Haruna startled awake with a scowl as a soft, high-pitched beeping pierced the silent night air right beside her face. She squinted through the darkness and managed to fumble with her PheFo until she found the home button. The screen's light cut through the shadows and Haruna recoiled when she read the notification. PheFo: Kurumi-Shiratori. Status: Offline.

Haruna was up before she knew it, rushing into Miyu's room without even knocking. "Miyu! Wake up! I think Kurumi is in trouble!"

"Wah!" Miyu shrieked and she shot up in bed, shielding her face with her hands from her sudden attacker. Then she realized… "Haruna! What—?!"

"Kurumi!" Haruna repeated, holding up her PheFo. Just like Haruna before her, after reading the message, Miyu was up before she knew it.

Haruna explained in hurried whispers as they raced through the academy as swiftly and silently as they could. "If you remember that fight Kurumi and I had where Kurumi said I was becoming a little… dictatorial…" Haruna trailed off self-consciously, and Miyu bit her tongue to keep from reminding Haruna that that was every fight she and Kurumi had started ever since… "So I conferred with some of the DJs and VJs of other units. I requested that they aid me in attempting to find a way to monitor your and Kurumi's PheFos so that I might be able to keep an eye on you, yet not as intrusively as Kurumi originally complained."

"I promise, too, that as perhaps backwards as my logic may appear, I specifically requested that the tracking not be too totalitarian, and yet now… that almost works against us…" Haruna bit her lip as her eyes darted back down to her PheFo. All they had to go on was the alert warning them that Kurumi's PheFo had mysteriously gone offline, but they had no idea of knowing where exactly she was.

"Although," Haruna said grimly, "I have my suspicions… What else has Kurumi been so focused on that she would be willing to go behind our backs to do it despite the danger presented?"

Miyu felt like an idiot for not realizing it sooner as Haruna explained. Oh, Kurumi, no! Why didn't you just wait until morning?!

Even though, to some degree, she understood that Kurumi found it difficult to wait—suffering from impulsivity even before Miiko's sudden, violent death—didn't she realize what a gamble it was to go off on her own in the middle of the night? And at what point did taking too many unnecessary risks become a hindrance rather than a way to get ahead?

After several minutes of only hearing their own gentle footsteps on the tile floor, Haruna and Miyu came to an abrupt stop when they heard a soft click-clacking off in the darkened distance. Miyu clutched Haruna's arm and both of their stomachs squeezed.

"What do we do?" Miyu asked, so afraid that she barely even dared to breathe as she whispered directly into Haruna's ear. Under any other context, Haruna would've swooned, but at that moment, all she wanted to do was pass out from sheer terror.

"Move… very… slowly…" A saner person would've retreated the moment they realized they weren't alone, but with the PheFo alert still glowing in their minds, Haruna and Miyu had no choice but to press on. Haruna took the first, quiet step, and then Miyu did the same. Inch by inch, they made their way through the dimly lit hall. Once they made it to the second floor, they were faced with a choice.

"Left or right?" Haruna whispered.

"Huh?" For a moment, Miyu was surprised by the question, but of course, she wasn't going to let Haruna do all the work. I fear that I may have even less of a clue than Haruna, but… if I had to pick… She closed her eyes and trusted her gut, trying to feel inside. "Right."

It was all Haruna needed to hear. All right, Miyu, I'm going to trust your luck!

And indeed, Miyu's luck was looking out for them, for one of the very first rooms on the right side of the floor was the computer lab.

"Oh, Kurumi!" Miyu gasped as the dim light of her PheFo—which was even dimmer because she was careful to cover it with her thumb—managed to catch a glimpse of the figure slumped over at one of the computers. The pink-stained white hair was a dead (pun unintended) giveaway.

Oh, God… Miyu and Haruna's stomachs churned as they raced over to their fallen friend, silently praying that it wasn't too late.

Haruna got to her first and immediately tapped her shoulder, gentle but urgent. "Kurumi? Kurumi?!" she cried out as loud as she dared.

Miyu stepped back, raising her hands to her head as her pink eyes widened in horror. Her chest was so tight that breathing was difficult. Her wild gaze darted around Kurumi's lifeless—no, they didn't know that yet—motionless body. In doing so, she noticed the small, pink spot of blood that was slightly oval now that it had had a bit of time to drip down Kurumi's arm. But because the blood drop was so small to start with, it didn't go far.

"H-H-Haruna…" Miyu croaked, subdued as she rested a hand on Haruna's shoulder and pointed at Kurumi's arm.

"What?!" Haruna snapped impatiently, brown eyes full of terror. While Miyu had struggled not to disassociate, Haruna wasn't sure she could've even if she tried, mind racing as she tried and failed to wake Kurumi. Th-the head injury… It wasn't… wasn't… wasn't fatal, was it?!

She finally followed Miyu's finger and at last also noticed the little spot of blood on Kurumi's arm. Her eyes widened.

"Do you think that's anything?" Miyu asked weakly, and to her surprise, Haruna nodded.

"Yes." Perhaps some would assume that it was merely a stain from her hair, since it was evident by the wound and blood splatter that she'd been struck in the back of the head by something hard. But by that same token, that was how they knew the blood drop on Kurumi's arm wasn't related to the head injury. There would be more than one, even if they would've been tinier.

"S-s-so what do we do?!" Miyu whispered fearfully. Haruna's eyebrows furrowed, and she bit her lip. Already, a plan was formulating in her mind, but it was risky since they didn't know if Kurumi's attacker was still lurking around in the darkness. But with Kurumi's life on the line…

"Go to the nurse's office and get some of that miracle medication. Some for her head, and some for whatever was in that first injection," the Ultimate Chairman commanded stiffly. "I must stay here and stabilize Kurumi." Would that it were Miyu, but alas, she and I both know she knows little in way of administering first aid beyond applying bandages, but we are well past that stage by now.

They would need bandages eventually, but it was obvious from Miyu's wide, wild eyes that Haruna had to be careful not to accidentally overwhelm her. It was easier to instruct her bit by bit, and what Haruna wanted first was that medicine that helped Dalia's face heal so well so fast. In the meantime, she would collect photo evidence. Especially if Kurumi's attacker still lurks nearby, they definitely will not document Kurumi's body like this. I have immense power in that. This could be the ace up my sleeve. Who else can claim to have found evidence as recent as mine?

Though of course, she knew she had to be careful. She could not share any of those photos just yet… As for Miyu, she needed Haruna's instructions repeated several times, struggling to focus with Kurumi's bloody body facedown in front of her. But eventually Haruna's words got through to her and she raced back out of the computer lab, down to the first floor, Haruna fearfully reminding her to be quiet in case any unknown villains lurked in the shadows around them.

A minute later, Miyu was back with topical and injectable forms of Monochio's Miracle Medicine (Medicates Multiple Maladies Marvelously). Haruna instructed Miyu to provide the injection, as the instructions were clearly labeled on the syringe's side and Haruna was more concerned about Kurumi's bleeding headwound. She still could not tell how severe it was. A best-case scenario would leave Kurumi with a mild concussion, but a worst-case saw part of her skull broken, the bone in the brain.

For a minute, nothing happened, then Kurumi's tan brown eyes shot open.

"Kurumi!" Haruna and Miyu whisper-shouted in relief as she began to stir, then relief turned to horror as they realized that Kurumi wasn't stirring. She was convulsing. Her body seized, and Haruna was quick to guide her to the floor, even though it stained her pajamas with Kurumi's blood. There was froth and foam around the girl's mouth and Miyu and Haruna both recoiled when they saw it.

"What's happening?!" Miyu cried, but Haruna could only shake her head, equally alarmed and confused. For a moment, they could only stare helplessly as Kurumi thrashed, but then Haruna was inspired.

"Return to the nurse's office at once and fetch another syringe, empty this time! I am going to try to remove the toxins that way!"

A calmer, saner Miyu would've gently pointed out that such an idea was pseudoscience and wishful thinking at best, but she was neither of those things at the moment, and she took off without a second thought, gasping, panting, sobbing, and praying.

Oh, God, let her live! Please let her live! If she didn't, Miyu would technically be her killer. Miyu didn't strike the first blow, but the fatal one.

Oh, God, no… Miyu sobbed again. She'd failed… failed to save another one of her unit-mates, failed to stop another murder. She even failed to provide anyone a chance to catch the true culprit! In what could only be described as the Ultimate "Unluck", Miyu had unintentionally ensured that she would die in Kurumi's attacker's place while they would get off completely free. Could an attempt at justice have failed so spectacularly because of anybody else except the Ultimate "Lucky" Student?

All the while, Haruna waited by Kurumi's side, heart pounding and tears pouring. Even though it was clear Kurumi's mind was going, whatever was in Monochio's medicine did indeed finally bring her back enough to have one last conversation with Haruna. By the time Miyu returned with a clean, empty syringe, though, Kurumi was gone.

Miyu heard something clatter to the ground, but it sounded far away. Suddenly, her knees collided with tile. All she could focus on was the murder committed right before her very eyes. Before Haruna's very eyes. And even before Kurumi's. They were all witnesses to Miyu's sin. And they all knew what was coming next: Judgement. But maybe, just maybe, it was deserved. Not only had Miyu dealt the fatal blow, even if it was unintentional, she was intentional about other things…

Oh, why, why, why?! Why didn't we wake the others for help?! Why did we try to do this alone?! It was another stupid decision made in a moment of misjudgment. But even so, like the accident with the medicine, Miyu couldn't claim complete ignorance. Even if the outcome wasn't intended, she chose not to call for help as soon as they found Kurumi, and even right that very moment, she made no attempt to get her PheFo and call for help. So due to her own "active inactivity", she was complicit in the murder.

Oh… God… Now what…? I- I- I'm scared! I'm scared of dying, scared of being executed, scared of Haruna having to watch, of her having to be the sole survivor of the unit! I'm scared of what happened to Kurumi and Miiko after they died, and of what will happen to me…!

She was sure the Lord would know her heart and know she was no evil killer, but what if the Lord was like Monochio, more focused on impact than intent? If justice had to be served, then Miyu knew where she would end up. All she could do was curse Monochio and God for everything they'd put her and her friends through, but just like always, her prayers were unanswered.

"Miyu… Come on… Let's go… We have to leave…" It was with great reluctance that the Ultimate Chairman was the first to rise from Kurumi's lifeless body. So long as her attacker was still on the loose, they were in danger. They could grieve in their dorm, but not here. They had to live on, because the upcoming trial was going to provide the perfect chance at avenging Kurumi. Even if it was too late to execute them, perhaps there was still enough to force them to identify themself.

For a moment, Miyu was unresponsive, far less fight in her than in Haruna. But when Haruna rested a hand on her shoulder, she finally forced herself to rise and follow after her unit's DJ, taking her hand, creeping back to the dorms together in silence.

And what are we supposed to do now? Just sleep it off until morning? Act like it never happened?!

The thoughts were sickening, but the answer was yes.