Kasumi's message

'Why did I think this way? Anything can happen now. It is not safe anywhere. Yori disappeared alongside Yumeko and the others. Unlike me who managed to find shelter, those ended in a dangerous place.'

Did she truly think Yori would be safe just because she is strong?

However, before she could collapse onto the ground, somebody grabbed hold of her arm and steadied her fall. It was Kiryu.

"Lila." Kiryu didn't say much, but she knew that he was trying to say that things were okay.

No- how can it be okay?

How can it be fine?

"We were, as you might have guessed by now, transported into another space. This space is very unstable; a lot of unnatural things happen. As you can imagine living in another space has other issues like air quality. The air in that space is poisonous; no normal human can survive it. Yori understood that right when the dome was collapsing, so she created a barrier. She had to sustain that barrier twenty-four hours a day; if she let it drop even for a moment, then somebody could die. So, until her last breath, she protected everyone."

Then right now, Kasumi must have stayed to replace Yori.

"Right now, I am holding it up. But I am not as strong as Yori. However, with Yori's passing, the other contestants who were so cold have stepped up. Did you know there were other evolved humans here? Aha, now they do something."

Kasumi…

"Also another reason why I'm staying, this is the main one. Kanehera Yumeko is working on something. In the space we are in, there is no concept of time; time moves very slowly. It seemed Aizawa Misaki realized this and started to train her on her abilities. I do not know what they are working on exactly, but it should become a weapon to help you."

That's right, Yumeko-chan was not good at controlling her abilities. That was why Kouta-kun was always protective of her whenever she went on stage.

"We have learned many things from this world. Lila and Kiryu, you two are the key to ending this fight. You have to work together; otherwise, there will be no end to this. If things go exactly to the enemy's plan, the poison will fill the air, and people will die. The infected is only the second stage of their plans; they do not plan to stop there. They plan to kill everyone and not leave a single trace to reset the world."

Lila clenched her fist. 'I still don't understand. Why? Why do they have to go this far?'

"There is something Kanehera Yumeko worked out when we first came here. Songs can be used as a weapon against the infected. Lila, you have probably not sung once since the world became this way because you feared the power behind your voice. But stop that now; you need to use it. If you sing, the infected stop to listen. They do not attack. We have tested this out, and it works."

If she sings, right Mother did say that, didn't she? Mother told her not to hold her voice back.

'Even now, songs are people's ray of light.'

"This is just a theory, but if you sing in a group, the infected will return to normal."

Her eyes widened when she heard those words and watched as Kotori started to write notes.

There is a chance for those people to return to normal? But will there be any negative side effects? Will they remember their time as an infected person? That would be bad for their mental state.

Lila shook her head. Now is not the time to overthink this. The fact that they found a solution in their circumstances is good. They are making more progress than their side.

"Also, the fool who is sacrificing himself to save Lila. Yes, Kiryu, I am talking about you. Please stop being such an idiot and think about what you are doing? Do you think if you take Lila's power from you, you can reverse her fate? That will do nothing; the outcome will not change. Miyazawa-senpai probably planted that crazy idea in your head, but nothing will change. Stop injecting yourself with the stuff she gives you, too; she is feeding you a slow-acting poison. You will die before you even take Lila's power."

At those words, Lila turned to Kiryu, who had turned silent. As expected of Kasumi, she always knew how to lecture Kiryu. So this is what Kiryu was trying to do. Is this why he kept meeting up with her even after he told her to stay away?

Was he waiting for an opportunity to steal her power? But he still didn't do that.

"Lastly, Mikami. If you see him, please tell him to stop looking for me. I want Ray to open up the path in Japan for me, Yumeko, and everyone here to return. There is a mysterious clock tower in the northern region. The infected have surrounded that area, but singing will clear the path."

'As usual, Kasumi isn't honest; shouldn't she say something else?'

"Lila, I wanted to say let's all sing together. But with Rinna in that state, I do not want to risk anything. Moreover, it isn't the Goddess4 if one of us is missing. I do not know what happened to Maaya. Even though we went to the venue together that day, she did not appear with us-" Kasumi's sentence fell short when she heard the sound of a large explosion and people rushing about. "I have to go, but please follow my instructions."

'I spent so much time focusing on Haruka and neglected my friends. But Kasumi has never cared about that.'

Kasumi has always remained by her side, even during this situation. Even though other ability users could hold up a barrier, she stays to protect Yumeko because Kasumi understands that Yumeko is important to her.

"One last thing, Lila. Not a single day has gone by since I regretted becoming your best friend. Even now, it remains the most precious memory for me. Yori wanted to tell you the same thing too. Even in her dying breath, she wanted you to know not to blame yourself for this, and she did everything of her own accord. In her last message, the last thing she said was, 'It's too bad I didn't see Lila in that wedding dress. But I am sure that once this is over, Karashima will go through the grandest wedding and be the most beautiful bride. Please be happy.'"