WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 3 of Platinum End, "Heart's Beloved," now streaming on Crunchyroll and Funimation.
Mirai Kakehashi got a second lease on life when the brutal angel Nesse granted him the arrows and wings of an angel, in exchange for taking part in a fierce battle royale to determine the next God among thirteen human candidates. Mirai has stiff competition already, mostly from Metropoliman, the self-styled superhero.
Already, Metropoliman has made a name for himself across Japan with his supernatural powers and heroic deeds, but the man behind the mask grows impatient with the game, and he schemes to draw out the other God candidates and deal with them, one way or another. Mirai and his love interest Saki both take the bait.
Metropoliman failed to smoke out Mirai Kakehashi with his bank robbery rescue mission, and even after capturing a fleeing criminal and handing him to the police, Metropoliman fails to lure Mirai out of hiding. He expresses his frustration to his patron angel Meyza, pointing out that he may fail and end up in Hell at this rate. He concludes that his eleven surviving rivals are too afraid to face him in combat, especially in light of his superhero antics, so he decides on a different strategy.
Metropoliman appears on the news and extends an invitation to the eleven other God candidates, asking them to meet him at the Jinbo baseball stadium to talk things out not as rivals, but as "kindred spirits." Mirai and Saki both hesitate, and they and their angels agree that this is clearly a trap. However, despite the risks, Mirai and Saki decide to attend the meeting as a team in disguise, and they make sure to not pay visible attention to their respective angels, since only God candidates can see them. Mirai and Saki blend into the crowd, and then two more armored God candidates appear and engage Metropoliman with their red arrows.
To Mirai and Saki's shock, Metropoliman blocks the attack with a barrier. No God candidate has yet done anything like this, and it's not necessarily Metropoliman's armor protecting him. Clearly, he has some other trick up his sleeve -- something no other God candidate was prepared for.
Metropoliman's actions prove many things about his character, many of which establish him as a clear threat to Mirai and Saki, as well as a highly consequential God candidate in the battle royale. Metropoliman's actions are rash and reckless, but they are also deliberate and meaningful, and Metropoliman proves he can easily switch from plan A to plan B and become even subtler in his efforts.
He cannot lure out the other candidates with a cocky battle challenge, so he appeals to their desire to talk things out. Angels such as Revel also want to decide on a candidate through negotiation rather than conflict. If Metropoliman had started his mission with the baseball stadium summit, even more God candidates would have arrived, and Revel would have likely urged Saki to attend.
Metropoliman may also be getting in over his head, despite his preparations. He's already established himself as a standout God candidate, and the other candidates view him as a major threat and rival, some of whom can match him in firepower. Metropoliman isn't the only one with full angel powers -- Mirai has them all too, as does an unknown third candidate. Metropoliman also tends to stand out with his fancy armor and crime-fighting, and already, two God candidates shot at him before anyone could begin proper diplomacy.
Metropoliman resists the arrows, but there's no guarantee that a few more attacks couldn't breach his defenses, and he may have to start watching his back as the other candidates hunt him across Tokyo. He made a big mess of the battle royale, and he may become public enemy #1 and pay for it unless he knows exactly what he's doing. No matter what happens, the battle royale will revolve almost entirely around him, and it's up to Mirai and Saki what they plan to do about it. This is their chance to take down a major rival, but it's still risky -- for everyone.
