Christmas Showdown Episode 5 Part 2 (Abridged)

Nomad (narrating): Society taught me that people see dumb fools as idiots. Back when I was in a shipwreck calling for help and a ship just passed me by, I realized that the world was accelerating and leaving behind the stupid people. I realized that I wouldn't be happy even if I kept to the rules the world made. In Utopia, the ones who dump off the most old junk from themselves win. So past memories, kind thoughts, and other stuff, all so assholes backstabbing each other in this shithole of a world can live here. I cut off those who betrayed me so I can go faster than anyone. Gotta go faster!
Nomad (narrating): Hermes when I look at you, I feel like I'm looking at myself. You're always trying to abandon your past and struggling to move ahead. You struggle to keep yourself from being left behind by the world. But when I think of you, I wonder...what exactly is waiting for you up ahead? We both try to move on by abandoning our pasts, but if we also leave behind the reason we're running so hard to begin with...what's left?

Present
Hermes: Wait what's happening!?
Hermes is holding a simple reed pipe instead of Ded's bag. It looks normal, but Hermes is freaking out about it.
White: It seems you understand that Santa's bag is an item that can give you anything you want. My artifact has no definite form; it is just a vessel that gives an appropriate output based on what you input.
White puts out his own right hand, and a ball balloons up in it before it pops back up as his bag.
White: Sometimes it takes in children's thoughts and puts out a Letter from Santa. And the bag people usually think of can...

Hermes: ...you're saying this is what I want?
Yep that sure is a plain old reed flute that clearly means something to Hermes.
White: My power concept as Santa/Saint is Karma. Rewards for good deeds and punishment for bad deeds. You keep calling yourself a villain, but my bag didn't give you any punishment. That likely means that beneath what superficially looks like bad deeds is a dear wish you keep hidden in your heart. Which then means you didn't want my bag itself. Neither Black nor Tomte have sensed you to be naughty, which means you must have some sort of reason to have done all this.
MC: You want a pipe? / So what did you want? / You went for the bag for that? 

Hougen: ...complaining that people don't believe you implies you want people to believe you. Hermes, you've always wanted someone to help you, right?
Hermes: Shut up, you don't know me old man.
Hermes' glare looks different from anything else he's shown until now.
Hermes: Whoever said I wanted help from you guys? Not me! Gimme the bag!
Hermes blows his flute and causes everyone to sink into the floor. MC immediately attempts to cut at Hermes to stop it, but Hermes is already jumping in to kick Ded.
Nomad: No! Space Enfer Chateau d'If! (zooms in to block for Ded)
Nomad: No mercy for traitors!
MC: No, stop you guys!
Nomad: ...are you stopping him? Or are you stabbing me in the back MC!? Like I said, no mercy for any traitors!
Hougen: I'll take care of Ded! Tajikarao, you know what to do?
Tajikarao: Yes sir! I will capture him without causing harm!
Taromaiti: Hermes...

Some classroom again
Jiraiya: Let's finish this, Not Ose. You ready Benten?
Benten: Yeah. I dunno what your goal is, but you pulled a dick move on Hermes for it and you gotta be bopped for that.
Ose: Ooh, I'm getting that adrenaline rush! Sweet enjoyment of life! Showdown!
BATTLE START (more happens afterwards)

Hermes (narrating): ...there’s this guy who is the avatar of the sun, Apollo. He was my only friend in Olympus. You could say we had the worst first impressions of each other. He'd say I was that asshole stealing his stuff. I'd say he was an asshole who picked a fight out of sheer gut feelings. The fighting and yelling got so bad that Zeus had to step in. Somehow we became friends after that. Apollo had the power of prophecy, which he used to see through my tricks. My lies and power had no effect on him. Now that we're older, these are memories of fun times we can't go back to...

Present
The battle with Hermes is still ongoing despite the numbers advantage against him. Every time Hermes uses his artifact, MC immediately dispels it. But since it's hard to read him, Hermes keeps the upper hand in the battle flow. Nomad's super speed is the only thing that can keep up with him, so Hermes stays wary of him.
Tajikarao: Hermes, surrender peacefully!
Hermes: You really think I'll do that? But that aside I'm surprised at how calm you are. Everyone else here knew this case was a drill the whole time and never told you. You still gonna be a good dog for your bosses?
Tajikarao: ...it was a surprise, but that's all it is to me. Even if it was deception, Hougen does that every day, or rather it's small stuff. I'm actually glad he made it an as authentic a learning experience as possible!
Hermes: Well good for you jackass!
Tajikarao: Hooray!
Hermes: Oh my god how dumb can you be

Hougen: Hermes looks upset but his movements are calm! This is--
MC: Tajikarao, let's go! (synchs movements up with him)
Tajikarao: If people keep getting tempted to do crimes, I will do all I can to stop them! Take my sympathy, my justice, and all of my power! SHINING FING--(trip)--AAAAAHHHH
Hermes' use of his artifact on Tajikarao actually causes him to crash into him rather than bounce him away because he tripped. He slips out using his cape as cover, but Tajikarao's power still hits him.
Hermes: ...
Hermes: Sigh. You were holding back? What the hell. If you came out unscratched after my Reverse hit your power...well it is what it is.
MC: (Hermes seems different. Did Tajikarao's power work?)

Hermes: All I had to do was be the bad guy and people will start surrounding me from a distance, and usually that's easy peasy to handle.
Tajikarao: (surprised)
Hermes: My role hurts people the more they associate with me. I pretend to be a decent guy, but if people stick around long enough the pretense falls off. So what else can I do but keep people away? How can someone like me ask for help?
Taromaiti: ...Hermes. We knew that you always kept your distance because you didn't want to anyone with you to be hurt by you. That's why you never got close to anyone, right?
White: When the role of an inhabitant of another world is known, there are times when people want it themselves no matter what. Was it the same for you?
Hermes: Why'd you have to be a dick and give me the flute Apollo gave me now of all times!?
Everyone else: ! (notices the manifestation happening in the office)

White: Is that...?
Hougen: An overworld shift! Hermes is causing it!
Nomad: So we need to kick his ass to stop it? MC, stand back and don't look!
MC: No, wait!
The shift distortion fluctuates back and forth.
Nomad: Out of the way, or I'll crush you too!
Taromaiti: ...
Hermes is starting to transform to how he looked back in Olympus.

Some classroom
Ose: Okay something's happening over there, so we better finish this.
Jiraiya: What, you know what's going on?
Ose: Yep! I know the correct answer to just about anything! That's why I can eliminate stupid choices and set things up to go the smartest way possible. Which means life is about going through the motions for me...
Benten: That means you'll never win against me.
Ose: Come again?
Benten: You said before that thrills are the only things you can enjoy. But I can enjoy everything! I've got one life and I'm not throwing it away!
Ose: ...even if you fail miserably?
Benten: Yep! Nothing's gonna stop me, ya hear!? So even stormy days can be more fun than sunny days...life rocks!

Ded's office
Taromaiti: Hermes, wait! Don't lock yourself up in your past! (steps forward)
Taromaiti: You haven't given up on the future deep down, haven't you? You really do want to be with people, somewhere inside you. That's why you kept telling yourself to know your role! In which case... (takes a deep breath and readies her sword)
Taromaiti: I have my own role too! I will save you as the knight that protects Paradise! Noble Phantasm activate! Class: Opposer! Concept: Corruption! I will break the chains that bind you!
Taromaiti stabs Hermes. Hermes' fixated thoughts on the things Olympus established for its world order and the ideas other people in Tokyo put in him shatter and disappear into light.

Hermes: T-Taromaiti! I-I--!
Hermes regains his senses, but it seems he's too late as his past memories start taking over the area.
Nomad: Super speed activate! (rushes in to punch Hermes one more time to stop the shift distortion since he can outrun the memory overwrite)
Taromaiti: Hermes, Nomad! ...MC!
MC: Sword, I call upon thee! (slides in between Hermes and Nomad)
Nomad: !? Why are you getting in the way!?
MC manages to barely deflect Nomad's attack and cut off the shift memories.
Nomad: How'd you catch up!? Oh never mind that. You think you can go against me!? Then you--
MC: I don't know how I did it, but I did it because you looked to be in pain. Like you were hurting yourself.

Nomad: ...
Nomad: But we still need to stop Hermes to stop the shift. (holds Hermes' artifact in his hand)
Nomad: It isn't enough to cut the thoughts tying Hermes down, so that's why I tried to punch him out and make him drop this...though you did stop the first part. I admit that there wasn't a need for me to punch Hermes since Taromaiti pacified him.
The overworld shift but not really was caused by Hermes' Reversal power and his thoughts tying him to the past. Now that the power causing it is off, the world moves towards the future... The Olympus shift disappears, the Santa School is covered in light, and Hermes' home world memories return.
Hermes (narrating): After Dad stopped our fight, I made an instrument to give as an apology to Apollo. He loved it, and somehow that made me happy too... it was fun. Oh yeah. I just wanted to have a friend with me. Someone to do dumb crap with, someone to fight with sometimes, and someone to laugh with...
The shift finally lifts.
Hermes: That's why it came out of the bag. I forgot about that while I struggled to survive here in Tokyo. (flops onto the floor on his ass)
Classroom
Jiraiya: Hey they're done. Got anything to say, Not Ose?
Ose: Heh, no. I totally lost. It was fun.

Ded's office
MC: ...Hermes. (approaches and takes Hermes' hand)
Hermes: ...let go. (makes no attempt to shake MC off)
MC: No / Stop acting tough / (say nothing)
Hermes hesitates. Even though he remembers what he wants and will try to be more honest with it, it doesn't cancel out what he's done so far.
Hermes: ...hey MC? Why didn't you ever get pissed with me? You already know when I helped you in Shinjuku I was--
MC: You still helped me. You could've done something else if you just wanted to use me, so you had helped me first.
Hermes: Oh, you're like him. My tricks (re: power) don't work on you either. If I knew that to start with, I--
MC: Let's be friends. We'll be on even ground.
Hermes: ...yeah, it was a good, fair fight. I don't have to let go, do I?
MC: Nope / You say thanks at times like these / (squeeze as hard as you can)
(A) Hermes: ...
(B) Hermes: R-right. Thanks...
(C) Hermes: OW what the hell man!? Weirdo...hehe.

Hermes squeezes MC's hand back, remembering the time he made a vow with his best friend. He cries as the emptiness in his heart since summoning fills up. Tajikarao walks over.
MC: Tajikarao? / (watch silently)
Tajikarao: ...I understand the full situation. Everyone has the right to live the way they want to in Tokyo, even Transients. But there are still laws and rules to follow and punishment for breaking them. Hermes, you are under arrest.
Nomad: Okay guys I wanna get the last word in. Case closed!
The special training drill and the extra incident have been solved, and it is finally time for the Santa Sendoff Ceremony.
To be continued in the Epilogue!