Live A Hero Holy Night's Hot Water Front Line Epilogue

At no point does a title card pop up, so for the record this episode is titled After the Party on Christmas Evening. Anyways, after the work party is over, everyone returns to their individual rooms. You attempt to go to sleep, but this doesn't happen. You give up after a while and head out into the hallway, where you then decide to either go to the foot baths, the hot springs, or take a walk. Each branch is its own ending.

 

In Branch A, Ryekie is there and surprised to see you as he asks if you couldn't sleep. You can see that his cheeks are red and that he appears to be drunk. When you apparently ask about him, he says he couldn't either so he figured he'd have himself a nightcap. He thought about going to the regular baths, but he decided not to since he can’t go alone with his injury and he didn't want to wake Huckle up. He could at least go soak in the foot baths so he came here, and he invites you to join in.

 

You take up Ryekie's invitation and sit next to him, and your breaths come out in a fog that mixes with the foot bath's steam that rises up to the starry sky. Ryekie thanks you for going along with his selfishness today. While he was drunk at the time, he does feel that causing trouble for you and Huckle is something he needs to reflect upon. Still, in doing what he did he was able to be a hero again for a bit. He had to use a bit of his credit, but he's proud that he was able to fight with everyone for a moment.

 

At that point, your phone shines as if prompting you to push the button on it. Ryekie transforms into his alternate form, which he's surprised about given that no villains or monsters are around. He wonders if this means his wish to show you the new form he got thanks to you reached the heavens. He laughs good-naturedly, then extends his hand out. As there's no broadcast going on, Ryekie notes that this form of his is yours alone, and he asks you to not look away from it. To him, wearing clothes meant only for the Christmas season and fighting for a bit in it is the greatest present ever. He thanks you, then asks you to continue fighting with him.

 

Ryekie puts his arm over your shoulder and pulls you closer to him. Even he with his usual loud yelling all the time is quiet at this moment, and all you can hear from him is his heartbeats. Soon you drift off to sleep, holding yourself against his chest like the first time you met him as the branch ends.

 

In Branch B, Nessen is there and surprised to see you. He probably only just had his clothes off since he quickly starts retying his tie when you find him. He quickly apologizes for forgetting his manners, and he mentions that at this time most customers aren't in the baths, so it becomes open to the staff. He's generally the only one who goes in, so he just took a bath and is just coming out. While a lot's happened today, he's let his guard down too much and says it's undignified of him.

 

Nessen collects his things and starts making his way to the door. He excuses himself and tells you to enjoy the bath. He stops after a few steps and turns around as if considering something, and Nessen then offers to wash your back if you don't mind. He used to do work as a bathhouse attendant to make some pocket money, so he's confident he can do that well enough. Nessen is quick to deny having any ulterior motives for suggesting this, then explains he just wanted to express his thanks to you for helping to protect the town he treasures so much.

 

You accept his offer, so Nessen starts rolling up his sleeves and getting ready. He thanks you, then says he'll do his utmost for you. He's shocked when you ask if he's going to take his clothes off, saying it would be rude of him to take a bath with a customer. You start giving him the puppy dog eyes, and he weakly protests to the impropriety of the idea a little longer before he gives in. He does ask that you keep it a secret from the other guests and staff members.

 

Nessen takes his clothes off, though he wraps a towel around himself as a token nod to etiquette. He then joins you in the bath, and when he washes your back later it's as comfortable as he said he'd make it. As the warm steam wraps you up, you and Nessen enjoy the peace as you two have a quiet friendly chat. End of branch.

 

In Branch C, you run into Subaru who is also walking around the resort's quiet central plaza, and he is surprised to see you. He sighs about this meeting since he wasn't expecting it to happen. He's not against it though, and it's way better than him running into Kyoichi. He's surprised when you ask about him having left, which he quickly figures Kyoichi must have told you about. Subaru says he was leaving, but then he changed his mind. Even though he went through all the trouble of getting up, he never got a chance to go to the springs thanks to 'some annoying surprise' by his publishers. Then the Kaibutsu thing happened and forced him into hard labor, meaning he never got to relax.

 

Subaru curtly chooses to end the conversation there and excuse himself. As he turns to leave, you call out to him without thinking about it. Subaru is surprised by this, asking you what you want since you can take a walk on your own. He says he prefers to be alone, then says it's more correct to say he wants to be alone. He's about to say more on that when he stops, blushing and looking down after looking at your face.

 

Subaru talks to himself and says that maybe Kyoichi's flirting rubbed onto him after what's happened, then sighs about it. He then smooths his expression out then turns to you, inviting you to come walk with him if you can't sleep. He visits this hot springs town a lot, so he knows of some observation decks in the area where you can get a good look at the stars that people don't know much about. He offers to take you to one. Subaru has a slightly gentler smile on his face as he guides your forward, and you continue with your walk. It's a mostly quiet walk as Subaru doesn't speak much, but his satisfied looking profile stays as a memory in your mind as the branch ends.

Live A Hero Holy Night's Hot Water Front Line Episode 6

The event stops with the pattern it's been keeping so far by doing away with the starting flashbacks and going straight to the title card. This episode is called Everyone Together.

 

Things then tune in to the Christmas day hero show as Ryekie prompts the children in the audience to call his name out to help him save the day. The children do so, and narration describes how it's been a day since the Kaibutsu elimination, so it's Christmas now. The kids shout as one in response to Ryekie's call, and the show is taking place in the central plaza where the tree was before. A special stage has been set up, and Ryekie is doing his best to make the audience happy.

 

Over in the backstage area they have, Mokdai talks about being worried about how the show would go because of the monster attack, but he's glad that people have come to see it. You talk about how it was a big mess last night, say they’re strong or whatever, then note that it still looks like some people have just left the resort. Huckle says they may be used to Kaibutsu being around, though that sounds bad when you put it like that. But in this age, monsters showing up is an every day thing, and it seems that the idea that if the monsters are exterminated, then everything will be fine. So in that sense, people are strong.

 

Nessen notes that it's true some of the guests have decided to leave, but there's also a lot of people who decided to stay. A lot of people also came in today to stay at the resort too, which he and the staff are happy about. Flamier suggest that it might actually because of the incident the day before that people are here. When people are uneasy, they start wanting to see someone, which applies to adults as much as it does children. So once all the unease passes, everyone starts gathering together to be with each other and comfort one another.

 

Toshu talks about how they don't know how Kaibutsu appear in the world, but with the way things have calmed down at the inn you'd never have guessed they showed up here. That's why he thinks the festivities are continuing. Shouen says it really is best to have children smiling since seeing that calms the heart. Sui says that's all well and good, but she questions whether it was a good idea to have Akashi presenting the show. Since he's frozen up on stage, it looks like Ryekie's had to run things along by himself.

 

A quick cut to the stage shows Akashi freaking out at all the cameras pointed at them, and he stands there with a death grip on the mic while standing upright like some kind of mannequin. You are either concerned that Akashi isn't moving at all, or you comment that he's not doing well. Mokdai sighs and says he put him out there hoping to get him used to it, but welp this idea was a bust. He then starts talking to Akashi through the headpiece and prompts him to start talking since this isn't amateur karaoke hour. Huckle comments it's going to take a while for Akashi to get over his camera shyness, though he notes that he's fine if he doesn't think about the cameras.

 

Another quick cut to the stage has Ryekie ending the show, asking that everyone keeps cheering him on. As he starts walking to the backstage area, Mokdai takes note of this and asks you to get a chair for him. You express surprise at this request and move to grab one. Ryekie nearly collapses when out of sight of the public, so Akashi moves to help support him, although he does find Ryekie to be heavy. Huckle thanks Akashi for catching Ryekie, then tells Ryekie you got a chair for him so he should sit down now. Ryekie nods and apologizes.

 

Ryekie goes to sit down on the chair and exhales deeply. A bit of blood is starting to seep onto the stomach portion of his suit. Mokdai notes that Ryekie really does need some sort of waist supporter for now, and Akashi said he did suggest cancelling the show today as he says Ryekie pushed himself. Ryekie laughs and says so many children came to see him today. He wanted to give them what they wanted, even if it was a little reckless. That said, he does admit to going overboard the day before, then asks for water because he's hung over. You comment that it's a combination of a hangover and his injury, say he's hurt all over, or just give him the water. C gets an extra line where Ryekie thanks you, then apologizes for making you fuss over him.

 

Huckle comments that Ryekie is amazing in a lot of ways to put on a brave face on stage despite his current state. Ryekie says Huckle's punches hurt when he hit him on the right side of his face, though he admits he was the one who made him mad. Huckle responds that he said he'd punch him two or three times so he should be glad Huckle decided to only punch him once. He also says Ryekie's not the type to get anything from words alone. Ryekie comments he knows him so well after knowing him for so many years. Huckle says that's a weird way to compliment someone, but he calls himself an idiot too for sticking with him despite all the grief. Ryekie laughs and says he's the one sticking with him and says it's fine for dopes to stick together. Huckle suggests he change if he knows he's stupid, then laughs too.

 

Akashi is confused by the turn from scolding to laughing between Huckle and Ryekie, then calls them weird. Mokdai points out that Huckle is still the boss, then suggests that some things get across because you've been together with someone for so long. Maybe the same thing will happen for the rest of you guys if that much time passes with you all together, though he doesn't know right now. Akashi wonders about that, and you say you both do and don't want to know, think about it being a deep bond, or say you'll know one day. B and C has Akashi baffled by your expression as he asks what you know.

 

Some time later, Nessen comes by and thanks Ryekie for putting on the show despite his condition. He also thanks everyone for all their help in saving the town. It's because of you all that the town stands to see another day, and Nessen bows deeply to everyone. Ryekie laughs and says Nessen doesn't need to bow that often, then says they did what heroes should naturally do. Things like saving people and protecting places is pretty much their mission, and Ryekie says he feels all the heroes here are thinking the same thing.

 

Akashi, Mokdai, Toshu, Shouen, and Flamier all smile and nod. Ryekie points out that Nessen became a hero because he wanted to protect the town and the people coming to it. That makes them friends who carry the same mission and are moving in the same direction in life. Nessen has to think about that for a moment before he agrees that it's probably true and smiles back at everyone.

 

Nessen talks to you and Huckle and says that if there's ever anything he can help you guys out with, you can ask him to help. Just as you've come together to help protect his town, he'll come help protect your city. Huckle nods and thanks him, asking him to do as he sees fit. You say you'll count on him for sure, ask him not to jump out next time, or say you wanna see his cool outfit again. In A, he nods and says please do. In B, Nessen laughs about you going at that point about him and says he'll try not to think too much about it. In C, Nessen is surprised by the comment before he says you're good at flattering people. He then thanks you shyly and says he's not used to people complimenting his looks.

 

Anyways, Nessen has an idea come to mind at that moment and has a suggestion for you guys. This isn't meant as an apology, but since you guys have gotten hurt over the course of the incident, he suggests you guys relax the day's stress away. He also offers to open up a banquet hall for you guys if you'd like. Mokdai is thrilled at the idea and thanks him. Huckle attempts to politely decline the party hall suggestion, but Ryekie argues that they ought to take up Nessen's kindness. A party at a hot springs sounds awesome! He turns to Akashi and Mokdai and says they should do it and let him thank them. He wants to help and thank you all, which is the wish he had during that battle.

 

Huckle asks if that was the wish that led Ryekie to transform since he's surprised that such a sudden wish can trigger one. He admits that it did happen though, but it's not something his path finding ability can do anything with. He then wonders if that means you have that ability as he mutters to himself, looking sternly at you. You notice him looking at you and ask in concern if something is wrong, so Huckle says it's nothing, asking you to not worry about it. You still wonder about it though.

 

Huckle talks about how he gives you work in the business since he trusts in your communication ability, but he finds it strange sometimes how things always go well despite how shameless you are. But anyways, Huckle decides that they can accept Nessen's offer since he's making it already. You guys never did get to have any time to visit the baths yesterday and you luckily have the day off tomorrow. He then tells Nessen that they will go ahead and use the banquet hall then.

 

Nessen nods and says he'll serve you guys to the best of his ability. Akashi cheers about going to the hot springs today, especially since Toshu and the teachers will be leaving today. Toshu informs him that they're also planning on leaving tomorrow actually and teases him about trying so hard to not bathe with him. Akashi is taken aback by this and tries to hide his shock by pretending to be happy about this, so Toshu sighs about how obvious he is. He says he won't harp about the report and says he can relax. Toshu says Akashi does need to work hard at his studies, but he needs to take breaks too. He then compliments Akashi for his efforts this incident.

 

Akashi is surprised at Toshu being nice and offers to wash his back as he thanks him. Toshu is taken aback by this sudden change in attitude and tells him trying to butter him up won't help with his grades. Flamier notes that it's not often that Toshu acts nice to any of his students, and Shouen says lots of odd things happen at New Years. You wonder if it'll snow, suggest going to the baths together to Akashi, or say you want to go with the teachers. In A, Toshu gets shocked as he asks if you're making fun of him and threatens to discipline you. Shouen has to tell him to calm down since the children outside will hear him. In B, Akashi blushes at the suggestion, declining at first but adding that he's not against it. Sui asks why he's blushing so hard, so Akashi says he isn't and tells her to stop staring. In C, Toshu is surprised, but if you're offering to wash his back he won't say no. Shouen notes that Toshu has accepted you and says he'll join too if you're fine with the long bath.

 

Sui floats the idea of going back on her own since she's worried a second day stay will cause trouble for her teacher. A female voice responds to that and asks who would be troubled by that, and Sui is surprised to hear her teacher's voice and asks where she is. Mokdai tells her that Maculata/Begonia isn't actually there. He just got on the phone with her and now has the speakers turned on as he shows it to her. Her teacher's voice is described as a bit mellow.

 

Anyways Maculata/Begonia sighs and says Sui is still in her late teens, and that she'll age herself if she worries so much about things. She herself will be fine, and conveniently enough she's got a project she'd like to concentrate on by herself until tomorrow. Sui might as well have some fun and act like a kid for once since she tries to act mature the rest of the time. Sui is surprised, then says she will.

 

Mokdai suggests to Sui that she enjoy the trip with you guys for a while longer since she's here. She nods and agrees after a moment, and you wonder what sort of person Sui's teacher is, invite Mokdai to the baths later, or invite Sui to the baths. In A, Mokdai asks about you having not met her and says you probably will sooner or later. Mokdai then describes Sui's teacher as a competent adult and obsessed with fashion so she can be strict. She's also someone with fur like him, so whenever they meet she brushes his fur for him and tells him to take better care of it. In B, Mokdai is surprised by the invite and wonders if he'll be okay and not get strangely nervous. Sui then asks if he's okay since he's sweating so much. In C, Sui is surprised and asks why you guys have to go together. She's not saying no though, but she'd prefer the reserved bath since she's embarrassed about the public one.

 

Camera shifts to Subaru, who is hanging around quietly in the central plaza. With the show over, the children who came to watch start leaving and walk around Subaru. Subaru looks as surly as ever as he turns around and starts heading to the station. A voice calls out to him and asks if he's not going to say anything to anyone. Subaru turns around to find Kyoichi talking to him, so he asks why he's here since he figured he'd be with everyone else backstage.

 

Kyoichi says he's the type of guy who wants to enjoy things in the same way children do, so he's been in the audience the whole time. Subaru comments that it does sound like him since he chose to be an elementary school teacher. Kyoichi asks again if he's leaving and says he thinks it'd be good if Subaru said something to the rest of you first. Subaru is surprised as he thinks he said enough yesterday and asks what more needs to be said. Kyoichi sighs at how laconic he is and asks if he's ever thought about networking some more.

 

Subaru says he has a day job just like how other heroes do, and his involves quietly writing a bunch of sentences so he doesn't need to talk to other people. And since he doesn't need to talk to other people, he doesn't need to deepen his relationships because of how pointless it is. Subaru also adds that he's bad at talking with people anyways. Kyoichi laughs and says that for all of Subaru's arguments, the biggest issue he presents is the thing he ends on. He calls him as shy as ever, though he's actually reassured that Subaru never changed that part about himself. Subaru gets annoyed at that and tells him to stop as he heads off.

 

Subaru walks a few steps before he suddenly stops. Kyoichi asks about this, so Subaru says that while socializing isn't needed for his job, he spins around with a small smile and says it's not as bad as he thought to have a friend he can rely on. It's something that came to mind from the day's events yesterday, and he thanks Kyoichi. Kyoichi is surprised by this, so Subaru immediately denies he said anything and says he'll see him later. Kyoichi watches Subaru walk off again mouth agape for a moment before commenting on how Subaru's never upfront with his feelings.

 

Camera follows Subaru as he walks into some dim alleyway near the resort's entrance as if trying to avoid people's eyes. He takes a look behind him and sighs before calling out, saying he knows he's been watched, which is why he went into that alley. He suggests that whoever was tailing him show themselves. A voice responds, mildly surprised at being noticed and says that a novelist's observational skills truly are high.

 

Exio reveals himself, then jokes that calling what he did monitoring them to be an ugly way of describing things. Couldn't he have just called it seeing him off instead? Exio then greets Subaru by name, prompting Subaru to say he doesn't want him to be acting so buddy buddy with him. Exio seems surprised by the reaction as he comments on being hated, and Subaru says that while he is a misanthrope, he tells Exio he's filed him under a special category to hate as he faces him and glares.

 

Subaru decides to go the direct route and asks if Exio is responsible for this event. Exio does not make any attempts to deny it right away and asks why Subaru thinks so. Subaru explains that he found an ether crystal in the Kaibutsu's remains, which should make for a possible lure for them. Small as it is, he definitely found it in the tree's roots. It's not enough on its own to be an effective lure though. Subaru then suggests that if there was a bunch of these crystal fragments buried into the soil and taken in by the tree, it might work.

 

Subaru starts talking about how analysis has found ether crystals to be formed of something very similar to the ether that fills the universe. That's why ether crystals are called as such. Ether can also be found in the atmosphere and water on Earth, which means it's not unthinkable for a tree to absorb dissolved ether crystals. If this hypothesis is true, then it's possible there were a lot more fragments buried underneath the tree, enough to draw the attention of Kaibutsu.

 

Exio nods at the reasoning, so Subaru continues talking about how this brings up the question of why it took some time for the Kaibutsu to appear instead of the moment the tree was planted. There is a noted time lag until the monsters appeared, which Subaru figures to mean that there was something else to trigger their appearance. Subaru then says he once witnessed Exio doing what looked like bringing monsters over, though he's not sure how he did it. He then asks Exio if he knows what he's getting at, but Exio stays quiet.

 

Subaru says it's the same as leaving bait out for insects in some enclosed space, by which he means there has to be a hole for them to enter through. If it's necessary for there to be some sort of path to be opened to whatever fresh hell they come from for the Kaibutsu to be here, then it would fit if said path was made by someone like Exio who has a superpower. Subaru also points out that Exio is present here. He admits it only amounts to circumstantial evidence, but it's enough to be suspicious of him.

 

Exio complements Subaru saying he's both great at writing books on human nature as well as mystery novels. He also says he's amazed by Subaru's deductive and observational abilities. But that said, Exio informs Subaru that his reasoning is wrong due to overlooking something. Subaru asks about this, so Exio brings up Subaru's reasoning that a path had to be made to lure the Kaibutus using ether crystals. Exio then questions why the monsters showed up so much in town if that were the case. If Subaru's reasoning were correct, it'd have to mean that there are as many summoners as there are monsters. Would things really be so convenient for them every time? And are there really that many path creators out there in the universe?

 

Subaru is unable to explain that away, so Exio goes on and says that even if someone doesn't open a hole for them, the Kaibutsu can create their own paths if some other condition(s?) is/are met. Wouldn't that idea be more natural? Exio then denies having done anything in this incident. He just came to watch things out of curiosity. Subaru questions how true that is and brings up the possibility of other motives, but Exio looks surprised as he denies it, saying he wanted to know what happened to the tree in the end. He talks about how the tree was brought in from another planet, and on the way the transporter got mixed up with some ne'er-do-wells who hid a large stash of ether crystals in the tree's roots as part of a black market deal.

 

Exio mentions that ether crystals are a bit hard to move around the market due to a certain hero who has a chance at directly coming into contact with Kaibutsu (...I think that's what the reason he says means). Those who can't do business with heroes used some other route to move the crystals, and they decided to make some money by smuggling it in by hiding it under the tree. Exio comments that the idea is fine so far since hiding it that way covers a lot of area. What they didn't account for was the tree absorbing the crystals, leaving behind what can barely be described as fragments. The smugglers were shocked at this, so the tree was sent over as it was originally ordered to be, and they left with their brilliant plan a failure.

 

But anyways, the tree then became a Kaibutsu-luring tree, the great gathering of people, heroes, and Observers acted as a trigger, and the rest is history. That's the gist of things, and Exio reiterates that he's not the criminal behind this incident. Subaru looks put out as he thanks Exio for explaining. He sighs and looks down for a second, then reaffixes a glare at Exio. He asks if Exio is okay with talking about all that since he now has new suspicions. Why does Exio know all this? The amount of details he gave makes it sound like Exio has some connection to the crystal smugglers, and Subaru asks him what that connection is.

 

Exio says he can't tell him, but he concedes that he did talk too much about that. He says he shouldn't go talking so much and chalks it up as a habit that comes from being a masseur. Exio then adds that he doesn't actually need to worry though. If he ever has a slip of the tongue, he can just have the memories of it erased. Subaru is surprised and asks what he means by that, but Exio signals to someone else in the area. A voice calling him Master Exio responds from the dark, described as a young girl or lady's voice. They don't show themselves, though they release some sort of pale light that fires off for a moment. Subaru attempts to run, but something pricks his head. His vision darkens, and Subaru soon passes out.

 

A few hours later, Subaru wakes back up in the alleyway near the gate to the resort 'for some reason.' He doesn't feel ill or anything, and he isn't hurt, so it's like he just conked out cold somehow. Subaru questions what he was doing and why he's in that alley, but he decides to just go home since he'd rather not see his publishers again. He dusts himself off and picks his things up before walking over to the station. Exio peeks out from wherever and comments that being too perceptive can be a problem.

 

Back at your end of things, it is now evening while the people of Parallel Flight is in one of the small banquet halls in the hot springs inn. Luxurious dishes are brought in one after another and piled onto the table. Akashi is surprised at how high class the food is and asks if it's really okay to eat it. He also comments that this is the first time he's seen a fancy ass sashimi boat. He recognizes some of the fish as bonito, then asks in amazement if some of it is abalone since he's never had that before. You either comment on how excited he is, compare him to a little kid, or call him cute. In A, Akashi gets embarrassed and says he's just surprised, not excited. In B, Akashi gets embarrassed and tells you not to treat him like a kid. In C, Akashi sputters and calls you a jerk for making fun of him.

 

Sui says she doesn't like raw fish, so she offers hers to Akashi. Akashi is taken aback and says she'll be cursed for bringing up her preferences at a time like this, though he accepts the fish anyway. Mokdai suggests Sui have some of the stew that's there if she doesn't like raw fish and says he'll give her some. Sui then comments on the flavoring of the bok choy and is happy to have extra of it since she likes it. Mokdai is surprised at her tastes and comments as such.

 

You ask if it's okay to eat before the toast, ask about Sui skewing heavy to one side in her choice of foods, or comment that Mokdai likes taking care of people. B gets extra lines where Sui doesn't feel her diet is unbalanced, but she has been often told she has a lot of particulars in her likes and dislikes. If she doesn't pay attention, she won't eat fish or meat at all. Then she thinks to ask Mokdai if it's okay to eat before Ryekie gets there. C has different extra lines where Mokdai is surprised by the observation and says the stew was just sitting in front of him, so he had in on the brain. Since he wanted everyone to see how good it is, he started doling it out without thinking about it. Sui then asks if it's okay to be eating before Ryekie gets there.

 

In any case, Mokdai notes that Ryekie isn't here yet, and the stew just keeps stewing. Akashi says he is pretty late, so he wonders if something happened. The sliding screen doors open with a bang right on cue as Ryekie walks in, leaning on Huckle's shoulders. Ryekie apologizes loudly for keeping you all waiting since he ended up taking a lot of time in the bath. Huckle says that since Ryekie couldn't move much, he went to help. Dressing Ryekie took some time.

 

Mokdai remembers that Ryekie said something about going to the bath after work, and he says it was pretty tough. Akashi asks if he went to the big public bath, though since they didn't pass each other he asks if he went to a different one. Huckle answers that he was in the private open air bath since they were worried about Ryekie being in the public one with his injury. Sui says it must have been cramped with the two of them, so you either express sympathy, say a bath with Ryekie sounds nice, or gulp at the thought of bathing with Huckle. B gets extra lines where Ryekie seems excited by the idea and suggests going later and washing each others' backs since he doesn't mind at all. Huckle protests that he does mind since he thinks it'd be a lot of effort for you to look after Ryekie. In C, Huckle seems okay with the idea and says he hasn't gone in to relax since he's been busy with Ryekie. He then asks why you're making a face at him.

 

Anyways, Huckle prompts Ryekie to sit down and mentions he got a taller floor cushion for him. He then asks Mokdai to call for the drinks since everyone is here now. Mokdai proceeds to do so, so the drinks that have been ordered earlier get brought in. Once everyone has their glasses, the end of the year party is ready to go. The Japanese looking banquet room has a bit of a Christmas mood to it what with the champagne and turkey present too.

 

Ryekie asks Huckle to make the pre-toast speech. Huckle is taken aback at this and protests that he's not good at this. Ryekie points out that Huckle is the company director, so he tells him to puff his chest out and get on with it. Huckle concedes the point and picks his glass up, thinking for a moment before he starts speaking again.

 

Huckle thanks everyone for a job well done over the year. First you were added to the office, then Akashi joined in as a part timer. Mokdai became a hero after that too, so there's been a lot of changes to the company. If you all come together along with Sui's fashion business supporting you guys, then he feels that next year will become even better. He hopes you'll all work well together. Everyone else raises their glasses too, and Huckle makes the toast. You and everyone say cheers. The holiday party begins as warm light spills to the outside where a chilly wind is blowing. The moon and stars shine down on the world, blanketing the cheerful voices of the people and the hopes of children for the next day. The pleasant time passes, and as the year comes to an end, the new year approaches. The End (except for the epilogue).

Live A Hero Holy Night's Hot Water Front Line Episode 5

Another flashback starts up again, this time back to the park incident at the point where Ryekie got stabbed by a Kaibutsu before it died for real. Huckle tells Ryekie to sit down and stop moving while he calls for a doctor, and Ryekie apologizes as he moans. Flashback flashes forward to the point after Ryekie gets hospitalized where some doctor tells Huckle that the injury isn't healing, so he shouldn't expect Ryekie to get back to hero work anytime soon. In fact they think he'll need rehabilitation just to walk and run again. Huckle apologizes to the doctor saying he put Ryekie through too much.

 

A little bit later, Ryekie apologizes to Huckle for causing him to apologize when Ryekie was just doing what he wanted to do. Huckle says it's fine and that he painfully understands how much Ryekie wants to go back to being a hero as soon as possible. For now though, things are probably going to be hard since Ryekie will have to put up with his current state, even if he starts moving without thinking about it. And while it might be hard on him, Huckle asks Ryekie to focus on getting medical treatment for now, so Ryekie agrees.

 

Ryekie then starts taking over narration and talks about his promise to his close friend to get his injury fixed. Because of that promise he held himself back, no matter how much he wanted to jump out there and fight. He did his best to bear it, leave things to his kouhai, and work the cameras. But there was never a day where the camera wouldn't shake. He is the man with the strongest sense of justice, which is why he is Zap The Justice, the Thundering Voice of Justice. And as such, having to stop himself from reaching out to the situations unfolding in front of him was harsh to deal with. No matter how hard his kouhai fought, it was even harder that he could not go and help. He knows he's being selfish if he were to say this, so he won't. But still...he wants to go back to being a hero even a second earlier so much that he can't stand it.

 

Title card pops up, and this episode is called the Holy Night's Hot Water Front Line.

 

We then pick back up from last time where Ryekie is roaring loudly. The entire party is stunned silent by this, and Nessen is the first to find his voice again as he asks Ryekie what's going on. Akashi says that was freaky as Ryekie was louder than normal, then asks what's happening with him. Ryekie starts laughing, still slurring a bit as he says his throat is feeling great and that for some reason he's feeling so good you guys. You try to talk to Ryekie as you take note of the slurring.

 

Ryekie takes note of your expression and asks why you're looking at him so funny. He then points out that juice is still dripping off from your or his head and licks some of it off, then says it has a shocking taste. Ryekie hiccups and moans a little, and you either comment on how red his face is, call him a clingy drunk, or decide to try rubbing at his jaw. In A, Ryekie asks if it's really that red and says it's always been like that as he laughs. In B, Ryekie attempts to deny that he's drunk, but then he takes it back since he says he can't tell if he is. In C, Ryekie is surprised and asks why you're doing that before he says it feels nice and starts purring.

 

Huckle notes that Ryekie is totally buzzed out of his skull now. Mokdai says he's getting the feeling that Ryekie seems powered up compared to standard drunkenness, then wonders if he's okay. Huckle says of course it isn't as he directs everyone's attention back to the mutant possessed tree monster as it roars, and Mokdai remembers with a start that you guys are in the middle of a battle. Akashi warns him that the thing is attacking again and tells him to be careful.

 

The Kaibutsu starts toying with the party as it attacks everyone from above with its branches and below with its roots, and Akashi and Mokdai have their hands full desperately dodging the attacks. Ryekie goes oh no at this and says he's coming to save them, and you ask in shock what he intends to do when he says save. Ryekie argues that he can do something about those branches even unarmed if this is how hard the monster is attacking, but Huckle tells him to stop since he's still not recovered enough to move well. He'd only be a burden on the party if he went out now, so Huckle orders him to stay put.

 

Ryekie continues attempting to argue, saying he has a duty to protect and raise the others, so he can't stand by and let them die. Huckle says he isn't telling Ryekie to abandon the others, but he says it'd be better for him to not think he can intervene in this. He's just drunk with a mood boost, and Huckle argues that if Ryekie were thinking clearly he'd agree he wouldn't be able to help here.

 

With no outlet for his frustrations, Ryekie starts cursing as he bangs his fists against the ground. He asks desperately if there really is nothing he can do to help, at which point your phone gives off a small light. The command window says a new path has been found for R__, but the strength is at its weakest. You take note that this is happening again and wonder what's going on. Huckle tells Ryekie with sympathy that he unfortunately can't do anything now, so he should stop since he's injured. Huckle then turns to you and asks you to step back while he takes over, then he returns to operating the battle.

 

On the front line party's side of things, Subaru notes that having attacks come from below is getting to be problematic. He tries to write something to make them stop, but a root jumps from below and blows him back. Nessen calls after him in concern before he starts concentrating the views into the water around his oarsword thing to heat it up. When he finishes charging, he attacks the monster. This has little effect, and Nessen asks why it didn't and why his water sword didn't heat up much. The monster slaps him back for his troubles.

 

Akashi notes that his fireballs are getting smaller while Mokdai notes that their damaged suits aren’t repairing themselves. Sui goes to check the control panel on the camera to check the view stats, and she reports that the view count has gone down a lot. Comments are saying the live is boring them too. You ask if people aren't watching any more and say that's bad. Akashi is outraged at the bored comments giving how hard you guys are fighting. Mokdai tells him that the camera only conveys a little bit about what's going on in the battle, so they can't blame the audience for that.

 

Akashi tries to voice his thoughts on the asshattery of it, but the monster's attacks keep him from getting that far before knocking him back. Mokdai attempts to retaliate, but when he punches the tree his fist armaments start turning brittle and crack. The tree attacks Mokdai back, and the force of this sends him flying into a nearby pond. Ryekie gets pissed at this, but you try to talk Ryekie out of charging in since he can't fight.

 

Ryekie grinds his teeth in frustration and his true feelings slip through, possibly due to how drunk he is. He shouts to the sky, as if asking for anyone out there for help. He curses and yells asking if he really can't fight even this one time. Your phone shines in response, which surprises you. The window is a lot brighter this time as the window now informs you about finding a new path for Ryekie with the strength being very high. You voice your surprise at the strength reading, which catches Ryekie's attention as he asks you what's going on.

 

You tell Ryekie about the new path, so Ryekie presses for details about the 'new' part and asks if that means it'll be different from his usual hero form. Huckle is also surprised by the mention of a new path as he asks if that means Ryekie has a new wish or if a new possibility has been found for him. He then wonders what the new wish could be and why it started at this particular time. Akashi yells out to Huckle that the monster is going for him now, which takes him by surprise since he was distracted.

 

The tree monster's branch starts pulling Huckle up as it makes splintering noises, then starts trying to strangle him. The pain is visible on his face, and he chokes out a little bit about being unable to breathe as he attempts to pull the branch off his airway. Unfortunately he is unable to pull them back in time as he passes out, and his arms flops to his sides. You call out to Huckle, as does Ryekie. Mokdai attempts to attack and free Huckle in a rage, but the lowered view count also lowers his strength, meaning his attack had no effect. Nessen tries next, but the tree quickly regenerates from any damage he inflicts

 

Ryekie watches Huckle and the party trying desperately to save him with regrets on his face. At the rate things are going, Huckle really will die of suffocation. He yells that he can't possibly hang back any more, and his eyes light up with a new determination. He turns to you, then begs you to use the new path to transform him. You have reservations despite the situation between Huckle getting mad at him for going and your concern over Ryekie's own health. Ryekie says both concerns can be left for later since right now since both his kouhais and his sworn friend who always saved his life are all in danger. He can't sit back anymore and chew on his nails, and he'd be this way even if he weren't drunk. He begs you one more time to send him out there to battle.

 

Ryekie looks at you with such seriousness in his eyes you wouldn't tell at first glance he was drunk. Your phone glows even brighter, and when you look at how Huckle and the party is holding up, it's clear you can't delay any longer here. You agree to let Ryekie fight since there's no stopping him, though you do warn him to not push himself. Ryekie thanks you, then apologizes for burdening you before asking for the transformation to go through. You tap the confirm button as your phone glows with a different light than usual, and this difference surprises you.

 

A different light wraps around Ryekie than the one that activated his transformations up until now, red as opposed to whatever it is normally. Akashi notices in surprise that Ryekie is transforming, and Mokdai can tell something is different. When the light disperses, Justice starts yelling about an end of the year revival and says his wish is a toast to the monster's downfall. Then he declares himself as Zap The Justice. Narration describes him as wearing red instead of his usual skintight suit and carrying a sensu fan.

 

Mokdai is both surprised by the new form and its timing, and Akashi asks if Justice is really going out like that since the sash on him looks to be the only thing supporting his injury. Mokdai can tell the sash seems to be a Parallel Weapon and suggests it might be protecting that injury. Akashi is baffled at how random that is and comments that Parallel Weapons really can come in all shapes and sizes.

 

Ryekie declares that's enough greetings and tells the monster to let go of his friend Huckle already. He opens up his fan and holds it above himself, and lightning starts crackling towards it. Ryekie then calls out his attack Electro Slash and swings down with his fan, shooting a lightning blade wrapped around a gust of wind at the monster's branches. The branches are cut through and lose their power, which drops Huckle with a thud as wakes up surprisingly fast from that.

 

You call out to Huckle and ask if he's okay since it sounded like he had a painful landing. Huckle seems only mostly jostled from the impact, but he tells you he's okay and the brief lack of oxygen is making him dizzy. He can stand though. Huckle then notes with confusion that Ryekie saved him and that he looks different than normal, so he asks you what's going on. You shrug and say you don't know.

 

Ryekie apologizes to Huckle for breaking his promise, saying he couldn't stop himself when he saw that Huckle was in danger. Huckle is surprised, and Ryekie promises to go back to upholding what he had originally promised him once the battle is over. He then asks Huckle to watch over him for this battle. Narration notes that Ryekie's eyes are focused on the monster as he says all this while Huckle is flabbergasted. You talk to Huckle and ask what he thinks.

 

Huckle sighs and calls Ryekie incorrigible, even if he did it to save his neck. He scratches at the back of his head before he shouts over to Ryekie, warning him to be careful of any attacks going for his stomach. It's still his weak point, even if he has a Parallel Weapon guarding it. Ryekie is moved by this, and Huckle adds that he has a lot of things he wants to say to him, but he'll save it for later. He also tells Ryekie to be ready for him to hit him two or three times then, then ends it by thanking him for saving him and to not get hurt any more than he is. Ryekie thanks him back as the two smile and nod at each other before Ryekie focuses back on the tree monster.

 

Sui reports that Ryekie's transformation brought back the audience and the view count is climbing. This is accompanied by everyone's suits and weapons fixing themselves back up. Ryekie loudly challenges the monster to bring it, but he starts swaying in place for a bit before he tries to stand straight again. Nessen notes that he hasn't sobered up, then asks Justice if he can actually fight yet. Ryekie insists that he can and that he just felt tired for a second. He totally can help fight the thing he says, before hiccuping and groaning a little. You note that he's still buzzed and are concerned about whether this is okay.

 

The monster roars as it regens the damage done to it before glaring at the party and resuming its attack. Subaru stares pointedly at Huckle and Ryekie's conversation while he fends off the attacks. Akashi is defending himself nearby and eventually asks why Subaru is glaring at them. Subaru denies glaring at them and says he just has resting bitch face, but there was something else on his mind. Akashi prompts him to go on, so Subaru says he was just thinking that it's really nice how there's such a deep bond of trust built between the two of them.

 

Akashi is surprised by this, so Subaru says it's nothing and asks him to forget about it. Anyways, now that another hero has joined the battle they should get back to focusing on the fight. Akashi agrees and calls to Mokdai, who nods and comments to himself he'd like to take a good look at Ryekie's new form later on. Sui tells him she has a good idea what he's thinking about, but she tells him to concentrate or else he'll be in danger. Mokdai says he is, then asks Sui to put in the video time shift substitute in. You tell everyone it's time to resume the battle and to fight hard. Everyone acknowledges it as the episode battle launches. More story happens afterwards.

 

After the battle, the Heroic Educators show up. Kyoichi apologizes for keeping you guys waiting and says they're here to help. Akashi notes their presence, and Kyoichi compliments Akashi for doing so well. When Kyoichi turns to Subaru, Subaru gets a bit huffy about how late he is. Kyoichi is taken aback by this reaction and calls him a grump with no appreciation for friendship.

 

Toshu asks how the battle is going, so Huckle tells him there was a rough spot earlier, but you guys made a comeback. The monster tree thrashes around, and Toshu comments that it's shrunken quite a bit, so there's only a little bit left to go. Flamier laughs and says there's a lot of sulfur here, meaning she can grow a lot of flowers here, which prompts Toshu to ask her to be gentle.

 

Shouen asks Huckle in surprise about Ryekie as he points to him standing in front of the monster. Kyoichi is shocked by this and asks about how he's supposed to be resting at the moment for his injury, so you either say it's a long story or wonder where to begin explaining. Huckle suggests leaving the explanation for later and asks for the teachers to help them out for now. Kyoichi agrees, still surprised, and he notes that Justice looks different and wonders how that happened.

 

Ryekie yells that there's no time to be talking now, then calls for an all out attack. Toshu agrees, though he is taken aback at how spirited Ryekie is being. Subaru observes that the teachers all looked confused, but that's only natural when they had the same reaction at first too. The monster's attack forces him to set his thoughts aside, so Kyoichi tells him to duck as he swings in from behind him to cut down the tree branches with his protractor ax.

 

Kyoichi laughs and tells Subaru that it's dangerous to be thinking of other things during a fight. Subaru gets irritated as he says that's how his weapon works and that Kyoichi knows full well about that. Kyoichi says he knows and just wanted to make a joke. Subaru says it fell flat and that he ought to study up on those. Kyoichi clicks his tongue in response about how harsh Subaru is all the time, then warns him to watch his back. Before he jumps further in, Subaru calls to him and stops him. He takes a moment to process through his embarrassment before he thanks him for saving him. Kyoichi nods, saying it's natural to help your friends.

 

Meanwhile, Flamier is bombing the hell out of the tree and is by all appearances getting off on the explosions as she says how beautiful they are and asks for more of them to bloom. Akashi is off to the side trying to dodge the blasts since they're wide enough to reach his position. Toshu says no one can stop Flamier once she gets like that, so he tells Akashi to do his best not to get burned down since it'll be a problem if he dies before he turns in a new report. Akashi is shocked at both the suggestion of being burned to ashes and how Toshu's focus on the report is making him sound like an ass.

 

Mokdai talks about how dangerous Flamier's attacks are, but they are quickly wearing down the monster. Shouen writes the kanji for Brittle to cast a defense debuff on the tree trunk, which he notes will be temporary. He then tells Mokdai to aim for the center, which should expose the core. Mokdai nods as he goes for it, throwing his finisher at it. Subaru follows up when the attack lands as he writes out "the hole will stay open as it hardens." A giant core is exposed due to the attack as it shines in a pale light, and Subaru's casting forces it to stay exposed.

 

Akashi is surprised at how big the core is, and Toshu says that if he were to break it with his swords the force required might break his bones. Flamier notes that she doesn't have enough materials to make a bomb big enough to destroy the thing. Shouen suggests that trying to use lesser attacks to damage the core won't be enough since the monster can heal it off before you guys can smash it first. Mokdai says that would mean you guys need to split the core in two with one single attack, which gets Nessen thinking as he grabs his Parallel Weapon harder.

 

Nessen says he'll take care of it and swears to bring peace back to the hot springs. He's not confident in his power actually, but with the size of the audience you have, he could try to heat his water to the highest temperature. Justice laughs as he offers to help him with that and work with him. Nessen thanks him, reassured by the help. Subaru tells the party his power will lose its effect soon, so they'll need to hurry up. Justice nods at this and asks you to activate his finishing move, so you agree and tell them to go all out.

 

You tap through the command window to send the views into Nessen and Justice, and the water covering Nessen's paddle sword starts steaming up and glowing. Nessen eventually says he can do it now that the water has been heated to 3000 degrees C, and Justice follows up saying he's done charging and will discharge it all in one shot. Lightning energy charges through his body, which he then channels into his fan to transfer to Nessen's weapon. Both powers manifest into a giant blade, and they both attack with their combined finishers Thunderous Lightning "Gigabolt Breaker" and Boiler "Paradise Hot Springs Dragon Slash."

 

The attack burns and cuts the monster core in half, and the monster seems to burn up from the sheer heat. Soon the entire thing disappears into the sky, and Sui is surprised at first before she smiles as she switches the camera off. She nods to you, and the heroes start transforming out of their hero forms. You declare that the battle is over and thank them all for their work, and everyone starts cheering.

 

Nessen starts thanking everyone for saving the town, but Akashi waves it off as he says Nessen was the one to really bring it all to an end. Mokdai agrees with the point, saying Nessen got the coolest part. Toshu compliments him for his sword strike and how it took down such a big target. Nessen says he just got caught up in things and thanks everyone again. Kyoichi sighs about it being over and says they can go back to their relaxing trip, but Flamier say it isn't over yet.

 

Kyoichi asks Flamier what she means, so she answers that she wasn't able to use her full strength. She moans about wanting to make nobler and prettier flowers bloom and asks if there are any Kaibutsus left. Kyoichi freaks out and says there aren't, and if there were that'd actually be a problem. Shouen talks to Ryekie and asks if he's okay since he probably used all his energy.

 

Ryekie laughs and says he wouldn't be that exhausted from something like this. Shouen is glad and asks if he can go back to recuperating without issues, so Ryekie nods and says for now. Huckle runs over to ask if Ryekie is okay, to which he answers by asking what he thinks. Even if he is hurt, Ryeie says he wouldn't be taken down that easily. You point out that Ryekie is totally swaying on his feet because he pushed himself.

 

Ryekie says he's always been rash and is going to be even more reckless after this. Huckle calls Ryekie a huge idiot and says there's no way his injury isn't bothering him. Ryekie says the drunkenness made the pain go away, which came back once it was over. Also all that activity while drunk is making his head spin, and he moans a little before falling over. Shouen freaks out at this, and Huckle grumbles that he did push himself too hard as he tries telling Ryekie to get a grip and wake up. Ryekie just mumbles about not drinking anymore. You comment that he fell asleep, wonder if he's tired, or say he passed out from the buzz.

 

Huckle sighs about having to leave the lecturing for tomorrow, then asks Shouen to help him carry Ryekie back to his room since it's going to be heavy with just him. Shouen agrees to help. While everyone else is together and talking among themselves, Subaru walks over to where the tree was originally planted, where a hole has now been left in its place. Subaru reacts in surprise when he finds Something there and picks it up, which turns out to be a tiny fragment of a rainbow colored stone. Subaru says it's a ether crystal and wonders how many got absorbed into the tree, which is what drew the Kaibutsu to it. He also reasons that someone must have put it there to trigger this incident, and the episode ends with Exio watching from somewhere.

 

Live A Hero Holy Night's Hot Water Front Line Episode 4

Flashback opens up at Procy's bar at the end of the day as some random heroes start talking about their work. One guy talks about how tough their battles were today, and his friend points out that it's been like that for a while what with the monsters being numerous and big. Would be nice if there were less Kaibutsu attacking, thanks. But then they talk about how amazing it is that Justice helped them overcome the numbers disadvantage that they started with.

 

Procy joins the conversation and says that the heroes' win today came from the results of Justice and Faith's teamwork, then suggests raising a toast to them. Huckle tries to talk them out of it as he describes himself as powerless man who just jumps around everywhere, then says it's Ryekie who made the most effort and thanks him. Ryekie denies this and credits the results to Huckle being there with him as he thanks him back. Ryekie then turns to everyone present and leads a toast for everyone's efforts in bringing victory to them all.

 

Ryekie then takes over narration of the flashback, saying he swore to continue being the hero who represents justice. This is both a vow to the friends who have died in battle up to that point and his pride in continuing to be himself. He notes that his dream has changed a little since the time he first started being a hero, but there are parts that haven't changed of course. Ryekie talks about loving the work of the people who live in this world, which is why he wants to protect it. He also wants to drink some good booze with his comrades in arms with a sense of pride in his chest at protecting that world. After all, the thing he loves most is being able to spend time together with his friends and talking with them in peace.

 

Title card pops up, and this episode is titled Heroes and Dilemmas.

 

Back to the present, it is now night time as the party is fighting in a banquet hall in the resort inn. Akashi says there's only one Kaibutsu left to go and calls to Nessen, so Nessen moves in to strike it down. Once it's destroyed, the people that were eaten start reappearing, lying on the floor. You declare the battle here is over and thank the party for their work. Ryekie also compliments everyone's efforts and says that the view count is starting to climb, so you guys should keep this pace going. Akashi nods at this and is a little surprised that people are still keeping watch even with the broadcast range kept down.

 

Mokdai wonders if it's the hotel guests who are watching you guys on video since they probably don't have anything else to do. He's also been keeping watch on social media, saying he's glad it looks like the panic has been kept to a minimum. Nessen starts apologizing to everyone for getting involved to begin with, and he wonders what to say to the other heroes fighting that aren't with you here. There's a clear look of guilt on his face.

 

Akashi quickly tries to reason with Nessen saying that the rest of them butted in to this situation of their own accord. Mokdai agrees and says it should be them to apologize to Nessen if anything as he asks Nessen to stop bowing and scraping. Nessen is looks unconvinced, so Subaru bluntly says Nessen should just say he doesn't want your help if that's how he feels.

 

Mokdai protests to Subaru for putting it like that, but Subaru suggests it's best to be clear if you have something to say. It's not like anyone would be happy with insincere thanks. Mokdai uncomfortably says he has a point, and Nessen quickly denies the suggestion that he's not thankful for your help. He does look away and start trailing off though. Eventually he starts explaining that at the time he made this resort, he promised to Take On All Responsibilities. In his view everyone is helping him, so he has to uphold his promise. He started this resort out of ego and self-righteousness, so he doesn't want to shift any of the burden onto someone else.

 

Nessen starts thinking of all the people who smiled and said they're counting on him. He says that if there's anything that would threaten the town, he has to be the one to deal with it. Subaru acknowledges that Nessen isn't looking down because he was against you guys helping him, and Mokdai notes how strong Nessen's sense of responsibility is. You start talking about how if Nessen keeps this up, he's going to wreck himself one day.

 

Nessen doesn't have a response to that, and Huckle says it's an uncomfortable truth, but he agrees with it. There are limits if you take on everything yourself, never mind getting into the workload of someone managing a resort with so many facilities attracting so many visitors. It's unrealistic to think Nessen can handle everything on his own. Ryekie adds that when fighting against a lot of Kaibutsu, it's important to have extra people around and to divide the roles. If as many heroes as possible work together and fight efficiently, they won't lose even when outnumbered. Ryekie then asks if there was ever anyone around to tell Nessen he was being too reckless trying to hold things up on his own.

 

Nessen admits that he had staff who told him he was taking too much upon himself. He thought that was how it should be though, so he always told them that he was fine. Subaru points out that if whoever is on top says they're okay, no one else can say anything about it. If anything that would cause even more concern. Akashi points out that Nessen isn't literally running everything that goes on in the inn and asks whether he worked with other people to make the resort a reality. Huckle agrees as he says a manager's job is supervision. The other employees are players of a sport, so if the manager runs around covering everything the players in the game have no place and the supervision would be lacking.

 

A bunch of staff members run in, apologizing for being late and saying they'll give aid to the guests. They thank Nessen for his work in the battle, then ask him to leave the guests to them as they suggest he head to the next area. Nessen is surprised by all this and tries to say he needs to lead them like before, but the workers say this is also their job as they ask Nessen to do what only he can do. They then spread out and try waking the customers, leading any who seem ill or whatnot to another room.

 

Nessen stands quietly, and Huckle points out that the workers feel the same way while saying that being responsible for everything is not the same thing as having to do everything. It's not like it's a crime to delegate work you can't do yourself to someone else he says as he winks at you. You either agree with Huckle, suggest he could probably do a little more, or wink back. B gets an extra bit where Huckle is taken aback a little and says he'll keep in mind the work load balance more. C has a different bit where Akashi is weirded out as he asks when you got to the point you could talk to Huckle with your eyes.

 

In any case, Nessen gives in, then mentions his surprise that his staff and guests could still teach him something. He thinks might have gotten stubborn from acting so formally all the time, but the words everyone's said to him and the efforts of the staff members are taking touch him. Nessen starts commenting to himself that he's still inexperienced and how embarrassing that is. When you ask Nessen what's up, Nessen waves it off as nothing you need to care about.

 

Nessen readjusts his facial expression and stance as he bows, thanking everyone for helping thus far and asking everyone to continue helping with resolving this incident. He also questions if it's even okay for him to make this request. You tell him it's fine since you're already involved. Huckle agrees as well and asks Nessen to let you guys help finish things together. Nessen smiles as he says yes and thanks everyone.

 

Ryekie cheers and says that if that's settled, you guys should go to the next area. Subaru agrees, saying the more time you guys spend dealing with this crisis means the less time he has to coop up in his room away from everyone else. Mokdai is taken aback at how much importance Subaru is putting on that, and Sui thinks aloud about the idea of leaving things for others to do that you can't do on your own. Akashi notices and asks her what's wrong, saying she's making a funny face. Sui says it's nothing and denies making a face, saying he's the one making any. He sputters at this and swears he'll punch her one day.

 

As the party starts leaving the party hall, Ryekie takes a moment to look around at the mess. There are signs there was an eventful party earlier, and now there's a bunch of exhausted guests there. Ryekie looks quietly depressed, and Huckle asks him what's wrong as he mentions they're heading to the next place. Ryekie quickly apologizes and says he's coming, then that he has to do what he can do now as best he can. Huckle expresses some concern for him and sighs, having guessed at what he's thinking after knowing him for so long.

 

Some time later, Mokdai is throwing his finishing attack at more Kaibutsu at an open air bath. Some flee in the face of this, which Akashi notes with some annoyance as he says there's no end to things. Akashi also brings up that he gets the feeling you guys where there before, then asks Sui to check the map. Sui asks for him to wait since she's not used to looking at the map even though she has it. After she brings it up, she realizes Akashi is right. She didn't notice before since you guys went sweeping around a whole bunch of places, but you guys were in this location two hours ago. Mokdai says he had a feeling after coming down the mountain, then asks if that means the monsters are reviving. You say there's no end to this and wonder what to do.

 

Nessen is surprised and mentions there's been no word from the mountain top inn that the Kaibutsu are reviving, though he admits it's possible they did since two hours ago. Ryekie tells you guys that the Heroic Educators who are checking the station area have said that they keep going back to the central area. It doesn't seem like any monsters are reappearing in the areas near the station after they clear them out though. Apparently only the ones heading for the central area are reappearing, and Ryekie wonders why that is.

 

Subaru asks to look at the map which surprises Sui, but she complies. Subaru takes a moment to trace something on the map with his fingers as he thinks, and he eventually says that there's a small difference in the places where the Kaibutsu have been reappearing and where they've ran away from. He says this isn't a coincidence, then wonders if the ones running away are slipping into the groups that reappear. He also thinks aloud about their movement patterns.

 

You talk to Subaru and ask what he's talking to himself about. Subaru suggests that the Kaibutsu are converging on one location and asks if you guys think so too. He fiddles with Sui's phone to focus on the walls of the baths, and Mokdai agrees that the areas where the monsters manage to escape and where they're reappearing overlap near perfectly. Akashi asks why that is and wonders if they aren't just slipping away in the confusion of things. Mokdai suggests that maybe something is drawing the monsters in the center of the areas. Sui asks what could draw in Kaibutsu, so Mokdai says he doesn't know and wasn't thinking that far ahead.

 

Ryekie says that if that theory is true, it could mean that you guys could wait at the area and ambush them. Huckle suggests the alternative idea of dealing with whatever is the root cause of this incident since the very idea of Kaibutsu appearing in this area is unusual. You ask what's actually at the center, so Sui asks for a moment as she tries to look that up. She takes her phone back from Subaru and starts drawing lines on the map, which all converge on a particular point.

 

Ryekie says it looks like you guys are right and asks what's at the central point. Nessen is surprised when he looks and says it's pointing at the Christmas tree that he had brought in for the holiday season. He ordered it from another planet and brought it in the other day, describing it as a giant tree similar to a fir tree, given to prevent it from spreading. Akashi thinks on that and says that it wouldn't be weird for it to be doing something in that case, but Mokdai says he's never heard of a tree that attracts monsters. He does note that may be because he literally never heard of one before.

 

Subaru points out that it might not be the tree itself causing this since it's possible that one of the decorations or something put into the tree's trunk or roots could be it. In which case, Subaru suggests that someone actually set all this up to happen. Huckle brings up that someone could have stuck some sort of bait on the tree and let the amount of visitors coming in be the trigger for this. But anyways it looks like you guys should check it out, and Huckle suggests doing so after calling the other parties. You guys head out after doing so, and it turns out Exio is around silently watching.

 

Time passes as you guys head to the tree, where there's already a lot of mini Kaibutsu swarming around. Akashi is taken aback at you guys being right and at how bad the situation looks. Mokdai points out that the monsters are grouping at the tree, and Sui says they're being creepy. The things are swarming like a bunch of insects over some food as they start fusing into the tree. You say this is bad, wonder what they're doing, or say you don't like that.

 

Nessen asks in shock if the monsters are eating the tree, but Huckle sees that they aren't and points at the trunk, where you can see them jumping into it. Ryekie is surprised by this as he asks if they're fusing with the tree, and Mokdai has a bad feeling as he tries to ask about what that would mean. A quick flashback happens of the same thing happening at the Raidark incident, which narration brings up as the fusion Kaibutsu event he remembers. Mokdai starts to say it'd be bad if they manage to turn into a giant fusion, but Subaru notes that you guys are too late to stop it from getting there. The tree starts letting off a strange light as it grows and absorbs the surrounding monsters. When the light finally fades, the tree itself has turned into a giant monster that roars. You ask in shock what it is, say you've never seen one like it before, and/or call it evil looking.

 

Akashi is freaked out about the tree becoming a Kaibutsu and asks what's going on since he's never seen that happen before. Mokdai explains that there's a whole bunch of kinds of monsters out there, and the ones you’ve seen here before just happen to be the kind that have an easier time manifesting on Earth. Ryekie comments on how big the thing is, even accounting for how big the tree was in its base form. Nessen is in disbelief that the tree brought all the monsters over, and Huckle sympathizes but tells him he doesn't have time to stand still since the monster being that big means it'll run wild past the resort if it starts rampaging, so they need his help in stopping it.

 

Nessen shakes his head a little to clear his head, then thinks for a moment. He suggests destroying the tree, though he does feel apologetic to the people who paid to have it here. But with the tree being the way it is now, there's no other way of dealing with it, so he asks for everyone's help in doing so. Akashi agrees, saying the monster can't be left alone to go crazy. Subaru isn't thrilled with how much effort this is looking to take, but he notes that you guys can't run either. Mokdai tries to psyche himself up for this, then asks you and Huckle to transform and operate for them.

 

Huckle nods, then turns to you and says he'll assist, so he'll be counting on you. You acknowledge him, say it's a group transformation, then wish everyone good luck. The heroes in the party transform one after another, and once Nessen is done, he stands in front of the tree monster and glares at its face. He talks about how he's the one who had the tree brought in, so it is a little selfish of him to be saying it has to go. However, he can't let the thing cause any more damage to the people who are visiting and to the people doing their best to help with the place. He tells the thing to get ready for him to destroy it, and the thing roars in response. The episode battle then begins as Ryekie gets frustrated, wishing he could help fight too. More story happens afterwards.

 

Things pick up mid battle with the Kaibutsu's branch arms making loud noises as it swings at you guys. Akashi manages to dodge the strike, then complains it should act like a tree and burn as he bats a fireball at it. He's shocked when this turns out to have little to no effect, and the tree retaliates. Subaru says he tried to dry the ground at the tree's roots, but since that didn't work either he suggests the tree isn't really a tree anymore. Mokdai says he's been trying to punch the thing, but he hasn't done any damage to it and asks what to do now.

 

Nessen yells for people to get away before they get burned as swings his paddle thing Parallel Weapon, covering it in heated water to make it look like a sword. Said water is at 260 degrees according to him as he moves to bring it down on the monster. His attack pierces through the tree's trunk and cuts it in half, and you express surprise at either the cutting or the temperature of the water.

 

Huckle comments that the water being way higher than boiling point must be some quirk of how Nessen's Parallel Weapon works. Akashi gets pumped up at the tree being cut in half since he figures the battle will be over soon, but Ryekie yells for everyone to get back. The tree reaches for the half that fell off and presses it back against itself, shocking Mokdai at how it regenerated itself by doing so. Subaru calls the regen speed ridiculous and says this will never end at this rate, but the monster's roar cuts him off.

 

The tree then starts turning the ornaments on it into energy balls that it starts throwing at people, and the things rain down quick enough that it's a bullet hell upon the party as Akashi and Mokdai scramble to dodge. You are shocked that it can do this and call it nasty. Akashi calls out to you to be careful since some shots are heading your way. By the time you track with your eyes the attacks directed at you, you yell that it's too late for you to get away. Ryekie shouts out to you as he runs in and does a diving tackle to save you, holding you in his arms like the first time he saved you.

 

Huckle is shocked by this turn of events as he calls out to you and Ryekie, and you are wrapped in Ryekie's beefy body as you two roll until you bump into a storefront in the area. Subaru is taken aback by Ryekie's actions and calls him a fool for acting since he wasn't even transformed. Mokdai calls out to you two and asks if you're okay. Akashi gets pissed as he starts running at the tree monster, leading Nessen to call after him since it's dangerous to run out like that. Mokdai attempts to stop him too before he notices the store you and Ryekie bumped into and remembers something about it.

 

You and Ryekie are splashed by some liquid drenching you guys. The store you guys hit seems to be a drink bar of some kind since there's a smell of juice and alcohol mixing in the air. Ryekie gets up and tries to show he's okay as he laughs a little before asking if you're hurt. You either express more concern for him or ask why he did that, and A gets an extra line where Ryekie says he's fine and used to this sort of thing.

 

Either way, Ryekie is surprised he could tank the attack without being transformed. He knows that he can't act as a hero as he is now, but when he saw that you were in danger he moved without thinking about it because he couldn't leave you in that situation. Ryekie then looks down at the injury he has as he presses down on it, his face twisting in pain. Blood is starting to seep out from it and into his shirt.

 

Ryekie talks about how if his wound was healed, he could have helped out with this battle. He laughs about his frustration with this situation, but you can clearly tell he's just doing this to hide the pain despite not knowing him for that long. You refer to him as either Ryekie or Justice as you express concern for him, and Ryekie changes the subject to talk about the juice on you guys smelling sweet and something else he trails off on. Huckle attempts to ask you guys if you're okay, though he stops midsentence when he notices the smell.

 

Narration points out that the smell of the juice on you is the same bittersweet fruity smell of the juice Mokdai had bought earlier. You start to ask if this is that fruit, and Mokdai exclaims that it is that store he bought the juice from earlier that you two rolled into. Subaru notes that Ryekie is starting to act strange and shiver. And as you look at Ryekie, his face is starting to turn red. Ryekie for his part starts slurring and hiccuping as he says he's feeling weird, and you hear loud purring coming from him.

 

Huckle is starting to get alarmed as he says just giving Ryekie kiwis is dangerous on its own, but it's going to be so much worse having so much juice mixed with alcohol dumped onto Ryekie's head. You try to talk to Ryekie and point out his face is red before you realize what's up with him. He starts roaring after a moment, and your phone pops up with a notification that a new path has been found for Ryekie. Its current strength is being measured, and on that note the episode ends.

 

Live A Hero Holy Night's Hot Water Front Line Episode 3

A flashback kicks in as random villagers who don't even get a label as they express their surprise and reluctance to go along with Nessen's plan to turn the town into a resort. Nessen argues that he feels this direction is necessary for the town to stay afloat and revive in the age of space travel. He's saved the money to pay for this, and he asks for everyone to cooperate with him. He also says he'll take on all responsibilities.

 

Nessen then starts narrating about how hard he studied tourism and hospitality to revive his dying village. He went to other tourist spots, read through so many books, and did so much research until he came to the conclusion to preserve all that was good about the village but turning it into a theme park. Of course, this wasn't something he could decide unilaterally, so he bowed and scraped to the villagers over and over, where he promised to take care of everything. He says that in other words, it's because they all trusted in him that the town is here now. He has to keep meeting everyone's expectations, which means he has to settle this problem with his own hands before it sinks the place.

 

Title card pops up, and this episode is called The Little Shoulders Holding the Burden.

 

Back to the present, things pick up towards the end of some battle as Akashi fires off his finishing move. Several Kaibutsu are defeated, and one attempts to escape. Subaru however stops it from doing so by writing that its feet get frozen, which he narrates aloud. With the thing locked in place, Mokdai goes for the opening by launching his own finisher at it too. After the monster is destroyed, you compliment the team's teamwork and comment on how well they did for an impromptu combination. Akashi cheers about things being settled here as he thanks you and the others for everyone's work before reverting to civilian form. Mokdai and Subaru follow suit shortly after.

 

Subaru pants as he comments that he's too out of shape and is already out of breath. Mokdai notes that you guys have swept the central area of the theme park now, which leaves the north mountainous area and the south train station area as Subaru picks up. Subaru also adds that the place being between such tall mountains is the silver lining to this mess. Huckle agrees, saying that Kaibutsu generally go where lots of people are, which in turn means they won't go uninhabited areas. There is one exception, but with the town being nestled in the mountains as it is it's unlikely there are monsters spread around.

 

Ryekie mentions that the entrance to the park has been restricted now and that the visiting guests have been told to stay in their rooms for as much as possible. He comments that this is the sort of response time you should expect from the manager of such a large theme park. The problem now is that you don't know where said manager is despite having gone over a large area already. You either comment on how many buildings you've been to already or ask Sui to check the map. B gets an extra line where Sui asks you to wait a second as she does so.

 

Sui shows you guys the map she's brought up on her phone with the places you've been too X'ed off and showing everywhere else Nessen might go to. Sui mentions that there's a large inn up in the mountain area that uses its great vantage point as a selling point, so there's probably people gathered there. If Nessen isn't down here with you guys, he might be heading there, though Sui notes that's pretty far away.

 

Huckle brings up that Nessen did seem to be in a big panic, so he probably thought of the place the most people would gather at first. Mokdai points out that there's traces of fighting at the places you guys have visited, but there doesn't seem to be any livestreaming signals around here, so he wonders if Nessen is fighting without broadcasting he's doing so. Subaru suggests he might be trying to prevent any needless worrying in the guests and says he might do something like that.

 

You bring up that Nessen wouldn't have much view power going for him in that case, and Akashi agrees as he brings out how in your first battle with him things slowly went against him. Akashi then asks if Nessen went on like that while fighting multiple successive battles. Huckle explains that as of now, heroes need an Operator to transform them, even if from a remote area. That means that when a hero inevitably transforms, there's at least the Operator to be the constant witness to what's happening. In which case, Nessen can fight, but he'll be able to tank far less attacks and will exhaust himself for sure. Akashi is alarmed at this and says you guys need to find him quick then.

 

Kyoichi calls to Akashi from offscreen, which Subaru also hears and takes as a cue to hide, shocking Mokdai. Kyoichi soon turns up with Flamier, who thanks you guys for your efforts so far and says they came in response to your reinforcement call. Kyoichi is put out by the Kaibutsu having turned up over here though, especially since he had already checked out of work mentally earlier. Akashi thanks the two for coming and apologizes for calling them out of their party.

 

Kyoichi waves it off and says he could never turn down his cute kouhai. That aside, Kyoichi asks for an update on how far the Kaibutsu have gotten. Huckle sadly informs him that you guys still don't have a clear picture on that, but he suggests that based on how they work you should think that the monsters are infesting the whole park. Kyoichi isn't surprised, then tells you guys they've already split into groups.

 

Ryekie is surprised by this and asks if he's talking about Shouen and Toshu. Kyoichi confirms and says the two of them have headed to the station area where there's a shortage of people. He and Flamier came to meet with you guys to get apprised of things and forward the information to them. Ryekie nods at this and says having everyone grouped together would take more time than needed to comb the park. He then thanks the Heroic Educators for their cooperation. You either comment on that being a rational strategy or be disappointed since you wanted to see the others too. B gets an extra line where Kyoichi laughs sympathetically and says you can see them whenever things are done, so you'll just have to make do with him.

 

As it turns out, Subaru is trying to hide behind Mokdai, who is weirded out by this and awkwardly tells him he's starting to stick out behind him. Subaru moans that he should have lost some weight, and Kyoichi notices him soon after, which Subaru is unhappy about. Kyoichi happily greets Subaru and comments on the coincidence of him being here too. Flamier recognizes Subaru in some surprise and tries to remember where she had seen him before. Kyoichi says Subaru hasn't come to visit lately so he hasn't seen him in forever, and he's happy to see him now. Subaru is not pleased to be seeing him and tells him to not put his arm over his shoulder since he's uncomfortably hot.

 

You ask how Kyoichi and Subaru know each other, so Kyoichi tells you they've been friends since back when they lived in their home town of Sendai. Once they entered middle school, Subaru moved to Hamamatsu (in Western Shizuoka Prefecture). Despite the distance, Kyoichi says they kept in touch and are great friends. Subaru however denies being friends with him and says he was forced to interact with Kyoichi because he wouldn't go away. Kyoichi isn't put off by this as he brings up that they used to bathe and sleep together when they were in elementary school. Subaru sputters at this, telling him to not bring stuff like that as he calls him annoying.

 

Akashi is surprised at the display and says it reminds him of his relationship with you. Sui wonders if they're childhood friends as she notes that Subaru is speaking a lot more casually to Kyoichi. You either comment on how well they get along, go all ara ara oh my at them, or express jealousy at them bathing together. C gets an extra part where Kyoichi is totally okay with bathing with you. Subaru points out that you never specified wanting to bathe with him as he calls Kyoichi excessively self-conscious. Kyoichi however flips it around and asks if Subaru's saying he'd be okay with bathing with you. Subaru gets embarrassed as he blushes and denies the idea.

 

Anyways, Flamier giggles as she says the two are getting along so well it makes her smile. Subaru denies the idea and says if anything, they have a terrible relationship and would like to get that on record. Kyoichi is taken aback at this rejection, though he says he's used to it. Subaru tells him he's misunderstanding and that he doesn't have time to horse around with him, then asks Kyoichi if he even knows why he's there. Kyoichi says he knows of course and is actually reassured to know Subaru is around. He knows how strong a hero Subaru is and will be counting on him. Subaru snorts, then tells Kyoichi to get going then.

 

Flamier also says to Kyoichi that they should get going...because she can't hold herself back anymore. She says that ever since they agreed to help out came to this resort town, she's been smelling the scent of sulfur, which she describes as the fragrant cologne (re: materials) that makes blue flowers (re: fires) bloom.

 

You start getting a little freaked out at Flamier wriggling in place and notice her eyes look different. Mokdai remembers at this point where he'd seen Flamier before and starts to talk about how she is after she transforms when Flamier suddenly gasps and says she wants to enjoy seeing the field of flowers (re: sea of flames) as soon as possible and runs off through the shadows of a nearby building. Kyoichi freaks out at this and says something terrible will happen if he leaves her alone.

 

Akashi starts to ask Kyoichi what he means when this giant explosion sound blows up from the direction Flamier ran off in. Kyoichi yells and excuses himself before running off after her, pleading for her to stop with her 'flower picking' and promising to fight. Huckle is baffled at the euphemism and says he heard something that would more likely make flowers scatter and burn. Mokdai then picks up from where he was saying and says she really is the mad scientist hero who can make gunpowder out of anything and cause explosions wherever she goes. You take note of the causing explosion bits and call it freaky. Ryekie wonders if it's okay to leave them be, and Akashi thinks it probably is given what Kyoichi said. Subaru suggests Flamier may be a terrifying person to drag Kyoichi around like that.

 

Time passes as the party ascends a large stairway towards the large inn at the northern mountain area. Mokdai is running out of breath and asks how many steps you've climbed already. Huckle doesn't know himself, but he says you guys have to deal with it, even if seeing how far you have to go still is spirit crushing. Akashi notes that the back of Mokdai's shirt is soaked through, then gives him a sports drink he has on hand to drink.

 

Ryekie is doing surprisingly just fine as he calls the other two weak. He also brings up that Huckle had great legs back when he was a hero. Huckle is taken aback as he says that was years ago, so he's lost his old stamina and muscle. You either comment that the two fat guys seem to be at their limit, say you're already tired, or ask Akashi to piggyback you. A has an extra bit where Mokdai protests being grouped with Huckle. He starts to admit he's heavier than Huckle before he decides to ask him what he weighs now. Huckle responds by asking if Mokdai has ever heard of the Earth expression 'pissing contest.' C has a different extra bit where Akashi is surprised by the request as he tells you to walk on your own since he won't do that much for you.

 

At this point Sui notices that someone is missing from the party. Akashi also realizes Subaru is gone and starts to ask where he went when Subaru walks over from a side path, commenting on making it at the same time you guys did and how faster than he expected you guys are on foot. You are shocked by this and ask if he warped himself while Akashi also asks where Subaru came from and how he passed you guys. Subaru answers he didn't really pass you guys and points to an elevator he used. Since the resort has such steep slopes, there are elevators like that everywhere.

 

Mokdai complains that Subaru should have told you guys earlier while you either tell Subaru not to be lazy or call him a jerk. Subaru is taken aback at the complaints and argues that being human is about using the tools of civilization. He doesn't like getting sweaty, so he chose to use the elevator. Huckle reminds you guys that your current goal isn't climbing to the top in itself, and Akashi says it's to find Nessen as he says it'd be a problem if they got split up.

 

Subaru says that since you guys took the stairs, there wasn't a problem. And if it turned out Nessen took an elevator you guys would have missed him, though this worked out. Akashi admits he has a point, even if he is ticked about it. Sui interrupts to point out that someone is coming from above, and this soon turns out to be Nessen. Both sides are surprised to see each other, and you call out to Nessen and say you've finally found him.

 

Nessen asks in surprise why you guys are here and asks you guys to go back since it's dangerous. Akashi refuses the suggestion as he says you all came because it's too much for Nessen to do on his own. Mokdai agrees and says that since there's a chance Kaibutsu can appear anywhere in the resort, it's too reckless to let Nessen go solo and asks that he let you guys help. Mokdai then catches sight of something, and Nessen follows his line of sight to realize he saw the cut on his hand, which he then hides.

 

Nessen tries to tell you guys that you don't need to worry, asking you to leave it to him so he won't trouble you guys. It's his job after all to protect the resort customers. Ryekie argues against the point and points out that Nessen is hurt, but Nessen insists that he's responsible for the town since he created it. He thanks you guys for your concern, but he asks you guys to go back again since he doesn't want you guys in any more danger. Nessen then spins on his heels and runs down a side path. Akashi tries calling after him, then calls Nessen stubborn when he fails to stop. You think about how obstinate Nessen is, say his sense of responsibility is too big, or say Akashi doesn't really have room to say that. C gets an extra line where he admits he knows he is, but he's not that bad.

 

Huckle says it looks like you'll have to intervene, even if it seems overbearing. He points out that it would take Nessen too much time to sweep the entire park, and in his current state he'd face life-threatening danger. Subaru agrees and suggests going after him, then says there should be a hot bath area up ahead. The party then runs down the same path after Nessen.

 

Camera follows Nessen for a moment, and the bath area he gets to has no customers but a lot of Kaibutsu around. Clearly the former was eaten by the latter. Nessen declares he won't let the monsters hurt the guests and the town any more as he calls the desk over his phone for a transformation. You guys arrive soon after as Akashi says this is pretty far in and looks for Nessen. Ryekie picks up on the sounds of fighting and points the way to the open air baths.

 

Nessen is fighting the Kaibutsu as narration describes him as being dressed like a male bathhouse attendant and carrying a board that's about as tall as he is, which he swings around wrapped with the water he makes at specified temperatures against the monsters. His attacks force them to gather in one location, where he then uses a single attack to destroy the lot in one strike. You either say Nessen is strong, cool, or wearing a sexy outfit. A has Akashi agree. B has Akashi be the one to bring up how strong Nessen is. C has Akashi react in shock demanding to know where you're looking before telling you to focus on the battle.

 

Anyways, Nessen is clearly struggling to keep things up. Huckle says it's obvious how hurt Nessen is and how bad the situation is. Ryekie agrees, noting that Nessen isn't broadcasting the fight and is sticking with only his Operator as the audience. Mokdai tries to suggest having your cameras running, but Nessen refuses the idea. Akashi is surprised Nessen has noticed your guys being here, but argues Nessen is already running ragged. If it goes on like this, Nessen will go down and everything will be for nothing.

 

Nessen tells you guys not to worry about him since he's chosen to give himself up for the town. Whatever happens here can't be allowed to spread to the world, and Nessen still insists on not causing the customers undue worry. Before he says any more, more Kaibutsu start arriving and jumping over the fence as Sui points out. Nessen repeats that he needs to handle this and says he'll carry all the responsibilities for the town, then attacks.

 

Huckle says Nessen's determination is commendable, but he's being too reckless. Subaru suggests that Nessen has only ever fought against villains since he's always in town and Kaibutsu normally don't appear around here, so he isn't fighting in a way suited for the monsters. Sui notes that Nessen's hero suit is almost falling apart, and between the steam fogging things up and his fatigue, the path is weakening. If Nessen takes any more attacks he'll be left defenseless.

 

Akashi is about to say something, but more Kaibutsu show up and start surrounding Nessen. He desperately tries to fight back, but his guard drops as one attacks from behind, and Nessen falls to his knees. Mokdai calls out to Nessen to try to warn him, and Nessen manages to use his board to block the monsters. They do however disarm Nessen unfortunately, who starts bemoaning how he has to defend the place.

 

Akashi can't stand to watch anymore as he turns to you and Huckle. You agree to help, and Huckle gives his permission to fight since it'll be too dangerous for Nessen if this goes on any further. Mokdai says he's tuned his camera to the smallest possible broadcast range, which would be the airwaves of the southeast part of Orient City. The average amount of possible viewers will be unstable, but that's the most that it can be pushed in consideration of Nessen's feelings. Mokdai then says he'll join the fight too and asks Ryekie to do camera duty. Ryekie agrees and tells you guys to be careful. You either talk to Akashi, Mokdai, or call out the group transformation. In A, Akashi says he'll handle it as he asks you to handle the operation. In B, Mokdai nods and asks you to operate.

 

Subaru sighs at how much of a pain Nessen is being, then asks you to handle him too. Back to Nessen, he's panting as he says the water isn't hot enough. If there were more viewers he could make it hotter, but he still isn't willing to do that. A Kaibutsu tries to ambush him, and it does manage to catch Nessen off guard. Subaru however intervenes by writing and narrating that the Kaibutsu gets stuck midair, then signals to the others once that takes effect. Akashi and Mokdai then attack with their basic attacks, and Nessen is surprised by you guys joining in as the monster disappears.

 

Subaru comments that they made it in time and says he personally feels his pen went faster then. Akashi apologizes for butting in, but he says he's joining the fight. Mokdai also informs Nessen that the battle is being broadcasted now and apologizes, though he notes the area has been limited. Nessen attempts to talk the party out of it, but Akashi shoots him down saying they came to help because he was in trouble. If something happened to him, then nothing would be fixed.

 

Nessen is shocked at the point and doesn't have an argument. Huckle talks to Nessen saying he'd like to respect his feelings, but due to the danger to his life they're stepping in. Nessen's agency affiliation the S&S Heroes have approved of the video transmission and have transferred their command authority over to you guys. Huckle then asks Nessen to fight while prioritizing his safety.

 

Nessen's clothes start repairing with the views coming in, and he doesn't respond. Huckle turns to you as he passes on a message from Nessen's Operator. "Please take care of that pig head." Huckle says he'll give you his best support, then says he's leaving the actual battle commanding to you. You acknowledge this and wish the four heroes out there good luck. Akashi gets determined to fight it out, and Mokdai notes that there are a lot now, but you guys should be able to handle it. Subaru says he's not good at cooperating, but he'll do his best for this. Nessen doesn't say anything, but he does take up a attack stance against the Kaibutsu. Huckle notes that he's accepted this, and Ryekie announces the resumption of the battle as the episode battle starts.