Chapter 41: All the GDM Have Vanished...

"Is it really her? She doesn't seem reliable at all, not a shred of fighting power. I could flatten her in a minute!" Fujimaki, eyes narrowed in a mocking glare, stared at Yui, like a delinquent bullying a little girl.

"Hey, don't bully girls for no reason!" Otonashi sternly rebuked Fujimaki, who was brandishing his wooden sword and glaring at Yui.

"My name is Yui! Nice to meet you all!" Yui, brought in as Iwasawa's replacement, waved cheerfully in greeting. Unfortunately, no one replied. After a while, Hinata asked, "Who is she?"

"Were you not listening? She's the candidate for GDM's new lead singer," Otonashi replied as he and Hinata started chatting amongst themselves. Yui was visibly deflated; her decorative tail drooped listlessly.

"Just listen before deciding. Yui, right? Ignore them and sing your heart out." Seeing this energetic girl discouraged by a bunch of idiots, Yoru patted her head comfortingly. He trusted any recommendation from Shiro completely.

"Yes! Senpai, you're so kind! Unlike those guys! Bleh!" Yui grinned, clearly undeterred, and handed Yoru a "good person" card, then stuck her tongue out at her doubters, making faces. She switched on a tape recorder, and music began to play.

After singing for a while, Noda offered a candid assessment: "Actually, that sounded pretty legit." By the time the song ended, Yui was so excited she spun around with the microphone, performing some bizarre act that resulted in the stand smashing into the ceiling. Too short to reach, she ended up dangling upside down, suspended by her feet.

Everyone gasped, staring in confusion. "Is this some kind of performance?"

"So it's death metal!"

"CRAZYBABY!"

Comments flew, but no one moved to help. Finally, the only relatively sane one, Otonashi, pointed at Yui and said, "Wait, I think that's actually an accident!"

"I'm dying, really dying!" Yui croaked desperately, hanging in midair. Unable to watch any longer, Shiro extended his sharp claws, slashing three grooves in the air above, severing the mic stand and cable. Yui dropped to the floor.

For a moment, Yui lay unconscious from asphyxiation. The others gathered around, observing her as if she were a rare creature. There were plenty of idiots in the Front, but this was the first time someone nearly managed to hang themselves.

"What an unexpectedly wild girl," Yuriko mused, nudging the unconscious Yui. "Completely different from the cool, composed Iwasawa. Still, her singing was pretty good. Shall we make her GDM's lead singer?"

"We can't find anyone else anyway, so let's go with her," Hinata replied, arms folded behind his head, sounding thoroughly unimpressed.

That comment struck a nerve in Yui. She snapped awake, glaring at them with gritted teeth. "Hold on! Didn't I sing pretty well? Besides, I'm Iwasawa-senpai's number one fan—I know all her songs! Right, senpai?" She turned to Yoru, clearly thinking him the nicest in the Front.

"Uh? Yeah, it was pretty good. But I wonder if Hisako and the others are satisfied." Caught off guard by Yui's sudden inquiry, Yoru scratched his face, uncertain. He was used to Iwasawa's voice, and Yui still lacked something—a soul-stirring resonance that made Iwasawa's singing so moving.

"Right, best to leave it to the band members," Yuriko concluded decisively.

"Ah! This is terrible!" Just as Yui was fuming at Yoru's uncertainty and everyone's dismissive attitude, Oyama burst into the principal's office, gasping, "This is bad! Hisako and the others—they've all disappeared! They left a letter!"

The lively atmosphere vanished, replaced by silence. The news weighed on everyone like a stone. Those who didn't know the truth were panicked. Had Iwasawa disappeared on her own? Had the other diversion squad members vanished the same way? Or had they been eliminated by the Angel?

No one dared touch the letter, as if it might contain something dreadful that would make them the next to disappear. Unease spread among the Front members. The disappearance of Hisako's group shocked Yoru as well. He stepped up to the breathless Oyama. "Give me the letter."

Without waiting for a reply, Yoru took the envelope and tore it open. The others rushed to stop him, "Be careful! You might disappear!"

"Relax, that won't happen." He opened the envelope and pulled out a pristine sheet of paper, written in three different handwritings—by Hisako, Miyuki, and Shiori. Yoru read it carefully.

"Sorry, Yuriko. After Iwasawa disappeared, we thought long and hard. We rebelled against God because we couldn't accept our tragic lives. But it feels even sadder to keep fighting out of pain from the past. So Miyuki and I decided to leave, to find Iwasawa. Someday, we'll reunite in another world, stand on stage together, and sing the songs we love..."

The message was simple—apologies and farewells. Their reason for disappearing was clear: they wanted to find Iwasawa and form the GDM band together in another world, to keep singing as one.

"What does it say?" Yuriko asked, curious after Yoru's silence.

"Read it yourself." He handed her the letter. Yuriko took it cautiously and read line by line. After finishing, she sighed deeply. All three had chosen to disappear.

"It looks like GDM can't be reformed. Forget a lead singer—there isn't a single member left, just this candidate. We'll have to solve the meal ticket problem another way. If worst comes to worst, we'll just pretend to study seriously."

Understanding why Hisako and the others had disappeared, Yuriko was also a little reluctant.

"This is a huge crisis!" Takamatsu exclaimed, unable to accept the news.

"If we can, let's win the upcoming sports tournament. The prize meal tickets will last us a long time. We can fish by the river for food if we have to. Everyone, prepare for the tournament with everything you’ve got!" Yuriko's eyes flashed, recalling the tournament's generous rewards. Winning was essential to ensure no one went hungry.

Everyone realized the same thing. Their eyes blazed with determination as they clenched their fists, resolved to claim the championship. The topic had shifted so quickly that Yui, only now processing the news of GDM's disappearance, was left utterly petrified.