﻿\setgamedatatitle("Trushka  \nThe First City: Tojin")

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The shopping district in Shuka was overflowing with energy
everywhere you looked.
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Stalls lined the streets, crowds of people bustled about,
and the lively noise filled Itsuki's ears.
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\text("Itsuki")
(So many people... Ugh...)
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\text
Samurai already tend to attract attention, and even more so
when they're women.
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―Being in the public eye just isn't my thing. It's not just
embarrassing, it makes me uneasy.
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Even just shopping for dinner was a real ordeal for Itsuki.

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\text("Fortune Teller")
Hey there, samurai-san!
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\text("Itsuki")
Huh!?
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She almost reached for her blade, but hurriedly let go of
the hilt.
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\text("Itsuki")
Ah... um, did you need something from me?
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\text("Fortune Teller")
How about it, want to get your fortune told? Just one try.
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\text("Itsuki")
Ah... oh, fortune-telling... huh.
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\text
She was a street fortune teller, an old woman with a good
reputation around here.
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\text("Fortune Teller")
I'll give you a discount, okay? No need to worry. My
fortunes have never been wrong.

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\text("Itsuki")
Well, um...
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\text("Itsuki")
(Great. I'm not even interested in fortune-telling...)
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\text("Fortune Teller")
Come on, over here. Today it's crystal ball reading.

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\text("Itsuki")
Eh? No, I mean―
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\text("Fortune Teller")
Alright, sit right there. Now, take a good look at this
crystal.
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\text("Itsuki")
Ah... ugh... okay...
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\text
Before she knew it, she was made to sit down, and the
crystal ball was pushed in front of her.
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\text
She had no real reason to refuse, and her luck ran out when
she ended up talking face-to-face with a stranger.

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\text
If this were, say, an enemy... or if they were both holding
bamboo swords in a dojo, that would be different...

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\text("Fortune Teller")
Hmm, hmm... Ah―well, you'll never get a man in your whole
life.
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\text("Itsuki")
I-I see... I mean, I don't see anything in there though...

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\text("Fortune Teller")
But you know, samurai-san, you'll have a big encounter soon.
Depending on how that goes...

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\text("Fortune Teller")
Hm... nuh... th-this is...!?
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\text
The fortune teller, who had been smiling at Itsuki the whole
time, suddenly grew serious.
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\text("Itsuki")
Um, is something wrong...?
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\text
Did she see something bad? That was the first thing that
came to mind.
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\text("Fortune Teller")
What is this...?
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\text("Itsuki")
...?
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\text("Fortune Teller")
I can't see anything... It's gone...

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\text("Itsuki")
...I couldn't see anything from the start...
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\text("Fortune Teller")
No, wait... this is... oh, ohhh...!

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\text("Itsuki")
Huh!? Ah... w-what's wrong!?
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\text("Fortune Teller")
Shuka... Shuka...
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\text("Fortune Teller")
It's a bad omen... At this rate, Shuka will be destroyed...

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\text("Itsuki")
Shuka...? By the Demon Lord's army?

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\text("Fortune Teller")
No! Not by the Demon Lord's army! Even this Nilt will be
destroyed...!

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\text
The fortune teller's terrifying expression drew a crowd of
onlookers, all wondering what was going on.
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\text("Spectator")
Hey, old lady, what did you see?

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\text("Fortune Teller")
A great calamity...! When the great calamity awakens, this
Nilt will meet its end!

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\text("Itsuki")
Great calamity...?
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\text
If you take the fortune teller's words at face value...

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\text
It means a threat greater than the Demon Lord's army is
approaching.
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\text("Itsuki")
Nilt will be destroyed, huh. I hope it's just nonsense.

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\text
Itsuki muttered those words.
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But an indescribable unease swirled in her chest.

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\text
At the same time, Caym had Agri accompany him as a guard and
headed to Hakusha.

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\text
He'd received a report from a spy he sent to Shuka that
Diabolica was being taken to the Hakusha detention center.

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\text
However――
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\text("Caym")
...For a forced transfer, this is awfully peaceful.

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\text("Agri")
Yeah... it's kind of anticlimactic.
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\text
It's true, Diabolica was being taken to the detention
center, but...
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\text("Caym")
It's not like they're putting her in shackles. In fact,
she's carrying a travel bag.
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\text("Agri")
Everyone's chatting pretty happily as they go into the
detention center.
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\text("Agri")
What the heck is this?
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\text
It doesn't look like a forced transfer. Or maybe they're
just making it look that way... you can't help but wonder.

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\text
That's how peaceful it is.
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\text("Agri")
Boss. Isn't that the Queen of Shuka over there?

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\text("Caym")
Hm!
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\text
And there was Magahime, with guards, standing at the
entrance to the detention center.
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\text
From time to time, she'd chat with Diabolica, giving a shy
smile or bowing her head apologetically.

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\text("Agri")
...She's not what I expected. I thought she'd be more of a
stuck-up femme fatale.
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\text("Caym")
Alright, let's go.
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\text("Agri")
Hey, boss! Risbell's gonna get mad at you again!

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\text("Magahime")
Hm?
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\text("Caym")
Are you Magahime?
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\text("Guard")
What business do you have with Lady Magahime? If you have
none, get in line.
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\text("Magahime")
It's fine. Yes, that's me, but who are you?

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\text("Caym")
Yeah. I'm Caym, leader of the Demon Lord's Army. I came to
see you. You should feel honored.

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\text("Magahime")
...Huh?
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\text("Guard")
Wha...!
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\text("Agri")
Ah...
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\text
The atmosphere instantly froze.
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――Caym, leader of the Demon Lord's Army.
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\text
Given that introduction, it was only natural.

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\text("Guard")
T-the Demon Lord! Soldiers, to me...!
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\text("Magahime")
Pfft... ahahaha! You say the funniest things... heh.


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\text
Magahime held back the guards and burst out laughing.

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\text("Magahime")
So? What business does the Demon Lord have in a place like
this?

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\text("Caym")
I want to ask about this. I heard she was being forcibly
detained.
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\text("Magahime")
That's not it. This is to protect Diabolica. Because of the
Demon Lord's Army, persecution might get worse, right?

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\text("Magahime")
And if a riot broke out, that'd be a disaster.
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\text("Magahime")
It's not just here. We've opened up barracks and other
places to hide people. How did you figure it out?

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\text("Agri")
Hmph, who knows.
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\text("Magahime")
Oh my. Everyone else is convinced, but you don't trust me?

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\text("Caym")
No, I believe what a beautiful woman says.
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Saying that, Caym looked Magahime up and down from head to
toe and nodded in satisfaction.

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\text("Caym")
Heh... You're even more beautiful than the rumors say.
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\text("Guard")
You bastard, that's disrespectful...!
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\text("Magahime")
Thank you. Well then, handsome―won't you do a favor for
beautiful me?
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\text("Caym")
What is it?
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\text("Magahime")
Surrender.
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\text("Caym")
That's a problem. I only came here to hit on you.

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\text("Magahime")
Oh really... And what do I get out of becoming yours?


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\text("Caym")
Let's see... You can have sex with me as much as you want,
whenever you want.
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\text("Magahime")
...Are you serious?
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\text("Caym")
Absolutely. When it comes to sex and women, I never lie.

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\text
―What is with this man?
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\text
That's not something to be proud of. Or rather, is he
missing a screw in his head?

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\text("Magahime")
(But honestly, it's almost refreshing at this point...)

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\text
That's something the eunuchs never had.
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No one is truly without a mask. But at least this man's
words are the honest desires of a foolish man.

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\text("Caym")
So, what do you say? Will you be mine?

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\text("Magahime")
...Alright. In that case, beat me. If you do, maybe I'll
consider it.

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\text
Agri groaned, holding his head, while Caym flashed a
lecherous grin.
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\text("Caym")
Fine then. I'll take Tojin right away. Let's go, Agri!


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\text("Agri")
Yeah, yeah, as you command.
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\text("Magahime")
I'll be looking forward to it.
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\text
As they walked away, Magahime even smiled as she called out
those words.
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\text
Her words reached Caym's ears loud and clear.

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\text("Caym")
Agri, go on ahead and deliver the message. As soon as I
return, we'll attack Tojin!
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And so, with high spirits, Caym gave the order to march out.


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