Astosis: I can't go down until the full truth is brought to light!
Judgment BEAAAAM!
MC: Okay WOW. But we're gonna win this!
Gaisei: I'm impressed you still have this much power. Show me everything you have!
Gaisei breaks one of Astosis's Judgment Scales!
MC: Thanks Gaisei! Go team, VP Charge!
Nessen: Thank you! Time for the finale!
Yohack: Full power unlock!
Maculata: All-in aggression!
Astosis: OOF! ...okay, it's finally over.
Astosis is brought to his knees. Gaisei approaches!
Gaisei: How enjoyable. Goodbye.
MC: Stop!
Astosis: !!
Gaisei almost cuts Astosis's throat but stops at MC's command!
Gaisei: Ah, excuse me. I forgot myself in the face of your power.
Astosis: >:(
Gaisei: You've lost, but I see you still have the will to fight. Keep it aflame and fight me again one day.
Astosis: ...fine.
Gaisei looks satisfied and mentally checks out.
Gaisei: Well, he's done. There's still you three to fight with.
Party: >:(
Gaisei: But I suppose we should call it a night. We've fought already. MC, you are truly interesting. Your power is different than what I seek, but no less amazing. I'm going to train myself even more...so next time we can have an even better time.
MC: Come at me, bro / Can't it be peaceful? / (nod)
(B) Gaisei: You mean to curb stomp me completely? How VERY interesting.
Gaisei: Until next time.
And so Gaisei disappears into the night.
Maculata: ...well, that's a crazy one to have on your tail, MC.
MC: It does worry me, but nothing to be done about it. Stuff for next time.
Maculata: Heh, how relaxed. Now...
Astosis: ...why did you stop him from killing me? ...oh, you wanted to do so yourself? Do as you will. Neither the Chasseur nor I can stop you.
MC: No. The stream's off.
Astosis: What are you saying? I already said that I was acting as a Chasseur...
MC: It's already over. What happened has been streamed locally, so people will talk.
Surprised party!
Astosis: W-what are you talking about--
MC: There's no need for an enemy anymore. No Chasseur Astosis...right?
Astosis: !! ...so you noticed?
MC: Somehow, yes. Will you talk?
Nessen: MC, please explain what's going on?
MC: I've been thinking how Astosis's actions seemed inconsistent.
Maculata: Now that you mention it... it was Astosis who posted me by the Poderna when the villains attacked.
Flashback!
Astosis: I'll evac the guests. Maculata, guard the Poderna.
Present
Maculata: He knew the Chasseur were coming, so if he really wanted to steal it he'd have chosen to guard the Poderna himself.
Nessen: Oh, and it was Astosis who sent Yohack and I out from the interrogation room. He already knew MC and I are friends, so he'd have prevented me from acting if he were in agreement with the Chasseur.
Yohack: There's also what he told us when he had us look for evidence!
Flashback!
Astosis: That window is the same as before. The memories are still there... I never forgot about your parents.
Present
Yohack: It's how we solved the mystery!
MC: And it was Astosis who lifted the space region lock, right?
Nessen: He did!? But we were in the middle of fighting...
Maculata: He turned it off and pretended he didn't notice? That would mean...
Astosis: ...truly impressive. I have nothing to add. But why do this? I still cooperated with the Chasseur and pulled you into our situation. I am responsible for what you went through. Shouldn't you be judging me then?
Party: (frowns)
MC: Then tell us the truth about this incident.
Yohack: I-I wanna know too! What happened to you? Did you really want to sacrifice yourself for all this!?
Astosis looks like he might give up for a second.
Astosis: ...why not? It's all over anyway.
Astosis goes to lean against the balcony railing.
Astosis: ...it's nothing special. Just some kid trying hard to end things.
Astosis (narrating): Father was a great attorney, always in pursuit of justice. When Courrèges opened up back in the day, lots of incidents with outsiders occurred. Father did his best to mediate for everyone in and out. I often saw him work at court, boldly digging for the truth. He was my hero, and I followed in his footsteps. I wanted to be like him.
Astosis (narrating): That was around the time I met you, Yohack. Your parents consulted Father about offworld business, and we came to know each other through that. That might've been the last time my life was quiet. I worked hard to become an attorney and finally started working in my father's office when...
Flashback Astosis: No, Dad!
Astosis (narrating): It was like any other day. He went ahead while I cleaned up after breakfast. He wasn't at the office and didn't pick up the phone. I looked for him...and eventually found him dead in the woods near town.
Flashback Astosis: ...trial records and a journal?
Astosis (narrating): Then one day after his funeral, I found his notes about how the Chasseur faked the evidence in his trials. He regretted being unable to stop them and not telling me the truth either.
Yohack: Oh...
Astosis: It's my fault my father died.
Yohack: W-what? No!
Astosis: ...thank you, but I still want it to take responsibility for it. And I wanted to bring justice for him.
Nessen and Maculata frown.
Astosis: I don't remember much after that. The office became mine, and I had no confidence as an attorney. I worked in other offices for years until I got people to trust me. Then I had my first real trial as an attorney as...
MC: ...Yohack's parents' trial.
Yohack: (frown)
Astosis: Correct. I failed, just like my father did. It's my fault I lost family again.
Yohack: Astosis, it's not your fault!
Nessen: Yes! It's the Chasseur who are wrong for faking evidence!
Astosis: But it was still me who stood as their defense attorney! I couldn't acquit them!
Yohack: Astosis...
Astosis: So I swore I'd one day expose them all and judge them. And I became their accomplice to find the truth. It took years working to find information.
Maculata: Which all lead to tonight?
Astosis: Correct. Another conspiracy involving the Poderna to push people to isolationism. I cozied up to get in on the plan before the festival, then got you all in as festival security.
Nessen: Excuse me, why didn't they suspect you of anything and take you off the security team?
Astosis: That was the goal. They did suspect me, I was to be held responsible, and I would be kicked out of town after the foreigners were.
Nessen: O-oh. All according to plan then?
MC: ...wait a minute.
Maculata: Right, if none of us were here, this plot would never have gotten solved. Isn't that a stretch since I was coincidentally here?
Astosis: Perhaps. I had to keep modifying the plan today.
Yohack: w-wait what?
Astosis: ...the original plan was for all the heroes to get arrested deliberately. Once falsely charged and the whole city was watching, I would expose all the Chasseur's deeds.
Maculata: ...so you were going to use us? Why change the plan then?
Astosis: To stream the truth to the whole galaxy. The Chasseur would look clearly like villains in this narrative, and other planets would have to speak up against them. And it was because I saw you again that I thought to change it, Yohack.
Yohack: WHAT?
Astosis: I figured you of all people could open my office safe. If someone else could expose the Chasseur, there'd be no need for the deliberate arrests and trial. I could just say on stream I was a ringleader of this plot and tell the truth. So I still used you all in the end... that should be everything.
Yohack: No, there's still one other thing! Why do you need to be judged? You haven't--
Astosis: Because I didn't do anything. I still let you all be abused horribly knowing it was coming. I still used you all.
MC: Really? Then you wouldn't have bothered protecting us.
Astosis: !?
Maculata: The interrogation, right? You sounded legit then.
MC: Yeah, same as that other time.
Flashback!
Astosis: ...thank you, MC.
Present
Astosis: ...you're just seeing what you want to see.
Astosis looks away.
Yohack: So maybe you used us. You still helped us, though. So tell us what you really feel.
Astosis: ...you are all so nosy. Heh, I've lost completely.
Astosis gives up and smiles.
Astosis: I wanted you to be the one to finish things when I saw you again, Yohack. I should be judged along with the Chasseur for my manipulations of you. I knew what they were doing, and I could not prevent it. You have the right to judge me, so I changed the plan so that you would be the one revealing the truth.
Astosis seems to relax as he closes his eyes, done.
Yohack: ...having that right doesn't make me happy at all!
Astosis: B-but your parents!
Yohack: They're doing great at the planet they moved too! Their business is booming! And my leaving meant I found my own dream too! I'm a master locksmith! You aren't at fault! We all knew you believed in us the whole time, and it meant everything as we made new lives!
Astosis: But I...
Yohack: We're fine! Please start living for yourself.
Yohack grabs Astosis's hands and smiles.
Astosis: Really? But I've been trying to atone all this time...
MC: Yohack said you can! You can stop the one man crusade now.
Maculata: I mean, I'LL hold your using MC against you. But the actual decision on your fate?
Nessen: Yes, that's for the people of Courrèges.
Yohack: It'll be fine! They know how much you care.
Astosis: ...maybe I can be an attorney and hero again. Can I really...?
Yohack: Maybe try visiting other planets then! Muirauqa IV is nice!
Nessen: And for hero work you need to contract with an agency. How about mine, S&S Heroes? We're the service work agency, and they'd love to have an attorney sign on.
Maculata: Oh if you do, I'll need to hire you for consultation work for expanding my business here!
MC: Come visit us on Earth too. Then we can start over getting to know each other.
Astosis: O-okay that's quite a lot...! But living for myself for once? Thank you, I think this is a first for me.
And so Luna shines on Astosis.
Title Card: Conclusion, End Things By Your Hand
Several days later. The Chasseur have been shut down and MC calls in heroes from offplanet to handle guard duty. Cleanup and sorting is done, and now the party is heading back to the space port to go home.
Maculata: Okay that took longer than expected, but it was nice to see the local fashions and Poderna more!
Yohack: I got to talk to people in town! Maybe I'll come visit more often!
Nessen: I'd like to join you on those times. Sightseeing proved informative. Maybe if I orders sheets and curtains from here, my guests will enjoy things even more!
MC: Oh yeah, you ever decide what your event's going to be?
Nessen: Oh, you remember that? I'll be going over specifics with my staff, but perhaps we'll recreate an old hot spring festival.
Maculata: Wonderful! Did Courrèges give you that idea?
Nessen: Yes, something traditional but aggressively new to borrow your lexicon...
Maculata: By all means! I'm looking forward to it!
Nessen: I'll be sure to invite you all when it happens.
Maculata: Nice, I should call up everyone in the office.
Yohack: Me too! Hehe, and on that day...
MC: You wanna go with them, right? Nice. I should ask everyone in my agency too.
Astosis comes over.
Astosis: ...hello, I came to see you off.
Surprised party!
MC: Astosis! Things are done and you can walk around alone now?
Astosis: Yes, I figured I should inform you of such.
Yohack: Yay, we can talk one more time before we go!
Astosis: Heh, yes we can talk after my report. So, the main Chasseur members have been arrested. All past evidence of their misdeeds have been confiscated and the organization has been ordered to disband. Depending on how the trials go, they'll have to reorganize and their power will be reduced. Offworld hero agencies will take charge and make them an anti-villain, anti-Monster group.
Maculata: Nice. That's what they were originally, yes?
Astosis: Indeed. And now there will be initiative for them to exchange knowledge with other planets.
Nessen: I see... I expect next time the town will be even more amazing.
MC: Oh yeah, what's next for you Astosis?
Astosis: Well I'll have my own trial to go through. One of my father's friends will represent me, and the townspeople come visit me in shifts in the meantime. It's how I got permission to come here. The people really have been supporting me.
Nessen: ...that's a lovely thing.
Astosis: Thank you, Nessen. I finally understand what that means. And Yohack...we're finally able to prove your parents' innocence after all this time. The evidence has been presented, so a retrial is set up. My father's friend will also be in charge of it. I can't be in charge myself, but I can at least give information.
Yohack: Awesome! I should call my parents and tell them!
Astosis: Please do. And ask them to visit. They're like family, and I'd like to show them how I've been.
Yohack: We'll all come for sure!
Astosis: And once my trial's been settled, I think I'd like to travel outside for once.
Yohack: What!?
Surprised Maculata and Nessen!
Yohack: Wow, that means we might see each other elsewhere!
Astosis: Yes...I think I have some idea of what I want to do now. I want to bring the truth out for others, so that they don't suffer under falsehoods like Courrèges did.
MC: That's a great dream.
Astosis: It's all thanks to you. MC, if we ever meet again I promise to help you. If you need a hero or an attorney, I'll do my best for you. As thanks.
A gentle wind blows by. The rest of the party gets into a space taxi.
Maculata: You sure you didn't want to take the next space taxi out and talk with Astosis some more?
Yohack: Yeah! I'll be back again with my parents!
Nessen: Wonderful. I'd like to come back too one day...partly for work too, yes, but still.
Maculata: Same. Some day in the future...
MC: I'm sure Courrèges will be a great city.
Courrèges and Luna shine outside the window as the taxi goes, until they fade into the sea of stars.
The End
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