Blatantly Infiltrating the Enemy
Name: Phantom Object - Choice Cane
Elements: [Loyalty], [Allegiance], [Items], [Choices]
Synopsis: An ordinary-looking wooden cane, but it gained strange powers because of a certain legend.
When facing a high-ranking member of an organization, one can pledge allegiance by breaking a cane with their knee.
This pledge of allegiance will be accepted, and until the pledger commits a clear act of betrayal, they will enjoy organizational benefits second only to that high-ranking member. All members within the organization whose rank is no higher than that high-ranking member will be unable to take any hostile actions against the pledger.
Note: Hahaha! So humans are really interesting. I've decided not to destroy the Earth.
The cane snapped in two, and a strange power spread out. As the saying goes, the established rules are paramount; the Horned Youth's attitude clearly changed. He let out a hearty laugh, took two steps forward, and patted Feng Xue on the shoulder, saying:
"How interesting! From now on, you'll be part of the Hundred Tales. Let's go, this is a good opportunity to broaden your horizons!"
"Can I continue the live stream?" Feng Xue smiled shyly, and the Horned Youth immediately nodded.
"Of course, we were going to be live streaming across the entire internet!"
[Holy crap, what's going on?]
Is this Shuten- dōji an idiot?
[This works?]
Does the broken cane have any special symbolic meaning? Or is it a secret code?
The members in the Live Broadcast Room were already going crazy, but Feng Xue, who was following the Horned Youth, had a smile on his Choice Cane was Phantom Object he made before going to the Cyberpunk World. He originally wanted to use it as a stepping stone to a big company, but he didn't expect that the world would be "easily" conquered by him, so he didn't have to use the cane.
His squirrel disease isn't that serious, so even though this kind of tool is highly effective, it's only effective for a single target, and we should use it when necessary.
Before long, Feng Xue arrived Sky Tower and entered a spacious room that had been specially renovated to have a Japanese-style layout.
Logically speaking, the observation deck at the 450-meter height of the Sky Tower shouldn't have such a large area, but it's clear that some kind of special Phantom Object was used here.
Although it's unclear whether it's a spatial replacement, spatial expansion, or simply someone bringing out a room from their Tower of Babel, the room is far larger than imagined.
The room, estimated to be over 5,000 square meters, was covered with tatami mats that smelled faintly of rush. On the north wall, there was an unfurled long scroll depicting countless bizarre Demons and Monsters. Feng Xue glanced at it from afar and immediately noticed that it was a Phantom Object called [The Night Parade of a Hundred Demons Picture].
Before this painting, a hundred people sat on neatly arranged prayer cushions, forming a large circle in the center of the space. In front of each person was a candlestick, some lit and some extinguished.
However, unlike the live broadcasts from other regions that Feng Xue saw through the screen built into the Kamen Rider Armor, these creatures showed no intention of Weird Tale; they were simply waiting quietly for something to happen.
Suddenly, a figure moved slightly, and at the same time, the extinguished candlestick in front of him suddenly burst into flames.
He lowered his eyes slightly, glanced at the candlelight, and then made no further move. However, Feng Xue could vaguely see that the candlelight seemed to be a Supernatural Tale Fire.
"[Battle], [Slaughter], [Sharpness], [Pursuit], [Hunting]..."
Silently reading the Tag on the Supernatural Tale Fire, Feng Xue turned her head to look at the other candles, confirming that each flame was Supernatural Tale Fire.
He pointed his livestream camera at the bizarre scene, but didn't say anything. Instead, he kept refreshing the livestreams and recordings of other regions' "Hundred Tales".
As the candles lit themselves one by one, he finally grasped the key.
He discovered that among the various local Hundred Tales, very few were actually creating new Weird Tale. The vast majority were just telling old, tired stories. But when he finished telling the story and blew out the candle in his hand, his body would change and transform into a Weird Tale that corresponded to his own.
However, this behavior was not a direct shaping. In Feng Xue's view, it was more like "inheritance." Because in those Weird Tale, Feng Xue discovered that he had killed many Weird Tale, including members of the Tengu Council. As time went by, he also noticed that every time Weird Tale was turned into a ghost story, a Weird Tale's Phantom Object would flicker in the scroll called [Night Parade of a Hundred Demons Picture].
When the host in the branch venue finishes telling the hundredth Weird Tale, all the candles in the venue will go out, and at the same time, a candle in the Sky Tower will be lit.
After several comparisons, Feng Xue discovered that the Supernatural Tale Fire of the lit candle was not a single wisp, but rather a hundred flames gathered together. If one had to describe it, it was somewhat like a collection of multiple Supernatural Tale Entry that had not yet been fully digested.
"Is this the essence of the Hundred Tales ritual? Local Hundred Tales rituals are used to inherit Weird Tale that have already been 'awakened,' while the core of the Sky Tree creates or awakens new Weird Tale. I just don't know if this awakening is simply using the Supernatural Tale Fire as a ritual consumable, or if one must tell a story that matches the flame Tag on the candlestick."
Feng Xue muttered to himself, then turned his attention back to the scroll of the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons Picture. He was curious whether this thing was Companion Phantom to the Weird Tale of One Hundred Tales, or whether the Phantom Object came first and was then used as a template to create Hundred Tales.
Before he could ponder this further, hostile gazes fell upon him. Feng Xue stopped peeking at the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons Picture and looked at the Hundred Tales cadres who were ostensibly observing but were actually guarding him, her heart filled with vigilance.
The ability of the Choice Cane is indeed abnormal, but its ability is "inability to engage in hostile behavior," not "inability to generate hostile thoughts." In other words, although he was pulled into the organization by that Horned Youth, all the Weird Tale knew that he had a problem; he was just unable to act due to the power of the Phantom Object. Not only was he unable to act, but he could also enjoy all the benefits that a high-ranking member of the Hundred Tales could enjoy, including being a witness to this ritual that was of paramount importance to the Hundred Tales.
Of course, the people of Hundred Tales are obviously not stupid; they believe that if he makes even the slightest act of betrayal, he will be attacked by the masses.
However, it has to be a "clear" action!
Feng Xue chuckled inwardly, waiting for time to pass.
As the moon climbed to the top of the sky, the stars, reflecting the desolation of Tokyo, coalesced into a galaxy. At that moment, the last candle in the room was lit, and a strange power enveloped the entire Sky Tower.
As if waiting for a long time, a figure near the north wall stood up at this moment. The Weird Tale in charge of filming adjusted various new and old photography equipment, while Feng Xue also raised her Live Broadcast Drone.
However, before she could speak, Feng Xue secretly cast a spell on herself that was "[incomprehensible]".
If you're unfamiliar with Kamen Rider references, you can think of this act of breaking the cane as a metaphor for "you have a good eye for people."
However, there is a slight difference. The phrase "he really judges people" is just "he gave too much," while the person in this meme is facing the threat of death and chooses to pledge allegiance to his father's killer (although it is later revealed that he was actually going undercover). The reason it became a meme is because the performance of this plot is quite hilarious.
Wu Ziming (a misheard character, actually named Utsumi) watched as his superior (whom he regarded as his father) was killed by the villainous boss. Then the boss threw the deceased's cane to him and asked him what he would do next: avenge his father or pledge allegiance to him.
At this moment, a mournful melody begins to play in the background, and the scene flashes back to the man's memories of his boss being like a father to him. He also lowers his head, looks at his cane, and cries out in pain.
In movies or anime, people in these situations would typically unleash their full power, burn their inner strength, or fight to the death, or at the very least, stage a suicidal charge to prove their resolve.
But this guy suddenly burst into laughter, then broke his cane, followed by the classic line, "I will pledge my allegiance to you." Because the transition was so absurd, coupled with the actor's exaggerated facial expressions, it became a famous scene.