June 22, 6:00 AM, Conclusion (6月22日午前6時 決着 Rokugatsu Ni-juu-ni-nichi Gozen Roku-ji—Kecchaku) is the thirteenth and final chapter of Yoigoshi-hen.
Summary[]
Mifune demands that Otobe hand the bell to him, and Otobe’s conscience starts telling him to do it as well. Otobe still wants to fight to the end, but his conscience says he’ll die if he refuses. Mifune pulls out a gun and Arakawa suddenly charges into him, yelling for Otobe to protect the bell. Mifune knocks him away and turns back to Otobe, who has gripped the Tamahajiki no Katana in a fighting stance. Otobe doesn’t want to waste his life, however he still won’t fear death. Yae, Mion, and Arakawa have all fought long and hard for their own goals, and Otobe will do the same. He declares that he won’t give Mifune the bell and that he better not miss, otherwise Mifune will die with one slash. Mifune raises his gun and soon falls over after Mion strikes him from behind.
Mion is still weak from blood loss and calls Otobe Satoshi again, and Otobe corrects her. He then figures she isn’t Mion and calls her Shion instead. Shion becomes surprised and says she abandoned that name 20 years ago, asking who everyone is and when she got here anyway. Otobe hands the bell to her and says Mion asked him to do, and Shion replies that Mion died 20 years ago. Arakawa realizes that Mion saying she was being possessed her was true all along. Shion remembers that Mion’s spirit had come to her a few days ago and told her to go to Hinamizawa. Shion drove to the village and was chased by Mifune’s men, getting into a crash and soon falling unconscious. Otobe is shocked to hear that Shion was possessed the entire time, and Arakawa reminds him that they’re in the land of the dead. Mion died in the school explosion a long time ago, but her spirit remained close to Shion. Shion thanks her sister for the late gift, and Otobe then asks about her wound. Shion notices that her kimono is torn but there’s no blood; Mion must have taken the wound with her when she left.
Shion says this is not the first time Mion has stood by her side, however she can’t feel anything now. The group hears more footsteps and Shion tells them to relax as Kasai and another man come running in to confirm their safety. Yae shows up behind them, having guided everyone else to the Sonozaki estate after Kasai went to the shrine. Yae hands Mion's gun back and then says she’s talked things out with Takumi, having decided to start a new life and turn herself in. Otobe also decides to start over, planning to tell his parents everything and repay his debts somehow. Arakawa meanwhile despairs over what he’ll write in his article, as nobody will believe a story involving a yakuza family rebellion and dead people coming back to life.
Shion escorts everyone back to town as a favor and they drive past the ruins of a destroyed building, the site where the school exploded. They stop the car and Shion walks out, thinking that she should’ve died along with Keiichi, Rena, Rika, Satoko, and Mion 20 years ago. Otobe says that human life is like toothpaste, something Mion said earlier, and Shion says that’s a very Mion thing to say. She starts patting Otobe’s head, prompting him to mumble. Shion remembers Satoshi again as Kasai calls them back to the car. Otobe says Mion had one more thing to say to Shion: “let’s be twins in the next world.”
Shion cries and thanks Mion one last time, and plants her katana into the ground. A playing card flies on the wind to rest next to it.
Characters[]
References[]
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