1. Breaking News: Shiga Train Derailment
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2. Recovery efforts continue
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3. I hope Ai-chan's okay...
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4. Oh, right. I can just send her a message.
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5. Hey, Ai-chan, how are you feeling?
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6. She's bound to reply if she's feeling better.
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7. Hey, Ai-chan,
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8. how are you feeling?
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9. Ai-chan
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10. Ai-chan? That was fast!
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11. Sensei!
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12. Ai-chan, what's wrong? Are you okay?
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13. I got knocked out,
but I only ended up with a few scratches.
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14. I was so worried you were seriously hurt.
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15. Talk about lucky.
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16. Is it really, though?
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17. Because maybe that accident
only happened 'cause I was there,
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18. and all those people got hurt because I was there.
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19. I'm really unlucky.
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20. Me and everyone who hangs around me, too.
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21. What hospital are you at?
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22. Huh?
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23. Well, Yayoi-chan, Eiko,
and I want to come down and pay you a visit.
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24. I think you'll feel better
once you get to talk to some friends.
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25. Then, you'll see you're just overthinking things,
and it's not your fault.
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26. Okay, but what if seeing me
makes something bad happen again?
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27. We'll be okay. Yayoi-chan will be there.
God, that sounds so pathetic...
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28. And everyone's worried about you, Ai.
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29. We all just want to see you smile again!
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30. No one's ever said that to me before! Thank you!
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31. I'll be here! I can't wait to see you, Sensei!
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32. Same. We'll be there soon, okay?
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33. See you then.
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34. Right! Bye-bye!
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35. Gah! I forgot to get the name!
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36. Kyoto Central Hospital
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37. So hype!
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38. So I got the name of the hospital she's staying at.
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39. I was so excited to come in here and tell you, too...
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40. But now the school's closed
because of some crazy ghost incident?
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41. And one of your classmates was replaced by a ghost
who's in league with other body-snatchers?
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42. AND they probably know our addresses?
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43. I don't even know where to start...
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44. Actually, how about with whatever the hell
you're doing, Eiko?
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45. I'm putting up spy cameras!
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46. Obviously! You mind telling me WHY?
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47. To catch a body-snatcher if they break in.
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48. Oh, really?
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49. KEI-KUN'S
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50. ROOM!
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51. CAMERA
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52. Then why'd you put up this many?
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53. You know I wish I didn't have to, but I had to. So I did!
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54. Y'know, sometimes, there are things
in this world you just can't avoid doing!
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55. Why're you so excited about it, then?
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56. I'm the only one who can see the feeds,
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57. and if things look sketchy,
I'll ask Shami-san's team to take care of it!
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58. O-okay...
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59. I didn't think things would go this far off the rails...
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60. In any case, everything's prepared for our trip to Kyoto.
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61. Our objective is to visit Ai,
then confront her god face-to-face.
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62. There's a 90% chance things get ugly, which means we'll
need to strategize and prepare before that confrontation.
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63. We need a plan...
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64. A while back, you said you'd taken on a god before.
How'd you do that?
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65. Simply put, it's a numbers game,
where you batter it with curses to keep weakening it.
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66. GOD
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67. Ai's god is far more powerful than I thought, however.
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68. Not only is it powerful on its own,
but it has a spirit to heal it and at least twelve lackies.
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69. I've come up with a plan to raise our odds of beating it.
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70. I'll spell it out for you two so we can fine-tune it together.
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71. Currently, we have seven graduates at our disposal.
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72. The High Priest of the Evil Tongue.
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73. The Imprisoned Martyr.
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74. Otogiri Oiran, the Soul-Sucking Courtesan.
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75. The Suicide at Sengon-Kegon Falls.
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76. The ghost from the Old Old F Tunnel,
The Faceless Fiend.
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77. The ghost from the Old I Watergate,
The Black Asura in Lunar Umbra.
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78. And the ghost that got stronger
during the incident at school, the Soul in Transition.
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79. Stories tell of an ancient exorcist
who placed a protective ward over all of Kyoto.
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80. We'll follow suit, reserving the Martyr
and the Oiran for their weakening abilities,
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81. then placing the other five in a pentagram
of Kyoto's most haunted locations.
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82. I call it: the Bellflower of Blasphemy.
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83. It will be the inverse of a ward,
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84. trapping the god inside to shrivel and weaken
at the hands of the Martyr and the Oiran.
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85. Once weakened enough, we retrieve our Graduates,
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86. then use our overwhelming numbers to take it down.
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87. So we'd be creating a curse that covers the entire city?
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88. Yup.
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89. But wouldn't that also affect everyone who lives there?
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90. It would, if we let it.
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91. But we won't, so we'll need two things:
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92. A substitute with the curse drawn onto it,
and a substitute for the city of Kyoto itself.
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93. Wait, how are we going to do that?
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94. We grab soil or something from one part of the city
to fashion into the substitute.
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95. That transfers the curse away from the city.
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96. This substitute is the key.
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97. TYPICAL
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98. Usually, substitutes take damage intended for a human,
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99. REVERSE
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100. but this one works in reverse,
transferring damage from the city to the god.
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101. But how do we turn the god into a substitute?
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102. We mark it the same way.
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103. Mark it?
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104. Oh, with that symbol?
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105. Precisely. I came up with this symbol
so it's completely unique.
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106. We'll carve it into the god's flesh to make
a permanent link between it and the substitute.
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107. B-but wait, the god can heal itself, can't it?
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108. That's from Castle H. The Suicide's curse!
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109. That's right. She can inflict wounds that can't be healed,
and we can use her obi to strike it from out of range.
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110. O-okay, so how do these two things work together?
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111. Like this.
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112. We place the curse over Kyoto.
The effects get channeled into the city's substitute.
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113. Those flow through gravity down
into to substitute with the mark.
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114. That then transfers through
the Suicide's markings to the god,
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115. afflicting it with a curse powerful enough to level a city.
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116. I can't believe she came up with all of this...
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117. Got it! So the curse won't affect anyone else
except for the god!
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118. Yup.
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119. That's so cool!
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120. Okay, let's draw up what steps we need to take
to enact the plan and put it on a schedule.
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121. Mhmm.
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122. I assume the god will pick a fight with us
when we go to visit Ai-chan.
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123. So we want to finish most of our prep
before we go to see her.
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124. May 7: Prep
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125. May 8: Drive from
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126. Tokyo to Kyoto
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127. May 8-10: Clear all five spots,
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128. set up Graduates
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129. May 10: Finish other prep
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130. May 11: Go visit Ai
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131. May 11: Confront God
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132. May 11-12: WIN
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133. How's this look?
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134. Good.
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135. For prep, then...
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136. We'll need to hit five crucial spots
to make the pentagram.
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137. I've picked out these five.
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138. F Park
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139. K-zuka Daimyojin Shrine
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140. T Tunnel
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141. A Dam
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142. National Highway Between OW and OT
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143. That's Kyoto for you.
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144. A place so steeped in haunted history
was sure to have top-tier haunts,
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145. and none of them are going to be easy.
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146. We have to hit all these places before taking on the god?
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147. We could end up dead before that.
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148. True, but with great risk comes greater rewards.
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149. By securing each location for our Graduate,
we'll also capture powerful spirits.
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150. The god's lackies are less powerful than it,
but they'll still be a force to be reckoned with.
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151. We can't cut corners when it comes to them.
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152. Given the inherent danger of this plan,
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153. I want the two of you to really consider
whether or not you want to go to Kyoto.
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154. Your lives will truly be in danger
during the course of this battle.
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155. You could very well be throwing away everything
for the sake of one friend.
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156. You're well within your rights to freak out
and run away. That reaction is completely normal.
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157. So I want you to think long and hard about it,
then make a decision.
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158. If you still want to come,
then meet me here tomorrow morning.
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159. Hey, come on in!
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160. Why'd you ask me to bring you a ghost?
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161. Cause I want you to see something.
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162. What is it?
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163. You'll see.
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164. I just don't know if it'll attack, so be on your guard.
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165. Is that the girl from the F Tunnel?
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166. Yep.
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167. I upgraded the design, so no matter
what damage it takes, it'll always regenerate.
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168. I call it the "self-sustaining substitute."
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169. Is it too creepy?
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170. I can't believe you're already thinking about this, too!
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171. Uh, that wasn't the reaction I was expecting...
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172. I had the same idea before.
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173. But I abandoned it, since I wanted to train them instead.
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174. You put this together right after getting a ghost, too.
I need to hire you as my assistant.
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175. Professor!
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176. For now, let me repair the paper substitute.
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177. Wait!
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178. That would help, but that's not why
I asked you to come here.
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179. What's in the closet?
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180. I did as you said, and thought really hard about Kyoto.
And after all that thinking, this is what I came up with.
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181. A better, smaller version of the self-sustaining
substitute mass-produced with my 3D printer!
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182. It doesn't need a spirit, just a substitute placed inside.
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183. It doesn't need to last long,
so we can use just water instead of gel,
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184. and the low viscosity of water
makes it repair itself even faster!
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185. And with this many substitutes,
our chance of surviving has never been higher!
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186. been higher!
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187. been higher!
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188. Yikes...
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189. What? I thought you'd be way more excited!
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190. Ahem... You have certainly exceeded my expectations.
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191. But I can tell from this
that you're dead set on fighting by my side.
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192. You went to Kishimojin before,
trying to get rid of our curse, right?
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193. That must mean the curse was set on us
by something as powerful as a god.
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194. So I'd better be ready to take on
something as powerful as a god!
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195. Let's do this, Yayoi-chan!
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196. Thanks. You already do a lot for me,
but I'm gonna need you even more from here on out.
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197. The honest truth is I'm terrified.
I've been lucky to survive all this time.
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198. But things are gonna be
way more dangerous from here on out.
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199. I know that...
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200. but I've already made my decision!
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201. I can't believe they're coming down
to see me! I can't wait!
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202. Wait, is this me? I'm, like, gorgeous!
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203. You look amazing, Ai.
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204. I knew you'd look wonderful.
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205. Mom! Auntie!
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206. Auntie?
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207. Didn't you die a long time ago?
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208. SURGERY
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209. The hospital? But why...
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210. Ai-chan...
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211. Auntie?
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212. What the-?
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213. Stop!
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214. Stop!
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215. Please! Help me, Sen-
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216. Wait... Who was I going to say?
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217. Help me, Li-
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218. Who? What...?
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219. Wait... Why am I crying?
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220. Help me... Help me... Help me...
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221. I feel like I'm missing something important...
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222. Like I'm turning into... Something else.
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223. What? Is that my face? Being taken away?
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224. No, it's still here.
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225. It's almost your time, Ai.
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226. Just a nightmare...
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227. Sensei! Little Senpai! Eiko-chan!
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228. I'm so scared...
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229. Kei-kun!
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230. I was gonna go see Ai-chan regardless.
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231. That alone puts me in danger of getting killed,
so I might as well fight for a chance to survive.
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232. I'm not sure if any of these are going to help,
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233. but I brought all the charms
my Grandma gave me for protection!
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234. Keitaro...
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235. I also put this together.
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236. Three hours later
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237. All done! This is my Graduate Deployment Kit!
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238. If I work on the range a bit more,
we can seal and release our Graduates totally remotely.
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239. This'll make recovering them afterwards way easier, too.
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240. Ooh, let me help spruce up the electronics!
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241. I was hoping you would.
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242. This is absolutely something I want to have.
Thank you, Keitaro.
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243. Sure. We're going to be leaning on you
to handle most of the battling,
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244. but still, let's go save Ai-chan, together!
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245. Yeah!
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246. Next up...
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247. There we go.
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248. I've fulfilled my promise.
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249. We will be engaging in battle again in Kyoto.
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250. I'd like to entrust a crucial part of our plan to you.
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251. Next time, bring friends.
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252. I'll bring a different kind of sake next time
so we can all learn more.
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253. Negotiations and collection complete.
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254. Now...
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255. So this is your Graduate dorm!
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256. There's a man hanging in the doorway,
but you can ignore him. He's harmless.
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257. O-okay.
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258. We'll put a tracker on the right arm.
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259. The left arm, we'll take with us to Kyoto.
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260. Why the distinction?
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261. This one's the one the old lady was carrying.
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262. MAY 5TH
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263. REPLACED
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264. MAY 6TH
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265. Right after that, another one of the body-snatchers
made contact with me.
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266. Since the two of them know each other,
they'll probably share information,
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267. BODY-SNATCHERS
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268. THEY STOLE IT?
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269. so they'll likely come to try and take the right arm back.
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270. LET'S GET IT BACK!
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271. But they don't know we have the left arm.
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272. They might not come looking for the right arm,
but if they do, all the better for us,
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273. because then we'll know more about them.
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274. That makes sense.
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275. That'll do it.
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276. So that grade schooler likely has our arm.
Should we not go and take it from her?
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277. Though Dorothy says she is our brethren,
we do not yet know the truth for certain.
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278. We must observe her fully before taking rash action.
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279. What are you two talking about in here?
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280. Oh, we're discussing the friend you told us about.
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281. I knew the two of you would be
completely intrigued by her!
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282. Well, I'm only interested in the arm.
I can't speak for Nankobo-san over here, though.
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283. How fares the spirit, then?
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284. It's growing steadily, though it is still lacking in strength.
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285. That was quite the pinch, there.
We could have lost it for good.
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286. Should we go and lend it assistance?
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287. Would you?
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288. Right away.
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289. I'd like to come with you!
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290. That's the whole reason why I got school put on hold.
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291. We can also use it as an opportunity
to tour the great city of Kyoto!
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292. I am sure you know, but it bears repeating:
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293. do not make contact with that god.
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294. Of course we won't. I'm not so crazy
as to tangle with divinity, knock on wood.
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295. The cameras are set up, and we're prepped
to deal with any body-snatchers.
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296. Now...
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297. we're ready.
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298. To Kyoto, then.
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299. Let's ghooo...
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300. ooost!
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301. Oh right, Yayoi-chan, did you want to stop by the site
of the train accident? It's on the way.
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302. The Spectre was there... The spirit that killed her parents.
She could learn something from what happened there.
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303. Breaking News: Shiga Train Derailment
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304. On the way back, yes. Right now, I want to focus on Ai.
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305. She's prioritizing her living friend over her dead parents...
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306. We're coming, Ai.
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307. Next stop: Kyoto...
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