One day, it came to pass that the student known as Juri Arisugawa had dissapeared from the world. She was not in the classroom, learning inconsequential things. She was not in the hallway, catching snogging students and other delinquents. She was not by the lake or on the roof or in the basement. She was not even in the fencing hall, and her subordinates had to run that activity by themselves. It was, all things considered, a rather strange and unique occurence, only the second of its kind.
Some of the children were very surprised. Nanami and Kozue and Keiko, Kanae and Mitsuru and perhaps Akio, if he heard of it at all. Others, those who knew her, less so.
To understand how it happened, we must go back to the day before, her last day in the world, and follow her through that day. In the morning, she woke, rose, showered, brushed her hair and teeth, put on her tampon and her clothes, and, at last, her necklace. She opened it and looked at it. The glass was cracked now (she had previously flung it against a wall in a fit of rage and had not yet had the time to replace it). Behind it, the picture lay as immaculate as ever. She closed the necklace, grabbed her sword, and left. This day, for the first time, she left her books behind.
She sat in class with her sword lying over her knees. The teacher took notice, but spoke not of it. If Juri broke the rules, then the rules were more likely in the wrong than she. Such was her respect. Behind her, Shiori took notice, and quietly left the classroom.
At recess, Juri spoke with many people, mostly of things of little value. She spoke to Miki and Saionji and Nanami of fencing and battle and miracles, and walked away happier. She spoke to the girl Wakaba, to everyone's surprise but perhaps her own, and walked away happier. She tried to speak to Touga, but Touga did not speak back. Finally, she went to see Ruka in his grave, and spoke of many dire things, and when she left, she drew her sword and went to the lake.
She found Shiori by a tree, crying. She sat down, laying her unsheathed sword on her knees and she waited. For fifteen minutes she waited, and then Shiori spoke.
"I hate you." She said.
"I know." Said Juri.
"I hurt you."
"I know."
"I turned you against your friends and used you as a weapon when it suited my whims."
"I know."
"I stole a boy because I thought you wanted him. Twice. I tried to stop you from happiness just because I knew I could. I spat on everything you are."
"I know."
"I'm envious. I'm spiteful. I'm cruel."
"I know."
"I'm ugly."
"No."
"I'm weak."
"No."
"I'm horrible."
"No."
"I'm hopeless."
"No."
"Then what am I?"
"Beautiful."
"You lie."
"No."
And Juri raised her hand and put it on her chest. There was a light, and from it, a sword emerged. She handed the sword to Shiori, who grabbed it hesitantly. Two roses grew, one on Juri's chest, one on Shiori's, and they fought, Juri with her sword, and Shiori with the same. For a long time, they fought, circling each other like a dance, Shiori pressing the attack and Juri dodging and weaving around her old friend. At last, Shiori had had enough, and yelled at Juri to finish it.
And Juri stopped moving, her hands hanging limp by her side and her sword hanging limp from her hands. Shiori ran at her and stabbed at the rose, so hard the sword would surely pierce the heart.
The sword stopped. The rose was unharmed. The duel ended. Juri sheathed her sword. "Thank you, Shiori." She touched the rose on her chest, and it fell away, revealing a small metal thing underneath. "Until we meet again." She turned away and left, and then she was gone from the world.