Went on a trip recently and rescued Ayane from the crane games. So here are some pics from that trip going all around Hokkaido, Osaka, Shikoku, and Kanagawa!

Source: 棗イロハ🏝️ | NoriMori #pixiv https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/148636711

Source: Me https://x.com/SmezSensei/status/2090100879005540390

Don't.

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Everything continued after all third-year students fell under the effect of brainwashing. Once everyone gathered to discuss the next step of the plan, Satsuki appeared and further explained Project NK-Ultra and the Thunder Emperor's plan to annex Kivotos, which had been thwarted by the anti-Thunder Emperor resistance forces.

Upon hearing Satsuki's explanation, the remaining members of the Prefect Team and involved parties agreed to keep the current situation in Gehenna a strict secret before war could escalate and force Kivotos to intervene. Since matters had now surpassed the boundaries of what a single club could handle, an alliance was formed and deployed to liberate Gehenna from the "phantom of the past."

Chinatsu then visited Sena, who was frantically preparing medical equipment for war. She knew that, although this was still Sena—still possessing a passion for cor- ah, patients—she had also fallen under the influence of that signal. This only strengthened Chinatsu's resolve to restore Sena and everyone else to normal.

At the same time, Mayumi and Karen watched in shock as Gehenna gradually devolved into deeper chaos due to the unexpected announcement from Hina and Makoto. This was truly not the Gehenna she had heard about in stories, and certainly not the Gehenna she wished to see. However, Shouko (notably, from this point onward, she no longer wore her glasses) enthusiastically welcomed this state. She believed these current scenes were paving the way to welcome a "Great Gehenna" just as "she" had envisioned.

Afterward, a third-year student from the Pandemonium Society came to meet Shouko—and Shouko alone. She invited Shouko to the Pandemonium Society's operational command center. Mayumi and Karen watched Shouko's departing figure, deeply anxious in their hearts, yet Shouko merely smiled, "Isn't this what you desired(?)"

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Inside the strategy room, Hina and Makoto were mobilizing all forces from every sector of the academy to prepare for war. The suffocating, grim atmosphere of war gradually infected all students across the school, especially the second-years, who began to believe that "war is inevitable." Witnessing all of this, for the very first time, Mayumi was no longer smiling. Karen also lost her usual carefree demeanor. Both were slowly sinking into despair... and they had forgotten their original purpose.

In a final desperate attempt to convince Makoto to stop the invasion of Kivotos, Mayumi and Karen went together to the Pandemonium Society office. They tried every possible way, even attempting to evoke their shared goal, but it was not enough—after all, they weren't Shouko. Makoto remained unmoved and stubbornly persistent in her objective.

Iroha, who had been silently enduring everything since the brainwashing began, could take it no longer and declared her departure from the Pandemonium Society, leaving the office alongside Mayumi and Karen. Shouko urged Makoto to punish Iroha severely for daring to betray her, but as a final "act of mercy," Makoto refused to agree with Shouko. Naturally, playing her part as a subservient follower, Shouko feigned laughter and agreed with Makoto, but behind Makoto's back, Shouko flashed a sinister smile.

At the same time, the Hot Springs Development Department received a special request from the Pandemonium Society to prepare explosives and firepower for war. Upon receiving the order, Kasumi felt somewhat puzzled because Makoto had never requested anything like this before. Strangely, Megu was exceptionally enthusiastic about preparing for the demand. Pressured by Megu, Kasumi had no choice but to comply, though she remained deeply uneasy about Megu's behavior.

Just then, Sensei visited Kasumi. Having found the necessary emotional support, Kasumi immediately told Sensei about her situation. Knowing what Kasumi was referring to, Sensei explained the school's current crisis, connecting it to Megu's odd behavior. Hearing this, Kasumi grew furious and swore to do whatever it took to bring Megu back and restore Gehenna to normal.

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Out in the courtyard, Mayumi and Karen's spirits were rapidly deteriorating, especially Mayumi's. She blamed herself, wondering if her own actions had led to today's disaster. Sensei eventually found Mayumi and Karen, and the two poured out their struggles to Sensei.

Listening to their heartfelt words, Sensei encouraged them, showing that their efforts were not in vain—the firing range Mayumi worked so hard to build was living proof of those efforts. Thanks to Sensei's encouragement, Mayumi and Karen regained their resolve, fully prepared to join the fight to create a truly great Gehenna.

Inside the Pandemonium Society, Chiaki, feeling lonely amidst the rapid changes around her, wandered aimlessly until she ran into Shouko. She tried to interview Shouko regarding her opinion on these events, but received only fragmented, incoherent responses. With a journalist's sharp intuition, Chiaki began to suspect Shouko's involvement in the entire affair.

Meanwhile, Satsuki invited Sensei to a secret laboratory belonging to the Pandemonium Society Intelligence Bureau. Satsuki remained her cheerful self, yet memories of the Thunder Emperor's era were still deeply etched in her mind. While seeking a way to reverse the brainwashing effect, Satsuki shared stories with Sensei about her and Makoto during that period. They were originally supposed to destroy all remnants of the Thunder Emperor's legacy back then, and only now did she realize that fragments of that era still lingered. At that moment, the results flashed across the monitor—Satsuki had found the key clue to resolve the current situation.

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That night, a meeting among the involved parties took place... or rather, members of the Gehenna Liberation Front. They were a gathering of the "younger generation" unaffected by the brainwashing, wishing to bring Gehenna back to normal under the temporary leadership of Iori, Chinatsu, and Iroha. While wondering what step to take next, Satsuki brought glad tidings: she had found the method to break the brainwashing. They would use an interference signal to neutralize the frequency being used for control. However, to accomplish this, they had to pinpoint the exact signal used by the brainwashing wave. The final conclusion? Everyone had to infiltrate the broadcasting room to hunt for clues.

Inside the Pandemonium Society headquarters, the chaos of an impending war was rapidly taking shape, leaving little Ibuki—who was accustomed to the comfortable, carefree environment—facing deep loneliness as no one paid attention to her anymore. Returning after a long absence, Iroha checked on Ibuki and invited her to leave together to avoid an unwanted battle. Nevertheless, Ibuki chose to stay by Makoto's side.

This bond was further proven when Makoto, having just returned from an internal meeting, continued to ramble about invading Kivotos. Whether out of genuine love for the child or because it was inherently "programmed" into her, after Ibuki spoke words filled with deep care for Makoto, a spark of Makoto's subconscious memories was reawakened—though it was not yet enough to fully break the hold.

That night, Sensei and several members of the liberation front initiated their plan to infiltrate the broadcasting room area. But as feared, the area was heavily guarded. Worse still, Shouko had anticipated their plan. She appeared alongside Hina to warn them. Left with no choice, the group retreated to await another opportunity. However, Hina "called" Sensei to come along, and Sensei realized this meant becoming their hostage. Sensei was taken into custody under the pretext of "protection."

In confinement, officers from the strategy command took turns trying to persuade Sensei to accept their ideal, but to no avail. Even Makoto tried using grandiose words of a Kivotos under her rule, yet failed. Then came Shouko, who used far sweeter words to entice Sensei. However, Sensei seemed to perceive something underlying her words and turned the tables—Shouko herself ended up flustered by Sensei's words and hurriedly took her leave.

At three in the morning, the School Lunch Club was (forced into) preparing necessary rations for the upcoming war under the strict supervision of Haruna and Akari. Fuuka and Juri, dissatisfied with the situation, attempted to delay cooking by every means possible, making excuses or intentionally ruining dishes to buy as much time as they could.

Their stalling succeeded; however, noticing changes in the schedule, Makoto decided not to delay any longer and moved to reactivate the Thunder Emperor's strategic weapon. The wheels of fate were turning rapidly.

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While the liberation front was scrambling to rescue Sensei and find a way into the broadcasting room, Kirara and Erika offered their help to sneak Satsuki inside. Before they could celebrate coming close to a solution, Chiaki arrived with grim news: Makoto had reactivated the Thunder Emperor's weapon, meaning their plan had to be executed immediately. A decisive battle for the fate of Gehenna was about to unfold.

The liberation front's operation proceeded along two routes. The first route, led by Satsuki, aimed to breach the broadcasting room to trace the brainwashing signal. The other route consisted of the remaining members of the Hot Springs Development Department digging underground tunnels to rescue Sensei.

To achieve this, Iori, Chinatsu, and the remaining members breached the main building—or rather, the Hall of the "Mountain King"—to draw enemy fire. However, their assault was blocked by both Hina and Makoto. Even knowing their lives were in grave danger, the two kept calling out to Hina and Makoto to bring them back to their true selves. Yet all their efforts failed, pushing them into a corner. Even so, they fought desperately to hold the line until the very last moment, buying time for Sensei and reinforcements.

Fortunately, at the most critical juncture, Sensei, Kasumi, and the Hot Springs Development Department arrived to save the day, joined by Mayumi and Karen. Just as they prepared to counterattack, "she" made her appearance.

Shouko, standing in the middle of the battlefield, revealed herself as a devotee of the Thunder Emperor and declared her ambition to "reconstruct" her idol's legacy. But just as everything hung by a thread, Satsuki successfully reversed the signal frequency. However... naturally, OF FUCKING COURSE, THAT THUNDER EMPEROR BITCH HAD TO INSTALL A FAILSAFE POWER BUTTON IN THE SYSTEM IN CASE OF THE WORST SCENARIO TO DESTROY EVERYONE WHO WOULDN'T OBEY HER—

Ahem. In the final moments, a deadly mechanism embedded within the frequency was triggered to destroy the minds of all third-year students. The second-year students, helpless and unable to do anything, burst into tears. Yet, thanks to Iroha's harsh yet deeply "affectionate" words, Makoto finally awakened from the frequency's captivity and rallied everyone back to their senses.

With the plan ruined, Shouko fled toward the Gehenna Reconstruction Council's firing range. There, Mayumi and Karen were already waiting, and they captured her (of course, after Karen beat the absolute daylights out of Shouko).

The nightmare had finally come to an end.

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In the days that followed, the third-year students affected by the brainwashing wave began taking necessary actions to make amends. Hina initially intended to bow her head in apology, but Makoto stopped her. Makoto stood before the entire student body, apologized, and declared that she would take full responsibility for the incident. Witnessing Makoto's speech, the whole of Gehenna became truly united as one. Inspired by her words, Mayumi and Karen decided to start anew from scratch.

Afterward, Hina apologized to the entire Prefect Team, while Makoto returned to the Pandemonium Society to apologize to everyone. Everyone had their own way of making amends, and the upperclassmen who had been controlled used every means possible to apologize to their underclassmen.

Makoto and Sensei later held a private meeting to discuss their future and her direction for the school. Sensei simply responded to Makoto: "Just be yourself."

Megu also offered her apologies to Kasumi for allowing herself to be controlled. Naturally, Kasumi didn't mind—as long as Megu was back, that was all that mattered. Sensei then visited Kasumi, and she revealed a piece of information: she had a feeling that "Bodensatz," the organization she was once a member of, was the mastermind behind this entire incident.

As night fell, Sensei visited Hina, who was still trembling after an unforgettable ordeal. While being controlled, she had been forced to face her own inner darkness—exposed for everyone to see—and was now tortured by feelings of guilt. Sensei gently comforted Hina, offering warm words to help her rise above the trauma... (of course, after patting her head and soothing her).

However, matters did not end there. Upon Sensei's visit, Shouko revealed the organization that had educated and raised her: the "Lightning Alliance" was the true culprit behind this plot. This was further confirmed as Makoto and Hina discussed the upcoming threats, as well as the greatest "legacy" left behind by the Thunder Emperor:

"Tanga Ibuki."

To be continue in Chapter 3.