Valentine Colosseo Epilogue

Once there was a wise king who crossed many worlds, was served by 72 demons, and established a hierarchy. This successor of David was said to know everything in the world and could easily explain all manner of difficult problems. His most famous story of this wisdom is the story of two women claiming to be the mother of the same child, and he checked the veracity of their claims by suggesting they pull on the child from both ends. It's as if he were a System that judges good and evil, and who ranks above others. To him, a hierarchy is obvious. What takes precedence was never a question for him, they say.

 

Is that actually true though? Can such a perfect being exist in this world? Did this king's heart never waver and fail to delineate between good and evil? Was he never torn up by his emotions and fail to come up with an answer even once in his lifetime? Was he truly never lost between his thoughts and beliefs? If he did, he likely cut that part of himself away so that he could stay a peerless and automatic System of impartiality.

 

Suppose the wise king had those humanlike emotions cut off from himself just like He (I assume Fergus) did. Where would those fragments have gone then? Which world would his feelings about wanting an answer that is not black and white have gone to? This king's name is Solomon, and it has also become a noun or symbol for other wise men to aspire to be like, as if they were succeeding after him. What if the children of Solomon who inherited his fragments are also here in Tokyo...?

 

Scene shifts back to the Ikebukuro guild as Duo starts talking to himself for some reason about how the Hongou Wisemen based their guild name on the Three Magi, and he declares as guildmaster that all the planned for data has been obtained so the project will be closed. He interrupts his monologue to welcome Shuuichi back, and Shuuichi laughs and says he's returned before asking how things went.

 

Duo thinks for a moment before saying it was worth it to come out here. He got all of the data he wanted, so all that's left is to take action. He already knows that the math formula is 24×3＝72, which he explains is the formula that shows the stability of the repeating game that involves the 23 other worlds plus this one. This game is built upon said formula, which is patterned after That Man's perfect magic circle and his 72 Pillars. A triangle is the most stable shape in this world, so that's why 'the 24 worlds have been mixed with three.' By setting things into sets of three (ex. men, women, and Other or love, friendship, and Other), this world is stabilized. Duo then repeats the Other part a few more times for emphasis.

 

Shuuichi gets concerned over Duo making a face and asks if he's not feeling well, but Duo says he's fine and asks him to stop sticking so closely to him, then continues on with what he's talking about. Narration takes over to do so, mentioning that Duo has in fact chosen to ignore a faint bit of pain in his chest before it does that. But anyways, its construction is done through the vessel that holds 72 and forms the stability of the hexagon star, bearing the endless repetitions like the crossings of the twelve zodiac constellations. Even that World Pillar Fergus stabilized his existence through gaining a Third Choice and returning to Tokyo from that overworld shift. You could call it a miracle, and at the same time, you could say he brought back stability to Tokyo.

 

Duo concludes his findings by saying that shaking up the game in Tokyo would mean destroying the triangle. He thinks to himself about those fearsome children who forced even a genius kid like him into being an other (re: spare parts). The solid triangle formed by the three geniuses assembled here in Tokyo will one day crumble. He can't allow himself to be the spare for one of the three should they cease to function, and he must become a Fourth equal to the three children there. There is no equilibrium with a group of four as opposed to three. For example, they could split into a two on two situation, which means a majority decision is impossible. But for Duo to do this, he has to be someone who can Stand on their Own. It would be impossible to achieve if he were depending on someone else.

 

Duo quietly says to Shuuichi that he'll soon go on his own, but Shuuichi doesn't quite hear this and offers to do anything for him. Duo nods at this after a moment and says that because of this he'd like for them to stay together a little longer. He then changes the subject by asking about what's happening outside, noting that it's pretty loud for an event that's supposed to be over already. Shuuichi then proceeds to answer, which transition cuts him off on to bring up the title card. The title for the epilogue is just Epilogue.

 

Over at the arena area, the audience is cooing over how cute Alp and Cait Sith are and some guys are yelling about how sexy Bathym's outfit is. The audience has lined up for something with Team Sideshow, and Bathym says Valentine's is still going on and that the finale stage is this way. Alp says they'll be making marshmallows, chocolate, and cakes. Cait Sith greets everyone and says that the traffic buildup is only at the entrance. There's more space inside, so he asks people to stay calm and go in.

 

Narration says this is the day after the final battle on stage for the Valentine Colosseo has been concluded, and there is a long line of people in the lobby entrance to the underground arena hoping to participate in what's happening now. Claude asks Snow for an update on what's happening, so Snow explains that they're publishing photos of people who have agreed to have their pictures sold. These are photos of everyone who has fought yesterday and their presents. He also says that the event has done well in drawing in strong warriors that they haven't seen before. Claude approves, saying the pictures look wonderful and comments on how great turning emotions into strength turned out. He figures there must be other new strong people among everyone here today too, and he tells Snow that he'll join in on the confection making as well. Snow nods and hands him an apron he got prepared for him.

 

Nomad is unenthused about the event being a two parter and comments on the second day being a cooking aid open to the public. Garm on the other hand is excited that there's a lot of people around and cheers about the cakes and sweets around. He decides to make special marshmallows and cookies, then asks if people will make them together with him. As he runs around the place, the people in line give him bite sized candies, and narration mentions that today the colosseo is now a confection making area.

 

Elsewhere in the area, Kengo is struggling to measure out his ingredients like milk and sugar, but he eventually throws a tantrum in frustration and says it should be fine to just eyeball it. He then questions why he's even wearing an apron and making chocolate like this as he demands to see the manager. Claude shows up on cue, and you are either mildly surprised he did, ask about the candy making, or flip out a little and say this all seems crazy. C gets an extra line where Claude is amused and comments on you having a savage, intelligent wit.

 

In any case, Claude dramatically says he'll tell you guys the real intention of the candy making corner here today. Since yesterday everyone fought hard during the event battles, it's logical that the audience members would want to come up and talk with the fighters. That's what this sweets making workshop is about, since it's not often that people can bake together with strong warriors. Snow adds that there is a hidden scoreboard for the candy making portion of the event and says he expects great things from everyone. Kengo is shocked at this and asks if he's just some dancing bear for him, but Claude laughs and suggests that you two could stand to have fun like everyone else participating is.

 

Snow asks Claude if he's sure about not telling the others about the real motive behind the two events in total. Claude says they've learned it all firsthand through the Colosseo. He talks about how all of creation in this world and everyone's desires has a front and a hidden side to them. When you have to make a choice out, people everywhere believe you'll have regrets about what you didn't pick. Claude then comments that after the earlier battle, the warriors here won't be living their lives by being tripped up by their regrets. If a war breaks out in front of them, they'll probably be able to handle it. Claude however says it's not a war coming up, but a revolution that changes what everyone believes in. He suggests that what happened here was a test run for all that and for his warriors to learn about their hidden sides. Claude then decides it's time to stop talking about inelegant plans and suggests walking around the candy making space with Snow, so Snow agrees.

 

Some time later Seth comments on making so much chocolate that he can do it with his eyes closed now. He declares his bite size chocolates are done now and says it's okay to eat them if you want. Sitri is impressed that Seth can make store quality chocolates, and Seth is happy but conflicted about this going against his image. Shuten advises that Seth not think too hard about it, because no matter what kind of bad boy he may be it feels good to see people happy. Shuten then jokingly asks to see Seth in all his bad boy glory, but Seth decides to decline and says this is like him well enough. Sitri tells Seth he admires him for being a punk who can make sweets and calls him a total badass. Seth is flattered and thanks Sitri.

 

Over to the side, Ikutoshi sighs about how well everyone else is doing and says he's not interested in this sort of thing. Kamui tells Ikutoshi to not underestimate making sweets since few other things demand such a sense of refinement and delicacy. Ikutoshi is unconvinced and tries to suggest it doesn't mean much, but Kamui prompts him to look at what someone who's been careful about their methods and measurements has accomplished. Ikutoshi looks and can't believe he's looking at chocolate.

 

Said chocolate was made by Duo, who sighs and comments that he's just about done. Pollux is shocked at how super elaborate it is since Duo has made a chocolate astroglobe that looks much like a complex machine. Duo says he's used to complicated machinery, though he's not sure what to do with the chocolate now. Shuuichi is fidgeting in place, which Duo notices. Duo is quiet for a moment, then decides to give the thing to Moritaka and Garm as thanks for all they've done. Shuuichi bursts into tears of shock at how cold this treatment of him is, saying he actually made eye contact with Duo and is now crying so hard he can't see. Moritaka thanks Duo but says accepting the chocolate feels really awkward right now. Shuuichi takes offense at Moritaka trying to turn down Duo's chocolate, prompting Moritaka to say he can't win.

 

Elsewhere in the area, Kyuuma has finished up making some cookies and asks David what he thinks of them. Some of them are patterned after black and white baseball uniforms, and some of them are patterned after rugby and sumo wrestling. He was on the phone earlier with Kyuuma and Ashigara earlier, and now he has stuff to bring to their redo of the Valentine's gift exchange party. Daisuke says that cookies are hard because they're simple, which is something he's heard from Snow. These ones are good though, and he's sure the other guys would cry happily over them. He offers to help Kyuuma make more, and Kyuuma accepts. Kyuuma also asks Daisuke why he's there, so Daisuke quickly claims he just passes by sometimes.

 

A voice starts bragging that he can go up to 8000℃ as opposed to using the oven at 180-200℃. This turns out to be Cthugha trying out some new line that he hopes is going to get people interested in him, and he talks to himself about how this is totally going to work. Leanan Sidhe walks by saying she heard something lyrical, sad in its isolation, and mentally weak. Itzamna asks her what's up and comments that her facial expression looks creative as always. Leanan says it's nothing, she just thought she heard a scream of sorrow. Itzamna changes the subject to say the sponsor's payment came in, and Leanan is surprised at the lovely afternoon tea set he shows her. Itzamna suggests inviting the other Creators here and his students from the Iguana Room to a tea party, so Leanan agrees to go get Arachne, Benten, and the others.

 

Elsewhere Fergus is thinking to himself and mumbling, so you tell that you understand being excited over his chocolate but making noises in front of the fridge won't make it go any faster. Fergus concedes the point, but he says that waiting in itself is fun and asks if you've given any thought to cutting it before melting it down. He starts concentrating hard on something, so you tell him he can stop working himself up about it so much, comment on him looking forward to the chocolate, or comment on how hard it must be for him to make chocolate.

 

Team Sideshow plus Sitri comes by and announces their presence. Fergus comments that they seem to be having fun and says that this must be a part of youth too. He talks some more about making today an important day and brings up that people are working hard on something or other. Fergus refers to this as youth itself, and he is one of the people working hard at it too. But anyways, if Fergus has to wait then he figures he might as well work up the nerve to do something and asks you to come with him somewhere. You agree, ask where he's taking you, or say you need to get back by the evening. C gets an extra line where Fergus says that's the plan, and in any case Fergus just smiles instead of answering the question of where he's taking you.

 

Time skips as you guys take an elevator up, which announces that you guys have reached the observation area on the highest floor. There's a special facility set up there for Valentine's, though the announcement informs you it's for private functions only. It's a fancy ass glass walled chapel which Fergus takes you to , and you ask about the place. Fergus explains that it's one of the prizes of the event, a special rooftop facility. It's a chapel that you can see the sky from, and the sort of situation that comes to mind when he thinks of talking about feelings. But anyways the winner will be able to use the place however they want for a bit of time later.

 

Fergus pulls out some chocolate out of his chest and hands it to you, so you thank him or ask if it's okay to take it. Fergus talks about how he had already decided to give you this chocolate when he first saw you at the kendo matches at Bukuro and then when he saw you again at the underground arena. You can chalk it up to him feeling it was destiny if you want. You ask him if the chocolate is for friends or something else, but Fergus admits he can't answer that yet. He says it feels sad to call it love, but calling it friendship makes him feel bad in a different way. Calling it Something Else feels cowardly to him.

 

Whatever it is, Fergus feels it's too rough and sad, which is why he wants to figure it out. Once he does figure it out, he says he feels he'll finally understand for the first time what this Other Thing is. Fergus says figuring it out is youth, so he refers to the chocolate as part of his youth as well. He wants to give you this chocolate, feeling some of his genuine emotions are in there somewhere, and he asks if you'll take it. You accept and wish him a happy Valentine's. When Fergus gives you the chocolate he suddenly looks up into the sky. He can see you standing underneath the big blue sky, some sort of scene of the future. He talks to himself about understanding something, saying his prediction was meant for this. He decides to swear a new geas to you, but whatever it is isn't revealed.

 

Eventually you and Fergus get back to the underground arena. Kengo greets you two back by asking where you guys went and prompts you guys to join the party that started without you guys. Seth is relieved you are back because he was panicking at the idea you had already left. Kyuuma says everyone has been looking forward to you guys and points you in the direction of the food. A finale party is underway, and Claude laughs about you two being fashionably late before deciding to raise a toast again because it's a party.

 

Among the cheers and applause, people start throwing(?) white bags of marshmallows and cookies, which reflect light in such a way that makes them look like illumination. Fergus laughs and comments that his adolescence still has a lot more ahead of it. He inwardly asks if his Shadow and the people who have passed on ahead of him are watching all this, promising to carry on all their memories until the day he's done with his do over here in Tokyo. Kengo tells Fergus to stop spacing out and staring at the ceiling, asking if he's not going to yell something now. Kyuuma also requests that Fergus yell one more time for the road, and Seth shyly says he'll shout with him and tells him to get on with it.

 

You prompt Fergus to get on with it too, and you comment that everything started with that one word so it may as well end on that word too. Fergus obliges, and he yells about how this feeling of impatience is also youth. The yell echoes through the party area, and everyone hearing it laughs. And thus did Fergus mac Roich's springtime of youth only begin. The End.

 

Valentine Colosseo Episode 5 Part 2

Fergus starts narrating about how living in the wilderness is a cruel competition of life, a contest of selection. If you live by following your will, you'd likely die off quick. In order to survive out there, you'd need the instincts to choose how to live on. So in that case, it's probably right to call him wild. He didn't care if he won or lost, as that is just a System for Survival.

 

Fergus talks about how he pulled out the two handled sword that day, the one that could be called a ship's rudder. This is the same sword that would eventually be drawn by King Arthur as the next chosen one, the holy sword he was said to never have let go of until his life came to an end. Now let's say the one who obtains this sword has the role of a balancer, a representative of the wills around them. They divide left and right and put them on a scale, paddling down the 'correct' route where only they will live. They don't make the choice to go where they want, they just do what it takes to survive the day.

 

Fergus picks back up with narration, saying his life after being chosen by the sword was like that the whole time. He met the hero Setanta that he knew on the battlefield, and Fergus himself suggested that they let the other win. Fergus was seduced by his lover Medb, pushed into further war, and was the only one to survive as his relatives and vassals died one after another. He refused Medb's offer, but after leaving Connacht he was unable to keep his followers fed, so he came back shamelessly. Everyone would call Fergus mac Roich a wild man, someone who lived based on his instincts. He himself however felt that meant less as 'someone who stays true to themselves' and more being chosen as the most optimal way to live.

 

Fergus says all he did was obey the judgment that could be called the will of the world. Eventually he started regretting choosing this life, so at the end of his journey he went to return the light of his sword back to the bottom of the lake. He had one last fling with Medb, and once she left, he sent the memories of his whole life of his worn out self with the sword and cast it down. He cut away the life he didn't choose, and he kept the desire for the life he wished he'd chosen. The former went to the lake's bottom while the latter wished for a world where he could redo things. Soon he came here to Tokyo to redo the youth he wasn't supposed to have again. Normally it would never be permitted, but in Tokyo it was possible. He forgot about his original role and everything he did, and he lived while enjoying his youth. That's not to say his old life disappeared mind you. His past went on into a different direction, and if he ever happens to run into it both of his selves would probably kill each other.

 

We tune back into the present, and Fergus is regaining his memories of his past life as he runs on ahead. He also grips his sword hard as he charges at his mirror reflection. They yell as they attack each other, and narration says it's natural that they would fight. There's no need for two Fergus mac Roichs running around. If he wants to show that he is the real self, then he has to be the one that survives.

 

Duo watches the fight silently, and thoughts start running through his head. The World Representatives are fated to clash with one another, but why is that? It is impermissible for two of the same beings to be in the same world, but why is that? It's because thet are the ones who are given the identities of those who survive until the end. In Tokyo, there is only room for one in that position, so when they all came to the same world it was fated for them to battle. And those who choose to live as heroes are fated to be crushed by the world's will.

 

Duo thinks some more about his friend who was chosen by the world and about himself who wasn't chosen. They were both born from the same gene pool, then split into true and false through tests and sortings. No matter where Duo would go, he would be the unacceptable sham of a failure. If he stayed that way he'd be disposed of eventually, so he had no choice but to run away. Duo then wonders out loud about whether he should hope for Shuuichi's success in observing things, and he thinks about how he's come here to analyze things and thinks about his friend.

 

Back to Fergus, Fergus yells as he challenges all the mobs to come at him while he says he'll push through until the end of his youth. He runs at full speed and swings at full power, but there are still some things he can't reach. It's because some things can't be taken back and some things cannot be happening simultaneously that they must be taken seriously. Fergus knows instinctively about the conditions that will end the current state of things, which is either he or his Shadow winning in the battle against each other. He's also aware that the conditions will still be fulfilled if he's the one to lose here. His current self that has lived like a hero is unlikely to win against his past self since those who prioritize their own beliefs cannot outlive those who prioritize their life. This is an immutable rule of the world and an absolute hierarchy. But still he goes as if to make up for his past regrets. If he shows this to his other self, something is likely to remain afterwards.

 

Elsewhere, Claude orders Snow to report on the situation at hand. Snow starts summarizing about how the underground arena's special stage and audience seating is caught up in an unusual phenomenon. The Wisemen have confirmed that this is an overworld shift, an overlapping of other worlds. Their collaborator Cait Sith meanwhile has confirmed that this place is Tir na Nog. Claude recognizes it as Fergus's home world, and Snow says what he's thinking is likely correct before moving on with his report.

 

Back in the other parts of the Berserkers' guild area, Kamui is attempting to break down the door into the arena area and is unable to make a dent on it. Pollux is surprised Kamui has had no luck either in breaking down a door that's not that sturdy, and Ikutoshi says that all other possible entrances like the back entrance or the ventilation shafts are a no go. The remaining Berserkers are surprised at this, and Taurus Mask comments that means that the arena is isolated now. Nomad says they'll have to report this to Claude then since they can't do anything else. Garm is concerned for you and Kyuuma, and Moritaka hopes that you guys are all okay.

 

Scene shifts back to Claude and Snow as Snow says he's gotten a report from the rest of the guild about how they're unable to get into the arena area. Claude notes that means all that can be done is communication, which also means it's impossible to evacuate the audience. As such, you guys are on your own for solving the situation. Snow confirms this to be the case, so Claude declares it's not a problem and says it's time to get all the strong people together to form an army to fight back against the other army.

 

Time skips a bit as Snow goes around explaining the idea and asking if people will join in. You agree and say you can't leave Fergus on his own. Shuten also agrees, saying he, Alp, and the others will be defending the audience. The rest of you will be going after Fergus for lack of anything else to do. Snow thanks you guys for being quick to accept, then hands you guys some things. Kengo, Kyuuma, and Seth are shocked at this, and Snow says going out to fight in their workout clothes would be inappropriate.

 

Back to Fergus, the enemy mobs have managed to knock his sword away, creating an opening for them to cut off his movements and pin him down. Fergus however still has enough steam in him to throw them away regardless as he yells for them to let go. Once he has a little breathing room, he starts saying goodbye to Tokyo, his beloved friends, and you. One of his legs has been hurt so he has to drag it along, but he still charges ahead towards the mobs all holding up spears at the ready. Then he makes one last goodbye to the days of his youth.

 

Fergus is then surprised when you, Kengo, Seth, and Kyuuma run in and stand in front of him. You guys look larger than life to him in that moment, and ever so reliable. He seems saddened that you guys came out here, so Seth tells him that he helped him out once, so Seth can't just leave him to die now. Kyuuma says Fergus is being too formal and brings up that Shuten taught him people cover for each other in times like these. Kengo says they were just getting to the good part of the fight, and since it's not done yet they should pick back up with it later. You declare that you've come for him and won't let him be by himself since it's Valentine's.

 

Fergus is quiet for a second, then starts asking if you guys realize you don't have anyone to take your place if it comes to it and asks if you guys are going to throw your youth away for him. Kengo says he doesn't really get what's happening, but he points out that Fergus should be irreplaceable as well. Fergus says there is someone else actually, and when he or Shadow Fergus disappears, this area will disappear too. He also points out that this would mean it won't go away until one of them is down. Fergus says you guys don't need to get involved and asks that you leave him be as he pushes past, but you respond by either running in front of him again or lining up next to him.

 

Fergus is taken aback by your actions and asks why you won't understand as he insists he's here because he wants to be. You either say you're doing as you please as well or ask why you have to listen to him. He can't come up with an argument either way, and Seth calls him an idiot to his shock. Fergus then gets ashamed when Seth yells at him to think about the people he'll leave behind, even if he might be okay with dying himself. Seth starts talking about how his brother had left behind back in the past. He was a hero to him, always so far ahead no one could catch up. He was a rogue, strong, unparalleled. But he also looked sad and lonely to Seth. Seth admits he could be wrong about that, but it's why he felt like he didn't want his brother to be alone. He wanted to run with him, constantly passing by each other. Seth then flounders for a moment when he thinks he's not sounding very Seth-like, but you either say he said something great or smile silently at him. He then chuckles to himself, wondering if he should relax then.

 

Fergus says nothing as he turns to look at the sky, with clouds passing by just as they did on that day. He admits to not having a response to what you guys are saying, and for the first time he's noticed something. That day, cowardice and compromise weren't the only feelings he had back then. The reason he negotiated with Setanta about allowing each other to win wasn't just about caring about his life. He's realized he didn't want the bright hero he was charmed with to disappear from the world. He wanted to run past everyone with that hero around the world.

 

Kyuuma brings up that Fergus espoused chasing two things at full speed if you're going to be going after two things at once to begin with. It's due to that advice that Kyuuma ran as hard as he can. He's painfully aware of his lack of experience, and he doesn't want to abandon the friends and senpai who helped him out. Fergus is touched and says he's right, then apologizes to you guys saying he was an idiot for charging in alone.

 

You either say Fergus's name or smile silently at him. Fergus admits that if he were to go up against his Shadow, he doesn't see any other way for it to end besides losing himself. He wonders aloud about what he can do in this case, and you think too but come up with nothing or silently look around for ideas. Kengo decides to ask what Shadow Fergus is to Fergus, and Fergus's explanation of his past life and his vow with Setanta gets skimmed over. Kengo says he gets that he 'can't fight against him' now, but then he takes it back and questions why it'd be 'over after one fight.'

 

Fergus is surprised at this question, and Kengo talks about how he wants to fight with you. One battle isn't going to cut it; he wants to keep fighting you. He also comments on not having imagined developing a relationship like this before he met you. Fergus is confused and asks Kengo to explain his point, so he fumbles a bit and guesses that if Shadow Fergus were like himself, there might be something after this even if Fergus ends up losing this fight. Fergus is shocked at this suggestion, which embarrasses Kengo as he talks about not being smart and not understanding much of what's going on, but you think on it some more and say he's right.

 

Kengo is so slow on the uptake that he initially thinks he said something weird in his confusion. Shuuichi inserts himself into the conversation, laughing and asking if you guys have a plan set up now. You either roll with Shuuichi's presence or be shocked he was there, and Shuuichi says he came to see how things were going at the front lines. If you guys have decided what to do, then all that's left is to take action. He tells you guys he'll take command of the defenses, so you guys just focus on making your attack. Most of the party is ready to go, but when Fergus looks at you he suddenly realizes something about the dream he had.

 

Fergus wonders aloud why he never realized it before, saying that if his dream really was a prophecy there might be a future he hasn't seen yet, which mean his youth will still continue. He thinks to himself about having seen the youths of his friends here, and when he places his hand on the chocolate he's keeping in his chest pocket he sorts through his resurfaced memories. He stands up again with a fierce light in his eyes, then he asks you guys to help him. He shouts as he balls up his fists, and everyone else agrees.

 

Time passes to the point where Shadow Fergus notes that Fergus has come. You guys have lined up to face against him, and the audience is cheering from behind. Fergus tells you guys the goal is to get at Shadow Fergus who's in the middle of everything, so he wants you guys to help him get to where he is. The party calls back in acknowledgement when he yells to charge.

 

Fergus starts narrating about how he went over to Connacht when he gave up the throne and left Ulster and says he really did love its queen Medb. When he went back to Ulster as head of an army, the hero Setanta was there to fight alongside him, and he genuinely felt friendship with him. He always wavered between the two, and he believed that he had regretted doing so. Fergus however says he was incorrect, that he wasn't regretting his hesitation in and of itself. He had chosen to hesitate, hoping to stay that way for as long as he could. This wasn't him picking a safe choice, but rather picking something unknown only to him. He wanted to defy his fate, as that was the sort of youth he wished he had.

 

Mobs are running in towards you guys, but the feelings charging the fighters on your side changes a bit. Claude calls out telling everyone to fight and find their chance to win, and his artifact fills people with a war frenzy. And so everyone heads into battle, fighting so that they can return home. Sitri shoots off his NP, throwing the warriors hit by it into confusion. Bathym takes advantage of the opening this creates to attack, thanking Sitri for the assist and saying armor means nothing against his kicks. Shuten smashes his way through and challenges people to come at him. Alp has his own backup dancers to work with as they start breakdancing, and Cait Sith declares that they will face off against anyone who'd try to ruin Valentine's Day, and Team Sideshow plus Sitri all pose as they call themselves Valentines and Friends. Snow also steps up to fight, apologizing to the mobs and saying Claude hasn't given them permission to come any further. He calls to everyone and says it's time to dance, and Claude says things will be fine over here and that he'll be counting on you guys to handle the other stuff.

 

Back to your end, Fergus yells that you guys are going solely for a crushing frontal assault and says to not falter as you go forward. Seth complains about how much trouble he's going through for this, but he can show off a punk's good side for a friend's sake. He then calls up a sandstorm and commands it to blow everyone away as he casts his NP. You compliment Seth for being amazing, and Fergus laughs and acknowledges how strong Seth is. Seth is flattered by this, but he quickly tells you guys to look forward as he freaks out about something coming your way.

 

Seth's sandstorm is blowing away pursuing warrior mobs, but others from the front start hurling spears at you guys. Fergus volunteers to stop the attack and tells you guys to be careful, but Kyuuma says he'll do it and combine with David to shoot them all down. He fires off his NP, and you are amazed that Kyuuma pulled it off as you note that he's gotten some confidence. Fergus compliments his pitch and says he'll be looking forward to his next game. Kyuuma thanks you guys and says he has gotten a little more confident. More mobs are closing in, so Kengo says this is no time to be relaxed. He's annoyed by the endless onslaught, so he decides he'll just get rid of them all at once by busting out his NP. Once he does, Fergus says he can see the way forward and tells everyone to go forward wholeheartedly. Eventually you guys reach where Shadow Fergus is, and you call out to Fergus that it's time to go as the episode battle starts. More story happens after that.

 

After the battle, the story picks up by narrating how the battle of the Ferguses causes the ground the split and the sky to shake with each sword swing. The rest of the party watches while fending off nearby mobs. Fergus calls out to his Shadow half and tells him to listen to what he's able to say in the moment. He admits he tossed him away because he wanted to redo things, but now that their positions have flipped he understands why he made his geas with Setanta. Shadow Fergus is shocked at this statement, and Fergus says he affirms his hesitation now rather than cut it away. He believes that's why his sword is a pair now.

 

Shadow Fergus decides to ask Fergus what he believes youth to be, so Fergus answers that it's struggling with all your might, puzzling over things and rejecting the idea that your current options are all that's open to you. He talks about how people can only pick one path, which is why he believed the two of them split apart. Fergus then suggests that there was a third option available besides them having gone their separate ways, one that can be picked because they both exist at once. This option would be attainable through the two of them continuing to clash and reach for it. Fergus says he won't give up, saying his youth is about being perplexed by the many options before him.

 

Fergus throws his chocolate to Shadow Fergus, making a point about how the two of them are Not the Same, therefore they need each other. He proposes that they embrace their regrets and go to where they couldn't have gotten to before. Shadow Fergus is surprised speechless at this, and Fergus says he'll carry his doubts with him so that when he one day dies, he can go with a smile. But until that day comes, Fergus asks his Shadow to fight alongside him and refers to him as his irreplaceable memories. If his Shadow is suffering, then he'll step forward. And if he's suffering, he asks that his Shadow step forward for him as well. Fergus grips his sword, and Shadow Fergus starts laughing, looking refreshed. Fergus commands his sword to retake its original form as he activates his NP, and it releases a bright light that creates a rainbow. The two of them appear to fuse, and for a moment it looks like his sword is a single blade with two grips before the rainbow light outshines everything.

 

The next moment, Kamui, Taurus Mask, and Nomad break into the arena area to their surprise. Their loud entry causes everyone in the audience and on stage to look back at them with their own surprised expressions, and Kengo comments that his eyes still hurt from the bright lights while feeling like he saw a dream. Kyuuma points out that the sky is gone now, and Seth points out that they've returned and that Team Sideshow and the audience are waving. Fergus says nothing, and you turn to him as you say he did well and ask if he enjoyed his youth.

 

Fergus checks his chest pockets and finds his chocolate that he had given to himself. He answers that this incident is a bit too much for youth, adding that the feelings in his chest probably won't calm down anytime soon. He and his Shadow are both in his swords, and while he's out now there may be times when his other self will surface until they can finally make a choice. Fergus blushes for a moment and asks to talk with you about something, but Kengo interrupts to say it'll have to wait because the final arena match didn't actually finish. Kyuuma agrees that that's true, and Seth is in disbelief that he can still keep going after what's happened as he chooses to pass. Fergus asks Claude about how he intends to handle this. Snow and Claude are surprised by this, and Snow asks Claude what he thinks as well. Claude laughs and orders Snow to get things ready for what's left. Snow obeys, and camera pans over everyone present before Fergus suggests it's time to continue the days of youth. The spotlight falls on them, and it seems that the fighting spirits are still going strong. To be continued in the epilogue.

 

 

 

Valentine Colosseo Episode 5 Part 1

Once there was a wise king who possessed a ring that was said to have a certain power. This is the power to consort with any being from any of the worlds, and this is the power to assign ranks to every demon. He crossed countless worlds and encountered many holders of power that he designated as demons and gave a rank, then cast them down to the disposal world of Gehenna. Many beings from many worlds appeared there as though they were there from the beginning. These beings then came to believe that they were demons to begin with. These demons were given a collective title based on that king's name, the 72 Pillars of Solomon.

 

Despite all that, these demons still had their memories of their lives before being named demons elsewhere. Before and after they were cast down to Gehenna, their other names and memories must have existed as well. Which was true, and which is false? Which is true, and which is a shadow? The answer to that depends on 'which world you're looking at them from,' but these beings are either one person divided into two, or an opposing existence that exists like a mirror image. What was once one person was divided into two by a boundary at a Definitive Moment, making them into two definitely different people.

 

Even that king must have existed once, having returned the ring to the heavens before he passed away from this world. And similarly, that warrior must have existed once, having returned his great sword to the lake before he passed on from that world. Once the definitive moment that comes when a World Changes, what happens before and after are divided into two people. Which between the two ranks higher than the other? If you have to ask, then battle has become the only way to determine that.

 

Things then tune back to the plot but just a bit before things get weird as Seth talks with Sitri about the 72 Whatevers of Whatshisface. He's never heard of the term before, but he asks if it's about a summoner who made 72 Transients into his familiars and ritually ranked them before summoning them. He then asks if Seth's (re: his) silhouette happens to look exactly like Rank 1's. He's curious about this, but he also doesn't understand a thing about it. Seth then asks if King Solomon summoned Seth's Shadow and made him one of the 72 Pillars. A sudden flash interrupts the conversation and his train of thought, and the light is so bright it's blinding. This is the light coming off of Fergus's sword, the light of the world's memory meant to be returned to the lake. And this is the other memories of Fergus mac Roich that were cut away.

 

Narration picks up to talk about Tir na Nog, where various races as many as the stars have built kingdoms in the world. These kingdoms develop and form ties with others. Sometimes they are bonds of friendship, sometimes they are alliances, and sometimes it is just an invasion. The kings of these nations hold power and fight against aggressors to protect the people of said nations. In the land of giants, the king possessed an evil eye and used overwhelming force to bring victory from endless war to his side. In the land of cats, the king stood alone and used great magic to act as a deterrent against invading forces. And in the lands of humans, they gathered many warriors to form an army. One of those lands was the land of Connacht, the place where Fergus mac Roich defected to. It is also the place where he relinquished his regrets and memories along with his sword at the end of his life.

 

Title card pops up, and this chapter is called Valentine Colosseo.

 

We then tune back into the present where narration claims Kengo and Fergus clashing with each other blasted the surrounding area with blinding light. When the light dies down, you guys are no longer in the underground arena. Fergus asks where you are as vast plains spread as far as the eye can see. Kengo asks what's going on too, and the audience stands have been replaced with open fields. Kyuuma asks if this is something to do with the event, and all participants in the battle are looking around in confusion. The audience is no better informed. Shuten asks what manner of sorcery is this. Alp asks why the sun is here and asks where the ceiling went. Seth also asks about the sun since you guys were supposed to be indoors, and Sitri calls out to Kengo.

 

Over where Duo is, he talks about how it was a good thing they moved locations of the event even if they did it for peace of mind earlier. Shuuichi talks about this occurrence being an overworld shift, and he figures Fergus must be the cause of it. He then turns to Duo and says that everything is going according to plan with no issues, so he'll be heading off. Duo nods and tells him to be careful, and Shuuichi talks about recording the phenomenon, though he says it's possible they can't leave again. He shivers only partially aware of how dangerous it could be, though his fear is less about self-preservation and more the worry about being unable to see his brother again.

 

Over where Claude and Snow is, Claude orders Snow to figure out what's happening and to inform the other Berserkers about it. Snow looks stern as he remains quiet, surprising Claude into asking him what's wrong. Snow answers that something is coming towards you all, a lot of somethings in fact. There are groups of people marching in from the horizon, and the eventually stop a ways away from all of you. You can see that they're a group of armored warriors, and the vibe they put out is one of an army. Something is raised into the air, and a flag is hoisted up as the groups yell war cries.

 

Cait Sith recognizes the army's banner in shock as that of Connacht's, the kingdom that opposes Ulster, then freaks out and asks why they're here. Bathym attempts to get him to calm down and asks if that means that they're bigwigs from his home world. Cait Sith starts babbling that the Connacht forces are something of Fergus, which Bathym is confused about. You notice that the warriors have stopped moving and wonder why you can sense something familiar coming from them.

 

Fergus starts reacting to a splitting headache that's coming on, and Kengo tells everyone to get ready to fight because it looks like the enemy leader is coming out. A single man walks out from the center of the warrior group, looking calm and carrying a large sword. In fact, he looks just like Fergus to everyone's shock including yours. Fergus doesn't come up with anything to say, and Shadow Fergus notices Fergus and comments on how unusual this is. He then greets everyone politely and gives his name as Fergus as opposed to our Fergus going by mac Roich all the time. He describes himself as the leader for the Connacht troops.

 

Fergus asks if Shadow Fergus really just called himself Fergus just now. Shadow Fergus says it's appropriate if he's Fergus's opposite as he calls him a fool who couldn't live as either a warrior or a king. It's the name of the memories that stand opposite of his self as someone who put his life under the orders of someone else and wavered indecisively between love and friendship.

 

You comment on how Fergus and his other self look so similar when they stand so close together, though you get the feeling that they seem to be of different ages. Fergus says he finally understands now, then asks his Shadow if he's his self that comes after his youth or his future self. Shadow Fergus brings up the idea that he could also be his discarded past self, but he doesn't argue about it. He instead talks more about how there isn't a hierarchy established between the two of them yet, but he's not going to pass up this chance to talk with his other self. He describes Fergus as his self from the time he was lost between love and friendship and carried the world in the land's place.

 

You say you don't understand where things are going, but you decide to ask Shadow Fergus why he's there and where you guys are exactly. He responds by turning to Fergus and asking if he knows as he calls him to core of this world. Fergus says this is the plains area near the border between Ulster and Connacht as his memories steadily return to him. It's also where he fought Setanta countless times, swore mutual geas to each other, and put off their decisive battle. But after he says that, Fergus gets confused that he said Setanta.

 

Shadow Fergus says he's always remembered the name Setanta. He was the one who eventually became known as Cu Chulainn, the shining hero of their cycle. Shadow Fergus then says that this is a memory world, made up of the memories Fergus gave up to the lake. Fergus repeats this in surprise, so Shadow Fergus elaborates that it's the proof of those who record the lives of heroes and the representatives of the people. Those who hold that brilliance have the duty to live as a representative of the people's will instead of their own.

 

Shadow Fergus says that while he talks like he knows everything, he admits that there's one thing he doesn't know. Fergus knows what he's talking about, so Shadow Fergus goes ahead and says it's the wish he was willing to give up everything in life to have granted. He asks Fergus what his wish right now is, and Fergus says nothing at first as he turns to look at you. You sense hesitation between two emotions in his expression, but then Fergus looks resolved as he turns back to his Shadow and says he'll talk about it. He waits for him to go on, so Fergus talks about how they've always went back and forth between love and friendship and how it was his geas with Setanta that helped him realize that. That geas was one where they negotiated who would win on the battlefield, but was it a product of cowardice and concession? After that, once Fergus witnessed the splendid end of heroes his conviction solidified.

 

Fergus says he's been regretting that moment back then, so Shadow Fergus presses him for details on what about that geas is causing him regrets. Fergus yells that it's about the cowardice and concession of it, saying he should have been living like the heroes who made their own decisions instead of following someone else's will. He should have been able to live like that too, just like the heroes he saw die lived like. Shadow Fergus asks if he understands what will happen to him if he answers that way, so Fergus says he does. If this world is from his old memories, then it was the world where heroes who have finished defeating all their foes meet cruel ends according to the will of the people at some point or another. So if Fergus were to live like that, he'd be no match for Shadow Fergus.

 

Shadow Fergus raises a hand silently, and all the warrior mobs arm themselves in response to that signal. Almost everyone on your side is surprised by this, and soon after Claude tells Snow that the other side is moving. Shadow Fergus orders an attack, and the ground shakes with the cries of many warriors. You yell that you guys have to do something and work together to stand a chance, but Fergus asks you to wait. You, Kyuuma, and Kengo are surprised by this, and Fergus looks at everyone before ending with you.

 

When you try to talk to Fergus, he just smiles silently. He then talks about how he seems to be the reason all these strong fighters have gathered together, but Kyuuma tries to argue against this. Fergus however is firm on this point and says he's sure Shadow Fergus is the end of his life. If he settles things with him, then the memory world will disappear and everyone should be able to return. He doesn't have any proof for this, but that's what he feels in his soul.

 

Kengo says he believes Fergus and admits this isn't his first time dealing with something like this. That said, Fergus being the root of this turn of events doesn't mean he has to deal with it all on his own. Fergus apologizes and says that Kengo has a point. He then turns around and holds his swords up in the air then yells to everyone as he calls them the people he loves. He declares that this battle is one he has to see through to the end by his own will and that he doesn't need anyone getting involved. He thinks about how he's sure about one thing, which is that his future self is his fate coming to greet him. He already died long ago, so now he'd like to carry out his will and make his death one with no regrets.

 

Fergus sighs, then calls to you, Kengo, and Kyuuma and asks you guys to watch how he chooses to end his youth. He has no doubts about this, and no one can stop him from going. He laughs to himself about how sudden the end is as expected, and he charges off alone. Kengo clicks his tongue and asks if you're all really letting him go like that, and Kyuuma calls to Fergus attempting to get him to stop. You all go after him, but mobs get in the way as if preventing anyone else from going forward. You tell them to move and call to Fergus, but he keeps on running ahead.

 

Fergus talks to himself about how he's fine with being killed if it means everyone can leave safely. He hopes everyone will be okay, and he says that if someone among you was his destined to be, it's not a bad deal to die to protect them at all. You yell to Fergus again as you keep trying to go after him, and Sitri is surprised when Seth starts moving too. Seth yells that determination has nothing to do with this, and he demands to know if Fergus gave any thought to the People Who'd Be Left Behind. The episode battle then starts as Fergus challenges the mobs to come at him as he fights like a hero.

 

 

Live A Hero Valentine Cyber Wars Episode 8

We pick up from last time after that flash of light exploded in the sky above Orient City. Hisaki has survived being near an explosion that could be felt by everyone below and looks mostly fine, aside from the fact that his hero suit came undone and now he's falling head down back towards the ship. He panics about this and figures the smoke obscured him from view, which is why his transformation was cancelled, then screams bloody murder.

 

You manage to catch sight of Hisaki falling out of the sky because the moonlight has bounced off of some of the accessories he's wearing, and you point Hisaki out to the rest of the party. Shouen takes action to save Hisaki from a death by falling from up high by triple casting Wall, and the kanji he writes zooms off into the sky. When they reach Hisaki, they act as cushions to absorb the impact of his fall, slowing him down considerably so that he's not all that banged up when he crashlands onto the ship's deck. You call out to Hisaki and welcome him back, glad that he's okay, and Hisaki tells you guys he managed to wipe out the satellite.

 

Upon hearing this, Purple and the other mafia villains collapse in despair, dropping their weapons and undoing their transformations. They ask to no one in particular if it's over now and if they're not even allowed to exact their revenge. Shouen doesn't respond, but Kyoichi snaps that what they tried to do goes way overboard to be called revenge. He's about to lay into them more about how they put the whole world in danger when Flamier asks if he'll keep the blame to a minimum. Kyoichi is surprised and sputters at this, but Flamier stops him from saying any more by smiling at him and pressing a finger to his mouth.

 

Flamier asks you guys to let her handle this, so you ask her what she plans to do. Flamier talks about how the mafia have a grudge against her father. Since it's thanks to their efforts that she has the life she's had, she considers it her duty to apologize for any wrongdoing done to them. Ryekie attempts to protest against this, but Huckle stops him and asks him to let Flamier do what she thinks is best. He empathizes with her, saying he knows how it to have things put upon you for being born into a rich family.

 

Flamier walks over to the lead mob as her footsteps echo in the silent launchpad. Purple hasn't gone totally catatonic as he asks what Flamier wants. If she's there to give him sympathy or pity, he says he has no right to accept it from her. If anything it'd be a disgrace to him. Flamier says it's not that as she says she thought about doing what her father couldn't in his place. Purple is confused by this, so Flamier says she was raised the way she was thanks to their efforts. But despite all they've done, Flamier's father rendered all their efforts a waste. Flamier intends to apologize to the mobs for that, though she doesn't know if they'll be satisfied with that. She then gives her apologizes for all that they've went through.

 

Purple is offended at the gesture, so much so that he grabs Flamier and lifts her up. Akashi calls out to her and is about to run in when Flamier asks him to not do anything. You protest that she's in danger, but Flamier insists it's okay and asks that you leave this to her. Purple starts punching Flamier across the face, and after Flamier takes the damage she puts her serious face back on and stares at the mob. This sets Purple off further and he attacks her some more, yelling about her looking down on him and not knowing how they felt to be brought into this situation.

 

Flamier keeps her expression resolute even through the repeated punches, and she starts talking about how she can't know how he feels. The only thing she's sure of is that his suffering must be more painful than what she's feeling now, and she apologizes again while promising to let her father know about this. Purple continues punching Flamier, but they steadily weaken as he loses resolve until he puts Flamier back on her feet again. He falls to his knees and cries about the lines he's crossed, regretting either that or regretting that he failed despite going so far. Flamier gently hugs the guy's head to her as she apologizes again, then asks if she can handle what comes next. Hisaki expresses concern for Flamier, and Shouen comments that it's not easy to carry a family name since that burdens you with both the reputation and ill will against it associated with that name. His master and student suffered all the time because of it. Kyoichi agrees with the point and notes that Flamier had her own troubles too.

 

At that point, a bunch of sirens and boat engine noises blare out from outside the ship, and soon after a familiar guy shows up at the launchpad. Barrel announces the presence of the Orient City police and says they know what the villains are doing thanks to the live broadcast that was going on. He demands they surrender before he's thrown off by how quiet the place is since he figured there'd be a battle going on. You call out to Barrel and note that the police have come, and Purple slowly gets up and walks over to Barrel. He says he doesn't care anymore and asks Barrel to arrest him. The rest of the mafia follow suit without argument, baffling Barrel into asking what happened. You shrug and say stuff or stay quiet, and either way Barrel remains confused.

 

Time passes as you all get on the police's patrol boats for a ride back to shore. Kyoichi asks Flamier if she's really okay because her face is starting to swell. Flamier says she's fine, apologizing for worrying everyone else before asking Kyoichi to rest. Medical staff urge Flamier to go inside for some treatment, and Gammei asks about Flamier managing to convince the villains to surrender. He also talks about how he's now thinking about how the distortions created by a giant megacorp could manifest itself like this.

 

Barrel points out that the case is closed for now though, and the emergency situation in town should be calming down. He's tired after running around everywhere breaking up fights, and Gammei says that having everyone's thoughts broadcasted caused it all. Even dealing with the small stuff has been rough. Barrel is surprised and asks if Gammei is bothered about something, but Gammei says it's nothing and was worried about leaks. Barrel nods at this and says he was never affected, so he never thought about that. Gammei sighs and apologizes, saying he forgot that Barrel is an idiot. Barrel is shocked at this and says he doesn't get why he's being treated as dumb, and you either sympathize with Gammei for all he does, say Barrel being upfront is his good point, or wonder if this is the difference between people who think before they act. A gets an extra line where Gammei thanks you and says you did great work despite having a lot to do. B has a different extra line where Barrel is pleased by that and says he feels better now.

 

Anyways, Akashi sighs in exhaustion saying he's tired both mentally and physically. Huckle compliments everyone for all the work they've done. Ryekie says even he and Huckle don't take on a case this big that often, so he's touched by how everyone worked together so hard to achieve justice. He then compliments you and Akashi for your efforts too as he pulls you guys into a hug. Akashi attempts to ask Ryekie to stop since it's hurting him a little, and you either ask Ryekie to stop too, say you can smell the scent of sweat coming your way, or be happy to be hugged by Ryekie. In A and B, Huckle tries to get Ryekie to stop for your sakes. In C, Akashi is baffled at how you seem fine and even happy about this.

 

Hisaki laughs and comments on how well you all get along. Akashi complains about Hisaki acting like he's not involved, but Hisaki says friendly hugs are standard back in America. Barrel agrees with him, saying it's not much if you haven't been kissed so far. Ryekie is shocked he's never thought about using a kiss to express affection before, and he's about to start doing so when Akashi loudly protests against it and tells the other two not to give him weird ideas.

 

Hisaki decides to thank everyone for their help again, saying it's because of you all that the incident was solved without issue. He also thanks you guys for helping him through his doubts along the way, though he feels there's no way to ever fully express that. Akashi asks if he's really okay with how it all ended since his system is gone now. Hisaki says it's fine since it stopped being his system by that point, and now that it's gone he can go make something even better. He's lived his whole life by trial and error, so a little setback isn't going to get him down. Akashi is surprised by this, so Hisaki teases him for worrying about him. Akashi gets mad at this and sputters, and you either ask if Hisaki really is okay with this, say you're glad he's back to his usual self, or call Akashi a nice guy. C gets an extra line where he calls you a jerk and tells you not to pile on too.

 

Hisaki admits to being a little down about what's happened, but he also feels it's a waste to quit because you've failed and get depressed by that. He's already thinking about his next project, and this time it'll be better than before. This will be the one that'll get him the attention of the world and the universe! You either sigh about his motivation being the attention, call him incorrigible, or call him tough. In A, Hisaki cops to it and moves right into inviting you over to his place on your next day off. In B, Hisaki is unfazed as he asks you to call him a tough guy instead, then asks you to visit him on your next day off. In C, Hisaki laughs and brags about it a little before inviting you over on your day off. And in any case, Hisaki says he'll show you how good he is at building things and how stubborn he can be.

 

Some time later, Shouen is standing on the ship's deck and staring absentmindedly at Orient City as the morning sun rises. Kyoichi walks up and asks if Shouen is cold, so Shouen answers he isn't and the breeze feels nice after how tired he is from work. Plus it helps since he's in the middle of thinking about something. Kyoichi sadly comments that this incident gave a lot to think about, and Shouen agrees as he talks about understanding how many ways people can express their feelings. So many different emotions make up people's lives. Kyoichi agrees, saying while there's a lot of things people are better off not knowing, he's gained something out of all this at least. Once they get back to shore and school opens up again, he'll go address the thing he needs to address as soon as possible.

 

Shouen smiles at Kyoichi as he thinks about his own stuff for a moment. He talks aloud about how not getting your feelings across means things haven't actually ended and things can't begin. Kyoichi asks if something is wrong, so Shouen decides to tell Kyoichi he'll be out of town starting tomorrow for a bit. He asks if Kyoichi can take care of things until he gets back. Kyoichi agrees, though he's surprised at the request and asks where Shouen is going. All Shouen says in response is that he has somewhere he has to go to now.

 

Title card pops up, and this chapter is called The World Made By People's Feelings.

 

Several days after Valentine's, narration notes that Orient City has mostly gotten back to its usual self aside from trace concerns. We then tune in specifically to Parallel Flight's office where Toshu has come to visit and Mokdai has come back from his vacation. Toshu comments on how nice some chocolate bean jelly is and how he likes that it doesn't have that usual chocolatey cloying taste. Mokdai laughs and agrees, saying it was a good thing he bought the thing since it said it was a limited seasonal item. You can then either ask Toshu about his waterfall training trip or ask Mokdai about his trip home.

 

In A, Toshu mentions that Ina Valley in winter was cold even for him, but thanks to that he feels like he's really purified his heart and says the trip was worth it. Akashi shudders at the thought of how it must have been and is surprised Toshu didn't catch a cold. Toshu says their regular training is different, then suggests that Akashi try it out too and shape up a bit. Akashi quickly declines, saying a normal human would probably die trying that. In B, Mokdai says he was able to relax thanks to you guys and hands you a souvenir. He then apologizes for being out during a crisis and wonders if he should've come back sooner. Ryekie laughs and says he doesn't need to worry about it. Back when it was just him and Huckle, things were hard, but now you and Akashi are around too. The case has been solved with no problems, so Mokdai doesn't need to feel down. If anything, Ryekie is glad that Mokdai has freshened up. Mokdai concedes the point, then tells you you can go take a vacation if you want, as he'll cover for you.

 

Akashi asks Toshu what brings him over today since it probably wasn't about eating bean jelly. Toshu remembers that he has a letter from Shouen he was asked to bring over, so he pulls out a scroll and hands it to you. You are surprised about it being a scroll and asks if it's for you. Toshu confirms and says he was told it's about Shouen wanting to say something he wanted to say back then. Mokdai is surprised, commenting that it's fitting that Shouen wrote on a scroll rather than send a text or email. Akashi is curious and asks if you talked with Shouen about something. You either wonder what he means or remember what you talked about, and you start to read the scroll.

 

Shouen's letter starts off with an apology about the sudden message. By the time you're reading it he should be on a ship to his home planet. Since he can't talk to you directly in that case, he went with this instead. Anyways, he brings back up about how he talked with you and Hisaki about his past back in the car, saying he had intended to keep it to himself for the rest of his life as a warning to himself. He never expected to start talking about it to anyone.

 

Back during that car conversation, you had asked Shouen about the idea of getting things off his chest by talking about them and asked how he felt afterwards. He was too preoccupied at the time to answer, but he can do so now that he's sorted his thoughts and worked up the will to take action. He does in fact feel a little bit better, and while he says the load has lifted a little it's different from his thanks towards his student. It's more that he's finally figured out his feelings, and in doing so he's understood something. Shouen says that while it may be virtuous to keep something hidden, he's learned that talking things out with someone that he needs to process can help him move on. He wanted to thank you for showing him that, and he's taking actions to put the feelings he's been carrying around to rest. Once he's back, he'd like to tell you and Hisaki about how that went.

 

Scene shifts over to where Shouen is on his flight as Digram thanks everyone for boarding and announces that the ship will shortly be passing through the warp gate to go to Planet 8 of the Anijum/Regdab star system. The ship will shake a bit during the warp due to the spatial distortion, so he asks that people remain seated and have their seat belts on. Shouen folds up the letter he was writing, and he apologizes out loud to his student for being so late. Now that he's found his determination, he intends to visit their grave and be honest about everything. The space ship then heads to the warp gate circling the moon, then zips over to the system his home planet is at.

 

Back to your end you nod, saying Shouen's gone to settle things and wish him luck. Akashi asks what you mean, so Toshu says he'll understand when he becomes an adult. Akashi protests in shock that he is an adult and complains about how everyone treats him like a kid every time something happens. The topic does remind him of something, and he hands you a letter saying Kyoichi wanted to tell you something too. You express surprise at this and/or remember what this is about, and Akashi says he remembered Kyoichi saying he was going to talk about something after school today.

 

Scene shifts over to the Third Coastal Elementary school where Kyoichi works. School is over for the day so most students are on their way home. Kyoichi asks a certain student to come see him in an empty classroom so that he can talk about said student's feelings for him. The conversation tunes in at the point where Kyoichi is talking about how he's fallen in love a lot while he was in school and how it didn't work out a lot of the time. He's glad the student likes him and thanks them for it, but he says the student is also going to be seeing a lot of new people as things go on too and he'd be ashamed if he kept the kid from engaging with any of them. Kyoichi pats the kid on the head, and he says that if the kid still likes him when they grow up, he'll be serious about considering them. If that happens, Kyoichi asks that the kid come up to him and confess how they feel again then. He apologizes for not being able to answer now, but he promises he'll wait. The kid agrees to the suggestion.

 

Back at the office, Huckle is finishing up a phone call, which Ryekie asks him about. Huckle answers that he was talking to Flamier, and she called to tell him she seems to have worked out something when she went to talk with her father. Akashi asks if this is about the mafia mobs and asks what the decision was. Huckle says that Flamier's father had never been informed about the villains' firings from his company from his subordinates back in the day, so it was a big surprise to him. He's promised to make arrangements to rehire them all if they want it after getting released from custody or prison, and he'll go apologize to them in person. His subordinates were against it though. You are surprised about this outcome for the villains, say you're glad he's so understanding, or be surprised at how fast they work. Akashi is glad things have worked out for the villains too, but Ryekie says it's less the villains were saved and more they were able to go back to where they used to be. In the end, they'll decide where they want to go after their sentence ends.

 

Scene shifts over to where Flamier is at the spaceport. She laughs to herself, prompting her father to ask her why. Flamier says it's nothing much, just her remembering how she had never seen her father look so angry before. He says of course he'd be that way what with how the actions taken behind his back led to disastrous consequences to the people of the city and his own daughter. As someone who upholds the reputation of his company and as a father, he could never forgive such a thing. He then asks Flamier if she's really okay now.

 

Flamier says he's worrying too much and that she's not so delicate that she'd make a fuss over the injuries she took. She's a hero, and if she can save people and help people move forward, then that's all the happiness she needs. Flamier's father decides not to push the question any further, saying that he does worry about her continuing as a hero, but if she's proud of it then he's happy for her. He tells her to keep at it, and if it ever gets to be too much for her, she can always go to him. He promises to always watch over her, and Flamier thanks him.

 

Back at the office again, Crowne walks in greeting everyone and then taking a bit of the chocolate jelly since she thinks it looks good. Toshu is highly upset at her taking the last piece, and Mokdai reproaches her saying that was meant for Toshu as he's a guest. Crowne apologizes before processing that and asks if she's not a guest herself. She then brings up that Mokdai should still have some more and suggests bringing them out instead of keeping it to himself.

 

Mokdai reluctantly admits that she's right, so Toshu shyly asks for some more. Mokdai gives in and says he'll go cut it into pieces. Huckle is taken aback at Crowne's audacity as he comments on how outrageous she always is. Akashi says she's fearsome in her own way to not be afraid of Toshu. You either yell at Crowne for being rude, express sympathy for Mokdai, or comment to Toshu for liking that chocolate. In A, Crowne is surprised and promises she won't steal snacks again. In B, Akashi is surprised to see another ten pieces and wonders if it's for Toshu instead of Mokdai eating them himself. In C, Toshu is embarrassed at that and insists that it's not like he likes sweets or anything! Mokdai then comes back with more chocolate and offers them, and Toshu hangs his head as he says he'll have some.

 

Anyways, Huckle asks Crowne about if something's up since she normally calls ahead instead of showing up unannounced like when she brought Hisaki over. Crowne explains that she's off today and decided to swing by on her way over after visiting Hisaki. Otherwise she hardly ever leaves that airport island. Since Crowne brought up Hisaki's name, Akashi starts wondering about how he's doing. Huckle says his name's been cleared since it's known that the villains caused the incident, but he hopes Hisaki hasn't been disheartened by the big case. Crowne laughs at the idea, saying while he was depressed by what happened, he was fine when she saw him earlier. He never learns, and he's already working on something new. You wonder what he could be researching, so Crowne shrugs. All he said was something about a different method for connecting people's hearts.

 

Scene then shifts over to Hisaki's lab as his father asks if he's sure about shredding all his research materials. It may sound weird coming from him, but he knows how much work Hisaki had put into all that. The incident may have happened, but it wasn't all Hisaki's fault. Hisaki blithely says he doesn't need it anymore so he's fine with that. He says his methods were wrong, and no matter how convenient it is a machine shouldn't be reading people's thoughts. People shouldn't hold back on making the effort to understand one another, and people having different thoughts, figuring out how to communicate, and building relationships is what makes them people. So, Hisaki wants to restart from scratch to make something that will help people create a world with their thoughts. Getting rid of the notes he has now is just decluttering.

 

Hisaki's father relents, and Hisaki says there has to be another way to support the development of society while considering others. He intends to make something handy that no one's seen before and with that help make a world where more people can be happy. Hisaki is sure he can make it happen, and he swears to achieve that goal even if he has to make some adjustments. Hisaki then throws out the shredded papers into the garbage before wiping his forehead and looking outside He psyches himself up to get to work again, then tells the universe to wait for him. The End.

 

 

Live A Hero Valentine Cyber Wars Episode 7

Title card pops up right away, and this chapter is called Valentine Cyber Wars.

 

We then pick up from last time as Hisaki sputters and asks the mafia mobs what they mean by 'greatest enemy.' You ask if they're connected to Flamier herself or to her father, and Purple answers by saying he wishes he could say it's got nothing to do with you guys. He does extend sympathy to the extent that he agrees it'd suck to die without knowing what the hell you were getting yourself into, and he feels some obligation to having Hisaki's 'cooperation' with their plan. Hisaki denies there being any sort of cooperation between them, and Huckle sympathizes but asks him to hold it in long enough for the villains to explain. The mafia mob nods, and Purple continues on by saying that they were once the team that led the Archimedes Group's engineering department. Flamier is surprised at this and says she suspected that they were the people from the gossip she heard about before.

 

Purple starts expositing about how back then, Archimedes wasn't only in the asteroid belt mining business, but they were planning on entering the market of mining in the Earth region. Purple's team was set to plan that out while being kept top secret, and it was a big enough project that it controlled the fate of the business. The team was given a huge budget and payroll, and they pushed themselves desperately to finish the tasks they were given and to develop Archimedes. This included things like transporting resources to collection points, building high speed infrastructure for exclusive use, and mining system maintenance on Earth. There were casualties involved with the investigations and development of transport machinery, but they looked forward and pressed on. Unfortunately, a secret deal had thrown all their efforts to waste.

 

Purple guesses that Archimedes, or at least the CEO wasn't as serious about this development as they thought he was. While Purple's team worked their asses off on these developments, the CEO was in talks with Raidark about forming a cooperative industry. Raidark had control of development on Earth, and with a deal signed, the independent resource mining projects came to a close. It seems that once Raidark found out about Archimedes' solo mining operation plans on Earth, a lot of trouble arose. All the department's technology was taken away, and everyone involved was given hush money to stay silent about it. The entire department was dissolved, and all that remained of its assets is the investigation ship you guys are on.

 

Despair crushed the workers, and Archimedes already had measures in place to prevent a leak to the mass media so there would be no way to expose the truth. All their work and all those deaths, all a waste now. So the department became a mafia group and swore revenge on Archimedes, Raidark, and the society filled with secret rules. They planned to use the technology they created to dismantle the world ruled by those wicked corporations, and they continued building their funds and continuing their research.

 

Flamier is saddened by what Purple has said, and Purple continues by saying what really got their plans into motion was finding out about Hisaki's system. By expanding that system and combining it with the communication technology they've developed, they believed it'd be possible to cause societal collapse by destroying the concept of secrets. The villains all look towards Hisaki, and Purple says it was fortunate for them that Hisaki knew less about IT security than they did. Thanks to that, they stole the system and moved their plans forward to its last stages. Hisaki reacts by grinding his teeth at the news.

 

You ask the mobs about the rocket, so Purple answers that there's a satellite on board that can send electrical signals throughout all of Earth. With it, they can hack all cell phone towers to broadcast the thought reading system and spread what happened in Orient City to everywhere else. Ryekie asks if their goal was planetary scale terrorism after all, so Purple declares that they'll show the world how foolish secrets are and destroy them. Hisaki refuses to let them have their way, saying he didn't develop his system just to be made responsible for this incident. Shouen says he understands why the mafia would hate the idea of secrets, but it's wrong to use methods to drag the world into their vengeance.

 

Purple snorts and says you guys don't understand them after all, having lived in a city controlled by Raidark. But oh well, that ought to be enough stalling for time. Akashi is surprised by this comment, and the system announcement declares that it'll be five minutes until launch. You are alarmed at this and say you guys have to stop it, and Hisaki tells everyone he's sent everyone a container for his program. His voice comes out of your phones at the same time he's speaking, and Hisaki explains that the program can hack into the system network to destroy it. All he needs is for anyone to get into the computer's control room and hook up the cable so that he can hack in. Ryekie says he understands the main plan, and Akashi gets ready now that there's a game plan.

 

Purple says he won't let anyone stop their plans, but since it's come to this he figures he may as well launch you guys into space too. He orders all the mobs on his side to defend the satellite's operation system and warns them not to hit the machinery with their gunshots. The mobs take up arms and get ready to fire, and Huckle says you guys need to be careful to not hit the rocket either. In the worst case, it'll explode and take everyone with it. He tells you to be careful and take down the enemy mobs, then steal control of the system. You nod and say it's do or die now. Hisaki says there's no going back and is counting on everyone, so everyone calls back in response. Flamier is still sad and wonders why her father did what he did, which Kyoichi notices. He says he understands why she feels what she's feeling, and Flamier says she knows she needs to focus on stopping this incident as the episode battle begins. The story continues after that.

 

After the battle, the PA system's countdown has ticked down to two minutes and counting until blastoff. Ryekie charges with his Justice Tackle despite still not being in hero mode, and the mobs he takes down are baffled at this fact as they go down. Huckle is surprised and asks Ryekie about the camera he's supposed to be holding, then sees it on the floor and notes it's at least pointed towards the action. Ryekie says it's an emergency, so he couldn't hold back from taking action instead of hanging back and watching. Huckle sighs that Ryekie is the worst person to be assigned to camera duty and tries to remind him he's here as support for now.

 

A random mob fingers Huckle as an Observer and attempts to attack him, but Huckle manages to counter and take him out instead. Ryekie laughs and points out that Huckle is supposed to be in the support role too, and Huckle acknowledges the point despite not wanting to take that from him. You either express amazement at Huckle, Ryekie, or try to remind them yourself that they're here to play support.

 

Akashi fires off his finishing move and clears out a bunch of mobs. He attempts to inform the rest of the party the way is clear, but he's surprised to see that he's the closest to getting to the rocket. Hisaki tells him that he and you are there too, so you guys should try to get to the control room now. You agree with Hisaki, and Kyoichi calls to the three of you to get going while he covers for you guys. Purple is mad as he says he won't let anyone get to the rocket, but Shouen jumps in to block the way and attacks. Flamier also prompts you guys to go since the countdown has passed the 100 seconds remaining mark, so Akashi says okay and goes with you guys.

 

Once the three of you hit the control room, the countdown is at 70 seconds and counting. Akashi is panting hard as he says it's rough to have to handle all those guys pursuing you all, but Hisaki says you guys have made it before he starts trying to find a way to connect in. He searches the control panel and looks behind the odds and ends looking for a port, and you and Akashi follow suit soon after. You panic a little as you've had no luck so far, and Akashi suggests just smashing everything. Hisaki says that with how careful the villains are, they must have a backup that would make that plan pointless. As he talks about needing to wipe it through the network, he accidentally shocks himself or something. Akashi is surprised by this and asks if he's okay. Hisaki seems fine, but he complains about it not being covered right until he notices something and tells you to open up the covering he found.

 

You go over to where Hisaki was and ask if he's talking about the plate cover buried in the wall you find. You try to open it up yourself, but the screws in it prevent that. You say you can't do it and ask if there's a screwdriver around, but Akashi gets annoyed at this development and opts to take over. He struggles to open it on his own and complains wishing Mokdai was here to help, but in the end he manages to brute force the plate off along with the screws to Hisaki's amazement.

 

With a port opened up, you thank Akashi and/or comment on his brute strength. Akashi complains about his fingers hurting from all that force, though he was able to open it like that since the villains were using plastic screws to keep the cover in. Hisaki finds the port and tells you to put the cable into the left hand side, saying your charge cable will be okay to handle the data upload. You plug your cable in and hope it works, and soon after your phone displays a connection sign. You then click on the data Hisaki sent you earlier to upload, then okay the process.

 

Once the upload is complete, you pull the cable out, and the PA system starts bugging out and announces the countdown will be suspended. Alarms start blaring while a screen goes red, flashing ERROR for a bit before getting replaced with a black screen that says No Data instead. Hisaki cheers about stopping the system, and you ask if it's over now before cheering too. Akashi says that the villains outside are all in a panic and asks if it's over now. Hisaki says that with the countdown stopped, you guys just need to take your time dismantling the satellite.

 

Unfortunately for you guys, a backup system engages and restarts the timer at the half minute mark. Ryekie is shocked by this, and Kyoichi notices that the announcement is coming from the rocket instead of the PA system. You and Akashi are dismayed by this and wonder how this could be happening, and Hisaki quickly realizes that the rocket has its own back up launch system. It booted itself up when Hisaki cut it off from the main launch system. Akashi asks if you guys just fell for a dummy system, but Hisaki says it's just insurance on the villains' part which he didn't expect.

 

You ask if anything can be done about the rocket, so Hisaki says the only possible plan is to get into the rocket itself if you can't figure out how to stop it from the control room. Akashi protests that you guys would never make it in time even if you guys left now, and the countdown is down to ten seconds. Hisaki attempts to think of something, but the countdown hits zero before he can come up with anything. Shouen and Flamier brace themselves against the blast of wind coming from the rocket's launch sequence, and by the time the smoke and heat clears up the rocket is shooting up.

 

The mafia mobs start cheering about how they've won, and Akashi says he can't reach the rocket with his fireballs at the range it's at now. Shouen and Kyoichi ask if anything can be done now, and Hisaki watches the rocket silently before balling his fists. He turns to you and shouts, asking you to open up your camera frame as wide as it can go so that he can keep his transformation going as long as possible. He also asks you to keep it focused on him as he'll be going. You either agree in some confusion or ask what he's doing, and if you go with A there's an extra line where Akashi is the one to ask for an explanation instead.

 

Either way, Hisaki says he plans to use his equipment to fly himself up to the rocket. He's got a booster on him that will fly and accelerate him as fast as he wants to go while ignoring air resistance. Once he catches up to the rocket he can hack into the satellite and shut it down. Flamier is surprised at the idea, and Huckle agrees that may be the only option available now but he still has reservations against it. You argue that it's too dangerous and that he could die if this doesn't work out.

 

Hisaki says he'll be fine because he's a tough boy. Even if it is dangerous, he feels he needs to stop this himself since he doesn't want to see his product hurting people anymore. Akashi is sympathetic but doesn't argue one way or the other. The lead mafia mob orders the others to stop Hisaki, but Kyoichi and Shouen stand up to block them. Kyoichi tells Hisaki to go if he's confident he won't die from this, and Shouen apologizes for being unable to help any more than this and says he will be counting on him. Hisaki acknowledges this, then activates the booster to jet into the air.

 

Purple orders the mobs to shoot Hisaki down, and Hisaki can only dodge in his current state. Shouen intervenes by casting Wall on him, causing the wall kanji to float in front of him and block the bullets like a shield. Ryekie declares he won't allow anyone to get in Hisaki's pursuit of justice and throws himself at the villains, punching and kicking them into submission. Huckle sighs about how Ryekie has always been a hot blooded sort of guy, but he turns to you and says he'll take over operating for the heroes on the ground and asks you to focus on supporting Hisaki. You agree and wish him luck.

 

One of the mobs attempts to attack you guys as the Operators, which catches you off guard. Akashi and Flamier defend you guys with their finishing moves (Flamier's is Induced Explosion "Happy Flower Time"), and the combined effects cause a smokescreen to cloak you. Akashi snorts and says he won't let anyone lay a finger on you. Flamier says she won't let anyone turn Hisaki's decision into a waste. They stand next to you and take up fighting stances, and they ask you to focus on your thing while they protect you. You thank them, and the villains attempt to attack again.

 

Over where Hisaki is, the rocket is continuing to shoot off into the air. He's doing his best to catch up, though he comments on how big the rocket is and how it's been tough just getting that far. The winds are strong enough to threaten to blow him off course, but Hisaki manages to get to the rocket itself and clamber over to where the satellite is stored.

 

Hisaki says that from looking at the structure, he really has to plug into it directly. He also has to dismantle as much of it as possible since he doesn't want the debris to fall on Orient City. He materializes a shining orb in one of his hands, which he pressed against the rocket and causes flashes of light to run across the rocket's whole surface area like plant roots. His goggles then pop up a display of what's on the onboard computer.

 

Hisaki declares that he's linked in, then starts typing away on a keyboard that pops up over his gloves. He apologizes for deleting his system after trying so hard to create it, and the computer gives a final confirmation window asking if he wants to erase the program. Hisaki hits the enter key, and the light array on the rocket's surface blinks and flashes for a bit before disappearing. Once he's sure that it's offline, Hisaki kicks off of the rocket. He starts to say the satellite is junk now, but he's surprised when it starts glowing ominously and realizes the satellite will explode.

 

A bright flash momentarily lights up in the sky above Orient City, followed by an explosion and shock wave that reaches the rest of the party. Ryekie asks what's going on, and you call out to Hisaki. Scene then shifts over to Parallel Flight's office where Crowne is watching your guys' live. She notes that the feed cut out part way through and wonders if you guys are okay. She closes her phone and looks outside, where the flash lights up for a moment. The window rattles seconds later like some explosion was set off, and the episode ends as Crowne expresses concern for Hisaki.