I opened my eyes, and found myself in the burning house again.

Izumi's lifeless body still laid under me.

"...Sakakibara-kun!" I heard a voice.

I looked up to the door at the end of the corridor, and saw Mei Misaki standing there, as well as the rest of the survivors of Class 3-3, including Naoya and Yuuya, along with my aunt, the 'Extra one', Reiko Mikami. Even Mr. Chibiki is here.

"...Misaki? But...how?"

"I pleaded them to come back to find you!"

"You should be getting out of here!" I shouted. "But..."

But she must die...along with the rest of the survivors, to stop the curse once and for all.

"Mei...there's something I need to tell you..." I said weakly.

Mei smiled, which made me surprised.

"It's okay, Kouchi-kun. I already understand..." She said.

"But!" I screamed. She can't understand! This is serious! I'm about to ask her, ask them, to kill themselves!

"Don't worry, Kouichi. I already know what you're going to do..." She point her finger to her eyes.

She can see dead people with her eyes.

"I've already seen Misaki-kun...along with everyone else...through your eyes, Kouichi..."

Through my eyes?

Then it means...

I'm going to die.

Naoya and Yuuya carefully walked through the burning hallway to get to me, but I waved them off.

"Naoya, listen to me carefully...we're all going to die..."

"Don't bullshitting me, Kouichi! We're all getting out of here!"

"Goddamnit, Naoya! Mei already showed you what I've seen, right?! The only way this will end is that we must die!"

The ceiling above started crashing down.

"AAAHHHHHHH!" Haruka screamed as the flaming pillars collapsed down on her.

"There's...got...to be...another way!" Yuuya shouted.

More and more survivors got crushed one by one...

"Listen to me, Yuuya! You can either run out of here and live, or we die here and end all of this right now!"

I summoned every last bit of strength still left inside me to speak. My vision's getting blurred again.

Then, I felt someone grabbed my shoulder.

It was Reiko.

"...I understand it now...that man...the funeral...I..." She spoke softly.

"No matter what happens, I'm always here with you, Kouichi."

Another explosion caused a hanging axe to fly off the wall, before sinking into Reiko's back.

She screamed painfully, but still continue to hold my hand tight.

"...Love...you..."

Finally, I collapsed. The last sight of me is Mei, Naoya, Yuuya, Reiko, and the body of Izumi lying under me.

Is it just me...or is that...smile...on her face?

And then, everything exploded into a raging inferno.

"Welcome back, Kouichi-kun." A familiar voice said.

I opened my eyes up again.

I was standing in the empty white place again.

Only this time, I wasn't alone.

Mei, Naoya, Yuuya and my other friends stood beside me.

The people in front of us...are those who perished from the Calamity.

Kazami, Yukari, Ikuo, Keiko, Kubodera-sensei, Kyouko, Aki, Makoto, Junta...

All of our friends.

Izumi Akazawa stood in front of them all, she was smiling.

"So, I guess you're still stubborn...as always." She said.

I walked, along with Mei, toward her.

"I remember it now. That day when you kicked the thin can into my head. Sweet memories." I told her.

"Hmph! Like that will change what you did to me during my last words!" She crossed her arms, looking at me disapprovingly.

Izumi then looked at Mei, who hid behind my back a little.

"She's still afraid of you..." I told her.

Izumi looked at Mei for a while, then she gave her a smile.

A heartwarming, genuine smile.

"Come on, I won't bite!" She teased Mei, something I never expected her to do.

Mei carefully stepped away from me, and walked toward Izumi.

Then the unthinkable happened.

She hugged her.

"I'm sorry...so sorry...for everything I've done to you...Mei-chan..." Izumi said. Her face saddened.

"It's...it's alright, Akazawa-san..." Mei said.

"At least, we're together now..."

I watched them reconciled. Feeling a bit fuzzy and warm inside my heart.

Then suddenly, Izumi pulled me into the mix.

"Thank you...Kouichi-kun..." She whispered into my ear.

"You did the impossible...you did what none of us could...you brought us together again..."

I looked around, everyone of my friends smiled at us.

I hugged them both tightly.

"It's all over...it's all over now...Nobody has to die a meaningless death anymore..." I told them.

I looked forward into the distance, and saw another group of people standing there.

I recognized one person as Yomiyama Misaki. Alongside him...is my mother and Reiko-san.

The victims of the previous Calamities.

They all gave me smiles, smiles that made me feel alive again.

"Let's move on...together." I said.

For all the bad things in the world...for everything we've suffered...for all that was lost.

At least, this is where it all ended...

The end of everything...and a new beginning.

Maybe...Death isn't so bad after all...

Editor's note: Okay, this is a randomness-fic at its finest. I once uploaded this fic from a long time ago, before realizing that I messed the story up a lot, but then I think...screw it...this is how I wanted it to end in the anime, so...here we go again...

About how Mei managed to get everyone to go back with her into the mansion...just leave it at random, okay? LOL...