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You and your bro tried to convince Hatoko Kushikawa, the girl known as Over Element and considered to be one of the most powerful mages in the world, about sharing in your bro’s harem. And both of you failed, completely and spectacularly.

You clench your teeth. Fuck, it hurts, and you’re not talking about physical pain here. It hurt so damn much to see your sweet and gentle childhood friend cry like that. For the negativity in her heart to detonate outwards in a wave of tears and sorrow. A thousand poisoned needles had pinpricked your nerves when she shouted and screamed, about her anger, her jealously and her despair. You slam your fist into the wall.

Rage courses through your mind. It is not directed at Hatoko, but at yourself for not intervening sooner. If you had only gotten down the tree a second faster…now, she has escaped to who-knows-where. She might not even be in Megiddo City at the moment. Hatoko would use her wind to temporarily fly; you had seen her to it on more than one occasion.

Next to you, your bro stirs. He steadily climbs to his feet, his face ashen and eyes hollow. You do not berate or complain. If there’s anyone hurting more than you, it would be the man who loved Hatoko in the first place.

The two of you stand in silence, neither of you looking at each other. In the end, you work up the courage to speak.

>“Bro, we have to go after Hatoko, now!”
>“We really fucked up.”
>“You okay there, man?”
>“Stand up straight, bro. This is no time for moping around.”
>Custom option.

>>39052372
>>“Stand up straight, bro. This is no time for moping around.”
>“Bro, we have to go after Hatoko, now!”
Call Hacker bro and Doc if anyone can track her they can.

>>39052372
>“Stand up straight, bro. This is no time for moping around.”
>“Bro, we have to go after Hatoko, now!”

>>39052372
>“We really fucked up.”
>“Stand up straight, bro. This is no time for moping around.”

>>39052372
>“We really fucked up.”
We must learn on our mistakes, if we go after her right now, we'll fuck up again

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>mfw last thread

>>39052372
>“Okay, we really fucked up, but this is no time for moping around. After her!”

>>39052372

Seconding >>39052401

Her pride took a blow, and we need to be there for her.

Also, that is the last time we let bro try to explain his feelings without us ready to intervene

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>>39052372
>>“We really fucked up.”

The important thing, though, is that we learn from this.

This song sounds pretty appropriate for the current situation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxBivuR9UVA

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>>39052372
>“We really fucked up.”
Hatoko, where art thou ?

>>39052372
>“Bro, we have to go after Hatoko, now!”
>“Stand up straight, bro. This is no time for moping around.”

>>39052561
Fitting

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>>39052372
>“Stand up straight, bro. This is no time for moping around.
>“Bro, we have to go after Hatoko, now!”
We fuckled it up, so let's unfuckle it.

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>>39052561

Well let's think about this logically. Where would be the first place that our childhood best friend would probably go to console herself and cry her eyes out?

Hopefully it's not in the middle of a very tall bridge or the roof of the school building.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICjD3f-8SXE

>CONTINUE.
WHO IS THE SILVER QUEEN?

>>39052633
So she ran to her friend the silver queen who is also a demon lord/lady? is that what you're hinting TT?

>>39052561
An excellent summation of what happened. I'm wondering whether to A, just send her a message asking her to talk when she's calmer, or B, ask one of our friends to pass on that message.

Next time: practice sessions, and we will be in-position to twist bro's ear when necessary.

>>39052372
>“Stand up straight, bro. This is no time for moping around.”
>“Bro, we have to go after Hatoko, now!”

>>39052633
>WHO IS THE SILVER QUEEN?
Crap she not gonna go kill bill on us is she?

>>39052633
Damn, /pol/ was right again weren't they?!
They'll never shut up about this now!

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>>39052652

I'm thinking Hatoko *is* the Silver Queen, if her hair wasn't enough of an indication. Could be the name of an alternate persona, too.

>>39052611
> Where could she go ?
Well, there was this place we used to go and play when we were children. Wait.

>>39052698
Either that or her sister. Either way bad things TM.

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>mfw reading last therad

>>39052713

You know, I think that despite his lack of self-esteem, his quirks and his Madness sword, the MC is the most mentally balanced of the people around bro. What I'm starting to fear is that bro is the second most balanced one

>>39052372
>>“Stand up straight, bro. This is no time for moping around.”

>>39052866
At first I was afraid.
Now I am horrified.

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“Bro.” You say.

The person in question doesn’t move a muscle. He’s staring at the ground, body trembling.

“Bro!” You call, this time louder this time.

There is still no response. Frustrated, you walk over to him and grab him by the shoulders. You swing him around.

His expression is one of hollow shock. His eyes are looking, but they are not seeing. They are wide, and tensed up. It does not come as a surprise, not to you. You expected this the moment you stood up. It is natural for your best friend to act like this. However, that doesn’t make it any appropriate for the current situation.

“Stand up straight, bro. This is no time for moping around. We have to go after Hatoko, now!”

It appears to snap him out of his trance. He looks away.

“I failed, Kazuya.” He whispers, voice low and despondent.

“I know.” You reply.

His right hand curls into a fist. “Dammit…” He moans.

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You feel sorry for him. But this is neither the place nor the time for a pity party.

“I can tell what you’re feeling, bro. But listen to me, man!” You shout, slapping him on the cheek. “It ain’t over. It’s not over until we’re both buried six feet under. It’s never too late to make a comeback. We’ll track down Hatoko, get her shit sorted out and then we’ll make her listen to reason! Got it?”

He looks at you. “Kazuya…”

“Yeah, you fucked up. You put your foot in your mouth and said stuff you shouldn’t have. But that’s okay. We all have to make mistakes at some point, but what’s important is that we learn from them. What matters now is tracking down Hatoko. We need to find her, before she does anything stupid!”

Your bro blinks, once and twice. Then the determination sets into his eyes. The same determination that led your party through a year of hardship, facing down legions of demons and ultimately the end boss Azazel himself. He nods, and his mouth morphs into a hard line. Your best friend is ready again. Good.

“I get it. Thanks, Kazuya.”

“Thank me later, bro.” You say, whipping out your mobile phone. Thankfully it had been undamaged in the typhoon, through some strange black magic or whatever. “Focus on getting our childhood friend back first.”

Now, what would be the best way to start finding Hatoko?

>Run off and search for her.
>Contact Souji for help.
>Contact Myde for help.
>Contact the Big Burly Hacker Tank Man for help.
>Think of places where she could be hiding.
>Custom option.

>>39053157
>Contact the Big Burly Hacker Tank Man for help.
>Think of places where she could be hiding.

>>39053157
>Contact the Big Burly Hacker Tank Man for help.
>Think of places where she could be hiding.

>>39053157
>Think of places where she could be hiding.

>>39053157
>Contact Souji for help
>Contact the Big Burly Hacker Tank Man for help
>Think of places where she could be hiding.

Have Tatsuya call Souji and we call BBHTM

>>39053157
>Contact the Big Burly Hacker Tank Man for help.
>Think of places where she could be hiding.

>>39053157
>Think of places where she could be hiding.

>>39053157
>Think of places where she could be hiding.
>Run off and search for her.

>>39053157
>Contact the Big Burly Hacker Tank Man for help.
>Think of places where she could be hiding.
Still can't think of much for what to do, beyond just ask her to continue the conversation in a less property-destroying mood.

>>39053157
>Contact the Big Burly Hacker Tank Man for help.
>Think of places where she could be hiding.
>Run off and search for her.

>>39053157

>Think of places where she could be

>Contact the persons you know she is friend with, and the people you think she feel close to that she met, be it during the adventure or otherwise

When you don't know where to find someone, call their friends (or at least, the ones this person isn't angry at)

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>>39053157
>>Contact Souji for help.
>>Contact Myde for help.
>>Contact the Big Burly Hacker Tank Man for help.

Get the band back together! We have a heartbroken harem mistress to find!

>>39053157
>Contact Myde for help.

Can our sword detect and track down madness?

That sure would be useful right now

OP is kill?

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You need to find her, and fast. That is why you call the party’s Big Burly Hacker Tank Man. Obviously, due to his class, he wouldn’t be much help in a standard, traditional search on foot. However, in this world where technology and magic clash together as two powerful rivals, he could help in another way. Through computers, security protocols and lots and lots of brozouf—whatever the bloody hell that was.

You jam in his number and wait for the guy to pick up. One ring, two ring, three rings. It seems to last an eternity, a full revolution of the phoenix dying and rebirthing again.

The line goes through, and you immediately speak. “STREUM!” You shout, “We need your help!”

“Greetings, brother Kazuya.” A low and guttural voice, comparable to a driveway of gravel, drones. A harsh breath sounds, before the hacker continues speaking. “What sort of assistance can I provide you with?”

STREUM ‘Deus Ex’ On. That was the name of your party’s Hacker and Tank. He was a strange guy, almost as mysterious of the origins of Courier Six, but at least STREUM opted to speak every now and then. Your party found him by travelling into a portal in Shibuya, where you found STREUM kneeling on some sort of futuristic abandoned island. Trying to communicate with him had resulted poorly, so your party simply beat him up and dragged him back into your world. Guy was so happy for being released from that cursed island, he immediately joined out of gratitude.

STREUM’s origins were a mystery, unlike Courier Six’s. He never talked much about his past, but from numerous hints you picked up on his journey, a hazy picture had formed in your head. Specifically, one involving gigantic skyscrapers, ruined landscapes, a war between two factions and massive amounts of technology. What you were clear about was that STREUM enjoyed drinking, could hack into just about any system in the world and had a taste for guns that almost bordered on the fetishistic.

Also, he could make people’s heads explode.

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“Listen, I don’t have much time to explain. Hatoko has gone missing and we need to find her.” You say, “Can you triangulate her phone or something? This is really urgent!”

“I shall check now.” The sounds of mouse clicking and keyboard rattling echoes through your ears. “However, it appears you are out of luck, brother. Hatoko has severed connections with the mobile network. I cannot track her in this state.”

Shit. You growl to yourself. Still, you should have anticipated it. No way it was going to be be this easy. What now, then?

“If I may make a suggestion…” STREUM’s voice cuts through again. “I can hack into the city system’s cameras and check on them. It may take some time. There are four districts I can hack into, the four points of the compass. Or I can hack into them all at once, but this will take even longer. What are your orders, brother?”

>Hack the north.
>Hack the east.
>Hack the west.
>Hack the south.
>Hack all of them.
>Custom option.

>>39053857
>Ask bro which way she headed
then hack cameras in that direction first.

>>39053886
Seconding!

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NAME: STREUM ‘Deus Ex’ On
ROLE: Tank/Hacker

[STATS]
Strength: A
Endurance: A+
Agility: C-
Magic Potential: B
Luck: D+
Noble Phantasm: B


[ABILITIES]
Psychic Hacking (A): STREUM possesses immense psychic powers and has the ability to hack just about anything, including the minds of living creatures. He frequently uses his skills to shut down the brains of his opponents, send them spiraling into nightmares, remotely control them or make their heads explode. His powers also allow him to hack regular computers.

Marksmanship (A+): STREUM is by far the best firearms user in the party. Among his weaponry, there is a shotgun that can blast off an opponent’s head from halfway across a street, and a revolver that can take down an armored chopper in three shots.
Cyber Legs (B): STREUM can active boost modules in his legs, temporarily raising his agility by a full rank.
First-Aid (C+): STREUM carries a couple of medkits with him and has basic knowledge of patching up wounds.

[NOBLE PHANTASM]
Locked behind numerous firewalls and security protocols…for the moment.

[FACTS]
-Demands brozouf…whatever that is. He often comes across it, despite the rest of the party being unclear as to its true meaning.
-Originates from a nightmarish futuristic world. He does not talk about it much, but it is clear its technology is far more advanced and dangerous than the normal world.
-Is French?

>>39053857

>>39053886
Supporting

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>>39053857
>>Hack all of them.

Don't care about time, do care that it gets done.

>>39053857
fourthing >>39053886

if he didn't see hack all

>>39053886
Seems like a plan +1

>>39053857
>>39053886
This
> Ask bro

If he doesn't know, then
> Hack all of them.

>>39053857
>Hack all of them.

>tfw sensei is the heiress to a yakuza group
>tfw we become young red lion master

>>39054166
Fucking wrong thread, im too drunk for this! you're welcome and sorry!

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She runs. Past the trees, past the houses, past the people. People stop and stare at her, pointing at the crying wreck that is Hatoko Kushikawa. Are they fans of hers, concerned for her tears? Are they her classmates, surprised that someone has legendary as her would break down like this? Or are they ordinary people, confused as to who this hysterical child is?

Her footsteps pound against the pavement. Her magic is running wild. Power lights short out, litter glows with red hotness, water in trains twists and rises and the wind howls.

Why? Why?

Why did things have to turn out this way? Her heart clenches in sorrow, in emotional agony. This wasn’t how things were supposed to happen! Reality was nothing like her imagination!

She has no direction, no path to follow. Her leader, the childhood friend that she loved so much, is gone. The bridge is on fire. She is not an all-powerful mage at the moment, capable of ripping apart demons with ice and fire and everything in between. Right now, she is a confused and scared high-school girl, with a broken heart and a frantic mind.

So, unable to think of anything else, she just runs into the distance.

Writing...

>>39054231
Damn right in the feels. You're enjoying this aren't you?

>>39054231
...

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>>39054231

>>39054231
Are you trying to make a grown man cry?

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>>39054317
>>39054231

Nice girl experiencing heartbreak and betrayal? Always a nice way to pull at the heartstrings.

>>39054231
Oh, yes. This is very good. I am rock hard right now, Thorn.

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>>39054231
Why?

>>39054468
A severe overestimation of our bro's social skills, and an underestimation of Hatoko's feelings.

Also that polyamory is not nearly so easy as some think or hope.

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You get an idea. There is no point in having STREUM hack cameras at random. A one in four chance is unsuitable. Hacking all of them is a waste of time, and you don’t think STREUM has enough monitors to review all of them at once. The man is absurdly fast at all things computer and mathematical, but time is dreadfully ticking away, and you need to conserve every last second you have.

You turn to your bro. “Bro, do you know which way Hatoko fled?”

He freezes up and thinks for a bit. He then surveys the scene of destruction, the uprooted trees and the broken scenery. “Damn, this could be tricky…”

“Then try!”

“Okay, okay. Judging by all of this…I think she went towards the south.” He mutters.

“Alright, got it.” You reply. “STREUM, hack all the cameras to the south. Review all the footage!”

“Affirmative, brother Kazuya.” STREUM growls, already busily typing away. “I shall also take a look at the past footage, and keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. But do bear in mind that the south area of Megiddo City also has places outside the camera range, which I will be unable to survey outside of forcefully hacking into someone’s mind. Additionally, Hatoko could change her tact at any moment. Nevertheless, I will do my best. If I cannot find her on the south end, I will attempt on other avenues.”

“Thanks, STREUM. This will be a big help.” You say, grateful.

“One last thing.” Your party’s hacker interrupts you. “I do not know what happened between you, Leader Tatsuya and Hatoko. But it is something between your pasts, and I will trust that you will have it under control. May you be victorious, brother Kazuya!”

He hangs up.

“The south side is more or less covered.” Your bro says. “But I think we can do a lot more.”

You nod. There is work to be done. It’s time to…

>Call Hatoko’s parents and others.
>Contact Souji for advice.
>Contact Myde for advice.
>Contact one of Hatoko’s rivals, keeping her breakdown a secret.
>Split up and search for her.
>Custom option.

>>39054576
>Split up and search for her.
East and West. If she isn't South you can both go North with minimum delay.

>>39054576
>>Call Hatoko’s parents and others.
>>Contact Souji for advice.

>>39054576
>Split up and search for her.
Go east and west I say.

>>39054576
>Call Hatoko’s parents and others.
We'll talk to them, though, not bro. Right now her parents would probably want to kill him for making their little girl cry.

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>>39054576

>Contact Myde for advice.

Demyx pls help how do we into women

>>39054576
>>39054611
>>39054626
>Split up and search for her.
Anime Gods will help us. Hopefully.

>>39054658
Why not contact $chan /r9k/ ?

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>>39054576
>Look for a trail of magic/destruction
She is clearly unstable and is not in full control of her power. Pretty hard to miss that. Even if it is something not obvious, we should still be able to sense her trail right? Or at least, our bro can.

>>39054576

>>39054761
Supporting

If you think Hatoko's arc is bad, wait until you see the sixth one.

Writing now...

>>39054761
>>39054576
Track her magical trail!

>>39054798
The sixth one? But, but there are only 5 harem members.... The sixth one is ours isn't it?

>>39054798
Are you fucking telling me that fighting our Bro in his own Reality Marble was the fucking TUTORIAL?!

>>39054576
Supporting:
>>39054761

>>39054818
The first arc was our Bro's

>>39054818
>My body is ready.

>>39054818
Based on the appearance of Ouroborus Crossroads, there are going to be eight arcs. Getting Tatsuya to admit how he felt may have been the first arc. So that's five more for the five girls, and I don't know what for the last two. Maybe good end and bad end?

>>39054900
The last two arcs are clearly Kazuya's personal arcs.

>>39054917
Why would those be represented in Tatsuya's soul, though?

>>39054954
Because we're hist Bro.

>>39054468
Seriously, what the fuck did you guys expect to happen?

>>39054798
Its just Ayase, I'm fine having her die at the end of it

>>39054954
I think that, after all that we are doing and going to do for him, the last two will be him being our bro and helping us resolve our life. Role Change, like if we ever gain a harem, though...

>>39055015
Fireworks and balloons.

>>39055039
>not being happy to help regardless of the cost to yourself
Get the fuck out of here, you're no bro

>>39055097
This anon gets it.

>>39055097
No, i just think that after we solve all this, we probably will have to look after our problems, and then he will want to help or shit like that, because, come on, we are doing the impossible for him, if he is really our bro, he would do the same for us.

>>39054954
Because it takes two whole arcs for Tatsuya and Kazuya to admit that they are gay for each other.

>>39055160
>we probably will have to look after our problems
What problems? We're good bro

>>39055171
For now... Twilight has plans, i know he has... He is the DM, after all...

>>39055167
Nah its cause one is a gag arc where one of them gets turned into a girl and things get weird.

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>>39055191
So True End then?

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“Bro, I think we should split up.” You say. “I’ll take the East and you can take the West.”

“Good idea.” Your bro says, nodding. “Kazuya, we should check for any signs of magical destruction. Hatoko..her power is probably out of control right now. It’ll be a dead ringer for tracking her down.”

There is fire in your bro’s eyes. Purple fire, of sheer guts and raw strength. Ouroboros-sama is most likely chattering away in his ear, giving him advice at a rapid pace. He always looked like this before a major battle. In some ways, this is just another one in a long line. But it is not one of weapons and magic. No, the battle today will be about emotions and the road to overcoming one’s despair.

“Let’s contact each other if we see anything.” You state. “Tell where you are, and I’ll come over to follow. Vice versa and all that.”

“You ready?” Your bro speaks.

“I am. Let’s move!”

With that the two of you sprint towards the distance. It’s time to put that agility to use. Your legs pump up and down, your muscles straining with the effort. You can imagine your bro doing the same on the other end. He’s faster than you, and you should get his side done a lot quickly.

Even so…Megiddo City is a pretty damn huge place. The East district alone is a lot of ground to cover. You are an ant in a gigantic maze of buildings and cars, and you don’t even know if Hatoko is hanging around here or not.

What will you do?

>Climb to a higher point and traverse the rooftops.
>Call Hatoko’s parents.
>Check locations in this area that Hatoko is likely to go.
>Call one of your party members for backup.
>Custom option.

>Last thread it was said Hatoko was voted best girl by the japs
>The poll we voted on for best girl of bros harem was Hatoko
We are the japs

>>39055224
>Climb to a higher point and traverse the rooftops.

>>39055224
>>Climb to a higher point and traverse the rooftops.

>>39055224
>Climb to a higher point and traverse the rooftops.

>>39055224

>Climb to a higher point and traverse the rooftops.
>Call Hatoko’s parents.

>>39055224
>Custom option
Ask passerby if they've seen Hatoko. Don't tell them what's going on.

>>39055224
>Climb to a higher point and traverse the rooftops.

>>39055224
Check the internet for twitter stories of world savior running rampant?

>>39055224
>>Climb to a higher point and traverse the rooftops.
and >>39054761

>Check the internet for stories of world savior running rampant?

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>>39055224
>Climb to a higher point and traverse the rooftops.
Using the rooftops...
>Check locations in this area that Hatoko is likely to go.
It'll be faster and there is less chance of random encounters that would slow us down.

Also, we totally should have Brofisted before we split up. For Luck.

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You need to get higher. When scanning a large crowd, there is more advantage from above. To that end, you sprint towards a nearby apartment block with all the force you can muster. Mouth curved into a determined frown, you dash towards the part where the wall meets the ground. You run up the wall, leap once and suddenly your body is soaring upwards straight towards the rooftop edge. Your hands stretch outwards and fasten tightly against the concrete roof. In less than a second, you have pulled yourself up and are now standing on the roof.

You dust yourself down, rubbing chunks of gravel and powder off your clothes. Then you lean towards the edge and glance down at the people below.

They are like tiny insects, squabbling around for a place in the cogs of life. Cars move back and forth, trapped in traffic jams. The sound of the crowd echoes between the buildings.

You cannot detect the traces of Hatoko’s magic. She is not here. You extend your senses, to no result.

So much for that.

>Keep moving and scanning.
>Contact STREUM to see how he’s doing.
>Contact Souji.
>Contact Myde.
>Contact Syoko.
>Custom option.

>>39055683
>Keep moving and scanning.
>Contact STREUM to see how he’s doing.
then
>Contact Souji.
For more support if possible if we have time.

>>39055683
>Keep moving and scanning.
>Contact STREUM to see how he’s doing.
>Contact Syoko.

>>39055683
>Keep moving and scanning.
>Contact Syoko

He dun goofed, Syoko, he dun goofed.

>>39055683
>Keep moving and scanning.
>Contact STREUM to see how he’s doing.

>>39055683
>Keep moving and scanning.

>>39055683
>Keep moving and scanning
>Contact Souji

>>39055683
>Keep moving and scanning.
>Contact STREUM to see how he’s doing.

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Hatoko Kushikawa is not a physically strong person. Not like Laura Bodewig, whose genetic engineering could let her take bullets to her torso and still manage to cut through waves of demons. Not like Kurumi Tokisaki, the woman who trained her body to fuel time-bending powers. Not like Sachiko Koshimizu, the daughter of a fallen angel whose light gave her great stamina.

She tires. Her breaths comes out in puffs. Her face is red from her crying and the physical activity. Her run slowly morphs to a fast walk, and ultimately a crawl. She steps forward, neither aware nor caring of where she is heading.

Her footsteps take her to a grassy field. A rock is in front of her. She does not notice it. Her foot catches against it, and she trips. She falls straight to the ground. It does not end there.

She keeps on going, sliding down a slope at a rapid pace and hitting the rough ground at the bottom.

It hurts, and she bleeds. A yelp of pain escapes from her throat.

She lies there for a while, her mind in turmoil. The tears have ceased slightly, their salt-filled streaks still visible on her face. Her motivation is shot, torn to pieces. There is no reason for her to get up.

She remains at the bottom in silence. The sound of the city and the birds rush through one ear and exit the other. She does not register anything at all.

“Ta-kun…”

Writing...

>>39056041
ah fuck

>>39056041
inb4rape

>>39056041

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VT4HFOOCZA

Fitting

>>39056345
Thanks this needed a soundtrack.

File: 1424517271976.png (271 KB, 673x557)

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You kick off from the ground and run towards the edge of the roofstop. Your superhuman prowess is in full effect, and you managed to leap off the apartment block and successfully land on the roof on the other side. You do not stop there. You dash from building to building, grinding on rails and somersaulting across tarmac. You keep your senses open the entire time, stretching to the fullest for a sign of your childhood friend, any sign.

It proves fruitless. Snarling in frustration, you whip out your mobile phone, still running, and dial STREUM’s number.

“STREUM!” You bark, “Have you found any sign of Hatoko yet?”

“Afraid not, brother!” STREUM replies, still busy in the midst of typing. “I have successfully hacked into the southern cameras and reviewing their logs. No sign of our mage, unfortunately. I am in the midst of rewinding back to fifteen minutes ago, but sorting through all these videos will take come time. It does not seem to be doing much, however. Do you want me to try something else?”

You dash towards a rail suspended in mid-air. A monorail is approaching. You sprint towards it and jump onto it. A second later, you jump off again, and land on the rooftop of a fancy department store. What you just did probably broke half a dozen laws, but you really don’t have time to give a fuck now. No sign of Hatoko below or above, either.

“Let mete think…has bro contacted you, yet?”

“He has. Leader Tatsuya said that he was checking out the western district. He called me five minutes ago, and appeared to have no luck. What are your orders?”

…

>Help your bro with the west cameras.
>Help with the east cameras.
>Keep searching through the south cameras.
>Go for the north cameras.
>Check the Internet and social media sites for any disturbances.
>Custom option.

>>39056453
>Check the Internet and social media sites for any disturbances.

>>39056453
>Check the Internet and social media sites for any disturbances.

>>39056453
>Check the Internet and social media sites for any disturbances.

Social media world. Nothing remains hidden.

>>39056453
>Check the Internet and social media sites for any disturbances.

>>39056453
>Check the Internet and social media sites for any disturbances.

>>39056453
>Check the Internet and social media sites for any disturbances.
"And then try to get rid of it. We don't want this getting out of hand."

>>39056453
>>Check the Internet and social media sites for any disturbances.
Hivemind.

>>39056453
>>Check the Internet and social media sites for any disturbances.

>>39056453
>Check the Internet and social media sites for any disturbances.
Then head north. Last part of the city left.

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“This is pointless.” A feminine voice in Tatsuya Aragaki’s head whispers. “What are you doing? You should be searching.”

“Shut up, Ophis.” The hero growls, as he taps in a special phone number. Hatoko Kushikawa’s home phone number. “This is important.”

“I disagree.” The dragon girl responds. “Hatoko Kushikawa will not be at her home. Otherwise, her parents would’ve long since called you, threatening to eviscerate you for making their hatchling cry.”

“I have to make sure.” He says, the phone now ringing. “There’s always a chance. I need to make sure it exists.”

“And what will you say? That you tried to confess to Hatoko Kushikawa and failed? That you suggested the notion of polyamory to her and made her breakdown into a mess of tears and anger? Is that what you are going to tell her parents, Tatsuya Aragaki?”

“I’m not going to tell them about that.” He snarls. “I’m just going to ask if Hatoko’s home or not.”

“You and I know that the answer to that is no. Why are you pursuing such a futile effort? Shouldn’t you be thinking about what you are going to say to your lover when the two of you meet? You broke her heart, and you need to come up a plan to mend it. Stop fooling around, host.”

“You know Ophis, you don’t have to keep regurgitating my failures back at me.” Tatsuya Aragaki speaks up. “I know everythng.”

She falls silent.

“I know I fucked up. I know I shattered Hatoko. I know I have to make it up to her. But I need to find her first. If there’s a chance, no matter how miniscule, that she’s somewhere I know…then I have to find out right away. I don’t want to run around this city in a wild goose chase, while she sinks further into her own despair. I want to be at her side and comfort her. I want to let her understand how much I love her. Please Ouroboros-sama, let me do this without you constantly nagging in my ear.”

Inside the crossroads, the spirit of Ouroboros sighs and closes her eyes.

She relents.

“Do what you want, then.”

>>39056860
Aaaaaand great. Bro has an emotionally detached dragon lady living in his head.

>>39057071
well yeah. Ophis a third best

>>39057071
He's had one since he got his soul thingie, It's just a little girl now we opened up crossroads.

File: 1424470849222.png (233 KB, 500x566)

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“Has the Internet reported anything, yet?” You ask.

“Not to my knowledge, brother.” STREUM replies. “Shall I check.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.” You say. “The eyes of the world are always on us. If Hatoko has run past them, people would know, and they’d talk about it on Twatter or Mumblr and such. Search them, and let me know if they’ve come up with anything.”

“Orders received.” STREUM drones. “It shall be done. I will also review the western and eastern footage as well.”

The line cuts off.

You sigh and shove your phone back into your pockets. Then you set yourself with determination and continue to run. You head towards…

>Down to the ground
>The north
>The west
>Keep circling the east.
>Custom option.

Apologies for the delays and the shortness of this post. Writing all the Hatoko and Tatsuya stuff is kinda time consuming...

>>39057149
>Keep circling the east.

>>39057149
>>The north
Only spot we haven't checked yet.

>>39057149
>call Hatoko

>>39057149
>The north

>>39057149
>twatter
kek.
But seriously,
>The north

>>39057149
>Custom
Contact Souji, tell him we fucked up, ask him to fly around as Tail Red and help us find Hatoko.

>>39057149
>The north
Does anybody have a map of Megiddo City (as in: the players)? We know she's on a slope, but without a map, that's basically no information whatsoever.

>>39057071
It could always be worse: there could be a murderously angry dragon lady living in his head.

>>39057149
>The north
>call Hatoko

>>39057149
>The north

>>39057149
>The north

I wonder if Oroboros is a harem member too.

>>39057149
>The north

So guys, who do you think is going to be the one girl who just goes with the harem thing? I'm guessing Kurumi or Laura

>>39057402
None of them. I doubt we'll be given a break like that

>>39057402
Kurumi, if anyone actually does. but I doubt it'd be that easy.

>>39057402
I'm just trying to wrap my head around what AYASE will do if she finds out. I mean holy shit.

File: hatoko_solemn.jpg (73 KB, 1280x720)

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Hatoko Kushikawa has gotten up. She is sitting on the sandy ground, her knees up to her chest. A stone rests nearby. She picks it up and tosses it into a body of water. It makes a soft plunk, and it sinks to the bottom.

She sighs. The red anger has faded away, and now only the embers remain. It is cool. The sun is beginning to sink to the bottom of the horizon. Shadows are cast across the landscape. She is alone.

She looks down, sadly. A lot of time to think…fate has given this gift to her. She had committed a grievous error, and the full weight of the consequences had fallen onto her. She had attacked her closest friend, along with the man she loved. Her winds had sliced and torn the landscape around her, causing thousands of dollars of damages. She had rebuked his touch and ran away before he had a chance to explain herself.

She had been such a fool. Now what would he think of her now. Would he even be capable of loving her, the way she had screwed up today?

I’m sorry. Two words that she wanted so desperately to say to Tatsuya Aragaki now. But she doubted that he would be accepting of them.

“Maybe they were right. I’m not fit to be Ta-kun’s lover after all…”

She picks up another stone and throws it into the water.

“All the other girls are so cool. That’s what the people on the Internet have been saying.” she mutters. She had seen their posts, the way all thirteen members of the party were compared to each other.

“Kurumi can bend time, and she is more attractive than I am. Laura is the world’s best Infinite Stratos user. Sachiko has lots of wealth and could support Ta-kun for the rest of his life. Ayase is his cousin. Compared to them, I’m just an ordinary girl…”

The pinpricks of more tears start forming at the corner of her eyes.

“Maybe…maybe…it would be better if I just gave up.” She whispers. “Maybe I could be happy if I just watched Ta-kun from the sidelines…”

>>39057552
try to kill all the other girls, so we have to put her down like the mad dog she is

>>39057477
We can but try to predict what insanity lays just beneath the surface of each girl.

Like Ayase: beneath the surface insanity and the love of knives, lies a dire jealousy of the rest. Maybe. Or just murder and knives.

>>39057573
Fucking $chan. Goddamnit.

>>39057573
God dammit fake us we're going to kill you for making second best girl cry.

>>39057614
Yeah, definitely just the murder and knives. It's murder and knives all the way down.

>>39057614
Ayase has no depth. she's worst girl

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You’ve more or less scanned the entire eastern side now. Hatoko is nowhere to be found. You know of the number of elements she can manipulate: fire, ice, water, wind, electricity, earth, magma, mud and others. You have seen no trace of them while running across rooftops. No fires spontaneously burning, no water flowing on the streets, no power shortages, no suddenly broken windows. The fact is that your friend is not here.

So fuck it. Did a wise man not say: stop wasting your damn time and get a bloody move on? Well, your old grizzled mentor said that, and he’s as wise as it gets. You need to head elsewhere. The northern district sounds like a good place to begin.

There is a big gap between the buildings, and you are forced to leap to the ground. You land in an alleyway, next to a row of trashcans and immediately being jogging out into the afternoon streets.

“Hatoko…where the hell are you? You’re in this city, right?” You say, running as fast as you can. “Wait for us, okay? Don’t you dare do anything stupid!”

>Call your bro and him know where you’re heading.
>Call Souji for advice.
>Call Myde for advice.
>Call STREUM and see if he’s come up with anything.
>Custom option.

>>39057918
>Call your bro and him know where you’re heading.

>>39057918
Conference call them all.

>>39057918
>Custom option.
Don't we have like a wolf spirit, dog, sword thing? Can't we use that to track her?

>>39057918
>Call Souji for advice.

>>39057918
>Call Souji for advice.
>Custom option
>>39057976
If Souji's up for a little eye-in-the-sky work, that could help: otherwise, just a "where would a girl go if her entire world was shattered" could do.

>>39057918
>Call Souji for advice.
"We fucked uuuuuuuup."

>>39057918
>>Call your bro and him know where you’re heading.
If he doesn't have much luck on his end, we could meet up and search together in the north. Or at least not be too far apart from each other.

>>39058065
Yeah. I mean, it was mostly bro's fault, but we hold a share of the blame for assuming a harem protagonist could communicate clearly with one of his suitors. That was a mistake.

>>39057918
>Call STREUM and see if he’s come up with anything.

>>39057976
Actually, could we use Grey Soul to track her down?

>>39057918
>Call your bro and him know where you’re heading.

Tiebreaker. Choose:

>Call Souji.
>Call bro.

>>39058180
>Call bro.
coordination is key

>>39058180
>Call Souji.

>>39058180
>call bro

>>39058180
>Call Souji.

>>39058180
>Call Souji.

>>39058180
>>Call bro.

>>39058180
>Call Souji.

>>39058180
Call bro.

>>39058180
>>Call Souji.

>>39058180
>Call bro.

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You take out the phone to call Souji Mitsuka. Hopefully the guy wasn’t flying around as a little girl, but staying as a normal man in somewhere safe and uninteresting. But before you could dial a number for the tenth time that day, your phone rings.

“Kazuya! Where are you? Answer me!” Roars a screechy, little girl’s voice from the phone.

Turns out you weren’t the one to call Souji. He was the one to call you. How appropriate.

You wince as you raise your mobile to your ear. “Er, what’s up Souji?” you answer. He sounds angry, which is unusual. Souji had always been one of the more mild-mannered and polite men of the party. You guessed that was because he was married to the heiress a large and powerful noble family, and had gained a decent amount of manners through his love life. Or maybe he just saw no reason to be a prick.

“You guys screwed up, didn’t you?” Souji growls. Why does he have to be a little girl right now? Is he cosplaying on the Internet again?

“Uh, kinda?” You say, sheepishly.

“Didn’t I tell you to let Hatoko down gently?” Souji continues. “Why did you ignore my advice?”

“Well…” You rub the back of your head. “It turns out that the guy who spent a year fending off a harem actually doesn’t have a lot of knowledge of how to talk to girls. And his best friend thought it would be a good idea to let him talk on his own.” You groan and shake your head. “Yeah we’ve been complete idiots sorry.”

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Souji sighs on the other line. You can imagine him shaking his head, the two red twintails swishing about like curtains in the breeze. “Listen. We are going to have a long and hard talk. I’m going to bring my wife with me, and we’re going to teach you two the proper ways of communicating with girls. Got it?”

“Yes sir.” You mumble, feeling oddly put in your place right now.

“Good. Now that’s over and done with, I was just browsing the Internet.” Souji speaks. “And I found some very interesting reports. Talk of how the famous Over Element-chan just ran past some people, and the area behind her began to suffer a sheer number of problems.”

Your eyes widen. “Souji, you wouldn’t happen to know where these people are?”

“Somewhere in the north district, near the bridge. Although, it’s the Internet, and you can’t really trust them. Still, hurry up and go there!”

He hangs up.

>Call your bro and let him know of this new discovery.
>Make sure the trail is legitimate first.
>Call STREUM and tell him to scan using the northern cameras.
>Custom option.

>>39058731
>Call your bro and let him know of this new discovery.

>>39058731
>>Call your bro and let him know of this new discovery.

>>39058731
>Custom option.
Don't waste time, just go. This will probably go better if we get to Hatoko before bro does, gives us a chance to smooth things over before he bungles anything again.

>>39058731
>>Call your bro and let him know of this new discovery.
We are using the fuck out of our phone.

>>39058731
>>Call your bro and let him know of this new discovery.

>>39058731
>>Call your bro and let him know of this new discovery
>Call STREUM and tell him to scan using the northern cameras
Talk and run!

>>39058731
>Call your bro and let him know of this new discovery.
While running. Also, in-character, I'd give the advice "hang back a bit until I'm sure she wants to see you".

Out-of-character, we've seen her thought process.

>>39058765
+1
BRO is a spaghetti mancer

>>39058765
Supporting. When we find her, text bro then. We can then talk her down first while he is on the way

>>39058765
This, even though the vote's fucked.

>>39058731
>Call your bro and let him know of this new discovery.
>Call STREUM and tell him to scan using the northern cameras.

>>39058765
Supporting this. We're better at this than he is. By far.

>>39058731
Changing my vote of:
>>39058892
to Supporting:
>>39058765

>>39058765
Sure. This would probably be the best currently

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A fresh wave of tears hits her. For her words, for all the talk of giving up, she cannot let Tatsuya Aragaki go. She is inherently opposed to the notion. Even if she let the other girls take him, Hatoko understands the pain that would result from such a decision. What could do then, other than suffer in silence, never demonstrating her love for the man she pined for?

It is unimaginable. The mere thought of it causes her shake and cry, again. The grey cloud is back, and it is raining.

“I…I don’t want to leave you, Ta-kun. I want to take care of you. I want to grow old with you, and you potato and meat stew every day. I want to marry you, love you and hold you. I want to support you, just as you have support me so much over the years. That’s why…that’s why…”

There is no Tatsuya Aragaki next to her. There is no-one to hug her, comfort her and tell her that everything will be alright. She is alone, and she knows it.

“Please Ta-kun…!” Her sobs fade off into the distance.

“Please don’t leave me…”

Writing...

>>39058984
If this is supposed to be the "easy" arc I don't know if I'm ready for the remaining ones.

>>39059025
I think no one is, but it has to be done.

>>39059025
I know. We might as well just say that worst girl Ayase's 'arc' will be a wash

>>39059066
I am. But I'm a pretty bad person who's enjoying this for entirely the wrong reasons, so I probably don't count.

>>39058984
Oh god, guys... I just had a really bad premonition. Hatoko is at her weakest right now. She loves her childhood friend Tatsuya. She is crying over screwing things up with him. Her other childhood friend shows up to calm her down, someone who has been there just as long as Tatsuya. Fuck guys we dun goofed

>>39059090
Time for Harem NTR Quest

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>>39059090
Unintentional NTR?

>>39059090
Speak for yourself, I'm loving this. I was wanting this from the very first thread, I didn't expect it to actually happen. I didn't even try to make it happen, I was so certain it would be impossible. I played it completely straight as if we were helping Tatsuya. But now that it is happening? This is great.

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You don’t waste any time. You spare no hesitation. The moment Souji’s words reach your ears, you are off running across the pavement, footsteps pounding like mad. You breath in, and out. In and out. You are calm, very calm. At the same time, your heart is full of determination and steel. You are going to find your friend. You are going to talk to her, and make her see the truth. You will find Hatoko, and make her smile again.

Because Hatoko should never cry. It just doesn’t feel right, at all.

You run past streetlights and signposts, people and animals, plants and garbage cans. A blinking red man is displayed on a traffic light ahead of you, and you shove all the power into your leg muscles and rush forward. You barely clear the barrage of cars that assault the lane, ignoring the shouts of complaints from the drivers, and continue moving forward.

Your bro calls you. “Kazuya! Where are you?” he asks.

“In the North district!” You yell back. “Souji found a trail for us. It’s near the bridge. I’m following it right now.”

“I’ll be with you!” The phone hangs up. No more words are necessary. No doubt Tatsuya is a sheer dragon locomotive now, barreling down the streets with all the force he has. And Ouroboros-sama is probably sniffing at him at the same time.

You skid into a near deserted street, of convenience stores, half-built structures and fast food joints. The signs of elemental magic are present. A bust fire hydrant. The streetlights no longer working. Dust covering a car. Smoke emitting from a local MgRonalds.

>>39059242
>tfw I was actually trying to help Tatsuya
>tfw 90% of my votes won.
>tfw I didn't ask for this

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Hatoko had been here. This information is more motivation than any money, women or drugs. More precious than any gold, diamonds or cash. You grit your teeth, and follow the trail.

It takes you to a large bridge overlooking a river. It is a bridge that connects Megiddo City to the rest of a Japan, a road of cars and trucks above water. One of many. You glance left and right. The trial ends here. There is hardly anyone in sight.

You see a grassy slope and dirt track. Something catches your eyes. You breathe in, and you adjust your shades.

Curled up at the bottom of the slope, is Hatoko. She seems to be in a bad shape.

>Go down and talk to her.
>Observe.
>Notify your bro first.
>Custom option.

>>39059339
>Go down and talk to her.

>>39059339
>Go down and talk to her.
Hugs now.

>>39059339
>Go down and talk to her.

>>39059339
>Go down and talk to her.
Make sure she didn't hurt herself.

>>39059339
>>Notify your bro first.
then
>Go down and talk to her

>>39059339
>Go down and talk to her.

>>39059339
>>Go down and talk to her.

>>39059339
>>Notify your bro first.

>>39059339
>Notify your bro first.

>>39059339
>>Notify your bro first.
>>Go down and talk to her.

>>39059339
>Notify your bro first.

>>39059339
>Go down and talk to her.

>>39059339
>Go down and talk to her.

>>39059339
>Go down and talk to her.
Whatever happens, DO NOT call Tatsuya in. Tell him where she is, maybe, but also advise him to stay away for a while so we can run damage control before she sees him again.

>>39059339
>Notify your bro first.

>>39059339
>Go down and talk to her.

As if this is even a real choice.

File: water.jpg (59 KB, 1280x720)

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Exhaling, you walk over to the slope and gently slide yourself down to it. Then you walk across the path at the bottom towards her. Your footsteps crunch against the hard sand, and Hatoko hears it. She raises her head, surprised at your appearance.

“K-Kazuya?” She hiccups, sniffling a little. “What are you doing here?”

“Hey Hatoko.” You say. You stand next to her and point at the spot next to her. “Mind if I sit here?”

She shakes her head and says nothing. You take that as a yes. The two of you sit down next to each other, watching the river water move slowly downstream towards the sea.

>“You know, bro was really worried about you.”
>“Hatoko, you didn’t really mean what you said back there, didn’t you?”
>“Bro was really scared, you know.”
>“You feeling okay, Hatoko?”
>Custom option.

>>39059685
>“You feeling okay, Hatoko?”

>>39059685
>>“You feeling okay, Hatoko?”

>>39059685
>“You feeling okay, Hatoko?”

>>39059685
>“You feeling okay, Hatoko?”
>“Bro was really scared, you know.”

>>39059685
>“You feeling okay, Hatoko?”
>“You know, bro was really worried about you.”
Hell I thought he was going to break down on the spot again.

>>39059685
>>“You feeling okay, Hatoko?”

>>39059685
>“You feeling okay, Hatoko?”
>“Bro was really scared, you know.”

#1 and #3 look similar, but I think the biggest difference is that #3 tells Hatoko that Tatsuya really feared being rejected by her, while #1 is just generic sympathy.

I would not trust Tatsuya to pick up on this subtlety.

>>39059685
>“You feeling okay, Hatoko?”
>“Bro was really scared, you know.”

>>39059685
>“Bro was really scared, you know.”

>>39059685
>“You feeling okay, Hatoko?”
Don't bring up bro on the first question. This is trying to comfort her as her friend first time. Need to make sure she also has calmed down since the park

>>39059685
>“You feeling okay, Hatoko?”

>>39059794
This.

>>39059685
>“Bro was really scared, you know.”
>“You know, bro was really worried about you.”

>>39059685
>>“You feeling okay, Hatoko?”

>>39059685
>Custom option.
"This was my fault. Don't be mad at Tatsuya, it was my idea. I'm sorry. I could see how you and the rest of the girls were hurting, I thought that maybe if you could all just share him that would somehow make everyone happy. I guess that was pretty dumb of me, huh? Bro really does love you. He's not playing with your emotions, Hatoko, I swear. This whole thing is just because I'm an idiot who somehow convinced him this would work."

>>39059685

>“You feeling okay, Hatoko?”
>“You know, bro was really worried about you.”
>“Bro was really scared, you know.”

If you really feel like how you said, then we'll have to deal with that. But I doubt that you do, and I KNOW that Tatsuya loves you - truly loves you - and he came to you first because he felt horrible about hiding it from you for so long.

Don't worry about the others right now, Hanako. What you need to know is that Tatsuya loves YOU, and he will never stop loving you. Just like you'll never stop loving him.

>>39059887
>>39059898
Supporting these

>>39059685
>“You feeling okay, Hatoko?”
It's a trap. She's obviously not okay.
>>39059887
>This

>>39059887
>>39059924
>>39059933
Woah, woah, woah, anon.
Counter-productive much?
We don't want to tell her that the fucking polygamy idea is stupid and it was all on us and that Bro didn't want to do it at all until we put the idea in his head.
He wanted to, but was too scared.

>>39059933
Sometimes taking the time to ask the questions is more important than the answers.

>>39059933
Yes, she's obviously not okay, but you say it anyways. It's called "basic politeness".

Also, the option you linked is basically one step forward for 57 steps back, as it tells her "this wasn't serious, we just thought we'd do it on a lark". It's not in any way truly confronting the issue. Whatever we say has to acknowledge that what bro had to say was what he meant to say, even if he did so in a stupid fashion.

>>39059898
>Hanako
You fantasizing about a harem of cripples there, anon?

>>39060056

...this quest's made me anxious enough to literally vomit. I apologize for the typo.

And scargirl is best girl, thank you.

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“You feeling okay?” You say, looking at your friend.

“A little…” Hatoko says, staring at the ground.

“Have you calmed down?” You continue.

“I guess so…” Hatoko sneezes and wipes her nose.

You reach into your bag and take out the cans of drink you bought earlier. Somehow they were undamaged when Hatoko had blown you back with her tornado. Not that you were complaining at the moment. You open up the can of raspberry soda and pass it over to Hatoko. “Here, you look really thirsty. It’s on the house.”

Your friend is somewhat bewildered, but accepts it nonetheless. She takes a sip and then another. Yeah, she does look tired. She’ll probably fall straight into bed once this is over.

The two of you sit in silence again. You decide to break the ice.

“You know Hatoko, bro was really scared before.” You say, gazing at the river.

“What do you mean?” Hatoko asks.

“Remember that duel the two of us had last week? The thing is…I was the one who started it. I took Tatsuya up to the school rooftop and barraged him with questions about you, Kurumi, Laura, Sachiko and Ayase. I wanted to know about his true feelings, whether he loved you and the other girls.” You take out the lemon-lime and sip from the can. “It turned out the entire time he knew. And bro was terrified. After his parents got killed in front of his eyes, well, I guess it made some part of him break into pieces. He understood that all of you girls loved him, and he was so so afraid that he might lose you—any of you. That’s why he was committed to playing the dense harem leader. He didn’t want things to change, in fear that he would go down the same path as Souji once did.”

Hatoko says nothing. Nevertheless, you can tell that she is digesting this new information.

>>39060117
>every girl is best girl
FTFY

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“Bro was crying, legitimately in tears when I fought him.” You continue speaking. “He poured his soul out to me. He loves you, Hatoko. Just as you love him. Yet at the same time, he loves the other girls, in the same way that they love him. He didn’t want to break your heart, any heart. He wasn’t keeping you in the dark because he was evil or a womanizer or anything bad. He was just scared that you would leave him. When you exploded at him, I thought he was going to break down on the spot. I could see the fear inside of him, that his bond with you would be severed forever. That’s how much you mean to him.”

“…” Hatoko continues to think in silence.

“Although, I gotta admit, his confession could’ve gone down better. I suppose playing the dense guy didn’t leave him with much knowledge of how to talk with girls. Pretty silly, huh?”

More time passes.

“Kazuya-kun…” Hatoko speaks up eventually. “Ta-kun…is he angry at me?”

>“He could never get mad at you.”
>“You’ve been reading too much rumors on the Internet.”
>“No, of course not. Why would you think that?”
>Custom option.

>>39060244
>“He could never get mad at you.”
>“You’ve been reading too much rumors on the Internet.”

>>39060244
>Custom option.
"Nah. I think he's more angry at himself for making you get hurt, honestly."

>>39060244
>>“He could never get mad at you.”
>"Hell, he's probably angrier at himself."

>>39060244
>“No, of course not. Why would you think that?”
Again, he's mostly just terrified at the moment.

Also, I don't think Kazuya would, at this point, know about how much Hatoko is reading into stupid $chan threads. In fact, in his place, at this time, I'd most likely do a spit-take, because that would be the last thing I would expect. Kazuya, of course, is better at keeping his cool.

>>39060244
>“No, of course not. Why would you think that?”

>>39060244
>“You’ve been reading too much rumors on the Internet.”
>“No, of course not. Why would you think that?”

>>39060244
>>“No, of course not. Why would you think that?”
>“He could never get mad at you."
Probably angrier with himself over this whole thing than anything else.
>“You’ve been reading too much rumors on the Internet.”
In that order.

>>39060244
>Custom option.
"No, not with you. At himself, certainly, and I'm worried he'll be angry at me once he stops to think about it. But not you. Never you."

>>39060244
>“You’ve been reading too much rumors on the Internet.”
>“No, of course not. Why would you think that?”

>>39060293
Seconding this.

>>39060244
>“You’ve been reading too much rumors on the Internet.”
>“No, of course not. Why would you think that?”

I would probably refrain from saying "He could never get angry at you": getting angry happens all the time in relationships. It's foolish to try to never be angry, or say you will never be angry, because it will happen. You just have to deal with it maturely.

Though in this case, I doubt Tatsuya is at all angry with her.

>>39060293

This, this, yes, this.

>>39060381

She REALLY doesn't need a realistic relationship talk RIGHT NOW.

>>39060244
>>“You’ve been reading too much rumors on the Internet.”

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“No.” You say. “Bro would never get mad at you. Not to the degree where he would hate you forever, I mean. But he’s definitely not angry at you right now. In fact, I think he’s likely to be angry at himself for making you run away. That, and terrified out of his wits. Why would you think that, though?”

Hatoko’s head sinks lower. “I got really upset with him, and my powers got out of control.” She mumbles. “I attacked the two of you, and I ran away without listening to his explanation. Why wouldn’t Ta-kun be angry with me?”

You can’t help but chuckle. “Hatoko, that’s not right. Bro isn’t the type to get pissed off over that. He forgives the people he cares about, remember? If he really was that kind of bad person, I wouldn’t be his friend. In fact, I’d probably be his worst enemy. So don’t worry, Hatoko. You don’t have to be afraid about that.”

Hatoko looks up. “Really?” she asks.

“Yeah, I’m positive.” You say.

She sits up again and looks into the distance. “When Ta-kun started talking about me being in a harem and all that, I was so frightened.” She confesses. “I didn’t want to be left behind by the other girls. I…Kazuya, I’ve read what people say online. They say that I’m inferior to Kurumi, Laura and the rest because I’m not special like them. That I can’t be Ta-kun’s wife because I’m too ordinary. It sounded stupid to me at first, but the more I thought about it the more sense it made. I…I think I’ve been carrying those doubts with me for a while, and they chose to unleash themselves at the worst moment…”

>“Those people are idiots. Don’t pay attention to them.”
>“No-one in the party thinks of you as inferior, Hatoko.”
>“You shouldn’t listen to that kind of crap. What do they know?”
>Custom option.

>>39060244
I can't believe fooling everyone with his blunt act made him clueless when talking to girls. You'd think having 5 of them constantly barraging you and keeping up an act that fools all of them would make him a master of manipulation.

>>39060641
>“You shouldn’t listen to that kind of crap. What do they know?”
>“No-one in the party thinks of you as inferior, Hatoko.”

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>>39060641
>>Custom option
Those guys are faggots.

>>39060641
>"Well they are right about Kurumi being best girl. Honestly her only weakness is cooking and Tatsuya has that covered."

>>39060641
>“No-one in the party thinks of you as inferior, Hatoko.”
>“Those people are idiots. Don’t pay attention to them.”
"Half the people there are deliberately shitposting. Including me. Seriously, don't take your cues from $chan: it's a place to blow off steam, mostly."

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>>39060683
Really?

>>39060679
What the fuck, supporting.

>>39060683
this

>>39060641
>“You shouldn’t listen to that kind of crap. What do they know?”
I think this is the time to pull up something from the past (i.e. back when it was the three of them together) about how we know she is indeed special

>>39060704
He is a lunatic. Laura is clearly best girl.

>>39060683
supporting, except with ayase instead of kurumi

>>39060641
>“Those people are idiots. Don’t pay attention to them.”
>“No-one in the party thinks of you as inferior, Hatoko.”
I'm feeling suprisingly self-concious.

>>39060641
>>39060641
>>“Those people are idiots. Don’t pay attention to them.”
>“No-one in the party thinks of you as inferior, Hatoko.”
Hatoko $chan is the asshole of the internet, people go there to shit things up and feel better afterwards by venting. Listening to them is likely listening to a collective of monkeys in the middle of a shit fight.

>>39060641

>“No-one in the party thinks of you as inferior, Hatoko.”

Hammer this into her head (not literally, obviously). Make sure she's absolutely certain that nobody, not us or Bro or Dick-Ass Thief or even the other girls thinks of her as 'ordinary'.

(After all, if the other girls thought she was ordinary then they wouldn't consider her a threat)

>>39060641
>“You shouldn’t listen to that kind of crap. What do they know?”
>Custom option.
"Let's pretend for a minute here that you're not the most powerful elemental mage the human species has ever produced. Even then, having known you as long as I have, I'd still say you're pretty damn special. You're kind, and considerate, and you genuinely want to make the world a better place. I have zero doubts that you'll go on to do even greater things than you already have with your life. You are an amazing girl, Hatoko, and don't let anyone ever tell you differently."

>>39060738
>Hatoko $chan is the asshole of the internet, people go there to shit things up and feel better afterwards by venting
>Listening to them is likely listening to a collective of monkeys in the middle of a shit fight.
>awkward cough
>That's why you, uh.. you shouldn't listen to them. The voices- $chan I mean.

>>39060641
>“No-one in the party thinks of you as inferior, Hatoko.”
>“You shouldn’t listen to that kind of crap. What do they know?”

>>39060777
It is very meta to see people shitposting during this vote.

>>39060730
Clearly.

>>39060641
>“Those people are idiots. Don’t pay attention to them.”

"Hatoko, if it wasn't for you we never would've made it all the way. Bro lead us, he set the goals, and gave us something to follow, I took care of the details on the side and watched his back. You, you took care of the party, of all of us."

>>39060836
How is that shitposting?

>>39060777
Yup.

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“Those people are idiots, Hatoko. They’re like a cage full of monkeys in the middle of shit-flinging contest.” You say, waving your hand dismissively. You are fully aware of how meta this conversation is going, but choose to ignore it. “What the hell do they know? They don’t know us. They weren’t with us on our journey. They don’t understand how your kindness and compassion kept us from falling apart in the Underworld.”

You sigh and take another swig of your drink. “Listen to me. You are not inferior to Kurumi, Laura, Sachiko or Ayase. I don’t think that. Bro doesn’t think that. No-one in the party thinks that. You are a vital and important member of our nakama, and there’s no way we would ever consider you to be worthless.”

“Kazuya-kun…”

“Besides, I can think of one way you’re better than the rest of the girls. It’s your personality. Kurumi and Ayase are both kinda psychotic, Laura can be too cold and Sachiko is too arrogant. But you? You’re gentle, considerate and sweet. You’ve always made the effort to keep the party friendly and warm, even in the most dangerous or tenacious times.” You smile fondly at the memories. “And you’re the most powerful elemental mage the human race has ever produced. I have zero doubts that you’ll go on to do even greater things in your life. You’re an amazing girl, Hatoko, and bro is a lucky man to have fallen in love with you. Don’t let anybody, not even your rivals, tell you differently.”

“I-I see.” Hatoko says, and this time she’s smiling a little. “Was I worried for nothing?”

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“I-I see.” Hatoko says, and this time she’s smiling a little. “Was I worried for nothing?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

Hatoko nods, and smiles brighter again. “I’m glad…”

The two of you sip your drinks for a while. Then you turn to her. “So, are you ready to face the music?”

Hatoko looks at you. “Huh?”

“You ready to confess to bro? You’re still in the running for his love. Don’t tell me you’re going to quit now.”

She blushes, and it’s adorable. “Well, that’s—”

“HATOKO!”

Speak of the devil, damn. You look up. Your bro is standing at the top of the slope, sweat pouring down his face. He looks ragged and out of breath, and his phone is clutched tight in his hands. He’s breathing heavily, and staring directly at the girl next to you.

“Ta-kun…” she whispers.

>Say nothing.
>Nudge her. “Go on. He’s waiting.”
>Custom option.

>>39061159
>Nudge her. “Go on. He’s waiting.”

>>39061159
>Nudge her. “Go on. He’s waiting.”
This is moe as fuck, son.

>>39061159
>>Nudge her. “Go on. He’s waiting.”

>>39061159
>>Nudge her. “Go on. He’s waiting.”

>>39061159
Tell Tatsuya that he's too late, you already caught her on the rebound.

>>39061159
>Nudge her. “Go on. He’s waiting.”

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>>39061159
>Nudge her. “Go on. He’s waiting.”
Seems like a rainstorm is moving through this thread.

>>39061159

>Nudge her. “Go on. He’s waiting.”

>>39061159
>It's your time, girl. Got get that booty.

>>39061159
>Custom option.
"Don't worry, if he manages to say something stupid this time I'll hit him for you. I love that man as much as one heterosexual man can love another, but dear lord do I want to smack him after all this."

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>>39061217

>>39061244
Supporting.

>>39061159
Supporting a mix of these:
>>39061217
>>39061244

>>39061244
All together now:
>Guy love, that's all it is
>Guy love he's mine I'm his
>There's nothing gay about it in our eyes.

>>39061401
It's guy love between two guys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdmHZD1ugI