#world trigger writing

[corvicals]

Kuga side effect masterpost [08/02/26]

every time Kuga is lied to during world trigger. it goes in order of chapter, rather than in order of timeline. hopefully it helps someone or is at the very least interesting. special thanks to @/tamako-ghost for providing a wonderful resource for panels.

i’ve organized them into a few categories: 

i. basic lies (where the subject is intentionally lying, and their statement holds no truth) 

ii. complex lies (where the subject is not telling the entire truth, or their answer is a mix of truth and lies)

iii. extras (where the subject is not lying, but Kuga knows or feels that the statement is false, his side effect is not activated)

citations are in alt text

basic lies

Lie: “…such an excuse is inappropriate.

Explanation: according to school policy, certain accessories are permitted. presumably that includes mementos. Moribayashi lies to Kuga about the policy, informing him that a late parents gift is not enough of a reason to keep his ring on. 

Result: Kugas eyes scare Moribayashi so that Kuga is allowed to keep his ring.

Lie: “a Japanese welcome.”

Explanation: the “3 Idiots” (Bito, Eida, Shihara) bully Kuga by throwing rolled up paper at the back of his head. when he asks about it, they tell him it’s a traditional greeting.

Result: Kuga returns the greeting, sending Eida to the ground with its force. it makes the 3 Idiots want revenge against Kuga.

Lie: “dude, I think that broke my leg. oh yeah, it’s totally broken.”

Explanation: after purposefully bumping into Kuga, Random Citizen 1 (RC1) tells Kuga that the bump broke his leg. he asks for money as compensation, because Kuga previously waved around a large sum of money due to his inexperience with it.

Result: Kuga breaks his leg after RC1 says “we said it’s broken, so it’s broken.” Kuga then gives him 100,000 yen, saying he “did everything they said.”

Lie: “actually…my dad is sick. he could die.”

Explanation: after Kuga is left alone, he is approached by RC2. RC2 initially just asks for money, before following it up with a lie—that his father is sick. much like the previous situation, RC2 approached Kuga after he accidentally flaunted his cash when looking to buy food.

Result: Kuga, upon Mikumos request, doesn’t break any bones. hopefully. however he does beat them up (or “send them flying”), as he promised.

Lie: “I-I was just talking about organizational discipline!”

Explanation: Kitora scolded Mikumo for breaking Border regulations. however, Kuga thinks she may just be upset he got praised. he calls Kitora out, and she responds with a lie, denying that she was jealous.

Result: Tokeida shuts down the confrontation. 

Lie: “I wanted to protect the city.”

Explanation: Kuga presumes that Mikumo joined border to help Amatori. Mikumo denies it, lying that it’s for the city. he later admits that it was out of frustration, because he couldn’t do anything.

Result: more information of Mikumos motives. he continues to phrase his actions so that they seem sefish.

Lie: “if the two of us fight him…he’ll be taken down for sure.”

Explanation: while Miwa and Yoneya are the only ones confronting Kuga face-to-face, they actually have two snipers trained on Kuga. had Yoneya not talked, their snipers may have been able to deal more damage to Kuga.

Result: Kuga knows that his mobility is limited due to the snipers, and does his best to adapt. 

Lie: “not really…I was just wondering.”

Explanation: she does know somebody, two people in fact. she lied to avoid talking about their disappearances.

Result: Kuga is sad she didn’t want to share what happened woth him. Amatori apologizes and tells him about Amatori Rinji and Harukawa Aoba.

Lie: “avenge Yugos death with us! it’s what Yugo would have wanted!”

Explanation: when Yugo died, he left behind a black trigger. it is bonded to Kuga, keeping him alive. the allies they were working with want to use the black trigger to continue fighting. they tell Kuga that this is what Yugo wanted…which is untrue. Yugo wanted Kuga to head to Border for help.

Result: despite their lie, and his fathers wishes, Kuga remains to help the country he and his dad were working with. he remains there until the war is won.

Lie: “did you attract all these spectators?” “no…they must’ve heard the rumor that he tied with Kazama. I didn’t do anything.”

Explanation: Midorikawa purposefully asked Mikumo to spar in a busy area, allowing onlookers to follow. he wanted to beat Mikumo badly in front of his peers. Mikumo looses 0-10.

Result: Kuga challenges Midorikawa, telling Midorikawa that if he wins, he must refer to Mikumo with respect. Kuga wins 8-2, though he purposefully threw two matches. Midorikawa is beaten in front of the crowd he gathered.

Lie: “if I take too long, the baby birds will fly away.”

Explanation: Visa intentionally lies to Kuga to make it seem that he has somewhere he needs to be, and something he needs to be doing other than fighting Kuga.

Result: Kuga, understanding that Visa just wants to stall him, sends Replica to assist Mikumo and co.

Lie: “We won’t be be lenient even with mere informants. We’ll get rough if necessary. Our world's laws don’t apply to you neighbors.”

Explanation: Kinuta implies he is willing to violate the Geneva convention to torture information out of Hyuse.

Result: Kinuta is lying for the sake of a good threat. Kuga is able to prove his side effects worth and helps with Enedorad’s interrogation.

Lie: “my job was to create a disturbance. I was told to get inside your fort and kill some Meeden small fry. that was my commanders orders. I had no other choice.”

Explanation: Enedora did not follow his captain, Hyreins, instructions. instead, he chose to go against orders and attack the base. he lies, likely so that Border will continue to allow him to live.

Result: Border confirms that Enedora is willing to lie to them, and also that he is willing to work with them. even if that information came to light at the same time.

Lie: “well, you see…he can read minds.”

Explanation: Kageuras side effect does not, in fact, allow him to read minds. instead it allows him to sense the way someone feels towards him, at any given moment.

Result: Kuga challenges Kageura to read his mind, knowing he cannot. Kageura is irritated and leaves.

Lie: “if I were the leader of an expedition…I probably wouldn’t be holy about having to take Hyuse with me.”

Explanation: Mikumo requested Rindo lie about his position, utilizing a tactic he saw Netsuki use. 

Result: it allows Mikumo to propose Hyuse as a tour guide in the neighborhood, which gives him stronger backing for allowing Hyuse on the mission, and on Tamakoma-2.

Lie: “asteroid!”

Explanation: Mizukami yells out “asteroid” while using meteor, aiming to catch his opponent, Kuga in this case, off guard. it can be assumed that he does this frequently, as he does the same thing to Oji.

Result: Kuga defends carefully, as he knows that it isn’t asteroid. he survives the assault.

Note: added thanks to @/kagetai

Lie: “y-yeah! I can do it!”

Explanation: Amatori is told by Mikumo to fire Hound at their pursuers, Ninomiya squad. however, despite what she says, she doesn’t think she can do it. Kuga tells her that she doesn’t have to hurt them—she just needs to get Kuga some time.

Result: she fires successfully, allowing her and Kuga to escape. nobody is injured, and Ninomiya squad believes that she still cannot shoot people.

Lie: “sadly…Mikumo doesn’t pose the slightest threat to us.”

Explanation: despite Ninomiya, and his squads, posturing, they do consider Mikumo an active threat, even if they still underestimate his abilities and his strategies. 

Result: N/A

Lie: “I am Ratarykov.”

Explanation: the name Ratarykov is currently using is an alias, with his actual name being Orkan Marduk.

Result: N/A

Lie: “nah, nothing like that. what do you care, anyway?”

Explanation: Urushima did reach out to his operators squad, asking they keep in mind that she struggles with parallel processing.

Result: Rokuta, the operator, is able to get more help from her squadmates. Urushima is shown to care about his squadmate.

complex lies

Lie: “do I really need to explain? my goal is to kill the guys who betrayed and murdered me. I’d work with a civilization of monkeys to accomplish that.”

Explanation: while Enedorad is telling a half-truth, he has another motivator. the motivator is not known, but it does mean that he is willing to work with Meeden.

Result: Kugas side effect can tell exactly what in a scentence is a lie, Enedorad has some other unknown goal.

extras

”Lie:” “find. no need to worry.”

Explanation: despite Replicas reassurance, Kuga knows that Jin’s future sight is not so easily changed.

Result: N/A

Lie: “I wasn’t strong enough! and now Replica is gone!”

Explanation: Mikumo feels the need to take responsibility for Replicas abandonment. while Mikumo does truly feel this way, Kuga rejects his line of thinking. he chastises Mikumo slightly, telling him to instead be grateful to Replica.

Result: N/A

“Lie:” “if what he said is true…then this is my fault.”

Explanation: while Mikumo does, in this scene, truly believe it is his fault, Kuga disagrees. he knows that Mikumo isn’t at fault for this—and pokes fun at him. Kuga knows that Mikumo wouldn’t change his actions, even if he saw this was the result.

Result: Mikumo disrupts the press conference to represent himself, and declares his squads intentions to make it on the away mission.

[corvicals]

actually, why wasn’t Mikumo upset with Jin?

in my previous analysis (which you can read here) I was discussing a scene and mentioned how I personally wished Mikumo had acted differently in it. however I said that the actions I wanted Mikumo to take “…wouldn’t be very Mikumo of him.” but, upon reflection, I actually think the action I wanted him to take is distinctly Mikumo-esque. and yet…he doesn’t take that path. which is interesting.

so this is a scene analysis with discussion of Mikumos worldview. which is immensely interesting, at least to me. I love complex worldviews and Mikumos is especially convoluted.

i. as previously stated, I read translations. I do my best to cross-reference information. i’m trying to use less images so my references are formatted as in-text citations

ii. discussion or clarification of images is kept in the alt text as per usual

iii. discussing this scene is a segway to discuss Mikumo on a broader scale.

iv. general Mikumo content warnings

v. this is a lot more speculative due to the nature of morals. apologies. my biases likely bleed through, unfortunately. 

if there is a single scene that I think about the most, it might just be this one. this scene is great, it not only displays Mikumos brazen nature, but also presents us with Jin being ashamed. it is easy to confuse their personalities here, because as much as Jin tries to seem like he has it all under control, and that he is an unstoppable force, he is ultimately a nineteen year old trying to prove his worth as an individual and perform perfection for his juniors. and on the other hand, Mikumo, who presents himself as a stickler for the rules, somebody quiet but good natured, is, in actuality, a brazen, self-sacrificing circumventer with little regard for authority.

this scene presents them as they are, in their truest forms. thats likely why it is one of my favorites.

but the first time I read it, and the second time, I do not think I understood the impact that Mikumos prior characterizations had on this scene. every single aspect of Mikumos mindset and perspective affected how this scene went. admittedly, that sounds like exaggeration, but every fundamental piece of Mikumos worldview is presented in this scene, and he proves just how loyally he follows his morals. 

before I can analyze how his worldview affects this scene, I will first present my interpretation of his mindset.

what matters to Mikumo?

in my time writing analysis, there are few characters with a worldview as difficult to discuss as Mikumo. the main reason for that is due to the double-standard his mindset is built on. Mikumo is steadfast in following his morals, and believes in them wholeheartedly—but he does not intend to push them onto other people. despite his interpretation of his actions as “what [he] deems right” (Ch85, P7), he does not hold others to the same standard. that is the double-standard, the fundamental hypocrisy to all of Mikumos thoughts and actions. therefore, when making any statements about Mikumos mindset, there is an inherent need for an addendum. because if I say, for example, “Mikumo believes in the importance of rules,” I can back that up with evidence from the manga (Ch2, P20). but, at the same time, that statement is wrong—immediately wrong to every reader, because no matter what Mikumo has said to Kuga about rules, Mikumo has actually broken and/or warped almost every rule he himself has come across. however, as with most moral systems, there is a hierarchy to his goals and beliefs. but because it is also Mikumo, this moral compass is divided between himself and literally everyone else.

I have made a table, which will hopefully help with comprehension. the order in which beliefs are listed goes from “foundational” to “fundamental.”*

*note: the content described in a box overpowers the one above it. for example, Mikumos perspective on Justice overrides anything he believes about Authority. it is set up this way due to the confusing nature of morals. I apologize for any confusion in advance.

**everything included in this section is very difficult to discuss, due to the nature of morals and Mikumo himself. if anyone has ideas for how to better express these concepts, please, do tell me! Mikumo's perspective on the world is fascinating to me, and I love to hear others thoughts on his worldview.

and so the order of his worldview, when it comes to himself, iis as follows:

i. the safety of my own body and mind is secondary to the safety of those around me; the lives of others matter more than my own. the lives of those i care for and must protect matter most.

ii. if i do not always help when i am able to, i will never help others again: that moral failing must never occur. letting down others is not an option, i must succeed at all costs

iii. the punishments i receive are just, but that is not the case for what others may receive, their punishments must be deemed right before they are accepted.

iv. the authority of others is only important so long as it does not threaten the success of ii. or iii. ultimately authority is a construct. rules can guide but may be rejected for the sake of ii. and iii.

side note, these read much like the laws of robotics. i am delighted at that fact.

the ordering of these items is intentional. Mikumo is only able to achieve ii. because of his complete lack of preservational instincts. if Mikumo cared even a little bit more about his own safety than others, he would deem himself selfish. to be ready to die for others, Mikumo forfeits any care for his own safety and life. only once he has done that can he maintain and truly believe in his morals.

selfishness, and its opposite, selflessness, are often brought up in regards to Mikumo. no doubt due to his own use of the term when referring to himself. it raises many questions, naturally: because are his actions selfish? the results of them may not be, but is the end result what matters, or are the reasons for his actions what matters? its part of why he is so interesting.

what, to Mikumo, is failure?

at what point, if any, would Mikumo fall into his worst impulses? what would have to occur for him to stop following his moral code? when does it end, how small does it have to get?

“I just think…if I ran away from what I think I ought to do even once, then surely, I’d end up running away when it matters most” (Ch21, P12).

there is only one type of failure to Mikumo, only one place where he feels he can wriggle out of his mindset. the only way that he can fail is to run away. and this is in every single thing he does. it is easy to see only how this applies in dangerous situations, where lives are at risk, but Mikumo does this with everything. he doesn’t need to help Kuga keep his ring, but he does, because that’s what he believes is right (Ch1, P17). for him to  second-guess his deductions is to abandon his foundational beliefs. there is no leeway for him, there is no margin for error. there is a single condition for success.

and he will die for it.

Mikumo does not see death as a failure, because he does not value his life. should he give his own life to save the lives of others, he has done good. the cost of his own death is nothing compared to the reward of his friends, his family, everyone, continuing to live.

and that is why he does not blame Jin.

why doesnt Mikumo argue with Jin?

in any other story, this scene should’ve ended with an argument. this scene features Mikumos core principle, that even if the future held more danger, that is no reason to ignore the people of the present, being directly ignored and violated by another protagonist. this is, in any other story, a method to analyze that principle, to see its flaws, its benefits, and Jin’s own nature as a character. but because this is world trigger, we do not see an argument. 

when Mikumo's sense of justice is violated, he has no qualms about arguing against it, or holding grudges. of course, this only applies when it is his allies being treated unfairly–it does not matter to Mikumo when he is being targeted (Ch86, P7). and that is precisely why Mikumo does not argue about morals with Jin in this scene.

because Mikumo was, to his knowledge, the only one in mortal peril. and so it doesnt matter to him that Jin took a path that could lead to his death, precisely because it is Mikumo's life at stake.

and when it comes to Replica and Amatori, he perceives himself as having full responsibility when it comes to them. Mikumo does not have future sight, and likely doesn’t completely understand just how much control Jin does (or doesn’t) have over the future. once Amatori was in danger, Mikumo took the responsibility for her safety and life. because that’s the kind of person he is: someone who doesn’t ignore people in need, someone who follows through on his promises. 

he does not blame Jin for Replicas disappearance because Mikumo takes responsibility for that “failing.” he can’t see it as Jin’s responsibility. 

and so, to Mikumo, there is nothing to argue about. Amatori survived, he was willing to give his life to make that happen, and of those he couldn’t save—he intends to get them back too. Mikumo doesn’t focus on the future much: but he will keep moving forward, if only for the sake of others.

this is probably something to talk about later, but it’s really interesting how little Mikumo cares about the future, especially because of how anxiety ridden he is as a character. subversions, i suppose.

the death of Mikumo

this has no correlation to the previous scene beyond a different mindset. Reiji Kizaki and Mikumo have differing views on sacrifice, and by extension, saving people via sacrifice. it is especially interesting that Kizaki is one of the two people who told Mikumo to save Amatori “by any means necessary” (Ch55, P6). Based on this scene, Reiji was telling Mikumo that Mikumo may have to fail, to fail to come back, to continue saving people, whereas Mikumo understood it as a demand for success, a confirmation that Mikumos life means less than Amatoris. and so Mikumo “does the right thing.”

I don’t have much else to say, but this scene is great, especially with the context of the large scale invasion. I love miscommunication like this, where the meaning is understood but the fundamentals behind it is misinterpreted. Kizaki is great and his mindset is opposed to Mikumos in a really interesting way.

unfortunately I don’t have a clean way to end this. Mikumo is very interesting to think about. his mindset is so perfectly complex and every scene proves his dedication to his beliefs. contributions from others is greatly appreciated! please let me know if i’ve got anything wrong. 

[winter-cheshire-writings]

World Trigger Drabble - Aihara-senpai (Miwa Unit)

Toru Narasaka: 

“Aihara-san.”

“Toru, I told you don’t call me that.” Akemi sighed. “I’m just asking you to help Ayumi with sniper training.” she added. “I want to make sure she has someone who can keep her out of trouble, there’s no reason for you to get so uptight.”

“… Yes, I’m sorry.” he replied as the waitress who’d taken their orders earlier arrived with thier food. “But even so, Aihara-senpai-”

“Toru.” he flinched, looking up at the brunette. “Don’t act like that.” she smiled a little. “Please, eat.” she motioned to his food. Toru nodded, looking back down at his food. A sandwich and soup, something he never thought he’d order himself. But when he tried it, he was pleasantly surprised that Akemi had picked out something so specific and that he’d liked it as much as he did. “… So you’ll help her?”

“… Yes.” he replied, looking up from his food at her, seeing the relief in her ash-blue eyes. “I will do my best to tutor her.”

Shohei Kodera: 

“I-i’m so sorry!” Shohei bowed his head to the brunette he’d accidentally run into. 

“It’s alright, Shohei-kun.” 

“A-aihara-senpai!” he panicked, bowing his head again. “I-i’m so sorry!!”

“Shohei-kun, calm down.” Akemi smiled. “It’s fine, no harm no foul.” she added. “In fact, here.” she handed him what looked like a box of candies. “I’m handing them out to people who have helped my sister, so this one is for you.” she stated simply. 

“E-eeh?”

“Ayumi told me that you helped her out the other day. You found her wallet, right?”

“Y-yes, but that was really nothing to pay me back for…”

“Nonsense.” Akemi smiled. “It’s what I do.” she added. “Unless you prefer I take you to dinner.”

“N-no this is fine!” he exclaimed, face red. “Th-thank you very much!”

Yoneya Yosuke: 

“Yoneya.”

“Yo, Akemi-san.” Yosuke grinned at the woman as she approached. “Sorry to call you out here.” he rubbed the back of his neck. “But Ayumi ended up in the clinic again.”

“I heard… thanks for calling Shiori about it.” she added, bowing her head. “Is she alright?”

“Yes, she is. But she almost fell down at school, then when she got to base she went to go to a Rank War straight away.” he replied. “And when it was over she was heading to the vending machines when she fainted.” He could see Akemi trembling a little and being slightly out of breath but he didn’t say anything.

“Again, huh?” she sighed, leaning against the wall. 

“… Akemi-san.”

“Yes?”

“You really worry about your kid sister, huh?” he asked. “Have you told her that?”

“Every time this happens. But unfortunately she picked up on my stubborn behavior.” she looked at him. “… Thanks for keeping an eye on her…” she stated. 

“No problem.” he grinned. “But you should’ve seen how freaked out my captain got.” he added. “He carried her all the way to the clinic himself.”

“Oh, he did?” Akemi smiled a little. “… That’s nice…”

Ren Tsukimi:

“Tsukimi-chan.” 

“Ah, Akemi-senpai.” The 19-year-old operator looked up from her seat at the brunette woman at the door. “Is everything alright?” she asked, noticing that Akemi looked fairly tired.

“Sorry for bothering you, have you seen Azami?” the brunette questioned, adjusting her glasses.

“Azami-kun?” she tilted her head. “No, I haven’t seen him. Is he missing again?”

“He’s skipping out on rehab, that’s all.” She stated, sighing and looking exhausted. “He’s been kind of dodgy ever since I came back from the away mission.” She added.

“Ah, did you want some help looking for him?”

“No, it’s alright, thank you though.” Akemi replied. “But if you see him, please let me know.” She added, bowing her head before hurrying off.

  Shuji Miwa: 

Ayumi and a couple of the other girls from the school stood on the auditorium stage to do their performance, Akemi walking over to Shuji as he stood at the door. “She wanted to do this for you, despite her injuries.” She stated, Shuji jumping at her voice, whipping around to see her. “She loves you, Shuji…” Akemi said softly, knowing that he had previously been torn with his emotions. However, now he seemed much less upset about it.

“… Yeah.” He muttered, turning to the stage again to see Ayumi singing with all her heart, smiling cheerfully. He looked much calmer watching Ayumi perform than he did when he normally looked at Akemi. But today it was different. “… Akemi-san?” 

"Yes, Shuji?”

“I hope you and Kazama-san have a nice Christmas.” He stated, walking further into the auditorium to watch Ayumi’s performance from a slightly closer vantage point. Akemi smiled at him, looking relieved that he’d said that. She continued to watch Akemi’s performance from where she stood, soon feeling a hand on hers, turning to see Soya standing there. 

“… Soya…”

“Did you get through to him this time?” he asked.

“Yes… I did…” she said softly. “Thank you… for pushing me to tell him… I know Ayumi not telling him on her own wasn’t the best, but… at least maybe now he’ll stop focusing on me.” she smiled. “… Miwa would have probably done it much sooner.” she added, squeezing his hand tighter. “… But if she were still here…” tears slowly began to form in the corners of her eyes, but she held them back. “Maybe it would have been easier for Shuji…” she stated softly. 

“Don’t blame yourself.” Soya said, not moving from her side as Ayumi and her classmates continued their performance. “… At least you let them know.” he added, letting her lean on him a little, feeling her let out a ragged sigh.

“… Right.” 

[winter-cheshire-writings]

World Trigger Drabbles - Baked with Love

Soya sighed, staring at his kitchen counter and the thing he’d just pulled from the oven. He’d amassed all the ingredients, he’d taken the precautions of measuring everything in advance and making sure he had the proper vessels for it all. He’d done it all according to direction, but somehow his cake for Akemi had ended up melting into a crumbled pile of mush and burnt crispies. He sighed, staring at the mess. “Damn it…” he muttered. He glanced warily at the clock. She was going to be at his apartment soon… but knowing her she might be early… He shook his head and went to toss the mess when the doorbell rang. He placed the tray on the counter again and opened the front door. “Akemi…”

“Good afternoon, my dear~” she smiled, carrying some bags. “I have those ingredients you asked for~” she added cheerfully. “Everything we need for a nice pasta dinner for two.” Soya nodded, letting the girl into the apartment and closing the door behind her. “Shall I leave it in the kitchen?”

“N-no.” he stopped her, pulling her to the couch. “Sit, I’ll put it away.” he took the groceries from her and wandered back into the kitchen. Akemi leaned over the back of the couch, staring at Soya in the kitchen. She caught a glimpse of the tray on the counter, raising an eyebrow. 

“Ne…” Soya paused, looking around the fridge door at the woman. “… Did you make dessert?” she smiled. “It smells like chocolate in here.” Soya glanced at the tray, then back at her, closing the fridge and going to stand near her. 

“It didn’t turn out so good.”

“Eeeh.” she pouted. “Can I try it?” she asked, Soya shaking his head adamantly. “Pleeeease?” she took his hand, smiling lovingly. Soya sighed, and once she let go he went to get the tray. He brought a little of the contents back in a bowl, handing it off to her and watching as she inspected it, soon taking a bite. “Mmm…” she pondered, tilting her head a little. “Tastes like roasted chocolate candy.” she smiled. “We should save this for eating with the vanilla icecream.” she added, looking up at him. “It’ll be great~”

“You’re not just saying that, right?” he asked.

“Now why would I lie about food, Soya? It’s full of your love, I can tell.” she got up and hugged onto him. “So it tastes amazing~”

“… You…” he sighed, leaning against her and trying to conceal his embarrassment. “… Help me make dinner?”

“Of course, that’s what I’m here for.” she gave him a peck on the cheek, taking him to the kitchen to begin preparing their Valentines Day dinner.