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<METADATA> Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu </METADATA> ...does my power not give me any options? ...I'm not meant for combat. My powers are strengthening myself, and creating aurora blades. I thought I could be as strong as I wanted if I just strengthened myself some more. So I try it. ...I feel a slight desire to prove Imamiya-san wrong. I try strengthening my left arm instead of my right. Changes appear immediately. There are little scab-like things on both arms. As if my skin has hardened. [Kotarou]: "...the hell is this...?" [Nishikujou]: "Did you do that with your power?" [Kotarou]: "Yes...but this has never happened before..." [Nishikujou]: "...why did you try to strengthen yourself?" To prove someone wrong. I wanted some way to prove that I'm not just a weakling being protected by everyone else. [Kotarou]: "...I wanted to at least be able to protect myself." [Nishikujou]: "Protect yourself...from familiars?" [Nishikujou]: "If that's what you mean, it's not about the amount of power you have." [Shizuru]: "You saw them in the forest, Kotarou." [Shizuru]: "Would you know how to fight them if they came here?" [Kotarou]: "...I know, but..." [Nishikujou]: "But that's the problem." [Nishikujou]: "You didn't want to cause trouble for Shizuru-chan, right?" I couldn't say anything. [Nishikujou]: "You are a boy, Tennouji-kun." [Nishikujou]: "But we can't do our jobs with just reckless willpower." [Nishikujou]: "We need to fight here on a large scale, and there are places outside this country where we need at least some forces." [Nishikujou]: "If you want to fight, you'll need to undergo a lot of training." They're not worried about the fact that I used my power, but the mindset that made me do it. And they're right. Some part of me was still clinging to the idea of being a hero. I'm part of the crowd. If fighting breaks out, I'll get killed. I'm not going to be a sole survivor protagonist who gets to survey the carnage afterward. [Shizuru]: "...Kotarou." [Shizuru]: "Your arm's stuck this way. I don't think I can fix it." [Nishikujou]: "Yes...I've never heard of something like this." [Nishikujou]: "I knew some Polluter-type powers could do things like this, but not quite so..." [Nishikujou]: "That's right, your eyes were the same, Shizuru-chan." [Kotarou]: "Is it really that bad?" [Nishikujou]: "You should definitely stop doing this." [Nishikujou]: "Your body's cells are clearly changing. We'll have to investigate it further, but..." [Nishikujou]: "It feels inhuman..." [Nishikujou]: "If they changed in a bad way, that could cause other complications." There are a lot of diseases caused by cells changing. Many of them are serious, even fatal. [Kotarou]: (If I keep doing this...I might die...?) I really do need to stop... [Shizuru]: "Kotarou..." [Kotarou]: "Hm?" [Shizuru]: "Kotarou, don't push yourself so hard." [Shizuru]: "...you don't need to be strong." [Shizuru]: "It's more important that you..." [Kotarou]: "...yeah." Everyone's been telling me this. ...I understand. [Kotarou]: (If I do something stupid and get killed...) ...that would be far worse for everyone. [Kotarou]: "Is there a big fight coming up?" [Nishikujou]: "You're sharp. Did you get that from being in the club?" [Kotarou]: "...there are a lot of familiars running rampant, and agents moving around." [Kotarou]: "Anyone would assume something's up." Gaia and Guardian. Familiars and superpeople. No matter how much I whine about it, I won't be of any use in that fight no matter how hard I train. There just isn't enough time to get ready for it. ...and now I can't even use my power anymore to try and fill that gap. Most of all, what everyone really wants... Is an end to the fight. [Kotarou]: "...will this fighting end?" [Nishikujou]: "It should eventually." [Nishikujou]: "It might end very soon, actually." [Nishikujou]: "Now then, Shizuru-chan, could you head back now?" Shizuru looks at me with uneasy eyes. [Nishikujou]: "Don't worry about him. Tennouji-kun's fine." [Kotarou]: "Sorry for worrying you guys..." [Shizuru]: "The most important thing is that you're okay, Kotarou." [Kotarou]: "...sorry, really. I won't do this again." [Shizuru]: "...promise?" [Kotarou]: "Yeah, I promise." [Shizuru]: "Good." She nods, and heads out. [Kotarou]: "...I should probably head back too." [Nishikujou]: "Do you mind one last talk?" [Kotarou]: "Eh? What about?" [Nishikujou]: "Tennouji-kun, I think your power is actually very useful." [Kotarou]: "Eh?" [Nishikujou]: "I don't think many in Guardian have anything like it." [Kotarou]: "...I thought I was useless in combat though." [Nishikujou]: "That's right, you're not fit for combat." [Nishikujou]: "You said you've been avoiding using that power since you were very little, right?" [Kotarou]: "...yes, I was always afraid of it." [Nishikujou]: "Your instincts were right about that." [Nishikujou]: "Using that power might shorten your lifespan." [Kotarou]: "Eh?" My lifespan...? [Nishikujou]: "Most of our powers do things that people already can, but much faster or stronger or more accurately." [Nishikujou]: "...usually at the price of shortening our lives." [Nishikujou]: "Like you, there have been others in the past with the power to strengthen themselves." [Nishikujou]: "...but most of them died very young, and not in combat." [Nishikujou]: "Especially...when it affected their body directly, like yours does." [Nishikujou]: "Your aurora sword is the same." [Kotarou]: "...overusing it will kill me?" [Nishikujou]: "I don't think using aurora is anywhere near that dangerous..." [Nishikujou]: "But you definitely need to stop strengthening yourself." [Nishikujou]: "What happened to your skin is a warning." [Nishikujou]: "If you keep doing that, you'll change into something else." [Kotarou]: "Something else...?" [Nishikujou]: "I can't say what it would be, but..." [Nishikujou]: "I doubt it's something you want to become." [Nishikujou]: "Actually...you might get the power you want if you did that." [Nishikujou]: "But I'm sure you'd still regret it." [Nishikujou]: "So if you need to use that power, please make sure you use only a little tiny bit at a time. No more than necessary."

<METADATA> Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "...I understand." [Kotarou]: "That does make this power pretty useless in combat..." [Nishikujou]: "No matter how strong someone is, if they can't fight without dying, they aren't much use as a soldier." [Nishikujou]: "If anything, our job is to make sure children like you never have to fight." [Kotarou]: "It still comes with a responsibility though." I mutter without raising my head. It's a curse. Some things I have because I wanted them. Others I never asked for. Having all of them at once is just a curse. [Nishikujou]: "...that's true." [Nishikujou]: "You do have to make good use of the power and position you've been given." [Nishikujou]: "There's a lot of things we need to do." [Nishikujou]: "But first we need to protect what matters, so we can still do those things later." [Kotarou]: "...you're right." [Kotarou]: "...I think the same way." [Nishikujou]: "Then will you do your best at what you need to do, Tennouji-kun?" [Kotarou]: "Yes." All of us... ...we've all been born with these curses. And that's why... [Kotarou]: (...there's no need to give up on all of our little dreams too.) I'll find something I can do. That's the first thing I have to work on. I arrive back home. [Kotarou]: "Oh, that's right..." I need to take out the laundry. First, I take a deep breath. I briefly meditate. I make hand signs to produce a serene mind. A calm heart... And it shall be opened... [Kotarou]: "A state of self-denial..." Now. ...I put away the laundry, and the panties still make me freak out a bit. What the hell is with that? [Kotarou]: (It's so stupid...) Seriously, do a survey with ten million Japanese students. 99% of them will say "Panties are exciting!" I decide to change my attitude. From now on I will have the innocence of a little kid who pokes turds with a stick. Yaaay! Pantieees! In my mind I imagine myself frolicking with panties in a meadow. As happy as Lassie and her owner. There's no problem whatsoever with this. I run through the lovely fields with the pan- Lassie. Ahahahaha! Hey, wait up, Panties! I mean Lassie! Ah! I tripped. Then the panties brush past my face... This is ecstasyyyyyyyyyyy!! [Kotarou]: "What the hell!?" My delusion went completely out of control. [Kotarou]: "Umm..." Wait...those aren't actually my desires, are they...? Gil and Pani aren't here. The laundry smells like sunlight and Downy. Just sun and detergent. Nothing else. Why would anyone not want to smell those things? No...! Stop, stop, stop! Shizuru would never want to be with an unhealthy boy like that! I really should stick to a serene mind. [Kotarou]: "Hu......" I try to calm down. [Kotarou]: "That was dumb..." [Kotarou]: "I really shouldn't play around with panties anymore..." Okay. This is just laundry. I stretch it out, and look straight at it. My lust is clear. This is just laundry. Besides, if I want to smell it, I can just smell a bath towel instead. That's what I tell myself... [Kotarou]: "Umm...how long have you been here?" [Shizuru]: "From the part where you cuddled the panties." Cold sweat. I can now imagine what a terrible thing I just did. She saw my perversion. All of it. And my ecstasy. [Kotarou]: "Th-this isn't―...!" Ha! I crumple up the panties in my fist. "Oh my! A pervert is holding my panties!" She looks at me with a confused and embarrassed expression. [Kotarou]: "I'm sorry." I prostrate myself before her. [Shizuru]: "I forgive you." [Kotarou]: "I am honored." I am grateful for her magnanimous response. [Shizuru]: "...if anything..." [Shizuru]: "I would feel bad saying I'm embarrassed when you're doing my laundry for me..." [Shizuru]: "I'm sorry." Shizuru prostrates herself too. [Kotarou]: "......I forgive you." [Shizuru]: "I am honored." The prostration couple is born. We split up the work of folding the laundry. Shizuru does the underwear. She holds up my boxers. Toward her nose... [Kotarou]: "Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" [Kotarou]: "Shizuru-san, what art thou doing!?" [Shizuru]: "The smell..." [Kotarou]: "Sunlight and Downy, right!?" [Shizuru]: "Yes, but...I was told newlyweds always do this." [Kotarou]: "It's embarrassing, so please don't..." Where did she hear about that? [Shizuru]: "Then we're even." [Kotarou]: "...true." We're both guilty. [Shizuru]: "...I'm glad I bought some nicer panties..." [Kotarou]: "What did you say?" [Shizuru]: "I'll ask Touka to get me even better ones." I do wonder if it's a good idea for her to ask Nishikujou-sensei for that, but more importantly... Those 980 yen panties were "nicer"...!? I get shivers trying to imagine how she values money. And... ...heroes chosen with a hundred yen... I almost cry. Someday...when I'm not embarrassed by this anymore, we should go buy some genuinely good clothes for her... I promise myself that. I make dinner that night. [Shizuru]: "Croquettes?" [Kotarou]: "I found a butcher on the way home." [Kotarou]: "It looked good so I bought some." [Kotarou]: "Having saury every day would get boring after all." [Shizuru]: "How could you..." Shizuru-san is angry. Claiming that "saury would get boring" rubbed her the wrong way. [Kotarou]: "...sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I just meant that some variety might be nice." [Shizuru]: "That is correct." [Shizuru]: "...Kotarou." [Kotarou]: "Yes?" [Shizuru]: "Saury never gets old." [Kotarou]: "...if you say so." Very, very few people think that way. [Shizuru]: "...but croquettes are good too." [Kotarou]: "Yeah, these are nice." [Shizuru]: "Where'd you buy them?" [Kotarou]: "It's just outside the business district. They have a big plush pig outside." [Shizuru]: "That place?" [Kotarou]: "There were lots of different types, like curry croquettes, so let's go shop there sometime." [Shizuru]: "Sure."

<METADATA> Name: Pani | Gender: Female Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu Name: Gil | Gender: Male Name: Sougen Esaka | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Gil]: "These croquettes are great!" Hungry hungry mystery creatures. [Pani]: "Gil-chan, mind your table manners." [Gil]: "You idiot! This is how you're supposed to eat delicious food!" [Kotarou]: "And yet you're always the one complaining about how quickly it runs out..." [Gil]: "Exactly! Now give me more!" [Kotarou]: "We bought a lot, so you can have one more." [Gil]: "Yaaay!" [Shizuru]: "...you're weird." Shizuru's serious eyes pierce through Gil. [Gil]: "H-huh? What do you mean?" [Kotarou]: "What? ...is there something wrong?" She thinks for a while. I can't tell what she's thinking. [Shizuru]: "I've been wondering for a while..." [Shizuru]: "But it's bugging me even more now." [Gil]: "Wh-what is it...?" [Shizuru]: "Out of all the familiars I've ever seen, I've never had to ask this before." [Gil]: "What!? Is there something wrong with my body!?" [Shizuru]: "The amount of food you're eating can't possibly fit in your stomach." [Kotarou]: "...that's actually a really good point." [Gil]: "Huh...?" [Pani]: "Now that you mention it..." [Gil]: "What's going on!?" Even they don't know the answer... [Kotarou]: "Well...he wouldn't be able to operate without some other stuff in there..." [Kotarou]: "But what is in this guy?" I grab Gil. [Gil]: "Ah! D-don't grab me like that!" I press on his stomach with my thumb and forefinger. [Gil]: "Nooo!" *squeeze* *squeeze* [Kotarou]: "I don't feel any croquettes..." [Kotarou]: "Hm?" I feel something itchy on my palm. Around Gil's back. I flip him over. [Gil]: "Orororoom..." I don't see anything strange. Better stop touching him... After we clean up, we chat for a while. Our hearts are stolen by the fluffy dogs on TV. [Shizuru]: "I want to touch them..." [Kotarou]: "They do look nice." The dogs roll around. [Shizuru]: ".........!" That got her. [Kotarou]: "Shizuru, have you ever had a pet?" [Shizuru]: "...sadly, no." [Shizuru]: "Have you, Kotarou?" [Kotarou]: "Nothing that counts." [Shizuru]: "...if I had a dog like that, I would experience so much bliss..." She pats the cushion next to her. [Kotarou]: "You want a really fluffy one?" [Shizuru]: "Yes...very fluffy..." [Kotarou]: "Well...we already have these things..." [Gil]: "What the hell!? Those things are just furballs! I'm covered in thorns! That makes me a hundred times cooler!" [Kotarou]: "I guess Pani is okay for cuteness." [Shizuru]: "Yes." [Pani]: "O-oh my! Flattery will get you nowhere, ohohohohoho!" [Gil]: "Ignoring me that blatantly is just mean." [Kotarou]: "Kotori and Chibimoth looked really good together." [Kotarou]: "But when I touched him his fur was really stiff and scratchy." [Shizuru]: "...I want fluffy." [Kotarou]: "I see..." [Kotarou]: "Actually, do you prefer dogs to cats?" [Shizuru]: "?" [Kotarou]: "Almost everyone prefers either cats or dogs." [Shizuru]: "Just one...?" [Shizuru]: "............!" She thinks hard. [Kotarou]: "Okay...we'll have one of each..." [Shizuru]: "Taking care of both would be tough." [Kotarou]: "I think you could do it, Shizuru." [Shizuru]: "I'm worried you can't, Kotarou." [Kotarou]: "Eh? Why?" [Shizuru]: "The plants on your veranda..." [Pani]: "Aaah, they are all dark and crispy now." [Kotarou]: "...sorry." She's right, I never took proper care of them. [Shizuru]: "Kotarou, I need your computer." [Kotarou]: "Hm?" [Shizuru]: "I got new CDs." She takes several albums out of her handbag. [Kotarou]: "Oh, you need them converted. That's fine." [Shizuru]: "Then I'll go use it." Wait. Shizuru messes with my computer →She's not sure how to use it →She fumbles around in Explorer →She looks at the D drive →She opens the secret folder →My mind collapses [Kotarou]: "Actually, never mind! I'll do it for you!" [Shizuru]: "I know how to get songs on the iPod." [Kotarou]: "No, no, it's okay, let me do it." [Shizuru]: "Mmm..." I move Shizuru aside and start converting the tracks. While we wait, we listen to some of them. [Kotarou]: "80's pop...?" I already know where she got these. This is just like what Nishikujou-sensei was listening to... She tilts her ears toward the sounds coming out of the speakers. But... [Kotarou]: (It's too dangerous to leave that folder in the D drive...) I'm going to have to delete it... But wait. Do I have the courage to abandon the holy spirit of El Imagen (the Moon god; Erohim is the Sun god) that I've been gathering up over the past several years...!? [Kotarou]: "It was not a destiny that could be avoided..." [Shizuru]: "?" For now I make it a hidden folder, so she can't accidentally stumble across it as easily. [Shizuru]: "Do not worry. Touka told me it's very normal for pubescent boys to save a large number of porn images." [Kotarou]: "Don't talk to her about thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!" You made me break out in cold sweat! [Shizuru]: "It doesn't bother me." [Kotarou]: "...just now I learned it's actually better if it bothers you." Being too understanding deals critical blows to my glass teenage heart... (now my thoughts sound like 80's pop). [Shizuru]: "Mmm...I can't understand a boy's heart." [Kotarou]: "...and that's what happened..." I report to Esaka-san about our daily activities. [Esaka]: "You seem to be getting along quite well. I'm glad to hear it." [Esaka]: "That's right, I had a similar experience when I was younger." [Kotarou]: "You did?" I have a hard time imagining that. [Esaka]: "Do you think I was born middle-aged?" [Kotarou]: "No, I didn't mean it like that." [Esaka]: "Actually, I was born middle aged. Venusians are said to be born with the face of an adult."

<METADATA> Name: Arata Imamiya | Gender: Male Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Sougen Esaka | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Esaka]: "And as time passed, I slowly grew into the role of an old human male." [Esaka]: "WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" [Esaka]: "Why would someone from Venus be running an antique SHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!" That was scary. [Esaka]: "...all joking aside, spending your time casually is best for both of you." [Kotarou]: "Thank you." Now, let's get to work... In the morning some things arrived so I had to enter the numbers, and in the afternoon I helped carry some other stuff out. There isn't that much to do, but having to use both brain and muscle power gets tiring fast. Though I am starting to become more interested in antiques. Esaka-san's been teaching me a lot of the basics. Even though he always qualifies it with "This is just how I do it...". First, he covered types of wood and paper. And the most common tricks, such as forged authenticity certificates and decorative cases designed to hide things. When I started checking for those things and looking carefully at furniture and other antiques on a regular basis, I rapidly became far more precise with my judgments. Being able to judge items is the most important skill in this business. A huge number of the vases and swords up for sale are blatant frauds. Even Esaka-san has been burned a number of times in the past. If you make a big purchase and it turns out to be fake, that heavily damages your bottom line. There's an element of gambling to it. It's a tough business. If you underestimate it, you'll go bankrupt in no time. But there are a lot of appealing things about it. At one point Esaka-san showed me a strange plate. It has what looked like Rongorongo glyphs on it. Apparently it's tens of thousands of years old, and even Guardian is researching it. They confirmed the age with carbon dating already, but... [Kotarou]: "It still kinda feels fake..." [Esaka]: "You think so?" [Esaka]: "I told you about the ruins on the land I own, right?" [Kotarou]: "Yes." [Esaka]: "This was excavated there. There are authentic ancient ruins under that land." [Kotarou]: "Eeeeeh?" Didn't you say only a bottle cap was found there? [Esaka]: "I thought you might be interested in this." [Kotarou]: "Absolutely." These are all things I'd never be able to learn at school. [Esaka]: "...Guardian is still investigating whether we can make use of that land or not, though we shouldn't need it unless something terrible happens." [Kotarou]: "So if something terrible happened...you'd need to go underground?" [Esaka]: "Something like that." [Kotarou]: "So it's a shelter?" [Esaka]: "Oh? That's an interesting way of putting it." [Kotarou]: "...so that's not it...?" [Esaka]: "I'm not sure. You should look into it yourself at some point. This line of work demands at least that much curiosity." Esaka-san smiles as he starts cleaning the antiques on the shelves. [Kotarou]: (...working alone...hmm.) Esaka-san is still single. He has no heir of any description. ...in all seriousness, it might not be bad to inherit this place. I think about it as I check the stock. The door slides open. [Imamiya]: "Hey there, having fun with your job?" [Kotarou]: "Ah, Imamiya-san." [Esaka]: "Imamiya...I thought I told you not to wear those clothes when coming near my shop." [Imamiya]: "Well...I want them to think I'm just a friend of the new guy here, so..." [Esaka]: "...very well. Do you need something?" [Imamiya]: "Just the usual bureaucratic stuff. We need permission for someone to join the Eye squad." [Imamiya]: "...it used to be your squad, but they still haven't reassigned it, and we need the leader's permission to add anyone." [Esaka]: "All right, I'll be sure to do that. We need as many new recruits as possible." [Imamiya]: "Thanks." [Kotarou]: "The "Eye" squad?" [Imamiya]: "Yep. People with eyes that see the unseen." Esaka-san glares at Imamiya-san. [Imamiya]: "Oh...sorry about that." [Esaka]: "That is all, yes?" Esaka-san disappears into the back of the shop. [Imamiya]: "He's still intimidating..." [Imamiya]: "Hey, how many times have you been hit?" [Kotarou]: "Hit?" [Imamiya]: "By Esaka-san." [Kotarou]: "He's shouted at me a few times, but that's it." [Imamiya]: "Ah...that thing." [Imamiya]: "That's like an illness for him." ...seems like everyone in Guardian has something like that... [Imamiya]: "That's also pretty tough to deal with." [Kotarou]: "It shocked me at first, but I'm used to it now." [Imamiya]: "You've got some balls then." [Imamiya]: "But seriously, he hasn't hit you once?" [Kotarou]: "...nope." [Imamiya]: "Really!? Aaaah, Esaka-san's such a softy these days..." [Kotarou]: "Was he that strict in the past?" [Imamiya]: "Ask him yourself. There's a reason I'm still twitchy around the guy." [Imamiya]: "Well, good luck, part-timer." Imamiya-san hurries out. [Kotarou]: "...hit by Esaka-san?" I can't imagine Esaka-san doing that to anyone. [Esaka]: "Do you want me to hit you?" [Kotarou]: "...no, not in the slightest." That was his first response when I asked about it. [Esaka]: "That has nothing to do with what you're here to learn. I am no sadist." [Kotarou]: "What about when Imamiya-san was under your command?" [Esaka]: "That would be when I trained warriors." ...that makes sense. If you need people to survive life-and-death battles, you can never be too tough on them. [Esaka]: "Now then, time to close up shop." [Kotarou]: "Eh? We're closing early today?" [Esaka]: "That's part of it. You there." He calls to another employee. [Esaka]: "Here's your wage for this month." He takes an envelope from the other employee and hands it to me. [Kotarou]: "Eh...?" [Esaka]: "What? Is the envelope not thick enough for you?" [Kotarou]: "N-no, the exact opposite...I didn't expect to get any money at all..." [Esaka]: "Take it. You might need some." He pushes it into my hands. [Esaka]: "Perhaps you could buy something for Shizuru-kun." [Kotarou]: "...thank you very much!" I stand up and bow. For the first time in my life, I lower my head solely out of humility. [Kotarou]: "My wallet is so full..." How could I ask for more money? I've never had difficulty folding my wallet closed before. Having a full wallet makes my heart feel warm too... I see fast food chains. [Kotarou]: "How many hamburgers can I buy now...!?" Would Shizuru be happy if I got some?

<METADATA> Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu Name: Gil | Gender: Male Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Pani | Gender: Female </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "Heeey, Shizuru, I bought one of every hamburger they had for you!" [Shizuru]: "Yaaay, I love you, Kotarou!" ...I try imagining it, but I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be that happy. In my mind Shizuru's always wearing a maid outfit. [Kotarou]: "Hmm..." I consider chicken nuggets instead, but I quickly realize that's no different. [Kotarou]: (Those are just things I'd want...) Now I understand why it's hard to buy things for others. [Kotarou]: "...I kinda wanna do something I couldn't do when I was younger." But I'd prefer to take this opportunity to buy something for her. ...what kind of presents make girls happy? [Kotarou]: "Hmmmmm." I think hard about it. Then I spot a cake shop. [Kotarou]: "...that could work." [Shizuru]: "Ooooo..." She looks at the cake box from various angles. I got a set of several little ones. Everything from shortcake to Mont Blanc. [Shizuru]: "Ooooooo......" Her eyes are saying "What are these wonderful confections!? Kotarou bought them for me. Kyaaa, so lovely!" It makes me really happy to see her react that way. [Shizuru]: "Is this tonight's dinner...!?" [Kotarou]: "Wait, wait, wait." [Shizuru]: "?" [Kotarou]: "...this is dessert." [Shizuru]: "Dessert..." [Shizuru]: "I thought dessert was only for parties and celebrations..." [Kotarou]: "It's okay...we can have dessert after a normal meal..." How little money did her family have...? [Kotarou]: "Anyway, this is to celebrate my first part-time wage." [Shizuru]: "I see...that is worth celebrating." [Shizuru]: "But we can't eat this much." [Kotarou]: "Damn..." Now that I look at them again, even I'm afraid of trying to eat that much at once. Since I had no idea what Shizuru might like, but I had money to burn... "Just put whatever in there." I was truly fearless. And now it's too late. [Kotarou]: "Well, we can just cut down on the rest of the meal." [Shizuru]: "Yes..." [Kotarou]: "Guoooo..." ...buying too much results in a frosting hell. [Shizuru]: "It's so delicious..." [Shizuru]: "But I can't eat that much at once..." [Kotarou]: "So the separate stomach for desserts was just an urban legend..." [Shizuru]: "In terms of calories, even one of these is too much." [Gil]: "Uu...ubueeee..." [Pani]: "I can't eat any more..." It's hard to blame them given their size, but they weren't much help. But these all expire tomorrow... [Shizuru]: "I cannot allow myself to waste perfectly good food...!" She sticks a fork into a chocolate cake. She stops after one bite. Shizuru never ate that much to begin with... [Kotarou]: (If only we had the hungry hungry heroine here...) She could probably flatten all this in thirty seconds. [Kotarou]: "Chihaya...lend me the power of your stomach...!!" [Shizuru]: "K-Kotarou!" [Pani]: "So manly...good luck..." ...that evening we all groaned as we went to bed. [Kotarou]: "Shizuru...are you okay..." [Shizuru]: "I'm fine now..." [Kotarou]: "Sorry about today." [Shizuru]: "It's fine. I was happy." [Kotarou]: "Okay..." I am glad to hear that though. [Shizuru]: "Dessert is a wonderful thing." [Kotarou]: "Was it good?" [Shizuru]: "It was." [Kotarou]: "Was it stressful?" [Shizuru]: "A little." [Shizuru]: "...but it's fine, once in a while." [Kotarou]: "Yeah." [Shizuru]: "...but we didn't need that much." [Kotarou]: "I'm really sorry..." [Shizuru]: "I'm not blaming you." ...still, it's a bit early for me to do surprise gifts like that. What's most important is doing what Shizuru wants. [Kotarou]: (Gonna be a while before I'm a decent man...) Then there's only one thing for me to do. If anything, it's what I should have been doing from the very beginning. [Kotarou]: "Hey, Shizuru." [Shizuru]: "Hm?" [Kotarou]: "Is there anything you want me to do?" [Shizuru]: "Why do you ask?" [Kotarou]: "Why...?" [Kotarou]: "Because I want to know?" [Shizuru]: "Mm..." [Shizuru]: "In that case..." [Kotarou]: "Yes?" [Shizuru]: "Can we sleep in the same bed?" That was unexpected... I tried resisting by shouting something uncharacteristic of me like "Idiot! Don't say such things!", but Shizuru's already in bed next to me. [Shizuru]: "Kuuu..." She's fast asleep. I poke her cheeks, but there's no reaction. In fact, she's clinging to my arm, so I can't move. My arms are both near Shizuru's chest... In fact... [Kotarou]: (B-...) [Kotarou]: (Bo-...) [Kotarou]: (Boo-...) My shoulders start squirming from near-fatal excitement. Unfortunately the gap between my arms and Shizuru's chest appears to contain a so-called Escher space of infinite distortion forever preventing any escape. After all...if I want to get Shizuru off me, I'd have to push pretty hard... No, never mind... This isn't manly at all. [Kotarou]: (I should just try to sleep somehow...) I close my eyes. [Shizuru]: "...Kotarou." [Kotarou]: "Hm?" You were awake? [Shizuru]: "Grill...saury..." She seems to be having a very happy dream... [Kotarou]: "She even dreams about saury..." That's cute. And I feel like an idiot for all those thoughts earlier. I didn't need to think about what girls would like. This is Shizuru. No one else. ...I should've just gotten something I knew she'd like. [Kotarou]: (Hmm...) This is a good opportunity. We've been living together for a while now, but I still haven't told Shizuru that I like her. I should make that clear now. [Kotarou]: (...would she be put off if I asked about marriage too...?) We'll have to plan a lot of details. ...I look forward to that. As I think about it, I fall asleep. [Kotarou]: "...but what to do..." I try researching saury on the internet. I'd like to find some kind of special version. We can get standard supermarket saury whenever we want. [Kotarou]: "Mail order...?" It could work, but it just doesn't feel right. ...is there anything she'd like that we can't normally eat?

<METADATA> Name: Gil | Gender: Male Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Pani | Gender: Female </METADATA> [Pani]: "What happened?" [Kotarou]: "Nothing...I was just doing some research." [Pani]: "Oh, on the internet?" [Kotarou]: "Yeah, but I'm not learning much." [Kotarou]: "I'd like to get something that doesn't involve mail ordering..." [Pani]: "Kotarou-san, if you can't find it on the net quickly, I don't think any amount of searching will help." [Kotarou]: "Hmm?" [Pani]: "There are lots of things you can't find out without going somewhere in the real world." [Pani]: "The internet is convenient, but it only has basic information." [Kotarou]: "Hm...I get what you mean, but..." [Pani]: "Oh my, you're looking up different stores." Pani looks at the screen. [Pani]: "Why not talk to one of the people running those shops～?" [Pani]: "There's no way to find out where they get the fish or how well everything sells just from an internet search." [Kotarou]: "Good point." [Pani]: "Ordering stuff on the internet is really convenient though." [Kotarou]: "Yeah...after work I'll go to one of these places and ask..." [Pani]: "Oh..." [Kotarou]: "Hm?" [Pani]: "You sound so adult when you talk about having a job." [Kotarou]: "Not at all." [Pani]: "You seem so much more dependable now～" [Kotarou]: "I haven't changed really." Isn't it everything around me that's changed? I'm just being influenced by it... [Kotarou]: (Change yourself...) Maybe I was only forced to make these changes, but... The fact that I have something to strive for is definitely motivating me to keep changing. [Kotarou]: (...men are so simple.) I'm probably the type of guy who'd be easily deceived by women. I had no idea I could get so obsessed over something. [Kotarou]: "Well, I guess I am trying to become an independent, reliable man." [Pani]: "Good luck～" I need to be worthy of Shizuru. [Gil]: "*yaaaaaaaaawn*...what's the ruckus...?" [Gil]: "Ah! It's time for SocrateSwitch! I gotta get to the TV!" [Pani]: "You're starting to become a complete couch potato..." [Kotarou]: "...not that you're much different." She's becoming a bit dependent on the net. [Kotarou]: "Ah! Crap, I'm gonna be late if we keep talking!" [Pani]: "See you later～" The mystery creatures watch me leave. I rush to Esaka-san's shop at full speed. ...I'm still learning how to properly balance my job with my private life. Work ends without any problems. [Kotarou]: "...now then..." Given my situation, I can't wander around late at night. I should head to the shopping district immediately. I go to a part near the edge of the district, where many of the buildings are still old. Amidst all the housewives carrying ingredients for tonight's dinner, I look for the right shop. [Kotarou]: (I'm pretty sure there was a fishmonger's around here...) With the butcher from yesterday in the corner of my eye, I keep looking. [Kotarou]: (...I'm still not used to this place.) I've almost never bought food anywhere but a supermarket. Even though I live in this city, there are many parts of it I don't know at all. [Kotarou]: "Oh...!" Found it. The old man inside is moving around energetically, wearing an apron and a towel wrapped around his head. A traditional fishmonger's. I'm glad I found it, but there's a lot of customers there right now. I can't really ask him any questions... For now I'll wait to see if the crowds die down a bit. [Kotarou]: "...excuse me." [Fishmonger]: "Welcome." [Kotarou]: "Umm, could I ask a few questions...?" [Fishmonger]: "Questions? Sorry, but I'm rather busy right now." He rejects me immediately. [Kotarou]: "Sorry, it won't take that long!" [Fishmonger]: "What is it...?" Despite his annoyed voice, I explain my situation. Of course I don't expect him to believe what happened to Shizuru's parents, so I leave that bit out. [Kotarou]: "...so I was hoping to find something she might like. That's all!" I immediately bow. [Fishmonger]: "...I see." [Fishmonger]: "In that case, I could try to help..." [Kotarou]: "Really!? Thank you!" [Fishmonger]: "I just thought it was admirable of you to do something like this for a girl in this day and age." [Fishmonger]: "I can't refuse you that easily now." [Kotarou]: "I-if you say so..." [Fishmonger]: "Hey, come out here!" [Old Woman]: "...I heard you." An old woman comes out from the back of the shop. [Old Woman]: "...I wondered who you were. Didn't think you'd be that young." [Fishmonger]: "I'm gonna check a few things, so watch the shop for a minute." [Old Woman]: "Fine, go do it." The man disappears into the back of the shop. [Old Woman]: "...men always want to show off." [Kotarou]: "...sorry, I couldn't think of anything else to do for her." [Old Woman]: "I wonder if there are still any girls who'd appreciate such a gift." [Kotarou]: "She does really like fish..." [Old Woman]: "...hmm." She seems annoyed. I probably should avoid more small talk. [Old Woman]: "Ever used a shichirin, boy?" [Kotarou]: "No, just a charcoal grill on a camping trip..." [Old Woman]: "Hmmmm?" [Kotarou]: "All we had to do was put in lighter fluid and turn it on." [Old Woman]: "...idiot. Why make it smell like chemicals when you went to the trouble of cooking with charcoal?" [Kotarou]: "Eh? Umm..." [Old Woman]: "The moment you use stuff like that, it's all wasted." [Kotarou]: "R-really...?" [Housewife]: "Excuse me." [Old Woman]: "Yep, come in." [Old Woman]: "...you, wait over there." [Kotarou]: "Ah, but..." [Old Woman]: "Just go, you'll be in the way if you stay there." [Kotarou]: "S-sorry! I'll stay over here..." I head into a different corner. [Old Woman]: "Just wait out back." [Kotarou]: "O-okay!" I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to do here... [Fishmonger]: "Hey, I got in contact with the market. It looks like I'll be able to get it for you." [Kotarou]: "Th-thank you very much!" [Fishmonger]: "You came at just the right time. Freshness is crucial for saury. They can't leave them alive too long." [Fishmonger]: "It should arrive this Sunday. It can't be refrigerated, so you have to get it immediately." [Kotarou]: "Thank you for everything." [Fishmonger]: "No problem, as long as you make good use of them." He heads back inside with a smile.

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Kotarou]: (Such a nice guy...) ...then the old woman comes out again. [Old Woman]: "Wait there a minute." [Kotarou]: "Ah, okay..." She still seems annoyed... I'm not sure how to respond to her. [Old Woman]: "Okay, it's ready." [Kotarou]: "Huh?" [Old Woman]: "I'm going to show you how to use a grill. You couldn't tell?" [Kotarou]: "Ah, that's what it was..." I walk over to her. Just in front of the porch, she put down a distinctive shichirin. [Kotarou]: "This looks well-used..." [Old Woman]: "I wonder how many years it's been..." [Old Woman]: "Come on, go get some leaves from that tree." [Kotarou]: "Ah, okay." [Old Woman]: "Get dry ones." I grab a few handfuls and give them to her. [Kotarou]: "So you can use this stuff for fuel...?" [Old Woman]: "This is plenty. No oil or anything needed." She fills the inside with charcoal using metal tongs. There's a sharp noise every time two pieces touch. [Kotarou]: (So this is what charcoal looks like...) I think I've seen it on TV before. [Old Woman]: "Now you light some paper and throw that in." [Kotarou]: "Oh...calligraphy paper? Is that good for this?" [Old Woman]: "Not really. I'm just used to my old man telling me to use that." [Old Woman]: "I told him we could use newspaper instead but he kept saying it would make everything smell like ink..." [Old Woman]: "Really you wouldn't even notice it." [Kotarou]: "I see..." The old woman looks into the house. At a picture on the mantle. This feels solemn now. I feel like I'm being taught something important. [Old Woman]: "Come on, don't look away." [Kotarou]: "Ah, sorry..." [Old Woman]: "Now fan the flames. You need to get the fire to go all around the grill." [Kotarou]: "Okay." [Old Woman]: "Grilling saury makes a lot of smoke, so keep an eye on the wind." [Kotarou]: "I-I'll remember that." She gives me lots of little pointers, and eventually I learn it well enough to satisfy her. [Fishmonger]: "Okay, make sure you're here Sunday at four. It'll be ready." [Kotarou]: "Will do. Thank you for everything." [Old Woman]: "We'll give you some charcoal too, so don't screw it up." [Kotarou]: "I-I'll try not to." I bow several times before saying goodbye. [Kotarou]: "Fuuuu..." That was really tense for some reason... But they're good people. [Kotarou]: "...I've gotta keep working." Saturday. Esaka-san closes shop early. He has to go somewhere today. [Kotarou]: (Is it about Guardian...?) Since I had some spare time, I decided to go buy a shichirin grill. ...something tells me that woman would be willing to lend me hers, but... [Kotarou]: "I can't take that much from them..." I think she should keep it anyway. ...and I'd like to have one of my own. I look at a couple hardware stores, and buy the biggest shichirin I can find. I carry it home on my back. [Kotarou]: (Tomorrow～) I'm looking forward to it. I hide the shichirin at home behind the tool shed. ...hopefully Shizuru likes this. This seems like the sort of thing I hear about newlyweds a lot. This must be what they feel like when they fill a room with flowers or whatever to surprise someone. I don't know what will happen to us in the future. But I want to do everything I can now. Even if it's just little things like this. I walk through town. As I hurry home, I can see people waiting for the bus. [Kotarou]: "...this thing's pretty heavy." My backpack is eating into my shoulders. I'll go buy a juice pack and take a break. I look for a nearby vending machine. I see one on the other side of the street. [Kotarou]: "Uwa..." Okay, let's cross... I wait for the cars to stop coming. The bus starts approaching me. After this, there should be a gap... [Kotarou]: "―!?" I see something. A face I know. Someone in the back seat, looking down. [Kotarou]: "...Kotori!?" The bus passes by. [Kotarou]: "Dammit!" There aren't any signals coming up. It just gets farther away. A turn signal blinks, then it turns away. [Kotarou]: "Where's the next bus stop...!?" I just passed the last one. It probably won't be nearby. [Kotarou]: "Damn iiit!" I'll just have to run...! There's no way I'm gonna find a taxi here in time...! [Kotarou]: "I lost it..." I check the bus stop. ...this route goes through the residential area. The last stop is near the mountains. It's definitely not heading toward Kotori's house. If anything... [Kotarou]: (The forest...?) It's heading toward the place where we used to play. I told Nishikujou-san about that spot, and they didn't find anything, so... Either way, going to the forest would be too dangerous. [Kotarou]: "But I finally saw her..." I have to do something...! Kotori was wearing the same outfit she always wears on a non-school day. [Kotarou]: "Excuse me, have you seen a long-haired high school-aged girl in pink clothes!?" [Pedestrian]: "Hmm...don't think so..." [Kotarou]: "Okay, thank you." I ask random people as I run. I ask a lot more people when I get near the next bus stop. If she got off the bus here, there's no point running to the next one... There were a lot of people in the residential area. ...but not a single one had seen her. I'm almost at the last stop. [Kotarou]: (The bus should turn back after this...) That's it. I can just ask the bus driver. I move to the other side of the street and start backtracking. I find a bus at the first stop I come back to. [Kotarou]: "Waaaaaaaaaait!!" I wave both hands as I run. ...the bus stayed put. [Kotarou]: "Excuse me, do you remember a long-haired high school girl in pink clothes? Where did she get off!?" [Driver]: "Huh? Aaah...I think she left at the last stop." [Driver]: "I was wondering where she was going this late at night..." There's no doubt. Kotori went to the forest. If she went to that place, I can use GPS. I've gone there several times. Mappie should remember it, so I won't get lost. ...the trees are rustling in the evening breeze. This doesn't feel like the same path I've walked so many times in the past. It's not a thick part of the forest at all, but I still worry that something's going to jump out and attack me from behind one of the trees. The forest is dangerous. Everyone says that. But if Kotori's in here... [Kotarou]: "Kotoriiiiiiiii!" I shout as loud as I can. ...nothing answers. I continue shouting several times as I run.

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "Kotori, it's me! If you're there, please say somethiiiiiing!" All I hear are the sounds of leaves rustling. [Kotarou]: "......I should call Shizuru." She did tell me not to approach the forest, but this is important. ...hopefully she'll be willing to help. [Shizuru]: "You saw Kotori...?" [Kotarou]: "It was definitely her. I think she went into the forest." [Shizuru]: "The forest is really dangerous right now." [Shizuru]: "Where are you now, Kotarou?" [Kotarou]: "I just went into the forest." [Shizuru]: "Leave immediately." [Kotarou]: "...but Kotori's in here..." [Kotarou]: "She's in much more danger than me!" [Shizuru]: "First, calm down...we can't have you get lost too." [Shizuru]: "I'm worried about Kotori too, but that doesn't mean you can just rush into danger, Kotarou..." [Kotarou]: "...well, I've actually been here for several minutes, and I haven't seen anything yet." [Shizuru]: "Then don't go any deeper...stay where you are and wait." [Shizuru]: "If you call the old man's phone we should be able to pinpoint your location." [Kotarou]: "Esaka-san's?" That's right, he did give me his number. [Kotarou]: "...okay." [Shizuru]: "...anyway, do not do anything reckless." [Shizuru]: "If you see any familiars, that means a summoner's nearby." [Shizuru]: "Do not attack it just because you can handle one of them." [Kotarou]: "...okay." We hang up. ...now... [Kotarou]: (...I get that it's dangerous...) But Kotori's in here. I can't just abandon her. I mean...if something happens to her, it'll be too late. Shizuru might come and help, but Guardian isn't looking for Kotori. I have to go. I... ...there will be familiars in there. I need to avoid using this power, but... [Kotarou]: (...there's no way I can deal with a group of familiars right now.) I'll strengthen myself just a little. Just a little tiny bit... I step on the accelerator. This time, I do it for my whole body. Hot particles race through my blood vessels. I can't see it, but I can feel it. That aurora is flowing through me. ...it seems like life itself. Maybe this power alters my own life, transforming its components into something stronger. I finish. Transforming... What will happen to me if I keep doing this? I run one hand along my arm. ...there do seem to be more strange scabs on it now. That gives me an indescribable terror. ...no strengthening. No matter how dangerous it is, if I ruin my own body, it won't matter. ...anyway, let's go. I'll go in for another minute, and then contact Esaka-san. [Kotarou]: "...huu!!" I take a deep breath, then rush in. Nothing changes around me. I only hear trees rustling. [Kotarou]: "...good thing I have this on me." I take out a pen flashlight. This should last for a few hours. Now, time to call Esaka-san... A dial tone. [Voice]: "The number you have called is currently unavailable. Please check the number and..." Huh...? Did I get the number wrong? I take out the card I wrote it on and compare it to the number I just called. [Kotarou]: (That looks right...) Suddenly, the error message cuts off. ...it sounds like it's trying to connect to something else. Then the call ends. Is it supposed to work this way? [Kotarou]: "I guess so..." Now I just wait... [Kotarou]: "...oh." I'm still carrying the shichirin. [Kotarou]: (This was pretty heavy before...) Apparently now I'm strong enough I barely notice it. [Kotarou]: "...might as well put it down." I reach for one of the backpack straps. [Kotarou]: "―!?" A gust of wind passes by my face. At the same time, I feel violent pain and heat in my left shoulder. [Kotarou]: "Wha―...!?" I gulp. I put a hand to my shoulder, and feel blood... [Kotarou]: (A familiar!?) Something's rushing around me in a circle... [Kotarou]: "It's flying...!?" I hide behind a tree trunk, and follow the sound with my ears. Something is flying between the trees, occasionally breaking through branches. ...it's fast. If that thing attacks me again... [Kotarou]: (Can I dodge it...!?) Just waiting is a bad idea. I rush out. At that moment, something comes up from behind. [Kotarou]: ".........!" My body can't react in time. As I turn around... ...something pierces through my forehead. I think. My mind cuts out a moment later. ...aaah. I wonder if the shichirin's okay. That stupid thought was my last. Returning to the previous choice... I feel something behind me. ...it's approaching me. It's definitely getting closer to me. [Kotarou]: "Dammit..." ...I'll just have to fend it off somehow... I summon some aurora. Three blades form out of my hand. This should help a little. [Kotarou]: "―!?" As I turn around, I use my right hand to block whatever's coming. [Kotarou]: "...uu!" It bounces off. ...it was too fast for me to tell for sure, but I think it was a bird... [Kotarou]: "...this is bad..." It's flying around at ridiculous speeds. I can't even predict where it's going, unlike with the dogs. It's probably strong enough to easily break through my skull. If I let my guard down, I'll be dead in an instant... [Kotarou]: (...dammit.) Why am I doing this? I was leading a normal life until just a few hours ago... [Kotarou]: "―!?" It grazes my cheek. [Kotarou]: (...it's definitely going for critical hits...) No matter how strong I get, I'm not going to survive a direct hit to my head. Not a single one. The enemy continues flying around, as if trying to judge my skill. It blends in with the sounds of the trees rustling in the wind. I can't follow it just by listening. I have to keep track of it with my eyes, but... [Kotarou]: (I can't tell the difference between it and a shaking tree...!) This is no good, I need better vision. I have to go somewhere a bit more open. ...when will it attack next? Maybe I should run for a clearing just after it strikes... [Kotarou]: "―!!" I crouch down and dodge to one side. Now's my chance. I spin around and rush off. [Kotarou]: (I need to find a clearing...!) A shadow passes in front of me. [Kotarou]: "...it caught up!" [Kotarou]: "...!?" My foot gets caught on a tree root. [Kotarou]: "Guaaa!?" My foot twists, and I fall face-first on the ground. Crap...! As I roll along the ground I push out with one hand, bringing me back to my feet. I instinctively reach behind me with my right hand.

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "...!!" I feel something. I look down, and see a...bird-like thing rolling on the ground, about the size of a crow. Eventually it crumbles into sand. [Kotarou]: "...I did it...?" That was dumb luck. I just swung my arm...and by sheer chance knocked it out of the air. ...it could have easily killed me. I don't feel happy or relieved. I was in mortal danger just now. I shouldn't be here. The sun is setting. If night falls, I'll have even worse vision... [Kotarou]: (Kotori...) This is too much... [Kotarou]: (There's nothing I can do here...) I should have considered my own safety first. This is why... [Kotarou]: (I'm...) [Kotarou]: (I'm no hero...) I should've acted like a side character. I use Mappie to find my way back to town. It seems like someone should have found me by now. Esaka-san and the others ought to know where I am. Having a cell phone makes me feel so much safer. ...if I can just hang onto this thing... After walking for a while, I detect an indescribable smell. [Kotarou]: "What...?" It's acidic, making a stinging sensation in the back of my nose, but it's also kind of sweet somehow. I should be heading toward the city. The farther I go in that direction, the stronger the smell gets. [Kotarou]: (What the hell...?) Since I have no idea what it is, it might be dangerous to keep going this way. But the city is definitely this way. I can't turn back. I head a little to the right, hoping to get around it. The GPS compass is really handy for these things. And yet, the farther I go... [Kotarou]: (This is getting unbearable...) The ground feels different now. Sticky, like a swamp. I can see little strings of fluid sticking to my shoes. It's like pre-chewed gum. ...I regret choosing this direction. Maybe heading straight ahead wasn't the rational thing to do. Then, I see it. [Kotarou]: "What is this...?" It looks like another world. A river of rich blues and reds, mixed with white bubbles. Every so often, one of the bubbles bursts with a loud pop. The colors slowly, lazily writhe around each other. Like the forest floor melting into a river... No, "river" isn't the right word at all. The ground had changed into a rainbow swamp, like a stream of liquid malice. Just breathing makes my nose burn. The strangest part is...the enormous trees growing in the middle of it. They look like baobabs from tropical rainforests. Even though several other trees are withered and dead. ...only those extremely thick trees seem to be thriving here. Their leaves are madly thick, covering the sky like a roof. This swamp is probably invisible from the air. I walk around it. The rainbow swamp is kinda like a big puddle, so it's level with the ground. I see well-worn ground around the side where animals have been walking. Suddenly, something feels firm under my feet. As my foot hits the ground, I hear a sharp dry crack. At first I thought it was a branch, but I look down to see a white bone. Was this an animal...? For a moment, I feel terror. At the same time, I remember Inoue's phone call. "What I found...was a rainbow swamp." That's what she said. I'm pretty sure the cause was some barrels of insecticide illegally dumped in the forest, but... [Kotarou]: "That's not enough to explain this..." This nightmarish place has continued to exist for months. ...it doesn't seem like I can get around this. I'll have to turn back for now. As I turn around... [Kotarou]: (That's right, there were bones over here...) I wouldn't like to see more of those. I deliberately keep my eyes on the river as I continue. [Kotarou]: "......?" I see more bones near the water's edge. The last one was on solid land... [Kotarou]: "This thing's spreading..." What would happen if this reached the city? ...I don't want to think about it. I want to get away from here as soon as possible. But this is turning into a very long detour. And it's too wide to jump across, even with my strength. [Kotarou]: (...could I climb the trees?) I decide to try climbing up one of the unnaturally tall trees. I grab one of the branches. [Kotarou]: "......?" A bizarre sensation. It feels like I'm touching an animal, not a plant. I try breaking it off. It breaks more easily than regular tree branches. And......it crumbles into sand. I've seen this before. Whenever I defeat a black dog... They crumble into sand afterward. [Kotarou]: (This tree...is a familiar.) I can feel the blood draining from my veins. At the same time, vines reach out over my head. [Kotarou]: "―!?" I brush them aside and run away. The vines wander around in the air for a while, unable to find their prey. They twist around a nearby tree. I hear loud creaking sounds. Then, the vines tear the tree in half. [Kotarou]: "......!" I gasp, and run. [Kotarou]: (What the hell...) Then I see something ahead of me. A dark shadow... I squint. [Kotarou]: (That robe...!) I hide behind a tree. I've seen these guys running around with familiars before. Are they the people controlling Gaia's familiars...? I continue hiding and watch him. Fortunately, he hasn't seen me yet. [Kotarou]: (What!?) I see a red glow appear around the man, then right in front of him...a small tree appears out of the ground. The tree shakes its branches eerily. The earth at its roots starts writhing, swallowing up nearby plants. ...the robed man walks away, leaving the tree. I leave quietly, so he won't notice. I understand now. Gaia's summoners are creating those tree familiars here. The water from that swamp is probably poisonous to any normal animal. But it nourishes those familiars. So this forest holds a secret tree familiar farm for Gaia. And if all the trees in the forest eventually become familiars that attack people... And they spread throughout the city... [Kotarou]: (......I can't even imagine it.) This is what Gaia's doing in the forest... They really are destroying the world. I feel like I finally understand what Shizuru and the others are fighting for. Wait. If these trees are familiars, then what is this water? Even if it nourishes the tree familiars, that doesn't mean the water itself is a familiar. ...maybe the water isn't just malice or something...but some kind of energy familiars need to live on? [Kotarou]: (And...) [Kotarou]: (It feels like I know something...) I look up, and see the sky darkening a little. As the area turns darker, the rainbow water gives off a faint light. ...it vaguely resembles my aurora. So I can't assume this water is entirely bad. I give up on crossing the swamp, and look for another route. [Kotarou]: (The sun's setting...) If it gets dark, even walking will become difficult. All I have is a little flashlight. I check the map. [Kotarou]: "H-..." [Kotarou]: "Huh...!?"

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu </METADATA> I'm out of range? Mappie gives me nothing but error messages. [Kotarou]: "What the hell...!?" I restart the app. ...I try holding it up to the sky. Nothing changes. I feel chills down my back. My breathing gets rough. ...I can't blink. This is bad. This is bad this is bad this is bad. [Kotarou]: "Uu...ah..." Fear controls me, and I run. The flashlight can only illuminate a tree or two directly in front of me. I keep running, avoiding the trunks. [Kotarou]: "Haa...haa..." I run out of breath, but that doesn't matter. I just have to get somewhere. At this rate no one will even be able to help me... [Kotarou]: "―!?" I see two eyes in the darkness. [Kotarou]: "B-black dogs...!?" Not just one. I see several lying behind the bushes ahead of me. I'm an idiot. I was just running toward my death. I turn around and run back the way I came. The dogs don't chase me. I just keep sprinting... Frantically... I finally run out of breath for real, and stop. ...the bushes shake. [Kotarou]: "―!?" I leap to one side. I immediately make an aurora blade. It shakes again. A weak noise. [Kotarou]: ".........?" I shine the flashlight toward it. [Kotarou]: "C-Chibimoth!" [Kotarou]: "You're here too...!?" I run over to him. He quivers. He falls to the ground, weakly. [Kotarou]: "Eh...?" Then he crumbles into sand... [Kotarou]: "...you're kidding." Chibimoth just disappeared. Like a familiar... No, before that... ...is he dead? Is Chibimoth dead? Wasn't this guy...Kotori's bodyguard? Aaah... ......it's all over. I can't fight this. ...I take a step back. Just one little step. The monster before me takes a step of its own. It immediately feels even huger. The moment I turn my back on it, it could reach out and bite my head off. That's how long its reach is. Am I finished? Is this where I'm going to die? Come to think of it, I put that shichirin down a long time ago. Where was that... Suddenly, I think of Shizuru's face. I bought that for her. I went to that fish shop for her... We slept in the same bed yesterday... We were happy. We were warm. That was the first time I thought about it that way. [Kotarou]: "N-no..." [Kotarou]: "I can't...not here..." I don't want to die. I just found what I'm meant to do. Who I'm meant to be... I just decided to do all sorts of things to fulfill that role. Just a few days ago. And yet... What is this thing glaring at me? Everything I just found... My happiness... My future... ......it just sees them as food. I'm just a bug at its feet. This thing... ...can take away... ...everything I have... ...in an instant. No. I don't want to die. I don't want to die I don't want to die I don't want to die I don't want to die. [Kotarou]: "Uu......a......" [Kotarou]: "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!" I run from death. [Kotarou]: "Ah..." One moment later... ...it happened. Darkness. Pain. Incomprehensible sensations rush through my body. Fatal sensations... The most repulsive sensation possible. Not pain, or suffering, or anything like that. ...not even close. [Kotarou]: "N-...o......" I'm dying. ......Kotarou! Shizuru's voice. ...that can't be. Can I hear voices after death...? [Kotarou]: "...Shi...zuru..." I speak. My voice is hoarse. I don't care, as long as I can talk... There's so much I want to tell her. My eyes are open, but everything's still dark. ...are they open? I can't see Shizuru's face. That's a shame. [Kotarou]: "...I..." [Shizuru]: "......!" A warm sensation comes back. I'm alive. I'm still alive. [Kotarou]: "Shizuru..." [Kotarou]: "I..." [Kotarou]: "...bought...some...saury..." [Kotarou]: "I thought...you'd...like it..." [Shizuru]: "Kotarou...!" [Shizuru]: "It's okay, don't talk. I can heal you." [Kotarou]: "Aaah..." That's right, Shizuru does have that power. But I'm clearly at death's door...can I still be saved...? [Shizuru]: "Kotarou......?" [Shizuru]: "Why...?" [Shizuru]: "I'm healing you, so why...!?" [Shizuru]: "Kotarou! Why aren't you healing!?" [Kotarou]: "...maybe...I've been hurt too badly..." [Shizuru]: "N-no! That can't be!" [Shizuru]: "You're still conscious..." [Shizuru]: "I'm absolutely sure I can save anyone who's still conscious...!" [Kotarou]: "...yeah..." [Kotarou]: "But..." [Kotarou]: "I don't think there are any absolutes..." [Kotarou]: "......I was absolutely sure......I'd be with you...forever......" [Kotarou]: "...I wonder where I left the shichirin..." [Kotarou]: "......I wanted...to grill the saury......even better......than your dad..." [Kotarou]: "But..." ...I can only breathe. I can't talk anymore. This might be the end. I'm not going to sleep, but... My consciousness fades. My mind drifts away. ...what I most wanted to say... I wanted to say it right at the end... [Kotarou]: "Shi...zuru..." [Kotarou]: "......I......" [Kotarou]: "...love......you......" [Kotarou]: "Let's......be happy...forever......" [Kotarou]: "I'll...do anything I can..." [Kotarou]: "I...will..." [Shizuru]: "I love you too..." [Shizuru]: "I love you, Kotarou!" [Shizuru]: "So, please..." [Shizuru]: "...get better..." [Shizuru]: "...Kotarou?" [Kotarou]: "...glad...to hear it..." [Kotarou]: "I hoped...you liked me...too..." [Kotarou]: "Let's...cook...the saury..." [Kotarou]: "And eat it...together..." [Kotarou]: "I'm sure......it'll...be......delicious......" [Kotarou]: "......forever......" [Kotarou]: "...until the shichirin is completely black......" [Kotarou]: "...together......"

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "......like......those two......from...the fish......monger's......" ......like that woman. Until Shizuru and I grow old... Let's stay together... No matter what happens. If we could stay together like that... If we could keep smiling... ...I'm sure we'd be happy. [Shizuru]: "...Kotarou?" I'm fine. I can still hear her. I can hear Shizuru's voice. I want to hear more of it. It's getting farther and farther away, but... I want to hear more... [Shizuru]: "...I won't let you die." [Shizuru]: "I won't let you...!" ...huh? [Shizuru]: "Kotarou...!" Shizuru yells my name, into my ear. And... My whole body is covered in a warm sensation. As if I have two hearts... Warm blood rushes through me. For minutes. For hours. ...I don't know how long. That embrace of light continues. And then... [Kotarou]: "Ah..." I see a burst of white light... And my mind is erased. As if the wavering light is burning my mind away. Wrapping around me, and burning me away...

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female </METADATA> I remember. I remember everything now. It's all my fault. Shizuru must have... ...tried so hard to save me...she did something reckless... [Kotarou]: "Uu..." [Kotarou]: "Uaaaaaaaa..." ...all for me. Even though I always did stupid things without thinking... I was reckless, stupid, weak, and completely useless, but... [Kotarou]: "...why did you do that for me...?" ...give it back... Give everything back... Who? Who's making all this happen? ...I'm an idiot. ......why are familiars being used for that? ......we're tied down by all this Guardian and Gaia nonsense. Why does all of this keep happening to Shizuru... If there really is a god of some kind deciding her fate... Then why is he doing this to her? ...why didn't he give me a worse fate? There's no hope now. It should have been the other way around. If I had the power to save Shizuru... If I'd saved her instead... ...who am I kidding... Who cares about my power? Who cares about this aurora stuff? Those aren't what I wanted. I just wanted some way to make Shizuru happy......! [Kotarou]: "Dammit..." [Kotarou]: "...dammit..." I clench my fists so tight it hurts. That moment... Some indescribable heat appears in my chest. [Kotarou]: "What is this...?" My body is warm. ...I feel dizzy. My vision's hazy. My mind grows dull, as if I have a high fever. [Kotarou]: "Shizuru...?" What's going on? I can't tell. But... Somehow, I feel Shizuru within this heat. I almost died. Shizuru's power saved me. ...that's probably what happened. Is some part of it left inside me? ...no. This isn't Shizuru. ...who are you? What are you doing inside me? [Voice]: "...Kotarou-kun." [Kotarou]: "...who are you?" [Voice]: "I'm sorry." [Voice]: "I've probably been tying you down for a long time, Kotarou-kun." [Voice]: "...that's why..." Who are you...? I don't know. [Kotarou]: "Tied me down? ...did you choose my fate?" [Voice]: "...maybe." [Kotarou]: "Then are you God? ...please stop this." [Kotarou]: "...I don't need anything." [Kotarou]: "I just want to talk to Shizuru..." [Kotarou]: "And go to school together..." [Kotarou]: "And live the rest of our lives together..." [Kotarou]: "...isn't that all perfectly ordinary?" [Kotarou]: "That's all I want..." [Voice]: "...I'm sorry." [Voice]: "I'm not God." [Voice]: "You said "fate", but..." [Voice]: "I think you two will have to change it yourselves..." [Voice]: "But..." [Voice]: "I can tell." [Voice]: "...there are more painful things...awaiting you two." [Voice]: "Do you still...want that?" [Kotarou]: "What else could there be?" [Kotarou]: "What's more painful than being torn apart from each other...?" [Voice]: "What if your lives are slowly chiseled away?" [Kotarou]: "...I can overcome anything." [Kotarou]: "If it means being with Shizuru for a few more minutes." [Kotarou]: "If we can live together..." [Kotarou]: "I don't care what the consequences are." [Kotarou]: "...I'll just do everything I can to make Shizuru happy!" [Voice]: "............you're amazing." [Voice]: "...yes, I understand now." [Voice]: "But...this is all I can do..." [Voice]: "...so I'll give this to you." [Voice]: "I pray...that your destinies...last as long as possible..." ...goodbye, Kotarou-kun. ...I feel bright light through my eyelids. ...then I open my eyes. [Kotarou]: "Shizuru...?" Shizuru stares into my eyes. And smiles. ...she nods once. She starts to say something. ...but then she closes her mouth. [Kotarou]: "...Shizuru." [Kotarou]: "Shizuru...!" She looks as if this is perfectly normal... But her smile is kinder than usual... "...what? Why are you crying?" She tilts her head... After Shizuru woke up, I brought the doctors in. They examined her thoroughly. The results were all good. She'd weakened considerably, but she would recover soon. [Nishikujou]: "Just to be sure, they've been testing you too." [Nishikujou]: "We should have those results later today." [Kotarou]: "Aaah...you're right, I forgot they did that..." Though I'm pretty sure I'm fine now. [Nishikujou]: "...I'm really glad to hear this." [Kotarou]: "Yes..." We both sigh with relief when we hear the results. [Nishikujou]: "So it really was your fault." [Kotarou]: "...it was." I'm not the only one who's been worrying about Shizuru. Nishikujou-sensei, Esaka-san, Lucia... [Nishikujou]: "Ah, well..." [Nishikujou]: "Sorry, that was a bit mean." [Nishikujou]: "It's okay. Shizuru-chan chose to use her power...and I'm sure you did everything you could." [Nishikujou]: "Since it all worked out, that's all that matters to me." [Nishikujou]: "But...I think Shizuru-chan didn't want you to get into danger anymore." [Nishikujou]: "Assuming Shizuru-chan erased your memories on purpose..." That's right. Shizuru erased my memories. I can only think of one reason why she would do that. [Nishikujou]: "Looking at her now, I can't tell what she's feeling." [Kotarou]: "I can kind of tell." ...odds are no one expected us both to be saved. Since neither of us knew that would happen... [Kotarou]: (...she sacrificed herself to save me...) [Kotarou]: (Then made me forget everything...) ...that would make it easier for the one being saved. She knew it was better to wipe herself out completely. [Kotarou]: "...Sensei." [Nishikujou]: "Yes?" [Kotarou]: "We talked about happiness before, remember?" [Nishikujou]: "...yes." [Kotarou]: "...I get the feeling..." [Kotarou]: "We...made someone else unhappy." ...though I still don't know who. That voice said goodbye to me. [Kotarou]: "...when she said goodbye..." [Kotarou]: "I'm not sure why, but I felt that I'd never be able to make her happy..." [Kotarou]: "Whoever that was, she's probably been given nothing but misfortune." [Nishikujou]: "...unfortunately, I have no idea what you're talking about." [Kotarou]: "Shizuru probably feels it's best if she bears all the misery."

<METADATA> Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "...she probably did want...to completely erase my memories of her." [Nishikujou]: "But...if we abandon all of our happiness to fight others' misfortunes, then what are we living for?" [Nishikujou]: "I think it's pretty common for our own happiness to require someone else's sacrifice." [Nishikujou]: "However, if we all refuse to make that sacrifice, will anyone ever find happiness?" [Kotarou]: "...that's true, but..." [Nishikujou]: "It's important to be a little selfish." [Nishikujou]: "But if someone's worried they can't do that, then I'd gladly make the sacrifice for them." [Nishikujou]: "...I would at least." [Kotarou]: "...yeah." [Kotarou]: "I...think so too." Maybe Shizuru's like that. ...in which case... [Kotarou]: (...sorry.) [Kotarou]: (And...goodbye.) Whoever you are, I'm sure you kept us together. [Kotarou]: "Shizuru." I go into Shizuru's room. [Kotarou]: "Hm?" She's crouched down, rummaging through the fridge. [Kotarou]: "Shizuru..." I walk up to her. No reaction. ...instead, I hear some music. I look at her ears. She has her headphones in. [Kotarou]: "Hey." I wave my hand at the top of her range of vision. [Shizuru]: ".........!" She sees it and turns around. Her cheeks go red. "Nooo! You scared me! Aaah, you idiot! Don't do that!" [Kotarou]: "...sorry." "Geez...keep acting cocky and I'll pound your face into a pulp with a sock full of coins!" She starts taking off her socks. Obviously, I'm making that up. By the way, putting coins into a sock produces a powerful weapon much like the ancient Chinese meteor hammer, so don't try it at home. [Kotarou]: "Well, at least you seem okay..." [Kotarou]: "Though your face is still a bit pale so you should get some more sleep." She returns to bed without complaint. I pull up a chair near the bed and sit down. She goes quiet for a moment. [Kotarou]: "...sorry." I say almost without thinking. [Kotarou]: "I've been causing nothing but trouble for you." I bury my face in my knees. [Kotarou]: "I really can't do anything..." Shizuru puts a hand on my shoulder. She pulls me up. She looks straight at me. She's smiling. She's trying to tell me it's all right. "There there." She pats my head. ...aaah. That really does make everything feel better. ...thank goodness. I can still live with Shizuru. We can still have a nice, peaceful life together. I wonder why... My chest feels warm. It feels like part of Shizuru is inside me. [Kotarou]: (...why?) A strange sensation. ...thank you, Kotarou. [Kotarou]: "?" That felt like a voice... [Kotarou]: "Shizuru, did you say something?" She shakes her head. [Kotarou]: "Really?" ...as she shakes her head, Shizuru looks lonely for a moment. [Kotarou]: (...is she worried that I'm hearing things?) Then I'd better change the subject. [Kotarou]: "Ah...you're still using this." "This?" Shizuru takes out her iPod. [Kotarou]: "Yeah, that." She gives me a thumbs-up. She's a total music addict now. [Kotarou]: "Glad to hear it." I look at the screen. She was listening to slightly outdated pop. So this is what she likes. [Kotarou]: "How about this one..." I choose a song and take one earbud. [Kotarou]: "Yeah, there it is." This takes me back. Memories from middle school come back, making me a bit sentimental. [Kotarou]: "...that's not a very good reaction..." She lowers her head. [Kotarou]: "Shizuru, do you like ballads?" She shakes her head. [Kotarou]: "Then maybe this one..." I choose a different song. This one's about a robot who was left all alone on a faraway planet. It desperately waits for the one it loves, shouting that it's human. [Kotarou]: (...kinda like me right now.) When I think about that, tears almost come out. Am I human? ...if my power causes my body to change into something else, will I still be human? No...will I still have the heart and soul of one? [Kotarou]: "I thought this was a great song..." She looks troubled. [Kotarou]: "No good...?" She shakes her head again and smiles. She gives me a thumbs-up. [Kotarou]: "......I see." Well, music is full of acquired tastes. [Kotarou]: "...okay, I've gotta go to sleep now." I only came here to visit. She tugs on my sleeve. [Kotarou]: "Hm?" [Kotarou]: "Okay then." I sit back down again. She hands me an apple. And a knife. [Kotarou]: "Want me to peel it?" She nods twice. ...the easiest way to do this is cut it into pieces then peel each piece, but... [Kotarou]: (Guess I should peel the whole thing at once...) I prepare myself. ...but still... [Kotarou]: (I'm not so good at this...) I can do it if I have to, but it's not going to look amazing. For now, I put the knife to the apple. [Kotarou]: "Oh..." The skin comes off much smoother than I expected. [Kotarou]: "Oooooooh..." I slide it around the apple. ...this knife is ultra-sharp. [Kotarou]: "Ah." It cuts so well I accidentally cut out a large chunk. [Kotarou]: (Th-this is tough...) ...I complete my lopsided apple. [Kotarou]: "This is the best I could do..." There's a giant dent in one side... Shizuru takes the part of the peel where I screwed up and bites into the juicy part. [Kotarou]: "Sorry...I know it's a waste, but...I'll eat this part..." "It's fine..." She seems unsatisfied. [Kotarou]: "Hm? What is it?" "Here." She hands me a fork. [Kotarou]: "...I have one already." [Shizuru]: "......mm." She points to herself. [Kotarou]: "You want me to eat you?" [Shizuru]: ".........!" She hits me in the shoulder several times (it doesn't hurt). [Kotarou]: "I'm kidding." [Kotarou]: "...so you want me to feed you?" She nods. [Kotarou]: ".........okay." I guess I'm fine with that... [Kotarou]: (...so why does this feel so embarrassing...?) I suddenly remember what happened in the forest. I said I loved her. Shizuru said she loved me too. The logical conclusion is that we are now lovers.

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Sougen Esaka | Gender: Male Name: Arata Imamiya | Gender: Male </METADATA> Now we must prove it. [Kotarou]: (...is this some kind of ritual!?) Actually, I did feed her saury once before, but this time feels completely different. Why am I even worrying about this stupid thing, you might ask? ...this is actually really tough. I stick the fork into the apple. [Kotarou]: "Okay...say 'aaah'." Shizuru opens her mouth. *munch* Gibberish phrases like "happy awkward seventeen boy" race through my mind. ...all skills require a certain number of experience points to master. Video game logic. It's just... My mouth opens just a little. I want to savor this moment. After that, we talked to Guardian about what happened in the forest. Though it was more like an interrogation. The two men gave me a barrage of questions and scribbled furiously as I answered. I did my best to remember what happened and answer clearly. The familiars I saw in the forest. Including the one at the end which almost killed me. The one that looked like a T-Rex. [Man from Guardian A]: "The Earth Dragon...?" A heavy silence falls. Even I know that was a very dangerous creature. [Man from Guardian B]: "Kashima Sakura?" [Man from Guardian A]: "No one else could command one that advanced..." [Man from Guardian A]: "But she's in no condition to..." [Man from Guardian B]: "There aren't any other summoners with that much power..." They mutter to each other, too quietly for me to hear clearly. [Kotarou]: "...umm..." [Man from Guardian A]: "Ah, that will be all. You can go now." [Kotarou]: "Haa..." It felt like they were talking about something far more important. But there is one thing still bugging me. [Kotarou]: "...there's one thing I haven't mentioned yet." [Man from Guardian A]: "What is it?" [Kotarou]: "There was a rainbow swamp in the forest." [Man from Guardian B]: "...we've received reports of similar places throughout the world." [Kotarou]: "What exactly is it...?" One of them seems utterly uninterested, but the other answers my question. [Man from Guardian A]: "We're aware of them. That's caused by a power spot altering the water." [Kotarou]: "A power spot...?" The man explained it to me. Power spots are places where the Earth's energy, the life of the planet gushes out onto the surface. Several of them have been observed across the world, but no one knows where they all are. One power spot was found near Kazamatsuri. And even though it's a kind of life energy, it's harmful to humans. It made sense when I considered what happens to overfertilized trees. And Gaia is sucking up that energy with tree familiars. Which means... [Kotarou]: (The planet's life force is drying up...?) I remember those trees. They attacked me when I got too close. Since Gaia's trying to destroy the world, those tree familiars are like killing two birds with one stone. They suck up the Earth's life force as well as attack people. I'm told Guardian will assemble a team to destroy them immediately. But if Gaia's been doing that all around the world... [Kotarou]: (What will happen...if they suck up all the energy...?) The planet will literally die. I remember what the swamp looked like, and shiver. ...we have to stop that from happening. I'm annoyed that I can't do anything myself. [Man from Guardian A]: "Don't worry. Guardian exists to stop them." [Kotarou]: "...yes." I have to leave all of that to these guys. [Kotarou]: (...it'll be fine.) The world won't be destroyed that easily. Humanity's not weak. That's what I think, at least. [Esaka]: "I see...glad to hear you've recovered." [Kotarou]: "...sorry about everything." [Esaka]: "Apologizing doesn't fix anything. This incident was caused by reckless conduct. Be more cautious in the future." [Kotarou]: "I'll remember that..." [Imamiya]: "You're still not hitting him? You must really like this kid." [Esaka]: "Imamiya, would you charge into a dangerous forest all by yourself to save a girl if you weren't part of a squad?" [Imamiya]: "...no, probably not." [Esaka]: "A wise decision." [Imamiya]: "That's how I was trained." ...I can't tell if he's praising me for something or not. [Esaka]: "...things worked out this time. But from now on you're under my command, so don't do it again." [Kotarou]: "Y-yes!" His words feel much stricter this time. I was being a total idiot this time. He has every right to be mad at me. ...I'm just glad him being mad at me is the only consequence. [Imamiya]: "Well, we got something out of it at least." [Kotarou]: "Eh?" [Imamiya]: "There was a barrier in the forest. The kind that prevents people from noticing something." [Imamiya]: "Gaia had already noticed it and was acting on it. If we didn't do anything they would've captured it." [Imamiya]: "You guys caused enough of a distraction that we managed to delay them." [Kotarou]: "Captured what...?" [Esaka]: "No one told you? The Key." [Imamiya]: "Eh? Is it okay to tell him?" [Esaka]: "It's fine. Tennouji is the only human who's already come into contact with it." [Kotarou]: "What's the "Key"?" [Imamiya]: "Something you've been telling us about for a while. Let's see..." Imamiya-san flips through the files in his hands. [Imamiya]: "A girl with ribbons floating around her. That's what the Key looks like this time." That's the girl I saw in the forest months ago. She definitely felt dangerous at the time, but... [Kotarou]: "She still looked human though. What does she do?" [Esaka]: "It's not human. It's a familiar. The worst kind of familiar." [Kotarou]: "...the worst kind?" I've only seen monsters so far, so I can't imagine it. [Esaka]: "The Key has a special power that prevents most people from recognizing it." [Kotarou]: "Like camouflage?" [Imamiya]: "Kind of...but there are people who can see it despite that power. We call them "eyes"." [Imamiya]: "...you're amazing, you know. We've got nothing to worry about now." [Esaka]: "You have a very special talent for it. Seeing the Key might be your long-term assignment." I'm not sure I understand, but being able to see that girl is special...? [Imamiya]: "You'll be given very special treatment in the future. I'm almost envious." [Kotarou]: "Is the Key that bad?" [Imamiya]: "You don't even know about that? ...you know Gaia, right?" [Kotarou]: "Yes, I think so." [Imamiya]: "They're hellbent on destroying the world." I've heard that part. [Imamiya]: "I guess I should say "the human world." They're looking for the Key in order to make it happen." [Kotarou]: "...that girl can destroy the world...?" It's hard to believe. [Imamiya]: "Something like that. She should be able to wipe a city off the map at least." [Imamiya]: "If not, there's no way to explain why the other guys are searching the forest so frantically."

<METADATA> Name: Sougen Esaka | Gender: Male Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Arata Imamiya | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Esaka]: "We cannot allow them to get their hands on the Key. We must destroy it at once." [Kotarou]: "...if you say so..." It doesn't feel real. That girl...destroy the world? [Esaka]: "However, if Gaia was just a cult trying to use familiars to conquer the world, we wouldn't need an entire secret organization to fight them." [Esaka]: "We're a much larger organization than you think." [Imamiya]: "Our headquarters is in the Vatican, and we operate throughout the world." [Imamiya]: "Basically, we're trying to protect humanity from destruction. That's why we're called Guardian." [Imamiya]: "Don't think we're doing all this just to look cool. This is serious. And there's lots of icky details." [Imamiya]: "If you're not sure, take some time to think about what you want to do next. We're definitely not heroes fighting to save everyone." [Imamiya]: "...we're just trying to protect everyone's right to live." [Kotarou]: "Icky details?" [Imamiya]: "Things normal people would never want to do." [Imamiya]: "Is the word "fighting" enough to answer that question for you?" [Imamiya]: "Normally there's no time to talk to our enemies about why we fight and such. This is no manga." [Imamiya]: "We have to be ruthless and efficient." I can imagine what he's getting at. Superpeople fighting summoners. It's more than just badass fights. They're killing each other. [Imamiya]: "If you're gonna think about it, do it soon. This town will be a war zone soon." [Imamiya]: "Neither side has secured the Key yet. Even this place could get attacked at any moment." [Imamiya]: "So good luck, high schooler." He pats me on the shoulder and leaves the room. [Kotarou]: (...his hand is really stiff...) It almost felt like he hit me with a chunk of metal. [Esaka]: "My apologies. Imamiya is a very skilled man, but he is less than pleased with the situation." [Kotarou]: "It's fine..." [Kotarou]: "But do you guys actually need me?" [Esaka]: "I would say so. You're considered important. Especially to Shizuru-kun." [Esaka]: "Maybe it's my age, but somehow I feel cleansed seeing you two together." [Esaka]: "Though as Imamiya said, it wouldn't be unreasonable for me to swing my fist once or twice." [Kotarou]: "I-it's okay...I'm glad you're not." [Esaka]: "Do you not like being hit?" [Kotarou]: "I do not." [Esaka]: "Of course. But in that case, you should stay put and avoid causing trouble." [Esaka]: "I don't know why...but someone with "eyes" mistook you for the Key. We wouldn't want Gaia trying to kidnap you, now would we?" [Esaka]: "There's no time for us to find out why, but you can still be useful to us, and you may still be dangerous." [Esaka]: "There have been reports of familiars in this area as well. But it was only two small ones, so they may just be scouts." [Kotarou]: "Two?" [Esaka]: "Apparently they were not the Leaf Birds, as we call them, that Gaia normally uses." Gil and Pani...? [Esaka]: "Though I can't imagine you would do anything against us." [Kotarou]: "...no." Are they not sure what to do with me? I did used to be friends with people from Gaia, and I haven't been formally trained by Guardian like the others. [Kotarou]: "Umm..." [Kotarou]: "I can handle being hit, at least." [Kotarou]: "And I've been through a near-death experience already." [Esaka]: "...I see. But still, you should stay put at your house. You can go outside though." [Esaka]: "They're mostly active at night, but keep your guard up even in the day." [Kotarou]: "Yes." [Kotarou]: "...Shizuru?" She's asleep. She probably won't wake up for a while. [Kotarou]: "Hmm..." I sit down on a chair next to her bed. I look at her face. [Kotarou]: "......ha!" I smile from ear to ear. No, I'm feeling too peaceful. [Kotarou]: (Still, I can't wake her up.) Esaka-san said I could go outside, but... [Kotarou]: "Ah, that's right." The songs she didn't like earlier. [Kotarou]: "...hmm." I feel like a little prank. I beg a nearby person to borrow their laptop. After explaining what I want it for, he helps me find a microphone to plug into it. [Guard]: "You'd better make her happy." [Kotarou]: "Will do. Thank you very much." He cheers me on. The adjacent room is empty, so I borrow it for a little while. I make a music folder, and put together all the songs I like. [Kotarou]: "The Tennouji Selection..." Now for the important part. [Kotarou]: (...I guess this is kind of a love letter.) A love letter to Shizuru. Ummm... I hook up the mic and open some recording software. I clear my throat, wait a few seconds, then click the recording button. [Kotarou]: "...to Shizuru." [Kotarou]: "I can't do anything for you, but I decided to do this since I thought it might make you happy." [Kotarou]: "...ummm..." I run out of ideas. [Kotarou]: "P-please like this!" I know I'm making an idiot of myself. [Kotarou]: "Umm...that's right, music." [Kotarou]: "Uhh, that's right...you know, after listening to music for a long time...I start learning to like songs I didn't care for at first." [Kotarou]: "It's kinda nice when that happens." [Kotarou]: "And if I listen to a song I really like too much, it'll be on in my head constantly and I'll misspeak." [Kotarou]: "Shizuru, if we...could be together forever, I'd like it if something like that..." [Kotarou]: "Uuuwa, that was bad, forget I said that!" I feel like rolling around on the floor. [Kotarou]: "...well, you get the point. So that's why I put together all these love songs." [Kotarou]: "Now, listen to this! With all my love!" And then I sang. There's nothing I can do about the stuff I said earlier. This is a live recording. [Kotarou]: "Huu...finished." [Kotarou]: "Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, why was I singiiiiiing!?" [Kotarou]: "Well...everyone says I suck at singing, but maybe I did decently that time?" [Kotarou]: "Love should improve singing just like it does cooking." [Kotarou]: "Well, I guess...it'd be too embarrassing to say this to you in person, so..." [Kotarou]: "I chose that song...so I could put as much of my feelings into it as possible." [Kotarou]: "I'd be really happy if you listened to it over and over. I want you to know that's how I feel when I'm around you." [Kotarou]: "If anything it might be nice to listen to it together."

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Pani | Gender: Female Name: Gil | Gender: Male Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "I think I'd like listening to songs with you that we both enjoy." [Kotarou]: "Anyway, that was Tennouji's Best Selection of Love Songs!" [Kotarou]: "Please enjoy it!" I click the stop button. [Kotarou]: "...done." The audio file is complete... There are lots of problems with the content, but it should be enough to surprise her at least. Maybe I should listen to it, just to check... No, I'd probably want to kill myself. But I do want to see her reaction to it, so I put that at the top of the folder. The songs after this are what I actually selected. [Kotarou]: "...okay." Now I just wait until Shizuru finds this. [Kotarou]: "This really is all I can do..." But I want to keep doing things like this to make her happy. I don't know how many more I'll come up with... [Kotarou]: (Maybe ten, maybe a hundred...but I'll do them all.) And I want to watch Shizuru enjoy it forever. I put the iPod back next to Shizuru as she sleeps. Okay, now what? [Kotarou]: "He said I could go out, but..." Is it really okay to just wander out alone? On the outside this is just a department store. Even if they see me come out, that shouldn't make them suspect anything's under the building. [Kotarou]: "...that's right." I suddenly remember something I need to do. I'm definitely heading out now. [Kotarou]: (...good, daytime.) I've been underground so long I'm having trouble telling time. [Kotarou]: "...hm?" I feel something. I don't think it's an enemy, but... [Kotarou]: "Wait..." I'm not sure, but I think I know this. [Kotarou]: "Gil? Pani? Is that you?" ...no answer. [Kotarou]: "Umm...sorry about what I said. I really did forget everything." [Pani]: "Kotarou-san..." [Gil]: "Idiot! Don't speak! I'm never forgiving him for that!" [Kotarou]: "Yeah, I can't blame you for holding it against me." [Kotarou]: "...but it's best you don't follow me anyway. You're familiars after all." [Kotarou]: "I still have no idea what you guys are, but it was fun having you around." [Kotarou]: "...take care of yourselves." [Gil]: "Not that...that's not why I've been following you this whole time!" [Kotarou]: "What the hell? Don't be selfish." [Gil]: "...you're not normal." [Kotarou]: "That's true." [Kotarou]: "...though I'm still completely useless." [Gil]: "Shut up! That's why we wanted to be useful!" [Pani]: "But there's nothing we can do now..." [Kotarou]: "Sorry." [Gil]: "...so we can't...do anything to help..." After that, I didn't hear anything else. [Kotarou]: "...I'm sorry." [Fishmonger]: "I don't know what happened to you, but it's not good to break promises like that." [Kotarou]: "Yes..." [Kotarou]: "I know I caused a lot of trouble. Something extremely serious came up and I really wasn't able to come..." [Kotarou]: "But I'm very sorry!" I bow very deeply. I couldn't think of any other response. As unavoidable as it was, the fact remains that I wasted their kindness. [Old Woman]: "Hmph, are young people all like that nowadays..." I have no way to respond. What is this feeling? I'm not sad, or angry at myself. I just feel sorry and pathetic. [Fishmonger]: "Anyway, did it go well?" [Kotarou]: "Huh?" He points next to me. [Kotarou]: "Uwa!?" Where did she come from!? [Old Woman]: "......hmm." Shizuru bows. [Old Woman]: "He's not that great a man, you know. You need to choose carefully." She shakes her head. Then grabs my sleeve. [Fishmonger]: "She's awfully quiet." [Kotarou]: "She's just like that." [Fishmonger]: "...is she your...owww!!" The woman pinched his stomach. [Old Woman]: "Anyway...you're customers, right? You wanna buy something?" [Kotarou]: "Ah, well..." Damn. Even if I buy stuff now, I can't really grill it inside Guardian's base. But I can't just leave after breaking my promise... She points to saury. [Kotarou]: "Okay, we'll take that..." [Fishmonger]: "Got it." [Old Woman]: "Since you're here, come out back." [Kotarou]: "Eh?" [Old Woman]: "We've still got the shichirin out there, and I don't feel like putting it away." [Kotarou]: "Ah..." [Kotarou]: "A-are you sure?" [Old Woman]: "What's the problem? You wanted to cook fish for her, right?" [Kotarou]: "...wanna cook it here?" She nods. In the end the old woman cooked it for us. ...she probably did a lot better than I would've. [Kotarou]: "Was it good?" She gives a thumbs-up. [Kotarou]: "...I see." I'm glad. [Kotarou]: (...she saw through everything.) Shizuru probably knew what I was up to. ...though I screwed up so much that none of it ever came to fruition. But there is one thing I'm happy about. [Kotarou]: "...next time I'll cook some saury for you." Shizuru nods. That's enough for me. But... We started holding hands at some point. Shizuru and I walk together in silence. We don't need words. We just walk. It feels like we're walking to a place we'll never return from. [Shizuru]: "?" [Kotarou]: "No, it's okay. It's nothing." [Kotarou]: "...I'm just pathetic." I haven't done anything. I couldn't do a single thing. Shizuru starts to say something. She changes her mind, and holds my hands. [Kotarou]: "Shizuru?" She pulls on my hand, bringing my head down. She stands as tall as she can, and pets my head. [Shizuru]: "......Ko-" [Shizuru]: "Kotarou." She sounds a little hoarse. Like she has a cold. [Kotarou]: "Is your throat okay?" [Kotarou]: "......?" I pull on her hand slightly. [Kotarou]: "...thank you." Somehow, I can tell. Shizuru doesn't say anything, but I know. Once again, she nods with a smile. ...evening. Our best memories together all seem to be in the evening. They say the Key will destroy the world. They say this town will become a war zone. But aside from that, this town is peaceful and quiet. Still, the monsters I saw in the forest could show up here at any time, and Shizuru might have to fight them. If that happens... [Kotarou]: (...what will I be able to do...?)

<METADATA> Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu Name: Gen-san | Gender: Male Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Haruhiko Yoshino | Gender: Male </METADATA> I need to change myself. That's how I feel. [Kotarou]: "Hm?" I can hear someone playing a shawm. [Kotarou]: "Shizuru, is that Gen-san?" [Shizuru]: ".........?" [Kotarou]: "Huh? You didn't hear it?" She shakes her head. [Kotarou]: "...have you not fully recovered yet?" [Shizuru]: "―!!" "No, no, I'm fine." She stands proud. "So don't worry about me." [Kotarou]: "I wonder why..." [Shizuru]: "?" [Kotarou]: "I feel like I understand you better than I used to." Our hearts are connected. That's what I felt. [Gen-san]: "Hey! Is that you two!?" [Kotarou]: "Good evening." [Gen-san]: "I heard a lot happened, though apparently you're both fine now." [Gen-san]: "So tonight let's celebrate your recovery! Everything's on me, so eat up!" [Kotarou]: "Ah, sorry...we already ate." [Gen-san]: "What? ...so much for that." [Gen-san]: "Hm? What is it?" Shizuru raises one finger. [Gen-san]: "My menra is number one in the world? Well duh! Gahahaha!" [Kotarou]: "She was asking for one bowl." [Kotarou]: "Yeah, I think we can handle one bowl if we split it." [Gen-san]: "Oooh, I see. Must be nice, sharing a bowl of menra together!" [Gen-san]: "Okaaay, wait right there! I'm gonna give you the best bowl we have!" [Voice]: "Gramps, I finished buying everything." I hear a voice behind the ramen stand. [Gen-san]: "Oh, good job. Put it over there." [Voice]: "Customers?" [Gen-san]: "Sorry, but your training will have to wait!" That voice sounds familiar... [Yoshino]: "That's fine. Doing this still trains my muscles..." [Kotarou]: "Yoshino?" She raises a hand to greet him. [Yoshino]: "You...Tennouji!?" [Yoshino]: "Where the hell have you been!? No one could get a hold of you!!" [Kotarou]: "Umm...a lot happened." [Yoshino]: "...hmph." [Gen-san]: "Do you two know each other?" [Yoshino]: "I can't get rid of him." [Kotarou]: "We're rivals and best friends forever." [Yoshino]: "Ignore the second part..." [Yoshino]: "So, what's going on now? I don't have a clue where you've been. Why are you with that girl?" [Shizuru]: "?" [Kotarou]: "Aaah...well..." I can't tell him about Guardian. ...I really don't want to get him involved in that. Shizuru seems to feel the same way. There's nothing he can do about the situation anyway. He should stay in his normal school life...the life I used to lead. At least, I want him to stay there. I know I'll regret it if he loses it too. Because he faced me with complete honesty. So I... [Gen-san]: "...this guy's been trying to find out what's going on in this city." [Kotarou]: "Buuuuuuuu!!" I spit out the ramen I was eating. [Shizuru]: ".........!" [Kotarou]: "Uwa, sorry! Did I get any on you!?" [Yoshino]: "Why are you so shocked by that?" [Kotarou]: "Give me back my resolve!!" [Yoshino]: "Huh? So you are involved in this somehow." [Kotarou]: "It's dangerous! Really! Getting a bunch of gangsters together won't help anyone..." [Kotarou]: "Hey, G-Gen-san...?" [Gen-san]: "What? Menra takes a while to..." I pull Gen-san away from Yoshino. [Kotarou]: "...how much does he know?" [Gen-san]: "I haven't told him anything. I'm just acting like a guy who hears a lot through my business." [Gen-san]: "He just heard about me and came here to ask some questions." [Kotarou]: "I see..." [Gen-san]: "As far as I can tell he's completely normal...so I don't plan on getting him involved." [Gen-san]: "Don't worry, I'll make sure he doesn't find out." [Kotarou]: "Okay." I feel better now. I return to my seat. [Yoshino]: "What were you two whispering about...?" [Kotarou]: "The truth is, I'm suffering from memory loss, so I get confused a lot..." [Yoshino]: "......!" [Yoshino]: "So it was that..." Sorry, that was a lie. But... [Kotarou]: (Is this guy actually worried about me?) [Kotarou]: "Hmm." [Yoshino]: "Huh?" [Kotarou]: "Thanks, Yoshino." [Yoshino]: "Don't talk like that..." I'm not sure why, but... I'm really happy. Shizuru seems happy too. [Gen-san]: "...okay, here you go." [Gen-san]: "Wolf-san, you gonna eat something too?" [Yoshino]: "Don't mock me. Wolves don't need charity." [Gen-san]: "Don't be so cold." Gen-san's already getting out more noodles. [Yoshino]: "H-hey..." [Gen-san]: "You guys are friends, right?" [Gen-san]: "You should take this chance to eat together while you still can." [Gen-san]: "...you might not always be able to do it." [Yoshino]: "...put an egg in mine." [Gen-san]: "Comin' right up." We slurp our noodles without a word. This precious time just passes by. My time with Yoshino... ...even though I'll never go back to that school... Thinking back on it... [Kotarou]: "You never stopped trash talking me, even when we were eating." [Yoshino]: "Because you kept sitting next to me without asking." [Kotarou]: "Yeah." [Kotarou]: "This is good stuff, Yoshino!" [Yoshino]: "Hmph...I know that." [Gen-san]: "It's so nice being young." Shizuru and Gen-san watch us with smiles on their faces. We finish our ramen, and say our goodbyes. We walk off in silence. Once we exit the park, Yoshino stops. [Yoshino]: "Tennouji..." [Yoshino]: "I don't know what the hell you've stuck your neck into." [Kotarou]: "Yeah." [Yoshino]: "...you probably can't tell me about it anyway." [Yoshino]: "Hmph." [Yoshino]: "...I'm not dense. I can tell it's bad..." [Yoshino]: "But I'm not the kind of guy who can just stand around and watch." [Kotarou]: "True...then at least stay away from the forest." [Kotarou]: "You'll die if you go in there. I mean it." [Yoshino]: "There are rumors about people disappearing in there."

<METADATA> Name: Haruhiko Yoshino | Gender: Male Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu Name: Arata Imamiya | Gender: Male Name: Sougen Esaka | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Yoshino]: "They've been completely wiped out. Even the combined efforts of the Wolf Pack can't find anything on them." The Wolf Pack? ...Yoshino's team? Those guys in the slum aren't half-bad when they work together, but they're nothing compared to Guardian. ...even if they could find a lead, they wouldn't be able to do anything. [Yoshino]: "...we're completely out of ideas, so we weren't gonna do anything anyway." [Kotarou]: "That's for the best." [Yoshino]: "I don't know how bad this stuff is." [Yoshino]: "But..." [Yoshino]: "You still haven't dueled me." [Yoshino]: "Promise me we will settle that someday." [Yoshino]: "The star of destiny between the rivers in the sky shines over both of us." [Kotarou]: "Are you talking about Tanabata?" [Yoshino]: "Shut up." [Yoshino]: "...this is a promise between men." [Yoshino]: "I can't move on until my sonic knuckles land in your face." [Kotarou]: "You really are an idiot." [Yoshino]: "Say whatever you want." [Kotarou]: "I promise. We'll settle it." [Yoshino]: "Heh." We brofist. With hard, stupid, manly fists. [Kotarou]: "See you later." [Yoshino]: "Don't disappear again, you hear me." [Kotarou]: "Got it." Farewell. ...my old life. On the way home, Shizuru smiles and looks at my face. [Kotarou]: "Hm?" [Kotarou]: "What?" She's making me embarrassed. I look up at the sky instead. [Kotarou]: ".........?" I think I can see yellow wings flapping in the orange sky. [Kotarou]: (A familiar...?) No, if it was Shizuru would've seen it. I look again, but I can't see any birds. [Kotarou]: (...did I imagine that?) ...oh yeah, has she listened to what I put in her iPod? It hits me. Where did I hide that folder? [Kotarou]: (Crap...) I just put it somewhere random without thinking. ...still, if she's using it 24/7, she ought to have stumbled across it by now. [Kotarou]: (Oh well...) It doesn't really matter when she notices that surprise. I'm sure she'll find it eventually. Shizuru looks at my face again. [Kotarou]: "Do you want a kiss or something?" She hits me. [Kotarou]: "I'm kidding." [Shizuru]: "......!!" Shizuru tumbles to the ground. [Kotarou]: "You okay?" I reach down and help her up. She skinned her knee. [Kotarou]: "Ouch...wait a sec, I think I have a handkerchief..." [Kotarou]: "Hm?" ...the wound's gone in an instant. Shizuru pats her knee. There's no damage left at all. [Kotarou]: "...that's convenient." Normally helping a girl recover from a fall like that is supposed to be a satisfying experience... Normal girls trip and fall. But Shizuru? When there was nothing on the ground to trip over? [Kotarou]: "...guess you do need a bit more time to fully recover." She shakes her head as hard as she can. But I can tell. She's definitely not as powerful as before. [Kotarou]: "You probably should get a bit more rest." I'm not sure why, but... ...I feel anxious. It's my fault that Shizuru's weak now... On the way home, we pass a group of men in suits near the entrance to Guardian. Somehow they all feel overpowering. They must be superhumans. [Kotarou]: (They did say they were sending people to the rainbow swamp...) Those people are going into battle. A battle most people in this city know nothing about. To fight against a danger most people have never heard of. Guardian. People who protect something. ...the world is in enough danger that they have to use their powers to defend it. [Esaka]: "Something you can do?" [Kotarou]: "Yes, I've been thinking about this for a while." Shizuru should be sleeping in the hospital right now. This is my own decision. ...I want to know more about Esaka-san. And I don't want to just wait and prepare for the inevitable. [Esaka]: "I think you should be enjoying your life rather than worrying about these things." [Esaka]: "You should be someone for Shizuru-kun to protect..." That might be nice. But I don't want her to be the only one risking her life for this. That's all. [Esaka]: "...men are such unintelligent creatures." [Esaka]: "But I cannot allow it. I do not have the time, and a normal untrained human with a superpower will only be a hindrance. Isn't that why you decided not to become a warrior?" [Imamiya]: "Why not give it a shot? All that aside, he has quite a bit of experience." [Imamiya]: "He's fought groups of hounds, and he beat a leaf bird in the forest all by himself." [Esaka]: "Would your squad take him?" [Imamiya]: "...I'd prefer not to." [Imamiya]: "But if he has "eyes", then..." Suddenly, some kind of alarm sounds. [Esaka]: "What happened!?" [Operator]: "Intruders within the facility. Emergency situations at entrances one, two and three." [Imamiya]: "So they found us...I knew it was only a matter of time, but..." The monitors show footage from the entrances. Several familiars rush in, with summoners trailing behind. [Kotarou]: "That many...?" [Imamiya]: "Get all superhuman teams in the facility to defensive positions! We need to keep the chain of command intact!" [Operator]: "Should we call back the reconnaissance teams from outside?" [Imamiya]: "No. If they're charging in like this...that might mean they've found the Key. If anything I'd prefer to send more teams out to help them." [Esaka]: "How many teams do we have?" [Imamiya]: "Three raid teams on standby, and several ordinary guards..." [Operator]: "Part of the facility's wiring has been destroyed. It will take a few minutes to recover." [Operator]: "No good. We can't contact the outside. All teams in the forest are out of range." [Esaka]: "So they're taking advantage of the fact that we chose to focus on the Key. I never expected them to send so many..." [Imamiya]: "But if we can still move everything out then it's no big deal. For now we just need to drive them back." [Imamiya]: "Where's Nakatsu-jou?" [Operator]: "...she should be asleep in her room..." [Esaka]: "I will talk to her. If she can join our defense, our victory is assured." [Imamiya]: "Yep. Go get her." Go...? Entire columns of black dogs continue streaming in on the monitors. He's going into that...? [Kotarou]: "I-I'm coming too!" [Esaka]: "You will only get in the way. Stay here." [Kotarou]: "B-but..."

<METADATA> Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu Name: Arata Imamiya | Gender: Male Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Sougen Esaka | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Esaka]: "Are you saying you'll save Shizuru-kun?" ...Esaka-san leaves a moment later. [Imamiya]: "...okay, now what?" [Imamiya]: "I think keeping your own life is important. Let other people fight battles you can't win." [Imamiya]: "If you stick your neck into this and die you'll just be an idiot. You get that, right?" [Kotarou]: "......well, I am an idiot." [Imamiya]: "...I see." Imamiya-san clutches his head and sighs. [Imamiya]: "Hey, get Esaka-san on the monitors." [Operator]: "Will do." [Imamiya]: "...Tennouji. Go out, take a right and head straight. At the far end is a Y-shaped fork. Take the left path." [Imamiya]: "From there it's a straight shot to her room. That path should keep you away from the intruders. Go protect her." [Kotarou]: "...thank you very much." [Imamiya]: "They do say idiots never learn, even after dying twice." [Kotarou]: "?" [Imamiya]: "Never mind. Now get going already." I bow one more time and run out. [Imamiya]: "...that was so lame. I really don't like doing this." I sprint down the hallway as fast as I can. But I still can't catch up. [Kotarou]: (Well, Esaka-san is superhuman too...) ...I can see sand on the ground from fallen dogs. The fighting's already started. I can hear loud metallic noises up ahead. [Kotarou]: "...this way!" Esaka-san's holding a sword in his right hand, and carrying a wounded guard over his left shoulder. [Kotarou]: "Esaka-san!" [Esaka]: "......!?" [Esaka]: "Fool! Why have you come!?" [Kotarou]: "I..." [Esaka]: "Do you want to be a hero? Did you forget all my warnings!?" [Kotarou]: "S-sorry...but..." [Esaka]: "...are you worried about Shizuru-kun?" [Esaka]: "Don't think like a hero. That's dangerous." [Esaka]: "...if you succeed, you will be one. But the vast majority of people who try it die." [Esaka]: "Do you think you're an exception?" [Esaka]: "...fine. Carry this man for me." [Kotarou]: "Okay." The guard's unconscious. Once I get him on my back, I can feel him breathing. [Esaka]: "If we can reach Shizuru-kun, we might be able to save her. You protect that man's life." [Kotarou]: "U-understood." [Esaka]: "Let's go. Don't fall behind." [Kotarou]: "Yes, sir!" I run behind Esaka-san. ...he's a real warrior. He carves through every hound in his path like they're nothing. And always with a single sword swipe. The hallways become filled with headless bodies. [Esaka]: "So you are fast enough to keep up." [Kotarou]: "Y-yes." Actually, this is the fastest I can go while carrying someone. I'm having to breath very deeply. But Esaka-san is killing every enemy he finds while running at this speed... [Esaka]: "...you and Shizuru-kun have a future." I can hear Esaka-san talking to me as we run. [Esaka]: "I hope that only we have to get our hands dirty to end this." I can hear a rapid succession of what sounds like party crackers up ahead. [Kotarou]: (...gunfire?) I've never heard it before... It's not as loud as I thought. [Esaka]: "Are you all right!?" [Guard]: "Y-yes! But..." [Esaka]: "Leave this place to me. You did well to hold them back that long." [Guard]: "...yes." [Esaka]: "Tennouji, go to her room." [Kotarou]: "What about you? Are you going to hold them off alone...?" [Esaka]: "Do you think a warrior prepared to fight the final boss would lose to a herd of slimes?" No. And he's right. He's definitely that strong. [Esaka]: "Now go. Hurry!" [Kotarou]: "Understood!" [Kotarou]: "Shizuru!" Shizuru's just standing in front of the window. [Kotarou]: "Shizuru...?" ...did she not even notice the fighting...? [Shizuru]: "......!?" As I approach, she finally notices us. [Kotarou]: "Please heal him!" She rushes over to the guard on my back. Shizuru holds her hand over him. Her body looks like it's glowing slightly. ...that glow passes into the guard's wounds. [Kotarou]: "...is he okay?" She nods. Shizuru suddenly starts stripping. [Kotarou]: "Uwa! Wh-what are you doing!?" ...I've never seen someone get changed that quickly. She spins around and heads for the door. [Kotarou]: "Shizuru...!?" I follow her back outside. [Shizuru]: ".........!" [Black Dog]: "Guaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Every hound Shizuru passes by gets sliced in two, as if a kamaitachi flew through the hall. [Kotarou]: (......amazing.) She jumps from wall to wall, avoiding all of their fangs and cutting into them one after the other. [Shizuru]: "―!!" She stops. There's someone lying down against the wall. [Kotarou]: "Ah..." ...this is the guard who searched me when I first came down here. [Kotarou]: "Can you save him?" She shakes her head. [Kotarou]: "...no..." ...someone just died. I'm looking at a real corpse. [Kotarou]: (...why...?) Who would wish for the end of the world so badly that they'd kill people...? Shizuru starts running again. [Kotarou]: "...I'm sorry." I apologize to the dead guard, then follow Shizuru. ...we find another person lying on the ground. [Guard]: "Uu...u..." This time he's breathing. Shizuru heals him immediately. [Guard]: "Th-...thank you..." Shizuru nods, and stands back up. [Guard]: "W-wait, there's a monster up ahead..." [Guard]: "......?" [Kotarou]: "A monster?" [Guard]: "Yes..." [Guard]: "It looks human, but..." [Kotarou]: "Is it the Key?" [Guard]: "No, it's a man..." [Guard]: "At first I thought he was a superhuman working for Gaia..." [Guard]: "Captain Esaka went that way..." She nods and heads that way. We reach an intersection. [Esaka]: "......guaaaaaa!" [Kotarou]: "―!!" Esaka-san's voice. [Shizuru]: ".........!" What...? What's going on? [Kotarou]: "―!?" There's a hound in the corner...! [Kotarou]: "Shizuru, watch out!" I hold out my arm. [Kotarou]: ".........!" I end up sticking my arm into the familiar's mouth. ...its fangs tear through my right arm. [Kotarou]: "O-owwwww..."

<METADATA> Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu Name: Ohtori Sakuya | Gender: Male Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Sougen Esaka | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "Dammit!!" I make an aurora blade inside the dog's mouth. [Kotarou]: "Uraaaa!!" I jam it farther in, skewering him. [Black Dog]: "...!!" It collapses. [Kotarou]: "Haa...I did it..." I breathe heavily. ...even I can do this much. I'm not completely useless. [Kotarou]: "Sorry, Shizuru..." [Shizuru]: ".........!" Shizuru's on her knees, clutching her arm. [Kotarou]: "Shizuru?" [Kotarou]: "Hey, what's wrong!?" [Shizuru]: "......!!" What? Her arm? Shizuru then touches my bleeding arm. [Kotarou]: "......are you okay?" Shizuru stands up. [Kotarou]: "You really do need more rest..." I pet her with my right hand. ...my right hand? [Kotarou]: "H-huh?" My arm doesn't hurt? ...after being torn open like that? And... Why is Shizuru feeling pain in her own arm? Before I figure it out, Shizuru runs. [Kotarou]: "...Esaka-san..." Right now, what's right in front of us takes priority. But... I have an extremely bad feeling about what might happen afterward. [Esaka]: "Uu...such shameful..." [??]: "My apologies. That was rather unfair of me." [Esaka]: "...monster." [Shizuru]: "...!" The man holds Esaka-san by the neck. [Kotarou]: "S-Sakuya...!?" [Esaka]: "Stay back...! This man is a familiar...!" [Sakuya]: "...so that was you two..." [Kotarou]: "Wh-what the hell are you doing!? Let go of Esaka-san!" [Sakuya]: "I have no intention of killing him." [Sakuya]: "...I will only..." [Esaka]: "...!!" Esaka-san tightens his grip on his sword. [Sakuya]: "......!" He lets go of Esaka-san and leaps back. [Sakuya]: "You can still move...?" [Esaka]: "I may be old, but I won't be defeated so easily by a naïve man like you...!" It sounds like he has to force out his voice. [Kotarou]: "What's going on...?" [Sakuya]: "...I am Chihaya-san's servant. Chihaya-san is part of Gaia..." [Sakuya]: "And we are fighting Guardian. There's nothing strange about this." [Esaka]: "Do you know this man...?" [Kotarou]: "I used to..." [Sakuya]: "We used to be quite close. It's a shame we had to meet again like this." [Kotarou]: "Hey...don't do this..." [Kotarou]: "I don't want to fight you..." [Kotarou]: "Is Chihaya here too? If so, please stop this." [Kotarou]: "...isn't Gaia a group of people trying to wipe out humanity? Why would you help them do that!?" [Esaka]: "It's no use...that man is the most dangerous familiar we know of..." [Esaka]: "It simply isn't possible to..." [Sakuya]: "...reason with me?" [Kotarou]: "...is that so?" A familiar... That makes him Guardian's enemy. [Kotarou]: "You were a familiar the whole time?" [Sakuya]: "Yes." [Kotarou]: "...just like those dogs...?" [Sakuya]: "...I would prefer not to be compared to such beasts, but I am a familiar." [Kotarou]: "...what the hell." [Kotarou]: "...you always annoyed me to no end, but..." [Kotarou]: "I never hated you...I never wanted to be your enemy..." [Sakuya]: "...what a coincidence. I hated you, but I never wanted this either." Do we have to fight him...? Because we're Guardian, and he's Gaia? ...will we have to fight Chihaya and Akane too if we ever find them...? [Sakuya]: "However, I am part of Gaia...so I have no choice." [Sakuya]: "I would appreciate it if you all backed down, but I doubt any of you would do that." [Kotarou]: "What the hell..." ...I knew this was a possibility. But now that it's actually happening...I can't accept it so easily. ...is there really no way to stop this? ...we're in completely different positions. I can't think of anything to persuade him with. After all... [Kotarou]: "Don't do this...if you don't even want to..." [Sakuya]: "Good point. However, even if all of you back down, I have to go to the center of this facility." [Sakuya]: "...I have no other choice, which means you must stop me." [Sakuya]: "That's what Gaia and Guardian are." [Shizuru]: "......!" At that moment, Shizuru rushes toward Sakuya. [Sakuya]: "......!" Sakuya reacts immediately, blocking her knife with his right hand. [Shizuru]: "―!!" And then... [Sakuya]: "Haaa!" His left palm comes toward Shizuru's stomach. [Shizuru]: "......!" She pulls herself up into the air using Sakuya's arm. [Shizuru]: ".........!" And her knives flash. [Sakuya]: "Uu..." Blood spills out of Sakuya's left arm. [Sakuya]: "......are you trying to say you won't forgive me if I hurt them?" [Sakuya]: "Unfortunately, I can't read your mind as well as Kotarou-kun." [Sakuya]: "Still...it seems I will have to use all my strength to defeat you..." [Sakuya]: "I find it embarrassing myself, but I am called the strongest in Gaia for a reason. Let's see what you can do...!" Their shadows cross. It was a fight far beyond any other I'd seen. Shizuru used knives. Sakuya used legs and arms. It really was a duel between a superhuman and a familiar. Something I'd never see in any movie, playing out right before my eyes. Shizuru's knives slice empty air. Sakuya's hands cut through the wall. The area becomes littered with gouges and pock marks. ...there's no way I could contribute. Even Esaka-san is just watching it, using his sword as a staff. [Shizuru]: "......!!" Sakuya's hand heads for Shizuru's shoulder. [Kotarou]: "Shizuru!" Her wound glows slightly, then it disappears without a trace. [Sakuya]: "...so you can heal..." Shizuru moves forward again. [Sakuya]: "Uu..." Her knives just barely graze Sakuya's cheek. [Shizuru]: "...!" [Sakuya]: "Uu!" Sakuya's kick knocks her back. [Sakuya]: "...not bad." Sakuya wipes away the blood on his cheek. [Sakuya]: "It seems I will have to kill you to get through here." [Shizuru]: "......!" Something like steam begins to drift off Shizuru's body. It's not the glowing mist that appears when she heals. It's spreading throughout the room... [Sakuya]: "...!?"

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu Name: Ohtori Chihaya | Gender: Female | Aliases: Chi Name: Ohtori Sakuya | Gender: Male Name: Sougen Esaka | Gender: Male </METADATA> Sakuya moves back instinctively. [Sakuya]: "I do not know what this is...but I take it this is your most powerful trick." Sakuya touches the steam, and his face contorts. [Sakuya]: "I see...drugs..." [Sakuya]: "So this is your power." [Shizuru]: "......!" Shizuru stands between me and Sakuya. [Sakuya]: "Don't worry." [Sakuya]: "I may have to fight you, but I have no reason to attack Kotarou-kun." [Sakuya]: "I may not be human, but I do not enjoy fighting." ...the steam continues filling the hallway. I don't know what it is. But... When I inhale it, I feel a dull pain in my head. I lose vision for a moment. [Kotarou]: (...this is bad...) I take a few steps back. I might go unconscious at this rate... ...I remember feeling the same way a long time ago, when I inhaled a lot of smoke from a bonfire. [Kotarou]: (Poison...?) Esaka-san seems unaffected by it, even though he must be inhaling more than me. [Sakuya]: "We can't keep staring at each other forever..." [Sakuya]: "...in that case, I'll go first...!" [Shizuru]: "......!" They start moving again... [??]: "...wait!" We hear another voice. [Chihaya]: "...stop this, Sakuya." [Kotarou]: "Chihaya..." Sakuya walks back to where Chihaya is. [Chihaya]: "I thought this might happen at some point..." [Chihaya]: "But I wasn't expecting it to be so soon." [Kotarou]: "You're here too...?" [Chihaya]: "I'm Sakuya's master, and I'm part of Gaia." [Chihaya]: "...so we have to fight Guardian." [Chihaya]: "But..." [Chihaya]: "There's something wrong with this..." [Chihaya]: "I've been thinking about it for a while, and..." [Chihaya]: "I decided that if this ever happened...I'd quit." [Chihaya]: "...I've had enough of this." [Sakuya]: "...Chihaya-san." [Chihaya]: "So much has happened since we came to this city..." [Chihaya]: "...what exactly is Gaia anyway? I've been doing this my whole life without questioning it..." [Chihaya]: "But it feels wrong now." [Chihaya]: "I'm not quite sure how to say this, but I just can't imagine fighting you two or Konohana-san." [Chihaya]: "...yeah, I know I can't." [Sakuya]: "...are you sure?" [Chihaya]: "I don't know." [Chihaya]: "...I don't know, but I was taught not to do something I hate doing." [Chihaya]: "Maybe I should have realized this sooner." [Kotarou]: "Chihaya..." She's so... [Kotarou]: "...you're an idiot." [Chihaya]: "Wha―..." [Chihaya]: "Wh-who are you calling an idiot!?" [Kotarou]: "You're the good kind of idiot." The world is full of idiots. ...full of good people. If only everyone was like that. [Chihaya]: "Sakuya, you can go ahead and fight Kotarou." [Sakuya]: "Will do." [Kotarou]: "W-wait! That would kill me! Sakuya, didn't you just say you didn't want to!?" [Chihaya]: "I'm joking." [Chihaya]: "About this..." [Kotarou]: "Hm?" [Chihaya]: "...I can tell just from looking at you two." [Chihaya]: "I don't want to tear you two apart." [Chihaya]: "...let's stop this..." [Kotarou]: "You mean...quit Gaia?" [Chihaya]: "Yes." [Kotarou]: "Can you quit that easily?" [Chihaya]: "...I've been thinking about this for a long time you know. I'm serious." [Chihaya]: "Besides, I have Sakuya." [Sakuya]: "...if that is your wish, Chihaya-san." [Kotarou]: "Then..." [Chihaya]: "I won't help Guardian either." [Chihaya]: "What I hate is the idea of fighting you or Shizuru." [Chihaya]: "...or Konohana-san." [Sakuya]: "In that case, we probably should not stay here much longer." [Chihaya]: "You're right..." [Chihaya]: "Okay, we'll be going now." [Chihaya]: "...it'd be nice if we saw you again." [Kotarou]: "Yeah..." [Chihaya]: "Wh-what?" [Kotarou]: "It'd be nice if everyone was like you." [Chihaya]: "...I think everyone being like you would work too." [Kotarou]: "Not me. No way." [Sakuya]: "She may not be wrong." [Kotarou]: "Is that sarcasm?" [Sakuya]: "Who knows? Perhaps." [Sakuya]: "...Kotarou-kun." [Kotarou]: "What?" [Sakuya]: "You have the power to rewrite things, don't you?" [Kotarou]: "Is that what my power is?" [Sakuya]: "Yes. That was the feeling I had when I first met you." [Sakuya]: "...you don't seem to have used it much." [Kotarou]: "I was told not to, and besides..." [Sakuya]: "I see. That is for the best." [Sakuya]: "I once knew an idiot who overused it and ended up living forever." Forever? [Kotarou]: "...it can do that...?" [Sakuya]: "That depends on you, Kotarou-kun." [Sakuya]: "...we've spoken too much. We should get going." [Chihaya]: "Yes." [Chihaya]: "Well, goodbye..." A circle of light forms at Chihaya's feet. ...it has a strange pattern, like a magic circle. [Sakuya]: "Farewell..." The circle envelops both of them. ...and they disappear into the light. Can I change that much? But how...? [Kotarou]: "...that guy still annoys the hell out of me." We've spoken too much? Not even close. I still don't understand anything... I wanted to talk so much more. But... It's not just that. We were friends. Me, Chihaya, and that guy. ...I wanted to spend more time doing stupid things together. I only knew her for a couple months, but... [Kotarou]: "...bye." Somehow it feels like we'll never see each other again. [Kotarou]: "I'm glad she's like that." [Esaka]: "Only the young can think like that. I couldn't understand that conversation at all." [Kotarou]: "...she's better off this way." Shizuru touches Esaka-san, healing his wound. [Esaka]: "I let my guard down because he looked human. His skills are incredible." [Esaka]: "But I had no idea he would simply leave..." [Kotarou]: "There are good people in the world, and people you can reason with." [Kotarou]: "...even if they're your enemies."

<METADATA> Name: Sougen Esaka | Gender: Male Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female Name: Arata Imamiya | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Esaka]: "Gaia's teachings include the claim that there is happiness only in destruction. I do not wish to understand it, but part of me does." [Esaka]: "You and that summoner girl must have shared something which transcends all of that." [Kotarou]: "I dunno about that..." [Kotarou]: "We just went to school like normal kids." [Esaka]: "Normal..." [Esaka]: "People like us who aren't normal find great happiness in normal things." [Esaka]: "I feel the same way when I look at you two." [Esaka]: "But..." [Esaka]: "...what is happiness...?" [Esaka]: "We must survive so that others in the future may find their own happiness." [Esaka]: "...no matter what may happen to the world..." Happiness isn't the same for everyone. Why is it so hard for us to understand each other...? What happened with Chihaya just now might have been a rare miracle. The three of us turn back the way we came. ...there are more dead familiars than before. [Kotarou]: (Other superhumans must have been here...) ...gunshots. [Kotarou]: "―!?" [Imamiya]: "Well done." Imamiya-san appears from behind a corner. [Imamiya]: "We've cleaned up the last of them. We're gonna start moving, so everyone's falling back." [Esaka]: "I see." [Kotarou]: "Moving...?" [Imamiya]: "Yep, moving. This place is in compressed space." [Imamiya]: "Oh, by compressed space I mean..." [Kotarou]: "I know what that is." [Imamiya]: "Okay, so you at least know what an instant bunker is?" [Kotarou]: "...no." [Imamiya]: "You haven't? ...well, you wandered into the one under your school, right?" [Kotarou]: "Haa..." Those endless hallways in an impossibly huge space. [Imamiya]: "That stuff wasn't there to begin with. It was tacked on later." [Kotarou]: "I guess I kinda get it then..." [Imamiya]: "That's good enough. You've never had to worry about how a TV works, have you?" [Imamiya]: "You just need to be able to use it." [Kotarou]: "I guess so." [Imamiya]: "Anyway, we're going back to the war room." He walks off. ...I always get the feeling I'm missing something when I talk to this guy... [Imamiya]: "You've got another thing to boast about now, Tennouji-kun." [Kotarou]: "Huh?" [Imamiya]: "Taking care of that "Sakuya" familiar was a big help." [Imamiya]: "...he gets in our way every so often, and none of us can handle him." [Imamiya]: "So all that time you spent in school wasn't a total waste." [Kotarou]: "...what does that mean?" For some reason the way he said that bugs me. [Imamiya]: "I only judge things based on how they help us complete objectives. I can't be a soldier and worry about pity or duty at the same time." [Imamiya]: "That's part of being on the front lines." [Kotarou]: "But still..." Before I can respond, I see something. A man in a robe. A summoner of Gaia. ...he's sitting down against the wall. [Kotarou]: "...?" [Imamiya]: "That's the guy I just shot." Shizuru rushes over to him. [Kotarou]: "Is he okay?" I look closer, and see a large red stain near his stomach. ...Shizuru shakes her head. [Imamiya]: "This is normal." [Imamiya]: "There's no such thing as a clean war you can win without killing anyone." [Imamiya]: "...we both have lethal weapons. The only guys who can win a fight without pulling the trigger are monsters like that guy, and people with astronomically good skills." [Imamiya]: "Normally, you have to pull the trigger, and kill the enemy. Or else, you'll get killed first." [Imamiya]: "That's just how it works." [Imamiya]: "Plus, familiars use the life force of their summoners." [Imamiya]: "When someone summons this many at once, they're going to die no matter what." [Imamiya]: "...I guess that last one was just an excuse." [Imamiya]: "Forget that part." Imamiya-san walks off. Was he trying to imply the man was happy being shot in combat? ...that he would've been happy if he died because monsters sucked out his life to kill people? That's not right... [Kotarou]: "Don't say that..." ...I might've had to fight this guy. Couldn't we at least bury him? I start to pick him up. [Kotarou]: "......!" What is that? The man should be dead, but...there's a line coming out of him... ...connecting to a dead familiar. Like strings connecting puppet and puppetmaster. Why can I see that? I don't know, but I can tell. The familiar is sucking out his life through this... I look at the scabs on my left arm. ...the power to rewrite... A man who lived forever... Sakuya's words come back to me. Am I...becoming less human? [Kotarou]: (No way...) I remember that voice. The voice of someone who's been keeping me together until now... Someone who's been helping me for most of my life. I'm sure I'm connected to her somehow... Just like these two. A summoner, and a dead familiar nearby. A connection between them. "Connection" is usually such a nice word...but here it feels cold. Because there's only one conclusion. I'm connected to her the same way these two are, so I'm not... Suddenly, the line vanishes. No. I don't know for sure. I should just...forget that... After all... Even if it is true... There's nothing I can do about it. We go back to the war room to find Nishikujou-san furiously giving out orders. [Nishikujou]: "...Imamiya, you're alive." [Imamiya]: "Told you I'd make it." [Nishikujou]: "We'll talk later. We found the Key." [Imamiya]: "...seriously? Was it one of the "eyes"?" [Nishikujou]: "Our teams outside are still fighting familiars. I don't know if we can get to the Key..." [Imamiya]: "So we know where it is...because it started resonating?" [Nishikujou]: "It hasn't affected anything yet, but it's too late to try capturing it. We need to destroy it immediately." [Nishikujou]: "...right, Captain Esaka?" Esaka-san nods quietly. Nishikujou-sensei nods back. [Nishikujou]: "We'll send every unit we have. This is our last stand." [Imamiya]: "Damn, didn't think we'd have to fight that battle this close to home." [Imamiya]: "Get a squad together and send it out as soon as possible. Tell every platoon what's going on." [Operator]: "Incoming transmission. Opening a channel." [Imamiya]: "Huh? I just told you, tell all the platoons that..." [Operator]: "It's from Lieutenant Gennady."

<METADATA> Name: Gen-san | Gender: Male Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female Name: Arata Imamiya | Gender: Male Name: Sougen Esaka | Gender: Male Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu </METADATA> [Imamiya]: "That geezer? What's he saying?" [Operator]: "...opening channel." [Gen-san]: "Hey...sorry to bother you guys." [Kotarou]: "...Gen-san?" That's not his usual cheerful voice. He sounds weak. [Gen-san]: "Unfortunately...they got the better of me." [Imamiya]: "What do you mean...?" [Gen-san]: "They brought familiars all the way to the park..." [Gen-san]: "I'm trying to take care of them right now..." [Nishikujou]: "Wait, Gennady-san, what's your condition?" [Gen-san]: "I'm practically retired anyway. I wouldn't be any use in a fight." [Gen-san]: "Still, it's scary how much old age does to you." [Nishikujou]: "Enough joking around, just tell us your status!" [Gen-san]: "Ah, right...I'll probably die..." [Gen-san]: "I overdid it a bit...trying to save a kid...so one of them took a bite out of me..." [Shizuru]: "......!" [Imamiya]: "Are there any medical teams near his location!?" [Gen-san]: "Don't do that. You guys don't have the resources to save an old fool like me." [Imamiya]: "...yeah...he's right..." [Gen-san]: "Hey, are the young'uns there?" [Kotarou]: "Gen-san!" [Gen-san]: "Oooh, you are there...how are things going with Shizuru-jou?" [Kotarou]: "You're asking me that...when you're about to die? ...what am I supposed to say...?" [Gen-san]: "Ga...uu, guhahahaha...!" [Gen-san]: "I'm not good at tearful goodbyes..." [Gen-san]: "Sorry, I mean it...I shouldn't be making kids like you go through this..." [Gen-san]: "It hurts to lose someone you know." [Kotarou]: "Gen-san..." [Gen-san]: "Captain, are you there?" [Esaka]: "I'm here, Gennady." [Gen-san]: "...was it forty years ago...?" [Gen-san]: "When we overran that Gaia base in the Middle East..." [Esaka]: "That battle...?" [Gen-san]: "I had to kill a little kid..." [Gen-san]: "I still see it in my dreams sometimes..." [Esaka]: "I did that. There's no need for you to feel..." [Gen-san]: "That's not true. I'm the one who pointed the gun at him." [Gen-san]: "I know..." [Gen-san]: "The summoners back then...they were desperate." [Gen-san]: "I think..." [Gen-san]: "I think they felt the same way I do now..." [Gen-san]: "This time, I'll die protecting the kid..." [Gen-san]: "Hey..." [Gen-san]: "I'd really like to end this madness..." [Operator]: "Receiving a report from Noe...he's secured one child in the park woods..." [Gen-san]: "So he's alive?" [Gen-san]: "Good..." [Gen-san]: "...I wonder if that counts as atonement..." [Esaka]: "...it does." [Gen-san]: "But I'll probably be going to hell..." [Gen-san]: "We all will..." [Esaka]: "Do not fear...even if you're right, I will be joining you shortly." [Esaka]: "Shall we drink together when we get there?" [Gen-san]: "Perfect...I wonder how they'd react...if I brought the demon killer with me..." [Gen-san]: "...this is getting pretty bad..." [Gen-san]: "Hey, you two..." [Gen-san]: "I didn't want to make you suffer through this..." [Gen-san]: "Life's a great thing..." [Gen-san]: "I wanted...to leave behind...only good things..." [Esaka]: "...Gennady...!" [Operator]: "The signal cut out..." [Nishikujou]: "...I never expected him to die..." [Esaka]: "All people die without exception. That is what life is. It can be lost at any moment." [Esaka]: "I will join the others..." Esaka-san quickly leaves after saying that. I can only imagine how well Esaka-san and Gen-san knew each other. But I'm sure... [Kotarou]: (...that must've been far more painful for them than for us...) [Nishikujou]: "Tennouji-kun, Shizuru-chan." [Kotarou]: "Yes...?" [Nishikujou]: "You heard the situation. We need as many feet on the ground as possible." [Nishikujou]: "Shizuru-chan, you're the only one who could hope to break through on your own." [Nishikujou]: "And Tennouji-kun, you're the only "eye" we can deploy immediately..." [Nishikujou]: "...can we count on you two?" I remember the body I saw earlier. ...I'm afraid. People only kill each other in manga and on TV. That's what I always thought. I still think it. That shouldn't happen in reality. But... [Kotarou]: "If we don't stop them, there won't be a future, will there?" [Kotarou]: "We don't have a choice..." [Nishikujou]: "You can choose not to do it if you want." [Nishikujou]: "In fact, it might be smarter to keep yourselves alive and let us handle this." I think. Harder than I've ever thought before in my short life. About myself. About the forest. About the city. About the world people are living in right now. About Kotori. About Yoshino. About what just happened to Gen-san. About Esaka-san, Nishikujou-san, Imamiya-san, and all the other people wounded or killed... And, about Shizuru. If doing that would make our lives the slightest bit more peaceful in the future... If it would help stop this senseless war... [Kotarou]: "I'll do it." Then there's only one answer. Nishikujou-san nods. [Nishikujou]: "...Shizuru-chan, get a rifle, then head to the garage." [Nishikujou]: "Tennouji-kun, stay here for a little while." [Nishikujou]: "It's okay. Now go get ready." Shizuru turns around a few times on her way out. [Kotarou]: "Umm, do you need to tell me something?" [Nishikujou]: "...I thought this was worth explaining now." [Nishikujou]: "Tennouji-kun, you..." ...we head down a hallway with broken lights. Strangely, I feel calm. I think about what she just told me. [Kotarou]: (...I thought I'd be more nervous in a situation like this.) Someday... It had to happen someday. Step by step, I continue down the road to hell. It's a path I have to walk alone. Even if Shizuru's waiting up ahead, and she starts walking with me... Someday...... I come out into a large open space. It's filled with vehicles. [Kotarou]: (...are these armored military trucks?) I've seen pictures of them. They really do have everything here...

<METADATA> Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> I find Shizuru in the corner of the garage. She's heading for a large motorbike. It's not a military one, but it can carry quite a bit of stuff. [Kotarou]: "Shizuru." [Kotarou]: "Shizuru?" No answer. She seems to be packing something into the bike... [Kotarou]: "...another siren?" Are we being attacked? [Kotarou]: "...hey." Does Shizuru not know I'm here? There's no way she'd still be listening to music in this situation... I walk up to her and grab her shoulder. [Shizuru]: ".........!?" [Kotarou]: "Did you not hear me...?" [Kotarou]: "Did you not hear the siren...?" It suddenly hits me. Why has she been so quiet lately? There were a lot of other weird things. When the attack started... ...Shizuru didn't notice the siren at all. [Kotarou]: "Did you..." [Kotarou]: "...lose your hearing?" [Kotarou]: "Hey." I grab Shizuru's shoulder. ......I was able to talk to her earlier, but... Shizuru can read lips. She takes out a pen and a notebook. "I'm sorry." She writes that and shows it to me. Why didn't I notice... [Kotarou]: "Why didn't you tell me...?" "I didn't want you to worry." "This happened because I saved you, Kotarou." "I knew you'd do something reckless if you knew that." "I thought hiding it was for the best." She has a point. ...this is because she had to save me. It's my fault... Everything that's happening now...is all my fault... "It's all right." "We can still talk this way." Why is she... ...always...so... "It might be annoying for you, Kotarou, but please don't worry about me." [Kotarou]: "Not that..." [Kotarou]: "I'm the one hurting you..." She shakes her head. "We both do that." "I should've been more normal." If only we were normal... Shizuru and I want normalcy so badly. "But all I want is for you to be happy, Kotarou." ...I can't say anything. "So let's go." "If the world does end, we won't be able to do anything." [Kotarou]: "...yeah." "Don't worry. I love you." "We'll do better when this is over." No. Shizuru... I know only Shizuru will... But all I can do is nod quietly. I'm nothing compared to Shizuru... [Kotarou]: (...she really is a hero.) Shizuru drives the motorbike down the road at high speed. [Kotarou]: (Why a bike...!?) Come to think of it, if you're sixteen you can only get a license for two-wheeled vehicles... [Kotarou]: "Uu...!" The G-forces from the turns nearly tear me off. The instruments are maxed out, so I can't tell how fast we're going. [Kotarou]: (I'll die if I fall off...!) I cling to Shizuru. [Shizuru]: "......!" [Kotarou]: "Is that...!?" We pass by a pair of red eyes. Familiars...!? [Kotarou]: "Guoo...!" She slams hard on the brakes. She grabs my hand... [Kotarou]: "Eh?" ...and puts it on a handlebar. [Kotarou]: "Y-you want me to drive!?" Shizuru lets go. [Kotarou]: "I-I can't even see the road!" Shizuru pulls guns out of her pockets. [Shizuru]: "......!!" I hear a stream of dry cracking sounds behind me. [Kotarou]: "Uuooo...!" A black thing rushes past me. One of the dogs...! She pulls off both our helmets and throws them away. [Kotarou]: "Th-the helmet wasn't blocking my view! Wait, I've never touched anything bigger than a scooter...!" Shizuru stands on top of the bike. I watch the gunfire in the side mirror. Can those familiars run at this speed...!? [Shizuru]: "......!" She points forward. [Kotarou]: "You want me to speed up...?" [Kotarou]: "...if you say so!!!" I push down hard on the accelerator. The handlebars start shaking dangerously. If I don't hold on for dear life, I really will be thrown off. How did Shizuru drive this thing...? [Kotarou]: "There's more ahead!" I see a pair of red eyes in front of us. ...crap, Shizuru can't hear me! [Kotarou]: "Dammit...!" I make an aurora blade. I slow down just a little... [Kotarou]: "...!!" As we pass by, I swing my arm at the dogs. [Kotarou]: "...yes!" [Kotarou]: "Uuooo!?" The bike starts wobbling. [Shizuru]: "...!!" [Kotarou]: "C-crap...!" I tighten my grip on the handlebars and force it to stay upright. [Kotarou]: (...good thing I'm a superhuman...) It would just be sad if we crashed now. The dogs continue sporadically attacking us. Shizuru switches magazines several times. [Kotarou]: "...which exit do we want!?" At this rate we're going to go in a giant circle. [Kotarou]: "...more in front!" There's a lot this time... Shizuru turns around and shoots forward. Some of them stop, but... [Kotarou]: "Not good...!" One of them starts running alongside us on the left. [Black Dog]: "Gaaaaaaa!" [Kotarou]: "You..." I turn to the right to keep away from it... But it follows me. [Kotarou]: (How damn fast are these dogs running...!?) And how is Shizuru...!? She throws away a magazine. In the side mirror, I can see orange sparks where it hits the road. [Kotarou]: "Are you out of ammo!?" The only other weapons Shizuru has are her knives... [Kotarou]: "I'll just have to...!" Then I remember I can only make aurora from my right hand. ...I can't let go of both handlebars... [Black Dog]: "Guaaaaaa!" As I think, another one flies toward us. [Kotarou]: "Uu..." At that moment, a bolt of purple lightning gouges through the dog. [Kotarou]: "―!?" Above us!? I look up, and see a tandem rotor helicopter coming down toward us. [Kotarou]: "Wh-what!?" I speed up, but it comes down in front of us and opens the rear hatch. Out of it comes a red car. [Kotarou]: "Nishikujou-sensei's Mini Cooper...?" It hits the road with a shower of sparks, but follows alongside our bike afterward. [Nishikujou]: "Hello～" Nishikujou-san smiles and waves at us from the roof of her car. [Nishikujou]: "We got our hands on a Chinook, so I decided to catch up with you two." [Kotarou]: "Umm, we're kind of in trouble here!"

<METADATA> Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female Name: Senri Akane | Gender: Female | Aliases: Prez, The Witch of the School Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu </METADATA> [Nishikujou]: "Oh? Then come on in. Just jump over." [Kotarou]: "Are you completely insane!?" Shizuru climbs over my head and sits back down in my lap. [Kotarou]: "Okay..." I let her have the handlebars and move back to the rear seat. [Nishikujou]: "Okay, I'll clear the way for you." [Kotarou]: "How...?" Nishikujou-sensei holds up her own knives. A series of lightning bolts pins the dogs to the ground. [Nishikujou]: "Now, let's go! Full throttle!" [Kotarou]: "...wow..." Shizuru moves the bike behind the car. Nishikujou-sensei's projectiles mow down all the dogs in our path. ...we continue on until we reach the exit to the forest. We abandon both vehicles before heading in. The rest of the trip will be on foot. [Nishikujou]: "...they're concentrating their forces in the city right now. This is our best chance to strike back." Nishikujou-sensei calls someone. While she's busy, I look around. [Kotarou]: (Huh...?) I find a dead tree. Then I notice several more. [Kotarou]: (Why are there so many dead trees here...?) It doesn't seem like a coincidence. Nishikujou-sensei closes her phone and starts walking. ...trees aren't the issue right now. We're worried about something much worse. [Nishikujou]: "Gaia doesn't seem to know exactly where the Key is. If we hurry we'll still have a chance..." [Kotarou]: "Why did all of this start happening so suddenly?" [Nishikujou]: "I don't know..." [Nishikujou]: "Let's go. We seem to be the first ones here." There should be other units from Guardian in the forest. But they weren't able to contact any of them. Either they've been taken out, or Gaia has some way of blocking their signal... Either way, we're currently the only unit we know of in the forest with an "eye". Shizuru carries the rifle she had strapped to the bike earlier. [Kotarou]: "What's the rifle for?" [Nishikujou]: "It's an anti-materiel rifle...to help destroy the Key." [Kotarou]: "...is that enough to kill something that can destroy the world...?" It certainly looks powerful, but that's only by human standards. Can we kill a planet with a gun meant to kill people? [Nishikujou]: "I don't know. No one's ever had a chance to test it." [Nishikujou]: "But if that doesn't work, Guardian will be completely out of options." So we have no choice but to believe in those little bullets. ...to kill the planet? Suddenly this feels hopeless. [Kotarou]: (...I'll just have to have faith for now.) All of this has sounded insane from the start anyway. ...even if it's hopeless, I have to believe. They start running through the forest at full speed, but I can't keep up. They slow down a bit to match my full speed, but I can't even keep that up for long. [Nishikujou]: "Let's take a quick break." [Kotarou]: "...sorry." [Nishikujou]: "It's fine. You're the only one of us who can see the Key..." [Nishikujou]: "...this is strange though. The forest should be a buffer zone for Gaia..." [Nishikujou]: "If the Key's around here, then there's no reason they wouldn't have familiars scouting the area..." I don't like this. We shouldn't be just sitting here. ...I'll have to strengthen myself so I can keep up... But just as I begin to concentrate on that... [Nishikujou]: "Shizuru-chan!?" She looks back up, as if she's just fine. Did my power cause that...? [Kotarou]: "...Sensei." [Nishikujou]: "...are you two...?" Shizuru shakes her head. ...then she points ahead, implying we should get going. I'm sure now. Nishikujou-san warned me about this before we came here. A warm, but debilitating anxiety I've felt for a long time now. ...Shizuru and I are... [Kotarou]: "We should go." [Nishikujou]: "...you're right." I feel like something terrible will happen if we don't hurry. I can see the sky turning white between the trees. It's almost dawn. [Kotarou]: "What's this...?" I find a path that looks familiar. [Nishikujou]: "You asked us before to look for Kanbe-san." [Nishikujou]: "We did search for her, but we never managed to find her." [Nishikujou]: "Maybe Kanbe-san knew something..." Now that I think about it, that would explain a lot. [Kotarou]: (What......?) Just for a moment. I heard something. The other two aren't reacting to it. Did I imagine it...? Maybe, but... [Kotarou]: (I don't like this...) It feels like we're heading toward something horrible. Up ahead, I can see a single massive tree. ...something's there. I'm not sure what. I feel the presence of something huge and unfamiliar. As if all the blood in my body is freezing. ...is it the Key? She looks like a girl...like a human. How could she possibly destroy the world? It even feels like I could talk to her. [Nishikujou]: "...it's there, isn't it?" [Kotarou]: "Yes..." She readies the rifle. [Kotarou]: "It sees us." [Shizuru]: ".........!" Shizuru holds the rifle horizontally. [Kotarou]: "Aim for the trunk!" ...I hear a dry sound. I'm pretty sure it was before Shizuru pulled the trigger. The bullet goes through the Key's body. ...a gory sight, just like when a human gets shot. [Kotarou]: "...I think...you did it..." The bullet definitely passed through the Key's body. It cut right through her, but... [Kotarou]: "She looks unharmed..." [Nishikujou]: "That can't be..." [??]: "It's useless." Someone steps out from behind the tree. [Kotarou]: "Prez...?" [Akane]: "The Key's already stabilized. This is just its shell." [Akane]: "...too bad for you." [Nishikujou]: "We're too late...?" [Akane]: "It wouldn't have mattered if you got here sooner. This was all pre-ordained." [Akane]: "...the Key wants good memories." [Akane]: "I wonder where in this world she could've found them." [Akane]: "The Key decided to destroy this world almost immediately after she appeared." [Nishikujou]: "...no..." [Akane]: "Now we simply abide by her decision." [Akane]: "I doubt any of you can do anything to stop her...but go ahead and fight it if you want." [Kotarou]: "What the hell..." [Akane]: "I am part of Gaia. I am only obeying my destiny."

<METADATA> Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu Name: Senri Akane | Gender: Female | Aliases: Prez, The Witch of the School Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female </METADATA> [Akane]: "If you want to kill me, go ahead. But that won't change a thing." [Akane]: "...it's the Key that decides what happens." [Shizuru]: "......!" She fires at the trunk again. [Akane]: "You're wasting bullets. I told you that's just a shell." [Kotarou]: "There has to be...there has to be something we can do!" [Akane]: "...are you asking me for a solution? You really are an idiot." [Kotarou]: "You must know a way! What is it!?" [Akane]: "Go find "good memories" so impressive she changes her mind. Of course, you can't do that." [Akane]: "The Key thoroughly investigated this world before coming here. Can you really find something capable of overturning all she's seen?" [Akane]: "...the planet chose destruction all on its own. We had no part in it." [Kotarou]: ""Good memories"...?" [Akane]: "I know she's not after anything ordinary and commonplace." [Kotarou]: "The hell are you talking about...?" [Akane]: "If you want hope, cling to that." [Akane]: "...I'm just praying the destruction comes peacefully, without interruption." [Akane]: "Since I don't think I hated any of you." [Kotarou]: "If you don't hate us, then―!" [Akane]: "Struggle as much as you like." [Akane]: "...all I want to do now is disappear, so..." She turns around and walks off into the forest. [Nishikujou]: ".........!" [Shizuru]: "―!!" Nishikujou-sensei holds out one hand to stop Shizuru. [Kotarou]: "...I don't think we'll get anything else out of Prez." [Kotarou]: "We need to do something here..." The Key is just standing there quietly. But...I can feel the air shaking. A simple, but heavy melody...echoing through the sky just before dawn... What is this song...? It's echoing across the sky...but I can't call it beautiful... [Kotarou]: (It's too cold...) Someone is speaking to us through this song... From the Key in front of us... But some kind of vibration is reaching us through the Earth, through our feet... ...good memories? What the hell does that mean...? Was this girl sent to judge and punish us? Then what the hell has she seen? ...why does she think this world should be destroyed...!? ―――Good memories must not be sad. Sad? ...okay, there are definitely a lot of sad things in this world. But aren't there tons and tons of people out there...who've overcome all of that, and are living happily? Even in this city, there should be plenty... Everyone's trying their best to live. They have fights and bad things happen, but still... Everyone smiles together when something nice happens, don't they? How can you say none of our lives have a single good thing in them!? ―――Good memories must not be sad. You're the one causing all this sadness, dammit! ...everyone just wants to live their lives! There might be some evil people out there, and people who can't find happiness in their lives... But still... There are plenty of people who do help and understand each other! And even people like Shizuru... Who threw away everything they have to search for happiness... And an idiot who wants to follow her in that search... I'm an idiot, but... Isn't that a beautiful, precious thing!? Why would you want to wipe those things off the face of the Earth!? What's so bad about us living here, hoping to find happiness!? ...I hear a sound. [Key]: "...good memories must not be sad." [Key]: "It's so sad when homo religios invents fantasies to cling to." [Nishikujou]: "...I can hear it." Everyone looks at the girl. The Key is showing herself in a form humans can see. She still looks human. Maybe she is human somehow. But... She will destroy the world. She's doing it right now... [Kotarou]: "...is that seriously it...?" [Kotarou]: "Dammit..." [Kotarou]: "Damn iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!!!!" ...the ground shakes. The vibrations are too large and slow to call it an earthquake. The Earth is beating. [Shizuru]: ".........!" Shizuru shoots several more times. [Nishikujou]: "It's no good..." [Nishikujou]: "But I'd like to give this my best shot..." [Kotarou]: "...Nishikujou-sensei?" [Nishikujou]: "Stand back." [Nishikujou]: "...this is probably more likely to work than anything else." [Kotarou]: "Wh-what are you going to do?" [Nishikujou]: "Back up." [Kotarou]: "...answer me!" She holds up her knives. [Nishikujou]: "...I'm going to do everything I can." They start glowing. [Kotarou]: "S-Sensei..." I probably knew. This isn't going to help. ...Akane already said that's just an empty shell... The gun we brought here specifically to destroy it hasn't done a thing... Nishikujou-sensei should know that better than anyone. And yet... As I watch her try this, she still looks... Brave and noble... [Nishikujou]: "......!!" Nishikujou-sensei's feet start glowing too. Countless rays of light come out of the ground. Nishikujou-sensei's power probably involves changing projectiles into rays of light. ...is she turning all the dirt at her feet into light...? [Nishikujou]: "Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" The light becomes brighter, as if her whole body is glowing. At the same time, blood comes out of her legs. ...her body can't take it. [Nishikujou]: "Uu..." [Kotarou]: "S-Sensei!" [Shizuru]: "......!" [Nishikujou]: "Stay back!" [Nishikujou]: "If you get any closer this light will shred you." [Kotarou]: "B-but..." [Kotarou]: "Don't do this! It's not worth it!" [Nishikujou]: "...like Esaka-san said, miracles only happen when people do everything they can." [Nishikujou]: "This is the most I can do..." Her body gradually becomes covered with wounds. But... Nothing changes around us. [Shizuru]: "Ah...ah..." [Nishikujou]: "...hey..." [Nishikujou]: "If you ever meet my parents..." [Nishikujou]: "They're probably at HQ, but if you ever do see them..." [Nishikujou]: "Could you tell them..." [Nishikujou]: "...I found something I wanted to do, and did it to the best of my ability." [Kotarou]: "Wh-what are you talking about...?" [Kotarou]: "That's enough! You don't need to do anymore!" [Kotarou]: "You've already done the best you possibly can!!!" [Nishikujou]: "...Tennouji-kun."

<METADATA> Name: Sougen Esaka | Gender: Male Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu Name: Ohtori Chihaya | Gender: Female | Aliases: Chi Name: Haruhiko Yoshino | Gender: Male Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Ohtori Sakuya | Gender: Male Name: Senri Akane | Gender: Female | Aliases: Prez, The Witch of the School Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep </METADATA> [Nishikujou]: "I wish I could've taught you." [Nishikujou]: "I'm sure you would've been a good student." [Nishikujou]: "...I'm sure you'd help me if any delinquents ever bullied me." [Nishikujou]: "I'd probably cry if I got to see you two and Lucia-chan on your graduation day." [Nishikujou]: "...that would be wonderful." [Kotarou]: "W-we can still do all of that..." [Kotarou]: "I'm sure you'd be a great teacher!" [Kotarou]: "But if you keep doing that you'll never get the chance!!" She really wanted to be a teacher... [Shizuru]: "T-......" [Shizuru]: "Toukaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!" Her body turns into light. A source of energy. Her own body was the largest projectile she could make. She turns into a single ray of light...... ...and heads for the Key. [Kotarou]: "Ah..." [Kotarou]: "Aaaah..." ...I think... This is what I most wanted not to happen. [Kotarou]: "S-......" [Kotarou]: "Sensei..." ...the Key disappeared. Did she do it? But... Even if she did... [Kotarou]: "You shouldn't have done that..." [Kotarou]: "We can't do any of that stuff if you die...!" She would've been a great teacher. Why... Why did this... [Kotarou]: (Why does no one ever get the chance to live their dreams...!?) [Kotarou]: "Wha―..." It hasn't stopped...! [Kotarou]: "Damn iiit!" [Kotarou]: "What the hell!? What do we do now!?" [Kotarou]: "Isn't breaking the cause supposed to stop things like this...?" [Kotarou]: "If you destroy the one casting the spell that should stop it...!" [Kotarou]: "Why isn't there any other waaaaaaaaay!!?!" I roar. But...I can't do anything else, so I just keep roaring. [Kotarou]: "Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" ...but there's no convenient answer prepared for us... The sun starts rising. As the first rays of sunlight hit the Earth, the world begins to end. [Akane]: "...it's begun." [Akane]: "...no, it's ending." [Akane]: "Finally, I'll be released..." ...from this troublesome world... ...from this troublesome world... [Chihaya]: "Ah..." [Sakuya]: "...it seems Kotarou-kun and Guardian failed..." [Chihaya]: "I see..." [Chihaya]: "Sakuya, thank you for everything." [Sakuya]: "It was nothing..." [Sakuya]: "I cannot help but feel...there was something else I should have done." [Chihaya]: "It's all right. There was nothing we could have done." ...besides, it was fun for me... ...besides, it was fun for me... [Lucia]: "......!" [Lucia]: "They didn't make it...?" [Lucia]: "Why...?" ...who would ever want this to happen......? ...who would ever want this to happen......? ...hey... Tennouji. You never did show me your true self. But I've perfected my ultimate martial art. With this, a punk like you would be the underdog in minutes. I look forward to it. ...yeah, I do. I want to fight you. It's laughable. In the end I still look forward to dueling you. ...even though you always annoyed me. After we do that... Maybe I'll be able to shake your hand and mean it. ...that's what manly fights are like. I'm even looking forward to getting mixed up into whatever stupid conflict you're in. I'm waiting. So... First, we have to settle this. [Yoshino]: "Hey..." [Yoshino]: "Isn't that right, Tennouji...?" [Yoshino]: "Isn't that right, Tennouji...?" Everything goes away. ...the city. Kazamatsuri. The world. It all disappears. [Kotarou]: "Dammit..." [Kotarou]: "Damn iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!" [Kotarou]: "You can't be serious! This just isn't fair!!" [Kotarou]: "There has to be..." [Kotarou]: "...there has to be a way..." [Kotarou]: "To fix everything..." [Kotarou]: "―!?" She's... [Key]: "Unfortunately...this world is already being reconverted." [Key]: "The same world can never be reproduced." [Kotarou]: "...what are you saying?" [Kotarou]: "Don't talk about this like it's acceptable!" [Kotarou]: "I'll never forgive you for this! How can you live with yourself!?" [Key]: "...pitiful lamb." [Kotarou]: "Shut up! Answer me! There's a way, isn't there!? At least a way to stop this before it finishes...!" [Key]: "There isn't." [Key]: "There is no way to stop this." [Key]: "The song of destruction cannot end." [Key]: "...I have read both of your memories." [Key]: "I pray that you two can at least see the world's final moments." ...after she says that... The girl, the one who started this destruction...disappears. [Kotarou]: "What the hell..." [Kotarou]: "You just want us to watch the world end because we can't do anything?" [Kotarou]: "You want us to just stare at this nonsense?" [Kotarou]: "How cruel are you...!?" ...she didn't have a human heart. Not even close. I hit the ground with my fists. Even as I do that, the city continues... ...disappearing bit by bit. ...like ice or snow melting away. It flows off into nothingness... Shizuru just stares at it. I can't even watch it, so I just lie down on the ground. Then, I notice something. One of Shizuru's pockets is flashing slightly. [Kotarou]: "......is that..." It's her phone. Shizuru notices it too, and answers it. [Kotarou]: "Who is it?" [Kotarou]: "...right, you can't hear." I answer it for her. [Kotarou]: "Hello..." [Esaka]: "It's me." [Kotarou]: "......Esaka-san." [Esaka]: "Thank goodness the phones still work...I'm sorry we failed to prevent this outcome." [Kotarou]: "...I'm the one who failed to stop it." [Esaka]: "It was probably unavoidable by the time you got involved." [Esaka]: "However, we should not be talking about this."

<METADATA> Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Sougen Esaka | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Esaka]: "...the world is being destroyed, but we don't plan on quietly watching it happen." [Esaka]: "I do not think humanity deserves destruction. We will resist until the bitter end." [Kotarou]: "But...what can we do...?" [Esaka]: "Fool! Do not give up! If you don't plan on doing anything, then you can just sit there and wait for the end by yourself!" [Esaka]: "Do you really want to do that!?" [Kotarou]: "...sorry." [Esaka]: "Do not give in to despair, or you won't be able to do anything." [Kotarou]: "Yes..." [Esaka]: "Listen. If there is anyone you want to save..." [Esaka]: "...and if they're still here, then come get them immediately." [Esaka]: "Still, the masses have not noticed anything has changed. They're all leading their lives normally." [Esaka]: "I don't know why that is, but it should make it easy to bring someone with you." [Kotarou]: "...I understand." [Esaka]: "Take them to the ruins on my land. You remember the place, right?" [Kotarou]: "There...?" [Esaka]: "As you guessed, it is a shelter. Technically it's something else, but that's what we're using it for." [Esaka]: "...survive this. Got it?" [Kotarou]: "Yes." [Kotarou]: "Shizuru..." ...I tell her what Esaka-san said. [Kotarou]: "So first..." [Kotarou]: "I know. Your parents, right?" Shizuru's been doing all this to help them. She nods. [Kotarou]: "Let's hurry..." The world continues crumbling. [Kotarou]: "Why is it ending like this...?" I mutter to myself when Shizuru can't see it. ......"don't give up"...... What does it mean to not give up in this situation? I'm going to have to make a choice. We reach the road. Townsfolk are disappearing. The city is disappearing. There's no chaos or panic. The people are just vanishing as they live their daily lives. They haven't even noticed. They're losing everything. Without even realizing it. Is this what the Key meant by seeing this until the end? The Key's power is preventing people from recognizing it. Preventing them from recognizing the world being destroyed. So we can watch them living their normal lives until the final moments. Just as they always have. We watch them disappear. She said to watch their final moments. They're probably vanishing in an instant, without feeling any pain or fear. I've come close to death a few times now. ...if everyone gets to disappear without feeling that... How would that feel? Their future is vanishing without any warning. Look at those people over there. They're carrying bags to the supermarket to buy food for dinner. They have no idea they're about to vanish. ......no one thinks that's going to happen. No one has any idea... We take the bike back across the highway, and it runs out of fuel just as we reach the residential areas. She abandons the bike and heads to her parents' house. ...she hesitated so much last time she came here, but now she's running at full speed. [Kotarou]: "This one, right...?" I remember this garden. Most of the roses have fallen apart and turned brown. She pauses for a moment. [Kotarou]: "...you know there's no time for that." I put a hand on her shoulder. To push her forward. I nod. ...then, Shizuru's mother comes out of the house. [Shizuru's Mother]: "...oh?" [Shizuru]: "M-...mom..." [Shizuru's Mother]: "Eh...?" [Shizuru's Mother]: "You..." [Girl]: "Mama, I'm watering them!" [Shizuru's Mother]: "Shizu..." [Shizuru]: ".........!!" [Kotarou]: "Ah...!" They're disappearing. Right in front of us, they start shaking, then turn to dust and vanish. [Shizuru]: "Ah......" [Shizuru]: "Aaa......aaaaa......" And now there's nothing left. [Kotarou]: "Dammit......" Why? Why them? Why are you so heartless? Why did you decide we weren't allowed to exist? Shizuru... ...cared so much for them. And this is what she gets? I want to shout at the top of my lungs. I want to tear my hair out. I want to vent these emotions on someone. But Shizuru can't even do that. She falls to her knees. She just stares blankly. I can't let that happen. [Kotarou]: "Shizuru..." I don't know what to say. She's been waiting patiently forever. She always believed she'd get the chance someday. That's why she's come all this way, doing everything she possibly could. But... What we just saw made all of that time and effort a complete waste. [Kotarou]: "Shizuru..." I can't do anything but hold her shoulders. Most of the people in the city are disappearing. Even the empty buildings are slowly starting to disappear. We walk among them. [Kotarou]: "At the end there..." [Kotarou]: "She was calling your name, wasn't she...?" She shakes her head. She shakes hard. [Kotarou]: "But..." Suddenly, I remember her sister's name. Shizuka... Which is more cruel? Clinging to a hope that was always impossible? ...or having a real possibility taken away? We... Are we really still alive just to watch this? But we're still here. We're walking. With the same legs we've used all our lives. ...because we're together. We're both here... But even that might... We pass by the park. ...I see someone standing there. [Kotarou]: "Esaka-san." [Esaka]: "I see, you chose this path." [Kotarou]: "Esaka-san, did everyone...?" [Esaka]: "Yes, it seems we made it in time. We should be able to escape this destruction." [Esaka]: "However..." [Esaka]: "There weren't many people left for us to save." [Kotarou]: "But they are safe, right?" [Kotarou]: "Can't we still save anyone who's still...?" [Esaka]: "That is my final duty. There is no doubt about that." [Esaka]: "...the dignitaries who really wanted to use it didn't make it in time." [Kotarou]: "Then let's go!" Esaka-san doesn't move. [Kotarou]: "...what are you doing?" [Esaka]: "I'm not sure." [Kotarou]: "Huh?" [Esaka]: "You two should go. I think I want to watch this city's final moments." [Kotarou]: "Wh-why...?" [Esaka]: "Tennouji. How do you see me?" [Esaka]: "...no matter how hard I think about it, I cannot remember what I'm like outside of Guardian." He looks up at the sky. [Esaka]: "...it's just an old man's selfish request." [Kotarou]: "Esaka-san..." Shizuru grabs Esaka-san's sleeve. She shakes her head. ......Shizuru shakes her head over and over. [Esaka]: "...Shizuru-kun."

<METADATA> Name: Ohtori Sakuya | Gender: Male Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female Name: Sougen Esaka | Gender: Male Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> Esaka-san puts a hand on Shizuru's head. A big hand. ...Esaka-san's eyes look a little like my grandfather's. [Esaka]: "...I won't live much longer anyway." ...I can kind of understand. He's not giving up. [Esaka]: "I can hear bells..." [Kotarou]: "Bells...?" [Esaka]: "All good things come to an end..." [Esaka]: "In which case, why do any of us live?" [Esaka]: "...we have been living here." I can't hear anything. [Esaka]: "I doubt you two understand." Esaka-san walked off. A single cat walks up to him. [Hissy Cat]: "Hisss." [Esaka]: "...you are..." [Esaka]: "You should not come with me. Go with them." The Hissy Cat quietly rubs against Esaka-san's legs. [Esaka]: "......huhu." [Esaka]: "So you want to come with me...?" Esaka-san and the cat head off into the vanishing world. Shizuru and I watch them leave. Until we can't see them anymore...... Everyone's disappearing. Shizuru and I... We're probably the only ones left. In which case... [Kotarou]: "......Shizuru." I'm last. [Nishikujou]: "...about Shizuru-chan..." [Kotarou]: "Shizuru?" [Nishikujou]: "Yes. Specifically, when she saved you." [Nishikujou]: "...Tennouji-kun." [Nishikujou]: "You and Shizuru-chan are sharing a life." [Kotarou]: "Sharing a life...?" [Nishikujou]: "...I'm not sure why...but it's clear that you're sucking out part of Shizuru-chan's life." [Nishikujou]: "She probably weakened because you needed to take more life energy than she could provide at the time..." ...I had an idea why. That voice I heard. That "someone". This was your way of saving me, wasn't it? [Nishikujou]: "I don't know if Shizuru-chan's power caused this...or something else, but..." [Kotarou]: "Am I...Shizuru's...?" [Nishikujou]: "Yes...after all..." [Nishikujou]: "You should be dead..." [Nishikujou]: "And..." [Nishikujou]: "...Gaia controls its familiars with the same power." [Nishikujou]: "You'll both lose life energy over time." [Nishikujou]: "...for now it should be fine...and there isn't much we can do..." [Nishikujou]: "But once this is over, we need to figure out a way to solve that." [Nishikujou]: "Don't worry. I'm sure we'll finish it today." [Nishikujou]: "Since......" Everything is ending today. So... The power racing through my body. The power that's inside me right now. [Kotarou]: "...Shizuru." It has the same warmth as Shizuru. [Kotarou]: "I've been thinking for a while." [Kotarou]: "...about what I should do." [Shizuru]: "......?" What should I do? ...there's only one answer. I have to give it back. [Sakuya]: "I once knew an idiot who overused it and ended up living forever." Forever. Was he really...an idiot...? That might not be too bad... I think I can understand that guy. Because I'm trying to do the same thing now... [Shizuru]: "Ah..." [Shizuru]: "K-Kotarou...!?" [Kotarou]: "...so you can talk normally again." [Shizuru]: "Wh-why...?" [Kotarou]: "You can hear now too, right?" ...crap. I can't stand up any more. Of course not. I almost died back there. I've been forcibly kept alive when I should have died... [Shizuru]: "What are you...!?" [Kotarou]: "I'm just fine..." I try to act like it's nothing. [Shizuru]: "No! Undo it! If you keep doing this you'll―!" [Kotarou]: "...so you did understand." [Kotarou]: "Back in the forest...I died." [Kotarou]: "I thought it was your power or something that saved me, but..." [Kotarou]: "It wasn't that convenient." [Kotarou]: "The explanation was simple..." [Kotarou]: "I'm...not human...anymore..." [Kotarou]: "And I probably stopped being human before that monster killed me..." [Kotarou]: "But since you're not a summoner, you hurt yourself trying to save me..." [Kotarou]: "Then someone else saved us...by linking me to you like a familiar..." [Kotarou]: "...we've been sharing a single life." [Kotarou]: "But..." [Kotarou]: "That's no good." [Kotarou]: "Miracles don't happen that easily..." [Kotarou]: "It's not going to last." [Shizuru]: "I know that..." [Shizuru]: "But..." [Shizuru]: "But...!" [Shizuru]: "What can I do without you, Kotarou...!?" [Shizuru]: "I'll have nothing left...!" ...what should I do in a situation like this...? What Shizuru always does. [Kotarou]: "......Shizuru." [Shizuru]: "Kotarou..." [Kotarou]: "...hey." ...I smile for her. It's all right. You don't need to worry. [Shizuru]: "Kotarou..." [Shizuru]: "You're saying it's all right...?" She could tell. We can both tell what the other is thinking. Even without words. ...as long as we're both there. [Kotarou]: "Hey, I was thinking." [Kotarou]: "We could be together for a very short time here, but..." [Kotarou]: "...I think there's a better option." [Kotarou]: "I...can change." [Kotarou]: "I don't have a clue what this destruction is...but I'll change enough that it won't beat me." [Kotarou]: "...and I'll wait here for you." [Kotarou]: "I think I can do that." [Shizuru]: "...no..." [Shizuru]: "No, no, no! Don't!" [Shizuru]: "You don't know if that's possible! Don't do it!" [Shizuru]: "Don't..." Shizuru buries her face in my chest. [Kotarou]: "...I'll be fine." I wrap my arms around Shizuru's shoulders. I hold her gently. ...because that's all the strength I have. [Kotarou]: "I'll still be here." [Kotarou]: "...you're still here inside me, Shizuru." [Kotarou]: "It'll be fine. I'll survive." [Kotarou]: "So..." [Kotarou]: "Please find me." [Kotarou]: "And if I've changed too much, please heal me." [Kotarou]: "Okay?"

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Gil | Gender: Male Name: Pani | Gender: Female Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "...after that, I'm sure we can be together again." [Kotarou]: "We won't be apart for long." [Kotarou]: "...okay?" [Shizuru]: "...Kotarou..." ...I have some very cliché thoughts in this situation. But that doesn't change the fact that I mean them. I wish time could stop like this... It definitely feels like it's stopped. I've felt this...for a long time. Someone, give her time to be happy. She really is...such a good person... She's so cute... I love her... I wanted to make her happy. I wanted to grill saury for her because she liked it so much. I wanted her to feel at least a little happiness from living with me. I'd like it if someday people would think we were a nice couple when we walked around town. That's all... That was it... Why do we have to go through such cruel tests just to make that come true? Really... If time just stopped... But it won't. Maybe we have half an hour. Maybe we only have an instant. But we have to say our goodbyes here. ...before the world ends. Before everything ends. [Kotarou]: "...you know where to go, right?" [Kotarou]: "Okay...you'd better hurry." [Shizuru]: "Kotarou..." [Shizuru]: "I love you..." [Shizuru]: "I love you more than anything else, Kotarou..." [Kotarou]: "I love you too, Shizuru." It's not just words and actions. I wanted to convey it to Shizuru in every possible way. We were connected. ...but that wasn't enough. [Kotarou]: "See you later." [Kotarou]: "We'll meet again." We let go of each other. Shizuru's quiet. She nods firmly. Then runs off. Eventually, she disappears into the distance. If this was a story...would I be like a protagonist? Would everyone think I'm cool when they read this part...? Okay. Now I just have to look cool as I walk off the stage. If I die now, that would just be lame. I turn around and walk. ...my shoulders are shaking. I try my best to hold them in place. ...I can't see. That's weird. I rub my eyes. ...I sniffle. I'm dragging my heels. So much for that. I'm no good at being a protagonist. [Kotarou]: "Uu..." [Kotarou]: "Uuuuuuu..." I'm sobbing like a baby... Could I possibly look any lamer? I'm shaking, my nose is running, and I'm rubbing my eyes. But I'm not stopping. Should I turn around and follow her? I should still be able to see her face. I'm such an idiot. No matter how sad and pathetic I am...there's never anything in my head besides Shizuru... I can't do that. Yeah... I don't want to leave her either. I want to stay with her forever. I want to live with her. That's right. There are tons of things we could do together in the future. There must be... And yet... [Kotarou]: "Shizuru..." I won't turn back. How could I? Even if I am unimportant and I'm going to have a lame death here, I can at least not do that. I wipe my tears one more time. I take a breath. Several things race through my mind. About the past, present and future. I decide to think about the future. ...since I'm here to make a future. With Shizuru... We'll live together... I'll work hard... So we can be happy... ...I couldn't do it this time, but next time I'll make it happen... We'll go out into the garden together... And grill saury. While talking about all sorts of stupid things... And watching TV while eating the saury. And telling each other we felt parts of the show were funny or amazing. Together... If we could just live together... That's what I want to do in the future. I want to make that happen for her... The world has already melted into a soup. You won't even let us have that little happiness? That's why my tears won't stop. [Gil]: "......why the long face?" [Pani]: "Kotarou-san...so you did stay." [Kotarou]: "You two? ...you're still here?" [Gil]: "...there's no way you could try to act cool by yourself with a face like that." [Kotarou]: "Yeah...maybe..." He's right. I can't... ...take another step. [Gil]: "So we'll stay with you." [Pani]: "We can't do much, but we'll try to help." [Gil]: "I'm sure we'll be useful." [Kotarou]: "...I see." [Kotarou]: "So you'll stay with me." [Kotarou]: "Thanks." [Gil]: "Of course." [Pani]: "Why wouldn't we?" I look at the sky. A column of light is descending. I think it might be sunlight coming through the clouds, but it doesn't feel like it. In the middle, a single white line goes up toward the sky. [Kotarou]: "...Shizuru." My mouth opens... [Kotarou]: "Shizuru!!!" ...and words... [Kotarou]: "I'll be here, waiting for you..." ...rush out. I'm the one person left behind in the world as it ends. [Kotarou]: "I love you..." [Kotarou]: "I'll always love you..." [Kotarou]: "Shizuru..." I'll wait here for her return. Don't worry, I'm sure we'll see each other again. That was the last thing I saw in this world. Now, let's begin. A story about the last person in the world, waiting for the one he loves. ...now... ...what will I change into...? We discovered an old book in the shelter after escaping the Key. It was translated by a superhuman named Awaji. He belonged to Unit 11 of Guardian's Far East Branch, which was a team of psychometers, people capable of reading the thoughts and memories of an object simply by touching it. The thoughts contained in the book must have been in the final page. He was saddened that all attempts to translate the page had all been abandoned, because there simply wasn't enough research or evidence on that particular language for anyone to understand it. That final chapter consisted of four lines, which he translated as follows. "The Mǎ o's destruction does not depend on humanity's growth, prosperity, or behavior." "I do not know if we have walked the right path." "But if an observer of this planet ever comes to judge us..." "I can only pray we have matured well as a species―――" According to Awaji, the "Mǎ o" is what we now call the Key (though he never explained why he translated it that way). These four lines are an important clue regarding the "destruction". As for what "mature" means, the author's interpretation was mistaken, so for the sake of those who later read this, we will leave that out. We were mistaken. What follows is my personal opinion. The existence of this book clearly shows that a previous humanity lived in the distant past, with a completely different culture from our own. It has always been unclear why we knew about the Key, and why Gaia and Guardian have been fighting over it for centuries.

<METADATA> Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu </METADATA> If it was capable of wiping out all of humanity, then clearly all records of it should have been erased as well. There should have been no way for any of us to remember the previous "destruction". Does that mean records of it were left behind somewhere? If so, they must have been written by a previous intelligent species. After looking at the facilities in this shelter, it's impossible to doubt that the previous humanity was a far more advanced civilization than our own. So there's a message we have to leave behind. I pray that the next humanity can create better memories. How many days has it been? I kept a diary for part of it, but I stopped at some point so I lost count. I feel like it was a long time. But it also feels like it went by in a flash. ...when we come out of the shelter, everything's green. The world changes so much without people in it. I walk around aimlessly. I don't recognize anything in this city anymore. I'm tired. I find a tree on a nearby hill. For some reason, it feels different from everything else. It feels warm. I walk up to it. I feel calm under this tree. Why is that? The light streaming through the leaves gently covers my body. [Shizuru]: "Kotarou...?" We really did meet again. ...yeah. Welcome back.

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu </METADATA> I check all the new emails. [Kotarou]: "Spam...spam..." I can count the number of actual submissions on one hand. [Kotarou]: "Hmmm...this isn't good..." Our club relies on information. If we have nothing to investigate, we can't do anything. As I think about what to do, the door opens. Shizuru's standing there with a box of some kind. [Kotarou]: "Hm? What's that?" [Shizuru]: "Post." Post...? [Shizuru]: "I've gathered information." [Kotarou]: "Eh? Really?" Shizuru shakes the box. It makes rustling noises. Sounds like there's a lot in there. [Kotarou]: "Don't tell me...you actually set up that youkai post box...?" I rejected the idea since I thought no one would send anything. I guess analog mail isn't as dead as I thought. [Shizuru]: "Anyway, here you go." [Kotarou]: "Wow...thanks a lot." [Shizuru]: "No problem." She raises her hand to say farewell. [Kotarou]: "Huh? What about club?" [Kotarou]: "You're busy? ...thank you for taking the time to bring this." She respectfully departs. Okay, let's see what's in here. [Kotarou]: ""The cursed girl, Asahi Haruka." Hmm. That's a straightforward title. Might as well start with this one." I chose a submission at random. It's written on small, cute stationary only a girl would use. And the front of it says "The cursed girl, Asahi Haruka." ...girls seem to really like curses and charms and little spells. "Hello, everyone in the Occult Research Club." [Kotarou]: "Yep, hello." I greet the listeners for some reason. Commenting on it wouldn't be funny, so I'll get back to reading it. "No doubt you've received several letters by now." "However, I think each one of them is important." "So today, I'll tell you the story about a real curse I encountered." "This is really dangerous, but I hope the Occult Research Club can prove it's true." [Kotarou]: "Oh-ho, she's expecting a lot from us." "Have you ever heard about a cursed girl named Asahi Haruka?" "If you investigate her, and disturb her sleep, you will surely be cursed." "Which is why everyone's too afraid to look into her story." "So I was hoping the Occult Research Club could try to solve the mystery of her curse." [Kotarou]: "You get cursed if you investigate her? That's pretty typical." [Kotarou]: "Well, I guess I should at least finish this......so what's next?" "There used to be an orphanage in the forest." "A lot of children used to live there happily." "But, one day..." "When a girl named Asahi Haruka came, strange and disturbing things started to happen." "Things would fall from shelves when no one was touching them. Cracks would appear in the windows." "The birds in the birdcage forgot how to sing. The children who used to run around all the time lost their energy." "Then, the children and adults all grew weaker, and disappeared one by one......" "Eventually the orphanage was closed. They say several people died there." "Whenever she looked in a mirror, the mirror would break." "To me that sounds like a vampire trait." "I'm convinced Asahi Haruka is a modern vampire." [Kotarou]: "...didn't vampires bite people in the neck with huge fangs?" [Kotarou]: "Hmm...mirrors break when she looks in them...were vampires like that?" [Kotarou]: "All I remember is that sunlight turns them to ash, and they can't stand garlic or crosses." "Rumor has it she's still being transferred to new orphanages and schools, sucking the life out of people everywhere she goes." "Also, if you speak the name Asahi Haruka carelessly, or try to find out what she really is, you'll receive a terrible curse." "In fact, seven years ago, when I was a fourth-year in elementary school..." "A boy from the orphanage Asahi Haruka destroyed transferred into the class next to mine." "A few days after he told me about her, he contracted a strange illness and died." "That part I know is true. It wasn't a rumor." "That boy told me about Asahi Haruka directly before he died." "Everyone talked about how he died right after telling people about her." "I still get nightmares because of that." "But I'm afraid I might get cursed too if I tell anyone, so I haven't been able to talk about it." "That's why I ask you, of the Occult Research Club: Please investigate the story of this cursed girl." "I would like to write more details, but I'm afraid that might put me in more danger." "Please forgive me for being so vague." "But there are many people who've been affected by this." "I'm sure someone in your high school will know the boy who died from their elementary school." "You may even find someone from his class." [Kotarou]: "Oh come on, if you don't tell me anything there's nothing for us to investigate." [Kotarou]: "This one's still pretty suspicious......hm? There's another page. She folded it up and sealed it?" [Kotarou]: "......what's this? "You'll be cursed if you open this"?" [Kotarou]: "Enough stupid threats. I'm opening this thing." "The boy who survived the orphanage, told me about Asahi Haruka, and died a few days later...is Kishida Ryuugo-kun." "Seven years ago he transferred into Kazamatsuri 7th Municipal Elementary School, Year 4 Class 1." "This is all I have to tell you." "I'll surely be cursed after this." "And now that you've read this, I think everyone in your club will be cursed too." "Please solve the mystery and break this curse." "Please, please..." [Kotarou]: "...that was actually pretty specific." [Kotarou]: "7th Municipal...? Wasn't that the one Yoshino went to?" [Kotarou]: "A fourth-year seven years ago......huh? That'd make him the same age as us." Just asking Yoshino might shed some light on this. Even if he doesn't know, he should have a yearbook or something he can show me. Then we'll know if this "Kishida Ryuugo" boy really existed or not. The actual story is just a typical suspicious ghost story with the word "curse" all over it. But normally you never get specific information on any of the people involved. And yet she was able to tell me the boy's name, school and class...it's very rare to get that kind of detail. [Kotarou]: "Oh well, the boy probably doesn't exist anyway." [Kotarou]: "Or he was there, but he was removed from the yearbook for some other non-supernatural reason." [Kotarou]: "If none of his classmates know about this, they're lying because they're afraid of the curse. That's always how these things work." These stories are no different from tabloids claiming some celebrity is cheating on his wife. No matter how much the person denies it, it's always possible he's just lying. And the reporter can always say they don't want to reveal their sources. ...gossip magazines really know what they're doing. They can generate as much nonsense as they want as long as it's impossible to disprove. Ghost stories use all the same tricks.

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Haruhiko Yoshino | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "There definitely are students who live in fear of stupid stories like this." [Kotarou]: "It might not be a bad idea to investigate this thoroughly and reveal the truth behind it." ......I'll just check a few things, and if it still seems interesting, maybe I'll put some effort into it. I only have to ask Yoshino, after all. I fold up the letter and stick it in my pocket. From now on this is my lead. Let's see if it takes me anywhere. I can only hope it's at least good enough to put in a newspaper for the harvest festival. The cursed girl, Asahi Haruka. And a boy from her orphanage who died, Kishida Ryuugo... At the time it felt like a perfectly ordinary ghost story...... [Yoshino]: "Yeah, that's right, I'm from 7th Municipal...what about it?" [Kotarou]: "Perfect. So, what class were you in 4th year?" [Yoshino]: "......why are you asking?" [Kotarou]: "Why do you need a reason to tell me that?" [Yoshino]: "Heh. This is obviously about some stupid ghost story you heard." [Kotarou]: "*twitch*" Yoshino shrugs his shoulders, completely unsurprised. [Yoshino]: "Sorry, but I'm not playing along with that. I don't like disturbing the sleep of the dead." [Kotarou]: "Wait...does that mean, it really happened?" [Yoshino]: "Don't get ahead of yourself. I've never heard of anyone called Asahi Haruka." [Yoshino]: "But I did have a classmate named Kishida Ryuugo." [Kotarou]: "You mean......you were in Class 1!?" [Yoshino]: "So what? That has nothing to do with you." [Kotarou]: "Did Kishida Ryuugo actually die...?" [Yoshino]: "......he always looked sickly from the day he transferred. I'd heard he'd been hospitalized for a long time." [Yoshino]: "He took a lot of sick days too. He died long before he could find his niche in the class." [Kotarou]: "Was it a mysterious illness?" [Yoshino]: "Why would I know? The teacher told us he died from an illness and that's all." [Yoshino]: "Just so you know, I never talked to Kishida. So there's nothing else I can tell you about him." [Yoshino]: "Besides, I wouldn't tell you if I did know something." [Yoshino]: "He was only in my class for a few days, and I've never spoken to him, but that doesn't change the fact that he was my classmate and my friend." [Yoshino]: "I refuse to talk to people who make light of my friend's death by telling stupid ghost stories about it." Geez...this guy can be really stubborn at the weirdest times. He definitely won't tell me anything else now. But now I know Kishida Ryuugo is real, and he really did die. That's huge. Clearly it's gonna take a bit more work to disprove this. But now I can try to find more guys who went to 7th Municipal and ask them about it... [Kotarou]: "Sorry, I won't ask any more. Thanks for the information." [Yoshino]: "Wait. Why do you know about this?" Yoshino's asking a question of his own. ...I've known him for quite a while, so I know this is unusual. Obviously this is a serious issue for him, but then why would he stop me to talk about it more? [Kotarou]: "Our club's post box got a letter asking us to investigate a cursed girl named Asahi Haruka." [Yoshino]: "......does your club like disproving every fake story they get?" [Kotarou]: "Nah, it depends on what I find interesting. This one looked fun so I was thinking of writing about it." [Kotarou]: "Ah, but I'm not gonna violate Kishida Ryuugo's privacy or anything. I won't reveal his real name." Yoshino probably doesn't like the sound of that. He wouldn't like it if I wrote an article about his classmate dying from a curse just to entertain people. ...he's right, I shouldn't say it like that. Let's rethink this. [Kotarou]: "If anything I'd like to find out the truth behind this story and prove it's fake." [Kotarou]: "I'm trying to get rid of the stupid idea that Kishida Ryuugo was cursed." [Kotarou]: "The person who sent me this story is still afraid of the curse." [Kotarou]: "But if I can show it's just a stupid fake, no one will ever tell the story again, and she'll be able to sleep easy." [Kotarou]: "You're okay with that, right? I'll be taking the weight off Kishida-kun's shoulders." [Yoshino]: "......I don't owe Kishida anything. If you want to do that, go right ahead." [Yoshino]: "But you deserve a warning." [Kotarou]: "Warnings are always so boring." [Yoshino]: "If you're after a story for the newspaper, look elsewhere." ...I thought Yoshino was offended that I was going to write about his dead classmate, but it sounds like it's something else. He doesn't owe Kishida anything, but still wants me to avoid the subject... [Kotarou]: "Don't tell me you believe the rumor that I'd get cursed if I investigated her." ...this is the part where Yoshino should grab my chest and tell me it's stupid. But Yoshino doesn't react at all. He just remains silent. ......what's going on here? [Yoshino]: "Even I don't believe it anymore." [Kotarou]: "That sounds awfully weak for you...does that mean you used to believe it? The lone wolf of the underworld, Yoshino-sama believed a ghost story?" [Yoshino]: "............I've grown up since then." [Kotarou]: "......Yoshino..." I can't believe it...Yoshino used to be afraid of this "cursed girl" story...? Oh-ho, this is getting good. Sorry Yoshino, but you just sparked my curiosity. [Yoshino]: "I know curses can't be real." [Yoshino]: "Claiming this one is would be trampling over Kishida's grave." [Yoshino]: "He was just unlucky. He died from an illness. That's between him and his hospital." [Yoshino]: "If people decide to call that a curse, he wouldn't like it." [Yoshino]: "If you learn about Kishida's orphanage, you can probably figure out the truth behind the rumor." [Yoshino]: "Everyone spoils the transfer student a bit on his first days no matter how unsociable he is." [Yoshino]: "Some of my other classmates might have asked him about his orphanage." [Kotarou]: "Are you thinking of anyone in particular?" [Yoshino]: "No, and I don't feel like trying to find someone." [Yoshino]: "......dammit, I know curses can't be real, but..." [Kotarou]: "I won't laugh. I'm here to figure out the truth. I am Tennouji Kotarou-sama, the hope of the Occult Research Club." [Yoshino]: "If you want to look into this, I won't stop you." [Yoshino]: "Hmph......if I look through my house I can probably find a list of contact information for my classmates back then. If you insist, I can bring that tomorrow."

<METADATA> Name: Haruhiko Yoshino | Gender: Male Name: Kanbe Kotori | Gender: Female Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "Ooooh! That'd be a huge help!" Yoshino agrees to help me. ...but, I still can't believe......Yoshino is afraid of this girl. Something big must've happened back then to make him believe the curse. Yoshino no longer thinks it was a curse at all. But he's still afraid of whatever it actually was... The story warns that anyone who tries to learn the truth will be cursed. Even the student who submitted the story is afraid the curse will hurt her because she told us about it. ......what's with this story? It should've been a perfectly ordinary urban legend... [Yoshino]: "Tennouji." [Kotarou]: "What?" "You're an idiot. Stop wasting your time on this stupid story." I'd probably feel a lot better if he said that right now...... [Yoshino]: "If you feel like you're in danger, give it up." [Kotarou]: "What do you mean...danger?" [Yoshino]: "Whatever feels dangerous to you." [Kotarou]: "............stop it. Intimidating people like that isn't your style at all." [Yoshino]: "......you're right. I'm sorry. Forget I said that." [Kotarou]: "Hey, Yoshino...tell me the truth." [Yoshino]: "......I don't want to talk about it." [Kotarou]: "Not that, I mean......would I actually be in danger if I looked into this?" [Yoshino]: "Yes." [Kotori]: "What's wrong, Kotarou-kun? You've been down all day." [Kotarou]: "Hm? ...really? Damn, I really let Yoshino get to me." When a guy like Yoshino decides to seriously warn me about something, it's hard not to get freaked out. This is stupid. At this rate I'll think I'm cursed the next time I step on a dog turd. There's no way curses could be real. Whenever people think they're cursed, they're just blaming random coincidences on it. If I'm this weak maybe I actually am "cursed" in a sense. Geez... But on the plus side, this lead definitely isn't a total fake. It's real enough that Yoshino's afraid of it. This might be the perfect story for the Occult Club to sink its teeth into. [Kotarou]: "Kotori, have you ever heard a ghost story about a cursed girl named Asahi Haruka?" [Kotori]: "Nope. How's it go?" [Kotarou]: "Apparently wherever she goes, everyone around her starts losing energy and eventually dies of mysterious illnesses." [Kotori]: "And then?" [Kotarou]: "Umm...that's it." [Kotori]: "What's the ending?" [Kotarou]: "There isn't one..." [Kotori]: "That's kinda boring. The one about Kashima Reiko-san was much more interesting." [Kotarou]: "Ah, the one where a one-legged ghost appears, asks where her leg is and you have to say "Kashima Reiko told me where" or it tears your own leg off?" [Kotori]: "They say that ghost appears in the bathroom." [Kotori]: "I still mentally prepare myself to give that answer right away whenever I go into the bathroom at night～" [Kotarou]: "Those stories are clever. Forcing you to memorize a phrase to survive it makes it stick in your head a lot better." [Kotori]: "Have you heard of Murasaki Kagami?" [Kotarou]: "Aaah, I know her...which means we'll all die at twenty." The story is, if you don't forget the name Murasaki Kagami by the time you're twenty, you die. The moment you hear that, the name Murasaki Kagami is burned into your mind forever. Forcing you to forget the name just makes it that much easier to remember. [Kotori]: "I'm doing my best to forget it." [Kotori]: "I can forget English words so easily, but Murasaki Kagami never leaves～" [Kotarou]: "Good luck. I'll send you a letter with that name on it the day before you turn twenty." [Kotori]: "Eeeh? Why would you do that!? Meanie～" That silly conversation cheers me up. Ghost stories that stick with you are all like that. They plant some kind of word, name or phrase in your memory that refuses to leave. But then, what about Asahi Haruka? That's the exact opposite. Try to solve it and you get cursed. Get involved and you get cursed. In other words, it claims it's best to leave the story alone and forget about it. No one wants to get cursed. Unless someone like me shows up who wants to learn the story for an article, no one would go out of their way to look into it. ......this isn't the type of story that would live on in people's memory. [Kotori]: "Wow, Yoshino-kun was scared of that?" [Kotarou]: "This might be more interesting than I thought. Maybe I'll be able to find Yoshino's Achilles' heel." [Kotarou]: "Oooh, that would be perfect! That's my motivation!" [Kotori]: "That's really rare though. Normally ghost stories don't tell you anything about where, when or who was involved." [Kotarou]: "They might have just borrowed a sickly guy's name to make it sound more plausible. If so, that'd be really insulting for him, right?" [Kotori]: "I guess so. You wouldn't want people making ghost stories out of your death." [Kotarou]: "Right? That's why I want to disprove it." [Kotarou]: "We don't have to be searching for occult phenomena all the time. Disproving stupid rumors is a perfectly fine thing for the Occult Club to do, right? This should be fun." [Kotori]: "Hmmmm, well, good luck. But be careful, okay?" [Kotarou]: "Be careful about what?" [Kotori]: "Many things." The next day. Yoshino kept his promise and brought me the contact information I wanted. It has everyone's addresses and telephone numbers. [Yoshino]: "This is all I can do to help you. The rest depends on your luck." [Kotarou]: "Thank you. I won't bother you anymore." [Yoshino]: "I hope not." [Yoshino]: "I won't freak out anymore. It's time for me to settle the score with my stupid imbroglio." [Kotarou]: "Imbroglio?" [Yoshino]: "You could also call it trauma." [Kotarou]: "Pu!" I laugh at Yoshino's bizarre word choice. He's just like the girl who submitted the story. He's hoping I can prove it's fake too. [Kotarou]: "......I don't see Kishida Ryuugo on here." [Yoshino]: "Why would he be there? He died before they got around to making this list." [Yoshino]: "I'm pretty sure he was only around for two weeks." [Kotarou]: "Why did Kishida-kun go to the trouble of transferring if he was that ill?" [Yoshino]: "Rumor has it he didn't have long to live no matter what they did, so he said he wanted to go to school one more time before he died." [Yoshino]: "I have to admit, he looked like he had one foot in the grave when they introduced him." [Kotarou]: "Was anyone good friends with him?"

<METADATA> Name: Haruhiko Yoshino | Gender: Male Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep </METADATA> [Yoshino]: "......I don't know. Sorry, but I'm not helping you any more than that." [Kotarou]: "You're right. Thanks." [Yoshino]: "That paper is part of my history, by the way, so don't you dare lose it. Make a copy then get it back to me." [Kotarou]: "Hm? Okay. I'll go make a copy of this, so you're not responsible for anything I do with it...which means you don't get cursed, right?" [Yoshino]: "...shut up. I just don't want it to go missing." I'll just get it xeroxed at a convenience store on the way home. Actually, isn't there a copier in the school's printing room? [Teacher]: "Class rep, do you have a minute～?" [Lucia]: "Yes! What is it?" [Teacher]: "Sorry, but could you make copies of this for everyone in the class? Here's my copy card." Oooh, flawless timing. I forgot the school copier requires a prepaid card. [Lucia]: "Hm? Do you need something, Tennouji Kotarou?" [Kotarou]: "Oh, nothing, just thinking it must be tough running errands for the teacher all the time. I felt like helping." [Lucia]: "Th-thank you...I appreciate the thought, but I only have to copy one sheet for our classmates. It's not a lot of work." [Lucia]: "......hm? What's that piece of paper?" Class rep soon sighs, realizing why I offered to help. [Lucia]: "You can't use the school copier for personal reasons! No, no, no!" [Kotarou]: "I only need one copy! Come on, lemme do it this one time～ You still owe me for helping you make up with Chihaya, right～?" [Lucia]: "I-I said that because I feel a personal obligation. That does not apply here!" [Kotarou]: "So you don't feel an obligation anymore?" [Lucia]: "Mm......mmmmm...only this once. Come with me!" Excellent. Now I don't have to pay ten yen for a copy later. I follow class rep to the printing room. It's right next to the staff room. We can't use it for personal reasons anyway, and you need a staff member's copy card to use it, so I've never used it before. Not that it's a problem. I can get all the copies I want at a convenience store. For just one piece of paper, all I need to do is hit the start button. Class rep slides the card and lets me do mine first. [Kotarou]: "Oh, thanks. This won't take long." [Lucia]: "What are you copying?" [Kotarou]: "Sorry, it's a secret. You might get cursed if I tell you about it." [Lucia]: "What could you be up to...make it quick." She turns around as if I was mocking her. While she's not looking, I take out the contact info and copy it. ...if this thing really does curse people, I'd prefer it if not many people saw it. The copy's done in no time at all. Yep, this is perfectly readable. No problem. [Kotarou]: "Thanks, Class rep!" [Lucia]: "I've repaid my debt now!" [Kotarou]: "Oh come on, making up with Chihaya's only worth ten yen to you?" Not that it matters. I need to get back to the classroom... [Lucia]: "I-I'm more grateful than that......hm?" The copier's still going. Tennouji...did he accidentally tell it to make two copies? It's rude to look at other people's things, but I'm curious enough to look at the copy. [Lucia]: "......what is this?" It's......very strange. Tennouji needed access to the printing room to copy this...? [Lucia]: "I cannot understand that man." It certainly doesn't look like something worth copying. I guess I should give it to him. It may be a mistake, but I can't simply leave it here. I return to the classroom and give Yoshino his paper back. [Kotarou]: "Thanks again." [Yoshino]: "Take care with it." [Kotarou]: "......what the hell made you so afraid of this?" [Yoshino]: "If nothing happens to you, then I'll tell you. Laugh at me as much as you like." [Yoshino]: "Then I'll be released from one of my nightmares..." [Kotarou]: "Stop making such a big deal out of it. How long would I have to wait for nothing to happen to me? Just tell me now." [Kotarou]: "How about three days? If nothing happens to me for three days, then will you tell me what happened?" [Yoshino]: "......I'll think about it." Yoshino turns away coldly. What the hell happened seven years ago? Kishida Ryuugo died from Asahi Haruka's curse. Even Yoshino, who wasn't particularly close to him, is still afraid of that curse. [Kotarou]: "This is getting interesting. It's not the right season for tests of courage, but I think I'll enjoy this." [Yoshino]: "――near you, watch out." [Kotarou]: "Eh? What did you say?" Yoshino says something to me with his back still turned. ...I couldn't hear it, so I ask again. [Kotarou]: "Yoshino, what did you say?" Yoshino slowly turns back around. Then he says it again. [Yoshino]: "If glass breaks near you, watch out." [Kotarou]: "Glass......?" [Yoshino]: "...if glass breaks, that's a warning." [Kotarou]: "What do you mean?" [Yoshino]: "What I just said......if you ignore that, you'll get hurt." [Kotarou]: "Are you saying someone looked into this in the past and got hurt? You think the curse got him?" [Yoshino]: "The people who thought it was a curse were fine. The boy who didn't almost got killed." [Kotarou]: "That's just a coincidence, right? If everyone thinks there's a curse going on anyone who stubs their toe will be called a victim." [Yoshino]: "......I don't want to say any more." [Kotarou]: "Well, thanks for telling me all that." [Yoshino]: "I just don't want something to happen to you." [Yoshino]: "Go get cursed and killed on your own! Then we'll have a new ghost story to tell." Yoshino's......serious. We're not childhood friends or anything, but I have known him for quite a while. So I know that he's giving me a very serious warning. Yoshino's eyes tell me this definitely isn't a joke... Yes...the warnings have already started. [Lucia]: "Wait, Tennouji. I completely forgot to tell you." [Kotarou]: "Huh? What happened?" It's been cloudy all day. The wind's been pretty strong, so it often feels like it's growling at me. With that sound in my ears, class rep talks to me. ...Yoshino and Kotori have been warning me ever since I started looking into this. Is class rep going to tell me to give up on this story too...? [Kotarou]: "Are you going to tell me not to pursue this any further?" [Lucia]: "Pursue what?" [Kotarou]: "......oh." Class rep looks puzzled. Then she takes out a folded piece of paper and gives it to me.

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Haruhiko Yoshino | Gender: Male Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> Yes......a "warning" isn't something as vague as wind growling or a friend being scared. It's much, much more......direct...... [Kotarou]: "...wha-......what...is this?" The paper class rep hands me......has small handwritten letters. It's a message, telling me... Yes...this is a warning. [Lucia]: "Why are you surprised? You copied this." [Kotarou]: "I copied...? I've never seen this thing before...!" [Kotarou]: "Besides, this is obviously a girl's handwriting! Do you think I write like this...!?" [Lucia]: "You did copy it. Clearly you pressed the wrong button." [Lucia]: "After you left the printing room, this second copy came out all by itself." Two copies? No way. I only hit one button, and I know that one should only produce one copy. More importantly, this paper is completely different from what I was actually copying. [Kotarou]: "A-are you sure this isn't a fax or something...?" [Lucia]: "The school's copier can't do that." [Kotarou]: "......why would I copy this thing...?" [Lucia]: "I assumed you intended to use it for some juvenile prank...though I cannot imagine what exactly." [Kotarou]: "Geez, what is this thing......?" [Kotarou]: ""Don't wake me. Or else, you'll..."" [Kotarou]: "......I'll what? Don't try to scare me like this." [Lucia]: "Eh?" ――Don't wake me. "Or else, you'll"......what............? [Lucia]: "Wa-...wait a moment, let me see that! ...give it to me...!" [Kotarou]: "Wh-what's the big deal...?" [Lucia]: ".........!" [Lucia]: "......it...can't......be........." ......it only had one line before...... But why......when did......this second line......? [Kotarou]: "H-...hey, what is it? ...is something wrong...?" After class rep snatches the paper out of my hands, her eyes grow wide as she glares at it... What's the big deal......? She just brought that thing to me herself... She should have seen what it said already. So.........what's weirding her out......? [Kotarou]: "......hey...class rep......?" [Kotarou]: "...please, say something...y-you're scaring me here..." I smile, as if trying to laugh it off. But class rep's expression wouldn't soften... [Lucia]: "...sorry......I must have imagined it." [Kotarou]: "Imagined what...? Please tell me, I won't laugh." [Lucia]: "I said I imagined it!" [Kotarou]: "Hm............?" She says that with a lot of force. Then she finally lowers her shoulders and tries smiling back. But it doesn't look like she's genuinely recovered. ......it looks like she's forcing herself to ignore whatever's bothering her. [Kotarou]: "Ha, hahaha...maybe that's the same reason you thought I copied this." [Lucia]: "It is...?" [Kotarou]: "...yeah, I didn't copy anything like this." [Kotarou]: "You know when you use a copier in a convenience store, whatever the last guy copied is still left in the tray?" [Kotarou]: "You probably thought this was mine for a similar reason." [Kotarou]: "That would explain it, right? Right?" Tennouji Kotarou decides that settles it. ......but that doesn't explain anything at all. I saw that paper being printed out by the copier... It came out right after Tennouji Kotarou left the room! If it wasn't printed because of something Tennouji did...how else could it have come out!? ...aaah, not that, not that, that part doesn't matter at all...I'm just trying to ignore something much more incomprehensible... When......why did a second line appear...!? [Kotarou]: "O-okay, I don't know what's bothering you so much...but I gave a reasonable explanation of it, right?" [Lucia]: "......are you saying I imagined it?" [Kotarou]: "Yeah...I don't remember putting anything like this in the copier, so what else could it be?" [Lucia]: "...yes......you're right." [Kotarou]: "Yeah, that's right! Of course that's it. It's just an honest mistake." ――If glass breaks near you, watch out. The window right next to us. A single crack runs straight through the nearest pane. Yes, a straight line......not the spider web pattern you'd see if a stray ball hit it. [Lucia]: "What...!? Did someone throw a rock!? What outrageous―!" It's natural for class rep to assume that. ...glass doesn't break on its own. It makes perfect sense to assume someone threw something at it. But if someone threw something heavy enough to break it, we would've seen or heard it. And yet we haven't...... [Lucia]: "Damn, no one's there...they got away already!" She opened the window and looked down, but there's no sign of anyone back there. Class rep seems to believe the culprit threw a rock then ran away. ......"believe"? ...then what did I think it was......? I watch TV, then make and eat dinner. ...only after spending a lot of time doing those ordinary things do I feel calm again. [Kotarou]: "...............this is pathetic." I'm getting freaked out too... The mystery copy and the glass breaking. If only one of those had happened, I would've simply laughed it off as a coincidence. But both of them together...is enough to make me honestly think it's a curse... [Kotarou]: "I really did let Yoshino get to me." [Kotarou]: "......it was just so weird to see him act that scared of something." [Yoshino]: "The people who thought it was a curse were fine. The boy who didn't almost got killed." ...what exactly happened to him? In my mind, various pairs of opinions duke it out. The me who's afraid of these creepy coincidences, and the other me who finds it silly and tries to console him. The me who still wants to satisfy my curiosity, and the me who warns against getting too deeply involved... [Kotarou]: "No, I can't let myself curl up like a baby here..." If I give up now because of these weird coincidences, Yoshino and everyone else who's afraid of the curse will only become more convinced it's real. That'll just make it worse for them. I've already stuck my neck into this "cursed girl" story. I need to see it through to the end. Isn't that why I asked Yoshino to get me all that contact information? A list of names and emails for everyone in 7th Municipal, Year 4 Class 1. I still have it folded up in my pocket. ......I take it out, timidly. [Lucia]: "Why are you surprised? You copied this." Class rep said that when she gave me this creepy message... Don't wake me. Or else, you'll [Kotarou]: "......I'll what? Don't leave out the important part. Be a man and finish your threats." In my hand is the class list. ......for some reason......I don't want to open it. When I copied it...that message appeared.

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Haruhiko Yoshino | Gender: Male Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> In fact......what if the copy class rep brought me was the "correct" one...? I thought I made a nice clean copy of the class list and left.........but then that thing came out............ What if, when I open up this "class list"......it'll have the same message......? [Kotarou]: "...no...that's not possible." [Kotarou]: "I checked this copy with my own eyes after it came out. There's no way...it was a fake." That just isn't possible. ......so what if, when I unfold this... ......that message does appear...? [Kotarou]: "That's not possible...it just isn't! Uoorya!" I shout to encourage myself as I open it......as if I wouldn't have enough courage to do it otherwise. Before I can decide what that means, the paper's open, and its contents are exposed underneath the fluorescent light... ...I feel relieved. It's the contact information I was expecting. Nothing unusual about it. Just to be sure, I check all the little details, turn it over a few times and hold it up to the light to see through it, but there really is nothing out of the ordinary. I'm pathetic...I have to quadruple-check every piece of this thing before I feel safe thinking it's normal. I'm not trying to find any abnormalities. ...I'm only doing that many checks because I convinced myself there weren't any. When I notice that, I smile, mocking myself, and finally stop doing it. Contact information for 7th Municipal, Year 4 Class 1. There are just over twenty people in the class. About equal boys and girls. They appear to be seated in alphabetical order, since Yoshino's way in the back. [Kotarou]: "Kishida Ryuugo's a boy, right? So odds are any friends he had were also boys." It's probably a good idea to pick out all the boys here and call them in order. Though they'll probably be a bit confused when some stranger suddenly calls asking about what happened seven years ago. They might all be tight-lipped like Yoshino... [Kotarou]: "Okay, how should I ask them..."I'd like to ask about a classmate of yours who died seven years ago"...maybe?" "Is there anything at all you could tell me about him?" ......this feels like detective work now. No point getting scared about this. As a member of the Occult Research Club, I cannot show fear. I will reveal the truth and prove there is no curse. Then I'll release Yoshino and all his classmates from their fear of the curse. ...anyway, I need to start calling people. [Kotarou]: "This story really does seem to have a lot to it. It would've been a great article even back then. At this rate I'll end up with a sensational story to publish." Where'd I put my phone...it's in my uniform again. I pull it out. [Kotarou]: "..................huh?" The LCD screen is black. I don't remember the battery dying... I try pushing the power button, but nothing happens. [Kotarou]: "That's weird......is the battery that old already?" I try putting it on the charger, but the charging light won't turn on either. I open it up and try repositioning the batteries, but it just won't charge. ......I don't remember doing anything that'd break it... [Kotarou]: "Why'd this have to happen right before I start calling? Talk about demotivating..." The phone hasn't blinked at me this whole time. It's broken. I don't have a house phone, so I can't call anyone now. The phone shop's probably closed at this hour too. I'll have to get this replaced on the way home tomorrow... The latest ones have a lot of cool apps on them. I guess this is a good time to update mine... Still......something doesn't feel right. My phone broke right before I could start looking for more clues about the cursed girl. Is this...another "warning"...? [Kotarou]: "Just a coincidence...anyway, tomorrow I'll get a new phone and try this again...and if that one breaks..." ...I'll figure that out when the time comes. It'll just be another unfortunate coincidence. If everyone starts thinking I'm cursed, these stupid stories will only get more popular... *crunch*...*crunch* That night, in Yoshino's house, an extremely irritating sound filled the hallway. *crunch*, *crunch*... The sound of broken glass pieces rubbing against each other. Yoshino crouched down in the dark hallway, doing something by himself... *crunch* *crunch*...*crunch* [Yoshino]: ".........heh!" He laughs slightly. The only thing illuminating the hallway was a flashlight he put on the floor. Why was he using a flashlight here in the middle of the night, instead of just turning the lights on? That single cone of light was so bright it made everything else seem even darker. Countless white sparkles littered the floor. Yoshino was gathering them all on top of a newspaper. At first glance, it seemed like......something had broken, and he was trying to pick up the pieces. But even if the hallway had no light, he could have at least turned on the lights in a nearby room to make it a little easier to see. Yoshino didn't do that. He couldn't do that. In the darkness, the phone started ringing. The little red light in the black hallway was clearly the answering machine indicating a call had arrived. But that lone red dot in the darkness looked almost like the fake light a carnivorous beast from the deep ocean would use to lure its prey into even deeper darkness... Yoshino stared at the red light on the answering machine as it rang. Then he stood up, and as the flashlight illuminated just one side of his face, he smiled confidently and said... [Yoshino]: "It's been a long time......four years I think?" [Yoshino]: "Hey, shithead. How was last night? Did you call any of my classmates?" [Kotarou]: "Ha! You wouldn't believe what happened. My phone broke! I'm gonna get a new one on the way home today." [Yoshino]: "......I see." [Kotarou]: "No, no jumping to conclusions. It wasn't a curse or anything." [Kotarou]: "Rumor has it the companies deliberately make their phones break easily so you have to keep getting new ones all the time." [Yoshino]: "I'm glad nothing happened to you. Keep investigating until you get 3rd degree burns." [Kotarou]: "Stop trying to scare me." [Yoshino]: "Heh! I look forward to the day when you have to run away with your tail between your legs." [Kotarou]: "I will defeat this stupid curse you're afraid of. Don't worry about me." [Yoshino]: "How dependable." ...I'll just leave out the creepy message and the glass breaking. The window in question has been temporarily repaired with a piece of masking tape. It's uncommon, but students have broken windows in the past. Yoshino seems to have accepted that explanation for now, since he hasn't brought it up. [Kotarou]: "You promised to tell me everything after three days. So there's two days left." [Yoshino]: "......that's true." [Kotarou]: "You'd better keep that promise. And I won't stop investigating, nor will I get freaked out by anything." [Lucia]: "Haaa...I see, so that's what that copy was about." Suddenly, class rep says something behind me. She's folding her arms, and looks as if she just figured out something that displeases her.

<METADATA> Name: Haruhiko Yoshino | Gender: Male Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "What are you talking about?" [Lucia]: "That strange copy you made yesterday. That was a prank to scare Yoshino, wasn't it?" [Yoshino]: "Strange copy?" [Kotarou]: "No, no! There wasn't anything like that! It was a perfectly clean copy of an ordinary class roster...! Class rep, come over here for a second!" I don't want Yoshino to know about that message. He's not very supportive of me right now, so if he learned about that, he might never tell me anything. I drag class rep out into the hallway. [Lucia]: "I will not be an accomplice in some childish attempt to scare Yoshino!" [Kotarou]: "No, no, it wasn't that...! Aaah, I'll explain it so please listen to me..." There's no point doing this if she'll just misunderstand it in some other way... But telling class rep what I was actually doing might get her involved in the curse... Though if I don't explain that, she'll think all of this was a convoluted attempt to freak out Yoshino. Then she'll probably tell Yoshino what happened...and no doubt Yoshino would agree. ......well, this is the hard-headed class rep we're talking about. She might stand in firm opposition to ghost stories and the like. Telling the truth might be the best option, even if she makes fun of me for it... [Kotarou]: "The Occult Club received this letter a few days ago." [Lucia]: "...it looks like a typical urban legend." [Kotarou]: "That's what I thought at first, but since it gave me details about the boy I figured I could look into it easily." [Lucia]: "Did you find someone who knew him?" [Kotarou]: "Yoshino was in his class at the time, but as I said earlier, he's afraid of this curse himself so he won't tell me very much." [Lucia]: "......hmmmm..." [Kotarou]: "So as for that second copy...you understand why I don't want Yoshino to know about it, right...?" [Lucia]: "Then what on Earth was it? You're sure it wasn't your doing?" [Kotarou]: "No it wasn't! That had nothing to do with me! I already said so yesterday." [Kotarou]: "Some other student must've copied this a while ago and left it in the tray. Then you mistook it for an extra copy I made..." [Lucia]: "That can't be it...! I saw the copier print it out with my own eyes!" [Kotarou]: "Then what the hell was it!? If I didn't copy it and it wasn't your imagination, then what was it!?" [Kotarou]: "Don't tell me you think Asahi Haruka's curse did it?" [Lucia]: "I-I would never suggest something so unscientific...!" [Kotarou]: "What I copied yesterday was a list of contact information for Yoshino's classmates." [Kotarou]: "Last night my phone broke so I couldn't call any of them, but I'm gonna get a new one on the way home and start asking them about it tonight." [Lucia]: "......I don't understand this at all..." [Lucia]: "But I do see why you don't want me to tell Yoshino about this." [Kotarou]: "Thanks......he's seriously scared about this thing. It'd be really bad if he knew." [Kotarou]: "And class rep, please forget everything I just told you...Or else, class rep will..." [Lucia]: "Do not make stupid threats..." [Lucia]: "Though it's true that I don't want to stick my neck into this myself." [Lucia]: "But Tennouji, you're going to continue looking into this...?" [Kotarou]: "Well, I am in the Occult Club. It seems like this story's going somewhere." [Kotarou]: "Now that all these weird things happened, I feel both scared and excited, so as a man I can't back down now." [Kotarou]: "If I run away from it, Yoshino will make fun of me." [Lucia]: "I cannot understand boys." [Kotarou]: "There are some strange things happening, but that just makes me want to know the truth even more." [Kotarou]: "Call me stubborn if you want, but the more things try to freak me out the more I want to see this through to the end." [Kotarou]: "This isn't just curiosity any more. Doesn't this rouse your inner adventurer?" [Lucia]: "Not in the slightest......" [Lucia]: "But, from what I've heard so far...I feel sorry for Asahi Haruka." [Kotarou]: "Sorry......?" After she says that...I notice it. Asahi Haruka's past resembles class rep's in a way. Sunflowers wilted, small animals she was raising died, and class rep was blamed for all of it. ......in that sense, I can understand why she'd feel uncomfortable about the Asahi Haruka story. [Lucia]: "Based on this letter at least...Asahi Haruka never attacked anyone." [Kotarou]: "......that's true. Mirrors broke and kids got sick when she was around, but she didn't do anything." [Lucia]: "If this letter is right...and she is a vampire who attacks other students at night...then I have no sympathy." [Lucia]: "But what has she done? All she did was live in that orphanage..." Class rep's remembering her own troubled past... I don't know the details of it myself. But still...I can tell how she feels...because her voice and eyes look so pained... ...dammit...I'm such an idiot......I forgot to even consider the idea that Asahi Haruka might be a victim. I said I was trying to reveal the truth to prove Kishida Ryuugo's death was just an illness, not a curse. But by the same logic, I should be trying to clear Asahi Haruka's name too... My failure to realize that indirectly hurt class rep...now that I know that, I hang my head... [Lucia]: "If this story took place in an orphanage...then Asahi Haruka was an orphan when she went there." [Lucia]: "...she has no family, and was no doubt hoping to make friends there......but they all called her a vampire." When children decide to alienate someone, they can be very cruel. Back in elementary school, when a kid touched something icky, the whole class would start saying that touching him would get the ickiness on you. Sometimes they'd call it "cooties" or something. Different regions have their own names and customs for it, but kids all over the country do it. Someone steps on a dog turd, then everyone starts calling them names and avoiding them. The kid can try to rub it off on someone else, but since everyone's avoiding them they never get the chance. And the act of avoiding him gives all the others a sense of unity... ......looking back on it now, it was pretty horrible... This is no game. At the time I didn't know what "bullying" was, so I considered it a kind of game. ......but it was nothing but bullying. [Kotarou]: "......you're right...there's no such thing as a curse. So Asahi Haruka isn't a cursed girl." She was just another victim......a sacrifice for cruel children's games. But I've been talking about her like she was some occult being...even though I wanted to prove there isn't any curse at all... [Lucia]: "Of course I've never met this Asahi Haruka girl myself." [Lucia]: "......still...I can't help but sympathize..."

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> Class rep is convinced this girl experienced the same pain she did... When I look at her face, I feel very guilty about my misunderstanding... [Kotarou]: ".........sorry." [Lucia]: "...eh?" [Kotarou]: "I...misunderstood something." This isn't about saving Yoshino from his fear. ...this isn't even about Kishida Ryuugo. Yes, the real purpose of this investigation isn't to stop people from fearing the story. [Kotarou]: "I'm supposed to be investigating this to clear Asahi Haruka's name." [Kotarou]: "......thank you, class rep. Somehow I've been missing that this whole time." [Lucia]: "...Tennouji..." [Kotarou]: "Though I still don't know for sure if Asahi Haruka really existed." [Kotarou]: "If she does, then she's been humiliated by this for years." [Lucia]: "Yes...she probably has..." [Lucia]: "For me...the only victims were animals I helped take care of......how shameful must it be to have people blame you for the deaths of others...?" [Lucia]: "...she must have been hurt far worse than me..." Class rep clenches her pure white gloves... Those gloves still cover her own wounds...and she's carried those scars for several years now. But Asahi Haruka's humiliation goes far beyond that. ......I think I can see part of her sadness in class rep's face... [Kotarou]: "I guess I shouldn't be investigating this for fun anymore......as a man, I have a duty to finish this." [Kotarou]: "Thank you, class rep...I need to stop letting this curse nonsense scare me." The very act of being afraid desecrates that poor girl's past. So what about the copier? Who cares about the glass? What does it matter if my cell phone broke? I'm gonna get a new one and keep doing this! [Kotarou]: "Forget what I said earlier. There's nothing dangerous about this investigation at all." [Kotarou]: "I just let a handful of weird coincidences get to me. I will finish this. That is all! Any questions!?" [Lucia]: "N-no......none!" Class rep wasn't sure how to respond at first, but thankfully she hasn't denied any of what I was saying. This investigation is about Asahi Haruka......but this will also indirectly help Konohana Lucia as well. A girl who still has to cover her wounds with gloves after the cruelty she experienced in her youth. I hope I can heal her wounds as well someday. And the first thing I can do to make that happen is finish this investigation. Then I'll clear Asahi Haruka's name. When I pull that off...I might finally have some idea about how to get the thorn out of class rep's heart. No, that applies to her too. After seeing herself in another girl who lived through a similar ordeal......she might learn how to overcome her own trauma. ......I'm sure about that, because class rep told me herself after nodding. [Lucia]: "If that's your objective......then please allow me to help you!" [Kotarou]: "......I thought you might say that." [Lucia]: "Am I not good enough!?" [Kotarou]: "You're more than good enough. Let's do this." [Kotarou]: "Together we will crush this stupid little ghost story!" I hold out my hand for a handshake, and class rep grabs it. Of course her glove's still on, but I can feel her firm grip. I'm glad to have an unexpected partner for this. There are over twenty people in that class. It'd be a pain to call them all myself. I can easily imagine that girls wouldn't want to talk about something that happened seven years ago with a boy they've never met. But they ought to feel a little better if it's a girl calling them. Class rep should be a big help. [Lucia]: "No trouble at all. So you'll call the boys, and I'll call the girls. When should we start?" [Kotarou]: "Tonight." [Lucia]: "All right, let's do it!" Conveniently, the teacher asked her to copy something again, so now class rep has a chance to make her own copy of the contact information. Once more we head to the copy room...... [Kotarou]: "This copier, right? ...this is the one that produced that creepy message?" [Lucia]: "Yes..." [Lucia]: "......just to keep the facts straight, I definitely saw the paper with the message come out of this copier." [Lucia]: "You made your copy before me, yes?" [Kotarou]: "...yeah, I remember doing mine first." [Kotarou]: "I opened the lid, put it here, closed it......then pressed the start button. That's all. Did I get anything wrong?" [Lucia]: "You didn't specify a number of copies?" [Kotarou]: "Doesn't it default to just one? The one at the convenience store does." [Lucia]: "This copier is for business purposes. It defaults to the previous number." [Lucia]: "So if you use this without resetting the number of copies, it will produce the same number of copies it did the last time someone used it." Which means... Whoever used it before me set the copier to make two copies. And until someone hits the reset button, it will keep producing two copies. Whoever it was finished making his or her copies without resetting it. Then I showed up, hit the start button and nothing else, which means two copies came out. ......as a quick experiment, I try making two copies of the list. But this still doesn't explain it. The second copy comes out only a few seconds after the first. If it came out that fast yesterday, I definitely would have noticed it before leaving the room... I still think I only made one copy yesterday. The theory that it defaulted to making two copies just isn't convincing... Besides, there's a much bigger problem that it can't explain. [Kotarou]: "But wouldn't that make a second copy of this class list? That doesn't tell us why this weird message appeared at all." [Kotarou]: "You said this was a business copier, right? Are you sure it can't be faxed to or anything?" [Lucia]: "Like I said yesterday, this copier doesn't have any features like that." [Kotarou]: "This is a digital copier, right? Maybe it remembered past copy data and reproduced that for some reason...?" [Lucia]: "That data gets overwritten each time a new copy is made." [Lucia]: "So no matter what anyone else was trying to copy, it's gone as soon as you started copying." [Kotarou]: "There's no chance at all it was still in memory somewhere?" [Lucia]: "The manual doesn't list any features that would require it." Earlier class rep opened up the machine and found the manual in a little pocket on the inside. Unsurprisingly, she's familiar with most of it, since she uses this copier a lot. ......but even she has no idea how this could have happened......does that mean this really was...? [Kotarou]: "Dammit...we'll never clear Asahi Haruka's name if we get stumped by something this stupid." [Kotarou]: "We need to hurry up and figure out why this isn't a curse..." This is annoying me. Solving this copier's mysteries should've been the first step toward victory... [Lucia]: "Yes, it definitely doesn't have any feature like that." [Lucia]: "Given privacy and security concerns, they wouldn't save past data without a good reason." [Kotarou]: "Even if it did have a feature like that, it still wouldn't explain why it printed that thing out." [Lucia]: "...uu...hmm..."

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female </METADATA> [Nishikujou]: "Oh my, what's wrong...? Is the copier acting up again?" Suddenly, a teacher shows up behind us, making my heart skip a beat. We must've been working on this for a while... [Lucia]: "N-Nishikujou-sensei...the other day, this copier...printed something it shouldn't have been able to print..." [Nishikujou]: "What do you mean?" [Kotarou]: "Well, it's kinda complicated......" Will Nishikujou-sensei be able to explain this bizarre copier incident...? Though given her personality, I can imagine her saying we should get it purified at a shrine or something... [Nishikujou]: "Something you weren't copying came out for no reason...looks like we have a new candidate for the seven wonders." [Lucia]: "N-no...we're trying to figure out how the copier might have glitched..." [Nishikujou]: "Uhuhuhu, Sensei knows how～" [Kotarou]: "Eh? You do...?" [Nishikujou]: "Yes, I know how it happened." [Lucia]: "Really!?" [Nishikujou]: "Yep. I know why it would output one correct copy and a second incorrect one." [Kotarou]: "P-please tell us...!" Maybe Nishikujou-sensei's silliness also means she can come up with more creative explanations. She's smiling as if she found the answer to a riddle baffling us because we're trying to attack the problem too directly. [Nishikujou]: "It involves a common malfunction, so I might not be able to reproduce it completely." [Nishikujou]: "But I should be able to get something very close." [Lucia]: "H-how...!?" [Nishikujou]: "I need to prepare a few things, so wait in the hall. It'll only take a second." Nishikujou-sensei smiles brightly as she chases us out into the hallway. I have no idea what she's doing, but at least there's hope now. She opens up the copier and starts fiddling with it. [Nishikujou]: "Something you've never seen before gets printed out, and it's a second copy that comes out much later than the first." [Nishikujou]: "I'll have to explain each part separately...first the time gap." [Nishikujou]: "Konohana-san, you've seen it before, right? This copier's a little faulty so sometimes it makes mistakes when it takes in paper." [Kotarou]: "Takes in paper?" [Lucia]: "Ah, yes, you're right, when it's especially humid the paper tends to stick together." [Lucia]: "If the rollers pick up more than one piece of paper, then it may make more copies than it's supposed to." [Kotarou]: "......so even if we told it to make only one copy, it's still possible for it to spit out a second one?" [Lucia]: "Y-yes, that does happen sometimes." [Nishikujou]: "So the copier has to eject that extra paper somehow." [Nishikujou]: "The rollers are one-way only, so if it takes in extra pages it has to spit them out into the tray." [Nishikujou]: "That's why it looks like it made an extra copy, but it took several seconds to come out." [Lucia]: "I-I see, you're right! It would take a while for it to recognize the error......" [Nishikujou]: "Yep. And that's why Tennouji-kun had enough time to pick up his copy and leave." [Nishikujou]: "The display should have said something like "Error Recovery: Expelling Paper" at that time. Did either of you look at it?" We look at each other and shake our heads. Unbelievable...we mistook the copier's faulty behavior for some kind of supernatural phenomenon... [Kotarou]: "Th-that does explain how the second copy came out so late, but..." [Lucia]: "Why would it be different from the first...?" [Nishikujou]: "Okay, I'm ready in here. Come in you two." She lets us back into the printing room. What on Earth did she do to the copier...? [Nishikujou]: "I can't make it take in multiple pages at once. If I tried to force that it'd probably break." [Nishikujou]: "So the idea here is to show why it might print something you weren't copying. Okay, here's what I'm copying." She holds it up for us. It's a weekly magazine, turned to a page with a special feature on health food shops. [Lucia]: "...N-Nishikujou-sensei, isn't that for personal use...?" [Nishikujou]: "Aaah, come on, if you're gonna be mean I won't show you how it works." [Kotarou]: "W-well, it's not a big deal. Go ahead, Sensei." [Nishikujou]: "First I put it here and copy it as usual." [Nishikujou]: "I only need one, but I'll tell it to make two, simulating what would happen if it picked up an extra sheet." The copier makes noises. Two copies come out. [Nishikujou]: "Since it's working correctly, two copies of that magazine page came out." [Nishikujou]: "But if the second page was taken in by accident, normally it wouldn't have anything on it when it came out, right?" [Lucia]: "......which would explain a blank second page appearing later..." [Kotarou]: "Yes, but what about that weird message?" [Nishikujou]: "This second copy looks the same at first, buuut～" She turns it over, showing us the other side. What...!? The first side should be blank...obviously. She's not doing a two-sided copy, so of course one side should be blank. But it isn't. Instead, it says "Boo!" When I look closer, it's clearly written with a fountain pen. It wasn't printed on there. .........eh? ...so that means.........really? [Nishikujou]: "For recycling purposes, we try to use both sides of paper whenever possible. See that notice there?" "Use recycled paper instead of copy paper whenever possible. ――Vice Principal" She's right. So "recycled paper" means more than just paper made from recycled materials? [Lucia]: "I-I see, that makes sense!" [Lucia]: "Someone who used it before Tennouji put in more paper, and one of those pieces had been used before...!" [Kotarou]: "So by "recycled", you mean..." [Nishikujou]: "Exactly. Paper has two sides, and usually we only use one. Isn't it a huge waste if we don't try to reuse it?" [Nishikujou]: "Kazamatsuri City has a bit of a campaign to use both sides of copy paper whenever possible." Copy paper that people are done with gets put in a recycling box here. Normally that gets sent to a factory somewhere. But we can also just use the other side for more copies! [Nishikujou]: "Konohana-san says the second copy had an unexpected message on it." [Nishikujou]: "But, was it written on the front or the back side?" [Lucia]: "I-I don't remember..." So now we know the truth. For whatever reason, in the past someone copied this creepy message, and it ended up in the recycling box.

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> Then someone put it back in the copier so the other side would get used, and when I used it, the copier grabbed that page by accident...! [Kotarou]: "So...the first copy came out normally...and I picked that up." [Lucia]: "Then the copier realized it had an extra piece of paper in there, so it had to get rid of it..." [Nishikujou]: "And it came out of the copier without anything being printed on it. But it was recycled paper." [Kotarou]: "So there was something on the other side from when it was last used!" [Nishikujou]: "Konohana-san thought Tennouji-kun made a mistake, so she picked it up. But since it was blank, she probably turned it over without thinking." [Lucia]: "I...I can't...deny that." [Kotarou]: "And the reverse side had something on it that someone tried to copy in the past, which had nothing to do with my copy!" [Kotarou]: "Amazing! All the mysteries have been solved!" [Nishikujou]: "Some careless person must have put in both new copy paper and reused paper." [Nishikujou]: "I think this explains everything you told me." Aaaah! Everything is solved! We can't help but strike victory poses. [Nishikujou]: "And since I showed you that, don't tell anyone I copied this～" [Nishikujou]: "I borrowed this from another teacher's desk without asking, so I need to go put it back～" [Lucia]: "I-I really do not think a teacher should be doing that..." Class rep tries to scold her for it, but her eyes are still smiling. [Kotarou]: "So it really was just a series of coincidences." [Lucia]: "Yes. Humans are so easily misled." [Kotarou]: "There are no curses at all. The "cursed girl" is just a stupid nickname!" [Kotarou]: "We can do this! We will destroy this story!" [Kotarou]: "Nishikujou-sensei was really cool back there. I'll have my article in no time." [Lucia]: "So there must be some other trick behind the glass breaking as well..." [Kotarou]: "What trick? Someone threw a rock at it and that's all." [Kotarou]: "You even said so yesterday. You grumbled about him running away really fast." [Lucia]: "You're right...any student who'd do such a thing would run immediately. It's not surprising that we couldn't find him..." My phone breaking is also just a coincidence. Yes, each and every one of these things is just coincidence after coincidence! Once you start thinking it might be a curse, every little thing starts feeling creepy. It's all just an illusion produced by our own fear...! We're doing just fine. We can give a logical, scientific explanation for every one of these events. Just like Nishikujou-sensei did for us! I almost want to invite her to the club. [Kotarou]: "Okay, class rep." [Kotarou]: "I'm gonna go to the phone shop now." [Lucia]: "Make sure you pick a durable one." [Kotarou]: "Yeah. After I eat dinner I'll call you, and then we'll start calling people." [Lucia]: "Yes. Good luck! I'll be waiting." [Kotarou]: "Bye now! Talk to you later!" Tennouji waves his hand more energetically than ever as he disappears around the corner. ......I need that energy too. To clear Asahi Haruka's name......and find a way to overcome my own scar. I know Tennouji Kotarou's trying to teach me something through this. [Lucia]: "...hu......so he's more than just a pervert who licks girls' plates." I can feel my face loosening. Tennouji Kotarou......he really likes sticking his neck into others' business...but I don't hate him. If someone like him was around when I was in pain... Then maybe...... I wouldn't have had to start wearing these white gloves. ......no, I shouldn't say that. [Lucia]: ".........but...Tennouji..." I start saying that to myself......then swallow the rest. ......Nishikujou-sensei's deduction explained all of the bizarre events that took place in the printing room. But... It doesn't explain...why the second line of that creepy warning...appeared after I left the room... Did I miss it the first time? Impossible! I looked at it for several seconds in the printing room. There was only one line there! But there were two by the time Tennouji saw it...! ...but I haven't told him about this. Tennouji will definitely clear Asahi Haruka's name......and help me......heal this wound. I shouldn't say things that might discourage him. ...for now, I'll let Tennouji do what he wants, and help him do it. ......we can't lose to the curse. I stand still, clench my fist, and try to give myself more courage. *crack* *crunch!* [Lucia]: "......eh? Ah......what?" Suddenly, pieces of glass pour down in front of me. At that same moment, the world seems to get a little darker. ......I quickly realize where it came from. I look up to see a broken street light. If I hadn't stopped just now...that glass would have fallen on me... [Kotarou]: "So it really was just a series of coincidences." ...th-...that's right, Tennouji Kotarou......there's no curse...there can't be... [Lucia]: "This is pathetic......I act so strong in front of Tennouji..." [Lucia]: "But when I'm alone, suddenly everything scares me...?" [Lucia]: "Pathetic...you're pathetic, Konohana Lucia.........this is a coincidence. Just like the last pane of glass." [Lucia]: "Someone threw a rock and broke the light." [Lucia]: "That explains it! There is no curse. That has to be it, right Tennouji!?" *crack* Another street light breaks, as if answering my question. I look up at the broken light, but I have no way of knowing where the rock came from. ......is it really that easy to hit a light that small, that high up with a stone big enough to break it......? Just a coincidence.........it probably just short-circuited or something... If Tennouji was here, I'm sure he'd say something like that...... I force myself to accept that explanation and look down......then I see a shadow on the ground. Eh? Ah? ......eh......? ――Why......are you waking me? The girl...definitely said that. Wh-when did...this girl show up......? A girl with an old-fashioned bob cut...appeared in front of me without a single footstep... Her bangs are long, covering her eyes......but I can tell she's staring at me. [Lucia]: "...eh...? Wh-......what? ...where...did you......?" ――Why......are you waking me...? The answer to my question is all too clear... I already know...exactly who she is...... The girl repeats her question, but I have no way of answering it... ――Haven't you and I......endured the same sadness...together...? We.................. I don't want to remember, but...the memories are coming back...from the days when everyone called me filthy over and over... And......other memories join them... Places I've never seen or heard of.

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> ......the children playing happily...go quiet and flee as soon as the bob-haired girl approaches... These are clearly......that girl's memories...... Two different people. The same sadness......their memories intersect. That's why I know her name...... [Lucia]: "Y-...you're......Asahi......Haruka......?" [Girl]: "......we both are. We're friends who endured the same sadness together...right?" The girl finally says that. [Lucia]: "D-don't misunderstand! We're trying to dispel the rumors about you!" [Lucia]: "Tennouji is a pervert, he is violent, and there's nothing respectable about him......but he's fighting for your honor, even though he's never met you...!" [Lucia]: "You can trust him. He has absolutely no intention of laughing at you or shunning you!" ――I was finally sleeping in peace. I don't want to remember any more. I couldn't remember...that's why it was quiet, and peaceful. So please, don't interrupt my peaceful sleep. ――Please...don't wake me. [Girl]: "That's just as true for you...isn't it?" [Girl]: "......I know the sadness those white gloves cover. Only I know." [Girl]: "...do you want someone to tear that wound open? Of course not..." [Lucia]: ".........that's not............mm..." I hang my head and bite my lip. That's true......I don't want to remember those sad days again...and I don't think my wound will ever be healed......no, that's what I used to think. [Lucia]: "......I'm the same as you." [Lucia]: "I thought not remembering, I thought forgetting...letting myself ignore it all would prevent me from feeling the pain." [Lucia]: "But I think I can heal that wound now. I think Tennouji Kotarou can do that for me...!" [Girl]: "He can't. Everyone who comes near me dies." [Girl]: "......you know that..." [Lucia]: "...mm! ......uu..." Her sharp eyes penetrate me... I can't explain it in words. Asahi Haruka's memories are being projected into me... Her very existence......causes countless deaths. Her sad memories of persecution speak to me without words... [Girl]: "You and I......have shared the same pain." [Girl]: "...that's why I believed you would understand." [Lucia]: "......it's because I know your pain! ...that's why I'm certain it can be healed!" ――I see......that's sad. I thought you were my friend...but you don't understand my pain...... [Lucia]: "I do understand!" [Lucia]: "I lived surrounded by those scornful eyes. That's why only I understand you! Don't reject us...!!" ――Don't wake me. Asahi Haruka...repeats her first message once again. Then, she repeats the second one. ――Or else, you'll [Lucia]: "I'll what!?" [Girl]: "......feel the same pain and sadness as me......" A cold wind rushes past us, scattering her hair. Dust gets in my eye, so I rub it......but she vanished along with the dust......as if she was never there at all...... But......I can still hear her voice in my ears... ――You'll feel the same pain and sadness as me...... Filthy Lucia. Go away, go away! Stay away from our sunflowers―― ――You were finally released from those sad, painful memories......and now you want to go back to them? Reliving those memories just once...is all it takes to shatter the fun life you have now...... Hey, can you hear me......? Filthy Lucia, filthy Lucia... ......huhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhu...... [Lucia]: "Hii! .........ii............!" I fall to my knees......and feel a cold that shouldn't be possible in October. I hold my own shoulders as I shake. Then I slap my own cheeks and shake my head, trying to recover. [Lucia]: "H-...have I lost my mind!? There is no curse! There can't be!!" [Lucia]: "That was an illusion! My imagination! I-I just got shocked when the light suddenly broke, and fell into some kind of daydream...!" I have to tell myself that......no. If I don't keep saying that, my mind will......those scornful eyes will......keep multiplying...... ......hiii......hiiiiii.........! The negative emotions well up beyond what I can bear... I want to scream...I want to let out all this pain in a shout of rage... Or else...or else...my mind will freeze over... ......ah ......ah ......hiaaa ......aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! [Lucia]: "C-calm down, Konohana Lucia!!!" [Lucia]: "I'm free from that past now! I'm not Asahi Haruka! I'm not!" ――But you still can't take off those white gloves...... [Lucia]: "These gloves are......someday...someday I'll take them off......I promised everyone I would!!" Filthy Lucia. Go away. Go away. Stay away from our sunflowers. I still have no idea how I broke my cell phone. Even the memory was completely shot. Thankfully, a few months ago I randomly chose to get a backup while I was walking around town, so I got a lot of the data back. But the apps and ringtones I downloaded recently are all gone... But at least I have an up-to-date model now. I'm not used to it yet, but once I put my favorite strap on it I'm happy with it. [Kotarou]: "Good thing I wrote down class rep's number, or we'd have to wait another day." I finish eating, washing my dishes, then prepare for battle. I spread out the contact information, and get a little notebook and a pencil. [Kotarou]: "First I need to call class rep. Having a girl for this really helps." Thanks to class rep I feel much more motivated to do this investigation. That's right. Being afraid of the "cursed girl" only hurts Asahi Haruka. Is she really someone who deserves to be called a vampire? Or is she just like class rep, and is merely a victim? If it turns out to be the former, I'll turn her story into an occult article without hesitation. But if it's the latter... [Kotarou]: "I will crush this stupid ghost story." *riiiiiiiing* *riiiiiiiing* ...*click* [Kotarou]: "Ah, yo yo, wazzap." [Lucia]: "I'm not expecting a call from whoever you are. I'm hanging up." [Kotarou]: "Aaah, wait, wait, I was joking, don't hang up!" [Kotarou]: "Good evening, my name is Tennouji. May I speak to Konohana Lucia?" [Lucia]: "Don't change your voice like that without warning me, Tennouji Kotarou..." [Kotarou]: "Sorry, sorry. Have you eaten yet?" [Lucia]: "I was expecting you to call around now. I'm all set." [Kotarou]: "I've got the phone numbers and a notebook here. I've also got my medical insurance card, a box lunch, a water bottle and a banana."

<METADATA> Name: Haruhiko Yoshino | Gender: Male Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Lucia]: "Y-...you always put a lot of effort into these things, Tennouji Kotarou...I cannot compete..." [Kotarou]: "We're fighting a ghost story here. We need to be enthusiastic about it." [Lucia]: "...you're right, enthusiasm is important." [Kotarou]: "If we're both ready, let's get started." [Kotarou]: "Once we're done we'll exchange information." [Lucia]: "All right, understood." I knew I could count on class rep. She got prepared very early, so she could get started whenever I called. No reason not to start now. We've got just over ten people each to call. I have no idea how much information we'll get out of them. Come to think of it, it might not be possible to call everyone tonight...though it seems unlikely we'll end up stuck in long, unrelated conversations. [Lucia]: "You're right. It would be rude to call them much later. Let's get started." [Kotarou]: "Are you prepared for this?" [Lucia]: "Prepared?" [Kotarou]: "We're trying to wake up Asahi Haruka, right?" [Kotarou]: "You might get cursed too, class rep." [Lucia]: "Don't joke about this." [Kotarou]: "Sorry, sorry." [Kotarou]: "Actually, have you received any creepy messages or seen glass break near you or anything?" This is where class rep should get annoyed at me and tell me not to get distracted. But she doesn't answer. ......huh? Did I make her even madder than usual or something...? [Lucia]: "...of course not." [Lucia]: "You're the one who keeps saying curses can't possibly exist, Tennouji Kotarou." [Kotarou]: "Sorry, sorry, you're right. Anyway, let's both get started." [Lucia]: "Yes. Good luck to you." [Kotarou]: "Okay, I'll call again once I'm done." Then we finish our call. Okay......time to get started. Kazamatsuri 7th Municipal Elementary School, Year 4 Class 1. Let's go in alphabetical order...first up is the boy in seat one, Aizawa-kun. I punch in the number and wait for the dial tone. ......I wonder how much he'll be able to tell me. If someone like Yoshino's afraid of this, what could've happened back then. What did Kishida Ryuugo tell everyone seven years ago? And what happened to him...? Was there someone sniffing around back then like I am now...and did he get hurt? [Kotarou]: "Ah...hello. Sorry to call so late. I'm Tennouji, an alumnus of 7th Municipal Elementary School." [Kotarou]: "Yes, is Aizawa-kun there?" For now, I'll pretend I came from that school. That'll probably speed things up and make it easier for them to trust me. The mother on the other end of the phone called her son over right away...good, this is working. [Phone]: "......yes? Who is it?" [Kotarou]: "Hello, sorry for calling you out of the blue. I'm Tennouji, an alumnus from 7th Municipal." [Phone]: "...hello." He doesn't sound very happy about this. Well, it's natural to be a little unsure how to react to being called by a stranger in the middle of the night like this. [Kotarou]: "I've been trying to write an anthology about everyone who was in the same year as me." [Kotarou]: "So I wanted to ask you about Kishida Ryuugo-kun from Year 4, Class 1..." [Phone]: "Is this about......Asahi Haruka...?" ...I gulp without thinking. He asked that the moment I mentioned Kishida Ryuugo. [Kotarou]: "Y-yes, it is. I was trying to gather some information on the Asahi Haruka story too..." [Phone]: "I have nothing to say." Another immediate answer. Just like Yoshino, he doesn't want to tell me anything about Asahi Haruka, even seven years after the fact. I tried to reassure him and ask the question in a few different ways, but he refused to tell me anything... In the end, he hung up on me as if I was some crazy solicitor... [Kotarou]: "......well...something big definitely happened." What on Earth lurks in the dark abyss of Class 1's past...? He did refuse to even talk to me about it, but he was so firm there's obviously something huge behind this. This is no ordinary ghost story. Yoshino's no coward. Everyone in his class reacts the same way to this story. Class rep might be having trouble too... ......I regain my composure and call the next boy. [Phone]: "Please stop this. Please, please don't ask me about Asahi Haruka!" [Phone]: "I've never spoken to Kishida-kun. I'm sorry, I have to hang up now." [Phone]: "I don't know anything! Absolutely nothing! Never ask me again!" *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep*...... [Kotarou]: "...oh come on...this is just insane." They're definitely afraid of something. This isn't some vague, abstract story from their dark past which they don't want anyone to dig up again. Kishida Ryuugo died seven years ago. But they're all reacting as if it only just happened yesterday. Does that mean something so terrible happened......that they still remember it like it was yesterday even after seven years......? I learned the answer almost immediately. To them, it really did happen just yesterday. [Phone]: "All of it broke! All the windows and lightbulbs and fluorescent lights! Our entire house was pitch black! We were panicking all night!!" "Did any glass in your house break last night?" I asked that for no particular reason during one conversation, and got a strong reaction. [Phone]: "And now I know it's your fault! You're the one trying to investigate Asahi Haruka!!" [Phone]: "Asahi Haruka really is cursed! If you keep looking into it you will get cursed!" [Phone]: "Because you disturbed her sleep!!" The next phone call also ended with emotions running high. And his words explained to me why they reacted so strongly to something from seven years ago... [Phone]: "You woke up Asahi Haruka by asking everyone about her!" [Phone]: "Everyone in Class 1 is probably getting cursed now! These things are happening to everyone who knows her name! That's no ghost story! It's no joke! It's a real curse!" Just yesterday...every single member of Year 4 Class 1 saw glass break somewhere in their house. That's why they're all so afraid of me today... ...but Yoshino didn't say anything about that this morning... ......no......it can't be... [Yoshino]: "......hey, shithead. What do you want?" Yoshino waits so long to pick up I thought he wasn't there. But after being patient, he did eventually answer. [Kotarou]: "Yoshino, give me an honest answer." [Kotarou]: "...did any glass break in your house yesterday?" [Yoshino]: "......dunno." Yoshino doesn't give me an honest answer. But, that pause tells me his house was no exception... [Yoshino]: "Is that list of phone numbers helping at all?" [Kotarou]: "......yeah. Now I know you're far from the only one freaked out by this." [Yoshino]: "Keh..." [Kotarou]: "Yoshino. This isn't funny."

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Haruhiko Yoshino | Gender: Male Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "Now tell me what happened seven years ago." [Yoshino]: "Oh no, the agreement was I tell you if nothing happens for three days." [Yoshino]: "Fortunately, nothing's happened to me. This lightbulb was pretty old anyway, so no surprise it broke." [Yoshino]: "It's perfectly normal for us. Don't worry about it." [Kotarou]: "Is that...my fault?" [Yoshino]: "What? Is it? Maybe I should get you to pay for a new bulb..." Yoshino always tries to act unaffected by these things. At first glance he's tough and assertive......but he's fighting too. He can't investigate this himself. But he's putting his faith in me, and fighting his own little battle to help me out... The promise to tell me in three days was his idea...and now he's going out of his way to claim that nothing happened to him. He's enduring something. Given everyone else's reactions, this "curse" is clearly more than just a couple of lightbulbs breaking... [Kotarou]: "......is this what you meant when you said to watch out if glass breaks?" [Yoshino]: "............yes." That was the first thing Yoshino told me. "If glass breaks near you, watch out." Yesterday evening, everyone in Class 1 saw a window or lightbulb break. ......this means Yoshino accurately predicted one of the creepy coincidences. If someone tries to look into Asahi Haruka...glass breaks. Because of Yoshino's warning, I now know that statement is a fact... If it was just one person, I could call it a coincidence. But every single person I've called saw glass break......can I really claim all of that is just random chance......? [Yoshino]: "So what about you? ...has anything happened yet?" [Kotarou]: "I'm completely fine." [Yoshino]: "Heh. All of us are getting freaked out by broken glass but nothing's happening to you at all. That's just wrong." [Kotarou]: "You said before that someone tried investigating her and got hurt. When was this?" What happened seven years ago? Who was Asahi Haruka? What happened to Kishida Ryuugo? None of the alumni were willing to answer any of those questions. Which means I need to try a different approach...I'll ask about a guy who got hurt looking into this. If I can get someone to talk about him, maybe I'll make some progress. [Yoshino]: "......that was four years ago. In my first year of middle school, we had a small class reunion." [Yoshino]: "There was another boy visiting the event." [Kotarou]: "Visiting? Was he not in Year 4 Class 1?" [Yoshino]: "I heard he was in the newspaper club at that middle school. I don't remember his name." [Kotarou]: "The newspaper club...if I knew his name I could look into that." [Kotarou]: "You said he got injured by the curse, but he didn't die, right?" [Yoshino]: "I never heard that he died...if he really was dead, there's no way we wouldn't have told each other about it." [Yoshino]: "During that reunion......a lot happened. And after that day, Asahi Haruka became a taboo subject." [Kotarou]: "What do you mean "a lot"?" [Yoshino]: "......dunno. Enough to make a mere ghost story turn into a real curse." [Kotarou]: "Enough to scare the crap out of a man like you..." After that, Yoshino doesn't tell me anything more. We trash talk a little before hanging up. ......still, Yoshino did give me a huge hint there. I harden my resolve and go back to calling people. They all believe they'll be cursed if they tell me too much, but I might be able to get the name of that boy from the newspaper club. If I can't get that...then I'll be completely out of leads. [Kotarou]: "So what do I do if that turns out to be true? ......say I can't write an article because I was proven wrong?" [Kotarou]: "Should I write a stupid occult article about how your windows and lightbulbs will break if you look into it?" I guess that wouldn't be a bad idea. I can't abandon this story. Anyway, for now I need to learn as much as I can... [Kotarou]: "Ah, hello, sorry for calling you so late. I'm Tennouji, an alumnus from 7th Municipal..." [Lucia]: "......I am sorry. I could not get any information from the girls." After calling the last boy, I asked class rep how she did. So all the girls she called had the same reactions... [Lucia]: "They're all terrified beyond reason...this...might actually be dangerous." [Kotarou]: "Did they all...mention glass?" [Lucia]: "Y-yes, glass! They said a glass window or lightbulb broke!" [Lucia]: "...not just one or two of them, every one of them! What does this mean!?" That's what I want to know. It's easy to say it's Asahi Haruka's curse. It's just as easy to claim there is no curse. There might've been some trouble at the power plant last night which caused a surge or something. Which would mean......all the lights that broke throughout town were just a big coincidence... ......though that doesn't explain why the windows broke... [Lucia]: "Maybe they're right, and this really is Asahi Haruka's curse..." [Lucia]: "......Tennouji, I think this might actually be dangerous...very dangerous......you understand?" [Kotarou]: "...hey now, don't tell me the invincible class rep is afraid of the curse." [Lucia]: "I don't believe in curses and I don't want to!" [Lucia]: "But there are genuinely strange things happening one after the other, and people have gotten hurt! One of the girls was injured by the broken glass!" [Lucia]: "Fortunately, nothing seems to have happened to you, Tennouji......but it's only a matter of time before you get hurt as well!" ...class rep's afraid. No, of course she is...even I'm starting to get baffled by all this. Whether the curse is real or not... There's definitely a correlation between someone investigating Asahi Haruka, and strange phenomena occurring... Whether we believe in curses or not, it's perfectly reasonable to be afraid of that. If a baseball comes flying at you, it doesn't matter whether a curse made it do that or not. The fact remains that it'll hit you if you don't dodge it... [Lucia]: "...Tennouji, I'm serious." [Lucia]: "Let's stop this. There's something very strange here." [Lucia]: "We have no way of knowing what might happen to you if you keep doing this." [Kotarou]: "Well, nothing's happened to me yet." [Lucia]: "There was a student in the past who got seriously injured doing what you're doing! Do you want to get killed!?" [Lucia]: "These strange incidents are getting closer to you every day!" [Lucia]: "Have you forgotten about that incident with the photocopier!? That was a warning! You can't doubt that!" [Lucia]: "Nishikujou-sensei explained why the copier might act strange, but I know that's not it! That doesn't explain what I saw!" [Lucia]: "Only a real curse could explain it! There's no other way for the message to get longer all by itself!!" Class rep sounds like a completely different person, compared to when we started doing this.

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep </METADATA> I can't blame her. I know how she feels. ...but why did class rep change so much? ......what on Earth did they tell her? ......wait......maybe... [Kotarou]: "Class rep..." [Kotarou]: "Did......something happen......to you, directly...?" Class rep doesn't answer for a while. ...eventually, she breaks the silence. [Lucia]: "...I haven't had any problems." [Kotarou]: "......what do you mean? Did something break in your house!? Are you in danger...!?" [Lucia]: "Don't worry about me!" Hey now, wait a minute! Doesn't this mean something did happen!? So......class rep's―!? Her room......Konohana Lucia's room is dark. For some reason the lights are off, but the TV's still on, so that provides enough light... Though the TV's light frequently changes color, making the room feel needlessly turbulent... Why hasn't she turned the lights on...? ......she can't turn them on. All the fluorescent lights......have broken. Konohana Lucia is on the phone with Tennouji Kotarou in a dark, uncomfortable room, with only the light of the television... [Lucia]: "Hey...Tennouji, please..." [Kotarou]: "......class rep......" [Lucia]: "Call me a coward if you want. Laugh at me if you want...but let's stop this." [Lucia]: "...please, let's stop this.........please......" Pieces of broken glass are scattered across the floor, glittering in the darkness. In the flickering light of the television, my face......is red from crying. [Kotarou]: "...I'm sorry." [Lucia]: "......Tennouji......" [Kotarou]: "Thank you for helping me...you don't have to do anything else, class rep." [Lucia]: "Are you going to keep doing this, Tennouji? You will get hurt! Please, stop! ......I'm begging you......stop........." Tears pour from my eyes as I ask him over and over. ...Kotarou can't hide the fact that my behavior worries him. [Kotarou]: "...well, I talked to all the boys, and I didn't get very much either." [Kotarou]: "They reacted the same as the girls......all of them said they wanted nothing to do with it...just like you are now." [Lucia]: "......call me a coward for fearing the curse." [Lucia]: "...just please stop this investigation......for your own sake......no, do it for me..." [Kotarou]: "Wait, what do you mean...?" [Kotarou]: "Are you saying something else will happen to you if you keep this up...?" [Lucia]: "How should I know!? I'm scared! I'm scared!!" [Lucia]: "The lights broke! The mirror cracked! Even the vase shattered...! Uuuuuuuuuuuu! Uuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!" [Kotarou]: "S-...sorry, class rep! ...sorry......for getting you involved." If all of those things had happened to Kotarou...would he have been able to endure it? Strange things happened to Yoshino and me, and we've both offered to help him. To him, that was much more painful than being threatened directly... [Lucia]: "......sorry...Tennouji..." [Lucia]: "...I offered to help you......and now I'm crying and telling you to stop......I'm horrible..." [Kotarou]: "Don't worry about it...besides, I kinda have to give up. We didn't get any decent information." [Lucia]: "Good point...no one told us anything..." [Kotarou]: "Actually, there was one last clue." [Lucia]: "Eh? ......clue?" After hearing about the boy at the reunion four years ago, Kotarou concentrated on that single point in the rest of his calls. Thanks to that......he finally managed to learn the boy's name. [Kotarou]: "That's the only thing I have left." [Kotarou]: "If that clue doesn't lead me anywhere...then I really will have nothing left...and I'll have to give up on this." [Lucia]: "What clue are you talking about...?" [Kotarou]: "......I can't tell you. You've done enough, class rep. I'll do the rest of this on my own." [Kotarou]: "......I'm the only one who should get cursed for this." [Lucia]: "Please......I mean it, please...! Just...stop this......or else......or else......" [Kotarou]: "It's okay. You have nothing to do with this anymore, so you don't have to worry about the curse." "Don't think about it any more tonight. Just get some rest. I'm sorry I made you do this." Kotarou tells me that and hangs up. Part of him feels guilty about making so many people suffer because of his curiosity... [Kotarou]: "......class rep was acting so weird.........what the hell happened? Damn you...Asahi Haruka..." I'm doing this to clear your name. To stop people from assuming you're cursed. Are you saying...you don't want me to do that? Then come tell me that in person! ......stop scaring Yoshino, class rep and all these other innocent people...! [Kotarou]: "......actually, I guess she did tell me in person...with that copy." "Don't wake me. Or else, you'll" [Kotarou]: "...I'll WHAT!?" [Kotarou]: "If you want to curse me then curse just me! Stop harassing other people...!! What are you trying to do!?" "Or else, you'll" ――Tennouji Kotarou thinks that cursed message was directed at himself. But think about it. ...when that message came out of the copier...who was there to read it? Who read that message first...? Who was that message really meant for......? I can't hear Tennouji's voice anymore... I asked him to stop his investigation, but he didn't promise to do that. He said it was his last clue, but he's still going to look into it...... ――So...he won't stop? [Lucia]: "......Tennouji is the type who finishes what he starts." [Lucia]: "He wouldn't give up on this just because I told him to...!" ――I see. ...since you lived through the same things I did, I thought you might be able to stop him. ......but even you couldn't do it... [Lucia]: "I-...I'm sorry!" [Lucia]: "I'm sorry I let my curiosity get the better of me...and disturbed your rest!!" She begs for forgiveness in the dark room, holding her phone at her knees. Normally she's so strong. What happened to make her cower in fear like this...? ......she sits on a sofa, with broken bits of glass all around her. And......that girl's shadow can be faintly seen......behind the sofa......putting its hand on her shoulder. [Lucia]: "Forgive me...I won't disturb your rest anymore!!" [Lucia]: "......so please forgive me......forgive me!!" ――Lonely, filthy Lucia. Only you can hear my voice. That's why you need to stop him for me. Please don't let him get close to me...I hate him, I hate him... [Lucia]: "Wh-why do you hate Tennouji so much...?"

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Haruhiko Yoshino | Gender: Male Name: Ohtori Chihaya | Gender: Female | Aliases: Chi Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep </METADATA> [Lucia]: "He...h-he's trying to help you...! He's trying to prove to everyone that you were never cursed...!" Like a child sobbing and making excuses. Perhaps, a child pleading after experiencing violence for the first time... Konohana Lucia holds her head as she shouts. ......but the creepy girl grips Lucia's head and forces her to look into her eyes. ――You and Tennouji Kotarou are both misunderstanding. [Lucia]: "Misunderstanding......what......?" ――There's nothing to prove. I don't need my name cleared of anything. [Lucia]: "Wh-what...do you......" After all......I really am cursed...... You know...you got blamed for animals dying just because they died the day after you started taking care of them. ......I'm not like that. ――Everyone dies when I touch them. Everyone. No exceptions. When I touch a flower, it falls apart. When I touch the stem, it wilts and falls over. ......when I listen to birds singing, they fly away. When I hold a cat, it starts convulsing in my arms, then never moves again. When I smile, everyone cowers in fear. And, I can't ever see what I look like when I smile. Because every time I look in a mirror, it breaks. ――Wasn't it the same for you? [Lucia]: "No, no! I wasn't like that!! It wasn't my fault! I'm not cursed!!" ――Yes, that's right. You weren't cursed. It's just that your hands are filthy. Because your hands are filthy, everything rots when you touch it, so everyone hates you and runs away... [Lucia]: "They're not filthy! They're not!" [Lucia]: "I wash them! I wash and I wash and I wash and I wash every last square inch of them!!" [Lucia]: "I wash when I get home. I wash before and after eating!" [Lucia]: "I wash before going to bed and after I wake up. I wash before going to school. And several more times every day!" [Lucia]: "I'm always, always, always washing them! So they aren't filthy! They can't be!!" So you've forgotten......just how filthy you are. ――All right. I'll help you remember what it felt like back then. The girl grabs Lucia's arms, then puts the palms of her hands on the back of Lucia's. ...as if infecting her with her own curse. [Lucia]: "N-no......stop...stop, stop, stop......!" ――No. I'll teach you my suffering. The girl's hands stick through the gloves...no, they stick through Lucia's own hands...sinking deep into her. As if the girl's hands are reaching deep inside Lucia... ――Come on, remember... Remember your filthy hands...huhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhu...! [Lucia]: "Stop...stop, stop, stop... nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...!!" ......a gray sound fills the room. Was it the static of the television after the program ended? Or was it the rain which started pouring outside? Lucia can't remember...how long she's been on the sofa listening to that noise. She's just sitting in a desolate room, as the light from the TV's static illuminates her... She remembers something unpleasant, and looks at her hands. Her hands, once derided as filthy, are now hidden underneath white gloves. Lucia slowly, slowly......takes one of them off. She holds her hand up in the gray light of the TV static......it looks terribly pale. Because of that creepy light, everything looked terribly pale, not just her hand. She looks to one side...toward a vase with flowers in it. Those were the flowers Ohtori Chihaya gave her. Those flowers also look gloomy in the gray light...as if dead. With her naked hand......she very slowly... Lucia reaches for those live flowers... [Lucia]: "...it's a lie.........flowers wouldn't wilt......just because I touch them..." Back then...it might have been different, but...... By now......I should be fine...... I'm not like that...anymore...... She pulls one flower out of the vase. ...these are real flowers, so they have been very slowly wilting...that's not her fault. A leaf...falls off. The stem bends over, the petals turn black, and the whole flower shrinks... [Lucia]: "N-no.........this can't be......this isn't happening...!" She pulls out all the other flowers...so violently that the vase falls over and the water spills. What about the flowers? Are they dropping? They can't possibly be wilting...!? *plop* A filthy noise, like diseased bubbles floating up out of a swamp. The part of the bouquet she touched has a big black region in the shape of her hand...and it's slowly rotting, melting away... [Lucia]: "That's...no......this can't...no......nooo......" [Lucia]: "...m-my hands...a-aren't......filthy......anymore......" The flowers are just a puddle in her hands now, dripping very slowly down to the floor. ......the filthy muck falls on the floor like a drunk man's vomit... Who would believe that filth used to be a beautiful bouquet of flowers only a few moments ago...? Lucia shakes......then looks at the source of that pollution......her own hands...... ......she turns her hands over...to look at the palms...... [Lucia]: "N-......no........." There, she saw... ...the palms looked the same as they always did......like dark, bubbling swamps. The same? Really? [Lucia]: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Yes, because she saw that every night in her nightmares. ――But, this is reality. Huhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhu. [Kotarou]: "......is class rep absent today?" [Chihaya]: "Sounds like it. Any idea why? I assume you licked her plate or something again, pervert." [Kotarou]: "I don't do that..." I respond coldly. Hopefully she can tell I'm not in a good mood. Chihaya doesn't ask about it anymore, and just shrugs her shoulders. Class rep isn't here today. It's been raining since late last night, and every so often it gets windy too. Exactly the sort of unstable weather you'd expect in autumn. When the weather's off, people get sick more easily...maybe class rep is the type who's vulnerable to that. ......I mean, there's no way she... [Yoshino]: "Hey, are you listening? I brought it." [Kotarou]: "O-oh, thanks." His voice brings me back to reality. I look away from class rep's empty seat and toward Yoshino. Yoshino holds out a booklet. I'm going to need that to pin down the boy from the newspaper club at that reunion. [Yoshino]: "The newspaper club handed out this booklet during the culture festival." After last night's phone calls, all I got was that boy's name.

<METADATA> Name: Haruhiko Yoshino | Gender: Male Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> ...it took a lot of effort just to get that. And since they all probably don't want to remember it, I can't even be sure I got the correct name. To double-check it, I called Yoshino again and asked if he had anything that might list the boy's name. [Kotarou]: "This helps a lot...I'm amazed you can find all this stuff from your old schools." [Yoshino]: "You're the one who told me to look for it. Thanks to you I stayed up all night cleaning my room." Yoshino complains about it, but he's the one who volunteered to start looking that late at night. Despite his fear of the curse, he's helping me out a lot... [Kotarou]: "I see, he was one of the editors." [Kotarou]: "Most of this is obviously something middle schoolers wrote. Why are they trying to write philosophy and social criticism at this age?" [Yoshino]: "How should I know? Besides, that's not the part you want to read." [Kotarou]: "True...might as well start at the end. Stuff about the authors is probably back there." I find an editor's postscript near the end, with the names of people in the newspaper club. ...that was fast. The name I heard last night is listed right here among the third-years. [Kotarou]: "......Baraki...Baraki...there. Baraki Kunihiko. This is the guy." [Yoshino]: "Baraki-senpai...hmm......that does sound like the right name. If it counts for anything, I think that's your guy." [Kotarou]: "If he was a third-year when you were in your first year...that makes him two years older than us." If he was the same age as Yoshino, then there might have been some information about him in one of Yoshino's yearbooks. But it's very unlikely Yoshino would have anything on this guy... [Kotarou]: "This guy was at your reunion?" [Yoshino]: "Yeah......he said he wanted to write an article about the Asahi Haruka story." And after that......the man was injured by Asahi Haruka's curse, allegedly... [Kotarou]: "What exactly was his injury?" [Yoshino]: "......I haven't seen it myself. But from what I've been told, a large sign landed on top of him." [Kotarou]: "A large sign?" [Yoshino]: "That's all I know. Ask him yourself." [Yoshino]: "Various rumors say it hit him right in the head, or he never woke up again, or he had some brain damage." [Yoshino]: "But I've never heard that he died." [Kotarou]: "Even though it'd be a perfect ending to the story if he did die." [Yoshino]: "Yeah. Since no one says he died, that means he's alive." I feel a bit guilty trying to talk to him about this...but if I can't get in contact with him, I really will be out of leads. ......if that happens, then I'll gracefully admit defeat. I don't like losing, but...I am bothering a lot of people just to satisfy my curiosity. No, the moment I start thinking it's my fault...I'm admitting Asahi Haruka's curse is real. And this is my last clue. If this doesn't work out, then that'll be the end whether I want to stop or not... [Kotarou]: "......third-year, Baraki Kunihiko. There, found his column." The column is so jam-packed with text that I feel intimidated before I even start reading it. But reading the title is already enough to tell what it's about. [Yoshino]: "I see...this is definitely the right guy." The column's title is "The Line Between Ghost Stories and Urban Legends". ...I start skimming it, and already it's obvious he's fascinated by the occult. I can easily imagine this guy wanting to look into the Asahi Haruka story. [Kotarou]: "......this is really hardcore. I could see this ending up in a hospital waiting room." [Yoshino]: "What's the point in reading this?" [Kotarou]: "There isn't one. I'm trying to find out about the author......oh." Bingo. Underneath the editor's afterword, it says... "If you know about any obscure ghost stories or urban legends, tell us!" And just under that is a telephone number. [Kotarou]: "Oh come on, do people normally put their home phone numbers on these things...?" [Yoshino]: "He probably wants to talk to other occult maniacs." [Kotarou]: "Why are middle schoolers so willing to expose their personal information?" [Kotarou]: "Oh well, it's perfect for me. Now I can just call him." Baraki Kunihiko, the boy who wrote an article on Asahi Haruka......now I have his phone number. I wanted to know if it still worked, so I tried calling him during lunch break... [Kotarou]: "Ah, hello......I'm a former classmate of Baraki Kunihiko...yes......eh?" [Phone]: "Kunihiko already left for work." [Kotarou]: "...ah...Kunihiko-kun has a job now?" Now I know for sure Baraki Kunihiko wasn't killed by the curse. In fact, he's healthy enough to have a job. [Kotarou]: "Yes. It's been a long time since I lived in this town, so I thought it'd be nice to see him again." [Kotarou]: ".........in front of the station? Yes, I know the place." His mother told me where he works without any questions. It's a restaurant near the station. I didn't recognize the name, but she told me the general area so I should be able to find it. The station's not that far from here. I can head over there on the way home. His mother seems to love talking, so if I let this go on much longer I'll never be able to hang up. I manage to sneak in a goodbye and hang up... ...this man is my last chance. If he can't tell me anything......then I'll admit defeat. [Kotarou]: "......still...what happened to class rep?" I get class rep's number out of my call history. Is she really just sick today? ......I hope so. I try calling class rep's phone, but all I get is an answering machine... The rain did stop briefly around lunch, but by evening it's started up again. The shopping district is deserted due to the rain. It feels quite lonely. [Kotarou]: "Oh, this place...isn't this where we got that giant parfait?" Baraki Kunihiko works at the giant parfait shop. I never thought I'd end up coming back here. The inside feels kinda dark, probably because of the weather. A poster on the wall lists not only people who finished the giant parfait, but also people who finished a super spicy parfait. The names "Konohana Lucia" and "Ohtori Chihaya" are proudly displayed at the top. There are quite a few people on the list for the giant parfait, but apparently no one else has managed to finish the super spicy one. ......well, class rep is kinda special. It feels like forever ago when I brought class rep and Chihaya here to make up, and we had to deal with that super spicy parfait... [Employee]: "Welcome～ Party of one? Ah! You're the one who...!" [Kotarou]: "H-hi, I'm not here for a parfait today. Does someone called Baraki-san work here...?" [Employee]: "Huh? That's me...why do you ask...?" ...this hoodlum is Baraki Kunihiko?

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> He does seem aloof, like many hoodlums...but he doesn't seem afraid of anything. So he probably hasn't seen any glass break in the last few days. [Kotarou]: "I wanted to ask about...what happened four years ago." [Employee]: "Four years...? Wait......you don't mean..." Baraki-senpai immediately looks displeased. ...so he does still remember it clearly. Now I just have to pry something out of him... [Employee]: "I'm a big fan of spicy food, but I also like ghost stories and urban legends." He takes off his apron and sits down in one of the booths, then starts talking to me. He joined the Black Spice Alliance in high school and caused all sorts of trouble, but in middle school he was just an ordinary member of the newspaper club. I take notes and continue asking questions. [Kotarou]: "So you asked about the Asahi Haruka rumors?" [Employee]: "I was trying to find brand-new, obscure ghost stories, Not ones like Hanako-san that everyone knows already." [Employee]: "Then one day someone told me about a cursed girl named Asahi Haruka." He probably benefited from publishing his phone number in that culture festival booklet. Baraki-senpai became interested in that story as soon as he heard about it... [Employee]: "......but why do you want to know about that?" [Kotarou]: "The same reason as you. I'm curious." [Employee]: "You should forget about it. For your own good." He says that immediately. He still sounds like a hoodlum, but he also sounds very serious... [Kotarou]: "I heard you suffered an injury and stopped investigating the story." [Employee]: "...pretty much. A huge sign fell on me...I guess I got lucky though..." [Kotarou]: "A-a huge sign? I'm amazed you're alive..." [Employee]: "It kinda tipped over, instead of falling straight down, so it wasn't as bad as it could've been." [Employee]: "If it'd hit me directly I definitely would've died..." ...I see. The severity of his injury was exaggerated a bit. But he is getting more and more worried as we continue talking. I'm sure the incident shocked him at the time... [Kotarou]: "I don't know exactly what happened, but...Baraki-senpai, do you believe that your injury was caused by Asahi Haruka's curse...?" He repeatedly gulps, as if preparing to say something very emotional... Normally I think it's shameful to be afraid of "curses"...but this case is different...he's probably trying to tell me that too. [Kotarou]: "I'm sure it was terrifying to have that sign fall on you, but could it have just been a coincidence?" [Employee]: "...if it was just the sign, yes." [Kotarou]: "......so there was...glass breaking...too?" [Employee]: "What are you after...?" [Kotarou]: "I want to know who the cursed girl, Asahi Haruka really is." [Employee]: "Are you...also into the occult?" [Kotarou]: "Well...something like that. I'm actually in the Occult Research Club..." [Employee]: "All the more reason you should stop." I don't understand that logic. It would make sense if he told me to back off because I wouldn't like occult things. But why does being into it make this worse...? [Employee]: "People who are into the occult never actually believe any of it is real." [Kotarou]: "Baraki-senpai, I read the column you published in middle school. You seemed to believe it..." [Employee]: "...I just liked ghost stories and urban legends that were a bit creepy and dangerous." [Employee]: "But I could enjoy them precisely because I knew it was all fake. I knew I was safe." [Employee]: "There's a cheap thrill in thinking about how scary it'd be if you actually got cursed or whatever..." [Employee]: "...it was just a way to kill time. But..." [Kotarou]: "You're saying...the Asahi Haruka story isn't safe?" [Kotarou]: "That's why I'm investigating it. As a member of the Occult Research Club, it's my job to find out what's really going on." [Kotarou]: "So please tell me...what do you know about Asahi Haruka?" [Kotarou]: "And what happened to Kishida Ryuugo seven years ago? What happened in Year 4, Class 1 seven years ago? Please tell me." [Employee]: "......hmmmm." Baraki-senpai crosses his arms and groans nervously... He probably feels the same way as Yoshino. He's ashamed to have been afraid of it...but he still remembers what made him so terrified... [Manager]: "Baraki! You lived through the hell of the Spice Alliance! Stop acting so scared!" [Employee]: "...b-boss." [Manager]: "This sounds interesting. I'll listen too, so start telling him already." His boss had been listening from the kitchen, and now he's come out to try and persuade him to tell us the rest. That push is enough to finally make Baraki-senpai talk... [Employee]: "......when I heard about the Asahi Haruka story, I decided to look into it so I could be the first one to publish it." Then he found out that the story came from 7th Municipal's Year 4, Class 1. Same as me so far. But then, he discovered that Class 1 happened to be planning a reunion... [Manager]: "Aaah, 7th Municipal has a tradition of every class getting back together a year after graduating. I was from there too. That takes me back!" According to the manager, this reunion involved everyone getting together in a classroom on a Sunday, where they drank juice, ate snacks and had a bunch of fun talking. So Baraki-senpai walked into a party like that... According to Yoshino, up until that day, the names Asahi Haruka and Kishida Ryuugo weren't treated as taboo subjects, and yet they are today. Whatever happened that day changed all that... [Employee]: "That day, it was raining cats and dogs, just like it is now." [Employee]: "...I brought with me a little notebook, some pencils and a tape recorder." Baraki-senpai probably thought discussing a ghost story like Asahi Haruka would just be another addition to the party. When he entered the classroom, the party was already in full swing... "Hello, I'm from the newspaper club. I'm trying to learn about Asahi Haruka. Does anyone know that ghost story?" When he said that, everyone told him about it for fun, but a few people kept their distance from him. [Employee]: "The Asahi Haruka story was essentially tacked on to Kishida Ryuugo's death, so they probably found it distasteful." [Employee]: "They didn't want to talk to me because they didn't want to discuss a dead ex-classmate." That sounds like Yoshino. [Kotarou]: "So what did they tell you?" [Employee]: "First, about Kishida Ryuugo." [Employee]: "...he stopped coming to school only a week or two after he transferred, and they heard he died after that." They may not have been close to him, but having a classmate die must have been a huge shock at that age. ...it's not surprising someone made a ghost story out of it. [Employee]: "Versions of the ghost story say he died of a mysterious illness, or had weird bruises covering his whole body or something." [Kotarou]: "Did any of them actually see that?" [Employee]: "Nope. None of them knew about his death firsthand." [Employee]: "In fact none of them even knew the hospital he was in, so no one could go visit him." [Manager]: "Since he died there, there's no way to disprove anything. All ghost stories are like that, heheh."

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> So their classmate disappeared and died where no one could visit him, and they made a ghost story out of it. ...I feel bad for Kishida Ryuugo, but I can understand that. [Kotarou]: "And...what about the Asahi Haruka story itself?" [Employee]: "Right, I asked them where he transferred from and what he did there." [Employee]: "...then they started telling me that Kishida came from an orphanage, where he met Asahi Haruka." [Kotarou]: "Did Kishida Ryuugo use that name himself?" [Employee]: "Yes. He told them the girl's name was Asahi Haruka, though he never told them what kanji to write it with." [Kotarou]: "Which means there's no way to check if she actually exists..." [Manager]: "Really? That's just fishy." The boss sighs as if someone just mocked him. Still...it might not really matter if Asahi Haruka was a real girl. "If you try to learn about Asahi Haruka, you'll get cursed." As long as that connection remains, the actual girl with that name isn't all that important. ...but that just raises more questions. Why would investigating a girl who doesn't even exist cause strange things to happen? That's what separates this from just an ordinary ghost story... [Employee]: "Well, honestly I didn't think it was that plausible either." [Employee]: "But that's part of what makes urban legends fun, so..." [Kotarou]: "......what happened next?" Baraki-senpai looks down at first...... [Employee]: "I got plenty of material for my article...they told me a lot..." He intended to write it all up and publish a new ghost story for Kazamatsuri... From here on...I'll try to leave out the parts where Baraki-senpai got emotional, and rewrite it in my own words...that'll help me analyze it calmly. ...it happened in the classroom, while the party was still going on. 3:55 PM. The clock in the classroom fell down and broke. Since they were just talking about Asahi Haruka's curse, everyone started talking about how the curse made that happen. Of course, it was still just a bunch of boys having fun at this point. Since the classroom's clock broke, the times for the other events come from Baraki-senpai checking his watch... 3:57 PM. A single horizontal crack in a window pane. Class 1's old teacher swept up the broken pieces of the clock, put some tape on the window and left. Everyone thought someone threw a rock from the courtyard or something, but they couldn't see anyone down there. 3:58 PM. Another crack in a window. The atmosphere in the classroom started to change. The girls were quiet. The boys weren't as loud as before, but some of them were still talking about the curse. They might have been trying to cure everyone else's gloomy mood. But by claiming those creepy events were caused by a curse, they really just made everyone believe it... 4:00 PM. Two fluorescent lights broke. A few students were underneath them, so everyone asked if they got hurt. The girls were now very afraid, and a few left to get a teacher. Some of them picked up the pieces on their own. Most of the students weren't talking anymore, though a handful made weird noises out of fear. The only sounds were of the thunderstorm outside, and of people's reactions to the thunder. 4:01 PM. The teacher came back and asked what was going on. When he did, about three more window panes broke. One of them was like a spider web. The broken glass looked eerie, so everyone removed it from the window. Since the teacher had been there, he knew none of them had broken it. This made the classroom even more chaotic. A few people started crying. When the teacher walked over to the windows to look outside and check the glass, most of the remaining fluorescent lights all broke at once. Glass poured down into the classroom. The room filled with screams. The teacher decided the room was "dangerous" and instructed all the students to leave. But the students were in a panic, and fled out of the room anyway. A few people fell over or got shoved to the ground during this, making it even more confusing. The students were all pale and shivering, saying it was Asahi Haruka's curse... [Kotarou]: "...and all of that happened within five minutes?" All of that glass broke...in only five minutes. It's easy to imagine what that would do to a reunion party... Baraki-senpai adds that none of the other classrooms experienced anything like that. [Manager]: "Is that true? I'm not buying it..." [Employee]: "It's true! I'm not making this up, that really happened!" [Kotarou]: "What happened after that...?" [Employee]: "A-after that, we all went our separate ways..." [Employee]: "Wait, we might've moved to a different classroom and eaten something...then the teacher pulled me aside, since he thought I did something." The teacher thought Baraki-senpai had brought up the topic of the cursed girl, then set it up to look like the curse was happening in that very room. But it was easy to show his innocence. There were twenty other students there, and none of them had seen him do anything. Baraki-senpai was only released after the students started leaving...so he didn't get to ask any more questions... As the rain poured, he trudged home. The reunion that started out nice and fun was shattered like glass by some mysterious force... He feared he might have touched on something terrifying. And he felt uneasy and exhausted and several other things for no real reason. He couldn't even think about what had just happened... ――Don't wake me. ...eh? Suddenly, someone spoke to him. Why was someone else out here in the rain...? ......was he imagining it...? Something grabbed his arm from behind, forcefully telling him it was real. When he turned around......he saw a girl. She was holding his arm, as if to keep him from running away... [Baraki]: "Umm......who are you...?" [Girl]: "......don't wake me." At first glance, that girl with her old-fashioned bobbed haircut looked like she might've been one of the students from the reunion. ...but he knew none of the girls there looked like this. [Baraki]: "Huh? Wh-what are you talking about...?" [Girl]: "......don't wake me." [Baraki]: "Wh-...who are you......?" Part of him knew who she might be, and why she would tell him not to wake her. The girl showed no sign of letting him go. She was still holding his arm... [Girl]: "......don't wake me. Or else, you'll..." [Baraki]: "O-or else...I'll what...?" Through the hand on his arm, he felt an indescribable chill. It wasn't...his imagination. At first glance nothing had changed, but his arm was going numb...and he felt dull pain as if it was swelling up... [Baraki]: "L-...let go...!" He swung his arm, breaking her grip. At the same time... He heard several bursting sounds, and glass rained down on the asphalt. It was pretty dark there, so the street lights were on even though it wasn't nighttime yet. He could feel the area get even darker with each sound. When he looked up, he saw an even bigger change. The huge sign over a nearby grocery store...was moving back and forth, even though the wind wasn't that strong. There was no way a large metal sign bolted into the side of a building could blow in the wind...he was seeing things... He stared at it for a while to prove it to himself...and that's why he's still here. That sign slowly tilted toward him, hanging over the ground in front of the store.

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> ...rainwater streamed down it, spraying over the street. When he saw that, for a moment he thought it was beautiful. In retrospect, he shouldn't have had time to think such things. If anything had been just a little different, that sign might have fallen right on him. Instead it fell right at his feet. Then it bounced, and one corner hit him in the head. ...even then, he was lucky. If the sharpest part had hit him, it might have torn his head open......maybe even crushed his skull. He doesn't remember fainting...but when he recovered from the shock, the creepy girl was gone. All that remained was the rain, which had never stopped pouring, and the sign lying on the ground. ...and a line of warm blood running down his forehead... [Employee]: "...after that I heard a scream, and someone told me I was bleeding." [Employee]: "Someone in the grocery store came out and apologized several times, but other people on the street thought we were having a fight..." ...some of those people were probably from Class 1. And that's how the part about the sign falling on him got added to the ghost story... [Kotarou]: "...is that everything?" [Employee]: "Yes, that's it..." [Employee]: "I stopped investigating it after that." [Employee]: "Since I understood that the Asahi Haruka story is actually dangerous, and not something I should look into just for fun..." [Manager]: "You're pathetic...it was a thunderstorm, right? Lightning could have caused a lot of that." [Manager]: "That must've been why all the lights broke, right?" [Manager]: "And then just a sudden gust of wind! You know, like Kamaitachi or El Niño or Jalapeño or something." Never heard of the third one, but...I get what he's saying. As strange as it was for all those things to happen so close together, each of them might just be a coincidence. ......as long as that's a possibility, we can sweep away any strange phenomena as mere bad luck. But Baraki-senpai wasn't reassured by that. [Employee]: "I'm sure......that girl was the subject of the ghost story..." [Kotarou]: "The subject...? ......you mean...she was Asahi Haruka?" [Employee]: "......yes, that's what I believe..." [Manager]: "You think you met that Asahi ghost? Ha! Don't be an idiot!" [Employee]: "Asahi Haruka could make flowers wilt and animals die by touching them. Even humans would get mysterious, fatal illnesses from her touch." [Kotarou]: "Yes, that's how the story goes." [Employee]: "......she......showed me......proof of that." [Manager]: "Showed you what exactly? Just spit it out..." [Employee]: "......it's hard to describe..." [Employee]: "......b-but..."showed" isn't the right word......she put a mark on me......I can still see it......" [Kotarou]: "Eh......?" Still......see it...? I can't understand what he means at first. The boss and I open our eyes wide. Baraki-senpai starts moving his arms......and rolls up his sleeves. He shows us his slender, pale arms. ......what are we supposed to see......? [Employee]: "...come on......look closely..." [Employee]: "......it's faded a lot by now...but it's still there." [Kotarou]: "......still there...?" [Manager]: "You've got some weak arms. What are we supposed to see on these pale sticks?" [Employee]: "Look......here...can you see it?" I gasp without thinking... That's......d-definitely...some kind......of mark... [Employee]: "...th-...this is where Asahi Haruka......grabbed my arm..." There's a light purple mark...in the shape of a small girl's hand... [Manager]: "D-...did she squeeze your arm that hard...?" [Employee]: "She was strong...but nowhere near enough to leave a mark like this." [Employee]: "...if it was that easy to bruise me we'd still be able to see all the places you poked me, boss." Even if she did squeeze him that hard...that shouldn't still be there four years later. But......it still looks fresh... And it doesn't just look like a hand. It has very sharp, clear edges that make it obvious only a hand could have possibly made that mark. Asahi Haruka left this...to prove that she warned him not to wake her up. The boss continues saying it's all a coincidence. But the more he does...the harder it is for me to think this really isn't a curse... Each little thing can be explained on its own, but...it's safe to say that investigating Asahi Haruka does result in bad things happening. From what he just told me...the obvious conclusion is that Asahi Haruka made that mark. Which means there really is a girl called Asahi Haruka out there...and she attacks people when they try to investigate her, I guess. Baraki-senpai experienced all those strange events four years ago at the class reunion. Until then it was just a little ghost story everyone in the class remembered, which he'd wanted to publish in his newspaper. Did Asahi Haruka hear about that and come after him...? Everything that happened at the reunion elevated that story up to a taboo...and it should have been forgotten by everyone after that. For a while it was. But then someone told us about it...and I'm digging everything back up. That caused more strange events to happen to everyone in Class 1, who still remember that reunion. Even Yoshino's shaking from it. ......which means...she should appear soon. The mystery girl appeared in front of Baraki-senpai personally. She told him in person not to wake her, and left a mark. So... She should appear in front of me any day now. Suddenly, I hear a dry bursting sound. Glass shards immediately fall to the floor. Until just a moment ago, the two men sitting next to me were fiercely arguing about whether it really was a curse or not, but they both go quiet, as if they lost power. Well, the room really did lose power. One of the lights in here just broke...... [Manager]: "Wh-...what the hell...dammit, why did that..." [Employee]: "Boss......th-...that's..." They both look up at the ceiling...then Baraki-senpai sees it, and points. Yes, I know...I know...... ......he's pointing to the chandelier... ......one of its lightbulbs...is broken... [Kotarou]: "Did that......just break...?" [Employee]: "Y-yes..." [Manager]: "...i-...idiot, it's just a coincidence!" [Manager]: "......uwa!?" As if to force the boss to believe it too... No, because all three of us were watching... The other bulbs on the chandelier burst one by one. As we stare in disbelief, it continues throughout the shop, until every single light is broken. [Employee]: "Uwaaa!!" [Manager]: "Watch out!! Uoooooooooo...!!" The pieces fall on us. We all put our arms over our heads. It almost feels like the sky broke into a million pieces and fell down on us. ......for an instant, I feel as if the world is ending. When I come to my senses......all is silent. The shop is still dark. Almost all the lights have broken. There's just Baraki-senpai and his boss cowering, occasionally screaming...just like the students in Class 1... [Employee]: "I can't do it...!! I can't talk about Asahi Haruka...! Please let me go now! Please stop thiiiiiiiiiiis!" [Manager]: "Baraki, calm down you idiot! Go get a broom!"

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep </METADATA> [Manager]: "We're terribly sorry about this, we'll start cleaning it up right away! Would any of you mind if we closed early today?" The manager hasn't admitted it was the curse. But he probably would admit that the lights broke because I asked about Asahi Haruka. So it's no surprise they won't talk about it anymore. I can't blame him. So I stand up apologetically, tell them I'm sorry and leave... There's no wind outside, but it's still raining heavily. I open my umbrella and look at the shop again...no, at the sign above it. It's not going to fall on me, is it...? ...I forgot something. The sign didn't fall on Baraki-senpai right away either. ...before that......the girl appeared, and grabbed his arm... Along with those words, something suddenly grabs my arm from behind. The arm holding me is cold, and it hurts in a prickly way...it feels like touching dry ice. I throw off that cold hand...and turn around. And then...... In front of me......is a girl. An old-fashioned bob-haired girl...? A middle schooler...? No. It's been four years since then. So she's a high schooler now. And......now she has black hair in a ponytail...... [Kotarou]: "...c-.........class rep......?" On the outside, she looks like class rep... She's wearing the school uniform, and standing in the rain without an umbrella...but it's definitely class rep. And yet...her eyes are different. She looks like class rep, but...I can easily tell...it's not her. And then I realize why she feels so different. ...her hands. She never takes off her white gloves no matter what......but they're gone now. She's exposing her white, delicate, translucent hands... Normally her hair is beautiful, but now it's wet with rain, scattered across her cheeks. Somehow that looks sad......and at the same time...very creepy... [Lucia]: "......don't wake me." She says it again. Her words have no life to them...as if someone other than her is speaking through her mouth. ...I don't believe in curses. But I can believe this. ......she's not Konohana Lucia right now. She's...Asahi Haruka... [Kotarou]: "Are you...Asahi Haruka?" *pop* Something breaks nearby, and then I hear glass shards falling to the ground. As if that's her answer... [Kotarou]: "...I thought you might show up soon." [Girl]: "......why are you trying to wake me?" The girl in class rep's form completely ignores me, instead repeating her question... [Kotarou]: "To bring an end to your story." [Girl]: "......"story"?" [Kotarou]: "About the cursed girl making things break and die. Doesn't it bother you that people see you that way?" [Kotarou]: "I don't know much about you yet, partly because everyone's too afraid of you to tell me anything." [Kotarou]: "But I have learned something from my investigation." [Girl]: "......what...?" [Kotarou]: "Everyone talks about you like they've seen the end of the world." [Kotarou]: "But not a single one of them knows who you are as a person." [Kotarou]: "Everyone makes a huge fuss about the creepy things you've done even though they've never spoken to you." [Kotarou]: "Maybe Kishida Ryuugo was different. Maybe he actually did know you." [Kotarou]: "But the others, the ones I've talked to, they know nothing about you. They don't know what you look like. They don't even know the kanji your name is written with." ......I've always hated it when people do that. When they decide someone they've never met is a certain way, just so they can talk about them behind their backs. This ghost story feels very similar to me, so it's been annoying the hell out of me for a while. ...but almost all ghost stories are like that. Has anyone ever met Okiku from the Banchō Sarayashiki or Hanako-san of the Toilet? [Kotarou]: "I don't like it." [Girl]: "......like what...?" [Kotarou]: "The girl you're possessing......Konohana Lucia. She doesn't deserve what you've done to her." [Girl]: "......aaah, you mean this girl's filthy hands." [Kotarou]: "Don't say that so lightly." [Kotarou]: "Class rep's hands were never filthy. That's complete nonsense. Just something a bunch of cruel kids decided." Some unfortunate coincidences overlapped. That's all it takes for children to decide someone's diseased. But class rep was lucky. Her story could have been much worse. [Kotarou]: "Class rep was hurt deeply...so deeply she still can't take off her gloves......but she's made it so that her trauma doesn't cause problems for anyone else." [Kotarou]: "Unlike you!" [Kotarou]: "Because of what Kishida Ryuugo said in Year 4, Class 1......you're no more than the name of a ghost story now." [Kotarou]: "If I didn't know class rep better..." [Kotarou]: "Your story would've been an ordinary, unoriginal ghost story to me." [Kotarou]: "But you're the same as class rep...I know you're just a victim of some cruel children who decided you were cursed." The girl looks blankly at me...staring at me with emotionless eyes. As if she's not listening to what I'm saying, but trying to gauge something deep in my eyes. Maybe I should've feared it. But I didn't. [Kotarou]: "You lived through exactly the same thing Konohana Lucia did." [Kotarou]: "......the flowers and animals you touched died, but completely by coincidence." [Kotarou]: "It only takes a handful of cases before they decide to slap a label like "cursed girl" on you." That's why......believing the Asahi Haruka story, and being afraid of her...is nothing but defiling her name. ...when class rep heard the story, she immediately compared Asahi Haruka to herself and expressed sympathy for her. ......but now I know the whole truth. [Kotarou]: "......class rep wasn't sympathizing with you......she was afraid." [Kotarou]: "Right now, only class rep herself and Shizuru know what really happened in her past." [Kotarou]: "And unless I forced one of them to talk about it, no one would ever know." Most people think class rep's gloves are due to her being a clean freak. They may give her some strange looks...but that's all, since they know it's class rep's problem. ...and if class rep can overcome that trauma, then she can take the gloves off whenever she wants. And once she gets past that......nothing will hold her back anymore. [Kotarou]: "But class rep found out there was a girl called Asahi Haruka who was given the same label, and got turned into a ghost story." [Kotarou]: "That's why she was afraid." [Kotarou]: "She was worried someone out there might know her past, and be turning it into a stupid rumor." [Kotarou]: "She was afraid people would forever know her as nothing more than a cursed girl to be avoided...!" She needs time to build up the courage to face her past. And I need to prove to her that those cruel labels can be removed. [Kotarou]: "That's why..."

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "I swore to find out the truth, not just for you, but for class rep...!!" [Girl]: "......everyone was finally forgetting my past." [Girl]: "...but you woke it up again." [Kotarou]: "Is that what you wanted? ...to cry yourself to sleep without even trying to fix it?" [Kotarou]: "I don't know much about you yet. All I know is you had the same kind of past as class rep." [Kotarou]: "That you've been called a cursed girl and a vampire......do you want to let people keep saying that?" [Kotarou]: "Of course you don't!" The girl won't answer. But silence is all the answer I need. [Kotarou]: "Of course not...if you didn't mind people saying those things about you, you wouldn't bother telling them to not wake you up." "Don't wake me." In other words, "leave me alone, now that everyone's starting to forget". In other words...pretend it never happened. [Kotarou]: "Class rep...yesterday, before we started calling people, I was hoping we could fight against this injustice together." [Kotarou]: "You're the one who volunteered to help with my crazy investigation, right class rep?" [Kotarou]: "You believed that solving this would give you a chance to face your own past, didn't you?" [Girl]: "......but she called you last night......she told you to stop." [Kotarou]: "Yes......and now I can understand why she changed her mind. She was shocked." To class rep, Asahi Haruka is another her. At first she was eager to help investigate. [Kotarou]: "But the people she called told her all sorts of horrible stories." [Kotarou]: "......after hearing every single girl in the class talk about Asahi Haruka that way, she was crushed." ......she couldn't throw off the shame, humiliation, suffering and sadness of those past misunderstandings... So......it felt easier to just let everyone forget about it. ...which means......she became convinced it was best to continue hiding her hands underneath those gloves and bearing all the sadness alone... [Kotarou]: "Her feelings......they're probably the same as yours. That's why she spoke to me in your place last night." [Kotarou]: "Yes, I'm in the Occult Research Club, and I found out about you while I was looking for fun ghost stories to write articles about." [Kotarou]: "I admit, that makes me exactly the kind of person you have every reason to hate." But as I investigated, I started to understand. ......there's nothing occult about this. [Kotarou]: "I realized it was just a bunch of kids harassing you! And I'm the type who can't overlook it when people suffer for no reason." [Girl]: "......I don't need your sympathy." [Kotarou]: "Maybe so! If two girls start fighting, I'll make sure they get back together, and if someone gets bullied for no reason I can't just stand still and watch!" [Kotarou]: "I'll clear the names of Asahi Haruka! And Konohana Lucia!!" [Girl]: "......I appreciate the thought, but you're misunderstanding something." [Kotarou]: "What?" [Girl]: "The truth is......I really am cursed." Up until now, the girl's been listening to me with no emotion...for the first time, she showed an eerie smile. But I can't see that as an ordinary smile anymore. ......she's sad...belittling me, telling herself a boy like me couldn't possibly understand her pain. I know that all too well. And I know that's how Konohana Lucia feels too, not just Asahi Haruka. So I'll say this as loud and clear as I can. [Kotarou]: "You were never cursed." [Kotarou]: "I will crush the stupid ghost story that's been making you two suffer." [Kotarou]: "You've been told by others that you're cursed countless times." [Kotarou]: "And eventually, you started believing it yourself...no, not quite." [Kotarou]: "You had to accept what they were saying, or else you'd go insane." It's hard to continue believing you're right when everyone around you disagrees. It's far easier to change your mind, and decide that you were the only one in the wrong. Sometimes......it's easier to accept bullying than it is to fight it... No doubt that was the case for class rep. She still feels anxious if she doesn't have her gloves on 24/7, or fails to wash her hands often enough. That isn't because she's actually filthy or anything. She grew tired of fighting the slander claiming her hands were filthy......and had no choice but to accept their insults. [Kotarou]: "It hurts a lot less to accept people's misunderstandings than it does to try and fight it." [Kotarou]: "......I understand why it feels easier to just accept it." [Kotarou]: "That's why I can say this even though I don't know you very well." Despite all that...don't accept it. [Kotarou]: "Don't let them call you cursed and filthy!" [Kotarou]: "Don't accept those labels and pretend it doesn't make you sad!!" The girl looks taken aback for a moment. Because I suddenly shouted at her? ...no, that's definitely not it. It's because she finally noticed the emotions she'd been ignoring. [Kotarou]: "What you're feeling isn't sadness! It's regret!" [Kotarou]: "If you can't escape that feeling, I'll help you get rid of it!" [Kotarou]: "I will tear down the myth that Asahi Haruka is cursed. I'll destroy the rumor that Konohana Lucia's hands are filthy!" [Girl]: "......you think you can do that?" [Kotarou]: "Yes! I promise!!" [Kotarou]: "Asahi Haruka's curse is complete nonsense, and I'm going to prove it!!" [Girl]: ".........huhuhuhuhuhu...ahahahahahaha..." The girl covers her eyes and shakes her head slightly, ridiculing me. She also seems amazed at my stupidity...but I don't think she's laughing. [Kotarou]: "Of course I think I can do it......" [Girl]: "Yes, that's right." [Girl]: "......that's why I've been telling you, you're misunderstanding." ――I really am cursed. Several bursting sounds occur one after the other. The street lights are breaking. ...aaah, I know, I get the point......so stop it. [Girl]: "...how are you gonna explain this? This is Asahi Haruka's curse." [Kotarou]: "I'll never call it a curse." [Girl]: "Huhuhuhuhuhu, what is this if not a curse? Do I need to make a sign fall on your head too...?" The light just above my head breaks too, and pieces rain down at my feet. If the wind was just a little different, they might have fallen on my head...but I'm not afraid. [Kotarou]: "Give it your best shot. But I'll never call it a curse." [Kotarou]: "Why would I? ......you may call it a curse, but I'm not gonna do that." [Girl]: "......I "call" it a curse?" [Kotarou]: "Don't give up that easily!!" [Kotarou]: "Don't give in to everyone who decided you were cursed! Don't accept the ghost story that blames you for everything!!"

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "Don't let people say you're cursed!! I'll say it in your place!!" [Kotarou]: "I don't blame you for not having the courage to say it, so I'll say it for you!" You are not cursed!! [Kotarou]: "It's all a big lie. Just a stupid story some kids made up." [Kotarou]: "If you can't do anything, that's fine. I'll clear your name for you!! I will save you from this!!" I shout everything at her. These are all things she wanted to shout herself, so I can't say them weakly. I'm shouting this because I understand her regret. ...the girl looks unimpressed. As if she can't understand what I'm saying......or she's thinking about how to respond to it. Either way, she's no longer trying to threaten me, or scare me off... Now......she's just a sad girl standing in the rain without an umbrella...who's forgotten how to cry... [Kotarou]: "Look at me. I will end this rotten story." [Girl]: "............can you......do that...?" [Kotarou]: "I can, and I will. I will crush it." [Girl]: "Ha.........hahahaha." [Kotarou]: "Go ahead and laugh. I'll still do it. I will save you, and Konohana Lucia...all because I want to. That's just what I do." [Girl]: "......so no matter what happens to you...you'll still say it's all just a coincidence?" [Kotarou]: "Yeah, no matter how many lightbulbs break." [Girl]: "............stupid man. Does it even matter if it's a curse or not? ...everyone who gets close to me dies." [Kotarou]: "Don't say that. That's just another lie people made you believe." [Kotarou]: "And I will never accept it." [Girl]: "......then do as you wish." [Kotarou]: "......yeah, I will." [Girl]: "But remember this." [Girl]: "......this is probably the last warning you'll get." [Kotarou]: "......what do you mean?" [Girl]: "Whether or not it's a curse, if a sign falls on you, you will get hurt." [Kotarou]: "......true." [Girl]: "And the pain in your arm...whether it's a curse or not, it will eat away at you." ...well, it has been aching this whole time. The place where she grabbed me. ......somehow, I know it will leave a mark. Just like the mark......on Baraki-senpai's arm... [Girl]: "I gave you proof that I warned you...you should go calm down and think about it." [Girl]: "......then realize that next time, you'll get more than a warning." [Kotarou]: "Say whatever you want." [Kotarou]: "I'll do what I want to do. I'll take responsibility for it......so stop bothering Konohana Lucia. She's not bothering you anymore." [Kotarou]: "Just be quiet and watch. Now go away!" [Kotarou]: "And before you go away, I'll say it again. I will save you...that's all." [Girl]: "......such......a waste............" After saying that, her eyelids fall. ......then she staggers, like someone fainting from low blood pressure. I rush over and grab her... [Kotarou]: "A-are you okay...class rep...?" She doesn't answer. She really is unconscious. But......she's not Asahi Haruka now. She's my friend, Konohana Lucia... Class rep's been standing out in the rain for a long time now. She's extremely cold... I drop my umbrella so I can carry class rep on my back......she's soaking wet. Putting up with the water is tougher than actually carrying her. [Kotarou]: "Come on, Asahi Haruka...at least give her a damn umbrella..." I wonder if she could hear that. ......she probably can. She might still be here next to me. That's just fine. I wanted her to hear it. I start walking, with class rep on my back. I couldn't just leave her here in the cold... I'm...somewhere. I think I know where. The distinctive smell of antiseptic. The dusty air, as if this isn't normally used. It feels more like the nurse's office in a school than a hospital... And I've been hearing a girl's pained breathing this whole time. ...painful, hot, and hazy... She must be suffering from a high fever. [Woman]: "Haruka-chan suddenly developed a terrible fever......" That girl is lying on a bed, looking up at the ceiling, her mind still hazy. The woman must have decided first aid wasn't enough. She's on the phone, probably calling a doctor... Who is that woman? Her mother? ...no, too distant, too formal. But she can't be a stranger. For now, she decided to think of her as a schoolteacher. [Girl]: "......haa.........haa..." [Woman]: "You'll be all right, the doctor will be here soon..." [Girl]: "......it's hot.........so hot..." As the girl suffers, she reaches out with one arm. The woman gently grasps her hand. [Woman]: "You really are burning up...poor thing..." [Girl]: "............your hands are cold...it feels nice..." ――No......don't touch...my hands...... [Woman]: "I'll stay here until the doctor arrives. Don't worry..." The girl opens her hand weakly... But the woman wanted to reassure her, so she brought the girl's hand up to her cheek... [Girl]: "......don't...everyone......says I'm...filthy......" [Woman]: "You're not filthy. Your hands are beautiful, Haruka-chan." [Girl]: "...Sensei......your cheek is nice and cold..." [Woman]: "Poor thing...you're burning up.........so badly......" ――No...no.........my hand is.........don't...... By that afternoon, Sensei's cheek was turning black... By evening, she had a worse fever than me... And, in front of my eyes...Sensei stopped breathing. She shivered a little at the end......then she never moved again. It happened while the doctor was busy making a phone call... She called the doctor here to help me......but instead he had to tend to her. Her cheek......was swollen and purple. But the swelling had a strange shape to it...no doubt everyone who saw her shivered at the eerie hand-shaped mark... [Haruka]: "Whenever I touch someone......they die." [Lucia]: "......uu..." [Haruka]: "It's not that sunflowers wilted or goldfish died. That wasn't what happened." [Lucia]: "...I-I'm different......" [Haruka]: "No you're not." When we touch someone, they die. [Lucia]: "......we're not killing anyone...we never wanted to kill anyone...!" [Lucia]: "We just...touched them...that's all!!" [Haruka]: "That's no different from me. I didn't want to kill anyone either...but when I touch them, they die." We don't kill people by touching them. But when we touch them...they do die. [Haruka]: "That means they can't accept us."

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Lucia]: "......they can't...accept us......?" [Haruka]: "Yes...they can't accept the coming world." They can't accept the coming world. They will all die...whether we touch them or not. [Haruka]: "The future is ours. No, we're the only ones who'll be able to accept the future." [Lucia]: "......wh-what are you talking about...?" [Haruka]: "We're the hope for the coming world." ...we just need to sleep, waiting until that world comes. All we need to do is sleep until that day. ――So don't wake us. [Lucia]: "Hii!" I hear a brief scream from the bed. Class rep must have woken up. I pour some café au lait into a mug and bring it up to her. [Kotarou]: "......you awake? How are you feeling...?" [Lucia]: "Tennouji.........is this...your house...?" [Kotarou]: "Do you remember what happened? You collapsed outside the shop that makes those giant parfaits." She covers her eyes and tries to remember what happened... So her memories are a bit messed up. [Lucia]: "I couldn't wake up this morning since I felt bad.........and I can't remember anything after that." [Kotarou]: "You were absent today...by the way, it's already nighttime." [Lucia]: "......I see." Class rep looks up vaguely at the clock. Her internal clock is probably way off right now. But she doesn't seem too shocked by it. [Kotarou]: "You were standing out in the rain without an umbrella for a really long time. Hopefully you don't catch cold." [Lucia]: "...I don't get sick easily. I'll be fine." [Kotarou]: "Would you like some café au lait?" [Lucia]: "I don't like bitter drinks..." [Kotarou]: "It's okay, I added sugar." I place the mug on the small table next to the bed, and class rep sits up so she can reach it. The blanket falls down, exposing her white skin and underwear. [Kotarou]: "...ah, d-don't freak out or anything! I just thought you might catch a cold if I left you in those rain-soaked clothes..." Her uniform is so wet that water pours out if you squeeze it. I couldn't let her keep wearing that, so...well, I removed it. I thought about giving her some pajamas instead...but since she was unconscious doing anything else seemed indecent, so I decided a blanket would be enough. I was expecting her to start blushing and shouting at me......but she just looks indifferent. [Kotarou]: "......anyway, drink some. I'll get some clothes." [Lucia]: "Last night, Asahi Haruka came and spoke to me." [Kotarou]: "...what did she say?" [Lucia]: "......she said she really was a cursed girl...that it wasn't a story or rumor or anything." [Kotarou]: "......she told me the same thing earlier." [Lucia]: "Eh? ...that girl......talked to you too, Tennouji...?" [Kotarou]: "Through your body, class rep. That's why you were standing out in the rain so long." [Lucia]: "......what did Asahi Haruka say?" [Kotarou]: "At the end, she said I could do whatever I wanted." *pop* The room gets a little darker......one of the fluorescent lights broke. [Kotarou]: "Heh, don't try to hide it." I treat it lightly, but it looks like that noise scared class rep. [Kotarou]: "It's fine. I bought a bunch of spare fluorescent bulbs just in case." [Lucia]: "......it feels like I've been dreaming about Asahi Haruka this whole time." [Lucia]: "In the dream......everyone called me Haruka." She thinks back on the dream she just had... [Lucia]: "I think I was in the orphanage from the story..." [Lucia]: "......she was in bed with a fever......there was a young woman watching her, probably one of the caretakers." [Lucia]: "......she held Asahi Haruka's hand...and held it against her cheek......to make her feel better." [Kotarou]: "And she ended up with a hand-shaped mark on her cheek?" I turn around so class rep can't see what I'm doing...and I look at where Asahi Haruka grabbed my arm. When I think about it, it still hurts... And it does have a clear, purple, hand-shaped mark on it. The dream class rep's talking about...is probably real. The matron who watched over her got that mark on her cheek...and it might've been far worse than what I got. My mark is just a warning, which is why it doesn't hurt any more. ......but if it was worse, it might be enough to threaten someone's life. The girl's words come back to me. ――I really am cursed. [Lucia]: "Everyone I touch dies...that's what Asahi Haruka told me." [Kotarou]: "......everyone dies someday." [Lucia]: "We've been assuming that Asahi Haruka was just misunderstood......and needed our help..." [Lucia]: "...but what if she's right...and we really are wrong about her...?" [Kotarou]: "Don't listen to her." Class rep gets out of bed, unconcerned that she's in her underwear......she finds the decorative plants on my veranda and approaches them. She opens the glass door, letting the quiet noises of the rain and wind enter the room. She approaches the overgrown plants, and...plucks off a single leaf. Then she holds it up to me silently, as if telling me to look closely at it. [Lucia]: "We wanted to prove that Asahi Haruka wasn't cursed......that was the purpose of our investigation." [Kotarou]: "Yeah, that's right." [Lucia]: "But.........what if...she really was cursed...?" ......then we'll end up doing the exact opposite. We'll just end up proving the curse was real... [Kotarou]: "There's no such thing as a curse." [Lucia]: "That's what I thought at first......then she said to me..." ――I'll teach you my curse. [Kotarou]: ".........ah." The leaf she's holding up in front of me......shrinks and darkens... Like a burning newspaper, it slowly curls up...... Then it crumbles apart and falls to the floor... [Kotarou]: "Wh-......what the hell was that......?" [Lucia]: "......my hands...have been like this since last night..." [Lucia]: "When I touch......a flower............it really does.........dry up......" ...I've been getting used to the strange things that keep happening lately. When the light broke a minute ago, I thought nothing of it...except that I'd probably annoyed Asahi Haruka. ......but......this is... ...how could class rep's hands...actually......make something wilt...? [Lucia]: "Ohtori-san's flowers...... also............... wilted like this............ uu......uuu......" Tears pour out of her eyes... Damn you, Asahi Haruka... Why did you have to make class rep's nightmare a reality? ...not only that...but she did this to show me the curse is real...that everything I thought I was doing was all a big mistake.

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep </METADATA> ...in other words......Asahi Haruka showed me...that she really is cursed...... Dammit...... Is this......your......answer......? [Kotarou]: "......how...could this be......?" [Lucia]: "You're kind, Tennouji." [Lucia]: "You thought Asahi Haruka was just a victim of bullying, and started investigating in order to help her." [Lucia]: "......just like I did." [Kotarou]: "...but the truth is...she actually was cursed, and the story's completely true..." [Kotarou]: "And I made it happen all over again, even though everyone involved was being quiet about it and leaving it alone...is that it?" [Lucia]: "I don't know! But......my hands......really......are......filthy, so............uuuuu......" Her hands look exactly the same as before. White and beautiful. But right now, flowers she touches wilt......and people she touches have marks. And the mark on my arm is still hurting... [Kotarou]: "So your hands...have Asahi Haruka's curse?" [Kotarou]: ""Don't wake me".........so she meant that literally...dammit!" In a sense...it's wrong to blame Asahi Haruka for this. Her story was true from the beginning. That's why she was waiting for the stories about her to slowly be forgotten. I misunderstood all of that... [Kotarou]: "So...it's all......my fault...?" [Lucia]: "......I don't think so, Tennouji. You saw injustice, and we both wanted to fix it." [Kotarou]: "But everything I did was a waste......and I made tons of glass windows and lightbulbs break, scaring a bunch of people for no reason." [Kotarou]: "All those guys from Class 1 were finally forgetting that story...and on top of that, your hands are..." [Kotarou]: "Dammit............you're playing dirty...Asahi Haruka...why did you have to do that to class rep...?" [Kotarou]: "......why didn't you do it to me...?" [Lucia]: "...haha.........well, Tennouji......you wouldn't give up no matter what she did to you, would you...?" ...unfortunately, she's right. No matter what happened here in my own home, it'd just make me more motivated to fight back. ......it's infinitely harder to deal with people I care about being attacked. [Kotarou]: "......enough." [Lucia]: "......eh?" I furiously scratch my head, then make a statement toward the girl who I'm sure is still looking down on me. [Kotarou]: "I've had enough! I surrender!" [Kotarou]: "I know you can hear me, Asahi Haruka! You win! Now change class rep's hands back to normal...!!" [Lucia]: ".........Tennouji..." I expected her to break another light as an answer, ...but nothing happens this time. Stop toying with us! Answer me! I'll stop now! I said I surrender! I've given up already...so please fix her hands! [Kotarou]: "H-how are your hands!? Are they back to normal...!?" [Lucia]: "I......don't know." I rush out to the veranda and grab another leaf. I hold it out to her...but she takes a step back from fear, and won't take it from me. ......I look away when I realize how insensitive that was. [Kotarou]: "......s-......sorry." [Lucia]: "D-do not worry about it...Tennouji Kotarou..." [Lucia]: "This is......no different from before...for me..." [Lucia]: "......I'll always wear my gloves...wash my hands every day......and never touch anyone..." [Lucia]: "......I won't hold anyone's hand......and I'll make sure no one can ever use the same utensils as me..." [Lucia]: "......I don't want to kill anyone, after all.........this is no different from before......not at all..." [Lucia]: "......so......don't worry about me............" [Lucia]: "...I'm just filthy...that's all......" [Kotarou]: "Stop it, class rep...stop it..." [Lucia]: "I made Ohtori-san mad because I couldn't hold a cat...I made several boys mad because I couldn't touch flowers..." [Lucia]: "......no one......can accept me...can accept us." [Lucia]: "...no, not just people." [Lucia]: "......plants, animals, people...everything in this world......none of it can accept us..." [Lucia]: ".........I'll never be able...to touch any living thing......I'll be all alone forever......uuu!!" [Kotarou]: "STOP IT!! I'm the one at fault here...so don't say such sad things!" [Lucia]: "You don't understand! You have no idea how I or Asahi Haruka feel!" [Lucia]: "I have to spend my entire life alone, never touching anyone or anything............because they'll die..." [Lucia]: "No one in this world can accept our existence...!" [Lucia]: "No one can! Not a single person! Not one of them!! Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" [Kotarou]: "...c-...class rep..." I can't think of what to say to her... But I want to do something to help her, so I hold out my hand...then she slaps it away. [Lucia]: "Don't touch me!" [Lucia]: "If you touch me now......Tennouji, your fingers will turn purple...and rot, and maybe fall off. You might even die!" [Lucia]: "...............ah." [Kotarou]: "...crap..." I wasn't being careful.........when I reached out just now......she saw the mark on my arm. Class rep's eyes open wide......and her lips quiver. ......Asahi Haruka grabbed my arm earlier. But it was class rep's hand. Class rep knows it was her hand that made that mark. [Kotarou]: "D-...don't worry about this. Asahi Haruka just gripped me too hard. It'll go away soon." [Lucia]: "Did I......d-...do that......u...waaaaaaaaaaaaaaauu..." [Kotarou]: "This'll disappear in no time! Don't worry about it! Forget it!" [Lucia]: "It won't disappear! It won't go away...! The woman in my dream died when that mark swelled up...!! You're going to die Tennouji, you are...!!" [Kotarou]: "I-I won't die! This little mark is nothing!" [Lucia]: "If you die it'll be my fault...my fault...!!" [Lucia]: "If that happened...I......I...!! ......uuuuuuu...uuuuuuuuuu!!" [Lucia]: "I'll never touch anyone again...!" [Lucia]: "......I'll never dream again...about someone touching my hair...about holding someone by the shoulders......about holding hands...never, not even once..." [Lucia]: "......so please......leave us......alone......" She crouches down and sobs weakly......maybe they both are. ......I can't hold out my hand to her...and I can't think of anything to say to her...... The mark on my arm is still stinging. ...the fact that I feel pain from it means...my body is rejecting their existence. ......I hate that. Why is this mark still here...? Why...why...why is my body...

<METADATA> Name: Ohtori Chihaya | Gender: Female | Aliases: Chi Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Kanbe Kotori | Gender: Female Name: Haruhiko Yoshino | Gender: Male </METADATA> All she did was grab my arm......why does that leave a mark? Why is my body that weak? ......I hate it... The next day...class rep comes to school. Her hands are hidden under the same white gloves as usual...but somehow, she seems a lot sadder. [Kotori]: "Morning, class rep......are you feeling okay...?" [Chihaya]: "You don't look so good...you can take a day off if you're sick or something..." Since they don't know what happened last night, her sad expression probably makes it look like she's sick. Kotori and Chihaya ask her if she is, but class rep ignores them. No......it looks like she can't hear them. ......do her hands still make flowers wilt? I've stopped investigating now, so hopefully Asahi Haruka will undo her curse... But, the only way to check......is to make her hold another flower. ......if it doesn't wilt, that's fine. But......if it does...then... ......that cruel reality...might shatter class rep's heart... Which means...what class rep said yesterday was right......this is no different from before. She'll avoid touching anything......just as she always has...letting everyone think she's a clean freak... Actually......maybe she's lucky it was only her hands. I hear a dry sound...not the sound of a light breaking. Chihaya was trying to check if class rep had a fever. That sound was class rep slapping her hand away... [Lucia]: "You're filthy......don't touch me..." [Chihaya]: "......ah......aaah, I see! Well sooorry!" [Kotori]: "W-wait! Chi-chan! Class rep! Don't do that, you two made up already!" ......everything's back to the way it was. I went to all that trouble to understand class rep, get her to open up...and get her and Chihaya to be friends again. I thought I was helping her overcome her painful past. ...and now...all of that progress......has been wiped out. Chihaya snaps at class rep. Kotori tries to calm them down...class rep remains locked away from the rest of the world. If anything, she looks worse than she did before I tried to help her... ......what the hell......have I been doing these last few days......? All of it......was a waste... I should never have pursued the Asahi Haruka story...... [Yoshino]: "What the hell happened? I thought those two made up." [Kotarou]: "......Yoshino, I'm sorry." [Yoshino]: "Huh?" [Kotarou]: "......about Asahi Haruka...I've got some stuff I need to do, so...I won't be investigating it anymore." He probably never thought I'd say that. Yoshino's eyes open wide, but he soon returns to his usual sulking expression. [Yoshino]: "...well, that's the smart thing to do." [Yoshino]: "I take it you learned there are some real curses in the world?" [Kotarou]: "It's not a curse...I just don't have the time to investigate it any more...she didn't scare me off or anything..." [Yoshino]: "Heh, if you say so..." I don't sound very persuasive. I did stop because of Asahi Haruka's threat......so it's not that different from being scared off. [Yoshino]: "I should have never given you that class list." [Kotarou]: "That helped a lot...thank you." [Yoshino]: "What about my old friends? How were they doing?" [Kotarou]: "...pretty good, until I brought up Asahi Haruka." [Kotarou]: "That's right, there was one guy I couldn't contact. The phone said his number wasn't in use anymore." [Yoshino]: "Ah, Wada? He moved recently." [Yoshino]: "Do you want to call him at his new place? I do know the number." ......what would that accomplish...? I've given up on the investigation anyway... [Kotarou]: "No, it's okay...I'm done now...even if I did call him, he'd just say some glass broke and it's all my fault." [Yoshino]: "Heh, no doubt..." Yoshino laughs, mocking me, then turns away. ...after that, it's just like any other morning at school. The only unusual thing is...class rep and Chihaya are still unhappy with each other. ......no, maybe that is...normal for them. I need to avoid Asahi Haruka and class rep from now on. All I did was screw everything up. The purple mark Asahi Haruka left on my arm still aches...as if blaming me for this. After a full night of sleep, it hasn't faded in the slightest. Even after four years, Baraki-senpai's mark only got a bit lighter. Mine won't go away anytime soon. ......can I do anything besides pray that someday class rep will be able to take her gloves off......? Class rep shows tears from time to time as she and Chihaya continue fighting. ...whenever another girl tries to mediate, she starts telling them not to touch her because they're filthy, so she makes enemies with everyone... [Lucia]: "No one can accept me!! So stay away! Don't touch meeeeeeeeeee!!" ......why...are you saying such sad things...? I play with my phone without thinking, looking through my call history... The numbers of the Class 1 alumni are all listed there. [Kotarou]: ".........there's no way...right?" ......that one last person......for some reason I want to check. I'm such an idiot. I told Asahi Haruka I surrendered, but I still don't want to give up. ...but............ I'll check this one last thing...then I really will stop. After school, I visited a certain apartment. I'd never met the old couple that lives there. And of course they had no idea who I was. They gave me answers to some of my questions. ......they told me everything I needed to know. Sunday. I ride a bicycle down a forest path. I stop and check my GPS location with my phone. ...new phones really can do everything. This thing's getting me to my destination much faster than the old one. It's telling me I'm here already, but since I'm in a dense forest, it's hard to be sure. This area is a huge, natural park. It's managed by Kazamatsuri City's forest protection administration. Despite being a thick forest, it does get pruned and weeded regularly, so it's pretty nice. Of course, even though it's a park, there aren't any swings or slides here, much less shops and vending machines. But there are paths for walking or cycling, street lights, bathrooms and benches. There's even a map and an emergency phone here. Nature and people live in harmony here. It's a good example of Kazamatsuri City. But the area I'm in right now is pretty deep in, very far from the popular routes. There's a certain amount of natural filth, making it obvious very few people walk by here. It even feels lonely... I've been biking for about an hour to get here from my home. I'm finally nearing my destination. The GPS says I'm at the right place, and the map doesn't show anything here. A blank place in a huge park. ......however, a few decades ago, part of this land was lent for free to a certain welfare group. For the purpose of building an orphanage.

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> A facility for children who'd lost all their relatives. By coincidence, the old couple happened to have the voice recorder that Baraki-senpai used on that day four years ago. I guess Wada ended up with it somehow. The recorder still had all the strange events from the reunion......but it also had a huge hint. "Santa Brosia." That was the name of the orphanage Kishida Ryuugo came from. One of the people answering his questions very clearly stated that name... The name of the orphanage Asahi Haruka went to. Once I knew the name, it was easy to find it on the internet. [Kotarou]: "...should be around here." Then I find an old sign, worn down by wind and rain. It says "This is private property. No trespassing." It's different from all the other signs in the park. ...this sign wasn't made by Kazamatsuri City. It's probably from the group that ran the orphanage. Now that I'm sure this is the right place, I bike a little farther on, until I find a metal fence with ivy all over it. The fence blocks the path. A heavy padlock keeps it shut. But wilted ivy curls all around it, so it clearly hasn't been opened in several months, if not years. [Kotarou]: "It's completely sealed now..." I had a vague hope that I might find someone here who could tell me what happened. ...but according to the ghost story, the orphanage was ruined. So this definitely looks like the right place, And there should be an abandoned orphanage past this fence... I leave my bike next to a tree, jump onto the fence and climb over it. [Kotarou]: "I haven't climbed a fence since I was a little kid..." Once I get over the fence, I'm on a part of the path that hasn't been maintained in a very long time. The rest of the park, despite being "natural", is maintained by people. But from here on, it's just a wasteland no human hand has touched in years. The forest already feels gloomier. The map on my phone has no landmarks anymore. I'll just have to find my way around on my own now. I harden my resolve, and set off into the forest... After walking along the abandoned path for a while, I run into another fence. It's completely different from the previous one... [Kotarou]: "...this is......kinda overkill." [Kotarou]: "...is this really an orphanage......?" This time the fence is so high I have to look up to see the top. In fact, it bends over at the top, as if leaning forward to intimidate me, and it has barbed wire. And there are some more signs, none of which look appropriate for an orphanage... "Danger. Trespassing here may endanger your health." "Hazardous industrial waste site. Do not enter." I've never seen a sign with a skull and crossbones in real life before... Is this......really an orphanage......? I check the GPS again. I search the internet, and make sure these really are the right coordinates. ...according to the Kazamatsuri City database, this land was reserved for an orphanage. So what's going on...? Did some company repurpose this land for waste disposal...? That seems like something the news would have a field day with......but it doesn't connect to Asahi Haruka's story. ...was Santa Brosia even the right place...? Will this whole trip turn out to be a massive waste of my time...? Still, I spent over an hour getting here. I can't go home without finding out for sure. The signs about toxic waste are pretty scary, but......for some reason, they feel more like Asahi Haruka warning me to stay away from the truth. Somehow...I don't think there is any industrial waste beyond this fence. There should be a ruined orphanage. And it holds some secret that someone doesn't want me to find. I take a few steps back, start running toward the fence and leap onto it. It's a little scary climbing over something this tall, but I can't go back now. ...if there really is industrial waste here, and I get ill...I'm going to feel so stupid... But I don't have to worry about that much longer. ...after walking farther down the path......I find a rudimentary swing hanging from a rotting tree. Not the kind of modern swing you'd see in a park. It looks handmade. ......a waste dump wouldn't have something like this. Only children would use this. Which is why......I'm not at all surprised to see what looks like a Western church up ahead... That ruined building probably used to look impressive, back when sunlight streamed down on it through the trees. But now it's just a ruin amidst dead trees. It looks more like a haunted house now. ......still, this place doesn't feel creepy to me. Instead, it makes me think about those warm, happy days it saw in the past. I can see an abandoned slide and merry-go-round with vines all around it. Part of the wall surrounding the area has a mosaic of kids playing happily. I can also see traces of graffiti they scribbled and things they broke when they got overexcited. This is definitely Santa Brosia. And then, I notice a rotting sign with that exact name on it. ...this is the orphanage where Kishida Ryuugo and Asahi Haruka lived... I've never been here before. So I can't imagine how the children here lived back then. ...but it's safe to assume they had fun here. Maybe this sounds silly, but......I wouldn't be surprised if some children suddenly started running around me, laughing and playing. If I cleared my ears, maybe I could hear the kids singing along to the matron's organ, or kicking balls around the yard. ......that's the warmth I feel from this ruin. Which makes the warnings on that last fence even stranger. ......how is this an industrial waste dump? I'm convinced that's not true. It's a fake warning...to keep people from approaching this ruin. But why......would someone not want people to come here? And does it have something to do with the Asahi Haruka story? I try entering the building, but of course it's locked. I can't bring myself to break any of the glass here. The building may be abandoned and rotting, but it still feels bright and cheerful to me. As I start looking for other entrances, I think back on the Asahi Haruka story... After she came here, all the children started getting sick. Most of them died, and the orphanage was locked up. ......was it a contagious disease? ...or was there actually some industrial waste here? Did the children not understand those things, and blame it on Asahi Haruka because she was new...? An orphanage where all the children died one by one. An illegal toxic waste dump. It's a reasonable guess given those two ideas. If that's the truth......then Asahi Haruka's blameless. All the doors on the main building are locked tight. ...all that's left is the chapel. I try that door too, but it's also locked......is this seriously the end? Just as I think that......I notice a way in. There's a fallen tree going right through one of the stained glass windows in the chapel. The exposed part of the tree doesn't look that old. It might have fallen recently. I can see the inside of the chapel through the broken window... I don't know how long it's been abandoned, but it hasn't lost its grandeur yet. Something tells me I should go in there... [Kotarou]: "This is......Santa Brosia...Asahi Haruka's orphanage......" This is where it all began... The chapel looks solemn and majestic with the sunlight pouring through the stained glass. It silently tells me people used to live an orderly life there.

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "I'm here, Asahi Haruka. I finally found this place." [Kotarou]: "Sorry. I said I surrendered, but I still felt like giving it another shot, and now here I am." *pop* That's probably the sound of cracks running through the stained glass. ...it's almost funny how predictably she answered. A refreshing wind passes by......I can feel that Asahi Haruka's here, even though she won't show herself yet. It doesn't bother me. Because......I figured something out about Asahi Haruka. I notice there are framed pictures covering many of the pillars in here. ......each one is a picture of several children. These were probably taken each year. One year per column. I can see new children arriving...while the others get older, and start smiling more. Then some leave and get replaced by other new children. These pictures tell the history of the orphanage. And......this is the last one. The pillars after this one have nothing on them. ......this picture is the last one they took. I take the picture off the wall to get a better look at it, and I hear several things break, and glass fall to the floor. ...everyone finds it embarrassing when people look at old pictures of them. The date on the picture is from eight years ago. ......one year before Kishida Ryuugo died. Something happened to him here, which put him in the hospital for a year before he tried going back to school. A couple dozen children are in the picture. Some are smiling. Some are expressionless. All of them unique. And at the bottom of the picture is a list of names. [Kotarou]: "......Kishida Ryuugo......this chubby guy?" Kishida Ryuugo looks like the kind of boy who'd gladly eat all the girls' leftovers after lunch. And his bright smile tells me he was perfectly happy living here. .........and... [Kotarou]: "Asahi Haruka......" *pop* More cracks in the stained glass. It's definitely her......she looks unhappy...and she has an old-fashioned bob cut. [Kotarou]: "I found you, Asahi Haruka." When I say that, all the lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling shatter at once. Some of the pieces land on me...as I brush them off, I can see the mark on my arm. [Kotarou]: "I don't know anymore if the curse is real or not......" [Kotarou]: "I've given up on investigating that, like I said yesterday." So...the reason I came here...has nothing to do with discovering the truth behind the ghost story. [Kotarou]: "I'm not here to prove or disprove the story, or to surrender to you in person." [Kotarou]: "......there's just something I have to tell you." I might have been able to tell her somewhere else. But it has to be here. If I say this anywhere else...she might not listen. [Kotarou]: "Could you show yourself? ......Asahi Haruka?" My question merely echoes on the high ceiling. ...I knew she'd ignore that... [Kotarou]: "That's right, you're not Asahi Haruka anymore......" [Kotarou]: "Konohana Lucia." [Kotarou]: "...class rep, you and Asahi Haruka are the same person." I hear a sound...like someone walking on gravel. ......she was hiding behind a pillar in the opposite corner of the chapel. Has she been following me all day? Or has she been waiting here, knowing I would come? ......either way, I was sure I'd find her here. [Kotarou]: "......I wanted to talk to you here." [Kotarou]: "I was hoping being here might make you listen to me." [Lucia]: ".........you say I'm Asahi Haruka...? Why?" [Kotarou]: "I found out from one of the phone calls." [Lucia]: "...no one in that class has met Asahi Haruka, other than Kishida Ryuugo." [Kotarou]: "Yep, no one. But I was still able to prove it." [Lucia]: "......why?" [Kotarou]: "There was one boy in that class who moved recently, so I couldn't call him the first time around." [Lucia]: "How does that prove anything about me and Asahi Haruka?" Not much. That wasn't what convinced me. The phone number wasn't important at all. The address was what really mattered. [Lucia]: "The address? What do you mean...?" [Kotarou]: "His address on the class list was out of date." [Lucia]: "Isn't that obvious?" [Kotarou]: "Everyone from that class was afraid of the curse. It was impressive that the cursed girl bothered to visit each and every one of their homes." [Kotarou]: "......but she made a mistake." [Lucia]: "............a mistake?" [Kotarou]: "The boy who moved. Right now there's an old couple living in his old apartment. They have nothing to do with Asahi Haruka at all." [Kotarou]: "But glass broke in their apartment too." Yoshino told me the guy's current phone number, so I called him there. And then I confirmed that no glass had broken for him at all. There's only one thing that could mean. All the glass breaking was done based on the old class list, with everyone's old addresses and phone numbers. If this was a genuine curse or vengeful spirit, it wouldn't make a mistake like that. A human did it, using outdated information, unaware that the last boy had moved. [Kotarou]: "I don't know how she broke the glass in all their homes." [Kotarou]: "Maybe she had some clever trick, or maybe she really was cursed." [Kotarou]: "But it was definitely done by a human......namely you, Konohana Lucia." If she and Asahi Haruka are the same person, everything makes sense... [Kotarou]: "Seven years ago, you were Asahi Haruka, and you lived in this orphanage." [Kotarou]: "But for whatever reason, this place was sealed up...you changed your name and moved somewhere else in Kazamatsuri." Then she probably went to school at the same elementary, middle and high school as Yoshino and the others. [Kotarou]: "Whatever happened, it was bad enough to make you change your name. Of course you wouldn't want to remember that name, or what happened here." [Kotarou]: "......then four years ago, you just happened to hear that a boy from the newspaper club was going to ask Kishida Ryuugo's class about Asahi Haruka so he could write an article about her." [Kotarou]: "And you decided to stop him." [Lucia]: "......and?" [Kotarou]: "Asahi Haruka had become the subject of a ghost story because of Kishida Ryuugo's mysterious death." [Kotarou]: "If people kept talking about it, there was a chance someone would find out about you." [Kotarou]: "So you decided to take advantage of the ghost story, and scare everyone into never saying a word about it." Given how scared Yoshino, Baraki-senpai and the others are, she obviously did it very well. [Kotarou]: "Then you hoped everyone would simply forget about the story." [Kotarou]: "But then four years later...another stupid boy appeared to investigate the story." [Kotarou]: "...me. Tennouji Kotarou." [Kotarou]: "I'm not sure if it was good or bad luck for you, but..." [Kotarou]: "I happened to bring you along to make a copy of that contact list."

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "And when you realized what I was copying, you knew you had to run around to everyone's homes to scare them again." [Lucia]: "Objection. I was standing with my back to you the entire time you were making your copy." [Lucia]: "I had no way of knowing what you were photocopying." [Kotarou]: "Exactly. It should be that simple. That's why it took me so long to suspect you." [Kotarou]: "......yesterday, I went to the printing room again and asked Nishikujou-sensei about the copier some more." [Kotarou]: "There was never a trick involved to begin with. You just used the copier." [Lucia]: "......used it?" A digital copier for business purposes. Unlike the copier in the convenience store, the data from what it copies remains in the machine until something else gets copied. So once you scan your paper once, even if you take it away afterward, it's easy for someone else to make the copier spit out another copy. [Kotarou]: "I had no idea you were so naughty." [Kotarou]: "You wanted to know what I was copying so badly that you pressed the reprint button before making your own copies." She probably didn't think much of it at the time. She assumed it would just reveal whatever stupid, crude prank Tennouji Kotarou was planning. But instead......she saw a list of students from Year 4, Class 1. Which told her the story she thought she'd sealed away forever was about to be dug up yet again... [Kotarou]: "After seeing that, you knew what I was trying to do." [Kotarou]: "So you started trying to silence everyone again. You even gave me a creepy message later that same day." ――Don't wake me. That message was printed out by a perfectly functional copier. [Lucia]: "...Nishikujou-sensei explained it to us." [Lucia]: "She showed how that message could be produced by a copier error and recycled paper." [Kotarou]: "No, it was never as complicated as what she told us." [Kotarou]: "You simply wrote that message there in the room, copied it, then handed it to me later." If class rep is the one responsible for all of this, then we don't need any curses or complicated tricks to explain what happened. If anything Nishikujou-sensei completely misled me. That's right. If I'd been firm in my conviction that curses can't possibly exist, I would've realized very quickly that she must've done something. [Kotarou]: "And......my cell phone. I wanted to start calling people that night, but it broke." [Lucia]: "That was unfortunate." [Kotarou]: "You broke it." [Lucia]: "Can you prove that?" [Kotarou]: "No. But if you can break glass without touching it, I'm sure you can do something to my phone too." [Kotarou]: "Besides, you have the motive." [Lucia]: "Which is?" [Kotarou]: "There were just over twenty people in Class 1. You needed to buy some time in order to visit all their houses to scare them again." Class rep used the addresses on that class list to figure out where to go. She spent that night finding all twenty of them and breaking glass in each home. I'm impressed she went to that much trouble. [Kotarou]: "But you made your mistake here." [Kotarou]: "......one of the boys had already moved, so you accidentally targeted an old couple that had nothing to do with this." [Lucia]: "......I see. You have a point." [Lucia]: "If this was a real curse, it wouldn't target the wrong person." [Kotarou]: "Once I realized you two were the same person...it became clear what you really meant, when you were pretending to be possessed by Asahi Haruka." [Kotarou]: "......you were trying to stop my investigation......and telling me how you really felt." [Lucia]: "......how I really felt...?" [Kotarou]: "Yeah......I wanted to give those feelings a serious answer, which is why I wanted to talk here." [Kotarou]: "If we weren't here, you might not admit you're Asahi Haruka." [Kotarou]: "This isn't the school, so I won't call you class rep anymore." [Kotarou]: "Should I call you Haruka...?" [Lucia]: "No......Lucia." [Lucia]: "Haruka is a name I want to forget." Class rep......admitted it. She acknowledged that she was once Asahi Haruka. [Kotarou]: "What on Earth happened here?" [Lucia]: "......exactly what Kishida Ryuugo said." [Lucia]: "The plants wilted, the animals died, and the people soon followed......all because of me." [Kotarou]: "So, was the ghost story right to call you a vampire?" [Lucia]: "......I'm not a vampire. But I'm not human either." [Kotarou]: "Then what are you...?" [Lucia]: "I was a normal human when I was born. But......I've been changed into something else." [Lucia]: "Something horrible, ugly and filthy." [Kotarou]: "What is it?" [Lucia]: "A future human." [Kotarou]: ".........a what?" Future...human? ...what does that mean? I fail to understand her words, and tilt my head instead. That's enough to make her look slightly dejected. My ignorance seems to have hurt her, but there's still no way for me to know what that means. [Lucia]: "You wouldn't understand if I told you." [Lucia]: "But you do understand that I have a power other humans don't." ......she can break glass without even touching it...that's definitely impossible for normal people. And, she can make plants wilt, leave marks on people where she touches them...and even kill them...that's definitely not normal either. What the hell......is Konohana Lucia...? [Lucia]: "I answered your question. Now it's your turn, Tennouji......when you said "how you really felt", what did you mean?" [Kotarou]: "Aaah, that......I meant the fact that you hate those powers." [Kotarou]: "And that you lament the fact that no one can accept you as you are......instead calling you cursed." [Kotarou]: "You always wear gloves to avoid leaving marks on people." [Kotarou]: "And to prevent the tragedy at this orphanage from happening again, you act like a total clean freak and avoid physical contact with anyone." [Kotarou]: "That's...very sad." "I have to spend my entire life alone, never touching anyone or anything..." ".........because they'll die... No one in this world can accept our existence...!" "No one can! Not a single person! Not one of them!!" [Kotarou]: "That's what you said the other night at my house." [Kotarou]: "......that's how Konohana Lucia really feels." Lucia looks down and bites her lip. ...at the time she was swept up by her emotions and said those things without thinking. Evidently she didn't expect me to remember it. [Kotarou]: "You have a very good reason to avoid contact with people." [Kotarou]: "In that sense, arguably it's true that there is a cursed girl named Asahi Haruka." [Lucia]: "That's right. I am cursed." [Kotarou]: "......in that you can't touch people?" [Lucia]: "Yes. Normally I can hold it back. I can live alongside normal humans."

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep </METADATA> [Lucia]: "......but if I make a little mistake, or something happens to trigger it, or I simply don't feel well, then it's all released. Like on that day." Until then, I'd been living normally. I didn't even know I was cursed. But it was true that flowers wilted and goldfish died after I touched them. The boys picked on me for it, but I still believed it was just bad luck. I had no idea I really was cursed. One day, I developed a high fever. A matron watched over me until the doctor came. [Lucia]: "And she died......because she touched my hand." [Lucia]: "My hand...killed her." [Kotarou]: "...that's not true. Don't say you killed her." [Lucia]: "I learned that I was the source of all those tragedies." [Lucia]: "......and I understood that I'm a cursed being who shouldn't exist." I'd been told that all humans have a duty and a role to fulfill. As powerless as I was, I believed there would come a day when I could help the world. [Lucia]: "But now I've become something that can only hurt the world..." [Lucia]: "......my very existence harms everything around me." [Lucia]: "Just being near someone puts them in danger. I can't help anyone. How could I possibly make the world a better place?" [Lucia]: "The only thing I can do is die and leave this world!" [Kotarou]: "That's not true! Has anyone in our class died? Look at me! I'm still perfectly healthy!" [Kotarou]: "Me, Kotori, Chihaya, everyone in our class is a friend of yours! What would happen to our class if you weren't there!? It'd become a lawless wasteland without you!" [Lucia]: "That's only because I go to such extreme lengths to avoid harming everyone!" [Lucia]: "These gloves are only one of many things I have to do! By themselves they're no protection at all!!" If I slacked off on any one of those things... ......the nightmare might become reality once again. I don't want all of our friends and teachers......to die by my own hands again... [Lucia]: "You've gotten far too close to me, Tennouji Kotarou!!" [Lucia]: "Stay away from me! Don't touch me! Do you want your whole body covered in purple marks that swell and leak pus until you die!?" [Lucia]: "Have you ever thought about......how hard I try to prevent you......from ever being too nice to me!?" [Kotarou]: "......I see. So that's why you always overreacted to me licking your plates." [Lucia]: "...ah, not that. Any girl would react that way." I can't touch anyone. But I might still be useful someday. Until then, I'll live alone. But for how long? ......when they cursed me, they said it would be a thousand years in the future...will it really take that long? [Lucia]: "I've been alone until now, and I'll keep being alone! How long will I be alone? ......I know." [Lucia]: "It's my fate to live all by myself for the next thousand years! ......how could you possibly say I'm not cursed!?" [Lucia]: "I bring death to everyone I touch.........!" I hold out an arm toward her. Not just to tell her to stop screaming. I've rolled up my sleeve, to make the mark on my arm visible...I'm making sure she can see it. It's been aching for a while. Until yesterday I could ignore the pain, but......after coming here, it's been throbbing constantly. It's also gotten much darker......almost as if someone spilled ink on me. [Lucia]: "My poison is still dense in this area......the signs told you it was dangerous to come in here..." Lucia's...poison. ......she was the source of the poison that caused all the plants to wilt and animals to die......but even after all these years, there's still enough of it here to kill people...? I have been feeling a bit feverish for a while...as if I'd caught a cold. And my mark has gotten darker...and more painful...... [Lucia]: "I'll take you to a hospital. Things have improved since then. You can be saved if they see you in time." [Kotarou]: "......is this...poison?" [Lucia]: "Yes...my curse...my poison." I look at my hand. Even my fingertips are turning purple now. I've touched several things here......was that enough to put marks on my fingers too...? [Lucia]: "It's terrifying.........even after all these years, it's still this strong......" ...if it's this strong after all this time... Then I think I can imagine how bad it was seven years ago. [Lucia]: "......I apologize......for giving you that mark..." [Lucia]: "I thought I needed to go that far to stop you..." [Kotarou]: "I'm sorry." [Lucia]: "Eh?" [Kotarou]: "I'm sorry about this mark." Lucia apologized because the mark she made won't go away. But...that's not what's bothering me. At first, she stares blankly, unsure what I mean. After all, I just apologized for having this mark. [Kotarou]: "You probably meant this as a warning......but I think it was more than that." [Kotarou]: "...weren't you hoping......it wouldn't leave a mark this time?" That's why... That night, when she saw it......she fell into despair again. She despaired because she knew her curse, her poison was still dangerous. [Kotarou]: "That's why I can't forgive myself." [Kotarou]: "......I can't forgive my body for being so weak." [Kotarou]: "If I was strong enough to survive your poison...if I was strong enough not to get this mark..." [Kotarou]: "You wouldn't have had to cry anymore..." [Kotarou]: "That's why......I want to apologize!" [Lucia]: "That's...not your fault, Tennouji......" [Kotarou]: "Be quiet!" Lucia swallows her words when I yell, as if I strangled her. All I want right now is silence, so I can concentrate. If her poison is what caused this mark...then it's inside my body right now, eating away at me. And......I'm going to beat it! I can feel fatigue controlling my body...like Lucia said, this chapel is filled with poison. But Lucia's perfectly fine. Her body isn't bothered by it at all. So there's no reason I can't defeat it...! Recognize the poison running through my body. Understand how it produced that mark, and stop it. This purple mark that hurt her......I will burn it away with my willpower...! I've stepped on the accelerator several times in the past. I used my power for little pranks, or when I was getting full of myself......but never for a serious objective. But today, I know. I have this power so I can help someone. And right now is my first chance to use it for that purpose. ......I try as hard as I can, but I still can't resist the poison in my body. No, I can resist it ever so slightly...but the poison is just too strong. Even after all these years, just touching it is enough to leave marks on my hand. ......screw that. Am I gonna let something from all those years ago continue to tear her heart apart......? I glare angrily at the mark on my arm.

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> This mark is hurting her...I can't let it keep doing that. Screw the poison, screw the curse...!! [Kotarou]: "This time I will keep my promise!! I will crush Asahi Haruka's curse!!" Something hot rushes through my blood vessels. I've felt this in the past when I stepped on the accelerator hard. But still...this is the first time I've felt my entire body burn from the inside. I knew it would feel something like this......if I tried using my power for real. No doubt I'm burning away my whole body from the inside......and rewriting it with something different. Will I still be me after I finish? ...that fear prevented me from doing this in the past. [Lucia]: "I-...I don't know what you're doing......but stop...please, stop...!" [Kotarou]: "If your power is a curse, Lucia...then my power will let me accept it!" I'll rewrite my whole body, so it can defeat this poison. I will burn away this mark...!! I feel as if a silent heartbeat is shaking the entire chapel. Fire burns my body from the inside. That heat makes my vision cloud over. [Lucia]: "Stop it, Tennouji Kotarou...!! Whatever you're doing, stop it. We need to get you out of here!!" [Kotarou]: "I'm not leaving you here alone!! That's one request I can't fulfill!" [Kotarou]: "I'll never let you say that no one in the world can accept you!! I'll be the only one in the world who can!!" [Lucia]: "Stooooooooooop!! Don't make me kill someone agaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaain!!" [Kotarou]: "Yeah, I won't!! I'll never let you feel that way again!!" Burn away the curse that made her suffer. At that moment......the air shouldn't be moving at all, but I feel a hot whirlwind. The heat that was in my body until just now leaves in the form of hot air rushing away. Afterward, there's only a calm, refreshing silence. Lucia's eyes are closed tight as she holds her head...she probably didn't want to see me fall to the ground and foam at the mouth. ......but that didn't happen. [Kotarou]: "Open your eyes." [Lucia]: "......T-......Tennouji...?" [Kotarou]: "I've accepted your world......Konohana Lucia." [Lucia]: "......ah.........aaa......!" Lucia's so shocked she staggers. I haven't moved a muscle. I'm still holding out my arm. But one thing did change. And that one change proves her curse has been broken. [Lucia]: "The mark......it's gone........." [Lucia]: "Wh-...why......?" [Kotarou]: "This is my power...that's all I can tell you." [Lucia]: "......wh-...what...are you......?" [Kotarou]: "Tennouji Kotarou. Second-year high schooler. Friend of Konohana Lucia." [Kotarou]: "......by the way, friends don't let friends live alone." [Lucia]: "A-...are you really okay...!? Th-the mark's gone, but...is your body really unaffected...!? Do you have a fever? Are you dizzy? ......ah!" This time, I grab her arm. This is the simplest, most direct way to tell her that her curse doesn't apply to me anymore. [Lucia]: "L-......let go...Tennouji...you'll die......" [Kotarou]: "Your curse, your poison doesn't work on me anymore." [Kotarou]: "The world's a big place......so there is someone who can accept you." [Lucia]: "...y-......you can...withstand my poison......?" [Kotarou]: "Yep. People can surprise you sometimes." [Kotarou]: "Besides, you seem to hang out with Shizuru all the time. You were never alone to begin with." This is what I really wanted to tell her. [Kotarou]: "You don't have to live all alone, never touching anyone." [Kotarou]: "Don't you dare say something that sad ever again!! Okay!? Got it!? I'm the one who can accept you!" [Lucia]: "L-......let go of my hand......th-the mark disappeared, but that might not mean anything...! No, no! I don't want to kill anyone again!!" She admits the mark's gone, but she's not confident that I'm safe from her poison now. Dammit...how the hell do I prove to her I'm fine now!? How can I prove to her that she doesn't have to worry about killing me anymore!? ――This girl cried because she thought she'd never be able to touch anyone. How can I tell her I'm an exception? When I thought about it like that...my body moved before I could think of an answer. [Lucia]: "......T-......Tennouji........." [Kotarou]: "It's all right now." [Lucia]: "I-......if you don't...let go...you'll......" [Kotarou]: "I won't die." [Kotarou]: "I won't die no matter how much you touch me. So I can accept you." I can accept that sad, tragic power of yours now. [Kotarou]: "So never..." [Lucia]: "N-...never......?" ......say such sad things again. [Kotarou]: "Don't you ever......say you have to live the rest of your life alone!" That's the main thing I wanted to tell her. Even though I know more about her now, I still wanted to tell her that hasn't changed. Don't throw away your future......by saying you're cursed to live alone. [Kotarou]: "The thing about the future is...if you believe, something's sure to happen." [Kotarou]: "Don't reject everything by assuming nothing will ever change. That's just too sad..." It's not that no one could accept you. [Kotarou]: "You weren't trying to accept the world either..." [Lucia]: "............I'm the one...not accepting them......?" [Lucia]: "...but...I always end up fighting...with Ohtori-san and the others......" [Kotarou]: "Yeah, at first. But Chihaya understands now." They did have some trouble, but Chihaya understands Lucia's problems now. Even if they can't touch each other, they can still be friends. [Kotarou]: "And yet you started fighting with her again. You idiot." [Kotarou]: "You went out of your way to reject the world." [Kotarou]: "It's not your hands you're covering up with those gloves...it's your heart." [Lucia]: "............I'm...the idiot...?" [Kotarou]: "Yes you are! So don't worry about it anymore!" [Kotarou]: "I'm fine even if you touch me, and I understand your pain! I can stay with you forever!" So don't you ever...! [Kotarou]: "Do not say you have to live the rest of your life alone!!" [Lucia]: "......yes......I won't...say it again! ...as long as......you really won't die, Tennouji Kotarou!" [Kotarou]: "I won't die!!" [Lucia]: "You're sure!?" [Kotarou]: "Yes!!" [Lucia]: "Will you......be with me forever!?"

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "Yes!! Forever! I'll stay with you!! I, Tennouji Kotarou, will never leave you!!" Lucia has to admit it. ...I, Tennouji Kotarou, have a power that allows me to genuinely accept her poison...... I didn't have it before, but...now all the purple marks are gone. Those used to be cursed marks, promising her a thousand years of loneliness... But now......they've vanished...right before her eyes. ...if it could be summed up in one word, then... [Lucia]: "......it's a miracle......" [Kotarou]: "...what are you talking about? Of course a miracle happens here once in a while." [Lucia]: "What do you......?" [Kotarou]: "Idiot, we're in a church." The Lord's supposed to be watching over us, right? There's nothing strange about him providing a miracle or two...for a poor girl lamenting her loneliness... [Lucia]: "...then say it again. Swear before God." [Kotarou]: "I swear it!" [Kotarou]: "I, Tennouji Kotarou will always be with you! Now you swear too!" [Kotarou]: "Never say you have to live alone again! Got it!?" [Lucia]: "...y-......yes...I-I swear! I'll never say it again...!!" [Woman's Voice]: "How lovely～ Making vows in front of God. I'm almost jealous." The sudden voice makes me tense up and shout back. [Kotarou]: "Wh-...who's there!?" Lucia backs away from me. She's probably embarrassed now that there's a third person here. ...then......some people in weird clothes start coming out of the woodwork. More than ten...wh-when did they show up...!? I can't figure out how to describe their clothes...it's like a cross between a beekeeper's outfit and a spacesuit. ...that's right, to most people this place is very dangerous. If they didn't have those suits, they'd probably be covered in purple marks by now. But even though I understand that, I still feel threatened by them... Because it feels like I learned something I shouldn't be allowed to know......and they can't let me leave here alive. Then, Lucia tells me not to worry. [Lucia]: "It's all right. They're allies." [Kotarou]: "...allies?" [Woman]: "Don't be scared. If anything, we should be worried about you right now." [Woman]: "This isn't a good place for people to wander around." ......is that woman the leader? Unfortunately I can't see her face through that mask. Still, this voice...I think I've heard it before... That woman gives a signal, and the others form a circle around us. Two of them start unpacking a stretcher. [Mysterious Men]: "Can you walk? Are you dizzy? Nauseous? Any other symptoms?" [Mysterious Men]: "No abnormalities on the exposed skin. No mental dysfunction. Motor functions normal. Category III." [Kotarou]: "Wh-...what gives!? Stop touching me...!" [Lucia]: "Don't worry, Tennouji. Let them examine you." [Kotarou]: "Examine me......?" Well...they certainly don't seem to be holding my arms behind my back and dragging me off somewhere. They're treating me like a patient suffering from severe poisoning. [Woman]: "Thank goodness we got here when we did." [Woman]: "The security was down for some reason, so if you hadn't called us, Lucia-chan, he might've been in real trouble. Right～?" [Lucia]: "Umm......this man...can resist my poison..." [Mysterious Men]: "His symptoms are miraculously mild. We'll take him to a medical facility immediately." [Woman]: "Yes, please do. Tennouji-kun, we'll talk at the hospital." [Kotarou]: "Wh-who are you? I've heard your voice before..." [Lucia]: "......you'll find out soon. For now, follow them to a hospital." They take me outside before anyone can explain what's going on. Then they put me in a covered bed, like I'm a leper or something, and put me in a vehicle. ......who are these guys...? In any event. Lucia seems to know them, so they probably aren't enemies. No, maybe they are. They're definitely in charge of the orphanage. They'll probably scold me for climbing over that fence later. ......geez. [Lucia]: "Don't worry. You have nothing to fear......you promised me you wouldn't die, right...?" [Kotarou]: "Yeah.........but who are these guys?" [Lucia]: "My comrades......I'll explain later." The van I'm in is filled with medical equipment, but it's not an ambulance. And these guys don't look like paramedics anyway. I thought I'd learned Lucia's greatest secret...but apparently I've only scratched the surface. ...but Lucia's constantly at my side, telling me not to worry. I still can't hide the fact that I am worried... Once we get to the hospital, they start treating me like an emergency patient, drawing blood and hooking up a cardiogram and running all sorts of tests. That treatment tells me just how bad the poison at the orphanage really is... [Doctor A]: "......I can't believe it. He shows no sign of poisoning whatsoever." [Doctor B]: "Just to check, are we sure you were in the contaminated area for over thirty minutes...?" [Kotarou]: "Well, I think I was talking to Lucia for about that long..." [Doctor A]: "Unthinkable...any normal person would show symptoms after ten minutes..." [Doctor B]: "I can't believe this......" ...I'm the one who can't believe this. If the place was that dangerous, why'd you put a fence that was so easy to climb over...? [Lucia]: "Tennouji...how do you feel? Are you sure you're all right...?" [Kotarou]: "Like I said, I won't die." Lucia comes into my room. She looks worried. Like the doctors have several times before, she asks if anything feels strange. Once again, I irritably reply that everything's fine. [Lucia]: "The doctors are all shocked." [Lucia]: "They say your body is one in a million...or maybe even rarer...what on Earth are you?" [Kotarou]: "Like I said, I'm Tennouji Kotarou. Second-year in high school." [Lucia]: "Hahaha......it's almost silly how normal you are......" [Kotarou]: "Considering what a big deal they were making of it, I guess your poison is really dangerous." [Lucia]: "......kinda." [Kotarou]: "But I'm completely unaffected, so don't worry about me." [Lucia]: "Y-...yes." [Kotarou]: "So...how long are they gonna treat me like this...?" [Kotarou]: "I'm starting to get sick of lying in bed doing nothing.........mm?" Lucia sits down on her knees, then leans forward and hugs me... Her face is filled with relief, and her eyes are watering. [Lucia]: "......thank goodness......you didn't......" [Kotarou]: "Yeah, even hugging me like this won't make any marks."

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Lucia]: "......you're right......I've never......felt someone's warmth......this closely......" She might not be exaggerating at all. She's finally found someone......she can hold without wearing her gloves. [Nishikujou]: "Oh my～ Did I come at a bad time?" [Lucia]: "Hm? Ah! ......ahem!" When Nishikujou-sensei appears, Lucia blushes and backs off. What's she doing here...? I immediately realize she was the woman who spoke to me in the chapel. [Kotarou]: "N-Nishikujou-sensei......why are you here?" [Nishikujou]: "Uhuhuhu...I'm a high school teacher by day～ But at night, I am―!" [Kotarou]: "*g-gulp*..." [Nishikujou]: "Huhu...it'll take a while to explain." [Nishikujou]: "But you really are lucky. I can't believe you were born immune to Lucia-chan's poison." [Nishikujou]: "......it really is a miracle." [Kotarou]: "And the doctors won't shut up about it." [Nishikujou]: "Uhuhuhuhuhu..." They don't know about my power. So they've assumed my immunity to her poison is something I got naturally. ......since I don't feel like explaining that right now, I'll leave it alone. [Nishikujou]: "How much has Lucia-chan told you?" [Lucia]: "Nothing yet......only that I produce poison." [Nishikujou]: "Anything about us?" [Lucia]: "No, nothing." Who the hell are they...? They're still hiding something huge from me... But Nishikujou-sensei can be quite shrewd. She probably won't tell me anything if I just come out and ask... [Nishikujou]: "Now then...Tennouji-kun, we need to explain a few things. Are you ready?" [Kotarou]: "Y-...yes." Nishikujou-sensei shows a cold expression I've never seen at school. ...I would never have imagined she could look like this. Seeing that makes me more nervous... [Lucia]: "...it's all right, Tennouji. We're not trying to threaten you......we'd just appreciate your help." [Kotarou]: "Help?" [Nishikujou]: "Yes. Think of it as a deal between us." [Nishikujou]: "In exchange, you get to live the same normal life you always have." If that's what I get out of this...then they probably won't let me leave if I don't agree to this. [Kotarou]: "...this already sounds really dangerous..." [Lucia]: "......N-Nishikujou-san, stop scaring him!" [Nishikujou]: "Uhuhuhu, sorry about that. But we have to be clear about this." [Nishikujou]: "Normally the only safe option would be to make Tennouji-kun disappear whether he wants to or not." [Nishikujou]: "But we made a mistake this time, so we're being as nice as possible to you. Please understand that." [Nishikujou]: "We are very merciful, but we won't hesitate if we have to." [Kotarou]: "......wh-who are you people?" [Nishikujou]: "Think of us as a secret society or something. Boys love that sort of thing, right～?" [Lucia]: "...if you promise to help us, we'll explain. Our organization isn't evil or dangerous or anything...please believe us..." [Kotarou]: "I still have no idea what you mean...but if you're helping them, class rep, it can't be that bad..." [Lucia]: "Thank you..." [Kotarou]: "So, what do you want me to do? ......though I can kinda guess." [Kotarou]: "I can't tell anyone about that orphanage, right?" [Nishikujou]: "Correct～ We would like it if you forgot everything about Santa Brosia." [Nishikujou]: "Miraculously, you escaped unharmed, but it's too dangerous to let people break in just out of curiosity." [Kotarou]: "...if it's that dangerous, why'd you only put in two fences that anyone could climb over? Hell, kids might get over those things playing hide and seek." [Lucia]: "That was our mistake. Normally it's nowhere near that easy." [Nishikujou]: "In a sense, this was also a miracle. Our security systems happened to be down when you went in, Tennouji-kun." [Nishikujou]: "That should never happen. Normally, the moment you climb the first fence, our men would rush in and grab you." I see. So their mistake was letting me make it to the orphanage in the first place. [Kotarou]: "Lucia, how did you know I was heading there...?" [Lucia]: "......I didn't think a man like you would stop your investigation just because I cried, so I started watching you." [Lucia]: "I was following you that day as well......I was surprised the security forces didn't show up." [Kotarou]: "You followed my bike through the forest on foot...? That's pretty insane..." [Nishikujou]: "So, we're being nice to you because it was our fault we let you get in there in the first place." [Nishikujou]: "Of course, it's also because Lucia-chan asked me to be lenient." [Lucia]: "I-I will keep a careful watch on Tennouji Kotarou. Nishikujou-san...I beg of you to be merciful!" The way Lucia acts...it's like she's her superior officer or something. This isn't the same as a teacher-student relationship. [Nishikujou]: "Let me say it again." [Nishikujou]: "We want you to forget about the orphanage, and never tell anyone about us. That's all." [Nishikujou]: "If you can't promise that～......" Nishikujou-sensei smiles brightly and touches my cheek. At first glance, it may look like a loving touch, but it's actually terrifying. [Lucia]: "N-Nishikujou-san! ......do not misunderstand, Tennouji, we aren't trying to scare you...!" [Lucia]: "We just want you to cooperate with us, that's all...!" Nishikujou-sensei made it sound like a threat, so Lucia hastily rewords it. ...well, I know her already, so I can tell she's just messing with me. Though......I probably will be in trouble if I don't do as she says. ......what happened at the orphanage isn't important to me right now. What matters is not leaving Konohana Lucia alone. [Kotarou]: "Okay, okay...I wasn't gonna tell anyone about that stuff anyway, so I'll take my normal life back." [Lucia]: "Th-...thank you." [Kotarou]: "Ah, but it would cause trouble for you guys if I told anyone about you, right?" [Nishikujou]: "Yes, it would～" [Kotarou]: "Which means we're in equal positions here. I can make some requests of my own." [Lucia]: "R-requests...?" [Nishikujou]: "Oh my, what might those be?" [Kotarou]: "Class rep, you know those box lunches you make?"

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "Those taste incredible. You're really good at cooking, right? Let me have one of those sometime. That's request number one." [Lucia]: "What!? Wh-what are you...!?" Class rep blushes and gets angry, but Nishikujou-sensei laughs. [Nishikujou]: "Huhuhuhuhuhuhuhu! Hmmm, not much choice, we are a secret organization～" [Nishikujou]: "Lucia-chan, you can do that much for the organization, right?" [Lucia]: "Wh-why...!?" [Nishikujou]: "That's an order. All right～?" [Lucia]: "Uu...a...u......u-understood..." [Kotarou]: "Number two. Since you're cooking for me anyway, let me visit your house and eat dinner with you. Ah, but nothing spicy." [Lucia]: "Wh-why do I have to cook all your meals, Tennouji!?" [Nishikujou]: "No choice～ That's an order too!" [Lucia]: "Wha―! Wh-wh-...u-...understood..." [Kotarou]: "Number three. Wear a maid costume when I come over. Don't forget the headband or the garterbelt!" [Lucia]: "Wh-why would I wear that!? Just die already!" [Nishikujou]: "Okay, that's another order～" [Lucia]: "Uu...ga...uuu...u-...understood..." [Kotarou]: "Number four. Obviously, you have to call me "master"!" [Lucia]: "T-Tennouji Kotarouuuuuuuuuuuuu, enemy of womeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen!!" [Nishikujou]: "Okay～ That's another order～" [Lucia]: "Uu...ga...uuu...u-...understood......" ......I didn't know class rep was like this... Anyway, I continued enjoying that until the eighteenth condition. [Kotarou]: "So......who are you guys anyway? Are you seriously a secret organization?" [Lucia]: "About that......well......" [Nishikujou]: "Guardian." [Kotarou]: "Eh?" [Lucia]: "Nishikujou-san...!" Lucia panics when Nishikujou-sensei answers. ...as if there's something wrong with her mentioning the word "guardian". Is that their name...? Does that mean they're protecting something...? [Nishikujou]: "That's what we call ourselves. I guess you could say we're a volunteer group." [Kotarou]: "What did you volunteer to do?" [Nishikujou]: "Protect the Earth." [Kotarou]: "Huh...? From who? ...from some kind of monster?" [Nishikujou]: "I guess so. If monsters appear we would be the Earth's sword and shield." [Nishikujou]: "If it rains, we're the umbrella. If it floods, we're the ark. It's that kind of volunteer group." [Kotarou]: "......so...that's Guardian?" [Lucia]: "Don't keep saying that name! Forget it immediately!" [Lucia]: "Nishikujou-san, don't tell him so much! We can't use that name to anyone outside the...!" [Nishikujou]: "It's fine. Tennouji-kun will keep our secrets. Right～?" If I keep their secrets, we can chat like friends without any trouble, but if I don't they probably won't let me see the sun tomorrow... I shrug my shoulders and say I won't tell anyone anything... [Kotarou]: "So how many people are in this group...?" [Nishikujou]: "At least a few million just in this country. Worldwide, probably almost a hundred million." [Nishikujou]: "We're a small subset of that group which calls itself Guardian." [Kotarou]: "A-...a hundred million...!? C-can there seriously be a secret society that huge...?" [Lucia]: "We have many comrades in Kazamatsuri City too. They live normal lives most of the time, but if something happens they are prepared to act." [Kotarou]: "R-really...? It's hard to take this seriously......" [Nishikujou]: "Yes, feel free to think of it as a big joke." [Nishikujou]: "But don't forget. We have eyes and ears everywhere. We are watching you." [Nishikujou]: "Do not ever forget that." [Lucia]: "Even when I'm not around." [Lucia]: "If you tell anyone about Guardian, we will hear about it." [Kotarou]: "You don't need to threaten me, I'll keep my promise." [Nishikujou]: "That would be best for everyone." [Lucia]: "......we're not dangerous people. It's just, if we simply told you what we do, you probably wouldn't understand, Tennouji." [Lucia]: "I will explain it in a way you can understand, but I need a little time......I will explain, so..." [Kotarou]: "Okay, I'll wait." [Kotarou]: "But I'm not wary of you guys anyway, so don't worry about that." [Kotarou]: "Like I said, if someone like you is helping them, there's no way they could be bad people." [Nishikujou]: "Huhu, he really trusts you." [Lucia]: "Th-thank you..." A mysterious organization called Guardian. They still won't tell me what it is exactly. But they've promised to explain it eventually. Class rep's eyes look serious, so that promise is enough for me. For now, I'll do as she asks and forget that name. After making me agree to come in for an examination every so often, they finally let me go......

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> It's been a few days since then. But my life has been so ordinary I still can't believe it. That's probably my "reward" for not telling anyone the secrets I learned. ......Guardian, I think it was? A global secret society. Class rep is one of their agents. And they'll do horrible things to me if I tell anyone about this. [Kotarou]: "......not that anyone would believe me if I did tell them." Even Nishikujou-sensei's in that organization. I can't imagine someone like her being a secret agent. I have talked to her at school since then. But instead of smiling ominously, she just chats casually to me like she would to any other student. Truth is stranger than fiction, or something. Or maybe the truth is filled with things we're trained to only expect from fiction. They said Guardian is a bunch of people who volunteered to protect the Earth. Though, coming from Nishikujou-sensei, it feels like a joke. ......if Lucia said the same thing...no, I still wouldn't believe it. Konohana Lucia's fulfilling her role as the iron-fisted class rep today, as usual... ......she did make up with Chihaya at one point, but after their latest argument they've reverted. It's not making the entire classroom feel constricting and uncomfortable like it used to, but it still bothers me. I should probably try to get them together again at some point. I've been told to forget about Santa Brosia. But if I could explain Lucia's harsh past to Chihaya, I'm sure she'd understand everything. It's almost time for the harvest festival. The entire city is getting hyped up. I'd like to use that enthusiasm to help get them back together somehow. I decided I'd make an effort to do that by the time the festival starts. [Kotarou]: "Pretty sure this is the right street..." There. I can see Lucia's apartment. I remember she was on the second floor, in the room farthest back. I'm right on time. 8 PM on the dot. My mental clock is still as good as any cell phone. Originally we agreed I'd come at seven. But earlier she texted me, saying to come an hour later than that. ......why am I visiting Lucia's house today? She just told me to come without any explanation, but I think I know why. [Kotarou]: "Gotta be that big joke in the hospital the other day." [Kotarou]: "I didn't think she'd take it seriously..." A few days ago I got cocky and demanded Lucia do a bunch of silly things in exchange for me keeping their secrets. Including cooking a meal for me. I only meant it as a joke. I wasn't expecting her to actually do it. ......actually, taking something like that completely seriously is the sort of thing class rep would do. She leaves poison on anything she touches. Cooking for someone else was never an option for her until now. That poison isolates her from everyone. I just hope me being an exception will give her a little bit of courage... [Kotarou]: "......no point thinking stuff like that. I'm still nervous about this." Coming to a girl's house to eat food she cooked for me...after everything that's been happening... I've never seen something that amazing happen outside of a game. Hmmm, I really shouldn't be this nervous. Room 204. Konohana......this is the one. *ding-dong* *ding-dong* After a short while, I can hear her through the intercom. But her voice is strained. [Lucia]: "Are you Tennouji Kotarou!?" [Kotarou]: "Who do I look like? Is your intercom's camera broken?" [Lucia]: "I-I can see that it's you! N-no one else is with you, right...!? No one followed you there!?" [Kotarou]: "Wh-why are you so worried? Fine, fine, I'll check..." She's definitely very tense. I was getting excited about eating here, but that mood is gone now. Evidently this isn't the time to act playful... ......that's right, Lucia's in a secret society. Maybe something bad happened. Wait......maybe she wanted to talk to me about something serious today...and this was never about her cooking for me to begin with... I clear my mind of silly things and carefully check the area... [Kotarou]: "......it's okay, no one followed me." [Lucia]: "Y-you're certain...? Does anyone know you came here!?" [Kotarou]: "Nope. I kept my promise. I'm not telling anyone anything about you. Trust me." [Lucia]: "......o-...okay." I guess I was getting my hopes up when I assumed this was about food. ......I swore not to leave her alone. That means I'll be the first to help her when she needs it. [Kotarou]: "What happened? Can I come in?" [Lucia]: "Listen, Kotarou. Listen carefully. If you don't, you might die." [Kotarou]: "G-got it." Lucia lowers her voice. So this really is something bad. Can I really be sure no one's tailing me...!? I lean over the low wall, push my eyes and ears to the limits and try to find any sign of a pursuer... If it was this bad, she could have told me in advance so I could've taken strange detours and other stuff to avoid being tailed. Well, an amateur like me probably can't do that...I'd just make myself stand out even more. In movies it's pretty common for agents from some evil enemy organization to appear out of nowhere the moment I open the door and Lucia walks out. [Kotarou]: "......I value my life too. Tell me what to do." [Lucia]: "I will now unlock the door, but do not open it." [Kotarou]: "I see, fake them out." [Lucia]: "Count to one hundred where you are, silently, without doing anything." [Kotarou]: "Okay, will do." [Lucia]: "Good...I'll unlock it now. Stand back a little." I take three steps back, just to make sure the door can't hit me if she opens it really fast. I hear her unlock it. Then I hear her rush back inside. I look around again......no sign of anyone suspicious. Okay. I'll count to a hundred like she said. [Kotarou]: "......two......three......four......" All I hear are typical sounds for a residential area at night. My senses are sharper than a normal person, but nothing feels unusual to me. [Kotarou]: "......forty-five......forty-six......forty-seven......" I haven't heard Lucia move around since she went back in. At least there's no sign of her fighting anyone in there. [Kotarou]: "......eighty-eight......eighty-nine......ninety......" Actually, this is too quiet. Is Lucia really okay...? She did tell me to count to a hundred, but have I been counting too slowly...? Suddenly I'm worried about her. I quickly count the last ten and open the door. [Kotarou]: "Lucia......are you there!? I'm coming in...!" No answer. She told me to come here, but we're playing this weird game in front of her door. What on Earth is waiting for me in there...? ......I hope...... She wasn't attacked by some opposing organization, and I'm about to see a heap of their corpses. If they found out where she is, she might have to leave the town.

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> Dammit......but she still asked me to come here! I have to help her! [Kotarou]: "Lucia...!!" I rush through the hallway and into the living room. The entrance hall is neat and orderly, just as I'd expect from her. ......there aren't any signs of combat here. But......what I did find......far exceeded my expectations... I just stand there......blankly. ――That blank stare was a fatal mistake. A blow to my lower jaw sends my body into the air. Uu...oh......damn......that might've...broken a few teeth...... [Kotarou]: "Uu......goaa...is......that you, Lucia...?" [Lucia]: "Wh-who else do I look like!? Do not scrutinize meeeeeeeee!" [Kotarou]: "Umm......you invited me here...so why did you hit me...?" [Kotarou]: "No, never mind, I can imagine why. Yes, I'm sorry, I did go too far. Really, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that." [Lucia]: "I'm only doing this because it's an order! I can't disobey Nishikujou-san's orders!" [Lucia]: "I will never do this again! Never, neveeeeeeeeeeer, Tennouji Kotarouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!" That's definitely Konohana Lucia. But it took me a surprisingly long time to identify her... What's the most important thing when it comes to recognizing people? Their faces? Hair styles? Clothes are important too. That's definitely Lucia's face......but her clothes......simply don't fit the iron fists of justice... [Kotarou]: "Hey, Lucia......why are you......?" [Lucia]: "Th-this is what you demanded!! It's a maid outfit! Is something wrong with it!?" [Kotarou]: "......i-in a broad sense, I guess it qualifies...but I think it's a little off." [Lucia]: "Why!? I specifically went to a costume store!" [Lucia]: "The tag even said "maid" on it! Admittedly I had no idea how to choose between all the maid outfits they had, but still!" She's right. That is a maid outfit. But......isn't that one of the heroine's outfits from "Doki Doki♪Maid Party"? So technically it's closer to cosplay than a real maid outfit. Also, "Doki Doki♪Maid Party" is a galge, but......it's the kind you can't buy if you aren't old enough. And, when the heroine wears that particular outfit......let's just say she does a lot of stuff for the protagonist. I think the story was something like......the protagonist learned some secret about the heroine who had a one-sided crush on him. And in exchange for keeping her secret, she had to be his personal maid...... In fact, didn't he start off by making her wear a maid outfit and cook for him......? Giiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! What the hell have I dooooooooooooooooone!? I'm pretty sure the next thing he ordered her to do was...... [Lucia]: "I-is this all right? ...m-......master......?" [Kotarou]: "Fumubaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahigyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!" That's riiiiiiiiiight, he made her call him masteeeeeeeeeeeer!! Why did I do that!? Was I subconsciously reciting the script of that galge back in the hospital!? [Lucia]: "...n-now I need to prepare a meal." [Lucia]: "...why would you want me to do these things in such shameful clothes? ......I cannot understand you at all!" [Kotarou]: "I'm sorry...I can't understand me either..." Lucia begins moving around the kitchen......as her mini skirt only barely manages to hide her butt. I think the next one was......she had to put the food in my mouth with chopsticks. [Kotarou]: "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to go that far. That's more than enough already, we can just eat normally..." [Lucia]: "No we cannot!" [Lucia]: "Fulfilling orders is part of my job! No matter how perverse the demand, if it comes from a superior it's an order. I will execute every last one of them!" [Lucia]: "Now sit here, Tennouji Kotarou! ......I mean, master! Now, please open your mouth wide for me!" [Kotarou]: "No, seriously, it's okay!!" [Lucia]: "I cannot stop now! Okay, master, say aaah! Come on! Why will you not say aaah!?" [Lucia]: "I must complete all eighteen orders!! Prepare yourself, Master Tennouji Kotarouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!" [Kotarou]: "Fugo! Mugagagaga, bugyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!" As Lucia forcefully crams food down my throat like a form of torture, all I can do is scream...... Somehow she completed the rest of the conditions, and I was finally released...... Thank god I stopped at eighteen...... I think the nineteenth one was......something X-rated...... I must never allow Lucia to find out about the eroge "Doki Doki♪Maid Party". If she does......she really will kill me...... [Lucia]: "By the way, the tag on these clothes also said "Doki Doki♪Maid Party". Do you know what that means?" [Kotarou]: "N-no, no, not in the slightest!" [Kotarou]: "I will never tell anyone that the first press limited edition had unblurred CGs which people bought and sold for high prices on Yahoo auctions!" [Lucia]: "I see, so it's sold in online auctions. I'll have to look it up on the internet later." [Kotarou]: "Uuoooooooooooooooooooooooo, not the interneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!" [Lucia]: "Hmmm!? You are hiding something! Spit it out! Confess! Reveal the true nature of these perverse clooooooooothes!!" I will never tell! You'll kill me if I tell you! Somehow I managed to get away without answering her, but now I know what it feels like to faint in front of a maid who's locked onto your face...... ......not because she strangled me...but......her skirt was a bit...too short... Since she was holding her arms out to squeeze my neck......her butt...was...... Other than Lucia's outfit, the rest of the meal was quite normal. Her food was pretty good. And it was filled with the warmth of homemade cooking. [Lucia]: "I've fulfilled all my orders now! I've kept all of our lewd promises!" Sadly, she changed back while putting the dishes away. [Kotarou]: "Yes, you did. Don't worry, I'm not going to tell anyone about Guardian." [Kotarou]: "......so you could you please tell me what it is exactly? What are you and Nishikujou-sensei doing?" [Lucia]: "......"protecting the planet" is all I can say." [Kotarou]: "Does that mean something will destroy it if you don't?" I recall when she gave me a surprisingly passionate lecture about proper garbage disposal.

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> If we don't protect the environment, humanity has no future. That's what people normally mean when they talk about protecting the planet. ......but I don't think that's what a secret society like Guardian would mean by it. [Kotarou]: "You guys are being very secretive to "protect the Earth"......why...?" [Kotarou]: "...I do trust you though. I'm not worried that you're doing anything wrong." [Kotarou]: "But I know Guardian exists now. Maybe this is just naïve curiosity, but......could you at least tell me the basics?" [Lucia]: "......mmmm......" Lucia looks down and groans. She has to keep this a secret, but it hurts to keep things from me. At least, I think that's how she feels. ......maybe I shouldn't be trying to make her tell me. But before I can say "Sorry, never mind," she sighs heavily and glares at me. [Lucia]: "......can you swear absolute lifelong secrecy?" [Kotarou]: "O-of course. I already have." [Lucia]: "Can you swear on your mother's name!?" [Kotarou]: "Do I need to do something that old-fashioned? ......yeah, I swear on both my parents' names." [Lucia]: "......then I'll tell you." [Lucia]: "It's not fair to make you keep our secrets when we haven't even told you what they are..." [Lucia]: "Besides, if I don't tell you, you might do something really stupid to satisfy your curiosity." Lucia sighs one more time, then starts thinking about where to start. Considering I managed to find Santa Brosia on my own, she's got a point. And I don't want to make her tell me everything, just enough to answer a few burning questions. The Occult Research Club. What I did to escape boredom. I did some amateur journalism about ghost stories, hoping to earn a little more allowance. But......somehow I stumbled across a secret society fighting to protect the world. It's like fishing out in the ocean, but catching a whale which drags you underwater. [Kotarou]: "I won't joke about this, and I'll never tell anyone about it." [Kotarou]: "So please tell me. What are you guys doing?" [Kotarou]: "You're not just sorting garbage and running around punishing people who aren't, right......?" [Lucia]: "......as you said before, we're protecting the Earth because something will destroy it otherwise." [Kotarou]: "Okay." [Kotarou]: "So what is it? If it makes sense to me I'd like to help fight it." [Lucia]: "......at the moment, Kazamatsuri City is a ticking time bomb, because a single person holds the key that decides whether the world gets destroyed or not." [Kotarou]: "......that's pretty bad." [Lucia]: "Do you believe me? Even though I'm talking about the world ending?" It is rare to hear about the world ending outside of a manga. Lucia's asking me if I can believe something that absurd. [Kotarou]: "I told you I wouldn't laugh." [Kotarou]: "Besides, I know you'd never lie to me, Konohana Lucia, so please continue." [Lucia]: "O-okay, thank you." [Kotarou]: "When you say a single person holds the key, what do you mean?" [Kotarou]: "Is it a terrorist with a suitcase nuke or something...? Or some guy with a lethal virus...?" [Lucia]: "We refer to that person as the "Key"." [Kotarou]: "The Key? Is that a codename?" [Lucia]: "Yes. A being called the Key, in the form of a girl." ......a girl? No, wait, a being in the form of a girl......? [Lucia]: "Yes......the Key resembles a human girl, but it isn't human at all." [Lucia]: "It's a very special kind of entity." [Kotarou]: "Don't tell me...she's an alien...?" I can't help but smirk a bit, but I stop quickly. I promised not to laugh at this. [Lucia]: "It's not an alien. In that sense you could say it is an Earthling." [Lucia]: "But it is completely different from us humans." [Kotarou]: "......so it's a different species than homo sapiens?" [Kotarou]: "Intelligent life that followed a different evolutionary path...?" [Lucia]: "It would take a long time to explain that better, so I'd like to move on." [Lucia]: "......but what you say isn't entirely wrong. Just think of it as something resembling humans, but not human." [Kotarou]: "So we can't recognize it just by walking around looking for it." [Lucia]: "It is impossible to identify from external appearance." [Lucia]: "In addition, it has the ability to disrupt people's awareness of it, so it may not even be possible to notice it's there." [Kotarou]: "Disrupt awareness...? You mean like optical camouflage or something?" [Lucia]: "It's not optical. It acts directly on your mind." [Lucia]: "Even if it was standing in front of you, you might not understand someone is there, even though there is light bouncing off her and into your eyes." [Kotarou]: "......amazing. So it has stealth powers which mess with our minds." [Lucia]: "Even if it's there, it prevents us from noticing it." [Lucia]: "Odds are, anyone who has come close to her would be aware on some level that they can't recognize something they should be able to see, which causes strong fear and discomfort." [Lucia]: "They would most likely feel as though they encountered a ghost." [Kotarou]: "So Guardian's hunting a kind of ghost..." [Kotarou]: "......don't tell me that's why you joined the Occult Club..." [Lucia]: "That was one reason." ......I see. I do remember thinking it was odd that someone like Lucia joined the Occult Club just because her friend, Shizuru did. Now it makes a lot more sense. [Kotarou]: "So what is this Key? Don't tell me that thing is what destroys the world?" [Lucia]: "It has the ability to make that happen." [Kotarou]: "Damn. Then we can't just let it run around unchecked." [Lucia]: "Yes. We need to secure it, and if we can't we must assassinate it." Using the word "assassinate" makes this sound much more dangerous. But if there is an inhuman being with the power to destroy the world running around, that might be appropriate. It'd be nice if we could talk to it and explain ourselves......but if we can't, we may have to kill it. But that raises more questions. [Kotarou]: "I get that it'd cause a huge panic if people found out about this......but if the whole world's in danger..." [Kotarou]: "Wouldn't it be easier if you guys could do more public things like sealing off Kazamatsuri City and calling in the self defense force to do a thorough search?" An obvious question. If the world's in danger, why bother with secret societies? All of humanity would support a mission to save the Earth. Why keep it a secret? [Lucia]: "......the Key's existence has a strong impact on religions all around the world. We can't even let its existence be known publicly." [Kotarou]: "True...it'd be considered a god."

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "......and if it can destroy the world, it's a walking doomsday device. There might be countries who'd try to use it to make threats." [Lucia]: "Thank you for understanding. That is exactly why we cannot let people know about it." [Lucia]: "......in addition, there is a group who wishes to actively capture the Key and make it destroy the Earth." [Kotarou]: "The hell? Is this some kind of cult?" [Lucia]: "An organization named Gaia. We consider them the most dangerous group currently in existence." [Kotarou]: "......Gaia?" [Lucia]: "They are a fanatical group who believes the Key can revitalize the Earth." [Lucia]: "They wish to secure the Key and threaten the world with it, even though they know it might wipe out humanity." [Kotarou]: "What the hell are they thinking? Do they not value their lives!?" [Lucia]: "The world suffers from a fatal disease, and the only way to cure it is to use the Key's power to revitalize it." [Lucia]: "The potential loss of humanity is an acceptable risk to achieve that......that's what they think." [Kotarou]: "I see...that is insane......are those guys lurking in Kazamatsuri City too?" [Lucia]: "Yes. In fact, it would be accurate to say Kazamatsuri is under their control." [Lucia]: "We're effectively in enemy territory." [Kotarou]: "......damn." [Kotarou]: "So the ultimate battle for the fate of the world has been going on in Kazamatsuri without any of us normal people knowing about it...?" I thought about saying "this is like something from a B-movie", but I changed my mind. I said I wouldn't laugh at this......this is reality. [Kotarou]: "Gaia......what a weird group." [Kotarou]: "Revitalizing the Earth sounds like an admirable goal, but if they're willing to wipe out humanity for it then they're no different from terrorists." [Kotarou]: "We've gotta focus on stuff like sorting trash correctly." [Lucia]: "Hu, you're right." [Lucia]: "But they also believe that the world is far too sick to be saved by such measures." [Kotarou]: "Well, the world probably will end eventually. But isn't that gonna happen billions of years from now?" [Kotarou]: "When the Sun starts expanding enough to swallow up the Earth, I think it was. But we humans only live a hundred or so years. Isn't that a bit too long term to worry about?" [Lucia]: "......it is a hard fact that the world is getting more ill." [Lucia]: "Not that I agree with them, but the Earth simply will not last billions of years." [Kotarou]: "So Gaia and Guardian agree the world doesn't have much time left?" [Lucia]: "......if things continue to get worse at the current rate, the world will die in a thousand years. That's an optimistic estimate." [Kotarou]: "A thousand years......" Compared to a billion years, that feels incredibly close. But that's still too far away for humans to worry about, no matter how long they live. People don't care about a future they'll never see. That's why they keep polluting the environment so much and pushing difficult issues onto their children and grandchildren... [Kotarou]: "A thousand years......it feels incredibly far away...but still close enough it's sure to happen at some point." [Kotarou]: "......still...that's just too distant for me to imagine..." [Lucia]: "True. A billion and a thousand years in the future are both too far for any of us to ever see." [Lucia]: "That's why we can ignore it......we can't imagine it." [Kotarou]: "......a thousand years...I wonder how the Earth will end." [Lucia]: "If you can imagine it......I can tell you." [Kotarou]: "Eh......?" We don't have any way of knowing what things will be like a thousand years from now. She agreed with me on that point, but she says she can tell me what'll happen. [Lucia]: "Until Nishikujou-san had me reassigned, I was part of a different project." [Kotarou]: "What project?" [Lucia]: "Since destruction was unavoidable, they were researching how humanity might live through to the future." Future...humanity. ......she's used that phrase before. [Lucia]: "They performed complete simulations about the world a thousand years from now." [Lucia]: "They were researching how a human might fight back against that cruel environment, which denied all sorts of life." [Lucia]: "It was a grandiose plan, to give that technology to people who will live a thousand years from now, so that humanity might live on." [Kotarou]: "......that's also pretty hard to grasp, but I guess I'm glad people are looking into that...were you one of the researchers?" [Lucia]: "No. I'm one of the people given that technology." Future humanity. That's what she defined herself as in the chapel. She said she wasn't human, that she was something ugly and filthy. ......then she said she was a future human... She asks me to close my eyes and listen...... Static from the TV...... No, not that. If it had sounded like waves, I would've been happy. But once I realize what it is, I can't mishear it again. The sound of dry sand blowing violently. Yes, it's......a sandstorm of poison and rust...... [Male Voice]: "Julius, do you copy?" [Voice]: "......this is Julius. No problems." [Male Voice]: "Gabriel, do you copy?" [Voice]: "This is Gabriel. Hearing difficulties. Loud static and headaches." [Male Voice]: "Understood, correcting......how's that? Any better?" [Voice]: "......much better. No problems." [Male Voice]: "Lucia, do you copy?" [Lucia]: "This is Lucia. No problems......I can hear waves." [Male Voice]: "Waves? Are you sure?" [Lucia]: "Yes......no......correction. This is probably wind." [Male Voice]: "All right, that's normal. Now we'll connect vision. Brenda, please begin." [Female Voice]: "Understood. Julius, Gabriel, Lucia. You will soon see red, blue and green dots appear and overlap." [Female Voice]: "Tell us when they converge to a single white point......if something strange happens, double tap the emergency button." The emergency button was hastily added after the accident with Francesca last week. They're supposed to be monitoring us in every way possible, but Francesca perceived something no one had detected, and her brain boiled. Based on the data they did get before she died, they concluded the measurements were consistent with death from drowning in a sulfuric hot spring. She probably went too far off course and plunged into it...that's what everyone said. Human bodies send sensory data to the brain, and the brain makes the body react accordingly. So sending data directly to the brain is enough to produce bodily reactions. So if data about horrible burns gets sent to the brain, the body will reproduce them. And that's what happened...... When Francesca was supposed to say there was no problem, she was silent for two seconds. That's all it took for her brain to fry. Will we be able to hit the emergency button before we suffer ourselves...? If we can......we'll move on to more experiments and training. If we can't, we'll die, and there won't be any more experiments or training. We never learned that death is terrifying.

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep </METADATA> So we only mourned Francesca because she was boiled to death, and we were relieved she only had to suffer it for two seconds. ......and we envy the fact that she never has to see the hellish future again. A red, green and blue dot suddenly appear inside my eyelids. ......they're piercingly bright, hurting my eyes. But since they're inside my eyelids, I have no way of protecting myself from them. The three dots writhe around like pendulums, trying to merge together. Their movements make me feel like my eyes are being stirred with a toothpick. [Female Researcher]: "Lucia, how is it? Have they turned white yet?" [Lucia]: "......they just did." [Lucia]: "...but it's so bright my eyes hurt...as if a needle is stabbing me in the eye." [Female Researcher]: "Endure it a little longer. That pain isn't real." [Female Researcher]: "Your eyes are calm. Do not acknowledge that pain, or it really will gouge them out." Perfect fake pain becomes "real" the moment your mind admits it. We can't admit this is painful. If we can't fight it, we won't be able to withstand these tests. If we don't withstand them, we won't have to take any more. ......though there's only one thing that could mean. [Lucia]: ".........understood, I will ignore it." I ignore the sensation of my eyes being gouged out. It's just a signal being sent to my brain. I cut off the thought linking it to my eyeballs. ......after our mental training, we can ignore any amount of pain. And......once again......I'm sent to hell......a thousand years in the future. A virtual reality is forced into my brain. It is a kind of simulation, but after what happened to Francesca, we know it's more dangerous than that. This simulator uses some of the world's best supercomputers to force a virtual world into our brains. It's completely different from seeing a bunch of polygons on a TV screen. It can completely deceive our brains. Even calling it "virtual" is misleading in a way. As far as I'm concerned, it's a time machine... [Female Researcher]: "Okay, Lucia, slowly open your eyes. What can you see?" Now that I've been given permission......I slowly open my eyes. [Lucia]: "The usual world. No problems." [Female Researcher]: "Don't omit things. What kind of world can you see?" [Lucia]: "The usual......desert world." A vast desert, with sandstorms of poison and rust. The rusted sand is crystallized poison, which still hasn't been broken down, even a thousand years into the future. If I took even a single grain of it back to the real world and threw it into a pool, not even microbes would be able to live in it. An entire desert made up of those grains......covering the entire land mass. This is what the world's most advanced computers spent decades calculating......what the world will be like in the future. This desert of poison and rust......is the pus oozing out of the Earth's surface. Humans lived here, sucked out and dug up its resources, then left their filth. Eventually the world will become unable to heal its own wounds......it will rot, fester...then spew poison all across its surface. ......every form of life it ever created will die. There isn't a single cloud in the sky. Now that the Earth has given up on sustaining life, it won't provide the blessing of rain. The Sun which should pity us is nothing more than a devil's eye, seeking out anything that still clings to life and frying it to a crisp. The atmosphere is that same devil's breath. My lungs begin prickling in no time. The pain and heat of sulfur filling them. [Female Researcher]: "Lucia, how do you feel? Your vitals don't look good." [Lucia]: "My lungs are too hot......inhaling the air burns them." [Male Researcher]: "That's just a mental image. Don't let it beat you. You're built to resist that. Only your mind is failing to accept it." [Lucia]: "Understood. Ignoring pain. I'll get used to this sensation." If I don't get used to it, I'll meet the same end as Francesca. I just stand blankly in this searing desert......as if waiting for a family that will never come for me. [Female Researcher]: "Lucia, that's good. Everything's normal. All clear......oh my God...I can't believe this...!" [Male Researcher]: "Okay, we will now begin the test. But first, Lucia, congratulations." [Lucia]: "What for? ......but thank you." [Male Researcher]: "Everyone in the staff room is cheering right now. You alone have been chosen by the world of the future. Congratulations." Apparently the revolutionary organic foundation they built into me far surpassed their expectations. Their compressed space technology allowed them to fit in a foundation the size of a runway. It's what makes me a future human, capable of living in a world that permits no life. The key opening the doors of the afterlife, allowing only me to live in a world of death. That organic foundation was finally completed, after a tremendous number of sacrifices, and several long painful days... I was just allowed to live in a world of poison. No, not quite. I've been reborn as a human living in a poisoned world...... [Female Researcher]: "Congratulations, Lucia. I repeat, all clear." [Female Researcher]: "You're the only human capable of living a thousand years from now. You're the next generation of humanity." [Male Researcher]: "Humanity will be destroyed, but you will live." [Male Researcher]: "And you will be the one to raise children in the new world, pass on our culture, and rebuild society......God has chosen you as the Eve of the next world." [Female Researcher]: "Now we just need an Adam." [Female Researcher]: "The foundation might not work well with a Y chromosome. We'll have to redesign it specifically for that." The researchers begin discussing it on the other side of the intercom. But what I heard is already enough to tell me that I've lost one more of my few remaining friends. Julius was the last male test subject...... His lungs were burnt away by the sulfur. He accepted the pain of the burning air. He wasn't ready to go to the world of the future yet. After the last experiment, I was somewhat expecting that... He often talked about how early results did or did not indicate future performance, but I could never understand it. After that, I......saw several new boys and girls arrive...and guided them to the future world. As long as I didn't have to go to that lonely world of poison and rust, I didn't care who did. I gave them as much advice as I could, so they wouldn't meet the same end as Francesca, Julius, Gabriel and the others. ......but not a single one of them was able to accept the future. Their bodies, their cells accepted it......but their brains didn't. They were in awe of my "special" brain......but I don't think I did anything special. All information sent to the brain, including pain, including all mental images......they're just signals. I recognize that, and consciously select which ones to react to. They should know how to do that after going through the same mental training I did. ......but apparently I'm the only one who ever learned it. Eventually, that desert world made me feel nothing other than loneliness. No heat. No pain. In fact, I did feel my cells whisking around, trying to adapt to this land of death. And on the day of my final test......it felt as if I was sunbathing.

<METADATA> Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> In a world where all my new friends died after taking a single breath. Eventually, I understood. I was cursed to live in this hell. The world will end eventually. This world with bright green foliage......will eventually be repainted in poison... ......until I moved to Santa Brosia......and that incident happened... My nightmares were always of that desert world. Of me being left all alone in that world......without a single friend. I don't see that world in my dreams anymore. Because now I have nightmares where everything I touch dies...... [Kotarou]: "......a desert world......of poison and rust." Tennouji's doing the best he can to imagine what I'm describing. ......he can't do it. That bleak, indescribably lonely world...it can't be imagined. ......only someone who's actually been there can know what it's like. I only told him about the world a thousand years in the future. I deliberately left out the fact that I was born for the sole purpose of being sent there. I don't want to talk about the Next Generation Humanity Project. But......Tennouji is still making an effort to at least try imagining that nightmarish world... Closing his eyes and thinking isn't enough to imagine it, but......I understand that he's trying to keep me from feeling alone. He isn't going to leave me alone......even a thousand years from now... [Kotarou]: "That really is a world of death." [Kotarou]: "......so, a thousand years from now, humans will exhaust the Earth's resources." [Lucia]: "Yes. If people don't change their way of life, it may come even sooner." [Kotarou]: "If we do change, can we delay it?" [Lucia]: "I believe so." [Kotarou]: "......so that's why you told us about sorting cans properly." Back when Yoshino and I were kicking a bunch of cans around, Lucia lectured us on the importance of the environment. She meant everything she said literally. For someone who knows the world will end in a thousand years, what she said is obvious. Everyone knows the world's running out of resources. But they all think it'll happen long after they're all dead. Whereas she's seen the end herself...... [Kotarou]: "......Lucia...I think you should tell more people about what you saw." [Kotarou]: "That might encourage more humans to work toward saving the world." [Lucia]: "I once thought that was my duty......but I am forbidden from speaking of it." [Kotarou]: "It's still the result of proper research, isn't it? Doesn't matter if the project was canceled." [Kotarou]: "......it still seems like a waste of their efforts." [Lucia]: "Most people would not believe me as easily as you did, Tennouji." [Lucia]: "......a thousand years in the future. It's too far away for them to care." [Kotarou]: "That's not true." [Kotarou]: "If even one guy happens to survive what happens..." [Kotarou]: "He'll hate all of humanity for causing that lonely desert to come into being." Maybe I said too many embarrassing things... But Lucia looks down and thinks about my words. [Kotarou]: "I don't want whoever's left to regret the fact that we could have done something. So shouldn't we start doing something? No matter how small?" [Lucia]: "...............hmm, very admirable. What exactly did you have in mind?" [Kotarou]: "Sorting garbage. Using reusable bags in supermarkets. Adjusting our refrigerator settings." [Kotarou]: "And never resisting the urge to pee. Speaking of which, where's the toilet?" [Lucia]: "I-idiot......down the hall and on your left!" I didn't mean to make a joke out of that, but I did need to go. I rush to the toilet before Lucia can punish me. When I head into the hallway......I see something flutter. What was that? ......to my left is the bathroom. I think the curtain separating the bath from the rest of the bathroom fluttered. [Kotarou]: "Am I imagining things...?" If this was my own house, I'd wonder if a ghost was here. But this is Lucia's house. If a ghost really did show up, she'd mercilessly pound it into submission......so I have nothing to fear. When I try entering the room......this time I hear a faint noise. ......it definitely came from inside the room. Not a typical sound, like water dripping. [Kotarou]: "Come to think of it......when the Key's around......she said it feels like there's a ghost, since you can't see something you should be able to......" Could this actually be the Key that Lucia and Guardian are after...? If so, I'd be a hero. And I'll be protecting the world! I slowly open the bathroom door...... [Lucia]: "T-Tennouji Kotarouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu......" [Lucia]: "You said you needed the toilet...so why are you opening the bathroom doooooor......?" [Kotarou]: "W-wait, Lucia, it's not what you think. I saw something moving around in there...!" [Kotarou]: "I thought it might've been the Key...!!" [Lucia]: "Aaaah, how dare you attempt to look at a woman using the bath, you perveeeeeeeeeeeeeeert!!" [Lucia]: "Good thing this is the bathroom. I can simply wash off the blood with the shower later!!" [Kotarou]: "Th-that really is convenieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeent!! Wait......eh?" [Shizuru]: "......mmm." To avoid Lucia's fists, I open the door all the way and rush into the bathroom...... ......but......what is Shizuru......doing in here......? [Kotarou]: "Wh-why's the moral guard in here?" [Shizuru]: "Very strange." [Lucia]: "Sh-......Shizuruuuuuuuuuuuuu!" [Shizuru]: "Those clothes looked pretty good on you." [Lucia]: "Y-...you saw......forget about thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!!" As Lucia's fists bear down on me, Shizuru quickly interrupts by saying that... Then she starts running around, keeping me between her and Lucia. [Lucia]: "Damn you, Shizuruuuuuuuuu!! Stand still and let me hit youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" [Shizuru]: "No. It'll hurt. I'll pass." [Kotarou]: "I'm confused. Please explain. Actually, please stop trying to hit people around me." [Lucia]: "Out of the way, Tennouji Kotarouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!" [Kotarou]: "I'm not in the way, Shizuru's just running around me." [Shizuru]: "There, there. Don't get mad. I'll tell someone." [Lucia]: "Don't teeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell!!" *bam!* *riiiing* She grabs Shizuru by the collar, but the fist meant for Shizuru's face hits mine instead. Stars all around. Static everywhere...

<METADATA> Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> The cosplay maid dinner with Lucia resulted in me getting punched in the face because of Shizuru's unexpected appearance... Th-this isn't right! Whyyyy...!? Lucia threw me and Shizuru out after all that. ......I at least have the right to know what she was doing in the bathroom. [Shizuru]: "I felt like it." [Kotarou]: "You sneak into people's bathrooms because you feel like it?" [Shizuru]: "In that case, I was guarding Lucia. I was making sure you didn't do anything to her, Kotarou." [Kotarou]: "You think that iron-fisted class rep needs guarding? Seriously?" [Shizuru]: "Hmm...good point." She continues making up reasons. She's not the type to simply tell me. [Kotarou]: "Well, I think I can guess......you helped her cook all that food, right?" [Shizuru]: "Hm? ...how did you know?" [Kotarou]: "There was too much saury." [Shizuru]: "Uuu...I thought that was part of a normal family meal..." [Kotarou]: "Lucia's pretty good at cooking, right? Her bentous were impressive." [Shizuru]: "Lucia has trouble tasting things." Ah......that's right, she has an extremely high tolerance for spice... I see, if she cooked normally, she might not make things I'd be able to eat, so she needed Shizuru's help... [Shizuru]: "I was the one who bought the ingredients, but Lucia cooked them. All I did was taste test." [Kotarou]: "So she made you do the boring jobs and you didn't like being thrown out afterward?" [Kotarou]: "So you snuck back inside and watched what we were doing?" [Shizuru]: "I wasn't expecting her to change into that outfit. Kotarou, are you into that?" [Kotarou]: "N-not me. That was Nishikujou-sensei's order!" [Shizuru]: "????" Though it is my fault she ordered her to do that...... Shizuru is shocked to hear that Nishikujou-sensei gave that order. ......ah......not good. It's supposed to be a secret that those two are in Guardian... I shouldn't say things that imply they know each other outside school...... [Shizuru]: "I see. Kotarou, you promised to keep a secret in exchange for Lucia doing pervy things." [Kotarou]: "Uu...pretty much......" [Shizuru]: "Touka likes goofing around, but she can be quite cold." [Shizuru]: "If you reveal that secret, Kotarou, she'll transfer you." [Kotarou]: "S-secrets...? Wh-what are you talking about?" [Shizuru]: "Guardian." [Kotarou]: "Owawawa!! Don't say that! Shizuru-san, you're not supposed to say that!!" I was just playing dumb, but I wasn't expecting Shizuru to throw out that name so easily. [Kotarou]: "So that means......you're with them too?" [Shizuru]: "What are you talking about?" [Kotarou]: "Too late to play dumb." [Shizuru]: "Guar! Guar!" [Kotarou]: "What kind of animal is that?" And stop saying parts of the name of your secret organization! But now I finally know why Lucia and Shizuru were so close despite being in different school years... They were both from Guardian...... [Kotarou]: "I see...so that's why you knew Lucia." [Shizuru]: "Guar! Guar!" [Kotarou]: "It's still odd though." [Shizuru]: "Guar?" [Kotarou]: "Enough animal noises." Lucia has to pretend to be a clean freak because her body produces poison. She's been avoiding contact with people only because she might infect them with her poison. [Kotarou]: "But......you can go into Lucia's house, right?" [Shizuru]: "Yes." [Kotarou]: "You've cooked with her, and she's eaten bentous with you before, right?" [Shizuru]: "That's normal." [Kotarou]: "If you guys were normal, yes. But Lucia isn't......you know what I mean, right...?" [Shizuru]: "......I'm special." [Kotarou]: "No, no matter how close you two are, Lucia would avoid that..." [Shizuru]: "Not that. My body's special." Shizuru says something incredible. [Kotarou]: "Special how......?" [Shizuru]: "Similar to how Lucia's body is special. Her poison doesn't affect me." [Kotarou]: "S-seriously?" [Shizuru]: "Just like you, Kotarou." [Kotarou]: "I see...that explains that......" [Shizuru]: "That's why......I was Lucia's only friend." Since Lucia poisons anyone she touches......being her friend requires an immunity to her poison. That's why Lucia couldn't open up to anyone in the class, but she could be friends with Shizuru... [Shizuru]: "There were some people who wanted to be friends with Lucia......but she rejected them." [Kotarou]: "Yeah......she wouldn't want to lose someone to that poison again." Chihaya was trying to be Lucia's friend too. If it wasn't for her poison, I'm sure they'd be good friends by now... It's neither Chihaya's nor Lucia's fault that they aren't. It's just......Chihaya's body isn't capable of surviving it. Almost no one is... [Shizuru]: "Lucia has been praying that someone would appear with a miraculous resistance to her poison." [Shizuru]: "Kotarou......you're Lucia's miracle." [Kotarou]: "I'm no angel." [Kotarou]: "I'm just a weird guy who happens to be immune to her poison." [Shizuru]: "Lucia's poison is very strong." [Kotarou]: "So I've heard." [Shizuru]: "It really is amazing that you're okay, Kotarou." [Kotarou]: "Which means you're also super incredibly amazing." [Shizuru]: "I am super incredibly amazing." [Kotarou]: "Don't say that about yourself." [Shizuru]: "Guar!" [Kotarou]: "Don't worry." [Shizuru]: "Guar?" [Kotarou]: "I swore to always be with her. I'm not gonna leave her alone now." [Shizuru]: "......Kotarou, you say amazing things. I'm a little jealous. It's embarrassing." [Kotarou]: "Y-......you're right, that was pretty embarrassing." [Shizuru]: "Even more than your cosplay dinner." [Kotarou]: "Don't call it that!" [Shizuru]: "But Lucia always wanted that." [Kotarou]: "She wanted to cosplay?" [Shizuru]: "Guar! Guar! Guar!" [Kotarou]: "Ow, ow! Sorry, I won't joke about it again!" [Shizuru]: "Lucia's a girl too. She always wanted to interact with boys." All boys and girls want that to some degree at our age. Even the stubborn class rep is no exception. If anything, because of her body, that desire was more cruel for her than most...

<METADATA> Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Shizuru]: "Kotarou, you probably only thought of it as a prank." [Shizuru]: "......but you granted one of Lucia's dreams tonight. You can be sure of that." Bringing a boy to her house......and cooking for him. Something any girl would want to do. [Shizuru]: "She was probably going to invite you to her room for tea after you finished eating." A small dream Lucia once told Shizuru about. If she could invite a boy to her house... She would cook for him... Invite him to her room, and pour some tea... Then talk as long as they wanted...... She probably had some tea prepared in the kitchen already. [Kotarou]: "Doesn't that mean you screwed it all up?" [Shizuru]: "I didn't think you'd find me. You're too good, Kotarou." True. If I hadn't noticed that flutter, Shizuru would've stayed hidden. There was no other sign that she was there. I see...that must be the sort of thing Guardian teaches their agents... [Kotarou]: "Wait, wait, it's still your fault, Shizuru." [Shizuru]: "Hmmm..." [Kotarou]: "Don't think so hard." [Shizuru]: "Kotarou..." [Kotarou]: "Hm?" [Shizuru]: "You said you wouldn't leave Lucia alone. Did you mean forever?" [Kotarou]: "......well, I didn't set a time limit." [Shizuru]: "In the chapel, you said you'd never leave her alone as long as you lived." [Kotarou]: "Uooooooo...that's...easily misunderstood......" [Shizuru]: "Misunderstood?" [Kotarou]: "Hm......?" Shizuru's expression is her usual indifferent one. But her eyes look at me with a strong will. ......as Lucia's friend......Shizuru's trying to check how I really feel. It'd be easy to pretend I don't understand that and escape the question. But......I...... [Kotarou]: "Well......I wasn't trying to make anyone misunderstand." [Kotarou]: "That's definitely how I felt at the time......I'll never leave her alone again." [Shizuru]: "Did you not think about how that sounded to Lucia?" [Kotarou]: "......I wasn't thinking about romantic feelings at the time." [Kotarou]: "If Lucia was a boy, I probably would have said the same thing." [Shizuru]: "I think Lucia......took it to mean more than that." [Shizuru]: "Kotarou, it's still possible for you to help Lucia notice that misunderstanding without hurting anyone." [Shizuru]: "Are you prepared to spend your life with her?" I stop, and look up at a street light shining in the dark. I think back on everything that's happened surrounding Lucia. What is she to me...? Someone I played pranks on because her insane spice tolerance fascinated me? Someone I pitied because being a clean freak isolated her from everyone else? Someone I couldn't ignore because the Asahi Haruka story connected to her? I still don't know how I feel about Konohana Lucia. She's more than just a classmate or a friend now. We've been through so much. But from Lucia's point of view... ......I probably am the one she intends to spend the rest of her life with. I've said things that could very easily be taken to mean that. But, whether I accept that role or not......I don't want to leave her alone ever again. Maybe I'm the one failing to understand what that feeling means. In the chapel, I felt a violent anger toward the poison that isolates her from everyone else. That's why I used the full extent of my power to defeat her poison with a new body......even though normally I don't let myself use it at all. Since it wasn't an obvious change like increasing muscle mass, I'm not really noticing it. But I probably reforged every cell in my body. There must be some other changes to come with it. A forbidden power I've feared since I was little. Did I use up all of it......without even thinking......? [Kotarou]: "I think......my entire body..." [Kotarou]: "From my hair to my toenails, it all looks the same, but it's completely different from a normal human's." The tests back in that hospital showed I was resistant to Lucia's poison. But from what the doctors said, I learned something else. [Kotarou]: "I look like a human on the outside......but on the inside I'm something completely different." [Shizuru]: "......so I've heard." [Kotarou]: "And it's similar to how Lucia is different. I became that way willingly." [Shizuru]: "?" [Kotarou]: "Never mind." [Kotarou]: "......anyway, I didn't want to leave Lucia alone, so I wished for this body." [Kotarou]: "And even if I wanted to go back to my old one, I can't do that." All the changes my power causes are irreversible. That's why I didn't want to use it too much. But......when I saw Lucia's tears, that fear vanished. [Kotarou]: "So I just hadn't realized it." I definitely was prepared to never leave Konohana Lucia alone for the rest of her life. If I don't recognize what that implies......I'll just hurt her more. I stepped on the accelerator to avoid hurting her. So why should I be afraid of going farther...? [Kotarou]: "I'll never, ever leave Konohana Lucia alone." [Kotarou]: "......I did swear that to her. And however Lucia took it, she's not misunderstanding a thing." [Shizuru]: "Kotarou..." [Kotarou]: "If she wants to invite me into her room to drink tea and talk, then I'll grant that wish soon enough." [Kotarou]: "I'll grant all her wishes eventually......is that good enough, Shizuru?" After a lengthy silence, Shizuru sighs deeply with relief. During that pause, I never looked away from her eyes. [Shizuru]: "So in love. I'm jealous." [Shizuru]: "But I feel better now. As Lucia's friend, I'm happy to hear that." [Kotarou]: "Now back to the previous topic. You are 100% at fault for how tonight ended, and don't think I'll forget it." [Shizuru]: "Mmm...I was so close." [Kotarou]: "I'll never forget. Not even for a single moment." Shizuru scratches her head. But her face is already back to her usual silly expression. As Lucia's friend, Shizuru asked me things that Lucia herself wouldn't be able to ask. I'm sure she'll tell Lucia what I said. Sometimes it takes a third person to help two people get their feelings across to each other... [Shizuru]: "Kotarou, your house is that way. Mine's this way." [Kotarou]: "It's late. I'll walk you home." [Shizuru]: "I'm a Guar agent. I'll be fine." [Kotarou]: "Stop saying your secret society's name so many times." [Shizuru]: "Guar! Guar!" [Kotarou]: "Oh well, see you tomorrow." [Shizuru]: "Kotarou, I won't get in your way again. As an apology, I can tell you something." [Kotarou]: "What is it?"

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep </METADATA> [Shizuru]: "I'll tell you some of Lucia's dreams." [Kotarou]: "Dreams?" [Shizuru]: "Things Lucia dreamed of doing if she ever got a boyfriend......New Year's edition." [Kotarou]: "I'd like to hear it before a new one comes out." Shizuru tells me Lucia's dream of a first date. ......a really modest, normal fantasy that any girl might have. So modest it makes her status as an agent in a secret society feel meaningless. Guardian......I still don't know what they do most of the time. It has nothing to do with me. When it comes to Lucia as a person, as just a girl, none of that matters...... [TV]: "Good evening. This is Warren Baker from CCN News. A shocking story is sweeping across America tonight." [TV]: "The human rights group GA International is currently being investigated by the FBI." [TV]: "The FBI claims the group has strong financial ties with an international terrorist organization." [TV]: "Mr. Albert Muller, who represents the group, has been arrested along with several other core members." [TV]: "Our reporter Charles Grey is at their headquarters in New York City. Charles, can you hear me?" [TV]: "This is GA's New York headquarters! The FBI have the entire building locked down!" [TV]: "As you can see, the local police are still questioning several of the group's supporters!" [TV]: "The civilians are in virtually unanimous support of the government in fighting the war on terror..." [TV]: "But there continues to be a concern that past issues of discrimination are being repeated." [Man's Voice A]: "The NSA is currently analyzing the encrypted files on the laptops we seized." [Man's Voice B]: "According to the CIA's analysis, there's an 85% probability that Gaia is planning major action of some kind in Japan." [Man's Voice C]: "When? On what scale?" [Man's Voice B]: "Within three months. Large scale." [Man's Voice A]: "High-ranking members of Gaia's North American and European branches are in frequent contact with Japan. We haven't seen this behavior before." [Man's Voice D]: "Guardian Japan has been expecting this for the past few months." [Man's Voice C]: "What do the Japanese say?" [Man's Voice D]: "They say Gaia may have determined the Key is hiding within their country." [Man's Voice C]: "What do the directors and high-level analysts think?" [Man's Voice B]: "They believe Nishikujou's evidence has only 5% credibility." [Man's Voice B]: "But with the new evidence from Muller's laptop, the probability that Gaia believes the Key is in Japan has risen to 70%." [Man's Voice A]: "Through the Far East parish, Japan has requested a special unit as part of a proposed joint US-Japan operation to secure the Key." [Man's Voice B]: "And if they don't want to, they will ask the United Kingdom as well." [Man's Voice C]: "Okay, James. Let's see what the Japanese have to say." [TV]: "Soon we will begin interviewing the CIA director, James Otto." [TV]: "If they cannot find clear evidence that the international human rights group is linked to that terrorist organization, they will be unable to avoid a major scandal, weakening their political power." [Lucia]: "......uuu...ah, sorry about yesterday..." [Kotarou]: "No, no, it's all right. The food was fine. The punch for dessert was great too." [Lucia]: "S-sorry, I really didn't mean to..." The next day, Lucia apologizes for hitting me. ...well, I can understand how she feels. She wasn't expecting Shizuru to see all that. Shizuru wasn't trying to screw things up either. She was just happy for her friend, and wanted to know about what she was up to. The truth is, Shizuru's thinking harder about Lucia's happiness than anyone else... [Kotarou]: "It's okay. Besides, I haven't had someone else's cooking in ages. That was a valuable experience." [Lucia]: "R-...really...? I'm glad you were satisfied with it......" Bringing up her cooking makes Lucia shrink a little. ...her sense of taste is different from most people, so she needed Shizuru's help to make it taste right. No doubt she feels guilty because she didn't make it all herself. So I won't dwell on that. More importantly, I need to repay her for actually fulfilling all the silly conditions I threw out...... Since she worked up the courage to ask me to come to her house, I should ask her out now. [Lucia]: "A......d-d-......date...!?!?" [Lucia]: "W-w-we are not in a rela-...rela...rela...re―! Uununununununugagagagagaga!!" [Kotarou]: "...ah, well, sorry, that was too direct..." [Kotarou]: "You know it's almost time for the harvest festival, right? I was thinking of doing some part-time reporting for it..." [Kotarou]: "So before doing that on the day, I was thinking of walking around the area.........but that'd be really boring on my own...so......yeah......" [Lucia]: "Nugagagagagagagaga! Nugagagagagagagagagaga!" ......evidently Shizuru was right about her wanting to go on a date. Lucia turns bright red once again, her skin almost burning. She shivers and quivers, and will probably hide her shame with violence any second now. So I hurriedly correct myself, apologizing for using the word date and instead asking her on a walk. [Lucia]: "I...I see......then you should have called it a walk to begin with!" [Lucia]: "Do not use such an indecent, improper and imprudent word like d-......d-d-date......nuuuuuuuuuuu......" [Kotarou]: "Aaah, sorry, I really should have said that first." [Kotarou]: "I won't use the d-word again. Never for the rest of my life. Please forgive me." [Lucia]: "Eh? ...n-...no......you don't need to ban a word......" [Lucia]: "I-if you find someone for whom that word is appropriate, Tennouji...th-then you can use it!" [Kotarou]: "You're right, I shouldn't say "date" so casually. Date. Date. Date." [Lucia]: "S-stop using it! That's a sacred word!" [Kotarou]: "You're right, I'll be more careful. Date. Date. Date. Don't worry, we're just going on a walk, not a date. Date. Date. Date." [Lucia]: "...nooo, stooooooooooooooop......" ......what's with this innocent reaction? She's turning red, looking down and shaking... I almost feel like a filthy adult who just showed a pure innocent girl what the world is really like. But I also feel a certain satisfaction, like that of stepping through fresh snow, and a desire to have her all to myself... No, I can't succumb to this wicked pleasure. I'll fall into the dark side... Anyway, Lucia really shouldn't react so strongly to that word! [Lucia]: "S-sorry......for losing my composure...but Tennouji, do not use that word so lightly!"

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "......okay, okay, I get it. Please put away the spiked gloves." [Lucia]: "As long as you won't do it again......" I've finally gotten the hang of backing off just before she brings out her iron fists. ......it's still really fun to mess with Lucia though. I'll have to do this again later. And thus, I successfully asked her out on a date. I swore to never leave her alone. I didn't mean that lightly. That's why I want to know more about Lucia. And... I want Lucia to know that her days of being cursed and unable to date a boy are a thing of the past now. She can become a new person now, unchained by her sad past. And if someday she can remove those white gloves which symbolize it...... Well, anyway, Lucia's too shy to ask me out on a date herself. So I have to be a man and take the lead on this. ......still......Lucia's pretty funny. Dammit, I'm having way too much fun teasing her... [Shizuru]: "Kotarou, you asked her out already?" [Kotarou]: "Y-yeah...though it was really embarrassing." [Kotarou]: "But Lucia overreacted so much I didn't have a chance to feel embarrassed..." [Shizuru]: "Lucia came here earlier to tell me. She was very upbeat." [Kotarou]: "Upbeat? How so?" [Shizuru]: "Her body was floating, like a soft fluffy cloud." [Kotarou]: "......metaphorically, right?" [Shizuru]: "She wasn't expecting her dream to come true so quickly. She was crying tears of joy." [Kotarou]: "When I asked her she put on spiked gloves." I'm starting to understand how Lucia shows her emotions. She's very easily embarrassed. She doesn't admit it when she's happy. Shizuru understands that too, which is why she came to tell me that Lucia was happy. [Kotarou]: "Thanks for telling me that." [Kotarou]: "I'll be fine. I'm starting to understand when she's just embarrassed." [Shizuru]: "Lucia's really easy to read once you're used to her." [Kotarou]: "Yeah......at first I thought she was just really hard to please." [Kotarou]: "But if anything she's wearing her heart on her sleeve." [Shizuru]: "She can't lie." [Kotarou]: "Yeah. I'm almost worried she might have trouble dealing with people in the real world." [Kotarou]: "......also, no more spying. You're not allowed to stalk her." [Shizuru]: "I see...that's a shame......" In the days leading up to our date, I spoke to Shizuru several more times. Apparently Lucia's putting a bit too much effort into her first date. Through Shizuru, I told her she should take things easy and wear more comfortable clothes. According to Shizuru, she was seriously planning to wear a dress... Come on, it's just a walk, that's all......we're not getting married. By the way, in class Lucia acted especially cold around me. Kotori asked me if we had a fight or something, but there's nothing to worry about. I can see through Lucia's act now. She's very happy, but also embarrassed, so she's keeping her distance from me. In the past I probably would have thought she was in a bad mood. But now that I know it's all an act, this is pretty fun. She is so awkward when it comes to this stuff. ......and that's why... I want to take this chance to grant all of her wishes. [?? A]: "The problem is, how do we find the "Key", given its ability to disrupt awareness?" In a dark meeting room, the old chairman begins with that question. [?? A]: "How do we capture a ghost we cannot perceive, even when it's right in front of us?" [?? B]: "The most reliable method is aurora detection." [?? A]: "How do we detect it? How precise is it?" [?? B]: "It requires a special device. Our country has the most advanced version in the European parish." [?? C]: "It depends on the quality of the men and the machines, but forty people should be able to pinpoint it within three weeks. That's half the time Guardian France would need." [?? C]: "But that's assuming a search area with a radius of one mile." [?? A]: "So if we suspect the Key's presence somewhere, it will take three weeks to find out whether it's there or not?" [?? C]: "That is correct." [?? A]: "And we need to narrow that suspected region down to a mile-wide circle first." [?? B]: "Precisely, Lord Clarens." The old man referred to as Lord Clarens stands up and opens the curtains slightly. Blinding light streams in, revealing a magnificent skyline and an enormous clock tower......Big Ben. These men are the leaders of Guardian UK. [?? A]: "Let's continue. How are we searching for the Key?" [?? B]: "The SIS is focusing on CCTV. The Key's power only works on people, so it won't affect camera footage." [?? A]: "We can't tell it's there, but we can still see it, right?" [?? C]: "It's like a pebble on the side of the road. You can clearly see it, but no one gives it a second glance, and no one will ever remember it was there." [?? A]: "I see. So there's no reason why it wouldn't be visible through a camera." [?? B]: "Yes. That's the only way for us to see the Key." [?? A]: "Like taking pictures of ghosts. Is it possible for our infantry's infrared image projection scopes to detect it?" [?? C]: "The Key will appear in the projection, but since the infantry themselves will be close to the Key they'll still fail to notice it." [?? C]: "But since the images are transmitted here, we can easily see it." [?? A]: "......so, how is the SIS's investigation going?" [?? B]: "They've been combining the results of the recent traffic investigation campaign, which has been focusing on London for the past month, with footage from the city's CCTV cameras." [?? C]: "Specifically, they're comparing the number of people counted in the campaign with the number visible in the footage." [?? A]: "That doesn't sound like the most reliable method." [?? B]: "Please look at this footage. This is from a camera in Paddington Station." [?? C]: "Focus on the circled area." [?? A]: "Is that a temp from the campaign?" The image is monochromatic, but very vivid, just as one might expect from an advanced country's anti-terrorism measures. The footage very clearly shows a normal day in front of the station. They can see a young temp carefully counting exactly how many people are going back and forth. Since it's not the main entrance, relatively few people are moving around. The temp probably considered himself lucky for getting assigned there. Then, a single girl walks by with an arrow floating above her. [?? A]: "Is that girl the Key?" The girl isn't walking the same direction as the rest of the crowd. Which makes her stand out even more. Even without the arrow added in, it would have looked mysterious. A single girl walking in a random direction in a train station. Any decent police officer would have thought she'd run away from home and talked to her......that was how much she stood out. [?? B]: "There!"

<METADATA> Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female </METADATA> [?? B]: "Did you all see that? We'll show it again in slow motion, so watch closely." [?? C]: "The temp didn't click his counter when the girl walked by." [?? A]: "......could he have simply missed her?" But everyone knew that wasn't it. The girl stood out far too much. She wasn't hidden in the crowd. No one could have missed her. Could the temp have been nodding off? That wasn't likely either. They could clearly see he was focusing on his work. He did count the people immediately before and after the girl. It was obvious he was making an effort not to miss anyone. But the girl just walked slowly past the camera, without ever being counted...... [?? A]: "Who is that girl? Do we have her on film after this?" [?? B]: "We've found her in footage from various intersections shortly after this. She passes another counter later." [?? A]: "Did he count her?" [?? C]: "He did not. The SIS has already questioned both of them." [?? C]: "They were shown this footage and asked about what they remember from that day, but they both claim they don't remember seeing the girl at all." [?? B]: "We're currently performing a more detailed examination to ensure they have no visual or mental impairments or sleep problems." [?? B]: "We'll know for sure next week, but so far we've found no signs of problems." [?? A]: "What are the odds that this girl is the Key?" [?? B]: "MI5's G branch says 45%." [?? C]: "The SIS is already putting together a special unit for this. They've determined that the girl has been in London for at least the past month." [?? A]: "Can we identify her from any of this footage?" [?? B]: "She does not resemble any known human, Lord Clarens." The old man slowly stands up. ......one of Guardian's greatest objectives. Capturing the Key. For those whose duty is to protect the world, it would be the ultimate achievement. [?? A]: "Inform the Prime Minister. We'll need his permission to begin the operation." [?? A]: "The SIS will have their special Key capture unit ready very soon. They're gathering men and equipment, and increasing the number of staff assigned to the CCTV footage. The girl's picture has been sent to Scotland Yard as well." If the police all know her face, then whenever they find footage of the girl walking right past one of them, that will make it obvious she's the right one. [?? A]: "I believe you all understand this, but we must maintain the utmost secrecy for this mission." [?? B]: "But of course. We know that very well. If Gaia learns what we're doing..." [?? A]: "No......you don't understand at all." The old man slowly turns around, opens the curtain slightly once again, and explains while gazing upon the cityscape. [?? A]: "The Key may be able to destroy the world......but it's also a messenger from heaven." [?? A]: "Heaven's envoy has landed in England......God has chosen us for this honour..." [?? A]: "Capturing the Key is an honour only England will have. Not Gaia. Not any other parish. Not even the Vatican." [?? A]: "......domine, salvam fac reginam nostram victoriam primam..." O Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the First. That is the Latin written in gilt letters on the Palace of Westminster Clock Tower. ......they'd already completely forgotten about the report from Guardian Japan stating the Key may be in Kazamatsuri City, and asking them for help capturing it. [Man's Voice]: "I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?" [Nishikujou]: "The good news first, please." [Man's Voice]: "Congratulations. It's been decided we get the honor of capturing the Key all to ourselves." [Nishikujou]: "Oh my, why thank you." Nishikujou responds sarcastically and sighs heavily. What that really meant was that not a single branch of Guardian had agreed to a joint operation. [Nishikujou]: "And the bad news?" [Man's Voice]: "The Wild Weasels aren't coming." [Nishikujou]: "Why not? Are they sending someone else?" [Man's Voice]: "No. The North American parish has refused to give any assistance." [Nishikujou]: "What about Europe?" [Man's Voice]: "Same for the European parish. All special units are currently on standby, with all old orders canceled." [Man's Voice]: "South America, Africa, Russia, China, the Middle East, Australia, the Far East, the Pacific, all of them. Not a single parish will be sending any aid to Japan." [Nishikujou]: "Oh my...I see, so that's why we'll get all the honor." [Man's Voice]: "Indeed. Congratulations." The Wild Weasels were a special unit from the North American parish that Nishikujou had requested. They were one of Guardian's trump cards, as they excelled at seeking out and exterminating Gaians and non-human entities. Nishikujou's section had a small number of elite personnel from within Japan. They were enough to perform a secret investigation within Gaia-controlled Kazamatsuri. But it definitely wasn't enough to pinpoint the Key, capture or destroy it, and engage in large-scale combat with Gaia at the same time. Nishikujou had requested powerful combat forces from other parishes because she had very trustworthy information that the Key was in Kazamatsuri, and needed to turn the tables on Gaia. The Wild Weasels were the strongest unit she'd requested. She had been hoping to retake all of Kazamatsuri, including the Key, after they arrived... [Nishikujou]: "Has something happened elsewhere?" [Man's Voice]: "Gaia was a step ahead of us. They've already spread fake information across the world, making most other countries believe they're the ones with the Key." Gaia wasn't just sitting around waiting for the Key to pop up. They'd realized Nishikujou would ask for special units to come reinforce her. And they knew that without reinforcements, Nishikujou didn't have the forces she needed to stop them. Gaia tricked every other country into thinking the Key wasn't in Japan, so that they wouldn't send any help to Kazamatsuri... When the American human rights group connected to Gaia was exposed, they decided that Guardian had probably realized the Key was in Kazamatsuri. That was why they needed to go to such extremes to distract Guardian... At first America and the UK intended to help, since they didn't want Japan to get all the glory for capturing the Key. But once they thought there was a strong chance the Key was in their own countries, they canceled all promises to aid Japan... [Nishikujou]: "Is our organization really that frivolous?" [Man's Voice]: "It's not easy to run the world. Every country has its own goals and issues." [Man's Voice]: "The best way to make it work is to give each region a lot of independence." If Guardian was a complete top-down, military-style organization, they wouldn't be fooled so easily. But Guardian was a union of several regional organizations scattered across the world, so each part could act independently. That system helped them respond rapidly to problems within individual parishes......but it was also a huge weakness when it came to worldwide problems. [Nishikujou]: "This is shameful. Everyone's wearing their greed on their sleeves." [Man's Voice]: "Every parish is trying to grab the Key for themselves." [Man's Voice]: "Annoyingly, almost none of them will even admit that." Assassinating the Key is Guardian's greatest objective. Each country wanted that glory for themselves, so badly they even hoarded the information that made them believe the Key was theirs... That was why every parish had cut off their flow of information and combat units to the others.

<METADATA> Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> They couldn't afford to send their best units off to Kazamatsuri when they had a chance to save the world. Gaia's strategy to take advantage of each parish's selfishness had worked brilliantly... [Man's Voice]: "Gaia won this time. They used every trick humanity's come up with in the last few thousand years." [Man's Voice]: "Whoever's in charge of Gaia must be an expert strategist." [Nishikujou]: "On the other hand, this massive diversion effectively proves the Key is in Kazamatsuri." [Man's Voice]: "That's one way to look at it. Fortunately, the Far East command recognizes this as a worldwide misinformation campaign." [Nishikujou]: "Huhu, that just means our parish wants all the glory to ourselves too." [Man's Voice]: "We're all human. None of us want to give God's gifts to any of the other children." [Nishikujou]: "Say that in a yakiniku shop and I might believe you." [Man's Voice]: "Oh come on, are you still holding that against me?" [Nishikujou]: "Does the Far East command plan to do anything about Kazamatsuri?" [Man's Voice]: "Japan doesn't have the forces to compete with Gaia." [Nishikujou]: "Oh? What happened to our country's defensive units?" [Man's Voice]: "They're for disaster relief. They'll be useful if a disaster happens." [Nishikujou]: "Not a worldwide one..." [Man's Voice]: "Our country learns after the first mistake. But we can't learn to avoid something that only happens once." [Nishikujou]: "And it only needs to happen once to finish us." The Key and Gaia......if they were both left alone, a worldwide catastrophe was sure to occur. [Man's Voice]: "Exactly. Our country isn't prepared for this." [Man's Voice]: "The higher-ups understand that. They've already started trying to talk to Australia through the Vatican." [Nishikujou]: "And progress is slow?" [Man's Voice]: "Don't say that. They're putting the utmost effort into responding as slowly as possible." [Nishikujou]: "Does the Vatican understand what's going on?" [Man's Voice]: "As of today. They were shocked to see every other branch around the world cut off communications with them." They both smiled ironically and sighed heavily. [Man's Voice]: "We and the Vatican are no different from the others. We all want the glory." [Man's Voice]: "I just hope we can use that greed to get the other parishes to send us some units." [Nishikujou]: "Why not split it with the Australians? I like Aussie beef myself." [Man's Voice]: "Sorry, sorry, I'll treat you to some shimofuri next time." Nishikujou puts down the phone. She smiled, as if she'd enjoyed talking to an old friend, and brought a cold cup of tea to her lips. The situation was so bad she could do nothing but smile. [Nishikujou]: "Oh, Shizuru-chan. When did you get here?" [Shizuru]: "When I got here." [Nishikujou]: "Before the shimofuri?" [Shizuru]: "Before the yakiniku." Nishikujou smiles and sighs again. She didn't need to explain that conversation to Shizuru now. [Nishikujou]: "Well, you heard what happened." [Shizuru]: "Yakiniku's expensive." [Nishikujou]: "Not that part." [Nishikujou]: "Intel says Gaia already knows exactly where the Key is." [Nishikujou]: "I think they're planning something big in the very near future." Gaia was better at sensing the Key than Guardian. Once they knew for sure where it was, they'd go all out to "hunt" it. If she gave them the time to do that, that'd be the end... [Nishikujou]: "We can't let them get ahead of us. We have to take back the initiative somehow." [Shizuru]: "We lose if we aren't ahead...?" [Nishikujou]: "Yes, that's right. Whoever's in the lead always wins. In love and in business." [Shizuru]: "And in yakiniku." [Nishikujou]: "What can you win by being behind?" [Shizuru]: "Rock paper scissors." [Nishikujou]: "Well done. By the way, how's Lucia-chan? Is she not with you today?" [Shizuru]: "She's ahead of me." [Nishikujou]: "Eh? What do you mean?" If a "date" is just going out somewhere with a girl, then I have done that before. I've walked around places with Kotori several times. But it would be hard to call any of those a date... All we really did was go shopping together. And there was no sense of tension or anything. If that tension is a key part of a date......then this definitely counts as a date. I thought a date would be more romantic than this... Instead we're walking quickly down a road near the station, pounding our feet and glaring at things. We definitely don't look like we're having a friendly walk. [Lucia]: "Stop looking around everywhere! Act natural. Do not let anyone notice!" [Kotarou]: "O-okay, got it......" [Lucia]: "Search for anyone trying to watch us in these crowds. Listen for a set of footsteps in time with our own!" [Lucia]: "Okay, we'll take the alley on our left. Then we'll return to the bus stop!" We've been repeatedly taking sharp turns and doubling back to ward off any potential tails. As if letting our guard down for a moment will spell our death. Lucia really has been well-trained. ......is this really a date though......? [Kotarou]: "......hey, are you sure we need to do all this...?" [Lucia]: "Of course!" [Lucia]: "Shizuru is sure to be following us! Then she'll report what we did to Nishikujou-san, and they'll spend all day tomorrow laughing at us!" [Kotarou]: "I know Shizuru surprised us yesterday, but I don't think she's gonna do that again..." [Kotarou]: "I told her never to stalk you again...at least trust your best friend a little." [Lucia]: "She might still be following us! We don't know for sure!" [Lucia]: "Just do as I say! There, turn left! Make a quick acute turn before she notices!" Haa......so this is the same as usual. Lucia's just trying to maintain tension by checking for pursuers because... [Kotarou]: "You're just embarrassed." [Lucia]: "I-I-I-I am not, I am not embarrassed......!" [Kotarou]: "Your face is bright red." [Lucia]: "Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu! I am not embarrassed, I am not...!! Shizuru would follow us, she is following uuuuus!!" [Kotarou]: "Okay, I get it, I get it." [Kotarou]: "But when we get on the bus, this time let's actually go to the park. No more taking the wrong bus to fool pursuers, okay!?"

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep </METADATA> [Lucia]: "Uu...uuuuuuuu, uuuuuu!! One more time, one more! Shizuru can't be shaken that easily!!" [Kotarou]: "...fine, fine, it's not Shizuru's fault." We've already wasted half an hour doing this stuff... I was pretty tense today too. But Lucia's far more tense than either of us should be, so I completely forgot about feeling tense myself. [Kotarou]: "We want the third stop on this bus." [Lucia]: "So we'll get off at the second one to trick Shizuru." [Kotarou]: "I told you we're not doing that any more!" [Lucia]: "Nnnnnnnnnn!! Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!" Thankfully she didn't cause any trouble on the bus, so she finally managed to cool down a bit. Our destination today is the brand new shopping mall, Kazamo. As a boy, I thought a date would involve going to a park or a movie theater. But according to Shizuru, that's not the kind of date Lucia would want. Apparently just wandering around window shopping is fun enough for her. Though wandering aimlessly around random shops isn't that fun. Obviously somewhere we can both enjoy would be ideal. So that's why we settled on this place. Kazamo is far from where I live, and I've never been there before. So I'm reasonably curious about it myself, and it fits Lucia's ideal. [Kotarou]: "You two agreed to get boyfriends at the same time? Seriously?" [Lucia]: "I-idiot! D-d-d-don't say it so loudly...!" I spoke with complete disregard for all the other people on the bus. Lucia looks down, once again red up to her ears. If I act any more surprised, she'll start hitting me, so I'll stop there. [Kotarou]: "W-well...I had no idea girls still made agreements like that..." [Lucia]: "Shizuru and I always talked about it...i-if one of us ever...well.........you know......" [Kotarou]: "......neither of you wanted to get a boyfriend and leave the other alone?" [Lucia]: "Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...that's why Shizuru must feel betrayed by this..." [Lucia]: "Uuuuuuuuuu, Shizuruuuuuuuuu, I'm sorryyyyyyyyy!" So she was worried about a promise she and Shizuru made. Well, the fact that she's even bringing it up is probably another way to hide her embarrassment. [Kotarou]: "I really don't think Shizuru feels betrayed in the slightest." [Lucia]: "How do you know!?" [Kotarou]: "We talked about it." [Lucia]: "Wh-what!?" [Kotarou]: "Don't worry, she didn't tell me anything weird...she was just worried about you, as a friend." If Shizuru hadn't made me notice something that night... I might've ended up hurting Lucia. But I understand now. [Kotarou]: "She asked me if I was prepared to support you for the rest of my life." [Lucia]: "Mm...mmmmmmm.........a-...and then?" [Kotarou]: "That was it. She never said anything silly like you betrayed her or broke a promise or whatever." [Lucia]: "N-no! ......I-I mean, well.........mmmmmmm!" Lucia fails to get her words out. She looks like she's suffocating. As a result, I'm now so relaxed I'm finding this cute. There aren't many girls who show what they're thinking on their face quite this easily. So I'll give her the straight answer she wants, without any jokes. [Kotarou]: "This is how I answered Shizuru's question." [Lucia]: "Hm? ......okay......what is it......?" With her face still red......she stares at me, as if waiting for my answer. She almost looks like a hamster, quivering around in the palm of my hand. Before I would've wanted to tease her after seeing that. But not now...now she just looks cute to me. So I give her an honest answer. [Kotarou]: "I swore..." [Lucia]: "Y-......yes...?" [Kotarou]: "...that I would never leave Konohana Lucia alone, for the rest of my life." [Lucia]: "......mm......a......" Since I said it honestly, she should simply listen this time. She shouldn't resort to her fists... [Lucia]: "D-d-d-don't say such things in the middle of a buuuuuuuuuuuuuuus! ...aaaaa...! Aaa...aaah......!" [Kotarou]: "Would you stop hitting people whenever you get embarrassed!? Maybe I should hit back for once.........oh......" [Lucia]: ".........aaa......uuuuu......" Lucia grits her teeth and closes her eyes, her face still red......as if she's withstanding some intense emotion. A single drop appears between her eyelids. [Kotarou]: "......Lucia." [Lucia]: "S―..............." [Lucia]: "...sorry......sorry.........I won't...hit you......anymore......" Normally she never violates her principles, and likewise she has a hard time admitting her mistakes......but now she just apologized. Then......she asks me again. This time, she looks as if a weight has been lifted. [Lucia]: "I won't......hit you anymore......so......p-......plea......se..." Lucia looks at me with solemn resolve...telling me this was what she wanted more than anything else in the world... ......she wrings out a voice. [Lucia]: "......ay......ain......" [Kotarou]: "Eh? Sorry, what was that?" [Lucia]: ".........ay...ain............nnnnn......" I can't make out the words. But I know what she's asking for. And once I realized that......she just looked lovely... [Kotarou]: "Normally......I'd make a stupid joke at this part." Lucia promised not to hit me again out of embarrassment. Then I need to repay her. I won't make stupid jokes to hide my own embarrassment either. [Kotarou]: "Okay, I'll say it again. When Shizuru asked, I swore to her......" [Lucia]: "......yes......" [Kotarou]: "That I would never leave Konohana Lucia alone, ever." [Lucia]: "A-......again......" [Kotarou]: "Twice is enough." [Lucia]: "...I-I didn't quite hear it, so say it again...!" [Kotarou]: "Hmmmm, what to do...maybe I should have you come to my house to cook dinner this time." [Lucia]: "...o-...okay...I'll do that...I'll wear those clothes again and make dinner for you..." [Kotarou]: "Whoa, I didn't ask for that, but go right ahead!" [Lucia]: "So......just one more time......please..." She looks up at me with wet eyes. I didn't think she'd react that strongly......it doesn't look like there's any dust in her eyes. ......but. For the first time, I'm seeing her honest expression, without any exaggeration. [Kotarou]: "Sorry, I said I wouldn't tease you anymore..."

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "Aaah, okay, I'll say it again. I swore never to leave Konohana Lucia alone." [Lucia]: "One more time." [Kotarou]: "No." [Lucia]: "I-it doesn't cost you anything!" [Kotarou]: "Yes it does. Words have value. They need time to charge, just like a cell phone." [Lucia]: "Then I'll wait for them to charge." [Kotarou]: "I-it takes more than just a few hours." [Kotarou]: "......but I will say it again when it's done." [Lucia]: "I'll be waiting. I'll always be waiting. You can call me to say it if I'm not around." [Kotarou]: "Okay, okay, I'll text you at midnight or something." [Lucia]: "N-no............calling is fine, but......I want...to hear it..." [Kotarou]: "...y-......you're really..." [Lucia]: "Y-yes? ......what......?" You're really......a lot cuter than I thought. In the past she'd always call me a pervert or "enemy of women" and beat the crap out of me. Her personality was always that of a just class representative. She also talked a bit more formally than most, so she felt like a samurai's daughter or something. And just a minute ago she was so tense she spent half an hour making sure no one was tailing us for some reason. It's only been ten minutes since then......but she's so cute now. Even when we got on the bus, she was still worried Shizuru might be following us... But by the time we got off, she was just a lovely girl with wet eyes. [Lucia]: "That's a promise, okay...? Once you're recharged or whatever, make sure you say it again..." [Kotarou]: "Yeah, it's a promise between men...I mean, between a man and a woman. I won't break it." [Lucia]: "Okay......I-I'll......k-keep my promise too......and come make dinner for you in those clothes......so......" [Kotarou]: "Umm.........you aren't going to wear them all the way to my place, right?" [Lucia]: "I-I don't have to...!? I-I thought you..." Lucia's face gets even redder, as if she's boiling. She quivers and looks down again. ......that was close...Lucia almost walked halfway across town in that cosplay outfit... Everyone, don't do cosplay in public unless you're at a convention or something. [Lucia]: "B-but......ch-...changing in......y-...your house is...embarrassing......" [Kotarou]: "Walking around town in that outfit would be far worse." [Lucia]: "C-......changing...i-in a man's house.........taking off my clothes there......i-is much worse......" [Lucia]: "......kyuuuuuuuuuuuuu......" [Kotarou]: "...Lucia-san, you really shouldn't writhe in agony over this. I'm gonna get a nosebleed." [Lucia]: "Th-......that's right...apparently that outfit is from a game called "Doki Doki♪Maid Party"." [Kotarou]: "Ueeh? Ah? W-was it? I-I wouldn't really recommend that game......" I-it is an 18+ game after all...... [Lucia]: "I bought it in an auction. The payment occurred yesterday so it should arrive soon." [Kotarou]: "Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!! N-nooooooooooooo, don't buy iiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!" [Lucia]: "It turns out to be a computer game. I look forward to trying it." No, don't, don't say that! Please don't look forward to it! I know it looks like an innocent pure love game on the outside, but it's much worse on the inside! [Kotarou]: "Y-you really shouldn't play that. Good girls avoid that stuff. Plus it'll make you hit me. And kill me." [Lucia]: "......I-I know......it has an age restriction." [Kotarou]: "Wh-why do you...k-know that......?" [Lucia]: "...wh-......when I did an image search......a lot of...th-that kind of images came up..." [Kotarou]: "H-hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii...!!" [Lucia]: "B-but......I still want to try it." [Kotarou]: "Wh-why!?" [Lucia]: "If you're familiar with it, Tennouji, I want to know what it's like." Lucia knows what kind of game it is......but she still says that. Innocently. Shyly. [Lucia]: "You're trying to learn more about me......Tennouji." [Lucia]: "...I've been distancing myself from people even though I wanted them to understand me......and you made an effort to understand." [Lucia]: "......so this time...I want to learn more about you, Tennouji." [Kotarou]: "Lucia......" [Lucia]: "......I want to know about the things you're familiar with, Tennouji..." [Lucia]: "......I want to know everything about you, Tennouji......everything..." My heart fills with ecstasy. A strange feeling, as if the flow of time and the intensity of the sunlight have all grown calmer. No, no! I can't let that emotion distract me. That game is bad! She'll kill me if she plays it!! But even that fear......melts away when I look at her face. I can't believe the first thing she had to learn about me was one of the 18+ galge I read...... Maybe I should rethink what I've been doing with my life... [Lucia]: "Tennouji, is that the shopping mall?" [Kotarou]: "Hm? Oooh, that looks about right." We can see our destination through the window. A new mall called Kazamo. Its official name is Shopping Tower Kazamo. According to the official site, it has twenty floors, with ten large stores and over a hundred specialized shops. It's covered with lively colors and flashy ornamentation, making me feel like a little kid being taken to an amusement park. After getting off the bus I look up at it again. It really is impressive. In order to get the floor space needed for a shopping mall, they had to make up for scarce real estate with floor count. It's easy to see why they call it a tower. According to the site, there are grandiose paneled staircases heading up all twenty floors. I've heard people say it's a lot of fun to go up via the escalators. [Kotarou]: "Lucia, do you go to places like this a lot?" [Lucia]: "No. I normally shop near where I live." [Kotarou]: "There are a ton of stores in there. Why don't we just go in and start looking around?" [Lucia]: "......ah, Tennouji..." [Kotarou]: "Hm? What is it?" [Lucia]: "T-...Tennouji, you address me by my first name, so......" [Lucia]: "...i-it's strange for me to use...your......last name." [Kotarou]: "There's nothing strange about it. Call me whatever you want." [Lucia]: "Eh? ......auu..." She's been red for a while now, but she gets redder again.

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> ......why does she never show this cute side of herself at school? Aaah, what a handful... [Kotarou]: "You're right. It's weird for only one of us to use the other's first name." [Kotarou]: "Okay, from now on I will call you Konohana." [Lucia]: "Eh? ......ah...not that......" [Kotarou]: "Not your last name? Then let's use each other's first names." [Lucia]: "Hm? ......okay..." [Kotarou]: "I'll call you Lucia. And you'll call me?" [Lucia]: "K-......Kotarou..." [Kotarou]: "Oooh, that feels nice." [Kotarou]: "Come to think of it, Shizuru always called me Kotarou." [Lucia]: "N-no talking about Shizuru today! Forget about her for today!" [Kotarou]: "Huh? You're the one who wouldn't stop telling me she's tailing us." [Lucia]: "Uuuuuuuuuuuuuu..." [Kotarou]: "Why are you getting mad?" [Kotarou]: "We came here to have fun, so try to cheer up." [Lucia]: "I-it's your fault, Kotarou..." [Kotarou]: "Sorry, I apologize for making you mad. So cheer up, okay?" [Lucia]: "......mm......mmm......th-then, i-......if..." [Kotarou]: "If?" [Lucia]: "......if you......hold...my hand today......th-th-then I'll forgive you." [Kotarou]: "You got mad just so you could ask for that." [Lucia]: "Eh? Ah! That's not true! That's not why!" [Kotarou]: "You could've just asked to hold hands. I don't mind doing that......come on." I hold out my hand toward her as if it's a perfectly ordinary thing. Lucia looks back and forth between my hand and my face a few times......then looks down and forces out her voice. [Lucia]: "......please.........hold......my hand..." [Kotarou]: "See? It's not that hard. Come on, let's go." Lucia slowly holds out her white hand. Then I finally notice. [Kotarou]: "Lucia......you..." [Lucia]: "......t-...today.........I didn't feel the need." Her hands are always covered by those white gloves, which symbolize her need to reject all other people......but not today. [Lucia]: "...when I'm with you......Kotarou...I don't need them." [Kotarou]: "You're okay with me touching you?" Innocent, clear white hands. I almost feel unworthy to hold them. No, I shouldn't feel that way. I hold her snow white hand with my own. It's smaller and softer than I expected... [Kotarou]: "I'm impressed you took them off." [Lucia]: "Just for today......I don't want to take them off at school." [Kotarou]: "I'm sure you'll be able to someday." [Lucia]: "No......gloves are fine for anyone besides you." [Kotarou]: "I guess that works. It would be nice to know I'm the only one who gets to touch your hands." [Lucia]: "They are yours......Kotarou." Crap, I'm gonna get a nosebleed at this rate... Please don't do any more, Lucia-san. Blood might start pouring out of my ears too if you keep this up... [Kotarou]: "O-okay, let's go." [Lucia]: "Kotarou, your face is bright red." [Kotarou]: "Look who's talking." [Lucia]: "Wh-what part of my face is red!?" She says despite being redder than I am. I almost burst out laughing. I was afraid my smirk might disappoint her, but maybe she could tell I'm just being embarrassed too. We both stay red and smiling for a short while. Like the rumors said, the staircases are impressive. I almost don't feel like getting off the escalator at all. I see. That's exactly what they want me to feel. If I get taken all the way up to the twentieth floor, then on the way down I'll go by every shop in the building. Protecting my money will be a challenge here. That is, if I had any. Neither of us have any to spend, so all we can do is window shop, or enter random stores without doing anything. [Kotarou]: "Girls really like makeup for some reason. Does that include you, Lucia?" [Lucia]: "I don't care about it that much......but lately I've started to think it might be nice." The first place we entered was a high-class cosmetics shop. I've gone through the cosmetics sections in pharmacies before, but never a store like this. There isn't much reason to go to one if you aren't with a girl. [Kotarou]: "Damn......this stuff is pricey..." [Kotarou]: "This stuff's only supposed to moisturize your skin after you get out of the bath...why is it so expensive!?" [Lucia]: "It's meant to be rubbed on your face every day. You wouldn't want to buy some cheap lotion and find out it ruins your skin." [Kotarou]: "Good point. Unlike cup ramen or something, if medicine or makeup turns out bad you're in big trouble..." [Lucia]: "It also depends on the individual. The price alone doesn't tell you much. I'm told you have to try several different kinds to find one that works well." [Kotarou]: "Well, if I think of it as a long-term investment, I guess I can see spending twelve thousand yen on a good lotion..." [Kotarou]: "But there's more to makeup than that, right...? Don't you need a lot of other stuff...?" [Lucia]: "That also depends on the individual, but......face lotion, cleanser, beauty cream, whitening, and foundation." [Lucia]: "There's also liquid foundations, powder foundations and face powder." [Lucia]: "Plus eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, blush, highlight, and finally lip gloss." [Kotarou]: "......I have no idea what any of that means." [Lucia]: "......don't worry, I'm not sure either." [Kotarou]: "Really...? You sound like you understood all that." [Lucia]: "I was never that interested in makeup." [Lucia]: "......it's just.........my mind changed recently, so I've been researching it..." [Kotarou]: "Does that mean you crammed so that you'd be ready for today?" [Lucia]: "Hm!? Auu......th-that's not really......" It's faint, but I think there's a little makeup on Lucia's face. She's making an effort to be a little different from how she looks at school. It'd probably hurt if I said I hadn't noticed it before. But that's how subtle it is. [Kotarou]: "I think you got it about right. I'm not a fan of full-blown makeup, so what you've got on is fine." [Lucia]: "Th-that doesn't sound like a compliment." [Kotarou]: "You're cute already, Lucia, so putting too much makeup on would just be a waste." [Lucia]: "Uu...mmm...au......" [Kotarou]: "Also......that's a nice smell."

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Lucia]: "Eh...? S-smell? Eh!?" [Kotarou]: "Not the bad kind. The perfume you're wearing. It suits you." [Lucia]: "Eh...ah......really......? ......th-...thank...you." She goes red up to her ears, as if steam's about to come out. It's still fun to tease her. Actually, it wasn't teasing. I'm just calling it that because I'm a little embarrassed I said it. We both need to stop doing stuff like that. So, I smile sincerely. Lucia takes her time, letting my words sink in. Then she timidly adjusts her hair......and goes even redder. [Lucia]: "I-I see...s-so this is enough for you, Kotarou..." [Lucia]: "All right......from now on, I will use makeup like this......" [Lucia]: "A-and...you're sure...it doesn't...look strange, right...? I-I have no......experience with makeup......so.." [Kotarou]: "It's not strange." [Lucia]: "Not at all?" [Kotarou]: "Not at all." [Lucia]: ""It's not strange" doesn't sound good." [Kotarou]: "In that case, it's cute." [Lucia]: ""In that case" sounds bad too." [Kotarou]: "It's cute." [Lucia]: "R-......really......?" [Kotarou]: "Yeah. You're not our class representative right now...you're Konohana Lucia." [Kotarou]: "I don't want anyone else to see you this pretty." [Lucia]: "Th-......thank you......" Lucia became interested in makeup for the first time in her life after deciding to go on a date. Something any normal girl would learn over the course of years, she learned in a matter of days, as if cramming for a test. She'll get the knowledge, but she won't have the experience. She must have tried out her new makeup at home several times over the past few days until it looked right. She's probably still fuzzy on the basics, but she miraculously managed not to embarrass herself with it on the important day. It turned out well this time, but who knows if she'd be able to do it again. [Lucia]: "D-do not stare so much...it's embarrassing..." [Lucia]: "I may find this shop interesting, but I doubt you do, Kotarou. Let's go somewhere you like next." [Kotarou]: "You're sure? Okay, I'll take the lead." This is just like what Shizuru said. I wouldn't go into a cosmetics shop if Lucia wasn't here, and now she'll want me to take her somewhere she'd never go if a boy wasn't here. So I'll go straight to something I like. [Kotarou]: "Oh, an arcade! And it looks pretty big. This might be a good one." All shopping malls need an arcade. Because parents can leave their children here with a little allowance while they go off shopping. [Kotarou]: "Rhythm games have been really popular lately, so there should be plenty of stuff you can do, Lucia." [Lucia]: "Don't worry about me. I want to see you gaming, Kotarou." [Lucia]: "What kind of games do you play?" [Kotarou]: "Fighting games, of course!" [Kotarou]: "Every man wants to win fistfights! And every man must know martial arts!" [Kotarou]: "Oh? They have the latest version of Grazeblue!?" [Lucia]: "You know this one?" [Kotarou]: "Yeah, I played tons of the first version." [Lucia]: "Video games look quite nice these days..." [Lucia]: "It's almost like watching an anime. I expected this to look more jerky." [Kotarou]: "You're thinking of games from a few decades ago. These days high rez is standard. This is a great time to live in!" [Lucia]: "If you spent a lot of time on the first version, I assume you're good at this now?" [Kotarou]: "I might be rusty, but it should come back to me in no time. Okay, let's do this!" There's a lot of new characters in this... What happened to the one I used to use? He was the cool, quiet type, but his medium guard attack was pretty unpleasant. I can imagine them nerfing that. [Lucia]: "Are you this strange black girl?" [Kotarou]: "Don't call her strange!" [Kotarou]: "She's the 13th of the class-SSS uninstallers who work in the multi-world spacetime management facility. She was combined with the infinite versions of herself in other possible worlds, giving her infinitely many personalities and viewpoints. All phenomena are both yin and yang, positive and negative to her, and her mind suffers from seeing every contradiction in the world! Nicknamed the unsociable black cat, she wields a chip fragment with powerful combos due to her ability to flawlessly read her opponents!! She may look like a little girl with cat ears and a tail, but she's as hot-blooded as they come!! Yes her short-range strong attack and the skirt flip when she's defeated are a bit raunchy but I did not choose her for that reasoooooooooooon!!" [Lucia]: "......I do not understand." [Lucia]: "So you're on the left, and this person on the right is your opponent? She also looks like a cute girl." [Kotarou]: "Oh-ho, she only looks cute on the outside. The United Earth Federation Strategic Department built her for forty-eight billion dollars. She's a 150cm-tall girl-shaped combat fighter! To avoid a multi-world collision, she plans to destroy the monolith causing it along with the moon it's on! But humanity does not yet know that destroying the monolith will cause even more collisions between the infinite parallel worlds!! She has no blind spots in any direction and no weaknesses, and excels at making her massive chest bounce when she lands! She is my alternate character!" [Lucia]: "......I-I still don't get most of that..." [Lucia]: "But I do see that you don't want to use any of the various male characters the game offers." [Kotarou]: "Ah, thank you for understanding..." [Kotarou]: "What's this shop? It smells nice." [Lucia]: "It's a brand famous for their bath bombs. They're quite fun to use." [Kotarou]: "Do they explode?" [Lucia]: "I thought you might say that...it's a solid ball of bath chemicals." [Kotarou]: "Wow, they're really colorful. And they smell nice...and they're huge..." Normally chemicals you put in your bath are meant to smell like the forest or a hot spring or something. And the ones girls seem to like......they're kind of amazing. They have the smell and color of sweet desserts. [Kotarou]: "These things smell and look like honey-coated candy." [Kotarou]: "People put this in their baths...?" [Lucia]: "Huhu, they do smell nice, don't they? Honey helps moisturize the skin." [Lucia]: "They also have herbs that work to prevent the skin from drying out, and carbonic acid to improve blood flow and help sleep." [Kotarou]: "Wow, that's a lot of benefits." [Lucia]: "It's also fun because it makes the bathwater more colorful and bubbly." [Lucia]: "But the best part is deciding which one to use each day before getting in the bath."

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "I see." [Kotarou]: "These definitely look more fun than the colorless ones I see at the supermarket." [Lucia]: "It's also fun to make your own." [Lucia]: "Handmade bath bombs are good presents." [Kotarou]: "Oh? Handmade? I'd like one of those someday." [Lucia]: "Okay, I'll be sure to make one well next time." [Kotarou]: "What do you mean "next time"?" [Lucia]: "Mm......mmm...last time I made one for Shizuru, but......" [Lucia]: "I tried too hard and made one the size of a basketball..." [Kotarou]: "Yikes." [Lucia]: "I thought it'd be good to include as many herbs as possible, but I overdid it..." [Lucia]: "Shizuru's bath became a stew." [Kotarou]: "That's impressive." [Lucia]: "I threw in a lot of extra things since I thought it might make her smell nice..." [Lucia]: "And Shizuru did smell...amazing the day after." [Kotarou]: "I pity her." [Lucia]: "I also thought pink bathwater would be cute, so I put in something I probably shouldn't have..." [Lucia]: "Shizuru turned bright pink below the neck, so she had to wash herself a second time." [Kotarou]: "Completely missing the point of bathing." [Lucia]: "Plus, she had her laundry near the bathtub, so all of Shizuru's underwear turned pink!" [Kotarou]: "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeh? But pure white is supreme!!" [Lucia]: "......n-noted. I will remember that." [Kotarou]: "Eh? What did you say?" [Lucia]: "Nothing, nothing! Let's go to the next store!" [Kotarou]: "Oh, Lucia, look at that one." [Kotarou]: "Whoa! Shopping malls have massage parlors now?" [Lucia]: "Such an old term...it's called body therapy now." [Kotarou]: "I see a lot of women in there. Our society must be tiring for them." [Lucia]: "Women also have to wear a lot of uncomfortable footwear. Several of them appear to be there for foot therapy." [Kotarou]: "Have you ever had stiff feet?" [Lucia]: "No. I am very careful to keep my feet flexible." [Lucia]: "Stiffness prevents blood and lymph flow. Daily care can prevent it from ever happening." [Lucia]: "Plus I don't wear high heels." [Kotarou]: "Ah, so high heels really do damage people's feet?" [Kotarou]: "...of course they do. They force you to stand on the balls of your feet all day long...that'd probably be hell on your calves too." [Kotarou]: "So that's why foot therapy is popular with women." [Lucia]: "It is tiring for their feet, but it's also unstable...it makes your legs feel like they could give way at any moment." [Lucia]: "Going up and down stairs is scary as well. Think about it." [Kotarou]: "Good point...must be thrilling trying to go down stairs in those things." [Kotarou]: "That's right, I remember couples holding each other's arm as they went down the stairs at the station. I thought that'd make it hard to walk, but maybe that was to keep the woman alive." [Lucia]: "Yes. High-heeled women need to cling to their men for safety reasons." [Lucia]: "I have no desire to wear such ridiculous and dangerous shoes." [Kotarou]: "Can't argue with that. Why do you think those shoes are still so popular?" [Lucia]: "......y-yes...I wondered that myself, but...well......" [Lucia]: "I have also......started to think...they might not be so bad..." [Kotarou]: "Oh? What happened to them being ridiculous and dangerous?" [Lucia]: "Uu...uuuuu, be quiet! Men would not understand!" [Lucia]: "That aside! ......Kotarou, have you ever had stiff feet?" [Kotarou]: "Not my feet, but I have had stiff shoulders." [Lucia]: "Oooh, your shoulders." [Kotarou]: "If it was possible, I'd like to pull out my shoulder blades, grab the meat underneath and squeeze it. Especially the right shoulder." [Lucia]: "Oh-ho, let's see..." [Lucia]: "......you're right, these are stiff." [Kotarou]: "Nnoooh!? Mmm...mmaaaaaa..." [Lucia]: "Don't make embarrassing noises. What about this part?" [Kotarou]: "Mmhaaaaaan!! S-stop! D-don't make me make weird noises, nhaaaaa!" [Lucia]: "K-Kotarou, this is fun, lots of fun! I'll have to squeeze you some more." [Kotarou]: "Lucia-san, why are you still blushing while glaring at me like that? Wait, stop, that hurts!" [Kotarou]: "Ah-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow, ahiiiiiiiii! Nooooooooo, I'll get addicted to this, stop, too deeeeeeeeeeep, ahiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" [Lucia]: "You're too funny, Kotarou. I'm gonna squeeze you some more, come on～!" [Kotarou]: "P-pleeeeeeease, not here, a-at least wait until we're alooooooone!" How much noise are we making here? Everyone nearby is probably annoyed at us by now. But I'm fine with that. This is part of being on a date......and this is what Lucia wanted. I don't mean she wanted to act like an idiot with a boy. She's always been keeping her distance from people and acting like a clean freak, because she was afraid of touching them. ......she wanted human contact more than anything else. Lucia, are you having fun? I thought about asking her that, but soon realized the answer was obvious. In front of Lucia's bright smile, having to ask that would just be pathetic. We continue embarrassing ourselves as we visit other shops. [Kotarou]: "Oh, let's check this one out!" [Lucia]: "A toy store? Huhu, Kotarou, you are such a child. I know that for sure after today." [Kotarou]: "Men must never forget their childhood passions." [Lucia]: "You're right. If becoming an adult meant losing all childishness, there would be no reason to grow up." [Kotarou]: "Exactly. Though this is a pretty diehard toy shop, considering what kids are into nowadays." [Kotarou]: "Not a single video game, just old-fashioned physical toys. They've even got toy guns!" [Kotarou]: "All boys want one of these...! Ah......is this boring for you, Lucia?" [Lucia]: "No, I'm fine here. I want to visit places I would never go if you weren't here, Kotarou." That's right. I've also checked out a number of shops I'd never go to if Lucia wasn't here. So, I go straight to the walls and showcases with the model guns. [Kotarou]: "I used to like state-of-the-art Western guns." [Kotarou]: "But these days they're getting a bit too refined, so they aren't fun anymore."

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "This is the pinnacle of those old-fashioned guns. Look! A Type-99 Light Machine Gun!" [Lucia]: "The magazine is on top. Wouldn't that make it difficult to aim?" [Kotarou]: "I know, but it's cool!" [Kotarou]: "The Sten's sideways magazine was cool when I first saw it, but there's no beating the Type-99!" [Kotarou]: "It's not the most practical, but upward-facing magazines are cool! And I love how it has a bayonet despite being a machine gun!" [Kotarou]: "Romanticism over pragmatism! That's also why I've started to like drum magazines lately." [Kotarou]: "Guns shouldn't be too sleek and sharp. It's far more exciting if they've got a few quirks!!" [Lucia]: "Huhuhu, boys love guns. Do you like seeing blood that much?" [Kotarou]: "We don't want to hurt anyone with these things......I'm not sure how to explain it......" [Kotarou]: "Right, it's probably similar to when women use makeup. Why would you want to use it?" [Lucia]: "T-to look cuter of course......" [Kotarou]: "Exactly. You want to look cuter than anyone else." [Lucia]: "I see, so with guns, you want to look stronger than anyone else." [Kotarou]: "That's right. Every man wants to be stronger than every other man." [Kotarou]: "Weapons give us a lot of extra power. Men are programmed at the genetic level to like weapons." [Lucia]: "So it's no different from how a woman cannot resist the urge to test a new cosmetic product she finds." [Lucia]: "Kotarou, does holding that make you want to try shooting it?" [Kotarou]: "There are guys who feel that way, but I'm fine just holding them and posing a bit." [Kotarou]: "Air guns and the like are a really expensive hobby if you get too into them." [Lucia]: "Don't worry, cosmetics are the same. No one has enough money to try all of them." [Kotarou]: "Come to think of it......Lucia, you know......you're an agent of..."Guar", right?" [Lucia]: "Guar? Aaah, Guar......right. Yes, I am." [Kotarou]: "Do they......teach you how to use a firearm?" [Lucia]: "I have received basic training on the subject, but nothing more." [Lucia]: "There aren't many situations in Japan where we can use guns." [Kotarou]: "I see. I was worried you might have holsters hidden under your skirt or something...I guess that's only in manga..." [Lucia]: "Huhu, I'd prefer not to be in a gunfight when I'm wearing a skirt." [Lucia]: "......also, I'm different from the others, so I'm not good at using complicated machines like guns." [Kotarou]: "Why not?" Lucia's smile darkens a little. [Lucia]: "Poison isn't the only thing that comes out of my hands." [Lucia]: "......I'm taking drugs to prevent it, and I can control it with my will, but I can produce a sort of super-vibration." [Kotarou]: "Super-vibration? That sounds impressive. Like a mech's ultimate attack or something." I deliberately joke about it. If she doesn't want to talk about it, I want her to have the chance to get mad and end it herself. But Lucia smiles softly, telling me there's no reason to hide it now. [Lucia]: "......like the poison, my vibrations are useless. Just a curse." [Lucia]: "Complicated weapons sometimes fall apart in my hands because of that." [Lucia]: "Until I learned to control that power, I couldn't even wear a watch." [Kotarou]: "I knew about the poison, but...you had that too..." [Lucia]: "I don't think my vibrations can kill anyone...but they do break things." [Lucia]: "......so my hands have two curses. Poison which takes lives away, and vibrations which break things." [Kotarou]: ".........ah, is that how you broke my cell phone and all the glass...?" [Lucia]: "Yes, that's how......I didn't think I'd have to start cursing people with it......" Like she said, those vibrations really are another curse. Complex mechanisms fall apart near her. Even the Asahi Haruka story said mirrors would break whenever she looked at them... Also, the Next Generation Humanity Project used several complicated machines, so they had to counteract her power somehow. That's why she's been given medicine to suppress it from a very young age. But if she wasn't taking it, she'd be unable to approach any living things or mechanical devices......it's impossible to imagine how much that knowledge must have hurt her. Of course, she never wanted either curse. Neither the poison nor the vibrations. Lucia became a poisoned being when her body was altered to withstand the poisonous environment of the future. Likewise, she was given that second curse to adapt to the world a thousand years from now, when all structures and mechanisms will have been swallowed by the desert. [Lucia]: "At first it was hoped I could harness this second curse and use it deliberately, so I did receive training to help with that." [Lucia]: "You've already seen the results." [Kotarou]: "......that's why you can break specific panes and lightbulbs without touching them." Because of her training, Lucia can selectively break any fragile object within a certain radius. Things like glass, lightbulbs, phones, and watches. [Lucia]: "It's useless in combat though." [Lucia]: "......we hoped I'd be able to do something like cut off communication lines from a long distance, but I've never been able to do it. The best I can do is scare people into thinking they're cursed." Apparently that power also makes her really bad at using guns. Right now her vibrations are being suppressed, so she can hold and shoot a gun. But there's still the risk it'll break on her in the middle of life-and-death combat. [Kotarou]: "So what weapon do you use...?" [Lucia]: "The most powerful legal weapon within Japan is a sword." [Lucia]: "I have been trained in using swords at close range." [Kotarou]: "......have you ever fought Gaia using one?" [Lucia]: "Yes." She answers quietly, but without hesitation. Guardian and Gaia are at war with each other. One protects the world, and the other wants to "revitalize" the world by destroying it. That fight continues all across the world, without anyone knowing about it... Obviously, there aren't any official channels for Guardian and Gaia to talk to each other. But there were informal ways for Guardian and Gaia to threaten each other with retaliation. Thus, whenever Gaia did something, Guardian could attack, maybe even assassinate an important member of Gaia, calling it retribution. Sometimes the person's death would make world news. One of the rare cases where something Gaia or Guardian did is known to the public... Of course, Gaia can't take such actions lightly. When an important member of Gaia gets assassinated, they immediately take their own revenge. ......the chain of retaliation continues into a never-ending war... Recently, in America, one of the groups funding Gaia was attacked by the CIA due to the actions of Guardian. Naturally, Gaia has informally threatened revenge. And they've leaked fake information about the Key across the entire world, further intensifying the conflict...

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "......you'll be the Earth's sword and shield." [Lucia]: "Someone has to do it." [Lucia]: "I've had that role for as long as I can remember." [Kotarou]: "So you didn't choose that fate yourself..." [Lucia]: "We cannot choose the star we're born under, nor can we choose our fate." [Lucia]: "......I have hated my powers, but I never regretted having that duty." ......how long has she been a part of Guardian? I chose not to ask, for fear of unearthing even more painful memories... [Kotarou]: "......you're strong, Lucia." [Lucia]: "I don't know. Is this strength?" [Lucia]: "If I was ordered to fight someone, I would show them no mercy." [Lucia]: "......if I was ordered to kill, I would do that......possibly using a real version of one of the guns in this showcase." [Lucia]: "And I am never allowed to falter." [Kotarou]: "......I......don't want you to be involved in something that dangerous." [Kotarou]: "......but I understand that you're all protecting the world from an evil terrorist organization..." [Kotarou]: "I can't tell you to stop, or to do your best...I just feel confused..." [Lucia]: "Thank you..." [Lucia]: "Don't worry. I have no desire to die. Not anymore." [Lucia]: "That's why I'm grateful, Kotarou." [Lucia]: "......because you're here, I genuinely feel that I want to live now." [Kotarou]: "......Lucia." [Lucia]: "Thank you......for meeting me." I used to be cursed with a thousand years of solitude because of this poison. A death in combat would have been a gentle release. But now I have someone I can live together with. Tennouji Kotarou. Not being alone is all the reason I need to live. I'm not exaggerating at all. Yes......until today, I haven't lived at all. And thanks to Kotarou, I finally can. Which is why... I'm living for Tennouji Kotarou now. Maybe I'm getting a bit ahead of myself...... This happy dream seems to fly by in no time at all. Before I realize it, enough time has passed that I should be starving. [Lucia]: "Have we been wandering around this long...?" [Lucia]: "Now what? We haven't thought about dinner at all..." [Kotarou]: "There's a skyview restaurant upstairs, so let's go there." [Lucia]: "S-skyview...!? Th-that sounds expensive..." [Kotarou]: "The internet said it was worth it. Let's go!" ......I wasn't expecting our date to end in a skyview restaurant... I think I told Shizuru about that dream on New Year's...... I told her about the ideal date......I would want to go on, if a prince ever appeared for me...... ......Kotarou's following that dream with unbelievable precision. I've started to believe we may be destined for each other. If he really is following my dream to the letter...then he'll have reserved us seats up there. That's what happened in my dream. If he really has reserved us seats, then...... [Lucia]: "This looks like a wonderful place, but......i-it seems crowded..." [Kotarou]: "Ah, don't worry about that......umm, excuse me, I have a reservation under "Tennouji"." [Waiter]: "My apologies, Tennouji Kotarou-sama." [Waiter]: "Party of two? Thank you for waiting. Please follow me." [Kotarou]: "See? I figured it'd be crowded so I decided to reserve it." [Lucia]: "K-......Kotarou......" ......now I know for sure. Shizuru definitely told Kotarou about my dream. And Kotarou planned out this entire day......just to make that dream come true... Today has been a lot of fun, and I've been happy all day......but there is one thing worrying me. To me, this is a date......but to Kotarou it might just be a friendly outing, and he's only being unusually nice to me because of sympathy. Kotarou did call it a "date" when he suggested it......but he also said it was just a walk. A new shopping mall he wanted to check out just because he's never been there before... Yes, this might just be a "walk" for Kotarou. But......I want this to be a "date" for him too......and I'm afraid it isn't... [Lucia]: "Th-......thank you for......making a reservation at such a wonderful place......" [Kotarou]: "Anyone would be disappointed by going to a ramen place after all that, right?" [Kotarou]: "It's worth going this far on a day this important." [Lucia]: "Wh-what do you mean......important......?" [Kotarou]: "Isn't this our first date?" [Lucia]: ".........Kotarou..." Shizuru probably helped him plan all this. But Kotarou had no obligation to do it that way. It must have been a pain to make a reservation at a place like this. And yet......he made all my dreams come true. ......knowing that only the man I'm destined to live the rest of my life with should make them come true. Kotarou.........went to all this trouble...using this whole day as his answer...to my wish...... [Kotarou]: "L-Lucia......?" As we walk to our reserved seats, I pretend to stagger a bit and cling to his chest. [Lucia]: "S-...sorry......about that." [Kotarou]: "No problem. Grab me whenever you want." [Lucia]: "Whenever......?" [Kotarou]: "It's still charging so I won't say it again. I've said it plenty for today." [Lucia]: "You're right......I know." [Lucia]: "......you said......y-you'd be with me...forever..." [Kotarou]: "Like I said, hold on to me whenever you want." [Kotarou]: "......I'm not going to make any jokes about what I vowed in the chapel." [Lucia]: ".........yes." Thank you......Kotarou......... Everything after that......it just felt like I was walking on a cloud...like it was all a dream. I know we just shared a wonderful dinner together...but it feels like it happened years ago. He asked me if the food was good. I said it was. But I honestly didn't care about the taste at all. I was just...so happy...... Right now......I'm holding Kotarou's hand, looking down at the city at night. This mall......no, this tower... This tower has an incredible location. I almost forget that I'm looking at Kazamatsuri. I can almost believe Kotarou and I are in some far away country, looking down at a city we've never been to... [Lucia]: "......I knew Kazamatsuri was a luscious city...but at night it's like a sea of stars." [Kotarou]: "Feels like we're on top of the world." [Lucia]: "Kotarou...thank you for today." [Kotarou]: "I'm not gonna stop after today, you know." [Lucia]: "O-of course not! But still..." [Lucia]: "......anyway, I am.........g-...grateful for today......" [Kotarou]: "Would've been perfect if we managed to get that special parfait."

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "......sorry, I assumed reserving the seats would be enough." [Kotarou]: "I shouldn't have gotten your hopes up..." He also knew I loved parfaits. He'd planned to buy me a special one for dessert, that they only make a handful of each day. But he made a mistake in his reservation, so we didn't get it. Admittedly, after how much he told me about the parfaits, I was disappointed to hear that. But that was far too little to wipe away this dreamlike state I'm in. It was just an amusing accident. One little part of a nice dinner. [Lucia]: "We'll eat one together next time." [Kotarou]: "Should we go to that parfait shop near the station again?" [Lucia]: "Good idea. That one was delicious. I'd like to eat one with you, Kotarou." [Kotarou]: "Th-there's no way I'd be able to..." [Lucia]: "Ahahahaha, it won't be a time trial." [Lucia]: "I'm fine with a small one......I just want to eat one together." [Kotarou]: "Okay, that'll be our goal for the next date." [Lucia]: "Yes, it's a promise......" [Kotarou]: "Today was fun." [Lucia]: "Yes it was..." We're wandering around late at night, gazing at the town......we should probably head back before it gets cold. All that's left for today is heading home. Having fun all day then eating dinner while overlooking the city at night should be plenty for a date. ......but......my dream......does have......one last thing. A sign he almost certainly wouldn't recognize if he didn't already know it. ......but Kotarou knows my dream. So......I'm sure...he'll...... If I don't give him that sign, this will be it for today. At the very end, I need to give him that sign myself... I look at Kotarou. He's smiling happily as he looks at the town. He notices I'm looking at him, and smiles back at me... ......Kotarou's been taking the lead all day. He made all my dreams come true. So, for this last dream......I have to make it happen myself...... The sign is simple. I don't even need to say it...... [Lucia]: "K-............" [Kotarou]: "Hm?" [Lucia]: ".........Kotarou......" [Kotarou]: "Yeah." I can say with certainty that I'm the happiest girl in the world right now. That happiness forms a single drop, glistening like a diamond at the corner of my eye... The world's happiest girl, who I can see in Kotarou's eyes. ......that girl......slowly......closes her eyes. This is the sign...... ......maybe I've been dreaming too much...... If I want him to kiss me...maybe I should just say so. In the past I've always hit him to hide my embarrassment. Today I swore never to do that again. From now on I need to be more honest, with him and with myself. So I'll tell him. That I want him to press his lips against mine......to make sure this happiness never goes away...... [Lucia]: "Kota―......!" When I try to open my eyelids... ......something soft and moist covers my lips. And slowly......his arms wrap around me. Not an embrace to prevent me from escaping. He's holding tight......to make sure I'll never feel alone again. [Lucia]: "...mm......a..............." Without thinking......I suck on his lower lip. I-I shouldn't do something like that during a first kiss...... But......I did. I don't feel like I'm walking atop fluffy clouds anymore. ......right now, my mind is as soft as a cloud......unable to think anything...... [Lucia]: "...fua........." My lips are finally released. Finally? Was it really that long...? It was probably as short as a first kiss should be. But that brief moment was an eternity for me...... Once my eyes are open, I can see that Kotarou's bright red. He's deliberately looking away, to try and prevent me from noticing. ......Kotarou has a habit of making jokes to hide his embarrassment. But he knows that doing that now would completely ruin the mood. ......right now...he's fighting his embarrassment directly, for my sake... So I'll release him from that now. Huhu. [Lucia]: "......Kotarou, your face is red." [Kotarou]: "Sh-shut up! It's just a bit hot out here..." [Lucia]: "Hu...uhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhu." [Kotarou]: "I was trying to resist the urge to make a joke." [Lucia]: "Yes, I know.........thank you." Next time I won't pretend to stumble. I'll hold him tight......and bury my face in his chest. He held me the same way. [Kotarou]: "This one doesn't recharge or anything, so you'll only get to hear it once." [Lucia]: "......okay." [Kotarou]: "At first, you were just the class rep I teased every so often after some weird things happened between us." [Lucia]: "Yes." [Kotarou]: "Then, after the Asahi Haruka story connected to you......I couldn't ignore you anymore." [Lucia]: "Yes." [Kotarou]: "So when I held you in the chapel, what I felt was sympathy......I admit that." [Lucia]: "......I see." [Kotarou]: "But after spending today with you, I don't feel that at all anymore." [Lucia]: "So it's not sympathy anymore...?" [Kotarou]: "That's right. No more sympathy." [Lucia]: "......okay." [Kotarou]: "So right now..." [Kotarou]: "I definitely wasn't holding you out of pity, or sympathy, or anything like that." [Lucia]: "......okay." [Kotarou]: "I won't say this again, so listen carefully." ......okay. [Kotarou]: "I......love you." [Lucia]: ".........yes......" [Kotarou]: "That's it. I won't say it again." Kotarou's face turns even redder, and he looks to one side. But he still won't let me go. [Lucia]: "All right. I will never forget those words. So I won't ask you to say it again." [Kotarou]: "Yeah, please don't. And please forget it." [Lucia]: "I won't ask again......but I do want to kiss again." [Kotarou]: "Kissing needs recharging too." [Lucia]: "You need far too much charging." [Lucia]: "......then I'll charge it for you." [Lucia]: "............mm!" This time......I press my lips against his. I have to answer his confession. So one more time......I'll do it enough that I'll have no regrets tonight...... ......I'll suck and nibble on his lip until he starts panting......then I'll release him... [Lucia]: "...I love you too." [Kotarou]: "O-.........okay..." [Lucia]: "The happiness you gave me tonight is enough for me to live a thousand years." [Lucia]: "But......that happiness might rush out of my lungs."

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "Then we'll have to stop it." [Lucia]: "I-......is it......o-..." [Lucia]: ".........okay if I......ask for..." [Kotarou]: "Sure. Just tell me whenever your happiness is trying to get away." [Lucia]: "......anytime? ...a-...anywhere......?" [Kotarou]: "Within reason." [Lucia]: "Even at school...?" [Kotarou]: "Not in the classroom." [Lucia]: "I-I'd take you to an empty room first." [Kotarou]: "Then sure." [Lucia]: "Even during break time...?" [Kotarou]: "Yeah, sure." [Lucia]: "A-and lunch...?" [Kotarou]: "After we eat." [Lucia]: "A-and after school...?" [Kotarou]: "Yeah, sure." [Lucia]: "E-......even late at night......?" [Kotarou]: "Of course." [Lucia]: "...a-...and after that......too...?" [Kotarou]: "We can't let all that happiness run away now, can we?" [Kotarou]: "If it's that eager to get away from you......" [Kotarou]: "Then I'll just have to block your lips all day long." [Lucia]: "Yes...please......do that............all day......every day......" [Lucia]: "...during break, and lunch time, and after school......I-I'll wait for you...i-in an empty room......" [Kotarou]: "......y-you're getting a little too into this..." [Lucia]: "Y-......yes, a-after all that......I couldn't stop..." [Lucia]: "Sorry......eheheh......" I'm glad Kotarou stopped me...I was past the point where I could stop myself. But everything I said is true. ...I can't believe......I said I'd bring him to an...e-empty classroom......just so we could kiss... ......I'm not much of a class representative any more. [Kotarou]: "What are you so worried about? I swore to you." [Lucia]: "......yes." [Kotarou]: "I won't run away, and I'm not going anywhere." [Kotarou]: "If you want something I'll give it to you, so don't be afraid to ask." [Lucia]: "Okay..." I'm finally freed from the youthful impatience to ravish him. Then I finally realize I've been saying very embarrassing things for quite some time. As my head boils from the shame, the cool night breeze feels nice. We get on the last bus and head home. Kotarou walks me to my room. Kotarou was with me all day today, right up until midnight... [Kotarou]: "Okay, we're finally done for today." [Kotarou]: "We're probably both tired after all that walking around." [Lucia]: "No, I'm not tired at all." [Kotarou]: "You're still excited. Once you get in the bath you'll feel all the energy drain out." [Lucia]: "M-maybe..." [Lucia]: "......I will relax in the bath then." [Kotarou]: "Don't try making any bath bombs yet." [Lucia]: "I-I only overdid it one time!" [Lucia]: "It really does work, you know. I'll make one for you someday so you should try it." Kotarou says he looks forward to that, and leaves...... And once I can no longer see him, a comfortable exhaustion overwhelms me. I want to wash off my makeup and change into thinner clothes right away. Then take a nice long bath, get into bed and think back on what we did today. I take off my shoes, set down my handbag and put my phone on the charger. That's right, my phone battery died at some point. ......I should have my phone charged at all times. But......just for today, I wanted to be alone with Kotarou, cut off from everything else. Once the phone has power again, it immediately receives a text. Probably Shizuru......I can see her asking if it was my ideal date or not. Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaa......I'm getting embarrassed again... But it's fine, I am a traitor after all......I should just come clean. Thank you......Shizuru. I look at the display. Three new texts. Twelve missed calls. ...calm down, Shizuru. She was probably trying to call at odd times to distract us from our date. I-I hope she doesn't think he stayed here or something.........maybe I should call her. [Lucia]: "......huh......Nishikujou...san...?" All twelve calls......are from Nishikujou-san. She called five times in a row this evening, then started waiting an hour before making another call. Wh-what about the texts......? Three in total. Shizuru sent one just past noon. The subject is "Traitor～". The message was her telling me to be honest with myself today, instead of trying to hide my feelings like I usually do. .........thank you, Shizuru. Thanks to you......today's date was so much fun... The next one was from Nishikujou-san. The subject is "Urgent". The message is short. "Call me immediately." ......she sent this in the evening too. The last text was also from Nishikujou-san. She sent it minutes ago. The subject is "Shizuru-chan's collapsed". Just as my eyes grow wide, the phone's LCD screen flashes again, and it plays a ringtone. ......the ringtone for Nishikujou-san.

<METADATA> Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> Lucia called me to say Shizuru's been taken to a hospital. I got the call right after I got out of the bath. ......I'm sure Lucia is blaming herself now. We know each other well enough to talk about love. No doubt she feels that the price of her being happy turned out to be Shizuru facing misfortune. ......I am worried about Shizuru, but I'm just as worried about Lucia. She was taken to Guardian's hospital. It's an ordinary hospital on the outside. No one would think a worldwide secret society controlled it. I've been there several times since the Santa Brosia incident for various checkups. [Nishikujou]: "Tennouji-kun, this way." [Kotarou]: "Nishikujou-sensei! How's Shizuru!?" [Nishikujou]: "Don't worry, she was very lucky. Anyone else would be dead." Shizuru's lying on a bed behind a glass window, hooked up to countless machines. Bright red tubes lead from her body to imposing devices. She doesn't look lucky at all. [Kotarou]: "What happened to her?" [Nishikujou]: "She suddenly turned pale and lost consciousness." [Nishikujou]: "Thankfully I was there when she collapsed. If no one had been around she might've died." [Kotarou]: "That's definitely not normal..." [Kotarou]: "But Shizuru's seemed healthy lately. I don't remember any signs that she was ill..." [Nishikujou]: "Tennouji-kun, come over here." [Nishikujou]: "We need to check you out as well. You might not be able to go home tonight." [Kotarou]: "Eh? Me too...?" Before telling me what's going on, she takes me to another room where doctors take blood and urine samples. I have a guess as to what happened...but I really don't like it... [Kotarou]: "Sensei, where's Lucia?" [Nishikujou]: "She's fine. We're giving her a checkup at another facility." After Lucia's phone call, it sounded like I'd meet her here at the hospital. But apparently she's somewhere else. I check my phone. I have a new text from Lucia. She says she's been moved to another hospital. But she also says not to worry about her. [Kotarou]: "What on Earth happened!? I thought......Lucia's poison......wasn't a threat to us anymore..." [Nishikujou]: "That's what we thought too." [Kotarou]: "Th-then...did Shizuru......succumb to it!?" [Nishikujou]: "Shizuru-chan's body is just as unusual as Lucia-chan's." [Kotarou]: "I remember her saying that...she said that's why Lucia's poison didn't hurt her." Which is why she could be Lucia's only friend. It's hard to imagine how much that helped Lucia. Shizuru understands Lucia better than anyone. She was her best friend in the whole world. But I never thought about it that much. I can withstand Lucia's poison because I used my power to recreate my body as something which could accept it. But why was Shizuru able to withstand it...? [Nishikujou]: "Shizuru-chan's body...is like a walking drug factory." [Kotarou]: "Drug factory...?" [Nishikujou]: "Her body is very special. She can produce drugs within her body at will." [Nishikujou]: "When she encounters a harmful substance, she can analyze it, figure out what chemical would help her resist its effects, then make it." [Nishikujou]: "I guess you could say it stops her from getting food poisoning no matter what she eats. The perfect power for Shizuru-chan." [Kotarou]: "So why is she in here if she has that power...!?" [Nishikujou]: "Two unfortunate coincidences." [Nishikujou]: "First, Shizuru-chan's power came back to bite her." [Nishikujou]: "Second, the drug we gave Lucia-chan to suppress her poison wasn't perfect." [Kotarou]: "What do you mean...?" [Nishikujou]: "Lucia-chan's body produces chemicals, just like Shizuru-chan's." [Nishikujou]: "But her chemicals are all deadly poisons." [Kotarou]: "......wasn't that a long time ago...!?" [Nishikujou]: "No. She's just taking medicine to suppress it." [Nishikujou]: "Her body has never stopped producing those toxins." [Nishikujou]: "We've only been giving her medicine that decomposes those chemicals within her body." For some reason I was under the impression that medicine had made Lucia produce less poison. The truth was slightly different. Lucia's still producing her poison. The medicine just prevents it from leaving her body... [Nishikujou]: "Unfortunately, it turns out that medicine wasn't holding it back completely." [Nishikujou]: "By our estimates, a very small amount has been consistently leaking out of her." [Kotarou]: "That's what Lucia's always been afraid of...which is why she avoided people so much..." [Nishikujou]: "Yes. So we owe Lucia-chan a lot now." [Nishikujou]: "If she hadn't been doing that, there would probably be a lot more victims." [Nishikujou]: "......and Shizuru-chan might have collapsed much sooner." [Kotarou]: "But why is Shizuru suddenly not immune to it...!?" [Nishikujou]: "That's the other misfortune." [Nishikujou]: "It took us a long time to notice this because Shizuru-chan is extraordinarily resistant to it." [Kotarou]: "But isn't she a walking drug factory!? Weren't you just telling me she can make chemicals to neutralize Lucia's poison!?" [Nishikujou]: "We thought Shizuru-chan was neutralizing it." [Nishikujou]: "But now we know what Shizuru-chan produced merely resisted the poison, not neutralized it." [Kotarou]: "Only resisted...?" [Nishikujou]: "Shizuru-chan has been Lucia-chan's closest friend for a long time." [Nishikujou]: "The poison has been building up in her body little by little." [Nishikujou]: "Shizuru-chan's body has been producing chemicals to resist it, but that's all." [Nishikujou]: "She wasn't getting rid of the poison." [Kotarou]: "......so even though she had no symptoms, Lucia's poison was building up inside her...?" [Nishikujou]: "It's not the nicest analogy, but let's say Lucia's poison is like the smell of garbage." [Nishikujou]: "Shizuru-chan's body is like an air freshener, so she can fight that smell. But that doesn't make the garbage go away." Even though poison was piling up inside her, Shizuru was producing enough chemicals to resist it, so she looked healthy... It's like putting more and more weights on a scale. Even if both sides are close to the same weight, the more there is overall the harder it is to balance. [Nishikujou]: "She was in a kind of dynamic equilibrium." [Nishikujou]: "......she seemed healthy on the outside, but inside she was fighting a fierce battle to maintain balance." [Kotarou]: "And she didn't even know about it?"

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female </METADATA> [Nishikujou]: "She didn't. That's why we didn't notice until it got this serious. That's why I said Shizuru-chan's power came back to bite us." [Nishikujou]: "We were shocked by this too......even Shizuru-chan's power can't decompose the poison..." Shizuru has her limits. She can only produce so much of those chemicals. Lucia's poison just builds up indefinitely, slowly approaching her limit...... ......then one day, it just fell apart. [Nishikujou]: "So right now Lucia-chan's poison is taking its toll on her." [Nishikujou]: "We're giving Shizuru-chan blood transfusions to remove as much of it as possible." [Kotarou]: "W-will she get better?" I really hope she does. Seeing her like this would be too painful for Lucia... [Nishikujou]: "Of course." [Nishikujou]: "It'll take a long time, but eventually she'll be back to normal. I can promise you that." [Kotarou]: "......thank goodness...have you told Lucia that?" [Nishikujou]: "Of course." I feel relieved. Lucia will probably still blame herself for it, but that will heal with time. And Shizuru and I can support her. She'll be fine......we'll never force Lucia to endure it alone. A phone rings, and Nishikujou-sensei picks it up. A brief conversation. She looks at me a few times, so I assume it's about the tests they did on me. She doesn't look worried, so I already know the results are good. [Nishikujou]: "They've finished testing your blood, Tennouji-kun......you really are amazing." [Kotarou]: "Lucia's poison just doesn't affect me." [Nishikujou]: "............what are you?" [Kotarou]: "Tennouji Kotarou......just a normal guy who swore to never leave Konohana Lucia alone." [Nishikujou]: "......you mean that literally, don't you?" [Nishikujou]: "The researchers say your body is so miraculous that "once in a lifetime" would be an understatement." [Nishikujou]: "You don't even resist Lucia-chan's poison. Your body just lets it flow through you like it's nothing." [Nishikujou]: "And yet, unlike her, you never expel poison outside your body." I wanted a body that could accept her poison. That's why it doesn't do anything to me anymore. ......if only Shizuru had been the same way...... [Nishikujou]: "......if we'd found you sooner..." [Nishikujou]: "Maybe we wouldn't have needed to waste billions of dollars on the Next Generation Humanity Project." [Nishikujou]: "......after throwing all that money at it, all we got was a single unfortunate girl to carry humanity into the future." [Kotarou]: "What is that project anyway?" [Nishikujou]: "Lucia-chan hasn't told you?" [Kotarou]: "Well, she did..." [Kotarou]: "......she said the Earth would become unlivable a thousand years from now, so they were researching ways for humanity to survive there." [Nishikujou]: "Those researchers were insane." [Nishikujou]: "They wanted to alter humans to endure the harshest environments imaginable, then send them to the future via cryogenetics." [Nishikujou]: "So they gathered orphans from all around the world and performed horrible experiments on them." [Kotarou]: "And Lucia was one of them...?" [Nishikujou]: "Yes." [Nishikujou]: "She was an orphan. Guardian Japan adopted her soon after she was born." [Nishikujou]: "Then she was chosen as a guinea pig for their crazy project." [Nishikujou]: "That was her greatest misfortune......and the fact that she survived the project is her greatest fortune." [Kotarou]: "I did get the feeling she was leaving something out." [Kotarou]: "......does Lucia's poison have something to do with that project?" [Kotarou]: "What exactly is Lucia? What is that poison?" [Nishikujou]: "......a thousand years from now..." [Nishikujou]: "We think the Earth, the greatest lifeform known to humanity, will die." [Nishikujou]: "Did you know the Earth is alive? It's allowing humans to live on it." [Kotarou]: "I've seen TV shows say stuff like that..." [Nishikujou]: "The Earth is filled with life energy." [Nishikujou]: "Sometimes it comes out through holes called power spots, saturating the surface in their vicinity." [Nishikujou]: "Life on Earth would not be possible if the Earth itself wasn't alive." So if the Earth itself dies, all the life energy on its surface would dry up. [Nishikujou]: "That means all life on Earth would be wiped out." [Nishikujou]: "Our species is nothing but microscopic parasites on the Earth." [Nishikujou]: "If our host dies, we'll die with it." [Kotarou]: "......what does that have to do with Lucia's poison?" [Nishikujou]: "According to the research of the Next Generation Humanity Project, the Earth will die in a thousand years." [Nishikujou]: "Then all the life energy in the Earth will rot and fester, then gush out onto the surface as a form of poison that will destroy all remaining life." [Kotarou]: "......" [Nishikujou]: "It will become the exact opposite of life energy......a substance which serves no purpose other than to take life away." [Nishikujou]: "There are a huge number of toxins on the Earth's surface even now." [Nishikujou]: "But those only harm people through some kind of chemical reaction." [Nishikujou]: "I'm sure you've heard of cases where those substances can be used as medicine in the right amounts." But this poison is different. It does nothing but take away life. A substance all organisms need to avoid. A thousand years from now, this poison will engulf the world. That's unavoidable. So the only way to survive after that is to find a way to accept that poison. [Nishikujou]: "They looked into shelters and suits and various drugs to neutralize it." [Nishikujou]: "Eventually......they decided they'd have to find a way to make human bodies accept the poison as a natural substance." [Kotarou]: "......and then they made Lucia." [Nishikujou]: "It took a while to get that far, but yes." [Nishikujou]: "Lucia-chan's body was remade so that it could live in the world a thousand years from now." [Nishikujou]: "So for Lucia-chan, that world is normal, and ours is like poison to her now." [Kotarou]: "This world......is poisonous to her?" [Nishikujou]: "Yes. That's why Lucia-chan's body has to constantly produce that world's poison, so that she's never lacking it." [Kotarou]: "......then that poison escapes outside her body..." [Nishikujou]: "And terrifying things happen. You already know what happened at Santa Brosia, Tennouji-kun." [Nishikujou]: "Back then, the pharmaceutical company making her medicine was negligent." [Nishikujou]: "After being given flawed medicine for such a long time, her poison started oozing out again."

<METADATA> Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Nishikujou]: "......though there were plenty of signs. Plants wilted, people got sick...we should have known it would happen months before it did." [Kotarou]: "......so that's...Asahi Haruka's...curse..." [Nishikujou]: "That was an accident. She's not responsible for it." [Kotarou]: "Whenever she touched flowers, they wilted...when she touched people, they died...with handprints on them!" [Kotarou]: "After seeing that over and over again, how could she not think it was her fault!? ......do you know how much that hurt Lucia!?" [Nishikujou]: "Yes, I've tried to tell her that several times......I said it wasn't her responsibility, that fate was just cruel to her." [Kotarou]: "No!! The people who changed Lucia's body are in the wrong here!" [Kotarou]: "Can't we change her body back? Can we make her normal again!?" [Nishikujou]: "The surgery was irreversible. She has no choice but to accept it." [Kotarou]: "Did Lucia even want that surgery!? I don't think she did!" [Nishikujou]: "......she did want it. Her thumb print is on the form." [Nishikujou]: "But she was three years old at the time." [Kotarou]: "H-how could you people do that to a three-year-old girl!!?" [Nishikujou]: "You're right. It was an unforgivable violation of human rights." [Nishikujou]: "The Vatican forcibly canceled the project as soon as they heard about this." [Nishikujou]: "Everyone responsible has been disposed of, and the research has been locked away forever." [Nishikujou]: "But it took over a decade before the Vatican learned about it......this evil project required countless orphans to be sacrificed." [Kotarou]: "It's still not over!" [Kotarou]: "The project might be done, but Lucia's still suffering! And she's going to keep suffering for the next thousand years!!" [Kotarou]: "But she's still doing everything she can for Guardian! She still says she'll be the sword and shield for Earth if she has to!" [Kotarou]: "Why!? Why doesn't she hate Guardian for doing that to her!?" [Nishikujou]: "She lived much of her life in their facilities, so she bought into their teachings." [Nishikujou]: "They told her......humanity will be destroyed a thousand years from now, and God has given her the noble duty of carrying our civilization to the future." [Kotarou]: "You mean they brainwashed her!?" [Kotarou]: "They took her away as a child, brainwashed her and made her a guinea pig for their experiments!!" [Nishikujou]: "......after we saved her from their facilities, Lucia-chan was transferred to Guardian Japan, since she was born in this country." [Nishikujou]: "Since we knew what happened to her, we told a team of psychologists about her and had them counsel her." [Nishikujou]: "......in their opinion, it's best for her that we not deny the goals of the Next Generation Humanity Project." Ever since she was born......she's been taught that being a future human is her duty. Lucia believes it's her god-given duty to bring civilization into the future, after the Earth dies a thousand years from now. That's why she was able to endure such terrifying surgery and training. She knows her body has been changed so that it can only live in the future world. She knows it's irreversible, and she can only harm the present world. But she believes that someone must take on the duty of living in the future, so she accepts that. That's why she's been able to accept her cruel fate. She harms all life around her just by existing, but she still believes she's needed. [Nishikujou]: "So criticizing the Project robs Lucia-chan of her reason for living." [Nishikujou]: "......the psychologists determined that we need to be very prudent in how we debrief her, and that cheap sympathy would be dangerous." Lucia still believes in her noble but dangerous mission. ......they've chosen not to touch on that, to avoid opening her wound any further. Yes, Lucia had that wound from as far back as she can remember. So Lucia sees it as ordinary, and simply accepts that pain......without questioning it. Any normal human would cry and scream from it, but she was forced to endure it almost from birth......so she didn't even recognize it as pain. [Nishikujou]: "Tennouji-kun, you're exceptionally angry because you're so close to Lucia-chan. But I feel the same way as you." [Nishikujou]: "I feel sick just thinking about the fact that some of my comrades in Guardian were demonic enough to sacrifice so many young children." [Nishikujou]: "But taking out that anger on her would only make it worse. Please understand that." [Nishikujou]: "Take it out on me if you want. Call me a monster, just like them." [Nishikujou]: "But if you're really worried about her..." [Nishikujou]: "Don't let her see you do that." [Kotarou]: "You're saying......that would only hurt Lucia more......?" [Kotarou]: "How......could that......!?" [Nishikujou]: "That's what the counselors concluded. She's built on a strong sense of duty and justice. She's dependent on it." [Nishikujou]: "......Lucia-chan's worrying about it too, subconsciously." [Nishikujou]: "Unless someone tells her she's doing the right thing, and gives her a duty to perform at all times......" [Nishikujou]: "She'll be constantly afraid of the possibility that she's just pretending not to notice something." She can't get her old body back. She has to accept that, and it's necessary to live in the future... If she doesn't believe that......her heart will shatter. Actually......I probably knew this already. Lucia's heart has cracks in it. She's constantly afraid of her poison hurting someone. Afraid of living alone in the world a thousand years from now. ......her life has always been threatened by something. She needs a duty, a reason to believe she's doing the right thing in order to escape that. [Nishikujou]: "After what happened at Santa Brosia, a therapist concluded she needed a mother-like superior." [Nishikujou]: "Since I knew what happened to her, I volunteered." [Kotarou]: "So you gave her the mission to look for the Key?" [Nishikujou]: "......Lucia-chan's told you a lot. She really trusts you, Tennouji-kun." [Kotarou]: "She said the Key was a dangerous being that could destroy the world, and you guys are doing a lot to try and capture it." [Nishikujou]: "Yes. Definitely a mission important enough to make her feel needed." [Kotarou]: "......and......you're still deceiving Lucia...that way, right?" [Nishikujou]: "......yes. Until the day comes when she can bear that pain." [Nishikujou]: "Today......you and Lucia-chan went on a date, right? Shizuru-chan told me about it." [Kotarou]: "Yeah, we had a lot of fun." [Nishikujou]: "I see you're not blushing or denying it." [Kotarou]: "It was definitely a date. Why would I say it wasn't?"

<METADATA> Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "So why did you bring that up?" [Nishikujou]: "......that day might already be here." [Nishikujou]: "Lucia-chan shouldn't be telling you these things, but little by little she's opening up to you." [Nishikujou]: "That might mean......she's starting to believe she can accept the truth, if you're with her." [Nishikujou]: "Lucia-chan might not need the grandiose duty of protecting the world anymore." [Nishikujou]: "......maybe she's starting to feel like she can endure it even without Guardian, as long as she's with you." [Kotarou]: "I did swear never to leave her alone again." [Kotarou]: "......and I did mean more than just being near her all the time." [Kotarou]: "I'm prepared to spend the rest of my life helping Lucia overcome her pain." [Nishikujou]: "Have you said that to Lucia-chan?" [Kotarou]: "Yeah, I have." [Nishikujou]: "......I see. She must have been happy to hear that." [Nishikujou]: "Can you really keep that promise for the rest of your life?" [Kotarou]: "I don't care if it's the rest of my life or a thousand years. I'll protect her forever." Nishikujou-sensei looks somewhere far away and sighs deeply, before smiling gently. Somehow, that smile makes me feel at ease. It almost looks as if something's been lifted from Nishikujou-sensei's shoulders for the first time in years...... [Nishikujou]: "Once this is settled, I'll have Lucia-chan expelled from Guardian." [Nishikujou]: "She doesn't need to worry about the Earth's future or the fight with Gaia any more." [Nishikujou]: "I'll make it so you two can live all by yourselves without anyone bothering you. And I'll make sure she gets plenty of that medicine too." [Kotarou]: "I can't tell if I should be happy, or if you're doing too much for us." [Nishikujou]: "From now on, you have to support Lucia-chan." [Nishikujou]: "You're the only one who can do that......you can do that, right?" [Kotarou]: "Women love making men repeat themselves." [Kotarou]: "I'm not gonna go back on my word......so, where's Lucia?" [Nishikujou]: "She's in a facility in the next prefecture. We needed the equipment they have there." [Nishikujou]: "Specifically, they're trying to find out whether this was caused by a fault in the medicine, or a change in her body." [Nishikujou]: "Until we know that......we can't let her go." [Kotarou]: "How long will that take?" [Nishikujou]: "Dunno......maybe a few weeks, maybe a few months...I'll ask tomorrow." [Nishikujou]: "If they have an estimate, I'll call you about it, Tennouji-kun." [Kotarou]: "Can I see Lucia?" [Nishikujou]: "......it's probably more trouble than it's worth to make that happen." [Nishikujou]: "But you both have cell phones, right? They shouldn't forbid her from using hers." [Kotarou]: "Can I call her now?" [Nishikujou]: "Go for it. She'll be happy." I take out my phone and call her. But after waiting through several rings, Lucia doesn't answer. [Nishikujou]: "They might be doing tests right now. Send a text instead." [Nishikujou]: "......I'm sure seeing a message from you would help her." [Kotarou]: "O-okay. I'll text her later." My tests all came up clean, so they released me...though it was the break of dawn. They said Shizuru would need some more treatment. ......that's probably tough on Shizuru too. Shizuru knows far too well......that just lying down in bed doing nothing hurts Lucia...... It's not Shizuru's fault. It's not Lucia's fault either. Who should be blamed? ......whoever it is, I'm not allowed to show that anger in front of Lucia. What would help her most right now......? Being with her should be the best thing I could possibly do. Since I can't do that, I'll have to settle for texting her. I won't let her think she's alone out there. I write that she doesn't have to worry about Shizuru. And of course, I'm just fine. I want her to call me next time she can use her phone. And I'll text her every day, so I want her to read them. And finally......that today's date was a lot of fun...and I'd like to go to that mall again on another date. I leave my phone next to my pillow. I want to be able to answer right away if Lucia texts back. Suddenly, it rings. I pounce on it and look at the display. It says "Class Rep"...... She probably called right after reading my text. [Kotarou]: "H-hello!? It's me!" [Lucia]: ".........sorry for calling so late. Thank you for the text." [Kotarou]: "Don't worry about the time! Thank you for calling. I was worried since I didn't get to see you at the hospital." [Lucia]: "Sorry for worrying you...how's Shizuru......?" [Kotarou]: "Like I said in my text, they say she'll be better in no time. So don't worry." [Lucia]: "............it's my fault..." [Kotarou]: "No it's not!" I got too emotional...I have to calm myself down... [Lucia]: "......what......was I...born to do...?" [Kotarou]: "Life is all about figuring that out. Everyone has to find their own meaning." [Lucia]: "There's no reason......for me to live......" [Lucia]: "......just by living......I hurt people with my poison......" [Lucia]: "......even my friend......Shizuru.........and I'm sure.........you'll get hurt too, Kotarou........." [Kotarou]: "I'm just fine!" [Kotarou]: "They ran a bunch of tests on me, but they couldn't find a single thing wrong with me. Even Nishikujou-sensei was shocked. So I'm just fine!" [Kotarou]: "Like Sensei said, there might be something wrong with the medicine you've been taking. So just let them run their tests, and you'll be able to come back here in no time!" [Lucia]: "When I get back......I want another date at Kazamo..." [Kotarou]: "Yes, we'll do that. Definitely." [Lucia]: "It doesn't have to be a date, but.........I want to eat a parfait with you too." [Kotarou]: "Yeah, we'll do that too. Don't worry about it." [Lucia]: "......we can just hold hands...and walk around, that's enough......" [Lucia]: "...ah......no...I shouldn't......hold your hand.........you might......die......" [Kotarou]: "That's not true!! We will hold hands! Got it!?" So please...! ......don't cry......with such a sad voice...... [Lucia]: "Everyone dies......when they get close to me.........so..."

<METADATA> Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Lucia]: "...I'm glad...I fought with Chihaya-san..." [Lucia]: "......if we became friends......Chihaya-san......would've died too......" [Kotarou]: "I am not going to die!! Neither will Chihaya, or Shizuru, or anyone else!! So stop crying! Do not cryyyyyyyyyyyyy!!" [Lucia]: "......sorry, my phone battery's about to die." [Kotarou]: "You don't have a charger? Is it in your apartment?" [Kotarou]: "I'll get it for you. I'll have Nishikujou-sensei send it to you." [Lucia]: "Okay...thank you...Kotarou......" [Lucia]: "......Kotarou? Kotarou...!?" "Please recharge the battery" That's what my cell phone says...... I hang my head dejectedly, and start sobbing again... Compared to Kotarou's dark room, this room is so white it hurts my eyes. The walls, ceiling and floor are all pure white. They feel cold. It's a little too big. In the middle is a bed and some huge machines. There is a door, but it's very imposing. It almost looks watertight. I'm being carefully isolated in this special room...... There is a large window in one wall, but behind it is just a dark conference room. Within the dark room, the gauges on the machines blink at me. A handful of researchers in lab coats look at monitors and argue, but I can't see what's on the monitors. Still, given the harsh expressions on their faces, I can tell it's not good...... The city's residential areas were silent at the break of dawn. But even at that hour, some houses and apartments have their lights on, and silhouettes can be seen through their curtains. A crying baby starts echoing through the night...... A single patrol car drives up to an apartment building. Its siren is off. The revolving red lights make the area look unnerving. Four cops get out and walk up to the third floor... Someone living on the third floor opens his door. [Resident]: "Hello...I'm the one who called..." An old man in his night robe greets the cops with a low voice. [Cop A]: "You said it came from the next room?" [Resident]: "Y-yes, it did..." [Resident]: "I think it was fifteen minutes ago...I heard loud noises and a scream...! It's been quiet since then, but..." [Cop A]: "Have you spoken to the person who lives here?" [Resident]: "O-of course not...! I'm too scared to go in there...!" The cops cautiously approach the room and ring the doorbell... [Cop B]: "Good evening! This is the police. Is anyone home!?" [Cop A]: "......it's......unlocked." [Cop B]: "Hello...? Is anyone in there...?" One of the cops slowly opens the door. They can hear the wind blowing through the apartment, and the curtains fluttering. It's late autumn, so the nights are getting quite cold......it's hard to imagine anyone leaving the window open as they slept. The cops quickly realize something must have happened here. [Cop A]: "Yamada-saaan, are you in there......?" [Cop B]: "The living room..." The living room lights are on. They slowly walk in......and immediately see the white curtains fluttering in the wind. [Cop A]: "......this is bad." The room is a mess. Even people fighting wouldn't cause that much damage. It almost looks like a tornado ripped through there. The cops are used to seeing messy crime scenes. ......but this looks more like the aftermath of an earthquake than a crime scene. Still, that's clearly what it is. Because there are red drops splattered across the white wallpaper...... [Cop A]: "Y-Yamada-san? Are you all right!?" [Cop B]: "There's another one here. Are you all right...!?" They find a man lying in a pool of blood in the kitchen. And they can see the bloody legs of someone lying on the bedroom floor. Yamada is supposed to be living here alone. ......so the other body must either be the culprit, or a second unfortunate victim. [Cop C]: "......HQ, please respond. We need an ambulance immediately. We have two..." [Cop A & B]: "Wa, uwawawawawawa!!!" [Cop B]: "Hieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!?" The cops in the kitchen and bedroom scream at the same time. The man lying on the kitchen floor......was torn apart from the waist down. And the man in the bedroom is just a pair of legs......the rest of his body was all torn apart... [Cop C]: "HQ, we've found two dead adult men...!!" [Cop D]: "...w-......wait...it's......not just that...!" Given all the blood in the living room......they were probably dragged from there...into the other rooms... [Cop A]: "Uu...uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" [Radio A]: "One male body has been found in Tatsusato's 2nd district. The body has several wounds which appear to be bite marks." [Radio B]: "HQ, this is urgent. We found part of a right arm in the Hinoki children's park bathroom. There are several blood traces nearby. We've also found several animal footprints." [Radio C]: "All patrol cars, all patrol cars, come in. We have multiple eyewitness reports of large animals in the neighborhood. They are dangerous, and very likely to attack people. Be very careful." [Nishikujou]: "......I see, thank you......may the victims rest in peace......yes, goodbye." Nishikujou sighs as she hangs up the phone. Shizuru's lying on the bed next to her, staring blankly at the ceiling. [Nishikujou]: "All of our agents hiding in the city were attacked at the same time. We've taken tremendous casualties." [Nishikujou]: "Over 30% of our manpower is unaccounted for." [Shizuru]: "......they found all our safe houses?" [Nishikujou]: "Too many of them. They've been planning this for a long time." [Nishikujou]: "If you and Lucia-chan had been at home as usual, you might've been attacked too." [Nishikujou]: "I guess that's the silver lining in all this." [Shizuru]: "......is Kotarou......all right...?" [Nishikujou]: "I've heard no reports of civilian casualties." [Nishikujou]: "Gaia's being very precise, only attacking our agents. So he should be fine." [Nishikujou]: "......unless he does something to attract their attention." My phone call with Lucia ended before either of us wanted it to. Most likely, her battery died. Lucia needs comforting right now, even if all I can do is call her. And she needs it as soon as possible. First thing tomorrow I should give Nishikujou-sensei Lucia's charger......so I'm heading to Lucia's house to get it. [Kotarou]: "......come to think of it, I don't have a key to her place." There's no way Lucia would forget to lock the door. The manager's probably asleep by now too.

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female </METADATA> Not that he'd give me a key anyway. He has no idea who I am. [Kotarou]: "Might as well make sure it really is locked." [Kotarou]: "......if it is, I'll just head home.........I need to calm down a bit..." I head up the stairs, to the second floor......to Lucia's room. ......without thinking, I reach for the doorbell, but stop myself in time. [Kotarou]: "......please, God, let it be open......" I pray as I reach for the doorknob. Ah......it's turning. It's not locked. [Kotarou]: "Lucia...so careless. Did she leave this place unlocked the whole time we were on that date...?" This is exactly what I hoped would happen, but I react by criticizing her. Still, she must have been really looking forward to that date to forget something like this. I feel wind blowing out when I open the door. I can hear the curtain fluttering inside. ......did she leave a window open too? How careless was she? I turn on the lights. I take my shoes off and head inside. The living room is dark, only illuminated by moonlight. A breeze blows in through the curtains. Where's the light switch... I run my hands along the wall, and suddenly my phone rings. [Kotarou]: "......who would call me at this hour?" I thought it was an unsolicited call or a wrong number or something, but there's a chance it's Lucia or Nishikujou-sensei. If so, it's an urgent message. I should check right away. [Kotarou]: "H-hello!?" [Nishikujou]: "Tennouji-kun? ......this is Nishikujou. You answered pretty fast. Were you awake?" [Kotarou]: "Eh? Yes, I needed to do something." [Nishikujou]: "Do what? Where are you?" [Kotarou]: "Eh? Why......?" I hesitate, since I don't want her to know I walked into Lucia's place without permission. But she'd probably notice that. [Nishikujou]: "Where are you? You're not at home, are you?" [Nishikujou]: "Don't tell me you're heading toward Lucia-chan's place?" [Kotarou]: "Ah......y-yes, I am. I wanted to get her cell phone charger since..." I'm already here, but for some reason I let her think I'm only on my way there. [Nishikujou]: "Then I'm glad I called. Turn back now." [Kotarou]: "Eh!? Wh-what's wrong!?" [Nishikujou]: "I'll get the charger later, just head home now!" [Nishikujou]: "All our agents in the city have been attacked by Gaia tonight. It's very likely they sent someone to attack Lucia-chan too." [Nishikujou]: "If you get too close, they might assume you're part of Guardian." [Nishikujou]: "It's too dangerous. Turn back immediately! ......hello? Can you hear me, Tennouji-kun!?" I heard the sound of someone stepping on broken glass...very close by. By now I can see what happened to the window. The window wasn't left open. ......the glass has an enormous hole in it, and shards are scattered throughout the room. Which means something broke through the window......to get in here... Actually, someone might have escaped that way. ......but who? ......whatever it is, I get the feeling it isn't human. [Kotarou]: "......u.........oo........." I hear a low growl. An animal growling. But it's far lower and more terrifying than any animal I've heard before. There's no doubt. Whatever this is, it came here to attack Lucia. And since she wasn't here, it's been waiting for her to get back... [Kotarou]: "D-......did I wake you......? Sorry, sorry...I'll...go home now..." [Kotarou]: "...y-...you don't need to walk me out......" I slowly......walk backward...toward the door... But the growl doesn't stop. I can hear the beast stepping on the glass as it approaches me...... And......it finally......walks into the light of the hallway... [Kotarou]: "Wow......what a cute doggie......" [Kotarou]: "Hey, Nishikujou-sensei......does Lucia......have a pet dog...?" [Nishikujou]: "What do you mean...?" At first glance, it looks like a dog. ......but it's bigger than any dog...it looks more like a bear...... Those teeth are huge too...it could probably tear out my whole throat in one bite... [Nishikujou]: "Tennouji-kun!! Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun!!" Nishikujou-sensei's scream is the trigger. I turn around and try to run away as fast as I can......but I step on something that makes me trip over. The monster dog leaps like a bullet toward where my throat was a second ago. All of that happened at the same moment. I end up on the ground and the dog leaps over me, crashing into the door. That means I can't get out the front door. I turn back around immediately. I'll just have to jump out the window instead! I step on the glass, making pain run through my legs, but that doesn't matter. That's nothing compared to what that dog's fangs will do to me. I can feel it starting to charge toward me again. I don't need to turn around and check. It'd be too late if I did. [Kotarou]: "Uuooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!" I dive under a table without looking back. My instincts were right. The dog's enormous body flies through the air where I just was. I feel the floor shake. That thing weighs a ton. If it gets me......I won't be able to get away, it'll just crush me. I roll away from it and grab a chair. A weapon? No. This table won't protect me from that dog for a moment. It breaks right through it and aims for my throat, but just in time I point the chair toward it and get it wedged into its mouth. [Kotarou]: "Uguooooooooooooooo...how heavy......are you...!!?" [Kotarou]: "Dammit, go away...! You......uu......!!" I do my best to hold him off, but since I'm on the ground facing up, I can't get him off of me. I'm just barely managing it for now, but......I-I can't...keep this up...! The monstrous dog growls with incredible anger as it chews through the chair. Each time it bites, splinters fly into my face, along with some of its drool. It's finally starting to hit me just how dangerous this thing is. I can feel I'm about to die here... I wonder if it'll kill me quick enough that I won't feel any pain......that'd be nice. ......am I going to die? ......hell no...... ...I swore to never leave Lucia alone... How the hell can I die......to a stupid dog...!! [Kotarou]: "......I won't die......not here........." The chair's finally running out. The broken parts of the chair are being shoved into my face. I endure them as long as I possibly can. I can't die here...!! If I die, who will support Lucia?

<METADATA> Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> For Lucia's sake, I can't die here!! [Kotarou]: "Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuoooooooooooooooooo!!" Suddenly I feel on equal footing with that thing. My body must be getting desperate and doing everything it can to stay alive. I glare back at the monster biting through the chair. It wants to bite my throat so badly. If Lucia had come home normally tonight...it would've gotten the jump on her. ......damn you...that's not a fair fight... Don't attack people when they're sleeping...uuuuooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...!! The dog was probably surprised for a moment. It doesn't make much sense for me to be pushing him back from this position. At that moment, the dog's body flies back, and it makes a very loud growl. ......in the hallway, I can see Nishikujou-sensei holding a large handgun. She just saved me... It must be a damn powerful gun to hurt something that big. It didn't kill it, but it did force it to back off. The dog rushes away, leaps through the broken window, and disappears into the night...... It all happened in the blink of an eye. The curtain moved when its body flew past me. That's the only sign that what just happened was real... [Nishikujou]: "That's what you get for entering a girl's house without permission." [Kotarou]: "......you've got some amazing timing. Thanks." [Nishikujou]: "It took a while to get your cell phone number." [Nishikujou]: "I decided to come here right away instead of looking up your address." I see, she made that phone call while she was driving over here... If Nishikujou-sensei hadn't made that quick judgment, I'd be dead by now...... [Nishikujou]: "This is Lucia-chan's cell phone charger. I'll be sure to give it to her." [Kotarou]: "Thank you......" Sensei finds it on one of the shelves without much effort. I continue standing blankly, still trying to recover from the shock... She drove off that dog, but didn't kill it. If that thing comes back, I probably will die. Especially if it brings its friends with it...... [Kotarou]: "What was that monster......?" [Nishikujou]: "One of the familiars Gaia uses. That one was probably special fourth-class." [Nishikujou]: "Still, you did a good job fighting it off, Tennouji-kun." [Kotarou]: "It made me look like a total wimp though." [Nishikujou]: "No, you did very well. You're an ordinary civilian with no training whatsoever but you survived a full five seconds against it." [Kotarou]: "......do Lucia and the others normally fight monsters like that?" [Nishikujou]: "Sometimes." She says like it's nothing......making me feel chills down my spine. ...this is the sort of thing......Lucia and Shizuru fight against. Nishikujou-sensei drives me back home. The night sky is starting to get brighter, slowly turning light purple... Normally, the dawn is supposed to feel like a positive thing. But this dawn......it feels like the beginning of something terrible. [Nishikujou]: "Shizuru-chan's place was attacked too......they really were lucky to be in the hospital when this happened." [Kotarou]: "Shizuru too!? What the hell is going on...!?" [Nishikujou]: "Gaia is attacking all of us at once." [Nishikujou]: "They're probably trying to get rid of us before making a move on the Key." [Nishikujou]: "This is a declaration of all-out war. We need to put together combat teams immediately." [Kotarou]: "......what's going to happen to Lucia?" Hopefully they've figured out how long it'll take to cure her or fix the medicine or whatever it is so they can let her go. But when they let her go, she'll have to fight Gaia again... [Nishikujou]: "Don't worry. I'm not cruel enough to send her onto the front lines in that state." [Nishikujou]: "I don't plan to throw her in the fighting surrounding the Key." [Kotarou]: "The fighting......" [Kotarou]: "......can the Key really destroy the world...? It just sounds so fake......" [Nishikujou]: "Yes, it's true. It can easily wipe out this city." [Nishikujou]: "......how many times in human history have entire cities been swallowed up?" [Nishikujou]: "Several of those cases were caused by past Keys." [Kotarou]: "R-really...?" [Nishikujou]: "The intellectuals are just controlling the information about it so the masses don't have to live in fear of it." [Nishikujou]: "There are legends about a "messenger" coming from inside the Earth, appearing in human form with a tremendous amount of energy..." [Nishikujou]: "Several civilizations throughout history have had some version of it......do you know the story of Sodom and Gomorrah?" [Kotarou]: "Wasn't that a biblical story where God destroys those cities?" [Nishikujou]: "The story goes that Sodom and Gomorrah incurred God's wrath, and a "messenger" from God destroyed them." [Nishikujou]: "So humanity has known about the Key's power for a few thousand years." [Nishikujou]: "The most recent case would be.........right, have you heard of the 1904 Tunguska event?" [Kotarou]: "Didn't a meteor or something hit Siberia and knock down a bunch of trees?" [Nishikujou]: "That explosion was also caused by the Key. Though technically it was a release of energy rather than an explosion." [Nishikujou]: "The power of the blast was equivalent to fifteen megatons of TNT." [Nishikujou]: "A thousand times the force of the atom bomb used on Hiroshima......the Key is a walking nuke." [Kotarou]: "......a walking nuke..." [Nishikujou]: "Gaia religiously believes they can have a dialogue with that doomsday weapon." [Nishikujou]: "They think it will guide Earth and humanity in the right direction......I can't believe them." [Kotarou]: "Is it possible to talk to something like that...?" [Nishikujou]: "Chapter 19 of Genesis says that Lot spoke with the messenger. That's probably what they're basing that belief on." [Nishikujou]: "The Bible isn't fictitious at all, by the way." [Nishikujou]: "......Noah was ordered to build his ark after coming into contact with the Key." [Nishikujou]: "That time the Key was more than just a nuke." [Kotarou]: "......Noah's ark......didn't the whole world flood after that?" [Nishikujou]: "Yes. The flood lasted forty days and forty nights, and destroyed all living things on the surface of the Earth." [Nishikujou]: "With the exception of Noah, the Key wiped out all of humanity and its civilizations." [Nishikujou]: "That's the oldest encounter with a Key we have records of." [Kotarou]: ".........seriously......?" [Nishikujou]: "Also, according to recent research, some of the ice ages are impossible to explain convincingly."

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female </METADATA> [Nishikujou]: "In particular, the Marinoan Ice Age from 700 million years ago, and the Andean-Saharan Ice Age are questionable." [Nishikujou]: "The atmosphere's chemical makeup, the Earth's orbit, and various other points imply those two ice ages are just unnatural." [Kotarou]: "The Key caused ice ages too...? Come on..." [Nishikujou]: "Huhu, I know, even I think it's a bit ridiculous." [Nishikujou]: "But the Marinoan Ice Age led to the Cambrian explosion, which brought countless new life forms into the world." [Nishikujou]: "And the Andean-Saharan Ice Age brought an end to the dinosaur age, allowing humanity to be born." [Nishikujou]: "Destroying the old world to create a new one......" [Nishikujou]: "......yes, the legends in the Bible only cover a few thousand years of human history." [Nishikujou]: "But those same events have been happening for hundreds of millions of years." [Nishikujou]: "Even humanity was born as part of one of those cycles...we're just one stage of life." [Nishikujou]: "Do you understand what the Key is now?" When Lucia told me about it, I kind of accepted what she said, but none of it felt real. But what Nishikujou-sensei's telling me......it's just so ridiculous......that her calm, cold tone drills into me just how real it all is. [Kotarou]: "So that Key...is in Kazamatsuri City......and Gaia's trying to get their hands on it...?" [Nishikujou]: "......it's almost time for the harvest festival." [Kotarou]: "Eh? Well, yes......what does that have to do with it?" [Nishikujou]: "The crowds are always huge......there's almost a million people coming." [Nishikujou]: "If Gaia makes their move during that...traffic will be jammed throughout the whole city, and the police will be too busy to help." [Nishikujou]: "We wouldn't be able to send backup anywhere in time to help." [Nishikujou]: "......if I was working for Gaia, I would suggest taking action that day......tonight's attack was just preparation." [Nishikujou]: "And they even know we couldn't have stopped them from doing this." [Nishikujou]: ".........we've already lost this fight." [Kotarou]: "I-......is there anything I can do?" [Nishikujou]: "Run. Get away from Kazamatsuri before the festival." [Kotarou]: "What about Lucia?" [Nishikujou]: "Unfortunately, we don't know where to send her. Not many facilities are capable of isolating her properly." If the Key really is capable of causing worldwide catastrophes like that, what's the point of running away? And if Lucia can't run away from it, I don't even need to think about it. [Kotarou]: "Is there anything I can do besides run?" [Kotarou]: "......I know I couldn't do much against that dog, but...if you want me to fight, I'll do my best." [Nishikujou]: "If Lucia-chan heard you were fighting, she'd insist on joining you." [Nishikujou]: "And there is something only you can do, Tennouji-kun." [Kotarou]: "What is it?" Nishikujou-sensei chuckles. [Nishikujou]: "Lucia-chan isn't being treated right now. You're her caretaker." [Nishikujou]: "Give her a phone call. That'll help her more than any medicine, right?" [Kotarou]: "Ah...yes!" [Nishikujou]: "Hearing your voice is best, but text her too." [Nishikujou]: "Girls keep those texts locked deep in their heart, as precious treasures." [Nishikujou]: "When someone's really in pain......nothing helps more than that." [Kotarou]: "......yes!" I pull out my phone in the passenger seat and send Lucia a text immediately. She'll get it as soon as she can charge her phone again. Right now, Lucia needs all the support she can get. ......she needs my support... Lucia's been carrying a huge burden on her shoulders for all this time. On top of that, she's been given that inhuman body, and forced to be alone all her life... Lucia's not strong enough to bear all of that. [Kotarou]: "I'm not going to leave this town." [Nishikujou]: "How dependable......I hope the researchers can figure out how to fix Lucia-chan's medicine soon." [Kotarou]: "What do you mean?" [Nishikujou]: "......they've learned that the medicine to suppress her poison isn't nearly as effective as it used to be." [Kotarou]: "And that's not the manufacturer's error this time?" [Nishikujou]: "The medicine was made correctly. But it's not working on Lucia-chan's body as well as it used to." [Nishikujou]: "......there may be an inherent limit to how much it can do. Either that, or Lucia-chan's body changed. They'll have to do more tests to find out which." [Kotarou]: "So they have to make a new medicine......before Lucia can go back into society?" [Nishikujou]: "Exactly......but don't worry, Lucia-chan herself is perfectly healthy." The poison in Lucia's body can't be suppressed by the same medicine as before. Even Shizuru's been brought down by that poison......but Lucia's still healthy. [Kotarou]: "She's completely fine......even when everyone around her......" [Nishikujou]: "Yes......at the moment, we have no idea when she'll be able to leave her isolation room." Lucia's still locked in that white isolation room... She sits up in the reclining bed. Her left arm has an IV in it. In front of her is a tray. On it is a sheet of litmus paper with a dotted outline of a hand. [Researcher A]: "It's been an hour. Lucia, do you feel any different?" [Lucia]: "......no." [Researcher A]: "Okay, let's do the same test again. Please place your hand on the paper, inside the dotted line." [Lucia]: "......okay..." Her eyes are dark and murky. If hopeful eyes tend to shine...then her eyes show despair. When she touches her hand to the paper......a handprint forms quickly. From yellow, to red......then finally a sickly purple. [Researcher A]: "......how could this be...?" [Researcher B]: "The suppressant has completely lost its effects in only a few hours......it's not doing anything to her now." [Researcher C]: "She was made to adapt to the harsh environment of the future." [Researcher C]: "It wouldn't be surprising if she could adapt to suppressants..." [Researcher A]: "......this is terrifying. That room still looks white, but..." [Researcher A]: "By now it's no different from the land around Santa Brosia..." [Researcher A]: "A single breath of that air would probably be enough to turn our whole bodies purple..." [Researcher B]: "A-are we sure......these walls are secure...?" [Researcher B]: "Should we move her somewhere with more resources...?"

<METADATA> Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep </METADATA> [Researcher C]: "Don't be stupid. She's walking nuclear waste. Who would want to take her...!?" [Researcher B]: "Then let's fill the room with iron and concrete!" [Researcher B]: "Bury her in there for the next thousand years. I don't want to die here!" *pop*.........*crunch* *crunch* Suddenly, one of the lights bursts. [Researcher A]: "Ah......I left the mic on......" [Researcher B]: "......you......idiot......" ......Lucia......was standing on the other side of the glass. ......her expression was somewhere between anger, sadness and indifference...and her face was wet with cold tears. She hit the glass window as hard as she could. But it was ten centimeters thick, so they couldn't hear her do that. But their merciless words had come through the speakers. ......Lucia responds to them with her own words... [Lucia]: "......just......send me to the future." [Lucia]: "......put my bed......in cold storage." [Researcher A]: "...Lucia......I'm sorry, please calm down..." [Lucia]: "The cold storage unit was never completed, because the project was disbanded first." [Lucia]: "......I exist because you people said you needed someone who could live a thousand years from now." [Lucia]: "But you stopped building the machine to send me to the future! That's the only reason I'm still here...!" [Lucia]: "Why did you stop? Why didn't you finish it and put me in it!?" [Lucia]: "We all know I'm worthless until the world ends!! I know that better than anyone!" [Lucia]: "I'm worse than worthless! The present world won't even allow me to exist!!" The Next Generation Humanity Project was researching a cold storage unit to send Lucia to the future with. But after the project was canceled, so was that research. ......Lucia was never given the chance to go to the only world she can live in. Lucia wanted to go there. If she could spend the next thousand years inside an iron coffin, in cryogenic stasis, she wouldn't hurt anyone. And, she also didn't want to go. She didn't want to go to a desert world where she would be all alone forever. So what she really wanted was to never, ever wake up......and just sleep quietly for all eternity, without hurting anyone...... [Lucia]: "I can't touch anyone, I can't live with anyone...I have to live the next thousand years away from all forms of life..." [Lucia]: "I've accepted that!! Because you told me I was a vital part of humanity's future!!" [Lucia]: "This pane of glass might be the only thing separating me from you." [Lucia]: "But we're in completely different places......this room is a thousand years in the future...!!" [Lucia]: "Come right in, without any hazard suits!! Step into this room and feel the future you humans have brought upon yourself!!" [Lucia]: "You're afraid of me? You think I'm filthy!? Then send me to the future this instant!!" [Lucia]: "I never wanted to stay in this world! I didn't choose to be born here...!! I was born and I'm still here all because you people wanted me to be!!" [Lucia]: "And I want to sleep for a thousand years, just like you wanted me to!! Why did you have to throw me out into this beautiful world instead!?" [Lucia]: "Send me back home! Send me back to that world of poison and rust where everything except me is dead!!" [Lucia]: "If you can't do that, then fill this room with molten iron!! ......let me just be alone forever!!" She's had several chances to think about what happened to her. The fact was, she was taken away at a young age for cruel experiments that ruined the rest of her life. She's fine with that. Hating it wouldn't bring her old body back. In which case, she'd prefer they kept deceiving her. She'd accept being called industrial waste, as long as they let her undertake the mission to carry human civilization into the future. [Lucia]: "If you won't do any of those things, then how am I supposed to know why I'm alive!?" [Lucia]: "What was I born for? Why did you let me live!? If you wanted to deceive me then don't stop doing it now!! If you're going to let me live, don't change your minds later!!" [Lucia]: "I want to help somehow. I want something in this world to change for the better because I lived!! If I can't do that.........then what am I!?" [Lucia]: "I'm nothing but a disease!! My existence isn't helping anyone!!" [Lucia]: "Just like you say, my very existence threatens everyone!! I can't take that anymore!!" [Lucia]: "If dying is the best thing I can do for everyone, I'm all right with that. If it is, then do it already! Just order me to die!!" [Lucia]: "Just give me a mission honorable enough to die for......a way to prove my life meant somethiiiiing!!" As she screams, all the lights in the room shatter. The researchers run around like headless chickens. When she sees that, Lucia cries silently. Even one of her tears is enough to kill someone now... And yet, that poisonous tear is clearer than any other in this world...... In the corner of the isolation room is her phone, plugged into the charger Nishikujou brought for her. ......she said Kotarou went to get it just after their last phone call. Her phone is already fully charged. But......Lucia doesn't have the courage......to put the batteries back in. She's sure Kotarou sent a text of some kind. She'd receive it immediately. And it would probably consist of him sympathizing, and trying to console her. If she read that......she'd lose the resolve to leave this world. [Lucia]: ".........sorry......Kotarou......" [Lucia]: "......you swore never to leave me alone.........but right now......that only......makes everything worse......" I've finally accepted my situation. I've accepted the fact that I have no right to live in this world. I'm prepared to die, or to sleep. Me being here......is what's causing all this suffering. ......I serve no purpose. But Kotarou would tell me to stay in this world. Those conflicting emotions......are tearing me apart......... I speak silently, toward the dark room. My face is red with tears......but I'm smiling. [Lucia]: "......you can poison me, or shoot me." [Lucia]: "Even if you can't send me to the future, you can throw me out of this world." [Lucia]: "......just give me the order...to leave this world..." [Lucia]: ".........I can make that mission...the purpose of my life......" [Female Researcher]: "......only that?" [Female Researcher]: "You were born for a noble mission that no other human can possibly complete..." [Female Researcher]: "......have you forgotten?" ......I've heard this voice before......I search my memories... Then, the red emergency lights in the other room turn on. I can see a woman in a lab coat wearing sunglasses...surrounded by men in black suits...... The woman takes off her sunglasses......the moment I see her face, I stand straight up. [Lucia]: "......M-McFarden......" [Brenda]: "Call me Brenda, like you used to." [Brenda]: ".........I still feel bad about what happened to Francesca. There were multiple signs, but I forced her to go through with it." [Lucia]: "......Fran's death helped later research."

<METADATA> Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu </METADATA> [Lucia]: "Fran may have died......but thanks to her, I survived, and completed the tests." [Lucia]: ".........I must......fulfill my mission......not just for me......but for Fran..." [Lucia]: "And Julius, and Gabriel, and everyone else.........heaven has given me that duty..." [Brenda]: "Yes, that's right......none of their deaths were wasted." [Brenda]: "All the lessons we learned from them have gone into perfecting your organic foundation." [Brenda]: "You're our only hope for the future. You have a mission no one else can complete." [Brenda]: ".........we've never doubted that......Lucia." [Brenda]: "Your name is Latin for "light"." [Brenda]: "Because you are the sole ray of light illuminating humanity's future." [Lucia]: "......Brenda......" [Brenda]: "The project was canceled by idiots too scared to see the future." [Brenda]: "So for years you've been left alone......and I know about the terrifying accidents that took place in that time." [Brenda]: "Those accidents have hurt you......you poor thing." [Brenda]: "If we were together that never would have happened.........I'm sorry, my daughter." [Lucia]: "......uu.........auuu........." [Brenda]: "Eight years ago, your purpose in life was stolen from you. We've come here to give it back." [Brenda]: "Lucia, come with me. I'll give you a mission no one else could possibly complete." [Lucia]: "R-......really......?" [Lucia]: "......is there......a reason......for me to live in this world......?" [Brenda]: "There is." [Lucia]: ".........uu.........uuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..." [Brenda]: "We need you right now. And we won't let anyone deny that." [Brenda]: ".........welcome back, Lucia. I'm here for you now." [Brenda]: "Most of your comrades from the project......no, your family will be there." [Brenda]: "Do you remember Austin? You two used to play together. What about Elliot? He read lots of Japanese folk tales to you." [Brenda]: "......everyone's waiting for you. It's time to come home." [Kotarou]: "Lucia's gone!? Why!? Where'd she go!?" [Shizuru]: "......Touka's looking for her. All we can do is wait." They don't even know where Lucia was being taken......and now she's disappeared? [Kotarou]: "Don't tell me Gaia kidnapped her!?" [Shizuru]: "......that's a possibility." [Shizuru]: "Kotarou, one of their familiars saw your face when you went to Lucia's apartment." [Shizuru]: "The summoners can see everything their familiars see, so they know about you now." [Kotarou]: "And they think I'm part of Guardian...not that I mind, they can all come at me!" [Kotarou]: "And when they do I'll grab one of them and force him to tell me where they took her!" [Shizuru]: "You barely survived a doggie, Kotarou. You can't do it." [Kotarou]: "Dammit, damn iiiit!!" [Shizuru]: "We can trust Touka. Right now, we have to wait......" [Shizuru]: "......haa......haa." [Kotarou]: "Shizuru...are you okay...?" Shizuru's still not feeling well. She's a lot weaker than usual. Just talking tires her out right now. She told me to wait, but I can't calm myself down. Still, if I tried charging in myself, I'd just get attacked by more of Gaia's monsters. If Nishikujou-sensei hadn't saved me before, I would be dead now. Five more seconds and it would've killed me. ......waiting is the only thing I can do for Lucia right now. I'm sure Lucia's in more pain than me right now...... [Nishikujou]: "Excuse me, what did you just say? ......no, not that. What was that woman's name?" [Phone]: "I'm not sure, but......I think it was Brenda?" [Nishikujou]: "Brenda McFarden!" [Nishikujou]: "......the second-in-command of the Next Generation Humanity Project." [Nishikujou]: "I heard she was assassinated in Budapest along with the leader, Bartholomew. So she did survive that. When did she make it into Japan...!?" By herself, she's powerless. But with all the personnel of the project under her command, she can be dangerous. [Nishikujou]: "Why are they trying to revive that project? They shouldn't have any facilities or funds to do it with." [Nishikujou]: "......who's supporting Brenda? Did Gaia buy into her project? Or is this just revenge for the project being canceled...?" [Nishikujou]: "Do you remember her saying anything else?" [Phone]: "Y-yes......hmm..." [Phone]: "......she told her..."I'll give you a mission no one else could possibly complete"......." [Nishikujou]: "......a mission...? ......no one but Lucia........." The goal of the Next Generation Humanity Project was to send someone into the future via cryogenic stasis. [Nishikujou]: "No......why would Lucia-chan..." [Nishikujou]: "Why make her sleep for a thousand years now...!? They're all mad scientists!!" ......who would give her the resources to do something so crazy? No, the whole project was crazy from the beginning. But someone sponsored it, and that's why Lucia was created...... How could anyone be sure she'd wake up a thousand years later, even if they do put her to sleep? They'd just be throwing her in a freezer and leaving her to die! And telling her it's for some noble cause...! [Nishikujou]: "Lucia-chan...! You're not meant to live in that world!" [Nishikujou]: "People live in the present, not the future!" [Nishikujou]: "You have the strength to live on here!! Haven't you finally met someone who can give you that!?" A huge group of people are heading down a spiral staircase into an underground facility. Brenda's at the front. I'm wearing a protective suit right now, so I stand out from the others. Normally these suits are meant to protect people from the outside, but right now it's serving the opposite purpose. [Lucia]: "Where are we......?" [Brenda]: "A nuclear shelter that Guardian Japan secretly built in the seventies." [Brenda]: "They were preparing for the possibility that the Cold War would turn hot, and the world would be annihilated by nuclear war." [Brenda]: "Every branch of Guardian built a secret shelter somewhere so that human civilization could survive it." [Brenda]: "They are the Arks of the modern age......and this is one of them." A vast, cold space with its metal bones visible. The ceiling is high and dome-shaped. An underground ark, built solely for the purpose of preserving something for the future. An ark that lost its purpose and was forgotten after the threat of nuclear war passed. Countless memories and records about the seventies were packed into containers and piled up here as something for future civilizations...

<METADATA> Name: Ohtori Chihaya | Gender: Female | Aliases: Chi Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Brenda]: "......do you remember this...?" [Lucia]: "...th-......this is......" Brenda opens one of the containers......showing me what's inside. A black, mechanical coffin opens up...... [Lucia]: "......the...cold storage unit......" [Lucia]: "Y-you completed it...? I thought it was never finished......" [Brenda]: "Yes, the one we were making was confiscated and destroyed." [Brenda]: "......but the Japanese are terrifying. They'd already completed one back in the seventies." [Brenda]: "It's pretty old so we had to adjust and alter it, but the basic design is fine so that didn't take long." [Brenda]: "This time, we can send you to the promised land." [Brenda]: "......to the world where you belong." [Lucia]: "............this device...can send me to a world where I'm allowed to live......" The cryogenic stasis unit does more than just send someone to the future. It's also a miniature isolation room which will keep my poison contained. Which means......that black coffin is the only place on Earth where I can rest peacefully, without hurting anyone...... [Brenda]: "Feel like lying down...?" I'm still wearing a heavy suit, so I can't lie down right now. But, if I do lie down here, then...when I wake up...... I'll have a reason to be there......I'll be in a world where I and I alone can do something meaningful. And then......I won't be hurting anyone in this world. I won't leave marks on anyone, or make things wilt......or kill people...... Sunflowers and goldfish won't die anymore. I won't leave purple marks on anyone's cheek......I won't make anyone vomit pus and writhe around on the floor... Tears come out of my eyes, and I start sobbing. Not just from sadness. ......but also a sense of achievement...at finally coming back to the place I belong... I never wanted sympathy. I wanted meaning. Just by being alive I put other people's lives in danger...so that's the only thing I could ever ask for. If someone could just give me a purpose......I would do anything they said. To me, that someone is none other than a messenger from heaven...... [Brenda]: "We're going to finish fine-tuning your bed." [Brenda]: "Then you will get to embark on a mission only you can undertake." [Lucia]: "......Brenda, what is my mission?" [Lucia]: "Just give me the order! Tell me, Konohana Lucia, what I was born to do!" [Lucia]: "Even if what waits for me is the lonely world of the future, or a young death!" [Lucia]: "......just, please......give me a mission that will give my life meaning...!" I stand tall, saluting her. ......I've never even been able to close my wounds. Someone telling me I'm needed is more important than anything else... Kotarou swore to never leave me alone. He's done everything he can for me. But he never wanted anything from me. And......somehow, that makes me sad. I need Kotarou, but... Kotarou doesn't need me at all. I've been aware of that for a while...... ......Tennouji Kotarou doesn't need Konohana Lucia. ......but Brenda and the others need me. They want me for a mission no one else can complete. ......her words heal me more than Kotarou's right now. Can you......understand how this feels......? Would you choose someone who only sympathizes......? I don't want that. Even if she is a monster... I want...I need someone who says they need me. That's all I want...... After that, I spent every day visiting Shizuru. She is recovering, little by little. That's the only good news we have, since Lucia's still missing. It's been a while since summer ended. The heat's long gone, and the air feels refreshing. I still see Nishikujou-sensei at school, but she pretends not to know anything if I ask about Lucia. At school, she's just a teacher. Asking her anything is probably against the rules. At first, our classmates worried about Lucia's prolonged absence. Lucia started being absent a while ago. Around the time when dangerous animals were sighted all across the city, after claiming several lives. So everyone wondered if she was killed by one too. But if she was dead, they wouldn't keep counting her as absent. So she's probably still alive. By now they probably think she's sick. Either way, as long as she's alive it's not a big deal...... For that reason, everyone slowly stopped worrying about Lucia. She didn't have too many friends to begin with. ......everyone got used to Lucia's seat being empty, and eventually stopped talking about her. Kotori was also worried about Lucia at first......though she must have made herself sad by worrying too much. Lately she's been constantly tired, and sighing a lot. ......it doesn't feel like I should try to talk to her right now. Out of everyone...Chihaya's the most worried about Lucia. [Chihaya]: "Weren't you the one who liked meddling in other people's business...?" [Kotarou]: "Is that really my reputation...?" [Kotarou]: "Though it is annoying that people are breaking rules left and right now that class rep is gone..." [Chihaya]: "......it feels like you might know why she's absent." [Kotarou]: "What makes you say that?" [Chihaya]: "Normally you'd be asking me to come with you to visit her or something." [Chihaya]: "......since you aren't, you must know something." [Chihaya]: "And it must be something none of us can do anything about, which is why you're just sitting there looking depressed." [Kotarou]: "......you're right, I guess." [Kotarou]: "If I could do something about it, I would've by now." [Kotarou]: "I can't do anything......so I just have to sit here." [Chihaya]: "I've been to Konohana-san's apartment." [Chihaya]: "Her window was broken, and newspaper was taped over it." [Chihaya]: "The front door had a notice from the police...saying she was missing." [Kotarou]: "......if everyone knew, they'd just have fun making new rumors about it." [Chihaya]: "They wouldn't do anything like that." Chihaya saying that without hesitation makes me feel better. [Kotarou]: "Then I guess she's hurt and in the hospital." [Chihaya]: "Is she...in the hospital?" [Kotarou]: "......maybe." [Chihaya]: "Are they letting anyone see her...?" [Kotarou]: "......stop guessing these things." [Kotarou]: "I'm not telling you anything, so stop questioning me." [Chihaya]: "Is she all right? Do you know that at least?" [Kotarou]: ".........yeah." [Kotarou]: "She's gonna be in the hospital for a while, but she is coming home." [Chihaya]: "I see......then it's fine." [Kotarou]: "Even though she's in the hospital?" [Chihaya]: "Yeah. As long as she survives, being in the hospital is the best thing she could possibly do right now." [Kotarou]: "......that's some weird logic."

<METADATA> Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Ohtori Chihaya | Gender: Female | Aliases: Chi Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female </METADATA> [Chihaya]: "It doesn't have to make sense to you. Pretend it's a girl thing." [Chihaya]: "It's almost time for the harvest festival. What will you do for it, Kotarou?" [Kotarou]: "......I was investigating a special ghost story for it, but..." [Kotarou]: "It started getting really scary. I can't go any further with it." [Chihaya]: "What do you mean? That could be loads of fun!" [Kotarou]: "It's all shrouded in darkness now." [Kotarou]: "So I'll just go to school normally and do some boring homework." [Kotarou]: "Is there anything wrong with that? The whole town's gonna be too crowded to walk comfortably, so being at school might be better anyway." [Chihaya]: "Oooh, you're right, maybe I should do that too." I thought she would mock me for having no guts......that's kind of a letdown. [Kotarou]: "What'll you do, Chihaya?" [Chihaya]: "I have fieldwork to do with some friends." [Kotarou]: "Anyone from the Occult Club?" [Chihaya]: "No, some other friends." [Kotarou]: "......I see. Good for you. I had no idea you'd found another group of friends." [Chihaya]: "Well, I have a lot going on......though like Konohana-san, I'm not so good at making friends." [Kotarou]: "......you two really are a lot alike. You should've been better friends with her." [Chihaya]: "That's true......I hope we have the opportunity to try again." [Teacher]: "Come on, sit down already! All of you!" The class is completely out of control without Lucia. Unless the teacher yells at us, we don't even make an effort to get to our seats on time. I look at my phone. ......no missed calls or new texts. Lucia...I know you had your charger when you disappeared. Why haven't you turned your phone on......? I don't care which of us calls. But......you need to turn your phone on for either of us to do that. ......Lucia......... [News]: "Hello, this is the midday news." [News]: "Our first story: Tomorrow will finally be the beginning of the Kazamatsuri City Harvest Festival. Our reporter Onoda is on the scene." [Reporter]: "Hello, I'm in Kazamatsuri City! As you can see people are already celebrating, even though the festival hasn't started yet!" [Reporter]: "The focus of this year's festival will be ecology!" [Reporter]: "People are building stands and stages all around us in preparation!" The city is finishing its preparations for the festival, indifferent to my situation. Apparently they're changing their focus from environmental conservation to state-of-the-art ecology. But for most of the townsfolk, all that matters is that this is going to be the most fun they'll have all year. The whole town is getting ready for it... Dear Miss Nishikujou, I'll start with the point. You were right. The idiots at the top level still won't admit they're dancing in the palm of Gaia's hand. New information has come from our friends in the DIA. I've attached it to this email. You don't need to force yourself to read it. They've just spent dozens of pages admitting that everything you said was right. Like you said, Gaia's going to make their big move during Kazamatsuri's harvest festival. They'll probably use one of their monsters to start a panic on the very last day. The DIA believes over a hundred summoners are in Kazamatsuri already. When they summon over a hundred monsters...they will blot out the sun. The world will truly be over. This year's harvest festival is going to be Gaia's finale. We can't even imagine the scale of the panic. All public institutions will be helpless. Guardian Japan and the other parishes will be far too late to help. By the time the world admits you were right, the Key will be eating sushi with Gaia's higher-ups. I can't do anything to help you. I really wish I could. If I ever come to Japan, I'd love to see that sushi bar you like so much. ――James Otto Nishikujou finishes reading the e-mail and smirks to herself. He'd never get to come to Japan. The world's about to end. The harvest festival starts tomorrow. Guardian Japan has virtually no combat forces. They're still requesting help from other countries, but none have responded yet. Conflicts in other countries are always someone else's problem. Japan would pay the price for their idiocy. They're gathering up all the combat personnel they could scrape together. So many of her subordinates are lost to Gaia that she's relying on mercenaries now. She'd much prefer to spend the whole day drinking. ......and still be drunk by the time the world ended... [Nishikujou]: ".........too bad I can't do that..." Despite all that, she still has to be the world's sword and shield. That's the vow she took as part of Guardian. Nishikujou checks the files attached to the e-mail. ......out of the seven files, the last one stands out. It looks like an encrypted and compressed file forcibly converted to text, producing nothing but gibberish. The decompression algorithm is first-class......this isn't the sort of file that should be sent as an e-mail attachment. It asks for a password when she tries opening it. [Nishikujou]: "......if I ever come to Japan......I'd love to see that sushi bar..." Nishikujou remembers the name of the sushi bar she told him about in the past. She tried various ways of romanizing it. The name of the file was "run". That doesn't make sense to her. Normally "running a file" refers to executing a program. But this is just a text file, not an executable. There's also a brief, incomprehensible string of ASCII characters within the file. "WAL304" [Nishikujou]: "......is this supposed to be a riddle?" [Nishikujou]: "James...you put too much sugar in your tea again. You can be such a child." WAL......304...... ......World Airlines? Flight 304? She types that into a search engine. It's a late night flight from New York to Narita. Someone is supposed to be flying from New York to see Guardian...... Nishikujou is meant to be meeting a guest from the Vatican tomorrow. A cardinal. He's going to be a guest of honor at the harvest festival. The Vatican has been extremely concerned about the environment in recent years, so they've been sending guests to international ecology-related events on a regular basis. So that guest doesn't have any direct connection to Nishikujou's mission. The cardinal doesn't know anything about what Nishikujou does in Japan. He's only meant to show up for a few minutes to give a quick speech. But there is the possibility the Vatican is actually sending someone who knows all about Guardian... Nishikujou begins pounding on her keyboard with incredible speed. It's true. Cardinal Bertolini will arrive late that night in Narita on World Airlines Flight 304. The arrival time is just past noon. The plane's already over the Pacific. At that moment, something hits her......the worst possible scenario. She quickly calls Tokyo to double-check it.

<METADATA> Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female </METADATA> [Nishikujou]: "This is Nishikujou. Do you know anything about Cardinal Bertolini or his visit to Kazamatsuri City?" [Phone]: "His flight is on schedule." [Phone]: "He will appear during the harvest festival tomorrow for the World Ecology ceremony, then immediately return home." [Phone]: "The plan is for him to speak at 4 PM. Security has reported no problems." [Nishikujou]: "What about his plans today?" [Phone]: "There have been a few changes." [Phone]: "Due to a clerical error, his original flight was canceled." [Phone]: "We've already found a new flight for him, so he should land in Narita by midday tomorrow. Some of the meetings he'd planned for later today have been canceled..." [Nishikujou]: "He's not on 304!?" [Phone]: "Y-yes. I heard Guardian USA made a mistake in preparing his tickets..." At that moment, Nishikujou understood the message. The cardinal's flight was canceled due to a clerical error. [Nishikujou]: "......"run"......not a program......he meant "run away"......" [Phone]: "Huh?" [Nishikujou]: "Get me the cardinal's secretary or the Tanmachi bishop's assistant!! This is top priority, I don't care if they're at their parents' funerals!" [Phone]: "T-top priority, understood! I'll contact them...!" [Nishikujou]: "Cardinal Bertolini will probably cancel the next flight too. He'll claim health problems. I'm sure of it!" [Nishikujou]: "The Vatican's working on something! I don't know how, but they're going to destroy Gaia and the Key by wiping Kazamatsuri City off the map!!" [Phone]: "Ah! I have the bishop's secretary! Transferring your call!" [Bishop's Secretary]: "It's been a long time, Nishikujou. I'm reading your memo right now. What a load of bullshit. Where'd you get this information?" [Nishikujou]: "James Otto from the CIA." [Bishop's Secretary]: "Actually, a friend from the SIS just told me something "for my ears only"." [Bishop's Secretary]: "One of America's nuclear submarines has been ordered to be at full combat readiness for the next twenty-four hours." [Bishop's Secretary]: "That was twelve hours ago. We don't know why. I don't even know who leaked that information, but it happens to match your memo." [Nishikujou]: "I almost don't want to ask, but what warheads does it have?" [Bishop's Secretary]: "SLBM Septentrion C2's." [Bishop's Secretary]: "It's a popular type of cluster nuke. It keeps the environmental contamination to a minimum while attacking a wide area." [Bishop's Secretary]: "I hear the American Army wants to show it off at Kazamatsuri's festival." [Nishikujou]: "No...the Americans are going to nuke Kazamatsuri to destroy the Key!?" [Bishop's Secretary]: "If we don't do something about the Key ourselves, probably." [Bishop's Secretary]: "Gaia's announced on an unofficial internet site that they'll have a huge announcement to make in the next few days." [Bishop's Secretary]: "They don't make bluffs. They're only inches away from capturing the Key." [Nishikujou]: "Do you think the submarine will fire at the end of its twenty-four hours?" [Bishop's Secretary]: "It's probably meant to help them react immediately if something happens. Even the Americans don't want to nuke their allies if they can help it." [Nishikujou]: "So they're waiting for an excuse." [Bishop's Secretary]: "They're probably hoping Gaia will do something huge in Kazamatsuri." [Nishikujou]: "And we don't have the forces to stop them from doing it!" [Nishikujou]: "I've been requesting reinforcements for the past few months for just that reason!" [Bishop's Secretary]: "Actually, I have good news about that." [Bishop's Secretary]: "The Australian parish has decided to send one of their special units." [Bishop's Secretary]: "Twenty four hours from now, an elite company with experience against special first-class familiars will be under your command. Seventy two hours from now you'll be able to deploy Guardian Japan's Self Defense Force." [Bishop's Secretary]: "But Gaia probably knows about that. It's likely that whatever they're going to do, they'll try to do it before they get here." [Nishikujou]: "Could Gaia know about the submarine?" [Bishop's Secretary]: "Through unofficial channels, possibly." [Bishop's Secretary]: "If we shake them up, they might hesitate to do something quite that huge......we have to try it!" According to Gaia's doctrines, the Key revitalizes the Earth by singing a "song of destruction". That implies it'll take a certain amount of time for the Key to destroy the world, even after they capture it. They wouldn't want to be interrupted in the middle of it. So they may want to avoid any major public actions, and focus on securing the Key behind the scenes. If that happens, there will be no excuse to use a nuke, and Guardian Japan would have time to wait for its reinforcements. The fighting would probably continue behind the scenes, but that's what Guardian wants. [Nishikujou]: "We can do this. I'm all for the American Army as long as they don't shoot us." [Bishop's Secretary]: "There's just one thing bothering me. Brenda McFarden." [Bishop's Secretary]: "Brenda gathered most of the people who worked on her project, and they're all hiding out near Kazamatsuri right now." [Bishop's Secretary]: "They were probably planning to kidnap the project's sole survivor, Lucia, from the beginning." [Bishop's Secretary]: "They are part of Guardian......they've been excommunicated, but only within our organization." [Nishikujou]: "From Gaia's point of view, they should be no different from the rest of Guardian." [Bishop's Secretary]: "Exactly. And yet, Brenda's group is not under our control." [Bishop's Secretary]: "......the greatest risk right now is that her group and Gaia's plans might interact in some unexpected way." [Nishikujou]: "If Brenda does something aggressive, and Gaia takes that as an act of war from us, they'll think the leak is just a bluff." [Nishikujou]: "Then they'll start an all out war." [Bishop's Secretary]: "Yes. We'd see their monsters all over international television." [Bishop's Secretary]: "Also, the Septentrions are cruise missiles with the latest stealth technology. No one would be able to prove it was America's nuke." [Bishop's Secretary]: "No doubt they plan on claiming it was a dirty nuke planted by Gaian terrorists." [Nishikujou]: "......that's so airtight I could almost cry." [Nishikujou]: "We're working to locate Brenda too, but we haven't found anything to pin her down yet...!" [Bishop's Secretary]: "They're all foreigners, and there's more than ten of them. There aren't many places they could stay without making themselves obvious." [Bishop's Secretary]: "And they'd have to be somewhere with enough space and power for all their equipment." [Bishop's Secretary]: "......yet somehow, it's a place Brenda knows about, and we don't..." [Nishikujou]: "...............thank you, I just got an idea. I'll check it out right away."

<METADATA> Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep </METADATA> [Nishikujou]: "We shall gladly give our lives to be the sword and shield." [Bishop's Secretary]: "To be the sword and shield." They hang up, and Nishikujou sighs heavily. Then she leans back in her chair and looks up at the ceiling. [Nishikujou]: "......the Key, Gaia, the Project, a nuclear submarine......this year's harvest festival is going to be interesting." What judgment will the Key make when it sees this situation? Nishikujou sits back up and makes another call. [Nishikujou]: "It's me! Look up the Ark Plan from the seventies!" [Nishikujou]: "It was a heavily criticized plan that wasted enormous amounts of money to build nuclear shelters across the globe." Guardian was always afraid of the world ending, and did everything they could to fight it. In the seventies they feared nuclear war, so they made nuclear shelters in secret. Then they were afraid of the environmental catastrophe a thousand years in the future, so they made Lucia in secret. This time is no different. Guardian hasn't changed. Shouldn't they be fighting the cause of Earth's destruction? For whatever reason, they always make their decisions based on the assumption the world would end. [Nishikujou]: "Aaah, I'm such an idiot...why couldn't I figure out something so simple!?" In order to let Lucia sleep for a thousand years, the Next Generation Humanity Project needs a place that would remain safe for all that time. They accessed the information on the Ark Plan's top secret shelters back when they were trying to select such a place. They've always known about the nuclear shelter just outside Kazamatsuri! [Nishikujou]: "Yes, that's it, the Ark Plan! Were any shelters made near Kazamatsuri!?" [Nishikujou]: "There's an abandoned nuclear shelter near the city, isn't there!? This is urgent, you have permission to open all relevant documents! Just find it!!" [Nishikujou]: "Brenda McFarden is hiding in there!!" Humanity is about to come into contact with God's messenger, but a bunch of mad scientists are about to screw it up. Or are they just going to quietly freeze Lucia-chan and leave it at that...? Nishikujou's determined not to let them toy with her anymore. The harvest festival starts tomorrow. There's also a mini-festival tonight, so you could say it's already starting. In class, it feels like summer vacation is just around the corner. But ever since that day, I haven't felt like doing anything... Kotori's been down a lot lately, and today she's absent. Chihaya's also absent. Kotori hasn't been feeling well, so that makes sense......but I have no idea why Chihaya's missing. I pop into the Occult Club room for once. ......everything started with that letter someone sent to our post box... [Kotarou]: "Prez......isn't here. That's unusual." It didn't take long for me to notice that Akane was absent too. And...Shizuru and Lucia have been absent for a while. Everyone's gone. I got them all together because I wanted to have fun. But.........it's all gone now......without a trace. Why was I promising never to leave Konohana Lucia alone? I had it backwards. ......I'm the one who's lonely. Come to think of it......I've always acted like an idiot...because I didn't want to realize how lonely I was. What's Lucia doing right now...? Once again, I'll probably head to Shizuru's hospital, hoping for some good news. I used to see Nishikujou-sensei a lot when I went, but lately she's been so busy I haven't seen her at all. I don't have the slightest idea how the search for Lucia's kidnappers is going... After midday, homeroom ends and I leave school. All of my classmates are excited for the harvest festival week that just started. I'm the only one left out... [Kotarou]: "......haa." I sigh deeply as I walk down the hill. Several students rush by me, jumping straight into the festivities, or heading off to meet up with friends. It almost feels like they're leaving me behind......and heading somewhere I don't know about. Where's everyone going...? Where did everyone go...? Someone, please stop and turn around. And ask me......to come with you...... At that moment... ......as the herd of students grows thinner, I can see someone walking in the opposite direction. Someone waiting for me... [Lucia]: ".........Kotarou." ......I know it's a cliché, but...if this is a dream, don't let me wake up. How else could I describe this feeling...? That's exactly what this moment means to me. [Kotarou]: "L-.........Lucia!!" [Lucia]: "......Kotarou...I'm glad to hear your voice again." If she was an illusion, she wouldn't respond to me. So those words are all it takes to make tears come out. [Lucia]: "Kotarou......? Wa...!" [Kotarou]: "Why didn't you call back!? ...no, that doesn't matter!" [Kotarou]: "......thank you......for coming home......finally......" As countless students leave school......I embrace Lucia, without hiding my tears. I couldn't care less if other people can see us. I'm just afraid she'll fade away if I don't grab her right now... ......I don't want to lose her ever again... [Lucia]: "H-...hey......Kotarou..." [Lucia]: "......not here......it's embarrassing......" [Kotarou]: "I'm not embarrassed!" [Lucia]: "......then......I guess......neither......am I." Futilely trying to describe this feeling in words would be far more embarrassing. So I express it to her with the strength of my embrace, then release her. [Kotarou]: "Lucia......your...gloves......" [Lucia]: "I don't need them anymore." [Lucia]: "Thanks to a new medicine, I can walk around just like anyone else." [Kotarou]: "R-really...? They made a new one...!?" [Kotarou]: "Actually, I was told you were kidnapped...where've you been all this time!?" [Lucia]: "I was sent to a better-equipped facility so they could put together a new medicine." [Lucia]: "It worked right away, but they needed to watch me for a while to make sure it worked..." [Lucia]: "It's really incredible......I don't need gloves at all anymore." [Kotarou]: "R-......really...? ...then why didn't you tell me anything about this!?" [Kotarou]: "I was so worried...Shizuru and Nishikujou-sensei and everyone else was worried sick about you!" [Lucia]: "The different parts of Guardian are very bad at sharing information with each other. Nishikujou-san misinterpreted a lack of information as me being kidnapped..." [Lucia]: "I only learned the other day that you were all under that impression." [Lucia]: "I apologize for not being able to call you. The facility had strict rules about cell phones." [Lucia]: "......I wanted to get back home as soon as possible, so I couldn't risk making any trouble for them." [Lucia]: "......sorry for worrying you so much."

<METADATA> Name: Nakatsu Shizuru | Gender: Female | Aliases: Shizu Name: Touka Nishikujou | Gender: Female Name: Konohana Lucia | Gender: Female | Aliases: Class Rep Name: Tennouji Kotarou | Gender: Male </METADATA> [Kotarou]: "I see...so that's what happened......" [Kotarou]: "Fine, it doesn't even matter...but why are you wearing your uniform?" [Lucia]: "I thought I'd get back in time for school......but I was too late." How is this too late? You got back to me as soon as you possibly could. And not only is your poison under control again, but you've thrown off the gloves that used to symbolize your solitude. You're not late at all......not in the slightest! [Kotarou]: "Well, school's already over, so we'll have to walk back down the hill now." [Lucia]: "Indeed." [Kotarou]: "Any plans after this?" [Lucia]: "Just one. I was hoping you would remember it, Kotarou." [Kotarou]: "You wanted to go on another date, right?" [Lucia]: ".........thank you for remembering." [Kotarou]: "The harvest festival starts tomorrow. We can play around every day this week. I won't let you be bored for a moment!" [Lucia]: "Not tomorrow. I want to go somewhere today." [Kotarou]: "Right now?" [Lucia]: "I want to eat a parfait." I find myself chuckling. Yeah, there's no way I'd forget that promise. [Kotarou]: "The usual place? It might be a bit crowded." [Lucia]: "If you're here, Kotarou, even waiting in line would be fun." [Kotarou]: "They've got big, small, spicy and sweet ones to choose from." [Lucia]: "You wouldn't want a spicy one, would you Kotarou? I want one we can eat together." [Kotarou]: "Yeah, that'd be nice." I hold out my hand......and she grabs it with a smile. I vividly remember when we held hands at Kazamo. The soft, warm touch of her real hand, without the glove. I'll never let go of it again. Never again...... [Lucia]: "Let's go. Huhu, we're making quite the scene." [Kotarou]: "True. What are you looking at, idiots!? Let's go, Lucia!" [Bishop's Secretary]: "We successfully leaked the information to Gaia. They seem to be reeling from it." [Bishop's Secretary]: "They definitely appear to be rethinking any large-scale public action." [Nishikujou]: "Nukes can be handy sometimes. What else?" [Bishop's Secretary]: "I found an account book listing all the equipment used at the time." [Bishop's Secretary]: "You were right. The shelter near Kazamatsuri has a cryogenic stasis unit." [Nishikujou]: "Perfect! I'm decrypting the files on that shelter right now." [Nishikujou]: "Apparently it has a delay lock which will take thirty minutes to get through, and alarms will be going off the whole time." [Bishop's Secretary]: "The Next Generation Humanity Project cannot do without the stasis unit. Brenda is sure to make a move for it." [Bishop's Secretary]: "And since Lucia's suppressants don't seem to work right now, she may need it just to transport her safely." [Nishikujou]: "......according to the last tests we were able to perform, Lucia has gained an immunity to her old suppressants." [Nishikujou]: "They'll probably try giving more of it to her, but it won't stop the poison. It is likely they'll have no choice but to lock her in the stasis unit." [Bishop's Secretary]: "We wouldn't want that to happen." [Bishop's Secretary]: "The device has been abandoned for over thirty years. Even if it functions at all, there's no way to know if it can contain the poison." [Bishop's Secretary]: "We'll need to put our assault team in full protective gear." [Nishikujou]: "......it's been several days since Lucia-chan was taken." [Nishikujou]: "If our last test is accurate, she's at least as dangerous as she was when the Santa Brosia incident took place..." [Bishop's Secretary]: "Then we should have noticed it by now." [Bishop's Secretary]: "But they've remained hidden from us thus far, so they must have some way of blocking her poison." [Bishop's Secretary]: "Be very careful. She is no different from nuclear waste in her current state." [Nishikujou]: "Stop it. I won't let anyone talk about my girl like that." [Bishop's Secretary]: "......sorry. But you should prepare for the possibility." [Bishop's Secretary]: "What if they put the stasis unit with Lucia inside right in the middle of the harvest festival?" [Bishop's Secretary]: "Brenda's team might try taking the hundreds of thousands of tourists at the festival hostage, in exchange for releasing the rest of their researchers." Most of the people involved in the Next Generation Humanity Project were arrested and given life sentences for crimes against humanity. Brenda's team consisted of the fugitives, who were considered wanted by every branch of Guardian and the Vatican... [Nishikujou]: "......I see." [Nishikujou]: "So they knew Konohana Lucia was somewhere in Kazamatsuri." [Nishikujou]: "And they realized they could use her like a dirty bomb to threaten us..." [Nishikujou]: "......they should all go to hell. How much do they need to exploit the lives of innocent children!?" At that moment, a young agent in a suit rushes into the room. From his excited expression, she could tell he'd successfully decrypted the files on the shelter. [Nishikujou]: "Sorry, I have to get back to work. I'll call again later." [Agent]: "The decryption's done! We have the shelter's location and blueprints!" [Nishikujou]: "Can we send a team in? Where is it!?" [Agent]: "Inside an uninhabited mountain. It's fifteen minutes away by helicopter. We should be able to gain control, but it'll take a while." [Shizuru]: "......it's an easy position to defend. We might need gas to break through." Until now Shizuru had been lying on the bed, but now she joins in the conversation. She's still supposed to be resting, but she feels a lot better, and most of all, she's extremely bored. [Agent]: "We'll consider targeting the ventilation room and using stun gas." [Nishikujou]: "They're experts in poison. They're sure to have protective gear. Gas won't help." [Nishikujou]: "If they have bullet-resistant and poison-proof suits, our only option is to charge into a firefight. Is there only one entrance?" [Agent]: "There's two, but we can easily attack from both." [Shizuru]: "......should we put troops outside and wait for them to run out of food...?" [Nishikujou]: "They have Lucia-chan as a hostage. I don't want to make them desperate." [Nishikujou]: "We're going in immediately!! Permission granted to use firearms!" [Agent]: "Understood!" [Shizuru]: "............I want to help." [Nishikujou]: "Don't be silly, you need rest." [Shizuru]: "Take care of Lucia......I'm sure...she's very hurt." [Nishikujou]: "I know. I'll never forget the pain Guardian forced on her." [Nishikujou]: "I won't abandon her!"