| Back at school, Kei finds himself targetted by a gang of upperclassmen who extort money from their juniors--"Just when I thought I had my old life back". The story flashes back to the aftermath of the first mission, as Nishi reveals his theory that he, Kei, Kato and the girl are all duplicates of original people who really have died. "Gantz", he mentions, "can be pretty sloppy. Once a man who came here found his original alive when he went home". He warns them not to tell anyone what has happened, "Otherwise, your head will go boom!". Nishi goes invisible and leaves, and the others find that they can leave as well. All seems back to normal; they catch a taxi and drop the girl off at her place. Kato asks her name and she says it's Kei Kishimoto (same first name as Kurono). The next day she wakes up on a park bench and recalls attempting to commit suicide and a disturbing phone call that she got about the matter after being dropped off by the boys. Kato and his little brother live with their aunt after their parents "up and died". They are unwelcome, and she regards them as "freeloaders". Kato's brother recognizes the smashed-up umbrella that is shown on a TV news report about the two teenagers who vanished from a subway station, and asks him where he was yesterday. Kei finds himself facing off against Tachibana, the sadistic gangleader who he finds even more frightening than the Greenonion Alien. Even after witnessing an example of the brutality he is capable of, he declares "No. I won't pay you"... |
