Put to Rights (
Summary[]
After Kou shocked No. 6 with anti-spirit lightning by piercing him with Teru's spirit blade, they are both panting and hunched over the floor. Kou thinks he may have won, but No. 6 lunges forward and grabs his face in his hand.
Preparing for the end, Kou is suddenly rescued by Natsuhiko. Kou, confused, asks him why he's here. Natsuhiko explains that he came to the Boundary in order to capture No. 6, as he told Kou he wanted to do in Chapter 65. He further explains that No. 6 was a real pain in the butt for him, since he kept stopping the supernaturals before they could rampage in the mortal realm.
Kou is shocked silent by this revelation, and Natsuhiko thanks him for his help, reaching a hand out to him.
The scene changes to Hanako and Nene, who still remain inside of the empty indoor pool building that they were in during Chapter 86. While Nene is busy showing him a puzzle she brought with her, and Hanako asks if she understands the severity of the situation they're in right now.
Nene informs him she does, and to prove so, she goes in-depth to explain exactly what the situation they're in is. Because Hanako tried to take Aoi to the Far Shore to extend Nene's lifespan, he pissed off Teru, Akane, Kou, and Nene. Since Teru and Akane would exterminate Hanako on the spot if they found him, Nene says that she ran away with Hanako, with some help from Kou.
After Hanako-kun apologizes for his rudeness, Nene grows quiet. After a moment, she says she understands what he was trying to do, and that Hanako was only trying to grant her wish for her. Nene says she's changing her mind, and that she wants to stop trying to extend her lifespan. She says that they'll let Aoi go back to the mortal realm, and that Nene will stay here in the Boundary.
Nene then tries to show Hanako-kun the other cool stuff she brought with her to kick off her new life as a dead person, but Hanako interjects. He asks her if she thinks that staying in the Boundary means that she won't die, even if her lifespan runs dry. Or, is it that she doesn't actually care if she dies?
She confirms this, and Hanako smiles. He asks her, then, if she'll never go back to the mortal realm, and stay here with him forever. Nene confirms this also.
Raining on her parade, Hanako informs her that the dead long to go to the Far Shore. He asks her if she, like other dead people, would want to go there with them. He tells her that if she chooses to stay here, instead, that she would become a supernatural. Nene looks surprised, and he asks her if she knew that supernaturals and dead people aren't the same thing.
There's a flashback as Hanako speaks, showing Kou and Mitsuba at the school entrance. Hanako says that if a dead person spends a long amount of time in the mortal realm or the Boundary, then they will gradually disappear. As an image of The Bent-Neck Boy at the School Entrance is shown, Hanako informs Nene that they may also turn into a supernatural instead, but there's no telling how much of their human selves will remain after their transformation. He says that the very same could happen to Nene, showing an image of a goopy supernatural creature with a Kamome Academy uniform, and that she could change so much that she might not even be "Yashiro Nene" anymore.
Nene starts crying, and asks why Hanako would tell her such a horrible thing. Hanako says that he's just telling her the truth, and forces her arms away from her face and begs her to hear him out. Grabbing her face in his hands, he looks into her eyes and tells her how childish she is, and how she's always acting on her own. He tells her she only ever thinks about the futures that are convenient for her.
But he bows his head, and asks her not to say it's okay for her to die.
Suddenly, Tsukasa appears out of nowhere. He asks Hanako what Nene should be saying, then. He informs Hanako that when he gave up, everything became so much easier for him. As Tsukasa speaks, an image of Hanako's past self, Amane, is shown, with a kitchen knife poised to stab his abdomen.
Nene and Hanako are both surprised by his sudden appearance, asking him why he's here. Tsukasa grabs Nene, and asks Hanako why he won't let Nene give up like he did, even though she wants to. He says that Amane can't grant her wish for her, and that he feels so bad for her.
Hanako swipes his knife at Tsukasa, freeing Nene from his clutches. He tells him that he wants Yashiro to live. Tsukasa parrots that back to him as a question, laughing as he does so, and with a big grin on his face, calls him "selfish."
So he asks what Hanako is going to do, then. Since Aoi's been saved, he can't extend Nene's lifespan by using her anymore. He has to think of some other way.
After Tsukasa taunts him some more, Hanako finally speaks. He says that if someone destroys the Yorishiro of every single School Mystery, then it is said that God will grant their wish.
Pleased, Tsukasa grabs both of Hanako's hands, and says, "Alrighty, then... Let's do it!"
Characters in order of appearance[]
- Minamoto Kou
- Shinigami-sama
- Hyuuga Natsuhiko
- Yashiro Nene
- Hanako
- Minamoto Teru (mentioned)
- Aoi Akane (mentioned)
- Akane Aoi (flashback)
- Mitsuba Sousuke (flashback)
- Yugi Tsukasa