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The cold weather almost matched the atmosphere. Any sense of warmth the five had left had been stripped away, taken from the world far too soon. The freezing wind gusts blew by them all, like a sense of being there and then vanishing, almost like...she had. She'd been there that fateful morning, but had been stripped away from the world that very afternoon. She knew about the mission, all the risks, everything. Yet she still went, and she still died. A beacon of sunshine, gone from this world. Their Number Six, Kaede Shirogane, The Horror, had been ripped apart by the monster inside of her.
"You allowed Number Six to die" was the only statement from their mother that rang through their brains, taunting them. It was definitely not their fault. It wasn't Kaede's either, it wasn't her fault the monster was uncontrollable. Although they should've definitely done more to make sure it wasn't uncontrollable enough to kill her, it was definitely a shock it had gotten so out of hand. Not even Kaede could've seen it coming.
Kaito Shirogane remembered Kaede mostly from training. Yes, she was his sister, and she admired him like he was an older brother while she was a younger sister (which, granted their numbered names, wouldn't have surprised Kaito if that were the case). Their interactions were minimal, but she was always such a beacon of light in training. Even after missions, when she was soaked in blood and the prime witness to mass death, she managed to keep going. Kaito had to give credit where it was due, while he was the leader, she was the one who held the team together. Their interactions were always short and fast, but he could tell she looked up to him and Tenko. Not that he could blame her, he was an awesome leader and Tenko was a strong fighter. He left first. He had to keep strong. They could use this as a learning experience and maybe look at this tragedy to empower them to not lose another member. They could do better.
Kokichi Shirogane kept trying to rumor himself to believe Kaede wasn't dead on the first day after the news. He'd witnessed it and that ate him up inside. Even after Kaito and Tenko yelled at him on why he didn't do something, anything, it seemed unavoidable. After that, he rumored them to make them forget about the fact he'd seen it. He didn't grieve for long. That was a Kokichi thing: he didn't form close connections with the rest of the academy. As much as he loved teasing Kaito, he couldn't get close enough to anyone to form a genuine connection. His only connections were based on lies. Even if he'd try to connect with Kaede, it'd all be one lie. He couldn't understand her optimism in their circumstances, let alone her own. But she was basic, a pawn of Mother, and the Pawns always ended up dead, and that was why he refused to show any other emotions at her funeral. Sure, she was optimistic, but that made her an easy target for manipulation. Although their interactions were minimal, he always had a feeling she wouldn't believe his lies, whether or not she was rumored. He left second, not to annoy Kaito, but to leave the others to deal with their petulant emotions.
Rantaro Shirogane left third. His statement that it wasn't anyone's fault didn't go over well, especially not with Tenko still there. He didn't know Kaede that well due to him being powerless, but she always made sure to check up on him when she could. When she did, she always asked about where he wanted to travel to. She seemed interested in his interests, which may have just been a Kaede thing, but at least she listened. He'd listened to her play piano once or twice and he did her nails for her a few times, and she always seemed at ease when playing and she was easy conversation while he painted her nails. In exchange, she got him whatever she could during their missions to other places and countries. She never made him feel excluded and he felt thankful towards her for including him. Even though their circumstances were different, they definitely got on well. This definitely hurt and Rantaro couldn't bear to look at the coffin anymore, nor could he deal with Tenko glaring daggers into his soul and Shuichi's silent sobs.
Tenko Shirogane stormed off next. She couldn't believe this. First, Maki vanished and never returned. Now, Kaede was dead. Now she was stuck with these degenerate males as her siblings and she couldn't bear the guilt. She let Kaede die. Their statements did nothing to make her feel better. They were degenerates trying to comfort her, of course they just wanted her to have a sense of security with them. Kaede had been Tenko's favorite person in the Academy after Maki left, and now she was gone in the blink of an eye. "It wasn't anyone's fault" was such a joke to Tenko. It was definitely those degenerates' fault Kaede was dead. Maybe it was also their fault Maki ran away. She remembered training with Kaede often, and she always tried to help get the Horror underway even when the monster lashed out. Tenko didn't want to stay at the Academy anymore, not when the only two who had left had been people she could tolerate. Why couldn't it have been Shuichi, or Kaito, or Kokichi? At least then Tenko wouldn't feel alone in the Academy. But now it was just a degenerate filled household.
Shuichi Shirogane stared at the coffin, unable to accept the truth. He watched the falling snowflakes melt on the coffin. Each one was different, reminding him of her. She was different than the rest. She had the deadliest powers, yet the most positive attitude towards everyone. He couldn't help but feel a bitter rage towards their mother, for she was primarily who Kaede wanted to impress with her powers. Shuichi knew she could be naïve sometimes, but she still managed to be everyone's friend. She was his comfort after long nights in the mausoleum where he was forced to confront the ghosts, and he was her comfort after missions that ended with her killing people unwillingly. They were unlikely friends, maybe even best friends. Yeah, best friends was the correct term. They were almost always together when they could be, she got him mystery novels and helped him with his anxiety and he was there to lend an ear when she needed to vent about the missions. But he could only ask why the world had been cruel enough to take her from him.
However, all five of them could've predicted on one singular thing. It was almost as if their brains had a similar thought, a thought that would soon turn to reality.
This marked the end of an era...the end of the Dangan Academy.