Wh-What the...? What happened?

That’s...! Keisuke! Stop it!

Hi, Atsuro. Everyone. Don’t worry, Yama won’t harm you.

It’s not about us! Why are you making Yama attack people? Stop doing this...!

You don’t understand. I’m not doing anything wrong... I’m standing up for what’s right.

...Words are cheap. I want you to understand from the depths of your heart.

This world can’t be saved with kindness alone.

I’m not! Bullying is something the weak do... I... would never...

My emotions aren’t part of this. I leave the judgements to Yama.

By his fair judgement, only those whose sins merit death are taken. Pure justice...

...Name. I’d never presume to condemn people by my own standards.

That’s just prejudice. Which is why Yama, the judge of hell, judges them in my place...

Isn’t that much more fair than humans judging one another? I have no doubts whatsoever.

Keisuke! Why are you doing this? Go back to the way you used to be!

Humans’ hearts are weak. I know there are times when they bend to the temptation of evil.

But Midori... It’s the ability to bear temptation that makes us human.

Those who give in and choose to cause others pain... They’re no longer human!

Gods and demons have existed since ancient times as a check on people’s weak hearts...

That’s why... This is how things truly should be!

I know people are weak... But what was so bad about those guys?

People said really mean things to me too! Some of them even tried to kill me...!

But... But that doesn’t mean what you’re doing is okay!

True enough... Then I’ll tell you what those scum did.

An old lady tried to share her food with a starving man...

When suddenly, this scum and his friends beat her to death and took the food.

Filth who lower themselves to that... deserve to die!

...Thank you, Name. You begin to see my point...

B-But... Even so... You didn’t hafta make your demon attack them...!

...I left the ruling to Yama. His judgement depends on their sins...

But then, they beat an old woman to death. Their sins can’t be that light...

Haven’t we talked enough about this scum?

Urgh... But...!

I’ve hardened my heart against pity. Yama’s power will return people’s hearts to normal.

If you intend to lend me your strength, feel free to let me know anytime. I’ll be waiting.

That... was justice?

Is that how far you have to go to really be just...?

S-So I’m not the only one who thinks so? What he’s doing... It’s way too much, right?

Ohhhh... Well... I don’t like it!

Other ways...?

Keisuke means well, but what he’s doing is way too extreme.

I want everyone’s hearts to be good, too... But... At this rate...

...Keisuke...

Amane... What is the meaning of this? Don’t you understand you’re the Shomonkai’s maiden?

Think carefully about this.

As our maiden, I have heard the angels’ words: the new ordeal is the lockdown itself.

So it’s come... I’ve warned of this for many years!

We must summon His Majesty at once, or we won’t be able to withstand this ordeal...

But Father... It is possible to withstand it without relying on His Majesty.

The angels told me--

Our teachings are to believe in His Majesty and withstand God’s ordeal using His power. There is no need to heed any word but His!

You need only perform your duties as maiden of the Shomonkai...!

Father... Isn’t our mission to save people? It isn’t simply to survive this ordeal...

We can save this world without making so many suffer... So why...?

Wasn’t that Amane...?

She called him ”Father”... Is the Shomonkai’s founder her dad?

Yeah... It seems that way. The father’s the founder and his daughter’s the maiden, huh?

It looked like an awkward moment... Think there’s a problem within the Shomonkai?

The lockdown’s still not getting lifted...

I’m starting to hate how the SDF troops are always glaring at us...

......

Atsuro? What’re you all quiet about?

What if... I mean...

Uhhh... Huh?

What if they weren’t locking us in? What if they were really protecting us...?

Huh...? What are you talking about?

Like in the movies... The good guys are really the enemy, and the other way around.

What...? That’s retarded.

C’mon, play along...! What’s so bad about using your imagination?

Imagination, huh?

Like, for example... What if the world outside was actually destroyed five days ago?

What...?

They could be protecting us because it’s dangerous now to leave the lockdown...

Stop it! Even if you’re just pretending, that’s not funny!

Our houses are out there! Don’t even joke about them being gone already!

Whoops... I got a little carried away...

I can’t do that... It was all my fault.

I knew how bad Yuzu wants to go home, and I still said that stuff...

Yeah... I’ll do that. I really screwed up...

I knew how bad Yuzu wants to go home, and I still said that stuff...

I hope you were watching me to learn what NOT to say to Yuzu...

I’m gonna go apologize.

I’m really, really sorry. I screwed up... I’ll try not to talk without thinking.

No, it’s okay... I’m sorry too.

I just... When I imagined it, I got really scared...

Um, okay, let’s pull ourselves together and get going.

I’m glad it worked out, Name! I was worried for a minute.

Ahahahaha! You got it!

Soooo... You asked me in your email why I’m so obsessed with heroes. Well...

Ummmm... If you cross your heart you won’t laugh, I’ll tell you...

Okay! Here goes!

If you laugh... I’m gonna give you some of my heavenly punishment!

My daddy was really cool.

But he died in an accident when I was in second grade...

My daddy’s job was to be a hero!

Heeehee... Kind of. He worked as a stuntman in one of those hero suits.

You couldn’t see his face on TV, but he’d tell me, ”Look, it’s your dad!” It was cool!

My own daddy was a defender of justice!

...That’s what I told myself.

Soooo, that’s why I wanna be a hero too!

Thanks for listening... and not laughing at me.

Urrrrgh... You’re so nosy, Name!

I’m... still not ready to tell you. Maybe some other time...

I never had any female friends...

It’s prob’ly because of my daddy that I love to play hero!

That’s why I always played with the boys...

Ooooh, is that a compliment? Heeheehee... awesome!

But once you hit fourth grade or so, boys stop playing hero.

And then... no one would have anything to do with me...

I coulda just played with the other girls, but you know how girls form those cliques?

I didn’t fit in around girls back then...

I didn’t know how else to play with people, so all my friends drifted away...

Hahaha... Just a little. But then I discovered the Internet!

Well, yeah... Where else would I go?

There were a lot of people on the net who wanted to change who they were. I fit right in!

I made lots of friends online. So... I wasn’t lonely at all!

Yep, it’s thanks to the net that I’m the girl you see before you today.

Yep, you got that right. I’m really glad I could hang out with you guys...

Huh? Oh, uhhhh, really...?

Heehee... Nobody’s ever said that to me before...

Hey, perfect timing. I was looking for you. It’s about last night’s email...

I started a response, but it got really long, so I wanted to talk to you face to face.

You wanted to know about Haru, right? Okay, but not a word about this to anyone...

Hey, c’mon, enough with the jokes. This is serious.

Haru’s parents abandoned her when she was little. She was raised by her grandmother.

When she died, her family ignored Haru in their fight over the inheritance.

Ever since, she’s thought of herself as useless. She cares less and less about life...

That’s why she goes through life like it was a race.

She hasn’t been as bad about it lately...

She used to act so carelessly about her life it was almost surreal.

But then she met Aya and started her career as a singer...

She channeled her worries, her sorrow, and her small joys into songs for the whole world.

Haru wears her heart in her throat.

Heh... Tell her that sometime. She’d be happy to hear it...

Of course, that isn’t the only reason...

But it’s true that her singing helps keep herself together.

She can’t sing now, though. Not with Tokyo infested by demons.

It’s not just the blackout... Her heart literally isn’t in it anymore.

Like I said... nothing she did in this state would surprise me. Not even suicide.

Nothing she did in this state would surprise me. Not even suicide.

But Haru has opened her heart to you... So you’re the only one left I can ask.

If you see her again, don’t forget what I told you. See you...

You wanted to know about me? Heh, it’s kinda embarrassing to talk about myself...

I started writing a response, but... it felt too goofy.

It’s hard to explain... Uh... I’ll just tell you now. You’ll see what I mean...

Where to start...? Well, the simplest way to say it is that I’m like an adult Tadashi.

Hm? Oh yeah, you usually call him Kaido. Basically, I’m a failed punk.

The only reason I’m standing here right now is because I met Aya.

Hahaha... laugh it up. Aya was five years younger than me, but she was a force of nature.

The things she said really got me inside...

You could say she spoke straight to my heart. She soothed me... and inspired me.

Ahh, but I’m getting off the subject.

The reason I look after kids like you is to make amends for how I was at that age.

Heh... Not even close. Aya was definitely my better half.

Haha... Sorry I can’t give you a better sense of her.

Aya worked in strange ways... She fixed my life, no problem, and got me back on track.

All I care about right now is where Aya went...

If she saw Tokyo like this, it’d break her heart. That’s why...

I’m thinking of stepping up my game and looking after good old Tokyo.

But... I don’t know if I can do it alone. I’d appreciate your help, if you’re willing.

Alright, enough about me... Here’s hoping we meet again.

Azuma...? Who’s he?

...... The Shomonkai, eh...?

Yeah... He said he’ll be at the Hills building at noon tomorrow.

I see... Thanks. I owe you one.

Aya... Wait for me...

Oh... it’s you kids. We sure keep running into each other.

Haru...? Is something wrong? You don’t seem as energetic as usual...

Huh...? Oh, sorry. It’s not that I’m down, I’ve just been thinking...

I was wishing I could write amazing songs in a snap like Aya could...

This Aya sounds like she was pretty incredible.

Ahaha... You can say thata again.

You probably won’t believe this, but... she once wrote a song in her sleep.

Wow, really? You must be some kind of genius yourself...

Haha, you would think, right? But it’s true. Ask Gin, he’ll tell you.

One night, she woke suddenly and went to her keyboard. A few hours later, she had a song.

Aya claimed she was only working out the melody someone was humming in her dream!

I guess if you think about songs all the time, ideas can come together subconsciously.

You ever heard the story of Giuseppe Tartini?

He had a dream of a demon playing the violin, and wrote the ”Devil’s Trill.”

If a demon taught Aya that melody in her dream, a human like me could never compete...

That’s not true! I love your songs, Haru!

And I say a song is a lot better when the writer came up with it herself!

I see. Well, that’s one way of looking at it...

Heh, maybe you’re right. Thanks! I feel a little better now.

Woohoo! Haru cheered up a little bit! I really am her greatest fan...!

......

Huh...? What’s wrong, Honda?

Oh, it’s you kids...

I was just thinking. With all of you, me, Kaido... There are way too many COMPs around.

My mission was to obtain a COMP, so I’m glad I did...

But it seems to me that there are way too many of them floating around in here...

Someone had an interest in some rumor about COMPs. They asked me to look into it.

The Shomonkai...? True, these are their COMPs, but why would they scatter them all over?

Shoji said... I mean, we heard a theory that the Shomonkai want demons in this world.

Supposedly, it’s to help summon the Shomonkai’s god into this world.

The Shomonkai’s god, eh? Sounds like trouble.

Even worse, they’re handing out COMPs without telling people about the contract...

I don’t know what they’re thinking.

You’re right about that.

By the way, how did you get the COMP you have now, Honda?

My mission was to obtain a COMP, so I’m glad I did...

But it seems to me that there are way too many of them floating around in here...

Huh? Your... mission?

Someone had an interest in some rumor about COMPs. They asked me to look into it.

Okay...

By the way, how did you get that COMP, Honda?

By the way, how did you get the COMP you have now, Honda?

This one...? It belonged to a Shomonkai member who died fighting a demon.

...That’s not how you got yours...?

...I see. You seem to have your own reasons to have them, too.

...I see. I won’t ask.

We were so surprised when these demons suddenly popped out of them!

Haha... I’m sure you would be. That would be a big shock to anybody.

Even if someone does have one of these COMPs...

If they didn’t know about the Harmonizer, they wouldn’t think they could fight demons.

...That means there must be a good number of people who summoned demons, but died.

It’s likely that those people’s COMPs got picked up by other people, too.

One mistake, and who knows how many people die...?

Passing these things out without warning people about them is unforgivable!

I’m heading out. Take care of yourselves.

The Shomonkai are passing out the COMPs, huh...? What a pain.

I believe that more and more people are getting these COMPs. But from where?

Who is getting these tools into these people’s hands, and why?

Well, I’m heading out. Take care of yourselves.

Who’s really distributing the COMPs, and why would they do that...?

Just finding out won’t do us any good. It’d be nice to be able to do something about it.

Oh-ho, we meet again. Is everything going A-Okay for all of you?

Oh, Shoji! It’s not that great, but I guess we’re pulling through.

How about you? Did you find out anything new?

Mmmm, somewhat. I did learn a few things...

It seems the Shomonkai are intentionally distributing these altered COMPs.

Yeah, we know about that.

Really? I thought I had a real scoop. Dang!

But, we don’t know why. Aren’t they better off if they keep that power to themselves?

...Intentionally!? Aren’t they better off if they keep that power to themselves?

Yeah, you’d think so, right? I looked into it... and found the terrifying truth!

...The Shomonkai’s goal is to completely turn Tokyo into the demon world.

With more and more demon tamers summoning demons, it’s happening even faster!

Well, this is how I heard it from a believer, so I don’t know how true it is...

If this keeps up, ”His Majesty,” that is, some demon named Belberith...

...is going to be able to be summoned into this world!

The Shomonkai worship Belberith...?

Belberith... That Shomonkai member we spoke to earlier said the same thing...

Belberith... Izuna said the same thing...

I guess summoning Belberith will let them overcome God’s ordeal or something.

But if demons keep on coming, Tokyo’s going to be hell on earth even before then.

I’m having trouble telling the truth from fiction anymore. Anyway, you guys be careful!

Hey, what did she mean, they want to turn Tokyo into the demon world!?

But... if it’s true, then we need to stop it!

Nickname... Yeah, you’re right!

...You’ve come. The data that he... Naoya left behind is in this COMP.

Think nothing of it. Well, then, please excuse me...

Other than obvious trash such as used tissues and the like, no. I doubt you need them...?

Oh, no, this is more than enough! Thanks so much!

Okay, Nickname, let me take a look at it!

Just gimme a sec... Ha, I was right!

Hey, what’s going on? Tell us, already!

Just gimme a sec... Ha, I was right!

Are you even listening!? You’re right about what?

You know how Azuma said that these files were a bunch of random nonsense characters?

Those files must have been stored in this COMP.

And the Shomonkai must’ve been desperate to get at the data in this thing...

Huh? I thought Naoya was working for the Shomonkai when he made the server...?

Right, but he only gave them the finished product.

They didn’t get his schematics, or his library...

A library is a collection of files used in defining and implementing programs that--

Stop! My brain can’t take it!

...Huh? Oh, sorry. I have to do something about that...

Sheesh... So... What’s so special about that library stuff?

Hmm... How can I put it...?

Trying to change the program would be very hard without these files, Yuzu.

Oh, I get it now. So why couldn’t the Shomonkai get that from the COMP?

Haha! Because they’re not me!

Naoya always puts all kinds of protection on his programming materials.

Right. This COMP’s been locked, and everything in it is encrypted.

Azuma just mistook it for gibberish, but it’s really the code!

Wowza... Is that right? You must be really smart, Atsuro!

I see... Nice job, Atsuro.

Heh heh! Well, you know, I am...

Yes, yes, you’re Naoya’s apprentice. I’m sick of hearing that.

Aw... It means even more to hear it from you, Nickname.

Sometimes you’re so stupid I’m surprised you remember how to breathe, you pathetic idiot!

Whew! I feel a little better now.

Yoohoo... Man... Isn’t that a little cruel?

So, um...

Why do you want this library thing?

Yeah, yeah.

Why do you want this library thing?

Yeah, that’s right! I’m glad you understand me, Nickname.

If we can figure out how demons are summoned, we might be able to get rid of them.

And if all goes well, me might be able to control all the demons by ourselves!

That’s the plan, Nickname. We’re not sure if we can actually do it yet, though.

If all goes well, we might be able to. That way, the demons won’t be a threat to humanity.

If that happens, the lockdown will end, right? It’d be good if we knew about it.

I’ll spend some time cracking this encryption later. If I find anything, I’ll tell you.

Hmm... This is the procedure for summoning demons? Let’s see... damn it...

Sheez... He’s been at this for a while. What’s up, Atsuro?

Hm? Oh, sorry... I was looking at Naoya’s notes we got from the Shomonkai.

I cracked the security, but I’ll need a lot more time to decrypt them...

He really is a genius... His work is on a whole other level than most people’s.

This might take a while, but listen, ’cause it’s important.

Before the summoning program, it took a very specific ritual for people to summon demons.

It involved negotiating with the demons: their power in exchange for some price...

When we summon our demons, the program is recreating the steps of that ritual.

Here’s the problem.

According to this, the ritual needs human thought... like anger, sadness, or desire.

Yeah, and Keisuke too. They’re proof that what these notes claim is true.

Well, we’ve seen it ourselves. Kaido and Pazuzu... Keisuke and Yama...

They’re proof that what these notes claim is true.

But think about when we summon demons with the COMPs...

Is your will or desire especially strong then?

Huh? No way! For real, Nickname? I’m never like that when I summon...

Yeah... I don’t feel that way at all.

Me neither. I don’t really think about it... but we can summon demons all the same.

So why is that? Well, going by these notes...

Naoya thought of getting the thoughts needed for summoning from another source...

...From the Internet.

...You could say that. It’s very close to anyone who lives in today’s society...

Sheez... So where is it, Mr. Smarty Man?

...It’s the Internet.

What, like... THE Internet? That’s ridiculous!

I can’t quite believe it either. But think about it...

Really, the Internet is just a huge repository for thoughts.

People write down their anger, frustrations, and desire in email and blogs...

Love, jealousy... even joy and sadness spring up there.

All of it makes the Internet one big ocean of thoughts to draw from.

Yeah. That’s where Naoya saw his opportunity...

Most people would agree, but Naoya saw an opportunity.

I don’t know the mechanics of it, but those thoughts are being converted into energy.

Naoya said the program makes use of the thoughts that collect in the Internet.

I don’t know the mechanics of it, but by converting thoughts to energy, the ritual works.

These notes go into more detail about it all...

Plus... there’s an especially interesting entry here...

This is probably the passage about the process performed during an actual summoning.

One of these memos looks like the results of some experiment...

What’s it say?

SND00: Run(summon);;lo effect SND01: Run(summon);;no effect SND02: Run(summon);;hi effect

SND10: Run(dispel);;no effect SND11: Run(dispel);;lo effect SND12: Run(dispel);;no effect

SND20: Run(fuse);;no effect That’s what it says...

Maaaan... I don’t get it at all!

I don’t have the slightest idea what any of that means.

Probably some kind of file or data test... Well, I’ll look into it more later.

This Naoya guy sure could do some awesome stuff...

Naoya certainly was capable of some amazing things...

Haha... No argument here. That guy’s not quite normal.

This last bit... I don’t know if it’s directly related to the program or not...

The same phrase keeps popping up in different passages.

Ugh... What phrase?

What sort of phrase?

Um... ”music is the ancient common tongue.” What is that about...?

Files? Which files? Ohhhh...!

That’s gotta be it... SND is an abbreviation for ”sound”! Good work, Nickname!

Demon language...? Ahh...!

The spells they use in sorcery! Like you see in all the movies!

The program needs a common language for negotiation... So it’s using music instead!

Oh, wow! I bet that’s it! You’re BOTH amazing!

Huh... You know, I bet you’re right! Pretty amazing, guys!

Alright, now we’re getting somewhere! I’ll decrypt this file if it kills me!

Yaaaay! Go go go!

If anyone can do it, Atsuro, it’s you! Have at it!

Right! Uhhh... By the way, Nickname, could I borrow you for a sec?

Sorry, but I didn’t want to bring this up in front of Yuzu.

Hey... Are you 100% set on getting rid of all the demons?

When I was getting a feel for Naoya’s server structure, I had an idea...

If we use it well, maybe it’s not impossible for us to get the lockdown lifted.

Let’s try to control all the demons... If we can do that, there’s no threat, right?

I can’t say for sure yet... But if I can talk to Naoya, I don’t think it’s impossible.

Right now, yes... But if I can talk to Naoya, I don’t think it’s impossible.

I just wanted to let you know.

If Yuzu heard, I know she’d say it’s too dangerous...

We should get back. Just act normal, or Yuzu and the others will be suspicious...

Damn it... How can I get out of this godforsaken place!?

Honda...

Oh, you kids... Sorry for getting so worked up.

...I wonder how long this lockdown’s going to last. Is the government doing anything?

Wanting to do something and being able to do it are two different things...

Even if they wanted to... Being able to do it is a different question, isn’t it?

I... I need to get to my son’s side as soon as possible...!

Your son’s waiting for an operation, isn’t he?

That’s right... I took this job to earn money to pay for the treatment...

I never expected anything like this to happen!

...I’m sorry to hear that. It must be tough for you.

Oh... No, it’s not your fault. I don’t mean to get you worrying about me...

...Thank you.

Being there won’t affect the operation... But I still want to be at his side.

If... If his operation fails, and I’m not there, I...

Honda...

...If that happened, I’d never forgive the government for this.

I don’t think that anyone deserves to live in a world where that could happen...!

God damn it to hell! I need to get out of this lockdown!

...Honda’s taking this really rough. He must be tormented.

Yeah... I hope he doesn’t start doing anything reckless, though...

Yeah... If he wants to force his way past the barricades, we might have to stop him.

Oh, you’re up, Nickname... Morning.

Hm...? Oh, I was just going over some stuff in my head...

Mmm, lots of things.

Haha, gonna help me out? Thanks! I could use a hand.

It’s about our death clock... Assuming nothing’s changed, it should be down to 1 today.

Bel’s to blame for that...

Well, more specifically, I meant that Belial demon.

...Yeah.

If that guy in Shinjuku was telling the truth, we’ll have to fight Belial tomorrow.

Yeah... I’m a little worried, but we don’t have a choice. We have to win to survive.

You’re right... We have to win! We’re all going to make it out of this alive.

It’s just, no matter how much info I sort through, there’s one thing we don’t know...

Well... That might be related to it, depending on how you look at it.

That’s kinda what I’m getting at, but I’m talking about something more definite.

Basically, if everyone in the Yamanote circle is supposed to die in 2 days...

How can we prevent THAT?

What in the world needs to happen to bring back the peaceful life we knew...?

Maybe so. But we’re only guessing...

It would be best if we could defeat them all... But is that even possible?

And even if it is... That doesn’t guarantee we can go back to our normal lives.

The more I think about it, the more I realize we don’t have any assurances at all.

There’s no proof that anything we do will mean we can go home safe for sure...

I wish I had some kind of proof...

Proof that me, you, Yuzu, Midori, Keisuke... That everyone will be saved.

The cause of the calamity... Yeah, you’re right. If we can find out what’ll happen...

It’ll make it much easier to figure out a way to prevent it.

Yeah... We’ll need a lot more information, though. We hardly know anything right now.

Let’s pinpoint the cause of the calamity in 2 days, and figure out a response to it.

In which case, what we need to come up with next is who we can ask about all this.

Hmm... True, she does work for the government...

Plus, it seemed like she knew something when we met her last time. Let’s go see her later.

True... It’s possible that Shoji might have some new info by now.

And what about Izuna? It seemed like she knew something when we met her last time.

Why don’t we go see her later?

That reminds me... It’s about time we got a Laplace Mail.

*yawn* I’m so sleeeepy... Mornin’ everyone...

Oh, good morning, Midori. Haha... You don’t look quite awake yet.

Yeah... Still rubbin’ the fuzz outta my eyes. Hey, what’s the Laplace Mail?

Hm...?

Oh, it’s email that only gets sent to our COMPs. Here, this is the one from yesterday.

Huh... The letters are all funky, though. It’s kinda creepy.

......?

Now that you mention it, the scrambled letters are getting worse... I wonder what’s up.

Well... It won’t be a problem as long as we can still read what it’s saying, but...

Whaaaat...? That’s my name... Killed...? In the underpass in Ikebukuro...?

I’m not surprised that you’re shocked... These emails predict the future.

We found out about the danger you were in when we saw that.

Emails that tell the future...? Then if it wasn’t for this... I really would’ve...?

...Yeah. Sorry, I shouldn’t have shown you that.

No, it’s okay... I’m just surprised... I-I’m sorry...

Uh, um, well... Anyways!

We use the Laplace Mail as our guide for what to do each day.

Oh... okay...

Morning. Phew... I overslept a little there, huh?

Sup, Yoohoo? You’re up early today.

With everything that happened yesterday, I can’t blame you for being tired.

Morning...

Morning, Yuzu. ......

Hey... Try to cheer up, okay? I know it’s sad about Haru...

But moping over it won’t do us any good, right?

The Laplace Mail’s here... I hope we can use it to prevent disasters today, too...

The Laplace Mail’s here... I didn’t want to see it. It reminds me of yesterday...

Damn it... It’s just what we were afraid of. Keisuke...!

Mari Mochizuki, too... Is Kudlak going to kill her?

Damn it! Things couldn’t possibly be worse!

Hey... What are we supposed to do? Name... Keisuke’s gonna die...!

You’re right... We shouldn’t panic. Thanks, Nickname.

But what can we do...?

There’s only an hour between Miss Mari’s death and Keisuke’s!

Is that time enough to save her first, and then him...?

W-We’ll have to MAKE it be enough time! Or else, that Kaido guy will kill Keisuke!

C’mon, guys! Think! Think! H-How can we save him?

Whaaaat? We can’t do that! This is supposed to happen in the future, right?

We can’t beat up someone if he hasn’t done anything yet!

Then let’s convince Keisuke to stop Yama’s judgement before Kaido finds him.

Keep them apart, huh...? I guess if we do that, Keisuke won’t die, but...

No... That won’t work. We have to address the problem or it could happen some other day.

We have to convince Keisuke to stop Yama’s judgement before Kaido finds him.

Yeaaaah! I like that plan! If Keisuke stops Yama’s judgement, that Kaido guy won’t find him!

All Kaido knows is that the culprit wears glasses and is executing judgement on people.

If Keisuke stops Yama’s judgement, Kaido won’t be able to identify him!

Oh... But that won’t work if this Kaido guy finds Keisuke first, huh?

If we could stop him from looking for Keisuke for a while, we’d have more time...

If we can distract Kaido with something else, that might give us the time we need.

But what would catch Kaido’s interest more than Keisuke...?

That’s right... Kaido did seem worried about Miss Mari!

That’s it...! If he finds out Miss Mari’s in trouble, he’ll head straight for her!

That’s it...! If he finds out Miss Mari’s in trouble, he’ll head straight for her!

But how can we make absolutely sure he goes to Miss Mari...?

Kaido was gathering Macca, but since he got on Keisuke’s trail, he seems to have quit.

That’s right! If we find the guy killing his gang members... Wait... That IS Keisuke!

Stop joking around, Nickname! This is serious.

Kaido still has Miss Mari’s bag that we gave him.

There’s no doubt he’ll look for her to give her the bag. That’ll buy us some time...

We should go to Kudanshita at around noon, just in case. Don’t forget, Nickname!

That’s right! Let’s do our best, guys!

Damn! If we’d known this would happen, we could’ve given Miss Mari’s bag to Kaido!

Then we’d have some time to convince Keisuke while Kaido was off looking for her...

Yeah... But it’s too late now.

Keisuke and Miss Mari... We’ll have to come up with a way to save them both.

Thaaaat’s right! Let’s go for it, guys!

We need to think of something that might distract Kaido from Keisuke, to buy some time...

Ohhh... I see. Yeah! You’re right! Let’s do it, guys!

W-Wait a sec!

Huh? Now what is it...?

I almost forgot something important. Naoya’s stuff...

Oh... You’re right! We have to go to the Shomonkai!

*sigh* AND we need a way to get rid of the demons so the lockdown’s lifted.

Haha... We’ve got a lot on our plate. Looks like we won’t get a break today either...

Hey... guys? I’ve been wondering for a while...

Something wrong, Midori?

It’s not sunset yet, right...? Is this a ”red sky in the morning”...?

Huh? It’s not sunrise right... now... What the?

The sky... No... The whole world is tinted red...

What the hell? Damn it! Everything keeps changing...

It’s getting harder and harder to believe this is the same city we knew...

The Self-Defense Force...? Why are they here?

Wh-What...? Hold on a sec!

H-Hey! It’s Kudlak and Miss Mari!

Looks like Kaido’s here, too! We should hurry!

Oh no... We have to save Miss Mari!

Hey, that’s... Kudlak! Ohh, this isn’t good... Miss Mari’s over there too!

Atsuro! We never gave Miss Mari back her bag!

Oh, no... We never found Miss Mari’s bag!

I don’t like this... We should hurry over there!

Hey, Keisuke... Did something happen in high school?

Hmm...? Why are you bringing that up all of a sudden?

Er... Well, maybe it’s just my imagination, but, uh...

You don’t seem as... composed as you used to be back in middle school.

...What makes you say that?

Well, when the Laplace Mail said Midori would be killed, you kinda freaked out.

I’d never seen that side of you before, so...

I mean, I knew you weren’t the type to let bullying slide, but... Well, never mind.

...... Atsuro... I was bullied in high school.

Huh...?

Not at first. Actually, it began pretty well for me.

But when the second term of my first year started, one of my classmates was being bullied.

It was awful what they did to him... I tried to protect him so he wouldn’t lose heart.

...You couldn’t save him?

No, I think I did. He... wasn’t the target of bullying anymore, to say the least.

Yes. It was me...

From that day on, the bullies switched to targeting me.

The bullies were weak... They had to bully someone to feel good about themselves.

Honestly, I was expecting it. I still wanted to save my classmate...

So I thought I could take it for his sake. If only...

What...? What happened, Keisuke?

The classmate I rescued joined in on the bullying.

Wha...?

He knew how painful it was... But he became one of them just to avoid being targeted again.

What kind of dick would... That’s messed up!

I reached out to him and he turned on me... That, I could not forgive!

Seeing the incident with Midori made me furious... How can I forgive such a thing? I...!

...I’m sorry. I’ll... go and calm myself.

Wow... I never knew.

Yeah, me too... That would be enough to make anyone turn out like Keisuke did.

But I’m glad we stopped him... Nothing would change if he fought violence with violence.

Yeah, probably so... Nothing would change if he fought violence with violence.

Heeeey! Why’re we on this highway? Where are we going?

A special unit...? Oooooh!

That sounds cool! What is it?

If Izuna’s there, we might be able to learn something.

But if no one’s there, we’re really in luck... We can get out of here!

Huuuuh? No way...! Seriously?

Well, I doubt that... But we might learn something, so let’s go.

If we came here, does that mean we’re going to...?

So we’re meeting Izuna? I hope she can tell us something useful...

I’m kinda hoping she’s not there, and we can get out.

Yeah? Hmm... I dunno. I can’t imagine the guards just leaving their posts.

But we might learn something, so it’s worth the trip.

Hey... I’ve been wondering... What are we supposed to do about all this?

I don’t mean anything in particular... Just...

W-Well, yeah, but...

All this stuff about demons and angels... The server and the war of Bel...

Why do we have to go through all this? I wanna go home...

Oh... It’s fine. Sorry, I didn’t mean to annoy you.

Urgh... If I could, I would...

But if we run... everyone trapped in here is going to die, right...?

All our hard work up to now would be for nothing.

So I know I can’t run... But knowing that makes it worse.

I mean... I’m just a normal girl!

I wanna go shopping like normal with a normal boyfriend and live my normal life!

And then this happened... Now I wonder every day if I’ll die tomorrow. It’s just too much!

Yuzu...

...Sorry. I’m... I’m gonna go wash my face...

She’s really at the end of her rope... But I don’t blame her, given what’s happening.

Honestly... I’m getting tired of it too.

Can we really save everyone this way? Won’t it be easier to let someone else do it?

There are times I want to run away just as bad as Yuzu...

Haha... You sound tough.

Yeah... We have to believe that.

Yuzu’s at her limit. She’s really tried her best to endure all this until now.

So have I... I just can’t show any weakness since Yuzu’s with us.

Yo! Welcome back, Yoohoo. Breaktime’s almost over!

Yeah, um... S-Sorry... I said some stuff I shouldn’t have...

But there’s still hope! So... I won’t be so selfish anymore. I’ll do my best...

So, um... don’t be mad at me...

...Thanks, Nickname...

Haha! What’s wrong, Frou-frou? You were bawling like a little girl just a second ago!

Oh, so now it’s ”Frou-frou”? You dumb net junkie! A-And I wasn’t bawling!

Heeheehee! I got her good!

Now that’s more like the Yuzu I know!

Atsuro...

D-Don’t think I’m thanking you, moron! Hmph... Let’s go, Nickname!

H-Hey, wait! How come you’re mad at me and not him?

Hey...!

Your car is ready. It seems we were able to secure the roads.

Then let us be on our way.

......

Go on ahead. I’ll catch up to you in a moment.

......? As you wish...

Name Surname and those who follow him. We meet for the first time...

I have been waiting for this opportunity to greet you all.

Ah, yes... Your confusion is understandable due to this form.

Impressive. You discerned that I am not this girl...

Allow me to introduce myself. I am Metatron’s subordinate, the angel Remiel.

It is given to me to watch over the one who resurrects...

The angel Remiel? Metatron...?

Metatron is an angel close to Him. It is through Metatron that He speaks His will.

Metatron and his cohort monitor demons so that they do not ascend into heaven.

I now speak to you with Amane’s cooperation.

Amane’s cooperation? So the Shomonkai is carrying out the will of angels?

No. The teachings of the Shomonkai diverge from our will.

But Amane has heard my words. She is in accord with our goal.

I have revealed myself to you in order to save humans.

If you’d done it sooner, things wouldn’t have gotten this bad...!

He has warned humans before. But they ignored Him, became debased, and summoned demons.

All of this is what man has brought upon himself.

If you cannot redeem your own sins, then man’s future holds only destruction.

This is an ordeal given unto humans.

Whether man will settle it himself, or depend on His intervention...

If it becomes clear that it is beyond man’s capacity, He will save mankind at once.

But if He were to do so, man would forever live under our control.

Man’s autonomy is valuable to Him. He kindly watches to see if man can redeem itself.

We, His servants, all hope for mankind to settle this ordeal by itself...

What’s so kind about doing nothing until the last second?

As I said, it is all so that man may have his autonomy.

I understand your wishes. But I cannot grant them now.

Mankind is at a crossroads. Either they will walk with demons or with Him.

Eternal damnation and eternal salvation are always opposite sides of the same coin.

As you know, this lockdown is His will, enacted by man’s cooperation.

This is a vital stage that may be man’s last turning point.

Yes...

That is why I had been waiting for an opportunity to meet all of you.

Indeed, from your perspective, what I say may sound selfish.

However... Reflect on your own history.

Your own selfish actions have brought the accursed demons into your world...

Between we and you... Which of us is truly selfish?

Depending on how man navigates this ordeal, your judgement day may be at hand.

You must know what that means, yes...?

No. We will not annihilate you.

But man will be deemed unworthy to stand on its own, and will be dealt with accordingly.

If man deals with this nascent mistake... If they dispose of the demons properly...

They will earn His forgiveness and this world will once again be entrusted to man.

There will be a great reckoning tomorrow. A battle against the all-consuming fire awaits you.

Correct. He bears the name of Bel, and he is fire incarnate that incinerates all.

When you defeated Beldr... Could you feel his power flow into you?

I sense the strong blood of a Bel inside you.

When you defeated Beldr, could you feel his power flow into you?

The other Bels are most likely aware of your victory...

If that is so, it is yet more inevitable that you will battle against them.

Name... Extinguish the flame and protect the key to open the world.

It will eventually be the salvation for you and your companions.

If there is anything you would know, I shall tell you now.

If there is anything you would know, I shall tell you now.

Should you prove incapable of dealing with the demons on your own...

Man will be stripped of his freedom. He will walk a new path, dictated by us.

And if you prove completely irredeemable... Your history will come to its end.

Your government enacted this lockdown, but it was we who instructed them to do so.

We angels have been observing how man will deal with demons in the lockdown.

We seek to determine whether man, who has betrayed His will for so long...

Is still worthy to be given care of this world.

We observe how you came to meddle in power that is not yours, and how you will atone.

If our decision is unfavorable, it will be your judgement day.

Yes. The key is to quell the chaos ensuing from the demons’ appearance in the city.

The demons overrunning this city were released into the world by the hands of man...

A shameful act for creatures that He entrusted with this world.

This lockdown is the wages of that sin, as well as a chance to observe man’s reaction.

Man may prove his virtue by pulling the weed of the evil you yourself have planted.

He showers His limitless love upon mankind.

The perfect response to His love is for man to repent his sins and overcome His ordeal.

I am here only to provide a beginning to that effort...

......

I warn you. To search for the summoning server is to place this world in peril.

I will not interfere with your actions during this ordeal.

But if one without power seeks that server, this world will perish.

That is why I will not tell you now.

Heed my words, Name.

We angels are always watching man’s actions. Remember that.

Name... It pains my heart. Please do not make me repeat myself.

Mankind brought this disaster upon themselves...

But He has answered your sin with mercy and given you seven days of reprieve.

However, if you do not pull the weeds with your own hands, the sin cannot be forgiven.

Turning away from the weeds to save yourself will only bring about the same result...

Put such foolishness out of your mind. The lockdown is not only to keep demons confined.

Were even one man to selfishly throw down his burden and flee...

Even if the deadline has not yet come, the ordeal will end at that moment.

Judgement day will come to pass and man’s history will meet its end.

Name... We who serve Him hope for your redemption. May His blessings be with you.

She’s... gone... H-Hey...!

So that wasn’t Amane? Was it... actually an angel...?

Yeah... At least, it seemed completely different than how Amane usually is.

Damn it... Did you hear all that selfish stuff it was saying...?

But now we know angels are behind the lockdown. And we know how to get it lifted...

We have to do something about all the demons, right?

But... what?

ALL the demons? In two days?

That’s... That’s impossible!

She said there is a way to the server...

But what did it mean about putting the world in danger?

Sheez... It raised as many questions as it answered!

No kidding... Damn it! On top of this, our death clock might run out tomorrow!

No matter what we do, we need to find a way to get rid of all the demons.

There’s no time to waste. Let’s go, everyone!

This city and its people are starting to change...

I really liked this place, you know.

Heh... Nah. It’s just these past few years I started being able to say that.

Nothing in particular... If I had to answer, I guess I’d say the warm, familiar atmosphere.

So what’s your perspective? How do you see the city?

When I was a kid, the whole world looked gray. Everything was a total bore.

I was a helpless brat, but I didn’t think so--It was never MY fault when stuff went wrong.

Haha... I was a real jerk. I was never satisfied with anything.

I was so frustrated, I wished the world could be a blank slate for me to rewrite.

But after I met Aya, I settled down. I was more open to the way other people did things.

It’s an amazing world, y’know. One big stew of thoughts, desires, emotions...

The good and the bad... This city gives it to you all lumped together.

I like Tokyo. I liked it the way Aya saw it before all this happened.

That’s why I’m going to get it back to the way it was.

I’ll get it ready for when Aya comes home...

No... it’s not enough just to get the lockdown lifted.

I want the demons out of Tokyo too. That’s when this world will be back the way it was.

Just what I said... A normal, boring Tokyo with no lockdown or demons.

If the demons don’t go away, you can’t really say things are back to normal, can you?

I don’t know if I can do that on my own.

But I do know I can’t do it if I don’t try. I’m doing this... even if I’m alone.

That reminds me... did you find anything out about Aya?

All right... Let me know if you dig anything up.

Azuma, eh...?

Yeah. Supposedly, he’s going to be at the Hills building at noon today.

The Hills building at noon... Alright, thanks.

Good... now maybe I can get somewhere on this Aya thing.

I can’t tell you how much this means to me. Thanks, guys.

Hmm? What’s wrong, Nickname?

0...? You mean Gin’s death clock? Why didn’t you say so? After him, Nickname!

In danger? Oh no... Did you see his death clock?

What...? Why didn’t you say so? After him, Nickname!

Yeah. Supposedly, he’s going to be at the Hills building at noon tomorrow.

The Hills building tomorrow at noon... Alright, thanks.

Good... now maybe I can get somewhere on this Aya thing.

Yeah. Supposedly, he’s going to be at the Hills building at noon in two days.

The Hills building in two days at noon... Alright, thanks.

Good... now maybe I can get somewhere on this Aya thing.

I can’t tell you how much this means to me. Thanks, guys.

That reminds me... Thanks for looking into the Aya thing.

Noon tomorrow at the Hills building, yeah? I owe you one.

Noon at the Hills building, yeah? I owe you one.

Noon in two days at the Hills building, yeah? I owe you one.

Now what? No matter how many times you beg, you’re not getting out of here.

Not as long as I’m still breathing. You’ll have to kill us if you want to get through.

W-We weren’t thinking of anything like that! We just want to know what’s going on!

Just gathering intel, huh? ...All right.

I did some investigating, and this ”His Majesty” the Shomonkai talk about

appears to be a demon named Belberith.

Belberith?

Right... Supposedly, this Belberith is a being with incredibly strong powers.

The Shomonkai founder, Kuzuryu, wanted to contact it to prepare for God’s ordeal.

Belberith answered that call, and lent Kuzuryu its powers to wage war against God.

Belberith’s a demon, and demons hate God. What’s there to wonder about?

When you and someone else have a common enemy, that makes you potential allies.

Since Kuzuryu objects to God’s ordeal and plans to strike back, Belberith’s helping him.

You’ve got a point there...

The powers of gods and demons seems to fluctuate with how many humans believe in them.

Kuzuryu created the Shomonkai to give this power of belief to Belberith.

Belberith then grows in strength and confronts God, granting Kuzuryu’s wishes.

This mutual interest only serves to make both parties stronger.

A god’s power comes directly from belief in it... Religion sounds a lot like politics.

Heh... Sure. It’s not that funny, but I can see the parallels.

As conditions in the lockdown worsen, more people join the Shomonkai religion.

Do you get it now?

Maybe... But my point is a little further along than fashion trends.

If the Shomonkai gets more members, then Belberith’s strength increases.

It’s possible the government is only tightening its own noose with this lockdown.

So Belberith is only growing stronger because of all these people joining the Shomonkai?

It’s possible the government is only tightening its own noose with this lockdown.

Even though the purpose of the lockdown is to keep the demons from growing more powerful...

It’s also indirectly providing Belberith with a source of more strength.

But... The Shomonkai are using Belberith’s power to stop God’s ordeal, right?

Then, is the ordeal really going to come?

Hey, wait. Amane, I mean, Remiel, said that this lockdown was the ordeal.

That’s what Amane... I mean, Remiel, said, didn’t he?

He said that the lockdown was the ordeal in itself.

What? Where did you hear that? Who’s Remiel?

Uh... We’ve got our own connections, too. We know an angel.

Another angel...? *sigh* ...All right.

If you already know that much, it doesn’t matter where you learned it...

...I’m asking you not to disclose this to anyone else, or I’ll have you shot.

Laughing won’t get you out of this. If you tell anyone what you learned, I’ll kill you.

I’m sorry that it has to come to this, but I’m deadly serious.

...As you said, the angels are behind this lockdown on Tokyo.

The angels appeared to key officials immediately when the Shomonkai summoned demons.

They were... angry... at humanity in general.

The government locked down Tokyo and promised to deal with the demons.

In return, the angels granted us seven days to get the job done...

The angels also gave us information about the demons within the city.

However, if humanity can’t deal with the demons in those seven days...

We’ll lose our freedom and God will take direct control over the entire world.

Yes... That’s correct.

...Because mankind feared the coming of God’s ordeal, they became involved with demons.

As a result, they created the very reason for the ordeal to happen. How’s that for irony?

...If we fail in this ordeal, humanity will lose its freedom...

I mean... We brought this on ourselves, but I can see what the founder was thinking...

Then... Is this ordeal really going to come?

What’s going to happen when it does?

...I don’t know what will happen. Kuzuryu seems to think that it’s on its way.

Have you heard any of his speeches? He recites the story of the tower of Babel.

Kuzuryu believes that the same thing that happened then is going to happen again.

Heh... You should study more. Ancient Babylonians created a giant tower into the heavens.

That’s how the story goes. Ancient Babylonians created a giant tower into the heavens.

It provoked God’s anger, and He punished mankind by dividing their languages.

This prevented the tribes of humanity from communicating for hundreds of years.

If this ordeal comes, mankind will lose the ability to communicate at all.

God will begin controlling the world directly, as well.

...Or so Kuzuryu claims. Of course, there’s no way to know what happens until it happens.

Wow... That would really suck. I think I can sympathize with him a little...

...Yes. That’s how he’s gathering believers, and Belberith’s strength grows.

Now... You should get going. We’re always looking for more intel. We’ll be in touch.

Hey there! Looks like you’re still alive and kicking. Good, good.

Hey, quit acting so surprised.

Well, if you can still have that attitude, I’ve got nothing to worry about.

Gah... By the way, did you learn anything new, Shoji?

I do have some new facts percolating around in my brain.

It seems the lockdown was created to keep the demons trapped in here, after all.

But they didn’t want to admit that to the general public, so they lied about the gas.

They also cut off television, radio, and phone reception to lock down information.

But this will all end soon... in the worst possible way.

...I see, you must. You’re trying to do something about it.

It’s true that the government is going to kill everybody along with the demons...

...They plan to annihilate the demons within the Yamanote Loop... along with the humans.

That’s their grand scheme. Honestly, I thought you kids would’ve known this by now.

Huh!? What do you mean!?

...You’re demon tamers, right? But you also know the most about what’s going on in here.

I figured you’d have found out about this even before I did.

I’m not surprised. You’re trying to do something about it.

It’s true that the government is going to kill everybody along with the demons...

...You really think they’ll sacrifice everyone inside the lockdown area?

Yes, they’ll do it.

Not just the people in Tokyo. It’s to protect a secret, and any life is worth the price.

That’s probably why my mentor...

What...?

Oh, sorry. That’s got nothing to do with you.

All I can do is cheer for you, but I’m expecting a lot from you kids! Good luck!

...She’s gone.

Shoji mentioned somebody right before she left. I wonder what happened.

I guess she really didn’t want to tell us about that.

It seemed to have something to do with the government, so I wonder what it was...

Psst... You kids...

Huh? A-Are you talking to us?

Y-You’ve been probing into the Shomonkai, haven’t you?

Good... You’re being honest with me...

Y-Yeah, I don’t know what you’re talking about...! We’re not really... uhh...

D-Don’t worry... This isn’t what it looks like. I can’t waste any time...

Wha... Huh?

The ”Majesty” the Shomonkai worship isn’t God... I-It’s a demon!

That’s why I’m getting out of there! I just wanted to tip you off before I go.

Because you seem like you might be able to stop them... Look, won’t you just listen?

I’m not surprised... But it won’t hurt to at least listen to me, will it?

You seem like you might be able to stop them...

I was part of the COMP project. I know a few things the others don’t...

I was working under a man named Naoya...

Yes, that’s right. My team was under his supervision.

I-Isn’t one of you his cousin?

I know you’re investigating the summoning program’s server...

Almost everyone in the Shomonkai except Lady Amane is on guard against you...!

O-Okay, okay.

My main job was mostly verifying data and running performance checks.

No, it’s not. That’s why I’m going to tell you everything I know.

I was mostly involved with verifying data and running performance checks.

I couldn’t tell you how to completely erase or control demons, unfortunately...

That’s fine! What should we ask him, Nickname?

I... I was involved in the project, but I barely created the processing terminal.

Naoya handled almost all of the programming. The processes were a complete black box.

His mind was extraordinary... None of us came close. Sorry, but I can’t help you there.

The traditional summoning method involved a magic circle and an arcane procedure.

The summoner himself had to be very well-versed in the lore he was using.

But our program automated all the necessary steps, so anyone at all could use it.

The problem came when we had to recreate the most important part--the summoner’s desires.

I... don’t know. It was Naoya who figured it out.

He somehow recreated the power of the heart and managed to finish the program...

No one, not even those in the Shomonkai, knows where the server is anymore.

After the COMP was finalized and it went into production, the server disappeared...

But it must be up and running somewhere, since the Demon Summoning Program still works.

One thing’s for certain. Lady Amane acted as though she still knew its whereabouts...

Lady Amane had succeeded in summoning a demon before the development of the COMPs.

Whether it was her powers as a maiden, or something else, I don’t know...

But there’s one rumor the worshippers whisper that strikes me as plausible.

Supposedly, there’s some sort of powerful demon residing inside Lady Amane...

Rumor has it Kuzuryu, our founder, performed a ritual when Lady Amane was a child...

Anyway, Lady Amane seems to have summoned a demon in the traditional way.

But since that puts a very heavy strain on the summoner, the order created COMPs.

Actually, no. There was someone besides Lady Amane who could summon demons.

No, not hers. It was Lady Amane’s powers that inspired the project, of course...

But they weren’t actually used in the COMP’s development.

When we hit a snag in the program, Master Azuma brought in some woman...

It was after that when development went dramatically better.

He’s an executive member of the Shomonkai.

He’s soft-spoken, but since it’s hard to know what he’s thinking, people fear him.

The woman Master Azuma brought could summon demons by playing the melody she’d written.

But it seemed she had no control over what kind of demon would be summoned...

It might be more accurate to say she created an atmosphere where demons could cross over.

That I don’t know... I never had a chance to speak with her.

But she was a woman who could summon demons... The Shomonkai would never release her.

She might be sheltered in a facility somewhere, but maybe she ran away...

Did that help you understand demon summoning and COMPs a little? I need to get back...

If you want to know more, look for Master Azuma or Naoya. I’ll be praying for you!

...Huh.

That didn’t clear everything up, but it’s good to know.

Yeah... The more information we have, the better.

Wow, though... Amane could summon demons without a COMP?

And there’s one inside her? Wait a sec... About that...

Yeah... That’s right!

What about that angel Remiel that’s inside Amane...?

Either that scientist meant the angel... or there’s a different demon in her...

But if there was an angel AND a demon in her, wouldn’t they start fighting each other...?

Ugh... I don’t get this!

Yeah... Everything we’ve heard makes her seem even stranger. I’m getting really confused.

I’m starting to have my doubts whether or not that girl is even human...

I’m also wondering about this other woman who could summon demons...

It’s another word for a tune. But a tune that can summon demons? How does that work?

*sigh* More mysteries... A girl who cooperated with Naoya and a melody that summons demons.

Still, I have a feeling that information will come in handy.

H-Hey, Kaido! Are we reaaaally gonna do this...?

Huh? You’re the one who said you wanted to stop those bastards.

But you do whatever you want. I’m gonna do what I came for.

Uuuuurgh... B-But...

Just shut up! It’s natural for guys like us who can’t get along to fight it out.

If you don’t like it, don’t come with me. I’ll deal with ’em all by myself...

Y-Yeah, I know, but... You can’t go around killing them, okay?

Heh... Who cares? Don’t think about it so much. Just let yourself go sometimes...

Uuurgh... Did I pick the wrong partner...?

No... This is the only way to stop everyone! I gotta do my best!

Nooo! Help! Someone!

S-Stop it! What you’re doing won’t solve any--

Don’t be so hasty! I’m sure that soon we’ll be--

That guy’s a demon tamer... So he can see people’s death clocks. That’s why he’s...

Yeah. I understand how he feels, but we can’t let him go on doing that.

H-Hey... What the heck...? Incoming demons!

Yikes, hang on a sec! I gotta pee... Be right back!

...Hey, Nickname... Can I ask you something?

You can see my death clock, right? What’s it say now?

Of course I’m worried! That’s how long I have to live... Could you tell me?

Please, Nickname... Could you tell me?

So... that means we’re going to die tomorrow, right?

So... that means we’re going to die today, right?

No... That can’t happen... Nickname...

I... I don’t want to die...!

All this stuff about fighting demons... why do we have to be the ones to do it?

Why us...?

There’s people out there like the SDF and the police who could be handling it!

If it’s up to us... I can’t take the responsibility if we fail...!

Hey... Let’s just run away, Nickname. There’s plenty of demon tamers out there!

It doesn’t have to be us! Come, on, let’s just...!

Whewwww, that was close. Sorry for the holdup!

...Huh? What’s wrong?

......

Uh, Nickname... Do you even realize how Yuzu feels about you?

...I can’t do anything for her. So please... don’t make her cry like that.

What is this...? It’s much worse than the last time we were here...

What the...? This place has really gone downhill since the last time we saw it!

There are so many more demons, people can’t come near it...

......!

Is this the contaminated area Izuna was talking about?

...You guys?

Wh--Naoya?

That man... He’s the one who gave me my COMP...

Oh, really? So that’s how it is...

Yes. There’s no doubt about it... This is the man who gave me my COMP.

He’s Nickname’s cousin. He gave us our COMPs too...

Oh, really? So that’s how it is...

So this guy is Name’s cousin...?

Name’s cousin, hm...?

Huuuuh...? Who is this guy? Do you know him?

Huh...? Y-Your cousin?

Huh...? Uh, how?

He’s Nickname’s cousin. He gave us our COMPs too...

......! Ohhhh...

So... this guy... This is Naoya?

You seem well. And it looks like you have some new allies?

It’s something of a relief to see you all safe.

Don’t be that way. I did what I could to help you survive.

You seem to know your way around a COMP by now. That’s my cousin...

Well then... I’m rather busy. If you don’t need anything, I’m going to go.

Ah... I assume you mean the COMP I left at the Shomonkai?

You did...?

I see. Then you received the COMP I left at the Shomonkai?

Well done... That was faster than I expected.

I kept the security simple. I’m guessing you had little difficulty cracking it, yes?

A standard Cardan grille... Though the Akkadian was an interesting twist.

I read most of the material... We know that demon negotiation requires human thoughts.

I see... and?

I’m surprised... Well done. I admire your diligence.

I didn’t think you’d have analyzed it that thoroughly.

That great cloud of thoughts... So, then, you know the basics behind summoning demons.

And? Do you have a reason to keep me here?

What would you do with that information if you had it...?

Don’t tell me: You want to access the server to get rid of all the demons.

...Nonsense.

If the server is destroyed, yes, COMP-controlled demons can no longer be summoned.

But that doesn’t apply if the COMP’s owner is dead, or another demon summoned it.

Unbound demons will remain in this world, whatever the server’s condition.

Then...!

Then I’ll take control of all those demons!

Yeah! We’re going to take control of every demon out there!

Hmm... You’re thinking of rewriting the program...?

*chuckle* Not quite what the server was intended for... Very interesting.

Even if they’re still here, as long as they’re not a threat, the lockdown has no purpose!

Which means the government would lift it, right?

So rather than defend yourself or attack the enemy, you’ll take its power for your own...

That’s the kind of solution I’d expect from you, Atsuro.

Then tell us where we can find the server!

Don’t be dense. The server’s not in our world. It isn’t even a server anymore...

Even if you did reach it, it would be impossible for you to rewrite my programming.

I see. It’ll take reams of information, precise settings, and a specific procedure.

Think you’re up to the task?

To be honest, my first thought was to control the demons and use them to help people.

But if we can go back to our daily lives by deleting the demons, that’s what we’ll do!

Please, Naoya! Tell us where the server is!

Don’t be dense. The server’s not in our world. It isn’t even a server anymore...

There’s nothing your limited abilities can do to change the server I made to your liking.

Since you’ve made it this far, I’ll tell you something interesting.

Have you thought at all about the prerequisites for demons to appear in this world?

Good... Then let’s compare notes.

Oh dear... What have you been doing all this time?

People help those who help themselves. You shouldn’t act thoughtlessly like that.

But since we’re family... I’ll give you hapless kids a hint, just this once.

Humans are more than the flesh you see on the outside.

They’re driven by the heart... Or the soul, if you want to call it that.

These souls are composed of various ideologies... reasons for their existence.

The result of two ideologies meeting one another is the release of a kind of energy.

This energy is called thought.

Joy, anger, fear... It’s all energy radiated by souls, adding to the flow of power.

Don’t jump to conclusions. It’s difficult to understand, so settle down and listen.

Very observant of you. That’s not the term I would use, but you’re close enough.

Demons live in a different world. In other words, they’re beings from another dimension.

They require vast amounts of energy to sustain their forms and to act in our world.

Even I was at a loss...

Heh... Provoking me won’t curry any favors. Now, as I was saying...

Have patience. I was getting to that...

Summoning involves amplifying the summoner’s thoughts and sending them to that world.

A program can replicate the procedure, but it cannot possibly create energy.

Tell me, Name... How would you solve the problem?

That’s no good... Clearly I’ve been spoiling you too much.

Do you think just because I’m here talking to you, all your questions will be answered?

You think I’ll simply shower you with the truth without you having to earn any of it?

Humans that stop thinking for themselves are worse than wild beasts. The lowest of the low.

Is my cousin that incompetent?

Mrmm... All right.

It’s the privilege of the weak to live by the sufferance of others. So I’ll tell you...

It’s simple, really. What one can’t produce, one imports: I used other people’s thoughts.

Heh... Very good, Name. You have a sharp mind.

That’s correct. What one can’t produce, one imports: I used other people’s thoughts.

The strongest type of thought is negative emotion. So I turned to a certain place...

An imaginary, hermetic world that nevertheless creates the illusion of true interaction...

That’s right.

Sure enough, I detected a vast amount of thought energy in that virtual space.

I refer to the Internet.

Sure enough, I detected a vast amount of thought energy in that virtual space.

The program I wrote harnesses the flow of thought energy generated by the Internet.

All it needed to run was a terminal capable of handling that flow.

Don’t you see? It has email and browser functions, making it perfect for the task.

You can’t deny that it’s been a great help to you since you were trapped in this lockdown.

Hm... You catch on quickly. Good, it saves me from wasting time explaining.

The COMP’s always-on Internet makes it an ideal environment for summoning demons.

So now you know... For all the good it does you.

You arrogant piece of...! What’s wrong with you?

You’re the whole reason we got dragged into this mess!

Get us out... Get us out of this lockdown right now!

Hahahaha! It seems you still haven’t learned your lesson. One more piece of advice...

Other people’s powers won’t do you any good. If you want to survive this lockdown...

Eliminate anyone who stands before you, by your own power! Your own will!

Geez... a lot happened today.

I’m exhausted... But it looks like the government never intended to let us out.

Yeah. If we don’t do something, the UEM Field will annihilate everyone inside the lockdown.

Is that thing really going to kill us all in 2 days...?

Y-Yeah...

Nickname...! You idiot!

I’m not gonna go down like that... We have to deal with the demons ourselves!

We have to use the time we have left to make it so they have no reason to do that!

But if... And this is just ”if”...

If they use that weapon... What’s going to happen to the people in the Yamanote circle?

The UEM Field forces pretty much every electronic device to emit EM waves...

The area in the UEM Field will be one giant microwave. People will be baked to a crisp...

The same will happen to every other living being, of course.

B-Baked to a crisp...? Then what?

Well...

All electronic devices within the effective range--computers and such--will be destroyed.

Every single electronic device will be unusable...

Everyone’s COMP will be fried. No more demon summoning...

Oh... So no more demons can be summoned after that.

Yep.

That won’t apply to demons who didn’t come from COMPs, but it’ll probably still fry them.

It might be effective against the remaining demons, too.

Yeah... and there’s only 2 days left until the deadline.

If we don’t do something about the demons by then, everyone in the Yamanote circle will die.

But that weapon Izuna talked about... they don’t know for sure it’ll kill demons.

So if the government found out it’s useless, wouldn’t they call it off?

Yeah... They’d have to, right?

I hate to say it, but... I don’t think that’s possible.

Huh...? Wh-Why?

Huh...? Wh-Why?

It’s unfortunate, but Nickname’s right.

The government is backed by angels. They know a lot more about demons than we do.

However well it works, they wouldn’t let the government do anything completely useless.

So... It must be at least somewhat effective.

It’s us humans’ fault to begin with... We summoned demons to satisfy our own desires.

N-No kidding... But it’s kind of sad. I’m almost ashamed...

Yeah... I definitely don’t want to die, but humanity kind of asked for this...

Yeah. But on the other hand, I don’t like the way the angels are handling this.

Maybe humans did summon demons and did other awful things...

But using that as an excuse to lock us in for this ordeal is way too self-righteous!

And if we can’t deal with the demons, the angels take over? Talk about a stacked deck...

Yeah, seriously...

Man... So we have to ”dispose of the demons properly”?

Hm? Oh, you mean what Remiel said, huh?

Yeah... If we can do that, we can stop the angels from forsaking us, right?

Hey, why do you think Remiel told us that stuff instead of some other demon tamers?

We have no way to know what the angels are thinking, but it’s not just Remiel...

Honestly, I have to wonder what Naoya is planning, too.

Yeah... It’s not just Remiel.

Honestly, I have to wonder what Naoya is planning, too.

Think about it... Why did Naoya choose Nickname?

It’s hard to believe Remiel and Naoya both chose him for no reason at all...

You know, now that you mention it, you’re right... I wonder if there’s a reason for that.

No clue...

I can’t pinpoint it, but it’s like there’s something huge going on around us...

Naoya’s scheming, Remiel’s speech, the business with the Shomonkai, the war of Bel...

I feel like we really need to follow this trail to the end or we’ll regret it.

Yeah...

That’s how I feel, anyway.

And I don’t want to have any regrets... Not one.

Just 2 days left... No matter what we decide to do, we have to deal with the demons...

Yeah. Delete them, control them, whatever... We have to find a way!

So, Nickname... We learned a lot today. Do you want to go over any of it again?

Okay. What do you need a refresher on?

The lockdown is meant to keep demons and COMPs from getting outside the Yamanote circle.

If we can’t deal with all the demons in the next 2 days...

The government’s going to fry everything in the Yamanote circle--humans and demons.

And backing them up are the messengers of God... the angels.

The problem is figuring out how to get the lockdown lifted.

Our last resort is to force our way through the blockade, but that won’t solve anything.

We don’t know if Remiel was speaking for all the angels...

We do know if we don’t solve this ”ordeal” in 2 days, God will abandon humanity.

If we fail, God and the angels will strip us of our free will and take over.

That’s if we’re lucky. Worst case, I get the feeling we’ll be massacred...

Naoya said his goal was to have Nickname win the war for the Throne of Bel...

But I don’t think so. He hid it well, but I think that’s the first step in a larger plan.

I doubt he’d do all that to make Nickname the victor and end it there.

I wonder what he’s really got planned for the King of Bel...

Haha... I guess we don’t know enough to figure it out on our own yet.

Oh, but there’s one thing I was still wondering about Naoya’s story...

That ”demon-summoning melody” he used for the software...

He got it from someone named Aya, right? Think that’s the same Aya that Haru knows?

H-Hey... Aya left her sequencer with Haru, right?

Haru said she could use that sequencer to summon demons.

It’s gotta be the same woman!

I think so, too. Haru got that sequencer from Aya, right?

And the sequencer can summon demons... So it’s gotta be the same woman.

Yeah... I bet you’re right. It’s worth looking into.

We never found out what Naoya is up to...

What did he mean by ”The ancient common tongue is the key”...?

Naoya said his goal is to have Nickname win the war for the Throne of Bel...

But I wonder what he’s really planning to do with the King of Bel once you’re crowned.

The Shomonkai is gathering worshippers to save people from God’s ordeal.

So they commissioned Naoya to develop the Demon Summoning Program.

I can see why they’d do that, since they were already worshipping a demon.

But there’s something we have to watch out for...

What Amane’s doing now runs counter to the Shomonkai’s teachings and actions.

That’s because the angel Remiel is in her, and she’s following its guidance, right?

She’s the Shomonkai’s maiden, but she doesn’t necessarily see everything like they do...

Yeah. From now on, we should consider anything Amane says to be from that angel’s mouth.

Dude... You either have one good memory or you’re a real slacker...

Is that about all?

Heheh... We did pretty well today. We saved both Miss Mari and Keisuke.

Though we didn’t quite finish Kudlak off...

Yeah... I wonder if Miss Mari will be okay. I’m a little worried...

Um... about Miss Mari... Thanks for not bringing her up today.

Atsuro...

Oh, uh...! It’s fine! Let’s just forget about it... Haha...

I feel bad about Midori... I hope she keeps quiet until the lockdown is lifted.

I’m glad we were able to save Keisuke today!

But I feel bad about Midori... I hope she keeps quiet until the lockdown is lifted.

I’m glad we were able to save Miss Mari today!

Yeah... But it’s too bad about what happened to Keisuke...

If only I’d tried harder to persuade him...

Oh, uh...! It’s fine! Let’s just forget about it... Haha...

We... didn’t do so great today...

We didn’t beat Kudlak, and Keisuke... he...

I’m sorry, Atsuro...

Oh... Whoops. I kinda killed the mood there...

Everything we tried to do today... it was all a failure. Miss Mari... and Keisuke...

Oh, Atsuro... I’m so sorry...

Oh... Um... It’s nothing. We couldn’t have done anything... I know that...

Today was... a total failure. We couldn’t save Keisuke...

Oh, Atsuro... I’m so sorry...

Oh... Um... It’s nothing. We couldn’t have done anything... I know that...

An email...? Who’s it from?

”Aya”? Must be about the girl we heard about who was helping Naoya with the program...

”Demon-summoning melody”... And that name, Aya... Could this be about..?

You think so? I mean, Haru got that sequencer from someone she knew, right?

And that friend’s name was Aya, too.

COMPs aren’t that common, so I doubt there are many people who can summon demons...

So isn’t this pretty much a given?

Yeah, probably so. Haru said she borrowed her sequencer from a friend of hers.

That means this woman is the same Aya she knows...

Anything else we need to talk about before we crash?

That’s right... We’re supposed to fight another of those Bel demons tomorrow, huh?

Yeah... It’ll be down to 0 tomorrow. We have that battle with Belial coming up.

We know the battle is supposed to be tomorrow, but we haven’t heard much about Belial.

Are we really gonna have to fight it tomorrow...?

Who knows... If we don’t have to fight it, that’ll be fine by me.

C’mon, let’s get some sleep. ’Night, everyone...

Amane... I mean, Remiel, said the battle is tomorrow...

I wonder if that Belial demon is fighting to gain the power of the other Bels...

I dunno... But it is crowned with the name of Bel. So it’s safe to assume.

Whether it’s part of the war of Bel or not, if it wants a fight, we’ll have to be ready.

Y-Yeah, I guess so. Well, we should get some sleep... ’Night, everyone.

So if an SDF soldier becomes a demon tamer, they get thrown into the lockdown too...

No mercy, even to their former comrades... They’re really scared of demons.

That’s ’cause demons are super amazing! With them, we won against guys with guns!

Mmm. When you think about it, you can kind of see why the lockdown happened.

If COMPs fell into the wrong hands, the police and the SDF would be powerless...

As long as we’re locked in, too, we can’t treat this like it doesn’t involve us.

Haha, like demon tamer squads?

Hrmm... Though if demons can be completely controlled, that could actually happen...

*sigh* But this isn’t the time to be thinking of that kind of stuff.

What I want to know is who scattered all these COMPs...

What I want to know is if it was the Shomonkai that’s been scattering the COMPs...

...It’s over.

I thank you for assisting us. My deed is done. But...

...Your journey must be far from being over. This time, it’s my turn to help you.

Summon me anytime when you need my powers...

Ms. Mari... You’ve been a great help. I thank you.

Hmph... That was over before I knew it. Revenge for my bro, huh...?

Kaido...

You idiot...! Why’d you stick your nose into this?

I... I’m sorry...

I...!

You’re much more important to me than you know, idiot!

So quit worryin’ me so much!

Kaido...

As for you guys... Well, you seem to have helped out Mari.

...Thanks.

Atsuro, Name, everyone... Thank you.

Defeating Kudlak won’t bring him back... I always knew that.

But it always ate at me... I thought his death was in some way my fault.

That’s why I wanted to defeat his murderer with my own hands...

That’s why I borrowed Kresnik’s power. I vowed to destroy that vampire on my own. However...

I wouldn’t have been able to do it without all of your help.

I’ve come to understand one thing, at least...

Though he remains in my heart, I can’t use that as an excuse to stay at a standstill.

Now... I can start walking again. I can take a step forward...

Thank you, everyone... I really appreciate this.

I’m soooo glad for you!

Hey! This is a GREAT chance for us to come up with a name for our league of justice!

Demon Rangers...? That kinda makes it sound like we’re the demons...

Nickname! Don’t encourage her! We don’t have time to fool around...!

Whaaaat? Awww... You’re no fun!

We failed to finish Kresnik off...

Quit complainin’. What’s done is done.

......

At least you’re still alive... I’m gonna get going.

Is everything okay? Did we happen to...

...What’s done is done.

I have something I must do. Farewell now...

Miss Mari...?

Mari... I let down my bro... And now you too.

If this keeps up, I...

Kaido... Um...

Just shut up. Leave me alone right now...

Miss Mari... How did this happen?

We knew since yesterday! It was clearly written in this morning’s Laplace Mail, too...

Miss Mari... How did this happen?

We knew since yesterday! It was clearly written in this morning’s Laplace Mail, too...

We even found her bag... We just didn’t quite make it in time...

Atsuro...

Let’s go... I ... don’t want to be here. And...

Um... And...?

Just forget about Miss Mari...

I don’t want to talk about her... I don’t want to remember her...!

I understand... I’m sorry, Atsuro.

The COMP is far more powerful than we anticipated. It should prove useful in our mission.

Now, about you children... Why have you come here?

Lift the lockdown...?

I don’t know what Captain Izuna has told you...

But that won’t happen until all demons within the Yamanote circle are eliminated.

I understand that you’re all trustworthy, but we do have our mission. I’m sorry, but--

Ask us...? I’m afraid it’s all on a need to know basis. We cannot reveal any--

...Commander. Isn’t there any way we can enlist their help?

Their help...?

Yes. With all due respect, Sir...

It’s obvious from that battle that their power far exceeds our own.

They’re skilled with their COMPs and they know much more about the demons than we do.

Wouldn’t it be best for us all to ask their assistance?

...I’ll concede the point. But... We can’t ask for help from civilians.

Why? Would it hurt our pride as an elite special unit?

What...?

Commander... I volunteered for this to save Tokyo and the lives of its citizens.

Not to protect the unit’s honor!

If there’s glory to be had here, it’s in success, no matter how we achieve it!

...... Hmph... You’ve grown quite a backbone.

Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Sir. Once the mission is complete, I’ll attend--

...I’m leaving you in charge here. Give these civilians whatever they need to know.

You’re acting on my orders. I’ll take full responsibility. The rest is up to you...

......! Commander Fushimi...

Captain Izuna! Get it done! That’s an order.

Y-Yes, Sir!

You heard the Commander... Come with me. I have something important to tell you.

How much further is it...?

Just past that iron door.

I guess you’d know it as the side road that normal vehicles are prohibited from entering.

......! So it does exist...

What the... Is this a subway platform?

Whaaaa...? Is this a subway platform?

Wow... So the city highway and the subway really are connected...

No one can eavesdrop on us here... Demons can’t get in, either.

What I’m about to tell you violates the Official Secrets Act. It’ll have to be vague.

If you disclose this to anyone, you’ll be forcibly deported from this country.

Are you prepared for that?

...Uh-huh...

Yeah, fine with me.

This lockdown came about when we discovered that humans are summoning the demons.

We know they’re being summoned by COMPs... COMPs developed by the Shomonkai.

So we chose a day when the Shomonkai would gather in one place and began the lockdown.

Yes... But not that long ago.

The government panicked when they discovered the existence of demons...

So we began the operation without any substantial countermeasures against them.

We had no time at all...

The government panicked when they discovered the existence of demons...

So we began the operation without any substantial countermeasures against them.

But we couldn’t sit back and watch demons continue to increase in number...

As we learned more about the demons’ power and abilities, our timetable grew shorter.

Against the threat of demons spreading worldwide, we had to enact the lockdown that day.

That’s as simply as I can put it for you. Do you have any questions?

Yeah. If you just collect the COMPs and release normal people, that should be fine.

As I said, some demons can take human form. They’ve already claimed some of our own...

With no way to be sure, no one can leave the lockdown, even if we collect all the COMPs.

No exceptions. Once someone is inside, they’re not allowed out... Not even us.

There’s... one other reason for the lockdown...

The government wants to cover up the demons’ existence.

Until our mission’s success is confirmed, they won’t release anyone who knows the truth.

Then...! They never intended to let anyone out from the start...

W-Wait...!

So they never planned on letting anyone out of the lockdown to begin with?

They’re taking this mission very seriously. That’s just how it is.

...Damn them.

That’s... That’s horrible!

Now... Is there anything else you want to know?

I’m sure you’ve figured that out already.

The numbers the COMP shows over people’s heads... That’s this ”death clock,” isn’t it?

I see... I thought so.

...I guessed it, didn’t I?

Now that I have a COMP, I can see it... This is why rumors of the judgement day spread.

The day the number runs out... That’s the day this mission will end in failure.

Hmm... Well, now. It seems you have one day fewer than everyone else...

Haha... You don’t beat around the bush, do you? That death clock has been a real pain...

I’m sorry, but there’s no time to waste treading lightly.

Let’s not mince words: this death clock means you’re all going to die tomorrow, yes?

...No. We’re going to survive, whatever it takes.

The death clock can be changed depending on what we do. Though it’s not easy...

But we’ve changed it before, and we’ll change it again.

Good to hear. If you all died, this conversation would be for nothing...

Haha... The mission before everything, huh? I dunno... But I’ll let it slide for you.

Oh, by the way, not everyone can see the death clock.

When you form a group, only the one holding the host COMP can access that function.

Though since you’re on your own right now, that’s not a problem for you...

I see... Thanks for the tip.

But... If the death clock is accurate and hard to change, our mission’s doomed to fail.

Damn... We have to avoid that at all costs.

Oh, sorry... Is there anything else you want to know?

That’s... something I’d rather not answer, but if I must...

Okay, stay calm and listen. After two days, everyone left in the Yamanote circle...

...will be annihilated.

Wha--?

...I can understand if it’s hard to believe. But it’s the truth.

The people within the Yamanote circle will be annihilated at the hands of the government.

Yeah, there’s no way they’d... I mean, how could they kill that many people?

What, are they going to nuke it from orbit or something, like in the movies?

Nothing like that... We can’t destroy any more of Tokyo than absolutely necessary.

Killing everyone while leaving Tokyo intact... Are they gonna use a neutron bomb?

Neutron radiation is lethal while minimizing structural damage, it’s true.

But it’s not fully effective amidst concrete, making it unsuitable for urban areas.

Then how are they gonna do it?

Then... How do they intend to do it?

Unfortunately, further details are classified. I can’t tell you that...

Then we can’t believe you! There is no such weapon... You’re trying to scare us.

Our security policy is strictly defensive. We must always be on guard against occupation.

The contingency plan involves many devices set up in Tokyo to take back our city...

They remain hidden in people’s daily lives... The government’s final option.

......! H-How did you find out about that...?

So it wasn’t going to be used on citizens... It was meant for invading armies!

But now... they’re planning to use it on us, huh?

Is this why there was that blackout the same time the lockdown started?

...I can’t answer that. I’m sorry, but I’ve said all I can on the subject.

Don’t tell me... The PSE law. The UEM Field...

......! H-How did you find out about that...?

...Yeah.

We don’t have the facts yet, but I don’t think she’s lying. We’ll have to believe it...

B-But... is this ”final option” really going to take care of the demons?

If the government goes that far and they don’t all die, won’t it all be for nothing?

Y-Yeah! Saying, ”We sacrificed everyone, but it didn’t work, whoopsie!” isn’t gonna cut it!

...Indeed, we won’t know for certain.

Commander...

In truth, we don’t have any conclusive evidence that our final option will do its job.

But it’s the best chance we have...

At the very least, it’ll wipe out the COMPs and the demon tamers...

But I want you to understand...

We’re working hard to finish this mission without resorting to the final option.

Yes. But Captain Izuna... What good can this knowledge do them?

Maybe none... But I want to believe in them.

You’ve seen the reports on their actions that the others compiled, haven’t you?

Yes... There’s no mistake as to their intentions. Still...

So the government has no plans to let people in the Yamanote circle out of the lockdown...

Don’t be so hasty. As I said before, that’s the last-ditch, final option.

We’re doing our best to end this without resorting to it.

...Thank you.

But...

That option is out there. In the worst case scenario, we’ll all die. Isn’t that so?

......

Yeah...

That option is out there. In the worst case scenario, we’ll all die. Isn’t that so?

Yes... That’s right.

What a load of crap!

If nothing changes in the next two days, everyone in this lockdown will be murdered!

Don’t they know how many of us are left inside here...?

How can a government kill its own citizens that easily?

You think it was easy?

Can you imagine the burden this country is facing by locking down Tokyo for this long?

Tokyo is the axis that Japan revolves around... The economy, the government, everything!

And all that is locked down!

But... still...! Why do we have to die too?

If demons were used throughout Japan in crimes and terrorist attacks, what would happen?

We’d be powerless to stop it. The police, the SDF... Everyone would be helpless!

To save the country, it may become necessary to ravage its capital.

I need you to understand that!

Th-Then at least extend the deadline! What can we do in just two days?

Think carefully... As of now, no demons have crossed the blockades.

But tomorrow, who knows? And it’s not just demons. If one COMP makes it out, we fail.

No... A week is too long for the lockdown as it is.

If we really wanted to be sure, we’d have exercised the final option at once.

Yet the government dispatched us here. Think hard about what that means.

I can’t guarantee anything, but there must be a way to save everyone.

We volunteered for this mission because we believed that...

Of all the... How can you joke about that? I don’t know how you can take it so lightly...

There must be a way to save everyone... That’s why we volunteered for this mission.