Let's head back to Yume no Tochi, the building of Miss Aiko's business. She welcomed Akari and Enju into the building, as she said, "Miss Stevens' time in here is close to ending. And I figured I needed fresher faces, being we are closer than we think. I had thoughts about hiring you two, being you are the same as her, with such curves and girth."

Akari blushed, "Aw, thanks… But my boobs are that big…"

Enju said, "Mine, too. Only I don't grow mine into watermelons. Mine's already-." She stammered, "HEY! SHUT UP! How dare you say that about us?"

"Sorry." Aiko responded, "I'm not into that sort of thing. But I do admire a body beautiful. Just last week, I had to redo this poor girl's hair, after it was burned off. You know, from what I read, you had a hand at it, was it, Saion-Ji?"

Enju shivered, as Aiko smiled, "Just kidding. I know it wasn't you. After all, you wouldn't attack anyone in anger. It was probably an accidental fire…"

Enju thought, "She's psychic, was she? She almost figured me out…"

Akari whispered, "Enju, I'm scared. Suppose she knows… about the fact that-."

Enju shushed her and said, "It's fine. The more we stay quiet, she won't find out we're ninjas… and Stand Users…"

Miss Aiko walked off and said, "Now then, I'd like for you to help out, around the place, before we get to the nitty-gritty. Some of my temps managed to be sick, after a case of a summer cold, and I fired one of my girls, for being late, and harboring snacks to the workplace. Pretty weenie, if you ask me. But that's life. I want to keep a girlish figure, after all…"

Enju asked, "Who fires someone over snacks? I mean, fat is one thing, but…"

Aiko glared at her, "Look, do you want to do this, or not?"

Enju replied, "Okay, you win. I'll do it. But I'm watching you… I don't like where this is going…"

Akari held her and laughed, "Uh, ignore her! She's-, uh, heh heh heh… She's usually cautious…"

Aiko smiled, "Is that a fact? Well then…"

She showed them to another part of the store and said, "Right this way, ladies."

They walked off, as Miss Aiko smirked from behind their backs. What could she be planning for Akari and Enju?

We'll check back with them, later…

Episode 48 – Chapter 2: The Ghost Girl!
Alleyway to the Dead!

Meanwhile, in the alley, Kazuki and Tsukasa were walking down the path.

"Strange, isn't it?" Kazuki said, "I looked it up at the 2019 Edition of the F City map, and it showed NO existence of this alley or street on the map."

Tsukasa said, "On the bright side, you might get a gift certificate at the bookstore, if the map was all wrong."

They arrived at the corner, with a small red mailbox, next to a small mound of dog feces. Tsukasa gagged, seeing the feces, and said, "Ew… It's so stinky…"

He growled, "Blast it, this map is useless! Take a look, Tsukasa. They don't even show the Honemura, Yonma, or Onodere residence. This map has errors galore! The bookstore that I bought this map from is going to owe me more than gift certificates."

Tsukasa viewed a dilapidated house and said, "Sendo-senpai, this house looks like it's been abandoned."

They kept walking, as she explained, "Weird… The houses owned by the people are completely unoccupied."

He stated, "And look, even the vending machines are out of order."

They arrived at another red mailbox, only to realize…
"WHAT?!" Tsukasa gasped, "I don't get it! It's the same mailbox from before! We made a turn at the alleyway!"

She spotted a pile of dog feces… the very same that Tsukasa saw. She gasped, "No way, we're back to where we started! This is too weird!"

He pondered, "But we turned right, then left, and right…"

He called out, "Keep your guard up. There could be an enemy nearby. You have THX by your side, correct? They could be manipulating things with their Stand."

"YOU THINK?" She gasped.

"If you would, have THX fly overhead and search the area."

"Right! From up there, I can see where we need to go!"

She summoned THX, "THX – Act One!"

THX emerged, and it flew upwards to the sky. But it crashed, somehow, and fell back to Tsukasa's shoulders. Kazuki asked, "What's the matter?"

She gasped, "There was something up there… I don't know what, but it somehow grazed THX."

"Are you sure? I don't see anything."

"I know something came into contact with THX!"

Suddenly, a girl in a pink dress and long magenta hair appeared and said, "Excuse me. Are you two lost?"

Tsukasa gasps, as the girl continued, "I would be happy to be your guide."

"A girl?" Kazuki asked.

Tsukasa cried, "SHE must be the enemy Stand User!"

Kazuki prepared, as the girl gasped, "HEAVEN'S GATE!" And he brought out his Stand, Heaven's Gate, "And with a flick of my finger, this battle goes to me!"

Kazuki's Stand tackles the girl down, and she collapsed onto the ground, with her face opened up in pages. He held the girl and scribbled onto one of the pages.

"We should be safe now. I made sure she doesn't attack us." He explained.

"Senpai, that was amazing!" Tsukasa called, "It's like you launched your drawing into midair!"

"I've just been improving on my Stand, since Asahi Sakurai came along. Still, it doesn't work on haters, like The Gang or Chazz Princeton. They wouldn't know art if it kicked them in the groin. She and I are at the same wavelength."

He viewed her pages and read, "Oops. False alarm. She's not an enemy Stand User."

"Huh? So she's not out to get us?" Tsukasa asked.

Kazuki explained, "Yes and no. You can't conceal anything from Heaven's Gate."

He read out her pages, "Her name is Sakura Minamoto, age: 17, born April 2nd. Her address is 312 Kotodai, F City. That's not far from here. She is single, and her measurements are 88, 59, and 90 centimeters. She loves pink, and is a fan of sweets, and dislikes spicy foods. She's 5'2" and blood type A."

Tsukasa roared, "THAT'S JUST ABOUT ENOUGH, SENDO! IF THIS GIRL'S NOT A STAND USER, THEN I REFUSE TO LET YOU READ ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT HER LIFE!"

Zombieland Saga's Sakura Minamoto, by the way. Had to add her, somehow, in an OOC role.

"Alright, alright, I get it!" He pleaded, "Take it easy…" He scribbled onto Sakura and said, "I'll forget everything that happened."

Sakura woke up and said, "Ungh… What happened?"

He said, "You had a nasty spill. I apologize if I was able to take a hold of you."

She said, "Not a problem. Anyways, this place trips a lot of people up. Several of these alleys look the same."

"Please, show us the way, and we'll be off."

"Absolutely not! A simple explanation won't cut it!" Sakura jeered, "I'm your guide, so follow my lead."

She walked off, as Kazuki said, "Well?"

They agreed to follow her. Sakura, suddenly, held up some Pocky and said, "Here, you guys interested in one?"

They said NO, as she said, "Okay, your loss. But… You're still going to have to hold on to the end."

Kazuki held the end of the Pocky, and said, "Okay, but this doesn't apply…"

SNAP!
He broke off the end, as Sakura laughed, "Ah! Better be careful~! Some girl's gonna dump you~!"

He sneered, "Truer words… You're too little too late, missy… Where's your proof?"

Sakura explained, "Pocky Fortunetelling~! The break tells me all about you~! You're a shut-in, and is stubborn. You're self-centered and have a habit of pushing someone's buttons. Does that match you? That's why you're going to get dumped."

He draped his arm over Tsukasa and laughed, "Get a load of this, Tsukasa! Now I know she's cuckoo! She actually thinks I'm self-centered!"

He boasted, "Well, you're about to find out that two can play this game. That pink nail polish you wear, it's your favorite color, and it repels off love! That's very telling. You're also afraid of love. You often led it slip through your fingers."

She gasped, "No way."

He smirked, "I used psychological prodding, more than fortunetelling. It must've rubbed off on me from Taishi. But enough about that; something else is weighing on your mind."

Sakura was saddened, as she walked to a dilapidated house. She asked, "Have you heard the story of this house? It said it was the scene of a murder, ten years ago."

Tsukasa shrieked, "DID SHE SAY A MURDER?!"

Kazuki huffed, "Yes, she did."

Sakura continued, "No one lives in this house now. It's empty and abandoned. Here's why… This story was told to me, by the old lady, next door."

She explained her story to the others:
"Ten years ago, in the dead of night, a young teenage girl was sleeping soundly in her bedroom. She awoke to a strange dripping sound that seemed to emanating in her parents' room. But she couldn't be so sure. The sound puzzled her. "Daddy! Mommy!" She called out, but she never heard a reply. However, the girl wasn't particularly scared, because she was alongside her dog."

"A dog?" He asked.

Sakura said, "Yes. He was a big guard dog. In the darkness, she offered her hand to it, from under the bed. And he always responds to it, with a whimper and a lick. Romero was her assurance. But the dripping that haunts toward the girl, continued for several minutes."

She continued, "Finally, she had enough. Her curiosity drove her to investigate!"

Tsukasa asked, "What happened next?"

Sakura explained, "She… She found Romero, hanging from the coat rack, bloodied and dead, with his throat hacked! The dripping sound was coming from him – the sound of his spilling blood!"

They gasped in horror, as Sakura continued, "Suddenly, she heard a voice that was coming from under her bed. "Your hand is so tender, sweetheart. Whimper-whimper. I've already murdered your parents and your mutt" And then… SHE ATTACKED THE GIRL, KILLING HER FROM WHERE SHE STOOD!"

Tsukasa shrieked in horror, as she held Kazuki, in fright. She screamed, "Tell me that this story was your way of joking around!"

Sakura giggled, "It was. That was for the nail polish rib. Sounded pretty real, didn't it?"

Tsukasa was relieved, as she said, "Sheesh, my heart couldn't take stuff like that."

Kazuki suddenly heard a dripping sound, as he asked, "W-wait… that noise…"

He turned to the gate and saw a huge brown dog, near the pathway, sniffing at the grass. The dog turned to him, and showed a huge gash on his neck. Kazuki gasped in shock, "What the-? The ghost dog! He's… He's inhabited in the house… and…"

Tsukasa shrieked, "YAGH! Sendo-Senpai… Look at the nameplate…"

They viewed the nameplate of the house. It said "Minamoto". They stammered in fear, as Sakura's skin showed dead grayish skin, as Kazuki gasped, "Wait… Minamoto? That means-!"

She said, "Oh, one last thing… The girl that died in that house… That was me. Romero and I only exist as ghosts."

They gasped in fright, as Kazuki stated, "So, you're a ghost?!"

He thought, as Sakura was petting Romero, "It-, It all makes sense now… Heaven's Gate was accessible to her living memories. This has never happened to me, before…"

"The two of you have stumbled upon where I have met my end, ten years ago." Sakura said, "I guess we're on the same wavelength. This place is the gateway between the living and the dead."

Tsukasa shrieked, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Kazuki and Tsukasa ran off, as Kazuki cried, "COME ON! LET'S GET OUT OF HERE! RUN!"

They ran off, as they ran past the mailbox, turned left, and past the vending machine, turned right, and-. Well, apparently, they came back to the mailbox, again. They kept running, but every time that they arrived at their exit, it's always the same – they've returned to the same mailbox.

He dropped Tsukasa and panted, "What the hell is this? Every time we run, we're back to where we started! We're stuck! Tsukasa, call THX! It can give directions from above!"

Tsukasa sobbed, "I don't know. Last time I did it, that zombie girl must've did something to THX."

"NEVER MIND THAT! JUST DO IT!" He shouted.

Tsukasa called out THX, but suddenly…
WHAM!
THX crashed into the ground. Tsukasa cried, "OH, NO! WE'RE TRAPPED! THX CRASHED INTO AN INVISIBLE CEILING!"

Kazuki complained, "IDIOT! It crashed into the ground! You're up in the air!"

Tsukasa was hanging upside-down, as THX vanished. Tsukasa fell back down, and moaned, "Ow… What the heck?"

He gasped, "I can't believe this, but you were the one floating."

Sakura appeared and said, "There's only one way to truly escape. Anything else is futile. I'm the only one who knows where it is."

Kazuki growled, "This doesn't make any sense! How the hell can we fight a ghost?"

Tsukasa shivered, "Please, do something Sendo-senpai… Don't let it possess us!"

Sakura whined, as she was crossed, "HOLD ON! Enough, you two! Quit treating me like I'm a vengeful spirit! Yeah, I'm dead, but that doesn't mean you can ridicule me as evil! I didn't even do anything, but you went and scared yourselves half to death!"

They were confused, as Sakura explained, "Listen, I didn't make you come here. We're standing in-between the living world and the world of the dead."

She then asked, "Wait a second, you two hold a sort of power, right? Stands? I believe I have heard of it, before, during my time in the world of the dead. Why, I died in 2008, three years before the famous Jotaro Kujo died. And that was a week after my 17th birthday."

"So, you're really not here to attack us?" Kazuki asked.

Sakura said, "I guess we're in agreement. You and I are suspicious to each other. Once I died, I was bound to this place. It's been 11 years now, and I remained here, and all this time, I never stopped pleading people to listen. But you two were the first to have truly listened to my story. I gave you my word that I would get you out of here, so I will be happy to. But first, you must listen to the rest of my story."

Tsukasa asked, "There's more?"

Sakura said, "Now, to continue… The murderer, before I got a look of her face… Her knife found its way to my back. It was late and dark, and was doing my best to flee… I died, but the killer still lives… She's living her life, right here in F City."

They gasped, as Tsukasa whispered, "No, wait… You don't mean-."

"That's what I've been aching to say…" Sakura said, "The murderer is the one you're looking for. It wasn't months of her work… It's years… She's the same serial killer that you and your friends are looking for. Not only she's in town, she's blended in."

Kazuki asked, "Wait, back that specter train up. Why are you confessing all this?"

Sakura said, "Relax! I'm not asking you to catch her. I just needed you to tell someone who will. You can tell the cops, or anybody else who is up to the task."

He barked, "Slow down! Why the hell should that responsibility fall into our shoulders?"

Tsukasa stated, "Sendo-senpai, you forget? I'm from the Daitenzin, a group of cops… but The Gang are more like detectives than cops, and they are stronger than us…"

"And let them take the credit, along with that bastard, Princeton?"

"Sendo-senpai, I'm saying-!"

"Compose yourself! I know where you're getting at, but this is between me and zombie girl here." Then he said to Sakura, "It's an absolute tragedy. I'm sorry your life was stolen from you. But that still doesn't explain things. We find your murderer, so you can rest in peace? That all seems quite pointless, if you ask me. You'd be better off moving on from this world… Being a ghost and a zombie, in a twisted-up multiverse, surely passing on to another universe would be a better existence than haunting these alleyways."

Sakura turned away from him, and remarked, "Tell me. How many boys and girls have gone missing from this town?"

"No…"

"Then you should know that it's eleven times the national average."

Tsukasa cringed, "Huh? No… Then that means…"

Sakura said, "Yes, and it gets even worse. Some are being slaughtered in silence. The person you're after, this Sketch Artist Killer, she's the one responsible… and she's killed them all."

Tsukasa complained, "WAIT A DARN MINUTE! The Sketch Artist Killer is a woman, and she's responsible for all the deaths from eleven years ago, and NO ONE DID ANYTHING?!"

Kazuki barked, "Yeah! According to your story, you didn't even see her face! HOW WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON?"

Sakura sobbed, "I KNOW, BECAUSE I SEE THE SOULS OF HER VICTIMS, FLYING THROUGH THESE SKIES! THE WOUNDS OF THOSE SOULS ARE THE SAME AS MINE! SHE MAY NOT LOOK LIKE WHAT SHE WAS, BUT SHE'S YOUTHFUL AND VIGOR, AND SHE KILLS MORE, TO THIS VERY DAY!"

She exposed her bare back to them, as Tsukasa sobbed, "It's horrifying… That gash is so deep…"

Sakura wept, "I can't speak to them, those who depart… But whenever I see them, over and over, she's fueled by a twisted obsession, over and over again! F City has always been a home to me… and in the past 11 years, it stood in the shadows of murder… It's four years to go, before it reaches fifteen in Morioh, the same town that had this same nightmarish experience. I will be happy, knowing if this woman is finally taken down! This is a town I cherish, and from the rumors, this world is corrupt, and all because of a woman who is an absolute monster!"

Sakura blubbered, "But none of that changes the fact that we have to stop her, as fast as possible! She's preying on someone, as we speak. And there's nothing at all I can do!"

She pleaded, with tears in her eyes, "Please, you two! You're still beating in blood in your veins! If you won't help me out, then find someone who can, and I'll ask for their help, instead!"

Tsukasa and Kazuki were shocked, as Sakura said, "I hope you've taken it by heart. I've nothing more to say…"

Tsukasa stated, "Well, I've heard enough from you! All of it! And I'm shocked no one knows about this. There has to be something we can do here."

Kazuki smirked, "Heh. How altruistic. This smells like trouble." And then he walks off. But paused and said, "But then again, this serial killer could be a good source of inspiration. It all seems like an interesting murder mystery manga idea."

He stated, "Miss Minamoto, can we get out, if go this way?"

Tsukasa whispered to Sakura, "Don't buy into his good guy attitude. This guy's got ulterior motives. And when it comes to trust, this guy's shady at best."

Sakura said, "No, I trust him. Deep down, there's good within him. I'll show you the exit, to you two."

Tsukasa asked, "And where, exactly?"

Sakura said, "If you go past the mailbox, walk to the left, and onwards, without looking back."

They dashed off, but Sakura halted, "HOLD IT! Don't rush things! There's a rule to making it through!"

"A rule?"

"Once you arrived at the mailbox, and turn left, you'll see the exit about 20 meters away. No matter what you do, do not turn around behind you for anything."

"Why not? What would be there?" Kazuki asked Sakura.

Sakura stated, "That's a rule. Even Romero knows something simple as that."

Tsukasa said, "I guess that's fair. If a dog can go through, then we can make it through with no problem."

Kazuki asked, "And if we do look back, what happens then?"

Sakura said, "You die."

They gasped, as Sakura showed them the way, "But don't worry. All you have to do is look forward. Simple, right?"

She walked past the mailbox, as does the others. They felt an ominous dark aura from behind, as Tsukasa shivered, "What is this?"

"Did you feel it, too, Tsukasa?"

"Yeah… When we pass that mailbox, something dark loomed right behind us!"

Sakura called, "Remember, eyes front! Just stay calm, and you'll be fine!" She continued walking, without looking at the others, since she was staying her sights on the exit. Kazuki and Tsukasa started to walk together, as the dark ominous cloud continues to tail them.

XXXXX

Meanwhile, back in the real world, Chazz, Asahi, and Minatsu were heading to the bank, to cash in the winning ticket. He held the ticket up and said, "Even if it isn't ours, it would still be a safe cause…"

At the bank, the teller in a mauve suit said to them, "Congratulations, you three, on finding the winning ticket for five million Yen… despite that it was close to the expiration date. You three are most generous into recovering that third prize ticket."

He gave them a small note and explained, "With that said, this is for you. A promissory note for Five Million Yen. However, you are only available to cash it in, in just three days, while we process the money for collecting."

They looked at the note, as Chazz whispered, "Six zeroes…"

The teller glared, "Before you achieve this, I must ask… Did you find this lost ticket?"

They gasped, as he explained, "If not, and it's actually yours, then from which vendor did you nice people purchase it?"

Chazz gasped, "Uh, vendor?"

Asahi asked, "Why? Why do you want to know?"

The teller said, "Oh, just the formality." He then thought, "Those three… They won the five million, and it reeks of foul play… Recovering a lost ticket, like that, and suddenly they seek a reward…"

He asked, "You won't answer me?"

Chazz said, "Oh, that. Well, for the record, we found it in F City, and somehow we purchased it."

The teller said, "Is that so? In fact, F City has a vendor for lottery tickets… Too bad there isn't a single one, around this county!"

They gasped in horror, as he held up the ticket. Chazz nervously chuckled, "Ehhh? Eh, that's right! We bought so many, all around F City, throughout the entire land, and it must've slipped my mind!"

They giggled, but then a security guard was peeking to the door, in an ominous glare. They shivered a bit, as the teller said, "Judging by this bizarre realization, you actually found the ticket. You see, on the opposite side of the lottery ticket, there's a section where one may write his or her name and telephone number."

He showed the back of the ticket, as it said "Ichiro Morishita– 1774-4281". He explained, "So, from what I gathered, you found the ticket that is NOT yours, instead of buying it? So shines a good deed, but methinks that you're into foul play."

Asahi gasped, "Ichiro Morishita?!" and the others were nervous.

The teller concluded, "It appears that ANY of your names DO NOT match the name of the ticket."

Chazz gasped, "NAME?!"

Asahi cried, "PHONE NUMBER?!"

Minatsu cried, "That's how it works?! How can no one suspect any of that stuff?"

Asahi sobbed, "Are you kidding me? A found ticket, and we recovered it!"

Asahi calmed down, as the guard stepped in. The teller said, "Now, now, what you did was admirable, except you weren't thinking of taking the five million Yen for yourself, now would you?"

Chazz stated, "Now wait a minute! How do we know that belongs to Mr. Morishita? We should just hand it to him, personally, and make it right, right? I mean, we are good people, finding that damn ticket!"

The teller pulled it away and said, "That's not as easy as it sounds. If it is to be fair, should I give Mr. Ichiro a call? I'm sure you will be compensated for your "good deed"."

The others nodded, as Chazz said, "Fine… So be it. We had no idea, alright?"

The teller said, "Very well, then. I have to confirm his signature and serial number, in order to confirm his winning ticket…"

He dialed on the phone, as Asahi whispered in panic, "Now what? What'll we do?"

The teller concluded, "Oh, one more thing, depending on who it belongs to, we may turn it over to the police."

They gasped, "The police?!"

The phone went to speaker, as a man spoke, "Hello? Morishita speaking! Who is this?"

The teller said, "Hello, I'm calling on behalf of Rikdo Bank, and these three nice people recovered your winning ticket, somehow, for third prize of Five Million Yen."

Morishita said, "Yeah, I'm Ichiro Morishita. I was the one that bought those tickets. Never win any of those."

The teller grinned, as he thought, "I have them now! Those three are in for it! I can see them lying through their teeth! Not a chance in hell that these three would ever win a lottery like that!"

Chazz glared, as Ojama Star punched the ticket, and hit the signature. The teller said, "So, let me see if this is your signature on it."

He thought, as he removed part of the name, and then the numbers, "Shady bastard. I can see right through you… You're not taking our five million Yen… I can't change the whole thing, but it'll do."

The ticket was altered, as the teller then read, "See, it's right here. Ichiro Kinoshita, 1771-1281."

"Kinoshita?! You dumbass! My name's Morishita!"

The teller gasped, as he saw the altered writing. He gasped, "What? Ichiro Kinoshita?! I was sure that I-, wait… the number, too? I could've sworn… Did I dialed the wrong number?"

He said to the phone, as Asahi and Minatsu were smiling in relief, "I'm sorry, sir, but your number is 1771-1281, correct?"

Morishita roared from the phone, "What kind of idiot do you take me for? That's not my number, you fucking old man! You waste my time with your inane bullshit like this? I win proper tickets with my name, Ichiro Morishita, NOT Ichiro Kinoshita! Why the fuck do I keep losing tickets anyway? I throw mine out, already! Next time, find someone who wins tickets, for once!"

He hung up, as Asahi sighed, "Thank goodness…"

The guard glared at her, as Asahi hissed, "Watch it. I'm a cop, too, you know…" but tittered, "But your aura is scary…"

The teller called, "Okay! I made a mistake! I'll try again!"

Asahi said, "Do you know of an Ichiro Kinoshita?"

The teller said, "Uh… Okay, but just to be fair…"

He dialed the number, but…
"We're sorry, but this number is currently no longer in use."

The teller was shocked, as Chazz said, "That's just great, isn't it? A found ticket, and NO ONE was able to recover it…"

Asahi said, "Nor that this person exists…"

The teller sobbed, "I'm sorry… You found the ticket, but since it belongs to no one…"

The guard leaves, as he said, "It's yours, then. I give you my congratulations and deepest apologies!"

Asahi stared at him, and takes the promissory note, "And the next time you accuse of stealing from other people, watch it, next time!"

The teller said, as he bowed, "Yes, ma'am. And I'm sorry for my rudeness."

Asahi secretly grinned, as she thought, "My boyfriend came through… He changed the ticket's information. Smooth~!"

Chazz smirked, as he winked to Minatsu. Minatsu smiled, "They… How did they do that?"

XXXXX

Let's get back to Kazuki and Tsukasa now. They were walking down the path, as they were reaching the exit. They were still frightened and panicked, as the dark cloud went closer.

Tsukasa heard a demonic growl and sobbed, "Something's there… I don't know what, but there's something right at my head…"

They made the turn, as Sakura said, "Ignore it! There will always be something trying to make you look back! I know it seems scary, but as long as you don't look back, it won't do you any harm."

Tsukasa wept, "Easy for you to say! There's now something oozing down my head… Ignoring this will be tougher than I imagine…"

They stopped, as Sakura pointed at the light, "Almost there, head towards that light, and you're home free!"

Kazuki asked, "What? That's the way out?"

Tsukasa ran off, as she cried, "I'm home free! It's too far away, and I can't take it! Sendo-senpai, hurry!"

Sakura called, "WAIT! Panicking will make it worse! It'll try to trick you!"

Tsukasa kept running, without looking, as she sobbed, "If I keep running, with my eyes shut, I'm good to stay alive."

A voice called, "You're safe now. You made it!"

Tsukasa asked, "Huh? I made it?"

She turned around and said, "Sendo-senpai, I made it~!"

Sakura shouted, "NO! YOU TURNED AROUND! THAT WASN'T ME!"

Tsukasa gasped, as the cloud emerged. Kazuki growled, "You idiot!"

Sakura said, "Tsukasa, if only you'd waited for us! But this didn't happen before! Why'd they trick her?"

Tsukasa was shrieking, as wayward hands clasped onto her, while being dragged away. Tsukasa screamed, "LEMME GO! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"

Sakura said, "It's too late. Once she saw what is behind her, there is no going back."

Kazuki held up a pen and said, "That's where you're wrong… She could see what her fate befalls, but she never saw anything… You lucked out, Tsukasa, you have me."

He scrawled onto Tsukasa's face, "HEAVEN'S GATE! Tsukasa, I'm taking your ability to see! You're welcome!"

His Stand emerged and clasped onto Tsukasa's face. After that, a huge light exploded from within.

Tsukasa was outside, as she was panicking, with her face open like a book. She screamed, as Kazuki rewrote on her face, and fixed her. He said, "No need to worry, it's over. You can see again."

They looked around, as the alleyway between the buildings was gone. Tsukasa asked, "Whatever happened to the alley?"

Kazuki said, "It's inconvenient… The alleyway between the drugstore and convenience store disappeared."

Tsukasa sighed, "Thank goodness… I was sure that it ended…"

But Sakura and Romero appeared and said, "I'm afraid that this is as far as we'll go."

Tsukasa gasped, "Her? You and your dog?!"

She nodded, "Yes. I am to remain here, forever… or, at least until she's caught. When that finally happens, Romero and I will look back. And then I'll be reunited with Mom and Dad. Peace and dignity must return to F City, much as it did with Morioh, twenty years ago. Only then, we can find eternal rest. I'll be right here, if you ever wanted to talk about it. You two don't be strangers, okay? I'll be here if you need me… Little Kazuki, Miss Tsukasa…"

She disappeared, as Tsukasa said, "Strange girl, but… We promise that the Sketch Artist Killer will be caught, one way or another."

Kazuki asked, "We?! That's a bit of a dramatic turn, but I'm not sure if siding with The Gang for this mission is not my cup of Joe. Besides, they hate me."

He scoffed, "How dare she call me Little? What an audacious zombie girl…"

He sighed, "But still, Sakura Minamoto… She has an unyielding spirit. And that's something to be respected. For eleven years, she's waged a fight for the living, with nothing but courage and her trusted companion."

We'll see how Kazuki holds up, later. There's more to this about Sakura Minamoto than we know.
Next time, we check up on Chazz and Asahi, and how they successfully collected the Five Million Yen! Well… until Minatsu wants part of the cut…

To be continued…