Sunny
* So.

Jiro and Sunny walk together. Sunny is playing with her new sunlight powers, making little flicks of light and flame.

Sunny
* That guy.
* The fuck was his deal?

—Jiro—
...
He's a character from a game I play.
He's in pain, I think. More than he can take.
His role is to stop you getting too comfortable by taking your progress away from you.
Most games are scared of doing that to you because they're worried if they give you the slightest amount of real consequences then you'll quit or give up or not "have fun", gods forbid, but what THEY don't realise is that's the only way to give you something REAL, something you FEEL, instead of catering to your every need so you can sink into a perfectly numb bliss
He's from the game we're stuck inside because of me

Sunny
* Ah, yeah. I know the type. He's so miserable it spills out in his bile.
* Hm. Put like that, I almost feel bad for the cunt.

—Jiro—
...
Does he even deserve as much
If it makes you feel any better, he absolutely does not feel bad for us.
Don't you envy him, just a little? That he doesn't hold it back?

Sunny
* Oh yeah, hundred percent.
* If I'm feeling sorry for that dickhead, it'll be from a very safe distance--

—Polyta—
Jiro??

Yuno, Polyta and Nix have spotted Jiro and Sunny! Sunny's hands still glow.

—Yuno—
Jiro!!!

Sunny
* Oh, look who...

—Yuno—
Oh oh, thank the Goddess! We were so scared without you here!

—Polyta—
It is certainly a relief to have you supporting us again!
Although... if you, too, were swept away by the waves, then perhaps that's a grim sign...

Who is this. Why does he matter.

—Polyta—
Ah, my apologies!

Polyta introduces Nix to Jiro.

—Polyta—
Nix, this is Jiro! He is the Goddess of Love's beloved Champion, the one who protects us and watches over the sacred isle of Hollidae.
We girls, handpicked by the Goddess herself, all give him as much of our love as our hearts can hold! And in exchange, he...

Polyta remembers something serious! Things become tense.

—Polyta—
Wait, wait, hold on! Jiro, I have a very serious matter to discuss with you!
Yuno has just told me that you never even once talked to her when we were on the island!
I should hope you have a very good reason for this!

—Jiro—
...
I don't like her very much you see
I was kind of hoping that if I never got her into the habit then she wouldn't end up as damn well needy as the rest of you
You know how if you put your hand on a hot burning coal, you pull away from it on instinct, without even thinking first? Your body moves for you to avoid the pain. It was kind of like that
I was busy

—Polyta—
Busy?? What could you possibly have been doing that is more important than attending to the girls?

—Jiro—
...
Actively avoiding her
I'm so so sorry, Polyta, I won't ever let it happen again
I was running errands. Must have just forgotten. It's not that big a deal.
I wanted to have a few minutes where I wasn't solving someone else's problems

—Polyta—
Jiro, I left her in your care! What were you thinking!?

Polyta's love level drops by one heart. Jiro looks off to the side, evasive, as Sunny snaps at her.

—Polyta—
The station of Love Champion is a great honor, and you need to treat it with the gravity it deserves.

Sunny
* Oh, step the fuck off, would you?

—Polyta—
And her!!
You have time to make her into a Love Warrior, but not one of the Goddess' chosen!?

Sunny
* Would you listen to yourself!?
* Do you not realise how twisted this whole fuckin' scenario is!?

—Polyta—
I don't need your input here, Sunny.

Both of you, QUIET.
We're wasting time here.

Sunny
* Too late for that, mate!
* I see some shit like this, I'm not gonna sit down and shut up about it!

—Polyta—
We know. That's why we're down here!
You don't know when to keep your thoughts to yourself!

Sunny
* Big of you to give me shit about staying in my lane.
* What are you piling on our boy for, huh?
* Why's he have a moral fucking obligation to be the personal therapist-slash-fuckbuddy of every girl in your little sex cult!?



Are you listening!?
—Polyta—
Wh--- Y--!!!
We need to FOCUS!



—Polyta—
It's not a sex cult!!!!!!!

Sunny
* Bit of a sex cultist thing to say...
STOP IT!




—Polyta—
You-- You have no idea what you're talking about! You walk into situations with NONE of the facts, and you, you just--!
Yuno steps in, hands on her heart. Nix is also there, seething.

—Yuno—
Can we please not fight... Please?

—Polyta—
....Yes, of course.
Why don't we litigate this once we're out of this awful dungeon.

Sunny
* Fine by me, mate.

FINALLY.

Oh, yes.

The Bastard pokes his head through the blood-stained passageway that Jiro and Sunny just came through.

How
HEARTWARMING.