For the record, Chapter 1 is called Red New Star. Now, the story picks up with you waking up in your room, trying to figure out where you are. The first thing you see is the ceiling. A light hangs from above, its switch swaying in the air. You slowly get up and look around, and you observe that this is your room. It feels like a room you've never seen before, yet it is definitely a place that you recognize as Your Room. Sunlight streams through the window like always. Your phone alarm is ringing, just like always. And you get out of bed, just like always. Everything is as it usually is, yet you still have a sense of discomfort at that feeling. You wonder if it has to do with the dream you had, or wonder if what you saw was a dream.
You know this place, and yet you don't. Everything is normal, yet something is different. A strange sensation dominates your mind. You push the feeling down as you pick up your phone to check the time. The date is XX/XX/2220, and the time is 7:32 am. You either express shock at this time or wonder what's worth being surprised over this. For a split second, a part of you felt that this is some bizarre ass future. You remember sitting on the floor, and that you went to bed several hours later. The next day you woke up as you always did. It's impossible for you to have slept through about 200 years. You comment that something is strange this morning, and your phone rings as it shows you the next part of your schedule for the day. It's time to go to work, so you decide to push your thoughts aside and get ready to go.
As you make your way to work, some newscaster on broadcast cheerfully greets the city and talks about the weather. Today happens to be the 170th anniversary of Earth joining the planetary alliance, and the newscaster starts to talk about a commemoration ceremony on the moon before the camera shifts elsewhere. Kirsch is hawking a new item from her bakery, a traditional sweet from a planet on the far side of the Milky Way apparently called an equebarrete or something as she offers samples. She describes it as having fruits that taste like caramel raised under two suns and mixed with lots of cream. They're going for 450 raf or whatever.
Furlong and a wolf cop (according to the text box anyways) hears this, and the cop talks about how that pastry is made from his grandmother's native planet cooking techniques. He also talks about how a four eyed fish or bug greeted him through a crack in the pie dough, and that the taste itself was complicated to say the least. Furlong laughs and says that there are some things that can be put up with when you're Earthborn. The ingredients, the methods, and everything in between is all different. You continue on as you idly take note of the conversation.
Over at the train station, Digram is announcing that the train that's stopped is the rapid train on its way to the second space port terminal, and the train that'll go to every station will leave n four minutes 30 seconds. Doors are closing now, so he asks people to be careful. The train is ten seconds late already, so he asks everyone to stop rushing for the train at the last second.
Some time later, you see some cheerful waiter offer Marfik his seat since he's leaving at the next stop. Marfik says he isn't quite so old to be fussed at, but he takes up the offer all the same. The PA system announces that the next stop is Central Square, asking everyone to be careful as the train stops. The waiter promptly loses his balance and falls onto Kyoichi, who quickly asks him to get off because he's heavy. The waiter is apologetic and mentions being from a race of giants. You comment to yourself that this should be nothing to you, but it's not.
Time skips ahead to you working some office job as office workers talk about preparations for a meeting being done and members going to Osaka HQ are gathered already. The manager gets ready to go too and tells the messenger to make sure everyone has a 3D Tracer on when they go to the meeting room. You wonder to yourself why something seems off, and narration mentions how everything looks unfamiliar as the terms you hear being thrown around. The game compares how you feel to having a part of your consciousness thrown to a future alterworld. Flashback kicks in to the Broker talking about how you all don't need to worry about what's happened since you're all originally the same being. You wonder if what you're feeling has to do with what he said.
Time skips to after the meeting, at which point a bell rings indicating it's time for your midday break. You decide to go outside to find some place to eat. You can see spaceships flying in the sky above looking through the gaps in the buildings, and all around you there are earthlings and clearly aliens walking here and there. You comment on feeling surprise every time you see this, like this is your first time seeing it at all.
The instant you decide to remove yourself from the crowd, an explosion surprises you. Smoke rises from a ways away, and an uproar rises in the surrounding area. A screaming crowd rushes forth in the direction from where the explosion happened. Randos scream about a Kaibutsu appearing and about running away before they get Eaten. Panic sets in the way a drop of ink disperses into water, and everyone attempts to flee. Above the waves of people, the source of the commotion appears.
When the Kaibutsu shows itself, you shout in recognition of it, flashing back for a second and saying it's a Kaibutsu like you fought before. The thing roars, and what passes for its eyes lock onto you. It opens its mouth, and it starts charging an energy ball in its jaws. You try to run since you realize it saw you, but suddenly you get swept into the sky. You react in surprise to this since it is taking you time to process what's happening. You realize you are held in sturdy arms against a solid chest, and when you look down at where the Kaibutsu tried to blast you, a voice starts saying it was close, but now it'll be okay.
You hear a loud voice above you, and thunder immediately follows. When you look, Justice fires off his Justice Shoot at the monster, and the thing slumps over at the attack. You either try to process what just happened or say you recognize the voice. Ryekie calls out to the citizens and tells them to not worry, for now a hero has arrived! It is him, the lightning clad S Rank Hero, Zap the Justice! You either say he's the hero from back then, say he's loud, or say he's so cool.
Ryekie flies down, flashing you a smile as he lets you land. He asks if you're hurt anywhere and says it's a huge disaster to be targeted by a Kaibutsu. You either thank him for saving you, try to ask him to quiet down, or choose to hug him again. In A, Ryekie laughs your thanks off and says it's all in a day's work for a hero. In C, Ryekie is surprised by this and asks if you were that scared, then pats you on the head to try to comfort you.
A few moments later, two other people you recognize from that time arrive, and Huckle and Mokdai show up. Mokdai is panting at finally catching up, then talks about how the viewership went down because of camera troubles so he pesters Huckle about buying a drone camera. Huckle considers the idea, then talks about Ryekie's movements being too intense, though that's not anything new. He reminds Ryekie to not get too far away from the camera because his transformation will become unstable if he can't be seen while fighting. Ryekie laughs the concern off and says he knows, then tells them to refer to him by his code name while in hero mode.
Huckle is a little taken aback and says he will, saying he wasn't careful enough. He also asks Ryekie to stop yelling since his ears are ringing. He sighs about having been a top class hero on Earth and getting warned about things now. Huckle then changes the subject to say that it'll take some time before hero reinforcements, asking if Justice can handle it in the meantime. Justice is fired up and says he can totally do this, roaring as he charges at the Kaibutsu.
Huckle is having ear problems again and comments on how he hasn't gotten used to the yelling despite knowing Ryekie for decades. He then turns to the public, asking if everyone is okay and asking them to leave things to him, so they should evacuate to safety. You either try to talk to Huckle and ask about having met him before, or you decide to give him some compliment. I'm not sure if by nice middle you mean his stomach or his apparent age.
In A and B, Huckle is confused as he says this should be your first time meeting and asks what you're talking about. This confuses you in turn, but before you can ask any more on the subject, Mokdai yells out that there's danger. Huckle realizes that there's some rubble falling, so he grabs you and shields you using his body. A pile of concrete falls upon you two as an impact lands. Justice yells out Huckle's name, and Mokdai calls out to him next. Huckle is more concerned for you asking if you're okay, but you express your concern for his well being.
Huckle laughs and is glad that you seem to be okay. He however has been hit in the head and legs, and he apologizes to you saying he can't move. He tells you to push him off and run to safety as fast as you can. Blood drips from him in small drops. Huckle talks about being Justice's Hero Operator. If he passes out, then Justice's transformation will be undone, and there will be no heroes present. It'll be even more dangerous until someone else arrives, so he says you need to go quickly. That's everything he wanted to say before he collapses out cold, and you yell out to him.
Mokdai panics at this. He talks about how the safety of the citizens takes priority, but there are no Operators here. Justice's mode change is quickly falling apart into bits of rising light, and the Kaibutsu wastes no time attacking him at this moment. Mokdai freaks out a little at this and asks if reinforcements are here yet. He worries for Ryekie, then hopes for an Operator to turn up at least. You think on the term and start remembering about hearing it before. It was back in your dream, when you were fighting along with these people here. That was the term they referred to you with in regards to your role.
Flashback kicks in again to the Broker talking about showing you how that power you were given can be by sending your consciousness to a possible near future. You talk to yourself about the idea that the dream may not have been a dream. If it wasn't maybe you can help Ryekie like you did back then. Your phone activates on its own, announcing an auto-update has been completed and that Operator Support Mode will be activated.
You express surprise at this turn of events, and your phone rattles off about finding a Path to a parallel world for the hero Zap the Justice. This App thing asks if you'll make the connection, and if you want to start the operation then you should hit the OK button. The screen that pops up is totally unfamiliar to you, and you talk about not really getting what's happening, but you get the feeling you can help if you use it.
You crawl out from under Huckle, then stand up and face Ryekie. You cheer him on or say you'll help, then press the button. A bright circular light shines from your phone, and the next moment later, Ryekie is surprised his suit has reformed and that the Path has been connected after the light enveloped him. Mokdai tries to make sense of what's happening and asks if you're an Operator. He then starts addressing you, not sure which agency you belong to, but he he asks you to help, even if it's only until backup arrives. You are taken aback by this, and Justice yells about his second wind. Power is welling up all the way through to his body, and he yells about being about to do this. You decide to agree, saying it should work if you do things like earlier. Mokdai thanks you, then asks you to start right away as he declares the start of the episode battle. More story after that.
After the battle, we pick back up with Justice declaring things will end with his next strike, and he yells about going full power before he fires off his Thunderous Lightning "Gigabolt Breaker." His fist charges with electricity, and Justice punches straight into the core of the Kaibutsu's body. The creature dissolves into a column of light and melts away, and Justice yells about how justice is served as he poses. After the monster completely fades away a bunch of people reappear down on the ground where it was before, as if spilling out from the thing. One man is confused because he was eaten earlier, and a woman asks if they were saved. The citizens witnessing this all cheer, praising the S Class Hero Zap the Justice.
You express relief that you guys have won, and Justice starts slowly walking towards you. He's carrying Huckle in his arms as he goes, and then he looks at you as he starts to talk. He thanks you for your help and credits the success of this to you as he gives you a wink. You either be modest and say you didn't do much, say you're glad everything turned out alright, or call Justice cool again.
Mokdai thanks you and tells you you did a good job. It's thanks to you that the Kaibutsu elimination wrapped up nicely. Mokdai realizes at this point that he's never introduced himself, so he gives you his name and mentions being an employee of the hero agency Parallel Flight. He also asks you for your contact information and promises to repay you for today. Mokdai is in the middle of asking for your name when he notices you looking confused, so he asks why you are.
Time skips a little, and Justice talks about needing to go for today since they need to take Huckle to a hospital. A thought occurs to him, so he asks you to tell him your name. When you tell him, he thanks you and says he's got it memorized. He mentions having a feeling that you two will meet again, then says bye as he walks off, laughing loudly all the way. Mokdai gives a quick bow before following suit.
You think to yourself about how you've met the three of them earlier, then about how you used that power you saw in that dream to guide the heroes to victory. But unlike that time, everyone is treating you as though they're meeting you for the first time ever. You think aloud about how weirder everything is getting and wonder what's happening. A voice starts talking to you from behind, and the manager is hesitant and fearful of you as he calls to you. The episode ends with him asking if you're an Observer.
The story barelly began and someone already suspect the MC is the observer?! =O
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