If you wanted to get straight back into Makoto's story...well, we're still on this "side Heroes" recap plot
.
Hibiki's group and Tomoki's group finally meet in their strategy to defeat the Demon forces, but things are already icy between them...not only because of Chiya's situation but despite their shared background Hibiki and Tomoki just don't get along. Hibiki's not a gamer like Tomoki and doesn't get his references, Tomoki hates anything that reminds him of his past life, and despite Hibiki's best efforts to make polite conversation, Tomoki looks down on her for being underleveled compared to him. So not quite a good meeting between the Heroes
.
But at least Hibiki has Naval, probably the most real friend she's ever made in her life, someone she can be honest about and feel like an equal to as Hibiki tells Naval her story and the two show how close they've become. Also, Naval in pants
!
Oh snap, they're facing off against a sexy, sensual, demon lady voiced by Yukiyo Fuji! And she already puts the Hyumans at a disadvantage by inciting a trap and making their army fall down a hole! The Heroes' party are the only ones that survived thanks to their magic and ingenuity
.
And then they come up against the "mid-boss," Io (voiced by Taiten Kusunoki!) who is a four-armed battle-honed and deadly demon who is more than a match for the Heroes even with their blessings...and then he manages to take said blessings away. And Tomoki, who was relying on his blessing of immortality at night the whole time, loses all his confidence and abandons the fight like a complete and utter coward. Hibiki is much more of a Hero than he is
.
Oh look, there's the real Goddess frustrated her "Holy War" isn't going as smoothly as she'd hoped. Serves her right, I guess. But that's exactly why Makoto ended up getting transported to the fight, and fought Sonia, not that that really changed much
.
Hibiki's party bravely fight for an entire night, but are hopelessly outmatched against Io. Even Naval sacrificing her life to super-charge herself to try and beat him only makes him enter into his even stronger second phase. And despite going out in a blaze of glory to save her friends and live on in their memories while dying actually achieving something meaningful...she STILL doesn't kill him. It was all for nothing
.
So nobody really came out all that well in this fight (well, I guess the demons did even if they don't know Sonia is still alive). Hibiki lost her best friend, their armies have become routed, Tomoki is weak-willed and dancing under Lily's finger, Makoto got severely wounded...though he did recover and now has made it to the school
!
"I have to be the teacher!?" Man, this show cannot help the Slime comparisons
.