Live A Hero Chapter 1 Episode 4: The Path Has Been Connected

We continue on from last time where we decide to go with Akashi to some park with a river in it. It's late enough that there aren't many other pedestrians walking around. You and Akashi sit on a bench, and you tell him about your dream with the Broker and Whatever It Is that he did to you. You tell him that your memories became a mess when you woke up, and that you became able to use the power of an Observer then. Akashi looks serious as he listens, and when you finish talking he sighs and takes a drink.

 

Akashi says he got your story. He doesn't get what the Broker did to you, but he does get that you were changed because of him. He notes that when you became an Observer, you forgot about a lot of things besides him. You agree that seems to be the case, though you don't understand it well yourself. You can also ask if he believes you. C gets an extra line where he says he does of course. He can tell if you're trying to lie to him.

 

Anyways, Akashi gets mad that you've been made to lose your memories again after having lost them once already. He squeezes his drink cap, a fire in his eyes as though he were the one affected the most by all this. You ask why he looks so serious about this, ask if he's mad on your behalf, or try to calm him down. Akashi says of course he's reacting the way he is. He can't not get mad when something happens to his best friend. Akashi then realizes he's yelling, then apologizes for doing so.

 

Akashi starts talking about the bit where you said he was a hero, then mentions he's never become one even once. He wonders how much of your dream was fantasy and how much of it was real. You decide to ask about the memory loss since Akashi mentioned it happened before. Akashi is briefly surprised before figuring you forgot about that too. He starts telling you that you both were once eaten by a Kaibutsu when you went to the beach together. You were both saved by a hero of course, but when you were saved you were struck with temporary amnesia. You go oh and comment that's what your flashback was about.

 

Akashi says he was seriously shocked back then since you forgot his name and a bunch of other things. When your memories returned, he was thoroughly happy. He swore then that it wouldn't happen again, and he figures that's why he felt so mad when he heard about the Broker. He scratches the back of his head, sheepish. Akashi then talks about knowing that he has a short temper, but has a thought about it upon considering things some more. He brings up how the manager called him over earlier in the day, saying someone from the main office had come. The suit or whoever went on and on about compensation for the store damage, so they docked all of Akashi's pay and fired him. He comments on slipping back into the broke college kid thing. You either nod along and say that seems predictable, or you say he should have been careful.

 

In A and B, Akashi is a bit shocked at how quickly you accepted that and protests that he does regret it and feels something else could have been done. In C, he says mostly the same thing aside from leading with saying he gets it without needing you to say so. He slumps his shoulders in embarrassment.

 

Akashi changes the subject to ask if you still think of him as a friend even with your memories of him being vague. He asks if he can keep acting friendly with you like he had been up until now. You either say you've always been friends, agree enthusiastically, or say you'll think about it. Akashi thanks you in any case, looking relieved at last and patting down his chest and smiling. You then ask Akashi if he doesn't mind. He doesn't get what you mean, so you tell him you mean the bit about you being an Observer and asking if he isn't afraid of you.

 

Akashi answers that you're you, Observer or not. He admits there are a lot of people who hate Observers, but he personally doesn't mind. Normie or Observer, a good person is good either way. You're his slightly-older-than-him childhood best friend, and he has no intentions of changing how he sees you. After he says that, Akashi straightens up a little bit and looks you in the eye. As weird as it is, he decides to reintroduce himself to you. He gives his name, mentioning you've known each other since before elementary school and that his dream since then and now is to be a pro baseball athlete. He also mentions being a third year student at Hinowa Phys Ed College and a member of the baseball team. You react to his direct and slightly nervous greeting by accidentally laughing, smiling at him, or greeting him back. In A, Akashi gets embarrassed as he says he was trying to be serious, then laughing a moment later. In B, he gets thrown off by your smiling at him, saying it's kind of a let down before laughing. In C, he basically nods and says yeah.

 

The plot decides to break the mood there as a roar echoes out, shocking Akashi as he asks what's happening. A half-transparent something appears in the water as the peacefulness of the night is broken, and you exclaim that a Kaibutsu has shown up. Akashi is in disbelief and asks if a hero is coming, but then realizes you guys can't stay there. He tries to get you to run too before the thing attacks, but the monster quickly takes notice of you guys. Akashi then thinks quickly, asking you to bear with him as he scoops you into his arms and starts running off full speed. You either try to protest that you can run on your own or be surprised at how strong he is.

 

The Kaibutsu raises its claw or whatever and takes a swing at Akashi. Akashi barely dodges the slash, and narration says it doesn't even leave any claw marks on the ground where it hit. You take notice of this fact, so Akashi says the thing probably isn't fully formed. They can't touch the world unless they do so first. He's not sure why, but the things can still Eat people and grow. The Kaibutsu continues attacking, swinging with both arms and cutting Akashi off from saying any more for now. Narration notes that he has the reflexes and speed to keep dodging, befitting of someone who's an athlete. You point out the obvious about the thing being fixated on you guys.

 

Akashi says of course it would since there's prey for it right in front of it, but that doesn't mean he intends to become an easy meal for it. You ask Akashi what happens when someone is Eaten by a Kaibutsu, so he tells you that anyone and anything Eaten disappears and gets erased from everyone else's memories. The memories will return if the people are saved, but anyone else will stay forgotten. He's seen a lot of other people who disappeared since the day he was eaten and rescued, but the Kaibutsu interrupts whatever he was going to say next. You point out that Akashi can remember the people who are gone, which he's a little surprised at you for saying, but he says it's true even if he doesn't know why. He then notices that the Kaibutsu has stopped attacking at that moment.

 

Akashi lets you down and looks back. The Kaibutsu roars in its frustration, then seems to change its attentions to a nearby residential street. Akashi is alarmed at this as he says there aren't going to be many people who can catch on to the thing approaching and run to safety. He asks if a hero is here yet and says he could probably take the thing down if he were a hero too. You notice that your phone is shining a bluish-white light for some reason, as if reacting to what Akashi is saying. It's the same sort of light the lit up when Justice was fighting. The app chatters about finding a parallel world path for Akashi, hero name unregistered and asking if you want to start the operation. You talk to yourself about possibly transforming Akashi.

 

Narration says that no hero has arrived yet, and many people will be Eaten if the Kaibutsu is left alone. But now a new possibility is open to you, and you remember what happened back in the dream. There, Akashi did his best to fight the Kaibutsu, and you think about the possibility that maybe things will work if Akashi fights as he did then. You say that this might work, and Akashi starts asking you what's going on and why your phone is glowing. You turn to him and ask if he wants to try transforming and fighting.

 

Akashi is surprised by the question, and you tell him he can be a hero. The idea shocks him, and he repeats that he's never been a hero before. He protests that he doesn't know how to fight or if his attacks will even work, but the Kaibutsu roaring and randos screaming for help cut him off. The Kaibutsu is also attacking children around this point, eating people in the park. It's only a matter of time before the problem spreads further into town.

 

Akashi grits his teeth at this being a fly or die ordeal, then turns to you and says he'll try the hero thing. He'll be learning through imitation, but he swears to save everyone. He asks you to go transform him. You either agree or ask if he's ready, and Akashi tells you to bring it. You activate the transformation and hope it works. A ring of light appears after you tap the screen, enveloping Akashi. When the light fades, he's in his hero suit with bat in hand. You point out it's the same form he had in the dream and cheer that it worked.

 

Akashi is shocked at the transformation and asks about his clothes. He also asks about his bat and asks if it's his weapon. He looks over himself flustered and pats down his suit. When he looks at his hands, a fireball the size of a baseball forms. Akashi notices that he can touch the fire ball, then tries flinging the thing at the Kaibutsu. It smashes forcefully into the side of its head, staggering it and drawing its attention your way. Akashi is surprised it works and picks up that his bat and fireballs are his weapons. You tell him the monster is coming and to get ready, so he says he'll do his best as the episode battle starts. More story happens after that.

 

After the battle, the story picks up midfight as Akashi smashes another ball right into the Kaibutsu's head. It sways in place before falling down, and Akashi asks if it's defeated. Unfortunately, the Kaibutsu slowly rises up again and roars to the sky, as if nothing Akashi has done had any effect. You are surprised by this since Akashi's attacks should have worked, and you wonder if this isn't going to work after all. Akashi had also thought he had taken the thing down, and he is clearly exhausted while the Kaibutsu looks mostly unaffected. His suit is torn, and there are scratches all over him. He glares at the thing, breathing hard all the while.

 

Akashi asks what it is he's missing. He knows that he doesn't have the experience of other heroes, but he can't believe that his full power has done so little. The Kaibutsu swings around to smack him with its tail, and Akashi attempts to block using his bat. He's shocked to see it cracking from the blow, and the tail slams into him as it breaks the bat in two. He is blown into the water for his troubles, and you call out to him. His consciousness goes hazy, and when he floats back up to the surface, he is unable to move himself. The episode ends with him thinking to himself that he couldn't do anything.