UNITY FORCE STORIES
CHAPTER 14: Kozakura, Meet Fate
DISCLAIMER: All characters in the story are not owned by me, save for my OCs.
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[Shakujii Park, Normal Earth]
The next day at Shakujii Park in Normal Earth, we see Akari Seto approaching the gates of Kozakura's mansion, which for some reason is eerily empty and silent, whom she is suspecting trouble in the first place. Beside Akari, however, are some of the Unity Force students, which includes Chito, Yuuri, Sorawo Kamikoshi, and Toriko Nishina.
After Chito and Yuuri recounted the tale of what they have heard from Akira "Labyrista" Mosakuji about her encounter with Kozakura and her rather choleric behaviour, they decided to ask Sorawo, Toriko, and Akari for assistance, in regards to the Otherside researcher's residence.
Beside Akari is a young woman with long red hair that is tied up in a ponytail at the back of her head with bangs hanging on the right side while she has black roots and brown eyes. She is also wearing a grey tracksuit. This is Natsumi Ichikawa, Akari Seto's childhood friend. Because of her looks, anyone's first impression would be that Natsumi is a delinquent, in spite of the fact that it is the complete opposite of what she is.
Currently, Chito is seen wearing a casual outfit that consists of a short-sleeved, red plaid flannel shirt, blue denim pants, and brown boots, which gives her a tomboyish look. It is also compounded with her hair, which is now shoulder-length, which she cut it. Yuuri, on the other hand, is seen in a gyaru fashion, which consists of a light pink blouse, black skirt, and black boots. Her hair is tied to a side ponytail with a green scrunchie.
"Seriously?" Chito asked. "Why did you wear that kind of fashionable outfit?" She asked her friend in confusion.
"What's wrong with it?" Yuuri asked in sarcasm. "Besides, it's a refresher, rather than wearing the same outfit we have been wearing for a long time." She ended.
"You're looking more of a fashionista in a whore house than a normal human being." Chito derisively snorted.
"Whoa there, Chito-san!" Toriko said.
"Awww, that's not nice!" Yuuri pouted.
"Ugh..." Chito uttered. "Why did I even bring you here?" She ended.
"Besides the fact." Sorawo said. "We are here to visit Kozakura-san and check on her." She ended.
"Not only that, but she's been absent for several weeks in the Unity Force Academy, which is before all this unbelievable revelation from Akira-san about her strange personality even happened." Yuuri said.
"She didn't even answer our calls for several times." Toriko ended.
"Given she often secludes herself for most of the time, it comes to no surprise." Sorawo claimed.
"But this is completely unusual even for her." Chito said.
"Yeah." Yuuri said. "Even some of the Class 1 students, as well as Class 2 and 3 students were futile in their efforts to find her and ask her what really goes on." She ended.
"Before we can check on her." Akari said. "Nattsun, did you see anything out of the ordinary or even strange in relation to Kozakura-san or anything related to her?" She questioned.
"Come to think of it, Kozakura-san came to my shop for her car to be fixed, a week ago, for engine problems." Natsumi said. "But the time that she came there was the strangest." She ended.
"Like what do you mean?" Toriko asked.
"She came by at 9:45 P.M." Natsumi said.
"Whoa..." Yuuri said.
"Why would she come at that time for her car to be fixed?" Toriko suspected.
"I have no idea, but I always close the shop at 8:00 P.M." Natsumi added. "That's when I realised something was off, when my home was being bombarded with the sound of the buzzer for every five seconds." She ended, before proceeding to recount the events that happened, just a week ago. "And that's when I realise Kozakura-san was acting in an embittered manner." She ended.
"Hope this is not like the Sannukikano incident, one year ago." Sorawo said.
Flashback...
A week ago, at 9:45 P.M., in Natsumi's house, we see Natsumi in her bedroom, who was proceeding to sleep. Until she suddenly heard the sound of a buzzer coming from outside of her home, where it repeated over and over again for five seconds, until she has no choice but to open the gate and see it for herself. But to her relief, it was Kozakura, albeit she bears a rather strange face that she hasn't had seen in years, more so after her, Sorawo, Toriko, and Akari encountering the entity known as Sannukikano, a year ago.
Kozakura's outfit, on the other hand, was different. She still wore her white shirt, but she was now seen wearing a red hoodless jacket, blue denim pants, and white sneakers. Her hair was much primmer than the usual, which was always known to be unkempt.
"Kozakura-san?" Natsumi questioned. "What are you doing here at a time like this?" She asked the researcher.
"I need you to fix my car's engines, since it broke down in the middle of the trip." Kozakura added, before taking out some cash from her pocket. "Here, I'll pay you." She ended.
"But the shop has been in closing hours since 8:00 P.M." Natsumi said.
"Are you deaf or what?" Kozakura questioned, whose sanity is already losing. "You're the only mechanic I can find here around this town." She retorted maliciously in a choleric manner, which scares Natsumi.
"Hey, calm down there." Natsumi said reassuringly.
"Listen, I have an important visit, so I need you to fix my car!" Kozakura exclaimed annoyingly, almost to the point of losing her composure. "Was the money that I give not enough for you?!" She ended rather abusively, which is in contrast to her usual personality.
"I-I mean it is enough!" Natsumi said, before she proceeds to take the bills of cash from Kozakura. "Let me prepare myself for a second! Just bring your car here." She ended, before she runs back to her family's garage and to her home.
"Seriously..." Kozakura uttered, as she goes out and proceeds to drive her car inside, even if the engine itself is on the verge of completely breaking down.
And with that, Natsumi began her handiwork of fixing Kozakura's car engines, albeit reluctantly, as she knew that something was off the place with the Otherside researcher, as of lately. However, given her being verbally assaulted by Kozakura in a demanding and aggressive manner was something outside of the menagerie of misfortunes that she experienced due to Sannukikano's curse, before Sorawo, Toriko, and Akari dealt with it, a year ago.
Luckily for Kozakura, her car's engines were fixed, an hour later, as the damage was close to severe, but it was not enough to cause permanent vehicular damage completely. Natsumi, on the other hand, felt irregular after doing such a job at night, especially when Kozakura is a part of it.
"So where are you going now from this important visit?" Natsumi asked sceptically.
"To the public cemetery in Hasuda." Kozakura said, while her back is turned away from Natsumi.
"At a time like this?" Natsumi asked sceptically.
"Do I have a choice?" Kozakura snorted.
"Uh, okay?" Natsumi asked. "Out of curiosity, why? Who are you mourning to?" She ended.
"Someone special to me." Kozakura added, before heading inside her vehicle, as she turns it on. "Other than that, it's none of your business." She ended straightly, before she leaves the Ichikawa residence.
"This is something else I've never seen before." Natsumi looked at Kozakura's car leaving the garage.
End of flashback...
"That's exactly what happened." Natsumi said. "I've never believed that at first." She ended.
"That's crazy..." Chito said. "She didn't tell us all of this?" She questioned.
"I guess we have no choice but to check on her." Sorawo said. "I already know something is up, so we should brace ourselves for any Entity of interest or something more than it meets our eyes." She ended, before they found out that the door is unlocked, with Toriko becoming more sceptical about Kozakura's current state.
But once they did in a reluctant manner, however, they are greeted by a sight that they do not want to see.
"What the...?" Sorawo asked.
"Is this even Kozakura's house?" Toriko questioned.
"Everything's out of order." Akari said.
"I've known Kozakura-san for having a messy place like this, but this is topping it all off." Sorawo added.
"Not only that, but the place is a complete mess." Yuuri said. "From books to food wrappers and even papers. This person hardly even cleans this place." She ended.
"Shut it." Chito said. "You're also doing the same thing in the dormitories, as well." She continued. "Regardless, Yuu, did you find anything?" She ended.
[PLAY MUSIC: Otherside Picnic OST - eLdRich]
"I guess the strangest thing I can find here is a picture frame of Kozakura-san." Yuuri said. "Wait, a picture frame?" She ended. "Hey Chii-chan, this might help us!" She called out.
"A picture frame?" Chito asked. "Is this Kozakura-san?" She pondered, as she looks at the picture.
"But who is that little girl beside her?" Yuuri asked.
"Don't know." Chito said.
"Let me see that." Toriko ordered, as Chito gives the picture frame to the blonde-haired woman, before the rest of the group proceed to investigate it.
"Wait, is this Kozakura-san?" Akari asked.
"By the looks of it, yes." Natsumi said. "This must be her, when she was a teenager." She continued.
"Yet we don't know who this young girl beside her is." Sorawo said.
"If I was right, Kozakura-san went to the public cemetery in Hasuda after I fixed her car. If we have the time, hopefully, we should ask someone over she was doing at the cemetery, a week ago." Natsumi said.
"It might take us two hours to even arrive there." Sorawo said.
"Not to mention, we know nothing about this public cemetery." Toriko said.
"The only suspicious thing about this get-up is that she's visiting the cemetery." Natsumi commented.
"And her current behaviour." Chito straightly said. "As mentioned, she was acting rather strange for the last few weeks in Unity Force Academy." She ended.
"But first, we should find where Kozakura is." Sorawo claimed.
"And examine this place first, to know what she is truly hiding." Natsumi added.
And with that, the rest of the quintet later proceed to examine Kozakura's mansion furthermore, as they begin to proceed digging further into the bottom of this unnerving and rather strange mystery that they find themselves getting unwittingly involved even in the most absurd circumstances imaginable. For now, they put their efforts on looking for Kozakura and find more answers why this is happening for the Otherside researcher, and what she is truly hiding that she had to lie for it.
"If Kozakura-san is really that troubled for the past few weeks, then what is she trying to hide in front of us?" Chito said.
"Beats me, but Kozakura-chan is known for her secrecy." Toriko added.
"I guess not anymore." Yuuri said, before picking up a newspaper clipping from September 4, 2013. "Looks like I found a newspaper in one of the shelves lying around." She said.
"And a bunch of picture frames with family photos of her, as well as the mysterious girl standing beside her." Akari said, as she is seen lifting a box full of photos. "Just how close she is to this girl, anyhow?" She questioned.
"This is getting weirder by the moment." Sorawo said.
With Akari examining the box of photos, she later stumbles upon one of the photos within, where she finds one of them that has a suspicious message written at the back. To make things even stranger, most of the faces from the photos are blotted out, except for Kozakura, the girl, and the woman that presumed to be Kozakura's mother. It stated the following: "Izumo family reunion. 8/31/2013", as well as a bunch of scribbled and unscribbled names, which included Kozakura, Miyako, and Reiko.
"So Kozakura-san has a sister named Miyako Izumo?" Akari questioned.
"And if I can tell, this Reiko Izumo has to be their mother." Toriko responded.
"No way..." Sorawo said. "She didn't even mention all of this to us." She uttered in shock.
Unknown to the rest of the group, however, was a ghost girl watching intently at them as she floats into the aether, while eating a pudding cup. From the looks of it, she clearly has an upset and disappointed look on her face, despite her merrily eating pudding, which could be attributed to Kozakura's inability to move on from the past after her death, which the UF group just happened to uncover.
The ghost girl has a petite stature, who has invisible limbs. She also has pale blue hair that is separated into two sections with most of it hanging free down to her knees and two little parts sitting atop her head. She also has red eyes, as well. She is seen wearing an outfit that consists of a peach-coloured scarf that reaches to her legs; her top is a long-sleeved blouse with orange, white, and green-cyan colours, which consists of four orange buttons that form into an x, orange cuffs, frilly hem, and two wing decorations adorned within it; she also wears an orange frilly skirt with white hem, as well as black stockings and green-cyan and orange boots. She is also seen having a giant spoon with a ribbon on top of it that has two stars adorned on it. This is Miyako Izumo, a ghost girl who currently lives in Akira's world, as well as in the Legends of Astrum.
But despite that, however, she was born in Normal Earth, and is revealed to be Kozakura's deceased younger sister.
"No way..." Miyako said, while away from the earshot of the group, as she continues eating pudding. "Why did you never learn from your mistakes, Onee-chan?! Do you think your younger sister will be happy once I found out that you have become like this, eight years later?" She maliciously questioned.
Meanwhile, the rest of the UF group have done their search, and they begin puzzling the pieces altogether.
From the picture, it showed a much younger Kozakura wearing a high school uniform, the girl, and the woman, and other people whose faces were scribbled for unknown reasons. This Miyako, prior to her death, had a black hair that reaches from her back, as well as brown eyes. She was also seen wearing a middle school uniform, as well, and much like Kozakura she was considered petite for a 14-year-old.
"You mean Kozakura-san, after all these years, had a younger sister named Miyako?" Yuuri said.
"Looks like it." Toriko said.
"Not to mention, Miyako Izumo's name was even mentioned in the September 4, 2013 newspaper, along with what seemed to be Reiko and Miyako, who both died from that accident at the same day." Sorawo said.
"So this is why she visited the cemetery? To visit her dead sister and mother?" Natsumi questioned.
"Whoa, so Kozakura-chan pestered you into fixing her car that night, solely because of it?" Toriko exclaimed, with Natsumi nodding.
"Wait, I remembered hearing that from Akira-san." Chito said.
"There's been largely rumours happening in my own world regarding this dead person named Miyako having had an older sister in the past, and how she does not even exist in the first place in our own world, which was suspicious. That is, according to Shinobu herself."
"Akira-san said that her ghost went to another world, which is in 2033, when she told me and Yuu that she doesn't even exist in that world." Chito said. "Not to mention, the strangest thing that we have heard was that she was even playing this video game that Akira-san happened to play, as well." She added.
"Why would Kozakura-san have to lie about this?" Natsumi said.
"She probably does not want to deal with the burden of such a loss." Sorawo said.
"So she decided to forget anything about her family and move on." Yuuri said. "Reminds of not wanting to deal with memories." She remarked.
"Yet this is unbelievable how she buried it for eight years." Chito said.
"I guess we have no choice but to confront her." Sorawo said.
"I second that." Yuuri added.
Meanwhile, just few metres away from the rest of the group, in Hikawa Shrine within the same park, Kozakura is seen wandering all by herself away from unsuspecting eyes, while sitting at the bench. For the past few days, she has been within the centre of such mysteries, as well as the annoyance that she had to deal with, including Akira Mosakuji.
"I can't run away from the truth." Kozakura commented. "But they don't know anything about what I have gone through for the last eight years, and I don't want anyone to get involved in this." She added, before looking at another picture with her 14-year-old self, her late mother Toriko, and Miyako, which was the same girl from the other picture. "Ever since that Akira unintentionally uttered Miyako's name, a few weeks ago, I started to have those nightmares again about that incident, more so than any other experience I think about the Otherside. Or was it a curse to begin with?" She proceeded to smash the picture frame into the ground in annoyance. "Why is this happening to me?!" She added in a rather maniacal manner, as her smile turns into a malicious grin.
Of course, people from afar didn't hesitate to eye on Kozakura's rather bizarre behaviour, which undoubtedly included children and junior high students who happen to stroll from the park.
"Such a weird woman." One of the students uttered.
"This is rather freaky." The other student said.
"I just want to get out of this park." The third student added.
"Just leave me alone..." Kozakura said.
And with that, the rest of the visitors find themselves leaving the place in absolute horror after seeing what they have just witnessed about Kozakura. But for the Otherside researcher, everything comes into focus, before she heads deeper into Hikawa Shrine, which is empty, which is good news.
However, the bad news is, she begins seeing things that she shouldn't be seeing, including the face of a woman with a rather strange-looking head, in the form of a spiral. A sharp pain later throbs into her head, which is equivalent to getting stabbed by a butcher knife.
"Ugh! What the?!" Kozakura exclaimed, as she groans from the excruciating pain that she currently suffers "This pain is unlike any other I have experienced!" She uttered, before proceeding to hold her head with her two hands, where she is seen kneeling from the ground, before her eyes bleed with some blood.
"Do you remember that time, Kozakura?" A sinister voice is to be heard.
"About what?" Kozakura said. "Who is it talking?" She asked to no one.
"I guess you will never understand." The odd voice said in utter displeasure. "About that time you only watched your sister Miyako dying from a car crash, eight years ago?" She taunted.
"Don't you dare mention that!" Kozakura exclaimed. "Why do you have to utter that incident in front of me, when all I have to do is to finally bury the past and move on?" She questioned rather suspiciously. "How do you know all of this?" She added further.
"Your current actions are a mere detriment to your ideals of 'burying the past and moving on'." The voice warned omnisciently. "You are, in fact, only ignoring the reality of your damaging actions.' She maliciously uttered. "For what is worth, you will never be truly able to escape from your past, should you keep up with this foolishness." She ended.
"Stop it! I don't want to hear anything about the past anymore!" Kozakura exclaimed.
"Kozakura?!" A voice echoes, where her rather bizarre thoughts are interrupted.
"What the...?" Kozakura questioned in disbelief. "My eyes are no longer bleeding, and my head is back to normal." She ended in a slight sense of relief.
From there, she sees Chito, Yuuri, Akari, Natsumi, Sorawo, and Toriko standing at the back, who all bore looks of uncertainty and bafflement over what they have just witnessed in front of them. But more importantly, they are extremely suspicious of Kozakura and they want more answers regarding her current behaviour.
[PLAY OST: Otherside Picnic OST - eLdRich]
"What are you doing here in Hikawa Shrine?" Sorawo asked.
"Nothing." Kozakura said. "I just wanted to have some time alone." She said in doubt.
"We were here to check on you." Sorawo said.
Not far from her, Miyako is watching at the current state of events, but is more shocked to find out that her sister is going into a state of a severe mental breakdown.
"Why did you all come here? Why, why, why...?" Kozakura questioned, before turning her back towards the group, as she is now seen with the broken picture frame with the picture of her, her mother Reiko, and her sister Miyako, where she slammed into the ground in disgust, just a few moments earlier.
"Is that...?" Toriko questioned.
"Is that your mother and your sister, Kozakura-san?" Sorawo added.
"I don't know what you are talking about, Sorawo-chan." Kozakura defiantly said.
"I highly doubt that she is even telling the truth." Chito whispered to Yuuri, whom the blondette nodded.
"Yeah, right." Yuuri said coldly. "Do you think we're going to believe your horseshit after what we have just uncovered at your mansion, Kozakura Izumo!" She said with bile, revealing Kozakura's true identity.
"YOU WHAT?!" Kozakura furiously exclaimed, upon hearing her real name. "You idiots broke into my home?" She asked, with the rest nodding. "You... DID?!" She said, before egging the rest of the group. "How do you know about my true identity and everything I desperately hide, eight years ago, huh? I demand answers." She demanded in a caustic tone.
"We were wanting to check on you, since you've been away from the Unity Force Academy for weeks, but strangely enough, the door to your mansion in Shakujii Park wasn't even locked." Chito answered in a stoic manner.
"This is impossible... Impossible... Impossible!" Kozakura repeated, with her voice gradually becoming more twisted. "This is unacceptable!" She added, as she goes slowly unhinged.
"To think that you hide something from us is unacceptable, that is!" Sorawo angrily uttered.
"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Kozakura exclaimed the same words thrice. "Shut up before I'll do the impossible to all of you!" She furiously demanded, as she points her Remington M870 shotgun towards Sorawo, Toriko, Chito, Yuuri, Akari, and Natsumi, with the former taking out her Makarov, as well as Toriko also taking out her Makarov, as well. From there, they now see Kozakura with a deranged, sadistic look on her face, as if the aftereffects of that picture frame she just shattered is manifesting into her. "Don't make me pull the trigger, so give me a favour and I'll give all of you three seconds to leave Hikawa Shrine." She ended.
"What the?!" Natsumi uttered.
"She's finally lost it!" Akari exclaimed.
"I'm not scared of you pointing that motherfucker onto us!" Sorawo said in fury. "Do you think we are scared of you, after we find out what you are truly hiding? Huh! What are you trying to do? Play dumb with us?" She added.
"I knew for the fact that you are nothing more than a smug snake, Kozakura-chan." Toriko added maliciously.
"We're not going to leave, until you tell us why you are hiding this in front of us!" Yuuri threatened, as she points her rifle. "So spit it out and get it over with." She added.
"You just don't get it, Yuuri!" Kozakura remarked in unbridled anger, as she points her shotgun to the blondette. "All of you think that the past is something I should be thinking of, when in fact it is personal!" She continued, before her eyes turned dark blue, as well as it bleeding. "Do you understand the pain over losing someone you loved?" She threatened with malice.
"What is happening to her?" Akari asked.
"I don't think Kozakura-san is in her normal self now, when she finally released those pent-up feelings of her past. Something is not right with her." Chito said. "Sorawo-san, can you use that blue eye of yours?" She questioned.
"I'm on it." Sorawo then proceeds to use her blue eye to scan for any presence of Entities.
"Listen, snap out of it, Kozakura-san!" Chito said. "We finally understand the pain you are going through with the death of your younger sister and your mother, so you don't need to suffer from the same fate again!" She uttered, but Kozakura does not listen.
[PLAY OST: Otherside Picnic OST - eSCapE]
"My problem is my problem, not yours, Chito-san." Kozakura said. "Ugh!" She added, before collapsing in pain.
"Kozakura-san!" Akari exclaimed in shock, before she quickly grabs Kozakura and puts her beside the group. "Her eyes are bleeding!" She added.
"What?" Natsumi questioned.
"Uh, guys. Something's appearing in front of us." Yuuri said, as she aims the rifle into the Entity.
"What is that?" Akari asked.
"Oh no..." Sorawo said.
"This is why Kozakura-san is currently acting strangely." Chito said. "She must be seeing this thing for the past few weeks." She continued.
From there, Sorawo and the rest later see a strange-looking woman walking in an emotionless manner towards the group. She has an ear-length black hair and a rather strange-looking head that is literally spiral-shaped and distorted in nature, almost to the point that it is nowhere distinguishable to a real person's head. Her skin is deathly pale, and she wears casual clothing that consists of a tattered pink blouse, white knee-length skirt, and blue sandals. This is the Spiral-Head Woman, who is an Entity.
"Do you know what this is, Sorawo?" Toriko asked.
"It's the Spiral-Head Woman..." Sorawo said. "I've heard tales of this Entity from the internet about a young girl whose mother got killed from a violent accident. Then sometime later, she proceeded to lay misfortune into her own daughter, due to her inability to move one from that said event, which persisted to this day, as she faces all of them ever since." She added.
"Are you seriously believing that nonsense?" Chito asked.
"It is eerily coincidental to the 2013 newspaper clipping that we just saw from Kozakura-chan's home." Toriko said.
"She is possibly a physical manifestation of what happened to Kozakura's mother and sister in the past." Sorawo said.
Then, the Spiral-Head Woman proceeds to talk in a haunting manner.
"My name is the Spiral-Head Woman." The Spiral-Head Woman uttered chillingly. "Created from the manifestation of my daughter's inability to move on from the incident that happened several years ago." She continued. "Unless if she is finally able to move on and make peace with it, then she will suffer her misfortune for the time being." She ended.
"So you're going after Kozakura-san now, huh?" Yuuri asked, as she reloads her rifle.
"This person will see the painful reality for what it is, even if it hurts." The Spiral-Head Woman added, before a throbbing pain suddenly struck Kozakura, causing her head to be struck with a throbbing pain.
"IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS!" Kozakura uttered violently.
"Kozakura-san, no!" Akari exclaimed.
"What are we going to do?" Chiro asked Sorawo.
"We have no choice but to attack it!" Yuuri added, before she fires a shot towards the Spiral-Head Woman, causing the bullet to hit through the Entity's chest, as she falls to the ground. "Jackpot!" She cheered, until she realised that it did not work, as the Entity stands up with a wound to her chest. "What? How is this possible?" She questioned in disbelief.
"Bullets are not working!" Sorawo said, who also did the same thing as Yuuri earlier.
"The only way to do so is to destroy her with Crimson Lightning!" Chito said.
"But your body is still in a fragile state to use your powers to the full extent, Chii-chan!" Yuuri warned.
"Wait, stop it!" A female voice is later heard.
"What?" The Spiral-Head Woman and the rest of Chito's group later stop for a moment.
"What the?" Chito questioned.
"Is it just us or are we hearing ghosts now?" Akari questioned.
"Maybe not, look." Natsumi said, who sees Miyako Izumo beside Akari. "We are also seeing her, as well." She added.
"Sorry to interrupt your fighting, but I'm Onee-chan's sister Miyako Izumo, and this is not going to help things anywhere!" Miyako revealed.
"Wait a second?" Toriko asked. "You don't even resemble the one from the pictures we just found earlier in Kozakura-chan's mansion earlier." She claimed. "You look completely different." She ended.
"It's a long, long, long story." Miyako said, before she eats some pudding.
"Wait, wait, wait." Chito said. "You're Kozakura-san's sister, if Akira-san's words were true to begin with?" She asked the ghost.
"Yes, it is true." Miyako said. "I'm sorry for not telling you this, but this 'Spiral-Head Woman' you are fighting for is none other than our mother Reiko Izumo, which was nothing more than a manifestation of Onee-chan's guilt." She revealed.
Of course, Chito's UF group were shocked to find out that the Spiral-Head Woman was none other than Reiko Izumo, who is the deceased mother of Kozakura and Miyako. This was too astounding even for the likes of the Otherside enthusiasts like Sorawo and Toriko. But beyond all that, however, they keep their guards up, as they know that she is no longer on the side of sanity.
"You have to understand this, Miyako-san." Sorawo said. "This person is no longer sane to begin with, so we have no choice but to kill her and put her soul to rest." She added.
"You can't do that!" Miyako exclaimed. "Onee-chan will suffer more if you did!" She added.
"She's already suffering because of this monster, so that doesn't justify any of your naive reasoning." Sorawo continued.
"I guess we have no choice but to do this the hard way!" Toriko exclaimed, before taking out her M4 rifle. "Chito, while you prepare yourself for a final blow, me, Yuuri, and Sorawo will give you some time to unleash Crimson Lightning." She added. "Akari and Natsumi, protect her." She ordered.
"We're on it!" Akari said.
"Got it." Chito said, as she slowly charges herself. "I guess I have no choice but to do so." She ended.
With that, Chito begins charging herself with Crimson Lightning, as she bides her time to destroy the Spiral-Head Woman, who is now known as Reiko, while the rest rain bullet after bullet from their weapons into the Entity.
"So you cowards think by sending that daughter of mine away from me will solve everything?" Reiko taunted.
"Kozakura-san may be ridden with guilt for the last eight years, but that doesn't mean that you will go out of your way to cast misfortune onto her!" Yuuri uttered.
"That's what happens to people who are unable to move on." Reiko grinned gloatingly. "Their inability to move on will be their undoing, and I'll make sure that it will persist." She added.
"And we'll make sure that you will die here..." Chito uttered, before she is seen with the familiar crimson electricity around her body. "A NOTHING!" She continued evilly, before a fight briefly happened. However, Chito later gains the upper hand, when she unleashes a powerful punch known as Bleeding Edge towards Reiko's head, causing the entity to be thrown into the shrine, as she grins maliciously.
With that, Chito then unleashes Crimson Lightning Blade towards Reiko's chest, stabbing her, before it explodes, destroying the Entity, once and for all, which also ended Kozakura's curse.
"I guess that's it..." Chito said grimly, before she collapses into the ground.
"Chii-chan!" Yuuri exclaimed.
"She collapsed again...!" Sorawo said.
"She's pale, as well as Onee-chan." Miyako said. "We should bring her back to Onee-chan's mansion, as soon as possible!" She ordered.
"We're on it!" Chito said, before they heard police sirens from afar.
"Oh crap, police!" Yuuri said.
"Quick, to the portal anyone!" Toriko said, as she creates a portal that leads to Shakujii Park within Kozakura's mansion.
Police then arrived at the scene, where they found nothing out of the ordinary, except for the shrine that was destroyed during the battle with Chito and Reiko, much to their bafflement.
[Kozakura's Mansion, Normal Earth]
[PLAY MUSIC: Otherside Picnic OST - ふたり]
The next day, at Kozakura's mansion, we see Chito lying down on the sofa all by herself with a damp cloth in her head, while being taken care of Yuuri.
"Seriously, you shouldn't push yourself again!" Yuuri exclaimed in worry. "You made us worry, once again." She ended.
"I have no choice, Yuu." Chito said. "Sorry if I did it." She apologised.
"It's okay, Chii-chan." Yuuri reassured, as she patted her head. "You at least destroyed that thing that cursed Kozakura-san for the last few weeks." She added.
Kozakura was sleeping on her bed, who just recovered from the torment that she just happened to endured for the past few weeks, in the form of the Spiral-Head Woman. However, the news regarding the incident that just happened in Hikawa Shrine was passed off as a tall tale through an "accident", rather than the completely opposite truth.
Inside of Kozakura's room, we see Sorawo, Toriko, and Akari with Miyako beside the latter. Natsumi, on the other hand, left the mansion yesterday. Kozakura later awakens, only to find herself in her own bedroom with a damp cloth in her forehead, as well.
Miyako currently sports a different appearance, which is her real-life appearance, where her hair is shorter, only reaching her back rather than her knees, and is black in colour. Her eyes are also light brown. Her current outfit is seen wearing a red scarf, pink long-sleeved shirt, black leggings, and brown boots.
"I'm sorry for making you all worry." Kozakura said. "It was all my fault that all of this happened." She apologised.
"No, no." Sorawo said. "It's not your fault. We apologised for being insensitive about the pain that you went through for the past few years, as well as the B&E that we did." She added. "But we were worried of you, so we had no choice." She ended.
"Come on, Onee-chan..." Miyako's ghost said, as she pops out in front of her. "Mom won't be happy here in heaven if you're behaving like that." She added, while eating a pudding cup. "So stop your moping and smile for once, at least!" She exclaimed.
"What the?" Kozakura said. "Am I seeing ghosts now?" She added.
"Over here, you dummy Onee-chan!" Miyako said, who sticks her tongue out.
"Miyako..." Kozakura uttered. "How is this..." She breaks down in tears. "Possible...?" She questioned sadly. "It was my fault that I didn't do anything and didn't save you both." She uttered.
"I know that you were still ridden with guilt for not saving me and mom in the past, but you shouldn't worry about it, anymore. You have friends now!" Miyako said.
"What are you-?" Kozakura questioned, but was interrupted when the ghost girl hugs her older sister. "Eeeep! You're scaring me, ghost girl!" She attempted to swat Miyako, but she later becomes intangible, before she gives in.
"No can do, Onee-chan." Miyako said. "But you're finally freed from your curse, so you should savour this moment and be a normal big sister for once!" She added with a huff.
"Awww..." Toriko said. "That's one big family reunion." She added.
"I guess that's a happy ending." Sorawo remarked.
"This is rather touching to see." Akari said.
[PLAY MUSIC: Otherside Picnic OST - 反省会]
"Before you leave..." Kozakura said with wary eyes, before she grumbles, while looking at Sorawo. "Since you, Toriko-san, Akari-san, Chito-san, and Yuuri-san broke into my house yesterday, the rest of you will be cleaning it for the entire day!" She angrily ordered, who goes back to her normal self.
"EXCUSE ME, KOZAKURA-SAN?!" Sorawo fumed.
"Eh?!" Akari asked.
"We just saved you from the Spiral-Head Woman yesterday, and we'll be cleaning your house?" Toriko said.
"I'm sorry, but people who do a B&E will pretty much fall into the naughty list, so you will be cleaning my mansion for the rest of the day." Kozakura said.
"That is not fair!" Sorawo said. "We just saved your ass from yesterday, and now you're telling us to clean this dump?" She questioned. "WHAT KIND OF FUCKING LOGIC IS THAT?!" She exclaimed.
"It seems that Onee-chan is back to normal again." Miyako said while laughing, before eating another pudding cup.
~~~0-0-0~~~
The characters that appear in this chapter (in order):
Natsumi Ichikawa from Otherside Picnic
Miyako Izumo from Princess Connect! Re:Dive
Reiko Izumo/Spiral-Head Woman is an Original Character
~~~0-0-0~~~
A/N: This story is inspired by the ideas of someoneStupED, XP4Universe, and Tamama900.
On the next chapter of UF Stories: The Medieval Earth is firstly introduced, and shenanigans will ensue, when the Unity Force students later meet up with the people of the past.