The Major Corporate Alliance (
Aware of Mitsugoshi's rapid expansion, the Alliance tried to disrupt their distribution chain. Unbeknownst to them, the MCA was secretly controlled by the Cult of Diablos, with Gettan using the Alliance to eliminate obstacles to the Cult's plans while they clashed with Shadow Garden.
The Cult planned to produce counterfeit bills after the MCA imitated Mitsugoshi's banknotes, aiming to create a credit crisis that would destroy Mitsugoshi and sacrifice the Alliance. The Cult intended to move their assets and abandon the MCA once it had served its purpose.
Their plan was unknowingly co-opted by Shadow, who, with Yukime of the Snow Fox Corporation, caused a credit collapse. Seeking revenge against Gettan, Yukime helped Shadow end the MCA feud by secretly gathering funds to save Mitsugoshi's reserves and avoid the crisis.
The Alliance couldn't withdraw funds due to insufficient reserves, leading to a loss of public trust and its dissolution. Trading company presidents involved were punished by the kingdom for their fraudulent activities.
After the MCA's downfall, Mitsugoshi Company restored public trust in their banknotes and bought all the Alliance's assets. The Cult of Diablos suffered financial losses as Mitsugoshi seized the funds previously held by the Alliance and diminished their influence in trade routes.
Overview[]
The Major Corporate Alliance was a coalition formed by all the presidents of the merchant companies in Midgar Kingdom with their legacy years of experience and history. However, the alliance was nothing more than a non-aggression pact as they came together after deciding to quell their business fighting and unite as one through the Garter Corporation (ガーター
The reason for the formation of this Alliance was to bring down Mitsugoshi Company due to their fear of the company's rapid expansion over the market in the region, not knowing that this alliance has been made into a sacrificial pawn for the Cult of Diablos that is useful on their plot to destroy Mitsugoshi.
The Alliance's public efforts to crush Mitsugoshi was to sabotage their distribution by forcing all traveling salesmen to stop carrying Mitsugoshi goods until they switched over to MCA merchandise and using their currency bills, as well as using their private armies to attack the Mitsugoshi cargo carriages by disguising as bandits.
However, their efforts are fruitless as the MCA are unaware that Mitsugoshi Company is a public cover for the Shadow Garden organization as not a single member of their raid force has come back alive, neither having been killed nor interrogated.
History[]
Merchants from the Midgar Kingdom noticed the rapid expansion of the Mitsugoshi Company, unaware it was the public front for Shadow Garden. Many merchants viewed Mitsugoshi as a threat, as their products were in high demand and the company's position was solid. To counter Mitsugoshi's influence, the merchants formed a coalition. They envied Mitsugoshi's popular banknotes, which had gained widespread acceptance among the kingdom's citizens.
The Cult of Diablos also saw Mitsugoshi's success as a future threat but couldn't act directly due to their ongoing conflict with Shadow Garden. Seeking to destroy Mitsugoshi without direct involvement, the Cult had Gettan volunteer for a mission to lead the MCA through his Garter Corporation, aiming to earn a seat in the Knights of Rounds.
After the introduction of Mitsugoshi's banknotes, the Major Corporate Alliance attempted to replicate the idea. However, their bills were easier to counterfeit. Gettan exploited this by using the Cult's plan to mass-produce counterfeit bills, aiming to create a credit crisis that would bring down Mitsugoshi. The plan was to withdraw the Cult's assets safely and let the Alliance take the fall.
Unbeknownst to the Major Corporate Alliance and the Cult of Diablos, Shadow had a similar plan. He teamed up with Yukime, the Spirit Fox and White Tower monarch, to join the secret war between the MCA and Mitsugoshi. Under the alias "John Smith," Shadow implemented the credit collapse plan to manufacture counterfeits using the Alliance's replicate paper money, working with the Snow Fox Corporation of the Lawless City.
Organization Strength and Influence[]
By forming a coalition of all trading companies into becoming the Major Corporate Alliance, their power of influence was able to rival Mitsugoshi Company in trade commerce thanks to their many years of business experience.
Another factor in the Alliance's rising influence was the fame of Gettan, also known as the "Sword Devil". Not only did he bring a tremendous amount of legitimacy to the organization due to his cunning and charismatic character, but he also provided the Alliance with a strategic plan and manpower.
It was said that the MCA's private army, particularly those from the Garter Corporation, had their strength on par with a small nation. The Alliance's best mercenaries, the Clovers were highly skilled assassins from the personal team within Garter Corporation whose members were all handpicked by Gettan himself.
However, all of their best members in the Alliance's raid force, including The Clovers had been unable to stand up against some of the formidable members from Shadow Garden as they have successfully killed all the assassins they sent and gradually whittling down their combat assets, depleting their resources as time goes on.
Membership[]
Major Corporate Alliance was created from the union of all the trading companies in Midgar Kingdom's region, who have all merged together into a singular organization brought together by the president of the Garter Corporation, Garter Kikuchi, who became leader of the alliance.
The reality, however, is that despite Garter's contributions to the Alliance, he is not its actual leader, as Gettan is the one controlling the alliance behind the scenes and his orders are carried out by Garter.
Chronology[]
Formation of the Alliance[]
The Major Corporate Alliance was founded at an unspecified time (possibly due to Mitsugoshi's popularity and the company's rapid expansion) created for the sole purpose of destroying Mitsugoshi Company with the president of the Garter Corporation, Garter Kikuchi as the Alliance's leader. Even though Garter had hired Gettan to help him, the Alliance was currently being headlined by Gettan as the de facto shadow leader with Garter becoming his subordinate and serving as the figurehead leader.
Gettan had done everything he could to put Mitsugoshi at a disadvantage by giving his orders to Garter to carry out his plan. However, the MCA's only successful effort was making the losses from the traveling salesmen that used to carry Mitsugoshi's goods to the commoners out in the countryside had suffered because of their actions after raiding them, while Mitsugoshi Company isn’t flinching at all for whatever reason due to their urban trade was completely unaffected.
Moreover, the Major Corporate Alliance tried to make paper money just like Mitsugoshi per Gettan's direction without realizing that they have been manipulated by Gettan who is actually acting on behalf of the Cult of Diablos as their collaborator by presenting a plan to the Alliance, with the promise of occupying the 12th seat in the Knights of Rounds.
The Cult intended to start the credit crisis with counterfeit banknotes which will eventually destroy Mitsugoshi along with the Major Corporate Alliance when they finish creating the bills and liquidating them in the marketplace to raise substantial capital, after they relocated their funds to a designate place away from the public eye and intend to sever their ties with the MCA.
Great Trading Company Conflict[]
The Major Corporate Alliance attempted to sabotage Mitsugoshi by attacking their carriage supply lines and eliminating employees. However, these efforts were thwarted by the well-trained forces of Shadow Garden, resulting in many deaths and captures among the Alliance's assassins. Despite these attacks, Mitsugoshi's supply lines remained unaffected, leaving the Alliance bewildered.
Gettan ordered his elite mercenaries, the Clovers, to infiltrate Mitsugoshi's headquarters, aiming to steal confidential documents, money, and manufacturing details, and to sabotage and kidnap key personnel. This mission failed disastrously, with the Clovers being killed one by one. Even the rear guard, tasked with reporting back in case of failure, did not return, leading Gettan to believe his mercenaries had been eliminated.
When rumors of counterfeit bills reached Gettan, he consulted his superiors. His original plan was to circulate counterfeit bills to undermine both the Alliance and Mitsugoshi, but this plan was compromised when he learned from the Cult's messenger that their counterfeits hadn't been distributed. Suspecting Mitsugoshi of using the Cult's plan against him, Gettan ordered Garter to find 'John Smith' and recover their funds.
As rumors of counterfeits spread, the capital faced a run on the bank, with people exchanging their bills for gold. The Alliance's company presidents, doubting their reserves, pressured Gettan to halt exchanges. Sensing something amiss, Gettan confronted Yukime, who revealed she had collaborated with 'John Smith' to cause the credit collapse. During their confrontation, Gettan fatally wounded Yukime.
John Smith appeared and overpowered Gettan, demanding a confession. Misunderstanding John Smith's demand, Gettan took the red pills to augment himself but was ultimately beaten to death.
Known Members[]
Leadership[]
- Gettan (Deceased)
Notable Member of President and Company[]
- Garter Kikuchi, president of Garter Corporation (Figurehead; Arrested)
Enforcers[]
- Clovers (Defunct)
- Garter's private army
Legacy[]
After Gettan's death, the Major Corporate Alliance went bankrupt due to the bank run. This caused all the merchants in the Alliance attempted to flee in the night, but were intercepted by the Knight Order. The knights forced them to open their vaults to appease the mob of patrons demanding their gold. The public discovered that the reserves were far smaller than the bills in circulation, leading to a complete loss of trust in the MCA and severe punishment for the merchants for fraud.
In contrast, the public flocked to Mitsugoshi Bank, which honored their bills with ample reserves, thereby solidifying trust in Mitsugoshi. The Mitsugoshi Company, having retrieved the funds stored by the Snow Fox Corporation, weathered the crisis and emerged as the sole monopoly across all economic sectors.
The Major Corporate Alliance suffered a crushing defeat in the commercial trade war against Mitsugoshi. The Mitsugoshi Company's trust with consumers skyrocketed as they acquired all former Alliance assets and eliminated their competitors. Mitsugoshi's social standing and influence grew so powerful that even the Midgar Kingdom's government became financially dependent on them and couldn't afford to defy them.
The Cult of Diablos suffered significant losses as their plan backfired, inadvertently strengthening the Mitsugoshi Company. This not only cost them the MCA but also a large portion of their funds and influence in the kingdom, impacting all factions in Midgar.[1][2]
The Fenrir Sect Faction, in particular, faced a decline after being under constant attack by Shadow Garden for the past five years.[3] Meanwhile, Fenrir began a mission to revive Diablos' right arm, sealed in the Midgar Academy for Dark Knights, to resupply the Beads of Diablos.[4] This involved kidnapping students with compatible magical powers for Possession.[5][6] This mission followed the destruction of the Sanctuary in Lindwurm, which had unleashed Diablos' left arm due to Shadow.[7]
Trivia[]
- After the Major Corporate Alliance fell, Mitsugoshi Company became the first monopoly corporation of this world thanks to their growing influence that has already large within the Midgar Kingdom.
- Although the Alliance's fears became a reality due to their own actions upon their being captured, after they are formed only to being taken advantage of by the Cult of Diablos until they were disbanded and suffered the punishment.
- In the Web Novel, another goal of the Alliance's attempt to attack Mitsugoshi's carriages was to obtain manufacturing methods for the product with the aim that customers would immediately flow to the Major Corporate Alliance, if the Alliance sold similar products from Mitsugoshi Company.[8]
- Also, Shadow Garden estimated that the Major Corporate Alliance's actions in continuously increasing the distribution of banknotes that could affect the capital's economy would collapse, at least six months from the start of their issuance.[9]
References[]
- ↑ Volume 3 Epilogue: The One to Destroy It All and Start from Scratch—with Fakes Bills!
- ↑ Episode 27
- ↑ Volume 5 Chapter 1: Claire’s Back, and Her Symptoms Are Worse Than Ever!
- ↑ Volume 5 Chapter 4: Peace in Our Time!
- ↑ Volume 5 Prologue: The Case of the Missing Students and the Not-So-Peaceful Academy!
- ↑ Volume 5 Chapter 5: Terrorists Attack the School…Again!!
- ↑ Volume 2 Chapter 3: When Things Get Boring, It's Time for Explosives!
- ↑ Chapter 120: Blind Big Wolf
- ↑ Chapter 121: Swish, Swish, Swish, Swish, Swish!!