Chapter X: Recapitulation:Reliving


A few weeks have passed since Shu and company's vacation in Sakai. It was already well past the second half of August 2039. Specifically, it is now August 23. With only less than a week before classes resumed, Shu reunited with his classmates, Souta, Hare, & Kanon, as they headed to Izu Ōshima island to visit a beach resort. This was also the location of Shu's vacation home during his childhood.

Not only was this a homecoming for Shu, but it was Heath and Akiko's first time experiencing this island. Not only did Heath and Akiko join Shu and his classmates, but Funeral Parlor went as well.

As they explored the beach together, Heath and Akiko looked around and saw their friends mingling in other activities.

"Heath, Akiko, hold those poses!" Walter called out, using his smartphone to take their pictures. As he showed their pictures, Heath and Akiko eyed their summer beachwear: Heath has on white knee-length swimming pants. Akiko admired her purple and blue checkered-designed bikini top and blue swimming shorts. "Looking good, you two."

"Heh, not as hot as yourself, Walter," Akiko winked, eyeing Walter's full-bodied black and blue diver's suit.

"Uh, thanks," Walter replied with a mellow smile.

Glancing over the beach, Heath spotted Ayase and Tsugumi laying together under a portable beach umbrella. Ayase is seen wearing a crimson two-piece bikini. Tsugumi has on a baby blue two-piece bikini.

"Hey, guess who's looking over here, Aya?" Tsugumi whispered, giggling as she pointed Ayase toward Heath facing them.

As soon as Heath and Ayase noticed each other, the former waved. Ayase lowered her sunglasses and winked at him.

Heath returned with shaved ice, handing them out to Ayase and Tsugumi.

"You shouldn't have, Heath," Ayase said, taken aback by his gratitude.

"Aww, you shouldn't have! Thanks, Heath!" Tsugumi graciously accepted and started munching on her shaved ice.

As she scooped her shaved ice with a spoon, Ayase noticed Heath without shaved ice.

"Aren't you going to get any?"

"Nah, I might later. Maybe you could share some since I bought it for you?'

Ayase laughed. "Yeah, right! Get your own!"

Shaking his head, Heath sighed. "Aw, is this how you're going to repay my kindness?"

"Hey, relax. I was joking, Heath. Just go get your own spoon if you want to share."

Heath grinned. "Sure! Be right back!" He hurried back to the shaved ice stand to get an extra spoon for himself.

As she heard Tsugumi giggling, Ayase raised a brow and scoffed. "What's so funny?"

"You two really have fallen for each other, Aya. You wouldn't ever share your food with just anyone. Heath might be the first."

"Well, the first guy at least," she said, watching Heath return with a spoon. She smiled when he sat down next to her.

Elsewhere, the other Funeral Parlor members are seated at a table near the shaved ice stand. Seated under the shade of an umbrella, Shibungi's eyes are absorbed reading Spirits of the Dead by Edgar Allan Poe. Oogumo is sitting down eating a spoonful of ice cream.

"Ugh, man. Our assignment shouldn't be us in swimsuits and bikinis while feeling exhausted," Argo complained.

"How is the heat doing for you, Argo?" Shibungi queried.

"Hot and buttered. Does that count?"

"Maybe you should buy some shaved ice? That'll cool you off," Oogumo suggested.

As Shu, Akiko, and Walter gathered near Ayase and Tsugumi's spot, they saw Ayase sunbathing while Tsugumi rubbed sunscreen on her friend's back. They also saw Heath with the two girls and heading over to see his sister.

"Hey, Ayase, we're about to go to the water. I'm not sure if you'd like to join us?" Heath asked her.

"Yeah, it's gonna be totally fun splashing water in each other's faces!" Akiko added with enthusiasm.

"Remember, guys. As much as I want to, I can't swim because of my legs. So, go have fun for me," Ayase said.

"Yep, gonna have to put a rain check on that since I'm here with Ayase," Tsugumi said.

"If you say so, you two," Shu nodded.

"You're missing out, but I understand," Heath waved as he and Shu saw Akiko flirting with Walter. "So, you want to go get Inori?"

"Sure, I'll be right back," Shu nodded. As he went to get Inori, he spotted the pink-haired songstress taking a calm stroll across the shore in her wearing a pink and white bikini. His face blushed at the sight of Inori's cute swimwear. Then, he saw his friend, Souta, video recording her with his phone. "Souta?"

Noticing Shu catching him recording Inori, Souta squeaked. "Shit, I hope he didn't see that!" He withdrew from recording more of Inori.

"Inori, we're about to get in the water. Would you like to come?" Shu asked the pink-haired songstress, who nodded in response.

"Sure, I'd like to," Inori replied as she followed Shu into the water where they met Heath, Akiko, Walter, Hare, and Kanon.


Later that evening and near sunset, Shu left to go pay respects to his father's grave. Gai joined Shu and waited for him to finish. When Gai eyed the grave, he saw a name:

Ouma Kurosu

"This is his resting place," Gai muttered, patiently watching Shu giving a prayer to his father. After Shu finished, Gai elaborated to him about another Funeral Parlor mission Now that they're on the island, he wanted Shu to use Souta's Void to enter a secret GHQ facility located in a shrine to steal a special item. "And you're asking what item this is? It's the rock that started this."

"So, how do you want me to go and get Souta's Void?"

"I want you to use Souta's crush on Inori and try to get him alone so you can get this Void."

Hearing this, Shu was adamantly against the idea of using his friend.


As this was going on, back on the mainland, Daryl sat solitarily. Vexed, he became teary-eyed upon finding out his father, General Yan, failed to attend his birthday due to the man's disdain for him.


Later that night on the island, Gai recounted himself relating to the mission while talking with Shibungi.

"Besides, a life without turmoil is a life unlived, he's doing a favor for stirring a friend just this once," Gai stated.


Meanwhile, Souta was left alone with Inori and was about to make his confession to her. Just when he did, Shu came running out of some bushes and pulled out his friend's Void unexpectedly. Souta was barely able to see Shu as he fell unconscious.

"Inori is my everything, you jerk!" Shu dramatically screamed while holding Souta's Void.

Much to his embarrassment, Shu saw Heath, Akiko, Walter, Ayase, and the rest of Funeral Parlor popping out of their hiding places and watched the whole thing play out.

Argo remarked. "Gee, way to drop the ball. You weren't supposed to get the Void yet, Romeo."

Then, Ayase muttered, openly mocking Shu. "'Inori is my everything' now, huh? Pathetic."

"Heheh, so when are the smoochies coming, lover boy?" Akiko made kissing noises with her lips.

"Sorry, dude, but this wasn't a cool moment for ya," Heath chuckled.

Hanging his head low, Shu saw Inori standing beside him with an arm around him.

"There, there," Inori cheered him up.

After that mishap, Funeral proceeded with their mission at the shrine. As Gai, Inori, and Shu entered the facility using Souta's Void, a camera that takes pictures of doors and opens them called the Blunt Key, enabled them to access the facility. Upon entering, they located the containment area with the supposed special item. Once they got there, they found out they were too late. Gai checked the logs and discovered someone had beaten them to retrieve the item.

This item is a canister containing the origin of the Apocalypse Virus, which was a meteorite. And the individual who accessed and took the special item was Keido. As a result, Funeral Parlor aborted the mission.

After retrieving the special item, Keido arrived at the cemetery where Shu was earlier. He saw Yuu waiting for him.

"I see you have the meteorite, Shuichiro. Good, we can shift gears toward our goal," Yuu said, watching Keido standing in front of Kurosu's grave.

"Yes, now we have what we need. It's too bad you won't be here to witness the second coming of the apocalypse, Kurosu," Keido acknowledged the grave of Shu's father.


The next morning, Shu and Souta made amends on their relationship and their hardship of understanding each other. Souta even openly admitted he wished to be more like Shu and pointed out his friend's changed demeanor.

"Yahiro was right. You have changed," Souta said. "But, you've changed for the better."

"Thanks, Souta."

As everyone left Izu Ōshima and got on the boat, Inori and Shu talked on their way home. At one point, Inori reminded Shu about a crucial detail related to Voids.

"Remember, Shu. People's Voids change based on your relationships with them."

Shu realized this to be true about Heath & Akiko's Voids, and later Ayase's.


August had come and gone faster than Shu and his friends thought. It was now September 2023 with Shu and his classmates back in school. Life resumed normally while Funeral Parlor had been keeping tabs of what GHQ is up to now that they stole the canister.

Right now all they could do is wait for GHQ's next move and plan out strategies for their next related mission.

On that week when classes resumed, Shu and Hare suddenly reunited with Yahiro, who returned out of the blue after being absent for some time. In a private talk, Yahiro informed Shu that he and his younger brother Jun have been on the run and hiding from GHQ because they decided to euthanize Jun. Although he was still affected by Yahiro's betrayal, Shu decided to help him and his brother escape and hide for Yahiro's sake.

Elsewhere, Gai was gone for a week preparing for his mission with the canister containing the meteorite.

Then, Segai sent Daryl to intercept Shu and Yahiro. This time GHQ used an Endlave armed with a new weapon that targeted Voids as Segai watched with anticipation. However, Jun stood up in place of his brother and Shu, diverting the weapon to target him instead. Suddenly, crystals from Jun's body transferred into Daryl's Endlave and seized control of the mech. Jun proceeded to use the infected Endlave to attack GHQ and Yahiro.

In response to the frenzied attack, Shu used Yahiro's Void, rendering Yahiro unconscious during the attack. Shu stabbed the infected Endlave with Yahiro's Void and accessed Jun's memories, in which Jun himself showed Shu his and Yahiro's past before the Lost Christmas incident. Jun also revealed that due to the crystals on his body, he could see people's true selves, including his brother Yahiro, who while he loves and cares about him, also hates him for burdening him as well. Wishing for his final memories of loving Yahiro and not despising him, Jun pleaded with Shu to use Yahiro's Void to end his life before he ends up killing Yahiro.

As Shu found himself forced to commit the deed, Jun thanked him. Following Jun's death, the infected Endlave broke down, causing Segai to withdraw. Once Yahiro regained consciousness, he asked where Jun was. A mortified Shu confessed to Yahiro that he killed Jun. During their heartbreaking conversation, both were unaware that Hare followed them. While in hiding, she eavesdropped on everything they experienced.


Following his failure to save Jun, Shu started suffering traumatic memories of the Apocalypse Virus and hallucinated while seeing people being infected. This traumatic episode cost Funeral Parlor a mission to stop a convoy that contained the meteorite canister.

Unwilling to join them anymore, Gai decisively kicked Shu out of the resistance, much to the dismay of Inori, Heath, Akiko, and Ayase.

"So, that's how it's going to be, Gai? Fine, but you've just lost your MVP in your missions going forward!" Shu frowned over Gai's decision. With that, he stormed off, leaving Funeral Parlor headquarters in a huff.

"Gai, please do something," Inori pleaded as she ran forward to watch Shu leave.

I'm sorry, Shu. Gai is secretly saddened with sympathy. Deep down, he knew he'd regret this decision in completing the mission without the Void Genome user. Also deep down, he regretted knowing in secret that he knew Shu from a past time.

"This is wrong, Gai! How many of us have screwed up on missions and yet you gave us another chance? Shu makes one mistake and you're cutting your losses with him?! I'm sorry, but I call bullshit on this one!" Ayase rebuked Gai's reckless decision. "Shu is our most valuable asset! Not only because he can extract Voids, but he's a member of our team! We need to stay together!"

Heath and Akiko were also visibly upset and saddened, but opted not to say anything. Ayase said everything they wanted to get off their chests.

"Bro, I hope that doesn't mean we're not allowed to talk with Shu anymore," Akiko muttered to her brother.

"Ayase's right. We need to be together," Heath said.


Returning home, Shu walked in and found Inori leaving. While carrying her own bag, Inori approached Shu. Before heading out the door, she gave him her new song.

"Gai told me to return to headquarters. I'm sorry it had to end this way."

Shu said nothing.

"Here. it's my newest song, I want you to have it."

Suddenly, Shu had another panic attack, which startled Inori. He slapped the digitized disc out of her hand. Taken aback, Inori walked out, leaving Shu to be in his sorry state.

"I'm sorry, Inori!"

"Goodbye, Shu," the songstress closed the door. Now standing outside the front door, Inori had a distraught look on her usually calm demeanor, feeling as if she had to betray and abandon Shu after all they've been through together on missions, in school, and at home. "I wish this never happened, Shu. Gai, this can't be the right thing."


Depressed, at school, Shu confronted Hare and asked if he could be close to her. Feeling uncomfortable by Shu's sudden encroachment, Hare slapped him.

"I'm not your replacement for Inori, Shu!" Hare chided him. "And you're not acting like the Shu I know and love!"

Rubbing the tender cheek where Hare slapped him. Shu was given a quick reality check and brought back to his senses. Taking the slap with pride, Shu thanked Hare.

"I needed that, Hare."

"Yeah, don't mention it."


Meanwhile, Major General Yan had placed Keido under house arrest for stealing the Apocalypse Virus meteorite and planned to have it transported overseas. Having learned of this situation, Gai and Funeral Parlor went to Haneda Airport and planned to attack the plane transporting and retrieving the cargo. Also part of the mission was Heath and Akiko, who questioned whether they knew what they were getting themselves into.

"Bro, it's times like this that I wish Shu were here," Akiko realized how more difficult things have been since Shu's departure.

"You and me both, Akiko," Heath concurred, thinking about Shu's whereabouts.

However, unbeknownst to both GHQ and Funeral Parlor, Segai and the Anti-Bodies had other plans and started vaccinating themselves. As Gai and his team get inside the transport plane, they find it empty and realize it was too late. They had been conned. Segai activated a genetic resonance broadcast at Tokyo Tower, which caused the meteorite and an unearthly song to spread the virus all over Tokyo and ignite a wave of chaos.

With both GHQ and Funeral Parlor in disarray due to the virus, the Anti-Bodies attacked both sides and rescued Keido from his confinement. Coming out of his confinement, Keido witnessed the chaos from GHQ Headquarters.

"Yes, now I will finish what I started 10 years ago on that faithful Christmas day."


With that virus spreading over Tokyo, Daryl killed his father General Yan, his secretary, and his staff upon learning about his father's affair with his secretary and choosing to spend time with her rather than attending his son's birthday. With the GHQ upper echelons dead, Keido announced he is taking over GHQ, solely blaming General Yan's death and the Apocalypse outbreak on Funeral Parlor.


Upon learning of the outbreak and receiving Tsugumi's distress call, Shu finally regained his heroic spark and revealed to Hare, Souta, Yahiro, Kanon, and Arisa about his connections with Funeral Parlor and the Voids. He asked them for his help to save Inori and Funeral Parlor, which they all agreed to. However, Shu and his friends were blind to Arisa's secret resentment towards Shu, who she felt was trying to take glory for himself.

Also during the conversation, Shu revealed his friends' Voids.


Meanwhile, at the airport, Haruka managed to escape the Anti-Bodies thanks to Dan Eagleman's sacrifice, which cost him his life as Segai killed him. She encountered Inori and Gai and realized the latter was infected with the Apocalypse Virus and worked with them to stop the outbreak.

Outside the airport, a new Beast of Eden appeared and fought Heath, Akiko, and Walter. Towering over the trio and other people in the vicinity, it is a tall, chimeric beast that has the head and upper body & arms of a Hibagon; its upper body's features resemble that of a great ape similar to an orangutan, and the facial features of a gorilla. It has a lower white body and arms shaped like a frog's lower body and legs. It has a fat-bodied Tsuchinoko-like tail with no other features.

Once facing its enemies, the creature let out a sonic scream that nearly sounded like a howling monkey.

"Be careful, guys! That looks like another one of GHQ's Frankenstein monsters! That thing is called the Cryptical Nue!" Tsugumi contacted Heath, Akiko, and Walter through their communicators.

"You two ready to bring this freak down?!" Walter called out.

"Bring it on, you banana-eater!" Akiko declared, manifesting Suzuka Gozen.

Once Heath summoned Tamuramaro, the trio engaged the chimeric monster. As the Cryptical Nue raised and swung its fists toward the trio, the Jones siblings generated a psychokinetic field that repelled the beast's blows. Using their psychokinetic abilities to stun the chimeric beast, Heath sent his Void to clash with the Cryptical Nue. Slashing the chimeric beast with its sword, the Tamuramaro Void disabled its left arm and shoulder. In retaliation, the chimeric beast knocked Heath's Void back with its tail. As it reached to rip apart Tamuramaro, Akiko's Void interceded the Cryptical Nue.

Manifesting his dog-faced Void, Walter assisted Akiko's Suzuka Gozen. As the dog-faced Void seized the chimeric beast's right shoulder, Akiko's Suzuka Gozen cut off its tail and left arm with its ko-naginata. Then, Walter's dog-faced Void delivered crippling and lethal bites on their enemy. Shoving its katana through the chimeric beast's head, Heath's Void swordsman finished off the Cryptical Nue.


Elsewhere, Keido and Segai headed to Roppongi Fort with the meteorite to a hidden facility inside Funeral Parlor HQ to start the next stage of their plans.

Haruka managed to build a resonance broadcaster, allowing Inori to sing her song through it. This helped stop the outbreak and cured the infected.

As Inori gave her song, Haruka checked the resonance broadcaster and calculated Inori's energy readings. Inori's genomic resonance calculations passed 3,000, which astounded Haruka.

At the same time, Shu and his friends broke through the airport barricade and defeated GHQ & the Anti-Bodies forces using his friends' Voids while they were unconscious.

Along the way, Shu reunited with Heath and Akiko, who had finished their battle against the Cryptical Nue. The siblings were ecstatic to see Shu again. When they finally reached Inori, Yuu suddenly teleported at Inori's side. Kidnapping Inori, Yuu extracted her Void and tried to slash Shu. Gai stepped in at the last moment and protected Shu from Yuu's attack, taking the hit for him. Shu, Gai, Heath, and Akiko learned the horrible truth: Yuu also wielded a Void Genome.

As Shu held Gai's critically injured body, the outbreak continued to spread and crystallized Funeral Parlor's headquarters into a crystal tower, which became the monolith for Da'ath's takeover.

Through teleportation, Keido arrived in the crystal tower but not before giving Segai the information he wanted as a token for his services.

Meanwhile, Shu finally recognized who Gai was.

"I remember now, Gai. We knew each other before," Shu muttered as his memories started surfacing.

"There's no time, Shu. You have to rescue Inori from the 'grave keeper of Da'ath'," Gai said with pain in his voice while facing Yuu, who still had Inori in his clutches.

"Ouma Shu, you still don't remember your whole past. Why don't we find out more?" Yuu asked as he teleported through a portal, which Shu used to follow him and Inori.

"Shu!" Heath and Akiko cried out as Gai beckoned them.

"Go after him, you two. Don't worry about me. I'll catch up. Now, hurry!"

With that, Heath and Akiko summoned their Tamuramaro and Suzuka Gozen Voids and stormed through the portal.


As Shu fell deeper through the portal, Yuu helped open his mind and caused the boy to finally recount his memories.

In the past, Shu and his older sister, Mana, rescued a boy on the beach of Izu Ōshima island. The boy with the long blonde hair was named Triton. Triton, who is actually Gai, started living with the Oumas and looked up to Shu, who was then a brave boy.

"I remember now. That kid we rescued was Gai. Back then, we were best friends, almost like brothers."

After re-experiencing these childhood memories, Shu saw Heath, Akiko, and their Voids catching up with him.

"Thank goodness we've caught up with you, Shu!" Heath said with relief.

"You had us scared, Shu. Are we going anyway?" Akiko queried.

"Looks like we're about to find out," Shu pointed out as they landed inside a spacious dominion filled with crystallized and marble architecture. They found themselves inside the crystal tower. Right in front of them, they saw where Keido had Inori bound by crystallized vines. Yuu was also seen giving a proceeding wedding ceremony. "Inori! Let her go now!"

"It seems we have uninvited guests," Keido noticed Shu, Heath, and Akiko.

"No matter, they will bear witness to this unholy matrimony," chortled Yuu, who turned toward a pod that contained a soul. "Mana's soul is waiting to be transferred into the vessel known as Inori."

"What?! Mana?!" Shu was taken aback by what Yuu revealed.

"Yes, Inori's body is merely a vessel for Mana so that she and Keido can give birth to a new race and spread the virus worldwide, cleansing this world and allowing a new Eden to be born," Yuu announced.

"You're insane! We're not letting that happen!" Heath rebuked.

"I am Da'ath's envoy," Yuu revealed his title. As he opened his hand, he manifested an apple and showed it to his enemies. Then, the apple disappeared from his palm. "As Da'ath's envoy, our sole purpose is for our Adam and Eve, our Ask and Embla, our two progenitors to give birth to a whole new race for a brand new world. With the destruction of your old and flawed world, a new one can rise from the ashes of the apocalypse. I will see to it that becomes a reality."

Keido sneered toward Shu. "How has Haruka been, Shu? It's a shame she never mentioned me to you."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm Haruka's brother. Yes, that would make me your step-uncle. It's a shame we couldn't have been properly acquainted, my nephew," Keido chortled. "Oh, but that's not all. Have you ever wondered how your father died?"

"He died during Lost Christmas."

"Yes, but they didn't tell you who or what killed your father Kurosu? Well, it was me, Shu. I killed Kurosu out of jealousy on the day of Lost Christmas!"

Once this horrifying truth finally came out, Shu learned about his father's killer. This infuriated enough to provoke him to attack Keido, but Heath and Akiko stopped him from taking a careless action that could cost his life.

At that moment, Shu had another painful flashback. He recalled dark memories of his sister Mana loving him and wanting to marry him. However, in truth, her odd behavior was the result of being infected with the Apocalypse Virus. At that time, Mana was patient zero as the virus manipulated her actions and made her insane. When Gai learned about this, Mana threatened him not to tell Shu.

Once Shu regained his composure, Heath and Akiko calmed him down. The trio then charged ahead to save Inori and stop the wedding. Heath and Akiko readied their humanoid Voids until crystal-like plants blocked their path. These strange crystal plants revealed red eyes, which were manipulated by Mana's will. When he recognized his sister's voice, Shu's face paled with apprehension. Inside the pod, he saw a pink-haired girl curled up in a fetal position and with her eyes shut. It was the physical manifestation of Mana's soul.

"You really have no right to get jealous. After all, you were the one to shun me. I was completely devastated, but you knew that, didn't you?" Mana's voice came from the pod, exuding creepiness that paralyzed Shu's entire being.

"What do you mean?!" Shu questioned before a crystallized tendril seized him and shoved his face near one of the creepy red eyes. The one red eye painstakingly stared dead into Shu's petrified face.

"Let him go!" Heath yelled as he and Akiko raced over to save him, but were intercepted by more crystallized plants and red eyes.

"Was I that unimportant to you? That you'd forget? Let me share my pain with you," Mana threatened Shu as a thin crystallized needle popped out of the red eyes' lens and slowly inched closer toward Shu's eye. Closing his eyes, Shu screamed with trepidation.

Just in time, and interrupting Mana's procedure, Ayase's Steiner came crashing through a crystallized wall. During this commotion, Heath's Void swordsman cut Shu loose from the crystallized tentacle. Everyone faced the other way and saw Gai sitting atop of the Steiner with a determined gaze and hell-bent on ending the unholy ceremony. Gai and Ayase's Steiner have arrived.

"Shu, Heath, Akiko! We're here!" Ayase called out from inside her Steiner.

"Ayase! Gai!" The trio shouted in unison, relieved to see the Steiner pilot and the resistance leader.

"I'm glad you're ok, Shu. Heath and Akiko really pulled their weight," Gai remarked with a satisfied smirk.

"Gai! You're still alive!" Shu responded with elation.

"They missed my vital organs. I'm lucky the cancer crystals shielded them."

As the Steiner descended to let Gai down, Mana's vine crystals attacked and dismantled Ayase's machine. Tsugumi narrowly saved Ayase at the last moments by ejecting her mind out of the Endlave.

"Ayase!" Heath shouted as he neutralized the vine crystals with a psychokinetic field. Then, he sent his Tamuramaro Void to remove and dissolve the crystals covering the Steiner. Checking in with Ayase, Heath was relieved to see her alive and well. Before he could free her, the crystallized walls grabbed the Steiner and forcibly ejected it along with Ayase out of the tower, removing them from the battle.

When Gai confronted Shu, the resistance leader helped him remember how the Lost Christmas incident began.


On that day ten years ago, December 24, 2029, Gai informed Shu to meet him at a church in Roppongi to tell him the truth about Mana. However, much to Gai's surprise and dismay, Mana came instead and tricked Gai into shooting himself. When Shu arrived at the scene, he was disturbed by what occurred and rejected Mana's offer to marry her and help birth a new race.

With one word, he paralyzed Mana into a broken state.

He called her a monster. He called his sister a monster.

That scathing name hurt her. And after being hurt by what Shu said, Mana screamed. "NO!" And with that, her emotional state broke and triggered the Apocalypse Virus to spread over Tokyo before coming to her senses and destroying her body.

Feeling responsible for not helping Mana, Gai vowed to get stronger while a traumatized Shu made himself forget about Mana and Gai.


Now remembering his full past, Shu helped extract Gai's Void, a gun that forced out other people's Voids.

"The Leader's Rifle. How fitting for me," Gai identified his own Void.

"Should I use it?"

"No, I'll use it. I'll pass it over as we're making headway, Shu. I need you to cover for me while I make a beeline for Mana," Gai instructed while holding his gun Void.

"I've got your back."

With that, Shu and Gai charged head-on with an assortment of red eyes and crystallized vines blocking their way. As they gained closer, Mana attacked them with crystallized spikes coming out of the floor and the walls. Shu and Gai narrowly escaped getting skewered by Mana's traps. Heath and Akiko intervened, using their Voids to cut down the red-eyed and crystal-bodied abominations.

Leaving Keido to put a purple crystal wedding ring on Inori, Yuu extracted his Void: a bow and arrow. He then fired an arrow toward Heath and Akiko's Voids, keeping them from aiding Shu and Gai.

While Yuu briefly battled Heath and Akiko, Shu and Gai gained closer to Inori. Pivoting over to Shu, Gai tossed the Leader's Rifle to him. Shu seized Gai's Void and fired a clear shot through Inori, pushing out the Singer's Sword. In a defining moment, Shu's Void Genome's powers reached their apex. Using Gai's Void, he did so while Gai retained his consciousness. Before, it appeared he could only do so with Heath, Akiko, and Ayase. Then, his powers expanded after extracting Walter and Tsugumi's Voids as they retained their consciousness. Now, this ability was expanded to anyone whose Voids are extracted.

This was demonstrated once again when he grabbed the Singer's Sword. As he rescued Inori, he saw Inori fully retaining her consciousness.

"Shu, you came," Inori smiled genuinely. As Shu raised the Singer's Sword, the metallic-colored bandages emerging from the Void extraction in her chest engulfed the pink-haired songstress. Her wedding gown was torn to shreds. Her entire wardrobe changed. She was now garbed in a white long-sleeved bodysuit and long black stockings, which revealed her bare toes and feet. Her pink hair became wild and disheveled. Her face gained a menacing, feral-like disposition. Her eyes became sharper and rigid than their usual softer appearance. Black crystallized blades jutted from her back. Jutting from her hands are long and black crystallized blades.

Having witnessed the songstress' monstrous transformation, Shu was baffled by what he saw. Just her menacing face was enough to terrify him and raise concerns about her going feral on him.

However, those fears were alleviated when Inori embraced him.

"Don't be afraid of me, Shu. Despite my scary face, I'm still me."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Mana's voice interrupted their bonding moment. "Aww, how sweet. The monster and my brother wanna cuddle together. How drab. This just makes me want to kill you more!" She attacked Shu and Inori with crystallized vines.

With newfound speed, Inori was able to outpace Mana's eyes. Readily swinging her arm blades, Inori shattered Mana's vines. After quickly cutting off more vines, Inori delivered lethal strikes and bisected a few red eyes. Swinging the Singer's Sword, Shu helped clear a path and slash apart crystal vines and red eyes.

"No! How can a fake… a doll… NO, HOW CAN A MONSTER DO THIS AND RUIN MY ASCENSION?! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE AN OBEDIENT DOLL AND LET ME TAKE OVER! HOW DARE YOU SHOW ME UP!" Mana screamed with unbridled fury.

Fiercely gritting her teeth, Inori growled. "I'm no one's doll! And I'm not a monster! I'm free to do as I please! You will not have Shu and Gai!" She jumped up and bisected a giant red eye floating above her.

Suddenly, Mana's fury helped harvest her crystallized garden enough that her crystal plants materialized into multiple crystallized venus flytraps. One quickly ensnared Inori with its jaws and attempted to devour her, but Inori easily freed herself with her blades and sliced the remaining venus flytraps with her blades like a gardener getting rid of weeds.

As Shu slashed apart several venus flytraps, Gai headed over toward the pod to free Mana's soul.

"Get going, Gai!" Shu encouraged his friend.

"No, you don't!" Keido roared as he headed off to stop Gai. Suddenly, after withdrawing from his fight against Heath and Akiko, Yuu appeared in front of Keido and knocked him out.

"Shuichiro, you've done your part. You did your best and you failed," Yuu said as he and Keido vanished.

Once Gai reached for the pod, the crystals protecting it stabbed his chest. As he doubled over, he bled from his chest and mouth as the crystals poked through his back. Shu and Inori arrived to find a critically wounded Gai laying over Mana's pod.

"Oh no… Gai!" Inori cried out in horror.

"Gai!" Shu shouted.

Knowing he doesn't have much time left to live and wishing to accompany Mana in her last moments, Gai instructed him. "Put the blade through me and stab Mana, Shu. I'm a dead man any way you look at it. So, do it."

"You can't, Shu!" Inori pleaded with him.

"No, I can't do it!" Shu protested against Gai's wish.

"Shu… who do I remind you of, right now? You were always so decisive when we were kids. You were brave… strong… more than anything I wanted to be like you…"

"What are you talking about, Gai?"

"You haven't lost that ability to become that person. Hell, just by accepting to join Funeral Parlor and showing improvement in your abilities, you became that strong and brave boy again. You came out of your reclusive shell. I envied seeing you grow, Shu. But, most of all, I'm also proud of you. Because of you, we gained more allies through Heath and Akiko. You don't even need me anymore," Gai said with a knowing smile on his face. "It's time, Shu. Hurry up and do it!"

Inori tapped Shu's shoulder and gasped. "Please, Shu…"

Sighing, Shu tightly gripped the Singer's Sword and tearfully ran it through Gai's chest, and by extension, he stabbed Mana's core. Once delivering the final blow, a flash of pink light enveloped the entire tower. As the crystal tower grumbled, Gai and Mana held each other as they shared dialogue while their bodies disappeared.

"It's you, Triton?"

"Mana, I finally repay the favor."

After the tower crumbled and Gai & Mana vanished, Shu, Inori, Heath, and Akiko floated to safety. Inori had returned to her normal self. As they mourned for Gai, Inori calmly reassured them.

"It's okay. This is what Gai wanted. I heard him, Shu. He says, 'Thank you.'"

As he heard this from Inori, Shu tearfully smiled, feeling bittersweet that his friend was going to be fine in the afterlife.

Unbeknownst to them, Yuu was able to recover Gai's soul for GHQ and Da'ath's next phase whenever that time comes.

Later, Shu, Inori, Heath, and Akiko reconvened with their friends Ayase, Tsugumi, Walter, Yahiro, Hare, Souta, Kanon, and Arisa, and they told their friends everything, including Gai's death by Shu's hands in a merciful act. Everyone is saddened by this, except for one. Arisa secretly showed resentment toward Shu for killing Gai.

As the group left the ruined scene, and unbeknownst to them, Inori's face sneakily gave a sinister smile. What did this mean? Despite her efforts to liberate herself from Mana, Mana's soul successfully infiltrated Inori's body.

This was a September that they'll never forget.


A/N: We've made it through this intermission! We are halfway through AnGC!

We weren't kidding when we said this chapter would adapt Episodes 8 through 12. Yeah, we pretty much burned through a good portion of the canon story, because honestly outside of the dialogue scenes you saw in this chapter, there wasn't any new ground to cover, unlike Chapters V-IX that told original stories. Although, I recognize there are (and will be) readers who've never watched Guilty Crown and will lose some context. On the same token, I expect more GC fans to be reading this story and understand what's going on. I realize the pros and cons when summarizing parts of a story.

Yes, and it is a partly summarized chapter. For those who don't like that? Sorry. There were only a few scenes and interactions we intended to flesh out. Hell, this was mostly going to be a summarized chapter, but I opted to revise Allfather-Ford's outline and added dialogue and character interactions, including giving Gai and Mana dialogue and the characters' reactions to Shu's hilariously bad 'Inori is my everything!' moment.

This chapter also changes a few things from the original. For instance, Shu, Gai, and Inori's battle against Mana and her garden. Yes, unlike in the canon, Shu takes more initiative and doesn't hold back anywhere near as much. Moreover, Inori gets involved in the action and unveils her monster form much earlier than in the actual show (she doesn't transform until Episode 18). Even Heath and Akiko got involved and engaged Yuu.

Scenes that happened in the show that were retained: Shu interrupting the unholy matrimony, the flashback with Mana & Lost Christmas, and Shu giving Gai a mercy killing so he can pass on with Mana.

Or… so we thought. Yuu has taken Gai's soul and Mana seemingly has taken over Inori right under the songstress' nose.

This chapter also has the obligatory beach episode and I did flesh out character interactions there. Originally, it was just going to be summarized but I felt, and based on someone's wish for a 'fun side story to lighten the mood', this one was the best I could do since it's going to be serious business going forward. At least, the beach scene allowed me to incorporate more cute Heath and Ayase moments.

Other tidbits: another experimental Beast of Eden was shown - The Cryptical Nue. Nothing else much to be said about this thing. It served its purpose being an obstacle for Heath, Akiko, and Walter.

Since we're already halfway through AnGC, I figure I'd evaluate myself and address a few issues with the writing process and criticisms I've met along the way. Yes, and to be truthful, while this has been an intriguing and enjoyable project to write for, it was a challenge to write since I've been trying a novel-like approach with AnGC.

The summarized scenes/sections criticism: In the earlier chapters, I was met with criticism for writing too many summarized scenes and how they're 'boring to read' and there's 'no investment' (maybe not those exact words), but please for the last time, understand my position. Between writing my first novel draft and AnGC, I am going to prioritize my novel draft and yes that means I'm not going to fully focus on every detail of this story. Some characters and moments will get higher priority than others in AnGC. That doesn't mean I am lazy. If I was, this whole story would be nothing but summary and no dialogue. I took the criticisms to heart, addressed them, and fleshed out a ton of scenes that were originally meant to be summarized (specifically adding/touching on more Shu and Inori interactions, and giving other characters (i.e. Tsugumi, Argo, and Walter) more dialogue than what we planned). The spotlight on Ayase and Heath slightly expanded just a bit than originally planned but not that much.

So, to any of my younger readers and/or others whose first fanfic of mine you're reading is AnGC: Don't worry. If you've fallen behind and need more time to catch up, this story isn't going anywhere. You'll have time to catch up before we begin AnGC's second half. And this way you'll get a chance to connect with me more and learn about me as a person. There's always the Akane no Mai discord if you wish to interact with me.

All There in the Manual - Chapter X

-The name of Mana's crystallized red eyes/vines that compose into a crystal garden with additions like venus flytraps: Vertumnus.
-The name of Inori's monster form: Euterpe's Fury.
-Yuu's bow and arrow Void is given a name: the Dawn of Da'at.

That was a lengthy A/N post, but I had to vent out some grievances and evaluate myself since we're halfway through this story. It's officially a new year and the rest of Q1 2022 will primarily be AnGC being the main focus and cornerstone of my fanfic projects. Having completed the first half of this fic, I'm taking a small break from AnGC and will resume with updates on the first week of February. That's plenty of time for me to produce a couple more chapters in the can. I hope you can handle a break?

And that's all for this long commentary. Please leave thoughtful comments and reviews. Later, readers!