We tune in to Crowne driving her car down the highway, and outside the lights of the harbor district and the ocean are visibly drawing closer. Huckle notes that this is the scrapyard in the eighth block of the port district, then asks if this is where Crowne would go if she committed some sort of crime. Crowne says yes, and although she's unsure how much history lines up with her Alter, but she herself would go here. It's close to her workplace and she knows the roads, and she knows that no one comes by at night. She also knows that the factories in the area close up by this time of day, and that there's not much in the way of residences and stores.
Ryekie says he understands Crowne's reasoning if they assume the assailant is an alternate world version of her, and Crowne admits she'd rather not think about it. Even if it's a different version of her, she'd still prefer they not do crimes. She feels so strongly about it that she wishes they weren't around, but it's a difficult topic. Sui sympathizes with Crowne, and Akashi asks if it's really okay to not have brought Procy and Gomeisa along. If they're looking into places Crowne would go to, then maybe Procy could come up with more hints. Mokdai says that while there is another Crowne running around, the Procy her Alter has is more a monster that just looks like him, so he suggests that they don't think the same way.
Huckle says that Procy has to clean up his bar, so he'll have to close for business for the day. Gomeisa meanwhile has been very insistent on staying with Procy, so he probably wouldn't have come either. Akashi goes 'oh' at that and drops the idea. You wonder if Procy is seriously hurt, wonder where Yoshiori is, or wonder where Monomasa is. In A, Huckle assures you that Procy won't be kept down by the level of damage he took since he's a veteran hero. Akashi then asks if Yoshiori is actually coming along with you guys. In B, Mokdai takes a moment to look, then points him out to you. Yoshiori is outside on a motorcycle in a rider suit following behind Crowne's car. Akashi notes that Yoshiori's right hand can still grab the handle, though it was still transparent when he saw him take off his jacket earlier. Mokdai notes that he can wear it normally and wonders if Yoshiori is just invisible to normal people. He then notices Monomasa is outside too, and it turns out Monomasa has jumped onto a wall on the highway and running atop it, baffling Akashi at how strong he must be. C is mostly the same as B with the order reversed.
Anyways, Akashi starts to refer to the third person of the villain group, and he looks over to where Melide is in the car with you guys, holding her hands together like she's praying with eyes shut and mouth closed. Akashi asks if she's fine, wondering if she's carsick since she's been like that the whole time. Melide answers that she's fine, and doing what she's doing calms her down. She prays that Exio is okay, and Mokdai sadly observes that Exio seems important to her. Ryekie wonders aloud how they're related, though he figures they aren't blood connected father and daughter. They must have something tying them together if she cares that much for him. You agree, say you're curious, or try to dissuade Ryekie from asking Melide about it.
Melide is quiet, and Ryekie quickly tells her he doesn't actually want her to answer and apologizes for being rude. Melide decides to answer anyways after a moment, describing Exio as her savior. She's noted to be struggling to talk about it, and when Sui repeats it in confusion Melide confirms as such.
Narrative flashback starts up, and it turns out Melide became an Observer shortly after she was grown up enough to be aware of her surroundings. It just happened one day all of a sudden like she was born with the power all along, and she casually transformed heroes who happened to be around. The heroes thanked her, but everyone else started being curious of her. This eventually turned into looks of fear from everyone including her blood relatives, and so began the days where Melide was called a witch.
Monsters started appearing in Melide's life, like when she was going to a picnic or going shopping. They turned up on family trips and at family gatherings. People were relieved at first that no one died, but eventually they noticed that they always turned up where Melide was. They started doubting her, and while the idea that Observers can draw Monsters to them is still an unproven assumption, it wasn't long before her family started thinking it was true.
Melide's family beat and cursed at her. She begged for them to stop to no effect, so she started apologizing for being born. Everyone started calling her a witch. They called her a disaster magnet who brought Monsters around that endangered everyone. Her parents started getting on the "Melide is a witch" train when her mother was seriously injured in a monster attack, and her home life fell apart. They wished she never had that power. They wished she wasn't theirs. They wished she was never born. It was then when her self-esteem was in shreds from blaming herself that The Incident happened.
One day, the city was attacked by Monsters. Heroes rose up to fight them, and the citizens could do nothing but run in fear. Melide was among those people. She loses sight of her parents in the confusion and calls out for them, but it eventually sets in that they abandoned her. Melide blames herself and her power, and she gives up on running. People ignored her in their attempts to escape if they weren't bumping into her or pushing her aside. She had long since run out of tears to shed over her plight by then, and she sits down among the rubble in despair.
Melide mumbles to herself wondering why she became a witch like she's delirius. The battle soon ends afterwards and silence falls on the city. If that was how things were going to be, then she'd have preferred to get eaten and be put out of her misery. Exio walks up to Melide at this point looking sympathetic for her, and Melide tenses up reflexively at his approach. Melide asks who Exio is and fearfully tells him to stay away. It's less a fear of getting attacked by a larger man and more a fear that anyone being near her will start to hate her. Exio denies hating her, surprising Melide as he calls himself her friend.
Back to the present, Melide says that was when Exio took her with him. He became a parental substitute for her, so she loves him. If he never showed up, she'd never become as strong as she has in terms of an Observer and a person. You go 'oh' at that, and Sui notes that's why Melide cares about Exio so much. She empathizes a bit with her saying she was saved by her teacher as well. Huckle says he doesn't know what Exio is thinking, but at least him being Melide's parental substitute means he must care about her.
Melide talks about being someone who can make her power stronger herself since in the end, the only one who can protect you is yourself. She does add that she believes there are lives that can only be saved by other people, which Ryekie thinks about. Melide brings up an example for her point, though she admits she was told to not talk about it much. Specifically, her example would be Monomasa as another person whose life was saved by another. You are curious about this, so Melide says yes.
Melide starts up another flashback as she talks about how Monomasa's original personality had his future mapped out for him since he was young and raised accordingly. He went to a famous sports university and became a top class athlete with the expectation he'd make a grand debut. But these expectations cast a deep shadow on Monomasa's heart. Heavy expectations and disciplining was put upon him, which he was not allowed to reject. He was raised to be a literal puppet, and by the time he figured out that this was unusual it was impossible for him to change the course of his life on his own.
With his life dictated by his parents with no input from himself, Monomasa despaired and eventually decided he'd jump off a roof. But up on the roof he decided to end his life at, he found a small Monster up there. The monster thought it was strange that Monomasa could see him yet made no attempt to run. He just stared at him lifelessly.
The monster eventually asks if Monomasa is going to run and reminds him that he's looking at a monster. The monster still had something of a will, though it's unclear whether it was born with it or if it got possessed by the will of someone it ate. Either way he was aware he used to be a hero, and therefore couldn't bring himself to eat anyone. With no other choice, he decided he'd just wait up on that roof to fade away.
Monomasa answers that he won't run from the monster since he wants to die. The monster actually attempts to talk him out of it, saying so many people died and disappeared despite not wanting to...including himself. Monomasa just tells the monster to live in his place then. He notes that the monster is close to fading since it hasn't eaten anything, so he's fine letting it eat him. He's tired of his life, so the Monster can be Osato Monomasa instead.
The monster is sad at this, but he decided to eat someone for the first time that day. It may be more correct to say he took in Monomasa's consciousness though. Monomasa disappears from this world, and the Monomasa we know is born grieving and crying over this development. He regretted his shame and cursed his attachment to life, so he decided to make a vow. Rather than fully absorb Monomasa's consciousness, the Monster stored him away and borrowed his body, deciding to show him a multitude of things in the world until he wanted to live again.
Back to the present, Melide explains that this is how the Monomasa you guys know is a Monster. He's a monster with a heart, two lives bonded together from mutually helping one another. Crowne sympathizes with how hard it is to live according to other people's expectations, and you think on Monomasa's backstory, say it's sad, and/or go silent. Akashi's memory is jogged at this point regarding Monomasa, so Mokdai asks if he knows who he used to be. Akashi says Monomasa was a senpai at school who did gymnastics. People said he was in the running for being top of the class, an elite, and hard to approach. He forgot about him though, then wonders when it was he disappeared.
The car starts shaking at this point, and Mokdai's first surprised thought is that the car is running on gravel. Crowne says it's an earthquake though and tells the party she's pulling over. The car still shakes after she does so, and even the lampposts on the highway can be seen shaking. Ryekie says the quake is stronger than any quake that's hit recently, so there's definitely some damage to the city. Akashi bumped his head against the car's ceiling during the shaking and asks if this really is a monster's doing.
The quake eventually stops, and Sui is relieved when it does. Huckle looks up the quake stats and reads off the shindo rating is six but the epicenter is unknown. Mokdai figures that must mean monsters should start appearing, and someone starts knocking on a window. Crowne rolls it down, revealing Yoshiori who tells everyone to get out because the monsters are here, so Ryekie says it's time to fight back.
There are a ton of smaller monsters popping up on the cracked road, and most of them are looking in your guys' direction with hostility. Akashi is taken aback at how many of them are there since there's no one else around, and Huckle points out that must mean there's even more of them where people actually are. He pulls up the LIVE@HERO livestream running map showing where lives are happening, showing a map of Orient City on his tablet. There are red dots showing where battles are happening, and they have buried the entire map.
You are shocked at the map being redded out and ask if that means monsters are everywhere in the city, and Mokdai asks if every agency in the city is being mobilized. Ryekie notes that there's more livestreams being concentrated in the city center area and the city wards' subcity centers. Far as he knows, this is the worst danger he's ever seen Orient City face.
Yoshiori prompts the party to stop talking since the monsters are coming for you all. Monomasa asks Melide to transform them, so she complies by taking a prayer posture, gathering light into herself, then transferring it to them. Yoshiori and Monomasa start challenging the monsters to a fight, so Akashi and Ryekie ask you and Huckle to transform everyone else. You comply, and once Team Parallel Flight is suited up they stand next to Yoshiori and Monomasa.
Melide turns to you and asks you to take command of the villains. You are surprised and ask if this is okay or ask if they'll listen to you. B gets an extra line of her admitting she doesn't know. But anyways, Melide says it's more efficient to have one person commanding than having the chain of command split up. Also, she has no experience with commanding as an Operator. Monomasa says he doesn't mind if that makes things run more smoothly. Yoshiori on the other hand isn't thrilled but says he normally doesn't work under baby Operators. Akashi takes offence at this slight at you, so Yoshiori gets pissy and threatens to shoot him first. You tell the two to stop fighting and get ready for battle, so Yoshiori grumbles and says he'll follow your orders, so you better not waste him. Huckle says that with everyone on the same page now, it's time to get the livestream started. Crowne tells you guys the camera is ready to go whenever, and you acknowledge this as you declare the start of the episode battle. More happens after that.
After the battle, the story picks back up at the point the last monster gets destroyed and bursts into light particles. You declare the end of the battle and thank everyone for their work. Yoshiori asks if that's all of them and clicks his tongue about it not being enough for a warm up. But that said, he says you did a good job as an Operator since he could act smoothly, then thanks you. You either thank him back, ask if he's praising you, or prompt him to compliment you some more, so Yoshiori blushes a bit and says y-you better not get the wrong idea! To him, the best commander is Exio! You're just a lower end user who can do some of the things he can!
Akashi is baffled by Yoshiori's ranting, and Mokdai awkwardly tells him he talks and acts like that normally too. Akashi is shocked at this and insists he's a lot more straightforward than Yoshiori, which prompts Sui to ask if he's ever learned how to use a dictionary in elementary school. Akashi is ready to throw hands over this, so Mokdai gets frustrated and says that's how he's like Yoshiori before telling him to stop.
Huckle sighs at how quickly the younger heroes in the office let their guards down. Huckle laughs and says that's fine, since being tense all the time will make your shoulders stiff. Crowne agrees with Ryekie, saying that being relaxed like that is how you keep at things for a long time. While Team Parallel Flight is taking a moment to calm down, Monomasa speaks up to say it's too early to be relieved. He can still smell the monsters, which he notes is getting even stronger.
Melide is surprised and asks Monomasa if Monsters have a scent. She doesn't sense anything around in the immediate area at least. Monomasa clarifies that it's not coming from nearby, but more from a bigger monster that seems to be coming closer. A quake suddenly hits at that point surprising Yoshiori, and Huckle says it's even stronger than previous quakes. Ryekie says he can't keep his footing with it, and you end up falling over.
Akashi tries to run over to you in concern, but he gets knocked his feet too. Mokdai asks Akashi if he's okay, and the quake continues on for about a minute or two before it finally settles. The shockwaves stopping is accompanied by a giant roar that hurts your ears, and Melide directs your attention to Mt. Fuji. There, the monster up there is clearer than it's ever been and moving around more than it has before. You mention those facts out loud, and the Mt. Fuji monster starts extending a lot of tentacles that head towards Orient City. Huckle asks you to explain what you see, so you say the giant monster is sending its tentacles to town. Melide says the monster is being more active than before and is acting with some clear thought to it. Crowne is alarmed at this and Sui asks if the monster has awakened, and so the episode ends.
