Halloween Castle (Ch4-6)

=====4=====

Momoko
.....

-Flashback-

Kaede
"Sugar skeletons" are...
something we give to Kanagi-san after engraving "how we want to be mourned" on them...

-End Flashback-

Momoko
(I don't know why, but Kanagi-san...)
(wants to know "how everyone wants to be mourned...")

-Flashback-

Kaede
But some girls received them from Kanagi-san, too...

Momoko
Did she tell them "if you were mourned properly, give them back"...?

Rena
...Now that you mention it, she may have said something like that.

Momoko
So, which girls were those?

Kaede
I don't know...all of them were girls I'd never seen before...

Momoko
(It's the same as Kanae-san, then...)


Kanae
The lord of the castle said "if you are mourned properly, give it back."
It's what I was told...
But, I don't understand...
Whether it's done properly, or how to give it back...

-End Flashback-

Momoko
(...Kanae-san was a recipient.)

[Kaede said she saw
"unfamiliar girls" receiving them...
...So is it too much of a stretch
to think that means girls who used to be mahou shoujo?]

[But, if that's true,
the girls Kanagi-san gave them to
must have been girls that already died.
It's all I can think of...]

[So they're probably supposed to
"give the sugar skeletons back"
if they're being mourned properly, but...?]

-Flashback-

Ryou
Everything about this is meaningless, it's nonsense!
"Ask the dead whether or not you're mourning them properly." That's insane!

-End Flashback-

Momoko
(...Well, I guess that's right.)
(Dead people...can't tell you anything...)
(And all the dead girls I've met so far...)
(They seemed somehow wrong, too...)
(I wasn't close with any of those girls, so I can't say for sure...)
(But what I do know for certain...)

-Flashback-

Rena
Wonder if it's because of the bite... My magic is being taken little by little.
The castle...it seems to need magic power to maintain itself...

-End Flashback-

Momoko
(...Is that if I don't hurry, everyone is in danger...!)
(Plus the adjustment I received won't last much longer...)
...Damn...
(To know "how a person wants to be mourned...")
(What you're doing is putting all of your living friends in danger...!)
...I have to be a little harsh and hit her to snap her out of it.

Momoko
Eh...Meru?
She's gone...
.....
Meru...
(There's no mistaking it...)
(If I talk to Meru...I might figure out why they seem wrong...)
Wait up...!

===4.1===

Sayuki
Add the sugar~♪ Mix in water~♪ Let's knead~♪

Mayu
Make a shape~♪ Decorate it~♪ With a flower~♪

Ria
It's a sugar skeleton~♪

Manaka
And•now•we•are•done♪

Tsumugi
Thanks for the meeeal!

Manaka
Please don't eat it!

Momoko
(...The Mizuna girls are all fine here I see...)

Manaka
It's only made with sugar and water, so it isn't that delicious.

Tsumugi
You don't know that unless you eat it!

Manaka
They were never for eating in the first place!

Tsumugi
Ehhh...

Mayu
Huhu...
Once we give these ones to the lord of the castle,
why don't we make "sugar skeletons" that we can deliciously enjoy?

Tsumugi
Agreed! If you'd please, Manaka!

Manaka
Understood.
I'll make them, so let's engrave first.

[In front of my grave,
please serve Manaka's food.
    Wakana Tsumugi]

Tsumugi
Here, all done!

Sayuki
That was so faaast~
Sayuki, can't decide at aaall~

Ria
Hu huun! When it comes to speed, I certainly won't lose either!
To be precise...
If I die, thou shalt mourn me spectacularly.

[Release a video showcasing my success as a model
and give anyone that brings offerings all the pickup photos
from the magazines that have published my work!
Make one album and distribute it!]

Manaka
...You want to stand out even after you're dead.

Ria
Naturally of course! I will always stand out.

Momoko
.....
(They won't notice me with all this fussing.)
(Let's get out of here quickly...)

Sayuki
Mayu-chan have anythiiing~?

Mayu
I...can't really think of anything...
I get scared just thinking about dying...

Sayuki
Hau...
You're, right about thaaat~...Sayuki understands how you feel.

Mayu
That's why, I really do think Ria-chan is amazing...
To be able to properly accept it and think it through like that...

===4.2===

Natsuki
Huu~ I'm safe, I was able to hand it over!

Kako
Now the only thing left to do is have fun for Halloween!

Natsuki
I'm glad we brought our costumes we used last time!

Ayaka
Then~ right here...
One Halloween gag!

Shizuku
You're abrupt as usual...

Ayaka
Halloween...Halloween...Halloween...
Hallooo! Hallooo! Ween ween weeeen!
WEEN WEEN WEEEEN! HALLO WWE WE WE WE WE WEEEN!

Kako
.....

Shizuku
.....

Ayaka
See, in this gag...
I'm saying "hello" and imitating a robot at the same time.
What do you think?

Kako
.....

Natsuki
Well...when I was in elementary school,
Onii-chan did something like that, I guess...?

Shizuku
...That is certainly what elementary students would do.

Ayaka
Eh! It's a rerun!?
Okay, scratch that! That one doesn't count!
I'll think of another one, just wait!

Kako
.....

Natsuki
Kako? Heeey, what's wrong?

Kako
Ah...! I was trying to figure out how to react...

Momoko
.....
(Definitely looks like everyone is finished here.)
.....
(I need to hurry and chase after Meru...)

===4.3===

Blue Mahou Shoujo
As I thought, her selfishness hasn't changed...

Pink Mahou Shoujo
She hasn't changed since then.

Momoko
(One girl who was a mahou shoujo in the east... and one who I don't recognize.)
(Those two girls must also already be dead...)

Blue MS
The lord of the castle always thinks she is right.

Pink MS
She always thought she was right.
She doesn't know what to do any more, which is why she's doing this.

Blue MS
It's true, she was always arrogant and selfish.

Pink MS
Is that sooo...? I don't think she's arrogant at aaalll...
Really, I think she's pitiful.

Blue MS
Pitiful...?

Pink MS
The lord of the castle thought to herself, "my eyes said so..." Huhu...

Blue MS
You really think she's "pitiful?" Why do you think that?

Pink MS
Who knows...? Maybe the lord of the castle made it all up in her head?
Nobody will ever know the truth now, after all! Not ever!

Blue MS
Huhu... She really is selfish after all.

Pink MS
Perhaps...aha...huhuhu...

Momoko
(Selfish...)
(Who exactly, is thinking that...?)

Blue MS
Huh... That girl, she hasn't been bitten...

Pink MS
What do we do? Catch her?

Blue MS
It can't be helped. Let's catch her and take her...

Momoko
...I was found...

===4.4===

Blue & Pink
.....

Momoko
(Pray...)
.....

Blue MS
.....

Momoko
As I thought, they disappeared...
("My eyes said so...")
(It's as if she's not even talking about herself...)
.....
Anyway, let's look for Meru...

===4.5===

Momoko
Meru!

Meru
Crap! Momoko-san!

Momoko
"Crap"...? That's one heck of a way to greet someone.

Meru
Because... now that I've found you,
I have to take you away, don't I?

Momoko
...You mean to Kanagi-san?

Meru
That's right!
I can't stand just doing whatever Kanagi-san wants me to.
I was trying not to find you, but it's ruined!

Momoko
(...was Meru always like this...?)
(My impression of her was...)

-Flashback (Mikazuki Manor)-

Momoko
Good afternoooon.

Meru
Ah, Momoko-san!
Please listen to this!
At school today there was something really amazing!

-End Flashback-

Momoko
(She smiled a lot more? Or, like...)
(She was more friendly then...)

Meru
What is it? You're staring...

Momoko
(But, I can't just say...that this isn't Meru...)
(It is Meru, but...something is different...)
(It's not the Meru I knew and kept in contact with...)

Meru
U, umm...please say something.
You're like Kanagi-san five seconds before a lecture, it's scaring me...!

Momoko
Ah...

-Flashback (Park)-

Meru
Crap! Kanagi-san!

Kanagi
Saying "crap" the moment you see a person's face isn't a nice greeting, you know?

Meru
Momoko-san! You have to hide me!

Momoko
No, I think you've been found already.

Meru
Ku...what are you doing in a place like this?

Kanagi
I was looking for Anna.

Meru
...For me?

Kanagi
I heard from the teacher you were skipping lessons.

Meru
That teacher's got quite some nerve too, ratting me out to you...

Kanagi
You're going back to school and getting lectured on the way.

Meru
I HATE IIIT! LEEET MEEE GOOO PLEEASE!

-End Flashback-

Momoko
(...That's right, this is the Meru that was with Kanagi-san...)
(Meru was always a little more bratty and pouty...)
(with Kanagi-san...)

Meru
I hate to do this, but...
Since I found you I'm going to be taking you.

Momoko
...Thanks, but I'll be going on my own.

Meru
Unfortunately that won't be happening...
I'll tie you up and bring you to her...!

Momoko
.....
Alright...come on!

===4.6===

Meru
Ah...ku...
Ha...ahaha... It seems, I lost...

Momoko
...Meru.
Why is Kanagi-san doing this...?
Why does she want to know "how you want to be mourned...?"
This isn't just the influence of a witch...

Meru
.....
...It's because she doesn't know.

Momoko
...?

Meru
Even though doing something like this...
Asking the past for an answer... It'll never tell her anything...

Momoko
...The past.

Meru
Kanagi-san's also, so stupid...

Momoko
(Stupid, huh...)

-Flashback (Riverbed)-

Meru
Kanagi-san is so stupid! Uhh...stuupid! Stuupid!

Kanagi
...Such foul language. Did you need more lectures?

-End Flashback-

Momoko
(She couldn't think of anything else and just kept repeating that...)
The reason you're feeling out of place, I understand now.
Right now, the Meru here...is the Meru that Kanagi-san knew.
You're not real, but rather the Meru that's inside of Kanagi-san's memories.
I wonder, maybe that's the case for the other deceased girls...

Meru
What makes you think that...?

Momoko
The Meru that I remember seeing,
wasn't so bratty and pouty all the time.

Meru
.....

Momoko
But...
To Kanagi-san, Meru was always bratty and pouting...

Meru
Did I really seem that different in Momoko-san's eyes?

Momoko
Rather than different...
Compared to what you showed to Kanagi-san,
you showed a slightly different side of yourself when you stayed at Mikazuki Manor.

Meru
...That is the real me.

Momoko
No, they're both Meru.
How unexpected, to learn a new side of my friend like this...

Meru
.....
Is, that so...

Momoko
...Well then, Meru.

Meru
Yes.

Momoko
.....
.....
You acted bratty around her because you were so dependent on her.
That's how it looked to me, but... Kanagi-san, did you ever notice, I wonder...
.....
(Next time, Kanagi-san, let's talk about Meru together.)


=====5=====

Momoko
This is...

Kanagi
Glad you could join me.

Momoko
...Kanagi-san.
.....
To think that even someone like Kanagi-san would be manipulated by a witch,
and put everyone in danger...!

Kanagi
...Mu? But I haven't become manipulated?

Momoko
You imprisoned everyone in this incomprehensible place,
and you're stealing magic from all of them...!!
You did this even while sane...?

Kanagi
Mhm.

Momoko
...You're lying.

Kanagi
This is the only way to know if we are mourning properly.
Also...
I unfortunately havn't reached it myself...
So, I have no choice but to continue until I can mourn properly.

Momoko
Is that, something you had to get everyone involved in?

Kanagi
Of course.

Momoko
(She's lost her mind after all.)
(She's definitely been influenced by a witch.)
(It might be hard to tell what Kanagi-san's thinking a lot of the time, but...)
You wouldn't put your companions in danger for your own selfish reasons.

Kanagi
What are you talking about?

Momoko
I'm talking about knocking you down and waking you up!

Kanagi
Ho...? You seem quite confident...
In that case...

Kanagi
First they will be your opponents.

Momoko
Wha...! Even the girls that got their sanity back...!

Karin
They were just on a break you see!
It's time to continue the fun fun Halloween...
Togame-senpai will be bitten by the lord of the castle too!

Momoko
Karin-chan...
...No, I've made it this far.
Adjuster entrusted her "prayer power" to me...
No matter how many times it takes, I'll wake you up!
And, next is Kanagi-san!

Kanagi
Hm.
If you can handle the rest of these girls, I'll face you.
However, don't be too rough on them.
I don't want to hurt them either.

===5.1===

Karin
Uu...

Momoko
.....
For now...if I keep this up...
(There's a lot of them, but...they're not as strong as usual.)
(That's helped me out a lot...)
(No...)

-Flashback-

Kanagi
However, don't be too rough on them.
I don't want to hurt them either.

-End Flashback-

Momoko
(Was she telling the truth...?)
(What she's doing is full of contradictions, but...)
(She hasn't noticed she's being influenced by a witch...?)

Kanagi
You endured, then...

Momoko
...Kanagi-san.
Next I'm knocking sense back into you!
Then...everyone will be saved!

Kanagi
Hm. A promise is a promise...
I will be your opponent.

===5.2===

Momoko
AAAAHH!

Kanagi
Hu.
A half-hearted attack like that won't work.

Momoko
I know that!
You'd better not hold anything back,
and come cryin' to me about it later, either...
ALRIGHT!!

Kanagi
Your concern is unnecessary. If you think I'm going to lose...
I WON'T!!

Momoko
Guaa!?
Haa...haa...
(I know she's strong, but this is more than usual...)
(But...)

Kanagi
What's wrong? Surrendering already?

Momoko
Ha...just needed to take a little breather.
You're not as unfazed as you look either, right...?

Kanagi
Huhu...perhaps...

Momoko
(Just as I expected...)
(...I'll have to focus all of my magic into the prayer...)

Kanagi
---!?
Dammit, did I play around too much...!? Before you do that...

Momoko
No, it's too late!
With this...RETURN TO NORMAAAAL!!
...Haa...haa...
Well...? Did I do it...?

Kanagi
.....

Momoko
I won...
...Kanagi-san, are you alright...?

Kanagi
.....
...Uu...Togame...

Momoko
Kanagi-san...!

Kanagi
I am...

Momoko
...You were being manipulated by a witch.
But, it looks like the adjuster's prayer power she gave me worked after all.
I'm glad you're back to normal...

Kanagi
Is that so...
...Uu...

Momoko
Kanagi-san...!?

Kanagi
Togame...
That power of prayer doesn't seem to work on me.

Momoko
Eh...?

[*Chomp...*]

Momoko
---!?
(She bit me...!)

Kanagi
How unfortunate for you.

Momoko
No, way...

Kanagi
Come...let's enjoy Halloween together.

[No... I was so close...]
[In a place like this...]
[Damn, it...
If this happens...
Ev,eryone will...]

=====6=====

???
[I'm, not exactly fond of them...]

Momoko
[...Who?]

???
[Anniversaries of friends passing away, Obon... and after that, Halloween too.]

Momoko
[...I don't recognize this voice.]

Kanagi
[Halloween, too?]

Momoko
[This voice, is Kanagi-san...?]

???
[Halloween is another day when the dead return to us... or so I've heard, at least?]

Kanagi
[...Is that so?]

???
[Yes.]

Kanagi
[...Why do you only come to meet me on those days?]

???
[Because you don't look the slightest bit sad, Kanagi-san. Not at all.]

???
[...Appearances aside, I am at least intending to mourn... Do you mean that my way of mourning is wrong...?]

???
[That's not it... I don't mean that you're not trying to mourn. It's just that "I can't tell that you are"...]

???
[...It's assuring to me.]

???
[It tells me that mourning isn't just about shedding tears. It'd be sad if that's all you did...]

???
[Seeing you helps assure me that I don't have to force myself to cry.]

Kanagi
[.....]
[But, in the end...doesn't that mean...]

Momoko
That the way I mourn... is wrong?
.....
Just now...was that Kanagi-san's memories...?
Besides, where am I...? This isn't the castle I was in before...?
Is it because I was bitten...?
.....
(No, wait, that's right. The others said that after they were bitten,)
(they were still vaguely conscious...)
(...At the end, did something happen after I used the prayer power...?)
.....
Wa...!?
(Something over there, is bright...)
Let's take a look over there...

===6.1===

-Past (School)-

Meru
Ah...

Kanagi
Why are you, trying to escape after just meeting me.

Meru
Because, Kanagi-san is always lecturing me!

Kanagi
I imagine that's because you keep citing your fortune-telling results as a reason to skip school...
And then you try to escape from the make-up classes for the days you skipped.

Meru
...U.
But, you see!
That's just how crucial my fortune-telling results are to me!

Kanagi
Is it.

Meru
It is!

Kanagi
.....

Meru
What is it? You're looking really closely at me.

Kanagi
Today there's no need to lecture you.
I'd like to hear how you're doing every once in a while.

Meru
Eh...?
What's wrong?
Did you eat some bad food?

Kanagi
No matter where you go, your bad-mouthing never ceases...
I was just curious if you were doing well at Mikazuki Manor.
Even though you were placed in Nanami's care, you're still a mahou shoujo of the east.

Meru
.....
Hu hu hu, geeze, Kanagi-san,
if you're worried about me, you can just say so!
It's fine!
I'll talk about Mikazuki Manor as much as you want!

Kanagi
[Ahh...]

-Present-

Momoko
You really do sound happy, talking about Mikazuki Manor.
I'm glad I let them take you in...
.....
Meru and Kanagi-san's memories...
(Really sorry if it looks like I'm peeping...)

===6.2===

-Past (Graveyard)-

Kanagi
.....
Anna.
You became a witch and died, I heard...
You were protecting Nanami, from the sound of it...
..........

[...Was my judgement at that time correct...?]
[If I had kept her close by... without leaving her to Nanami...]

-Present-

Momoko
No... I suppose anything I could say now would be pointless...
.....
..........
Meru...
(I see...)
(Meru was a close companion... to Kanagi-san, too...)
(That's, the truth...)
(Why hadn't I ever thought about that,)
(when it was something so simple?)

===6.3===

-Past (Park)-

Pink Girl
...Kanagi-san...I'm sorry, for calling you here so late...

Kanagi
No, I told you "I will help any time."
What happened...?

Girl
.....
A while ago, the girl from the west that died...she was my friend.

Kanagi
She was...?

Girl
You didn't know, right...? Because I hid it from you...

Kanagi
......

Girl
And on that day too, we were really hunting witches...
In Chuo ward...because it's neutral...
But, while we were chasing it, it fled to the west...
Since there's the territory problem...

Kanagi
.....

Girl
But, we have to protect everyone in this town...
Since that's the mission of mahou shoujo, she went alone...
I was afraid that people would look at me coldly, just because I'm from the east...
I couldn't go with her...
If I went with her, she...
She wouldn't have died...

Kanagi
.....

[I couldn't speak.]
["It's not your fault" is the only thing I could think...]
[But, I couldn't even put that into words...]
["If these stupid territories didn't exist...!"
"The history of the east and west has nothing to do with us!"
...As she tearfully said those things,
all I could do was stay by her side until she stopped...]

Girl
.....
Thank you so much, for talking and listening to me...

Kanagi
No.
.....
Take this.

Girl
...A grief seed?

Kanagi
You must be tired. Right now, you should go rest.

Girl
.....Yes.

[At that time, at the end, why did she smile? I don't know...]
[What I do know is she became a witch a few days later...]
[And, I guess she never did use that grief seed...]
[And, lastly...]

-Present-

Momoko
I know that I was unable to reach her heart and comfort her...
If only I could've understood her feelings, then.....
.....
The reason she smiled at the end, was...
.....
Because she knew you were trying to reach her... I'm sure of it...

===6.4===

-Past (Restaurant)-

Kanagi
...Is that so? Yukino-kun really died?

Yachiyo
Yeah... I thought I should at least let you know.

Kanagi
.....

[I can't say that I was close to Yukino-kun at all.]
[From our first encounter... I imagine she couldn't have had a worse view of me.]
[After all, she had just become a mahou shoujo.
I saw her as an enemy that was destroying my territory and chased her off...]
[I only ever talked to Yukino-kun properly after she settled down at Mikazuki Manor.]
[Including the time when I went to apologize with Nanami as a mediator, I can count our interactions on just my hands.]

-Past (Mikazuki)-

Kanagi
What I did at that time, is most regrettable.

Kanae
.....

Kanagi
I don't mean to make excuses for myself. I'm sorry.

Kanae
.....
...Forget it, I really don't care anymore...

Kanagi
.....

Kanae
Thanks to you, I was able to meet...Yachiyo and the others...
So...
Really, stop worrying about it...

Kanagi
...Sorry.

Kanae
.....

-Past (Restaurant)-

Kanagi
...My condolences.

Yachiyo
Huh...?

Kanagi
I, didn't really know Yukino-kun.
But... I hope she can be at peace...

Yachiyo
Kanagi...thank you.

Kanagi
...Mm?

Yachiyo
For mourning her, thank you.

Kanagi
.....

[The only words I could get out were the customary ones, and that's what she said in response.]

-Present-

Momoko
What was the correct way to accept this?
In the first place, do I even qualify to receive those words...?
.....
(There's some things you just can't put into words,)
(even though you want to convey them more properly...)

===6.5===

-Past (Stores)-

Girl
Huh? Kanagi-san, good day.

Kanagi
Hm, good day to you.

Girl
...What are you doing with those flowers?

Kanagi
It's because today is Ohigan.
I'm going to go greet the eastern mahou shoujo that passed away.
Perhaps, if you have the time, would you join me?

Girl
...Umm...that's really nice of you to invite me...
Sorry.
I, decided that I'm not going to go visit the graves.

Kanagi
...Why is that?

Girl
...I want to cherish the people that are still alive, rather than those that are gone.
It's not good to be attached to the dead.
If I die, instead of coming to my grave,
I'd rather you enjoy your time with the living.

Kanagi
...Is that so.

Girl
Ah, but...
It's not like visiting graves is a bad thing...
It's just... my personal belief?

Kanagi
...Every person has their own way of thinking, you know.

Girl
Yeah!
So, I'm really sorry about today...
Oh but, if you want we can have tea together next time?
We should chat while we're still alive!

Kanagi
Sure. Well then, until next time.

[With a smile on her face, she left. Now she isn't here anymore...]
[But...I have never once visited her grave.]
[I don't think her viewpoint was wrong.]
[I don't think that, but...]

-Present-

Momoko
I just... couldn't find myself relating to it.
.....
..........

===6.6===

-Past (Graveyard)-

Girl
*Hiccup*...*Sniffle*...

Kanagi
.....

[Another mahou shoujo died in the east.]
[She was usually working in combination with others, but she went into a barrier alone to save people.]
[Her partner came running to cheer her on...]
[And, I just happened to be nearby and entered the barrier.]
[I was already too late...]

Kanagi
.....

Girl
...Kanagi-san.

Kanagi
...What.

Girl
Right now, I'm...very sad.
I don't want to move...I don't want to leave...I'm too sad...

Kanagi
Yeah.

[Her words sounded like resentment towards me, for being nearby yet still not making it in time...]
[Standing and accepting it was the least I could do, as I couldn't protect her despite being leader of the east.]
[That's what I thought.]
[However...]

Girl
Even though... I'm so sad right now... So sad...
I'm sure one day I'll forget...

Kanagi
.....

Girl
I loved her...she was my precious partner...
This horrible, sad feeling...will shrink away...
Why is that...?

Kanagi
...That...
.....

Girl
If I also...die...what will happen...?
You'll feel sad at first too...
You'll leave behind the fact that you were sad... and you'll leave me...
...I don't like that...
I hate it, why...can't I stay sad...
I don't want to leave her behind...!

Kanagi
.....

[I couldn't, say a single word...]
[I couldn't, answer her...]
[I couldn't even say any baseless words like "it'll be okay"...]

-Present-

Momoko
.....
...There's no answer you can give to sadness...

===6.7===

-Past (City Night)-

Kanagi
...Finally, the Halloween party will be the day after tomorrow...
---!?
.....
What...?
(Just now, there was a witch's presence...)
(And, for a moment I was being dragged into a barrier...)
...
Something, on my neck...

-Present-

Momoko
Uwa!?
W, what...?
(What I saw, just now...was different from the rest...?)

===6.8===

Momoko
This is a dead end...
Wa!?

-Past (Maid Cafe)-

Kanagi
Day of the Dead?

Manager
Right!
I'm thinking we'll give this year's Halloween a bit of a Day of the Dead vibe.

Momoko
[This...is also, Kanagi-san's memory...]

Kanagi
...Mm?
Day of the Dead and Halloween are different?

Manager
They're similar, but yeah.
The Day of the Dead is mainly celebrated in Latin America, but...
One of its main characteristics is that it doesn't treat "death" as a bad thing.

Kanagi
Ohh...

Manager
So, the Day of the Dead is a day that both the dead and the living can enjoy.

Kanagi
The dead and the living...
Could you tell me more details about it?

Manager
Of course!

Kanagi
...There are still so many cultural values I don't understand...

Manager
I know, right? Japanese Obon is also nice, but I like this sort of thing too.
It's nice to experience things you don't understand, isn't it.

Kanagi
...Hm, I think so too.

[However...]
[No, that is why...I don't understand.]
[There are many ways to face death, and also many ways to accept death.]
[No one value is right or wrong...]
[In that case, visiting your grave to mourn and pray...
On the anniversary of your passing, on Obon, all those days designated to mourn death...]
[Is that correct?]
[Isn't it annoying, having people visit your grave over and over?]
[Is it all just for my sake?]
[Visiting all these comrades that I didn't protect, who I did nothing for...]
[Am I just shoving my ego onto them...?]
[.....]
[I am...]

-Present-

Momoko
I... know nothing of people's hearts, after all.
.....
...Kanagi-san.

-Flashback-

Kanae
The lord of the castle said "if you are mourned properly, give it back."
It's what I was told...

-End Flashback-

Momoko
The reason she gave the deceased girls those "sugar skeletons",
and asked them "have you been mourned correctly..."
It's because she isn't confident in how she mourns...
(And she wanted to ask her still-living friends what they would want...)
(...Just in case.)
But...

-Flashback-

Meru
Even though doing something like this...
Asking the past for an answer... It'll never tell her anything...

-End Flashback-

Momoko
Those that are dead aren't coming back...
Meru and the others...

[Those I didn't know from long ago,
those girls from the east that disappeared...]

Momoko
Everyone, they're all Kanagi-san's memories...
(I don't have the answer because I'm not one of them...)

-Flashback-

Ryou
Tell Kanagi-san that she "thinks too much..."
She really does know... The only answer Kanagi-san's gonna find is inside herself.

-End Flashback-

Momoko
.....
(I've just had a long association with Kanagi-san.)
(I'm not close enough that we could talk about what we're scared of, or what we really think...)
(But, now I do know what to say.)
I have to go back...
.....
.....
...Kanagi-san.

Kanagi
...Ohh, how stubborn.

Momoko
Why, you asked everyone "how they want to be mourned..."
I finally understand...

Kanagi
.....

Momoko
You weren't confident in how you mourn others...

Kanagi
...Hm. By all means, you too...
tell me "how you want to be mourned."

Momoko
I refuse!

Kanagi
Mm...?

Momoko
Now that I understand I ain't telling you!

Kanagi
...Oh?

Momoko
Kanagi-san, this time, I'm returning your sanity.

Kanagi
It'll be the same result no matter how many times you try...

Momoko
No way! This time I'm not losing.
Because I have a prayer to give to you, this time!

===6.9===

Kanagi
Really, you're stubborn... Aren't you, already...at your limit...?

Momoko
...Haa...
But, there's something I have to...tell you.
You're "thinking too much...!" Kanagi-san is, thinking too much...!

Kanagi
.....

Momoko
After all, Kanagi-san, haven't you realized this yourself?

Kanagi
What do, you mean...?

Momoko
There are many ways to face death, and also many ways to accept death.
You already realized, didn'tcha?

Kanagi
...Yes. That's why I am trying to mourn properly...

Momoko
That's exactly what's wrong...!

Kanagi
What...?

Momoko
Everyone mourns in their own way.
So,
You can mourn in whatever way you want to. That's fine!

Kanagi
---!?

Momoko
Praying to the dead is also for the sake of those they left behind.
It can be a way of comforting yourself! It can be your own ego! Whatever!

Kanagi
...That's, all wrong.
I couldn't do anything at all. At the very least, I have to mourn in the way they'd...

Momoko
It's not wrong!
The way you mourn, the way you grieve...
The way Kanagi-san does it is fine.
You accepted everyone else's way of mourning, of grieving...
So just accept your own mourning, your grief-- your own prayers to the dead, too!
Just accept yourself...!

Kanagi
.....
...Huhu...I'm such a mess, really...how unsightly...

Momoko
Someone that faced death, that tried to mourn, is never ugly.

Kanagi
.....Hu...
Is that so...

Momoko
Yeah.

Kanagi
.....
...Togame.
"Prayer power," was it? Try it one more time.

Momoko
On Kanagi-san?

Kanagi
Yeah.
When your 'prayer power' weakens the witch's power, tear the witch off.

Momoko
Tear it off...

Kanagi
It's small and you can't see it, but it's a small parasite on my neck...

Momoko
...That, will hurt when I pull it off...

Kanagi
It's no problem.
I want to take responsibility for all of my mistakes and end this.

Momoko
...Got it. Here we go.
(Please...)
(Having faced the dead with all of her heart, I pray that Kanagi-san's feelings...)
(will be protected...)

Kanagi
u...AAaAAAAHH...!!

[*Rip...!!*]

Kanagi
Haa...Gu...
Now that it's torn off... it can't do anything, eh...?
Well then...!!

Momoko
You beat it...?

Kanagi
There's no sign of it, right?

Momoko
.....
Yeah, nothing.

Kanagi
...You want to escape?
This space is made up of the witch's and my power combined.
Now that one part is missing it shouldn't last long.

Momoko
That's right, and we should take everyone else, too...

Kanagi
Ah...
.....

Momoko
Kanagi-san.

Kanagi
Yeah, let's pray...

Kanagi & Momoko
.....
..........

Kanagi
...Togame, I've been an annoyance but I have one more request.

Momoko
What...?

Kanagi
I want you to go with me to visit the graves.
With you, who told me I can mourn in my own way.
I want you to see me mourn everyone.

Momoko
...Of course.
Let's get out of here, calm down, and we'll go together.

Kanagi
You have my gratitude.

-Two days later-

Momoko
Sorry for the wait.

Kanagi
Hm, then shall we go?

Momoko
Hold on, before that...
I know I said what I did back then, but now that you're okay, I want you to hear this.

Kanagi
What is it?

Momoko
If, by chance...
I were to die first, I want Kanagi-san to mourn in your own way.

Kanagi
...Hm. I'll remember.
I would like you to do the same.

Momoko
Yeah, I'll remember too.

Kanagi
...Huhu.

Momoko
Ahaha.
Well, finding a way to survive with everyone is still our top priority, though!

Kanagi
Hm, without a doubt.
Then, once again, shall we go?

Momoko
Yeah!