Is Kuroha gone today? She wasn't here yesterday, either.
She seems to be absent a lot for someone who just transferred in.
Kuroha...
What happened?
You're covered in bandages!
Whoa.
Kuroha, what happened?
A cold.
Don't gimme that! There's no way that's a cold!
I'm fine. I can still go to the ocean.
In the end, Kuroha never told me how she got hurt.
And the next day, she didn't come to school.
Death Suppressants
Neko! Neko! Hang in there! Neko!
I knew there was something going on!
Neko! Neko! Answer me! Neko!
Kuroha...
Kuroha! What's going on? Stay with us!
Hey! Are you okay?
Please... take me to... the kitchen... in the back...
In that cupboard...
We witches have to take these pills...
...called death suppressants, every day, or we'll die.
If we don't take them for 30 hours, our skin starts to split...
Then blood pours out from all over our bodies.
At 35 hours, our organs melt, and we die.
We have ten pills: enough to last the two of us for five days.
These pills are our life itself.
She was forcing herself not to take one until the last second...
I tried to save up, but it doesn't look like I'll make it to the ocean in eight days.
All because I went and invited her to the ocean...
Don't worry. I took a pill, so if I get some sleep, I'll be good as new.
And it's not your fault.
I wanted to see the ocean...
Somehow, I feel like I really wanted to go a long time ago...
Where's Neko?
She's sleeping in the kitchen.
Where can you get those pills?
They're probably nowhere except at the lab we were at.
But we escaped in transit, so we don't know where the lab is.
Oh...
We've only got five days left to live.
So I have a favor to ask you. For these last five days, please bring us cake.
I gotta clean up.
Hot water...
What are you doing?
Feeling better already?
I'm fine. When we take the death suppressant, the wounds heal up right away.
I see. Kana said, "If you don't have anything to do, cut some firewood," so...
Hey...
That's... way too much firewood. We won't be able to use it up.
It's not like it's set in stone that they're going to die.
If we can just find a way to get more pills...
Hey! There's smoke coming from the house!
Why's it on fire?!
I was boiling water.
I'll get Kana out! You blow the kitchen up and put out the fire!
What's the deal with this smoke?!
Kana! We're getting out of here!
Hey!
Don't use this as an excuse to grope my boobs!
Shut up! Gah, how can you be this heavy when you don't even have any boobs?!
Kuroha... Did she manage? Let's go.
Wow, the fire's already out.
I'm sorry.
Did something happen?
Kana, I'm so sorry. The pills all burned up.
You had your last one yesterday...
It's... It's my fault...
Don't cry, Neko.
Don't worry about it. I'm just gonna die a little faster, that's all.
But I don't want to go suffering as I melt.
So before that happens, kill me. Okay, Neko?
Crush me so I won't feel a thing.
Shit. Isn't there another way out of this? I gotta think of something.
We're still okay.
All we have to do is take some pills from Dresden Pharmaceutical's Takayama factory.
How do you know that?
I memorized the drug's identification code.
"DR" is for Dresden Pharmaceutical.
"623" is the drug type. "G" is the factory. For this maker, it's the Takayama one.
Is it normal to know that sort of thing?
It was written in a book about drugs I read one time.
I have a pretty good memory.
My brain records everything I see — even just once — like a scanner.
It's nothing compared to you guys, but I guess you could call it my special power.
But thanks to that, I can't even forget things I'd like to. It's rough.
That's nothing at all.
It's so much sadder to forget things you want to remember.
Well, yeah...
Hey.
What should we do now?
We don't have much time.
Let's look up the drug and factory on the observatory computer.
Want me to take her?
I'm fine. She's heavy.
Oh, but couldn't you just move her using your power to "carry" her?
Not possible. All I can do is break things.
If I touch people, my power can affect them, but I don't have fine control over it.
I see.
So you... beat me in arm-wrestling by...
We're lucky your arm didn't break, huh?
You weren't worried about it breaking?!
This is useless. There's no info about those pills.
But I figured out where the factory is. If we take a bus and a train, we can make it today.
Dresden Pharmaceutical Info Production QC PD Location: Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture Location: Kamo, Niigata Prefecture Location: Takayama, Gifu Prefecture Location: Kurayoshi, Tottori Prefecture
The problem is security.
In that case, let's call Kazumi.
Kazumi?
She's a friend who ran away with us.
Kazumi can do anything online.
It's thanks to her that I got into your school.
If we ask Kazumi, she might be able to lift the security.
But she's so expensive.
She makes you pay even though you're friends?
Not money. She takes death suppressants as compensation.
But that means you're exchanging your life for her help!
Kuroha and Kana sold chunks of their own lives to save mine.
But this time we don't have any pills to give her.
The only option is ask her to do it for some of the ones we'll get later.
CQ, CQ. Kazumi?
Kazumi, if you're there, please respond.
D'ya have to call me so casually?
If we hang around each other, we'll be easier to catch.
Kazumi, we want to ask you for another computer favor.
Huh? Fine, but you gotta pay upfront.
Sorry. We don't have any pills to pay with.
Kazumi?
Oh. I feel real bad for you, but I'm no volunteer.
Wait!
We're going to the factory where the drug is made. We'll pay you in pills when we get them.
So you want me to neutralize the security?
That's interesting. I'll do it!
In return, you gotta give me half the pills you steal.
Huh? Hey you, greedy much?!
Wha—? Who are you?!
Neko, Kana, did you get an outsider mixed up in this?!
You know what's gonna happen, right?! He'll get killed for sure!
I know that.
If you get it, that's fine.
More importantly, can you really lift the security?
Well, no human could do it, but I'm a witch.
I can crack their codes like they're nothing.
If that's true, her power could cause massive social unrest.
Neko, run!
What's wrong?
A forecast. Kana, what did you see?
Neko! Neko, you'll be killed!
You get cut in half!
Neko, you can't go to that factory!
There are signs that someone was searching for the drug's identification code.
From where?
In addition to spoofing the IP, they went through numerous anonymous, overseas proxies.
We won't be able to tell right away.
Oh, well. If we take care of them, it's over anyway.
Time to move out, Saori. Destroy the escapees without exception.
If you don't, you're the one who's gonna die.
Understood.
I'm... gonna die?
That's Saori. She must be waiting in ambush at the factory.
Saori! Isn't she a AA?
Huh? What's a AA?
Witches have ranks. The highest is AAA, lowest is C.
By the way, we're all B or under.
We were going to be disposed of, since we're defective.
Even with their powers, they're B-rank?
Saori is AA, a hybrid who can use two types of A magic.
She's not someone we can win against.
How often are Kana's forecasts correct?
If left alone, 100% of the time. But if we act, we can change the future.
If the forecast changes, I'll see the changed future.
If I don't see anything, the forecast hasn't changed.
But now, thanks to the forecast, we know there's an ambush.
We should definitely be able to change the future.
But if there's an enemy at the factory, they may have removed the drugs.
Hey, Kazumi. You still have pills, right?
Can't you share some with these guys?
Huh? How can you even say that?!
Are you telling me to speed up my death? This has nothing to do with you, so shut it!
It's okay.
They don't intend to let us live, so I don't think they'd bother removing the pills.
This factory really is our only shot...
So then, what kind of magic does Saori use?
The first type is slicing attack magic.
Anything within six meters gets cut to ribbons.
And the other is...
We've equipped your hahnest with a beacon.
If you make a move to escape, you'll be ejected and die.
So don't even think about it.
We can come up with all the plans we want, but the main issue is this Saori girl.
If you flip the switch on a witch's hahnest, she'll lose the ability to use magic.
"Hahnest"?
This machine.
There are three switches. On the bottom right is the "hang up" button.
If you push it, we lose the ability to use magic for a whole day.
On the bottom left is the "eject" button. If you push it, we die.
However, magic can't have any physical effect on a hahnest.
So, we can't flip or break the switches using magic.
So there's nothing to do but approach and flip it directly?
And what's the third switch?
We don't know.
All they told us is that it's something worse than death.
So everyone is too scared to flip it, and no one has ever seen it flipped.
A switch worse than death?
Well, now we know what we have to do.
It's no good. I can't see it.
Even though you're discussing the strategy, I'm not seeing a new future.
Neko, you really can't go! If you do, you'll get killed!
Will this guy die?
"This guy"?
He'll probably survive.
Like I'm not here?!
I see. Then that's fine. I'm sure we'll pull off the plan.
What kind of logic is that? There's no point in doing this if you die.
Hey.
I have a favor to ask you. Don't let Neko use too much magic.
If she does, her hahnest might hang up on its own.
And when Neko uses her powers, she loses things that are important to her.
Important things?
Hey.
It's already time for the train. If you don't leave now, you won't make it.
O-Okay.
Kana, hold on. We're gonna get those pills.
Careful out there, you two.
R-Right. Okay, let's go.
Sorry, Kana. I just don't have any pills to give you.
But I can't go dying before the operation starts at 12.
I'm counting on you, Neko.
What're you doing?
D-Don't look!
Drawing a picture or something?
Why would I be drawing a picture?
Well, you can't write, so...
Don't make fun of me! As long as it's in hiragana, I can write anything!
That's the factory.
Following the plan, you'll break in through the front door to draw Saori's attention.
I'll go in through the back, get behind Saori, and flip the switch on her hahnest.
If you encounter an enemy, make as much noise as possible so I can find you.
Okay?
Hey, I want you to do something for me.
When you get inside, read this letter.
Is this what you were writing before?
Please.
What's that all about?
It's almost time!
It's 12. We're counting on you, Kazumi!
Okay!
So Kuroha's on her way.
Oh, right. The letter.
That idiot!
Oh, no. This is bad.
What is?
There's no new forecast.
At this rate, Neko is gonna die.
Could she have meant to from the start?!
What kind of dumbass waltzes through the front door?
Long time no see, Neko. The defective witch who can't kill anybody.
I'll slice you to bits.
She...
I'll lure Saori away.
While I do that, please find the pills and run.
Please don't come to save me.
If I can use my life to save Kana and Kazumi,
my life doubles.
She was planning from the beginning to be a decoy and die alone.
Sure, if I do as she says, I can save Kana and Kazumi, no problem.
But does she really think I can leave her to die?!
What? What's wrong?
The forecast changed! Murakami is gonna die, too!
They'll both get killed!
Stop this! Why do we have to kill each other?
Kill "each other"? Don't be stupid.
This is a one-sided slaughter, from my side.
D-Dammit!
It's no use. There's nothing I can't cut.
It's fine if I get killed.
But I have keep her busy until he finds the pills.
Over there?
Oh, already done running?
Damn you!
You're hung up! Now you can't use any more magic.
So that's Saori.
Those are... Kuroneko's moles!
How? They weren't there before...
Oh! As she grew, the moles shifted from where they were when she was a kid.
She really is...
I'm so happy. Kuroneko is alive!
I'm coming, Kuroneko!
But why don't you remember me?
Don't let her use too much magic. She loses things that are important to her.
It's so much sadder to forget things you want to remember.
I see. The important things she loses are her memories.
That explains everything.
Well, she doesn't have to remember me.
We'll just make new memories of being together from now on!
Why? Why are you here? You'll get killed!
Begging for your life? Don't bother.
Run! Please!
Idiot.
I...
I... lost Kuroneko again?!
The other is...
No, not yet. We're still okay.