Chapter 10 Episode 3: Inside Wall 3

Things pick up with Jacob being anime blind as he’s able to dodge gunshots inside a building without no issues despite not being able to see and close the gap towards the Shadows firing at him. You try to stop him long enough to talk to him, warn him of the danger, or try to attack. You are forced to dodge as other policemen show up to shoot at you too.

 

Jacob punches out some Shadows as they dissolve back into nothingness, and you note that the officers really are Shadows. Solomon warns you of some behind you about to shoot, but Jacob punches them out too. He asks if you’re okay, so you thank him for the help. He downplays it as he says you were the one to help him to begin with.

 

Jacob then takes off his hood to introduce himself. He seems to have an idea who you are already somehow by the time you start to introduce yourself back, and narration says that he’s blind as he looks at you with a smile. You ask about this fact about him as you notice, and Jacob confirms it and just says an unfortunate thing happened long ago that left him like that. Still, he says his mind’s eye can see how full of love your heart is. He also thinks you two meeting is due to the love and guidance of the lord.

 

You are confused by this as you try to ask him to explain, but more policemen pour in to interrupt with gunfire. As they aim their guns and give the order to fire, R-19 slides in with a save by blasting them all first with his NP. He then asks if you’re okay. You’re surprised by his involvement, comment on him having a gun artifact, or ask why he’s still here.

 

R-19 starts talking about being designed to look for protection when he got summoned over to Tokyo. Since you’re harboring him, he’s decided you need to be safe as well. His programming also prioritizes investigation over his own safety. And since he’s been doing things that he doesn’t understand, he thinks you should be saved so he can figure out why. You thank him and/or comment that you don’t understand him either.

 

Anyways, now that the policemen have been exposed as Shadows, the imprisoned students start running off, and Jacob comments on this happening. He talks about being forced to act in principle when he happened to walk by and see all this, but he decides that it’s all good in the end.

 

You have varying levels of disbelief that Jacob did this without a plan and can yell about not wanting to be reminded of a certain someone. Jacob blithely talks about how he’s always going where the wind blows and where love leads him. And on that note, Jacob says now’s a good time to surrender.

 

Scene shifts to the Ikebukuro labyrinth as Shirou says R-19 just informed him about how you guys surrendered. Claude notes that he looks worried, but Shirou doesn’t respond to that. Claude then asks if he understands that if things go on as is, it’ll be dangerous over there. And by that, Claude is talking about how things will be after the Berserkers, Missionaries, and Tycoons all fall.

 

Shirou says he knows that on a logical level that being focused on how something must be when the level of accessible information to both sides is too different is a dangerous thing. He then says that if you think about it tactically, the current enemies’ actions are causing total defeat. Or in other words, the war front can’t be expanded recklessly, and the Summoners are just being postponed.

 

Claude agrees and says that means the initiative can only be taken now. To be on the defensive is to be playing into your opponents’ hands. That said, that is their current position so they have to acknowledge the power difference. In which case, why not force the ones who can fight to do so? More specifically, why not make them all fight each other?

 

In essence, Claude is saying that you guys have to make the real big three guilds start fighting each other. He also brings up that none of them are laying their hands on you, and Shirou says that’s why the plan is to have you take refuge with the Warmongers. Claude smiles back a winner’s smile at that.

 

Claude then elaborates that since all the big three guilds are after the same trophy, none of them can let the others have it. Whether them leaving you alone is because of some agreement they all came together on or if this is something they decided from looking over their information, Claude can’t say. Either way he’s interested in seeing what they’ll do if one of them is closer to the trophy than the others.

 

Shirou notes that this is still a hell of a gamble since they don’t know if the Warmongers will guarantee your safety over a taunt like this. Claude reminds him that you guys chose this plan and says heroes are always cutting their way out of hardships because that’s what they do. He also reminds Shirou that they have their own battles to deal with over there. He’s not really going to sit around and give up, is he?

 

Shirou nods and says he’s going to fight his own fights as well. Then he apologizes to Shuuichi, Kengo, and Moritaka for keeping them waiting. He talks about how he’s heard that the analysis of the maze Duo made has been moving along, and Shuuichi says there’s still one part that isn’t clear yet. He laughs about the homework Duo left him as he looks a D initial carved into the wall. Upon pressing that hidden seal, a hallway opens up.

 

Scene shifts over to the Nerima command room as Yasuyori finishes delivering some report about the day’s prisoners, meaning you, Jacob, and R-19. The game notes that for once Tanetomo’s calm expression is thrown off as he admits that this is a good move on your part. He’d have liked to have you guys thrown out before anyone in the command room had noticed, but it’s too late now and the official orders have already been given. So yes, they have to keep you there.

 

 Tanetomo sighs about how the Warmongers internal control has been thrown into chaos. He thinks the other side (which I think he means you) wasn’t aiming for this but this is still a thorn in his side. He also comments on the Plan D Replicant being here and feels like it’s unlikely it was intentional that he’s there.

 

Tanetomo sets that aside to say that the other guilds should know of what’s happening by now so countermeasures need to be taken right away. He comments on how the Warmongers leaders are warring over you before he corrects that to all the World Representatives. If they have you, then it’s easy to think that the others will start meddling. Tanetomo also comments that it’s possible that the other two guilds will attack at the same time.

 

Of the two, Tanetomo thinks the Warmongers needs to be more careful of the Invaders. A moment of worry crosses his face as he bites on his fan for a bit, and he decides that he has to leave that second. Tanetomo then asks Yasuyori to hold the fort and make sure nothing big happens until a general policy is decided upon. He agrees and asks for more specific directions.

 

Tanetomo thinks and says that after you, Jacob, and R-19 get here, assign you all to Squad 26. Yasuyori notes that that group is filled with notoriously crazy loose cannons known even outside the prison. He then asks if it’s okay to have you guys with them since that’s probably going to cause issues.

 

Tanetomo then asks Yasuyori to act as an NCO (aka not a lead soldier) for that squad and says there’s no need to have you remember past loops. As things are there’s no need to give an enemy information. Tanetomo asks Yasuyori to treat you like any other prisoner until he sends any new instructions, then asks if Yasuyori has questions.

 

Yasuyori calls himself dumb and asks if Tanetomo is putting him on watch duty. Tanetomo confirms this and says it’s most efficient to leave you alone. It wouldn’t be needed if they had their surveillance network, but he doesn’t want to cause trouble for the top brass since he’s an advisor.

 

Tanetomo makes a point of telling Yasuyori of being vigilant about what you do, so he should always keep an eye on you and what you’re doing. He does worry about needing Jacob and R-19 put under similar watch, but he doesn’t have anyone around he can ask to do that.

 

Yasuyori affirms that he can do the job. Tanetomo takes a moment to express his surprise that you would willingly jump into enemy territory like this. He thinks if it happens again then it would be a hit to the mental blind spots, but then he starts thinking it’s an excuse. He calls himself still inexperienced and tells Yasuyori one more thing.

 

So apparently Yasuyori has been told this a bunch of times already, but Tanetomo tells him that under no circumstances should anyone be allowed to get close to the the solitary confinement cell in the deepest part within the detention center. No one is allowed to meet That Teacher. Scene shifts over to the prison school’s solitary confinement where probably Mononobe is sitting there in silence.

 

Flashback ends as things are caught back up to the present as you grasp your handcuffed hands. You say it’s time for the real thing to begin as you investigate the prison, find a lead on Mononobe and the other imprisoned people. And that’s where the episode ends.