of pure malice appearing on his expression. ''After all, she had hurt many people.''

''At your request!'' Shiro yelled in protest.

''You could've simply refused and we would've been merciful enough to make your demise as swift as possible,'' Mephiles pointed out. ''Besides, you would be lying if you claimed you didn't enjoy at least part of your task.''

Shiro suddenly felt a chill flowing down her spine. She had no idea how she had managed to get herself involved with these two, but she remembered how she believed that she could manipulate them similarly to Ao. Unfortunately for her, Mephiles proved himself to be way more dangerous than she had anticipated.

''On the other hand, it would be an act of cruel mercy to let you live,'' Toshiro said. ''You have enemies everywhere, and the Hunters know what you have done. Your life, which had been so comfortable at this point because you had others working for you, had become a game of survival. I suppose we could let your someone else decide your fate… someone who has a more personal connection to you.''

Toshiro then waved his hand, the crystals disappearing and Shiro fell down her knees, shaking and her eyes were wide in horror. Toshiro and Mephiles just walked past her, leaving her in the warehouse.

''This was quite disappointing,'' Mephiles commented.

''She won't last long, that's for certain. Besides, we currently have more pressing matters to focus on,'' Toshiro told him. ''We need to force ARMS to finally reveal themselves to the public, and to do that, they need to have a target that can challenge them properly.''

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#Sonic Cyber Revolution (Masterlist)

#Sonic Cyber Revolution #sonic the hedgehog #shadow the hedgehog #rouge the bat #e-123 omega #team dark #sonic heroes #miles tails prower #knuckles the echidna #amy rose #silver the hedgehog #dr eggman #orbot and cubot #dr starline #metal sonic #mephiles the dark #sonadow

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art-the-f-up · 3 months

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youtube

In the light of current world events, and after watching a video that explained how, if you DON'T feel like wanting to smash your head somewhere or scream into oblivion it means you're mind hasn't been revolutionized yet, I want to present this animated short film by Pakistan which speaks to me so much. Even though this film is about internal conflicts, the messages and indications are so universal and I urge everyone to take out a few minutes and watch it.

The seed of resisting a system that makes you think it's for your benefit but is just profiting off of your basic rights is so so important, now more than ever. I feel like we're on the brink of something big and something important. Please don't let that flame die.

Shehr e Tabassum 2020

#short film #animated short film #animation #short #resistance #current world events #palestine #congo #sudan #pakistani short film #short animated film #shehr e tabassum #revolution #human revolution #revolution 2024 #Youtube

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empirearchives · 6 months

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Napoleon’s letter the day after the death of Desaix

“The news of the army is very good. I shall soon be in Paris. I cannot tell you more; I am in the deepest sorrow at the death of the man I loved and esteemed the most.”

— Napoleon

Source: Letters and Documents of Napoleon by J. E. Howard

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madame-helen · 6 months

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History is repeating itself...

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erigold13261 · 1 year

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“Trauma”

#nsr #no straight roads #nsr neon j #nsr 1010 #nsr djss #nsr au #failed revolution #eriarts #eriau #meme time #lol #i was also debating on putting e/ve in here #and having her say she could make them worse #or something like that #haha

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livelaughlovelams · 12 days

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Yo y'all mutuals I wanna feed y'all some historical lams art but idk what to make GIMME IDEAS NOWWWWWWW

#historical lams #lams #hist. lams #amrev #american revolution #amrev fandom #pls #art ig #pls pls pls #mutuals interact #e #e.#gay gay gay gay

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accio-barricade · 2 years

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Grantaire, gazing lovingly at Enjolras: He could kill me and I'd thank him.

Eponine, who'd heard this for the millionth time: I'd thank him too

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dacchamp · 6 months

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#KIWI REVOLUTION LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOO #mitch evans #nick cassidy #fe #formula e

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semioticapocalypse · 3 months

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Erich Lessing. Hungarian Revolution. Budapest. 1956

I Am Collective Memories • Follow me, — says Visual Ratatosk

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omg-hellgirl · 20 days

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Brian’s relationship with Suki was tempestuous, to say the least. Brian returned to Morocco with Suki, for the first time since the tragic episode with Anita. Brian was excited at the prospect of hearing the native music, especially the Joujoukan pipers, but during the course of their stay,

Brian beat up Suki so badly she had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance.

— Jim Carter-Fea ran the Revolution Club, a popular London night spot in the sixties, and was friendly with Brian.

#source: A. E. Hotchner #Blown Away: The Rolling Stones and the Death of the Sixties #the rolling stones #brian jones #old rockstar #classic rock #rockstar gf #rockstar girlfriend #suki potier #Jim Carter-Fea #the Revolution Club #sixties #60s music #60s rock #60s #morocco #book quotes #quotes

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tenebraevesper · 3 months

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Sonic Cyber Revolution Analyzer: The Memories of the Past Arc (Part 6) - Shadow the Hedgehog & Touka Kageura

Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Silver, Shadow and Metal Sonic remember their first meeting with their human partners, while also dealing with the aftermath of what happened at the Codex Research Facility, leading to the formation of Team Neos.

Chapters

Entry 10: His World

Entry 11: Believe In Myself

Entry 12: Unknown From M.E.

Entry 13: My Sweet Passion

Entry 14: Dreams of an Absolution

Entry 15: I Am... All Of Me

Entry 16: What I’m Made Of

The Memories of the Past Arc is a story arc segmented into two parts: The Memories of The Past & Present Day, and each chapter focuses on a different pair of characters. The first segment explores how they met and became partners, while the second segment focuses on the aftermath of what happened in the previous story arc.

As a side-note, all of the chapter titles are also the titles of each character’s theme songs: His World for Sonic, Believe In Myself for Tails, Unknown From M.E. for Knuckles, My Sweet Passion for Amy, Dreams of an Absolution for Silver, I Am... All Of Me for Shadow and What I’m Made Of for Metal Sonic.

Part 6 of this story arc’s analysis will focus on Shadow the Hedgehog and Touka Kageura and be split into two segments; the first segment focusing on the story itself and the second part being an in-depth character analysis.

-The Memories of The Past: Shadow & Touka-

''…Subject S-2005 vital signs are all normal. All neurological functions are normal, but it is still in a state of unconsciousness. All…''

''Why are you calling him Subject S-2005, Professor? Doesn't he have a name?''

''I don't believe it needs a name, Touka.''

''Hmph, what did you call this project? Project Shadow, right? So, how about calling him Shadow? Shadow the Hedgehog!''

The dark hedgehog inside the stasis pod stirred, but was still in a state of semi-unconsciousness. His ears flicked, having overheard this conversation and his eye-lids barely lifted, his vision hazy, but slightly clearing. He could make out two figures in the room, one an older man, working at a computer, and the other a teenage girl, staring at him through the glass, a warm smile on her lips.

''I hope we can be friends, Shadow,'' she murmured, quiet enough for the man not to hear her, her voice quite soothing. ''I've been looking forward to meeting you. I hope you'll wake up soon.''

Shadow the Hedgehog tried to stir once again, force his body to open his eyes, to signal that he could hear her, but his body felt heavy and weak. He couldn't move a muscle. Then, his vision became hazy once again, darkness following soon as he entered the void.

Shadow the Hedgehog’s flashback starts with him being in a stasis pod, barely aware of his own surroundings, save for a voice who, despite the protests of another person, decides to give him his name.

The story then picks up some time later, with Touka being treated by Kisaki for her scraped skin at the medbay in the Codex Research Facility after she put on the heelys and convinced Shadow to pull her through the hallway at pull speed, causing her to crash into a wall. Shadow feels guilty for getting her hurt, but Touka points out that was on her. As she bickers with Kisaki, the three see a worker being brought in after she had been attacked by an Irregular, looking like she was near death.

''She had been exposed to an Irregular. I still can't believe they allow one of those to roam around freely,'' the man who brought the woman in replied, gazing at Shadow for a moment, giving him a stern look before leaving. Shadow lowered his head, feeling rather uncomfortable, with both Touka and Kisaki giving him looks of concern. Touka then got off the bed, turning to her friend.

''Hey, Shads, how about we go for a walk?'' Touka suggested, with Shadow nodding. She waved back at Kisaki, both walking past the other patient at a faster pace and entering a hallway. ''How are you doing?''

''I'm… fine,'' Shadow responded, still clearly distressed. The glowering gaze the man gave him, along with the reveal that the woman came into contact with an Irregular was still on his mind.

''Shadow, this isn't your fault,'' Touka said, stepping in front of the dark hedgehog, crouching to be at his eye-level, the bandages on her knees and hands on clear display. ''Again, I was the one with that stupid idea; that fiasco is completely on me. As for what that guy said, he was just being a jerk to you for no reason.''

''I know, but…'' Shadow clenched his fists, tensing as Touka placed her hand on his shoulder. He closed his eyes. ''You and I know both what I am. If I ever become aggressive like any other Irregular, I will hurt you. I cannot let that happen.''

''You won't,'' Touka responded.

''How can you be so sure?'' Shadow shook his head as he looked up at her, frustrated, his crimson eyes glinting.

''Because I know you, and I know you would never hurt me. The fact that you're so worried about something like that happening says how much you care,'' Touka told him in a calm and soothing, yet firm tone. Shadow stared at her, taking a deep breath and trying to relax. He knew that Touka was right and that he would never intentionally hurt her, but he was also afraid. He was quite powerful, and that power made him incredibly dangerous. If he were out of control, he could easily end the life of everyone he came across.

''You're right,'' Shadow replied, sighing.

After having another worker point out the danger Shadow poses, the hedgehog gets quiet, feeling guilt for not protecting Touka and fear that he might hurt her intentionally. Touka points how how she trusts him and how she knows that he would never hurt her, allowing Shadow to relax a little.

Touka then gets hungry and wants a snack in the form of muffins from the lunch earlier that day. Shadow points out how they are not allowed into the cafeteria between hours and how they’ll be in trouble if they get caught, with Touka being happy that he decided to go along with her. They get into the kitchen, grabbing a couple of muffins, but the moment they hear someone entering it, Shadow quickly Chaos Controls them back into their room... only for both to fall on the ground because Shadow still doesn’t have the hang on his powers.

A flash of light blue light appeared in Touka and Shadow's room, followed by both of them dropping on the ground facedown, Shadow landing on top of Touka. Both groaned in pain.

''I still need to work on the landing,'' Shadow grumbled, both him and Touka feeling sore.

''Did the muffin survive?'' Touka asked, looking up at him and holding up her own. Shadow glanced at the muffin in his hand.

''It did,'' he replied.

''Then, I'd call this mission successful,'' Touka replied, giving him a thumbs up. Both then got up, sitting down on the floor, with Touka tearing away the wrapping around the chocolate-covered muffin, Shadow mimicking her. ''I hope this has managed to get your mind off what had happened.''

''I guess it did,'' Shadow responded taking a bite off the muffin, his eyes narrowing. ''It made me worry about what kind of trouble you'll get into yourself next.''

''In the end, it worked out,'' Touka replied, smiling sheepishly at him. Shadow glanced down at the muffin in his hand.

''I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, but we both know I will never be accepted here,'' he noted, looking up at her. ''It doesn't matter to me, though. As long as you trust me-''

Shadow suddenly got cut off when Touka just hugged him. Even though he didn't like any kind of physical contact, he made an exception for Touka, who loved to snuggle up to him at the most unexpected of times. He'd find himself to be at ease, glad that she had an uncanny ability to read him like an open book, especially when he had troubles voicing how he felt. Any time he felt upset, she was there for him, not leaving his side until he was fine.

Still, his worries would continue to resurface.

Yes, in this story, Shadow is a hugger.

The next part of the flashback takes place sometime later, with Touka being in her room, reading a book, while Shadow is away for training, only for Prof. Sakamoto to barge inside, demanding to see Shadow because he didn’t come for his training session. Touka, a bit miffed, points out that he left earlier, with the Professor leaving annoyed about having to search for him. Touka does not like how Prof. Sakamoto treats Shadow, deciding to find him on her own.

Shadow was gazing ahead forlornly, sitting on the cold ground at a corner in one of the storage rooms, surrounded by huge wooden crates. He clutched one arm with the other, trying to ignore the pain in his chest. He wasn't injured nor ill, but he still felt like he was suffocating. Something was pressing against his chest and no matter how much he tried to ignore it, it was only growing stronger and stronger until it overwhelmed him. He had to leave, being haunted by this strange sensation, being haunted by that feeling and the words that followed it. He felt sick to his stomach, feeling like he would pass out. He knew that it was all in his head, but he had no idea how to fight it. Shadow gritted his teeth, closing his eyes as his fingers dug into his arm, hoping that the sensation of physical pain would combat the mental one. It was awful.

''Shadow?'' Shadow suddenly looked up, alert. To his relief, it was just Touka, who climbed over a crate and crouched next to him, a look of concern on her expression. ''Are you okay?''

''How did you know I was here?'' Shadow asked her. Touka sat next to him.

''I was the one who had shown you all the hiding spots. Did you really think I wouldn't be able to find you?'' she asked. Shadow just gave her a half-smile, figuring that he should've known. ''Prof. Sakamoto told me that you missed out on your training practice. He's searching for you.''

Shadow frowned, lowering his gaze. ''He's furious, isn't he?''

''Yeah,'' Touka replied in a despondent tone. ''I hadn't told him that I had an idea where you are. I figured that it would be better if I talked to you.'' Shadow remained silent, with Touka continuing, ''Shadow, what had happened? Why are you here?''

Shadow remained silent, seemingly unwilling to answer her question. He then tried to respond, but then shook his head, the pressure on his chest only growing to the point it genuinely hurt. His throat felt dry and he started suffocating again. He pressed his hand against the white fur, digging his fingers into the chest, trying to fight the pain away. It was tearing him from inside out.

Why won't it stop?! Why does it hurt so much?!

He gasped for air as he suddenly felt Touka embracing him. He didn't even know he was shaking, the corners of his eyes shimmering. The pain was still there, but now a new, warmer sensation overcame it, and Shadow buried his head into Touka's chest, eyes closed as he hugged her back. He never wanted to let go of her again.

''It's fine if you don't want to talk about it,'' Touka whispered, nuzzling Shadow. ''But, don't ever think I wouldn't be there for you when you need help.''

They sat there for what seemed to be ages, with Touka then shifting and leaning against the wall, placing Shadow in her lap so his legs were dangling over her tight, allowing him to lean against her chest. She kept her hands wrapped around him, Shadow's ears twitching as he heard her heart-beat. It was quite soothing, calming his down. The feeling of pain and suffocation was still there, but it grew weaker. They remained sitting in silence.

''I don't want to go back,'' Shadow muttered, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

''What happened?'' Touka asked curiously. Shadow was silent, clearly reluctant to answer the question.

''The Professor has… has deemed me a failure,'' he replied.

''What?'' Touka's eyes widened in surprise. Admittedly, Shadow never talked about his training, unless it was about showing off his skills, so she had little knowledge of what he was doing, or rather, what Sakamoto made him to do.

''He had told me that my general performance is below the standards he had set; that nothing I do is good enough,'' Shadow continued, feeling the pressure that weighted on his chest slowly crumbling. ''I perform at my best, but he constantly demands that I be better, faster, stronger, and it's…''

''It's a lot of pressure,'' Touka finished the sentence when he went silent again. Shadow simply nodded.

''I don't know what he wants from me anymore,'' Shadow said, looking up at Touka in disbelief. ''I am the strongest Irregular in existence. I had won against any opponent I had faced during the training, mastered my powers, strength and speed. Yet, it feels like it's not enough. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong.''

''It sounds to me that the Prof. Sakamoto is just being a jerk and giving you a tough time for no reason,'' Touka said, frowning. ''Trust me, no matter how good the results are, he still won't be happy about it. If he starts complaining again, just ignore him. That's how I've been dealing with him for the past months.''

''I noticed,'' Shadow said, smirking. He then sighed tiredly, leaning against her, grabbing her arm. ''However, his words still won't leave my head. Every time I do something, I start doubting myself, wondering if the way I completed my task is good enough. It is something that is staying with me even if the Professor isn't around.'' He shook his head. ''But, it's not just that. Remember what happened with Prof. Bailey?''

Touka hummed as she tried to remember whom he was referring to, only for her eyes to narrow. ''You mean the woman who called you a 'thing' and and was angry at Prof. Sakamoto for not killing you off, and started insulting you for being an Irregular? Yeah, I do.''

''You then spilled ink all over her research papers and got into trouble for that,'' Shadow continued in a quiet tone.

''Yeah, I did, and I'm proud of that,'' Touka replied, feeling the rage bubbling inside her as she remembered Prof. Bailey's haughty look after she told Shadow that he was worth nothing. She also remembered how hurt Shadow was when he was basically insulted for just existing. ''I wish I could've done more, but she keeps her room locked.''

''You didn't have to do that for me,'' Shadow said, with Touka giving him a confused look. ''I should've handled the situation on my own.''

''I wasn't going to let her just insult you like that and walk away without any consequences,'' Touka said in a firm, yet gentle tone. She tilted her head as Shadow lowered his gaze.

''That wasn't the only time you had protected me,'' he continued. ''Even if they don't say it, no one here is fond of me, except for you and maybe Dr. Kageura. They all look at me like I'm some kind of dangerous weapon, just waiting when I'll attack one of them. They're afraid, but they know that I won't hurt them, so they keep insulting me because they know they can get away with it.''

''Shadow…'' Touka trailed off, feeling a lump in her throat. The rage that had started bubbling inside her was now rapidly expanding through the rest of her body.

''I don't really care anymore what they're telling me, but I feel that I should be the one to stand up to them, not you,'' Shadow continued, the accumulated sensation of pressure and pain finally breaking him as he felt the corners of his eyes tearing. He just blinked, trying to compose himself. ''I am The Ultimate Lifeform. I should be able to deal with this.'' He clenched his fists, his fingers digging into the palms of his hand, his tone growing more and more frustrated. ''But, I can't… Any time I try to speak up, it feels like someone knocked the wind out of me. I should be protecting you, not you protecting me.'' He groaned in frustration. ''Maybe the Professor is right… Maybe I am a failure.''

''Shads, you're not a failure and you will never be one.'' Touka's gentle tone caused Shadow to look up, noting the soft gaze in her eyes. ''You are someone who has been put under a lot of pressure in an environment where no one cares about how you feel, only what you can do. You don't want to show how much all of that has affected you, but I can see just how hurt you are. I know that you'd rather solve problems on your own, but you shouldn't be ashamed of allowing yourself to take a step back and let someone else handle a situation you cannot.'' Touka then smiled. ''Besides, remember what Kisaki had said? She told us that we're acting like siblings, and as your older sister, it is my duty to take care of you. I will always put your happiness and safety above mine, just like you'd for me.''

Shadow stared at her for a moment, the frown on his expression wavering and he smiled, pressing his head against her chest. He took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

''You always know how to say the right thing,'' he muttered. ''Although, I recall that when Dr. Kageura told us that, she also said that siblings don't always get along; and then proceeded to explain how she once almost knocked her sister's teeth out for stealing her diary when they were younger.''

Touka snorted. ''I really hope we won't end up arguing like that.''

''As far as I know, you don't even have a diary,'' Shadow said bluntly, only for Touka to nuzzle him, causing the former to smile in response.

''Yeah, that's because I share all of my secrets with you,'' she said. Shadow just nodded, taking another deep breath and leaning against her.

''I guess we should return,'' he muttered. He didn't want to get up yet, feeling exhausted.

''I think we can stay here for a while longer,'' Touka said, with Shadow looking up at her. She had once again that mischievous grin on her expression. ''As your older sister, I recommend that you first rest and recover before you go training again.''

''But, what about the Professor?'' Shadow asked.

''Don't worry, I'll take care of him,'' Touka replied, winking at him. Her expression then changed to an annoyed one. ''I will make sure that he won't ever hurt you like that again.''

Shadow snorted. ''You can be scary when you get angry.''

''Oh, I'm not angry,'' Touka replied in a casual tone, then frowned. ''I'm furious.''

''That's reassuring,'' Shadow said sarcastically. However, he felt a lot more at ease after the talk he had with her, his eyes closing as he drifted off to sleep. He wanted nothing more but, for once, to be at peace.

In this reality, after his creation, Shadow had been forced to constantly train and expand on his combat skills, being put under immense pressure to succeed. The bar would constantly rise, over and over again, and Shadow was forced to keep up with the expectations, even if they were beyond what was possible for him. He was forced to hear over and over again how much of a failure he was for not meeting certain expectations, leaving him hurt, afraid, guilty and in constant mental and emotional anguish. It doesn’t also help that he was treated by everyone like some dangerous animal that might kill them any second. To the people (aside from Kisaki Kageura) at the Codex Research Facility, he was not a person, but a thing they should be afraid of. He suffered a lot under their torment, being hated for solely existing even though he never asked to be created.

That is, save for one person - Touka, who at this point acts like his older sister, constantly protecting him from harm and standing up for him. She has no issue going against anyone who tries to hurt her younger brother, even willing to sabotage their research as an act of revenge. While Shadow may protect Touka from physical harm, Touka protects Shadow from any emotional harm, being the only person in the facility Shadow is willing to trust with his life.

The two later on confront Sakamoto, with Touka demanding that Shadow won’t go on any training sessions without her present. Sakamoto points out that she has no authority and is about to slap her, when Shadow puts himself between the two, furious at Sakamoto for even thinking about trying to hurt Touka. Sakamoto relents, showing fear of his own creation. Touka and Shadow are happy about the result, only for the room to quickly fall apart, with both being chased by a Irregular and then seeing nothing but the void.

-Present Day-

Shadow gasped as he awoke with a start, sitting up on the couch, the blanket he covered himself with lying on the floor. His head hurt and he pressed his hand against his temple, looking around as he tried to figure out where he was. It took him a moment to realize that he was in his and Touka's attic room, his air shoes lying on the ground next to the couch. He sighed in relief, realizing that he just had a nightmare. Admittedly, it wasn't the first time he had experienced something like that, and this nightmare wasn't even the worst he had. Still, he was shaken by the experience, having his subconscious remind him of his worst fears.

Shadow glanced at the bed behind him, where Touka was still fast asleep. She had offered him to sleep in her bed, but Shadow opted for the couch instead, not really caring where he'd sleep as long as they stayed in the same room. Combing with his fingers through his quills, Shadow leaned against the couch, still staring at Touka. He knew that it was still late in the night and that he should go back to sleep, but he couldn't. He knew it was irrational to feel like this, especially since they were far away from Codex, which had been shut down for at least a decade, and that nobody could take Touka away from him now. However, there was this feeling, the paranoia that was slowly clawing away any sense of rational thought and serenity, leaving him with an sense of emptiness and anxiety. It was maddening, and the only way to deal with it was to stay awake the whole night, making sure Touka was safe.

''…Shadow?''

Lost in his thoughts, Shadow hadn't noticed Touka stir and wake up. She sat up, rubbing her eyes and yawning as she gave him a puzzled look, still not completely awake.

''Did I wake you up?'' Shadow asked. Touka yawned again.

''Nah, I just felt like waking up…'' she muttered, rising an eyebrow. ''Why are you awake?''

''I can't sleep,'' Shadow admitted, lowering his head. ''I… I had…''

''Shadow, do you want talk?'' Touka asked, pointing at the spot next to her. Shadow nodded, getting off the couch and walking up to the bed, with Touka shifting away to make space for him. He leaned against the pillow, staring ahead.

''This shouldn't be happening to me…'' he muttered.

Touka gave him an empathetic gaze, well aware of what was going through his head. She could remember the times she would wake up in her bed at Codex, finding him sitting on his bed, staring at her, his crimson eyes almost glowing in the dim light present in the dark room. The first time it had happened, it was quite an eerie experience, but when Touka learned that he had experienced a nightmare, she let him sleep in her bed, as her close presence seemed to calm him down. He never told her what the nightmare was about, only expressing stubbornly that he shouldn't have had any nightmares; he shouldn't fear anything. It took a while for Touka to learn what he was so afraid of, as he refused to talk about it, and she would assure him that having nightmares or fears wasn't something he should be ashamed of. He could be quite prideful, and it took a lot of patience from Touka to finally get him to open up.

''So, what was the nightmare about?'' Touka asked him. Shadow's eyes narrowed, his ears drooping.

''I had a nightmare of losing you again,'' Shadow finally admitted.

''I see… It must be really hard for you to adjust to this whole situation,'' Touka noted.

''I'll be fine… I just need more time,'' Shadow replied, leaning against Touka, feeling her arms wrapping around him, making sure she wouldn't get pricked by his quills.

''I'm sure you will, but I think it would be better if you get to do something that will keep your mind off what had happened at Codex,'' Touka replied. Shadow rose an eyebrow, giving her a suspicious look.

''First, what are you up to now? Second, how worried should I be?'' he asked. Touka furrowed a brow.

''I was actually thinking of introducing you to hoverboard racing,'' she explained. Shadow snorted.

''I guess that isn't as bad as your previous ideas,'' he noted. Touka just rolled her eyes, noticing a smug look on Shadow's expression. Instead of responding, Touka just nuzzled him. This was just a little teasing between them, something they both missed and were glad to return back to how things used to be before all this mess. Obviously, they still would have to deal with their past, but for now, they just wanted to relax and enjoy the moment they had. Tomorrow could wait.

As it turns out, Shadow was suffering from an intense nightmare, which unfortunately wasn’t an uncommon experience for him at Codex, being almost crushed by the fear of losing Touka again even if he was now in a safe environment. He snuggles up to her, as the only thing that can keep him from having nightmares is to make sure that he is in her close presence, assured that she will always be by his side. Touka also figures that he’ll need something to take his mind off things, deciding to introduce him to her favorite sport - hoverboard racing, something Shadow agrees with.

The next day, Lucas and Sonic enter the Solar Stadium, having gotten a call from Silver who told them that Shadow wanted to talk to Sonic and having learned from Kisaki that the two were at the hoverboard racing stadium. The two find Touka and Shadow just as they finished a race, with Shadow wondering what Sonic is doing here. Sonic explains why he’s here, but Shadow refuses to talk, noting how, if he wanted to talk to Sonic, he would’ve done it on his terms. Sonic feels exasperated by Shadow’s attitude, only to realize that there is a way to get him to talk and challenges him to a hoverboard race.

Shadow knew that Sonic was just baiting him,… and he hated that it was working. He knew that Sonic was quite a challenging and persistent opponent when it came to battles, and that he wasn't going to leave him alone so easily, no matter what he said or did. They were equals in terms of strength and speed, and both of them loved a good challenge.

''Hmph,'' Shadow scoffed. ''I will wipe that stupid smirk of your face.''

''You would have to catch me first,'' Sonic replied, running off to the holographic screen, choosing a racing track and joining Shadow at the start of it. ''Ready?''

''Try keeping up with me, slowpoke,'' Shadow responded, right as they started their race, entering the AR Field. Sonic's ears were pinned back.

''Oh, you did not-!'' he shouted, half-grinning as he followed Shadow.

Shadow accepts, despite knowing what Sonic was trying to do and, after some banter, they quickly race off, leaving a bemused Lucas and Touka behind. Touka then shrugs it off, figuring that Shadow and Sonic’s rivalry will be a thing now.

Speaking of rivalry, both Shadow and Sonic have the time of their life, but their race results in a tie, so Sonic suggests another race. Shadow still wonders why Sonic is so insistent on talking to him, with Sonic responding how he was just curious and how they are talking now, so it worked. Shadow proposes a challenge - if Sonic beats him, the dark hedgehog will answer his questions, something Sonic easily accepts.

While these two are exploring their rivalry, we shift to the Tamago Corporation, meeting Dr. Telos Tamago, the CEO who was designed after Jim Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik from Sonic the Hedgehog (the first movie). He leaves a meeting and enters an office, but his behavior is quite unusual and certainly inhuman.

He didn't even react to the door opening, with two diminutive robots entering the room, one red with a mostly round body and the other yellow with a cubical body.

''It appears that everything is going according to your plan, sir.''

The red robot turned to the person who followed them inside the room; an obese, tall and burly man with a torso shaped roughly like an egg, a bald head, a pinkish nose and a mahogany-colored bushy unkempt mustache. He was wearing green-lensed goggles on the top of his head and his eyes were covered by dark blue tinted pince-nez glasses. For his attire, he was wearing an elegant, red coat sporting two square metal buttons on both sides of the chest in gold. These buttons had white straps that ran across the coat's sides to identical buttons on the back. The coat also had silver, zipper-like linings down the back, arms, and front, yellow cuffs, and two extensions on the front that have large silver buttons. In addition, he was wearing white, cuffless gloves on his hands and a pair of black pants with matching boots seemingly attached to them bearing circular plates on the both sides of the ankles and three square ones riding up the shin.

''Of course it is, Orbot! Did you really think…'' the man trailed off when he saw the Tamago. He frowned, glaring at the other man. ''I believe that you are sitting in my chair.''

Without a word, Tamago got up and walked over to the side of the room, with the other man sitting down, grumbling under his breath, ''I swear, those androids know no respect…''

''Well, Boss, you did program him to act as the representative of the Tamago Corporation,'' the yellow robot pointed out.

''I know that, Cubot!'' the man growled, the two robots cowering, and waved his hand at the android in the corner of the room, causing the latter to leave the room. ''I had already told you two that I had done it so my brilliant mind wouldn't be bothered by trivial matter such as leading a megacorporation.''

Doctor Eggman leaned back, clasping his hands as a wide grin spread across his lips, Orbot and Cubot looking up at him.

''Soon, Neos City will feel the wrath of The Eggman Empire.''

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Dr. Ivo Robotnik, better known as Dr. Eggman - the main villain of this story.

Shadow the Hedgehog

Shadow the Hedgehog is a major deuteragonist of Sonic Cyber Revolution. He is an Irregular ARNav based on his in-universe video game counterpart and is the partner of Touka Kageura.

Known as ‘‘The Ultimate Lifeform’’, Shadow is aloof, independent, and usually acts with a cool and businesslike indifference, rarely showing his vulnerable side. He is quite reserved and closed-off, not caring much about anything besides his own desires and he can be perceived as uncaring by strangers due to his callous way of treating others.

Despite his aloof and reserved loner attitude, Shadow is actually loyal to a fault to and fiercely protective of those he cares about - specifically, his older sister Touka. Due to his past at the Codex Research Facility, where he was put under a lot of immense stress and pressure, to the point of suffering from emotional and mental distress, Shadow has a hard time trusting strangers, with him and Touka developing a sort of “us against the world” mentality, where they rather keep to themselves than interact with other people.

Shadow has a hard time expressing his emotions, not wanting to show any vulnerability due to his negative experiences, but he still has a soft and kind side to him that his being hidden under a mountain of attitude. However, if one gains his trust, he will slowly open up to them, even if he still holds the person at arms length.

Shadow is the most skilled combatant of Team Neos due to the intense training he had to go through. He actually enjoys fighting, but depending on the nature of the battle, he can be quite ruthless, not wanting to waste time on weaker opponents and seeking those who can challenge him, making him very dangerous. His abilities include Chaos Control, Chaos Blast and Chaos Spear. Chaos Control allows him to teleport at certain distances and even bring other people along, albeit at the cost of his own energy. Chaos Blast allows him to discharge a blast of explosive energy, which becomes only stronger if fueled by strong emotions, especially negative ones. Chaos Spear is a technique where Shadow fires an orange bolt of energy at his opponent.

Upon using Chaos Surge alongside Touka, Shadow is engulfed in red and orange sparks of energy, with his eyes turning from crimson to a reddish-orange. His Chaos Control, Chaos Blast and Chaos Spear abilities become much stronger, with Shadow being able to increase the power of Chaos Blast without having the need to experience strong emotions and summon multiple Chaos Spears in quick succession. The greatest feat of power is shown in his Chaos Control, though, as it allows him to briefly warp time and space, and even transport objects to other ends of the universe.

Shadow is fiercely loyal Touka, willing to do anything for her without any hesitation, regardless of whether his actions are heroic or villainous, and would even sacrifice his own life for her. To his nothing in the world matters besides Touka’s own happiness. Fortunately for him (and the world at large), Touka cares more about Shadow’s comfort, wanting just to live a normal life with Shadow as her younger brother. Touka is also the only person Shadow is willing to show his more vulnerable side and talk about his insecurities - his greatest fear being that he might lose his sister once again. However, this doesn’t mean that their relationship is perfect as, like all normal siblings, the two have a tendency to bicker, especially due to Touka’s mischievous streak and Shadow having to look out for his sister’s safety. Nevertheless, they deeply care about each other, even if Shadow has tendency to throw her under the bus whenever confronted with an awkward social situation. In contrast to Touka, who has a sweet tooth, Shadow enjoys bitter things, even outright eating coffee beans.

As mentioned above, due to his past, Shadow has a hard time warming up to new people, even when they’re someone he is aware that he can trust, like the members of Team Neos. At first, he didn’t want to associate himself with them, but thanks to their support and persistence, he has managed to open up a little bit to them, showing in his own way that he cares about his teammates and respects them, going even so far to acknowledge them as his friends.

It should be noted that the one person that can be considered Shadow’s first and closest friend is Sonic the Hedgehog. Shadow considers Sonic mainly to be his rival and teammate, but with Sonic’s insistent interactions and offer for companionship, they become close enough for Shadow to call him his friend. Shadow genuinely enjoys being in Sonic’s company, with the two often sparring with and/or racing against each other in their free time, even if he does get confused by Sonic’s affectionate behavior, chalking it up to Sonic just being Sonic. He also is becomes a lot more expressive, showing more emotions when he is alone with Sonic. However, it seems that there might be something more to their relationship besides rivalry and friendship, something neither hedgehog is willing to acknowledge... yet.

Similar to Sonic and Metal Sonic, Shadow has a rivalry with Mephiles the Dark, an Irregular ARNav created later on by Prof. Hiroshi Sakamoto for a different project, known as Project Shadow: Resurrection. Despite their same origins, while Shadow took upon himself to defend the world, Mephiles seeks out to destroy it. However, instead of taking a direct approach, Mephiles resorts to manipulating Shadow into destroying everything he cares about, taking great pleasure in seeing the dark hedgehog hurting his friends and, most importantly, Touka. This will be explored more in The Final Haunt Arc.

During The Team Dark Arc, Shadow (and Touka) will also reunite with Rouge the Bat and meet E-123 Omega, forming Team Dark, but that particular relationship will be explored more in that arc.

Lastly, one more person that will have a great influence on Shadow is Eclipse the Darkling, who sees himself as Shadow’s brother and is jealous of Touka, wishing for Shadow to join him in the invasion Black Doom will lead against Neos City during The Black Arms Arc.

Touka Kageura

Fan Art by Emerald The Lynx

Touka Kageura is Shadow’s partner and, alongside the hedgehog, a member of Team Neos.

Touka at first appears to be very similar to Shadow, being quiet, cool, independent and stand-offish, if a bit smug and refusing help from others, preferring to act on her own. It is eventually revealed that the reason she behaves like this is because she suffers from severe amnesia, unable to remember anything about her past life before awakening in the care of Kisaki Kageura, her guardian figure.

However, with Shadow’s awakening, her memories slowly start coming back to her, and while she is still reserved due to her past, she shows to be a very kind, strong-willed, mischievous, determined, patient and gentle person, having a childlike wonder for the world outside and a strong desire to explore it. Due to her mysterious past, she is very focused on getting answers about her true identity.

While her character was technically based on Maria Robotnik from the Sonic the Hedgehog games, Touka is her own person and her backstory takes a wildly different turn as she learns more about herself. While this will be addressed later on in The Final Haunt Arc, it should be noted that Touka is actually an artificial human, created and genetically enhanced by Prof. Hiroshi Sakamoto to help save his dying daughter, Tomoe Sakamoto. However, Tomoe died before she could be saved, resulting in Prof. Sakamoto becoming distant and emotionally abusive towards Touka, who resembles his late daughter (and can be seen as Tomoe’s younger “twin sister”).

Instead of terminating her, Professor Sakamoto decided to use Touka in tandem with Project Shadow to create the ultimate weapon for the government. However, due to the accident that led to the Codex Research Facility being shut down, this project had been seemingly abandoned and Touka had been put in a stasis pod. 10 years later, she had been released under the guardianship of Kisaki, most of her memories gone, at least until the events of The Ultimate Lifeform Arc.

Due to her origins, Touka has a much bigger pool of BioEnergy than a normal human would, and when using Chaos Surge alongside Shadow, she gains access to his Chaos Control, Chaos Blast and Chaos Spear abilities, able to use that power as if it were her own. With some training, Touka learns how to control her flow of BioEnergy, meaning that she can keep up the Chaos Surge going for far longer than any of her other teammates, but with the cost of becoming quite exhausted afterwards.

Similarly to Shadow, Touka is very competitive and is considered to be the best hoverboard racer in Team Neos, if not the entirety of Neos City, being quite proud of her feat.

Touka has a sibling-like dynamic with Shadow, outright referring to him and treating him as her younger brother. She is the only person Shadow is willing to show his vulnerable side to (with the possible exception of Sonic) and capable of getting through him whenever he puts up some kind of mental and emotional barricade around him. Touka cares greatly about Shadow and is fiercely protective of her little brother, her primary concern being his emotional and mental health. Despite their unquestioning loyalty towards each other, they still tend to bicker, just like any sibling duo, with Shadow being the responsible sibling to Touka’s foolish sibling, and trying his best to keep her out of trouble while also getting roped into her antics. In contrast to Shadow, who enjoys bitter things, Touka has a sweet tooth.

Similarly to Shadow, Touka has trouble trusting people and can be very stubborn before she opens up to anyone. She is more social than Shadow, who takes this to his advantage by making her the one to speak to people so he doesn’t have to. This is especially seen when the two agree to become members of Team Neos, with their interactions with their teammates being quite awkward and uncomfortable. Nevertheless, thanks to the steady support from her new friend group, Touka opens up to them and even starts to referring to them as her friends openly.

Touka is also very close with her guardian, Kisaki Kageura, having proudly taken her last name. Despite on paper being her adopted daughter, Touka prefers to refer to Kisaki with her first name, with the two acting more as roommates, even though they acknowledge they are actually a family.

The person Touka refuses to acknowledge as her family is Prof. Hiroshi Sakamoto, despite being biologically related to him, as that man never acted like a parental figure to her in her whole life, using her instead for his own selfish experiments. Nevertheless, she does acknowledge his deceased daughter, Tomoe, as her twin sister, being able to relate to her desire to live.

Another person Touka learns she has a connection to is Toshiro Miwa, Mephiles’ partner, who is technically her younger brother due to Prof. Sakamoto’s attempt at creating another artificial human, this time as a weapon, as part of Project Shadow: Resurrection. While Touka acknowledges Toshiro as her “brother”, the two have an antagonistic relationship and she holds zero familial feelings towards him, due to Toshiro and Mephiles wanting to destroy her and Shadow.

Despite being a firm member of Team Neos, due to the circumstances in The Team Dark Arc, Touka becomes a member of Team Dark, along with Shadow, Rouge and Omega.

Lastly, in the future The Black Arms Arc, Touka has an encounter with Eclipse the Darkling, a Black Arms member who considers Shadow his brother and is jealous of Shadow’s strong bond with Touka, targeting her to force Shadow to join him. While Shadow absolutely hates Eclipse for hurting his sister, Touka does take note that there is more to the Darkling than it seems.

Insert Themes:

I Am… All Of Me by Shadow The Hedgehog (NateWantsToBattle Cover, Theme of Shadow)

Links:

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animebw · 1 year

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Short Reflection: Winter 2023 Anime

Is it just me, or did this season of anime kind of blow? Yes, anything would be a step down after the absurdly stacked Fall 2022 roster- and in fact, two of my favorites this season were continuations of shows I already liked from fall (Blue Lock and MHA)- but man, there was just a stench of failure around so much of Winter 2023′s offerings. Not just in how many of them turned out to be disappointments, but in how many of them didn’t even get to finish in time! Barely a week went by without another show suffering long delays, production after production crumbling under the weight of mismanagement and corporate apathy that doesn’t care how many animators are worked to death for an inferior product as long as they can make some extra cash from rushing it out early. I mercifully managed to avoid all the victims of these delays (well, almost; RIP Kubo-san Won’t Let Me Be Invisible), but even existing in the same space as them felt like it took a toll on everything else. This was a rough one, folks. But there were still some gems worth highlighting, so after spilling my thoughts on Onimai, Trigun Stampede and MHA Season 6, here are my thoughts on the rest of the anime I managed to finish this season!

(Also no Vinland Saga review yet cause I’m waiting for the season to be over, but spoilers, it’s still really fucking good. You’re shocked, I can tell.)

Tokyo Revengers Season 2: 1.5/10

You know what? I give up. I gave Tokyo Revengers every opportunity to finally pull itself together and turn into a good show. But not only did it drop the ball so hard the shockwave registered on the Richter scale, it felt like it was actively going out of its way to suck as hard as it could. Every single plot thread in season 2 is bungled so horrendously, from Takemichi’s increasingly unforgivable stupidity to the insulting cul-de-sac fights that change nothing about the status quo to the truly infuriating mishandling of every female character (Hey, I know, let’s give Yuzuha a panty shot while she’s being beaten by her abusive brother! Great idea!), that there is no possible way this show can ever recover. Even if the next season is somehow a masterpiece that fixes all the series’ issues- which it won’t be, let’s be honest- it won’t change the fact that Tokyo Revengers has established a new low for lazy, intelligence-insulting storytelling in shonen. The only reason it managed to get so popular is that it keeps making you think it’s about to do something really cool and meaningful with its high concept. But at this point, it’s all but proven that it never will. Fuck this show, fuck the manga it’s based on, and fuck everyone who accepts this barely-animated hackjob slop as anything close to acceptable entertainment.

The Fire Hunter: 2/10

Between this and Mars Red, I’m really starting to hate studio Signal MD. They’ve got a habit of turning fascinating highbrow fantasy premises into some of the dullest, sloppiest, most poorly produced pieces of pretentious dogshit that think they’re high art imaginable. And this one’s directed by Mamoru Oshii! He’s supposed to be a veteran director who knows his shit! How did he turn out such a colossal flop? Almost nothing in The Fire Hunter works on an audiovisual level; the animation is embarrassing, the direction is incomprehensible, the editing is somehow even worse (I have never seen such poorly timed painterly insert stills), and the whole thing is smothered under a droning soundtrack that drowns every scene in the same overbearing, tuneless sonic dead air. Even the best script in the world couldn’t survive this cataclysmically bad production, and suffice to say, this is very far from the best script in the world. It’s equal parts mind-numbing exposition, dull narration, and pointlessly mean characters with no interesting internal struggles or worldbuilding to justify the air of arrogance about the whole affair. The Fire Hunter desperately wants to convince you it’s art, but it’s just crap. Skip it.

To Your Eternity Season 2 (2nd Half): 3/10

I’ll give it this: the second half of To Your Eternity’s second season is unquestionably better than its first. Not a very high bar to clear, I realize, but after the utter slog that was Bon’s introductory arc, it’s good to have actually interesting things happen for a change. Unfortunately, for all the fresh air the siege of Renril brings to the proceedings- new characters, new kinds of stakes, a bonkers re-imagining of what Fushi’s powers are even capable of- it’s nowhere near enough to save this show from running itself into the ground. Whatever magic To Your Eternity once had is well and truly gone, buried under a flood of terrible production compromises and questionable story choices that have lead it down a path it can never recover from. No matter how much future arcs might try to turn things around, they’ll never escape the lesson this show has somehow forgotten it used to preach: when something dies, it can never truly return. To Your Eternity is dead. It’s over. Let it rest in piece while it still has some faint shred of dignity left.

Giant Beasts of Ars: 3/10

Did someone open a time portal to 2006? Giant Beasts of Ars feels exactly like the kind of original fantasy anime that studios were pumping out two decades ago- and unfortunately, that’s not a compliment. It gets off to a good start with a strong introductory episode that sets the tone well for a fun magitech adventure with some giant monster fighting, but the second that adventure gets under way, pretty much everything goes to shit. The characters are bland. The world itself is dull and uninspired. The action is lifeless thanks to a weak production that can’t give these fights the oomph they need. And the plot escalates from understandable low-key stakes to some of the most asinine “suddenly we’re fighting god now” swerves I’ve ever seen. Seriously, the way this story loses all sense of scale in its final episodes as it barrels head first toward a climax left me stunned in disbelief. Never mind the fact it ends on an asspull cliffhanger that’s almost certain to never get resolved because nobody’s going to want a second season of something this limp and underbaked. What a waste of time.

Kaina of the Great Snow Sea: 3.5/10

I was really excited at all the fantasy anime coming out this season. After being swamped in the isekai sewers for so long, it was such a relief to see the industry remember they could tell stories about actual fantastical worlds and not just, you know, reskinned Dragon Quest knockoffs. So imagine my how immeasurable my disappointment was when one by one, all these promising series let me down. Kaina’s Naussicaa-inspired world of snow seas, giant spire trees and steampunk skiffs navigating an allegorical prayer for co-existence with nature and rejection of militarism should have been an easy slam dunk, a new Miyazaki for a modern landscape. Unfortunately, as beautifully realized as the world is- Polygon Pictures is no studio Orange, but their impressive background art and environmental storytelling continue to make a strong case for CG anime- the writers forgot to populate that world with anyone worth getting invested in. The characters are the stockiest of stock archetypes, photocopies of photocopies of tropes that have already been worn to the bone by decades of misuse and overuse alike. If you’ve seen even one generic fantasy anime, chances are you’re already sick of these characters, and there’s nothing fresh or particularly meaningful here to make up for the lack of originality. Don’t get me started on how poorly the princess is treated, yegh. Is it too late to unplug the concept of fantasy anime for a few years and hope it recovers some steam before we plug it back in?

High Card: 3.5/10

There is no excuse for High Card being as lame as it ended up. A Kingsmen-style goofy gentleman spy action comedy written by the author of Kakegurui in which secret agents in dapper suits fight with the power of magic transforming playing cards? And the entire world is themed around cards and card games (the country is Fourland, the spy organization is Pinochle with its office on Old Maid street)? This should have been a camp masterpiece every bit as delightfully unhinged as Kakegurui. This should have been the most gloriously Anime Bullshit (affectionate) experience of the year. But instead, it was mostly just Anime Bullshit (derogatory). It takes so little advantage of its concept, wasting episode upon episode on trite plotlines and cliche developments, jumping between so many tones and focuses without ever settling on a single one. I came here to see Twink Bruce Wayne summon bazookas out of thin air with the power of Instant Interdimensional Marketplace, not slog through the umpteenth iteration of “the stoic katana girl needs to open up to her male colleagues” or “tragic little sister with an incurable illness.” The bouncy ED, which sees the main cast all singing together in the car, was the one consistent bright spot, and even that started feeling more and more like an insult as time went on. If only the rest of the show were as loose and freewheeling as those painfully short 90 seconds per episode promised.

Don’t Toy With Me, Nagatoro-San Season 2: 3.5/10

Look, I’m no prude. I’m not above trash. Nagatoro’s first season was far from a masterpiece, but it had enough actual charm and character depth that I didn’t mind coming along for the ride. But the thing about trash is that just like every other show, you still have to do it well. Nagatoro wasn’t ever entertaining because it was a shallow wish-fulfillment rom-com for masochists, it was entertaining because it found something recognizably human in spite of being a shallow wish-fulfillment rom-com for masochists. And sadly, whatever spark made that first season work didn’t survive the transfer to OLM studios. There are fun moments here and there, but the overall package is just too half-hearted to care anymore. Not even the introduction of Nagatoro’s sister keeps the proceedings from feeling increasingly mindless. What’s the point of this show, really? What does it offer that I can’t get better elsewhere? Because if the only appeal is the teasing gimmick, well, Teasing Master Takagi-san is right there, people. You could be watching an actual good show about a girl mercilessly teasing her crush instead of this flavorless assembly-line mushburger of an anime. Just saying.

The Tale of Outcasts: 4.5/10

There’s something strangely endearing about The Tale of Outcasts, despite its many flaws. Does it read like every thirteen-year-old girl’s embarrassing stash of unpublished Ancient Magus Bride fanfiction? Yes, unquestionably. But you know what? There are far worse things to be. Maybe it’s the isekai exhaustion getting to me, but there’s something so refreshing about a cringey wish-fulfillment fantasy adventure populated by stock archetypes and hacky plotting that’s actually, like, wholesome? That feels like it was made out of genuine amateurish love for Victorian splendor mixed with demon furries instead of incel resentment that the world isn’t catering to their every whim? Yeah, it’s still cringe, but it’s charmingly cringe, not revoltingly cringe. I still can’t really recommend it unless you’ve got a real soft spot for deep-voiced daddy beast people who can be your angle or your dveil, but out of all the bad shows I kept up with this season, this was the one where I never minded clicking on that next episode button, and that’s gotta count for something.

Urusei Yatsura (2nd Half): 5.5/10

I think it takes a change in mindset to really appreciate Urusei Yatsura. True to its 70s roots, this is not an anime to watch for a constant sense of forward progression. This is a show to be enjoyed as a reliable weekly comfort, 25 minutes of mayhem every 7 days with a familiar cast of characters bouncing off each other endlessly. If you come in looking for a tightly woven narrative that’s always driving toward a forseeable endpoint like most modern anime confined to single cours runs, you’re likely to be disappointed. But if you let yourself just enjoy the chaos and don’t worry about what might come next, I think you’ll find a lot to like here. If nothing else, I appreciate Studio David sticking to that old-fashioned spirit. But I have to admit, I might’ve preferred a more streamlined adaptation that doesn’t waste a second of runtime. What can I say, I’m used to modern anime pacing. Or maybe I’m just annoyed by yet another instance of a tomboy character who wants to be more feminine. Which, you know, not Ryunosuke’s fault that particular trope has gotten so beaten to death these days, but still. Sometimes making changes for modern times isn’t such a bad thing, you know?

Revenger: 6/10

So y’all hear about this Gen Urobuchi guy? Apparently he was pretty famous back in the day or something, IDK. He’s been plugging away at his goofy Taiwanese puppets show for the past few years and slapped his name on the story concepts of a few high profile projects for extra buzz, but now at last, he’s returned to grace us with a full story and script from his own hands! ...and apparently from 17 years in the past as well, because from what I’ve heard, Urobuchi originally wrote Revenger back in 2006, well before the one-two-three punch of Madoka Magica, Fate/Zero and Psycho-Pass that would make him a household name. And boy does it definitely feel like a trial run of those shows. Not that it’s bad by any means; it’s slickly produced, the cast has good chemistry, and the Booch is clearly having fun coming up with creative ways for evil bastards to be mercilessly slaughtered. But that’s really all it is, with little of the staggering depth and emotional complexity that would later earn him a place among the greats. It’s a first draft of basically all the thematic ideas he’d later perfect: the corruption of systems of power, the failure of blind heroism, the necessity of finding hope even in the darkest corners of the earth. I still recommend it for any fans of creative edgy violence, but don’t come in expecting another Madoka. It’s a bite-sized snack of an Urobuchi show, not the main course. And I’m totally fine with that; it’s entertaining enough on its own modest merits to be worth a look.

Play It Cool, Guys (2nd Half): 6/10

Yeah, I knew this one was gonna grow on me. There’s nothing like a really good low-key deadpan comedy to put me in a good mood at the end of a long day. Really, I think Cool Doji Danshi’s secret weapon is how much it appreciates the mundane awkwardness of everyday life. I have been in many situations much like its titular characters, little moments of confusion where the pieces don’t quite line up how they’re supposed to and before I know it I’m putting my umbrella in the fridge because I momentarily mixed it up with the groceries. And also like its title characters, I’ve learned just how damn important these moments are to my life. None of us are perfect meat machines 100% of the time; in many ways, our clumsiness is what makes us human far more than our accomplishments. And there’s something so wonderfully comforting about watching these boys (and men) come to appreciate their own imperfections much as I’ve done of myself. We need more shows that celebrate that simple silliness as well as this one does. So if you’ve been looking for something to lift your spirits in this increasingly grim world, I cannot recommend this show enough.

Sugar Apple Fairy Tale: 6.5/10

Do my eyes deceive me? A non-isekai, shoujo oriented fantasy that’s all about slavery being a bad thing? Stop the presses, we’re defying all the norms over here! Between this and the new season of Vinland Saga, it feels like we’re finally starting to push back on the noxious floodgates that Shield Hero pried open, and I could not be more thankful for that. Now, is Sugar Apple Fairy Tale a perfect depiction of the dynamics of slavery? Fuck no, it’s a young adult wish-fulfillment romance about a hot sulky fairy boy falling for the woman that was once his owner, this thing’s as problematic as an Antebellum-era Uncle Tom’s Cabin ripoff. But at least it’s actually trying to say something about the effects of dehumanization on a societal scale and how it manifests, and I’d argue it succeeds more often than it trips over itself. Plus, how fucking great is it to have an actual shoujo romance again? Set in a charming fantasy world with some actual originality? Sugar Apple Fairy Tale’s not perfect, but its charms are evident of a trend I hope to see countless other shows follow. The more fantasy anime looks like this instead of The World’s Strongest Necromancer is Reincarnated With a Cheat Skill In Another World Harem (I just made that title up, but admit it, you weren’t sure at first), the better off we’ll all be.

Ippon Again: 6.5/10

We seriously need more good female-centric sports anime. The guys have been dominating the field with their shounens and seinens while the girls are forced to subside on moeblob table scraps more concerned with being cute than actually telling a compelling sports narrative, or else being handed the absolute bottom of the production barrel (cries in Farewell My Dear Cramer). Ippon Again isn’t gonna right the ship all on its own, but it’s a damn good first step. The characters feel like believable teenagers, their judo matches are given genuine weight and strong animation, and while it suffers from some tired sports anime cliches, it always executes them with heart firmly on its sleeve. At its best, it captures the same freewheeling adolescent spirit that defines the likes of A Place Further Than the Universe, and I don’t say that lightly. It’s no masterpiece, but it’s a damn good time with no caveats, and hopefully it’ll only be the first of many great lady-centric sports anime to come.

Tsurune Season 2: 7/10

If you’ve somehow forgotten about the first season of KyoAni’s pretty boys doing archery show Tsurune from back in 2018, well, I don’t blame you. As a testing ground for the studio’s rookie talent to take their first crack at putting their own show together, it was by far the studio’s most workmanlike production, an all-around solid experience but lacking the insane polish and panache that defines the KyoAni brand. But my god, what a difference five years makes. Tsurune’s second season isn’t just a massive upgrade on the production front, it’s a complete overhaul on the show’s entire look and feel. It’s sweeping and elegant, it’s vibrant and explosive, it’s as expertly poised and shimmering as a bowstring drawn at dawn right before it releases a brilliant arrow. This show has gone from KyoAni’s simplest looking show to one of its most richly cinematic, complete with earthier color tones and revamped score from Fruits Basket composer Masaru Yokoyama. Yes, it’s ultimately still just a show about pretty boys learning to shoot bows well as they overcome their issues together. But with such a massive step up in its look and feel, it’s officially become just as much appointment viewing as any KyoAni masterpiece.

Blue Lock (2nd Half): 7.5/10

Now that’s more fucking like it. Last season I bemoaned the lack of edgy death game nonsense I was promised in this edgy death game sports anime, but once we reached the second selection, Blue Lock kicked into high gear and made good on its premise at last. Betrayals! Allies turned enemies! Enemies turned allies! Overcharged homoerotic rivalries and break-ups alike! Overdramatic shonen boys trying to crush each other underfoot to grow stronger! Self-actualization through rejecting the power of friendship and embracing the power of “Fuck this guy!” This is everything I wanted when I first learned about Blue Lock’s premise, twisting the classic shonen sports formula into an equally blood-pumping tale of clashing egos and selfishness as everyone fights to become the best player by embracing their worst selves. It might have taken a hot second to get there, but now that it’s arrived, this show has become some of the most deliriously entertaining chaos you’re likely to find in the genre. Well done, you mad genius.

Buddy Daddies: 8/10

Man, whoever’s making the decisions on what shows PA Works produces is really on a roll lately, huh? It takes a real genius to look at premises like Ya Boi Kongming and Akiba Maid War and see an opportunity to create something truly special. But even that pales in comparison to the brilliance behind Buddy Daddies, a.k.a. “Hey, so this Spy x Family show is about to take over the world, right? What if we made our own version of that, but mix in the homoerotic buddy-cop energy of Tiger and Buddy to make it stand out?” That’s the kind of galaxy-brain thinking that’s rapidly making this studio a personal favorite of mind. And it’s that kind of confidence and pure solid storytelling chops that make Buddy Daddies just as entertaining and endearing as its most obvious inspiration. It’s not exactly the same- it’s set in modern day, it’s more focused on the child-raising than the assassin stuff- but it’s every bit as good at nailing that specific sweet spot of deliciously entertaining spy action, wholesome family hijinks, and the bittersweet space in between trying to reconcile those two worlds. Heck, Miri’s a way more realistic four-year-old than Anya ever was; you can tell the writers really did their research on what it’s like to care for a child that young. The year’s still young, but I think this show is already a strong contender for the feel-good masterpiece of 2023. Just don’t go in expecting the hot guys to kiss, because you will leave disappointed if you do.

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady: 8.5/10

We’ve done it, folks. We’ve finally cracked the code on how to make modern isekai great. Step One: Center it on a female protagonist with an actual personality instead of an empty self-insert male-patterned cooler full of stale oatmeal. Step Two: Make your story all about subverting the exhausting masturbatory self-centeredness of vanilla isekai in favor of a symbolic or literal revolution to give power back to all lovers of fantasy instead of pandering to maladjusted thirty-year-old manchildren. Step Three: As part of that progressive reinvention, make it GAY. AS. FUCK. The Executioner and her Way of Life was a strong step in the right direction, but as good as that show was, there was clearly still room to push things even further. But now, at last, that potential has been fully realized by the stunning tale of a reincarnated princess and a genius young lady coming together to revolutionize the world. Folks, MagiRevo fucking rules. The main leads are wonderful separately and even more wonderful together, the production is strong enough to carry the story’s soaring ambition, and it’s a genuinely powerful exploration of the harms caused by archaic systems of patriarchal power, and how difficult it is- but also how necessary- to change what’s been leading a society down the wrong path for so long. And while it drags a little in the midsection, it all culminates in a spectacular final act and a final episode that had me sobbing in my seat for 25 straight minutes. This isn’t just the best isekai since Re:Zero, this is a triumph of queer fantasy carving its own revolution through a genre that’s desperately needed it for far too long. So come join me and raise your banner with Anis and Euphie, because their journey deserves all the attention we can give. I promise, you won’t regret it.

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