Saturday, April 24, 2021

Live A Hero Contract Entering Epilogue: (Shadow Wolfman's Event)

Things tune in one day at Parallel Flight as Mokdai has poured some tea for Shadow. Shadow responds to this by asking what kind of merciful god Mokdai is to extend the hand of salvation to an outcast like him. He will burn this memory into his soul...then he drinks the tea and asks if there’s any more monaka. Akashi sighs and says Shadow should just stick with either eating or talking, though it’s not like he understands him anyways. Narration says it’s been a few days now since Shadow’s hero interning/job test has finished, and things are quiet in the office when the front door opens up.
 
Huckle announces his return, then takes note that Shadow is already here. Shadow says that the darkness called him and that he figured it’d be done soon. Huckle is amuses and figured he couldn’t wait, then gives Shadow his hero license saying it went through smoothly, probably because of his good work. With that, Huckle says Shadow is officially a hero now and asks him to take care of his license.
 
Shadow looks at his license for a bit, then talks about how he’s someone who lives in the darkness but feels like even the sun is celebrating his fortune now. Huckle is glad and says that if Shadow is happy about it, then all the processing was worth it. Akashi is baffled and asks if Shadow just said he was happy.
 
Ryekie laughs and refers to Shadow as the Shadowed One before talking about him being one of the agency’s heroes. He may be a part timer, but Ryekie is glad to have another ally in upholding justice. Shadow says that if you guys you ever need him, you can call him over. He’d prefer if it’s once a week. Whenever the light of justice is, he as the dark one will appear. Such is his fate.
 
A thought occurs to Akashi and he notes that when Shadow asked people to call him the Shadowed One when they all met at first, Ryekie has been the only one to do so. Mokdai says Shadow seems happy to be called that. Mokdai likes it too since it makes him sound like the sixth ranger of a sentai squad. Akashi is baffled again and says he doesn’t get what hero otakus think. But that aside, Akashi asks Shadow why he’s a part timer since he could earn more if he did more work. Shadow explains that he can’t stay for long on the bright stage that is hero work since he’s fated to wither there like evening primrose under the sun if he does. Mokdai says Shadow is camera shy like Akashi and stiffens up when he thinks about being on camera. Akashi has an aneurysm over this comparison since he doesn’t want it made but can’t really deny the commonality. Shadow sympathizes with Akashi thinking he likes the darkness, but Akashi loudly protests that he is trying REALLY hard to get over his fear.
 
Shadow stands up, turns to face everyone else, and takes off his glasses. He starts talking about how him being able to keep his home (re: Cavern of Eternal Darkness) is due to your guys’ light, which he thanks you all for. Mokdai is glad to hear he managed to make the payment on his apartment on time since he was worried about that. Akashi however complains that Shadow is getting even more difficult to understand. Shadow says it’s not bad to work in the light sometimes, then says he’ll be going home soon since it’s too bright for him to stay long. He then hopes he’ll see you guys on some moonlit night. Huckle notices that Shadow’s next scheduled day does fall on the full moon, then says he’ll see him then. Shadow smiles as he turns to walk out, and you either thank him for his work or say you’ll meet again. He nods, saying he’ll see you on the witching hour, and his tail wags happily behind him as he leaves.
 
Mokdai starts commenting that he thinks Shadow’s speech style is super cool and wonders if he’d be cooler if he started talking like that too. Akashi sighs and says he doesn’t get what Mokdai thinks is cool, which shocks Mokdai into turning to you and asking if you think it’s cool too. You either tell him he watches too many hero shows, say it excites you, or indulge in your inner edgelord and say your left eye is pulsing. In A, Mokdai wonders if you’re right but says that characters like that in his shows tend to make really cool entrances. B and C has Akashi baffled that you’re into that instead.
 
Anyways, Akashi asks Huckle if he’s sure about hiring someone who’s hard to understand. Huckle is surprised at this question since he hasn’t had any issues with talking to Shadow. There are plenty such heroes who are off in their own worlds like that. Being able to put the effort into understanding these heroes is how hero work gets done, which Huckle suggests Akashi remember. Akashi says okay, though he worries if he can pull it off. You either have your doubts about it, suggest you both do your best at it, or decide you’ll go drill Akashi about it. C gets an extra line where Akashi is alarmed about whatever idea you may be having and asks what the Space Amazon link to some manga set you sent him is about.
 
Huckle says that while Shadow may be quirky, he’s proven himself to be strong. Akashi should have seen as much during Shadow’s trial period. Ryekie adds that justice is apparent in Shadow’s thoughts and actions, then suggests that Akashi learn from that. You point out that Shadow did save your life and that you were in serious danger now that you think about it. Akashi says he was surprised to hear when you were attacked in revenge, and while he’s gotten used to the work that bit reminded him of how dangerous the job can be.
 
Akashi thinks to himself for a moment, then eventually has the idea to ask Mokdai to spar with him since things are quiet now. He also asks Ryekie to watch them and act as coach. Mokdai is surprised by the idea and says it’s been a while, and Ryekie excitedly agrees. Ryekie decides to invite you along too for some special training. If you ever get attacked again you might be able to defend yourself this time. You either try to decline citing that you aren’t a hero, agree to go if everyone is, or snort and tell him to come at you. C gets an extra line of Akashi being freaked out at you being all edgy.
 
Huckle laughs about everyone getting excited and decides to come along too. Since nothing is happening at the moment, Huckle asks Mokdai to call and arrange for a mock battle ground, so Mokdai says he’ll try calling the usual place. Everyone starts getting ready, and Huckle comments to himself that getting a new member has a lot of effects on things. He also notes that you’re really lucky since it’s supposed to be unusual for someone to pick up a hero from someone who was a villain (re: unregistered hero). Ryekie interrupts his thoughts by saying they’ve gotten their appointment and saying they should go soon. Huckle says he’ll be ready soon and suggests they go on ahead, then comments to himself that the office will be getting busy. And so with the addition of a new hero, the people of Parallel Flight head out in high spirits to the training grounds. The End.
 

Live A Hero Chapter 3 Episode 13: The Power to Open the Door

We tune in after some point after dozing off and wake up in a familiar room with a circular ceiling that reveals a star filled sky and a metallic floor that thrums with motion. You are surprised by this since you were elsewhere beforehand, but you recognize this place. The Broker asks if you’ve woken up and says it’s been some time since he saw you, and you turn to face him. He speaks politely as before, yet there is an evil glint in his eyes.
 
The Broker comments that you are the first person he’s ever called back twice in such a short time, and he says it’s fascinating that you’ve exhibited far better specs than he thought you would. You shout in recognition of the Broker, and he seems pleased that you remember him despite having only met him once before. He then apologizes and comments that you probably wouldn’t have been able to forget, and having seen how you were treated over there he has a good idea of what you’d think of him. He laughs in an eerie manner, but his smile shows no trace of any warm emotions. And just as a shiver runs down your spine, the Broker straightens up.
 
The Broker comments that while he planned it out, the experiment wasn’t a waste and notes that he saw some interesting results. When you ask him what he means by experiment, the Broker explains he was checking to see if you actually observe an absorbed existence whose feelings weren’t directed at you. But in the end, its feelings were so strong that the thing went on a rampage so that even the heroes beside you were able to observe it. But now that he knows that you can see someone who is gone, he knows that your observational abilities are greater than he imagined. He also notes that you’re gradually stabilizing that power and controlling it, which he considers great progress.
 
You have an idea of who the Broker is talking about when he mentioned an absorbed existence, and you ask if he really means Sui’s mom. He brushes the question aside, mainly because he doesn’t know much in particular about that person. But if you have an idea as to who it is, he figures that’s who it must be. All he knows is that based on the Earth’s time axis, it was someone eaten by a Monster that appeared on the moon four years ago.
 
The Broker starts explaining that when people are eaten by a Monster, the observational strength of how much they were observed becomes food for said monster, which they use to grow as a vessel to expand into this universe. And since they are just vessels, they don’t have what makes life forms living things. They have no emotions or intelligence, and they just devour whatever exists in this world to make a part of themselves. As such, it’s normally impossible for them to take action that has any thought put into it.
 
However, since Monsters exist here as empty vessels, it’s easy for them to be eroded existences with strong thoughts. The Broker compares this to a solid object having clear acid thrown on it, and the result is that said person’s thoughts take over the Monster. He adds that it wouldn’t take long for it to be melted away by those thoughts though.
 
You start to ask about the Monster having Sui’s mom’s thoughts, so the Broker tells you her existence had held out for four years while holding intense thoughts towards her child. There were scores of concerns for him in trying to figure out how to handle this. It is such a bother having something so annoyingly persistent stay on and interfere with his usage of Monsters, he’ll have you know.
 
You react in shock to the Broker talking about using Monsters and demand an explanation about that, but the Broker continues on as if you didn’t say anything. Normally something like that gets absorbed easily if he directly does something to intervene, but circumstances were a little different this time around since said person’s thoughts were directed at someone near you.
 
You ask the Broker if he’s talking about Sui, and he confirms as such. Having said thoughts remain in the Monster would have it overtaken by said thoughts until her life was completely absorbed. That would be a huge loss with nothing to show for it...yet he was interested in it. If that monster was overtaken by those thoughts and rampaged, it would try to contact the subject of those thoughts, which meant there would be a possibility you’d come in contact with it. And in that case, if you confronted it, what would you see? And what would you do? That’s what he wanted to know. The Broker mentions he was really surprised to see the Monster imitate the form of the being whose thoughts it was taken over by, and it even sent a letter. How ridiculous interesting...
 
You express outrage at the Broker, and the Broker says the results regarding that woman were unexpected. The moment she finally reunited with her daughter, she lost all strength and faded away. He says this is proof of your abilities since you were able to see that though, and that you really are special. It has been centuries, and you are the best Observer yet. He smiles in satisfaction, but you see a glimpse of his endless contempt for you and all life in this world.
 
You lunge at the Broker without thinking about it, but you end up running through him like he isn’t there. He comments that unfortunately for you, you can’t interfere with him because you two exist in different phases. When the Broker becomes visible again, he says he didn’t bring you here to tell you what his experiment was all about. He called you here to give you new instructions...or request rather.
 
You ask the Broker what he means by that, and the Broker says that his request that you live as you please has come to an end. He worries he may be jumping the gun a bit here, but the situation has become somewhat urgent now. But anyways, his request for you now is for you to “erase” a certain man as he swipes his hand, bringing up a hologram of Exio.
 
You ask about Exio being brought up, and the Broker confirms it’s him as he says he knows you’ve already met him and know where he likely is. The Broker says that Exio is abusing the power he gave him, which is causing him trouble. He’s pushing aside the Broker’s ability to interfere with you, made him unable to contact you without taking care, and continues to watch you. That’s why the Broker has to bring you somewhere physically far from Earth like so, but he cuts himself off here and says it’s irrelevant to you.
 
You have one response to this request, and you either refuse outright or ask what he’d do if you said no. The Broker seems surprised as he says you don’t seem to know the position you’re in and tells you you don’t have the right to refuse him. He disappears from sight for a moment, and when he does reappear again he grabs you by the neck and lifts you off your feet, slowly choking you as he adds on the pressure.
 
The Broker tells you that as long as he can observe you, he can kill you whenever he feels like. He can send the Monsters at you, or he can throw you out from this world or your original world to Somewhere Else, and it’d be no trouble for him either way. In the end you are nothing more than his pawn, and he expects you to fulfill this request. You vision grows hazy and darkens as you struggle to breathe, and soon you black out.
 
You eventually awaken back on Maculata’s ship as someone is calling to you. You wake up confused, and Sui asks you what’s wrong in concern since you were moaning earlier. Mokdai figures you’re just tired from Operating all day, then tells you that you conked out upon sitting down in here. He also teases you about seeing how you look when you sleep.
 
Maculata says she’s tired too and will need some treatment later. She warns everyone to take care of themselves because stress can show through your skin and hair. And on that note, she’s surprised Crowne can drive the ship like this. She’s glad, but she also asks if Crowne’s sure she doesn’t need a break. Crowne says she can handle a little driving and says Maculata should just rest. She promises it’ll be a smooth ride so that she can sleep as soundly as you did.
 
You talk to yourself and wonder if you were just dreaming, but you suspect otherwise. Sui starts addressing everyone saying she needs to talk to you guys, so everyone turns to look at her. She talks about feeling like she needs to apologize to everyone again, then does so for losing her head over her mother and putting everyone in danger. You either call Sui’s name or stay silent, and Crowne says she doesn’t have to apologize since her mom was that important to her. If anyone did anything wrong, it was the monster for toying with Sui’s heart to begin with. If Sui is going to reflect on this incident, she should figure out how she’ll use this experience to cut her way forward. Bitch is the only one to decide how she lives. If she messes up here, she just needs to learn how to do better next time. Maculata says that Crowne does have a point. She adds that she’s proud as Shizuku’s close friend to know that Sui loves her so much, and that she needs to concentrate as her guardian so she won’t shame Shizuku.
 
Sui is touched by Crowne and Maculata’s remarks, then steels herself before she turns to talk to you. She admits that she’s thinking of trying to be a hero, and you are surprised by this. Sui nods, and she says she knows it’s dangerous and not something to treat like a casual side thing. But she feels that if there are people who feels the same way she did and she’s able to help them, then she wants to use her power that way. She was saved, and thanks to everyone there she’s learned to look forward and live for the future. She can’t be the only one who was trapped by their thoughts looking for an escape, so this time she’ll be the one to save them. She can pay it forward, though she asks what you think.
 
You say you think it’s a good idea. Mokdai says he supports Sui in this if she’s sure about it and wants to be a hero while looking towards the future. He wants to cheer her on if he can, and he’s glad to have more friends around in the business. Sui thanks Mokdai, and Maculata starts asking Huckle what he thinks of all this. Sui is surprised by this and sees Huckle’s hologram on Maculata’s phone. Huckle says he’s heard and asks if Maculata is okay with that. Maculata nods and says she’s check with Sui last night, and Sui seems determined about it. In which case, she’ll let her as she doesn’t see a reason why Sui can’t. She’s thought about taking Sui to her own hero agency, but she figured she’d have an easier time getting along with you guys since she knows you guys already. Maculata asks if Huckle saw the live of the day before and says she thinks Sui has room to grow.
 
Huckle agrees that Sui could stand to get better at using her abilities and get some training. Ryekie is excited about it too, so they can take Sui in. He’ll need to have Sui tested when you all get back though, but he asks if Sui’s okay with that. Sui agrees, looking taken aback. But after giving it some more thought, she says she’ll do her best. You either welcome Sui to the team, say you guys should do your best together, or ask if she can keep up with it. C gets an extra line where Sui nods and says she’s decided.
 
Mokdai cheers about Sui joining the office, and Huckle reminds you guys that Sui has to be tested first. Crowne says there’s no reason to be a downer about it though and says it should be fine for you guys to celebrate. Huckle concedes the point and says that once you guys have four heroes on the roster there’ll be some leeway in how the office will function.
 
You get confused by the mention of four heroes and ask if Huckle is including Ryekie in that count. Huckle realizes he never told you guys because of what was happening earlier, and he’s about to do so when Ryekie forces himself onto the phone and kicks Huckle aside. Ryekie greets you guys and says you all did good. He then says the doctors have said the observational period is done, so after some more rehabilitation he’ll be able to go back to hero work again.
 
You cheer about the news, and Ryekie promises to bring about so much justice to make up for his down time. Mokdai cheers about the lead hero of the office coming back, and Sui is happy for Ryekie. Crowne says that’s another thing to celebrate when you guys return so the party is going to be big. Maculata sighs that Crowne just wants to drink and is terrible about trying to play it casual. But anyways she congratulates Ryekie and asks that he look after Sui for her. He promises to raise her to be a great hero and loudly welcomes her aboard.
 
Ryekie then prompts Akashi to not just stand there and to say something too since they’re on the line. Akashi protests that he could just wait for you guys to get back first before Ryekie shoves him into the hot seat. Sui is surprised to see him, and Akashi fumbles a bit before saying he’s glad she’s okay. He has a bunch of stuff he wants to say, but he’ll save it for when she gets back and tells her to stay safe on her return home.
 
Sui thinks aloud on the idea of ‘going home’ to Earth, causing Akashi to wonder if he said something weird. Sui assures him he didn’t and says she feels she can agree with the idea now as she thanks him. He accepts it, though he comments it’s weird to be thanked like this by someone he’s argued a lot with. Ryekie says that if Sui is going to be a hero now, he needs to give his best too. He talks about needing to come up with different training plans aside from Akashi’s and Mokdai’s, and Sui asks that he take it easy on her if he can.
 
Maculata’s spaceship hits the atmosphere as everyone talks excitedly. Mokdai gets surprised when he notices something on your neck and asks about it saying it looks like someone had grabbed you there, and you react with surprise. Meanwhile at the Broker’s ship, he closes his window he was using to watch Earth and looks up to his ceiling. He sighs about your insolence and wonders if he chose the wrong person. But then he talks about how he made plans to deliberately send you(?) to the same city for backwards/forward compatibility issues. All he can do is hope it doesn’t turn out to be a waste. He’s been doing the same trials for a long time now, but this is the first time it’s taken so long. This ingratitude truly is vexing, he says. And on that note, the chapter ends.
 

Thursday, April 22, 2021

Live A Hero Chapter 3 Episode 12: Goodbye, and Welcome Back

Things tune in with the battle, and as soon as the monster realizes Sui is fighting, it starts cranking up the viciousness of its attacks and smacks her away when she tries jumping at it. Sui is sent flying into a nearby farm ground, and you yell to her in concern and ask if she’s okay. Sui gets back up, and she says she’s okay since she landed on soft ground. She’s not moving as well as she thought she could, but she figures that’s to be expected. She then suddenly looks around as she realizes that all the damage happening means there’s no trace of the happy place she spent time with her mother is visible.
 
Sui talks about knowing that her mother isn’t inside the monster anymore, but it’s hitting her again since she knows her mother would never make a mess of this place. It was that important to her. You either stay quiet or be concerned for Sui, but the monster roars and Sui realizes she got distracted. When the monster starts reaching for Sui, Maculata uses her threads to spin a cloth binding to hold it down. Sui calls out to her, and Maculata signals for Kouki and Andrew to attack. Kouki throws his frisbee for Sirius to follow up on while Andrew focuses fire with missiles shortly after.
 
Kouki and Andrew’s attack’s prove effective, which Kouki cheers about. Andrew however processes that Maculata had called him Andy moments ago. Maculata turns to Sui, asking if she’s okay and if she can stand. Sui nods, then apologizes for causing her trouble. Maculata brushes it off by saying Sui only just started at this, so it’s natural for her to mess up. The same thing happened when she first started designing. Maculata corrected her designs and Sui improved them, so it’s the same thing in battling. Pressing on despite making mistakes is how you get better, so Maculata suggests doing it together. Sui happily agrees and thanks her.
 
Kouki takes note of Maculata being nice to Sui and complains that she just nags him whenever she talks to him. Maculata can hear him and offers to treat him nicer IF he starts listening to her. Kouki rejects the idea and says he’s not so much of a kid to look for a mother figure in his business partners. Maculata is amused by the cheek and says that’s so like him.
 
The Monster roars, and Andrew notes that it got back up again already. Sui says she’s fighting since she needs to settle things with it, and her hands shake a little as she glares. Andrew puts his hand on top of hers and looks at her, saying he’ll help. He wants to save Flamier and the others, and he’s sure everyone else don’t want them to disappear either. Kouki and Maculata nod at this. Andrew then talks about how Sui came to see her mother, then fought on her own. But now it’s different. Everyone here wants to defeat the Kaibutsu, and Sui is not alone anymore.
 
Kouki says he has to save Hitomi, or else he’s going to lose out on a rival. He’s also disgusted by the monster’s actions and calls it too cruel for someone looking for their mother if he were in her position. Maculata says she was the one who brought Crowne and Mokdai here, so she has to bring them back safely upon her pride and friendship. She then tells Sui that she’s not the only one who has a reason to go after the thing, and she and Kouki put their hands on top of Sui’s too.
 
You tell Sui it’ll be okay and at that everyone will do their best as you place your hand on the pile last. Sui thanks you guys, then readies herself again as she grabs her Parallel Weapon. Sui says it’s time to end this, adding that she wants to protect the people who have been protecting her. You rally the party to battle, and everyone affirms as they get ready too. Sui says she won’t forget her mother, so she’ll end things here as the episode battle begins. More story happens afterwards.
 
After the battle, the story tunes back in towards its end as the Monster writhes around and roars. Bits of its extremities are starting to crystallize into light before breaking off, and Sui looks sad as she watches it happen. She thanks it for reminding her of things for a bit, but that’s enough for now. She’s going to face her future, so she bids her past goodbye. She grips her needle hard, then gets surprised when it starts shining. Maculata recognizes what’s happening and tells you it can work out. Kouki is a little bothered it’s not his time, but he agrees it’s best for the most fitting for the most appropriate player to finish things. Andrew asks Sui to finish it and to make her proper goodbyes. Sui nods, then asks you for your help.
 
You nod and activate Sui’s finisher through the command window to send her the VP she needs. Her needle starts glowing even brighter, and countless threads of light start surrounding Sui. Sui kicks her heels into the ground and leaps up, using her needle to pull her forward. The Monster still calls to Sui, but Sui ties the thing to the air until it gets tight enough to bind it to its limits. Sui calls out her finishing move Sewing “Aiguille du Salut,” detaching the light strings from her needle. As a result, the threads and the monster itself all dissolve into light, leaving glowing motes to sprinkle onto the field.
 
Kouki is amazed at how picturesque Sui’s move was, and Andrew asks if it’s over before celebrating that fact. Crowne and Mokdai reappear safely, and Mokdai starts asking what happened to the Monster. Crowne is a bit quicker on the uptake and realizes you guys must have won if she’s back. Hitomi starts asking about the lights when she reappears, then says Sui looks pretty. Flamier notes that Sui must have settled things, and you declare the battle over and thank everyone for their efforts. Everyone starts cheering, and the light falling down pours out like a celebratory well wishing.
 
Sui’s transformation quits out, and Sui collapses to her knees now that things are over. Maculata runs over in concern and hugs her, then tells her she did a good job. Flamier laughs and comments on remembering how her own first battle went when she sees how tired Sui is. Andrew in turn comments on how she’s in such a good mood and asks if she felt afraid. He feels he can’t measure up to her and wonders if humans need that much courage to live. Flamier says she wasn’t afraid at all since she had every bit of faith he and everyone else would save her. Andrew comments on how laid back she is and says it reminds him of his bodyguard stint. Flamier calls him a worrywart, then turns to Sui and thanks her. Andrew adds his thanks as well, but Sui decides to pass off on it saying it should be her thanking them.
 
Kouki starts bragging that his assistance helped a lot and that Sui would have been in a lot of trouble otherwise. He’s glad it’s over now though and says Sui wasn’t bad out there. Hitomi says Kouki was super worried about Sui and ran off quicker than anyone saying no one should attack anyone through their parental connections. Kouki complains and protests against that because she can’t prove anything! Sui is touched by the concern, and Hitomi is glad that Sui in and out of hero mode is true to herself and cute. Sui is surprised at the cute comment, so Hitomi reiterates as such and says it fits her. Sui thanks her and says she likes her hero dress since it’s something her mother left her. Hitomi is surprised by this and says she’s a little jealous Sui got her fashion sense from her mother. Sui wonders how true it is but hopes she did, and Hitomi calls Sui cute when she’s embarrassed. Kouki sighs about how Hitomi’s always annoying people and is like a little kid that way. Sirius barks, and Kouki talks to him about how Sui managed to see her mom, if in a twisted way. He decides to keep at it too until he can see his own mom again.
 
Mokdai starts gushing about how cool and beautiful Sui was as a hero. Sui awkwardly tries to say something, but Mokdai laughs about trying to save her only to end up getting saved instead, so he can’t act cool. If there’s ever a next time he promises to save her for sure, so Sui laughs and says okay. Crowne tells Sui she did good and asks if she finished things off in the end. She made a big lecture earlier, but she can see now in Sui’s eyes that she’s determined. You thank Sui for her work again and say she did it.
 
Maculata points out to Su that everyone here cares about her. She isn’t alone anymore, so she asks her to not say she’s lonely as much anymore as she pats Sui’s cheek and smiles. Maculata welcomes Sui back again, and Sui starts crying as she buries her face in Maculata’s chest. The episode ends as Maculata gently pats her on the head until she calms down.
 

Live A Hero Chapter 3 Episode 11: Hopeful Blue

We pick up with Kouki doing his damned best to cut through all of the monster’s tentacle nonsense before Hitomi and the others get erased. Maculata calls to him and warns him of a tentacle attack coming from behind, and Andrew intervenes by using his ultimate, Transition “Geminis Decide,” to defend Kouki. After the attack is stopped, Andrew asks Kouki if he’s okay and tells him it’s when things are bad that he has to stay calm and look for an opening. Kouki is too surprised to do more than thank him, and Maculata comments that she wishes he’d be that obedient when she tells him to do things. Kouki immediately complains that she should save her nagging for later since they are literally under attack right now.
 
The Monster is yelling and calling to Sui as it tries to grab her again, so you tell Sui to get away. Maculata whips the monster partly out of annoyance now, and the Monster briefly calls her name instead. Maculata demands that the monster stop with the voice mimicry because she knows just where the giant freak is going to go, then creates a cloth barrier to shield Sui. Sui calls to her in concern, and Maculata talks to Sui about how she tried to not interfere with her life more than necessary, but she has one thing she wants to say at least. Maculata says her not being able to fill in for Shizuku in Sui’s heart is due to her own inability to do so, but she wants Sui to know that her mother isn’t the only one in her life willing to put their lives down to save her.
 
The Monster’s tentacle bangs on the barrier and slowly breaks through while Maculata makes her speech, and she stalls as best she can by binding the thing with her threads. Sui is concerned for Maculata, and Maculata admits she’s losing the strength check against the monster before it knocks her away. Kouki and Andrew steel themselves as they jump in to hold the line, and Sui starts remembering how Maculata stepped in to save her one time.
 
Sui has a flashback to her uncle calling Maculata a know nothing bitch for sticking her nose in while they’re trying to raise a freak like Sui properly. Maculata scoffs that their “proper” way is outdated. She argues that people decide how they want to be, not because someone else is pushing their ego onto them. PubLiC DeCeNCy? DeViAnT? He can eat a dick with that obsolete thinking for all she cares. Maculata will be taking Sui with her and the relatives can cry themselves a river if they care so much. Sui notes that her relatives were super pissed about that argument, but she herself felt better about hearing all that. It’s because Maculata expressed those thoughts that Sui could be with her and live with her.
 
Back to the present, Sui starts talking about how Maculata always came close to her and is fighting for her sake right now. There’s also Mokdai, Crowne, and everyone else here to support her, and Sui admits she obsessed over her mother and avoided other people. She also admits it was awful of her to make everyone worry while she stayed cooped up in her shell. You either express concern for Sui, tell her she wasn’t awful, or empathize with her wanting to stay away from others. C gets an extra line where Sui thanks you but says she feels she might have been too coddled in her case.
 
Anyways, Sui asks you for opinions on what she should do. She wants to apologize and thank everyone but isn’t sure how. Your phone immediately starts shining in response and tells you it’s found a path for Sui and gives you the confirmation window to use it. You show your phone to Sui and say she already knows and that it’s right there. Sui is surprised to see the hero window come up for her, but she smiles in acceptance. She comments that she’s found her answer while wandering, then tells you she wants to save everyone. And once she does that, she wants to thank them, apologize to them, and say she wants to continue being with them. She also wants to say goodbye to her mother, and she asks if you’ll help her.
 
You agree or say you’ll do it if she’s sure about this. Sui thanks you, then asks you to turn her into a hero. You hit the confirm button on your screen, and Sui is enveloped in light. Everyone else including the Monster is surprised by this turn of events, and the light is described as turning into threads before forming into Sui’s hero outfit (so basically a magical girl transformation too). Sui is shocked once she sees her hero dress, and you declare the transformation is a success or tell Sui it’s beautiful. B gets an extra line where she thanks you, then segues back into her staring at her dress.
 
Sui thinks back to that one day where her mother showed her a dress design she wanted her to wear, and she says it looks exactly like that one. She cries a little as she holds herself, thanking her mom and telling her she loves her. Meanwhile, the Monster continues calling for Sui, but since Shizuku is now out and out gone, the voice imitation is starting to crack. Sui glares at the thing and demands it return the people she wants to treasure Now. The Monster roars in response, surprising Sui with the force it shows.
 
Maculata puts a hand on Sui’s shoulder and tells her it’ll be okay, swearing to not make any of her efforts go to waste. She suggests fighting together, boldly and head on. Sui agrees, and Andrew cheers about the birth of a new hero. Kouki advises Andrew to not expect too much of her since that just adds pressure, but he wishes Sui good luck all the same. Backing up newbies is what veterans like them are supposed to do, and he says Sui can just do whatever she can. Andrew is confused and asks why Kouki couldn’t have just said “good luck” and be done with it, so Kouki complains that humans have complicated feelings about stuff. Andrew accepts this explanation and comments on how hard it is to understand the human heart. You call out to the party and say it’s time to save everyone who was eaten or wish Sui good luck. The latter gets an extra line from Sui where she nods and asks you to take command. The three experienced heroes stand forward with Sui just behind, and so the episode battle launches.
 
 

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Live A Hero Chapter 3 Episode 10: If I Knew You Better

Things pick back up with Hitomi asking the audience to lend her power before she uses her finisher, Favorite Song “LOVE ME☆Hit Me.” Kouki follows up with his own finisher Variorum “Prime Times Emperor” as he says he’ll make the monster regret preying on emotional weaknesses. Maculata tells the two that they’re pushing back against the monster and says they need to follow through, then quickly throws in her attacks.
 
Andrew notes that that side of the party is working hard before focusing back on his end and fending off a tentacle attack now that he’s seen it enough to read them. Flamier laughs and says he’s so reliable before commenting that she should go wild a bit, then throws out her finishing move. Andrew protests that it’s dangerous for Flamier to make explosions that powerful, but when he sees that it’s causing the monster to recoil he signals for Mokdai to go. Mokdai coughs a bit before saying his vision has steadied again, then kicks off the ground to leap at the tentacle that has Sui. Once there, he balls both his fists and strikes.
 
Mokdai’s attack shakes the tentacle loose as you call out to him and Sui. Sui is unfortunately released at least 10m above ground, and Mokdai uses the tentacle as a springboard to kick off of to catch Sui midair. He manages to get her, but Mokdai flubs the landing and ends up falling on top of Sui. Mokdai sighs about it happening again, then quickly gets up when Sui tells him he’s heavy. You either be concerned and ask if the two of them are okay, try to say Mokdai looked cool but sound doubtful, or note that Sui was stuck under Mokdai’s butt. B gets an extra line where Mokdai is shocked you made that sound like a question but admits he did mess up there.
 
Crowne asks if the two of them are hurt, even if the ground here is soft. Mokdai says he’s okay, and Sui mumbles that she’s okay before looking depressed. Mokdai looks seriously at her, then starts talking about how he knows nothing about her. He’s frustrated that he never knew about her emotional baggage, but it’s because of that he’d like to talk to her once this is all over and get to know her more. Sui is surprised by this but nods, so Mokdai thanks her and asks you to look after her while he heads back to the fight. You say you will and can warn Mokdai to be careful. B gets an extra line where Mokdai says he’ll do his best all the way to the end and will be counting on you.
 
Over on the front line, Flamier tells Andrew the two of them have to hold out until Mokdai gets back, but she gets knocked down mid sentence. Andrew calls after her in alarm, then says it’s taking all he has to hold the monster at bay. Crowne tells Mokdai he needs to hurry up, giving him a little push as Mokdai notes how mad the monster is. Sui stops Mokdai for a moment, so Mokdai asks her what’s wrong. Sui then thanks Mokdai for saving her, which Mokdai shrugs off since she’s his friend. He gives her a quick smile, then turns back to run towards the monster.
 
Mokdai apologizes for keeping the front line waiting, then reports that Sui is okay. Andrew is glad to hear that and says the big one is the only one left. Maculata runs up, glad that Sui is okay and saying she’ll help out here since the tentacles have been cleaned up. Hitomi asks Flamier if she’s okay and pulls her up. Flamier thanks her, apologizing for causing concern and saying she can still fight. Kouki notes the boss is the leader of the ones here, and he swears to take it down after all the damage it’s caused. Mokdai tells everyone to get psyched, and everyone charges in to attack.
 
Back to your end, Sui is watching the fight with a blank look on her face. You ask Sui if she’s calmed down and ask if something happened while she was caught. Sui nods after a moment, then admits she felt and knew earlier that her mother disappeared from inside that monster. You think about the memory you saw and how it quickly faded away too, so you are quiet for a bit and/or wonder if it’s about that. Sui notes you felt it too, and she says she thinks her mom isn’t inside anymore. She saw and felt that light, and when it melted away she knew she was gone. She admits that the monster was never her mother to begin with, and tears fall from her eyes as she laments finally seeing her again.
 
You call out to Sui in concern or stay quiet, and Crowne speaks up and picks up from where she left off earlier. She hugs Sui gently, saying none of them understand her like her mother at the moment. But that said, they can start learning about her and understanding her from here on after. None of them might be able to outdo her mother, but they’re here wanting to know Sui and support her. It’s not just her as Crowne brings up what Mokdai said. Sui nods at this, and Crowne points out that everyone out there is fighting to save her. There aren’t THAT many people out there in the galaxy who cares about her that much, and Crowne asks if Sui is going to cry about being all alone again.
 
You tell Sui that you can learn more about her after this and/or say you want to know her better. But around this point, the loudly roaring giant monster starts sprouting a bunch of tentacles again. Crowne is taken aback by this and asks if it got pissed, and the Monster starts calling for Sui again as it looks your way. Sui reacts by drawing closer to Crowne, which provokes the monster into shrieking in rage.
 
Kouki is surprised as he notes that all the tentacles are converging towards Sui, and Maculata calls out her name in alarm. With that many incoming you yell that you guys can’t avoid them all. Flamier and Mokdai jump in to block for you guys and tell you three to run, but the two are quickly grabbed up. Andrew attacks in an attempt to free them, as does Hitomi as she uses her mic stand as a club.
 
Andrew and Hitomi’s attacks do cause the monster to reel a bit, surprising you with their strength. However, it isn’t quite enough as the monster manages to disarm Hitomi before grabbing her too, leading to her, Mokdai, and Flamier to get eaten. Kouki and Maculata are horrified while Andrew attacks even harder to get them back. The monster sprouts more tentacles and aims them at you and Sui, and you grit your teeth at this situation.
 
Crowne tells you to look after Sui as she pushes her away, then tells her to not waste the chance to get away as she throws herself forward. Sui yells after Crowne before she gets eaten next. Maculata yells after everyone who was taken, and Kouki notes that the monster is readying another attack before demanding it returns everyone. Andrew suggests grouping around Sui and fending off the attacks since they’re going after her. Kouki says it’s time to rescue everyone and asks you to take command. The episode battle then begins as Maculata says she’ll make the monster regret tricking and attacking Sui and for swallowing everyone else.
 

Live A Hero Chapter 3 Episode 9: Familial Separation

We pick up with the boss Monster roaring, and Mokdai signals to Andrew to attack when they find a tiny opening to exploit. The thing is still stronger than expected as Andrew notes, but he signals to Flamier and Maculata to go next. Flamier says she’ll blast open a hole on the Monster’s body, which Maculata should use to pull Sui out. Maculata agrees to the plan, and Flamier proceeds to create a bomb that shines like an ether crystal before firing it at a bunch of monsters. The blast works as intended, and Maculata fires her strings out to drag Sui out from the one that ate her.
 
You call Sui’s retrieval a success, and Crowne runs to catch Sui as she gets pulled into the air. The Monster’s body regenerates the hole, and its enraged counterattack sends Mokdai and Andrew flying off. Maculata asks Crowne to look after Sui since the battle is still ongoing, which Crowne agrees to as she asks you guys to take care of the rest. There’s still plenty of the monsters around, and they frenzy like they’re trying to get Sui back.
 
Flamier volunteers to draw the monsters’ attention away as she asks how Mokdai and Andrew are holding up. Said two push themselves back up, mostly alright. Mokdai says he can still fight, and Andrew protests it’s too dangerous for Flamier to go alone, so he’ll take point in front. Maculata tells Crowne to take Sui and get away and waves them towards her direction. Sui however holds herself and shudders in silence, and you try to talk to her and ask if she’s okay.
 
When Sui finds her voice, she slowly gets back up and says ‘she’ is in there. Crowne is shocked when Sui runs off, asking where she’s going and grabbing her back. Sui demands Crowne let go and says she’s going to where her mother is, inside the Monster. You react in shock at that, and Sui throws a tantrum about wanting to be left alone because no one understands her, so she’ll just go back there where her mother is. Her rant is cut off when Crowne slaps her, and you react to that in surprise and/or silence.
 
Sui is surprised enough at being hit that she takes a moment to process what happened, so Crowne takes advantage to tell her to stop acting like a spoiled brat clinging to her mother’s shadow. Sui is right in that everyone else doesn’t understand how she feels, but that’s because they’re different people. There will be people who won’t even try to understand, but Crowne points out that everyone here is busting their backs out here to save her. They all care about her, even if she’s acting out. Crowne is about to say more when you yell that they’re in danger and run to push them out of the way. Seconds after you do so, monster tentacles swing at their earlier position.
 
Mokdai calls out to ask if you’re okay, and Andrew attacks the monsters in a fury over them going for defenseless people. Crowne prompts Sui to really look at the monster and ask if her mother really is in there. Was she really the sort of person who’d try to kill her? Sui admits she wasn’t, but she still clings to the idea of her mother still being there. You tell her that may be possible, but that monster here is not her.
 
Sui doesn’t say anything, and the monster starts trying to call to Sui again. Crowne hears the voice, and the Monster starts transforming to look like Sui’s mother. Maculata is offended at this course of action, and Flamier points out that it can’t complete its transformation in its current size so she wonder what it’s trying to do. Sui is shocked by the monster doing so, and it calls to her again as it shoots off tentacles at her. You tell them to run, but the tentacles are coming too fast for that so Crowne opts to bodyblock for Sui instead.
 
A bright light flares up behind Crowne as Kouki dramatically comes to the rescue and throws an energy frisbee at the incoming tentacle to stop it. Sirius follows up by charging at the frisbee and bites through the tentacle. Hitomi also runs in saying they’ve been searching for you and asking you, Sui, and Crowne to get behind her. You call out their names, and Maculata asks why the two kid heroes are here. Kouki points out it’s unlike her and Sui to miss out on a business meeting, so they came looking for them figuring they must have been caught up in something. Hitomi is glad you guys are alright, then asks who the two people fighting next to Mokdai are and why there are fireworks popping off.
 
Maculata answers that those two heroes are Andrew and Flamier, though she can’t go into detailed introductions at the moment. The fireworks are Flamier’s hobby as far as she can tell, and she warns Hitomi to not get burned by them. She does add that Andrew is a war android who’s a truck driver though. Hitomi protests that this is information overload and that there’s too much there to unpack for her to just casually drop that and move on. She does however accept that this isn’t the time to be asking for further details though.
 
Hitomi and Kouki ready themselves to fight, and Kouki declares he’s totally going to kick its butt defeat it in style while Sirius growls at the monster. Kouki says he saw how the thing tried turning itself into Sui’s mom and lure her over to it. He doesn’t know what its deal is, but he’s so offended at it toying with the heart of a child who’s lost their parent that he’s taking it down, even if it wasn’t his parent involved. You comment on how invested Kouki is in that, and you ask if something happened to him in that vein. Hitomi tells you Kouki’s father was eaten while his mother is missing. She thinks he understands how Sui feels and notes he sometimes looks really lonely. Maculata is surprised at Kouki blowing up like that and tells him it’s too dangerous to charge in like that, so Hitomi suggests they go too before the two run off.
 
Sui is concerned for Kouki, but at that moment one of the monster’s tentacles slips by Mokdai. Flamier yells for you and Sui to run, and you are too surprised to keep up with this. Crowne runs in to bodyblock for Sui, and the tentacle slams her aside. Crowne attempts to tell you two to run, but the tentacle slings forward and grabs the two of you in a flash. The constriction of the thing crushes into you a bit, enough to tear a part of your clothes away and exposes you to direct skin contact with the thing. When that happens, a vision of a fragmented and vague memory fills your head of a child that looks like Sui.
 
The vision passes quickly, and you ask if you saw one of Sui’s mom’s memories. When you look to Sui, she looks surprised, but that only holds for a moment before sadness overtakes her again. Mokdai intervenes and punches through the tentacle holding you and Sui, and you freak out upon entering free fall. Mokdai panics a little as he runs to catch you, and you end up landing on his body. The impact winds him a little, but Mokdai pulls himself together to ask if you’re okay. You say you are, thank Mokdai for saving you, or comment that his body became a cushion for you. B gets an extra line where Mokdai laughs it off and says it’s a given since you guys are friends. C has a different extra line where Mokdai is surprised at how his body shape came in handy.
 
Flamier asks if you two are okay and if Crowne can stand up. Crowne is feeling it a bit, but she says it’s just a scratch compared to what everyone else has been taking. Andrew yells that the tentacles are still coming at you guys, so if he, Mokdai, and Flamier don’t hurry it up things could go badly. Flamier agrees as she asks you to take command of her and Andrew. Crowne picks the camera back up and says it’s still working, and she asks you guys to take care of Sui. Mokdai readies himself again as he says it’s time to get everyone back, and the episode battle begins as Crowne tells Sui not to die before she lets her have it.
 

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Live A Hero Chapter 3 Episode 8: Reunion in the Darkness

Sui starts talking about how no one understands her and asks why people are trying to separate her from her mother and why people are attacking her. She says it’s the same as back then, where her mother protected her and people started bullying her too. A flashback has some unseen man yelling some censored lines about Sui dressing and taking like a (Insert Gender Here) despite being a (Insert Gender Here). He tried to correct her, but since Shizuku keeps stopping him he asks if she’s one of them too. Then some woman moans about how (Insert Adjective Here) this is. It’s so unbelievable, how can a parent and child be so (Insert Adjective Here). Sui tells them to shut their fat mouths, and some boy goes Sui is totally a (Insert Gender Here), so why does she have to be put together with Rando A and Rando B. Relative X says they just want to fix Sui and make her a (Insert Gender Here) or else their family will be __. Some other guy insists Sui is a (Insert Gender Here) and she has to (Insert Verb Here) or else they’ll be (Insert Adjective Here) for life. Sui yells about not wanting people’s empty pity, tells them to stop attacking her mother, then declares them all enemies and says her mother is all she has.
 
Back to the present, Mokdai tried to call after Sui and get her to listen, but a Monster interrupts and attacks. Andrew says Sui will be eaten in a matter of time at this rate so you guys have to push through, but he gets attacked too as he tries. Crowne notes that Sui is convinced the Monster is her mother, which seems to be dredging up her painful past. Maculata says it’s no surprise since Shizuku was the only one to look out for Sui in her point of view. When she was eaten, no one was left, which hurt her. Maculata tried to step up and be someone like that, but unfortunately that didn’t really turn out the way she hoped. You express concern for Sui, point out that that’s dependence, or say you guys need to get her to open her eyes. B and C get an extra line where Maculata agrees and says Sui might be regressing due to the trauma she’s remembering.
 
In any case, Maculata points out that the thing Sui is walking toward is a Monster and not actually her mother. She’s not sure how it’s doing what it’s doing, but she can’t let it have Sui. She tries to rally the party into cutting a way through to Sui, and she asks you to come with her to save Sui. You agree, saying you have to do so.
 
Sui runs over to the figure of her mother, and the Monster retakes her form again. Sui stops thinking as she says it’s really her mom and that she always wanted to see her. She was always lonely ever since they were separated. Not Shizuku tells her to come to her, and Sui happily complies.
 
Back to your end, Mokdai manages to break through the enemy line, and the party closes in on Sui’s position. But what they see is Sui hugging her mother figure while its upper half apparently contorts to open up its mouth. Maculata tries to yell to Sui to run...but she fails to get through in time. You react in horror as Sui is swallowed whole, and Andrew says you guys need to get her out of it quickly to save her.
 
Andrew attempts to charge at the monster, but a surge of the smaller monsters rises up to block the way. Mokdai swears as he tries breaking through, saying he won’t let his friend disappear. Maculata demands Sui’s return as she charges forward too. Unfortunately for them, the monsters respond by mobbing Mokdai, and Maculata attempts to save him. Her strings are unable to pierce through though, and she ends up getting caught by their tentacles too. Andrew starts despairing about the party being unable to keep up with the onslaught, and Mokdai and Maculata try to call out to Sui. Just when things look bleak, a voice starts listing the components of lunar soil and saying she can make such colorful fireworks with those elements. You are surprised as you recognize the voice, and in the next instant, an explosion flares up.
 
Scene shifts into some dark zone, briefly lit up by a light that soon fades away. It’s a strange area with a strange atmosphere, like outer space. Sui is floating in this place as she starts to regain her senses and looks around. She wonders what’s going on and where she is. She can’t walk, but she doesn’t have any issues breathing either. Sui tries waving her arms around and finds she’s capable of moving, so she tries swimming off in a random direction.
 
Sui sees nothing around her as she moves aside from distant fading lights. She has no idea of where she should go, but she does have the feeling she should keep moving. She mentions feeling like she’s being called, and then a sudden warm, bright light illuminates her. Sui shields her eyes as she tries to see what’s happening, and after the light fades Sui sees her mother there as a figure of light. Sui attempts to get closer, happy to see her mother, but Shizuku apologizes saying she wanted to be with her for always. Sui is confused, and Shizuku’s form melts away from the feet up. Sui tries to hurry, but by the time she reaches over Shizuku is gone. Sui cries and pleads for her to stay, trying to hold her to her, but what little left slips through her fingers. She begs her to stay, saying she doesn’t want to be alone anymore.
 
Back outside, the blockade of monsters is pulverized by the explosion thrown at it. Crowne tries to ask what’s happening since the camera is acting up from the blast. Maculata and Mokdai are freed from the monsters’ grasp, and Maculata asks what the explosion was about. Mokdai coughs a few times before he catches up and starts suspecting who made the explosion.
 
A woman walks up from the other side of the hill, and this turns out to be Flamier. She’s off getting high from the explosion, and you either react in surprise and ask who she is, recognized Flamier, or note that she’s wriggling in place. Andrew is shocked to see her here, and his shocked yell snaps Flamier back to the present as she asks if everyone is okay. She then introduces herself for the people who don’t know who she is and says she’s come to help. Mokdai says he figured as much from how flashy the explosion was, and Maculata asks if he knows her. Mokdai describes Flamier as a high school teacher on the moon and a hero who loves explosions. Maculata comments on how dangerous that is, and you either thank and greet Flamier like this is your first meeting, say it’s been a while since you saw her, or comment that she’s the same as ever. A gets extra lines where Flamier politely greets you and asks if you’re the Operator before asking to let her help. B has other extra lines where Flamier comments on seeing you again before asking to help out.
 
Anyways, Andrew is alarmed as he asks Flamier why she’s there since she’s supposed to be in class now. He also tries asking that she back out since he could never face her father if anything happened to her. Flamier tries to get him to calm down since she can’t answer his questions if they come that quickly. But to explain, she called out of her day job for the day to do her hero work. She thought something was up with Sui, so she came to look for her. Crowne is taken aback at how casually Flamier phrases this, and Flamier reminds Andrew that she’s a hero too. She fights villains and monsters on a regular basis, so she’s aware of the danger. She’s not a sheltered little girl he’s bodyguarding anymore, and she’s joining the battle. You either ask if she knows Andrew, ask what their relationship is, or say Flamier is cool. A gets extra lines where Flamier explains Andrew was her guard when she was a little girl, but now he’s in other work. Crowne is surprised by this and says she really is a rich girl.
 
In any case Flamier asks where Sui is, so Mokdai points to the Monster that ate her and is now staring at you guys. It roars, and a bunch of the smaller ones start fusing with it. Flamier understands quickly and says there’s no time to waste, then materializes some bombs from her arm gadgets. Crowne has fixed up the camera by this point and says the battle can continue now, so the party readies their weapons. Mokdai declares they’ll defeat the monster and save Sui. Maculata says she won’t let Sui, her friend’s surviving child, disappear on her watch. Andrew concedes that he can’t stop Flamier, so he asks her to fight alongside him. Flamier thanks him and asks that he be careful too. You declare the continuation of the battle and the goal to save Sui, and the party rallies as the episode battle begins.
 
 

Live A Hero Chapter 3 Episode 7: Hill of Monsters

We pick up with the party running through a gate that has a long ass title for what the Hill of Memories really is (some sort of testing area for plants on the moon), and you guys quickly run into the swarm of Monsters milling about. Mokdai freaks out over how many are around, especially since the place is empty compared to the park incident. Crowne asks if they’re really going after Sui, and Mokdai says you guys need to find her first because you guys don’t have the stamina the destroy them all first. Maculata takes a quick look around before spotting Sui and pointing at a small hill with a big tree growing on it.
 
Over at the hill, Andrew has already suited up and is doing his best to defend Sui. You take note that Sui is up there, then ask about the hero next to her and how over the top his appearance is. Mokdai wonders who he is, but he notes that he is protecting Sui. Maculata is surprised at how strong he is but says there’s too many for him to take on alone, so she tells everyone they’re going over to help him.
 
The Kaibutsu try lashing out with their tentacles and end up breaking the camera Andrew had from his agency. The loss of view power leads to him taking a beating, and Sui runs over to him on concern without really thinking about it. Andrew’s weapons have been damaged to the point that they’ve got cracks with wiring popping out, and Andrew apologizes to Sui for not being enough to defend her on his own. She’s more concerned about him though.
 
The Monsters start gathering and fusing together, gradually taking on a more humanoid form. Sui is surprised by this, but Maculata swings in and uses her fired off strings to dice the fusion up to pieces. Sui is shocked to see Maculata, and Maculata is relieved to see her but still frustrated things came to this to begin with. Mokdai is glad she’s okay, given the circumstances. Crowne asks Sui what’s happening, but Sui says she doesn’t know and explains that they just popped out of the ground like daisies all of a sudden.
 
You ask Sui who the guy with her is and if he protected her, so Sui explains that he’s the driver who got her here. When the monsters turned up, he put all his time into covering for her. Andrew is still reeling but he’s glad to see reinforcements are here, and when he pulls himself back up the views coming from Crowne’s camera repairs his armor. The cables exposed from his arms are pulled back in, and his skin fixed itself up too. Crowne notes this and asks if he’s actually a machine lifeform instead of a human. This is her first time seeing an android type, but she’s still surprised at how lifelike he looks. Andrew laughs and thanks her, but him looking that similar is due to his wish to be closer to humans. He introduces himself as a Anti-Monster battle model spy android from Tronesion, though for now he’s just a truck driver. You either comment on Anti-Monster fighters being a thing, wonder what his past is like, or say he looks cool now that you have a closer look. C gets an extra line where Mokdai is baffled and notes how unflappable you are, even if Akashi says so a lot.
 
Anyways, Andrew asks if you guys are here to pick up Sui, in which case he asks for you guys to work with him to get her out of here. You agree and say you’re ready, so Andrew thanks you, asks if you’re the Master Operator, and says he’ll put himself under your command. He gets himself ready to go back to fighting, and Crowne tells you the enemies and viewers are coming in. Mokdai also gets set for battle, though he notes that it looks dicey here. Maculata tells Sui she has so many things to say, but she’ll save it for now and tells her to keep herself safe. Sui reluctantly agrees as the episode battle begins, and more story happens afterwards.
 
We tune back in after the battle midway as Maculata fires off her finisher, Weaving “Tailleur A Griffes” with Mokdai following up with his. The attacks cause the monsters hit by it to disperse into light, but Mokdai freaks out at them reforming and Maculata says it’s like literally fighting the mist. You yell that you guys can’t keep this up forever and try to think of something, but a voice starts calling for Sui again. Andrew can hear it too and asks what’s going on. Sui recognizes it as her mother’s voice but can’t place where it’s coming from. Crowne warns Andrew of a back attack, but he is unable to deflect it in time, leading him to get knocked away from Sui.
 
You call out to Andrew and Sui, and Sui shrinks away from the monster near her. The voice calls to her again, and Sui is surprised when she realizes the Kaibutsu is calling for her and transforms into a human woman. Not Really Shizuku adds a few more words to her obsessive calling to Sui, and Sui recognizes the figure as her mother. You are shocked by this and the thing’s slightly expanded vocabulary, and Maculata tries to ask why a monster is making itself look like Shizuku.
 
Sui attempts to talk to her mother and ask why she’s here and a monster, but Echo Shizuku just holds her arms out and asks Sui to come to her. Sui decides to stop thinking about anything else as she stumbles towards her, but Maculata attempts to stop her by pointing out that’s not really her mother. More monsters pop up in front of her to block the way, and Maculata is surprised by this but does her best to kick them aside. Mokdai rushes in to assist, and Sui just plods along thoughtlessly. When she gets to the thing, the monster starts roaring like a regular monster as its head opens up to reveal its giant maw.
 
You call out to Sui and try to tell her that’s not her mother she’s heading towards, and Crowne tries to intervene by grabbing the wrench she has on hand and flinging it at the monster. Sui is shocked by this, and you and Crowne run up and get between her and the Kaibutsu. You tell her she shouldn’t get near the thing, even if you do understand her feelings. Sui just stands there silently surprised, staring at the creepy writhing figure calling to her.
 
Crowne is glad the wrench throwing worked since she had no idea if it would, then tries to get Sui to get away from there with her. Sui finally finds her voice, only to start asking why to your confusion. She gets mad as she asks how you could do that to her mother. Crowne is taken aback and tries to tell her that’s not her mother over there, just a monster pretending to be her. Sui however insists it is her mother since it’s her voice and scent coming from it, saying she came to see her. Maculata feels for Sui, and Mokdai is sympathetic but tries to argue that that would be impossible if she wasn’t saved by a hero after being eaten. Sui refuses to hear otherwise and insists that her mother is here.
 
The monster figure wriggles against the dirt before backing away from the hill, and Sui tries to call her mother back. You tell her she can’t go, to calm down, and to listen to you guys. When you grab Sui by the arm, she demands you let go as she tries to throw you off, then throws a tantrum about her mother being the only one there for her. Crowne attempts to reason with Sui, but Sui tells you guys to go away and declares her hate for you all, managing to break free somehow and run after her mother. Andrew just stands there looking sad as he watches Sui run off, and so the episode ends.
 

Monday, April 19, 2021

Live A Hero Chapter 3 Episode 6: Waiting at the Hill of Memories

We begin with a flashback to Sui's childhood where she's living with her aunt. She initially uses the pronoun watashi (polite gender neutral, but slightly more associated with women), but this is met with the silent treatment, so Sui switches to boku (polite male) and says she's going to school now. Sui then picks up with narration as she talks about not belonging anywhere after her mother died. She was passed over to what is officially her blood relatives' place, but despite the familial connection they neglected her. She was forced to act as a male, both at home and at the school she was transferred to. She had no friends, so she often pretended to go to school and hung around places that she shared memories with her mother. Eventually the school called about her truancy. Her relatives told her off every day, but Sui frankly could not give a crap. They didn't want her there, so why should she care?
 
Sui wonders why she had to be separated from her mother, having preferred to disappear with her. She wasn't welcome where she was, and everyone hated her. She hated herself too for that matter, and she hated everyone who expected her to behave like a boy. Hate. Hate. Hatehatehatehate. And then one day Maculata came up to her, noting that she grew up while she was gone.
 
Back to the present, there Sui is crouching beneath a tree on top of a hill that overlooked a field of wheat that seemed to glow under the starry sky. Sui apologizes to Maculata for breaking her promise despite Maculata taking her in, but it turns out she couldn't hold back on her feelings of wanting to see her mother again. Andrew walks up shortly after and notes that he has the right place. Sui is surprised at his presence, so Andrew reintroduces himself as that truck driver she rode with to get here.
 
Sui says she knows that but asks why he’s there, so Andrew answers that he learned about the situation and came looking for her. He notes that she lied to him, but Sui insists she didn’t. She thanks Andrew for driving her here, but she also asks that he leave her alone. Andrew says that everyone is looking for her and should be there soon. When they get here they’ll probably just drag her back. Sui is adamant about staying until she sees her mother, which worries Andrew before he comments on how important she is to her.
 
Andrew takes a seat next to Sui, who responds by scooting away a bit. Andrew says his next comment may seem rude, but he admits to being jealous that Sui has someone she cares about so much. Andrew never had any parents or siblings ever since he was born, or rather created, so he doesn’t have anyone he feels that strongly about. Andrew then talks about how he’s amazed by humanity and wants to be more like them. People may laugh at the idea, but he’s serious about it, so he asks if Sui will tell him about her mother. He promises not to stop her from waiting for her, and Sui relents as she scoots back closer again.
 
Back to your end, you guys arrive at Ueno Station the street outside the train station in the middle of Archimedes Colony and are on your way to the Hill of Memories. Macaulay’s says she’ll come get Sui Again for sure, but Crowne tries to get her to slow down and tell you how far away the hill is. Maculata answers that it’s only 3km away so it’s not that far. Crowne says it IS and suggests grabbing a taxi, but Maculata argues that traffic might hold you guys up if you go that way. Crowne admits that might be true, so she pleads for a moment to catch her breath since she’s slightly out of shape. Mokdai is not far behind struggling to breathe right, and you either say it’s rough to have a sudden marathon, call the two of them lame, or observe how sweaty Mokdai is. B gets an extra line where Crowne says you’re pretty tough to be saying that. C gets a different extra line where Mokdai says his shirt and underwear are soaked, and he wishes he took up running like Akashi.
 
Maculata is taken aback at how out of it Crowne and Mokdai are and insists you guys have no time to wait with some unknown stranger claiming to be Shizuku. Crowne sighs and points out that Maculata shut down for a moment in shock like forty-something minutes ago. At that point, Mokdai turns to you and asks if you saw the shadows moving around, and when you turn to look at where he’s pointing, Monsters start showing up again.
 
Mokdai starts yelling about how they’re showing up again like they did over at Copernicus Colony, and Maculata asks what’s going on for them to appear in an empty area like this. Crowne notices that you guys are surrounded by them now and asks what the plan is, so Mokdai says the only thing possible is to break through. You agree and/or sigh at this inconvenience.
 
The Monsters start calling for Sui again, and this time Maculata and Mokdai can hear it. Maculata is shocked by the voice in particular, but Crowne tells her now’s the time to get her head in the game as the camera is ready to start the live whenever. Maculata focuses as she agrees and says the Kaibutsu have terrible hobbies, then says to you guys it’s time to go as the episode battle begins. The story continues after that.
 
After the battle, the story picks back up as some of the Kaibutsu are destroyed, and you ask if it’s over now. It isn’t, and more Monsters appear to block the way as Mokdai notes. Maculata notes there’s no end to them and their constant calls to Sui. You ask why they’re doing that, and Crowne says it’s creepy how they’re all using the same voice to do so.
 
Maculata goes quiet, so Mokdai asks her what’s wrong. Maculata starts talking about there being something worth trying, and Mokdai is confused until he gets alarmed at her walking up to the Monsters. Maculata calls out to Shizuku and refuses to believe that she’s forgotten what she sounds like, then demands she explain her intentions if she’s in there. If she really wanted to see her, Maculata asks why Shizuku never showed up when Sui needed her. If she’s doing this because she’s upset about Maculata taking Sui to Earth, then she asks why Shizuku never told her that and is trying to call to Sui.
 
The Monsters stop moving, like they’re listening to Maculata. Maculata argues that even if Shizuku didn’t know where Sui would be leaving, she wouldn’t send a letter to her fashion agency and only address it to Sui. There is clearly something wrong here if that really is the same Shizuku she knows inside there. The Monsters call out Maculata’s name in a confused tone before they all melt away, leaving you guys alone. Crowne asks if it’s really a thing for Kaibutsu to disappear on their own like that, and Mokdai says it shouldn’t be. He does wonder why they did what they did though, and he asks if Maculata’s lecturing actually worked. The two of them detransform, and Maculata stands there in shock until you try to talk to her and ask what happened. Maculata admits she doesn’t know and that she just tried to lead Shizuku’s thoughts if she could. She still doesn’t get what happened and whispers to herself wondering if Shizuku really is in there.
 
Scene shifts back to Sui and Andrew as Andrew learns her mother was eaten. He comments that Sui’s mom sounded like a great person to accept her as she was, and Sui agrees. She smiles for the first time in their conversation, but the moment is interrupted as the ground starts shaking. Andrew’s first reaction is to ask if a meteorite fell and moves to cover Sui. A voice calls to Sui, which Sui recognizes as her mother’s voice as a bunch of Monsters approach, and there the episode ends.
 

Live A Hero Chapter 3 Episode 5: Chasing After the Missing Sui

We pick off from last time, with the party having split up to search Copernicus Colony for Sui. You have partnered up with Mokdai and are combing the side street shops to look for her. When Mokdai gets back to you, you ask him if he's had any luck, but he says no one said they'd seen her. Since that means you guys have checked every shop in that area, Mokdai wonders where Sui could have gone without her room key or her wallet.
 
A quick flashback mentions that when you guys got the hotel staff to open up Sui's room, it was confirmed to be as empty as Maculata said it was. Sui's money and key were left on the nightstand, and the only things she seems to have taken with her were her bag and phone. After the flashback ends, Mokdai wonders if Sui either left in a hurry or was planning on coming back right away. You say you don't know, but you did notice that she seemed to have something on her mind. Mokdai nods and says she could have talked to you guys if she was worried about something. But then he considers the idea it was something she couldn't talk to you guys about, and he wonders again where Sui could have gone since her phone seems to be off.
 
You comment on Mokdai being a worrywart and/or hope that Sui is okay. Mokdai agrees as he tells you he's known her pretty much ever since she started working. He wanted to be close enough to her to be considered a friend, so he knows her personality well enough. She's the type to keep her worries to herself, but there are times when she's reached out to talk to Mokdai. Her not doing so this time means she probably can't bring herself to talk to Mokdai about it. Mokdai stops himself from getting too depressed by the thought though, saying he needs to find her quickly. Maculata must be more worried about her than he is, so he suggests checking the next place.
 
You agree with Mokdai and start checking for the next place to search. But as you do so, you start hearing a faint voice calling for Sui. You react in surprise to this, and Mokdai asks what's going on since he doesn't hear anything. When he turns around, a shadow in front of where Mokdai is standing starts billowing up, and this turns out to be a small Kaibutsu that starts shrieking. You react in alarm to it appearing here, and Mokdai is confused about it showing up somewhere without a lot of people around.
 
You hear the voice calling for Sui coming from the Monster, which you point out. Mokdai is surprised by that and asks for more details, and the Kaibutsu itself starts blocking the way forward for you two. It slowly approaches, then opens its mouth. Mokdai notices that the Monster seems to be trying to keep you guys away from Sui, and he's not sure what's going on but it'll eat you guys if you don't do anything. As such, he decides to step up and fight and asks you to transform him. You comply, and Mokdai apologizes to the monster before saying he needs to get through to find a friend important to him. The episode battle then begins as the monster yells, and more story happens after that.
 
After the battle, the story picks up by tuning in over at Archimedes Colony in the same time frame. Andrew's delivery truck has made it to the city and is currently driving through some residential street by a school, and Sui comments that it's been a while since she was there. Andrew is curious about this and says he thought she came here a lot since she said her mother is here. Sui passes it off by saying that things happened, which Andrew thinks is weird but he decides not to question further. He keeps on driving the near empty street, and eventually he spots someone walking next to the road.
 
Andrew recognizes the person walking down the street and pulls the truck in closer while Sui asks what's going on. This person turns out to be Flamier, who politely greets Andrew good morning as she stops. Sui recognizes Flamier as a person she met together with you guys at Parallel Flight, and she knows Flamier knows who she is in turn. Andrew talks to Flamier commenting on how early she's up and worries she's a little too relaxed with her surroundings. He tries to remind her that as a CEO's daughter she should be more careful, but Flamier says he worries too much. He was her bodyguard when she went to school, but she's working now. Flamier also points out that Andrew is a truck driver instead of her bodyguard now, and that she can take care of herself.
 
Andrew concedes the point, but he still feels that she's not vigilant enough. Flamier laughs the concern off but says his kindness is his strong point. She then changes the subject by asking if he's heading to a delivery site and notes he's not a backup driver anymore. Andrew says he's been permitted to drive alone now since the day before, and he's happy to be relied upon. Flamier is happy for Andrew as she notes he's gotten familiar with his new environment.
 
Flamier happens to look over to the passenger side of Andrew's truck, and she recognizes Sui when she notices her there. Sui panics at this, and Andrew starts explaining that she hitchhiked over from Copernicus Colony when Sui quickly thanks him and jumps out of the car. Andrew is surprised at this and tries to call after her and stop her, but Sui soon disappears into the city. Andrew wonders what's up with Sui, and Flamier wonders the same for a moment as well before figuring she should call this in just in case before taking out her phone.
 
Scene jumps back to your end as you and Mokdai regroup with Crowne. She asks how the search went on your end, but you tell her no one said they saw Sui come by. Mokdai suggests Sui might have gone even farther than the side street areas, and Crowne informs you guys she hasn't had any luck on her end either. She gets frustrated at all the worry Sui is causing everyone and at her not picking up her phone, and she wonders where she could have gone again.
 
Mokdai informs Crowne about the oddity that you guys encountered, that being the run in with Monsters in some back alley away from where most people would be. You guys did dispatch them, but some got away in the end. Crowne is surprised to hear about this since that makes it the third time since yesterday that they've shone up, and in a place with few people around. She's not sure how it's related, but the strangeness of it all does stick out to her.
 
You and Mokdai also tell Crowne that the Kaibutsu seemed to be calling for Sui, which worries her. She asks if you guys are sure since she's never heard of Monsters being able to speak Common, never mind any language at all. Mokdai says he didn't hear anything either, and while there are different types of monsters he hasn't heard of anything like that either. Crowne points out that you don't seem to be the type to lie, and she doesn't see a point in lying about it either. She suggests that maybe the monsters have something to do with Sui then, but everything just seems more and more suspicious.
 
Your phone starts ringing at this point, and you quickly answer in hopes that it's Sui. It's actually Huckle on the line though, and Crowne is disappointed about getting her hopes up. She's so put off that Huckle feels bad about disappointing her, and Mokdai says there's stuff going on for a second before it occurs to him that Huckle might already know. Huckle is only partly aware of what's happening and takes Mokdai's question as confirmation, then informs you guys Flamier contacted him via Heroic Educators about seeing Sui by herself after hitchhiking.
 
Time skips a bit to Maculata coming back and Huckle passing on some more information. Mokdai tries to remember what he knows of Archimedes Colony, so Crowne explains that it's a city a little ways away to the northeast, which is why you guys couldn't find Sui nearby. Maculata adds that it's a place Sui and Shizuku went to a lot because that's where Shizuku's parents live. It's also where the Hill of Memories mentioned in the letter is at.
 
You react with shock at this information, and Crowne says it's highly likely Sui went over there now. Mokdai is in disbelief since as far as he knows, Sui never read the letter. Maculata says that's supposed to be the case, but it's true that Sui went over to Archimedes Colony and deliberately snuck under her nose and hitchhiked a ride at night over to do so. She looks apologetic as she holds her head for a moment, then yells that Sui must have read the letter when she wasn't looking. She berates herself for being stupid, and you can either express concern for her, say she's not the only one to blame, or be worried about Sui.
 
Crowne starts talking about how strange it is for Shizuku to be calling to Sui. But if that's the way things are, you guys need to get to Sui as soon as possible. Mokdai says Sui must not realize the extent of the situation she's gotten herself into, but he wonders how you guys will get to her. Crowne says there's a train station for the train network that links the lunar cities together, which they call the Linear Motor Cars. There should be an express line that goes right to Archimedes Colony, which should be leagues faster than driving normally. Mokdai quickly looks this up, then finds another train will be there in 15 minutes and take half an hour to get to the other city. You suggest getting tickets quickly so you guys can get to Sui, and Crowne agrees before prompting Maculata to snap out of it and come along. Maculata pulls herself together to agree, and the party runs off to the train station.
 
Scene then shifts over to the central cargo depot for Archimedes Express where Andrew has just been brought up to speed about what's going on with Sui. He feels guilty for letting Sui hitch a ride without knowing what was up, so since he's just clocked out for the day he decides he'll go to where Sui is. He asks Flamier to focus on her own work, then hangs up on the phone call to start checking his map. After a quick look, he notes that there are 32 possible areas to search, so he needs to narrow it down some. Since he's a mechanical life form he doesn't really know what it's like to have a mother, but he hopes Sui isn't thinking things too hard and doing anything rash. On that note the episode ends.