Discover Top Posts Tagged with #7s plot

Daffodil || Epilogue 3

“The moment I regained consciousness here, I set out to find Momoshiro-san, which was a lot easier than I expected it to be. Turns out G.B. brought her soul to his village immediately after, and one thing led to another...” Kaz’s voice trails off as he notices another presence behind you. “Ah, there you are. I was wondering if you’d be coming along.”

“You started without me?” A bark could be heard under the voice. Seeing G.B. in reality was a little strange. He never belonged in this world to begin with. How the hell did Elle think he was a normal dog for all of those years? How did the people around her?

“I considered asking her to stay in the village, but the pond would never have been enough for her. Lucky for me, I knew a pod of mermaids that were happy to take on new members. They’re a helpful lot. I didn’t even have to bribe them this time.” The okuri inu pads over to the group, heading to the edge of the water and lowering his head with the understanding he was going to be getting pets.

For everyone else, it would have only been a short amount of time since they’d all last seen each other, but for Shigure, it had been two long years. Two years of learning how to be a ningyo. Two years away from her friends and reflecting.

And during that time, she had awaited this moment to reunite with all of them once again, uncertain of how they would think or feel, but she had known one thing with certainty.

And that was how incredibly embarrassing this all was. All the bittersweet goodbyes and sobs, all to just meet again less than a few hours later for them. It seemed so overly dramatic now.

Shigure looks slightly awkward as she stares at everyone, but there’s a real smile on her face. She places her arms on the side of the pool and gazes at the group.

What will they think of her like this? What will Yumeko think? She’d pondered that question many times in the last two years.

“Hey, everyone...” Shigure laughs a bit sheepishly. “Long time no see...” Well, for her anyway. “I, ah, never expected something like this either, but Geebee really helped me out. He introduced me to the other mermaids. Ren, Kallie, Yuri, Lily, and Mimmy have taken great care of me... So these last few years haven’t been lonely.”

“Good. I trusted them with you, so they better have been nice.” GB nudges Shigure’s arm for pets and attention. “You smell like the ocean now...”

“Ahah! I’d be a little worried if I didn’t, considering I’ve been swimming around in it the last two years.” She nervously twirls a piece of hair around her fingers and her eyes flit over to Yumeko and then away. “I was even able to cut my hair like I wanted…I didn’t have to ask for permission or anything.” It still feels so surreal that she’s even able to do that now. “Do you like it...?”

It’s clear what she really means to say is ‘Do you like me?’

The moment is interrupted when another set of footsteps breaks the quiet hold over the group. Turning, the familiar sight of Rei could be caught in the doorframe: their appearance shockingly similar to the one you all had grown accustomed to. Their skin seemed softer and more flushed in this state, and it was difficult to imagine them as that rotting doll that surely resided back in the school archives by now.

“I see that I’m just on time, a-as usual.” They smile fondly to Shigure then the rest of the group as they take their place beside G.B. and Kaz. Even if their appearance hardly changed, their demeanor certainly did. “I-It is... good to see you all together again. Truthfully, I did not know what to expect to feel after the Rite. The threads have shifted... I’ve never seen that before.”

Rei lets out the unfamiliar sound of an airy chuckle. Some of you may have been certain before this that they lacked the ability to laugh as they lean their head up to the now taller Kaz.

“You were right... Just this once. I-I’ll give you that.”

Kneeling down, Rei offers their other friend head scratches. A placid little smile crosses their face while they turn their attention to the group.

“Wherever you all will travel now, d-do know that the three of us will be within reach. I believe all of us will be lingering around for some time. Your nightmare may have ended, but your school year has just begun.”

Kaz nods, finally relaxing for the first time in a long time. “It’s all up to you now. But I think you’ll be okay.”

And the future looked that much brighter now, didn’t it? You had your lives to look ahead to and the reassurance that the worst was behind you. Maybe your paths would diverge, maybe they would continue crossing, but you had a path to forge ahead with. It was time to make it count.

“Oh, though speaking of, Kaz-” One last time, Rei’s single eye trails up to the heron spirit.

“Just thought it prudent to warn you. The furbies are headed this way.”

SEVEN SECRETS UNVEILED - GOOD END ACHIEVED

15/15 STUDENTS + 1 NINGYO

#7s plot #epilogue #shigure #ran #kaz #gb #rei

Water Lily || Epilogue 2

“That being said,” Kaz glances around, counting heads. “Fourteen. Wyss-san should still be in their tent, last I checked up on them. Sleeping just a bit longer. Would you all follow me?”

You’re maybe a little cautious, but then an inkling of thought comes to mind. What would Kaz want with all of you that he wouldn’t need Willow for? And how could he sound so... content? The answer is obvious, and some of you almost rush to the door in response.

He leads you out of the classroom, and to the west. Past the canteen area, into the opened-up west wing of the first floor, something you hadn’t been allowed to enter last night, and all those nights before. You knew the rooms here like the back of your hand, but it’s certainly a little odd seeing them all run-down and rotting, a far cry from the clean floors in the spirit realm’s version.

Into the changing rooms, and you feel the slight tug in the back of your mind that is almost familiar. There’s spirit activity here, and soon enough, you arrive at the swimming pool. The rest of the room is still grimy and dusty, but the pool has been filled with clean, almost sparkling water.

It makes seeing the figures in the depths almost effortless, and while you immediately recognize Inko-chan the baby akkorokamui almost immediately, the other figure in the water...

“I’ll, ah, save Koyanagi-san the explanation. Momoshiro-san is now, as you can perhaps guess, a ningyo, or a mermaid spirit.”

#7s plot #epilogue #kaz #shigure #ran

Morning Glory || Epilogue 1

The faint sunlight filters through the windows of the classroom. Weird, you were pretty sure you went to sleep in your tent last night. No, you were in a shrine. You wake up, and look around. There was a look of confusion from everyone in the room. And you were two short. Willow was probably in their tent and... Shigure. She was... She was...

You remember her disappearing into light.

Everything floods back in suddenly. Two sets of memories hit you with all the grace of an over-excited puppy. In one, you remember how life had gone, up to the point the night ended.

But now you have memories of the changes made to Japan in the last two years. Ever since Shigure Momoshiro was left unguarded, attacked, and murdered by a stalker, there had been a change in the laws regarding the idol industry. You remember as well, even if you weren’t here, that your sensei had mentioned that the fallout had been one of the biggest cases of her career. The dregs of the idol industry hadn’t been toppled, not by a long shot, but it had been forced into accountability for everything the brass had been guilty of.

Two sets of memories, each as true as the last. It’s a headache to remember that some of this happened and some of it would only be remembered by those of you here. It’s painful.

Takako stirs at the front of the class, mumbling about being too old to sleep at her desk. She pushes herself up, as if looking for someone, but then the sadness rolls over. She turns from the class, unable to meet your gazes and finds herself staring at the blank chalkboard. The letters once burned in, marring its surface, had been wiped away as if they were never there.

“...What a fucking joke.”

A knocking at the door startles you, but a familiar voice carries through. “I certainly hope not, Takako-sensei. You’re usually meant to laugh at jokes.”

The person who enters doesn’t look like the Kaz you remember, but the soft blonde hair and smile make it immediately obvious who’s addressing you. “Though I suppose... There’s just enough to smile about, now that it’s over. Welcome back.” He tilts his head, before nodding. “You’re wondering about the new look, I suppose? Well, the Kaz before tonight knows that he must have used the Rite at some point since it disappeared two years ago, and decided to have a makeover because of it. I will be keeping Kazunari in my heart, but I’ve made my peace too.”

He shakes his head. “In any case, how do you all feel?”

“Like shit, Kazzy. Just because I got seven of my students back doesn’t mean the one gone doesn’t hurt.” Takako placed a hand on her chest. “Fucking hell. You remember still, right?”

Kaz nods. “I do. As do the others. Your sister is downstairs with G.B., incidentally, though her presence back in the human realm is limited, at best.”

“Thank goodness. Fuck, that’s shitty of my to be worried about it, but I really didn’t want to hunt her spirit down to make her remember I care about her.”

The human realm... As much as some of you had missed your time spent in the spirit realm, there really was no place like home.

It was just unfortunate that not all of you had made it.

#7s plot #epilogue #kaz #takako #shigure #ran

Return to Seafoam || Endgame Pt. 2

It was difficult to be brave in the face of reliving your worst fear. But she couldn’t run away from this now. Shigure’s head felt fluffy, like it was spinning in circles. She didn’t know if that was out of fear, or due to the Rite, but either way, it kept her feet planted firmly on the ground.

The scene went the same as she remembered, down to the last detail. She was given a brief break. As soon as she grabbed her water bottle, she heard the patter of rain on the roof settle to a halt. With the promise of fresh air, she’d gone out through the back door, followed closely by a security guard.

Satsuki insisted. She must be followed at all times, lest she run away again. Like she even could. Her practice building was surrounded by chain link fences on all sides. She hated feeling so stifled, but she knew better than to complain.

She’d been staring up at the sky, watching the clouds pass idly by. The sun was finally coming back out and the rain had ended. A good omen.

And then there was a crash inside the practice building, and yelling. Some sort of commotion. The security guard looked at her, then to the door, and frowned. He seemed to consider, for just a moment, before speeding back inside the building. He foot pushed the rock keeping the door open, and it closed behind him with a decisive click, signifying the automatic lock slipping into place.

At the time, she hadn’t thought much of it, just content she had more peaceful time away from people and able to gaze up at the sky. She didn’t know how much time passed like that, just watching the clouds pass idly by, but what snapped her out of it was the sound of approaching footsteps.

Ah. Oh dear, she was late getting back to practice, wasn’t she? Well, how was she supposed to know that? Her security guard had dipped and the door was locked. Shigure peeked up, expecting to see the angry expression of her manager, but instead, there was a man. Shigure didn’t know him, but she could swear there was something familiar about it. A passing face in a crowd, maybe, something she’d seen in the corners of her vision. Nobody she knew, but recognizable.

So it was happening already. Shigure’s heart pounded in her chest. Fear. She wanted to run, run far away from this man, but it wasn’t time yet.

She wasn’t supposed to run yet.

#7s plot #chapter 5 #shigure #gb #death #ran

Rite of Dawn's Light || Endgame Pt. 1

They could only wait so long. Whether it was because the long night was starting to end, or the onryo letting out a bored yawn at being made to wait, Shigure eventually disentangles herself from the group of people holding onto her.

She looks at the onryo. You'd think after everything that had happened, after all the onryo had done, Shigure would hate the onryo just a little bit more. But she just can't bring herself to do it. Not completely.

It's a repulsive and horrible creature, but it's still a part of her. The worst parts of herself personified into a singular being. Rather than hatred, she just feels pity. For so long, Shigure had hated herself with her whole heart. It was no wonder the onryo hated her with that same intensity. But as easy as it was to hate that strongly, it had only caused insurmountable damage. Pain to people who never deserved it. That much hatred did no good for anybody.

It's just a pity she's only learning this lesson now.

"...I can't forgive you for what you've put everyone through, but I can at least understand. I'm probably the only one that really can."

The onryo scoffs. "Oh, please. Not more of this sappy 'I can fix you' crap. It's especially disgusting coming from you."

Shigure just shakes her head. "No. You can't be fixed. And even if you could be, I wouldn't want to. You don't deserve that kindness. But your feelings... I understand those, it's just a shame you're not capable of feeling anything good either. I guess I just feel sorry for you."

"Ugh. I don't need your pity either. Just shut your mouth already, you little bitch. Don't you have some more crying to do? You're going to die a gruesome death soon, after all. At least make it fun for me," the onryo snarls.

"Yes, yes, you're getting what you want," Shigure sighs dismissively, waving the onryo off. It seems she's said most of what she wants already, so she doesn't intend to listen to much more. "In just a moment, we'll die together. Just like you've wanted from the start. You've won, so at least keep your mouth shut until then."

The onryo looks like they're prepared to continue spewing their venom, but something stops them. What that is, it's hard to tell, but maybe the closest thing to kindness you'll ever see from them.

In the background, wisps of magic flowed from Labyrista’s tails as she whispered memory spells, flowing into all of you in the room and throughout the places beyond. Kaz withdrew the box from inside his haori, opening it and retrieving the scroll within, unfurling it in the center of the room. You all could feel it now, the thrum of magic that had previously been contained within the ink of the scroll’s content, unsealed and ready to change the fates of everyone here.

“I’m ready, Momoshiro-san,” Kaz asserts. “I’ve never seen the Rite be used, so I’m not sure what’s going to happen. This could be instantaneous, so brace yourself.”

Once everyone has settled, he closes his eyes, and holds out his palms over Shigure’s palms. “Order. Arayashiki: Gyōkō.” Pure Consciousness: Dawn’s Light.

Magic flows from Kaz’s hands through Shigure’s and into the parchment, causing the kanji to gleam with golden light. They coalesce together, words leaving the scroll and forming a ball in the center of the room between the two. It’s almost too bright to look at.

The light begins expanding, slowly filling your field of view. The thrumming in your ears grows, almost like the beating of a heart. Energy pulses through the room as the light grows brighter, enveloping Shigure as she turns around.

It's her last chance to speak, to express her feelings to her friends, so Shigure smiles big and bright for all of her classmates. Tears stream down her cheeks, but there is no denying her smile is genuine. A smile filled with both parts melancholy and elation.

"Thank you all for giving me a chance. When we meet again someday... let's all become friends!"

And as she disappears into the light, your vision goes white, and your present ceases to exist.

#7s plot #chapter 5 #shigure #onryo #kaz #labyrista #ran

Hitogata | Kaz | Trial 5.5 | Re: Shigure

“...It is cruel,” Kaz remarks quietly, meeting Shigure’s gaze head-on. “My original intention was to have Haruka bring the box containing the Rite to me in secret, but fighting the onryo kept me from receiving it privately, and by the time that everything had cooled down, you all had knowledge of the Rite. Then I clung to the hope that it would only need to repair a death of personality, even when it became increasingly clear the circumstances that lead to it were anything but. And in hindsight, I could - and should - have made this trial a more private affair, so the fault for this all being dragged out into the open lies with me. I make no excuses for it, nor do I expect you’ll forgive me for putting the burden onto you. ”

It’s a solemn declaration, and despite his relative age and distance as a yokai, you can’t help but feel that it is the most human Kaz has ever sounded.

“My only justification is that this is the least cruel of all the choices I could have afforded you, once the outcome became clear. As you’ve said, if I had rescinded the Rite for good, taken the choice out of your hands and put the responsibility on my own shoulders, you would forever be wondering ‘what could have been’. Deeper than that, the thought of taking your freedom to choose away from you did not sit right with me, as is placing that responsibility to decide onto either of your friends or one of us. I considered the pain it would cause you and them all. Believe me, I truly did. And I told you regardless because you deserved to know the importance of the decision that you had to make.” Though not without a little prompting from G.B. earlier in the trial.

“I’m sorry, Momoshiro-san. And to you too, Koyanagi-san. I’m sorry to all of you. Maybe it rings hollow now, and if it does, then let it. Because I have to be cruel one more time very soon.” In the end, he still wanted it to be Shigure’s choice.

#7s plot #chapter 5 #trial 5 #kaz

Mirai Complex | Labyrista + Kaz | Trial 5.4 | Re: Sibyl, Riley

Labyrista answers the easier question first. “Absolutely. If anyone wishes to forget the experiences that you have had these last few weeks, simply tell me and I will exclude you from the sphere of influence. I will have to caution that doing so may cause some second-hand confusion if you return, because as I’ve said, it’s everything or nothing at all, but I trust that those of your classmates who do remember will be able to give you a more sanitized version of these weeks eventually.” You might lose the memories of what you’ve done and what you’ve suffered, but the impact you’ve left on others won’t be forgotten. “I need to stress that I won’t be able to restore those if you change your mind in the future. Please think on it carefully,” she says solemnly.

Kaz takes over for the much harder questions, and even he looks reluctant to after what the onryo had to say. “Riley, I’m already willing to take the cost of the Rite myself. I may not be as strong as them individually,” Kaz gestures to his associates. “But the required cost to invoke it normally is within my power to begin with. I’m also certain that if I asked any of the others here to help me invoke the Rite, they would be willing to assist in it. Still, even if we share the cost, the outcome would not change.”

He hesitates, deliberating the best way to go about explaining what he had to share. “The onryo split from its host because someone was meant to have died on the night Momoshiro-san was stabbed, and one part of her soul did while the other continued to live as she did to this day. The Rite’s purpose is specifically to repair the pieces of a broken soul. Not to change the course of history, even if that is a direct consequence, but it can only be used in such a way that a soul is put back together. The only other candidate it can apply to that might change the course of this mutual killing game is Takako-sensei,” Kaz glances back at their teacher, wordlessly asking permission to continue before he does. “According to Prin-sama, the moment her soul was shattered occurred around the time she was brought to the inugami village. Invoking the Rite to bring us back to that moment and name the onryo would be able to reverse the fates of Minegawa-san, Seyanagi-san, and Yamashita-san, yes, but that would still leave Inaba-san, Wyss-san, Kowata-san, and Statlender-san.”

And if you were going to save three, why not save all seven? is the unspoken question that lingers in the air.

“If we let it restore Momoshiro-san to life, then the cost would still have to be one of our lives, regardless of how many people try to invoke it together. Divine magic works on the principle of equivalent exchange, and as much as I would love to cheat the system and offer up parts of many souls... It would be taking more fragments of our souls to heal one. Any one of those...” Could become an onryo if we weren’t careful about it. “The rest is as G.B. says, that’s... asking a spirit to give up their existence as opposed to a human giving up their mortal shell. I’m willing to do as much as it takes, but I... simply can’t, this time. I’m sorry.”

#7s plot #chapter 5 #trial 5 #labyrista #kaz

Blooming Red Blossoms || Onryo || Trial 5 || Re: Riley, Sibyl

The onryo just looked completely unimpressed with Riley’s assessment and crossed their arms over their chest. Now that they didn’t look like a giant tentacle monster, motions like those just made them look like a petulant, bratty child.

“You have a lot of nerve chastising me. Obviously it’s too far. That’s the point. You’ve always been so pointlessly nice from the start. It’s no wonder you’re so miserable, you’re just an emotional punching bag. I hope the trauma of all of this haunts you for life.“ The onryo huffed and rolled their eyes. As mean as they were, now that they were powerless, there was no bite to their words. It was hard to take their cruelty as seriously. "I don’t need your kindness or pity. You told me before that you’d try to help me? I don’t want it, bitch.”

As vitriolic and bitchy as ever, the onryo just waved off Riley completely after that, mostly just looking vaguely displeased and disgusted over Riley’s kindness towards Shigure. Ugh. What was wrong with these people? It’s as they thought. They all should die. Any human with common sense would at least be able to see that the real enemy was still alive and breathing in the room. Where was the bloodshed? Where was the judgment and accusations? Where was the drama? So utterly pathetic.

How they dared not to hate her.

With Sibyl’s question, the onryo just let out a harsh laugh. The sound wasn’t unpleasant, but it was strangely uncomfortable. Their laugh sounded just like Shigure’s.

“Haha, there’s no point in lying about it anyway, since you’ll hate the answer regardless." The onryo smiled a little too pleasantly as they regarded Sibyl. "It was when we were stabbed that the split happened. What an agonizing pain. We laid bleeding out on the cold ground, staring up at the cloudy sky. The sun was starting to peek through. The storm was finally ending. A good omen, right? How foolish. And as our sight started to grow black, I accepted our fate, but she was too cowardly to do that. She held on with all of her heart, against our body, against the universe’s will, she let her soul fracture. And I was born from that pain.”

The onryo held their hands up to their stomach. Pressing their pale, ghostly hands into the kimono material, all at once, dozens of red poppy flowers burst from the spot and floated to the ground. It was obviously meant to represent blood, but the image was almost beautiful.

“We were meant to die. That’s what fate intended. But she wouldn’t accept it. Instead of dying as we should have, I was forced to live and suffer with the never-ending pain of our death. You’re humans. You can’t even begin to imagine what that agony is like. I’m forced to relive that moment over and over again, and then she has the nerve to cry like her life is so miserable. Oh, I will show you misery…" The onryo muttered that last part to themself. "But anyway, I don’t intend to invoke your pity with a sob story. The point is, you’re not going to wiggle out of this one by saying our spirit broke because she got her poor little feelings hurt. How amusing. That woman blaming us for our stabbing isn’t even the worst thing she’s said.”

#chapter 5 #trial 5 #onryo #submission #7s plot