Is It Wrong to Abusing Cartoon Tropes in Dungeon?

Tina Sprout's assassination attempt failed effortlessly, and she was completely outmaneuvered by Altair, leaving her no chance to recover.

As a result, Gensei Takanotsume's assassination plot also collapsed. Dr. Ayn Rand, who had orchestrated the hit, was left clueless about what had gone wrong.

But Gensei wasn't fazed. The assassination was merely a bonus, and its failure didn't derail his plans. After all, he had aligned himself with a powerful ally. With Kikunojo Tendo dead, what threat could a lone Seitenshi pose to him in Tokyo?

Brimming with confidence, Gensei boarded his plane, accompanied by his personal troops, and headed to Tokyo. His goal was to deliver an ultimatum to Seitenshi, forcing her to submit and establishing himself as the ruler of both Tokyo and Osaka.

Armed with a prepared speech, Gensei met with Seitenshi, ready to intimidate her into compliance.

"I agree with President Takanotsume's proposal." Seitenshi said calmly.

"You can't just disa, wait, you agree?" Gensei's eyes widened, his jaw dropping as he stared at her, convinced he'd misheard.

"That's right, President Takanotsume." Seitenshi continued, her smile composed and graceful. "I agree that Tokyo and Osaka should unite. And I believe you are the most suitable candidate to serve as the joint president. I'm still young and not ready for such a role."

Gensei's instincts screamed that something was off, too strange, but he couldn't resist the opportunity. "Uh… right, yes, you're absolutely correct!" He stammered, seizing the chance to claim Tokyo.

"Then it's settled." Seitenshi said. "Tokyo is now in your hands, President Takanotsume. Please prepare for the upcoming battle."

"Battle?" Gensei blinked, utterly confused. "What battle?"

"Yes, prepare for war." Seitenshi replied. "You'll need to ready your forces."

"Against who?" Gensei demanded, his mind reeling. He'd come to annex Tokyo and merge it with Osaka, not to wage war. What was going on?

"The enemy, of course, is the Gastrea." Seitenshi explained. "Aldebaran is leading an army toward us."

"Aldebaran is attacking Tokyo?" Gensei exclaimed, shocked. He knew exactly what Aldebaran was, a rare Stage IV Gastrea capable of commanding lesser Gastrea in coordinated attacks. A single Zodiac could destroy a city, but an army led by Aldebaran could do the same with ease.

"But it can't get in." Gensei protested. "The Monoliths keep it out."

"We thought so too." Seitenshi said. "But we recently discovered that Monolith 32 was poorly constructed. The builders cut corners, pocketing funds, resulting in a critically low Varanium content. It can't hold back Aldebaran. Our estimates suggest it will breach at Monolith 32, turning Tokyo's District 40 into a battlefield."

"What?!" Gensei shot to his feet, slamming the table. "How could you let this happen? That's a Monolith! Who dares skim funds from something that critical? Are you all suicidal?"

In Osaka, Gensei imposed heavy taxes, burdening his citizens, but even he ensured funds were spent where it mattered, especially on Monoliths. Without them, death was certain, and no amount of money would matter then. Even a dictator like him was furious at such negligence.

"We only recently learned of this." Seitenshi said, her tone apologetic. "We deeply regret it, President Takanotsume. Since you're here, please take charge of Tokyo and help us win this war."

Her words were noble, but Gensei was dumbfounded.

Damn it, I didn't come here to clean up your mess! Aldebaran and its Gastrea army were a nightmare, few cities could withstand such an assault. This felt like a trap!

Gensei was frustrated but couldn't bear to abandon Tokyo. Then an idea struck him.

"Seitenshi, give me a moment. I need to consult with my team." He said, excusing himself and leaving the meeting room.

As a dictator, Gensei had no real subordinates to consult, he just needed to call for help. He reached out to Kagetane Hiruko, who had recruited him into the mysterious organization. Surely Kagetane would assist, especially with the Black Dragon on their side. No matter what Aldebaran threw at them, the Black Dragon could handle it, right?

Stepping out, Gensei immediately dialed Kagetane. "Hiruko, you didn't tell me Tokyo was about to be besieged by Aldebaran!"

"Oh? Aldebaran's attacking Tokyo?" Kagetane replied nonchalantly from the other end. "News to me, but so what? It's just Aldebaran."

"I know it's nothing to us." Gensei snapped. "But I'm in Tokyo now, and I need to know what's going on. Is the Black Dragon here?"

"Watch your tone, Takanotsume." Kagetane said sharply. "That's Lord Black Dragon to you."

"Yes, Lord Black Dragon." Gensei corrected hastily.

"Lord Black Dragon isn't in Tokyo right now." Kagetane continued. "He's in America, handling some matters. With his power, he can't be expected to stay in a single city like Tokyo forever, can he? It's just one city."

"Of course." Gensei agreed. "Lord Black Dragon has far greater concerns."

"Since you're new to the organization, we'll offer some support." Kagetane said. "You want to rule Tokyo? Fine. But until Lord Black Dragon returns, you'll need to hold the city with your own forces. Once he's back, he'll wipe out the Gastrea and hand you a pristine Tokyo."

"I understand!" Gensei said, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. With Kagetane's assurance, he hung up and strode back into the meeting room, slamming his hand on the table.

"Seitenshi, I'll take responsibility for Tokyo's defense!" He declared.

...

Tokyo and Osaka united, with Gensei Takanotsume as joint president and Seitenshi as vice president.

The news barely stirred the people of Tokyo. In this post-apocalyptic world, survival was their only concern. The masses, swayed by those in power, stayed quiet unless prompted. Did they think bullets had eyes?

The elite, however, were eager to resist. Opposing Seitenshi might rally the clueless masses, but defying Gensei Takanotsume? Useless. Known for his iron rule in Osaka, Gensei was impervious to public opinion. The elite knew better than to rely on the common folk. Instead, they schemed to take him down themselves.

Gensei might be Osaka's dictator, but Tokyo wasn't his turf. If the locals seized the right moment, they could eliminate him. With Gensei gone, Seitenshi could be reduced to the puppet she'd been before, especially since her capitulation to Gensei gave them an excuse to strip her of power. They'd make her a figurehead again, just as she was under Kikunojo Tendo, and they'd become the new Tendos.

Leading this charge was Kazumitsu Tendo, Kikunojo's grandson. Leveraging the Tendo family's influence and connections, through bribes or otherwise, he'd risen to Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport at a young age. He was also the one responsible for Monolith 32's shoddy construction, having embezzled funds, which led to its dangerously low Varanium content and invited Aldebaran's invasion.

Unbeknownst to most, everything Seitenshi told Gensei about the Monolith came from Altair. She only learned of the crisis after he informed her.

The revelation shocked her. She hadn't realized Tokyo's defenses were so compromised, with a Monolith at risk of collapse. But Altair assured her he'd handle Aldebaran.

Earlier, Altair had taken Tina to Monolith 32 to scout Aldebaran's position. His findings confirmed the Stage IV Gastrea was rapidly approaching with a massive army of lesser Gastrea. Somehow, it knew Monolith 32 was vulnerable. At their current pace, they'd reach the forest outside Tokyo in roughly two days.

That left Tokyo with just two days to prepare for the defense.

In that time, a leader had to emerge. The local elite, led by Kazumitsu Tendo, clashed with the newly arrived Gensei Takanotsume. Kazumitsu, whose greed had endangered Tokyo, was expendable. Gensei, a useful pawn, could fight it out with him. Seitenshi could sit back and watch, stepping in only after they'd settled their conflict.

Of course, this was all Altair's plan, Seitenshi wasn't capable of such intricate scheming.

On the first day, Kazumitsu sent assassins after Gensei. Though most of Gensei's forces remained in Osaka, he'd brought enough men to Tokyo. Having survived over a dozen assassination attempts in Osaka, he brushed off this one with ease. Immediately, he turned the tables, launching a counterattack.

On the second day, Gensei traced the attempt to Kazumitsu and sent his own assassins. But the Tendo family was Tokyo's home turf, and Gensei, the outsider dragon, failed to breach their defenses. His assassins didn't even get close to Kazumitsu.

On the third day, Aldebaran appeared outside Monolith 32, spitting corrosive venom that turned the base white and began spreading. Cracks formed, signaling an imminent Gastrea invasion. Panic began to grip Tokyo.

On the fourth day, memories of Scorpio's attack resurfaced. Back then, some had targeted Cursed Children, redirecting their fear of Gastrea onto them. The Black Dragon's single blast had ended Scorpio, restoring normalcy. But now, with the Black Dragon's presence uncertain, fear drove people to scapegoat the Cursed Children again. To their shock, Tokyo's Cursed Children, those who begged or stole in the shadows, had vanished entirely.

By the fifth day, the Cursed Children were gone, and Monolith 32's corrosion worsened. The base was now fully white, with visible cracks snaking up the thousand-meter structure, threatening collapse. Only Initiators remained, but ordinary citizens didn't dare confront these battle-trained warriors, unlike the defenseless street children.

On the sixth day, the clash between Kazumitsu Tendo and Gensei Takanotsume reached its climax. Gensei summoned half his main force from Osaka to defend Tokyo, his long-coveted prize, especially with the promise of the Black Dragon's aid. Leading his troops, he stormed the Tendo estate, captured Kazumitsu, and executed him publicly.

The display cemented Gensei's foothold in Tokyo while conveniently eliminating some of the city's corrupt elite for Seitenshi, without her or Altair lifting a finger. Gensei was proving to be an exemplary pawn.

On the seventh day, Monolith 32 collapsed. Aldebaran and its Gastrea army surged into District 40, and the battle for Tokyo began.

***

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