Episode 2: "Callous Ticketing Gate"

The subway station entrance was really run down.
Trash was strewn everywhere on the floor and the walls were lined with graffiti.
And the rougher a place was, the rougher those that inhabited it would be.
There were several people gathered throughout the station, all looking rather rough and unfriendly.

Large Hoodlum
"Never seen you lot 'round here. Y'all new?"

Thin Hoodlum
"'Ey! This is our territory! Wanna go through? You gotta pay!"

As they walked through the subway, the group kept being hounded every step they took. One face after the other, approaching them.
Yet none of them posed a serious threat, for the strength needed to match Kazuma had turned them into quite the powerful and robust group.

Tsuki Iroha
"Ugh! Out of the way! We don't have time to deal with you!"

As soon as someone spoke, they'd be knocked out.

Eiji Todoroki
"Don't you dare lay a finger on me, you lowly scum!"

Subduing one group after the other, they made slow but steady progress toward the Shinagawa ticket gate. Until they finally arrived.

Yo Kuronaka
"Through here is the path to Minato City... Come on, everyone. Let's go."

Hyakuichitaro Senju
"Hell yeah! Dibs on the front row!"

Tsuki Iroha
"Not fair! I wanted the front row!"

Hyakuichitaro ran off in a blur, Tsuki chasing right after him.
The remaining group started to run after their more mischievous teammates when...

BANG!

In a flash, the ticket gates before them snapped shut, stopping them in their tracks.

System Voice
"Travel limited to four or less people. Please select the members who will advance."

Q
"There's a limit?"

Tsuruko Semba
"I wasn't aware of there being a limit before..."

Tsuruko and Q stood there, a puzzled look on their faces.
Things were quickly turning for the worst.

Hyakuichitaro Senju
"The hell?! You gettin' in our way?! Take this!"

Hyakuichitaro started swinging his leg backwards, intentions clear.
As he was readying himself to break the ticket gate, the system spoke again.

System Voice
"Violent behavior will not be allowed. Activating defense system."

Hyakuichitaro Senju
"GAAAAAAHH!"

Hyakuichitaro let out a scream.
His hair stood on end and he violently convulsed as his body was enveloped in a sharp, white light.
He'd been electrocuted.

Minami Oi
"Mr. Hyakuichitaro?!"

Eiji Todoroki
"Careful now, unless you want to get electrocuted yourself. Just leave him be."

Eiji stopped Minami, already on her way to help Hyakuichitaro, in her tracks.
The electric shock lasted for around thirty seconds. After it ended, Hyakuichitaro fell over, body twitching.

Yo Kuronaka
"Hyakuichitaro! Are you okay?"

Hyakuichitaro Senju
"B-B-B-Brooo... Why is there so many of you? Heh... There's so many you could make your own soccer team!"

Though the shock wasn't lethal, it still did its damage.

Tsuki Iroha
"What just happened?! I didn't know ticket gates could do that!"

Eiji Todoroki
"They can't. This is clearly a trap."

If Eiji's assumption of it being a trap was correct, then it must have been set up by...

Zero
"You punks! How come you're all trying to shove your way in here?!"

Zero showed up again.
He blew a whistle over and over, waving a yellow card high above his head.

Yo Kuronaka
"You did this! Why would you?!"

Zero
"Don't you get the rules of XG, Yo?! You can't all just force your way in! There's a limit to these things! Only four of you can go to Minato City!"

Tsuki Iroha
"Only four of us? How come you get to decide how many of us go forward?!"

Zero
"No refunds or returns, sorry! Buh-byeee!"

Zero disappeared, his words hanging heavy over the group.

Yutaka Gotanda
"I thought Zero didn't know about the underground path."

Q
"He shouldn't have...but I guess he's always one step ahead of us."

Tsuki Iroha
"Ugh! He keeps getting in our way! All we wanted was some help searching for Sui..."

Tsuki stomped the ground, frustrated, and Yo couldn't agree more.
Zero somehow managed to always appear at just the perfect moment to interfere with their mission.
No doubt he enjoyed his trials deeply, this world and its people nothing but a game to him.

Yo Kuronaka
"Much as I hate doing what he says, I don't think we can ignore him either. We have to choose who'll get to come."

After much discussion, the group eventually decided that Yo, Tsuki, Yutaka, and Tsuruko would be the ones that would head to Minato City.
The rest of the group headed back to the Shinagawa Princess Hotel lobby, albeit reluctantly.