If there was any divisive topic that aligns itself exclusively within Akademi, it'd be the rumor of someone who calls themselves 'Info-chan.'
Info-chan would go to Akademi every day, but they're not a student attending there. A deal had previously been worked out between them and the headmaster. Somewhere, a room exists where they lounge around all day.
Taro had never spoken to the Headmaster and he could count on one hand the number of times he had even heard his voice. Shuyona had always been a quiet man, and that is something he could only label as unusual given his occupation.
Now that he knows that Info-chan is real and not just some rumor being spread around, he has questions. Although looking at her right now, it seems like she has a multitude of secrets she's more than willing to keep close to her on her way to the afterlife.
Before Taro could speak, Kiseki spoke out for him.
"Info-chan? Hm, something tells me you're kind of a big deal around here."
Info-chan leans forward. "Oh, it looks like you got yourself a friend. Another yokai, perhaps?"
Taro scratches his head. "No. Not a yokai. If you ask me, Kiseki here might be the key to resolving this whole mess. He saved my life more than once. All because he claimed a goddess sent him here."
"Goddess?" Said Info-chan. "This… Jack Lieber… he mentioned his disdain for them. I didn't believe them to be true, but… now I'm gonna have to adjust my beliefs."
"Is there anything you can tell me? Like, anything at all? Even just a little bit helps. I'm getting a feeling Sumire doesn't want me running around for much longer."
He hears her sigh. "I'm afraid I don't have anything that is of use to you, Yamada. For about two years now I've put together a lot of contingency and backup plans when dealing with students of Akademi, The Saikou family, and… Aishi."
Taro made a quick note to himself: There is a connection between Info-chan and Ayano Aishi. Maybe they've spoken to each other before. About what? He's yet to find out.
Info-chan continues. "But who in their right mind could ever anticipate this? Everybody becoming spirits only to be hunted down by otherworldly creatures. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. Meanwhile, Sumire Saitozaki is working alongside them and… the multiverse is involved? I'm afraid I don't know anymore than you do… I'm sorry."
Before Taro could say anything back, he hears another familiar voice.
"I don't think you should give up hope just yet, man."
Recognizing the voice, he turns around to see another spirit walking up to them.
"Shin! You're still here! Thank god those monsters didn't get to you!"
"I could say the same thing about you." Said Shin. "You're not going to believe what I just went through."
"I think we'll believe it, Shin." Said Info-chan. "We have no reason not to."
Shin continues. "Have you ever heard of Oni before? Well, it turns out a small group of them have gathered right outside my house!"
"Oh my god! Did they hurt you!?" Said a concerned Taro.
"No! No! Absolutely not! It turns out they're just as scared as the rest of us. The monsters have been chasing them too! Who'd have thought!? Haha!
Yeah… They told me… that I'm the only member of Akademi's occult club left. The others have either moved on or were captured."
"Well… that's sad to hear." Info-chan looks at Taro. "Didn't you go on a date with Oka Ruto once? You know, before you rejected her?"
Ignoring a subtle pain in his chest, Taro does his best to answer her question.
"Oka Ruto… She's one of many… Regrets. I could have been more nicer… Now she's gone… She deserved better. She always had."
Shin's spirit spoke again. "That's not everything I wanted to share with you, man. There's something else I want you to have."
He held his hand out and Taro sees a small piece of paper cut up to look like a doll floating in front of him.
"This katashiro here.. Have been blessed by the Oni…
They told me that you can use it to absorb spirits. It's going to be a long and hard fight ahead."
Taro took the katashiro from his friend. "Yeah, like I haven't been fighting all day. But thanks anyway, man. Every little bit helps."
"Sure, man. No prob-"
Shin didn't get to finish his sentence. As a massive earthquake threw Taro off his feet.
He may be no stranger to earthquakes, but he's never felt one as intense as this. In the distance, he could hear the windows of the school start shattering and made a quick note to himself to watch out for broken glass.
Broken glass, however, would become the least of his worries. Right in front of him, The ground split open. The school building began to partially collapse as it started sinking into the earth.
"OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!" Taro shut his eyes and covered his mouth and nose with his shirt as he couldn't bring himself to look at the destruction in front of him.
"Oh my god! Are you seeing this?" He could hear Shin yell out. "Taro, look! Open your eyes, man! This is insane!"
Giving up on keeping his eyes shut, Taro goes on to question Shin.
"Shin! What the hell you want me to look-"
He stopped talking as he could hardly believe what he was looking at.
Half a dozen giants. Pitch black in color from head to toe. Probably around forty meters in height. They've appeared out of seemingly nowhere and are heading towards the nearby mountain visible from Akademi's rooftop: Mount Tsukida.
"Giants." That was all Taro managed to say.
"Daidarabotchi is the more accurate term, my friend." He hears Kiseki say. "There are many stories that revolve around these particular beings.
The formation of lakes and ponds were the result of their footsteps. One picked up both Mount Fuji and Mount Tsukuba to see which was heavier, but he accidentally spilt Tsukuba's peak after he was finished with it.
I also like to think they are huge fans of shellfish, especially clams."
"I'm sorry, but what does ANY of this have to do with Jack Lieber!?" Argues Taro.
"Something big, I'm sure."
It was then that Taro heard Sumire's voice again. This time, she doesn't sound too happy.
"If you truly knew… how unfair the world really is… you too, would erase it all."
He vanishes out of Shin and Info-chan's sight. Taken somewhere else.
"Oh god. I hope he's going to be okay." Said Shin.
Info-chan shook her head. "What exactly is hope going to do?"
When Taro opened his eyes again, he could see the confession tree in front of him. Standing in all its pink glory.
The subtle pain in his chest returned again, and this time, it's accompanied by a similar pain in his head.
He thinks back earlier in the year. His childhood friend, Osana Najimi. Cooking club leader, Amai Odayaka. Drama club leader, Kizana Sunobu. Occult club leader, Oka Ruto. Sports club leader, Asu Rito. Delinquents leader, Osoro Shidesu. Six girls who loved him but he couldn't bring himself to love them back.
Sure, he couldn't control what they feel about him, but it's undeniable that he could have been a little nicer about it. There's just no turning back now. That part of his life is finished.
Sumire's voice spoke again. "I've always dreamed of confessing to my true love underneath this tree."
That's when he saw her. It was as if she had never gotten hurt. Sumire smiles as she looks at Taro.
"You know, why is it that good people always have to go through the worst things this world has to offer? All I ever wanted was to be happy with the boy I love. Was that too much to ask?"
Taro sighs before shouting at Sumire. "Of course what happened to you was horrible! Nobody's arguing against it! You were killed and that isn't fair!
But that does not make it okay to help spread all this… death on everyone else! Teaming up with Jack Lieber for what!? What did he offer you!?"
Sumire points at Taro. "Jack Lieber understands my pain! He knows what it's like to have everything taken away from you just because of… selfish love! In the grand scheme of things… what's going to happen in this world… won't really matter anyway."
Within a second, Sumire transformed into a more demonic version of herself. Her face became pitch black with one glowing blue eye. Her school uniform appears more tattered now.
As Taro prepares himself for a fight, he hears her speak again.
"When I'm done with you, I'm coming straight for Aishi!"
Without thinking, he shouts out, "Over my dead body!"
As Sumire rushes towards him, he takes out his bow and arrow. "You made me do this!"
He shoots it at her, but to his surprise, it burns up in midair before it made contact.
"What… the… hell…"
He then sees her shoot a small amount of blue fire at him from her hands.
"DODGE!" Kiseki's voice shouted in his head. Putting his bow away, Taro runs in another direction, getting further away from Sumire.
"She has the same powers as I do!" Said Kiseki. "USE THEM!"
Taro focuses energy at his fingertips on his right hand and attacked her like he was attacking any monster that he had encountered on the streets. Thankfully, the wind energy was enough to extinguish her flames and stun her. "AAAHH!" Her scream rang in his ears.
He had six arrows left. So now is the time to utilize them. He proceeded to shoot her two more times before she started moving again. This time much more faster than usual. In response to this, Taro puts his bow away and tries using Kiseki's powers.
Before he could start attacking again, however, a new complication rose. The ground below him began to get extremely loose. It's as if water is rising up from the underground and mixing with the dirt he's standing on. Almost having the consistency of quicksand.
He tried to start walking but it's with little success. His heart began to start racing as he took in the simple fact: He's stuck.
Apparently, fire isn't the only thing Sumire is capable of producing.
"This is the end for you!" She shouted as she kicked Taro in the chest. It was enough to free him and send him flying a short distance. Nearly hitting the tree.
As he laid down motionless on the muddy ground, he hears Kiseki speak. "Damn. This Sumire girl's no joke! I'm not gonna lie to you, man. I don't think you got this one…
But don't worry… I got an idea."
"You got an idea!?" Taro shouted in his mind as he slowly began to stand up. He can't move very well and he's in a lot of pain. It's not going to take very much from Sumire to kill him now.
"Kiseki!? Kiseki!? Where are you!? Answer me damn it!"
"I'm right here!"
Taro took a step back in shock. Kiseki had exited his body and while in his spirit form, restrained Sumire from behind. His arms are wrapped around her waist.
"What in the!?" Sumire shouted out. "Where did you come from!?"
Taro just stood there as he kept looking at the two. "Just what in the… The katashiro!"
He quickly takes the paper doll out of his pocket and points it at the restrained Sumire.
"I'm really sorry it has to be this way, Sumire! But you leave me no other choice! Maybe now… you'll be able to find peace."
As he held the katashiro closer to her, he could see it start to glow. If he ever encounters a group of Oni demons, he'll make sure to take the time to thank them for the gift.
"No! No! No! NO! NOOOO!" Sumire screamed out as the katashiro absorbed her spirit.
With her now out of the way, Taro and Kiseki are now by themselves underneath the tree. In the distance, the daidarabotchi are still roaming around the base of Mount Tsukida.
Taro took a deep breath. That's one less big fight ahead of him. He only hopes Jack Lieber won't be much harder.
"Congrats, man. You did it." He hears Kiseki. "So what do you say to getting up out of here?"
Taro didn't say anything; he simply just collapsed onto the muddy ground.
This concerns Kiseki. "Whoa there, man. You, uh, you feeling okay?"
"I'll be fine." Taro tells him. "Just… let me rest for a bit."