Author's Note

Part 2!

Cue: Twister -NEO- (NEO: The World Ends With You)

The group goes to Tipsy Tose Hall and find Hishima. "Hey, is that...?" Fret let out.

"Hishima... Uh, hey." Shoka greeted.

"Well met, Wicked Twisters, EDENS ZERO, and Variabeauties." Hishima greeted back.

"Hi, Hishima. We wanted to talk to you about something." Rebecca said.

"Your expression suggest that said "something" is quite unpleasant." Hishima pointed out. "I've already received word from the Shibuya Reapers asking to suspend the Game. Has the situation changed?"

"Sort of. We haven't turned back time yet, but I have a feeling that we might need to, so we had to talk to you just in case." Rebecca told.

"Ah. Which means your plan to save Shibuya and Honnouji would have been unsuccessful." Hishima hummed. "Are my persuasive powers insufficient in changing the minds of Shiba and Ragyo?"

"I have no doubt in my mind that you would be able to change their minds. The thing is, it probably wouldn't be enough. We're gonna need you to convince them to join our cause." Ryuko replied.

"Quite the tall order." Hishima huffed.

"I know... But do you think you can give it a try?" Rindo asked.

"Is this my first attempt?"

"We haven't turned back time yet, so... yeah."

"Hm. I shall try, but enlisting their aid will doubtless be difficult." Hishima answered.

"You think so?"

"Indeed. I've not seen Shiba cooperate with any other Shinjuku Reaper once in all the years I've known him. ...Heh. No, I jest."

"Questionable comedic timing..." Nagi notified.

"Yet while I may be able to persuade them to halt their actions, persuading them to CHANGE their actions is another beast entirely. Would I were only able to imprint a new idea in those stubborn heads of theirs..."

"That would certainly make things easier..." Fret commented.

"If you could find two people to show them the error of their ways, then perhaps there is hope yet." Hishima declared.

"I think that would be where I come in."

The group turns and sees Tsugumi appear. "Tsugumi..." Hishima called. "So you are awake..."

"Yeah. Thanks to her." Tsugumi looked at Nui.

"Hm. I see." Hishima hummed.

"Say. What can we do to help?" Rindo brought up.

"You having trouble calculating the distortion?"

The group looks over and sees Sho Minamimoto. "Huh?"

"Mr. Minami!?" Rindo and Fret respectively gasped before Nagi sobs in comprehensibly.

"You... Whatchu doing here, Pi-Face!?" Beat growled.

"Just came to check my figures." Sho said. "See what that little variable I integrated can do, y'know?"

"Unfortunately, I don't. But does this mean we can leave the Noise to you?" Neku asked.

"H-Hold up, Phones!" Beat exclaimed.

"Listen. We need to go see Shiba and Ragyo as soon as possible. Whaddaya say? Can you lend us a hand here? For Shibuya's sake?" Neku asked again.

"Hmph. The only "sake" that interests me is my own." Sho huffed.

"All the more reason to help us, then. I know you've got your sights set on this city." Neku pointed out.

"Kweh!?" Fret grunted.

"And you can't take it over if it gets erased." Neku added.

"Heh..." Sho let out.

"Sho. We're doing everything we can to save the city and us." Rebecca told.

"...Heh. I've already factorized the garbage you created, masked zeptogram. Turns out it's a project of the rejected cognitive energy of Souls lost to time. And that energy keeps multiplying. All the cognitive energy that would've been history gets replaced with a brand new set of thoughts. But now that old cognitive energy's got nowhere to go. It's just waste." Sho explained.

"And all that energy is stored in here, in this pin..." Rindo hummed, showing his Player Pin which looks quite different. "Every time we changed our fate, the Noise grew stronger... And now, it might be really strong, but we still stand a chance."

"Your odds of winning are close to zero, but not equivalent. If you align similar figures to the original Souls' coordinates, you can overwrite them. By taking the cognitive trash you created with that pin, and replacing all those lost souls with the living souls of Shibuya and Honnouji." Sho declared. "But in order to do that, you'll need to awaken the people's consciousness."

"What do you mean by that?" Nonon asked.

"Can't beat that trash while Shibuya and Honnouji are still inoperative. I'll leave the rest of the calculations to you." Sho answered before leaving.

"...Beat. Can you relay what Minamimoto said to Rhyme?" Satsuki brought up. "She and Kaie might figure out a way to stop that Noise."

"Oh, fo' sho! You got it, girl! So, uh... What the hell did Pi-Face say exactly?" Beat tried to remember.

"How about this: I talk, you type." Neku offered.

After going to Dogenzaka to talk to Rhyme and Kaie, the group comes up with a plan: Neku syncs up with the consciousness of the people of Shibuya and Honnouji, Beat backing him up, Nagi dives into those minds, Fret gives them a reminder, and Tsugumi uses her own psych to give them the vision.

Scramble Crossing

"And now... time to get to Shiba... and Ragyo." Ryuko said.

"...Ryuko." Nui called.

"It's cool." Ryuko told before Nui could say anything. "You don't have to talk to her if you don't want to. We'll find a way."

"...I want to. I have a feeling that... if I don't... she won't cooperate. And then... we'll..." Nui let out before the group gets to Shiba, Ragyo, and Hououmaru.

End Song and Cue: Unpainted (NEO: The World Ends With You)

"Well, look who it is, Ragyo, Hououmaru: Our favorite sheeple..." Shiba declared.

"Shiba. Ragyo. Hououmaru. Listen." Tsugumi asked of as she and Hishima appear.

"Tsugumi? And you..." Shiba glared at Hishima. "Quite the odd couple."

"Not to mention the motley crew standing behind you..." Ragyo added.

"We need your help. Please." Nui pleaded.

"...Is that really you in there? Nui, Tsugumi?" Ragyo asked.

"They're as real as they've ever been." Neku answered for them. "For Tsugumi, someone sealed her soul inside that doll, and now she's finally free. For Nui, she's more curious about humanity than spiteful thanks to Ryuko. This was no "corruption" as you corrupted her yourself. Cross entering the picture made things even worse."

"...What a pleasant surprise." Ragyo grimaced. "In any case, the Game is still afoot. I'd appreciate it if you stayed out of our way."

"Perhaps you haven't heard, but the rules have been revised. I'd be mortified if I were caught abiding by outdated protocol." Hishima replied.

"Never thought we'd see the day when YOU'D be offering US advice... but go on." Hououmaru allowed. "Enlighten us. What have we missed? Who had the audacity to revise the rules of OUR Game without OUR permission?"

"There's only one person we would know that would do that: Tanzo Kubo." Rindo said. Shiba, Ragyo, and Hououmaru looked surprised. "He's made sure this Game would end in total chaos."

"How would you know that? And why should we believe you?" Hououmaru raised a question.

"Because I saw him." Michiru spoke up. "And heard him too."

Flashback

As the group was exiting TOKYU HANDS, Michiru stopped before turning her ears into that of a rabbit's. "Once the pieces are in place, Shibuya and Honnouji are done for..." She heard. "And so will THIS Game and everyone in it~ Nyeheh! A shame I couldn't make Ragyo, Shiba, Nui, and Hououmaru into the pawns I want, but hey. Can't win them all."

End of Flashback

"He's using us to erase Shibuya and Honnouji." Michiru told.

"Which is precisely what we want as well." Ragyo commented.

"No, you don't." Rebecca shook her head.

Flashback

Rebecca, Ryuko, and Rindo saw a vision of the future where the trio see their friends and allies, Ragyo, Shiba, and Hououmaru getting erased.

End of Flashback

"We've seen the future, and neither of you survive. You three get swallowed up by the Noise, just as he planned." Rebecca declared. The three were shocked to say the least.

"He used Shiba to erase Shinjuku. That's the reason Kubo approached him in the first place. I have reason to believe he may be an Angel sent to destroy the city." Tsugumi added.

"An Angel...!?" Shiba exclaimed.

"Assuming he is, everything begins to make sense. He hid among the shadows, granting you the powers that would help him erase Shinjuku. Then, he donned the guise of a Reaper, and began to monitor those of us who survived." Tsugumi explained.

"Kaie and Susukichi immediately noticed a change in your demeanor. They suspected foul play and sought to uncover the truth. Sadly, their efforts proved to be futile, as would any opposition toward a being of the Higher Plane." Hishima said.

"...So you're saying that we were made into some sort of puppets... made to dance by this charlatan...!?" Ragyo growled.

"Yeah. It must've been exhausting for you to have your strings pulled. Even more so for Shiba, who had those strings pulled for three years..." Nui nodded. "You left your friends behind in your single-minded lust for power."

"What are you talking about? YOU left US behind!" Ragyo snarled.

"...I know... I'm sorry... But I'm trying to make it up to you. By saving you from Kubo." Nui apologized. "Because I'm worried about you..." She declared, tears in her eye. "Can't you hear it: my heart, crying out in pain, just like Shiba's friends from this world...? Kaie... Susukichi... Ayano... Shoka... even Hishima... None of them could bear to look at the monster Shiba became. And ever since he obtained his new powers, he shut Tsugumi out. He stopped listening... But you never stopped listening to me. Even now, after I left you, you're still here, listening to me... And I can't thank you enough for that..."

"Darling... I ask this of you with all the love I have left for you. Get to the point." Ragyo ordered.

"And can you blame me? Tsugumi kept showing me these depressing visions... I couldn't let myself get distracted by them..." Shiba added.

"The point, maman... is please... Allow Tsugumi to show you, Shiba, and Hououmaru the truth you've been ignoring. The hour of reckoning is drawing near." Nui told.

"Just once, I need you three to see what cruel fate awaits us." Tsugumi asked of.

"All of us. That means you too." Rindo proclaimed.

"Shiba. Ragyo. Hououmaru. Open your hearts to us." Tsugumi pleaded. Shiba, Ragyo, and Hououmaru reluctantly comply.

Vision

The three of them see Hishima, Shoka, Nui, Tsugumi, Keebo, and themselves disappearing, trying to fight the Noise that swarmed all over them.

End of Vision

"...What is that bird...?" Ragyo huffed.

"We don't know, but we're guessing that it's an enormous amalgam of Noise." Rindo said. "One that grows stronger whenever I turn back time. What we're guessing is that Kubo set a timer, and when it runs out, the Noise will emerge from this pin and devour us all. We have to stop it. But we're going to need your help."

"Hm. And what, pray tell, will happen to our Game?" Shiba brought up.

"Is that all you can think of in our hour of need?" Hishima asked back.

"You misunderstand. We'll gladly help you take care of the Noise created by Kubo. Our concern lies with what happens AFTER the battle is won." Ragyo replied.

"...Fine. If it's a fight you want, I'm game." Ryuko declared. Shiba and Ragyo chuckle... then laugh.

"Then it's time for a pestilent resurgence!" The two exclaimed happily.

Cue: Before My Body Is Dry (Kill La Kill)

"You mean...?" Nui let out.

"The Plague. It eats through planar boundaries. That Noise will be nothing." Hououmaru boasted.

"Besides. That abhorrent Angel was kind enough to bless me with these powers. Shouldn't let them burn a hole in my pocket." Shiba added.

"Thank you..."

"Seriously. Thank you." Tsugumi and Shoka respectively thanked.

"Ryuko. I can see why Nui opened her eyes to you after all you two have done to each other and your respective relatives. You still holds animosity towards me, I take it?" Ragyo asked.

"...Until you actually help out." Ryuko smirked. Ragyo chuckles.

"Well, if we are to stand a chance, we'll need to turn to heat up higher than ever before. Hishima, Tsugumi, Ayano, Nui, lend us a hand. We need you to rouse the citizens of Shibuya and Honnouji from their stupor. Light them up, and set their souls ablaze!" Shiba growled excitedly.

"Welcome back, old friend." Hishima smiled.

"It's funny... I haven't felt a fever like this in years... Now let's get out there and burn this Game to the ground." Shiba ordered.

END OF EPISODE