>14th April, 2058
International Council's Conference Hall No. 4, Britain Province.
Ryuzen teleports right next to Kaito.
Ryuzen: I'm not too late, am I?
Renji: This is the earliest you've ever been to a meeting.
Ryuzen: Renji! … Long time no see. How long till the main event?
Kaito: 12 hours, give or take.
Ryuzen: It's at noon?? Well, not that it matters.
Kaito: Dr. Ryuzen, not that I doubt you, but I'm concerned. Where is Dr. Ayane?
Ryuzen: Oh, don't worry — she's with the Elves.
Renji:[chuckles] Did you sell her or something..?
Ryuzen:[laughs] As much as I'd love to do that, she holds little importance to the Elves, so no. She's there of her own will — well, also under my orders — but she'll be fine and will return before we wrap this up.There's a lot you need to catch up on, but we don't have that kind of time, so you'll have to make do with bits and pieces. Let's go somewhere with more seating and less snooping.
OK guys, I think I got this. I won't interfere anymore. That aside, I think we're about to hear the plans he made with Lorein as he explains things to Renji. Also, I'm gonna miss Ayane-chan getting cut off…
Ryuzen: I'll keep it brief, Renji — we're racing against time. First, I went ahead and formed an alliance with the Dwarves and Elves on my own volition, so we'll have to make it look like a decision made by humanity as a whole — not by one arrogant guy.Second, for that and other future needs, humanity needs a single representative. We'll be conducting an election among the Vanguard and appointing the winner as the Supreme Delegate of Humanity — which, of course, is going to be Kaito.And finally, I want to use this chance to strip Anderson of his place and status in the Vanguard. Ayane's visit to the Elves is somewhat tied to this.
Renji: Not that I'm surprised by your actions, but about Anderson — removing his seat in the Vanguard is one thing, but he holds high standing among many of his peers and underlings. It'll be a mountainous task to hit his status.Also, doesn't the name "Supreme Delegate of Humanity" sound a bit… self-important and cult-leader-ish? Like he's one step away from declaring world domination or founding a dystopian regime?
Ryuzen: I've got plans for Anderson's future, and the name is exactly what I want it to sound like — powerful yet diplomatic. As for you, your work lies elsewhere.I want you to handle the contract we made with Master Ogre Kinashi Zanro. Make sure we get a good deal and set things in motion. We might be on the verge of a war — one on an unfathomable scale.
Renji:[sighs] Then why the hell did you even call me here? You could've just told me to go deal with the ogres, and I'd be halfway there already.
Ryuzen: Precisely why I called you. Now you won't be halfway there. Lorein! ^the elves probably spied on every race's leaders so^ — it should be possible, right?
Lorein: Yes.
Renji: Anyway, good to have you back at the IC, Ryu.
Ryuzen: What do you mean by that?
Renji:[looks at Kaito] Oh, you didn't tell him? Not my problem.
Lorein teleports Renji to the outskirts of the Ogre Village and returns immediately.
Ryuzen: Kaito, what's he talking about?
Kaito: Alright... The reason the Council was waiting for your return is to officially welcome you back to the IC. I didn't tell you, assuming you wouldn't like it.
Ryuzen:"Wouldn't like it?" Why the hell would I not like an official position, especially when I'm out here dealing with interspecies politics, you idiot?
Kaito: Now that I think about it... yeah, that tracks. Anyway, you'll get more info during the meeting, but as of now, you're going to be the future Head of Post-Convergence Affairs, meaning you can sign treaties independently. That position is more about diplomatic relations, though — not quite the president/king role you're aiming for. So you can still move forward with your own plans.
Ryuzen:[sigh] Great, now I have even more to factor into the elections. But it won't be a problem for what I have planned. Still, I'll be doing a lot of meddling for someone who just got back.
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The 2nd meeting of the International Council Post-Convergence commences.
Müller: Today, in the presence of The 13 Vanguard and the heads of CORD, Strategic Defence Command (SDC), Bureau of Sovereign Affairs (BSA), Prometheus Initiative, and Communications and Media Authority (CMA), I, Maximillian Müller of the German Vanguard, announce the establishment of a new division of the International Council:The Department of Post-Convergence Affairs. To lead this new division, we are bringing back an old member — welcome back, Dr. Ryuzen Tenrai.As head of PCA, Dr. Tenrai's authority will be second only to the Vanguard in most cases. Full details are provided in the report on your tables. This decision was made by a Vanguard majority. Objections will not be entertained.Dr. Ryuzen…
Ryuzen: I'm grateful to be given such a monumental role in the IC for this new world — especially considering how I left things. In fact, this caught me off guard, as my actual reason for being here is something else entirely — but now, I'm glad I came.I'm here to propose yet another position — one above the Vanguard in hierarchy:The Supreme Delegate of Humanity, elected by members of the IC to represent all of humankind in future endeavors.
Anderson:^This is exactly why I hate him. What gives him the confidence to propose something like this?^ And how exactly do you plan to choose this one person? Are you going to do it yourself, Doc?
Ryuzen: I'd planned to present a full report and hold a discussion — but only with the Vanguard, so I hope I'll be given that chance in a closed session.
Müller: Congratulations on your return, Doc. We'll review your proposal, but for now, there are other matters to address.
The IC divisions present reports. Numerous adjustments are made to accommodate the new world. Once these queries are settled, the council adjourns. Only the Vanguard remains with Ryuzen.
Anderson: Your proposal can wait. First, we want a report — specifically on the deal with the Elves and the visit to the Dwarves.
Ryuzen: I've already made detailed reports on all of that. The documents are available on the VoidLink.In short — I've successfully formed an alliance with both the Elves and the Dwarves, based on equal rights, knowledge-sharing, and not just neutrality but full military support.This alliance, named the Trinity Accord, is set to be announced globally. The only problem? No one is representing humanity. In interspecies meetings, each race has a single representative who can be held accountable — this builds trust. Without it, everyone fears one of the 13 might be a mole.To fix this, I propose we elect a single representative.
Anderson: So just because the Vanguard majority supports you, you're trying to usurp the system?
Ryuzen: No. The Vanguard are not the voters — they are the candidates. Any number of you can run. The voters are the rest of the IC members. The majority to win? 85%.
Müller: Impossible! No one here has the favor of 85% of our workforce. What you're proposing is a fantasy, Ryuzen.
Ryuzen: I think it's fair to give it a shot. Campaign for exactly one month. These aren't clueless masses — IC members understand policy and context. They'll likely choose a winner early and collectively vote.
Arthur: Doctor, you know giving one person supreme command is never a good idea.
Ryuzen: Apologies if I wasn't clear. The Supreme Delegate is supreme only on paper. Internally, nothing changes. He won't wield overwhelming power — though some degree is necessary.
Sophie: So you want us to compete for a powerless title?
Ryuzen: Not exactly. I said you can run — not that you have to.Originally, I was going to try convincing you to give the position to Michael Anderson. But I know he wouldn't trust me if I did that — so instead, I proposed an election.So — who wants to be Supreme Delegate?
Anderson: I'll participate.
Silence.
Ryuzen: Seriously? No one else wants to join? I did announce it to the entire IC. If we back out of the election now, you realize how bad that looks…
Ranveer: The thing is, Dr. Ryuzen, none of us have time to campaign for a symbolic title. Plus, Anderson's clearly the best fit — there's no point running against him.
Ryuzen: Kaito! Why don't you run?
Kaito: What? Me?? No way. I'm not fit for the role, and there's no chance I could beat Mr. Anderson.
Ryuzen: C'mon. In my opinion, you've got the least workload here and some solid leadership qualities. Why not give it a shot?
Kaito: Well, I do have nothing to lose… and it might be a fun challenge.Alright, Mr. Anderson — I'll be your opponent.
*Kaito and Ryu just have such good chemistry. Even though they didn't plan this little act, they still pulled it off without missing a beat.
Including all military personnel, the IC has nearly 5 million workers. This is effectively a presidential election for a small country.Both start their campaigns within days. As expected, Anderson has the upper hand.Estimates by ARGUS [ARIA, but for the IC] place Anderson at 92% support. But we all know Ryuzen's cooking something up.He spends the next 20 days training mana manipulation, mana output, body enhancement, and learning a few new spells — completely ignoring the election.
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>3rd May, 2058
Ryuzen: Kaito, it's time to take action. What I'm about to do is borderline insane, so — no spoilers.I've already called a Vanguard meeting. I'll be exposing some information I recently uncovered. Just keep your reactions honest — forget the plan, forget the election. This topic is highly sensitive.
Kaito: Just to be sure — are you really going through with this? Whatever it is.
Ryuzen: Yes.
Due to the ongoing election campaign, all Vanguard and high-priority members are stationed nearby for unexpected meetings like this.
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Round Table, IC HQ, Britain Province.
Ryuzen: We meet again — earlier than expected — but the matter is just as critical, if not more so. Especially regarding Mr. Michael Anderson's future within the International Council.Since my arrival at the Tokyo IC, I've been conducting some research on certain acquaintances. What I've uncovered threatens Anderson's position — not just as the future Supreme Delegate, but even as a member of the Vanguard.
*Oi, oi, oi — when the hell did he even do this "research"?