News spread like wildfire.

Gehenna had burned.

Thousands dead.

Trinity was already shut down, but now Gehenna was gone. The twin disasters left Kivotos in a state of pure chaos, rumors running rampant. Some people assumed this was it—the world was ending. Others saw it as divine punishment.

But the truth?

The truth was just as cruel as the lies.

Somewhere, in a barely intact infirmary, a mere child trembled.

Ibuki Tanga, a student of the now-obliterated Pandemonium Society, lay in a hospital bed. Physically? She was lucky. Scratches, burns—nothing fatal.

Mentally?

She was ruined.

The doctors had to sedate her.

She wouldn’t stop screaming.

Wouldn’t stop clawing at them.

Wouldn’t stop calling for Iroha.

The image was burned into her mind—the sight of Iroha, the kind-hearted girl who always looked after her, crushed under a fallen rock. No movement. No breath. Just… dead.

Ibuki refused to believe it.

She had fought the air, fought the nurses, fought anyone who tried to touch her.

Until they had no choice but to restrain her.

Her small body twitched under the sedation, her lips still whispering Iroha’s name, even in sleep.

SCHALE.

Sensei sat at his desk, staring at the report in front of him.

Gehenna had burned.

The words didn’t feel real.

His fingers dug into the paper, his mind swirling in frustration.

Can I not catch a fucking break?

First, Trinity had to be shut down. He hadn’t wanted to, but there had been no choice—no representative, no leadership. Without structure, the academy would have collapsed in chaos.

And now…

Now Gehenna was gone.

He felt his stomach turn. His jaw clenched.

Had he made a mistake?

No.

No, he had to do it.

Right?

Right…?

Meanwhile, in another infirmary room.

Hina Surosaki sat on the hospital bed, staring at nothing.

Her lips moved, but her words were nonsensical—fragments of names, broken sentences.

Sensei.

Ako.

Gehenna.

Iroha.

Ibuki.

Hoshino.

The name that made her twitch the most.

Hoshino had survived, barely escaping death in the Abydos desert. She was supposed to meet with Hina that day at Gehenna.

But she hadn’t.

And that was the only reason she was still alive.

Hina barely blinked.

The doctors poked, checked, prodded—nothing.

She didn’t feel it.

Didn’t feel anything.

Aru, on the other hand, felt everything.

The girl sat in the corner, hugging her knees, silent tears streaming down her face. She wasn’t injured badly—no, not physically.

But mentally?

She had nothing left.

Hina was unresponsive.

Ibuki was out cold.

Everyone else?

Dead.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

The TV flickered, broadcasting the news. Reports of the destruction. Images of the ruins. Charred bodies. Bloodied streets.

Nyx sat there, numb.

Next to her, Koharu rocked back and forth, whispering Hanako’s name over and over.

Hifumi sat beside her, keeping a firm grip on Koharu’s wrists—every time the girl looked ready to snap, Hifumi’s hold tightened.

"Hanako is dead," Hifumi reminded her, her voice almost robotic.

Koharu let out a small, broken laugh.

A laugh that sounded more like denial.

Nyx finally spoke. “What about Azusa?”

Hifumi didn’t look at her. “She’s staying in the mental hospital. We can’t bring her back. She’s not… stable.”

Nyx swallowed. “…And the others?”

Hifumi exhaled, rubbing her temples.

“Reisa moved to Millennium, with Natsu and the Sweets Club.”

“…Kazusa?”

“On her own.”

Nyx turned her head slightly, her eyes landing on Mika—who was currently staring at the ceiling, handcuffed, mumbling something about Tea Time with Nagi-chan.

Nyx hesitated. “…And Mika?”

Hifumi was quiet for a moment before answering.

“There’s not much we can do. We won’t turn her in, but she’s…” She trailed off, looking at Mika with something between pity and exhaustion. “She’s not sane.”

Silence.

Nyx leaned back, staring at the ceiling. Her fingers tapped against the couch, restless.

Finally, she spoke. “How the hell do we come back from this?”

Hifumi let out a slow breath. “Mistakes happen, Nyx.”

Nyx scoffed. “Yeah, well, these mistakes got thousands of people killed.”

Hifumi turned to her, her expression unreadable.

“People will see you differently now. They’ll blame you. They’ll blame me. They’ll blame everyone.”

Nyx clenched her jaw.

“But,” Hifumi continued, her voice softer, “it’s best to try and handle the consequences with care.”

Nyx shot her a look. “And if I don’t want to?”

Hifumi gave a small, tired smile.

“Then you’re proving them right.”

Nyx fell silent.

Hifumi reached out, patting Koharu’s head gently, trying to soothe the girl’s rambling. “All we can do now is prove our worth.”

Nyx exhaled slowly, closing her eyes for a moment.

“…And if we can’t?”

Hifumi’s smile faded.

“Then we die as villains.”