Hello, Michella. How are you?
I'm good.
Half a year has passed already since I came to this city.
These last six months have dragged in some ways and flown by in others.
It's a strange feeling.
Speaking of feelings, I feel bashful writing after all this time, and you may be surprised yourself.
Nothing special prompted this letter.
It's just there's something I've been dying to tell you, and I naturally put pen to paper. That's all.
The city is as noisy and chaotic as ever. It's a place where the abnormal is the norm.
Somehow, I'm surviving here... Sometimes thriving, sometimes scraping by.
A year ago, when I left you...
I believed my life was pretty much meaningless to the world.
I thought of myself as a dime-a-dozen, powerless, idealistic shrimp.
It's not like I've changed much...
...but once in a while, I feel like that low opinion of myself is bunk.
I want to talk to you today until the pendulum swings back the other way.
What I've seen in this city, what I feel, and what kind of people I've met.
I want to share it all with you.
It may turn out to be a long story, but I hope you'll hear me out to the end.
This is the tale of me and the ones who chose me.
BLOOD BLOCKADE BATTLEFRONT
This city sucks.
It all happened one night!
The mysterious city intersecting here and the Beyond! Jerusalem's Lot!
People pick fights with you... Pick your pockets all day long...
Part-time wages are low, and it's hard to make acquaintances, let alone friends.
Just think. This was New York three years ago!
If you've got a hard life, this city is hell-bent on making it harder.
That night, a gate suddenly opened, and the Beyond's incursion began...
...reconfiguring the city and throwing up a blockade of mystical fog. Correct, Guevara-san?
Indeed!
Being ordinary is the only thing in my favor. Especially for a shorty like me.
When the American government saw the trouble, they found the city was covered by impenetrable fog.
Right, Guevara-san?
Indeed!
Get used to the abnormal and it becomes normal.
Enjoy.
After the Great Collapse, the Beyond's existence...
...and beings long thought to be imaginary, were confirmed.
In short, if that wasn't proof enough, you're chronically ignorant, right, Guevara-san?
Indeed!
Life was hard.
I'd been there for three weeks.
Ultimately, will this meeting of mystical and mundane end in tragedy or triumph?
Like they say, time will tell, right, Guevara-san?
Indeed!
I was at the point of being fed up with my lack of luck and the city's absurdity.
How do you do, stupid newbie?
The name's Zap Renfro.
You blow off our meetup, and then I find you here with a foot in the grave? You got some moxie.
If you need someone to meet you next time, ask your mommy or daddy to take you.
You've got the wrong person... No, I mean...
Pathetic.
You sure you're qualified for Libra?
My name is Leonard Watch.
Libra...
For certain reasons, I'm in this lousy city of miracles.
SEVERAL HOURS EARLIER
Like I told you last time, you've gotta contact your little sister.
Yeah. Well...
What's with that? So wishy-washy...
Thanks.
Even if there's nothing wrong, families worry about you. Right?
You're absolutely right.
You've been a regular here for a while now...
...but what are you doing alone in a place like this in the first place? Sightseeing? Or work?
Well... Good question.
I'm a cub reporter. Here for training...
A cub reporter who's come all this way to starve...
You're weird.
Am I?
I think I'm normal.
We don't offer free refills here for people to fill up on.
Sorry.
It's not free. You're washing dishes later.
But... I feel bad.
I don't deserve it...
Don't talk like that. Modesty and belittling yourself are totally different.
Besides, my conscience couldn't take it if I let a regular customer starve to death.
T-Thank you...
Hey! Get back here, monkey!
- What's with him? - You couldn't see it, but his camera was stolen.
It was a mach monkey. They move too fast for human eyes to follow.
But that kid was yelling about a monkey...
It was all a series of convenient coincidences.
I was at my regular diner and happened to be talking with my usual busybody waitress...
A mach monkey took my camera by chance...
...which coincidentally put me in the middle of some crazy armed robbery shoot-out!
By coincidence, the blast threw me to the ground right in front of...
How do you do, stupid newbie?
The name's Zap Renfro. You blow off our meetup, and then I find you here with a foot in the grave?
The reason I came here...
I found the people I've been looking for.
SECRET SOCIETY IN THE SEALED CITY OF MAGIC Libra!
LIBRA (NOUN)
The city was feared at first, but now it's crawling with all kinds of crooks, terrorists...
...megacorporations, religious groups, the Mafia, refugees, and intelligence agents from every nation.
You could say they're quietly targeting it for a thousand-year reign.
We risk our lives to stop the most dangerous of them. You'd better not be a burden, Johnny.
I'm sure this is the place where I can get the truth.
Michella...
Hi there. You're our new comrade?
Welcome.
I'm Klaus V. Reinhertz.
This is Chain Sumeragi.
It's a pleasure, Johnny Landis.
Johnny Landis? That can't be.
After all, he just died.
BLOOD BLOCKADE BATTLEFRONT
- The wrong guy! What an idiot! - Shut up! The boss man didn't realize either!
Never mind Mr. Klaus! It's your screwup!
- What's that, wench? Wanna get into it? - Drop dead.
And you, you liar!
I'm sorry! But there's something I want to know...
Something I have to find out!
You're all up on the underworld, so I thought you'd know...
He's now being led away in a polisuit.
The armed robbery brouhaha from before. Looks like they caught him.
- Did you see that? - Him again...
It's me, everyone. The extraordinary masked phantom who rules Jerusalem's Lot.
Femt the King of Depravity!
How is everybody these days? I'm extremely bored.
And all of it is your fault!
ME YOU You pigs just stand around with your mouths open, waiting for food to fall in!
He pisses me off.
That's why I've taken it upon myself to play a little game. Sorry.
Hear that?
The game's already begun. The rules are simple.
Find the gate that split the robber before the demon does and destroy it!
The gate opens every few minutes, so that's your chance.
Use the bisectioning party that happens each time to guide you.
But if the demon finds that gate first...
I hate to even think about it! I can't even bring myself to say it!
Well, give it your all... representatives of the human race!
- Klaus-san! - Ass wipe!
Don't tell me you're his agent?
N-No!
Let him go, Zap.
Use your brains.
Mr. Klaus sensed danger and protected him!
Oh...
I believe the gate itself is...
Wait, monkey!
- So you did bring it as part of a plan! - I'm sorry! Sorry!
I didn't know! I swear...
Former Johnny Landis-kun...
It's Leo.
Leonard Watch.
I apologize for lying, Mr. Klaus.
Thank you for saving me.
So you...
...could see it.
Yes.
I could barely get a glimpse of that attack out of the corner of my eye!
Do those eyes of yours have something to do with it? What is this thing you have to find out?
It happened exactly six months ago.
Bro...
Why're you shooting me when we came all this way to the border town?
- I'm not really interested in it. - Again with that.
What happened to your newspaper reporter's soul?
Shush it already. Just don't move, Michella.
I have a reason for being obstinate.
My sister has never been able to walk.
Jerusalem's Lot is the city where miracles beyond human understanding happen.
They would never say it, but I'm sure my parents harbored hope about my sister's legs.
I think that clinging hope irritated me.
That's when it happened.
It appeared before us.
Choose.
Which of you shall be the witness?
We understood what it was implying.
Whoever wasn't going to be a witness didn't need to see.
And the fact that you can see means you sacrificed your little sister? Scumbag!
I couldn't move...
I... stood there frozen... the whole time!
I... I'm a coward!
If you're going to steal, steal from me.
If you have to steal, steal from me!
This is the JLPD special forces team! On the floor, hands behind your head, ankles crossed!
This is a state of emergency. Refuse to comply and we will shoot! This is the JLPD...
Just what we didn't need.
They gonna try to pin this whole mess on us?
Leonard-kun...
I understand your power and the circumstances in which it was given to you.
And I want to make a proposal...
Listen.
I think your ability is the key to controlling this situation.
So I want you to help us.
Do that and we'll in turn help you achieve your goal.
You mean...
That's right.
I'll say it again. Welcome to Libra.
- Pfft. - Zap-kun, restrain yourself.
The ultimate battle isn't here but still lies ahead.
Conserve your strength.
I want you to recognize one thing, Leonard-kun.
You're not a coward.
I know because you haven't given up yet. You're standing there.
As long as you face the light and take even one step...
...the human soul can never truly be defeated!
Brain Grid style blood fighting technique is in the house!
BRAIN GRID STYLE BLOOD FIGHTING TECHNIQUE
Pattern 11!
Wirble Sturm!
TWISTING STORM
Go.
First, we're going to save the world!
Libra...
Such integrity...
I can always count on them to accept my invitation.
Maintaining the world's balance is fine...
...but wouldn't they be happier if they were faithful to their own desires?
Fall, humans.
Zap-san! Is shooting the monkey a good idea?
- Gotta destroy the gate, and that's the monkey! - But that monkey didn't split!
Unlike the robber, the monkey didn't get split!
What! Yeah?
The monkey's heading your way! The gate's about to open again, so be careful!
Vivienne-san!
Leo...
You're okay...
Good.
You have to get out of here! That monster could attack at any minute!
Leo!
Hold on. I promise I'll be back.
I haven't washed those dishes yet!
Zap-san?
I'm surprised you're still here. I figured you'd fled.
- Hey, can you move? - Yes...
We'll end this before the gate opens next.
I'll hold off the big fella. You do something about that monkey!
I don't know what happened, but looks like you're in the zone.
Nice determined look there.
Let's go. And don't wait too long.
Big-dipper style blood technique, sword form one!
Sword of Flame!
BIG-DIPPER STYLE BLOOD TECHNIQUE SWORD FORM ONE SWORD OF FLAME
Run! You little turd!
GIANT SERPENT HALBERD
No good!
I'm not gonna make it in time!
Don't just stand there, brat.
No mercy for anyone who underestimates me.
SEVENTH HELL
Don't open...
Don't open! Don't open! Don't open! Don't open!
Wait, I can make sure... With these eyes of mine!
Why! Why won't you kill the monkey?
That ruins my plan! My hilarious scenario...
...where the barrier demon would merge the moment the monkey was killed!
Maybe the boy didn't kill the monkey because he has an aversion to taking life?
Here in the weird city of JL?
Dammit! He's normal!
A boy who possesses the "Eyes of the Gods"...
Are you sure about this? Making him a member...
If anything happens, all of us can deal with it.
I see.
Hi, Leo! What can I get you?
Um... Blended coffee... And I'll wash those dishes.
I thought you'd take advantage of the chaos and welsh.
I wouldn't do that.
Found you!
Hello, everyone! Femt, the King of Depravity is this preview's host.
If you thought the main character would host the first preview, you're an idiot!
That's why you're all losers!
You need to open your minds! Expand your horizons!
Next time on Blood Blockade Battlefront, "Get that Phantom Ghost Wagon"!
You can check what it's about.
Better go all out next time too, representatives of the human race.
GET THAT PHANTOM GHOST WAGON Better go all out next time too, representatives of the human race.