[onscreen text: The intersection of music and illusions -- "Phantom Lives". Enthusiasm surrounding them grew into a major movement, which was approaching its peak, when...]

Voiceover Chisei: ... Phantom Lives will be banned.

[onscreen text: How will the artists deal with this crisis?]

[sfx: Allen opening the door]
Reporter 1: He's coming out!
[sfx: Multiple men rushing towards Allen]
Allen: --?
Reporter 1: You're Allen from BAE, right?
Allen: Uh, yeah, but...?
Reporter 2: Are you aware of the government announcement that was made today regarding the use of Phantometal?
Allen: Government announcement...?
Reporter 3: It was about the risks associated with Phantometal use-- but I'm sure you're quite well aware of those already, aren't you, Sugasano-san?
Allen: That's... well, yes...
Men: [exclaiming; sounds of surprise, things along the lines of "So he admits it!" and "he actually said it!"]
Reporter 1: Metal abuse! A popular rapper's dark underside! This'll make for a great story. Quick, take a picture!
[sfx: cameras snapping]
Allen: Wh-- what the heck is going on!? Please stop!
Reporter 2: As I'm sure you're aware, Phantometal research is currently prohibited in Japan. What are your thoughts on that?
Allen: --!
Reporter 2: And you're presumably aware that the use of the metal is itself in a legal grey area, right?
Reporter 3: Word is that as of late there's been an influx of young people aspiring to be professional rappers because they admire you, and also that Phantometal is fetching high prices in the underground market. What do you have to say about that?
Reporter 1: And aren't you ashamed of your extravagant promotion of such a dangerous substance at that Paradox Live event, or whatever it is?
Reporter 2: Sugasano-san, as the leader of a group that is currently at the forefront of the scene, what comment do you have to give?
Allen: W-well...!
Reporter 3: Don't you have an explanation?
[sfx: cameras flashing]
Allen: ... please stop!!
Reporter 1: Is he trying to run away!?
Reporter 3: If you've really got nothing to hide, then you should be able to answer a few questions!
Reporter 2: Don't you owe it to your fans, at the least!?
Reporter 1: What do you have to say for yourself, Sugasano Allen-san?!
[sfx: cameras flashing]
Allen: --!
Reporter 1: How do you intend to take responsibility if your dangerous metal-using music practices become widespread among the youth?
Reporter 2: Or could it be you actually intend to deceive and brainwash your fans!?
Allen: --! You're wrong! What are you even talking about, 'deceiving'--!?
Reporter 3: It's an affront to music!!
Allen: --!!
Reporters: [overlapping] Is the use of metal really that dangerous? Please, give us an answer! What do you have to say for yourself? Isn't it addictive? What do you ave to say for yourself? You can't even defend yourself? He's definitely guilty!
[sfx: cameras flashing]
Allen: It's not like that...! I'm begging you... Stop it!!!

Haruomi: [narrating] It all started suddenly one day...

Shogo: ... eh? Our concert tomorrow has been cancelled? That's really frustratingly short notice... did they give a reason? ... The news story...? No, I haven't seen it. But I don't see why just that would-- ah...?
[sfx: the beeping of having been hung up on]
[sfx: phone tapping]
Kantaro: Shogo!! [running up] Wh-wh-what's going on!?
Shogo: Huh?
Kantaro: Our comment sections are suddenly absolutely flooded with haters, everyone's got the torches and pitchforks out!!
Shogo: ...! Ah! What happened...?
Kantaro: I DON'T KNOW!! What's going on!? Why!?
Shogo: ...! ... No way...
Kantaro: What!?
Shogo: Apparently, this morning, there was some big announcement about Phantometal... so it seems that our concert scheduled for tomorrow has been cancelled.
Kantaro: Huh!? What happened!? [aggressive phone tapping]phan Ah... here it is. Maybe it's this report...?
[sfx: video being turned on]
News Anchor: Ah, please excuse the interruption, but it appears that the government has an urgent announcement to make. We will now switch over to live coverage.
[sfx: rapid-fire cameras]
???: Citizens of Japan. Are you all familiar with the peculiar metal known as Phantometal?

Haruomi: [narrating] An emergency press conference held by the government. The man on screen: Teshigawara Kouzou.

Teshigawara: Research on Phantometal is currently prohibited. However, since the use of Phantometal is not itself illegal, it is also true that it remains in circulation in a legal grey area. The most apparent use of the technology is its use in music performance, which is gaining tremendous popularity among young people. This is known as "Phantom Lives". Furthermore, recent research indicates that both the users and the members of the audience are highly addicted to these live performances and the extraordinary amount of pleasure that they invoke.

Haruomi: [narrating] With a masterful speech that deftly blended lies in with the truth, Teshigawara explained the dangers of Phantometal.

Teshigawara: Is it truly acceptable to continue permitting the use of such a dangerous substance that threatens the health and wellbeing of our citizens?
[sfx: banging a fist on the lectern]
Teshigawara: I say no! Absolutely not! Even though I Teshigawara Kouzou, at one time was involved in Phantometal research-- but perhaps this is what makes me truly realize the magnitude of the Phantometal crisis that faces us now. I return now to my position in order to tackle this problem head-on. It is my intention to pass into law a bill prohibiting Phantom Live performances!
[sfx: crowd murmur, cameras snapping pictures]

Haruomi: [narrating] Rallying under the banner of protecting the people of Japan, the government would begin taking steps to strictly regulate the use of Phantometal. They would swiftly move to pass the bill banning Phantom Lives. This is what Teshigawara announced, and with that, he concluded the press conference. The press conference had an immense and immediate effect.
Ironically, the Paradox Live, which had helped to popularize Phantom Lives in the mainstream, now led to the perception of them as a clear and close-to-home threat. The mass media unanimously began to report on the danger that the metal posed, and one after another, all of the "inconvenient truths" that had been an open secret until that point were brought to light.
Videos of artists suffering from trap reactions were leaked onto the internet, construed in a way that made them look like addicts going through withdrawals.

Woman 1: Have you seen this? It's crazy.
Man 1: Seriously... and to think I was a fan of this stuff...
Man 2: Phantom lives are pretty scary...
Woman 2: Seriously scary.
People: [overlapping] It's terrible... goin' to hell in a handbasket, huh? I feel so betrayed.
[sfx: 'betrayed' echoing]

Haruomi: And with that, there was an explosion of anti-metal sentiment. Phantom lives were dismissed as fake music leaning on the power of the metal. Among the heads who felt betrayed, some reacted by retaliating directly against the rappers of whom they had once been fans.

[sfx: crow cawing, clanking]
Yohei: Goddammit, they did it again.
Saimon: Maybe I should install security cameras after all.
Yohei: Even if you put something like that up, they'd just end up getting broken.
[sfx: Yohei gathering up trash]
Yohei: Seriously. Every fuckin' morning they just keep dumping a bunch of trash in front of the store. The hell'd we ever do to them?
Saimon: [laughs] We are wicked, depraved people who sold our souls to the devil's metal. And also, hopeless addicts. Or something like that, right?
Yohei: Ah, that's what that hatemail that someone stuck in the shutter the other day said, wasn't it?
Saimon: Well, on the bright side, at least there's no grafitti this morning. Cleaning that up was really a pain...
Yohei: Oi.
Saimon: Ah. Let's just finish this up quickly. I don't want Shiki and Ryu to have to see this.
[sfx: Yohei and Saimon cleaning up trash]
Yohei: Seriously... how long is this shit gonna keep going on?
Saimon: [sighs] Maybe we should close up the shop for a little while...
Yohei: You aren't seriously gonna let some childish vandalism like this upset you, are you?
Saimon: I don't intend to, no, but I just worry that if things continue like this, it may inconvenience our regular customers as well.
Yohei: Well, there's those customers that come in with attitude problems, too.
Saimon: Ah, the ones who try to harass Shiki and Ryu to get a reaction out of them. Like the one from yesterday.
Yohei: Ah, that bastard. I thought real hard about decking him and making an example out of him.
Saimon: Yohei.
Yohei: I said I was thinkin' about it, not that I did it. Unlike little old Iori's, this is a classy establishment.
Saimon: I will not surrender. So, for now...
Yohei: No choice but to wait it out, huh? [sigh]

Yuto: The rehabilitation project is being cancelled??
Warden: It's a directive from the higher-ups. Considering the state of the world right now, this shouldn't come as a surprise, though.
Yuto: Yes bu--
Warden: Even this very prison is receiving complaints from citizens on a daily basis at this point... [sigh] Surely you're aware of that?
Yuto: But--!
Warden: And at any rate, I think the whole prison rap thing was a mistake from first principles. I think we should ban it going forward.
Yuto: Huh?
Warden: Well, we need to show the higher-ups our enthusiastic compliance.
Yuto: B-b-but if we do, then how will--?
Warden: Hah! Who gives a shit about letting those prisoners air out their frustration?
Yuto: --!
Warden: Besides, there's no chance that any of those pieces of trash are going to actually improve. From now on, we'll have to tighten up our management further and discipline violations immediately. This is the policy we'll be following.
Yuto: That's... ... I can't accept that!
Warden: Hah. "Accept"? What you can and can't accept isn't relevant here. This conversation is over. I'm going back to work.
[sfx: the warden walking out, door closing]
Yuto: ... ...!

Haruomi: [narrating] Backed by Teshigawara's power, the anti-metal movement continued to gather power and support. Fearing that they would be targeted by the policy, venues began to issue notices of voluntary closure. It became difficult for artists to find any space to perform. The situation continues to the present...

[sfx: heavy door closing]

Haruomi: ... however, there are certainly still people who are resisting it. Take this live house, for example.
Allen: This... this is...
Chisei: Yup, the venue where Buraikan first hit the scene. The owner's got our back, so don't you worry about anyone overhearing us.
Haruomi: But that's why we've asked you all to come here today.
All team leaders except Chisei (Allen, Saimon, Kanata, Iori, Shogo, Dongha, Kei, and Yuto): ...?
Haruomi: Our business here is exactly what I wrote about in my email. [taking steps] The anti-metal movement is currently building. What are we going to do in the face of this coming storm?
Leaders: ...
Chisei: Should we just lay low and wait it out? We can just keep performing live shows, just scaled back, relying on venues like this one that are willing to cooperate with us. Maybe that'd be alright. But if we took things that slowly and leisurely, then maybe Phantom Lives would die off for good.
Leaders: ...
Chisei: And that's why we made our decision.
Haruomi: We're going to hold a competition at CLUB Paradox.
Dongha: I will ask this directly. Why are you choosing to hold a competition now, of all times?
Chisei: Because it's now. If we just back down and don't say anything, then wouldn't that be tacitly saying that all of their claims are true? In fact, that's already starting to happen.
Kanata: S'true. When we were doing a performance on the street the other day we got some people trying to start shit with us.
Saimon: But, if there were to be a Paradox Live event now, it would undoubtedly attract an unprecedented amount of eyes on us. Wouldn't it run the risk of adding fuel to the fire?
Chisei: Yeah, that's the point.
Leaders: ...!
Chisei: Having the world's eyes on you? Sounds good to me. Embracing that is what makes you a phantom rapper, isn't it?
Leaders: ...
Haruomi: That man... Teshigawara is very serious. If the bill banning Phantom Lives passes through the government, he'll use every means he possibly can to crush us.
Chisei: So it's now or never, right? We've gotta act before those bastards seize our weapons.
Allen: ... our weapon... is our music.
Haruomi: What else could it be.
Yuto: I see... ... I see, yes.
Haruomi: If we're going to rise up against it in rebellion, there's no better time than right now.
Chisei: Let's hit 'em square in the jaw and show them that Phantom Lives ain't no cheap parlor trick. Let's make sure they know it.
Allen: --!
Iori: ... heh.
Saimon, Shogo, Dongha, Kei, and Yuto: [sounds of agreement]
Chisei: That said, the person we're picking a fight with here is a real big-shot here in Japan. The stakes in this battle are gonna be higher than they've ever been before. So we're not going to say you have to do it. Take your time and think careful-
Iori: Well, ain't that funny?
Saimon, Dongha, and Kei: ...!
Iori: [walking closer] If you want to go up against Teshigawara, you've gotta strike first before you get struck, right? So. Akan Yatsura are in.
Kei: We will be participating as well.
Saimon: Miyama-kun?
Kei: Does this come as a surprise?
Saimon: Well, no, it's just... I thought that all of you in 1Nm8 sought to abolish the use of Phantometal, weren't you? I honestly would have expected you to welcome this turn of events.
Kei: Yes, it's true that in the past, that is how I would have felt. However, I... we cannot forgive that man. It's just that man, Teshikawara Kouzou... the world that he desires would make nobody happy... it absolutely must not come to pass. So, 1Nm8 will join this fight.
Leaders: ...
Dongha: [sigh] It is true that if we do not take the chance to stop him now, it will be too late. [dramatic clatter] AMPRULE will participate.
Allen: We'll join as BAE, too! Phantom Lives are... the very essence of our way of life. I won't let anyone try to stop the music that resonates inside my heart. We'll prove it with our sound.
Saimon: I agree. We can extinguish the raging flames with a rain of sound. If we help to water this land, then perhaps someday, it can... ... TCW will be participating as well.
Kanata: [sigh] We'll do it. I don't really get all the complicated shit, but I refuse to let anyone get in the way of me and Nayuta. We'll just beat them to a bloody pulp.
Shogo: Ah, um, VISTY would like to join as well!
Kei: Shogo?
Shogo: Kei. We'll fight alongside you, too. [stepping forward] We all discussed it before I came here, and we already decided that we'd do whatever we can to help out with this situation. If it's for our Stella's sake -- and more importanatly, for or own sake -- then we're used to going through tough times. We're ready for it. We're idols, after all!
Kanata: Wow. Look who grew a spine.
Shogo: Well, we've trained in a lot of ways.
Yuto: [practically gurgling] Ah... Um... I'm, sorry... but, I would love to say that GokuLuck will be joining as well, but...
Dongha: But you lot's participation is contingent on a government project, correct?
Yuto: That's correct... I would need to convince the higher-ups to grant us permission to participate... I'm very sorry for the inconvenience, but I worry that that may take some time...
Saimon: It's a very difficult position to be in. There's no way around doing what must be done.
Haruomi: Consider your intention to participate received. I'll wait down to the wire. Give me your answer before the battle itself.
Chisei: Well, for the time being, we'll just assume you're in.
Yuto: --! Thank you very much! Speaking as GokuLuck's leader, I will try my utmost to find a way to make it work!
Chisei: Well then, sounds like we've got us a plan!
Leaders: [various sounds of agreement, with Kanata in particular sounding as disinterested as usual]
Haruomi: This Paradox Live will be a battle for the sake of the survival of our scene. We're not trying just to defeat our opponents in stage battles. We're going to be defeating a tremendous force that is trying to crush us all. We'll all work together to bring about our rebellion.
Allen: When you say "we all"...?
Chisei: We'll also be participating in this tournament as Buraikan, yeah.
Allen: ...!
Haruomi: Of course, the matchmaking will be done fairly.
Chisei: In the first round, the ten teams we've got participating will be split up into two blocks. The block assignments will be done by drawing lots. That's as fair as anything, right?
Kanata: [tch] Doing another group battle sounds like a pain in the ass.
Haruomi: That will not be the case.
Kanata: It won't? Then what's the deal?
Buraikan: In the first round, the five teams participating in each block will be participating in a simultaneous stage battle. The top three teams with the most points will advance, and the second round and beyond will take the form of a traditional tournament format.^[1]
Dongha: Hold on a moment.
Haruomi: What is it.
Dongha: You just said there would be ten teams.
Shogo: Ah, yeah, he did...
Yuto: Ah... ah, now that you mention it, yeah, isn't that strange...?
Kei: If Buraikan are participating, there will be nine teams. That leaves one team unaccounted for.
Haruomi: That is correct, yes. Therefore, we've decided to welcome a new team this time. However, they could not be present here today.
Leaders: --!
Chisei: They came directly to us to negotiate it because the wanted to participate despite all the pushback. They're a bunch with some real guts, don't you think?
Haruomi: And so this time, with this new team, this Paradox Live will have ten teams participating.
Kanata: It'd better not be some slackers who are gonna half-ass it.
Haruomi: You can make that decision for yourself once you hear them.
Saimon: I'm sure they are quite strong, if they are willing to come take us on. And more than that, they come with Buraikan's seal of approval.
Allen: A new team... a new sound...!
Iori: So? Who are these guys, then?
Chisei: The team's name is...
Haruomi: ILLGATOR.

[1] Until we see any graphics or further explanation of the format, please take this explanation with a grain of salt, as I've seen even Japanese fans be unclear on the exact format that this will take. [Back]