Episode 18

**The Revenge** (復讐 *Fukushū*) is the eighteenth episode of the *Dead Mount Death Play* anime.

## Official Blurb

Iwanome unmasks the traitor in the Metropolitan Police, but subduing them won't be easy—and he isn't the only one out for payback. An enigmatic new arrival may make things unexpectedly personal for the Corpse God.

## Synopsis

Flashback
Hideaki Habaki chastises a black-haired Tsubaki Iwanome for recklessly peeking at classified data from HQ. which Habaki correctly presumes Iwanome did in the name of carrying on his late mentor Miyabi Hosorogi's investigation. He urges Iwanome to face the future instead of the past, for the sake of himself *and* those who have passed on. Iwanome, his gaze falling on a framed photograph of Habaki and his late daughter, bows in apologetic sorrow for Habaki's own personal loss. Habaki says he is alive for his daughter's sake as much as his own, for he is determined to see his job through to the bitter end.

**Opening credits.**

Present
Iwanome stares at this stranger Habaki, whose veins bulge and whose eyes whiten, and asks if Habaki lied with regard to everything he ever said about his daughter. Habaki hurls with one arm the toppled bookshelf at him, shouting that he shall not give up the position for which he traded his daughter; Kōzaburō Arase kicks the bookshelf back before it can hit him or his boss and remarks that Habaki is surely still better than Lemmings when it comes to opponents.

Ranmaru Yatsu slams the door open and asks if "Iwa-*san*" is all right. As Kayakusa and other Comps-3 members rush down the hallway behind him to subdue the belligerent law enforcement personnel [LEPs], he explains that he became concerned after he passed an officer who was behaving strangely and rallied the other Comps-3 members on a hunch. Habaki follows Iwanome and Arase out of the room not more than a minute later, at which point Danjō Tozawa asks Iwanome what they are charging him with. Uncaring, Habaki holds up his smartphone and rambles about how he ought to thank Fire-breathing Bug for enabling him to "[make] it in time."

Iwanome wonders if Habaki is on call with Kuon Higuro or someone else, but any chance to ask is lost when the ceiling lights switch off. Habaki yells as he makes to charge; Arase tosses Iwsanome a flashlight, which he switches on in time to see Tozawa spin Habaki so that he crashes onto the ground. "Great!" Iwanome calls, only to sober at the sight of a policeman aiming a handgun—*how'd he get that cleared in HQ?*—at Tozawa. He shouts a warning, but Yatsu is already sliding to kick Tozawa's feet out from under him, just in time for the bullet to whiz through the space where Tozawa had been. Habaki meanwhile whizzes past the policeman, declaring that the two of them shall reunite in the "other side of the sky" as he does," and bursts through a window to make his escape despite their floor being several storeys up. Iwanome recognizes the policeman as one of the two who partook in Unit 1's evacuation of the Abandoned Building moments before the smiling policeman shoots himself in the head.

Iwanome orders Tozawa and Yatsu to pursue Habaki. As they run off, HQ's lights switch back on. More Fire-breathing Bugs besides the ones being subdued by Comps-3 members shuffle forward but halt, muttering that they do not wish to burn the just. The light in the eyes of the LEPs shifts; they blink and shake themselves, some asking where they are and others why they are under arrest. Their actions remind Iwanome of the report about the circumstances of Shinoyama arsonist's death while in police custody. He speculates to Arase that "The Fire-breathing Bug is one person, but they also aren't [...] are we dealing with hypnosis?"

As Tozawa and Yatsu take to the sidewalk under a sheet of steady rain, Tozawa suggests that they split up. Yatsu agrees and runs off, somewhat chagrined as he imagines just what his sister will have to say to him after tonight. Once Tozawa is alone, he procures his phone and puts it to his ear.

On one of Shinjuku's rooftops, Habaki looks around anxiously and then relaxes when the sorcerer Civil calls out a greeting. Relief becomes excitement as he asks when Civil arrived in Japan—today, replies Civil, adding that he was in the midst of researching hotels when Habaki's emergency call reached HQ. Habaki beams as he asks if Civil was responsible for the TMPD blackout that facilitated his escape. Civil brushes off any need for thanks and brings up Habaki's unique generosity in gifting the 'lab' his own daughter, and Habaki boasts that his daughter is surely rejoicing in the hereafter.

Civil rubs his neck as he admits that Habaki is wrong on two counts. First, Habaki was wrong to assume that Civil's comment about "past and future good work deserving a reward" was about him; Civil says he fully intended and intends to abandoned Habaki, pointing out that he told Habaki not to thank him. Second, Habaki was wrong to invoke a phrase—"in the hereafter"—that is usually spoken in reference to dead people.

The muscular woman with sharp teeth punches Habaki in the nose and tells her dad "long time, no see." Habaki splutters as he asks if she is Soara Habaki, his daughter. Yes, Soara answers. The bothersome love child he pawned off to the laboratory. Civil cuts in to say that Soara emerged from the laboratory's experiments as their first survivor, something he never bothered to inform Habaki of since he never asked. Although Habaki has not asked now, Civil divulges that Soara—or "Arahabaki," if one were to use her code name—now outranks her father. Furthermore, he says with a leer, Soara requested that he let her personally "execute the father who made her a lab rat."

Soara says that she has been daydreaming of the day she could inflict unto her father the same injuries she endured as a lab rat. Habaki swings his right fist at her, but she crushes his offending wrist. Lulu joins Civil as he watches Soara twist the leg of her father and then beat him with her fists; she exclaims that she told herself that she would let him live if he ever bothered to come find out what became of her. Even just once. She hoists him into the air by his neck and smiles. "Lucky for me, you're heartless."

From a distant building under construction, Rinne Horojima settles the scope of her sniper rifle on the pair.

Habaki pleads that he is "so close to finding the sorcerer from the other side of the sky," that he just needs a little more time. Civil expresses doubt in Habaki's chances of success and, when Habaki protests, remarks that "facing forward [the future]" is the only method that has worked for Habaki so far, but nevertheless, Habaki ought to have looked back as well—to Soara back then yet also "right in this moment."

In one moment, Soara is reacting to her boss with a confused "huh?" In the next, she feels her father spasm under her grip from the shock of a bullet piercing his cranium. Hiiro Horojima confirms that Rinne shot their target via his binoculars, only to grouse that shooting a beat-up middle-aged guy is hardly a true test of their skills. He wonders why the Shinjuku mediator asked them to carry out such a petty revenge.

Lisa Kuraki, having abandoned a pack of Virginia Slims in a tall liquor glass, instructs Koruto Ichinose to prepare to head out.

When Soara asks Civil to give her the order, Civil grants her three minutes. She acknowledges this with a "sicut vis," releases her father, and sets off. Hiiro retreats from the guardrail of his and his sister's perch at a slow pace, but it is too late; Soara has launched herself at their building and is now climbing up the scaffolds and tarps with celerity. Rinne shoots at her to no avail; she uses a pipe to vault her over the guardrail, circus-style, and demands that the siblings make up for the revenge that they stole from her. Rinne shoots at her eyes; she dodges, compliments Rinne for the strategic targeting, and lunges. However, Carla Wong, Deathclaw Saya, and Izuna Ajishiro from Youtoukorou interfere. Hiiro recognizes them from when he and Rinne introduced themselves to Lisa and asks if they were monitoring them in case of complications. Izuna confirms this by saying Clarissa is too smart to give newbies free rein. Rinne badmouths Clarissa but thanks the women for coming to the rescue. All, despite themselves—*including Soara*—find her adorable, though Soara insists her gang has a cutie (Lulu) as well. At the thought of her crew, she looks around, panics, and runs off, aware that more than three minutes have probably elapsed.

Corpse God welcomes Lisa Kuraki to the Building despite the late hour, with Sayo Shinoyama and Koruto standing by their respective affiliates. Lisa says that she needs Corpse God's powers to speak with someone urgently. Hosorogi, a mere pencil on the desk, internally flinches. Lisa greets Sayo, who she knows is related to Polka Shinoyama but otherwise has never met before; Corpse God hastens to update her that Sayo and Rozan Shinoyama both know the truth of who he is. Lisa advises him to be careful when choosing to divulge his secrets considering that someone still wants the real Polka dead.

Taipei calls Takeru Shinoyama to inform him that Lisa is in active contact with Polka and Takeru's sister, Sayo. Takeru instructs him to stand by until or unless the tide turns to violence.

Lisa asks if Corpse God will or will not accompany her to fulfill her request. Corpse God says he is willing were it not for the fact that he would be leaving Sayo alone, which he is reluctant to do since he suspects Takumi Kuruya, Misaki Sakimiya, and Xiaoyu Lei have ran into trouble. Lisa assures him that this problem can be ameliorated. When she, Koruto, and Corpse God emerge from the building a couple minutes later, she announces into thin air that "Young Miss Sayo" is minding the house and that she must be kept safe until Lisa's people return. From behind a pillar, Taipei mutters, "She-fox."

In Jirotarou Takanosu's study, Takanosu reviews the night's events with Iwanome. Solitaire infiltrated HQ, unsound people turned violent, a gun that was fired on a colleague was then used to commit suicide, and blackout was deliberately caused that, whether intentionally or otherwise, allowed Solitaire and Habaki to escape the premises. Iwanome asks if Takanosu suspected Habaki from the start; Takanosu says that Habaki was one of multiple suspects he had in mind when it came to a high-ranking mole, the existence of which he had been convinced of since at least five years ago; five years ago, they almost had him, but the person closest to pinpointing the truth vanished along with the evidence. Iwanome starts. "You don't mean..."

On a certain rooftop, Corpse God informs Lisa that he can sense the presence of a newly dead and that he can render them visible to only the people present. Lisa tells him to do so. He does. Habaki's suspended form crackles into view, blood streaks down his face, blood staining his clothes. Lisa greets him with no small amount of satisfaction, whereas Hosorogi, tucked into Corpse God's chest, is more unnerved. Habaki recalls that Lisa was the one who made Hosorogi's body disappear. Lisa mockingly offers him her condolences even as she calls him out for why he is peeved; he had been hoping to pin Hosorogi's death on her by framing Hosorogi's murder as a crime of passion, i.e. "misguided infatuation." Hosorogi, meanwhile, is not so much unsettled by the apparent inculpation of Habaki, one of his suspects, as he is by the fact that Habaki is dead. Why is he dead? Did Lisa order his death?

Habaki disgustedly calls LIsa a monster for grinding up her lover's body so, although she replies his disgust is the greatest compliment she could ever hope to aspire to. She voices her sole question for him: "Who told you to order Hosorogi-*san*'s murder?"

Habaki refuses to talk. Lisa beckons Corpse God, who is already plying Habaki with Magic; he explains to Lisa that he has used a spell that stokes and appeals to a person's traits; in this case, he stoked the flames of Habaki's ego. Habaki crows that he made an offering to the Bastard Children of Sabaramond and, when Corpse God questions his familiarity with the name Sabaramond, scrutinizes the power that Corpse God wields. He surmises that Corpse God must be the sorcerer from the other side of the sky whom he was looking for, which is a surprise to Corpse God, and clutches his head in ecstasy. He will be able to prove himself to the "great one." He will be able to teach his *daughter* a lesson—the daughter who ought to be grateful to him for leaving her to die for the organization, for him.

Habaki's memories flood Corpse God and filter down to Hosorogi, including the memory in which he lies to a young, scared Soara about where she is going. Hosorogi realizes with shock that *Corpse God*'s own memories are filtering through to him too. The most overt one takes place in a cemetery, where Corpse God's father asks his son to spot him some of the money he made in the war so that he can feed Corpse God's mother and younger siblings. Corpse God grimaces as he rummages for his purse, then stiffens as a blade slides itself into his back. As he collapses, his father confesses that men from Nyanild promised him drugs if he were to kill his son. Moreover, he sold Corpse God's mother, little brother(s) and sister(s) too, and he appreciates them all for it.

Koruto leans closer to Lisa as the air shifts around them—this is Corpse God's magic, pulsating and writhing in the open space. Corpse God says that he is still calm enough to understand that they ought to pry more information from Habaki, but he nonetheless asks Lisa if he can "do as he please." Habaki rises aloft, magic coiling around his ankles and wrists, and Lisa essentially says, a smile curling her lips, that she cannot stop Corpse God from doing what he wants. Corpse God spears Habaki with a ring of spikes, remembering all the while what became of himself in the aftermath of his death. He had come to as a skeleton clutching his jarred brain in the midst of a magic circle, with Easlies Swordfrail, Utsurojuza, and Emperor Framrodia Byandiraz standing at his side. Easlies had explained that the blade he was stabbed with was cursed to prevent bodily resurrection—something so dastardly that she is sure it must have been the work of Geldwood's rotten Saint—and that the blade was also imbued with a soul-destroying spell. How fortunate, she says, that she had happened to make Corpse God undead on a 'whim.

Emperor Framrodia mischievously recalls that Easlies was positively relieved when it was confirmed they preserved Corpse God's "soul core" before Corpse God's brain could dissolve. Easlies dismisses this memory as faulty. Framrodia asks if he is also misremembering how she begged Utsurojuza to save her pupil, and she insists Framrodia is mistaken and possibly touched in the head. He laughs at her impudence, though Utsurojuza is more inclined to call her a hag, and crouches to tell Corpse God about how worried they were upon learning he had been fatally stabbed. When Corpse God remains silent, Easlies explains that it will take time for Corpse God to be able to produce sound from bone, but she can guess that he was worried that his undead status would lead to the end of his and the Emperor's friendship.

Framrodia tuts that Corpse God severely underestimated not them, but himself. He encourages his "dear friend," *Rizdilusia Redrazalf*, not to bother worrying over the fate of his father or himself when the Empire shall always support him.

In the present, Corpse God murmurs that he still believes even now that Gods do not play games. It is only "immature beings like himself who toy with lives out of emotion." He manipulates a large skeletal hand to wrap itself around Habaki, but before he can crush him, a soul grabs his hand and reminds him that he "needn't sully [himself] for a nobody like him."

Corpse God stiffly replies, "I don't recall summoning you, Your Imperial Majesty."

## Adapted From

* Chapter 53
* Chapter 54
* Chapter 55
* Chapter 56