Azure Striker Gunvolt: Fleeting Memories is a short Japanese web novel series based on Inti Creates' 2D Run-and-Gun series Azure Striker Gunvolt. The series is written by Gunvolt main scenario writer Toshiaki Tai, with English translations by Matt Papa.
20 Minutes into the Future, powerful metahumans known as "Adepts" begin to emerge from the human populace. The most gifted of humankind, Adepts wield superpowers known as Septima, which take on a vast range of forms and abilities. Unable to handle the sudden rise of the Adepts, world order quickly collapses underneath their power. The only (relatively) safe haven from the Adepts is a lone country in the Far East, whose Adept population is kept in check by the MegaCorp Sumeragi, a national superpower that has footholds across the entire nation. However, even in this country, there are those who would seek to use the power of Adepts for their own gains, be it Adepts or humans...
Fleeting Memories follows the story of Rei and Miu, Muggle children whose parents were murdered by an Adept only known by the name of "Raptor, Obliterator of the Innocent". Having moved in with distant relatives, Rei and Miu attempt to live out their lives with relative normalcy. Fate, though, plays a cruel hand, and soon brother and sister find themselves once again swept into the heat of the Adept conflict.
The main bulk of the Fleeting Memories story consists of 20 individual short-story format chapters that are published regularly. A Season 2 of Fleeting Memories is planned to release at an unspecified date.
Fleeting Memories contains examples of:
- After the End: The story states the game takes place after Adepts have caused the total breakdown of society in most of the world. Where Gunvolt lives is a practical safe haven, and the same can be said for this story so far.
- All There in the Manual: A lot of information about Gunvolt's world is provided here.
- Asshole Victim: Dr. Kamizono is killed by the Azure Striker in the Prologue as the result of a lab explosion. Since we're meant to empathize with the Adepts, Dr. Kamizono's Fantastic Racism doesn't do much to help his case.
- Cliffhanger: The first season ends with Himeshiro meeting with Rei to discuss something important.
- Creator Provincialism: a "small island nation in Asia" is the only nation which has successfully prevented the End of the World as We Know It caused by Adepts' sudden appearance. Although they don't say what exactly this IS, it is incredibly obvious what they mean.
- Doomed by Canon: Dr. Kamizono was mentioned to have been killed prior to the game's story in the game proper. In Fleeting Memories, this is exactly what happens to him after the Prologue.
- Downer Beginning: Right after the prologue, the actual story opens with a flashback of Rei and Miu's parents getting killed.
- Fantastic Racism: Loads of it. This is the reason why normal people like Dr. Kamizono are willing to test on Adepts.
- Gender-Blender Name: The viewpoint character is a 9 year-old boy named Reinote .
- Hero Worship: Miu LOVES Himeshiro, and seems like she could rant for hours about her. Himeshiro is humble enough that she blushes when she does this.
- Incest Subtext: Discussed by Rei and Miu, largely because Miu cares for Rei enough that they end up looking and sounding like a couple. She even cooks for him. (Rei, at least, is uncomfortable with the situation.)
- In Spite of a Nail/Like Reality, Unless Noted: Psychics are apparently nothing new in this world, and have existed for much longer than the Adepts have. However, the Japanese version of the game contains a reference to GalGun, so it's heavily implied that the culture twenty minutes into the past was the same. In addition, it's almost explicitly stated that most of the differences in technology are the result of research into Adepts, which mean that technology levels were pretty much the same, as well.
- Japanese Delinquent: A bandit, who attempts to rob Rei and Miu in chapters 10-12.
- The Obsidian Corps are a whole gang of these, and one of Himeshiro's targets.
- Life Energy: The Lifewave, the source the Adepts tap into. And what connects all living things in the world (that includes animals).
- Meaningful Name: "Himeshiro" literally means "white princess", a reference to her Yamato Nadeshiko style.
- Orphan's Ordeal: Rei and Miu's parents were killed midway through the story by an Adept on Rei's 9th birthday. They don't take it too easily, but some of their distant relatives take them in.
- Or Was It a Dream?: Raptor's murder of Rei's parents is presented as a dream, but it is implied that it actually happened.
- Pay Evil unto Evil/Bully Hunter: Himeshiro, who hunts delinquents and various criminals.
- Playing with Fire/Having a Blast: One otherwise rather uninteresting robber in the story actually shares Viper's powers. Himeshiro stops him soon enough.
- Power Level: Psychic power is graded on this scale based on the person's Lifewave stage.
- Primordial (1st Wave) to 3rd Wave: Muggles.
- Tetrad (4th Wave): Mystics, soothsayers, psychics, the like.
- Quinary (5th Wave): Not elaborated upon much, but since they can rarely reach similar power levels, probably has powers closer to the Senary wave than the Tetrad.
- Senary (6th Wave): Miraculous beings.
- Septimal (7th Wave): Adepts. Because they hold so much power, much of the world has plunged into The End of the World as We Know It, save for a lone island country in East Asia under the influence of the Sumeragi Group.
- Power of the Void: Himeshiro can cause things to disappear and reappear at whim.
- Prequel: The story is set before the first game, although contains only loose ties to the main story and features none of its cast, unless Dr. Kamizono, who was mentioned in passing in Azure Striker Gunvolt, counts.
- Serial Killer: Raptor, The Obliterator of Innocents, is an example of the elusive type: A "modern-day Jack the Ripper" who never leaves behind calling cards for his victims. It's hinted that he is Rei's parents' murderer. Himeshiro and Rei have agreed to look for him.
- Yamato Nadeshiko: Himeshiro is described third-hand as having these traits, even going so far to refer to her as "m'lady". Truth be told, they aren't too far off the mark.
