The party is riding in a space limo flying through Central Osaka as the news is turned on.
News: There was a battle in the Shin Osaka train station in Yodokawa Ward between heroes and villains! The police say there was nobody hurt, but the villains are gone and we are requesting information from UEHA Japan because they were there.
MC: I'm glad nobody got hurt / Where'd they come from? / Who are they?
Huckle: Let's be glad no one got hurt in the crossfire. I'll call Okitaka later to apologize for the mess.
Seiichirou: You don't need to apologize. We have our own jobs after all. I should be the one to apologize for not figuring out what they were going to do faster.
Akashi: Man those guys were weak, but they came out of nowhere. What the hell would have happened if Danzo didn't escape with MC...? It sucks but...we wouldn't have been able to handle it alone.
Danzo: Haha! I'm a pro in situations like that! Spying and escorting are the main jobs of a ninja! I got it! Oh right, Akashi that drink you got has to be opened a specific way. Lemme see.
Akashi: What? Oh, sorry. I usually don't see off-planet drinks much on Earth... Also these leather seats and fancy pastries are making me nervous...
Ryekie: Who were those dopes anyway? They were after MC, and there being that many of them means that they can't be some small time gang.
Huckle: This attack raises so many questions. UEHA called us here, yet the guide sent to us is a hero not from UEHA? And why were you the one to call us and not Okitaka, the actual top of UEHA Japan? And how did they know we'd be coming to Osaka because of a government summons? (adjusts glasses)
Huckle: This will be presumptuous of me, but I have a hypothesis. The villains are related to the government, aren't they? And if they are, that ties UEHA's hands. So you just used UEHA as a point of contact to take private action?
Seiichirou: (surprised)
Seiichirou: Exactly. But maybe I dropped too many hints. It's shameful that you could figure that out by supposing the government isn't a monolith.
Ryekie: T-then...
Seiichirou: ...I wanted to tell you earlier, but they aren't the only ones after MC. Several anti-social organizations are after MC for being a strong Observer.
MC: M-me?
Seiichirou nods before continuing.
Seiichirou: The other day, Mt. Fuji came back from being by Monsters about 200 years ago by the strongest Observer in known history. Heroes and villains on Earth know about this, but spatial distortion broke the camera feed of the livestream when the big moment happened, so only the people who were there knew who the Observer was.
Akashi: Oh yeah, I think Mokdai mentioned the video recordings from then went all dark and became a mess of voices and noise.
Seiichirou: Yes, so we didn't know it was MC who did it at the time. But there was plenty of circumstantial evidence to guess on, and once there was a leak from within the Defense Bureau an organization who knew it was you formed up.
Ryekie: An internal leak!? You don't mean...!?
Seiichirou: No, I guarantee that it wasn't Col. Ikusabata. I have plenty of contact with him due to the Defense Department being under the Defense Bureau's jurisdiction. He is honest and mindful of social statuses, so he wouldn't lie to me due to my being top management. I checked just in case, but it's clear he is uninvolved.
Huckle: Then...who did?
Exio: It's the Shin Ashihara, isn't it.
Seiichirou: ...so you did figure it out.
Exio: Have you SEEN what they're wearing?
MC: literally who
Ryekie: ...I've heard rumors of them. International hero agencies have called them a threat, a mysterious villain group whose full scope is still unknown. By the way, Ashihara comes from Japanese myth as the land between the heavens and underworld and became another word for Japan.
Danzo: Yeah that's them. Though it's less we haven't figured out their full range and more that the country ISN'T looking into them. (shakes drink) Shin Ashihara is a group of people who are mad that Japan's full of aliens now. Their slogan is "we must secure the existence of our people and a future for Japanese children" "make Japan great again" "the Japanese will take back Japan." All sorts join in, and government workers are unfortunately included in all sorts. You can put two and two together, right?
Ryekie: Oh...so that's why the police and Defense Department can't do anything.
Danzo: There's top brass in deep with that group too, so that's why Milord privately hired me to get you guys after he heard the government summoned MC for a meeting. Our families go way back.
MC: Oh / So, you're really a ninja?
(A) Danzo: Oh wait this part is off the records
(BC) Danzo holds a finger up to his mouth and winks as he whispers "off record."
Seiichirou: There's always things in the shadows of government that can never go public. And "we" know that the Shin Ashihara aren't the only organizations after MC. We feared they would make a move when you came to answer that meeting summons.
Exio: ...I see a lot's happened since I cut contact.
Seiichirou: I couldn't call you guys since HE has his eyes on you. Still, I should have informed you of things earlier of at least this much. But it's very likely he is involved with this case. (side eyes Akashi)
Akashi: ...w-wait what
Seiichirou: ...no. I have no definite proof, and it never was you yourself. Relax.
Akashi: Uhh...
MC: What does that mean?
Seiichirou: I'm almost positive that the one who summoned you to this meeting is a high ranking government official that is part of Shin Ashihara. Their plan was to capture you there, but their mistake was passing things through the National Defense Department. I can't actually stop the meeting, but I can make up a few measures before it.
Huckle: Is that why you went through UEHA to put in a fake business trip request to us?
Seiichirou: ...you figured it out? I'm sorry about the sneakiness. There aren't many who can protect MC, so I believed it best to bring out some members of the agency MC is a part of. You would be able to attend the meeting through that relation, especially now that you are witnesses to that attack. I set it up so that you just happened to be in Osaka for work and now you just happen to be able to go to the meeting.
Ryekie: You're just pulling all the strings, aren't you.
Seiichirou: ...please don't misunderstand. We have no intentions of making you our pawns. MC is as important to us as they are to you. It's why we did what we did.
Huckle: I understand. So, care to explain this group you keep saying "we" and "us" for? I don't want to suspect you, but I'd like to know that at least. You seem to go way back with Exio, and he's part of our agency now.
Exio: ...that was your plan anyway since you had me come too, isn't it?
Seiichirou: We are the Alliance, an underground organization centered around Observers out to take down the Broker.
MC: WHAT
Seiichirou: And there's somewhere I'd like to take you all as part of Plan B.
Exio: ...so we're seeing him? (frowns)
Seiichirou: Don't look like that. The main goal here is to inform MC about their abilities.
Akashi: ...haven't I heard about the Broker somewh--(SUDDEN BRAKE!)--OW WHAT
The space limo is surrounded by other black cars! They're too close to change lanes.
Seiichirou: ...Moriguchi, I thought I told you to be careful on our route earlier.
Driver: ...my apologies. They showed up out of nowhere.
Seiichirou: ...well, it doesn't look like we can shake them off. I suppose we need to "discuss" things with them.
Huckle: How unfortunate that we seem to be heading to somewhere with few people around.
Seiichirou: Yes. I'm sorry, but it seems we'll need you all to fight. Please be ready, things will be touch and go for now about whether we can keep MC safe.
Akashi: ...
MC: Akashi... / Are you scared? / I wish I could do something...
---
(A) Akashi: ...don't worry. I'll keep you safe, no matter what happens.
(B) Akashi: ...you should worry more about yourself. And I'm less scared and more...never mind. I promised I'd protect you no matter what.
(C) Akashi: ...I know how you feel, but you'd be in danger if you went out. Leave it to me. I'll protect you, no matter what.
---
Akashi: Remember what I said back at the park back then? I'll never leave you.
The party is taken to some warehouse district. Evil ninjas surround the car, and one of them comes to knock on the window.
Ryekie: JUSTICE PUNNNNCH! (jumps out the door and blows the mob away)
Evil Red: AAAAAHH
Akashi and Huckle get out on the other side ready to fight.
Huckle: Sorry, we can't let you guys have MC.
Akashi: YEAH! GET LOST!
The evil ninjas pull out their weapons!
Danzo has transformed as is hiding in the car to defend MC.
Exio: The livestream is ready to go. Can you handle the operation?
MC: M-maybe! / I'll do my best! / I'll do what I can!
Exio: Okay. With so many of them, split some of the work to me. Let's get this started then!
BATTLE START
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