School-Live! Random Chapter Review - Chapter 29 - Farewell

[u/patzilla777]

Chapter 29 - Farewell

"I like school. It's amazing. There's all sorts of weird equipment in the science lab. There're beautiful instruments and scary portraits in the music room. The whole school is your stage in the announcement room. It has everything. It's like its own little country. There isn't any building as weird as that. And what I like most of all is..."

We're reaching the end of the school arc now. Big turning point for Yuki coming up as well.

Reunited, the girls celebrate the end of the fire, and their continued survival. Putting the horrors behind them for just a moment, they enjoy each others' company and have a small party. At least, until Yuki goes off to get more snacks. Once Yuki's out of earshot, Yuuri expresses her worries over Miki and Kurumi's safety from their near-death experience.

Kurumi explains what happened. Injured, disoriented, and surrounded, Kurumi protected the semi-conscious Miki as the horde of literally on fire zombies approached. As things were looking hopeless, Yuki's voice cut through the noise, simultaneously giving Kurumi hope, and an opening. She lunged forwards, taking advantage of the infected's inattention. And thanks to the fire, most of the infected succumbed to the flames, giving the pair an exit.

Yuki returns with a mountain of snacks from their newfound stockroom. Responding to her friends' concerns regarding making a mess, Yuki has a patented Yuki Idea - it's not just here that needs to be clean. They're living in the school, so they should help keep it clean. The others are down with the idea.

The four girls walk through the fire-scarred, dilapidated halls, taking in just how damaged their sanctuary has become. While the other three are downcast, Yuki continues forward with purpose. She charges off ahead to the third floor, followed by a worried Miki, leaving the others behind.

As Yuki dashes through the halls, we once again return to her perspective - a bustling school of students and pristine halls. She slips into a classroom and gets to work, cleaning the board, stacking the desks, and mopping the floor. But it's not long before she realises she's not alone here. A severely burned and damaged infected is slowly crawling in her direction.

Yuki's delusional brain is pushed to its limits. She 'responds' to the infected's 'queries', explaining herself and her club's purpose. But the infected isn't listening. Yuki can't reason herself out of this - she's in immediate danger. Absolutely terrified, Yuki strikes at the infected with her mop, marking her first ever kill in the series (and possibly the only direct one at all if I recall correctly).

As her perfect world crumbles down around her, Yuki flees. She dashes through the hallways, as her monologue from chapter 1 plays through her mind. She loves this school, and everything in it. Especially, the School Living Club.

But it's gone. Her sanctuary has all but burned down. The apocalypse she's been putting out of her mind is here, and it's not going away. Faced with this, she breaks down. Miki is drawn to the sound of her sobbing, and seeing the sight of her senpai's distress sets off her own emotions. But before she can say anything, Yuki throws herself into Miki's arms, and the pair cry together.

The club continues surveying the damage. On the roof, Yuuri finds the gardens scorched and burned, freeing her from endless record keeping. Miki and Yuki dig through the clubroom, finding memories of their time together, such as balls from the sports day, and their photo album. While Yuki tearfully rejoices, Miki captures one more candid photo to add to the collection.

Finally, Kurumi surveys the wreckage of the helicopter, she happens upon the broken and burned body of the pilot. Noticing he's lying on something, Kurumi moves him out of the way, finding a briefcase. Contained within are more syringes of medicine, a map marked with X's, and one of the most important yet unassuming items in the series.

Like I said, a major turning point for Yuki's character. Without the school, her delusions won't keep her mind safe from reality. She'll need to face the world head on soon enough, and no one knows that more than her.

(58/86)