Huckle (narrating): Back then, I was like a bird in a cage. Far as I can remember, I've always been raised in the same environment...the only things I knew about the world outside came from my books. My world itself was restricted to the manor, the area around it, and what was in my books.
Huckle: This older man in this book is so cool! He walked the world on his own two feet, never gave up in the face of danger, and went on all sorts of adventures. I want to be like that when I grow up!
Butler: Young Master are you inside Sir's study again?
Huckle: Uhh...!
Huckle (narrating): The butler kept a calm poker face on as he asked me that.
Butler: The man written about in that book is an adventurer from planet Earth. He visits ruins from all over, investigates them, and explains their history. Do not be like him. You are far too rich and important to this planet to do that. We can't have you getting into danger and acting like a barbarian.
Huckle: But...I want to see the outside world.
Butler: ...no.
Huckle (narrating): The book was burned the next day, and they kept other such books away from me as much as they could, no matter how much I hid and secretly read them. In retrospect, I bet my father was trying to limit my choices. I bet he also never realized that just made me want to go outside even more. So once I got older, I ran away from home.
Present
The giant Monster is flailing around screaming, knocking over buildings, and attacking the party.
Mokdai: Oh my god! I'm glad I can see it now, but still!
Akashi: We can't attack like this! My whole attention's full trying to dodge!
Crowne: Lemme try! Maybe if I trace it like I did earlier...Crowne Wrench!
Crowne's attack bounces off, failing to do anything.
Crowne: What the hell!? My analysis isn't working either!
Mokdai: Crowne, it's coming! Get away!
Crowne: Wait wha--WHOA
Sui: ! Crowne!
Barrel: Eat space lead! Space energy! Whatever!
Giant Monster: REEEEEE
Gammei: Your peashooter isn't gonna stop it, idiot! There's another attack coming this way!
Barrel: Augh!
Victom: Our attacks aren't doing anything!
Furlong: Not even a full power water blast helps! What do we do!?
Melide: ...it fully awakened... the air in the city is shaking, and the flow of ether is being churned by the Monster.
Monomasa: Melide, look out!
Melide: Wha--ahh!
Monomasa picks up Melide and jumps away. The Monster crushes the building near where Melide just was.
Ryekie: This is awful.
The Monster keeps wrecking the city, and the central part of the city is totally getting ruined.
MC: Oh no...
Kyoichi: MC...don't look at it too much. It'll only give you pain.
Yoshiori: Yeah. The battlefield isn't the place for sentiments. Still, this is bad.
Crowne: Ow. I'd be dead already if I didn't have my Parallel Weapon. Really, what the hell do we do when nothing's worked!?
Toshu: ...if we keep fighting over here, the city will be further destroyed. It'll bury us in rubble sooner or later.
Shoen: ...in a normal mission, the plan is to aim for the Monster's core.
Exio: Yes. And the giant Monster's core looks like it's somewhere near the Invisible Mountain. So for lack of any better ideas besides getting chipped away like this...we should head over there.
Akashi: Is that even possible!? Didn't someone say no one can go in over there...!?
Melide: Well to be specific they disappeared, so people started believing no one had ever gone in to begin with.
MC: We're going THERE!? / Won't we disappear...?
Yoshiori: You can't worry about that now. The minute we came in here, it was do or die. We either not worry about any dangers and do what we can to beat the big ugly, or all of us get space nuked.
Ryekie: So, we have to gut up? Then the plan is clear! We're going to the Invisible Mountain everybody! We are going to directly attack the core!
There is some hesitation shown by some of the heroes, but in the end everyone agrees and looks determined.
Mokdai: We don't have much time left...! They might drop the HFCM on us while we hesitate! ...MC, will you come with us?
MC: ...yes! / I can't back out later. / We'll be together, wherever that takes us.
Mokdai: ...thanks for being resolved. It's really comforting.
Mokdai: (picks up phone) Hello, Director!? We're going to the Invisible Mountain! We might lose our phone signal, but...!
Huckle: ...I know. Be careful, and come back. I can't do anything but watch, but I won't ever look away. The city's fate is in your hands... good luck!
MC: Yes sir! Bye!
Huckle: Good. Take care of Mr. Ryekie and everyone.
Mochizuki Inn
Huckle looks slightly away from his monitor after the call ends, out the window and at the Monster now visible.
Huckle: ...all I can do is watch. This reminds me of when I was back at that mansion. If I was the way I was before, I could have gone outside and joined them. I could fight by Mr. Ryekie if I was a hero... could those days ever come back? This sucks.
Sometime later
The party has left the city area to go for the Monster's core, heading north through the mountain forest in the northern parts of Central Ward.
Kyoichi: God it's so bumpy! Driver! Isn't there an actual road to drive on!?
Yoshiori: It's Yoshiori, not Driver! And no! Everywhere around the Invisible Mountain is like this! The quickest way up there is this dirt path, so deal with it!
Mokdai: Isn't this like halfway up Mt. Ashitaka? I didn't know there was this much nature here.
Ryekie: Orient City's city area is huge, but building on elevated areas is hard so Raidark left these areas alone while building the city. That's probably why there aren't any real maintained roads out here.
Crowne: Huh, I didn't expect you to know that much about this.
Ryekie: A-are you calling me stupid!? Of course I'd know stuff about the city I protect!
Akashi: I haven't been somewhere like this since elementary school. We should be able to move though safely though.
Sui: Huh? Why?
Furlong: Is it because Monsters stick to urban areas?
Barrel: Oh, that'd explain things. We haven't been attacked at all since we got onto the mountain.
Victom: That can't be it. Orient City is empty right now, and we still got attacked there.
Gammei: Yeah, if anything they'll attack us wherever we are because they'd want to eat us. They still haven't though, so what gives?
MC: Yeah, weird / Maybe the tentacles can't get here?
(B) Gammei: Maybe, but is that really all to it?
Shoen: I sense something.
Toshu: Up here? So, boars or deers?
Shoen: No, wait!
Yoshiori: INCOMING (swerves away from something jumping out from the grass)
MC: AAHHH
Wild jellyfish Monsters appeared!
MC: What are those!?
Akashi: Why are there flying jellyfish!?
Mokdai: I've never seen Monsters like that on Earth before!
Toshu: Begone, new fiends!
Melide: ...! This presence... Exio.
Exio: Yes, these are clearly different from any other Monster we've seen before.
Monomasa: And they are clearly hostile.
Gammei: Nothing's ever easy, is it!?
Barrel: Get ready to fight!
Furlong: ...oh no! Behind us!
More jellyfish Monsters.
Victom: Somehow these things have surrounded us...
Shoen: We are between a rock and a hard place. Or in this case, Monsters and a cliff.
Crowne: So no retreating, and no moving forward without breaking through, huh!?
Ryekie: ...MC, to battle! We can't fall here!
MC: Right! Be careful everyone!
BATTLE START (more happens after)
Red Jellyfish: (blobs threateningly)
Barrel: Space Cowboy Gunfire!
Red Jellyfish: (blobs deflatingly)
Barrel: Okay, god! Does it really take a max charged shot to break through? I mean I'm glad we're getting somewhere, but I can't keep it up at this rate!
Gammei: These things are tough AND fast!
Blue Jellyfish: (blobs angrily)
Gammei: Eww these tentacles are gross as all hell! Just die already!
MC: These Monsters are strong...! / Creepy...
Shoen: Oh no, the truck!
Jellyfish: (blobs in vehicular destruction)
Furlong: They're trying to push the truck off the cliff!
Ryekie: I'll take care of it! Justice Chaaarge!
Mokdai: No, wait! Don't charge in all alone...!!
Ryekie: Thunder Daaaash--
Jellyfish: (blobs in bum rush)
Ryekie: AAAGH!
Crowne: Ryekie you idiot!
Sui: Oh no I can't see him under all the jellyfish Monsters!
Akashi: I'll save him!
Red Jellyfish: (blobs in chump block)
Akashi: Dammit, get out of the way!
Ryekie: I'm good, this is all according to plan! Step back everyone! SUPREME THUNDER!
A bright light starts shining from Ryekie.
Toshu: W-what? He couldn't be...!
Yoshiori: ...crap, hit the deck people!
Everyone drops to the ground.
Jellyfish: (blobs in truck explosion)
The wrecked truck falls over, and the Monster remains scatter and fade.
MC: I'M GETTING BLOWN AWAY!
Meanwhile at the Mochizuki Inn
Huckle: !! Mr. Ryekie!
Mountain path
Kyoichi: Oh my god that was insane!
Jellyfish: (blobs in melting)
Shoen: They're leaving? Are they afraid of what just happened?
Gammei: Who knows if Monsters have sentience.
Monomasa: Where is Justice...?
Melide: ...there!
Ryekie: Urgh...
Ryekie had fallen down along with the truck.
MC: Justice! / Ryekie!
Victom: Super move! Victom Rescue! (flings rope down and safely pulls Ryekie back up to the party)
Ryekie: Sorry Victom...ow...
MC: Ryekie are you okay!?
Ryekie: Ha ha... I really overdid it, but I'm still okay.
Exio: You really are crazy. You may have a Parallel Weapon protecting you, but if you messed up an attack like that you could easily have blown off your own limbs. Don't you care about your body?
Ryekie: Ha. I've always been this crazy. That's why I'm so tough now.
MC: That's still too much even with how strong you are! / Please take better care of yourself! / I'll be sad if you die
Ryekie: ...MC... (awkwardly smiles and brushes MC's face)
Ryekie: Sorry to worry you... but, you know? This reminds me of how Huckle did the same thing while he was a hero.
Quick aside at Mochizuki Inn
Huckle: ...Mr. Ryekie...
Mokdai: ...Justice, the director isn't here now. There isn't anyone else who can stop you directly, so...
Ryekie: Yeah... I know. I'll be careful with myself. Sorry everyone.
Kyoichi: I'm glad you're okay, but we lost the truck... so, what now? It's still a long way to go to reach the Invisible Mountain.
Yoshiori: ...we have to walk. Get moving, or it'll get dark out.
Shoen: ...what?
Yoshiori: You all got legs your mommies and daddies gave you. Put one foot in front of the other.
Toshu: ...of course it comes down to this.
Monomasa: Melide, I'll piggyback you. It's a long journey to be walking.
Melide: Okay, thank you.
Exio: Don't you think that's a bit much, Monomasa?
Barrel: MC, you okay? How about I carry you on my back?
Akashi: Wait what!? Don't spoil them so much! Why don't I carry them then!?
Barrel: W-what!? Why are you volunteering for that!?
Sui: Akashi maybe this a bit too honest of you?
Mokdai: Now now, Akashi being surprisingly open can be good too...
Crowne: Haha, sweet baby. I'm feeling more relaxed now.
Mochizuki Inn for more than five seconds now
Huckle: (sighs and looks away from the livestream) Wasn't the battle just now really dangerous...? He really is pushing himself too much...but...
Flashback
Ryekie: Man, Huckle would save my butt and lecture my ear off back when he was a hero too.
End flashback
Huckle: Oh...right. When that happened I'd give him some straight advice. We fought a few times because of that...didn't we? But that was something I could do because I was a hero too. (looks sadly at the monitor)
Huckle: Now that I became an Observer and then lost even that...I can't do anything at all. Isn't there...anything I could do?
Door knocking.
Huckle: ...who's that? It's open.
Enter Sadayoshi.
Sadayoshi: ...pardon my interruption, Director Huckle.
Huckle: YOU! (gets in the defensive)
Sadayoshi: I came by myself. I'm not here to arrest you.
Huckle: ...so why are you here then? Our heroes are fighting in the city you people have locked down.
Sadayoshi: (looking restless and apologetic) ...I came to talk about something related to that. I wanted to consult and propose something to you.
Huckle: What?
End of Episode
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