DISCLAIMER: I do not own KagePro or any of its characters.

I'M UPDATING FAST, I'M SO PROUD OF MYSELF YAY. Anyway, have I mentioned that my birthday will be on the 13th? Just thought I'd let you know, since you know, it's one of the last day Mekakushi Dan got to spend before the loop started. I hope Azami gives me 'eyes' for my birthday /shot.

And, ADVANCED OTANJOUBI OMEDETOU TO OUR LOLI GRANNY!

Anyway, I have some notes regarding the reviews:

To Anon-san: Yes. I the fandom's one and only Dumpling -blows glitters on your face-

To Kuro-san: Ah! My favorite reviewer is here again! Amg, I love you too /slapped. Worry not, for Shintaro and Ayano will be reunited real soon. Sorry for making y'all wait so long! And shh shh I don't think Hiyori wanted to be a bish to Hibiya. I think the reason why she wouldn't let Hibiya confess to her was because she didn't want it to affect their friendship. Hibiya-even tho' he's a stalker-is also Hiyori's friend. I'm sure Hiyori wouldn't sacrifice her life in the loop if she didn't care for Hibiya. AND I SQUEALED SO MUCH WHEN YOU SAID KURO/KONOAYA WAS HARD TO RESIST. /gets hit by truck

Okay, I'm really rushing this story because I wanna write the last chapters soon. So...enough ranting!

"You should stop this."

"Why? Aren't I just fulfilling my daughter's wish?" Kenjirou half-smiled at the petite dark haired girl.

"This is what you want, this is your wish. Not hers." Azami shot back. She was getting tired of lecturing this man.

"I thought she wanted those kids to have their happiness? I'm only trying to help." Kenjirou snorted.

Snakes hissed as Azami shot glaring daggers at the brown-haired teacher, "How is this helping? Other than happiness, I believe that what Ayano wanted was peace. What you're doing is causing chaos among those children's lives. Ayano would hate you if-"

"If she snaps back to her senses."

Azami massaged the bridge of her nose, "She would hate you a lot."

"My daughter already hates me." Kenjirou's smile fell, "She'd hated me ever since her mother's death. She never talked about it, but I knew that she held a grudge."

"But-"

"She's my daughter. I know her. I understand her. If I were to take her place, I would hate my father too." Kenjirou's lidded eyes narrowed, "Ayano blamed me for her mother's death. Ayano thinks I'm insane. Ayano found out about my experiments. Ayano found the disgusting me."

"Kenjirou..." Azami cringed, did she just feel sorry for this horrible man? This idiot of a father? This heartless puppet master? "Is that why you're doing this?"

Silence.

"Are you trying to..."

Kano gulped down his nervousness as he walked alongside the tall boy.

"I don't understand this game," Kano said, using his most casual tone. We have to finish this quickly...I don't want to run out of time...we have to find Ayano-nee...

"This is confusing," Seto said in agreement. Kano frowned again.

"Can't you just use your ability to find...er-you know, the real me?" Kano shrugged. Seto made a face. "Oh right, you're too scared to use your ability."

Seto ignored his comment. "Let's just focus on finding you."

"Finding who?"

"You."

"What?"

"Kano, you're making this hard for the both of us." Seto sighed exasperatedly. Kano's been acting weird, maybe his 'deceiving' power is going haywire.

They walked in silence, crowded by dozens of replicas of the cat-eyed blond. One was grinning stupidly at them. The other was staring murderously at Seto. Then there was a unique one who was actually reading a book. There was also a Kano playing with a ball of yarn. Probably the most cat-like Kano Seto has ever met.

Despite being surrounded by aloof replicas, the two couldn't let out even a snicker. On contrary to the funny replicas, there were also the serious ones. The dark sides of Kano.

Seto saw a Kano holding a picture of them when they were young, including Ayano. Seto almost decided that that was the real Kano, but he had such a blank expression on his face. Kano wasn't an emotionless bastard. A plain bastard, yes. Seto shook the thoughts away, he was getting distracted.

"Tch..." He heard Kano click his tongue. He followed his gaze...and saw a young Kano curled up in a corner.

Find the real Kano.

"This is...a stupid game! Haha!" Kano scratched his neck while laughing, "Really." Kano's voice was slightly higher than usual, he's nervous. His knees trembled, although he tried his best to keep them still. He's scared. Kano blinked, his eyes were starting to become red-but not because of his powers, it was simply because of the brimming tears.

Seto felt the need to use his ability. Maybe just this once. He wasn't risking Kano's sanity, so maybe he could risk his instead.

"Mom..." The young Kano muttered. He looked up and saw Kano and Seto. "...Mom."

"No," Kano shuddered, "Stop."

"Where's my mom?"

"Stop it!"

Seto looked more closely on the young version of Kano. He was wearing a black sweatshirt. If there was one word Seto could use to describe him, it was gloomy. He squinted his eyes and realized that there were holes on the kid's shirt...but what shocked him was that he realized that those were stab wounds.

Kano was starting to inch forward.

"This is me."

"Hibiya?"

Hibiya looked around. There was no one in there, except for him and Momo.

"Hibiya, come here."

Momo heart was starting to race. She couldn't deny that she was getting scared. Hibiya, on the other hand, looked very determined to find the source of the voice.

"Hibiya, let's play."

Hibiya stomped his foot angrily, "Where are you?!"

"Hibiya, come find me."

Momo bit her bottom lip, she's the older one here. She should be the one to act all composed and matured, "Hibiya...you know that we're walking right into a trap."

Hibiya bobbed his head, "No, this can't be a trap. I know this voice."

"Hibiya, come on."

The voice sounded louder and clearer this time. The speaker must be near. It didn't take him another second to think, Hibiya broke into a run. Momo trailed behind him. "W-wait!"

"Hibiya..."

Hibiya caught his breath. He knew his eyes were just teasing him but...

"Hi...Hiyori..."

Shintaro continued walking, his eyes alert for any sign of what he's looking for.

Ene somehow managed to keep the conversation going, "But I still can't believe that you didn't recognize me."

"You changed a lot," Shintaro drawled.

"Not really."

"You became blue," Shintaro added. Ene rolled her eyes. "What did it feel like...when..when Haruka left?"

Ene stopped, keeping herself afloat. "It was lonely, of course!"

Shintaro stared at her, pushing her to say more.

"Like you, I was pretty much nothing when Haruka..." Ene's voice faltered. "But, I haven't given up yet. Like Ayano, Haruka could still be out there! All I need is the get the puzzle right!"

"Hmm..." Shintaro hummed, he felt the scarf getting warmer every step he took. They must be near.

"Master..." Ene realized that she hadn't said that name in a while, "We have to go separate ways."

Shintaro was about to ask why, but he then understood what Ene was talking about. Up ahead was another a crossed path. They will have to choose another direction. "Splitting up isn't a very good decision. Plus, you don't have a phone."

"Splitting up will make the search easier!" Ene exclaimed enthusiastically. "And puh-lease. I'm Ene. Cyber girl. Ex-gamer/hacker/some-sort-of-NEET. I will find a way to contact you guys."

Shintaro smiled, something that he rarely does. He stretched out one hand and said, "See you again next time."

Ene smiled back, though there was a faint glimmer of sadness in her eyes. She hoped that this wasn't their goodbye. Ene was sick of goodbyes. First, Ayano. Then, Haruka..and now...she shook her head. "Till next time, Master."

She stretched out her own hand, and grabbed Shintaro's. It was their first handshake, and hopefully not their last.

"Why didn't you let me join your 'game'?" Kuroha asked.

The monster before him laughed, "You've been a lot of help, so you're an exception. What do you call that again? VIP?"

Kuroha tried to keep a straight face. He had to remind himself that Ayano wasn't 'Ayano' right now. He had to act neutral. He wasn't siding on anyone. No, not yet.

"Look! The first two trials!" The Kagerou beamed. Two separate screens appeared before them, revealing Kano, Seto, Hibiya and Momo. Kano appeared to be having a mental breakdown, whilst Hibiya looked like he had just entered a trance-like state.

"If they fail these trials..." Kuroha looked at the Kagerou questioningly. She smiled. Not a friendly smile by the way.

"Either they die, or they stay here. With me." She crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, "I get lonely too, you know."

Kuroha looked stunned for a split second, she had sounded like Ayano just now, and it didn't help that she had such a dejected look on her face. "You're really gonna kill them?" He said, trying to not sound distracted.

"If necessary." She said in response.

Kuroha looked down on the ground. But if you kill them...no...if you hurt them...I will be forced to...

I'm sorry, Ayano. A promise is a promise.

"This is the real me."

Kano said it with such a pained expression, it made Seto want to sympathize with him.

"Have you seen my mom?" The young Kano continued asking.

"Shh." Kano hushed the kid gently. He took another step forward.

"If you touch that kid, that means you've chosen him." One of the replicas reminded. "The game will end."

"If you get the correct answer, then you're free."

"But if you get the wrong answer, face the consequences."

Seto shivered. Kano was still shaken, it didn't seem like he was listening to what the replicas said. It was up to Seto. He was the only one who could think straight as of now.

I can simply use my ability to find the answer.

But wouldn't that be cheating?

Besides...I don't want to use my 'eyes' to find the real Kano.

To me, this is a challenge for the two of us. A challenge not only for Kano's emotions, but also for our conflicts. A challenge that would determine how much I know Kano.

"Kano," Seto called out, he noticed that Kano was only a few inches away from the kid.

"I know the answer." Kano slurred, a tear slid down his wounded cheek.

"Yes, you do." Seto smiled brightly at the blond. Kano gave him a confused look. "But that kid's not who you really are, is he?"

"No, he is me. You don't know anything about me, Kousuke." Seto perked up a little when he called him by his first name.

"You're right, I don't know anything about you." He admitted. "But do you expect these look-alikes to know any better?"

Seto received lots of glares and growls from the crowd of blonds.

"Kano..." He continued, ignoring everyone's piercing stare, "You're the only one who can know your true self."

"That's what I've been saying." Kano said, starting to sound annoyed.

"These replicas are all fake." Seto's smile didn't disappear, "The Kano I see right now...is the real Kano. You know that, right? You realized it from the start, didn't you? You were just confused. I understand that."

Kano froze. "How did you..."

"You're not using you're ability right now." Seto concluded, "I realized that earlier, since you were acting weird."

Seto walked closer and clapped Kano at the back. "Found the real Kano!"

Maybe after this, you won't be scared to show us your true self.

"Is that your final answer?" A replica asked, his voice flat and his face blank.

Maybe after this, you'll start being honest.

"Yep." Seto answered triumphantly. Kano stood in silence.

Maybe after this, you won't have to hide anymore.

Because you're our friend.

You're my brother.

Seto finally accepted Kano as his brother, but what about Kano? Is he still mad at Seto for being the 'favorite'? And what will happen to Shintaro and Ene? Will that be their farewell? What was Kuroha's promise to Ayano? How will Momo stop Hibiya from pursuing our little princess, Hiyori? Moreoever, WHERE THE HECK ARE MARY AND KIDO?

Scarlet: Mary and Kido will appear in the next chapter, I just had to end Seto and Kano's trial on this one. SO yeah, next chapter will focus on Mary and Hibiya's trial. Then Mary and Kido's. And finally, Shintaro and Ene's.

Ene: Master! Race ya to Ayano?

Shintaro: No.

Ene: Aw c'mon!

Ayano: First one to come will get a kiss -winks-

Shintaro: -dashes off-

Kuroha: -races Shintaro-

Ene: Okay...I'll just wait for the next chapter then. See ya guys! Don't forget to ship me with Haruka 3 (Apparently, Scarlet is wavering and is starting to ship HaruTaka. KonoEne is still a no-no though.)