It's come to the point where I just want to hoard all your words
Even the ramblings from your travels are treasures to me
Whether I sketch or erase it's all torn away
That's the price I pay for my awakening
Or my daydream's tricking me and I'm still lost in the unknown
Illuminated by the moon
Your figure casts a shadow
And when that silhouette wavers slightly
That happens to be my cue
I wish this were fiction but slow motion is how it begins
If the visceral warmth and traces you left behind
Are protecting someone's future, I'll play the warrior
Amidst pain and sorrow
I'll conquer my fears
It's a paradox of life
Or perhaps god's algorithm
When our tactics overcome
We'll be laughing
Ushio, we can’t get caught!
Don’t worry!
I’m totally back!
And ready to kick some ass!
Homecoming
Guil!
My armor isn’t returning…
Is it being erased?
The strays were annihilated too.
So she can hack the moment her hair touches a shadow?
Evolved again, huh? Irregular…
Thanks fer stabbing me in the back last time!
But this time…
I ain’t losing!
Hey!
I’ll hack that armor to oblivion!
Shide’s still human on the inside.
Just gotta rip that armor off him!
This time, I’ll finish him fer good!
Ain’t they thinking stuff like that?
Things did play out a little differently, though.
Could they’ve transported only her memories to revive her?
I shoulda killed her when I had the chance!
Sulking ain’t gonna help.
Gotta take a bird’s-eyes view.
Having two Ushios ain’t something we can’t deal with.
Ushio, yer growth sure set us back a bit.
But thanks to that, I can kill ya now.
The girl’s blade truly is a menace.
Fortunately, I have my “Echo.” In the case of a tie, I’ll only lose my armor.
But my blades are gonna reach yer very soul!
Time out.
What?
W-Why?
Mio, is that you?
But why?!
Why’re ya gettin’ in the way?
Stop squirming, Sis.
Just lemme hit him once!
S-Seriously? That’s the plan?!
Shinpei, yer a genius.
Welcome back.
Glad to see yer raring to go.
Shinpei, yer leg!
Must’ve been that jump ya made earlier.
It’s nothing.
Just a leg.
Shin, please take care of her.
Sure thing.
Shide!
Yes?
Think ya can guess where I came from?
What’re ya on about?
As expected, looks like ya don’t know.
That means I can hide the handprint’s location if I’m in Guil.
See ya.
Stop him!
How did he…
Normally, Guil takes the form of this pacifier.
Throw it, and he’ll be ready to attack.
Mind if I try?
‘Course you can.
S-Sorry!
Ya okay, Sou?!
He’s dead.
‘Course not.
What was it like inside?
It was real strange.
It was pitch black. Couldn’t see a thing.
But I could hear what was happening outside.
It was dark because Guil doesn’t have eyes.
But that’s improved his hearing, so just leave the fighting to him.
If I combine that with Ryuunosuke’s “two-second foresight”
I might be able to fight Shide.
While synchronized, any damage Guil takes will be felt by the pilot.
Ya can’t drop yer guard down.
Now we just gotta figure out if the handprint is hidden while inside Guil.
Yeah…
I’d like to test it, but Haine will notice if the signal’s lost.
Try it too early, and it’ll give ‘em time to investigate.
I’d like to see how two hours will go.
Ya letting them find Guil?
Guil’s signal is no different from any other stray’s.
They’ll never know if we’re in a place where it’s normal for strays to be.
If ya wanna hide a leaf, a forest’s yer best bet!
But if they see him?
Then plan B!
No, C?
It’s do or die.
I’ll play it by ear and be ready fer any possibility.
Now we’re talkin’!
I swear I’ll bring her home.
They’re here!
Shinpei, yer back?
Really?!
Shinpei, what happened? Where’s Ushio?
Shinpei?
I thought Shinpei’s confidence came from blending in with the strays and searching for Ushio.
And with two of ‘em, he’d be ready to try and enter Hiruko Cave.
But I was wrong!
So he looped, didn’t he, Haine?
What in the world didya see?
What makes him so confident is…
Ushio!
Hey, guys. I’m back!
Glad to see ya!
Think ya can guess where I came from?
Hiruko Cave…
The bastard set that as the restart point!
So that’s why he’s been lurking around with the shadows!
And then he looped, pointing Ushio right at my throat!
We’re gonna destroy Hiruko’s main body, and fast!
24th July
10th Loop
Summer Time Rendering
Karikiri.
It’s almost time for the procession. This way, please.
Hold on a sec!
Ow, ow, ow!
Kogaito, my stomach’s killin’ me!
Will ya be okay?
I can’t do it! Diarrhea’s coming!
Gotta lock myself in the bathroom!
Oh my, would ya like some antacid?
The rest’s on ya.
What a pickle this is.
It’s totally flat, but the inside feels normal.
Kinda unsettling.
Y’think they’ve caught on to our plan?
Yeah, but that’s what we want.
Now they’ll definitely make us their priority.
They ain’t starting the slaughter up there until they kill us.
Guil’s sensed a shadow.
At 2 o’clock, twenty meters ahead.
So they really did notice us.
Something shot at us!
Something like a needle…
Teeth?!
They’re trying to stitch us in place!
Toki, lemme fight it!
I’m fine.
I’ll stop it here.
Now! Everyone, go on ahead!
I’ll be fine by myself.
What?! I ain’t leaving ya here!
Get going, ya dumbass!
This ain’t no place to be dilly-dallying!
Okay.
Thanks!
Nah, I ought to be thanking ya.
I’m grateful t’ya, Shinpei.
Fer giving me a second chance.
Tokiko!
Don’t ya dare die.
Ya too, Sou.
Don’t ya slow them down, y’hear?
Help. Help.
Awoken to serve Haine and forced to fight.
Let’s go, Guil.
Let’s give it what it wants—
a peaceful death.
A dead end?
No, Hiruko’s lair has gotta be up ahead!
Yeah, they’ve made a wall…
Ain’t nothing ordinary about it, either. I can’t sense anything beyond it.
It’s made of mud.
From the sea and the shrine. They’re moving fast!
Move it.
Blood?!
It’s regenerating.
Lemme try.
Don’t touch it!
Ushio, yer hand!
That was close.
My hacking got reversed.
This wall is part of Hiruko’s very body!
Dammit! We’ve come so far!
Hiruko’s right on the other side of this thing!
A bomb oughta blow it up.
A bomb—
Where ya gonna get one of those?
Right here.
Mio!
Before we came here, I had Mio steal something for me.
Is it…
Ya mean…
fireworks?!
Where’s Shinpei’s position?
They just made contact with the barrier.
He’s right where we want him then.
If the restart point were too far from the sanctuary, we wouldn’t be able to ambush them.
But if it were too close, he’d find yer main body.
We should hurry.
I’ve lived a long time and have my own “unshakable faith”.
Not once in all these years has someone been able to break through entirely.
The barrier, that is.
That worked?
Let’s go.
I smell gunpowder and something like steak.
Stop it! We ain’t gettin’ no steak!
I also smell raspberries and rum.
Ain’t nothing that high class down here!
Get down, Nezu!
Wait a bit, will y—
Don’t mind me. Just go.
Before the hole completely closes!
Ya got a death wish, old man?!
When ya ain’t sure what to do, ask yerself what yer future self would do. Ya get yer answer.
That way, ya ain’t regretting.
I’m counting on ya!
Sure. Take care of Ryuunosuke fer me.
Ya lil’ piece of shit.
Masahito, or perhaps Iwao. That ya?!
Does it really matter which, Ginny boy?
Don’t we go way back?
Move. I don’t wanna hear yer screams.
Don’t fuck with me.
If ya wanna get through, yer gonna hafta kill me first!
Shinpei?
F-Feels like my head’s splittin’!
Hiruko’s presence…
Right, ya can sense shadows now.
Mother’s continuously emitting her shadow controlling signal.
Before Sis reprogrammed me, her voice was like a soothing mother’s to me.
Then, it became really awful.
I’m a shadow, so I can just erase that sensation.
But Shin is human, so he’s helpless.
No way!
We gotta end this quick.
U-Ushio, ya okay?!
I am.
Just focus on my presence.
The ringing in my ears is fading…
Mother’s signal was just banished from this area.
I feel better.
See?
Thanks.
Sis cancelled it out by broadcasting the same wavelength.
How did she manage that?
Ushio…
Yeah, let’s get this over with!
We used up all the fireworks.
It’s fine.
We got my fists, and these ain’t running outta ammo.
I’ll smash this wall to pieces!
Sounds like a plan.
But there’s one thing we gotta do first.
Ryuunosuke can see two seconds into the future.
So follow my eyes.
Shide!
Today’s the day we settle this fer good!
She spun her hair at super high speed to form a barrier!
Too shallow!
He’s seeing through all her moves!
Haine!
She joined us from the surface, huh?
As I thought, he’s off by two seconds.
When Shinpei closes his left eye,
I can sense Ryuunosuke inside him.
So this is how he avoided Shide’s attack last time.
If he wanted to, he could imitate Hizuru and enhance his body.
Shinpei himself obtained the strength to fight against us.
That’s what gave him such confidence!
Do ya ever give up, Hizuru?
As long as Haine’s watching us, I can’t land the final blow with Ryuunosuke’s two-second foresight.
Even if Ryuunosuke tells me Shide’s moves, Haine picks up on it and Shide dodges.
But that’s fine.
They learned last time just how scary Ushio’s blades can be.
One hit, and Shide’s done for.
Which is why Shide and Haine are forced to concentrate on our movements.
I just gotta keep cool and lure Haine into the Kill Zone.
They’re luring me?!
But yer bloodlust’s kinda giving ya away, Mio.
At this range, I can sense the position of every shadow in the area.
Like that copy of a nail gun behind the boulder.
Which means someone’s hiding back there.
Sou!
What—
This is the real Kill Zone!
Nice!
I can’t move… Was it Sou?!
I didn’t sense him…
No, of course!
He’s just a normal human!
So his nail gun is Nezu’s original?!
The one I sensed was a copy printed by Ushio.
A trap!
No!
Analyzing this now is pointless!
It hurts… it hurts!
The bird’s-eye view…
Where did it all go wrong?
No! No!
What’s important is…
What’s important is two seconds from now…
Their actions two seconds from now…
I gotta… tell Shide…
I told ya.
Ya can’t keep underestimating us.
Ya damn puny humans sure ain’t making this dull!
I can sense it!
Haine’s pain.
Her yearning.
Her sadness.
And her loneliness.
Ya wanna go home, don’tcha?
If ya do, the flow of time will stop. Ya won’t have to face destruction.
An everlasting world, together with yer family, yer loved ones, for all eternity.
I know ya just wanna live like that forever.
But I’m sorry.
The feeling ain’t mutual!
Don’t ya dare!
Yer hands weren’t made to hurt others.
Use ‘em fer holding others’ hands, fer stroking their head, and holding them tight.
We’re…
It’s disappearing.
The mud…
The armor Haine gave me…
Haine’s been defeated.
Haine!
If Mother dies, I’ll vanish.
Bye-bye, Shin.
Ushio!
Ushio.
I don’t get it, Shinpei.
I beat the bad guys…
It’s finally over…
And yet I can’t stop crying.
Ushio, that eye―
Shinpei!
Hold it!
We’re still here, both me and Sis.
That means Mother's still alive.
But how?!
Ya held back, didn’t ya, Sis?
My right eye is burning up!
Shinpei?
From my right eye…
And Ushio’s too…
This presence…
Just marvellous!
Shide!
N-No way!
How is he still moving?
Both of his inner bodies were definitely killed!
Are ya immortal?
All traces of you vanished into the sea breeze
But even now I still see visions of you
In reality I only have vivid memories
To play in my head over and over again
Even if it’s all just a lie
Please be close by my side
Right next to me
I fell for you before too long
But time alone was what progressed
I wanna go back
I’ve listened to my share of heartbreak songs
Spending my days torn up and crying but now
I want to move on
I shouldn’t act tough and just finally be
True to myself
But it’s too late for that
Next time Eternal Night