Vicious slander pollutes the media and internet regarding the CPUs, resulting in Shares disappearing at an alarming rate. The CPUs agree to work together to unite Gamindustri and regain public faith by hosting a week-long festival. The festival proves largely successful until the final day when the CPUs hold a friendly battle tournament. The tournament is interrupted by a mysterious 4-person group known as Gold Third who challenges and swiftly defeats the CPUs. After their humiliating defeat, the world is engulfed in an ominous white light. The CPUs awaken several days later in their respective nations, only to find that the public have forgotten them and each of the four members of Gold Third now rule the four nations. The CPUs each return to their respective Basilicoms (CPU Headquarters) followed by the CPU candidates to assess each nation's situation. Though they attempt to keep in contact by cell-phone, networks prove unstable. Vicious new monsters have also been reported throughout Gamindustri, as well as four mysterious golden towers. "Neptune:"  Neptune reunites with her old friend IF; a guild agent, and follows her on a mission investigating a mysterious new crime syndicate known as AffimaX. IF attempts to abandon Neptune having forgotten her entirely, though her memories return when Neptune rescues her from Arfoire who is revealed to have survived and escaped from the Zero Dimension. The two friends defeat Arfoire, however she is rescued by Steamax; a cyborg ninja from AffimaX. The two return to Planeptune as a handful of citizens regain their memories, including Neptune's other friend Compa; a local nurse. The three head to the Basilicom where Histoire welcomes them home and reveals that B-Sha from Gold Third is an even lazier leader than Neptune, and is also afraid of monsters. Histoire suggests Neptune and B-Sha rule Planeptune together, with B-Sha policing the city and Neptune slaying the growing number of monsters outside. Later, the party capture the mouse-mascot Warechu; an AffimaX thief and video-game pirate, who is interrogated for information on AffimaX. In an effort to woo Compa, Warechu reveals the names of several AffimaX members, including himself, Arfoire, Steamax and their leader, the capitalist General Affimojas. Steamax infiltrates the Basilicom, frees Warechu and steals Neptune's dimension-crossing console (assumed to be a Dreamcast). The party chase after and defeat Steamax, but are forced to join forces with him to stop a brainwashed Warechu and B-Sha who are attacking Planeptune, though Steamax escapes with the Dreamcast after the battle.