"TAFU, PLEASE! I'M PLEADING WITH YOU, TAKE NOA!" "MA'AM, I CAN HELP YOU GET OUT FROM HERE!" "GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE WITH HER, TAFU! I'M BEGGING YOU!"

"DAMMIT!" Tafu says, after grabbing Noa's hand and they begin to run for the apartment. "MOOM!"



Another bomb hits a house, and someone is launched out.

"H-Hey Tafu.. wasn't that Masa's clothes?"

Tafu looks at the body, the leather jacket, the key to his house.

"M-Masa?"

"GET UP! STAND UP PLEASE!" "NOA, GIVE IT UP! MASA'S GONE, WE HAVE TO LEAVE HIM!" "HIS FAMILY, DON'T THEY DESERVE TO SEE HIM?! TO BURY HIM?!" Noa says, as she sobs and cries, as the crowd screams and sprints in the opposite direction.

"WE HAVE TO GO!" Tafu says, as he picks her up and begins to sprint.

"Tafu, what the hell is happening?!" Toshiro asks, as Tafu grabs his hand and keeps running. "The war's reached here. We have to get to my apartment, there's a vault we can hide in!" Tafu says, as bombs hit the building beside them.

Tafu kicks open the door to his apartment and run downstairs, entering the vault.

".." "What's wrong?!" Tafu asks, as Toshiro stares at the door.

"M-My family.. The building that hit was my family's house.." "I'm sorry, but all you can do for them is to live. Get inside, I'll lock the door." Tafu says, as he opens the door, but can't lock it from the inside.

"What's wrong?" Noa asks, as Tafu and Toshiro look at each other.

"It can't lock from the inside." "I'll lock it, you stay here with Noa." Tafu says, as Toshiro grabs Tafu by the collar.

Toshiro throws Tafu into the vault and locks the door.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" "I'M NOT LEAVING THEM! STAY HERE." Toshiro says, after propping a cabinet on the door, keeping Tafu from getting out.

"GOD DAMN IT, OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!" "TAFU, GET DOWN!" Noa says, as the outside glows a bright orange.

As a boom hits the door like a shockwave, the two sit on the floor, cursed with the curse of memory.



Back to the present..

"Where's Akira?" "She's in the room next to u-"

A bang could be heard, not as loud as a gunshot, but just loud enough for everyone in the hospital to be on high alert.

"Crap.. why'd you have to keep the pinky?!" Fuben says, as he begins to freak out.

"Why? What's going on?" "They're here, Itami's sent some goons to test how much of a fuss you can put up. I can't be seen no matter what happens, so we need to leave!" Fuben says, as Fruity and Kamaye enter.

"Then you're staying. Fruity, give Akira the keys to the car outside. Akira, you're going with.." Okawa asks Kanashi, as Kanashi stares deep into space. "Kanashi." "Kanashi, you're going with Akira and Rhed, and your bringing Shizuka."

"Now why do you have to take Shizuka?" Kamaye asks, as Yuki responds. "They're only gonna be driving to the town next to us, we can go there if we need to!"

"Alright.. with no objections, everyone get ready to get hurt!"



Akira brings people down to the car, as Kanashi picks up Rhed. As Shizuka follows after them, Fruity and Kamaye move up the hallway. Yuki and Fuben hide in Okawa's room, as Okawa stretches his legs. As the men in suits run up the stairs, Okawa begins to speak.

"If you got a death warrant.. THEN STEP UP!"



Akira opens the door, as Kanashi puts Rhed in the back of the car. Suddenly, someone runs toward the car.

"Akira, call me a protector!" "Why?! You already know to protect us!" "I CAN'T DO IT UNLESS YOU SAY IT!"

"YOU'RE A PROTECTER!"

Kanashi jumps forward and punches the man in the face, punching his face into the pavement. Kanashi stands up and gets in the front seat, as Akira began to drive.



Meanwhile..

Something begins to slam the door of the abandoned apartment, as Kokoru and Tafu look up.

"Someone's coming. Noa, behind me. You, what's your name?" "Kokoru." "Kokoru, check who that is." Tafu says, as I move up. Suddenly, the door flies off it's hinges, with 5 men walking in.

"How'd they find us?!" "THAT DAMN CLERK!" Kokoru said, as the two looked over at me. "The chip bag, you kept it, didn't you?!" Kokoru said, as Tafu looks at Noa.

"It's food, we're starving!"

"It's alright. Kokoru, I need to ask you to do me a favor." "What is it?" "Take Noa and get back into the vault. I need you to do that for me." Tafu says, as Noa's eyes widened.

"NOT AGAIN, TAFU!" "GET IN THERE, NOW!" Tafu said, as Kokoru grabbed Noa's hand and pulled her into the vault.



Tafu locks the door, as the handle to open it is too rusted to be pulled by Noa.

"Kokoru, open this door!" Noa says, as Kokoru stares at the floor.



"Hm. Let's see how effective the gas would be.." One of the yakuza says, as Tafu runs toward them. Tafu punches one into a pile of bricks, and grabs another one by the hair. He slams one into the barrel of fire, and grabs the barrel and throws all the wood at one. He then breaks the barrel on another one's head. The last one sneaks behind him and straps a gas mask onto Tafu, before turning a hinge and administering gas. Tafu grabs the gas can and slams it into the last guy's head, before falling onto his knees. He turns off the gas, before staring at his hands.

"He's ok! Kokoru, open the door!" Noa says, as Kokoru stares at the ground, with death in his eyes.

"Kokoru! Open the door!" Noa says, as she forces Kokoru to stand. Kokoru turns the valve and opens the door, as Noa runs toward Tafu.

"Tafu, don't scare me like that ever again!"



"Who are you..?"

"H-Huh? Don't mess around, it's me! It's Noa!" "I don't recognize that name.. I'm sorry."

"It's me! It's your friend, Noa! That's Kokoru, and I-I'm Noa! You know who I am, right?"

"I'm sorry.. I don't."

Noa began to mumble and stutter, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Hey Noa.. you know what they say about good people?" "What?"

"They have the worst endings." Kokoru says, handing Noa a knife.



"What do you think I'll do with that?" "He's a husk. He doesn't know who you are, he doesn't know where he is, he's suffering so much.. just trying to remember you. That's the cruel reality of this world, we're fools, put here to suffer. We can't... We can't change that.."

Noa, who's letting tears fall down like a waterfall, looks at Tafu. Tafu looks back, still confused as to who she is.



Noa hugs Tafu, as he looks at her, confused.

"You've cleansed him of his curse. The curse of memory." Kokoru says, as he turns away.

Noa lets go of Tafu, as Tafu looks down at his chest.



Tafu falls to the ground, as the dagger in his chest pierces his heart.



"He was a good man. But good people can't exist in this world, and we can't change that. We don't have a choice." Kokoru says, as Noa buries herself into Kokoru chest, sobbing and shouting.

After 10 minutes, the two walk out onto the road. Suddenly, a car stops next to them.

The window rolls down, as a girl in green greets them.

"Need a ride? You look like shit."

"We'd like that." Noa says, as she steps into the car.

Kokoru stares dead at the floor of the car, as Akira speaks.







"What's wrong?" "Everything."