Alteration Part 5 (
Summary[]
Part 1: Tsukasa-Kun's Game[]
The Chapter begins with the ending of the previous chapter, now captured in an eerie and ghastly set of colors. As "Tsukasa-Kun" appears before both Minamoto Kou and Mitsuba Sousuke, he invites them to play his game.
As he gives them a long, creepy stare, Kou wonders what is up with him, and noted that for a second, his face had a hole in it, having since been transformed into a face with a pair of creepy golden eyes with no black pupils. Mitsuba asks Kou if that's "Tsukasa-Kun", to which Kou answers that he seemed like he just wanted to play with them, and that as per his rumor, he would tell the person anything they want to know if they play with him. Tsukasa then tiptoes towards them and begs both Kou and Mitsuba to play with him in a childlike manner.
Given his cuteness and seeming innocent behavior, Mitsuba seems to be convinced that he just genuinely wants to play, but Kou tells him not to as he points Raitenjou at Tsukasa. Kou than angrily questions him as to the whereabouts of the missing schoolgirl, only for Tsukasa to exclaim that he wants up, seemingly not understanding the question Kou was asking. Tsukasa then tells Kou to hold him, and as the both of them look, he touches Kou's hand, which gives off a chilly feeling and causes Kou to punch him off and then try to exorcise him with Raitenjou, only for Tsuksa to generate a powerful spirit blast around him and fling Kou out, but then Kou manages to impale him with the weapon.
Mitsuba, shocked by what had happened, tells Kou to hold it and askes him what he was doing, to which Kou tells him to run, since it isn't an ordinary supernatural that he was dealing with. Then Mitsuba takes a look at Kou's hand, and sees that there are several black spots around the part that Tsukasa touched, to which he exclaims to Kou about. Tsukasa, seemingly unfazed by the impalement, exclaims that he wants up, before seeming to deform, as his whole face becomes a giant hole once again as he exclaims that both Kou and Mitsuba are not gonna do what he wants. Before things become worse, Kou grabs Mitsuba's hand and takes him out of the situation.
Part 2: Mitsuba's Dream[]
After a while, they both enter a Nekomimi Cafe Stand for the School Festival, and Kou tells Mitsuba that they might be safer there for now. Mitsuba asks him that if the spirit is dangerous, then shouldn't they leave the school instead, to which Kou answers that it's not exactly the case. He then tells Mitsuba to take a look at his hand, to which he obliges, only to see that the same corruption that took hold of Kou's hand is there as well, shocking him. Kou asks him if he can move it, to which he answers that it doesn't seem any different. Mitsuba becomes scared and asks Kou if that was a curse placed on him, and if they're gonna die, to which he Kou tells him to calm down, since the corruption's effect is just to take away their control over their bodies. He further exclaims that if it spreads, then the spirit will fully take hold of him. Mitsuba asks if he meant like something, to which he wonders what he meant, only to see that there is a zombie-like supernatural on the ceiling.The zombie, who is the missing schoolgirl, looks at them, snarls, and then goes away. Mitsuba takes note of it, and then laments that such an "ordinary incantation" is not ordinary after all.
Mitsuba then tells Kou that while it's weird, he felt that Tsukasa-Kun is familiar to him somewhat (Showing us that his original iteration's memories are beginning to surface). Kou is shocked by his words, and then Mitsuba further explains that eversince the School Festival, he's been having this weird dream, to which he had become a supernatural (Particularly, becoming the no No.3), with flashbacks from his and Kou's original iterations, as well as the original Yugi Tsukasa included in them. Kou then asks Mitsuba if Tsukasa appeared in his dream, to which he answers that he doesn't remember. But Mitsuba tells Kou that he was there as well, adding a snide remark about his earring, to which Kou angrily asks if he's picking up a fight. Mitsuba tells him that he wants to remember what had happened, while asking Kou if he remembered anything about it. Kou wonders on his question, while a flashback of his original iteration having a meal with Minamoto Teru and Minamoto Tiara appears. Mitsuba tells him to save it for later, to which Kou responds that they're here to do something, in case Mitsuba forgot, which was to take Tsukasa-Kun down.
Part 3: Kou and Mitsuba's Game Plan[]
Meanwhile, Tsukasa-Kun is wandering around the classrooms looking for both Kou and Mitsuba. As he wanders from classroom to classroom, looking for them, he wonders if they are playing hide and seek with him. Then as he wanders the hallway, he mentioned his brother Amane's name, before Kou calls him out. As Tsukasa turns around to look, he sees Kou with a smirk on his face. Kou tells him that he's got a game for him, which is a game of tag. Tsukasa then becomes excited upon hearing those words, and Kou readies himself as he yells "Ready? Go!" and runs as fast as he can.
While Kou is busy distracting Tsukasa with his game of tag, Mitsuba peeks out from the Nekomimi Cafe's stand, and wonders if they're both gone. Confirming that the both of them are gone, he exclaims that now is his chance and sets off.
We then go to flashback earlier in the chapter, wherein Kou tells Mitsuba his plan as he wraps his hand with bandage tape. He tells him that there is a correct way to send a supernatural summoned by a ritual back to where they came from. In Tsukasa-Kun's case, it is to play with him until he's satisfied, but that would result in the both of them ending up zombified like the missing schoolgirl. Instead, Kou suggests that they send him back by force. He further explains that a supernatural summoned by a human interferes in the human world through the creation of a Yorishiro from something. Thus, if said Yorishiro is destroyed, it would force Tsukasa-Kun out of the human realm. In doing so, hoever, it makes the supernatural bear a grudge against them, but given their situation, they can't afford to be choosy, and so they have to resort to destroying the Yorishiro allowing Tsukasa-Kun to run amok while he is distracted. This is Kou's game plan to drive Tsukasa-Kun out of the human realm.
In accordance with the plan, Mitsuba wanders downstairs looking for the classroom. He wonders how Kou is doing with the Game of tag, but then assures himself that since he isn't the one being chased by Tsukasa-Kun right now, he feels that the quest to destroy the Yorishiro is "Easy, Peasy, Lemon Squeezy". But Mitsuba jinks himself, as in the end, the zombified schoolgirl from earlier is right above him. She looks at him straight in the eyes, which scares Mitsuba and makes him run for his life. The schoolgirl follows him while screaming at him to "Save Me!". Unfortunately, Mitsuba trips and falls flat on the floor, and while the zombified school girl calls him "Senpai", he assures her that he will return her back to normal as he gets up and runs away again.
We go again to Kou's instructions, as he tells Mitsuba that the instructions for summoning Tsukasa-Kun uses a vase of flowers and a piece of paper with one's name written on it. Kou tells him that if he had to guess, the paper is the Yorishiro, and so tells him to return to the classroom, find the paper used to summon Tsukasa-Kun, and destroy it. At the same time, Mitsuba finds the classroom where the Ritual to summon Tsukasa-Kun took place, grabs the bloodied piece of paper that is acting as the Yorishiro, and then rips it out with his teeth. At that moment, the zombified schoolgirl was about to pounce on him but at the moment of ripping the Yorishiro apart, she is immediately restored to her human self, and falls to the floor, unconscious.
Part 4: The Possessed Exorcist[]
Mitsuba pokes the girl's head, asking her if they are both saved. Just then, Kou comes into the classroom, and Mitsuba runs to him, exclaiming that he did it and boasting about it. But before he could continue, something about Kou shocks him, and we see that Kou has been affected by Tsukasa-Kun's power, and turned into a zombified supernatural, complete with a large gaping hole in his head. Suddenly, he grabs Mitsuba by the neck and begins to choke him, and as Mitsuba struggles to free himself, Kou begins to laugh eerily, and then tells him that "he got him", thus makin Kou's plan, and Mitsuba's action of destroying the Yorishiro for naught. Kou then tells him to play with him, but before he could react, Mitsuba begins to punch him many times while calling him numerous insults. Mitsuba's actions seem to stun him a bit, but to truly stop Tsukasa-Kun's control over him, he has to get Raitenjou and hit him with it. Unfortunately, Raitenjou is too far for Mitsuba to reach.
Just suddenly, a hand grabs Raitenjou, and then remarks that on what is going on with the commotion, and then figuring out that it was his little brother. Just then, Minamoto Teru appears out of thin air and greets both Kou and Mitsuba, while Kou is still in the act of choking Mitsuba. Teru remarks that Kou still needs more training to do, since he, despite being an exorcist, is now possessed by Tsukasa-Kun. Kou then lets go of Mitsuba and then tries to lunge at Teru, only for him to activate Raitenjou's power and then swipe him with it, releasing Kou from Tsukasa-Kun's possession.
As Kou is freed from the possession, he faints but then Teru grabs him before he falls down. Mitsuba, shocked by the events, askes Teru if Kou's dead, to which Teru doesn't answer, and instead asks Mitsuba if he's ok, to which he answers that he is safe, thanks to Teru, all the while being scared and jittery in his responses. Teru also tells Mitsuba to also thank Aoi Akane, who has just entered, with a rather sad look on his face. Akane then tells him that he told him many times to be a little more gentle when it comes to supernaturals, to which Teru answers that he's always gentle, in a sarcastic mannder, all the while Mitsuba tries to wake the unconscious Kou up.
Akane then asks Teru if the supernatural possessing Kou was tough to exorcise, to which he answers that it isn't the case, since he was only able to weaken him a bit but just enough to force him to release his control over Kou. Teru then further exclaims that the spirit is still around, lurking somewhere. Then Teru admits the worst about the New Present: That Yugi Tsukasa isn't fully gone, after all. Akane seems to agree with that, and then notes that he looks different from how he usually looks. Then Akane thought of the possibility that both Kako and Mirai might have messed up when attempting to remove the Root of the Problem, though he dismisses it, since they possibly couldn't do that. In that case, Akane wonders if it's possible that "Tsukasa-Kun" is not actually Yugi Tsukasa?
Then we get a shot of Yugi Tsukasa running around in the hallways of the school. And with that, the Chapter ends.
Characters in order of appearance[]
- Yugi Tsukasa (New Present)
- Minamoto Kou (New Present)
- Mitsuba Sousuke (New Present)
- Zombified Missing Schoolgirl
- Mitsuba Sousuke (Original Timeline) (Dream Flashback)
- Minamoto Kou (Original Timeline) (Dream Flashback)
- Yugi Tsukasa (Original Timeline) (Dream Flashback)
- Minamoto Teru (Original Timeline) (Dream Flashback)
- Minamoto Tiara (Original Timeline) (Dream Flashback)
- Yugi Amane (New Present) (Mentioned)
- Minamoto Teru (New Present)
- Aoi Akane (New Present)
- Kako (Mentioned and Flashback)
- Mirai (Mentioned and Flashback)
Cover And Release Notice Only[]
Trivia[]
- While they both appear in both the Release Notice and Chapter Cover, Hanako and the Original Timeline Yashiro Nene do not appear in the chapter's story at all.
- This is the latest time that a Release Notice's content was irrelevant to the story since Chapter 111's Release Notice.
- When Mitsuba told Kou about his dreams, they feature him transforming into No.3, despite that action actually having happened to a fake recreation of him, and not his original iteration who became Broken Neck instead.
- This may be because the recreated fake Mitsuba was created using a piece of the original Mitsuba's soul, and as the original Mitsuba is all but gone, this fake Mitsuba is for all intents and purposes, the continued original iteration of Mitsuba.