School Festival (Part 2) (
Summary[]
Part 1: The School Play's Intteruption[]
The Chapter begins with the recitation of the rumor about The Three Clock Keepers and the Big Clock in The Sealed Auditorium:
| “ | ...Have you heard the Rumor? About School Mystery No. 1, The Clock Keepers? Somewhere within this Academy lies a massive ancient clock...And that clock is the Academy's "Time" itself. If one is able to get its hands moving, they can bend the school's time to their will. But those who touch the Big Clock without permission will- | ” |
— The Rumor of the Big Clock in The Sealed Auditorium, and their connection to the Clock Keepers.
| ||
Meanwhile, in the Sealed Auditorium itself, Class 1-A is preparing for their The Wizard of Oz production. As Yashiro Nene looks on, she notes that something is off. Hanako appears by her side, asking if it's her tornado outfit that's off, to which Nene angrily clarifies that it isn't and that she meant the lack of audience. Then Yamabuki Lemon comes in, and adds to her concerns by saying that it isn't just the audience, but several of their classmates as well.
He starts by saying that Akane Aoi isn't there, who is supposed to be helping as a lights technician but has his hands full with Student Council work. Yet, even if he were to show up at the last second, they still wouldn't be able to put on the play because Hanazashi, who is playing the lead role, Dorothy, also isn't there. Several other students then begin to pipe in about how they couldn't do the dress rehearsal and that the sound guy isn't there, either, as well as their very own teacher, Nagisa-sensei. Lemon complains that the missing people in question aren't answering their calls, either, as he and another student anxiously check their smartphones. Hanako asks Nene if is Aoi is missing as well, which visibly worries Nene, who says she will try calling her as she rips off her tornado costume.
While Nene's phone is ringing, however, a giant drop of dark liquid falls on her cheek. She reaches her hand up to wipe it off and examines her palm, now stained and sticky with the substance. As she processes this, one of the Class 1-A students begins to shriek, directing everyone's attention towards the Big Clock. The clock is dripping with a bright red substance, and everyone reacts with shock and horror at the sight. As the class tries to figure out what's going on, Hanako tries to get Nene's attention by calling her name while using his sleeve to wipe her cheek. Draping himself across her shoulders, Hanako informs Nene that he senses something terrible behind the Big Clock, as if there were several dead people back there. He then tells Nene to stay behind while he investigates, but Nene insists on going with him, and informs Lemon that she will be right back and that she's just going to scope out what's going on with the clock.
After Lemon tells her to be careful, Class 1-A wonders what they should do now and whether the play is cancelled. Lemon then tells them that he's going to check out what's happening outside, and a student asks if he's serious, to which Lemon replies that he thinks there may be some troublemaker trying to sabotage their class play, and that if there is, he thinks it might go viral on the internet. With that confidence, Lemon opens the door of the Sealed Auditorium, only to find Nagisa-sensei, who has been corrupted by one of the magical cherry blossom petals and turned into a horrific, plant-like supernatural. The supernatural cackles ominously.
Part 2: The State of the Big Clock[]
Meanwhile, Nene climbs the staircase leading to the Big Clock, and together with Hanako finds the clock surrounded by a dark membrane. Nene wonders if it's some kind of black and goopy cocoon or egg, to which Hanako dismisses her. He then touches the viscous, sticky substance, which burns his finger. Nene worriedly questions Hanako if he's okay, to which he reassures her that he's fine. He tells Nene that the mysterious substance is human blood, but some that's been cursed and corrupted by death.
Hanako wonders aloud who would do such a thing, but before he can finish his sentence, reality around them briefly warps like static. He stares off confused, and Nene calls out his name, bringing him back to reality. She asks Hanako if something happened, but the same thing happens again as she does, and Hanako looks on in shock. Visibly sweating, Hanako frantically explains to Nene that something weird is happening and that they need to get out of there. Grabbing her hand, Hanako tries to escape with Nene, but as they are, parts raining down from the Big Clock break the platform they're running on, leaving them airborne. As this is happening, the Big Clock finally breaks apart completely, sending everything into darkness with a "click."
Part 3: The Consequences of Stopping the School's Time[]
Within the darkness we see broken pieces of the clock suspended in midair, before we zoom out to find Nene and Hanako in the same predicament, frozen above the broken pieces of the wooden platform. Hanako is still holding her hand, pulling her behind him. Yet, while she and everything else there is incapable of moving, Nene is still perfectly conscious. As she wonders what's happening to her, she takes inventory of her body, noting she is unable to breathe, talk, or move her legs and hands, but that she feels no pain. As she wonders what to do, she wonders if Hanako is undergoing the same thing, too, and thinks about how scary all of this is.
Just then, Tsukasa appears upside down before Nene. He asks her if she is okay, to which Nene is unable to reply back. He surmises as much, before approaching Hanako, who he calls out to, before noting with amusement how frozen stiff he is. Then Tsukasa wanders towards the remains of the Big Clock, picking up one of the small gears and remarking that it brings back memories. As he twirls the gear around his finger, he tells Nene that Hanako, in life as Amane, spent a lot of time trying to get the Big Clock move, and that while nothing ever came out of it, he confirms that the rumor about it is true: that whoever fixes it can bend the academy's time to their will.
Tsukasa then asks Nene a question: What happens if the Big Clock gets destroyed? Nene considers his question, but doesn't come up with an answer before Tsukasa answers it for her. He tells her that if the Big Clock is broken, that time inside of the academy will never move again, and that no one, human or supernatural, will be able to do anything for the rest of time. When Tsukasa mentions humans, we see Kou frozen in place as he protects several students, including Yokoo and Satou, as well as a young child from a supernatural. When Tsukasa mentions supernaturals, we see Mitsuba in his supernatural garb crouching over the prone body of Sousuke's mother as they are swarmed by the plant-like supernaturals. As we get a close-up of Hanako's frozen face, Tsukasa adds that everyone is at least able to keep conscious, though, confirming that Hanako has been conscious, like Nene, this entire time. Wearing a toothy grin on his face, Tsukasa asks them what they're going to do.
He informs them that it's easy to get time to start moving again, and that all they have to do is remove the Clock Keeper's source of power by defeating them and destroying their yorishiro. But as he addresses Hanako, he reminds him that Nene's death is near, which causes a bead of sweat to form on Hanako's cheek. He asks if they'll still destroy the yorishiro knowing this, or if they would rather remain suspended in time together forever, poking Nene's cheek with a smile as he does. We then see that Nene, like Hanako, is also sweating, and that her face is visibly pale. Laughing, his face split into a huge smile, Tsukasa remarks that he has no idea what either of them are thinking.
Suddenly, Tsukasa audibly kisses Nene on the mouth as he floats in front of her with his arms behind his back. Nene reacts in confusion, represented by a big question mark on the page, and we get a close-up of Tsukasa as he kisses her, his eyes closed as he does. Hanako reacts in horror and confusion as he can only imagine what's happening behind him. Tsukasa finally breaks away, and gleefully announces that he kissed her, a childish grin on his face. Afterwards, he forces Nene and Hanako's hands apart and grabs Nene, telling her that she's his assistant now. Confused and stunned in more ways than one, neither Nene nor Hanako can do anything as Tsukasa cheerfully says goodbye to Hanako and teleports himself and Nene away with Kokujoudai.
Watching them leave, Hanako's frozen body is visibly trembling, and his Hakujoudai are sweating worriedly as they behold their master. As Hanako's trembling grows more violent, the Hakujoudais' panic increases, and they spin around him in circles as his entire body shakes violently in place.
Meanwhile, Akane and Teru, who are seemingly unaffected by the school's stopped time, are racing up the stairs leading to the Big Clock. Akane is cursing to himself, remarking in annoyance about how "their aim" was the Big Clock the entire time, only to stop in his tracks when he sees Hanako frozen in place. As Akane, bewildered, asks him what he's doing there, we get a better look at Hanako, who we now see is crying. His mouth is wobbly, and tears are streaming down his face as his entire body continues to tremble, unable to do anything but cry. The Chapter then ends.
Characters in order of appearance[]
- Several unnamed First Year students
- Fuji Suzuto
- Yashiro Nene
- Hanako
- Yamabuki Lemon
- Aoi Akane
- Hanazashi (First named, Mentioned, seen in flashback only)
- Akane Aoi (Mentioned, Release Notice only)
- Nagisa (Mentioned, transformed into a supernatural)
- Yugi Tsukasa
- Minamoto Kou (Cameo)
- Mitsuba Sousuke (Cameo)
- Minamoto Teru
- Nanamine Sakura (Chapter Cover only)
- Hyuuga Natsuhiko (Chapter Cover only)
Trivia[]
- Based on fan consensus, this may be one of the most notorious chapters in the series so far, possibly on par with Chapter 71, thanks to Yugi Tsukasa kissing the time-stopped Yashiro Nene, knowing that his equally time-stopped brother can notice it, and he does.