The time was one in the morning.

As it's hardly a big city, 1 AM in Hinamizawa is the middle of the night. The darkness here gets very deep.

There was light leaking out from the first floor where two detectives sat on guard, but everything else was pitch black.

Even the moonlight seemed indistinct.

"It's time.

Two detectives are downstairs.

It's been more than an hour since the light went out above them.

Awaiting orders to begin the attack."

"...What a beautiful night. You have permission to engage."

"...Should we terminate the detectives?"

"Yes.

Everyone in the Furude shrine will be demoned away tonight.

...It's better that way."

"HQ to Phoenix.

Commence the mission. Terminate the two detectives.

You do not have permission to fire.

I repeat, you do not have permission to fire your weapons.

HQ to Nightingale.

Phoenix has commenced the mission.

Shut down the phone lines."

"Roger.

We're shutting them down."

They had been working to disable the phone lines, just in case their target tried to contact the police during the attack.

That mission was what Ooishi happened to bump into.

"...Let's begin.

Phoenix 1 to all units.

Be prepared when you enter.

Terminate the two detectives on the first floor, and the one companion on the second.

Do not leave any evidence.

Do not fire your weapons or use any gas.

Use your tasers.

Remember, they have guns. Do not let them fire."

"Come on, don't embarrass me, Okonogi.

Hee hee."

"I'm just doing my job.

Phoenix 7 and 8, advance forward.

Backup teams, secure the perimeter."

"Roger.

We're heading in now."

The two men in uniform slowly approached the building.

The Mountain Dogs' uniform is gray, so it didn't blend in with their surroundings at all.

However, it doesn't look as suspicious as real camouflage suits.

......Of course, they looked suspicious enough creeping up to the house like that anyway.

They could both see light leaking from the door and hear the voices of the detectives.

Rika would typically use this sliding door to get inside.

The door was locked, but the Mountain Dogs had obtained a spare key a long time ago.

They put the key in the keyhole, but it wouldn't go in smoothly.

They were certain it would make some kind of noise when they turned it.

The detectives would notice them the minute they did that.

They'd have to rush inside and defeat them in one swift burst.

Phoenixes 7 and 8 glanced at each other.

"This is Phoenix 7. We've arrived at the target location.

Waiting for your command."

"...Takano here.

...Make it nice and clean.

Go ahead."

"Roger.

We're breaking in!"

Clack clack...!

He turned the key in a hurry and opened the lock.

By the time the detectives turned around, the door was already open and the two Mountain Dogs had stepped inside.

They had aimed their weapons at the detectives while the latter were still turning around.

In a fight like that, the first two seconds are the most crucial moments.

"Ugh!!"

"...Agh!!"

The detectives collapsed, making minimal noise.

There were needles stuck in their bodies, and those needles were connected via wires to the attackers' guns.

In other words, the weapons those two had weren't ordinary guns. They were stun guns in the shape of firearms.

Instead of bullets, they shoot out electric needles that electrocute their victims into unconsciousness.

Normally they would be nonlethal weapons that allow the shooter to capture their victim without harming them much, but their tasers had been modified.

The two Dogs started walking up the stairs as soon as they confirmed that the detectives were no longer breathing.

But in the next moment, they heard a loud noise above them.

"This is Phoenix 10!

R and her companion have noticed us!

They just jumped out from the second floor window!

They're running into the forest!

Attention, Phoenix 4 and 5. They're heading your way. Capture them!!"

"Roger, let's go!"

Phoenix 4 spotted the two girls and started after them, but he suddenly stepped on something hard.

Pow pow pow!!

With a cheap-sounding explosion, the area was filled with smoke.

That was the trap Satoko had set using firecrackers.

That had proven to be a very fortunate idea.

The Mountain Dogs dropped to the ground, assuming that they were under fire.

That gave Rika and Satoko a chance to escape.

"Who are they?!

Are they the organization from Tokyo that you were talking about?!"

"......I think so.

Just run!

We're dead if they catch us!"

"What's going on?!

What was that noise?!"

"This is Phoenix 5. Someone was shooting at us!

R has escaped.

We'll continue the pursuit!!"

"Sh-Shit! They were just some firecrackers!

Damn it!!"

"Heh heh heh heh...

That must be Satoko-chan's handiwork.

She's pretty good... hee hee."

"...What?!

Hurry up!

Don't let them escape inside someone's house!"

"This is Phoenix 18! I've spotted the target!

I need some backup!!"

"They know this area very well.

If we don't get them now, we'll definitely lose them."

This wasn't a game of hide and seek. It was a game of tag.

Several men in uniform were chasing after Rika and Satoko.

...They weren't idiots, so they didn't waste energy on a futile act of shouting "wait."

This was a quiet, deadly game of tag in the middle of the night.

"Hah, haah haah!!

Where are we going?"

"......Let's, let's split up to try and shake them off!

We'll meet at Mii's house!

Her basement will be safe, and we can contact the police from there!!"

Satoko had no idea that Mion had a basement in her house, but she didn't have time to ask anything about it under her current circumstances.

All she did was nod.

Bang!!

The next moment, I felt my left foot catch on something, and I fell down to the ground.

I must have tripped on a rock or a piece of concrete...

"R-Rika!!"

"Get out of here, Satoko!!

You'll be killed!!"

But Satoko wouldn't move on without me.

She came back to lend me a hand.

I stood up without her help, but this cost us too much time.

One of the men had almost caught up with us.

I didn't know what to do.

...But Satoko, upon seeing him, quickly reacted!

"Aaaaaaaaaah!!!"

"Uuugh!!"

Satoko ran toward him and kicked him with all her might.

Her foot had landed right in his face. I wish I had a camera.

But there were two more of them right behind the first man.

I can see them clearly now.

They're the gardeners from that landscape company...

...They're wearing the same uniforms Okonogi is always wearing.

They must be the Mountain Dogs!

Now I'm certain that Takano is the culprit.

And now that I know that, I can do something about it in the next world!!!

But... if I die now, will I lose my memory again?!

I can't die now.

I need to survive so I can keep my memories!!

Satoko took something out of her pocket and threw it at them.

It was something like sand, and it blinded them.

However, even that could only buy us a few seconds.

Satoko tried to run, but she froze as soon as they aimed their weapons at us.

Their stun guns are only shaped like firearms.

Satoko, not knowing that, thought they were real guns.

Knowing that she'll be shot if she turned and ran, Satoko tried to attack them instead!!

Of course, there are three of them.

Most would think it impossible to drive them off, but Satoko didn't think about that.

She had a 100% chance of dying if she tried to run.

Then she might as well fight back, because she might have a 1% chance of defeating them.

Satoko is determined to save me, even at her own expense.

But I can't stay in this world if it means losing Satoko...!

I'm dying anyway! I'd rather die for Satoko's sake than lose her!!

But...!

Another me was shouting in my mind!

If I don't survive this, I'll lose this memory!

If I die without keeping this memory, this life and everything I've learned will all be wasted!

Should I escape and leave Satoko behind?

That's right. I should use this experience to my advantage in my next life!

I should just let go of her in this world!

"No way.

That really would make me a witch!!"

But I know in my heart.

There's no way I can win against these guys.

I'm sure their backup will get here if we take our time to fight them.

Should I fight them for her, or should I leave so I can confront my true enemy...?

"Satoko!!!"

Satoko's bravery gives me courage.

If I left her, I'd lose my motivation to defeat fate!

I don't care if I lose my memories.

It only took a hundred years for me to get this information.

I don't care if I have to spend another hundred years in this same June, I can't leave Satoko!!!

"Satoko!!

I'm fighting too!!"

"Rika?!

I told you to go!"

I had noticed something.

They're only aiming at Satoko.

There must be a reason why they can't shoot me.

So I stood in front of Satoko to protect her.

Just as I expected, they put their guns down and prepared to take us out without weapons.

"......You guys are the Mountain Dogs.

So Takano's behind this?"

".........."

"Yeah.

I'm so stupid.

I know who you are but I chose not to run.

I'm not going to run.

Even if you're going to kill me now.

Someone once told me

that fate can be destroyed as easily as a piece of paper!"

They must think this is my final speech. They let me talk until I was finished.

"You people are pathetic.

...That's why you will never kill me!!"

The next moment, one of them dropped to the ground!

Keiichi had run toward him and kicked him from behind.

Keiichi had kicked him right in the small of his back, and the Dog was squirming on the ground.

The other two tried to retaliate, but they were too late.

Mion grabbed one of the guys' arms from behind, and flipped him down to the ground.

It must be some kind of martial art.

I've seen something like that in an action movie before.

Rena tried to push the remaining Dog down with all her strength, but that wasn't enough to take him out.

He tried to aim his gun at Rena...

but she had already done what she was supposed to.

All she needed to do was get his attention.

Shion had snuck up behind him and she fired her stun gun into his neck.

The stun gun made a snapping noise, and the Dog fell down to the ground with the rest of his friends.

"Wow.

Kasai told me this was illegally modified. It works pretty well!"

"Shion, hit this guy too!"

"Are you guys okay?

That was close!

You ran so fast it took us a lot of time to catch up!"

"I'm really glad we stuck around!

We were waiting out here in case anything happened!"

"You mean... you stayed out here without going back home?"

"Yup.

I saw someone who looked suspicious staring at the shrine when we were leaving."

"I'm really surprised you saw him in this darkness!

Neither lies nor camouflage work on you, huh!"

So, figuring he would leave if they spoke to him, they secretly staked out that suspicious man.

They'd started following us as soon as they heard the sound of the firecrackers.

"...I never expected I'd be saved like this."

"We can't stay here any longer!

What should we do now?"

"We were trying to get to Mion-san's house.

You have a basement there, apparently...?"

"The underground storehouse.

That's a perfect spot.

We've also got some weapons inside there."

"Shhhh!!

Don't say that out loud!

Anyway, I think that's a good idea.

There's several secret passages in there, so we can get the drop on them!"

"Come on, let's go!

They're still after us!"

A white van was approaching us at high speed.

It obviously belonged to the Mountain Dogs.

The van stopped not far from us, and more people in uniform jumped out.

There were at least six of them!

If we all run, the slowest runner might get caught.

So we should take them down while we can!

I don't know if they have a license, but Mion and Shion know how to drive a car.

We can take their van and get away from here!

"There's six of them!

That's perfect!

Let's beat them unconscious and steal their van!"

"Oh ho ho ho!

That's a good idea!"

"Let's go get them!!"

The Mountain Dogs were ready to chase us.

They had no idea that we would try and attack them instead.

Rena is always the first one to make a move in this kind of situation.

She gets so determined once a decision is made!!

She immediately singled out one Dog and punched him in the nose.

Another one tried to grab her from behind, but Keiichi kicked him in the side as hard as he could.

"Hey, Rena, watch your back!"

"I'll leave that to you, Keiichi-kun.

Please look after me!"

"I'm kinda curious about what you were like back in Ibaraki.

You sure don't hesitate to punch people."

"And you don't hesitate to zap people with an illegal stun gun!"

Given that Shion had that stun gun, the Mountain Dogs were reluctant to go after her.

They were scared of the very dangerous weapon she had in her hand.

But thanks to that, Shion had stopped one of them for certain.

It was fortunate for us that they didn't have any guns of their own.

They had no way of countering Shion's stun gun.

Satoko attacked him from behind.

She encircled his neck with a jump rope and pulled.

Shion followed up, quickly hitting him with her stun gun.

What was I doing during all that?

The only thing I can do is run around and try to get their attention.

They're pursuing me, after all.

They want to catch me more than anything else.

But that leaves them open to attacks from my friends.

Keiichi had already hit the one trying to grab me.

I think we have a chance here.

We may not be able to take all of them down, but we can try and find a chance to escape to their vehicle.

"With what Rika-chan said, I thought these guys would be really strong, but they're not that bad!"

"That's just how strong we club members are!"

"Not being afraid is probably the secret to strength.

Sis's club activities are practically training to rid you of your hesitation."

If we all fight together...

we can win this six-on-six battle!

If any one of us wasn't here, they'd beat us easily.

We'd end up dead.

If my friends hadn't stayed behind, I would have been killed by now!

We can do it! We can make it!!

The Dogs Shion took down with her stun gun were starting to wake up.

The ones that we knocked out earlier were also up and chasing us again.

We have to get out of here!!

This isn't the time for me to just be running around.

"...Fine.

Let's see what I can do."

"............Rika..."

"Hanyuu, I know you still can't believe in hope, just like always.

Stay there and see what my stubbornness can do!

I'm going to change this fate!

I'm going to do it right here!

Let me show you what I'm capable of!"

"All right, everyone!

We're going to finish this right now! Take down whoever is in front of you!

Then we're going to grab their car and get out of here!"

"...Yes.

I'm going to do this."

"You go, Rika-chan!!

Alright, let's gooooooo!!!"

On Keiichi's signal, we attacked six of the Mountain Dogs in unison.

Time gradually slowed down... I truly felt like I was trying to overcome that impossible wall of time and change my fate.

However, time continued to slow even further... until it stopped.

......What's going on?

It felt like the film reel of a movie had gotten hung up partway through.

Like time itself has come to a standstill.

"............Hanyuu...?

What's this all about...?"

"......The time has come."

"What?!

.........Why......?"

Wearing a sad expression, Hanyuu pointed at Keiichi.

I finally noticed something.

All my friends had noticed already...

except for Keiichi.

"...K...... Keiichi.

...What's that floating... in front of your chest?"

"What do you mean?

............Huh?

What... is this...?"

Time had stopped

just when Keiichi was about to hit his opponent.

He then realized

that something was floating in front of his heart.

It was............

a metallic silver cone.

...That was the first thing

I could

think of.

".........N......

No, Kei-chan......"

"What......

What the hell is this...?

...Is this......

a bullet...?"

That's exactly what it was.

...The bullet had stopped about fifteen centimeters away from Keiichi's chest, just before it would enter his body.

That's right.

Once time starts moving again, it will slam into his chest.

In other words... it's too late.

Keiichi will immediately die when time starts up again.

"Wh... Who shot it...?

Those six guys didn't have any guns!"

".........L... Look...!

Over there, by the van!!!"

Satoko couldn't point at the van.

Time had completely stopped, after all.

We could see another person standing near the van.

...There had actually been seven people inside,

not six.

That seventh person was the one who fired the bullet.

We hadn't seen her at all.

That person is someone we all know very well...

Yes... it's Takano.

"It... It's Takano-san...!

She shot the gun...?!

She shot Keiichi-kun?!"

In the frozen world, Takano was smiling, still aiming her gun at Keiichi...

Takano had been watching us from the van this whole time.

She came out and fired her gun, knowing that we hadn't seen her at all.

"......Heh... heh heh heh heh!

I see... I get it now.

So Takano-san was the bad guy all along..."

"What are we going to do!

Kei-chan! Can't you try and twist your body to avoid the bullet!?"

"Don't be stupid!

Time has totally stopped.

I can't move at all...!"

"Th, Then, try moving right as soon as time starts moving again!

That might make a difference!"

...Everyone was desperate to save Keiichi.

However, no matter how hard we thought, we couldn't come up with any ideas to save him from the bullet.

We were so desperate that Keiichi started to laugh.

"......I really don't know what's going on.

...But there's nothing that can be done.

I'm dead the minute time starts moving again.

Even if I don't die, I won't be of any help to you guys anymore.

So, listen.

Just give up on me.

You only need to think about taking these guys down and getting inside of that van!"

"N... Never.

You can't die!

I don't want to lose you...!!

Hanyuu, are you telling me that this is my fate?!

Are you saying that there's no way to overcome this?"

"..........It's okay, Rika.

...You won't remember this.

You won't......"

"No, no!!

Kei-chan is not going to die!"

"Stop it, Mii-chan!

Let's concentrate on taking them down!

I'm sure Keiichi wouldn't want us spending time turning back to him as he falls!"

"That's exactly how I feel, Rena.

Guys, take care of Rika-chan.

Get out of here and contact Coach.

...They probably killed Ooishi-san...

That's why he never showed up.

Listen,

promise you'll all survive. Promise me!!"

"...Keiichi...!"

"Rika-chan, I'm sorry.

......I'm the one who told you that we could change destiny... but I'm going to have to retire now."

"Heh

heh

heh

heh

heh...

hee

hee

hee

hee

hee..."

It sounded just like Takano's regular laughter... but it was the scariest noise I'd ever heard.

"Are you ready to let go of your life now?"

".........Takano-san, we haven't lost just yet..."

"Hee hee hee.

Done watching your life flash before your eyes?"

The silence suddenly ended, and the clamor of reality returned...!

An explosive sound then hit Keiichi straight in the chest.

I watched Keiichi collapse right in front of me.

He fell down on his back while his blood splattered everywhere.

...And after that, he stopped moving.

There's no way any of us weren't shocked by that.

We tried to take down the foes in front of us,

but more came from behind.

We tried to struggle as best we could, but there was no way we could win against all those adults.

I did my best to fight them off, but they pulled my hair and picked me up as if I weighed nothing.

I heard everyone's desperate screams of resistance.

The comforting and courageous unity we showed right before Keiichi was shot shattered like glass.

The debris of that glass lay sadly on the ground.

Takano's annoying laughter was still echoing inside my ears.

"Takano to HQ.

I've taken care of it.

I need what I told you before.

I also need someone to clean up the bodies.

Send me five bags, and some water to clean up the area.

Understand?"

She needs five bags...?

My body froze up, but time did not.

Takano, laughing, pointed her gun at Mion's head.

"......H... Hey, are you kidding me?!"

"I've always wanted to see the tattoo on your back.

I'm going to take a peek at it later."

"S-Sure, have a look, if you want!

It's nothing special!"

"Oh?

You don't think I'll find it interesting?"

"Stop!! Don't shoot her!!!"

Takano shook her head in response to Rena's scream.

"I have to kill her.

She's the leader of your club, so she has to go first."

"N...

No...

...S...

Sto--"

There was a dull noise, followed by Mion's body twitching.

We all tried to break free from the men restraining us as Takano calmly shot Mion.

However, they were too strong, and all we could do was squirm like insects.

...Takano was enjoying watching us struggle...

She then stepped towards Satoko...

but Shion started screaming curses at her.

"My, my.

You want to be shot before her?

You could've stayed alive a few more seconds if you were nice and quiet."

"...S-Stop it, Shion-san!!

Don't agitate her like that!!"

I know why she's doing that.

......Shion wants to protect Satoko for as long as she can.

...She's trying to do what Satoshi told her to.

Takano didn't care one whit for Shion's feelings.

Stepping over Keiichi's body, she approached Shion.

"I get it now...

You killed Satoshi-kun, didn't you...?

Isn't that the truth?!"

"Sorry, I don't like giving out secrets.

So I'm not telling.

...Hee hee hee hee!"

Shion's body twitched.

That had followed the dull sound of another gunshot.

...Just two dull sounds had stolen away the lively Sonozaki sisters.

It didn't add up...

I started shaking from fear when it hit me just how easily Takano can take away lives.

"......I-Is it that amusing for you to take away innocent lives?!

You monster!!"

"Oh, so you want to die next?

You were going to be the last one if you stayed quiet."

Keiichi, Mion and Shion died... the oldest one of us left was Rena.

Rena didn't want to see Satoko and me die before she did.

"......So you were the culprit behind the series of mysterious deaths in Hinamizawa...

...Do you think you're Oyashiro-sama's proxy or something?"

"Hee hee hee.

I'm not a proxy.

I'm handing out divine punishment.

It's too bad that you're not going to see it.

Soon enough, Oyashiro-sama's wrath is going to destroy the whole village.

But I'm the one who's going to make that happen.

It's my curse.

Yes, I'm going to become Oyashiro-sama.

I'm going to become something more than human.

Hee hee!

You'll never understand how I feel.

You'll never understand how wonderful it is to become a god!"

".......Ahahaha.

I don't think that's possible.

No matter how much you try to become Oyashiro-sama, it won't work.

It's just a game for you.

You will never become Oyashiro-sama."

"I will.

The process has already begun."

Ahahahahahahahaha.

Rena laughed at her.

Takano seemed very upset to hear that laugh.

"What's so funny...?"

"It's impossible.

Because...

Oyashiro-sama is already here..."

Those were Rena's last words.

"...Well.

It's your turn now, Satoko-chan.

......I don't really care if you live or die.

But you're a living research sample.

Tokyo has a bounty on capturing you alive.

But it's not very much.

My share would run out with just a trip to Europe.

If I capture you alive, nothing good will happen to you anyway.

They'll probably open up your skull and probe through your brain while you're still alive.

Besides, I was your friend.

I think it might be kinder to shoot you dead right here.

Which would you prefer?"

"I can't decide that!"

Satoko shouted back at her. Her eyes were full of tears.

"Let's do a quiz, then.

Broccoli or cauliflower,

which one is green?"

"......It's cau--

...no,

it's broccoli."

Pow.

As soon as I heard that same dull sound, Satoko stopped moving.

Takano smiled and said "good girl" to what used to be Satoko.

"Heh heh heh... Ahhhahahahahahahahaha!!!

This really is such a lovely and beautiful night!

Don't you agree?"

".........So... you're going to kill me too?"

"Yes.

I will kill you.

The corpse of the queen carrier is the key to this mission.

You're going to become an ugly political tool far away in Tokyo.

And then, the legend of Onigafuchi will finally come to an end."

"......I know... how you're planning to kill me."

"Oh, you do...?

Let's hear it."

I'm not going to say it.

But I know.

It's Watanagashi...

She wants to do the real Watanagashi, using my body.

I'm sure she's planning to cut open my stomach and pull out my guts.

To do that, she'll make me inhale some chemical to put me to sleep.

...I vaguely remember that part.

"I guess you already know.

Hee hee.

......Good night, Rika-chan."

One of the Dogs approached me with a handkerchief soaked in a chemical substance.

".........Wait a minute, Takano."

"Everyone's dead, but you're begging for your life?

Heh heh heh heh!"

"......That's not it.

...If you're going to kill me, do it without putting me to sleep."

Takano hadn't expected to hear that.

Still, even though she was surprised, she nodded with a slight smile.

Hanyuu was also surprised to hear that.

It would obviously be a terrible way to die.

"What are you thinking?

Wouldn't you prefer an easy and painless death?

You know it's going to be horrible, right?

I'm going to cut open your stomach while you're still alive."

"......I don't want to forget about it."

Yes.

...I'm doing this so I'll remember. I'm not going to forget about it.

"...The picture of you cutting open my stomach will be forever burned into my soul.

...I'm never going to forget that.

Next time I see you, I'll remember that you did this to me."

"Heh heh heh heh... Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!

...What are you cooking up in your little head?

I guess you're smarter than the other kids.

At least you'd get to have a chance to scream for your life.

I'm not going to let you do that, though."

They forced something other than the handkerchief inside of my mouth.

It was a gag.

With that in, I couldn't close my mouth, leading my saliva to start overflowing.

Soon, another van arrived.

More Mountain Dogs came out of it.

They had probably come to get rid of the bodies.

They grabbed the corpses of my friends and stuffed them into body bags.

After that, they sprayed a bunch of water on the ground to clean up the blood.

They asked Takano how many shots she fired, and started looking around for the bullets.

They were erasing all the evidence.

By the time the night was over, there'd be no more proof left.

They pulled my hands behind my back and bound them with handcuffs.

My ankles were tied up too.

They also tied my ankles and wrists together.

My body was bent like a shrimp, and I was no longer able to walk.

My mouth was covered so I couldn't even talk.

I couldn't move, talk,

or express myself in any other way.

They had taken away everything that made me human.

...Therefore, I wasn't human anymore.

I was just a toy named Rika Furude, a toy to give Takano joy.

The car started moving.

It seemed like we were going back the way we came, but I didn't care anymore.

As the time of my death approached, some of my forgotten memories came back to me.

...That's right.

I was killed like this so many times.

Every time I repeated my life, Takano got pleasure out of killing me.

Somebody rubbed my head.

Were they trying to comfort me?

I shook my head to try and refuse.

They laughed at me as I did so...

"...............Rika...... ...Rika............"

Hanyuu showed up.

She couldn't hold back her devastated tears.

"...Again... ...It didn't work... ...It didn't work again... ...again... ......again......!"

...When I saw Hanyuu's painful tears, I was convinced.

I was wrong. Hanyuu is not just a bystander.

She's just too scared to face reality, because she can't stand the pain anymore...

Hanyuu wants a happy future too.

But her hopes were betrayed countless times, and she was hurt far too much...

For some reason, seeing her sorrowful expression calmed me down...

......Perhaps Hanyuu was crying in my place.

".........It's okay, Hanyuu.

......We did what we could.

We worked very hard.

...We were getting so close to changing our fate for real.

...It still didn't work out.

...But for some reason... ahahaha.

I feel satisfied."

I've never fought this hard in my life.

I've never learned so many things.

Because I can repeat my life endlessly, I've been taking each one for granted.

...But everyone else is taking their lives seriously.

...I wasn't learning anything because I wasn't doing that.

But I finally understand.

I learned something from this life, and I put all my effort into it.

So...

I'm sad that I didn't make it...

but I feel satisfied just the same.

It's a strange kind of satisfaction.

I wonder how many of these memories I can keep.

...I get the sense that I'm going to lose my memory of this evening...

If that's the case, I will lose my memory of seeing Takano's face.

...I've finally found out that Takano is the mastermind.

Am I going to repeat the same world again, not knowing the truth?

She killed my friends as if she were merely killing some bugs.

I don't want to forget that!

No matter how hard my death will be, I need to remember Takano's face.

"......Hanyuu.

I'm not going to give up.

I don't care if I can't recall this memory.

I'll continue to live my life.

I don't care if I can only live in this June, and that eventually I will only be able to go back to the night of Watanagashi.

If that's my life, so be it!"

"......I'm not going to forget either...

If you don't remember, I'll tell you the truth...!"

"...Hanyuu.

......I knew it.

You acted like an unfeeling bystander, but that's because you were afraid of the pain."

".........I...

I also want to have a happy future with everyone...

...Uuuuuuu...!!"

Hanyuu started to cry like a baby...

She's so stupid.

...She decided to abandon hope because she didn't want to deal with the sadness that she always felt on this night.

...But she ended up hurt and devastated anyway...

Hanyuu, are you happy that this world is ending just like you predicted?

I decided not to ask her such an unpleasant question...

The car stopped, and two men pulled me out of the vehicle.

We had returned to the Furude Shrine.

There were several men waiting in front of the offertory box.

Nearby, there were countless sharp knives laid out on the ground.

They're going to cut open my stomach with those tools and pull out my intestines.

They took off all of my clothes.

They left the gag inside my mouth and the handcuffs around my wrists.

I wasn't embarrassed to be naked in front of them.

...Rather, I was just furious

that Takano was getting joy out of doing this to me.

Don't forget this humiliation.

The pain I'm about to experience should be carved into my soul forever.

I'm not going to forget this.

Everyone worked together, and we finally revealed who was behind it all.

If I forget this, my friends' efforts and deaths will have been in vain...

I need to stay alive as long as I can, so that I will remember the pain.

".........Hanyuu.

Don't look away.

You have to watch.

Remember this forever."

"......Au au au...

...Is this really the only way I can help you...?

Is this all I can do because I can't touch or talk to anyone?"

"That's good enough.

If you continue to stare at me, I can endure this pain."

Hanyuu nodded and sat right next to me, while continuing to cry.

We then looked up at the night sky together.

The moon was shining brightly, as if it's taking pity upon me.

We also looked at the faces of my murderers.

That beautiful moon was gradually stained red.

It's getting cold.

It's so painful.

I'm consumed with the fear of not being able to do anything about this.

But Hanyuu is right next to me.

That gives me comfort.

It's not just Hanyuu, either.

...Everyone is here with me.

Everyone is there, watching me, so I can stand this torture.

That's why it wasn't painful.

I didn't struggle.

I didn't care about Takano's crazy laughter.

This was such a wonderful world.

We didn't overcome this fate,

but I have no regrets.

Of course, I'm still sad.

I'm disappointed.

My future was right in front of my eyes.

My hand could almost reach it.

...Even so,

we did what we could.

I have to be proud of myself.

Keiichi voiced his disagreement.

He still felt that we could have done more.

We were almost there.

We almost defeated this fate.

We didn't win, but not because our enemies were strong.

We didn't win because we didn't try hard enough.

"......But all of you worked so hard together.

...I was watching.

I saw the whole thing."

"But it wasn't enough.

If we'd had a will strong enough to overcome this fate, we should have created a miracle...!"

"...That's right...

A miracle will happen if everyone believes in it..."

"...Satoko, Rika-chama, and everyone else worked so hard..."

"I'm sorry...

Rika.

...You were brave enough to ask us for help... but I couldn't save you......"

Satoko held my shoulder and cried.

"......That's true.

Everyone worked so hard.

But it still didn't work out...

Thank you.

Thank you all so much.

...I'm going to die again... but I've never felt so good about it.

......I've learned so many things in this world."

"Rika-chan...

I know.

...I know why the miracle didn't happen in this world."

Rena spoke gently, but she wasn't smiling at all.

"Hey.

.........Did everyone...... really believe that we could create a miracle?

If you're hoping for a future, but not everyone believes in it... then a miracle won't happen."

"What are you saying, Rena?

We were united!

No one had doubts that we could overcome this fate!

Right, Mion?"

"Yeah.

He's right, Rena.

Everyone thought we could overcome it.

Everyone believed that we could!"

"...That's quite true.

Even Rika believed in it.

She finally believed that with our help, she could change her destiny..."

"I believed in it, too.

...But I think there was someone who didn't believe."

"Who is that?"

......What? ...Who can it be.........?

"...Hey... you."

Rena turned to Hanyuu and asked her a question.

"Did...... you believe?

Did you believe that we could overcome this fate?"

"...A......... Au au au."

"Even if you can't talk to us or touch us,

you can still believe.

If you'd believed in us, the miracle would've happened."

"......Would something really have changed if I believed...?

I'm a powerless existence. I can't do anything...

...All I can do is watch and accept.

You're saying... that I could've made a miracle happen, just by believing...?"

"Yeah. You could have."

Keiichi stated it clearly.

He wasn't trying to blame her... he was just stating the truth.

"That's right.

There were six of us,

and there were seven of them.

If you'd believed along us, we would have numbered seven souls.

The miracle could've happened.

You don't make miracles happen by touching something or saying something.

You make them happen by believing."

"......A... ...au au au..."

Hanyuu had realized that this ending wasn't caused by fate.

...It was because she didn't believe.

In other words, this happened because she was so weak as to accept this fate.

She started crying again...

"We don't even know your name.

...But you still needed to be brave enough to fight this fear and pain.

You needed to have the courage to defeat fate.

If you'd believed, we'd be moving on to a bright future.

If your refusal to believe in it is the sole reason we couldn't reach it, then the responsibility is yours."

It was hard to believe Rena could say something so harsh.

Her words were piercing Hanyuu's heart.

But those words were necessary for me and for her.

Only faith can create a miracle.

That sounds like something you might hear in a fairy tale.

It's not easy to put it into action.

People suspect others.

They don't trust others.

It's easier to not have hope.

It's so difficult to believe.

That's why faith can make miracles happen.

"...Don't you realize that I can't even touch people?

Don't you realize that I can't even speak to them?!

You still think I can make a miracle happen... just by believing in something?!"

"...Listen... you're talking to me right now.

I've never talked to you before.

But I always knew you were there.

I was always thinking about how I could communicate with you.

I always knew you were watching when we were all having fun hanging out together."

"B.... But!!

Even if I want to be involved, you guys can't see me, or hear my voice...!!

You'll think that I'm a monster or something.

I don't want people to think of me as a monster!!"

"We'd never think of you that way.

If you're with us, you're our friend!!"

"Yeah, we wouldn't call our friend a monster!"

"It's your heart that determines whether you're a monster or not.

Right, Shion?"

"Indeed.

I guess I'm more like a monster in that sense."

"...You won't call me a monster even though I have horns on my head...?"

"We won't call you that just because of the way you look.

They're actually cute, you know!"

"Ahahahaha! Watch out for Rena!

She might try and take you home!"

I realized then that I was standing with everyone, looking down at my own body.

...I see.

...I'm finally dead.

I looked at my bloody body by my feet.

It upset me that Takano was still enjoying the torture, but the body that remained was nothing but a shell...

"Are you okay, Rika-chan?"

"......Meep.

Don't you think it's a bit strange to ask that question to a dead person?"

Everyone smiled wryly.

...It's my first time feeling so much love in death.

Everyone is already dead.

That's why I feel so happy to be dead. To join them.

Suddenly, the world got darker... and my body started to sink downward...

I could feel myself disappearing...

I still had the sensation of my friends' hands on mine.

"Let's go,

everyone."

"Yeah, let's go.

You're also one of us.

...Come on, stop crying, and let's go."

My vision had gone dark, but somehow I could still see...

Rena offered her hand to Hanyuu, and Hanyuu slowly took it.

"...Hanyuu.

I don't know what sad experiences you had before we met...

But I'm sure my friends will accept you."

".........Au au au...

...Is it still going to be fun if I'm involved...?

Are you sure they'll accept me...?"

"Yes.

So come along with us."

Rena touched Hanyuu's hand.

It felt like everyone else laid their hands on top too.

...If only they had hands to do so.

Let's go, Hanyuu.

Let's accept this sorrow.

So we can embrace joy as well.

Believe in the bright future that's waiting for us.

The miracle will happen.

We will obtain it.

...Okay?

Yes.

Hanyuu said, with a definite nod...