Fushi makes an attempt to defeat the Nokker controlling Izumi.
If you're actually worried for me, please don't hurt the people I care about!
You don't need to save Mizuha anymore.
It's too late for her.
Flying Bug
It's been about half a year since I came here.
I thought that after hundreds of years, I'd made a peaceful world free of the Nokkers.
But I was mistaken.
The Nokkers still lurk.
They've created a semblance of peace by not taking lives indiscriminately.
Most people live out their lives not even knowing that the Nokkers exist.
But some people embraced the Nokkers.
And some chose their original lives, as difficult as they might have been.
I'll see you.
I wonder if Izumi-san accepted it.
She said we don't need to save Mizuha anymore, but...
There's no way that's all right.
Maybe if we can give Senpai a reason to live...
To think I used to want to die...
There has to be something I can do, too.
Funa's Nokker...
Is it trying to sneak more Nokkers in?
And then what? What is it planning?
I'll rinse out the cups.
Here.
Oh, okay. Thanks.
Mizuha-san, are you all right?
I'll get her some help.
Thanks.
Here.
Too far.
N-No, I...
Good thing I'm on the health committee, huh?
Looks like she can heal on her own when the Nokker's in front.
Is it just me or are Mizuha and Funa awfully close lately?
Whatever. Who cares?
No, it's weird.
Those losers deserve each other.
You're going to be counted absent if you're just a bird.
It knew!
Why not just come to school normally?
Everyone's worried about you.
Better come to school, or I'll put you in the curry.
Nah, I'm kidding.
C-Curry, you say?!
Let's see you try!
Guys!
Do you two think mutants and humans could ever happily coexist?
Yuki?
Mutants?
Yes.
Right?!
I think so, too!
Let's shake on it!
What are you talking about?
Buddies.
Yay!
I've always wanted friends who aren't humans!
Okay, let's chat later!
Don't tell me...
Is this what he was talking about?
We make a peace agreement!
That's all it takes?!
How's your cut?
Huh?
It's bandaged...
It doesn't hurt.
Well, let's get to class and have some curry.
Bye-bye.
"Sixth-generation descendant Kahaku made use of the written word..."
Welp, we can't even send messages, then.
Is there any way to talk to Fushi without the Nokkers finding out?
How to communicate without using language...
Hey, Eko-chan.
Can I borrow your pot?
That one.
My favorite food... My favorite food...
Here, Eko-chan.
This is my favorite food.
Eko-chan!
Gugu-niisan, I love this stuff!
Oh, yeah, Eko-chan showed me a photo.
She seemed to want me to make some, so I made a quick change of plans.
That's it!
Hurry, Mom!
I got carried away and made a ton.
I always appreciate it.
It's for my dear Mizuha and Itsuki-san.
I'm having fun.
A fun weekend outing.
Still pretending they're a happy family, I see.
Oh, right.
I have to get rid of the pictures in Izumi-san's PC.
How do you even open this thing?
I just need to throw it out.
Illegal dumping! Environmental destruction!
Scum of the earth!
Aiko. Why are you here?
I volunteer to clean once a month!
You can't do that, Fushi-san.
You have to contact the city and have their staff pick up the PC.
The phone number is on the website.
Cool, thanks for taking care of it.
Hey!
You're doing it yourself!
They're so hard to remove.
They must have been important.
Why did Izumi-san want them thrown out?
Ow, ow...
What's wrong, Yuki? What happened?
Yes! It worked!
Wait, you didn't...
Just to call me?
Hey, what were you doing the other day?
If all it took was a handshake, we'd have peace in the world by now.
A handshake is the first step in communication.
And we managed to pull that off.
We're super lucky.
I have faith that we're going to establish a heart-to-heart peace agreement.
So, did you need something?
I come with a message.
In this clay pot.
A message? From Eko?
Nah, from me.
Did you know, Fushi?
You don't need to be one of the clay pot people to make clay pots.
Just give it a try.
If you're seeing this, I must have made a good clay pot.
This pot is kind of like a bar code.
We might not be able to decipher them, but we can still make them.
And with that power, I can send you information directly
when you're in Eko-chan's brother's form.
And the Nokkers in heaven can't see our conversations.
The Nokkers in heaven?
The Nokkers outside of Earth.
I put a lot of thought into it.
How do the Nokkers find you when they don't have eyes, ears, or noses?
Mizuha-senpai's Nokker was receiving messages
from other Nokkers while it was in Kahaku, right?
From where?
And how?
I got curious, so I tried it on Senpai and her friend.
How are the two connected?
How would they react if I asked a weird question when other students were around?
And...
That was proof that they use their eyes for communication.
If the Nokkers have telepathy, they wouldn't need to do that.
I also had Bon-san ask Fen and Nixon if they're telepathic.
They're asking, "What even is that?"
So where are the messages coming from?
They must be coming from Nokkers from outside of Earth, unbound by Earth rules.
Okay...
I don't know much about telepathy, but I get what you're saying.
And?
Yeah. Now, here's the question.
I don't want the Nokkers to hear the hypothesis I'm about to tell you.
Information is the most powerful weapon, after all.
As the vice president of the Occult Club, I've been thinking...
If this situation is a defeat for you,
you're going to be defeated even more going forward.
All the Nokkers in the world aren't just living here.
They're trying to accomplish their original goal of guiding our fye to paradise.
If you think about their grand objective,
we humans are victims of the flesh that we're trapped inside,
and you're the enemy.
Judging from their beliefs, they wouldn't be trying to have bodies to inhabit.
Yet they enter these grotesque bodies and play by terrestrial rules.
And that's definitely because they haven't completed their plan yet.
As long as you live, their plan is never complete.
That's why they're after your life.
But they can't kill you that easily.
They tried to find you using Fake Mimori, but they couldn't find your life.
What is Fushi?
That would be my question if I were a Nokker, too.
The one that knows everything is the one that created you.
The entity that created the "rule" that is Fushi.
Destroy that, and the mystery behind Fushi's life may be solved.
That entity is Mister Black.
Rather, the boy Satoru.
Satoru!
Let's walk home together.
Huh? It flashed.
Wow, that doesn't usually happen at this time of the year.
Scaredy-cat!
You, too, though.
I never said, "Wah!"
Come on, Tomori. Don't bully Michi.
I'm scared.
There, there.
Your big sis is here.
You must be scared, too, Satoru.
Come over here.
I'm not afraid.
Sheesh, you don't need to act tough.
You can depend on me.
Here comes a big one!
Scary!
Sorry, Satoru.
Turns out I'm even jumpier.
Hey, are you going out, Funa?
To the convenience store. Do you need something?
Nee-chan, could you buy me an energy drink?
Didn't you hear the thunder?
I'll be right back.
Thank you.
It's pretty good for having zero calories.
I should buy it again.
Now...
Hey... It's past lights out.
Let go of her.
Come any closer, and...
Taking a hostage just to delay the inevitable...
You're no different from Mimori's Nokker.
Are you all right, kid?
How's your wound? Let me see your throat.
No one ever told me you could do that.
Go back home.
Satoru, what's going on?
What's the ruckus?
Nothing.
Where'd you get that flower?!
Wait, is it for me?!
Sure.
Black One!
Thank goodness. Are you all right?
Are you?
You knew I was here?
The noises you make reverberate.
I got attacked.
I must have woken you up.
How's your wound? Let me see your throat.
It's been a while since I got hit with a poison needle.
But I managed to copy myself before I passed out.
I can't believe there was yet another Nokker here.
Funa's Nokker is here, too!
We have to capture it!
I already extracted what was inside and burned it.
Relax!
I'll protect—
Huh? You burned it? Burned what?
The Nokker.
I turned her into a flower, then pulled it out and burned it.
Wait, you can do that?
Yeah.
You pulled it out and burned it?!
That's what I said.
You lied to me!
You can defeat the Nokkers!
Last time I asked, you said you didn't know how to defeat them!
Did I?
You're gonna help me!
I'm not letting them have human lives!
We're getting rid of all of them!
Hey, you!
What are you doing to my Satoru?!
Crap, this girl's a pain.
Huh?! Say that again!
You're bullying Satoru again!
Also, how did you even get in?
I oughta call the police!
Sumika-nee! Michi needs help!
Hey, what's wrong, Michi?
I was sleeping.
Thank goodness!
I thought your illness came back.
This should be far enough.
Let's continue where we left off.
The kid who attacked me has a Nokker inside her.
I know.
How can you be so nonchalant about it?!
Why didn't you take it out if you knew?!
It's fully-merged.
Even if we vacated the vessel, there's nothing to put inside.
But we have to...
I have to defeat it.
Take it out!
That girl was afflicted with a serious illness.
Apparently, she wished for death every day.
And her heart stopped.
But the despair was brief.
Michi's heart started once more, and she became well.
Her sisters accepted the miracle and rejoiced.
I have no intention of depriving them of that happiness.
Even if it's a Nokker inside?
Believing in them is a valid choice, for their sake.
Besides, even if
I were to cooperate in eliminating all the Nokkers,
I doubt there'll ever be a day when you'll be content.
Every fye has its own story.
Some don't wish to live.
It takes too long to decide whether a Nokker ought to be killed or not.
Time...
Will you spend a century trying to wipe them out?
They'll double in numbers in the meantime.
And you say you won't return home until you've wiped them out.
Will that be in two hundred years?
Four hundred years?
The friends you finally reunited with will be dead by then.
I commend your ambition, but it isn't realistic.
I can't keep up with your lifespan.
S-S-Say whatever you want!
I don't care what reasons the Nokkers have.
Trying to live someone else's life is just arrogant!
I won't allow it! It makes me sick!
Are you one to talk?
N-No!
I'm not the same as the Nokkers!
How do you differ?
I don't take!
Using people's bodies without asking, without even a conversation,
is the same as stealing!
Oh? Then what about you?
You've spoken with the boy whose body that is?
This is because he asked me to remember...
I didn't want to forget, so...
D-Don't bother trying to make me give it up!
I have to do this!
I have to bring peace for everyone's sake!
Do that.
I will no longer stop you.
Damn it!
What's wrong with him?!
I'll do it.
Watch me do it!
Bon.
Hey, Fushi.
Have you wiped out all the Nokkers?
Not yet.
I know. You're struggling again.
Is there anything I can do?
I don't have the courage to swing a sword yet.
But I'll try something else instead.
There's someone I want to help me.
Funa, what about breakfast?
I'm good.
Nee-chan, could you actually buy me an energy drink this time?
An energy drink? What?
Morning.
Morning, everyone.
Morning.
Preview
Fushi strives to ensure Mizuha can belong.
Meanwhile, a rift forms between Mizuha and Hanna.
What is the role expected of a close friend?
And what does that cost?
Number One