The class find themselves stumbling on a peaceful plain.
"This place looks peaceful enough. I can breathe this air all day." David said.
"The world you are seeing is one that exists in the mind of another. There are just as many worlds as there are stars in the night sky." Balan said.
"Wait, so we're basically in someone else's heart right now?" Sachiko asked.
"Correct. The heart is a very powerful thing, my children. It is forged by many different emotions, so it is hard to tell what they are truly feeling." Balan said.
"Hm? What's that?" Naomi asked. They saw a man with black hair and purple skin.
"Who are you? Why are you here?" Eri asked.
"That's a question I should be asking you." he said as he got a closer look at them. "Ah… I see now. I know about you all. My name is Lance. That is all you need to know for now. Now, I must be off before I end up getting sidetracked." he said as he snapped his fingers and disappeared before monsters start appearing.
"Those monsters are the Negati, creatures that feed on the negativity of others. You must defeat them." Balan said.
"Now that, we can do." Sachiko said.
The group was traversing through the plains, smashing up the Negati they came across until they saw a vision of a farmer working tirelessly through all kinds of weather to get his crops going. Suddenly, a huge storm rages that ends up destroying them. In a state of despair, he was approached by Lance.
"Jose Gallard… It was just devastating what happened in that field." Lance said.
"My crops… I worked through day and night to get them going, but… There's nothing left… What am I supposed to do?" Jose asked.
"Don't worry. I can grant you power beyond your greatest desires. All you need to do is accept." Lance said.
"Yes… I accept." Jose said as Lance implanted a tentacle on his back. Wind starts to swirl around Jose until he has transformed into a wolf-like creature.
"What the… What just happened?!" Maiko asked.
"It's Lance. He's using the despair of people to turn them into Negati." Balan said.
"Well, what can we do to help him?" Kita asked.
"You will need to fight him in his current state. It is the only way to free him and help him take another step forward." Balan said.
"Got it. Just knock some sense into him, right? I think we can deal with that." Kazuma said.
The group swiftly locked themselves into battle with Jose before he exploded in a flash of light.
"Mmm… Huh? You kids? Thank you for saving me. But what was the point? No matter how powerful I get, I never get my crops back." Jose said a bit sullen.
"Then focus on regaining what you've lost." Rankira said.
"Regaining...what I lost?" Jose asked.
"Y-yeah. If you can't change what happened, then you may as well start over." Maiko said.
"Maiko is right. It's not how many times you go down, it's how many times you get back up again. That's what true willpower is about." David said.
"I… I see. And to think that I almost gave up so easily. Thank you, dear children. I will not forget this." Jose said as he looked at the wreckage before grabbing his shovel, he then looked over to see that one of his corn stalks survived the storm. "Kids… Did you… Did you do this? Heh… Looks like I've got a few Guardian Angels looking out for me, after all." he said as he started working on his farm anew.
"Well done, young ones. That was a most splendid display." Balan said.
"Heh. It was nothing." Sachiko said. "So, this Lance, he corrupts people by given them these powers in moments of despair?"
"Indeed. Just as light cannot exist without darkness, there is no hope without despair. If the balance were to be tipped, it could make lasting effects on the world around you. Maybe even beyond." Balan said. "The task I am giving to you is to help people across these landscapes that you see in crucial despair, and set them back on the right track. Who knows? Maybe along the way, you'll find out more about yourselves and each other."
"We understand, Balan. We won't let these people fall into despair." David said.
"That was the answer I was hoping you'd give, my boy. Now, onward to the next realm. Your journey has only just begun after all." Balan said.