They arrived in a huge room with several pools. The vision was horrifying. Naked people were crying and struggling against the current. Some of them were drowning, helpless. But the worse was behind. In the back of the immense room, hundreds of people were hanged by the feet, the blood pouring from their opened chests.

"Oh my god…" Tsuneo moaned, feeling sick. All these people were already dead, horribly murdered. He felt nauseous and put a hand on his mouth.

"Nooo !"

"Gyaah !"

"Help !" the people in the pools cried.

The other gantzers were already saving people, he had to regain his self-control. He looked around searching for Kyo. He was pulling an old woman from the water, and jumped over the pools to put her on the side.

"What are you waiting for ?" Kyo shouted to him from the distance. That made him react. Taking a deep breath, he threw his shotgun on the side and went to rescue some people. He grabbed the arms of the first person he found and pulled him on the floor. Without wasting more time, he did it again and again.

"Gantz, transfer them !" Reika shouted.

"He… Help me too !"

"We have to stop the current !" Kei exclaimed.

"How ?"

"The Z-guns ! The ceiling will fall in the water and stop the current !" Hyoma suggested.

Since Hyoma, Kei and Kyo were the only ones with Z-guns, they positioned themselves between pools and fired. Indeed the ceiling fell in the water, causing the current to stop. After that, it was easier to rescue everyone.

"Transfer them without stopping, Gantz !"

"Thank you ! Thank you so much !" the people were exclaiming. A man grabbed Tsuneo's hands and cried, thanking him.

"You're from the Self-Defense Forces, aren't you ?" an old man asked. "Japan will recover, right ?"

"As soon as you're on the surface, run to the basements !" Reika shouted. "Do your best to stay alive !"

The transfer began, allowing the poor naked people to leave the spaceship. During this time, the gantzers saved the last people.

"No one's left ?"

"It looks like we've got them all."

"It was easier than I thought…" Kaiji said, uneasy.

"Yes… It's almost disturbing…" Kei sighed.

Tsuneo couldn't take his eyes off the corpses hanging at the back of the room. All kind of people were hanging there, men, women, young and old, even children. W… Why ? Why had they been killed like that ? Why capture them, if the only purpose was to kill them ? There was something wrong, Tsuneo thought, nervous. Seeing all these people, naked, hanged by the feet, well aligned in rows, it was even worse than seeing people die in the fights. He had to put his hands on his mouth again to prevent from throwing up.

Gantz transferred them immediately in another similar room. Again, the people were struggling against the current, drowning, being taken away, and then were hanged by the feet to bleed to death. It was terrible. How many other rooms like that existed, Tsuneo wondered with dismay. How many people have been captured, only to die this horrible way ?

Without wasting time, all the gantzers jumped between the pools to save people.

"We stop the current !" Kei ordered, and once again, Hyoma, Kyo and him fired with their Z-gun.

When the current was stopped, they quickly rescued everybody, and Gantz began transferring them outside. They didn't take time to rest, and were transferred in another room again.

Once more, they stopped the current and saved people. And again, and again.

"I'll never ever forget your face !" a man cried, holding Makoto's hand.

"Everyone has been transferred ?" Kei asked.

"Let's keep moving," Kato said. "We have to be quick."

"No time to rest, huh ?" Makoto said, though he knew the answer.

"No time to break bread either, right ?" Kaiji complained.

"Wait a minute !" Ryuuji exclaimed. In an act of defiance, he got onto the edge of the pool, took off his suit's pant, and peed in the water, not even bothering about the others.

"Ahahah, me too !" Toshio laughed, and imitated the teenager.

Tsuneo was shocked. What the hell were they thinking ? As if they had time for this.

"Eh guys, there are women here…" Hyoma said, indignant too.

"Ah !" Reika and Yamasaki exclaimed in surprise, as all the other boys imitated Ryuuji and Toshio. All the other boys except Kyo, Tsuneo noticed. He suddenly realized that Kyo had been strangely quiet during the last rescues. He turned away to search for him.

Kyo was standing alone, away from the group, staring off into space. His Z-gun was on the ground. As he walked toward him, Tsuneo noticed that he was shivering.

"Kyo ? Are you alright ?"

"Tsu… Tsuneo ?" he said with surprise, his voice weak. "I… I'm cold…"

"Oh my… What happened to you ? You're white as a sheet !" he exclaimed, worried. Kyo's whole body was shaking, and he was sweating.

"It hurts…" he whispered.

"What ? W… Where does it hurt ?"

"E… Everywhere…" he answered, his eyes filling with tears. He tried to wipe his tears away, but his hands were shaking too much. "It… It hurts everywhere… In my bones…" His voice broke as he began to sob.

Tsuneo didn't know what to do. Kyo was in pain, but he couldn't do anything if he didn't know why. He wasn't wounded, so what was happening ? Worried, he made Kyo sit on the ground against a wall.

"Try to calm down," he said. "What happened to you ? You're sick ?"

"It hurts…" Kyo just repeated, taking his head in his hands and crying. "It… It hurts. I'm cold… so cold…" It was getting worse, it looked like he was having some kind of fit. He was sweating so much that his hair was wet, sticking to his forehead.

"Is there a problem ?" Yamasaki asked, coming to see them. "Kyo ! What's happening ?"

"C… Cold… cold…" he kept repeating through his chattering teeth, not paying attention to Yamasaki.

"I… I came to see him, and he was like that !" Tsuneo explained. Damn, it wasn't a good time to be sick ! What was happening ? And to think that Kyo was already beginning to be sick earlier, why hadn't he forced him to stay in Osaka ? He cursed himself for being so careless.

"Ah… It… hurts… In… In my chest…" Kyo sobbed.

"He… He was already sick earlier, wasn't he ?" Yamasaki said, kneeling next to them.

"Yes, it looks like it's got worse…" Tsuneo sighed. Since the beginning of the Katastrophe, Kyo had been acting strangely, and now he was in this state… "Wait !" It suddenly clicked in Tsuneo's mind. "Could it be… withdrawal symptoms ?"

"It… makes sense," Yamasaki agreed, thoughtful.

"Kyo, when was the last time you… you shot up ?"

Kyo ignored him and kept saying that he was cold. Tsuneo caught his shaking hands to force him to look at him, and asked the question again.

"I… I don't… know… don't remember…" Kyo stuttered, his whole body shaking uncontrollably. "It hurts… Don't… have… anymore…"

"Let's get going !" Kei shouted.

"Ah ! Wait !" Yamasaki called, but too late. The transfer had already begun. Tsuneo hurried to pick Kyo's Z-gun on the floor, not to lose it behind during the transfer.

They arrived in another room with pools again. It was endless ! How many more times were they going to do this ? But in his state, Kyo couldn't do anything.

"Arghh !"

"Help !"

"Kyah !" The people shouted in the pools.

"Go save them, I take care of him," Tsuneo said to Yamasaki.

"Alright !" She left and went to the pools.

While the others were rescuing people, Tsuneo tried to help Kyo calm down. He didn't know what to do. Kyo was suffering and he didn't know how to help him. He rubbed his arms to warm him up, and told him to breathe deeply and slowly. That seemed to help a little. Kyo threw up a couple of times, and after a while, he seemed a little bit better. He was still sweating and shivering, but he could control himself now.

"I'm… I'm sorry…" he said, his voice still weak.

"Come on, it's not your fault…" Tsuneo answered, continuing to gently rub his arms.

"Th… Thanks for taking care of me. It's not… really a great time to be sick, ahah…" he laughed faintly.

"It doesn't matter, don't worry…" he sighed. "But… Why didn't you… you know, shoot up yourself ?" Not that he supported the use of drugs. On the contrary, he wanted Kyo to stop injecting this shit in his blood. But indeed, it wasn't really a good time to wean him off it…

"I… I've been dead for half a week… When we went back there, last time… my room had already… already been looted," he explained through his teeth's chatters. "It's my co... 'co-workers'… They didn't touch the money or the laptop… they were just searching for… for drugs…"

"I see…" Tsuneo sighed. Kyo hadn't had the choice. Not only had he been through the war, like everybody else, assuming the responsibility of leader of the Osaka Team, but he had also been forced to suddenly stop taking drugs. Tsuneo couldn't imagine what he was going through right now… During all this time, he had just been relying on Kyo without seeing that his state was deteriorating… How shameful, he thought, angry with himself.

"I thought… I thought I was stronger," Kyo continued. "I didn't think I was… so addict…"

"If… If I can, I'll help you going through this," Tsuneo said, determined to make Kyo feel better.

"Thank… Thank you…" he whispered. "Ca… Can you stay here with me ? I'm… cold…"

Tsuneo installed himself next to Kyo, against the wall, and took him in his arms to warm him up. For a while, he continued shivering, but then he calmed down and just stayed in Tsuneo's arms, breathing slowly.

They were transferred again, but stayed together while the other gantzers were busy saving people. Tsuneo had his own person to save, he didn't have time for the others.

At this moment, a wall exploded in a great noise, projecting fragments of concrete everywhere. Two giants entered, accompanied by a monster with two heads. Their arrival brought panic in the room. The people still in the pool were crying, fleeing in every direction, and the gantzers were shouting to Gantz to transfer the civilians.

The giants began killing everyone, firing lightnings from their hands. They were aiming at the naked people. The beast attacked too, cutting people, killing them with its long, sharp claws.

"Oh no…" Tsuneo moaned, frightened. There was nothing they could do against such a monster ! And he had to protect Kyo !

"Gi… Give me my Z-gun !" Kyo asked weakly.

"Are you crazy ?! You're in no state to fight !"

"N… No ! I'm ok…" he said, getting up hesitantly. He picked his Z-gun on the ground himself, since Tsuneo didn't want to give him. He took a deep breath. His hands were shaking, but he could do it. He had rested enough. Now that his fit was over, he could control himself. He could endure the pain.

"Wait ! I'm not gonna let you go near this !" Tsuneo said, catching him by the waist and dragging him away.

"S… Stop it ! I can fight !" he cried stubbornly, but he couldn't resist. Even in a normal state, he wasn't very strong physically compared to the other gantzers, even Tsuneo, and he was even weaker now. So he surrendered and watched from the distance Ryuuji and Kaze kill the beast, while Kaiji was cutting down the giants.

Tsuneo observed them too, astonished. These guys, they were monsters ! Ryuuji must be a boxer, he was fighting with his fists. But such power… Only one of his punches was enough to send the beast on the ground. Kaze, the strongest man of the group, was tearing one of the monster's head to pieces with his bare hands ! And Kaiji was fighting with two swords, dismembering and beheading the giants with a disconcerting ease… How could such guys exist ? Were they even humans ? For the first time, Tsuneo began to think that they could win this war, finally.

"Hurrah !" the crowd exclaimed, when the aliens had been killed, without a single casualty among the gantzers. It was possible, Tsuneo thought, regaining hope. They could do it. They could survive this war !

Soon after, everyone had been transferred on the surface, and the gantzers were transferred back in the room. It was good to be back in a familiar environment, even for a short time. Tsuneo helped Kyo sit on the floor, against a wall. Kato asked Gantz about the statistics of the concentration camps. It seemed that they had save 60% of the captives. That was good, but they wouldn't stop until everyone was safe. Nishi had stayed here while they were risking their lives, and told them they were 'fucking idiots' to do what they were doing.

Tsuneo wondered why this middle schooler was acting like that. He seemed skilled. He had a Z-gun, that meant he had already had 100 points, he would be helpful if only he wanted to join the group. Someone had to tell him to shut his filthy mouth and help the others, but nobody seemed to care.

"Eh ? What's this thing ?" Kei exclaimed, looking at his phone.

"What is it ?" Reika asked.

"My phone, it's working again. Look."

"Huh ?" she looked at the screen, joined by Toshio and Kaiji.

"Terrorists ? Us ?" Toshio exclaimed, shocked.

"People insult us on the web !" Kaiji shouted, indignant.

In turn, they all went to see what was going on. It seemed that the aliens had broadcast a message, saying that the peace was proclaimed, and that terrorists in black suits were fighting against this peace. It was false, of course, but everyone seemed to believe it ! How could they ? They were risking their lives to save them, and they thought they were terrorists ?

"It doesn't matter !" Kato declared. "We have to save them anyway !"

"Y… Yes !" Yamasaki agreed. "When we save them, they will know that we aren't terrorists !"

It was obvious. Nobody wanted to stop rescuing them just because of that, except Nishi, but it didn't matter since he hadn't wanted to help in the first place. But most of them felt insulted anyway.

All of them were tired, hungry, and a little angry. Not to mention that they were still shocked from the attack of the beast. Ryuuji asked for a break, the time to eat something and get some rest, and they all agreed.

Some of them went out to search for food, while the others could rest a little. When they came back with food, they ate with appetite, needing energy after the fight against the beast. Tsuneo had a stomach ache. Seeing all these dead people was making him sick. But Kyo was in an even worse state, so he ate his share anyway and tried to make Kyo eat too. It was hard. Kyo was feeling nauseous and didn't want to eat. But he finally surrendered and ate a little, not much but enough to feel a little bit better. He drank a lot too, to wash the taste of vomit from his mouth.

After this quick meal, Reika and Kei came to see them. Tsuneo was a little nervous, to be this close to the idol. Ridiculous, Kyo thought.

"Are you ok ?" Kei inquired, worried.

"Y… Yes. I… I'll be ok from now on, I think," he answered, trying to smile reassuringly. With the sleeve of his hoodie, he wiped the sweat from his face.

"You're… Tsuneo, that's it ?" Reika asked to Tsuneo. "It was you who revived Yamasaki ?"

"Y… Yes !" Tsuneo blushed, readjusting his glasses.

"That's impressive, in only two missions you were able to get 100 points !" she exclaimed.

"A… Actually… I got 205 points," he answered, embarrassed. He didn't want to show off, but it was the truth.

"205 points !" Kei shouted, astonished. "Kato, you hear that ?"

"You're amazing Tsuneo !" Reika said. Tsuneo blushed and had a nervous laugh.

"But why don't you have a Z-gun too, if you've got so many points ?" Kei asked.

"Because he also revived me," Kyo said, insisting on the word and throwing a dark look at Reika.

"Y… Yes," Tsuneo confirmed.

"You revived two persons ? Incredible !" Reika exclaimed, impressed. "Since we have time, why don't you tell us everything that happened in Osaka after the Nurarihyon mission ?"

Tsuneo agreed and they all sat on the ground. He told them almost everything. Kei was listening with attention, since he had been dead during this period. Reika seemed interested too. Maybe too much, Kyo thought. Why was she so nice with his Tsuneo ? Even worse, Tsuneo was blushing and stuttering while talking to her. Maybe if he tried to seduce Kei, she would leave Tsuneo alone, Kyo thought. But he was in no state to do it, with all this sweat on his face…

When the story was over, Kei and Reika got up and told everyone to get ready. They would be transferred in five minutes.

"Are you really ok ?" Tsuneo asked, still worried. "You haven't eaten much and you seemed nervous when Reika and Kei were here…"

"Yes, I… I'm ok…" Kyo sighed. He couldn't tell him that he was just jealous… But he had an idea. "Thank you for taking care of me." Looking around to check if Reika could see them, he grabbed Tsuneo's head and languorously kissed him.

After the first shock, Tsuneo gently pushed him back, embarrassed.

"N… Not in front of everyone…" he blushed. But Kyo glanced at Reika and saw that she was blushing too and looking elsewhere.

"Sorry," Kyo smiled, satisfied. It seemed that Kei and some of the other guys were looking at them with disgust, but he couldn't care less.

"You should stay here…" Tsuneo said, coming to his senses and grabbing his shotgun on the ground.

"No ! I… I can come." He picked his Z-gun and got up, but felt dizzy and had to put a hand against the wall not to lose balance.

"Come on, you have to rest. It's better if you stay here…" Tsuneo said, putting a hand on his arm to make him sit again. But Kyo pushed his hand away.

"I told you I'm fine !" he exclaimed weakly. "There's no way I stay behind like a kid !" And there was no way he left Tsuneo alone with Reika…

"Be reasonable…"

"Gantz !" he shouted stubbornly. "Transfer me first !"

Gantz obeyed and Kyo was transferred, disappearing from the room. Sighing, Tsuneo followed him, his shotgun in the hands. It should be alright, he thought. They were just going to save people. If another beast attacked, Kaze and Ryuuji would take care of it, and Kyo wouldn't have to fight.

They arrived in yet another room similar to the others. Kei and Hyoma quickly stopped the current, and the gantzers began saving people again.

For a while, Kyo saved people with the others, but he was forced to stop after saving a dozen of them. His hands were beginning to shake again, and he was breathless and sweating, exhausted by the effort. His fit had left him weaker than he had thought.

He got away from the group, trying to catch his breath. He didn't want to make another fit. And he didn't want Tsuneo to worry either, they didn't have time for that. Taking deep, slow breaths, he managed to calm himself. Damn, he was too weak to even help people going out of the pools…

But he had to do something, he couldn't stay idly by while the others were doing all the work… So he joined the group of naked people who were already on the side, and explained to them that they were going to be transferred soon and that they would have to hide in basements. That was the least he could do, but he felt useless anyway.

"You're ok ?" Tsuneo asked, coming to see him after saving a crying child. He had noticed that Kyo was staying on the side.

"Pfff… You were right…" he admitted reluctantly. "May… Maybe I should have stayed behind… I… I'm ok, but I can't do anything…" Tsuneo put a hand his cheek. His hand felt hot in comparison to his own skin, it was good. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling.

"You… You want Gantz to transfer you back in the room ?" Tsuneo suggested, worried. No, of course he didn't want, but it seemed that he didn't really have a choice. So he just sighed and nodded.

The people they had saved began to be transferred, but the transfer stopped when there were still twenty or thirty people with them.

"Gantz ! What are you waiting for ?" someone shouted.

"Gantz !"

"What's happening ?!"

"The… The transfer doesn't work anymore ?" Tsuneo asked, confused.

Everyone tensed up, feeling that something was wrong.

"Did… something happened to Gantz ?" Kato said anxiously.

"Takeshi…" Kaze whispered. "Gantz ! Bring Takeshi here !" he began shouting, panicked. "Takeshi ! Send me Takeshi !"

"W… What's happening ?" the people said, worried. "I'm afraid…"

But soon, the transfer began again.

"Ah ! We're transferred !" Kato announced.

"We can go back !" Kei added, relieved.

But instead of the well-known Gantz room, they appeared in an old industrial area in ruins.

"What… What is this place ?"

It seems they were still inside the spaceship. Everything was giant, and there wasn't a sky, but another city upside down far above their heads, exactly like when they had been transferred inside the ship by the group of men controlling the spheres. In the distance, they could see skyscrapers and alien buildings. But around them, everything was destroyed and abandoned.

"Gantz !"

"Gantz ! Transfer us in the room !"

"What happened to him… ?"

Nobody understood anything. Gantz couldn't have sent them here on purpose ! There were still civilians with them ! Something must have happened to him. Maybe the group of men controlling the sphere had found a way to transfer them here ?

"Eh ! Stay with us !" Kato shouted to the civilians. All of them were going away, trying to find a way through the destroyed buildings.

"Forget it !" one of them said.

"We're going home !" another declared.

"Stay here !" Reika shouted, but they left anyway.

"What the hell are they thinking ?!" Kei exclaimed angrily, astonished by such stupidity. Were they serious ? Didn't they see that they were still in the spaceship ? They were going to die if they left on their own !

"Kyo, we have to persuade them to come back," Tsuneo said.

"Y… Yea," he agreed. In his state, he thought it was better to stay with Tsuneo, who could calm him if he had another fit.

"I'm coming too," Yamasaki announced, joining them, her shotgun in the hands.

"Be careful…" Kato said to Yamasaki, worried. She smiled sadly.

"We're pretty weak, the three of us. It's pretty much the only thing we can do."

Kyo was a little annoyed to be considered weak, but in his state he couldn't really argue… So he bit his lip but didn't say anything, and followed Tsuneo and Yamasaki. The civilians were already far away, making their way through the rubbles.

"Please, come back !" Tsuneo shouted.

"Come back ! It's not Tokyo here !" Yamasaki added, but the people weren't listening.

"What are they talking about ?"

"Leave us alone !" they said, continuing to walk in a random direction.

"What the hell ?" Yamasaki exclaimed, distressed.

"Damn, I can't believe it !" Kyo shouted angrily.

"They're completely ignoring us…" Tsuneo said.

Suddenly, the crowd stopped. In front of them, other people were sitting in a circle.

"Is… Is it another concentration camp ?" someone asked. But one of the 'people' in front of them got up and looked at them.

He looked like a human, but he was definitely not human, Tsuneo thought with horror. He was naked and skinny as a rail. His skin was grey and reflected the dim light of the building. His eyes were entirely white, and he had a strange sculpture standing on his bald head. Or was it an antenna ? Anyway, this thing was not human.

"Woah ! What the hell are those guys !"

"Th… They're aliens ?" Kyo asked, nervous, as his hands began shaking again. He breathed deeply. That was bad, he wasn't ready to fight.

"Cluck ?" the alien said, looking at them with his white eyes. The others began getting up too and saying "Cluck, cluck, cluck."

"What the… ?"

"Gross !"

"Awful !" the people said.

"Cluck, cluck…" the aliens continued, beginning to walk toward them. People were beginning to panic, crying and not knowing what to do.

"Co… Come back here !" Tsuneo exclaimed, afraid too.

"Let's go back to where we arrived !" Yamasaki shouted.

Damn, these people were so stupid, Kyo thought. He felt a bead of sweat rolling on his forehead, as his heartrate increased. All his body was aching and he was feeling dizzy, he couldn't fight in these conditions !

"Oh no… What's that… ?" Yamasaki asked, distressed. Tsuneo looked at the ceiling, where she was pointing. All the ceiling was covered with aliens, looking like insects or lizards. He gulped, looking at the aliens, helpless. That was sure now, they would die. Kyo was in no state to fight, and Yamasaki and him weren't really good fighters… Without Kato and the others, they were doomed.

Suddenly, a spider-like alien jumped from the ceiling in the middle of the crowd, soon followed by others. Everyone was screaming, trying to run in every direction, but there were too many of these creatures.

A huge lizard-like alien fell sluggishly on the ground. It was monstrous ! At least 6 meters long, with eyes as big as a human head and mandibles big enough to catch an adult man. The people froze and fell silent, trying not to attract its attention.

"Wha… What do we do ?" Tsuneo stuttered. He was afraid. If only Kato was there, he would know what to do…

Other aliens came in the crowd, wandering, turning around people. They were coming closer and closer, beginning to touch people. It looked like they were testing their limits, trying to determine if the humans were potential preys or predators.

"Think… think…" Yamasaki repeated to herself, her heartrate increasing.

A kind of giant fly jumped on a man and began exploring his body, feeling his head under its mandibles, then going to his chest, and descending toward his belly.

"Raahh ! I'll kill you ! I'll smash your fucking head !" the man yelled, catching the alien in his hands. He threw it on the ground and crushed it with his foot, spilling blood and mucus everywhere on the ground. Shouting, he began attacking the other aliens with his bare fists.

Tsuneo watched him fight, too shocked to do anything. But the man was doing quite well. He had managed to kill several of these aliens without getting hurt.

"Yeah !"

"Awesome !"

"You're the man !" the others were acclaiming.

Feeling galvanized, the man decided to fight against one of the lizard-like creatures.

"You can do it !"

"Kick his ass, old man !"

"You're the best !"

"Get out of the way ! We can't fire !" Yamasaki and Tsuneo shouted to the crowd, but they were ignored. They couldn't fire at the aliens with all these people around.

The man began punching the lizard's head, under the acclamations of the others. But the lizard was tougher than the other aliens. His skin was harder. The man's hands were bleeding, but he continued fighting. Once, the lizard attacked with his paw, but the man dodged.

"Go for his eyes !" someone shouted.

But too late. The lizard caught the man in one of his giant paws and began devouring him. The crowd fell silent for a second, shocked, then began panicking, screaming and running in every direction.

Without wasting more time, both Tsuneo and Yamasaki fired at the lizard's head, making it explode.

"I'm taking care of them ! Go search for Kato and the others !" Yamasaki yelled, raising her shotgun to fire at another alien.

"It's madness ! We have to stay together !" Tsuneo cried.

The other aliens had begun attacking too, killing people, impaling them on their long appendixes, biting and devouring them.

"Everyone, get behind us !" Yamasaki ordered.

"Kyo ! What are you doing ?! Help us !" Tsuneo shouted, looking around to search for Kyo. He was behind, sitting on the ground, his head in his hands. He didn't seem to even realize what was happening around him. "Damn, we don't have time for that !" Tsuneo cried, killing another alien. They didn't have a choice, they would have to do it without Kyo.

Around them, people were dying everywhere, helpless. Cursing, Tsuneo dodge a spider's leg and fired at its body, making it explode. Immediately after, he pulled someone from a lizard's mouth and killed it. A giant mollusk alien was crushing people under its numerous legs.

"We have to kill this thing !" Tsuneo shouted.

"Go find Kato and the others !" Yamasaki answered, but he couldn't leave her in this mess. Above all, he couldn't leave Kyo unprotected.

"I can't ! There're too many aliens !" he argued.

They both directed their shotguns at the mollusk creature and fired. It exploded, releasing thousands of small luminous balls, floating in the air.

Time seemed to stop. Everybody was watching these lights, fascinated and afraid. Even the aliens had retreated, interrupting their attack. Tsuneo gulped. He had a bad feeling. These lights, whatever they were, it couldn't be good.

"D… Don't touch the lights !" he shouted, without even realizing it. For the first time, the civilians obeyed without protesting. Everyone was scared of these lights, without knowing why. It was instinctive.

The lights were slowly falling, like snowflakes. People tried to avoid them, watching them fall as if they were hypnotized, captivated.

"Wh… What's this… ?" someone said, touched by a light. The light entered in his arm, under his skin. Several other people were touched.

"This thing… What is it ? Ahh !" a man yelled, when the light, forming a bubble under his skin, began running on his body, going to his head.

"No ! No ! Ahh !" a woman watched him, helpless and frightened.

"Ahh ! Ouch ! My… My head ! It hurts ! Argh ! It hurts so much !" the man complained. Blood was pouring from the top of his head. "Arghh !"

"Gyaaah !" the woman screamed, as arms began coming out of the man's head. Arms, and feet, and heads, and blood, a lot of blood.

Tsuneo was dumbfounded. He observed the scene without moving, the fear growing in his chest. This man was turning into a monster ! A pile of arms, legs, heads, mouths, screaming in pain ! Around them, other people were turning into monsters too. And these monsters began killing everyone around them, causing chaos and panic.

"Im… Impossible…" Tsuneo whispered, his lower lip trembling as he watched them with round eyes. In front of him, one of the monsters exploded, spreading blood everywhere.

"Tsuneo ! Kill them ! Fire !" Yamasaki shouted, pointing her shotgun at another monster. On the ground, the remnants of the first monster's body began moving again, creating new heads and legs and screaming in pain. "Tsuneo !" Yamasaki cried again, overtaken by the events.

"Y… Yes !" he finally reacted, pointing his shotgun at the creature that was once human, crawling on the ground in front of him. It exploded, finally dead. But other monsters were everywhere around !

Yelling, Tsuneo threw himself in the battle with Yamasaki. How... How such thing could exist ! They couldn't fight against such abominations ! Everyone around them was dying, eaten by these monsters.

Jumping over a corpse, he fired at a monster's head, making it explode, but it had several other heads ! He fired again and again, and the monster was screaming, more arms growing out of its body. It finally died, but another monster was coming from the left. Without wasting time, Tsuneo aimed at it. A hand caught his foot from behind, sending him to the ground. With a scream, he kicked the hand, from which a leg was growing, and quickly fired at it. Another monster caught him, and he struggled, crying and yelling. He hit the monster with his elbow before it could bit him, sending it to the ground because of the suit's power, and killed it. A few meters away, Yamasaki was fighting with all her might too, firing, kicking, hitting in every direction, and yelling.

It wasn't a fight they could win ! Tsuneo realized with horror that they were fighting against human beings ! These… things they were killing, they were humans, they were victims, and they were killing them ! Now they were fighting against themselves, as if the aliens weren't enough ! But they didn't have a choice, these monsters were killing the other humans !

Panting and crying, Tsuneo fired one last time at a monster, finally relieving the pain of the person it once was. Yamasaki was on the ground, blood running from her nose. Trying to catch her breath, she slowly got up. Tsuneo had been injured too. Blood was running from his nose and mouth, and one of his teeth was broken. His glasses were cracked, making it hard to see correctly. Both their suits were broken, a thick black fluid coming out of the caps. Behind them, people were crying, afraid and horrified by the slaughter.

"Th… This time… It's the end…" Yamasaki said in despair.

Above their heads, more aliens were coming. These ones were stronger and bigger. One of them was different. It was giant, its shape was globally human, but it didn't have a head. Instead, long appendixes were coming out of its neck. It had a face on its chest. Tsuneo felt his heart miss a beat when he saw the expression of pain on its face. This time, he was really going to die, he could feel it in his heart.

The aliens landed on the ground with a great noise. Tsuneo didn't even have time to raise his shotgun. One of the aliens hurled its claws toward him.

"Yeaargh !" Tsuneo screamed, feeling his right foot explode. He fell on the ground, overwhelmed by the pain. "Aaahh ! My foot ! My foot !"

"Oh no… It's the end !" Yamasaki shouted. "I'll never go back home !"

Tsuneo was plunged in a river of pain. He was holding his leg, helpless. He was bleeding too much. He felt the life leaving his body. His mind was already becoming cloudy. He would die here.

That's when he saw him. An angel flying over their heads. An angel sent to save him, once again. Shouting, Kato jumped over their heads, raising his sword. Tsuneo's eyes closed themselves, the pain was too much to bear.

He heard voices around him, people fighting. Kato was here, he would save them all. It was alright, if Kato was here. Everything would be fine. But Tsuneo felt his strengths disappear. It was the end for him. He would die here, in this spaceship. He should have stayed in Osaka. He should have listened to Kyo…

"Yo," someone said. His mind was cloudy, he couldn't recognize the voice. He wasn't even sure that he had heard it. But he felt a hand on his leg and his suit being ripped, so he opened his eyes with difficulty.

"To… Toshio ?" he asked weakly, recognizing the middle aged man. Toshio had a half-smile. He was knotting a piece of suit around his leg, forming a tourniquet to prevent him to bleed to death.

"Ca… Can we still… be transferred ?" Tsuneo asked. It was hard talking. It was hard even breathing.

"Transferred ? Well… Frankly, it seems compromised…"

"You… You mean… we can't go… back in the room ?"

"It looks like it…" Toshio sighed. Tsuneo felt a knot forming in his throat. So he would really die here… They would all die here… Kyo… Where was he ? Was he already dead ?

"Did… Did anyone… else… died ?" he asked with difficulty. Toshio didn't answer for a while.

"Makoto... died…" he finally said. For a second, Tsuneo felt relieved. Kyo was not dead yet ! But Makoto… He was one of the good fighters, wasn't he ?

"Makoto… really died ? Ma… Makoto… Then we're all… gonna die…" he sighed. Toshio didn't answer. He must know too that they were all doomed. "This thing… on the ceiling… you see it ?"

"Yes, I see it," Toshio answered.

"If… If it fights us… it will be the end… right ?"

"Hum… Maybe. On the other hand, I wouldn't count us out yet… These things are monstrous but… On our side too, we have monsters…" Saying this, he was watching the others fighting. Mary, and Kaze, and Ryuuji, they were killing the beasts with their bare hands and feet. Such power couldn't exist… Kei, Kato and Hyoma were cutting the aliens with their swords, but the most impressive was Kaiji, fighting with two swords and dodging the aliens' attack with such ease. He was moving so fast, helped by the suit, that he was blurry.

"We can do it ! We can kill them !" Kei shouted.

"Man, who are these guys…" Toshio sighed, impressed. "Incredible… And to think that they all ended up in the same team…"

Could they really do it ? Toshio seemed to keep hope. Maybe… Maybe they were going to make it, Tsuneo thought. Maybe they would survive, against all odds ? Kato was able to do it, surely. But himself… He couldn't see how he would survive now. His foot was cut, and even with the tourniquet, he had lost too much blood. That was sure now, he wasn't going to survive. He would never come home. He would never see his family again. His family was probably already dead anyway…

And Chie, he would never see her laugh again. It was amazing, how he had become attached to the little girl in such a short time. He felt linked to her. Since this night in Italy, their fate had been linked together. But he would never saw her again. She would be alone from now on…

Kyo… He would never see Kyo again either. He wished he could see him one last time before dying. He wished he could hold him in his arms and kiss his delicate lips, once more. He wished he had time to tell him that he loved him and that he was happy to have revived him. But it was too late…

"Where… Where is Kyo…" he whispered weakly. "Find… Kyo, please…"

Toshio nodded and left his side.

Kyo was curled up in a corner, his head in his hands, crying and sweating. He couldn't move. He couldn't hold back his tears. All his body was shaking uncontrollably. And this pain in his chest, it was awful ! All his muscles and bones were hurting, but his chest was the worst. It had to stop… He couldn't bear the pain anymore…

If only Tsuneo was here, he would know what to do… He would know how to calm him… If he felt Tsuneo's arms around his body, he would surely fell less cold and calm down. Tsuneo… What was it again ? Deep, slow breaths ? But he couldn't breathe deeply, the pain was excruciating ! All he could do was pant like a dog and chatter his teeth…

"Hey girlie, are you ok ? You don't seem fine…" someone said.

Kyo raised his tearful eyes to the newcomer, trying to understand his words. It was the old guy, what was his name again ? Toshiya ? No, Toshio ? What did this old guy want ? Couldn't he leave him alone ? He was in no state to speak to people right now... Wait… Girlie ?

"I'm… not… a girl…" he managed to pronounce through his chattering teeth. Damn, this old guy was senile or what ?

"Really ? Oh… Sorry…" Toshio said, surprised. He muttered to himself something that looked like 'kids these days…' before continuing. "Anyway, what happened to you ? Are you harmed ?"

Kyo didn't understand the meaning of this question. All he could do was shivering.

"It hurts… it… it hurts…" he kept repeating.

"Can you get up ? Tsuneo told me to find you."

Tsuneo ? Why was this old guy talking about Tsuneo ? Where was he anyway ? If only he was here, it would be easier. Everything would be alright…

"Tsu… Tsuneo…" Kyo whispered, helpless.

Suddenly, he felt himself leave the solid ground and rise in the air. What the hell was happening now ? He felt sick, lifted in the air like that.

"Stop struggling !" Toshio argued. Kyo realized that the old guy was carrying him in his arms and taking him somewhere. He should be ashamed, to be carried like a child, but right now he was too sick to care. All he knew was that it was giving him vertigo. His head was spinning and he heard himself moan weakly.

Tsuneo felt his heart miss a beat when he saw Toshio come back, carrying Kyo's body in his arms. Did… Did something happened to Kyo ? Was he hurt ? Was he… dead ? No, he couldn't be dead, he was flailing in Toshio's arms, Tsuneo noticed with relief. But then, why was he being carried ? Was he having a fit again ?

"Found him," Toshio announced, putting Kyo on the ground next to Tsuneo.

"It hurts… cold… s… so much…" Kyo was saying, all his body shivering. He didn't seem to have seen Tsuneo.

"K… Kyo…" he called weakly. Kyo started and looked around, trying to find him.

"Tsu… Tsuneo," he sobbed, his lips trembling. "Where… where are you… ?"

Tsuneo felt the tears filled his eyes. It was the last time he saw Kyo, since he was going to die. He didn't want to remember him like that. He didn't want to remember the crying Kyo, lost and weak. He wanted to remember the awesome fighter who had saved his live so many times. The lively boy he had fell in love with.

"Kyo…" he repeated, catching one of his shaking hands. It was hard moving, but he had to.

"Tsuneo !" Kyo cried, suddenly seeing him. "Wh… Where were you… ? I nee… need you…" Tsuneo sighed. Kyo didn't seem to understand the situation. Maybe he wasn't even aware that the aliens had attacked.

"I… I'm dying, Kyo…" he said, feeling the tears rolling on his cheeks to the ground.

"Dy… Dying ? What are you… talking about !" Kyo answered, confused. "What's this… this… thing, on your face ?" He touched Tsuneo's face and watched his reddened fingers with horror.

"Blood…" Tsuneo whispered. "I'm dying… I won't last long…"

Seeing the blood seemed to make Kyo snap out of it. He suddenly heard how weak Tsuneo's voice was. He could suddenly hear the despair in it. He looked at Tsuneo, horrified, and finally saw his leg.

"Oh no… Tsu… Tsuneo… what happened… ?" he asked, his hands still shaking. How was it possible ? What the hell had happened while he was crying on the ground like a child ?

"The… The aliens…" Tsuneo answered faintly. "I'll die soon… Kyo, I… I want to tell you… before I die… I love you…"

"No ! Shut up !" Kyo cried, frightened. "You're not going to die ! I won't let you die !"

"Reviving you was… the right choice. Yes, I… I made the right choice…"

"Stop it ! You can't die ! You can't !" He tried to shake him, but it was useless.

"Kyo… One last time… K… Kiss me, please…" he pleaded, crying. Kyo was frozen. He looked at Tsuneo's white, bloodless lips and knew that he wasn't going to survive. It was just a matter of time now. Slowly, he leaned over Tsuneo and pressed their lips together, for the last time. He couldn't hold back his tears. They were falling on Tsuneo's face, wetting the dried blood on his cheeks. His lips were so cold… Why couldn't he protect him ? Why wasn't he able to protect him at the end ? He should have been the one dying ! He should have given his life to protect Tsuneo ! He should have fought at his side and saved him !

"I'll kill them…" he whispered, gritting his teeth. "I'll do it myself… I'll kill them all…"

"No… stay here…" Tsuneo complained, but Kyo couldn't hear him anymore. He got up and took his sword, obsessed by the idea. It was the only thing in his mind now. Killing. He had to kill them. He took a deep breath. His hands weren't shaking anymore, his chest wasn't hurting anymore. He could do it !

"Kyo, no…" Tsuneo cried at his feet, but he ignored him. He could do it. He had to do it. His hands tightened firmly around his sword. Tsuneo tried to sit up, but he couldn't move. He watched helplessly as Kyo ran toward the enemy.

The others were already fighting, but there were a lot of aliens, and they were powerful. Raising his sword above his head, Kyo jumped, and cut an alien's arm. He dodged a claw, and cut another arm. Taking a deep breath, he jumped again and beheaded the alien. He could do it. It wasn't so hard, now that the pain had disappeared.

He ran toward another alien, immediately cutting its legs in a broad movement. The alien fell on the ground, and he jumped on it, driving his sword deep in its chest. Another alien threw its arm in his direction, but he avoided it, feeling its claws passing two centimeters from his face. He took a step back, but quickly recovered and charged against the beast, yelling. Raising his blade, he cut the alien in half. But he hadn't seen the tail, or was it a tentacle, coming to his right.

"No ! Kyo !" Tsuneo screamed. The tentacle sent Kyo fly in the air and crash against a wall, far away. He couldn't even see where he had crashed.

Tsuneo tried to get up, but he was too weak, and he couldn't walk with his leg. But he had to help Kyo ! He had to do something ! He used his last strengths to crawl on the ground, hardly dragging himself forward.

"Stop it ! You can't go there !" Toshio exclaimed, catching him.

"Kyo !" he only yelled, despaired. He struggled to escape, but he was too weak. Why was Toshio stopping him ? Why was he preventing him to go help Kyo ? It was ridiculous ! Didn't he see that Kyo needed help ?

"It's over ! He's already dead ! You can't do anything !" Toshio shouted. Tsuneo suddenly stopped struggling. His body fell limp in Toshio's arm as all his strengths were abandoning him. Dead ? Kyo ? It couldn't be true… He couldn't be dead… Toshio didn't know what he was talking about. Kyo couldn't die like that, he couldn't die…

"N… No…" he only muttered, a knot in the throat. He knew he would see Kyo get up in an instant and go back in the battle. Then why was his chest hurting so much suddenly ? Why was he feeling so despaired all of a sudden ? He couldn't move anymore. He couldn't say anything anymore. He could only stare blankly where Kyo had been a second before and cry all the tears of his body.

"You have heard Kato earlier…" Toshio said. "Only one attack and it's over… I'm sorry, Kyo is dead…"