Neon Codex Sword Gospel: V - Ninety-Nine Percent is Good Enough

They stepped out onto the roof, the alarms still blaring. Camera drones started circling, identifying the trespassers. Tsunami, in a flash, was wearing an elaborate golden dress, the same color as her eyes, and equally as glowing. It had black bars running down the length of it, sending off bee-like vibes. She wore a tiara on her hair, now its full rainbow of colors, and her lipstick and eyeshadow held it all together. She held a microphone in her hand.

The video feed from the drones circling her was projected on the nearby smartpanes of the buildings all around, showing Tsunami, larger than life, kaiju-sized, and looking down at the city.

“Konbanwa, Neonekotopia!” she said into the microphone. “Are you ready to rock?”

A faint sound emanated from the city below.

“I can't hear you!” she said.

The sound of the crowd below grew louder. A chiron blasted across one of the buildings: “Pop Idol in Defiance of 2C Rule.”

Tsunami nodded to Kenichi. His multi took the shape of the guitar, the neon beams bending into the familiar and iconic shape. He started to play the opening riff to Lipstick IP-Switch. He improvised a bit, giving it that familiar yet foreign sound. It was still the same species as Lipstick IP-Switch, but it was one you may not have realized existed. Once he hit the crescendo, fireworks exploded (possibly crowd control measures), and Tsunami stood on an AC unit.

“We're going to be breaking all the rules tonight,” she said into the mic. While the crowd in streets below went mad, she started into her most iconic song.

As the improvised concert went on, the crowds in the street grew and grew. Neither the efforts of the police nor the CHURCH Syndicate could cause them all to disperse. It was the happiest riot the city had ever seen.

In the middle of the next song, Kenichi heard M42UM1 in his ear. “Tsunami, Kenichi,” she said. “The rabbits have set up a backup server. I'm sending you the patch.” Strange computer sounds followed. Kenichi tried to ignore them while he continued to play. “You may start a backup now.”

Tsunami looked over at Kenichi. She pointed to one of the buildings, and replacing the chiron was a progress bar. It started at 1%, then started to crawl up. Kenichi kept playing.

The crowd was unstoppable. The allure of the progress bar had the fascination of every last citizen, as well as several of the Syndicate members. The video feed showing Tsunami blasting through her chart-toppers had their rapt attention.

Kenichi gave it his all. He knew that it was only a glimmer of what it could have been with a full band, but he compensated for that, riffing on the synth solos, the bass solos, and even the drum solos, using his guitar in ways many had not heard before. As he played, the capabilities of the multi opened up to him. He found that he could lay out the rhythm guitar track, then loop it, another neon guitar floating alongside him. He did the same with the other instruments, one after another, giving them the basic instructions via the setlist Tsunami had sent him, but also adding that final Kenichi touch. By the fourth song, there was a full band once more, a new Natural Disaster.

Once Doki Doki Heartquake ended, Tsunami stepped across her stage, the drone cameras following her. “I'd like to thank you all for coming out here to see my biggest show yet. Domo arigato!” She gave a little bow. “As you can see by the fussy people in black suits among you, I've ruffled some feathers. But that's just part of living in a free world.” She walked over to the edge of the building and blew a kiss down at the crowd, sending a holographic heart. It struck the cheek of one of the stern-faced Syndicate members. “Live how you want to live,” she said. “As long as you don't force anybody else to live the way you want to live. ‘Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful,’” She said. She stepped back from the edge of the building. A large wind started to ruffle her hair and dress. Kenichi's tie and coat flapped in the breeze as well. He looked up and saw a black helicopter landing on the rooftop. “‘The person before you is a mirror,’” Tsunami continued. “‘See there your own form.’”

The helicopter door slid open and an elegant woman in a blue and black kimono stepped out. Around her neck was a rosary with a backlit black cross. The kimono had a pixelated snowflake pattern. Kenichi recognized her, not only from the picture he had seen in Acula’s office, but also for the fact that she looked almost identical to her sister. “Shasira,” he whispered.

“‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,’” Tsunami said, directly at Shasira.

The woman stepped forward, giving a slow clap to Tsunami. “Brave, and bold,” she said.

Kenichi looked over at the progress bar. 75%.

“But your little speech does not save you.” Shasira pointed a manicured nail at Tsunami. “You are a machine, a device, an object. You do not have a soul.” She drew the nail up to her lips. “So your fate is irrelevant.”

Kenichi stepped in between the two. “Who's to say who has a soul and who doesn't?”

Shasira's eyes widened at the sight of Kenichi. “Oh,” she said. “So you're the one.” She looked him up and down. “You don't look like much.” She looked past him at Tsunami. “You're just a graven image,” she said. “You deserve to be ground up and placed in the water supply to teach the people a valuable lesson.” She looked at a nearby drone so her face on the buildings was looking down at the crowd. “That will teach them the folly of their ways,” she said.

89%. 90%. 91%. 92%...

Kenichi stepped closer to Shasira. 93%. “I defeated your sister,” he whispered. 94%. “I'll defeat you.” 95%.

She smiled, bit her lip. 96%. “I'm sure you could find a suitable way to punish me,” she said. 97%. “But first, let's give you a reason.” 98%. She pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Tsunami. 99%. BANG!

The bullet whizzed past Kenichi and thudded into something glass and metal. He looked back and saw Tsunami, a fresh hole in her forehead leaking blue oil, falling back. His hand started to itch. Ten, a voice said in his head.

He looked at Shasira, and with a flick of his wrist, his multi went to katana mode. Nine. He flew toward her, blade glowing. Eight. She blocked his first blow with the gun, laughed. Seven. She dodged the second blow. Six. However, the third blow, on the backswing, struck home. Five. He pulled the glowing blade from her heart, her eyes wide, but her grin still wide. Four. As he hurried back to Tsunami, he heard Shasira say, “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other also,” she said. Three. She looked up at the sky, her eyes glazing over. “Vladdr,” she muttered up to the dented neon moon. Two.

Kenichi scooped up Tsunami. Her head lolled, and the blue oil pooled on the ground, and on her clothes, and all over Kenich. “Tsunami?” he said. Nothing.

One. He felt a darkness overcome him. He fell back, his gaze falling onto one of the giant screens on the side of a building that had projected the entire thing to the crowd below. The feed flickered out, only to be replaced by two large, purple zeroes. The blinked into dashes, and with that, Kenichi closed his own and knew no more.