Episode 21: "The Young and the Dam■■■"

Sui Yakumo
"If I don't... beat you... then you... won't remember..."

Sui wouldn't relent.
Despite how breathless he was, Sui pressed his palms against the ground in an attempt to lift his body up.

Yo Kuronaka
"Give it up already, Sui!"

Yo called out a pleading response. It was patently obvious that Sui could no longer fight; Yo didn't have any interest in causing any further harm.

Tsuki Iroha
"Just hang tight! Koishi'll get you fixed up!"

Tsuki looked toward Koishi as she tried to call Sui's attention.

Koishi Kohinata
"The injuries to his internal organs are fatal... Unfortunately, there's nothing I can..."

Tsuki Iroha
"Come on, you can heal any wounds, right? I'm begging you!"

Koishi Kohinata
"I'm sorry..."

Koishi shook his head feebly as he averted his gaze.
For someone as skilled as Koishi to throw in the towel could only mean that they were truly out of options.

Yo Kuronaka
"Please, Zero! I'll do anything... please, just save Sui!
You can help him, can't you?"

Zero
"While there are some thing I'm capable of, I'm not a god. Some things are out of my hands.
Sorry to say, but there's no way for me to properly treat him. It's like, hmm... similar to having an insufficient bank balance, you know?"

Yo Kuronaka
"There's... That can't be true! There's gotta be something you can do!"

The way Yo cried out was almost as if he were throwing a tantrum. Childishly, he clung to the notion of Zero's supernatural technology as a means of saving Sui.

Zero
"As I said, there's nothing I can do. The circumstances are too different from the last time."

Tsuki Iroha
"I'm begging you, I just... The three of us still..."

Sui Yakumo
"You morons! G-Guuugh..."

Yo was shouting. Tsuki was stricken with grief. And Sui was groaning as he coughed up blood.
It was like a scene straight from hell.

Zero
"The game is over, and quite honestly? I've already lost interest.
It's time you finished him off, Yo. With your own two hands."

Zero was implicit in telling Yo to deliver the final blow and put Sui out of his misery.

Yo Kuronaka
"I can't do that! There has to be another way! I won't give up..."

Tsuki Iroha
"Yeah... Yeah, you're right, Yo! We have to find a way to save him!"

The two of them rejected Zero's assertion; there was just no way they could agree to it.
They couldn't allow Sui's life to end this way.

Zero
"I told you already—it's impossible. For the three of you, the story ends here."

Indifference lined Zero's tone as he looked over to Sui.

Sui Yakumo
"Guaaahhh... I'm gonna... I'll..."

He writhed in pain as he spoke.

Yo Kuronaka
"Just hang in there, Sui! You're gonna be fine! Everything's gonna be okay!"

Sui Yakumo
"Yo... It was you who started it... who said those things!"

Yo Kuronaka
"Huh?"

Sui Yakumo
"You're the one who dragged us into this! It's because of you that...
Stop lookin' at me like that... like you got no idea what's going on..."

Sui spat his hateful words toward Yo as he continued to cough up blood.
What Yo couldn't understand was why Sui had come to hate him so much.
Had he really been the one to get them involved?

Yo Kuronaka
"I have no idea what you're talking about! I don't understand any of this!"

Sui Yakumo
"You're so... damn annoying... I never... should've been friends... with..."

Sui murmured, barely audible, and then...

Yo Kuronaka
"Wha...?"

Sui's body crumbled away like sand in the wind. He disappeared completely, leaving behind only his clothing.

Yo Kuronaka
"..."

Tsuki Iroha
"Sui...?"

Tsuruko Semba
"What... just happened?"

Koishi Kohinata
"I don't—his body... disappeared?

Yutaka Gotanda
"Why... Why would this happen? It this truly reality?"

Zero
"Well, it's certainly not a game."

Kazuki Aoyama
"Tch..."

All the members of the Trash Tribe were left dumbfounded, their gazes fixed on the clothing Sui had left behind.
Not a single one of them could understand what had happened to his body.
There was only one thing they knew for sure:
Sui was no longer in this world.

Zero
"Well, nice work, Yo. You've done a fine job of securing victory in Minato City's XG."

With all that had happened, Zero was the only one whose composure hadn't slipped.
His mask shook as he clapped his hands and declared Yo's victory.

Yo Kuronaka
"What did you do to Sui, Zero?! He went crazy like he was brainwashed, and then his body just turned to dust! What the hell did you do?! Tell us!"

Zero
"There's nothing for me to say. He became consumed by his own power, and when he couldn't withstand it any longer, he just vanished."

Yo Kuronaka
"...'Just'?! Sui's dead!"

Yo could feel the rage surge through him, and it took all of his willpower to not lunge at Zero.
This enigma of a man had taken Sui's life.
There was no way he could forgive that.

Zero
"Temper, temper! It's not as if anyone said you have to give up hope, you know.
Keep taking down the Numbers, and you may just earn yourself an ultra reward."

Yo Kuronaka
An... ultra reward?

Tsuki Iroha
"Are you saying we could bring Sui back to life with that?"

Zero
"Who knows? In any case, is that what Sui even wants?"

Yutaka Gotanda
"I'm not sure if it's possible, but if it is... I suppose that Zero would be capable of it."

Kazuki Aoyama
"For the time being, we'll just have to hedge our bets on that being the ticket to reuniting with Sui."

Zero was already known to possess some manner of supernatural ability. The notion that he could even offer something such as an 'ultra reward' suggested his powers were truly incredible.
It seemed he may even have had the power to resurrect people. After all, the reality was that Tsuki and Sui both appeared before Yo after they should have already been dead.
That made it undeniable that it was something within Zero's scope.

Yo Kuronaka
"If it means we have a chance of bringing Sui back to life, then fine. I'll do it. I'll take down all of the Numbers and win XG!
Then I can have you resurrect him using that ultra reward!"

It wasn't as if he wanted to fall prey to Zero's machinations any more than he already had, but if it meant he'd have the chance to see Sui again, Yo was willing to make that sacrifice.
He vowed silently to himself that he would bring Sui back to life using the ultra reward.

Zero
"Haha! You're all fired up now, huh? That's the spirit, Yo!
As a reward for your enthusiasm, I'll strike your original reward request to undo Sui's brainwashing from the record. So... what else would you like instead?"

Yo Kuronaka
"At this point, there's nothing I need. Anyone else want something?"

Yo looked over to his team, and after a moment, Santaro stepped forward.

Santaro Mita
"How about... Getting rid of the governing rules here and bringing back XB, just like in Shinagawa City? Y'know, for when the Minato Tribe members come back..."

Yo Kuronaka
"Got it. We can do that."

Zero
"No arguments from me. You put on a great show this time, so I'll allow it."

Yutaka Gotanda
"Will that be all right? I'm wondering what the Influencers will think if the rules change."

Yo Kuronaka
"Who cares about what they think?"

Yo had no interest in those people.
The only thing he had on his mind was Sui, who was now dead.

Zero
"Well, I've seen everything I need to, so I'm out. Catch you later."

Zero spoke, the smile still hidden behind his mask. After a moment, his floated up off the ground and vanished into the sky above Minato City.
Leaving only the worst possible outcome behind...