SWNOVELXO chapter 39 - Fuma Yukika
At that moment.
A shadow site known to anyone who lived in Japan’s underworld.
To the locals, it was called the Darknet Middle Ages Jebland Branch—the anonymous freeboard hosted on Japanese servers.
An anonymous post was uploaded.
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1. From a nameless VIP: 2017/05/03(Wed) 13:27:18.47 ID:lokoisGod
Just got a message from a buddy working on the EE security team—any truth to the rumor that Black Yasha’s coffin got ripped open and he’s back?
2. Nameless Contractor
It’s true. The Destruction God himself confirmed it. They were just seen fighting in Akihabara and the rumors are all over Tokyo. EE tried to suppress info with an EMP, so no one got video, but there had to be at least a few dozen eyewitnesses, minimum.
3. From a nameless VIP: 2017/05/03(Wed) 13:28:37.13 ID:lokoisGod
Holy shiiiiiit….
4. Nameless Hacker
But isn’t Black Yasha kinda overhyped? If he’s from 10 years ago, I bet half of it’s just exaggerated crap.
5. Random Nameless Passerby
???
6. Nameless Acupuncturist
?????
7. Nameless Martial Artist
???????
8. From a nameless VIP: 2017/05/03(Wed) 13:30:23.47 ID:lokoisGod
www Look at this noob collecting aggro like it’s loot drops wwwww Of course Black Yasha is overhyped. It’s unbelie‘bubble’.
9. Nameless Hacker
If you wanna argue, at least ‘explain’ yourself.
10. Nameless Acupuncturist
You… young folks should learn to look things up before flapping your mouths. Makes me want to stitch your lips shut with a needle.
11. Nameless Martial Artist
First time I’ve seen someone call the Legendary Seven-Fist Sage hype. You got a death wish, or are your guts hanging out your back? I’m not gonna go far.
12. Random Nameless Passerby
(This comment has already been deleted by Ivan’s Imperial Guard.)
13. Nameless Patriot
(image: fluttering Japanese flag) If you’re Japanese, kneel to Black Yasha, the only Japanese among the Legendary Seven-Fist Sages.
14. Nameless Hacker
(image: foreigner reacting in awe to automatic taxi doors) Don’t you get tired of that national pride crap?
15. Nameless Patriot
(image: “49 Things About Japan That Shocked the World!”) Nope~ Never tired~ Always thrilling~ Always fresh~
16. Random Nameless Passerby
Why is that fake patriot freak always on this board. Is he a damn haunt?
17. From a nameless VIP: 2017/05/03(Wed) 13:40:55.06 ID:lokoisGod
Honestly think there’s real kingtential here. Go outside, seriously!!!
18. I Love Being Anonymous Nameless Guy
Fact: The NINJA that appears in Sasuke Ninja Scrolls is historically accurate. It’s even written in the Kojiki.
19. Nameless Acupuncturist
Losing my mind…
20. Nameless Hacker
But if Black Yasha really was so incredible, why did he suddenly vanish? Wasn’t he supposed to be the strongest contractor in the underworld?
21. Era Nerd Grandpa
Heh heh heh… This old man shall explain….
22. Nameless Martial Artist
Nobody called you, Grandpa. Go home.
23. Nameless Acupuncturist
Is it just me, or is writing old man in kanji the most aggravating part?
24. Era Nerd Grandpa
Black Yasha… that is, the 17th head of the Fuma Clan, Fuma Kotaro, first made a name for himself on a summer night in 1999…
25. Nameless Hacker
Can someone give me the TL;DR?
26. From a nameless VIP: 2017/05/03(Wed) 13:48:21.36 ID:lokoisGod
Destruction God Ivan hosted the first God of Fist tournament in 1999 to find a rival. Out of nowhere, this ridiculously strong NINJA popped up and wiped out all the other ninjas! Reached the finals and became a legend.
27. Era Nerd Grandpa
The Fist God Tournament… warriors from across the world gathered in search of wealth and glory… then, suddenly, a man in black ninja garb appeared from the shadows…
28. Random Nameless Passerby
How long is this lore-addict gonna keep explaining?
29. Nameless Patriot
Japanese NINJA are invincible and Black Yasha is a god.
30. Nameless Contractor
You secretly like Man-God, don’t you?
31. Nameless Patriot
Aaaaaagh! No, I don’t!
32. Nameless Martial Artist
If Man-God can make even that mindless nationalist spamming memes freak out, it’s basically holy scripture…
33. Nameless Contractor
Sasuke Ninja Scrolls is. A. Maz. Ing.
34. From a nameless VIP: 2017/05/03(Wed) 13:55:27.53 ID:lokoisGod
Ugh~ I’m not watching~ Your Man-God’s only good at art, your story sucks~
35. Era Nerd Grandpa
The end of the century… The world was abuzz with Nostradamus and the God of Fist tournament… In those turbulent times, a black-haired wanderer emerged and challenged the world’s strongest…
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"……."
It was Golden Week, but Fuma Yukika hadn’t been able to return home because of her part-time job.
She skimmed through the anonymous thread on the darknet message board, half-doubting its contents, yet still began getting ready to go out.
Because the “Black Yasha,” mentioned on the board, was none other than her father—who had left home about ten years ago.
She didn’t know if the person sighted in Akihabara really was her dad, but it was worth checking.
'Would he even remember my face?'
The Fuma Clan hadn’t always been this desperate. Until ten years ago, they were still holding on.
But after her father, the clan’s central pillar, left, everything slowly unraveled.
The clan members scattered to find new livelihoods, and their strength dwindled to a mere shadow of its former self. Now, they barely existed in name.
She hadn’t even met him yet, and already a storm of emotions swirled inside her.
She wanted to ask why he left the village—why he abandoned her.
“…Father.”
Muttering the word she hadn’t spoken in so long, Fuma Yukika locked the door to her tiny apartment and headed toward Akihabara, where Black Yasha had allegedly been seen.
***
To avoid being seen, we slipped into a back alley in Akihabara and made our way to a coin laundry.
Whiiirrrrr—
While the washing machine spun my hoodie—caked in dust and the kidnappers’ blood—I turned to Sasha, who was staring at her phone like she was bored out of her mind.
“So? What do you want to do next?”
Sasha finally lifted her eyes from the screen and replied,
“I kinda wanna sightsee around Akihabara a bit.”
“…Aren’t you technically a fugitive right now?”
“You beat ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) the crap out of them, so we’ve probably got a few hours’ peace. Just stick with me till seven, like we agreed.”
She’d already paid me in advance, so I couldn’t really argue.
Instead, I decided to bring up something that had been bugging me.
“By the way, why hasn’t anything about our fight shown up online?”
There had been enough witnesses that it wouldn’t have been strange if at least one or two videos got uploaded.
But after browsing a few message boards, it was oddly quiet.
Sasha crossed her legs and answered coolly,
“That’s probably because of the EMP.”
“…EMP?”
“EE’s combat units always start major operations by releasing an EMP pulse to knock out all nearby electronics. These days, stuff goes viral on SNS in seconds.”
“Then what about the posts?”
“That’s probably Japan’s cabinet working with them to suppress info. With EE’s power, that’s totally doable.”
By now I was really starting to wonder what this EE Company was that she kept mentioning.
Surely she didn’t mean the Yonggae Bros.
Sasha, noticing my expression, spoke seriously.
“EE stands for Easter Egg Company. It’s a giant Russian military-industrial corporation.”
“…Why the hell would a place like that try to kidnap you?”
“I told you earlier, didn’t I? I’m the daughter of someone pretty high up in Russia.”
“…Did you?”
Honestly, with how chaotic things had been, I had kind of forgotten.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
Just then, the machine beeped that the wash was done. I opened the door and pulled out the now-clean hoodie.
It was still damp.
I tossed it into the coin dryer next to it and started the cycle, then leaned back against the laundromat’s glass wall and asked Sasha, who was yawning,
“So where do you wanna go next?”
“Hmm? Isn’t it obvious?”
She spun her phone screen around and held it up for me to see.
“If you’re in Akihabara, you’ve gotta go to a maid café, duh.”