While sitting in front of my computer grinding out twelve assignments, I couldn’t help but think about the topic that had been weighing on my mind.
Censorship.
Globally, censorship is something that dates back to ancient times.
Something impure, to be isolated from society’s universal norms.
Long ago, that meant religion.
In the Middle Ages, it meant astronomy and science.
And in modern times, with the rise of digital media, it’s censorship of visual phenomena in official, public-facing contexts.
As a mobile game user, when I hear “censorship,” I naturally first think of sexual—so-called 19+ content.
‘Of course I do.’
What does “19+” even mean?
It’s obviously stuff minors shouldn’t be engaging with.
Alcohol, cigarettes, gambling, and… well, “adult” things.
I get it.
I understand.
But saying that just because an octopus is wearing a swimsuit, or a female character in a swimsuit has an octopus on her, one must be having lewd, depraved thoughts—
Anyway, let’s move on.
If we’re talking about the leading country in censorship, without a doubt, that’d be China.
“Isn’t it Korea, Master?”
“Who told you to read my thoughts?”
“Nyaah?!”
To give Kiharu some leeway for reading my mind uninvited—well, it’s a valid perspective.
“Censorship exists in every country. It’s just a matter of degree.”
“So, are you going to step in about that now too?”
“No. I’m someone who only cares about the Towers, and when it comes to games, I just do my best with the environment I’m given. You were a goddess who had to censor and conceal all sorts of information and evildoing in your world, so maybe you’d think differently.”
“But you didn’t like censorship itself either, did you?”
“…I’ve come too far to still speak as just a mobile game user.”
Censorship.
If I, the Master, talk carelessly, everything could get flipped upside down.
Of course, I enjoy an open environment where adults can freely enjoy such content, but if the rules are loosened even a little, someone will cross the line.
Especially now, after seeing the Abyss through Drei’s hacking, I can’t help but worry.
“Personally, I think the correct answer is to not react at all. At least, that’s how I see it.”
“Yeah. No need for a partner to meddle directly. Just saying something to the U.S. government would be enough for the world to catch on.”
Just like Kiharu said, there’s no need for me to personally point fingers at what should be excluded and what should be emphasized.
However…
“I’ve only been summoning cute girls, and while I did suspect the industry might trend that way, I never thought it’d start in China.”
I didn’t expect the snowball effect caused by me to spiral into such an extreme form of ‘No Males Allowed’.
Worse still, this is being led directly by the Chinese government in the form of Cute Girl – Unicorn – Male Exclusion.
What is No Males Allowed?
Quite literally, it means “if there’s a man, it’s incomplete.”
To put it in webnovel terms: imagine the childhood friend heroine, separated in her youth, reuniting at an academy—only to find out she has a boyfriend or a fiancé?
–That’s not a heroine!
Those types shout that kind of thing and scream that the boyfriend and fiancé should be killed off entirely.
There were even cases where just introducing such a character led to a flood of 5,700-character-long comments attacking the author for making readers uncomfortable.
At least, that’s what a webnovel author I met on a mobile game forum told me when explaining the No Males Allowed trend.
From a game perspective, it’s like when a female limited-gacha character has an event story that suddenly includes her ex-boyfriend or something similar.
Basically, they demand that men must not exist at all.
Even for male antagonists, people say things like “he reminds me of NTR, so just don’t include them at all.”
So where do I personally stand on this?
“I get it. If it turned out Elaine’s previous master had been some young guy or something, I probably wouldn’t have gone Full Limit Break and Full Refinement on her.”
“According to her setting, she only ever served women, Master. By the way, did you only summon female characters in [Granade Impact: Re:Dive]?”
“No. Even though I did Full Break and Full Refine Elaine, I still used male characters that were necessary for her party.”
“Ah, so one of those? Up to OOO doesn’t make you gay?
“I can’t really deny that. But it’s not like I’m out here going, ‘Brooo~!’ or anything.”
I only make those jokes when saving my party with a miracle run or something. It’s not like I genuinely think about gently brushing a finger into some cleavage peeking from a shirt or whatever.
If I did have thoughts like that—well—
“Where are you looking, Partner?”
“….”
“Fufu, I’ll let that one slide with a smile for now.”
Kiharu flicked the fabric of her white tights with her finger as she stepped up beside me.
“So, China. What are you going to do about it?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing? You’re not going to intervene? What if all the Chinese devs start making only girl characters?”
“Even if it’s China, they’ll realize eventually. Just because the higher-ups give orders doesn’t mean developers can suppress their creative drive.”
There are already tons of cute-girl games released every year.
“In the end, the ones that survive are the well-made ones. And if more of those games exist, that’s good news for me.”
“But what if things spiral and people start only making weeb mobile games?”
“As a Summoner, the trend that started because of me is only temporary. Ten years from now, the meta might shift to console games again. And…”
“And?”
“It’s not like I’m crossing any serious lines or going overboard. Why stir up trouble when it’s unnecessary?”
Eventually, they will come to realize.
No matter how many beautiful girls are released, no matter how powerful they are made—
“What really matters isn’t being chosen by a single Summoner, but being chosen by gamers.”
Games, at their core, have to be fun.
Well. Even so—
“Still, it is kind of satisfying to see public opinion turn against the guys who tried to pressure me.”
Since that whole movement is functioning as a solution to the issues people raised against the Master, I decided to quietly support their direction… in silence.
“Meanwhile in the U.S., they were in a frenzy about inserting political correctness.”
* * *
[At that very moment — Shanghai, China. A certain government office building.]
“I don’t understand this at all, Director!”
A woman in a sharp black suit, wearing heavy makeup, tossed printed photos across the desk as if to scatter them in contempt.
The photos flirted with the line between PG-17 and R-rated, and the woman glared at them with a disgusted expression before looking away.
“Are we really supposed to be producing this kind of vulgar seductress now…?!”
“Vulgar? And who, exactly, defines what that means?”
The man across from her—the Director, who had previously gathered developers at a banquet hall for a grand speech—sneered at her, his lips curling in mockery.
“Sure, at a glance, it might seem vulgar. But is this happening in public? No. According to the lore, it’s a private moment with her beloved Master…”
“Even talking like that is disturbing! Just looking at these photos feels like sexual harassment!”
“Tsk.”
The Director openly clicked his tongue at her.
“If the times have changed, you should learn to accept it.”
“Director!!”
“Even if you raise your voice at me here, nothing will change. This is the will of those at the top.”
“You…!”
“Unless you plan to become the Premier and declare ‘Lewd content is hereby banned,’ then go ahead. That’d solve it.”
“Are you even serious right now?!”
“Didn’t you campaign for breaking the glass ceiling and advancing more women into the Party? What better goal than this?”
“Kh…!”
Shaking in frustration, the woman clenched her fists as the Director’s words cut deep.
“…This isn’t morally acceptable. I can’t approve a license for this. Not for foreign developers—and certainly not for our own.”
“If, because of you, the sixth summon the Master calls ends up being from the U.S., Japan, or Korea instead of one of our beautiful girls, the people will be so thrilled, I’m sure.”
“Even so, I’m not wrong. The Master shouldn’t just summon women—there should be more variety—”
“If the Master heard that, your head would roll. Just saying.”
The Director spat the words out with irritation and contempt.
“They said something similar in the U.S. once. Protesters near Illinois demanded that the Master summon a ‘Black female character.’”
“…”
“You know what happened? The FBI arrested them under orders from the President, Eisen Armstrong Luigi. They were labeled anti-national insurgents trying to make the Master uncomfortable and drive him away.”
“I… hadn’t heard about that…”
“Of course you didn’t. You think something like that would be made public? Just don’t pull a stunt like Ironblood, alright? So what if a few female characters show some skin? Big deal.”
“…And that’s something you think is okay to say, Director?”
“Naturally. The times have changed.”
The Director stood and walked over to the window.
“In the Age of the Towers, no matter what traditional values may be, there’s one phrase that defines the people standing at the front lines protecting humanity.”
“And what is that?”
“Otaku Save Earth.”
Nod.
“If you need someone to blame, blame the god who made the Master what he is. Or go find someone who can summon a furry gay PC SSS-Rank Hunter that can clear Towers just as well. Or better yet—become that person yourself!”
This was China.
“Beautiful girls are saving the world, and you’re the one refusing to ride the wave!”
“…”
“The developer behind the hacker summon is already working on Wed—khm!”
The entire country was overheated with desire for beautiful girls.
“Fine, but if you reject licensing approval just because ‘it’s too sexy,’ I’ll personally see to it that your department is wrecked!”
“But the Party—”
“The Party told you to strip them down!!!”
One nation on Earth moved faster than any other to create a custom response system around the Master.
“Who knows? Out of 1.4 billion people, maybe someone else will emerge as a second Master and take our Four Great Beauties into the Tower!”
Pale Moon, Shattered Jade, Sinking Fish, Falling Goose.
Xi Shi, Wang Zhaojun, Diaochan, and Yang Guifei—Let’s go—
