Chapter XII: Rise of the Dictator King
Months had passed between October 13th to December 13th, and Tennouzu High had adjusted to being a fortified sanctuary for survivors. Under Shu's watch, he made sure every student was given a place to call home, which helped establish his respectable leadership status.
Once Shu was voted as the student council president, he exerted his power in ensuring the student body was quarantined when necessary. He and his colleagues also helped find and bring supplies and vaccines. Survivors from local areas were brought to Tennouzu for safety.
However, after two months, Shu's colleagues had to remind him that they were running short on supplies and vaccines. Certain members of the student body were growing restless. In response to this, it was the right time to initiate an exodus alongside finding food and water; and equally as important, training themselves to better prepare for the dangers that lay within and beyond Loop 7. Shu and his colleagues remembered that the Ouryu Kyōchō were still running loose and killing anything that they could find.
Within Shu's kingdom, he and his colleagues looked into leaving the high school behind and finding another venue. Shortly after he was appointed as student president, Shu also formed a group consisting of himself and twelve other Tennouzu High students named the Void XIII. Besides himself, the group consisted of Inori, Heath, Akiko, Yahiro, Kanon, Arisa, Nanba, Sudou, Ritsu, Miyabi, Yūki, and Kana.
As Void XIII members, each individual gave themselves titles: Shu (the Guilty King), Inori (the Guilty Queen), Heath (the Obsidian Nexus), Akiko (the Celestial Maiden), Yahiro (the Burden Shears), Kanon (the Analytical Scouter), Arisa (the Prestigious Shield), Nanba (the Shadow Blades), Sudou (the Fatal Tusk), Ritsu (the Electro Cute), Miyabi (the Crimson Scythe), Yūki (the Trump Card), and Kana (the Disciplinary Fighter).
The Void XIII played vital roles as Shu's leaders helped the student body and planned meetings ahead of time for the exodus. As punishment for their horrible behavior, the Pack (Nanba, Sudou, Ritsu, and Miyabi) were forced into Shu's servitude after threatening harm to Ayase and Tsugumi. Once they met their exodus goal of leaving Loop 7, the group agreed to dissolve and part ways.
"So, it's agreed then? No objections?" Shu asked his other Void XIII colleagues. Not one objected and some nodded accordingly. He then turned over toward the Pack and frowned. "And what about you four?"
"Look, don't you go bossing us around as if we're your bootlicking lackey friends here," Sudou scoffed irritably.
"We're only doing this because we have a common interest for the well-being of our fellow students," Nanba said while adjusting his glasses.
"Well-being for our students? Yeah, right. Not after the crap you pulled on Ayase and Tsugumi," angrily mumbled Akiko. As Akiko's remark got Nanba's attention, he noticed Heath giving him an intense look, which made him turn away.
"So, we're all in this together? That's what we want to hear," Yahiro nodded in approval.
"Well said! Then, why don't we call this meeting adjourned?" Kana happily suggested.
"Just a moment. Shu, what will we do about those monstrosities that continue roaming the vicinity at night?" Arisa raised a concern about the Ouryu Kyōchō. "While they've yet to invade our school, they remain a danger at large. Thus far, we've managed to keep our students from roaming out into their territory. If we're going to be retrieving food, water, vaccines, and other supplies for the exodus, we can't simply go out on foot. We need more transport vehicles."
"But, where can we get more transportation? Most of what we have are rundown vehicles," Kanon pointed out.
Shu considered their options and then remembered something. "Wait, I remember one of those Roppongi students we took in has a Void that enabled him to create a vehicle."
"Yes, it was a van if I recall correctly," Kana stated.
"Then, we'll use his Void but he must be willing to. I don't want to force his hand if he's not up to the task," Shu said.
"As you say, Guilty King Ouma Shu," Yūki bowed respectfully, eliciting an irritated look on Arisa's face.
"Sheesh, what's with the formalities? You call him Guilty King, but why not something shorter? Like GKOS?" Ritsu grumbled.
"GKOS? Hmm, yes, that works, too!" Yūki said.
"Heh, or more like 'Geek-kos'," snidely remarked Sudou.
"That's a more fitting name if you ask me," chuckled Nanba.
"Ugh, how mature," Akiko sardonically muttered.
"Anyway, this meeting is adjourned. Apologies for keeping you from your posts," Shu said, dismissing their emergency meeting. As he sat down to calm himself, Shu deeply sighed.
"It'll be ok, Shu," Inori said, patting his back.
"Thanks, Inori. This job hasn't been easy."
"But, you've been performing well as student president. Thanks to you, we haven't had any student casualties," Heath approved of his friend's course of action.
"Yeah, and now thanks to someone's Void, we can get by those freaky monsters," Akiko stated.
"I hope things can go without a hitch," Kanon said.
"Same here. Ok, let's get ready, everyone," Shu stated.
Later that evening, Ayase, Tsugumi, Hare, and Akiko shared a bath and gossiped over the latest happenings in Tennouzu. When confronted with questions about today's meeting, Akiko opted not to discuss concerns out of respect for Shu's confidentiality policy.
"Fine, that's fair if you can't share much of anything," Ayase said.
"I can say that we'll be mobilizing out of this place sooner than later," Akiko revealed.
"So, the exodus is happening soon. Got it," Tsugumi said.
"By the way, speaking of Shu… hey, Hare?" Akiko asked, leering over toward her direction.
"Uh, y-yes? What about Shu?" Hare curiously asked when being confronted with a question about him.
"You've known Shu longer than the rest of us here. Tell me, do you have a crush on him?"
"That's a random question to ask."
Tsugumi sneakily grinned behind Hare's back. "C'mon, I bet you got lots of stories to share in that head of yours!"
"Uh, well, I…"
Ayase sighed hard. "Don't push her, you two. Let her speak whenever she feels up to it."
"Well, it's true. I've known Shu longer and we've been friends since we were kids. I can say that I've always admired him as a friend. Now though? He's become a king… a kind king in a fairy tale that I used to always read about."
"What was it called?" Tsugumi asked.
"The Kind King. The hero character in that story was someone I fell in love with and Shu just reminds me of him. That character exudes so much kindness toward his people just like Shu is doing now."
"Yeah, I can see that. Shu's been a pretty cool king, hasn't he?" Akiko smirked.
"I guess we should call him 'King Shu' from now on, huh?" Ayase teasingly referred to him.
"Anything else you'd like to share? Do you love Shu?" Tsugumi queried.
"Love? I don't know if I would say love, but I like Shu for his kindness. That's the best quality he has going for him."
"So, is that how you feel about Heath, Aya?" Tsugumi shifted toward her friend, who quickly retorted.
"No way! I don't like Heath just for his kindness! He has other things going for him."
"Like what, Aya?"
"Well, he's brave in combat and when he tries he does have a good sense of humor," Ayase openly stated.
"Don't forget that he said we'd make new friends. My bro is good with calling things before they happen," Akiko reminded Ayase.
"I guess there's that. I just never imagined I'd admire another guy besides Gai. Then, Shu and Heath came along, and Heath truly has grown on me. He truly has."
"And what about you and Walter, Akiko?" Hare asked her.
"We've gotten to know each other moreover these two months. He's a bit of a dork, but we've had great conversations. He has his good qualities," Akiko answered as Hare nodded and looked up at the ceiling.
"I guess we all have someone we really like and admire," Hare smiled her brightest smile, keeping Shu on her mind. "Whatever you're doing now Shu, I hope you have pleasant dreams."
During the routine mission of finding supplies and vaccines for the forthcoming exodus, the Void XIII decided to split into two groups. One group, led by Shu, consisted of Hare, Souta, Yūki, Kana, and five other Tennouzu students (three males and two females). Along the way, they found and rescued Shu's homeroom teacher. Shu learned his homeroom teacher was the only Tennouzu faculty member who secretly remained in Tokyo and informed them that he never found GHQ trustworthy. As such, he, being the only adult involved, vowed to help the teenagers escape.
Seeing how much his student had changed, Shu's homeroom teacher acknowledged Shu's bravery. "To think you would end up not just a student president, but a capable leader helping his students survive and helping them seek freedom?"
"It's been a difficult job, but someone had to do it. I have no regrets," Shu answered.
Shaking his head, the man was flabbergasted by Shu's changed demeanor. "...you've grown into quite the man, Ouma Shu. I'm kinda jealous."
"Why do you say that?"
"Uh, well… never mind. Forget what I just said."
After rescuing Shu's homeroom teacher and searching for supplies, they found other survivors, including a few other adults. Suddenly, Shu's group was mercilessly ambushed and attacked by Daryl's forces and two of the Ouryu Kyōchō (Byakko and Suzaku). Moreover, Daryl arrived piloting a large Endlave named the Gespenst, which he used to attack Shu and his colleagues. Shu, Souta, and the five Tennouzu High students quickly resisted the enemies with their Voids.
"Be careful and try not to rely on your Voids too much! They aren't as effective weapons as mine!" Shu warned the five Tennouzu students, consisting of a boy with a spray bottle Void, a girl with a comb brush Void, a boy with a shovel Void, another boy with a bottle-opener Void, and another girl with a spoon Void.
"I don't know. My shovel seems like it'll be an effective weapon!" The boy with the shovel swung it toward Byakko, who jumped back and hissed at him.
"As if my bottle-opener will make a difference," the boy with the aforementioned Void scoffed.
The girl with the spoon backed away. "We can leave it to you to handle things, Shu."
The boy with the spray bottle Void splashed watery liquid that kept Suzaku away. "Then, let's get these survivors to safety!"
"Look out, Souta!" The girl with the comb crush Void called out to him as Souta ran from the sights of Gespenst.
"Shu, we need to get out of here!" Souta suggested.
"Right, let's withdraw. I'll keep these three at bay," Shu beckoned the group away as they escorted the survivors away. While swinging his Singer Sword at the two creatures, Shu also had his sights on Gespenst. "Come on!"
As Gespenst pursued Shu, the sword wielder dashed away.
"You're mine now, Shu!" Daryl shouted as he pursued Shu.
The other group, led by Yuko and Ito, comprised four Roppongi High students (a third-year boy, a second-year boy, a second-year girl, and a first-year girl) along with their Kai Ken dog named Hayatarō. They traveled and scoured the local vicinities using the second-year boy's Void, which was a van with an Oboroguruma's face on the front. Through this method, they were able to locate an abandoned hospital and search for any available vaccines.
Shortly after gathering vaccines from the hospital, Yuko's group was ambushed by the other two Ouryu Kyōchō (Seiryu and Genbu). The chase around the hospital was a terrifying experience for Yuko's group. During most of the chase, the two monsters' shadows would creep up on the group. When they turned to notice they were being stalked, the shadows would disappear, leaving them to frightfully surmise that they could be anywhere without warning. This left the group paralyzed with fear and feeling their heartbeats pounding their chests.
When Seiryu and Genbu finally emerged, the monsters pounced through windows and methodically stalked Yuko's group.
"They're onto us! Run!" The second-year boy wailed fearfully. "Hayatarō, don't try and fight them!"
"You four stay behind us!" Ito ordered as he drew out dual katanas; one was a real blade and the other was his Void.
However, Ito and Hayatarō held their ground and protected Yuko and the four Roppongi students from Seiryu and Genbu. The first-year girl used a Ōnamazu-faced flute that gave off a soundwave that slightly disoriented the two Ouryu Kyōchō.
The third-year male student protected the first-year girl, who was also his younger sister, using a Void that took the form of a light red robe with eyes and a long-pointed nose that cloaked them from the Ouryu Kyōchō's keen sights.
"Get into my cloak! Hurry!" The third-year male student called out to the second-year girl, who used a Takiyasha-faced flashlight Void to guide her toward the invisible cloak that covered them.
Yuko and Hayatarō guarded the second-year boy against the two Ouryu Kyōchō. Brandishing her sickle Void, Yuko swung her weapon toward Genbu and made the creature back off. Ito fought off Seiryu with his dual katanas. When Hayatarō lunged at Seiryu, the Kai Ken dog bit the creature's neck, slightly wounding it.
"Don't let go, Hayatarō!" Yuko encouraged the canine, whose teeth sunk deep into the creature's neck.
However, Seiryu quickly shook off Hayatarō and delivered a swift kick to the dog's side along with a claw slash that wounded him.
"No, Hayatarō!" The second-year boy tearfully cried out.
"Hayatarō!" Yuko shouted as she swung her sickle Void at Seiryu, forcing it away as the second-year teen retrieved Hayatarō, who only received a cut on his side with no life-threatening injuries.
When Seiryu tried to lunge at them, Ito forced the creature back while scaring it off with his dual katanas.
"Keep running!" Ito called out to the Roppongi students.
"Don't worry. We'll get you treated by Hare, Hayatarō!" The second-year teenager reassured the canine. "Guys, we need to get to the van!"
"Let's hurry! Get going!" Yuko beckoned the second-year teenager, who ran off while carrying Hayatarō. She and Ito stayed behind to keep the creatures from pursuing the Roppongi students.
Along the way, the second-year teen met up with his Roppongi friends as they used the third-year teen's robe to blend with their surroundings.
Once they reached outside the hospital, they hurried into the van. Yuko and Ito, who barely escaped with their lives, jumped into the van as they made a quick getaway with Genbu and Seiryu briefly tailing them until the creatures gave up on their pursuit.
Not long after they were separated, Shu and Yuko's groups reunited during the assault. Inori, Ayase, Tsugumi, Yahiro, Heath, Akiko, and Walter were on their way to rendezvous with them. During the wait, Hare used her Void to heal the members that received any injuries, and thanks to Hare, Hayatarō's wound was miraculously treated.
Suddenly, Daryl's Gespenst arrived and unleashed an unrelenting force that caused an explosion, which was strong enough to knock away the groups. As a result of this attack, Shu and Hare were seriously injured. Shu's injuries were worse as the bottom half of his torso was ripped open by debris. As she saw Shu lying in his own blood, Hare, who had a wound in her stomach, desperately crawled over toward Shu.
"...Shu, don't die on me… please… if I can save Hayatarō, I can save you…!" Hare weakly cried out while crawling over to him. As her Void bandages materialized and wrapped around her hands, Hare thought about the story of the Kind King and how silly she used to think about it. When her Void bandages lifted Shu, their powers healed Shu's grave injury. And as she healed him, more blood spilled from Hare's stomach wound.
However, Hare didn't care and paid no attention to her wound. Instead, she exerted her remaining life to selflessly save Shu's.
"I think that king may have been my first love… and you remind me so much of him, Shu. You're kind to people and all they do is hurt you."
Just then, a GHQ attack helicopter quickly spotted Hare using her Void to heal Shu. Given orders to kill anyone who wasn't a GHQ soldier on sight, the helicopter fired a shot that destroyed Hare's Void before she was able to treat her own wounds. The helicopter then leaves the scene, believing they had finished the job. In the meantime, the Ouryu Kyōchō retreated for the time being.
Shortly after being healed, Shu woke up and was in horrific shock when he saw purple crystals beginning to engulf Hare. Hare, with the last of her strength and undying willpower, told Shu about the story in her childhood of a kind-hearted king in his kingdom, and she sees Shu as that king.
Hare's last words before dying and crystallizing into dust in front of Shu were, "You have my heart, forever." And as he witnessed her die before his eyes, Shu let out a pained cry and was shown the horrific result of someone when they lose their Void.
Shu realized that when someone's Void is decimated, that Void wielder dies.
With Hare's death weighing heavily on his conscience, Shu's heart and mind became filled with rage. He used Inori's Void to quickly decimate Daryl and his forces' Endlaves. With Inori's power greatly upgraded thanks to her monster form, Shu didn't just slice and strike the Endlaves, he caused Apocalypse Virus crystals to form out of their robotic metals and wounds. When he found Daryl's Gespenst, he brutally beat down Daryl's mech endlessly with Inori's Sword, and the Endlave was slowly engulfed by crystals from each devastating hit.
During each devastating blow, Shu furiously shouted. "IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU WHO DIED OUT THERE! YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!" He vented and called for Daryl, who stayed inside his Endlave's separate interface cockpit back in Ward 24 while cowering in fear for his life. After shoving the Singer Sword through the top of Gespenst, Shu drew a deep and frustrated breath. After finishing the deed, Shu muttered to himself, questioning his place as the student leader. "All this time I've been such a fool. Kindness is just another word… for weakness. No more giving students the ruler they want. I'll give them the one they deserve."
Having decided to take on a more ruthless approach as the king, Shu also realized he'd have to delicately balance his respected leader status and his new blunt tyrant mindset to save the student body.
At the school auditorium, Shu returned wearing mostly black and red attire, in a similar style that Gai used to wear, which symbolized Shu taking on Gai's role. He also came out wearing a black scarf. His once calm and doting eyes became cold and rigid, which reflected his new change in demeanor.
"Listen up, everyone. You must know this. There won't be any sugarcoating what I'm about to tell you," Shu informed the student body. After informing them about the cause of Hare's death, he then revealed the unnerving truth about their Voids. "Your lives are in danger if your Voids are destroyed. However, rest assured… as your leader, I will protect you all as your savior, and anyone strong enough to fight on my side will do so."
Meanwhile, Argo is airdropped into Loop 7 as part of a rescue mission to retrieve Arisa for Okina, who planned to negotiate a peace treaty with the head of a conglomerate called the Ming Hua Group of Shanghai in exchange for arranging a marriage with Arisa.
As Argo explored the area, he was reunited with Shu and the others, knowing they had to escape Loop 7 as quickly as possible. Having seen Shu as a leader, Argo expressed concerns if his plan would even work out. Shu reassured his friend.
The group contacted the Kuhouin Group in hopes to meet up after escaping Loop 7. The walls were getting closer, destroying anything in their path, including the Diet Building which met its demise. Resources were still being gathered by the students.
Shu and the Void XIII had another emergency meeting regarding the forthcoming exodus. They planned preparations and strategies of how to escape Loop 7, dealing with the Ouryu Kyōchō, finding the source of disabling the Endlave Ghost Units, and contacting Oogumo, Okina, and Kurachi with plans to meet outside the walls. Shu's homeroom teacher was also present to provide them insight into the Loop 7 area and the Ouryu Kyōchō's attack patterns. Although his awkwardness provided some much-needed uplifting for the students, who've been through so much horror from the last mission.
"Sorry, I wasn't trying to make you all laugh," the homeroom teacher chuckled over his awkwardness.
"Man, to think a pathetic loser like you was our homeroom teacher," scoffed Sudou.
Ritsu remarked. "What the hell can you do to help us survive?"
"While you weren't too bad of a classroom teacher, you won't mean much to help us survive," Nanba bluntly stated, which irked Shu enough to get his attention.
"You should've left his ass behind, Shoe!" Sudou chided Shu.
"Hey, you shut up!" Souta snapped.
"The same goes double for you, Soda!"
Souta growled. "I said don't call me that!"
"You got anything to say, Geek-kos?!" Sudou goaded Shu again.
Suddenly, the Pack immediately realized that they crossed a line again. As he walked right up to the Pack, Shu met them with a stern and frigid gaze from Shu.
"Don't forget who's in charge around here. Don't get on my bad side. Know your place, you two, or I'll have you removed from the Void XIII," Shu fiercely glaring toward Nanba and Sudou, causing them to freeze up. He then pivoted and faced Ritsu and Miyabi's direction. "And that goes double for you, too, as well." His firm and cold glare petrified them with fear.
"Y-Yes, Guilty King Ouma Shu!" Miyabi nervously squeaked.
"As you say, Guilty King," Ritsu backed off.
"Geez, we were just playing! I swear we were, Guilty King!" Sudou stammered.
"We apologize for crossing a line, Guilty King," Nanba responded obediently.
"Heh, not so tough are ya? The Pack? More like The Losers. You ain't got shit on Shu now," Souta chuckled at their expense.
"That's enough, Souta," Shu coldly beckoned him to sit down.
"Heh, I rather like this new side of you, Shu. You're showing us a firm stance as our leader, who will help us escape this hellhole," Arisa said while lying through her teeth with her brimming appraisal of Shu. "Let's all work together and make sure this exodus goes smoothly."
Firmly nodding, Shu added. "And with that, this meeting is adjourned." As he walked up and left with Inori, the homeroom teacher approached his former student.
"Thank you."
Shu calmly responded. "There's no need to thank me. I wanted to ensure your safety, and you provided us with some worthwhile intel for us about Loop 7. Thanks to you, our exodus will happen much sooner than planned."
"Shu, are you feeling ok?" Inori asked him, who walked out with her following him.
"Why would you ask me that, Inori?"
"Nothing. It's just your change in demeanor…"
"I had to make a change, Inori. The students here need a firm leader. I can't be too kind when there's a select few who don't have our best interest. We must be cautious, Inori. We can't let others die like Hare under our watch!"
Meanwhile, as Arisa still feared her own life was at hand and continued her further resentment toward Shu, she encountered Yuu, who was seen finding the fragmented pieces of Mana on the streets. Arisa immediately recognized him from before.
"Hey, you're the Da'ath individual I made contact with that's working with GHQ."
"Having a nice stroll on this fine evening, Ms. Kuhouin," Yuu politely addressed her, which elicited a haughty scoff from her. "I understand you've been through a rough ordeal lately. Between losing contact with your grandfather and surrendering your presidential status to Ouma Shu, things haven't been looking up for you lately."
"Please, don't patronize me."
"My apologies."
"What are you doing out here?" Arisa queried, noticing glowing fragments being coalesced into a glowing orb inside Yuu's palms.
"Just collecting some data. You needn't worry now, but you will be met with a big surprise soon."
"A surprise you say?" Arisa asked.
"I know you still can't get over Gai's death. Your obsession to see him again is driving you to use whatever means to see him rescue you from Shu's tyrannical rule. Perhaps I could make that dream come true?"
"How can you bring back the dead?"
Yuu smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
"Quit toying with me. I can offer you something if you're willing to make my desire to be with Gai come true."
"And what would that be?"
Arisa answered, knowing full well she'll be betraying her family and her friends. "I wish to strike a bargain with GHQ."
"You want to officially join us?"
"You have no idea how much I'm willing to sacrifice not only to see Gai but to be with him. I want to love him as if he were mine! Everyone else can burn for all I care."
Shaking his head, Yuu sighed. "You realize what you're saying, correct? You're willing to risk everything behind your grandfather, Funeral Parlor, and Shu's backs."
"I don't care about them. All I want is Gai! Ever since Shu revealed to us that he killed Gai, I've started to resent him and all that he represents! Now more than ever, I want to end Shu!"
"Heheh, I can admire that goal, especially someone willing to part ways with the baggage that holds them back. Very well, I can make your desire come true."
"And I want you to help me start a rebellion against Ouma Shu and end his tyranny!"
"You are quite the ambitious young woman, Kuhouin Arisa. I can respect a woman with goals. Give me time and I'll help you prepare your rebellion. Here's a gift to help you gather your army," Yuu said, transferring power over to Arisa, who felt an uncertain power coursing through her and influencing her. "With this power, you can influence your followers and bring them under your wing. One more thing. You should know this but it was Inori who killed those students."
"The ones who Shu and his group claimed were murdered by an unknown assailant?"
"It was Inori. I thought you should know."
"Then, I have more reason to get rid of Shu then."
Before leaving, Yuu faced Arisa and left her with parting words that engrossed her. "Just know, Gai will return sooner than later." With that, Yuu left while Arisa was taken aback by this revelation. With this said, she couldn't be anymore happier knowing the one she desired is coming back.
However, a part of her was skeptical. She wondered if reviving the dead, let alone Gai, was even possible.
Later that night, Arisa returned to her quarters and found herself attacked by Inori, who was possessed by Mana's influence. Following the attack. Arisa blacked out. When she woke up, Inori was gone but she saw her bleeding hand with the wound the songstress left her.
Back in GHQ headquarters, Yuu returned to the lab with Keido and Haruka waiting for him. Yuu cast Gai's soul into a rejuvenation pool that revived him from the clutches of death. As the revived Gai awakened, he came face to face with Yuu for the first time.
"Welcome back to the living, Tsutsugami Gai," Yuu addressed the revived Funeral Parlor leader.
A/N: Gai is back and that's not a good thing. Gee, what'll happen when he and Shu meet again?
This chapter escalated rather quickly. Soon after he takes over as student president, Shu forms his own Organization XIII, dubbing it the Void XIII. And not every member is getting along swimmingly with their new 'leader'. The Pack try and continue to throw shade at their 'dear' new leader.
In case, you're wondering who Yūki and Kana are? They were introduced way back in Chapter VII: Broken Masks as cameos during Haruka's conference. They, among other cameo characters with no dialogue, were introduced in that chapter and will play small roles in the next chapter.
The Void XIII concept also completely scraps the whole Void Ranking System altogether, which Ford and I thought was pointless and didn't do anything to serve the story.
Just when things were looking up, and after they outmaneuvered the Ouryu Kyōchō, Hare's tragedy still happens. Just as what happened in the anime, Hare gives up her life to save Shu to ensure he lives to become a kind king.
Well, kind is not exactly how I put it. Although Shu becomes a tyrant, he's not as strict and controlling as he demonstrated in the show. But, that hasn't stopped Arisa from taking the initiative to the next level and planning to amass anti-Shu supporters.
Oh man, Inori, under Mana's influence, strikes again. As if Arisa didn't need more incentive to want Shu removed.
And if this chapter didn't already convince you, Arisa has embraced her heel turn. And we won't be backtracking/half-assing her turn like the show did.
With Gai revived, there's no doubt a reunion with Shu and Funeral Parlor. It's not going to be pleasant.
One more thing: For any long-time Guilty Crown fan readers out there, did you pick up on the GKOS reference? You should: GuiltyKingOumaShu. It's Allfather-Ford's friendly nod to a certain GC fanfic writer.
All There in the Manual - Chapter XII
-Yuko's Void is named Onmyōdō Harvest. Ito's Void is named Tenka-Goken.
-The five unnamed Tennouzu High students that are with Shu and Hare's group are the same canon students that are F-Ranks back in the canon anime. The boy's spray bottle Void is named Spray Shout of Yama-orabi. The girl with the comb brush Void is named Jinja-hime's Comb. The boy with the shovel Void is named Shovelling Dorotabō. The boy's bottle-opener Void is named Open Kijikui. The girl's spoon Void is named Nobusuma's Spoonful.
-The four unnamed Roppongi High students and Hayatarō are inspired by the Shin Megami Tensei V cast and Mystery Inc. The names of the students' Voids are: Eritategoromo's Robes (from a third-year (senior) boy, tribute Yuzuru (SMTV) and Fred), Mystery Oboroguruma (from a second-year boy, tribute Ichiro (SMTV) and Shaggy, Void looks like a van with an Oboroguruma's face in the front in tributing the Mystery Machine and for the group to drive), Takiyasha's Flashlight (from a second-year girl, tribute Tao (SMTV) and Daphne), and Ōnamazu's Soundwave (from a first-year (freshman) girl, and the third year boy/Eritategoromo's Robes Void's younger sister, tribute Miyazu (SMTV) and Velma). Hayatarō tributes Hayataro (SMTV) and Scooby-Doo.
-The Diet Building destroyed by the walls is the same place where the Phantom Thieves used the location in entering Shido's Palace decades ago.
-Shibuya and others like Shujin Academy and Café Leblanc are also destroyed by the walls. Luckily and fortunately, the Phantom Remnants escort the civilians (alongside everyone in Shujin Academy, including Kawakami, Ren/Ann's son, and Sumire/Eugene's daughter) in their area (realistically, they sadly cannot save everyone, especially seeing civilians trapped inside the walls of Loop 7 and are shot down) and taken refuge to safety (in an area outside of Loop 7) on time before the walls of Loop 7 happened (Another justification in story development is not having a crossover of Shu's group interacting with Ren/Ann and Sumire/Eugene's kids, since the Loop 7 arc is fully GC focus and had these kids be involved would have taken away that stand-alone focus, alongside the Superman Stays Out of Gotham trope of confused readers wondering why the Phantom Remnants are not involved in the three-month storyline of Loop 7). The Phantom Remnants also retrieve all their belongings and supplies such as the Sayuri painting to safety as well in rescuing their personal collections and memories. Though the events cause reactions to the Phantom Remnants relating to their past memories and GHQ's attempts to break their spirits.
Next time, well I hope you're ready for a civil war. Until then, leave a comment and post a review.
See you on the next AnGC installment, readers!
