July-I (part 2): A contemporary festival.

.

"..."

"..."

"When I fell deep into the ocean, I thought of my last moments as my dream would come true. Foolishly, I never thought about the second death of a human being."

"The second death?"

Utsuro kept staring into the void, in the infinity of this crystalline lake. He has always turned his back on me since I opened my eyes.

"... The first death is when your brain and heart stop working, and you cease to exist in the world as fragile and ignorant beings. The second depends on your social actions and the legacy of your life. The bigger it is, the more time it will buy you indirectly."

The little blizzard moved the messy hair of both. "Living in the memories of others, death for being forgotten. The great Utsuro didn't think about that detail?"

"Fate wanted to punish me for my charitable actions to truncate my greatest dream. Underestimate the ability of the talented to see them below the shoulder, puppets at the mercy of my whims."

Predicting one of the kids, a kid Utsuro helped to kill boredom, would go crazy and revive him in an AI? I can't blame him for thinking about it.

Utsuro now watched the sky, moving the water under his ankles. "Are you enjoying fulfilling the dream I took away from you years ago? Be this Yuki Maeda."

I bit my lip. It wasn't worth screaming for a non-existent future. As much as alive as it is in my head. "It's a rare blessing of divine luck, I suppose. Unfortunately, I'm not here to enjoy it like everyone else."

"Fool," whispered Utsuro. "You may have a different personality than my portrayal of Yuki Maeda, but you keep taking the same steps I took. You wear a mask to hide. You are not the Yuki Maeda Sora released from the Neo-World Program."

"Shut up! Don't put Sora on this!"

Utsuro turned, imposing with his empty gaze, to stop my steps. "You didn't change with me in that aspect either. Hurt Akane Taira with your actions. Gave her the freedom I didn't, but you cut off the connection between her heart and yours. You still doubt Akane Taira, and that hurts her more compared to being dismembered by a Monokuma."

"Akane... Sora..."

"You accept both as one being, wondering how your beloved Sora could have come from such a rotten base as Akane Taira. How much are you willing to separate Sora from Akane Taira? Learn from them.

I clenched my fists. "You are dead. I don't even know what happened to you now that I take your body. What the fuck do you care about all this?"

"I'm just a representation of your mind about Utsuro. It may exist in your consciousness as divine punishment. Maybe it's your own madness or a simple nightmare. Past, present, future, we are both doomed to be bound until the end of our times."

Utsuro began to walk, passing by me with his eyes fixed on the horizon. As if this had mattered nothing to him, giving me one last warning before disappearing into the water.

"Stop following in my footsteps. Time will pass, and it will become a reality."

.

Things have been hectic in Yuki Maeda's entourage in recent weeks. Externally and internally.

His health returned to normal after leaving behind the last effects of insomnia. However, dreams escalated into an increasing degree of mystery. The memories of the killing game inside the virtual world passed into his life in the despair conflict inside Japan, already inside Akane Taira's body.

Utsuro, who, except for the last time, was always at a distance without saying a single word, now is like a personification of the negative emotions in his mind, avoiding keeping his word before escaping.

Not to forgive but to forget. Apparently, it became impossible.

Besides the problems in Yuki's mind, the situation in the Tokyo metropolitan area changed after the terrorist attack. Japanese national force was throughout the city. A new sensation for this generation, absent since the last great terrorist act in 1995 in the capital subway. The government and the emperor's family called for calm in society, begging them to trust them for better security and fast capture of those criminals.

Hope's peak academy also didn't minimize these facts, sending letters written in the handwriting of Principal Kirigiri to each family or tutor of all students, personally ensuring the safety of the ultimates on campus, calming the demands of some to get their children out of the academy. Kinjo's duty didn't hide the situation with class 79, so the board knew the possibility of another attack against ultimates was very high. Hope's peak is isolated from the outside world until further notice.

Within that bubble, a sector of the board, concerned about the stress of this situation that could negatively impact the students, proposed to hold an event inside the bubble. The Tanabata festival is one of the most anticipated national festivities of the year. The notion was approved despite a complaint from the conservative sector (the elderly).

And here Yuki is, atop a small viewpoint, in a traditional orange costume with brown lines. Observing the bizarre scene, a fair while had people in uniform with firearms watching everyone's steps. Could anyone feel comfortable playing basketball while someone is pointing at their head?

Sure, divine luck for himself. Couldn't speak for others if something went wrong.

"Come on," Yuki slapped his cheeks, "it's time to leave paranoia for a moment. Have fun with others, Mikado and Junko are not in Tokyo now. And we have the best guards in the world covering us."

Calming the mind is difficult after so much shit lived where the impossible became possible, but until it didn't happen...

"Maeda! Where were you?!" as soon as Yuki finished going downstairs, he was already trapped in what he called Mitch's padlock.

"Finished putting on my clothes. You got the sake reduction punch from the staff area by smelling your breath. Just don't get drunk, ok?"

"Relax. I don't want to get kicked out of here and miss the chance to win you a damn time in whatever. Now come, I need your luck in a small bet."

Mitch is improving, Yuki couldn't put his hands in the fire for his behavior either, but now he knows how to take no for a woman's answer. Of his bad luck, the losing streak passed the barrier beyond soccer, and Mitch fell it like a punch into his pride. Even if Yuki tries to lose, divine luck laughs in the face, winning in any ridiculous way.

Yuki was dragged to a target shooting post, where Ayame, Kizuna, and Kiyoka were. Mitch notices, speechless, the perfect scoring for the seventeenth time. Did he forget Kiyoka's talent again?

"..." Kizuna barely saw how Yuki would join the equation and excused herself to go to the bathroom.

Since that situation where she almost forced him to express love physically (to put it gently), Kizuna has been avoiding him. Either in this way or by placing a wall of bodyguards between them, as if with a cool head, she measured what she did and was embarrassed. Turning to favors with Nikei, now knows how the cheerleader has lowered some of her unjust laws within the cheerleading club, even having the rumor of a public apology behind closed doors.

The road to redemption is long, but Kizuna laid the first stones.

"Yuki. Have you seen Akane? I haven't seen her all day," Ayame asked, worried.

Yuki shook her head. "Sorry, I haven't seen her either."

"Are you two on bad terms? I've noticed her far apart lately, and she goes out when I mention your name."

"Sure is a conflict between best friends, typical problems in paradise that eventually settle," Mitch interrupted, putting himself between the two while smiling. "Kiyoka! Now your opponent will be my rival in this round. He will represent me and will beat you."

Excuse me, and does my opinion here count?

The sniper watched Mitch in annoyance at his childish attitude, interrupting the topic of the situation between Yuki and Akane for this nonsense. "As you wish, but if I keep undefeated in this round against Yuki, it will increase Kizuna's debt forgiveness from 40% to 90%."

"Yes, yes, yes. As if you were going to defeat my rival's luck, it will make you fail somehow."

"Shut up and get away" Kiyoka watched Ayame with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, this will be the last. Finishing this, we will look for Kizuna and Akane to continue with the girls' night."

Ayame understood the situation and stepped aside to make room for the two competitors. However, she also moved about three meters away from Mitch when they exchanged glances.

Yuki barely understood the function of this fairground weapon. The memories of holding a firearm are diffuse these days, given the very few situations where he had to resort to them. In both cases, carrying the weapon instinctively, like in the future, would have raised Kiyoka's suspicions with that level of handling for a civilian.

The same luck that made him keep pace when the game started.

"Wouldn't it bother you to see me like this?"

"What do you mean, Kiyoka?"

They looked at each other at no time, always whispering with their eyes on the whites.

"You know how Mikako keeps talking about your spy movie-style entry that day. You were the difference. I felt helpless and frustrated, knowing how I could have helped if I had a gun. I never wish for a gun in my hands like in those moments, hate the feeling, but I want to protect my friends."

"Everyone must have felt the same, don't blame yourself for a situation that took everyone by surprise."

The cans kept falling, as well as the balls.

"The teachers proposed to me I have my own handgun like Kinjo. I can't carry a sniper, so they offer me this option to be a support."

"And you feel comfortable, Kiyoka?"

"It makes me nauseous. It's like carrying a cockroach in your pocket. However, I would hate to feel that day again. Yuki, you put up with all my idiocies and agree to be my therapist when I call you at all hours. I consider you my best friend within the academy, so tell me, Do you accept a Kiyoka in a position like this?"

And the last can on both sides fell.

Yuki under the gun "Before my eyes, Kiyoka will still be Kiyoka with or without fingers on the trigger. And I'm sure the same thought has the rest, make your talent what you like."

"... Thank you..."

The intimate atmosphere was interrupted by Mitch, angered by the result. A tie.

Kiyoka didn't hesitate to hit the soccer player with the back of the gun to shut him up. "You keep making the same mistakes. You never took into consideration a draw. And since the bet was not to lose, your debt is almost nil with Kizuna for continuing to bet. Now be a good loser and line up at the ramen stand."

"Damn spinster..."

"Excuse me, don't listen to you well. Can you repeat it to me on my little face?"

The demonic shadow surrounding the blonde girl was enough to scare away Mitch, also pointing the gun at her genitals helped. Kiyoka snorted mockingly at such an action, enjoying every opportunity she had.

Ayame took the floor. "With Mitch stopping to bother us, we can continue to search for Akane."

"If you find her, please let me know. I need to work things out with her. Ayame, please don't overdo yourself" Yuki's gaze at the runner's knees, covered by her red yukata with white flowers. Quickly, the sprinter turns around.

"I will be fine. I'm sorry for shortening our training. Have my word to replenish it when the injury improves. Bye."

Ayame began to hobble along. Yuki knew it wasn't because of the awkwardness with the yukata.

Kiyoka put her hand on Yuki's shoulder. "I will keep trying to convince her to see a doctor. See you later, Yuki."

Yuki owes so much to Ayame. Thanks to those intense weeks, he had left behind that weak body. Bringing back the speed with which he could respond to reflexes. However, the joy was null when the luckster overcame it in the first race. Yuki could feel the grimaces of pain in Ayame no matter how much she tried to hide them.

Likewise, it is an external factor that suffers from Akane's moods.

Yuki sighed, trying to push away those negative thoughts. The night is still young. He, for sure, will cross paths with more of his friends for some stalls.

After walking through about eight stalls, he saw a somewhat comical scene.

Kakeru is in one of those games where you must catch a fish with a particular net made of paper. This drastically increased the difficulty, as paper nets break almost instantly with water contact, also carrying the weight of the fish underwater. A lot of money was going to buy new nets to at least have a pet fish to give to a friend, typical fair game.

The lawyer apparently was letting himself be carried away by his frustration, making a terrible technique where his brute force already broke the net under the water before so much movement. When Kakeru tried to pull out a fish, he only splashed large amounts of water around it, causing it to be the only one in the attraction. Neither the guards dared to calm him down or ask him to leave because of Kakeru's unconscious facial expressions.

Yuki shook his hair to remove the excess water, approaching the small pool to calm the situation and avoid something worse. Fish falling from the sky would cause depression in Kakeru.

"Hey, the purpose of these games is to have fun. Don't stress."

"M-Maeda? When did you get here?"

"It was hard to ignore the spectacle."

Realizing the disaster, Kakeru rose to bow, apologizing to everyone present.

Yuki took a net. "It's hard to see you so desperate for a simple fish. Did anything happen?"

"I-I just wanted to give something to Kanata. She worked very hard to care for the wounded that day. I thought having company would help lower her stress."

"Fair enough, just a doubt. Does this have nothing to do with you hiding your injury from Kanata during the incident?"

Kakeru turned red with embarrassment. "How?!"

"Kiyoka and Satsuki have huge hearts but very slippery tongues." Yuki tucked half of the net into the water "mimics the position of my hand. This is a trick with a focus on the wrist. And don't put the whole net in, so the net will be useless, even if you have the little one in the trap."

Yuki only knew about this from a conversation he had with Syobai in the future about fair pitfalls and how to make them shit. He half-remembered this particular scenario, although he already had the weapon that everyone looks for in these games, a dose of luck.

Both managed to get a fish out, although Yuki returned his because he had no interest. Kakeru had a bag of water with a cute goldfish to give away. At least everyone would be happy.

"I'm delighted to see both having fun." In front of the place were just Kanata and Kinji, the priest eating cotton candy. As striking as it is to see Kinji eat candy, the little doctor's smile emanated something that wasn't radiant happiness.

"K-Kanata, look, this is for you. To have in your office or room."

"Oh, Kakeru. Thank you so much. You wouldn't have bothered." That menacing aura disappeared for a few moments, genuinely appreciating the gesture. "Kinji, you take care of Mr. Goldy for a minute. I must check Kakeru."

"It will be a pleasure."

"Huh?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I will only have to check in depth if the hidden wound doesn't cause negative effects. I thought we had already talked about this, Kakeru-Kun."

Yuki looked at Kinji, who just nodded. They had heard everything by mere chance. They were also attracted to the show mounted by Kakeru. The poor lawyer had gotten down on his knees to let Kanata squeeze his cheeks in reprimand mode; it was hard to believe, considering the significant difference in sizes. Fortunately, she would check him privately instead of taking off his clothes on public roads.

It's amazing how someone as delicate as Kanata can be dominant in imposing her path to health. Even Rei had respect for her as a doctor.

Kanata sigh. "Unbelievable, Kakeru-kun is going to argue that there is a difference between a light blow and a serious one. He knows I hate when my friends don't tell me their health problems, like someone else I know."

Yuki let out a nervous smile. "Two blue pills before bed, a white one when you wake up, and a lot of hydration. Don't ask me to learn the scientific names of the drug, please."

"At least learn the firm name..." Kanata stuck her head against my abdomen. "Yuki also is a problem patient, but I can't get angry with you. Does it bother so much to both to take care of your own health?"

"Kanata, I—"

Raising her eyes, the poor girl had wet eyes. Making him feel bad. "Sorry, I won't take my health lightly again. It's a promise."

"Me too!" exclaimed Kakeru. For a second, he could see that reddish glow come out of her eyes, showing how much she cared.

Kanata separated from Yuki, accepting their promise. Even Kakeru took her over his shoulders to the locker room, so she didn't have to walk. An increasingly everyday routine among them, as a badge. It's as if their bubbles connect seamlessly, opening between them.

"It's a beautiful sight. I am proud of them, just like our Lord." Kinji said, who also observed the tender scene.

"I already believe it. I hope Kinji is also enjoying this event. You worked hard."

"I wouldn't call it to work. I see it as a blessing."

Kinji has also had a few busy weeks. After what happened in the mall, many things became clear. Primarily, life can be gone in a second, and they need someone to clear their mind, a pure mind. As much advantage as Yuki has to come from the future, he doesn't have Kinji's wisdom to clear the mind and heart. He put his grain of sand to encourage others to go to church to chat with him. Religion aside, many of his classmates went with him to talk, to find his way.

"You're right, my mistake."

"I appreciate your support, Yuki. As much as the conversations with Kizuna, Kinjo, and Yamato didn't have a positive destiny between us, I know God will guide them with those holes in their ways."

Yuki watched Kinji over his shoulder. "You said Yamato?"

"Yes. Yamato looks like the perfect man, but no human being is perfect in God's eyes. He has fears, worries, and sins. His speech was similar to yours when you came to my church after that celebration with the children, looking for a utopian world."

"Is my vision utopian?"

"Not as exaggerated as Mikako and a white world, or Kinjo with a dark gray that he sees as white. Yamato has his feet on the ground. The difference is that he doesn't have ideals as firm as you, Yuki. You showed it when you punched him to get him to react, but that's all I can say."

"I get it. I'll still be as serious as I am in being a dreamer. Even if it's a double-edged sword."

The conversation was interrupted when both heard hurried footsteps coming from behind them. Teruya was almost falling down with his traditional clothes with rainbow colors that could leave anyone blind to sight. "Yuki! Help!"

Kinji took the collar of the merchant's attire, so he wouldn't go face to face against a fried food stall, gently placing it on the floor. "Breathe, please."

"Satsuki... Haru... Pyrotechnics... Kaboom..."

"And why don't you tell a teacher? Even they are not so savage to face authority."

"And look like a snitch when only the three of us know about the plan?! I don't want Satsuki's angry look or Haru's fist!"

Kinji maintained his stance despite being shaken by a hysterical Teruya. "I already understand the situation. Please stop doing that. I get dizzy."

Teruya turned away, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. But I seriously need Yuki. He's the only person they will listen to without school authority before they do anything."

If it is the path to love to which both are destined, it will be cemented by Teruya's gray. A little of his as well.

"I understand. So stop crying. Kinji, see you where we agree with the rest of the class to see the moon at midnight."

Kinji smiled. "Go in peace, Yuki. I will go check if Kakeru needs assistance in calming Kanata. See you soon."

Yuki could barely move his hand to say goodbye when Teruya was already dragging him to know God where. He took the caretaker role very seriously to avoid being a zero on the left or seeing something awful when combining Satsuki and fireworks. It was a pain in the ass to climb again so many stairs to climb to the point with the best view of the fair, considering how traditional costumes significantly limit mobility for both men and women.

Due to Yuki's better physical condition, he arrived at the area where Teruya had indicated everything would start, effectively observing the boxes with the fireworks. However, something with greater importance downplayed the importance of this situation, forcing Teruya to barely hide behind a tree.

Teruya tried to claim loudly, but Yuki's hand stopped him, pointing to the other.

"It's rude to interrupt an intimate moment. The scolding can wait."

The grimace of annoyance on Teruya's face turned to astonishment and a smile. "You're right."

A few steps in front of them were Haru and Satsuki, dancing under the moon. Their faces are covered by typical Japanese masks, all decorated by a bright stage in which both could bet everything was Haru's plan. If he remembers correctly, this dance is part of the festival's legend, where two lovers were separated by a divinity using a river, giving it that romantic and melancholic touch when he is allowed to get together once a year.

"Haru took his word seriously..."

Yuki kept his gaze on the couple. "Does he finally accept his feelings for Satsuki?"

"Yes. It only cost a terrorist attack against us to realize it." Teruya laid his cheek on his right hand. "Haru made me witness a blood pact where he swore to protect Satsuki. Tragically, the epic scene ended when he started crying from cutting his hand. I had to take him to the infirmary in the middle of the night. I left when Satsuki found us. She was furious."

"Honestly, I imagine Satsuki doing the same thing." Teruya's chuckle after Yuki's comment proved him right. "They are meant to be together."

When the dance ended, everything indicated a potential Haru's confession. Satsuki took off her mask, rushing straight to the first box of fireworks in sight. That was the signal to fake his arrival.

"Please tell me that you don't try to blow up the staff room."

"Yuki?!" Satsuki exclaimed, suprise to see him.

"Yamato's drone saw you moving the pyrotechnics boxes from their place and was so kind as to send me instead of Mekaru to investigate."

"Damn, I knew going through open places would be a problem," Haru said, clenching his fists in frustration.

Teruya left shortly after, apologizing for not being able to warn them in time. All according to the lie to save his neck, appealing to the airheads of his best friends.

Satsuki hit her head while sticking out her tongue. "We were caught. At least Satsuki feels better explaining Yuki than Rei-chan."

Yuki scratched the back of her neck. "Don't act like I will give you a less severe punishment. This can get the whole class in trouble."

"Listen to our version first, please. This will improve the end of the festival."

Yuki accepts Haru's request. Both had a better idea of improving the festival closing than the typical fireworks launch in the air. Although, like everything in this school, it must go through bureaucracy before being considered, and the patience of the clown could be a better forte. In addition, they had somehow gotten Yuri into this (at Satsuki's request) to modify the fireworks to make them more personalized. Indeed it's material that Syobai smuggled in with the financing of Yuri's Russian money.

She went so far as to ask the other class for help, which is already a problem. And Haru offers to avoid any stupidity or accident with gunpowder.

After much thought and showing him sticks of light radiating different colors that seemed safe, Yuki gave in. "Ok, I'll keep quiet about this if they avoid an accident. Just keep Satsuki from turning something on and have Teruya supervise you. He has experience selling this kind of thing as it should be used properly."

"Buah! Yuki doesn't trust Satsuki!"

"Stop acting. By now, Yuki knows how to differentiate your fake tears. Let's take their offer to make a better festival for everyone." Haru calmed her best friend (for now), aware that this deal with Mekaru was impossible, while the two were already in detention. On the other hand, Teruya checked the contents of the boxes to separate them properly.

A sound in his pocket made him turn away from the comic scene of the rainbow trio, as he didn't want to interrupt them more than he should. The screen showed a teleconference-type call, where Mikako called Kinjo, Rei, and him.

"I've told you to use this medium when it's an emergency, Kurokawa."

"It's an emergency, you dumb!"

Kinjo and Mikako's voices roared as soon as he accepted the call. This could mean bad news. "You guys, please calm down."

"Get straight to the point. I'm busy." Rei didn't show much interest either, though that would quickly change.

"The masked girl is inside the academy. She wants to talk to Yamato-ni again."

Kinjo's voice became grave. "What evidence do you have to back up such a claim? I remind you of the situation inside Hope's peak."

"You know Yamato-ni continues to act weird since the incident. Our family thinks the same; they spy on him to be the future of the Kisaragi foundation. A few minutes ago, I received a screenshot of a conversation this morning. I sent it to you right now."

Within seconds, a chat conversation appeared all over the screen. Apparently, they used pseudonyms in this chat room. However, it is easy to distinguish who Yamato is. The inventor had been summoned to a remote area of the school, an area for unloading products from Tokyo. A friendly chat is taking place now where the guarantee is Mikako Kurokawa.

Rei snapped his teeth. "And he surely went back just to prevent that threat. Yamato might be gifted, but he's an idiot when he gets carried away by emotions."

"Why are you notifying us? Teachers should know about this."

"Because this is a class 79 problem, the response time would also take too long. I don't want to involve others. I'm sorry if I trusted you too much, but help me save my crazy brother again."

"I'm close to the place. Calm down, Mikako. I doubt very much Yamato was disarmed to speak. When we return, you will beat him to death so that he learns once and for all to trust others."

"Yuki..." he could hear the exorcist holding back tears.

"Yuki, don't do anything stupid. Wait for me in front of the warehouse. I will carry my gun to protect us and end the threat once and for all." After these words, Kinjo hung up.

Rei sigh. "Idiots, I will still warn some high authority to avoid a mass of frightened chickens. I hope this is worth the stress that comes with it."

The call ended, leaving an urged Yuki heading to the warehouse, having to push many people in between who saw the concert of the Otonokoji twins as foolish. Something in his mind screamed that she was crazy. She wouldn't get into the wolf's mouth to talk to Yamato again, who should have had his philosophy more firmly and better prepared. Not to mention the incredible detail of how the masked girl could evade such security checks of one of the most prestigious institutions on the planet. The luckster felt a heaviness in his body that he had not felt for a long time since the war.

She wanted him.

He had planned to wait for Kinjo and the reinforcements Rei was going to bring, nor did he doubt the arrival of Mikako to ensure any casualties. All this went overboard. As soon as Yuki arrived, he heard gunshots from inside the enclosure, activating an internal alarm that forced him to break a window to enter. The strangest thing was to see a kind of blue electric ball being shot into the ceiling, where a white shadow disappeared from his sight. Indeed, such a strange projectile came from a very peculiar weapon held by Yamato, who was undercover behind a table.

By reflexes, the inventor shoots him without thinking. Being saved by divine luck to go. Otherwise, it would be fried chicken.

"Yuki!? I'm really sorry! I thought you were that crazy one!" Yamato apologized frantically, thanking the heavens he didn't kill him.

Yuki took cover along with him. "You will already invite me to lunch afterward. Now explain why you confronted her alone again. Thank Mikako for telling us your location."

"Consider it the stubbornness of the Kisaragi. I never take a threat to Mikako in vain. Now you explain to me how she found this location."

"Let's say you'll have a heated argument with your family about espionage."

A voice interrupted the talk, coming from everywhere. "Have you finished your talk yet? It was nice to play to kill the villain with a laser beam, Kisaragi-kun. But we both know that the main guest is Yuki Maeda."

"Why do you threaten Yamato if you want me?!" Yuki shouts towards the ceiling.

"Hmm, I wanted to see the threat of Yamato Kisaragi, but it's a shame to see he is a hot head that loses everything by putting his stepsister or girlfriend into the equation."

"Don't get Mikako into this! And she is my dear younger sister!" Yamato shot into the dark, only destroying a couple of fans.

"Upps. I had a hard time telling your relationship from so far away." The voice could be heard very close, from the other side of the table. "Whatever, consider yourself discarded. Now I'm only interested in Yuki Maeda."

Yamato pounced to try to attack her, but when his fist hit the floor on the other side of the table, he fell into the trap. As Yamato lifted his gun, he felt the total weight of the table go against him tightly, pushing him several meters away from Yuki.

The possessor of divine luck was petrified, staring face to face at a mask of something he only thought he would see again in his dreams. A black and white division, but not Monokuma, this mask reflected a bird species with a mocking expression. Monocrow.

The girl, covered in a white robe, was sitting on her knees. Analyzing.

"I'm glad to see that expression. You remember Monocrow. Despite being a puppet, he helped us win in the end. He deserves to be remembered, at least right?"

"H-how?"

She walked over, hugging his shoulder as she sat next to him. "How do I know about Monocrow? A non-existent AI right now, that is an excellent question. In fact, I'll answer it with another question: Did you know that portals should be closed? I didn't know either, Rei-chan told another soldier before the boom."

Before Yuki could ask about the portal topic, waiting for a horrible confirmation. A bullet passed between the heads of the two, and he could see Kinjo's silhouette approaching.

"We can continue in this position longer. Kinjo will always fail to hit me no matter how much I shoot." She comments calmly, blindly trusting in the wrong aim of the policeman.

Kinjo continued to exclaim various threats, instructing Yamato to get up to ask for his assistance saving Yuki. As much as the inventor begged him to stop shooting in the form of a threat, Kinjo was blinded by his thirst for justice.

Yuki finally asked. "Who are you?"

The girl stood up, letting Monocrow's gaze dig deeper into Yuki's mind. Unlocking memories already overcome those massacres.

"I'm Sora's friend."

After saying those words, the masked girl pulled out of her tunic a revolver and fired two shots from behind. A bullet hit Yamato's left shoulder and Kinjo's chest, leaving them on the floor. Seeing that red liquid broke something inside Yuki, who went straight to her to struggle, although she didn't bother to drop the revolver.

"You know better than anyone they will live. I just wanted to silence them, specially Kinjo. Don't you get tired of his hypocritical vigilante speech? The road to an ideal world is full of corpses, which he is willing to pile up."

As much as Yuki hated to admit it, the damn divine luck wasn't working to stop her. He could barely cope with her physically, as if he were in front of a mirror, but to mention Sora...

Though he was the only one to know the name Sora.

Out of nowhere, a kick sent the masked girl flying with the Monocrow mask. Although she fell elegantly, it looked towards the ground simultaneously as pieces of the coverslipped. "No matter how quarrelsome they are, you will never break an oath of allegiance, Akane?"

In front of Yuki, is Akane Taira. She still had her hair pulled back and had a serene expression, contrasting with those chocolate eyes full of intensity. Despite everything, she had come to defend him, but...

"Last warning, you will leave Yuki-sama and my friends alone, or I will kill you."

"Warning received. This is no longer a fair fight if you are in the equation. Anyway, worse things will come if Yuki needs to pay attention to other aspects. Now, if you excuse me, I need to vomit."

Explosions of smoke began to fill the enclosed place, slowing down rapidly. They couldn't leave Kinjo and Yamato injured in this environment. It's a priority to get them out. Both Yuki and Akane understood these. But they would not leave empty-handed. Monocrow's mask fell apart, revealing a familiar face decorated with a completely red right eye. The question of her infiltration on Hope's peak is solved. She has always been here.

"Greet me to Utsuro-sama wherever he is" They were the last words before the smoke completely covered her.

Yuki would have his chance to talk to her soon.

Yamato was conscious. The bullet had penetrated well over his shoulder. When Mikako arrived and saw blood on his brother's clothes, she threw herself to hug him while sobbing, ignoring how she could make the wound worse. Kinjo had been saved by luck, although at a high cost on a personal level. The bullet had hit a pendant that Sasaki had given him. The photo was broken and irretrievable, being one of the last pieces of evidence of his friendship with his late colleague.

Both were transferred to the infirmary for a thorough review.

Along with Mikako, Rei arrived with senior management of the academy, including Principal Kirigiri and the former principal, Tengan. Like the fireworks in the background, they would close the site for research and call a curfew for two days inside the academy. They would let students have this moment of happiness with greater vigilance. Yuki should appear for questioning tomorrow, but if he had learned anything from the future, it was that he should never trust them.

He would solve this in his own way. Enough was enough with the Kamakura project that the top brass are cooking.

Now Yuki cared about one person. Akane.

The maid had ended a call with Ayame, apologizing for her disappearance without warning and scolding the sprinter for lengthening her appointment with a doctor over her knee issue. At the very least, in Akane's words, Ayame would have to go before she couldn't longer run.

Akane sat on a bench together with Yuki, looking at the few stars in the sky. "I'm sorry to delay in fixing my mind, Yuki-sama."

"I don't understand. The Utsuro you give your life is no longer here. You are free, and yet you are with me."

"Right, Utsuro-sama wouldn't have such a radical change overnight. I just clung to one miracle: I knew warmth after living in solitude all my life. Tragically, they are like night and day."

Yuki looked at Akane. "Would you believe me if I told you that Utsuro came back in the form of dreams? He's still so dry and listless that I'm not glad to see him again."

Akane smiled. "I'm sure Utsuro-sama is happy, only he's bad at expressing his emotions. And answering your question, consider it my philosophy, my life. If the boy who saved me years ago let Yuki Maeda take control, I trust his reasoning and must follow his decisions."

"So I am the legacy of Utsuro?"

"I don't know that, as different as they are in personality and ideals, Yuki-sama and Utsuro-sama convey the same warmth to me. If your goal is to avoid a world ruled by despair so that we are all happy, use me as your tool."

Yuki gave Akane a gentle blow on the forehead. "Silly, unlike Utsuro, I see you as a precise friend than as a tool. I appreciate your help, Akane Taira."

Akane makes the peace sign. "Consider done. By the way, now that I see you without colored hair. Is it me, or is your hair more white than before?"

"What?"

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On the other side of the academy, Yoruko was walking to her class's meeting point to watch the festival festivities end together. Surely Setsuka's plan would again fail miserably to bring everyone together. Still, she lost nothing in making memories with his classmates, even if she didn't connect with any in particular.

At a certain point, she hears a sound coming from behind some bushes. These sounds became vague words. The closer the hostess gets, there is a person behind them.

"I can't believe I fire a gun. I got carried away by the character again and made another mess unintentionally. God, forgive me. I do it unintentionally. My mind has been poisoned by two bad men. My head hurts, and making so much movement after dinner makes me want to go back to—Wuah!"

It's Iroha Nijiue, vomiting behind a barely energized tree. She looked pale and with a lot of sweat.

"Iroha? What the hell happened to you?" Yoruko's voice scared Iroha. Who turned quickly, wiping traces of vomit from her lips.

"Ahh! Don't scare me like that, please!" Iroha exclaimed. "I just didn't like some balls of roast squid I had for dinner, hehe."

Yoruko accepted the excuse reluctantly, more because of the rush and because she didn't like Iroha. "And why are you closing your right eye?"

"I chopped my eye with the wooden stick with which they serve you the squid balls."

"And why do you say it like it's the most normal thing in the world? Ok, it doesn't matter. Setsuka will kill me if she finds out I saw you and doesn't take you to the group meeting. Come on, I'll help you."

Iroha accepted Yoruko's help, no matter how badly the hostess put on. She gets it; Yoruko almost carries her when her clothes have traces of vomit. Leaving that aside, it served as an excuse to calm down after the chaos Iroha did again. She never thought about this by knocking out Rei to use the portal (by accident). She was already using his divine luck to the limit. But also didn't deny how satisfying it felt to shoot Kinjo after all the shit he made in the future. Yuki needs to stop being so passive.

"I'm sorry, Yuki, from the coma act. But we are here now, and you must open your eyes. There are threats beyond Mikado."

Following Iroha's thinking, two people of the same class watched the disaster zone from different locations. Contemplating how this problem could interfere with their respective plans, and they had to put a stop to it soon. Being a critical point in common, Yuki Maeda.

Syobai Hashimoto and Kanade Otonokoji also wanted to participate. They tested to move their pieces on this giant chessboard.