Things tune in over at Kabukicho where Ellie and Kresnik are roof hopping their way towards the east as the moonlight shines down upon them. Kresnik tells Ellie they should keep themselves hidden as much as possible as they get out of town since all the rioting students around are after her. Ellie says she'll be fine since she's left a message with Suzuka and the others, one that even the dumb gals who attacked her would understand. She didn't have any stationery, so she had to use what she had on hand and make it bigger.
Elsewhere in Kabukicho, rando yaksha girls are on the lookout for Ellie when one of them finds out about a message on a bulletin board. They go look at a physical bulletin board that has a contact list for people in the neighborhood, and written in lipstick is Ellie's message: "bored now, gonna hang out in some other town. Bye bitches, Ellie." The yaksha are dumbfounded at this, and behind them is an agent mob recording all this before silently slipping off into the darkness.
Back to Ellie and Kresnik, Kresnik says what she did is fine since their phones may be tracked. If the pros in that business get serious, it wouldn't take them too long to find them. For now, Kresnik advises Ellie to minimize how much she calls her friends on the phone. Ellie accepts this, then asks him where the two of them are supposed to be going. Kresnik answers that the first order of business is to understand what's going on and asks why this situation was made to begin with.
Ellie asks if understanding that is so important since getting attacked for a vampire is nothing new. She's a famous vampire, and she's often been attacked out of misplaced jealousy by random people since childhood. Kresnik agrees after a moment as he says he thinks that's how vampires are too. Ellie repeats her question then, so Kresnik says her being attacked may be because of that, but something about the trick being turned to instigate it feels off to him.
Ellie is confused by this, and Kresnik talks about how there's plenty of ways to kill a vampire that Ellie isn't aware of. If whoever set this situation up really meant to have Ellie bumped off, then Kresnik believes there's frankly more efficient means of doing so. Ellie says she doesn't really understand and asks him to dumb his explanation down. Kresnik sighs and says that as a teacher, he wants her to think for herself more. He decides that can be her homework, and he flat out tells her he's suggesting there's some other motive behind what's happening.
Ellie asks about this motive, so Kresnik elaborates that the result of the riot is that Ellie is leaving Kabukicho with him. But what if the goal was to get Ellie out of the city specifically? Ellie is baffled at the idea since there's no evidence for it, then asks Kresnik if he has anything like that. Kresnik says he has tons of circumstantial evidence at least, and as an example he asks if she ever noticed the third party observers hanging around when she was fighting. Ellie does recall seeing the agents around, but she ignored them since they didn't attack her. Kresnik says he's tried attacking them himself, and he realized from how they moved that they were underground professionals.
After a quick flashback of Kresnik fighting the agents plays, Kresnik says they had calmly cooperated and quickly retreated from what was supposed to be a surprise attack. He did manage to get a piece of them before they left, which he has wrapped up in a handkerchief inside his pockets. Kresnik continues talking about how these underground pros were just gathering together to keep an eye on things. They made no attempt to stop Ellie from leaving, which meant that her leaving is all according to whatever plan is in the works. Kresnik starts to suggest his taking her out of the city is also part of it all before stopping himself for jumping to far ahead in his conjectures.
Anyways, he says he's used some of his old work connections to ask for help from an old friend. Ellie is surprised at this and asks about Kresnik's old job, so Kresnik explains how after he was summoned to Tokyo he used his old world's work experience to help with the police's public security efforts. Pub Sec is a little different from everyday police work in that he normally went after criminal groups and organizations. There was however one exception, a professional at pulling solo operations for urban destruction (Sandayu). He's fought him tons of times, but he was stronger than any vampire he faced. But that's enough of that tangent.
Back to what Kresnik was originally saying, he talks about how there was a team he was part of that was varied in the kinds of people it included in terms of age, social class, and race. It was a good team though, and after completing jobs together they recognized each others' abilities and became close friends. They came to love this multicultural city and swore to defend its people together. One of those members was a civilian professional brought in like Kresnik was due to his knowledge in psychology. He could take the smallest bit of evidence and psychologically profile a criminal with it, and he could read residual thoughts from objects left at crime scenes. Psychometry in a word. Basically, he could pick up on the regrets and anger of the dead.
Ellie thinks on this ability to hear the dead, and Kresnik says this worker could also use his knowledge in criminal psychology to get results. He'd think about why criminals would try to destroy society and what they'd think after reaching that point. He was so tenacious about plotting out criminals' mentalities that even now Kresnik thinks it's amazing. Kresnik admits that he can't figure out the intentions of whoever is working behind the scenes of this current incident. He is a pro at working the front lines, but not at analyzing situations. You need an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, group for a group, and a pro for a pro. So if they get his friend's help, maybe they can figure something out.
Ellie finally decides to ask Kresnik the name of the friend he's been jabbering about the past five minutes, and Kresnik's immediate reaction is surprise that Ellie would show interest in anyone to him. He goes by a different name now than back then, which Kresnik thinks might be protecting himself from revenge from criminal organizations, but the guy is Inumura Daikaku Masanori, one of his few surviving old friends.
Ellie perks up at hearing this name, and Kresnik describes Masanori as having changed his name and living off his psych specialist video uploads. He's heard the guy has a follower count in the millions, though he doesn't quite grasp how huge that is. He's looking forward to seeing him again though, and he says he's changed a lot himself since back then. Kresnik starts wondering his friends from his home world would think if they saw him now. Back there, vampires were the avatars of urban destruction and societal divison, able to convert others to their side quickly by sucking blood and infecting them. Kresnik once stood by the side that maintained social order, hunting many of his kind since he as a vampire himself knew all their tricks. And here he is now, trying his damndest to get his young demon students to listen to him when they clearly don't want to. Kresnik says that's fine though. If he and his friends both laugh at each other over how they changed, then that's fine.
Scene shifts over to your end the next morning apparently at the cafe studio workplace as Catobepas comes up to you and suggests going to a specialty cosplay shop that's by the train station. It seems they're having a sale on the costume pieces Catoblepas needs for his compilation work, and since he's on a long break from school he'd like to get that thing done during that time. You agree to go with him, say you'll accompany him, or comment on how passionate as always he is about this.
Catoblepas says he'll do his best with the costumes and production if it'll make him a true creator, and at this point someone new walks into the store. The maids go to greet them, and that turns out to be Masanori. Masanori is surprised at the place being changed and asks about it used to being a salon for literaries. The maids explain that it's now a shared workspace for creators, though they do remember the owner saying what the place was like before it was renovated. While it's mostly a gathering place for creators, there's still a cafe menu if Masanori wants that. Masanori is happy to hear it's still a place for ideas to be exchanged, commenting that some things stay the same.
Catoblepas is surprised as he recognizes Masanori. You ask him if Masanori is a friend or someone famous, so he says no and thought he was a cosplayer with his get up. He does get the feeling he's seen him somewhere before though, but he decides to try talking to him in hopes of making another cosplayer friend. You either comment on how aggressive he is when it comes to cosplaying or say you'll go too. B gets an extra line of him thanking you and saying you guys can go together.
Anyways, Catoblepas walks up to Masanori and asks if he's a cosplayer. Masanori seems put off by the question, surprising Catoblepas since he was sure he was dressing up as somebody. He was wondering if he made his clothes and came to the shop to find other cosplayer friends. Masanori explains he came there to wait and meet an old friend, so Catoblepas apologizes for misunderstanding. Masanori says it's fine since in a way, he kind of is putting on an act as someone else since he wants to be like older literary masters. Masanori decides he may as well ask since he's here anyway, so he asks if Catoblepas comes by the shop a lot. Catoblepas answers that he does, then asks why he inquired about that. Masanori finds that interesting, then asks if he knows about Tindalos. Catoblepas is surprised at the question, so you ask him if he knows them.
Catoblepas explains that Tindalos is a Vtuber that's part of the Akihabara Creators. He hasn't actually talked to him yet since he's a recent guild member himself, so Masanori nods in understanding at this. Catoblepas asks if Masanori has business with Tindalos and offers to ask some other people about him, but Masanori declines saying he was just interested in him as another streamer. He wanted to ask what his thoughts were about rumors happening in Akihabara.
Catoblepas asks what kind of streaming Masanori does, so Masanori answers that he has a channel that explains psychology called MURAMASA and pulls his phone out to show you guys. Catoblepas is shocked to see that Masanori has a follower count in the millions, and you either do or do not have any idea how huge that is. Catoblepas tells you it's bonkers either way, and some viewer comments are talking about how Masanori can see the future and totally understand how people think.
Catoblepas starts excitedly telling Masanori how he's always admired content creators and says he's an amazing creator. He then introduces himself with his handle and says he wants to be one too. Masanori stops him from going on by saying he feels he unfortunately isn't a creator himself. Catoblepas is surprised at that given his follower count, so Masanori says he just looks at old data records and tells what people want to know from that. People tend to imitate others' behavior in an attempt to be accepted and liked, and Masanori feels that anyone who can't do anything but follow in another's footsteps for better or worse can't be called a creator. He thinks a true creator is someone special who makes something that can't easily be turned into something else, which is why he puts himself on the side that changes other peoples' lives and not the side whose life is changed.
Catoblepas is surprised into speechlessness at the mini rant, and Masanori talks some more about how a real work that isn't some imitation can be seen for what it is at a glance. What it has can't be hidden even if you try, and you can't take your eyes away from it, so someone who's only outwardly imitating someone or something else still has a long way to go to reach that point. But even so, you can't just throw away your admiration for the true creators. Masanori asks if Catoblepas agrees if that's such a crude thing, so Catoblepas starts mumbling an apology.
You cut into the conversation to Catoblepas's surprise, and you disagree with Masanori's question as you say you like people who want to change themselves. Masanori seems unimpressed but asks for your name, so you for some strange reason give him your full name. Masanori is shocked as he stares intently at you, then comments you're possessed by a lot of things and burdened by much you don't know about.
You are surprised or confused by Masanori's comment, so he quickly brushes it off as talking to himself. He apologizes if he upset you guys with his opinion, then reminds you guys that you were in the middle of leaving. Catoblepas realizes he might miss out on the sale at this rate, then excuses the two of you to Masanori. Masanori politely thanks you guys for speaking to him and comments he may see you two around somewhere. You say goodbye as you leave, and Masanori thinks to himself for a moment before picking up his phone. He calls Kresnik to tell him he's at the shop as promised, then says he'll wait for him. Once the phone call is done, Masanori laments how much he's changed since back then, and he thinks about how the past is inescapable and the future is already decided.
Time passes, and on your end random tourists are asking you and Catoblepas for pictures of your cosplay outfits. The Akihabara Fest is going on today as well, and after you and Catoblepas had done some shopping cameramen have come up to take pictures. Some other tourists ask you to turn towards them and pose. You play along in some confusion and/or resignation, and the tourists thank you and cheer about the pics. Catoblepas asks if you're feeling okay, so you either say you are or say you're a little tired.
Catoblepas sympathizes over the idea that you could be attacked at any time so being on guard gets tiring. He suggests cutting back on letting photos be taken of you guys if you want, since there's no telling what would give you away. You decide to keep going with it since it'll take your mind off of things. Plus, refusing to have your picture taken would draw more attention to you, and you have nothing to do if you decide to go full shut in hermit.
Catoblepas accepts your answer but still seems worried. You wonder if it's fine to leave things as is, say it really feels like you're on the run, and not you don't have any other options. There's been no clues on how to find out where the true big three guildmasters are, and now you can't actually get near your school or the gang. There's nothing you can do aside from hide.
Catoblepas steels himself, then starts talking to you again. He thanks you for earlier, and you are taken aback at this sudden change in subject. He argues that you aren't stuck being unable to do nothing since you spoke up for him. He struggles to say he was happy about what you did for a bit, and he tells you he's glad you came to Akihabara. You either decide to thank him back, squeeze his hands, or hug him tight. B and C get an extra bit where Catoblepas blushes in embarrassment but mirrors your gesture.
Anyways, Catoblepas quickly changes the subject to comment on there being more and more people coming to Akihabara by the day, especially people who don't normally come there. On cue a crowd of randoms draws closer as they head for a pedestrian mall. Some voice asks that people not push and informs them that the special sale going on is limited one per customer. Voice B does the touristy gawking of cosplayers and notes that one guy is holding manga. Voice C is hawking Akihabara Summoning manju buns and says their store on the first floor has them on sale.
While all that is going on, you pick up on a particular conversation going around. Someone is talking about how Akihabara has portals too and wonders why their guild doesn't attack the place. Voice B notes that they've never heard of anyone in the Akihabara guild getting into battles. They wonder if they even care about portal battles and thinks it's a huge joke. Voice C starts talking about that one video talking about how That One Student from Shinjuku is manipulating things. Voice D agrees and pulls it out to show people. Voice E is mildly curious about your appearance and wonders where you are. Voice F suggests you got caught and lynched by some guild somewhere. He's upset because he thinks you're making idiots over people trying their best at this.
You think to yourself that this is bad, wonder if some guild member from somewhere is in the crowd, and note that there are people who know about the video in the crowd. Catoblepas starts asking if you're okay when someone from the crowd bumps him into you, and that in turn knocks your costume headpiece out of place. You are alarmed by this as the crowd takes notice and vaguely recognize you, but then suddenly some sort of light obscures things.
It gets noted that the light glowing in the area isn't actually quite light, but more of an aura which is somehow different. Everyone who sees it makes a path unconsciously as their attention focuses on it, and while you are surprised at this you take the opportunity to fix your costume. The Smoky God who was in the crowd starts talking to you, asking if you're okay. He's the one giving off the light aura as he kindly smiles and helps you up. His smile could soften anyone's heart, and his voice could convince anyone to rely on him. You ask who he is in either curiosity or alarm, and he just says he's some passing celebrity. He then says he came to save you from this world of suffering as he starts the episode battle...as opposed to just leading you away or whatever.
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