Excruciating Sadness Can Be Cured by Other Anguish

Overview

Chihiro has all of the Malthus Church meet up in the red mist, even Kakihara, and invites the five members of the Guardian State as well. The State accuse the Church of destroying the barriers protecting Tokyo, for if they all fall, Tokyo and everyone within will die. However, if they don't fall, humans will keep being turned into gates. The two factions almost come to blows before Chihiro says they can save the world without destroying Tokyo. Yuri shows herself and Shōko attacks her, only for Chihiro to defend her since she saved Kotetsu. He says there is a way for the Heroic Lineage to win without destroying Tokyo: survive. If they live, that's all they need to do to wreck AVAL's plan. If they team up, they stand a good chance of doing that. Shōko remains adamant the only two choices are to let the Heroic Bloodline go extinct or destroy Tokyo but Chihiro points out Yuri had no choice to fight but joined instead. They can change fate. Everyone but Shōko, Julia, Suruga agree to the alliance. Kurokami and Kakihara also disagree but Kurokami shows Kakihara files on the murder of Chihiro's father. 13 years ago: a family committed double suicide. Two weeks later, the family's seven year old son was rescued. The son said he killed his father and fell into a coma, memories gone when he awoke. The cops believed his statement was from confusion so it was treated as a double-suicide rather then murder. Chihiro's father was stabbed with a piece of glass, and the scars of gripping it were left on Chihiro's hand. Unreleased to the public, Chihiro's father left a message before he died telling his son to live. There were also bruise marks on Chihiro's neck, indicating he had been strangled. Kakihara refuses to accept it. Kurokami goes to Malthus Church after she gets a call that AVAL is trying to make a Second Great Collapse. Shōko is also present and states Yuri is deceiving them into making a move. They agree to investigate, Kurokami allying with them, though Shōko promises they'll regret it. Grumman demands to know where Yuri went and Jun lies by saying he knows nothing. Yuri returns a copy of Tempest Chihiro's mother gave her to him. When he takes it back he remembers when his father trying to strangle him after giving into despair from his wife's disappearance and has a vision of Kurokami dead. Kurokami investigates an abandoned amusement park where AVAL has set up shop, seeing they are artificially creating barriers. She is attacked by a Heroic Vessel allied with AVAL, Kaburagi Kark, and overwhelmed. Chihiro fails to contact Kurokami, prompting Shōko to state Kurokami got what she deserved for falling for an enemy (Yuri's) words. Kurokami then appears at the Church courtyard and dies after showing a map of the artificial barriers. Shōko congratulates Yuri as AVAL is one step closer to their goal. Grumman, Jun, and Haru arrive, her father also congratulating her and telling her she has done her job and can come home, but she tells him she didn't do this. The others turns against Yuri and Chihiro, forcing Yuri to return to AVAL. This makes it look like she merely deceived Chihiro, making it easier on him. Her father beats her upon return to AVAL, knowing she tried to betray them. Chihiro has another vision, but this time it is Kakihara who is dead.