Battle of Unity - Epilogues

Posted as Twitter articles on February 28th and March 1st, 2026, these are short (text only) epilogues to Battle of Unity for each team. They are presented here in the order that they were posted (following the Battle of Unity battle round order, with losers preceding winners).

Gokuluck: The Post-Encore Return to the Prison

"Mikoshiba-kun, there's something I've been curious about. May I ask you a question?"

Following the end of BoU, the members of GokuLuck returned to the prison. After receiving an outpouring of enthusiastic support from other prisoners who were watching the battle live, the four of them began talking...

Yuto: Well, it turned out the same as the last tourmanent... but, I still feel like we were welcomed very warmly upon our return, weren't we?
Shion: Yes, yes, I feel very warmly welcomed by a bunch of disheveled men in prison. [laughs]
Yuto: You don't have to put it like that! This is all thanks to all of your hard work!
Ryoga: I did it for myself, not to get praised.
Kenta: Yeah but it was super funny seeing Ryoga-chan getting totally swarmed by all those NPC prisoners.
Shion: Yes, Ryoga's a real hit with the men.
Ryoga: Don't make it weird.
Kenta: But seriously, what was with them all lined up in a neat little row like baby ducks, all simping about "we saved a special meal for you, Ryoga-san! Please eat it!"?
Shion: And they actually addressed Inukai with honorific language, too, didn't they?
Yuto: They did indeed! Thanks to GokuLuck's activities, I've managed to earn a bit of respect from the other prisoners as well!
Shion: Just feels kind of weird, if you ask me.
Yuto: Well, regardless, I think it's great if our work has a positive impact.
Ryoga: Shibaken didn't seem that mad about it, either, when everyone was gathering around him.
Kenta: Shut the fuck up. I don't know who you're talking about.
Yuto: Mikoshiba-kun, it's okay to say "I'm happy" when you're feeling happy.
Yuto: I know I've said many times that you should apologize when you do something wrong, but it's also okay to be honest about it when you're happy.
Kenta: ... well, whatever.
Yuto: You don't have to do it right away. You can build up to it.
Shion: I wonder how long that's gonna take him. [laughs] My bet's on 10 years. Ryoga, how about you?
Ryoga: Twenty.
Kenta: Don't fucking bet on me. I'm gonna kick your asses.
Yuto: Everyone, let's calm down...! ... ah, but, Mikoshiba-kun, there's something I've been curious about. May I ask you a question?
Kenta: ... what.
Yuto: Mikoshiba-kun, you told us about your past, but you never mentioned how it was that you avoided getting arrested by the investigation that was after you that day?
Shion: Yeah, that's right. How'd you manage that one?
Kenta: ... I was at cozmez's place.

Ryoga: Seriously?
Shion: So you mean they let you hide out there?
Kenta: ... eh.
Yuto: Is that so...!
Kenta: Well, they didn't find me because the slums are way too much of a maze to try and find anyone in.
Shion: That's fair enough. But I have to ask; what kind of place do the two of them live in?
Kenta: It was a fucking shithole. It was a complete mess and there were shoes all over the entryway. I mean, fuck's sake, least you can do is clean up after yourself.
Ryoga: You're really not one to be talking about cleaning up.
Kenta: My space has just got everything I need exactly where I need it.
Shion: And I assume that "what you need" includes those empty energy drink cans? [laughs]
Kenta: ... uh, y... yeah. Like I said. I've only got what I need.
Yuto: W-well, at any rate, I'm very grateful to the members of cozmez for their help. I'll have to sned them some sweets sometime soon!
Yuto: What would be best...? Yokan... kintsuba... maybe moon cakes? Do you know what they like?
Kenta: Why the hell are all of your options the kind of shit you'd leave as an offering at a Buddhist altar?
Kenta: Point is. It's whatever. Don't worry about it.
Shion: It is true that they don't seem like the type to really care about that kind of thing.
Ryoga: It'd be more polite to give them back a gift on stage.
Yuto: Huh? On stage...?
Ryoga: We should get them back for what just happened by giving them an even harder blow in the next battle we have against them.
Shion: I agree. That's much more our style.
Yuto: Do you really think so...? I see~...
Kenta: This ain't an "I see~" sort of thing, dumbass. Next time we're gonna pay back the debt we owe them. That's a promise.
Shion: I certainly won't deny that they're skilled, but it's nothing that we can't overcome.
Ryoga: Yeah. Next time we'll eat them alive.
Kenta: We're gonna take out those shitty scrubs and all of the heads out in one fell swoop with our next song's AOE blast.
Shion: And here I was thinking the battle was over, but it looks like we're just getting ready for another round.
Ryoga: We ain't got time to rest. The strongest are the ones who keep working on getting bigger while everyone else is sleeping.
Yuto: I agree... so everyone, let's all work hard and continue to have fun and do our best!
Ryoga, Shion, and Kenta: ...
Yuto: Uh, is something wrong...? Did I say the wrong thing...?
Kenta: Nothing pisses me off more than when you say shit like "let's do our best!" like a dipshit.
Yuto: Huh? H-huh?
Shion: Inukai, you're doing it again.
Yuto: W-w-wait! What do you mean by that!?
Kenta: Go think about it in solitary confinement for the rest of your life, shitty-ass prison guard.

cozmez: Sharing Ice Cream and Dreams

"Isn't it weird for you to talk about our past to someone else, Kanata?"

Kanata and Nayuta go out to the convenience store to buy some ice cream. On the way, they were approached by a child from the slums...

Nayuta: I mean, honestly, that kind of scared me for a second.
Kanata: Right?
Nayuta: That kid just ran up to you out of nowhere and was going off about "my dream is to become a rapper like cozmez, too".
Kanata: I mean it's like, if that's what he wants to do then be my guest.
Nayuta: He really must have admired us.
Nayuta: But I guess that kind of thing's been happening more and more lately.
Kanata: Well, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.
Nayuta: It's probably fine. I think it's alright for kids from the slums to have dreams like that.
Kanata: But I never wanted to be like some kind of hoodstar or whatever.
Nayuta: Knew you were gonna say that. We've only ever done it to try and rise up out of where we were.
Kanata: Back then we couldn't even go on convenience store runs like this.
Nayuta: Sure couldn't. Can't help but wonder what the hell we'd even be doing right now, if we hadn't started doing phantom lives.
Kanata: Dunno. We'd probably still be homeless or something.
Nayuta: Hah, yeah, maybe. So if you think about it, us doing phantom lives really was for the best.
Kanata: Now instead of being constantly bombarded with insults and attacks, we're constantly in the spotlight. That's all because of phantom lives.
Nayuta: Yup. Speaking of phantom lives... what's-his-guts was pretty good at them, despite everything.
Kanata: Who?
Nayuta: You know, what's-his-guts. The guy from GokuLuck.
Kanata: Ah... the hell was his name...? Ah, yeah. It was Mikoshiba.

Nayuta: Yeah, him. He really seemed down in the dumps when he was over at our place, but he really cut loose with it on stage, didn't he?
Kanata: If you say so.
Nayuta: Don't you think it's because you encouraged him that he got really pumped up, Kanata?
Kanata: It's not like I was trying to do that. He sorted his shit out on his own.
Nayuta: We'll leave it at that, then. But isn't it weird for you to talk about our past to someone else, Kanata?
Kanata: That's... well, I mean, when I heard that he had a shitty time back when he was a kid...
Nayuta: It's different from what we went through, but I kinda get it, too.
Kanata: Yeah.
Kanata: I mean, everyone's got their own shit they've got to deal with, right? But it's not like rolling over and giving up is going to do anything about it.
Nayuta: For real. In the end, you've gotta be the one who picks your own self up.
Kanata: But I don't think I said anything that was totally out of character for me...
Nayuta: Actually, now that I think about it, why is it that you keep giving advice to the people we go up against in battles?
Kanata: ... shuddup.
Nayuta: But the battle itself was pretty exciting. Their skills had levelled up a lot since the last time we went up against each other.
Kanata: Yeah. The crowd got really into it.
Nayuta: And those dudes in VISTY have gotten a lot better at putting on a show, too, so we've gotta keep upping our game as well.
Kanata: What's the point in even saying that? That's a given.
Nayuta: Ahaha, that's true.
Kanata: We've come this far together ever since back when we were kids. Let's keep going all out until all our dreams come true.
Nayuta: Yeah. Let's show 'em what we've managed to become since crawling our way out of hell.
Nayuta: By the way, Kanata, what kind of ice cream were you thinking about buying today?
Kanata: Ah... probably just the regular soda flavor?
Nayuta: For real? I wanted the soda flavor too! So let's get this one, the one with two sticks that you can split in half.
Kanata: Fine by me.
Nayuta: So let's buy three of them.
Kanata: Huh? What do we need three for?
Nayuta: So we have one to share together, and then one that we can eat without having to split it in half.
Nayuta: I always had this wild dream of being able to eat an entire ice cream without having to split it. But I still want to share one with you, Kanata, so we'll also get one to share, too.
Kanata: Hah, that's your reasoning?
Kanata: Well, then, let's buy them. We'll make another dream come true today.

AMPRULE: Bocchama and Cats

"This is not about becoming friends; this is a business transaction."

Dongha and Chungsung go to a cat café in order to earn the favor of the cats. However, it seems that their attempts to interact with the cats are not going as well as they had hoped for...

Cat 1: Mrrrow.
Dongha: ...
Cat 2: Mrraoow.
Dongha: ...
Cat 3: Mewmewmiaoo.
Dongha: ... tch!
Dongha: Oi, Chungsung! What's the matter with these things!? None of them will come near me!!
Chungsung: Bocchama. If you raise your voice like that, then--
Cat 4: HISSSSS!
Dongha: Gck---! What a touchy creature that thing is...!
Chungsung: It is quite strange, is it not? "The cats at cat cafés are very used to people, and are quite easy to handle as a result"... so we heard, and as such we rented out the largest such establishment in Japan, said to be happy home to 100 cats.
Dongha: To think we were fooled by such an obvious exaggerated hoax... not a single one will approach me.
Chungsung: Perhaps it is rather that they are intimidated by your forceful and commanding spirit, bocchama.
Dongha: What do you mean by that?
Chungsung: Though now they are domesticated pets, their ancestors were wild animals. It is quite possible that their wild instincts lead to them possessin an intuitive fear and respect of you.
Dongha: Hmph... thouh I thought they were simply vapidly cute creatures, it seems that they still have the instinct to gauge the capacity of those around them.
Chungsung: Furthermore, we also possess a secret weapon ready for your deployment: "kitty treats". Would you like to use them?
Dongha: No need. There is no point in attempting to bait them with something like that. The cats must bow their head to me of their own volition.
Dongha: And furthermore, that Black-Spotted Demon King DX could not be controlled by mere treats.
Chungsung: Hehe... he truly was quite the free-spirited cat.
Chungsung: However, the sight of Bocchama playing with Kurobuchi-sama with one of his toys-- that was truly a feast for the eyes to behold.
Dongha: ...
Chungsung: On that note, bocchama, there is something to say regarding the matter that we brought forth to Saimon-sama and Kobayashi-sama...
Dongha: .... You mean the matter of if they would become collaborators to our cause? What was their response?
Chungsung: Of course, they have agreed to participate. However, Kanbayashi-sama still seems to consider us suspect.
Dongha: That is fine. This is not about becoming friends; this is a business transaction.
Dongha: Considering that Natsume Ryu is a member of their number, there is no amount of explanation we can provide that will cause them to fully trust us.
Chungsung: ... that certainly is the case, yes.
Dongha: At any rate, since we have obtained their cooperation, we will of course provide them with a generous reward.
Dongha: Instruct all of the research staff to employ the utmost in courtesy. Let no harm befall Saimon Naoakira nor Kanbayashi Yohei.
Chungsung: As you wish. I, your humble Baek Chungsung, will work tirelessly to manifest your will as well.
Dongha: Naturally. You will be my hands and my feet; I will work you like a workhorse.
Chungsung: Ah. Most willingly.
Dongha: ... what a waste of time this has been. I'm going home.
Chungsung: Are you quite sure?
Dongha: Don't make me repeat myself. I've already wasted enough of my time, I don't have the free time to sit around and try to deal with a stubborn ca--
Cat 5: Meooow!
Dongha: !?
Chungsung: Oh, my. It seems that quite the adorable calico cat is heading straight towards your feet, bocchama...
Cat 5: Meow~! ♪
Chungsung: ... or so it seemed, but it seems as though it has bypassed bocchama entirely and instead come over to me.
Dongha: Ghh--! You bastard, how dare you ignore your master's will to play with some cat...!
Chungsung: Ah, Bocchama, in all likelihood this is simply--
Dongha: I don't want to hear any excuses!! Chungsung, brace yourself! I will be punishing you the very instant we get home!!
Chungsung: [thinking] I must assume that the cat came over to me simply because I still have the cat treats in my pocket...
Chungsung: [thinking]

Chungsung: Yes, of course, bocchama, by all means! Please torture this humble fool that stands before you until you are satisfied...!

The Cat's Whiskers: A Lively Prescription

"... hey, Saimon. Is everything going okay with that?"

A mountain of cardboard boxes arrives for TCW from Dongha of AMPRULE. Among those surprise gifts were...

Ryu: Uwhoa! Looky, looky, Shikki! There's some huuuuge cardboard boxes!
Shiki: There are five cardboard boxes, each bigger than my entire body...? And it says the sender is... "Yeon Dongha".
Yohei: Sure hope that little shit didn't buy up everything in a goddamn store and send it to us.
Saimon: Haha. It's very thoughtful of him. I suppose it's his way of saying thank you for us letting him play with Kurobuchi the other day.
Ryu: Now, let us begin the unboxing ceremony with Ryu-kun~ ✰ Crunchy crunchy! Rippy rippy!
Shiki: A-ah, Ryu-kun, you've to open it a little more carefully...!
Ryu: Here it is! A luxury kitty tower, plush cushions, and... a super high-class-looking scratching post! Truly, a set of offerings worthy of royalty!!
Saimon: Those two certainly seem like they're having fun, don't they?
Yohei: ... hey, Saimon. Is everything going okay with that?
Saimon: "That"?
Yohei: Don't play stupid. I mean that experimental drug stuff. Seems like it's not hitting you too badly, but...
Saimon: Ah, yes, that. It's not a dramatic improvement or anything, but I am having more good days than I was.
Yohei: That so. So you mean you're not suddenly getting lightheaded like you were before?
Saimon: Well, not nearly as much as I was. It still comes in waves, but I do feel much lighter than I did.
Yohei: ... I see. Guess that rich little brat wasn't just all empty talk after all.
Saimon: Yes, he was quite serious. When he said that this would be a mutually benefitial arrangement, he truly did follow through on it.
Yohei: Well, he abided by the contract. Good job there.
Saimon: I'm sorry for making you worry.
Yohei: ... we got into this knowing what the risks were gonna be... but to be honest, it's all still a pretty risky gamble, no doubt about that.
Saimon: If the data I can provide is of use, then it may be able to help reduce the number of people who suffer from metal use in the future.
Saimon: We should never have to let anyone else ever go through the pain of losing a loved one.
Yohei: ... yeah, true enough. But it ain't enough to just be doing good for the world and other people, y'know.
Saimon: ?
Yohei: I ain't gonna let you act like you've forgotten about our dream. If not for you, none of them would ever have come true. And...
Yohei: Shiki's one thing, but you can't leave me alone to deal with Ryu on my own. You're the one who picked him up.
Saimon: Hahah... that's cold.
Yohei: I'm gonna make sure you take responsibility for bringing us here to the very end, mark my words.
Saimon: Thank you. I'll do my best.
Ryu: Hm hm hm!! Ryu-kun has discovered an incredible ultimate weapon down at the bottom of the box! BOSS! MASTER! TO ME, AT ONCE!
Saimon: What's the matter? What's got you in such a frenzy?
Ryu: It's a tremendous present from Little Mister Mushroom to Kurobuchi!
Shiki: This is... a fruit hat...? I kind of have to wonder if he'll hate it...?
Ryu: This is the magical item that lets Kurobuchicchi turn into the King of the Tropics! Aaaand TRANSFORM! Ptchaow! ✰
Shiki: Oh, wow, that's so cute...! Kurobuchi... doesn't seem to hate it?
Saimon: It's quite a cute look for the King of the Tropics.
Yohei: What the hell is that supposed to be? A pineapple??
Ryu: Uh-oh! Kurobuchicchi, charge attack at Master!

Yohei: Oi, get away from me! It's dangerous for you to be getting underfoot!
Saimon: Could it be that Kuro wants you to pick him up, Yohei?
Yohei: Tch... goddammit, you're not gonna give me a choice. C'mon, just stop being a pain.
Ryu: Whoa! It looks like Kurobuchhichi is wriggling out!
Yohei: The hell you mean, "wriggli--" -- whoa!?
Shiki: Ah--!? Master! Move your face away, the pineapple leaves are...!
Yohei: Goddammit! Hey, stop moving around! You're hitting me right in the nose!
Saimon: Ahaha, it's quite the harsh blessing, isn't it? Perhaps this can be our new invigorating "Tropical Punch".
Yohei: Don't go off making new cocktails without permission. Stop laughing and get rid of this hat!
Ryu: Now! Say "cheese"! ✰
Yohei: Ryu, you got some REAL fuckin' nads!
Ryu: Waaah! Save me, Boss! The Pineapple Monster is angryyy!
Shiki: Master, I'll take care of Kurobuchi... okay, come here, Kurobuchi...
Yohei: Seriously, every last one of you...
Saimon: Ahaha...
Yohei: Don't you dare laugh.
Saimon: I think this sort of liveliness is what works the best for me, more than any prescription any doctor could write.

VISTY: A Conversation After Filming

"None of us are satisfied yet, right?"

VISTY travelled to a location for a variety show segment. After the shoot, they looked back on their recent activity, which seems to have been getting back on-track...

Shogo: ... and that's that! That's our Recommendation Gourmet Tour of this downtown shopping district!
Toma: Wo~w, who would ever have thought that the fish-flavored gummis that Sho-chin recommended didn't make anyone's rec list~? [laughs]
Shogo: I'm still not convinced! That combination of the white fish flavor and the chewy texture... I think that definitely deserves more recognition!
Aoi: Well, I liked the senbei the most. The store staff bake them fresh every day.
Toma: Ooh, I liked those a lot too! I think I'll buy some as a little souvenir~ ♪
Kantaro: My favorite was the special parfait, of course~ ♡ Oh, but the zenzai was super yummy, too. It went perfectly with the salted kelp.
Toma: Kantaro, you've got quite the sophisticated palatte from time to time, don't you?
Kantaro: I just like sweet things from all around the world, past and present~ ♡
Shogo: ... ah! We're almost out of time... That's it for this week's "VISTY's Anything Goes Tell-and-SHOWTIME!"!
Aoi: See you again next week.
Kantaro: We've got official SNS accounts for the show, too, so be sure to drop a like and follow!
Toma: Well, then, everyone~?
All Four: BYE VISTY~ ✰

--On the Location Bus--

Toma: Alrighty, good job on the location shoot, everyone~! My stomach's totally stuffed; it's so hard to keep my eyes open that I think the only reasonable explanation is that my eyelids are about to fall in love with each other!
Aoi: The people in the shopping district really pulled out all the stops for us.
Kantaro: Yeah, they even baked like 20 senbei just for us. [laughs] I was really surprised.
Shogo: We even ran into a fair number of people who knew about VISTY. Multiple people said that they were rooting for us.
Toma: I'm really glad. Back in our dark age we could walk around without any disguise at all and nobody would even look twice at us.
Aoi: And now we're getting more and more attention... and we're even appearing on variety shows.
Kantaro: Yeah, but we're only a short segment on a show with a crummy late night time slot~
Shogo: No, no, I think the most important thing is that we're getting appearance offers!
Aoi: I agree with Shogo. We should do our best no matter what the job is.
Toma: And like, you say that, Kantaro, but you were basically jumping for joy when we got the offer, and you're always totally reading and re-reading the script until the wee hours of night, aren't you?
Kantaro: Hey, how did you know about that!? I mean... obviously I'm happy about the fact that we're getting more work, so of course I'm gonna give it 120%.
Aoi: It's rare to see you being so honest.
Kantaro: Hey, I'm always honestly super cute~!
Kantaro: But that's not the point! What I'm trying to say is just that we shouldn't be satisfied with just this!
Kantaro: Ever since we started competing in Paradox Live battles, we've slowly started getting more recognition, but I still want to keep improving.
Shogo: Well, of course, I feel the same way. None of us are satisfied yet, right?
Shogo: We need to keep getting better for the sake of all the Stellas who support VISTY!
Toma: So for now, let's aim to get "VISTY's Anything-Goes" into a primetime slot!
Aoi: I like it. And a solo tour, too!
Kantaro: Let's shoot for 10 million followers!
Shogo: Ahaha, everyone's really motivated!
-- ♪ --
Shogo: ... ah. It's a message from Kei.
Aoi: There's something we don't hear you say every day. What does it say?
Shogo: Let's see... "I saw you on the air last week. It was an interesting segment," he says!
Toma: Oooh! You sure we're talking about the Kei who hails from the planet of, like, never watching variety shows?
Aoi: Heheh. He really cares about us, doesn't he?
Kantaro: Rokuta and Itsuki also share their thoughts from time to time, huh?
Kantaro: Before our match, I thought they were all really nasty pieces of work... but once we got past the surface impressions they turned out to be pretty alright guys. I'm almost kinda disappointed.
Shogo: I guess the fact that we can think that way is proof that we've grown a lot.
Kantaro: Eh?
Shogo: I mean, think about it. Remember when we talked to Kei before the FUTURE battle round? What we talked about... if we'd heard it earlier, I don't think we'd have been able to accept it so easily.
VISTY: ...
Shogo: But between fighting in RtL and deciding to participate in BoU, we were able to become a lot more confident in ourselves, and we were able to face those feelings head-on.
Shogo: So, being able to have a good relationship with 1Nm8 is proof that we've grown a lot... or, that's what I think, anyway.
Aoi: ... yeah. I guess that may be true.
Toma: I feel like we've struggled a lot, and run into a lot of problems, and taken a bunch of detours on our way here. But... I don't think it was all in vain.
Aoi: That's right. All of the failures and setbacks we faced back then are part of why we're here now.
Kantaro: But it's still super frustrating! Next time we've gotta win!
Toma: Yeah, well said!
Aoi: Let's keep honing our skills even more and give everyone even better performances than we've done before.
Shogo: Yeah! Let's keep working hard to put an even greater smile on our Stellas' faces!
VISTY: Alright!!

1Nm8: Returning From the Wrapup Party

"The fact that I feel as happy as I do now... is all thanks to the two of you."

1Nm8 enjoyed a joint wrapup party with VISTY. After enjoying the activities, they talked about it on the way back home...

Rokuta: Aaah~~ That was fun!
Rokuta: I had no idea there was such a big and exciting place so close by to us!
Itsuki: It was a "Sports Complex and Amusement Facility"... it was indeed a very intriguing place.
Rokuta: Right! There were so many kinds of games I'd never seen before, like running around in a big vinyl ball, or that game where you had to make the exact same pose as the one in the video! It was all super amazing!
Kei: You were very good at bowling, Itsuki. It's hard to believe that was your first time ever trying it.
Itsuki: Was I? I must admit I am not particularly adept at sports, but...
Rokuta: Yeah, Itsuki-nii, it was super cool how you threw the ball straight at the pins!
Rokuta: Meanwhile, I was really bad at rolling the ball...
Kei: But Rokuta, you were very good at the batting. Maybe that's where your talent lies.
Rokuta: Really!? It felt really good to really hit the ball with a SMACK! I wanna go again!
Itsuki: It was certainly a refreshing time. It is not bad to get some exercise every once in a while.
Kei: I'm glad. The two of you seemed to be having a lot of fun.
Rokuta: Kei-chan, what about you? Did you play a bunch and have lots of fun too?
Kei: Yes. I wouldn't have thought of going to a sports facility like that of my own volition, so I'm glad that Shogo and the others invited us today.
Itsuki: I was quite taken by surprise when VISTY contacted us, saying, "let's hang out and have a wrapup party after the battle"...
Rokuta: I was suprised, but really happy, too~!
Kei: I agree. Before BoU, I never would have dreamed that I would be able to have this kind of relationship with the members of VISTY.
Kei: Considering how badly I hurt them before...
Rokuta: Kei-chan...
Kei: And that's why, Itsuki, Rokuta, I'm so thankful to both of you.
Rokuta: Huh?
Itsuki: Why is that? I feel like we were not of tremendous help to you at the time.
Kei: No, I think you were. You were the ones who gave me the push I needed.
Kei: That's why I took that step forward and had the opportunity to share my thoughts with my old friends.
Kei: So the fact that I feel as happy as I do now... is all thanks to the two of you.
Rokuta: ... ehehe. I'm happy to hear you say that.
Itsuki: I agree... I am happy if I am able to be of help to you, Kei.
Rokuta: And the battle was super fun, too! I dunno how to explain it, but it felt super special and exciting!
Rokuta: And I think you were shining even brighter and more sparkly than usual, Kei-chan.
Kei: ... is that so?
Itsuki: I agree. You looked different on satge during FUTURE than you usually do, even from my perspective.
Itsuki: Were you not cognizant of it?
Kei: No, I wasn't... but, I suppose now that you mention it, I do feel that I was able to stand on stage in a state of mind I'd never felt before.
Kei: It was a very refreshed feeling... like watching the sunrise after enduring a very long night.
Itsuki: I see.
Rokuta: So, hey, hey! This time the members of VISTY invited us out, so next time, let's be the ones to invite them out!
Rokuta: We had a pizza party this time, sooo~... yeah, next time, let's do karaage! A karaage party at our place! Great idea, don't you think?

Kei: I don't mind the idea of hosting a party, but... do you think they'll come?
Rokuta: It'll be fine! When we were saying byebye today, Shogo and Kantaro both said, "let's hang out again"!
Itsuki: Toma and Aoi seemed to be in vigorous agreement as well. I do not expect there will be any problems.
Rokuta: And most importantly, Itsuki-nii and Kei-chan's karaage is the most delicious in the entire world! So I've gotta let everyone in VISTY try it!
Kei: ... haha. Well, if that's the case, I will try inviting them.
Rokuta: Yaay~! ♪
Itsuki: I will begin preparing a shopping list as soon as we return home.
Rokuta: I'll help, too! Just leave the tasting and carrying the groceries to me!
Rokuta: You're really looking forward to our karaage party, too, aren't you, Kei-chan?
Kei: Yes, very much. Thank you, both of you.

BAE: A Long-Overdue Dinner Party

「We care more about you than you realize we do.」

Even after BoU ended, the three members of BAE have been kept very busy running around. Anne suggested that they all have dinner together at home...

Hajun: Alright, it's done.
Allen: Whoa! That looks delicious! What do you call this dish?
Hajun: It's seolleongtang. Allen, Anne, the both of you two have been very busy the past few days, so I decided to make this as my menu offering to help you recover from fatigue.
Anne: Wow, that's so amazing! Just as I expect from you, Hajun, no matter what you do, you're so ikemen when you do it~
Hajun: Thank you very much. Allen, what did you prepare?
Allen: I made this!
Anne: Whoa! It's chicken wings!
Allen: I wanted to make a hiphop sort of meal, and chicken wings are trending, so I thought I'd try making some!
Hajun: Considering your usual standards, this is quite the elaborate choice for you.
Allen: What do you mean "for me"? [laughs] Well, it's true I don't really cook much, let alone make fried food, so it was a bit of a learning curve!
Anne: Allen, I'm pretty sure that as long as it's edible, it'll be fine.
Hajun: I agree. Anne, I'd like some wine, please.
Anne: I'm way ahead of you! I'll pour you a glass, then?
Hajun: Please do.
Allen: Everyone good? Well then, cheers!
Hajun & Anne: Cheers!
Allen: Phwaah! That's delicious!
Anne: Ah~! It really is great. Drinking together as a trio really puts me at ease.
Hajun: I agree. Now, let's eat before the food we put all this effort into making goes cold.
Anne: Let's eat, let's eat! Itadakimaaaasu!
Allen: Itadakimasu! Alright, let's start with Hajun's!
Allen: Whoaaaa!! This is seriously good! Hajun, your food is totally at the level where you could open up a restaurant if you wantdd.
Anne: For real. I know they say that thing about heaven and two gifts blah blah blah^[1], but we have proof right here that that's a lie. [laughs]
Hajun: Thank you. Hearing that makes the effort I put into making it worth it.
Anne: Alright, now let's try Allen's cooking.
Allen: Ah, yeah, please give it a try!
Hajun: ... well, it's not inedible... but the flavor is a little strong. Did you taste it properly while you were making it?
Allen: When I tasted it, I was kind of... how should I put this? Going off of vibes? [laughs]
Anne: Wow, it really is pretty intense. But, I think that'd make it a great snack to go with alcohol, don't you think?
Hajun: Hehe, that's true. I suppose for now I can just not worry about effects it's going to have on my skin tomorrow. Anne, can I get another glass of wine?
Anne: Ooh, Hajun, you're in a drinking mood tonight! Alright, here you go!

--Two Hours Later--

Anne: ... and then things got really crazy from there! The customers kept asking Zen-san to show off his muscles!
Allen: I AM JUST!! SO GRATEFUL TO BOTH OF YOU!!
Anne: Whoa, hold up, Allen, why are you yelling all of a sudden! ... and were you even listening to a word I was saying!?
Hajun: No, we deserve his thanks. In fact, Allen should be more thankful to me and you!
Anne: Okay, so Hajun is really drunk, too. [laughs]
Allen: I just can't thank you enough!! I've always felt that if it weren't for all the help the two of you provided, BoU wouldn't have been able to have been held at all!
Anne: We're not just doing it because we want to help. We did it because we all wanted to do it together, right?
Hajun: Well, if we hadn't bailed Allen out and rescued him that time, then the final battle wouldn't have happened at all.
Anne: Ahaha, you have a point! Yeah, maybe Allen really ought to be thankful!
Allen: I'M SO SORRY FOR CAUSING YOU TROUBLE
Hajun: Exactly. This kind of thing only happens because you're not paying attention to what's going on around you.
Allen: HAJUN YOU'RE SO RIGHT
Anne: Allen's become a machine that just says "yes" to everything, that's hysterical.
Hajun: But to be serious for a moment, we care about you more than you realize we do.
Anne: Now that's something you don't hear Hajun say every day! But he's right. Allen, it'd be a huge problem for us if you weren't around!
Allen: Thank you so much! Th-thankk yyyoo-hoo-hooo...
Anne: And now he's started crying. [laughs] What is even going on with your emotions right now?
Allen: I'm just so happy to hear you guys say that... I'm sorry...
Hajun: But there are even more people that you ought to thank, Allen. There's all the other artists that participated, and...
Anne: There's all the heads, too!
Allen: That's true...! The artists up on stage and the heads out on the floor all looked amazing.
Allen: I think BoU was only able to be a success beacuse everyone supported us and enjoyed it.
Hajun: Even if the result of our own battle was quite frustrating, we gained more than we lost.
Anne: That's right! I had a great time, so I'm ready to use this as my fuel to keep soaring higher!
Allen: Yeah... that's right! Let's spread our wings with all our might!! I look forward to working with both of you in the future!!!
Hajun: That goes without saying.
Anne: Yeah, but why not say it anyway? I love you guys a lot, too.
Anne: Ah, so now it's time for dessert! My blueberry pancakes!
Allen: Uhh...
Hajun: Don't worry. I've already tasted them and they came out exactly according to the recipe. [laughs]

[1] The proverb they're referencing here is "天は二物を与えず", or "heaven does not bestow two gifts"; the idea of the proverb is that no one person is good at everything.

Akan Yatsura: A Ruthless Strategy Meeting

「Do you all remember what it was that made us first feel like we were a family?」

With the Triumph Live approaching, Akan Yatsura are trying to figure out how to best build team unity. So they need to discuss a special project that will deepend the bonds between the members of the Revengers team...

Zen: Alright, everyone's here? Today, we're here to discuss a special project for our upcoming Triumph Live!
Reo: And the Triumph Live iiis... the commemorative concert we're putting on for our victory in Battle of Unity, right?
Hokusai: Yes. It's a joint performance with us, cozmez, AMPRULE, and VISTY.
Satsuki: Well, joint show or not, nothin's gonna change the fact that we're gonna be the best there!
Iori: Well, that's all well and good for the concert itself. But before that, right now, we wanna focus on deepening our relationship with the other teams.
Zen: Yes. I was thinking it would be good to think of some recreational activities we could all do as a team to strengthen the bonds between us, but...
Satsuki: Strengthening our bonds? Well, if you're talkin' about that, then obviously it's gotta be hand to hand combat!! How about a Grand Melee Brawl to Determine Once and For All Who the Strongest Is?
Zen: Satsuki-kun, what would we do if someone were to get injured right before the concert?
Reo: Right? So, how about an All-Nighter No Sleep Game Tournament?
Satsuki: No way. How about Super Hell-Spicy Takoyaki Russian Roulette? I can't think of anything that's a better test of how much guts you got!
Reo: That's lame as helllll!! Games would be way better! Sacchan, you've got a muscle where your brain oughta be!
Satsuki: Haah!? If you're a real man then shut up and eat the spicy food without complaining about it, you little shit!
Hokusai: Fighting is bad, you two.
Reo: But Sacchan... ... hm. Hey, Hokusai, what ideas do you have?
Hokusai: Me? ... ... everyone would wear kitty costumes and we'd take a nap... probably.
Reo: Oh, that's super cute! I'm in!!
Satsuki: Cat costumes...? If a real tough man like me wore something like that, it'd ruin my image...
Zen: I'm just going to ignore Hokusai-kun's suggestion; Reo-kun, you're not allowed to stay up late; and Satsuki-kun, you're equally forbidden from doing anything that would upset your stomach right before a concert.
Iori: Ahaha, y'all are still crazy as ever. But if you weren't, you wouldn't be Akan Yatsura, now, would'ja?
Reo: Ahhhh... well, aniki, do you have any ideas?
Iori: Lemme see... well, do you all remember what it was that made us first feel like we were a family?
Satsuki: Well, c'mon, there's no way we'd ever forget that.
Hokusai: ... it was when we all ate dinner together.
Satsuki: Aniki taught me everything right down to how to hold chopsticks proper... the food I ate back then really was exactly what my beat-up body needed.
Reo: Food tastes way better when you eat it all together instead of eating it all alone.
Hokusai: ... yeah. I remember it, too. Even if I just walked into the office without warning, nobody would ask me any questions. They just give me something to eat.
Hokusai: Everyone was so lively and comfortable with each other.
Zen: Everyone in the group really loved Hokusai.
Hokusai: I remember the dried sweet potato I got back then... it made me very happy.
Iori: Ahaha, yeah, the old man used to feed Hokusai, too.
Iori: But... I think the fact that you think of it as making you happy rather than about it being delicious, I think that'd make the old man real happy in the afterlife.
Hokusai: That would be nice.
Iori: We all came here at different times and for different reasons... and at first, we were all total strangers to each other. But even so...
Iori: If they eat delicious food with one another out of the same dishes, even strangers will turn into brothers and become family, in a manner of speaking.
Zen: Yes. The warmth that we shared brought us together.
Iori: We used to be at each other's throats in the past, but in this team battle, we're all on the same side, yeah?
Zen: I see... Waka, you want to create a bond with them the same way you form a family?
Iori: Got it in one! Rather than stringin' together a bunch of fancy-pancy words, the fastest way to do it is to cook and eat some delicious food together!
Reo: You make a great point, Aniki! I'm in!
Iori: But that said... just cookin' together all friendly-like is too boring.
Zen: ... what do you mean by that?
Iori: We're Akan Yatsura, after all, so we gotta make it a bit more exciting. So let's settle this and put it down in black and white with a team-based Cooking Showdown!

-Cooking Showdown-

Satsuki: I expect nothing less from Aniki! If it's gonna be a showdown, I'm gonna be first in line! Let's do this!
Reo: I like it! A battle is definitely way more exciting than just a regular old cooking session!
Zen: And maybe if it's a competition then Kanata-kun and Nayuta-kun will actually participate!
Hokusai: Cooking together is fun.
Reo: Right~? I'm sure everyone in VISTY is gonna love this kind of lively event, too!
Iori: Well, then, it's settled. Well, when it comes to the venue and buying the ingredients, I think I'll leave sorting that out to the man most suited to the job.
Zen: And the man most suitable for the job would be... Dongha-kun from AMPRULE?
Iori: Sure would be! Little young master's not an easy one to work with, but... if if it's for the sake of the concert, I'm sure he'll find it in his heart.
Hokusai: Dongha is very kind, so I'm sure he'll listen to what we have to say if it's for the sake of putting on a good concert.
Zen: Well then, I'll get in touch with Dongha-kun right away!
Satsuki: Yeah! Zen-nii, be sure he orders a ton of meat so that I can really get my muscles jacked!
Reo: I want suuuper sweet fruits~!
Zen: I'll do my best to pass on your requests to Dongha-kun in a way that causes him the least amount of trouble.
Iori: We'll grab everyone right by the stomach and get them all involved in our little festival! We'll show 'em all who's got the most spirit with a bit of delicious food~!