Hey everyone! It has been a while! I'm so sorry for this really late update, things weren't pretty in my life recently and I had to take a break. But I'm back now with a chapter that I hope will bring you some joy in those dark times of pandemic.

The blow of the explosion propelled Mizorogi away from the cousins. The latters were pinned to the ground by the explosion, slightly stunned.

"What the fuck was that!?" Haruki yelled.

"I don't know and I don't care, let's get out of here with Mizorogi," Tokaku said.

Tokaku immediately removed her handcuffs, which weren't locked in the first place, and rushed towards her old teacher. She pulled out a knife and quickly cut some of the ropes keeping him prisoner to the chair and grabbed him, helping him to get back on his feet before running away, followed by Haruki, Hitsugi and Chitaru.

"Are you okay?" Tokaku asked her teacher.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine… I think," Mizorogi replied.

"You won't get away with this!" Itsumi shouted angrily. "Yasakani, shoot them to death, except Tokaku! Shoot her in the legs!"

Firearm shots could be heard as the Class Black girls and their old teacher continued to run, heading for the door. As soon as they reached and closed the door behind them, Haruki immediately locked it. Tokaku then cut the rope that was still tying up Mizorogi's hands.

"Thank you… for saving me," Mizorogi said, panting as he leaned against the wall, exhausted.

Haruki then helped him to stand up.

"You did well, 'big brother'," Haruki told him with a proud smile.

When he heard this, Mizorogi's eyes quickly became teary, moved by those words as he let out a soft sob.

"You're the best students a teacher could ever dream of," he replied tearfully.

The door suddenly became dented by bullets.

"We have to get to the elevator!" Hitsugi urged.

The group immediately rushed towards the elevator and got inside, quickly pressing the button so the door closed. As the elevator started going down, one question remained on Mizorogi's mind.

"Azuma… what you said earlier… about being… assassins," Mizorogi began.

The girls looked at each other, uncomfortable and hesitant, before Chitaru finally opened her mouth.

"Class Black was-" she began to say.

The elevator suddenly stopped. Mizorogi nearly fell but Haruki caught him just in time.

"Fuck!" Tokaku exclaimed.

"Let's not panic, it's no big deal. We can still escape from here," Haruki tried to uplift the situation.

"There should be an emergency exit," Chitaru added as she touched the ceiling.

She managed to open up a small door at the ceiling of the elevator. As they looked through the door, they saw the cousins at the top, interfering with the cables and looked like they were about to climb down. Tokaku immediately stepped down and put her hand on the elevator main door.

"Sagae, help me open this fucking door," Tokaku instructed as she turned towards her other friends. "Kirigaya, escort Mizorogi to safety, while I, Sagae and Chitaru hold them off."

"No, let me help-" Mizorogi tried to say.

"You would be a liability!" Tokaku snapped back.

Her teacher recoiled a little, a saddened look on his face. Tokaku sighed before her expression softened.

"I don't want you to get hurt more than you already are. Please, all of this is my fault, so at least let me save you," Tokaku pleaded.

Mizorogi seemed hesitant as Haruki got her hands on the door and, after some effort, managed to open it, leading to a random floor. Tokaku raised her head and saw that the cousins were coming closer and felt her heart racing.

"Go, now!" Tokaku shouted.

After some hesitation, Mizorogi complied and stepped outside the elevator while Hitsugi turned to her girlfriend.

"Be careful, Chitaru-san."

"You too, Kirigaya."

"I love you."

"I love-"

"Go!" Tokaku insisted.

Hitsugi didn't lose any more time. She left the elevator and grabbed Mizorogi's arm, running away. Tokaku, Chitaru and Haruki then turned back to look at the ceiling door, before nodding at each other, bracing themselves to what's about to come.

Sumireko slightly tensed her fist. What an unpleasant meeting. But, as elegant and dignified she was, she had to keep a good figure. She forced herself to smile in her usual courteous persona, but anyone who was used to that kind of act would immediately infer that it was fake. Like Mai. Not that it mattered to Sumireko. She simply wanted to send a message- that she was the more refined and mature one between them.

"Ah, Koto-san, fancy meeting you here. How are you?"

Mai seemed somewhat annoyed by Sumireko's lack of apparent animosity as if she was looking for a confrontation. Mahiru looked pretty uncomfortable while Haru simply seemed confused. It was understandable since she never met Mai and Shizue.

"Um… hi? I'm Ichinose Haru, nice to meet you-"

"Koto Mai. And this is my girlfriend, Setsuko Shizue."

"Nice to meet you," Shizue replied politely.

Sumireko couldn't help but roll her eyes. What a pathetic example of pure hypocrisy. Mai let out a snarky giggle as she looked back at the other heiress.

"Well, aren't you 'picky' when it comes to your friends, Hanabusa-san? Or perhaps did you threaten them to hang out with you? Or even paid them?"

Sumireko was tempted to reply, but she knew it wasn't worth it. Mai was simply trying to provoke her again, and there was no way she would fall for such a childish insult. But it didn't seem to be the same for Haru who immediately stood between them.

"Sumireko-san isn't like that!" Haru protested. "She's not the type to use her money like that! She doesn't buy people, because she knows people have no price- friendship can't be bought!"

Mai seemed surprised by this sudden rebuttal before she let out a softly amused chuckle. Sumireko was surprised by Haru's words too, And somehow, it made her happy to hear those- to have someone standing up for her.

"I was only teasing, no need to get so upset," Mai replied before she stared at Haru. "You really are like I expected you to be, Ichinose-san. I suppose that it's that pure heart of yours that caught Azuma-san's attention."

Haru went silent for a moment with an expression of confusion.

"How… how do you know-"

But before she could finish her question, there was a sudden blackout in the arena. Screams of panic could be heard coming from everywhere. Explosions followed as the arena started rumbling.

Sumireko stayed calm and reacted quickly, reaching out for what was inside her bag, a few pairs of night goggles, and handed them to Haru and Banba.

"Here, take these," Sumireko said.

Haru and Shinya nodded as they put on the goggles, followed by Sumireko. Now that they could see in the dark, they spotted Shuri and the twins running away, taking advantage of the chaos to escape.

"We cannot let them get away!" Sumireko shouted.

The three friends immediately went after them, doing their best to avoid bumping into anyone or tripping on broken stuff. Shuri and the twins were fast, but so was Sumireko, Shinya and Haru. As they were about to catch up to them, they all disappeared in some sort of secret exit. They tried to follow them inside, only to end up stopped by Mai and Shizue, surprisingly waiting for them at the said exit.

"Out of my way! We have important business to do!" Sumireko ordered.

"Oh, but same for us. And it just so happens that our business is related to your business," Mai taunted.

Sumireko was more than annoyed. She was pissed. They were on an important mission and this bitch was standing in their way. Why? Simply to antagonize them? No, there had to be a deeper meaning.

"Let me guess. You are working for the Watanabe Casino, don't you? Are you perhaps the puppets of the Azuma clan?" Sumireko asked with contempt.

"I am no puppet! I am the great Koto Mai, daughter of the most successful CEO Japan ever known- no, the entire world! I am working for no one other than myself. It just happened that I am open to collaborating with people who serve my interest. This is how business works- you would know that if you were a worthy heiress!"

"Those are a lot of words simply to say 'I am a total sell-out'."

As they continued to bicker, Shinya and Shizue were staring at each other with animosity.

"S-Setsuko...san, please let's talk! There's no reason to fight. Just tell us what you want!" Haru implored.

Shizue stared at Haru for a moment with a blank expression.

"You… are in danger from Kamiko-san."

Before Haru could ask anything about that, Shinya got in front of her.

"Ichinose, don't get too close to her. She might be dangerous," Shinya said.

"But I can fight too-"

"Stay out of the way! Sumi and I can't babysit ya. You'll put us in danger."

A little bit saddened but understanding, Haru stepped aside. Shizue then let out a mocking laugh.

"So it's true. You're quite the protective type, Shinya-san. Surprising, given that your existence is nothing more than the result of a crazy girl's mind. You're nothing more than a delusion!"

"Shaddap! I ain't a delusion, I'm real. And I'll make you realize it by kicking your bratty ass!"

Sumireko had enough of this. They had to get through them if they wanted to capture Shuri. If they didn't want to let them pass, then they'll have to force them. And Sumireko had no problem resorting to violence. On the contrary, she always wanted to beat up that pretentious Koto heiress.

Sumireko went for a hook punch at Mai, who smirked at her attempt as she simply raised her arm to stop her fist. Sumireko remained shocked. How did she do that? Why wasn't her hand crushed? She was wearing her cybernetic limbs for combat, no one was strong enough to block her.

Mai started to giggle as her clothes covering her arm tore up, revealing what appeared to be… a robotic arm?

Sumireko couldn't believe her eyes. Koto Mai… wasn't a normal human?

"You seem surprised. Did you really think you were the only one wealthy enough to get some upgrades?" Mai mocked. "Indeed, strength is needed, but to sacrifice your beauty for it is so unsightly. Let me show you what real, beautiful strength looks like!"

Mai suddenly ripped off her dress, revealing a mecha suit underneath with her limbs getting covered by metallic armor and accompanied with silver tendrils slithering around the smirking heiress.

She opened her eyes. Everything seemed gloomy and dirty around her. Where was she? Where she- Where was she before? What was she doing before ending up here? And how did she get here?

She then took a look at her hands. They seemed so… small. And so dirty- especially her nails. Where did her pretty manicures go? And more importantly…

What was her name again?

She looked around and discovered two corpses lying on the ground. It was… her parents? Was this… her childhood house? There was another body, smaller, but she couldn't remember who that was.

She heard footsteps approaching her. She turned around and discovered a man with blond hair.

"I'm Inukai Eisuke," the man said stoically. "From today onward, you're Inukai Isuke, okay? Starting today, you'll be my daughter."

Inukai… Isuke? Yeah, she remembered now, it was her name. Her real name. Eisuke gently pats her head.

"Help me, and I'll help you. Understand? Do you know what I mean?"

He then pointed to the two corpses on the floor.

"They may have been your parents but they almost let you die. That's why I did it. That's why I chose you."

He softly took his new daughter's hands.

"Do you get it? Let's get out of this place," he said. "Come, I'll adopt you."

He kissed her hands.

"Please help me. Help me in my job- and succeed me."

"Your… job?" Isuke asked with hesitation.

"Yeah, a very important job. I'm a hitman. It means 'assassin'."

An assassin… that's right, she was an assassin. A hitman. She killed people. Slowly, her memory was coming back.

And she remembered

. The one who used to be the most important person in her life. Was he… still alive? Could she save him this time? It is worth a try.

As Eisuke tried to lead her away from the house, Isuke pulled on his hand.

"Wait… you… you need to save him too… please," Isuke begged.

"I'm sorry, but… he's already dead-"

"No! He can't be, please… take him with you. Please."

Eisuke looked like he was hesitating. He let out a sigh and walked towards the third body and crouched down, and removed the blanket above it.

Under it was a young boy, younger than Isuke, with the same pink hair as her.

Her little brother.

Eisuke softly touched his neck without much hope before an expression of true shock marked his face.

"But… he's alive!"

Isuke was immediately overwhelmed by pure happiness.

So much that she completely forgot everything that had happened before she became a child again.

Suzu was taking a look at herself in the mirror. Something seemed… unusual. And it wasn't because she was dressed in an ancient kimono. She seemed… taller? And not only that.

She softly brushed her waist and went up to cup her chest. Suzu blushed a little.

Yes, her breasts were definitely a little bit bigger.

How could this be possible… ?

"Suzu-san."

Suzu froze on the spot. This voice- not, it couldn't be…

She slowly turned back and couldn't believe her eyes when she saw him standing in front of her, smiling kindly.

"... T-Takeo….?"

Yes, it was him. Alive. Still young and healthy. But… it was impossible, right? Wasn't he supposed to be…

To be…

To be what again?

Suzu couldn't quite remember, but she knew that him being here was impossible.

He walked closer to her and gently took her hands, still smiling.

"Happy birthday, Suzu-san."

Those words had always been a source of pain and sadness for her, but she couldn't remember why. Yet, hearing Takeo say those words actually filled her with warm happiness. Still, she had one question in mind.

"How… how old am I?" Suzu asked with some hesitation.

Takeo seemed surprised by that question.

"18 years old? Why are you asking? Is that a way to make fun of me for never catching up to you?" he asked with a soft smirk.

Did he just say… eighteen? She was… an adult? She… grew older?

She took a second glance at the mirror.

Yeah, she did grow older.

Why was she surprised? Wasn't it normal to grow older? Of course it was.

Yet she was overwhelmed by so much joy and nostalgia that she couldn't help but tear up, much to Takeo's concern.

"S-Suzu-san?! What's going on? Are you hurt?"

Suzu softly wiped away her tears. She got closer to him and wrapped her arms around him while lifting herself on tiptoes to reach his height.

"I'm not. I'm just… so happy that we are together."

And thus, she locked lips with him.

Kouko couldn't get her eyes out of the necklace she was holding. A rosary necklace, to be precise. She was holding it at the tip of her finger, letting it swing from left to right, her eyes following the cross as if she was trying to hypnotize herself.

Now that she thought about it, wasn't she somewhere else a minute ago? Yeah, she was with her… friends? No that couldn't be-

After all, she never had any friends in her entire life.

"Kouko-chan."

The black-haired girl immediately froze as the necklace continued to swing. This voice, no it couldn't be…

Kouko slowly turned back and nearly started to cry when she confirmed who the voice belonged to.

"... I-Irina… senpai?"

Her senpai was standing a couple of meters away from her, looking kind and beautiful as always.

But it was impossible, right? After all, wasn't she… dead?

Kouko felt dizzy for a moment. When did Irina die? No, she couldn't be dead. After all, wasn't she standing right in front of her?

"Kouko-chan? Is everything alright?" Irina asked with concern in her voice.

Kouko remained mute for a moment, her thoughts all hustling each other. She had the feeling she was forgetting something important...

But nothing was more important than Irina being safe and sound. Kouko couldn't help but rush towards her senpai and fondly hugged her.

"K-Kouko-chan?! Is something wrong?"

Kouko could feel Irina's warmth against her, smell her, feel her… yes, it was really the real Irina.

"Nothing is wrong. Everything is… perfect. I'm just glad… that you're alive."

Irina didn't reply to that. She simply patted Kouko's head, who refused to break the hug, fearing that Irina might disappear if she let go of her.

Kouko was determined to never let Irina go.

Warm, soft, comfortable. Those were the perfect words to describe how Nio felt. She was snuggled up in a really comfy bed. She slowly opened her eyes and stretched as she yawned, feeling pleased with herself.

Then a sudden thought hit her. When did she go to bed? She couldn't remember the moment she went to sleep. And more importantly…

Whose bed was it?

Nio quickly looked around. She was in a rather luxurious room, well decorated without being too pretentious. She then heard a soft snore and realized that-

She wasn't alone.

The blonde girl slowly turned her head and discovered with shock that she was sharing the bed with someone else.

And not anyone.

It was the one and only Yuri Meichi.

Before Nio could react in any way she noticed that not only the chairwoman was lying in the bed naked, but she was too, equally naked.

Nio could feel that her entire face had turned red and her heart started to race like crazy. For an unknown reason, she was sharing a bed with her queen, both of them fully naked…

Yuri then opened her eyes. Nio froze, not knowing what to do, while her queen smiled softly.

"Good morning, Nio."

Nio couldn't believe her ears. Did Yuri call her by her given name? Without any honorifics? It sounded so… intimate. Hearing her most important person say her name like that was just so… exciting. Nio, this name she had been gracefully bestowed to by her one and only queen, hearing pronounce it was just pure ecstasy.

But that still didn't explain why they were sharing a bed naked.

"Y-Yuri...san"

Yuri pouted.

"Nio, how many times did I tell you that you could call me by my given name? We're dating, aren't we?"

Wait, what?!

"...Dating!?"

Something had to be off. It must be a dream or a cruel prank… But before Nio could voice her concern, Yuri strengthened her back in the bed and Nio could see all of her naked glory, her beautiful unscarred body, worthy of the queen she was. Yuri got dangerously closer, their bare skin was almost touching, and Nio felt like she was about to overheat.

"Is there anything wrong, Nio?"

If there was anything wrong…

Nio couldn't think of anything. She always desired Yuri, and more than just a master-servant relationship. She always truly loved her.

"No, everything is perfect, Meichi."

And they both shared a kiss, Nio forgetting about all her previous doubts, surrendering herself to this forbidden love.

When the cousins were about to get inside the elevator, Tokaku, Chitaru and Haruki immediately rushed outside, waiting for their enemies in the corridor and blocking their path. Tokaku takes out her knives while Chitaru unsheathes her sword, ready to fight. Haruki had her fists firmly clenched and her gauntlets on, ready to beat up anyone who tried to go through them.

Then, they arrived. Crawling out of the elevator was Itsumi, Teru and Rion. Even if Itsumi looked furious, as soon as she saw Tokaku she grinned.

"Did you really think you could escape from me, my dear Tokaku-chan?" Itsumi taunted.

"Wait, they aren't all there. Where are the teacher and little girl?" Teru asked.

"Who cares!? We wanted Tokaku-chan. Mizorogi has no use for us now," Itsumi snapped back.

As she said that, Itsumi pulled out her weapon, a bladed whip, and giggled sadistically.

"Come here, Tokaku-chan. It's time for a good spanking!"

Without warning, Itsumi cracked her whip as she rushed towards Tokaku. The latter easily avoided the hit, but she couldn't get closer due to the numerous blades Itsumi was rolling around on her whip.

"What's the matter, Tokaku-chan? Scared to get cut?"

In addition to being a weapon, the bladed whip was also used as a shield by Itsumi. She was drawing circles in front of her, making it nearly impossible for anyone to get through without being ripped apart.

"I don't want to needlessly hurt you, Tokaku-chan. Surrender and I promise as a punishment I'll just whip you with a regular one, no blades."

"As if I'll submit to a fucking psycho such as yourself!" Tokaku yelled.

Itsumi's grin turned even more malevolent.

"Well then, you asked for it. Don't complain if you end up losing a limb!"

Armed with a simple hunting knife, Teru was about to go give her support to Itsumi, but Haruki blocked her way.

"I've got a score to settle with ya," Haruki said.

"Oh? We do?"

"Don't play innocent you bastard!"

Haruki rushed towards her enemy, ready to just punch her in the face and break her skull. Teru dodged her attack and tried to slice her, which Haruki blocked with the metal gauntlet around her wrist.

"I would wish to avoid killing you if necessary, or even critically injure you. We have no interest in you or any of your friends, all we want is Azuma-san."

"Well Tokaku-san is also my friend, so I don't intend to let you have her!"

"Why bother protecting her? What did Azuma-san even do for you? From what I heard she's a cold and unfriendly girl who doesn't give a shit about anyone."

"You're wrong. Tokaku-san isn't just that. She's also caring and brave and she earned my respect. She helped me realize so much about myself and saved me. She's not just a friend for me, she's part of my family!"

At those words, Teru smirked.

"Family huh… must be nice to fight for that. That is to say, if they're worth it."

Teru suddenly raised her knife, ready to strike down on Haruki's shoulder, who avoid the hit by grabbing her enemy's wrist and pushing her away.

Chitaru turned back and blocked two blades that were about to slash her. Rion was facing her, holding two machetes. Her face looking like a grotesque imitation of her best friend really unnerved Chitaru.

"Give up and just give us Tokaku," Rion asked.

"As if I'll betray my best friend!"

"... Please?"

"No!"

"Then I shall stop you, for Itsumi's sake!"

Rion's attacks gradually became more aggressive. Chitaru simply remained on the defensive, not wanting to hurt her. As long as she was fighting her like that, she won't attack any of her friends.

Tokaku noticed that Chitaru was getting pushed back and was tempted to help her but, that second of inattention allowed Itsumi to wrangle her whip around Tokaku's neck. Thankfully for her, it wasn't the bladed part.

"I got you, my sweet Tokaku-chan!"

Itsumi pulled on the whip as if it was a leash and made Tokaku fall to her knees, lightly strangling her. Tokaku tried to grab the whip and give some space to her neck to breath, but the grip was too tight.

"Tokaku!" Haruki shouted worried.

"N...no…. Sagae… look out!" Tokaku exclaimed.

Haruki didn't see Teru coming behind her and she managed to land a hit, stabbing the redhead right in the thigh.

"Urgh!" Haruki groaned.

Seeing both her companions in trouble, Chitaru tried to save them, but Rion was still assailing her with her machetes, keeping her from moving.

"Please, let me save my friends! They are getting hurt!" Chitaru said.

"I can't. I have orders. We need to capture Azuma-san."

"You don't have to do this! I know you're not a bad person, Rion!"

Rion stopped for a moment, but as soon as Chitaru tried to go through her, she stopped her with her machetes.

"How can you possibly know that? And how do you know my name!?"

"Ichinose told me everything. You don't want to do that, don't you? You don't want to hurt anyone. They are using you and abusing you, those people don't care about your well-being. But we do!"

"No… you're wrong! Itsumi cares about me! She loves me! I would do anything for her!"

"Yet she seems more interested in Tokaku than you."

Those words seemed like it landed a deep stab in Rion's heart, who now looked like she was hesitating, much to Itsumi's fury.

"Rion for fuck's sake, just kill that bitch!" Itsumi yelled.

Tokaku took advantage of her enemy's inattention to grab the whip and yank on it, making Itsumi fall to the floor. Tokaku then rose up and quickly unwrapped the whip from around her neck and pulled on it again, disarming Itsumi.

"Itsumi no!" Rion shouted.

As soon as Rion stopped looking at her, Chitaru sneaked behind her and hit her behind the head with the handle of her weapon, sending her to the floor.

When Teru realized that both her allies were on the ground she got distracted, and Haruki took this opportunity to punch her right in the face, sending her flying and crashing onto the wall.

Tokaku rushed towards Itsumi, ready to neutralize her. But when she got closer, Itsumi suddenly pulled out a hidden blade from her sleeve and tried to slash Tokaku. The latter had no other choice but to step back to avoid the blow. Itsumi took this opportunity to run back to Rion and kicked her harshly.

"Get up you useless piece of shit!"

Much to everyone's surprise, it actually worked and Rion was immediately back on her feet. At that sight, Chitaru clenched her fist with anger.

"You won't take us down that easily!" Itsumi yelled with hostility. "You'd have to kill us if you want to stop us!"

Pulling out a second knife, Tokaku didn't have the slightest hesitation when she replied back.

"Then so be it."

"Kei, did you take the last bagel again?" Isuke asked, annoyed.

A well-dressed young man flinched when she called her name, with a guilty look on his face. He had short, well-combed pink hair and eyes that were lighter than Isuke, almost golden.

"I don't know what you're talking about, onee-san," Keisuke replied.

Isuke sighed. Her little brother had the bad habit to be dishonest, yet he was a bad liar. The contrary of Isuke, who was most of the time cruelly honest, yet knew how to lie when needed.

"You left traces of your crime all around your mouth," Isuke said casually.

Immediately, Keisuke rubbed his mouth and looked at his hand, which was perfectly clean. Isuke let out a satisfied chuckle.

"So you really did eat the last one huh," Isuke said with a dark smile.

Keisuke instinctively recoiled, a drop of sweat rolling from his forehead.

"I… I'm sorry, onee-san-"

"Tsk-tsk. That's not how you should call me."

"... Onee-sama…"

"Good boy. Now, I may forgive you this time, but in exchange, I want the last donut."

"What? But you don't even like them!"

"But you do," Isuke replied, merciless.

Keisuke remained silent for a moment before he sighed. He then grabbed the donut bag and handed it to his big sister.

"Here," he said reluctantly.

"Here who?"

"... Here, onee-sama."

Isuke grinned as she snatched the bag from her brother's hand and buried hers inside, taking out the last donut. It wasn't true that she didn't like those, she just avoided eating them to maintain her thin shape. But today she can allow herself to do an exception to punish her brother. Of course, it was just an innocent punishment, she would never actually hurt her little brother.

After she took her sweet time to savour it under the tortured look of Keisuke, Isuke served herself a glass of milk.

"Kids, I hope you're not arguing again over food."

Eisuke stepped inside the kitchen as he was adjusting his tie. Isuke immediately rushed towards him to hug him.

"Mama!" Isuke exclaimed fondly. "Of course no! You know how much we get along, right, Eisen?"

"Ah? Oh, yeah, of course," Keisuke replied, uncertain.

"Good."

"Where's Papa?" Isuke asked.

"He's still asleep, he had a rough day yesterday. I gotta go to work, see you tonight!"

After he kissed both his children's cheek, Eisuke put on his shoes and left the Inukai residence. The Inukai siblings finished to get ready for school and left together.

Walking side by side, Keisuke and Isuke looked the same height, but it was only thanks to Isuke's high heels boots. Both really attractive, they were pretty popular at school, Isuke with boys and Keisuke with girls. What would their classmates think if they knew the beautiful and handsome Inukai siblings were actually hitmen? Not that they would ever know, of course. Otherwise, they will have a special appointment with a bullet.

"Onee-san," Keisuke suddenly said. "Can we… hold hands?"

"Huh?! What's that for?"

"We used to do it all the time before…"

"Yeah, when we were kids! We're both grown up now!"

Keisuke stared at her with pleading eyes and Isuke simply didn't have the strength to resist him. She just had such a soft side for her brother.

"Fine, I'll do it. But you better drop my hands when we arrived at school, I don't want people to think we're incestuous weirdos."

Keisuke's golden eyes sparkled immediately and, with a bright smile, he grabbed his sister's hand, who blushed from embarrassment. Her brother always seemed so calm and cool in front of others, but with her, he could be quite clingy.

As they walked on their usual path to school, Isuke's attention was suddenly attracted by a construction site nearby. Overtaken by a sudden impulsion, Isuke let go of her brother's hand and headed towards the construction site.

"Onee-san? What's going on?"

Isuke ignored him and looked around, searching for a specific person. Who, she wasn't quite sure herself, all she knew is that it was someone important, someone who was missing in her life.

"She's not there," Isuke mumbled.

"'She'? Who?" Keisuke asked.

Isuke herself couldn't answer this question. She looked at her hand, feeling like there was something missing there, around her finger… a ring perhaps?

Then the image of a tomboyish redhead suddenly flashed in her mind and Isuke remembered her.

"Haruki…"

"Who?"

"Haruki… my girlfriend, my fiancée… how could I forget her-"

"Urgh!"

When she heard her brother's groan of pain, Isuke immediately turned back. Keisuke suddenly looked much skinnier than he is, as if he was suffering from malnutrition. His appearance wasn't clean anymore, he looked quite dirty. As he was about to collapse Isuke managed to grab him and lay him delicately on the ground.

"Kei! What's going on? Talk to me!" Isuke said panicky.

Her brother started to cough painfully until he started to spit blood. His body was even more skinny now, almost skeletal. There was almost no more meat on his bones as if he was starving for weeks.

"Kei!" Isuke shouted desperately, tears in her eyes.

"O-onee… san...," Keisuke started weakly before he glared at Isuke, "it's your fault! All of this is your fault! You abandoned me, you failed to protect me, and now because of you I'm dead!"

Those words felt like a stab in the heart. Tears rolled on Isuke's cheek as her brother's body suddenly turned to dust, fading in the wind until there was nothing more left of him. Isuke remained in shock before she started to cry.

"Shun!"

"You may kiss the bride," the priest declared solemnly.

Takeo leaned down and gently cupped Suzu's cheek, before he left a chaste yet warm kiss on her lips, sealing their union as husband and wife. Suzu couldn't be happier. This was everything she had even dream for. She was getting married to the man she had always loved and being able to grow old with him. It was just so perfect that she could just forget about everything else.

"Long live the newlyweds!" cheered the guests.

The husband and wife turned towards their guests, both smiling. But as she looked through the room, Suzu felt like something was missing- no, someone. A guest? No, someone more important. But before she could think more about it, Takeo gently locked arms with her and led her outside to admire the garden.

"Today was a wonderful day, wasn't it, Suzu?" Takeo said.

"Yes, it's just like a dream coming true."

They walked through the garden, admiring the various species of flowers. Suzu recognized Iceland poppies, red carnations, moonflowers, Japanese bindweeds, red tulips, red and white roses, verbena flowers, red spider lilies, mountain lilies…

…

Wait.

Red spider lilies?

Suzu suddenly let go of Takeo's arm, heading for the flowers. She stared at the red spider lilies as if they were the key to her missing memory.

"I always loved those flowers," Suzu mumbled.

"Huh? Why? Aren't they a symbol of death?"

"No, that's not it. Their true meaning is: I'm looking forward to meeting you again. I thought it was a truly beautiful meaning."

"And why so?"

"Because… there was someone… I was looking forward to see again… huh…"

The person she was looking to meet again… was Takeo. Yet he was with her, so how was it possible…

There was someone else too. Someone else she wanted to see again, someone… she loved too.

Someone she wanted to marry too.

"I was… supposed to have a wife," Suzu whispered.

"Huh? What are you talking about, Suzu!?"

Yes, she remembered her now. The girl she loved, the girl she was looking forward to marrying one day.

"Kouko-chan," Suzu exclaimed.

But then, as soon as she remembered her girlfriend, Suzu suddenly felt like her kimono was a little bit too big for her. She immediately turned back to look at Takeo. He seemed taller than usual…

No. She was the one who became shorter. As if she had… rejuvenated.

"Suzu… !?"

"T-Takeo…!"

Takeo was now looking at her with what seemed to be horror and disgust. Incapable of facing him like that, Suzu ran away, tears in her eyes.

Kouko woke up to the sound of birds happily signing. There was a weak light coming into the room from the nearly closed curtain. Kouko sat up in her bed and stretched before she looked around. She noticed that she was alone in the bedroom.

She must have woken up before her.

The black-haired girl got out of bed and put on some clothes before she headed for the kitchen. She was welcomed by the sweet scent of pancakes and the aroma of coffee.

"Good morning, Kouko-chan."

Kouko smiled when she saw her lover.

"Good morning, Irina."

Irina put a plate of pancakes on the table and her cup of coffee before sitting down. She put some chocolate syrup on her breakfast as Irina started to sip her coffee.

"Did you sleep well?" Irina asked.

"I did yes. I don't remember my dreams, but I think they were pleasant and peaceful. Just like our life together."

Irina and Kouko had managed to escape from the Church and they have been living for years together in the countryside. Irina found a job as a teacher in the local school, she had always been good with kids. Kouko, given her natural talent for drawing blueprints, became an architect.

Kouko finished her breakfast and looked at the clock.

"Oh, I have to go to work. Thanks for the pancakes!"

"You're welcome. I know they are your favourites."

Irina gave a soft kiss on Kouko's cheek and the latter headed for the front door, put on her shoes and coat and left their modest house.

It was a little bit cold outside. There was a weak fresh breeze, Kouko could feel the chilly wind in her hair.

Yet somehow, this fresh breeze warmed her heart.

"... Fresh breeze*..."

. There was something with that word that seemed familiar to her, which made her feel like something was missing in her life.

It felt like this fresh breeze brought with it her missing memories. There was someone missing in her current life, someone she loved deeply, someone she couldn't bear to lose. And in this case, it wasn't Irina.

"Suzu!" Kouko remembered.

Her thought was immediately interrupted by a sudden explosion. The blast propelled Kouko a couple of metres away, who violently crashed on the ground. But despite that, she wasn't severely injured.

Slightly knocked out, Kouko hardly got back on her feet, blood dripping from her forehead. She could feel so much warmth behind her, but it wasn't a comforting one. It was burning painfully.

Kouko immediately turned back and discovered with horror that her house was on fire- well, what was left of it. Kouko's heart raced with agony as she rushed towards the wreckage.

"Irina! Irina! Irina!" she screamed with all her strength.

No answer. Kouko tried to get closer but the flames were blocking her way. Kouko realized that it was too late, no one could have survived that, and tears rolled on her cheeks.

"Irina… no… Irina… Irina… IRINA!"

Nio was taking a look at herself in the mirror. Her hair had grown down her shoulders during those years since she has been dating Yuri. Nio rolled one of her blonde locks around her finger, blushing, remembering all the sweet moments she had spent with her lover. She was an adult now so she didn't have to hide their relationship anymore, which made her quite happy. She was proud to be able to say "Yuri Meichi is my girlfriend".

Nio brushed her hair and got dressed. It was time to go to work. She was still Yuri's assistant, with their regular "meeting" alone in the chairwoman's office. Thinking about that made her eager to go to work.

Now that she thought about it, why was Yuri still the chairwoman? Shouldn't they have another Class Black to choose her successor?

…

What happened in the last Class Black again?

No matter how much she thought about it, Nio couldn't remember.

"That mustn't be important then," she thought.

As long as she had Yuri, nothing else mattered.

She looked at her personal agenda to see if she had anything planned for today.

"Let's see… March 20th… Meeting with the teachers at 10 am, orientation with class 1-B at 2 pm, seems about it… oh, it's the first day of spring-"

Nio took a pause for a moment.

"Spring*?"

*Haru. Why did this word ring a bell to her? It was just a season… Yet also a given name.

Did she know anyone named Haru? She felt like she did but she couldn't remember quite well.

…

Someone that smelt like… the sun? The kind of smell that would fit a sunny person.

"Sunny..."

Just like spring, it could be read as "Haru". Again with this mysterious Haru.

"Haru… who are you…?"

Then it came back to her like a flash. The latest Class Black… was Haru's Class Black. The one who was supposed to replace Yuri as queen…

"Shit, how could I forget-"

"Nio-san, come to my office please," said Yuri's voice through the microphone in her room.

Nio jolted. It wasn't time for their daily meeting, so what could she want? Nio didn't bother thinking about it, if her queen wanted to see her, then she must oblige.

She finished dressing up and headed for Yuri's office. When she stepped inside, she was surprised to discover that there was someone else inside.

By Yuri's side was a young woman. She was tall, with orange hair and piercing green eyes.

"Meichi… who's this girl?" Nio asked.

"It's Yuri-san for you," Yuri replied coldly. "This is Ono Sachika, and from now on, she'll be your replacement."

Nio couldn't believe her ears. Her replacement? No, it couldn't be… after all, her and Yuri loved each other… right?"

"Mei- Yuri-san, I don't understand… I thought you loved me!"

Yuri let out a soft yet cruel giggle.

"Oh, you really think that? Who could ever love someone as ugly as you? You're just disgusting trash and I'm done playing with you. You're useless to me now. Sachika is my new lover."

To prove her words, Yuri exchanged a passionate kiss with Sachika under Nio's horrified eyes. Hurt and heartbroken, Nio simply ran away, not wanting her queen to see her crying unsightly.

Sumireko remained silently shocked for a moment. She would have never expected Mai to be like that. She always thought she was all bark and no bite, but it seemed she had been terribly wrong. Still, she wasn't going to let her ridicule her like that.

"Pff, beautiful strength, really? To me, it just looks like you bought strength without even doing any sacrifice for it. Strength without hard work is nothing different than a mere child with a gun. Let me show you what real strength looks like- what a true queen looks like!"

Sumireko ripped off her own dress and fake skins to reveal her cybernetic limbs. For a moment, Mai looked impressed, before her gaze turned disdainful.

"As I said, so unsightly. You truly are ugly, Hanabusa. Can you even call yourself human anymore? You're nothing more than a repugnant monster!"

"I see that your judgment is clouded by pointless superficiality. So shallow and vain. True strength cannot be simply bought and should not be reduced to mere estheticism. But I guess it is too much to ask for someone with an IQ similar to room temperature. Too bad money cannot buy you more grey cells."

Mai clenched her teeth with anger.

"That's it bitch. I'm going to fucking kill you now!"

"Oh, but I thought that was what you had planned from the start. Unless you just wanted to show off your little toy and hope it would scare me off. Because if it is the case, then I really feel sorry for you. Must be hard to be that moronic."

Sumireko barely had the time to dodge the silver tendril Mai sent towards her. The tendril left a deep mark on the ground, showing its destructive strength.

"Hm, I might have underestimated her," Sumireko thought.

Meanwhile, Shinya took out a rod from her bag that extended into a sledgehammer and lifted it with no difficulty while Shizue let out a giggle.

"What's funny ya bitch?" Shinya asked.

"Oh, nothing- well, nothing your weak mental capacities can understand. Let's just say that I wonder how long you can lift that thing with those small arms of yours. Adrenaline won't save you forever, Shinya-san."

"Shaddap! Stop using words I don't even know!"

"Thanks for proving my point. Now let's fight, shall we?"

"With pleasure."

Shinya immediately rushed towards Shizue, ready to smash her hard. Her opponent didn't look scared at all and even smirked.

"So predictable…"

Shizue simply dodged Shinya's attack. Her hammer hit the floor hard and, due to the impact, it took her a few seconds to lift it back and turn around.

But before she could do anything, Shinya received a violent hit in the face. It wasn't a punch nor a blunt weapon like hers, it was…

Just a simple chain.

"Why waste so much energy on a useless heavy weapon when a simple chain can do so much damage?" Shizue taunted.

Shinya wiped the blood off her face and growled in anger.

"You'll pay for hurting Mahiru's precious face!"

"Oh please, you're already disfigured. One more scar or two won't change anything."

Shinya angrily tried to swing her hammer once again to hit Shizue, who brandished her chain and swung it towards the silver-haired girl, successfully rolling itself around her weapon. Shinya tried to pull, but it appeared that Shizue was much stronger than she seemed.

Despite how confident she might have initially been, Sumireko wasn't able to land any hit on Mai. The silver tendrils were targeting her relentlessly and Sumireko was too busy dodging the attacks to land one of her own.

"Well well, Hanabusa-san, it seems like you might have overestimated yourself quite a bit, don't you think?" Mai taunted.

"No, I underestimate your equipment. You, on the other hand, you must be quite weak if you just stand there and let those tendrils of yours do all the work for you."

"You little…! Provocation won't work on me. As long as I win, I'll be the strongest!"

Sumireko didn't know for how long she could last. Dodging those numerous attacks was quite exhausting. She might have good stamina and speed, but it remained pretty demanding to move so much while wearing her heavy robotic limbs.

Then she heard a hard clack, like something hitting a metallic surface. Mai suddenly stopped her assault and turned back.

"Did you just… throw a rock at me?" Mai asked.

Haru remained silent, staring at Mai with a cold look Sumireko recognized very well. The look of a survivor. The same Haru had when she tried to kill her back in Class Black.

"Leave my friend alone," Haru threatened.

"Or what? What could a pesky brat such as yourself could possibly do against me?"

"Distract you," Haru simply replied.

"Eh…?"

Mai didn't see Sumireko rushing towards her, fist raised. She barely had the time to block the hit with her arms. Using this opening, Sumireiko quickly grabbed a bulk of the tendrils and ripped them off Mai, who could only look in shock.

"I am your opponent!" Sumireko exclaimed. "Now, how about we continue this fight without those annoying tendrils?"

Mai let out a growl before she grinned, raising both fists.

"Come at me, Hanabusa!"

"Inukai? Inukai? Hey, answer me! What's going on!?"

The screen of Shiena's laptop started to glitch and she couldn't see them anymore. She tried to press any keyboard to get it back, in vain. She even tried to lightly hit the laptop, but she knew it was pointless.

"Shit," Shiena mumbled. "Something must have happened to them."

Worried, she tried to look for the others and found out they were all stuck in a fight. Tokaku, Chitaru and Haruki were fighting some of the cousins, while Haru, Sumireko and Banba were fighting… some girl in a mecha suit?

"What the… and where's Mizorogi and Kirigaya…?"

As she tried to look for them, she heard a powerful sound, like a door being forced open. She quickly turned back and sighed when she saw the room's door was still closed.

"Takechi? What's going on?"

"Nothing serious. I got this. Just continue what you're doing and let me handle this."

Outside of the room was Otoya, sitting on the ground, surrounded by blades stabbed in the floor and a huge pair of scissors in one of her hands. The suite's door then burst open and a group of armed employees stepped inside. Otoya wouldn't say no to a good slicing- she didn't have the chance to satisfy her thirst for blood for quite a long time now. But unfortunately for her, all the employees were men, much to her annoyance.

"Ah, just a bunch of males… too bad I don't swing that way. So unless you suddenly grow a pair of boobs I'd like for you to just leave," Otoya said with a threatening voice. "Or else, I'll just fix the problem and give you some good vaginoplasty."

The employees exchanged a glance, seemingly confused.

"I mean a sex change, you idiots."

As she said that, Otoya opened and closed her scissors with a sinister grin, which made the men instinctively clenched their legs together.

"You psycho bitch!" one of them shouted as he tried to shoot her.

Otoya immediately jumped to avoid the bullet and took out a blade from the floor, before throwing it at the employee who tried to shoot her, impaling him in the eye.

"Don't bring a gun to a knife fight… or is it the opposite? Anyway, I got plenty of blades for you boys."

"Takechi what the hell is going on? I heard a gunshot!"

"Shiena, just stay in the room. I have the situation totally under control."

Holding her scissors and grabbing another knife, Otoya rushed towards another employee and stabbed him in the chest, before slashing another one who was getting too close to her.

"Come on boys, I'm just a lonely weak girl, and you have guns. Do you shoot like you fuck women? Poorly? I really can't relate."

Otoya then realized that she was now alone with the three corpses. She was pretty sure there were four men. Then she noticed the open door.

"Shiena, look out!"

But before she could run towards it another employee suddenly arrived and aimed at her.

The brunette turned back and saw a man stepping inside the room, armed with a gun.

"Hand over the laptop and I won't hurt you," the man said.

Shiena didn't want to. This laptop was her only connection with her friends and her only way to potentially help them. Protecting it was her duty and she won't let anyone harm her friends.

"Like hell I will," Shiena retorted.

The man immediately rushed towards her and tried to snatch the laptop away from her, but Shiena refused to let it go. She even kicked him away but he was much stronger than her.

"You leave me no choice," he said as he pointed the gun at her.

No, not at her. He was aiming for the laptop.

Shiena instinctively tossed it away, throwing it on the bed as the man shot. Shiena felt a terrible pain in her hand. She looked at it and discovered with horror that it had been shot. There was a bloody hole in her hand that kept bleeding.

"A...Arrrgghhh….!"

Shiena felt to her knees, overtaken by the pain as she grabbed her injured hand. Tears even started to pearl in her eyes.

The man walked towards the bed. Shiena realized that he was about to get the laptop and, ignoring her pain, she grabbed his leg to keep him from moving. He responded by kicking her, but Shiena refused to let go. He kicked her more and more, but Shiena was still holding.

"You annoying brat- very well. I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice. This is on you bitch."

The man pointed the gun at Shiena's head, ready to shoot and burst her skull open.

But instead, it was his head that got split open. Blood and brain parts started to spill as the corpse hit the floor. Shiena discovered Otoya, holding a bloody blade. She had this cold expression on her face, yet when she looked at Shiena she seemed concerned.

"Shiena… you're hurt!"

"Are there… any more?"

"No, I killed the last guy. Stay here, I'll get the first-aid kit."

Otoya went inside the bathroom for a moment and came back with the kit. She knelt next to Shiena and poured some disinfectant on a tissue.

"Okay, it's going to sting a little, but bear with it."

"I just got my hand shot, I don't think anything can hu- ouch!"

Otoya was cleaning the wound with extreme care, then bandaged it to stop the bleeding.

"That won't be enough. You'll need stitches, and possibly a hand cast… Your face…"

Shiena realized that after so many kicks and by the pain in her face that she was quite injured there too. Otoya gently wiped clean her wounds, getting closer to Shiena. Closer and closer…

"Takechi…?"

"So much blood… it would be a waste to not have at least a taste of it."

And just like that, Otoya licked one of her wounds, lapping it clean from the fresh blood. Shiena didn't know how to react. She should feel repulsed yet, she wasn't.

"Mmm, delicious. Just like I thought." Said Otoya as he licked her lips seductively, her eyes glowing with a blush.

Despite the weirdness of the scene, Shiena shouldn't shake one fact from her head. Otoya saved her life and took care of her injuries.

"Takechi… thanks-"

Before she could continue, Otoya suddenly kissed her, passionately yet gently. And this time, Shiena didn't push her away.

Isuke was holding the corpse of her little brother. He was back at being a little boy, so small and frail. They weren't in the street anymore but in their house- their old house.

Her brother was dead. She was all alone now. There was no one she could count on and trust, no one to help her…

No, it wasn't true. There was someone. And she happened to just have remembered her.

"Isuke-sama."

Isuke turned back when she heard that familiar voice called her.

"Ha-Haruki…?"

The redhead was standing near her, smiling in a comforting way. Isuke weakly stood up, her now small and frail body having difficulty to support her. The room was so dark and gloomy and yet, she could see Haruki perfectly. Her natural bright nature was enough to lit the room, chasing away the darkness that was surrounding Isuke. Then she opened her arm and Isuke didn't hesitate to rush towards her and hugged her tight, afraid that she might fade away. Haruki hugged her back, holding her tenderly.

"You don't have to be alone, Isuke. I'll always be there for you. I'm right here, in your heart, ready to save you from this horrible nightmare."

Isuke could feel her body now grown back to her normal size. Haruki softly cups her cheeks and looked into her eyes. Haruki's eyes were the same color as gold- showing how priceless she was for Isuke. Then she approached her face until their lips finally met, sharing a passionate kiss in the middle of this nightmare.

Suzu had no idea for how long she had been running. She wasn't even sure why anymore. It felt like she was just trying to outrun time itself. But no matter how fast she ran, she couldn't beat time. No matter what she'll do, time will always escape her, and she was condemned to live outside time, as an immortal, watching everyone she loved grow old and eventually leave her.

Takeo abandoned her. He continued his life following time, while Suzu remained frozen. The world around her was still going through time, and Suzu alone was living in her own world where everything remained fixed and unchangeable. She always felt so detached from everything, everyone, so alone… it was almost as if she wasn't human anymore.

The matter wasn't who could love an eternal teenager, it was what kind of person she would be if she forces someone to love her, condemn them to an abnormal life where they will grow old while she will remain young. It wasn't fair for both of them and thus, Suzu decided to close her heart to everyone, to protect herself and to not see people she cares about dying.

But there was one person who made her have second thoughts about this forced life of solitude. Someone she actually wanted to spend the rest of her life, growing old… actually find a cure to her illness with her. Their love was the only thing that still gave her some hope and the strength to keep going.

"Kouko-chan!"

Suzu was surprised to discover her girlfriend next to a destroyed house. It looked the place had been blown away. Kouko was kneeling on the ground near the wreckage, tears rolling on her cheeks. Suzu immediately rushed towards her, worried for her lover.

"Kouko-chan… what happened? Are you okay?"

"Irina… she's… dead. I killed her. It's all my fault!"

Suzu knelt down and put a comforting hand on Kouko's shoulder.

"It wasn't your fault. It was just an accident. And it happened years ago! Don't you see that there's something not normal happening to us right now?"

Kouko continued to sob a little before she turned to look at Suzu.

"S-Suzu…? What… what's going on? We… we were dating, yet I was with… Irina… nothing makes sense anymore!"

Suzu immediately hugged Kouko to comfort her.

"I don't know what's going on either, but… I know that I love you and that we are dating, and it's all that matters to me. No matter what is happening, I know that as long as we are together, we'll be fine. I have faith in us!"

To prove her point, Suzu gently lifted Kouko's chin and stole a kiss. Kouko remained surprised for a moment, before she kissed her back, regaining all of her memories.

Nio was still running while wiping away her tears. She couldn't let anyone see her like that, so ugly and disgraceful. If her queen rejected her then there was no point in living anymore. She was just trash after all. It wasn't like anyone cared about her. There was simply no light for her in this world.

The blonde girl climbed up the stairs and reached the school's rooftop. Nio headed for the edge and looked down. At this height, anyone would die if they fall.

Falling and being crushed to death on the ground, that was the perfect fate for the insignificant bug she was. She will finally be nothing more than trash on the ground, just waiting for someone to clean it up.

Nio removed her shoes and climbed on the edge, taking a deep breath, ready to jump.

"Nio, don't!"

That voice… she knew it. She had a feeling of deja vu, as if it wasn't the first time she experienced this. She turned back and was surprised to discover a girl her age with auburn hair and purple eyes. Those eyes… were exactly like her queen's. No, not quite. They weren't cold like Yuri's eyes, they were warmth, full of sympathy and kindness. And this is when she finally fully remembered this girl.

"... Haru?"

"Don't throw away your life! Your life is precious, don't waste it like that!"

"You don't understand… I'm useless. I'm a monster. I'm just a waste of oxygen to everyone!"

"You're wrong. You matter. Every life matters! You matter to us!"

Haru wasn't alone anymore. 11 girls had joined her. Nio recognized them. They were her old classmates, back in… Class Black.

Nio smirked. She got it now. This scene, it was a memory, but not an exactly accurate one. She remembered living this moment years ago, but instead of Haru, the person who prevented her from jumping was none other than Yuri.

"I get it now. This is all just a dream, isn't it? When we entered this room, we got trapped in an illusion. And all of you… you're part of my subconscious. This part of me who knows this isn't real and is trying to wake me up."

"We aren't just your subconscious. We are the part of you who cares about your classmates. The part of you that actually wants to live and be with them," Haru replied.

Nio chuckled at those words.

"As if I really care about them, or even myself… But thanks anyway. Now I know against who we are up to. Goodbye, subconscious, may you stay hidden deep inside me."

Nio closed her eyes and opened her arms before she let herself fall.

When she opened her eyes, Nio was back in the room. Isuke, Suzu and Kouko were there too, lying on the floor. They must have been trapped in an illusion too.

"Nio! You're finally awake!"

Nio realized that she was lying in someone's arms. She raised her head and was surprised to discover who it was.

"Ono-san…? Why are you awake?"

"I'm afraid that we have more pressing issues," Sachika replied.

Nio looked around them and discovered that they were surrounded by goons.

Tokaku dodged an umpteenth attack from Itsumi's bladed whip. She was starting to be really exhausted, but it seemed to be the case for her opponent too. Tokaku just hoped that she had more stamina than Itsumi.

Haruki seemed to have trouble fighting Teru with her injury but she wasn't giving up, same with Chitaru who redoubled her effort to block Rion's multiple attacks. It seemed like this fight was unending and they will be trapped fighting forever.

"Well, it seems like those three cause you much more trouble than you expected, huh, Itsumi-san?"

Everyone froze. Itsumi even winced as she turned back.

"Shuri!? What are you doing here? I have everything under control!" Itsumi complained.

"Yeah, I can see that," Shuri replied sarcastically.

Tokaku tensed up. Shuri wasn't alone, she was accompanied by the twins. They were already struggling to defeat the cousins, if three more joined she doubted they could succeed.

"From the look on your face, you must have noticed that your chances of success have drastically decreased. But I know you, Tokaku-san. You're not the type to give up easily and so are your friends. You might not win this first but you could cause us a lot of harm. So how about that. Give up peacefully and I swear that no harm will be done to your friends."

"And why should I accept such a deal!?" Tokaku exclaimed.

"Because two of your companions are between our hands already, and I can't guarantee you their safety."

At those words, Chitaru immediately reacted.

"Who are you talking about? You better not hurt them!" Chitaru shouted.

"Calm down, they are probably bluffing," Tokaku replied.

"Well, if you don't take my words for it, I suppose I'll have to show you some proof. Twins, go ahead."

Ari pulled out a phone and showed them the screen. There was a video playing showing Otoya fighting against multiple security guards and seeming overwhelmed. Then the video cut to show Shiena getting shot, seemingly in the hand.

"Kenmochi! What have you done to her?!" Chitaru yelled.

"If you want to know, surrender peacefully," Shuri replied calmly.

Chitaru clenched her fist and looked like she was about to rush towards Shuri, but Tokaku stopped her.

"Don't. If Kenmochi got shot she needs medical support as soon as possible. If we attack them, who knows what they will do to her," Tokaku said.

Tokaku didn't really care about what could happen to Otoya, but she viewed Shiena as a friend. She didn't want anything bad happening to the brunette, especially not because of her. But if they surrender, there was no guarantee that her friends will really be spared.

"So, Tokaku-san, what is your decision?" Shuri asked with a grin.

Tokaku clenched her fist, hesitating, knowing that whatever she chose, people will end up hurt regardless.