Episode 4

## Shangri-La Frontier (anime)

**A Trash Game Realignment of Elevated Tastes** is the 4th episode of Shangri-La Frontier anime series.

## Synopsis

Sunraku agrees to train under Vysache and he's saddled with the Vorpal Soul Collar which decreases his EXP gain but increases stat point rewards upon leveling up. Afterward Emul offers to join Sunraku's party and they set off for Thirdrema.

## Summary

At Rock Roll Game Shop, Rei is looking around for Sunraku. Mana tells her that he isn't here and is likely immersed in playing Shangri-La Frontier, but seeing Rei looking for him, she guesses that she haven't found him. Rei explains that she has been searching for player named "Sunraku", but she couldn't find him and he skipped the first town. Mana laughs, stating its typical for a trash game player like him. Mana tells her to keep looking for him and tell him how she feels, however hearing that Rei starts to blush.

Sunraku searches information for unique scenarios fit for new players. He finds one "Tour to Rabituza", which conditions are to defeat a monster of higher level than the player and have the Vorpal weapons equipped. Then a Vorpal Bunny will appear in town and invite them to Rabituza. The Vorpal Bunny will keep on running without saying anything, so the player must make sure he doesn't lose sight of it. One you reach Rabituza, if you defeat the Ravenous Snake terrorising their city, players will learn "Enchant Vorpal" spell. Sunraku however states that his encountered completely different scenario and met not the Ravenous Snake, but Vysache. Back then, Vysache tells Sunraku that he is impressed by his Vorpal Soul and is ready to take him. Sunraku realizes its a training quest and gladly accepts, calling Vysache "Aniki" (Yakuza superior). Vysache then stands up looking scary, making Sunraku wonder if what he said is bad, but Vysache starts laughing, noting that he likes him and that his training do makes Sunraku his underling. Vysache then tells Emul that he puts Sunraku under her care. Emul gets super excited, stating she will be working really hard. Emul wishes to show Sunraku around, however Sunraku wants to take a break from gaming and Emul then decides to show him their inn. While Vysache leaves, he realizes he almost forgot and throws a Vorpal Soul Collar which auto-equips on Sunraku. The collar cuts the received experience in half, but gives 2.5x stat points when leveling. Vysache states that the collar can't be removed unless he says so and that hardship is needed for the weak to grew stronger. Sunraku then gets frustrated that he has been put on another restriction.

Sunraku continues to search online, however he figures that no one knows about Emul or the Vorpal Soul Collar. As no one else knows about this scenario, Sunraku gets excited that he is the only one who knows it. Sunraku then sees the time and that its almost time for his appointment. He then takes out Berserk Online Passion VR game and logs in. BOP is a trash fighting game that Sunraku have got deeply into. Its playerbase has waned to less than hundred sign-ins per day, making those who still login to mostly know each other.

As Sunraku logins, he meets "Modor Katzo, who has been waiting for him. The two then start a fight, stating that there won't be any rules. Katzo then activates a glitch making his arms and legs longer, and explains its a new move he has been working on it while Sunraku played Fearia. Sunraku is impressed that Katzo found another glitch and can't believe that he is a pro gamer. As Katzo attacks, Sunraku uses Quick-Draw Fist blocking all of Katzo's attacks which surprises Katzo. Sunraku explains that Quick-Draw Fist is the ultimate style, where as long as you got twelve frames, you can even counter boss insta-kill attacks. As Katzo and Sunraku are famous players in BOP, they quickly attract audience. Sunraku "cuts" one of Katzo's arms, but the arm still hits him, surprising him that the afterimage fist textures were still part of the hitbox. Sunraku loses, but as he has been fighting only NPCs lately, he feels really recharged after a PvP game. Katzo is surprised that Sunraku had started playing SLF. Sunraku explains that SLF has seven unique monsters known as The Seven Colossi. Only the names of four are known and no one had defeated any of them. He fought one, but lost and has no intention to stop playing SLF until he at least beats that monster. Katzo states he may also start playing SLF, since none of his in-real-life friends are playing BOP. He tells Sunraku that another person they know plays SLF and he told her that Sunraku plays it too. Earlier, Arthur Pencilgon receives a message from Katzo, telling her that Sunraku started playing SLF. While she kills some other players in SLF, Pencilgon is surprised that Sunraku started to play something other than a trash game and states she should "guide" him through the game.

Sunraku returns to SLF. He gets with Emul to Secondil, stating that while he wants to look around Rabituza, he wants to get to Thirdrema before everyone else start playing SLF during the summer break. Emul doesn't know what he means, but she agrees to help him reach Thirdrema and sends him a party request. After he accepts, Sunraku sees that Emul has overall higher stats than him. He wonders if Emul is compensation for having Lycagon's Mark. Some girls then sees Sunraku and Emul and get excited, wondering how he got a talking pet, even more a Vorpal Bunny. As Sunraku doesn't want others to learn of the unique scenario, he runs away with Emul, however one of the girls take a screenshot of him and Emul in order to ask online if people know how to tame a Vorpal Bunny.

Reaching outside of Secondil, Sunraku wants to test his curse and see if lower level monsters will run away. In that moment, a ram charges at him, but seeing his curse, it quickly changes its direction and starts running away. Sunraku then quickly chases it and after cornering it, he lands a critical hit using his inertia. Sunraku is happy that even with the curse, he is still able to hunt lower level monsters, however he then decides to head directly for the area boss.

He reaches a swamp area where the area boss is supposed to be, but doesn't see it. On their way there, Emul explains that the area boss is Mud Digger, a monster that rockets out of the ground to attack, so its crucial to find a way to hold it in place. As he can't move that well in the swamp, Sunraku realizes that he will probably needs to fight the boss in the swamp. In SLF, the "swamp" terrains has a characteristic that it forces a "walking state" and one leg always remain trapped in the marsh until the other reaches the bottom. The Mud Digger area boss then shows up.

## Characters

* Mana Iwamaki
* Psyger-0/Rei Saiga
* Rumi Hizutome
* Sunraku/Rakuro Hizutome
* Vysache
* Emul
* Towa Amane/Arthur Pencilgon

## Monsters

* Lycagon the Nightslayer
* Mud Digger