Flashback
Cerastium: I once had a friend I saw as way stronger than me. Then a Monster ate her.
reXer: !!
Cerastium (narrating): My friend had more experience than me, and she had way stronger convictions. I admired her and wanted to be like her, but I couldn't do anything when a Monster attacked. Before all was lost...Justice saved me. I still remember that day, though I'm not surprised he doesn't remember me.
Cerastium (narrating): I was saved, but also frustrated at how powerless I was...it's why I bear my shield now, my strength. I will protect anyone and everyone.
Cerastium (narrating): My best friend gave me so many things...along with one serious problem.
One day...
Bestie: Is it that weird to have horns?
Cerastium (narrating): And then the entire class went quiet. My classmates teased me every day. I'd almost look human if it weren't for the horns. I don't think they were doing it to be mean, they just noticed the differences. Pure curiosity and surprise in a way, though it didn't stop me from hating the constant "wow you're weird" comments. I felt like I had to smile since they were too, but then my best friend I won't name for some reason spoke up about it.
Mystery Bestie: Ceras doesn't look like she's enjoying the comments to me.
Cerastium (narrating): Reactions were mixed, but most were like "what's she on about?" Me though...her words meant a lot.
Cerastium: ...you sure about this? What if they mistreat you too?
The Friend Who Won't Be Named: It's cool, it bothers me too when they pick on you for your horns. And it's not like they have to say every mean thought in their heads. I think your horns are cool.
Cerastium: ...thank you.
Cerastium (narrating): She was strong. She could stand up for what she thought was right, even as a minority. I adored her and wanted to walk alongside her. Time passed by fast.
Cerastium: ...I want to do work where I address society's oddities, the way you did for me. I want to defend someone this time.
Bestie: Awesome! And on that note...
Cerastium: Oh, that flier...
Bestie: Yep, I'm gonna take the job test!
Cerastium: Wow! No kidding!?
Bestie: I'm serious! Let's do our best together!
Cerastium: Yeah!
Cerastium (narrating): My friend and I were one day hoping to work in the same place and job together. And then we both managed to get into the riot police. Things were busy, but it felt like we were doing the right thing. But one day I could see her starting to worry, and she said...
Bestie: ...Ceras, I don't think we thought our dreams all the way through. What really IS justice?
Cerastium: What?
Bestie: ...what if you saw someone stealing for example?
Cerastium: I'd arrest him!
Bestie: And what if he was stealing to feed his little girl Space Cosette because he had no money and no job?
Cerastium: Umm...
Bestie: ...sorry about springing a weird question on you. I guess justice isn't that simple.
Cerastium: ...
Bestie: I don't think I can reach out to everyone, so I want to protect the ones I can at least. It's the one way I can think of to figure what justice is. Maybe we should talk about it sometime. I wanna know what your justice is.
Cerastium (narrating): We never got to, and I always thought about her last words and smile. Now I have to think about it again...
Title Card: Pretender of Justice
Present
So there's this one guy sneaking into Raidark's The World Neoaxis server room. They have spare login capsules there for some reason, and an intruder alarm is going off. This guy doesn't give a crap about the alarm as he gets into a capsule.
Inside the game
"Ryekie" is standing somewhere up high with a vantage point before reaching up towards the sky. Graphical noise occurs.
Window: Please insert password. Please insert password. Please insert password.
Area stages flick by.
"Ryekie": ...things are going good. I want things to be perfect when I work.
"Ryekie" clears out the weird error message window and looks at the stages.
"Ryekie": Hmm, halfway point? Whose ass do I kick next then?
Elsewhere
Shaft: Thanks, MC! Let's all work together, everyone! reXer's already attacking, so you and I should go support him, Toshu!
Toshu: Very well! Cerastium, cover us!
Cerastium: Okay!
Blue: Hey wait, I thought their teamwork was supposed to suck!
reXer: Thanks guys, I was almost pushed back there.
Shaft: It's okay, reXer. We're teammates. Anyways, they're open now!
reXer: Right. Toshu, let's go.
Toshu: Hmph, I know.
That high place
"Ryekie": They're still here? Okay, off to stomp them then.
Outside in the server room
A Monster starts spawning in!
Back in the game
MC: Great work guys, we won somehow!
Shaft: Thank you for coordinating us, MC!
Cerastium: You did great on the call outs too, Shaft. We're becoming a team for real now!
reXer: Yeah. Shaft, do you usually fight like that?
Shaft: Oh, uh, it's nothing. Ahaha... I'm just using my rugby playing experience here.
Toshu: Oh yes, I've watched a rugby game at college. I can see how it's similar to hero fights nowadays.
Shaft: I thought so too. With a team focusing on the same goal, I'd like for us to gel together so I do what I can.
reXer: Being a team center's the same anywhere, huh?
Cerastium: Wait...is that your justice, Shaft?
Shaft: That’s a bit much, but it's my policy at least. I've always lived that way, so I want to keep it going.
Cerastium: !! (flashes back to Toshu talking about justice, and then Bestie who doesn't even get a name wondering about justice)
Cerastium: ...people can have different ideas of justice despite going for the same thing. Oh...is that how it is? Thank you Shaft, Toshu!
Toshu: O-okay?
Shaft: Well if it helped.
Cerastium: But then, what's my justice? Hmm...
Beep beep!
MC: Oh, there's another team nearby already!
reXer: Alright, get your head in the game MC! Where are they!?
Shaft: My phone says that way...
Later
Narihito: Hm? Oh hey, MC! Looks like you're moving up steadily! Can I get a comment later?
Kalaski: ...you know you aren't here for interviews, right? Hey MC. You're next? Go easy on us.
Yep, it's them two.
MC: Kalaski, Narihito! / Wow nice clothes today, Narihito / Cool casual outfit, Kalaski
(B) Narihito: Hey, I don't always go around in a heavy jacket! I'm dressing up since I'm not here as a reporter.
(C) Kalaski: Eh, I guess. It's what I wear when I don't need to go to a warzone. Still ready to go take pictures if something neat happens.
Cerastium: MC, is there anyone you DON'T know?
Kalaski: MC's just that famous. And somehow, we get shuffled into teams and I STILL get stuck with this guy...
Narihito: We need each other because of our jobs. Sometimes he comes with me on interviews.
Kalaski: Reminder that I'm a war photographer and not a paparazzi camera dork.
Narihito: Yes, I know. I'd rather not walk into a battlefield, so maybe a gossip piece next...
Kalaski: WHY do we need each other again...?
???: Is the next party here? I think I heard a familiar voice.
It's Alphecca and Lilac!
Alphecca: Ah, MC, pleasure seeing you again.
Lilac: Hello MC, haven't seen you since the flower festival.
MC: Your Majesty, Lilac! / Wow you're dressed a lot more outdoorsy, King / Nice sporty outfit, Lilac!
(B) Alphecca: Haha, this is what people would call my incognito outfit. It's tiring to be in my royal clothes all the time. Rutilix isn't nearby, is he? He kept going on about elegance and dignity.
(C) Lilac: Haha, it's easy to move in and I heard it would be hot here. I'll be here as a hero instead of a florist.
Alphecca: Oh, you know them too, Florist?
Lilac: We helped each other out once. Also could you not refer to me by my job title?
Alphecca: Ahh, I hear about their achievements everywhere in my kingdom.
Toshu: King Alphecca Genma XXI...so you really are a hero as the rumors say.
Alphecca: Hmm. Aren't you from the East on my home planet? You're a king too, so no need for formalities. We are both knights, or heroes as they call them off planet.
Toshu: Uhh...has he gone mad?
reXer: Wow MC, we're up against a team of people you know besides the Operator.
Shaft: You sure have been around.
MC: I guess?
Alphecca: Now that we are all here, shall we begin?
Team Alphecca transforms!
Cerastium: We should transform too! MC!
MC: Okay, here we go!
Team MC transforms! And suddenly, an announcement.
PA System: Teams on standby confirmed. Starting soon. 3...2...bzbbzt
MC: wait what?
The UI window blacked out.
Kalaski: What's going on?
Lilac: Is this some beta bug?
Suddenly Ryekie warps in!
MC: WHAT / uh, why are you here?
Cerastium: J-Justice! Why are you here? ...wait, something's wrong.
reXer: Hey we already fought you, we aren't supposed to fight again. Is there a bug...?
Shaft: Maybe he's here for some other reason? Like he just passed by? He was lost on the way to our match earlier.
reXer: But he teleported. The warp system is supposed to be locked and--!?
Narihito: Um, Justice we're in the middle of something.
Narihito approaches "Ryekie". "Ryekie" holds his hand up to Narihito.
reXer: NO GET AWAY FROM HIM
BOOM
Narihito: OOF
Kalaski: Narihito!
Narihito just got hit with a lightning bolt!
Lilac: What is the meaning of this!?
Alphecca: Get back, Florist!
Alphecca saves Lilac!
Lilac: Ah! ...thank you, Your Majesty.
Alphecca: It's fine. But who is he...?
"Ryekie" turns towards Team MC.
"Ryekie": I really should move things.
MC: what
Toshu: Justice is oddly quiet right now.
reXer: It's not him! The only people who can teleport in this game are--
Shaft: No way!
"Ryekie" warps himself and the party elsewhere.
MC: WHAT
reXer: It's you again.
Shaft: But if he is, why does he look like Justice!?
Cerastium: ...no wait...
"Ryekie": ...Giansar.
Party: ???
MC: who?
Toshu: ...I recognize your strange tricks, cur. Wasn't that what that other hero did? How?
Giansar: Easy. This is a game, and I can hijack bodies here.
reXer: I knew it. You're a hacker!
Cerastium: ...let him go. How dare you toy around with people like this!? Let Justice go! (readies shield)
MC: No wait, it's dangerous to get close to him!
Cerastium: !? Ahh!
Cerastium's charge is stopped by a bunch of lightning striking in front of her!
Giansar: ...chill, Justice ain't dead. I just transferred him. You guys can go there too so I can get my evil plan going on. (smirks)
Shaft: ...careful, we lost to him before.
Toshu: And who knows what he means by what he just said?
reXer: ...then we just have to win.
Giansar: ...ha. Come at me, bro.
MC: Here he comes! Get ready!
BATTLE START (more happens later)
Shaft: Rugby link tackle!
Giansar: You're too slow.
Shaft: What!? He's even faster than before!
MC: reXer, after him! / Toshu, other side! / Pincer him!
---
(AC) reXer: Okay! Toshu, work with me!
---
Toshu: Let's go! RAAAAH!
Giansar: ... (suddenly warps out)
Toshu: What!? AAGH
reXer: AAAH!
reXer and Toshu's attacks bounce each other away!
Toshu: Dammit!
reXer: He keeps getting faster!
Giansar: Losers. Still...
Cerastium: Give Justice back!
Giansar: ...hmph. (warps)
Cerastium: !? Where'd that coward go!?
Giansar warps back in to punch Cerastium in the back of her neck!
Cerastium: oof... (faints)
Giansar catches Cerastium.
MC: Oh no, Ceras!
Giansar: ...you guys are weak, but it's gonna take too long to take you out all at once, so I'll just go on at a time then.
Shaft: Cerastium! You, hold still!
Giansar: You are such a pain in the ass.
Shaft pulls a feint before attacking Giansar. Giansar still dodges him.
Giansar: Her first, then you guys. (runs off with OP speedhax)
Toshu: !? How is he doing that?
reXer: He must be hacking his movespeed.
Shaft: Cerastium!
MC: Wait, you're gonna chase after him!?
Shaft is attempting to chase Giansar at full speed.
Shaft: I'll never let you take her!
Giansar: >:C (speeds up)
Shaft: DAMMIT! Agh...! (falls down)
Giansar: ...hmph. (stops long enough to snort before running again)
reXer: Shaft, we finally caught up with you!
MC: Are you okay!? Don't push yourself, we'll get a chance to save Cerastium.
Shaft lies there and grabs at grass.
Shaft: ...if only I had my space taxi... (looks up to the sky) I can't save her as I am...
MC: Shaft...
reXer: ...giving up? (shakes fist) You taught me to value teamwork! How can you lie there and not try to save her anymore!?
Shaft: !!
reXer: If running won't work, do something else! I don't want to give up on Cerastium, and you are the one who got me to think that way!
Shaft: ...right...we're friends. (slowly gets up) I don't want to give up...I can't stand giving up. We finally became a team, so I don't want it to fall apart now. (looks off in the direction Giansar ran off in)
Shaft: I need more speed. I want the power to save my friends!
Beep beep!
MC: wait what
Phone: New Path detected. Subject: Shaft. Connectivity: Very High.
Shaft: I won't give up on my team...my friends! I promise I'll get Cerastium back!
End of Episode
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