| As Ryuunosuke/Hizuru fight on Torajima island, Haine (in the form of Shadow Shin) notes that their moves are even faster and more acrobatic than Ushio's were. She concludes that Hizuru is prepared to die if necessary. Shide gets hacked to pieces but easily rejuvenates. Haine says Ryuunosuke is still a Shadow and therefore can copy both objects and actions. Haine asks Hizuru why she returned to the island. Hizuru notes that Haine ought to already know the answer, since she has already scanned her. It would seem that Haine can read memories but not necessarily understand them. Hizuru challenges Haine to re-scan her. Haine concludes that Hizuru possesses immunity and would destroy her own body while it was being scanned (which would harm Haine?). Haine says Hizuru's plan was to defeat Shide if he didn't have Haine's eyes, then come looking for Haine's main body underground. Again, she demands to know why Hizuru returned. Hizuru feels responsible for Ryuunosuke's death 14 years ago, as if she had 'killed him with my own hands'. All she can do to atone is save those who are still alive. Hizuru says that while Haine's goal is to return home, Shide has a somewhat different one. She points out that at the end of the 3rd loop he declared "This is my ending". She asks Shide what he meant. Haine is curious, too. While he dodges the question, Hizuru notes that his armor is 'nobody' and and "it's contents are empty". She asks Ryuunosuke to try to worm his way inside, which he does. Haine says Hizuru has "Transferred Ryuunosuke's data into Shide's mud, and, using thiose materials, created a Shadow that Ryuunosuke controls". Back at Alan's garden, Shadow Mio wants to deal with Kawajiri herself. Kawajiri says that real Mio and Sou have been sent to the cave and are probably being devoured by Haine as they speak. He says he couldn't leave fighting to any other Shadow and they can't hack his human side. It sounds to Shin as if he thinks Ushio is still alive. Kawajiri orders Shadow Mio to kill Shin. But instead she lunges forward and slashes his throat. "I'll see y'all in the next loop" he says before dying. Shadow Mio announces that original Mio has just died--she can tell since she is her Shadow. Shin instructs Shadow Mio to search Kawajiri's memories. She finds that he has no memories at all--not even of their conversation a minute earlier. Shin concludes there were two human Shides, perhaps clones. This one didn't have the burn mark on his arm, Shadow Mio observes. She senses something else and leads Shin to an injured Tokiko with one of her Wild Ones nearby. Tokiko begs them to go to Torajima to help Hizuru, then dies. They read her memory. Shadow Mio wants to hurry there, but Shin concludes that Hizuru and Ryuunosuke are probably already dead. He senses that if he looped now he'd go back to about 10:10 AM--to late to stop the fake call to Mio and Hizuru. He puts Dr. Hishigata's Derringer to his head and declares his plan: He'll loop, hurry and release Shadow Mio, then they'll try to catch up to Mio and Sou before Shide 2 gets them. He fires. At 10:39 AM, 28 minutes into the 9th loop, Shin and Shadow Mio manage to stop real Mio and Sou from walking into the trap. Shin and Shadow Mio hurry to Tokajima, using the latter's amazing powers as a Shadow. They arrive just in time to see 'Ros' get splattered by Shide. Haine realizes what has happened--Shin has learned about the Torajima fight and has looped. Shide says this latest loop has given him a second chance in his fight with Ryuunosuke/Hizuru, and this time he has won. Hizuru lies dying at his feet. With their star fighter gone, Nezu urges that the rest of them retreat, but Haine senses something odd and she and Shide break off the engagement first. Hizuru is barely alive; Shin wants to loop again, but Shadow Mio stops him from shooting himself. She reminds him that he can't save everyone. Hizuru tells Shin that Shide is the real boss and is manipulating Haine, who isn't really all that bad. She asks Shin to free Haine from his influence, and he vows to do so. Her last words are that she entrusts Ryuunosuke to him. |
