Welcome abroad to what I would call my magnum opus. Inspired by the "else-world" Idolmaster Xenoglossia and other series which I shall not name for now, i bring you this. This chapter is mostly a prologue to establish the story as an Alternate History from both our timeline and the canon Love Live timeline, so for the actual story, please feel free to scroll down to the non-italics portion of the chapter.

Prologue

Document 0001: Diary Excerpts from Soldat [REDACTED] of the Wehrmacht Heer, who was involved in the German occupation of Greece during the Second World War. Text has been translated to English for archival purposes.

The occupation has been somewhat annoying, what with all these freedom fighters still shooting us every now and then. Never thought my first holiday to Greece would be in uniform and greeted by bullets.

Damn those freedom fighters! Ambushed my company at night patrol and forced us to flee. Only Hess, Rosenberg and I survive. Withdrew into some old-looking place with steps like a theatre. Hess claimed the place is called Delphi or something…

For the night, hid in a cave found in the area and… My God! We found treasure… so many paintings and pots, Hess was going mad with joy. Not gold, just some old junk. Maybe can profit from the museums after the war…

Went in deeper upon Hess' demand... and Hess just fell off some huge pit. Looked down to check Hess' body and… [DATA EXPUNGED] My God! Forget these junks and those Greeks and the war! This is [DATA EXPUNGED]

Document 0009: Research Log from Doctor [REDACTED] of United States Special Research Corps, believed to be associated with Area 51.

The energy output of [DATA EXPUNGED] is incredible, absolutely incredible. We may be looking at an energy source surpassing even the power of the atom. It is within my belief that this energy source will allow us to surpass the damned Commies and crush them forever.

Document 0018: Headlines of the New York Times, dated 1962 April 22

San Francisco Nuked to Stop April Fool's Rampage

Sacramento – All of America mourns for the recent loss of San Francisco to halt the rampage of a creature that shook the foundations of the nation since Pearl Harbour. The President has ordered the launch of nuclear weapons against the creature dubbed "Apocalypse" to prevent further destruction to American infrastructure and lives.

Despite the protests of anti-nuclear activists, the President remains resolute in his decision to employ nuclear weapons for the "greater good of humanity and the United States" as he has stated in his official reply. The true nature behind "Apocalypse" and its origins remain unknown. However, the President has vowed that if it were the work of foreign nations, America shall respond "in kind" to this cowardly display of wanton destruction.

Until investigations into the April Fool's Rampage are complete, California will remain under martial law indefinitely.

Document 0024: Excerpt from Chapter 1 of the Romance of the Gods, the so-called "holy text" attributed to the cult identified as Church of the Coupled Gods. All known members of the cult had been killed in a mass suicide and current membership is assumed to be zero.

In the beginning, there is nothingness. And within nothingness, the Two emerge.

He in warm embrace encircles She, warmed by He in warm embrace.

Ichor of gold descends from He of above, descending into the holes of She and entering She within and into Her core most deep.

And from the Two in the beginning within nothingness, the many emerge.

The many, in heresy, deny the Two and part the Two, parting He of above away from His beloved She of below and She of below parted from Her beloved He of above.

Document 0058: Excerpt from Emperor Showa's speech on Japan's recently declared "military government acknowledge policy" (translated into English)

…Today, the nation of Japan is proud to shed the skin of war and be reborn as a nation of true peace. The events of past decades are worth reflecting to everyone in Japan, who had seen the horror of war at home and our own insanity carved in victims throughout Asia. Regardless, we must stand strong and resolute to defend what is most dear – your family, friends and homeland…

Document 0062: Encrypted memo sent from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to America's Central Intelligence Agency

Package has landed in the Rising Sun. Eagle will return to roost.

Document 0069: Transcript of news report from Japan Broadcasting Corporation, dated 1969 December 20 (translated into English)

Strange creatures have been sighted within the Sea of Japan. They have been determined as potentially hostile, claiming the lives of any vessel in its way. The JSDF has been deployed in hopes to neutralise the threat. To all ocean-going vessels, please note the temporary stoppage of all ocean-going vessels entering and exiting Japan until further notice from the government.

Document 0089: Transcript of Press Conference held by Japan's Ministry of Defence (translated into English)

For too long has Japan suffered under the terror of beings identified as "Avatars", and many times they can only be defeated with massive collateral damage to all parties. As witnessed yesterday, Japan brings to the world our saviour – the iDol. An acronym meaning "interactive Doll", our prototypes have proven to successfully defeat the Avatar identified as "Kraken".

"Hmm…"

That was the nonchalant yawn of the busty twin-tailed girl, seated behind her laptop. She mindlessly scrolled down the vast wealth of data within the server she had access to, looking through every one of them.

Beside her laptop, there was a deck of cards laid facedown. The girl took the top card of the deck and flipped it face-up.

An upright The Fool.

"So it begins… the Path of the Fool…"

Meanwhile, in the distant Okinawa island chain, a fierce battle of epic proportions raged on. In what was once an American occupation base that was left abandoned, the deserted base was smouldered in ruins by the battle that graced it.

Two giant robots, or iDols as they were called, that towered even skyscrapers laid down broken and torn apart, both fallen in defeat by battle. Both shared a common royal purple colouring scheme on their highlights, with the torn-apart remnants of guns as their former weapon.

Only the last robot remained standing and alone it was facing their target: the Avatar called "Zahhak". Named after the dragon demon of Zoroastrianism, this Avatar possessed three serpentine heads that were its only prominent feature – the rest of the beast is a serpentine coil of its lengthy body that would have made movement impractical and yet it was able to crawl about.

It was Zahhak's three heads that posed a challenge to the iDOls, allowing it to defeat two iDols at once. However, it came at the sacrifice of one of its heads and so only two of them remained.

The remaining iDol maintained a brave front despite the carnage dealt to her allies. Like her fallen allies, it was marked with similar royal purple highlights and had a vaguely humanoid shape that was ironically somewhat inhuman. Brandishing a giant sword held only by a gigantic being such as itself, the iDol stood resolute to the threat before her.

Perhaps sensing her will to fight, Zahhak roared from its two remaining heads and began crawling towards the iDol with both heads leading the charge. In response, the iDol charged on and its pilot prepared to do battle to avenge her friends.

"You monster, I shall slay you!" she yelled.

The iDol slashed its sword at one of the heads and slit its throat. This forced the other head to fight back and gnawed at the iDol's arm. The acidic saliva of Zahhak was slowly melting into the armoured body of the iDol and its pilot felt the pain through the iDol's inherent Interactive Movement System.

"Arg… you… no way… You. Will. Die!"

With that final cry, the iDol stabbed her sword into the eyes of the final head. Pained greatly, it let go of the iDol and roared in sheer agony. Exploiting the moment, the iDol continued its charge into the serpentine coil and crawled into it.

Inside the mess of coils that loosened due to all three heads incapacitated, the iDol reached the glowing core of the beast. Though without weapons, the iDol just punched the core repeatedly. As the core was somewhat fragile, it broke under pressure and ruptured in a mushroom cloud of golden blood.

At the epicentre of the detonation, the iDol knelt in sheer exhaustion and collapsed to join her allies and friends.

The pilot's last words before fainting was this:

"Erena… Anju… I've avenged you two…"