Some time after you and Kengo have reached the ground level of Ikebukuro, the place is a mess from all the fighting, and several bug mobs are milling around. You ask Kengo how it looks out there, ask if the mobs have left yet, and ask if it's okay to show yourself now. Kengo tells you to wait as he keeps watch, then notices that people are coming in from behind so he grabs you and tells you to get down. A few other mobs pass by, and eventually Kengo notes that they've gone so you can get up. When he turns to you though, you can either thank him, mumble that you can't breathe, or mumble at how happy you are to have your face buried in him. In A, Kengo laughs it off and says you two are friends. In B or C, he freaks out, apologizing and asking if you're okay.
Anyways, Kengo leads the way by saying you guys will head to the shadows of the next building, and he tells you to wait until he gets there first and signals to you. He does so a moment later, and narration talks about how well he's leading you through the blind spots of the wandering soldiers. Kengo talks about how Ikebukuro is like his backyard, and something of a second home for him after Shinjuku. It's actually reminding him of how he used to play around here when he was younger, which he finds exciting. You either ask if he's used to this, or you accuse him of not being up to any good back then and sigh at him. B and C has him hastily deny it in shock and ask why you're looking at him like that.
Either way he does say he's used to hanging around in the city and keeping himself from being noticed by people. Kengo starts talking about how he'd hang together with Tetsuya and then get into fights with police and gangsters when Shirou cuts in over the radio to yell at him having done all that, appalled. The yelling does bother Kengo a little through his earpiece as he tells Shirou to stop yelling or else he'll cut the call. He focuses back on the task at hand, then asks if you remember where you guys are going. You can either facefault, wonder yourself, or say you remember Shirou said something. Kengo reacts in shock to whatever you do and says he'll remember, then looks back.
Flashback kicks, starting with Shirou asking you and Kengo to get in contact with an informant. Kengo is surprised that anyone like that exists, and Shirou says he'll explain it to the rest of the gang too as he asks R-19 to patch them in. R-19 agrees as he starts up his Plan D secret comm protocol. He announces that he'll also display the info on the phone terminals for things recieved from the Berserkers and Wisemen.
Once R-19 gets everyone connected, Shirou thanks him before asking if everyone can hear him. He'd like to update everyone on the latest news right before you and Kengo head out, which includes the info yours allies the Berserkers and Wisemen have obtained as well as what was leaked from the remaining power in Tezcatlipoca's network after the battle at the military academy prison. It's thanks to that that you guys have some details about the Warmongers. You either start to ask about the network thing, or you nod for Shirou to continue. Shirou says he'll explain things in order, then prompts R-19 to send the info to your phone.
A map of Tokyo is brought up, and Shirou talks about that day the World Representatives appeared to you guys and declared themselves the acting agents of the 23 worlds connected to the city and the top of their respective hierarchies. When you exclude Surtr and Azathoth, the other 21 Reps are split seven each among the true big three guilds. They've all been fighting one another from the east, west, and south. To the east is the Rule Makers. The south is the Invaders. The West are the Warmongers. That's the guild Tezcatlipoca belonged to and the one you fought with a while ago.
Shirou says that your informant has told you that major changes have been happening among the relations in the big three guilds, which seems to be an Irregularity deliberately brought about by Tezcatlipoca. Throughout the endless loops the big three guilds have repeatedly changed their members through trial and error. Various agreements were put into place meant to prolong the game, which has gone on for an interminable amount of time and stagnated. This is apparently similar to a war bound by rules once conducted by nobles from some country somewhere in history. These rules covered treatment of hostages to how compensation was handled to restrictions on specific people, but Tezcatlipoca brought an end to them that day.
Tezcatlipoca apparently didn't like how the war had rules running it. Shirou comments that he's not sure if that's something to welcome or not, but he mentions there was another World Representative who agreed with him in breaking the pacts. That's the informant you guys are going to see. He's already told you about what Shirou went over, and if you want to know more you should see him directly.
Kengo's brain is working for once as he suggests that this might be a trap. Shirou admits he thought the same thing and feels it's a likely possibility. But even so, Shirou thinks it'd be worth it to go see him. Kengo clicks his tongue and figures there must be something else if Shirou is phrasing it that way. Shirou confirms, saying that the informant said he could tell you more about Mahakala and to meet him in Ikebukuro. You react in shock to this, but Shirou says they demanded that you had to be there for him to speak. Shirou tells you that if you want to pursue this lead, then you can't spend any time hesitating. You either ask what he means or figure it out and agree.
Kengo cannot keep up either way and asks Shirou to dumb it down for him. Shirou starts by asking what sort of situation the informant is in if what he said is real. If the other World Reps found out that he supported Tezcatlipoca in going row! row! fight the powah! against the rules, what would happen to him? You say they'd get mad and punish him. Shirou nods, then suggests the informant might be under siege at the moment. He spat on the agreement everyone else was committed to, so there's no way they'd just let him off the hook. This goes double for them being VIPs of high standing. So in other words, the informant is being attacked from all sides, meaning the Rule Makers, Invaders, and the other Warmongers.
Kengo finally understands at this point and figures that's why he's being paired with you. Shirou elaborates, saying that with Ikebukuro occupied heavily by outside forces, you'll be discovered quickly if you guys went as a big group. That's Why Shirou wants you two to go together, swiftly and secretly. It's necessary for you guys to reach the informant before any of the big three guilds do, and Kengo is the most familiar with Ikebukuro of the gang. Shirou's about to say more when Kengo preempts him and says it's likely you'll have to fight. If the worst possible case happens, Kengo can pick you up and run.
Shirou has a little laugh to himself about how Kengo is quick to pick up on things when it comes to battles. But yes, when you guys meet the World Rep it's highly likely a battle will break out, just like what happened when you met Tezcatlipoca. Plus, this is someone who agreed with going against a pact, so it's probably better to think of them as spoiling for a fight. Kengo is happy to go along with that, then asks who the informant is. Shirou says he's the World Representative of Tir na Nog, the king of giants Balor.
Back to the present, Kengo says he remembers everything now, then brings up the note Shirou gave you for Balor's location. Kengo then thinks about how you're going to see the king of giants and excitedly asks if you'd like to fight against someone like that. You either get alarmed and tell him this isn't the time for that or comment on his excitement. Kengo says he knows that protecting you is a bigger priority, though he has doubts you guys can actually talk things out. He can't think as well as Shirou, but there are times when his physical strength is needed.
Kengo says you guys should have reached the meeting place by now, but then he tells you to hide because someone else got here first as he grabs your hand and pulls you into a narrow space. You realize it's the same mobs you saw earlier and wonder if they're also looking for someone. And since they aren't looking in your direction Kengo also figures they must be looking for someone bigger than you all, like say, a giant. He then suggests taking them out quick before they call for reinforcements. You agree since there seems to be no other way, say you'll go in first and ask him to back you up, then set up the signal to move. Kengo agrees, then says he'll show the new power he got from the Ikebukuro dungeon as the episode battle begins.
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