Chapter 3: A Letter of Defeat

Duran

“I should start this off on a cheerful and positive note.” I thought to myself as I began to format my letter, though I suppose I could just as easily consider it a plea.

“My name is Duran, the owner of Aragonian Sports and More. It seems our businesses have been in contact for quite some time now, and I appreciate your loyalty and support. I am the son of Elbaf of the clan of Aragon, whom you may have had the most contact with. I have a lovely wife named Eleanor, and she was once part of the Soma clan, a somewhat historically hostile clan to mine. But now, she is one of the last of my own clan. We recently had a son, thus growing the clan business even more. We named him Gondor. It wasn’t long after Gondor’s birth that I was forced to move the business for the first time since its origin. This move was slowly forced upon us due to the Sodomites capitalizing on and manipulating the majority of the Aragonians into joining the Japanese populace. They then slowly used the Soma clan's power and influence to take over the Aragonian lands and, as such, the establishments on them. While the Soma clan did most of the dirty political work, demonstrating its power and prominence to Japan, the Sodomites just grew stronger and more influential. With Gomorrah's rise to power, only a few clan leaders were left to keep him from being the sole power in Japan. Due to these events, Aragonian Sports and More will be no more. We are functioning in partial capacity as E.A.Sports, or Eleanor's Sports and Activities. Before the business was taken, we had a few loyal customers and some brief stints with customers interested in sports every now and then. But all in all, the once-proud and long-standing clan has all but fallen. The people from my clan have renounced their association, turning blind eyes, content to live in the Neo Tokyo that the Sodomites and other major clans had created.”

Duran rubbed his head furiously. He knew it was a long shot, but if he could get ahold of whoever their contact was with Grizzies, at least he could tell them the situation. Duran sighed and resumed his message, hoping it would reach this code name EVO33. He found himself wishing his father Elbaf hadn't been so secretive. But that couldn't be helped; he concentrated on the best summary possible and continued his letter.

"The capital of Japan is back and bigger than ever. The majority of the Japanese populace that wasn't a part of one of the major clans were content and more than happy to move into the new and booming capital. They seemed to take pride in returning to the once bomb-ridden land. It had been abandoned, but before their rise, it seems Sodomites had rebuilt Tokyo, aiming for a city that would thrive off of the Interwebs and augmented reality interactions. They succeeded in this venture, and their success helped them rise to power and bring back the nation of Japan. Though I am sure a man such as yourself already knew this." I cringed a little at my writing but not enough to delete the words, so I continued once again.

"With the help of the Somas, they used what was once Aragonian land to build factories for the creation of nutrient pills that, if taken throughout the day, would act as meals and provide the people with a balanced 'healthy' diet. This allowed the populace to spend much more time on the Interwebs in whatever reality they wished. The Soma clan investigated our business and took over most of our buildings, stumbling upon our seemingly random non-contractual interactions with your business, Grizzies.

“It seems my brother-in-law, Escanor, plans to reach out to see if he can strike up a contract similar to what you used to have with A.S.M and my family. Escanor's goal is to improve the Soma's augmented reality business by analyzing the resources left in the P.N.W.A. so that they can make a more realistic ‘reality’ for the Japanese populace to live out the old fabled 'American dream,' and of course, the many other things your land has to offer. The head of this operation, as you might have guessed, is Escanor Soma, the younger brother of Eleanor. While he is not next in line to be head of the clan, he is favored to be the next head of the clan due to his accomplishments and drive. It was Escanor who had laid the groundwork for the Wonder Meal Pill that had taken Tokyo by storm. It seems Escanor plans to use the P.N.W.A. to help him take Tokyo once again and further cement the Soma clan's importance and power.

“To be fair, this could be quite profitable for Grizzies, so I am not discouraging it. I understand running a business. However, you need to understand that Escanor is a potential loose cannon in search of power. He likes the new Japan and the way things have settled. It was almost like Japan from long, long ago, where the clans run the country, and those who weren't fortunate enough to be born into a clan were ruled by the clans. It is even more unfortunate that Gomorrah is close to bringing back the old system of the Shogunate, except in a more powerful role. But as long as the determined Escanor is around and can help it, the Somas will never let that happen. Which I suppose I am grateful for, albeit their clan has been a thorn in my side many a time. Escanor seems content to let the Sodomites do as they please because the more Gomorrah and his clan gain in power, the more they rely on the Somas.

“I believe Escanor already has his next few moves in mind, and he hopes that soon the Sodomites will be just the figureheads of United Japan, while the Somas run things from the shadows. I pray to have future interactions with you and that you will have wisdom when it comes to Escanor. I hope that you will not forsake the A.S.M. even though we can hardly be considered partners anymore. I beseech you to remember the history that ties us together and continue to support E.A. Sports, as well as the clan of Aragon from the shadows. May we achieve our mutual goals and bring glory to the Creator of all.”

I ended the letter with the signature: Duran, son of Elbaf of the clan of Aragon, the last owner of the A.S.M. and part-owner of the new E.A Sports.