| Ushio and Mio join Shin at the Tofune residence and Ushio shares her memory of what happened to bring him there. He was shot and killed with Nezu's rifle at the school. Shin realizes that Haine has figured out that killing him again and again will eventually cause him to run out of opportunities to stop the Shadows. He thinks that if the Shadows manage to kill him at the same point in time (or earlier) twice, he'll get just one last chance. It's July 22nd of the 7th loop and we are back at the school. Shin explains to everyone that the start point of new loops is accelerating and catching up to the time at which he dies. Hizuru figures that if Shin dies once and for all Haine, the other 'observer', will get to decide what the future will be. She also thinks Haine managed to read her memories durung the 4th loop. Ushio explains that Shadows can share memories like she does, and Haine is capable of telepathy. Also, copied items (like a bullet fired from a copy of Nezu's rifle) can only exist within 50 meters of a Shadow. Shin thinks Haine will definitely want to witness his death in person, and pledges to 'finish this tonight' by taking her out. After dark a small army of Shadows, led by Haine (in the form of Shiori) and Shige/4-Arms, come to the school. A wild battle ensues between them and Shin, Ushio, Ryuunosuke, Nezu, Mio, Sou, Tokiko and Tetsu, who have a plan for this. Tokiko summons two Wild Ones, 'Rosencrantz' and 'Guildenstern', which obey her orders and fight against their brethren. Haine tries to override her instructions and take control of them, but Ushio blocks her. Ryuunosuke realizes that Haine can see about two seconds into the future. Ushio transforms strands of her hair into a large quantity of gasoline which is dumped on the Shadows in the school gym and set alight. But while most Shadows are vulnerable to fire Shige can be injured but not killed by it. He shoots Shin and grabs Ushio and holds her in the fire, and the battle seems to have been won by the Shadows. Shige realizes that both Haine and Ushio can bring information they hold into the next loop. But he has been tricked and Ushio is actually free. A seemingly human hand emerges from his body and Haine totally loses it. The fire vanishes and Haine and Shige, both badly injured, escape. Shige says he will be OK once he does some 'restructuring'. Haine refers to Ushio and Shin as 'Mommy and Daddy'. Shige predicts that Shin will soon die and the final loop will begin. But Shin was actually wearing a sort of homemade bulletproof vest and isn't nearly as badly injured as Shige thinks. There is no fire damage to the school; Hizuru reasons that the fire was basically data and only burned what Ushio wanted it to. She also concludes that Ushio's 'hacking' revealed a human body within Shige (the hand). Ushio is frustrated that Haine's ability to scan and copy things is much greater than her own. In the end, everyone on the human side survives and most of the Shadows have been burnt to a crisp. What's more, Shadow Mio has been captured, and it might be possible for Ushio to reprogram it into being an ally. |
