So there's something to this piece that resonated with me, and it is fairly easy to pin down. The characters. These three are just endlessly enjoyable to me. I normally don't like people with Taku's general demeanor, but his endless positivity is charming in that sense. Yayoi is my second favorite, and her snappiness but willingness to banter worked out great too, especially with her own hidden quirks. I think Teri worked great as a protagonist, and he bounced off the other two very well also.

I don't necessarily think the worldbuilding was anything special, but I also don't think it was trying to make a vastly deep world. This is a very focused story, and knows what it's strengths are. The prose is clean and readable, and the dialogue is hilarious. A journey with these three makes you really care about their problems, their betrayals, and Taku's endless optimism that he's going to end up on top.

A really enjoyable, focused, and tight story. Well done.