recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Masami Iwasawa/Relationships

## Top Brass

### Yuzuru Otonashi

Unknown to Otonashi, Iwasawa had a completely different experience in the afterlife compared to most of the members in the battlefront. Instead of disappearing after singing, "My Song", he intervened and prevented her disappearance. While Otonashi doesn't recall such events, she still harbors feelings of extreme love to him and offered him her bike after eating out with the entire battlefront top brass. It is still unknown to all members of the battlefront that she had a completely different experience in the afterlife. After such discovery, her feelings are conflicted, often leading to bouts of frustration and anguish.

She refers to Otonashi by his first name.

In Chapter 6, she attempts to keep her cool while explaining her situation to Otonashi, only to run outside in the rain. She then kisses Otonashi after he hugs her from behind.

### Yuri Nakamura

Given that Iwasawa leads the distraction group, Yuri holds high standards of both her and Girls Dead Monster when they are running Operation Tornado. As for relationships, Yuri holds a stable relationship with Iwasawa, often seeking her input whenever it mattered. While in the afterlife Yuri made explicit decisions in regards to songs, Yuri has given Iwasawa a bit more freedom to create to her heart's content. While not explicitly stated, Yuri sees her as a potential liability following the main events of Angel Beats, and therefore is trying to play her decisions around her carefully in order to keep her under close observation.

## Girls Dead Monster

### Sekine Shiori

Since Iwasawa doesn't have much to speak about other than her life and music, Sekine finds it difficult to start conversations with her that don't lie on the basis of music. Prior to the events of A Step Closer, Iwasawa herself began to talk about topics that didn't fall under music. As a result, the rest of Girls Dead Monster were shocked beyond comprehension. Sekine initially thought some type of anomaly was affecting Iwasawa's life. Enlisting Irie, she began her private investigation on Iwasawa and the underlying cause of this development.

Quickly, Sekine realized the anomaly itself in Chapter 5, when Iwasawa spoke up about wanting to hear Otonashi's story.

### Miyuki Irie

Since Iwasawa doesn't have much to speak about other than her life and music, Irie finds it difficult to start conversations with her that don't lie on the basis of music. Prior to the events of A Step Closer, Iwasawa herself began to talk about topics that didn't fall under music. As a result, the rest of Girls Dead Monster were shocked beyond comprehension. Irie was then forcefully enlisted by Sekine to a private investigation on Iwasawa and to discover the underlying cause of this development.

Sekine and Irie then quickly realized the anomaly itself was not in fact a spur-of-the-moment development but was in fact a person.
Ayane Sarashiki/Plot

## Plot

### Chapter 9

Ayane Sarashiki makes her official debut, meeting Otonashi in her section of The Guild. She becomes excited to the point of speaking really fast and ultimately overwhelming Otonashi with her vast knowledge and eager to talk. He makes attempts to converse with her and to slow her down but it only feeds into her sensical rambling even more before he stops her, raising his voice in order to get her to quiet down. As he began to berate her, he stops himself and they both apologize to eachother for the reasons stated above.

Since it's been a while since she helped someone, she admits she has come off too strong and the conversation deviates to what she did before, finding out that she used to be an advisor for Hinata. She elaborates on her role and what their location is before they trade names, however she asks him to call her by her first name, Ayane and they continue where they left off regarding the gear he was supposed to pick out.

After finally picking his first set of gear, they set up an appoint to see eachother at lunch time the following day to get most of the gear selection out of the way, which results in Otonashi receiving night vision, helmet, radio, pouches, backpack, and first aid kit.
Yakuza

***Yakuza*** (Japanese: ヤクザ, IPA: [jaꜜkɯza]), also known as ***gokudō*** (極道, "the extreme path", IPA: [gokɯꜜdoː]), are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them ***bōryokudan*** (暴力団, "violent groups", IPA: [boːɾʲokɯꜜdaɴ]), while the *yakuza* call themselves ***ninkyō dantai*** (任侠団体/仁侠団体, "chivalrous organizations", IPA: [ɲiŋkʲoː dantai]). The English equivalent for the term *yakuza* is gangster, meaning an individual involved in a Mafia-like criminal organization. The *yakuza* are notorious for their strict codes of conduct, their organized fiefdom nature, and several unconventional ritual practices such as *yubitsume*, or amputation of the left little finger. Members are often described as males, wearing "sharp suits" with heavily tattooed bodies and slicked hair. This group is still regarded as being among "the most sophisticated and wealthiest criminal organizations."

At their height, the *yakuza* maintained a large presence in the Japanese media and operated internationally. At their peak in the early 1960s, police estimated that the *yakuza* had a membership of more than 200,000. However, this number has drastically dropped, a decline attributed to changing market opportunities and several legal and social developments in Japan which discourage the growth of *yakuza* membership. The *yakuza* still regularly engage in an array of criminal activities, and many Japanese citizens remain fearful of the threat these individuals pose to their safety. However, there remains no strict prohibition on *yakuza* membership in Japan today, although much legislation has been passed by the Japanese government aimed at impeding revenue and increasing liability for criminal activities.
Медуза Горгона

### Тип атаки

> *Своим взглядом Горгона сразила тысячи, а гарпии верно служат своей госпоже. Лучше бы у вас была карта защиты на руках, когда её глаза повернутся к вам...*
>
>

## Описание

Перед нами — Медуза, самая известная среди трех сестер-горгон.

Чудовище с женским лицом и змеями вместо волос, чей взор обращает человека в камень. Побежденная Персеем, Медуза обретает новую мощь в Битве Героев.

Во вселенной Unmatched Медуза стреляет из лука — а потому может атаковать любого бойца, который находится в ее зоне. В базовой игре это единственный герой с дальней атакой — если, конечно, не считать Мерлина, союзника короля Артура. Кроме того, основное свойство Медузы гласит, что в начале каждого ее хода она наносит урон одному вражескому бойцу в той же зоне. Звучит устрашающе — такого противника точно не стоит сбрасывать со счетов.

В битве Медузе помогают гарпии — полуженщины-полуптицы отвратительного вида, внезапные и опасные, словно порыв сильного ветра. Они быстро перемещаются и наносят мощные удары, но и убить их просто — у каждой всего лишь одна жизнь. Медуза может воскрешать гарпий, но таких карт в колоде всего две — пользоваться ими надо с умом.

## Способность

В начале вашего хода можете нанести 1 урон бойцу противника в зоне Медузы.

## Источники

1. https://restorationgames.com/unmatched/
2. https://mondoshop.com/products/unmatched-battle-of-legends-volume-one
3. https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamefamily/56937/game-unmatched
4. https://vk.com/gagagames
5. https://pre.gaga.ru/kampanii-po-predzakazu/unmatched/
Takamatsu/Plot

## Plot

### Chapter 2

Takamatsu followed Otonashi into the hospital before his resignation. Since Takamatsu was under orders to assist Otonashi with whatever he could, he directly intervenes with Otonashi's boss, Tatenashi. Through unknown methods, she was able to clear Otonashi's check early and fully release him from the hospital. It is speculated that Takamatsu also had a hand in the Board of Directors decision to clear Otonashi of medical malpractice.

### Chapter 3

Although not directly stated, Takamatsu observes Otonashi throughout the chapter.

### Chapter 4

Takamatsu was among the battlefront members when Otonashi came in to announce his decision to rejoining the Afterlife Battlefront.

### Chapter 5

He, alongside many other members of the Battlefront, joined up with Yuri to celebrate Otonashi's return at a food joint. He chatted amongst his peers but upon hearing Otonashi's medical score exam, he became surprised.

At the end of the night, he went along with Ooyama, Fujimaki, and Noda and parted ways.

### Chapter 6

Retaining his position as the daily reporter, he officially reports to the Top Brass that Otonashi has rejoined the battlefront but has to undergo some checks before his reintegration with the unit. He leaves after Yuri dismisses the group.
Operation Kill The Puppeteer

**Yakuza Rogue Faction:**
Busujima

**OPFOR:**
Yakuza Rogue Faction

**Yakuza Rogue Faction:**
- Unknown amount of guards

**Yakuza Rogue Faction**
- Three guards KIA

**Operation 'Kill The Puppeteer'** is an operation conducted by the Afterlife Battlefront against a rogue faction within the Yakuza.

## Purpose

The primary purpose of the operation was to remove one of the few Yakuza leaders in order to soothe relations following Yuri's actions to dismantle the partnership between the Battlefront and Yakuza. The mission was meant to be a stealth operation, in order for the Yakuza to quickly quell any opposition from Busujima's underlings and to make it seem like she abandoned the people she led.

## Participants

### Afterlife Battlefront

* Top Brass
	+ Eri Shiina (observation, direct action)
	+ Yuzuru Otonashi (observation, direct action)
* Girls Dead Monster
	+ Hisako (observation, monitoring, direct action)

### Yakuza

* Yakuza Rogue Faction
	+ Busujima
		- Unknown amount of underlings

## Resources

The amount of resources dedicated to this operation were low. The Battlefront only dedicated three members of their troops in order to keep recognition low. Shiina was armed with her kodachi and her pistol with no spare magazines, Otonashi was armed with his pistol with one spare magazine, and Hisako was also conceal carrying her pistol with one spare magazine.

A vehicle was also present in order to extract members of the operation.
Hatsune Otonashi/Plot

## Plot

### Events prior to A Step Closer

Upon Otonashi's revival, Hatsune remained alive even past her original death date on Christmas. Otonashi, still inspired by her and the events of *Angel Beats*, continued with his medical studies and was able to become a doctor of cardiology. However, despite Hatsune's continued observation and treatment in the hospital, her condition continued to deteriorate even after being given priority and more advanced treatments.

Prior to her finals moments, she signed a Do Not Resucitate order and acknowledged to her doctors that she voluntarily gives up treatment, unknown to Otonashi. One visit to her, he notices the DNR notice and in an upset rage, hides it, wanting to buy more time to treat her.

### Events of A Step Closer

Following Otonashi's removal of her DNR notice, she finally codes and doctors come in to resucitate her but someone who knew about the DNR notice it was missing, causing an argument amongst the emergency team.

She's officially declared deceased and Otonashi, who was last seen in the room, is accused of medical malpractice which ultimately leads up to the events of Angel Beats! A Step Closer.
A Step Closer Soundtrack

**A Step Closer Soundtrack** is a compilation of music selected by the author that best suits a given category. Some categories may include certain sections within a selected chapter. Due to the soundtrack's nature of using music from other artists, credit will be given where it is appropriate. Unfortunately because various different series have their own tones set in the music they produce, a lot of selected soundtracks may clash with another in terms of buildup, climax, and ending.

Various types of music may include but not limited to video game soundtracks, anime soundtracks, or songs sung by individual/grouped artists.
Shizuka Tatenashi/Relationships

## XTE Medical Center

### Yuzuru Otonashi

While their exact relationship hasn't been fully disclosed, Tatenashi holds Otonashi to high regard and deeply cares about him. After her failed attempt to use Hatsune as a means to bring Otonashi back, she calls Otonashi to tell him he was relieved and apologized. It is also revealed that they both have each other's personal phone numbers, but this is most likely done for work purposes rather than personal reasons.
Art

The collection of art made for A Step Closer. This sections contains all art, both included and not included in the upcoming visual novel. Artists have their associated social media pages for each section. All artwork below has been SPECIFICALLY commissioned for A Step Closer, meaning that each piece of artwork has been specifically paid for and created specifically for the story by Xenien.

Redistribution of aforementioned artwork is prohibited aside from the requestor per Skeb guidelines and/or artist's request.

## Shiredora

Chapter 1: Yuri appears at Hatsune's funeral. Artwork by Shiredora.Otonashi in despair, seen in the cover art. Created by Shiredora.Chapter 6: Otonashi and Iwasawa outside his place. Created by Shiredora.Chapter 12: An embarassed Shiina walks alongside Otonashi. Created by Shiredora.Chapter 13: Shiina and Otonashi look down at the changed city below before an operation. Created by Shiredora.Chapter Unknown: Otonashi staring out into the ocean. Created by Shiredora.Sekine reminiscing about her past. Art by Shiredora.
## 1710Nakamura

Shiina's alternate route in the upcoming VN version of A Step Closer. Image by 1710Nakamura.Shiina wanting to comfort Otonashi, seen in upcoming version of the VN. Image by 1710Nakamura.Otonashi realizing what Shiina is doing, seen in upcoming version of the VN. Image by 1710Nakamura.Otonashi pushing Shiina against the wall, seen in upcoming version of the VN. Image by 1710Nakamura.Shiina and Yuri fighting in the base parking lot and storage area. Image by 1710Nakamura.Otonashi's VN appearance. Created by 1710Nakamura.Otonashi full-body VN appearance. Created by 1710Nakamura.
## zzk\_7

Iwasawa's VN concept art. Created by zzk\_7.Iwasawa's VN concept upper body. Created by zzk\_7.Shiina taking a picture of herself. Created by zzk\_7.
## pup\_kino6764

Yuri in one of her many outfits conceal carrying a Glock 19 with an RMR attached. Image by pup\_kino6764.Armed Iwasawa. Created by pup\_kino6764.Hisako on the run. Image by pup\_kino6764.

## SPICA

Chapter 17: Otonashi and Nariko hide from the police. Created by SPICA.
## kuzukiri003

Otonashi and Yuri concept for the visual novel. Created by kuzukiri003.
## ZEN\_KAMURO

Shiina and Otonashi sharing a kiss. Created by ZEN.Concept art of Shiina and Otonashi on a date. Created by ZEN.Main menu image. Created by ZEN.
Genji Furukawa

**Genji Furukawa** (*Furukawa Genji*) is an original character in Angel Beats! A Step Closer, functioning as a security member for The Guild's Security subdivision.

## Appearance

Genji has multiple sets of appearances in A Step Closer.

His distinguishable features is his short hair that is brown and yellow. He also is fairly muscular compared to Takashi Tsujihara.

In his Afterlife Battlefront civilian uniform, he wears the standard white long-sleeved polo shirt under a sandy brown coat and black slacks. The sandy brown coat holds a velcro Afterlife Battlefront patch on the left shoulder.

In his standard civilian outfit, he wears a black motorcycle jacket, blue jeans, and brown boots.

### Combat Gear

With his Guild Security uniform, he dons the standard battle dress uniforms that the Battlefront actively provides to it's members. His exact role in the security subdivision is not explicitly stated.

#### Headgear

The helmet he wears is a EXFIL Ballistic SL by Team Wendy in all black and is pre-configured to hold communication items such as a microphone. For night time operations and guild defense, he attaches a rhino mount that holds a PVS-14 night vision goggle.

#### Plate Carrier

The carrier he wears is a black CAGE Plate Carrier. The configurations are often different from one another depending on the mission type, but usually there is an assortment of both rifle and pistol magazine pouches, as well as a radio and tourniquet.

#### Battle Belt

He wears a SafeLife Defense Tactical Belt but doesn't usually mount anything on it unless he isn't wearing a plate carrier.

#### Weapons

Ordered by Chaa, he carries the battlefront's standard M4 Block II. The M4 is preconfigured with an IR laser, flashlight, and a stubby grip. His preferred optic for his M4 Block II is the EOTech XPS3-0. For his sidearm, he carries a Glock 17 with a SureFire flashlight.

## Personality

Genji often keeps to himself, but is very talkative once he feels comfortable around a person. He usually leads conversations, often asking the other person questions about their lifestyle and finding out more information about them. Some people comment upon his concentration ability, usually not talking to a person when he's extremely focused on a task.

## Operations/Deployments

### Miscellaneous

* Investigation of APT51 (target of operation)
Operation Serpent's Guard

**Operation 'Serpent's Guard'** is an upcoming joint operation in the making by the Afterlife Battlefront's leader, Yuri Nakamura.

## Purpose

The purpose of Operation 'Serpent's Guard' hasn't fully been determined.

## Participants

### Afterlife Battlefront

* Top Brass
	+ Yuri Nakamura
	+ Hideki Hinata
	+ Yuzuru Otonashi
	+ Ooyama
	+ Noda
	+ Fujimaki
	+ Takamatsu
	+ Eri Shiina
	+ Yusa
	+ Takeyama\*
* Girls Dead Monster
	+ Masami Iwasawa
	+ Hisako
	+ Miyuki Irie
	+ Shiori Sekine
* The Guild
	+ Ayane Sarashiki\*
	+ Chaa\*

```
* = Non-active participants.

```

## Prelude

The prelude to Operation 'Serpent's Guard' hasn't fully been determined.

## Drawdown

The drawdown to Operation 'Serpent's Guard' hasn't fully been determined.

## Operational Conflicts

The operational conflicts of Operation 'Serpent's Guard' hasn't fully been determined.

## End of Drawdown

The end of drawdown to Operation 'Serpent's Guard' hasn't fully been determined.

## Casualities and Losses

The casualities and losses for Operation 'Serpent's Guard' hasn't fully been determined.
Miyuki Irie/Plot

### Chapter 5

Irie joined up with the rest of the battlefront when they went out to eat in celebration of Otonashi's return.

When both Sekine and Irie heard how Iwasawa wanted to hear about Otonashi's life, they both put their heads down upon realization that Iwasawa may have taken a liking to Otonashi.

At the end of the night she chatted with both Hisako and Sekine about how Hisako wins her Mahjong games, though disappointed with her as she usually cheats to win. She returns home by getting a ride with Hisako.
Fujimaki

*This article is dedicated to the fan-made continuation of Angel Beats, A Step Closer. For the **official page of Fujimaki,** click here.*

## Fujimaki

Fujimaki in his standard Afterlife Battlefront civilian uniform. Image from Angel Beats! Wiki

## Organization(s)

### Affiliation(s)

Afterlife High School (formerly)
Afterlife Battlefront (current)

### Occupation

Student of Afterlife High School (formerly)
Afterlife Battlefront Top Brass (current)

## Miscellaneous

### Debut

Chapter 4 (unofficially)
 Chapter 5 (physical appearance)

**Fujimaki** (藤巻, *Fujimaki*) is a character in Angel Beats! A Step Closer and one of the main members of the Afterlife Battlefront Top Brass.

## Appearance

Fujimaki has multiple sets of appearances in A Step Closer.

In his Afterlife Battlefront civilian uniform, he wears the standard white long-sleeved polo shirt under a sandy brown coat and black slacks. Unlike some of the SSS males, he chooses not to wear the tie originally paired with his uniform. The sandy brown coat holds a velcro Afterlife Battlefront patch on the left shoulder.

### Combat Gear

Not much is known is about Fujimaki's choice of combat clothing.

#### Head Gear

Fujimaki prefers a helmet when going out into operations. Similar to Otonashi, he takes a EXFIL Ballistic SL by Team Wendy with no particular color scheme.

#### Plate Carrier

Fujimaki instead opts for a SafeLife Defense Flexible Rifle Armor System, citing it's lightweight capability, MOLLE systems, and comfort when worn for long periods of time.

#### Battle Belt

The specific battle belt Fujimaki chose for his work in operations is a SafeLife Defense Tactical Belt, which is extremely sturdy and has MOLLE webbing around it for modularity. What he carries usually depends on the mission, but he usually carries his radio on his belt with a form of radio accessory such as a lapelle.

#### Weapons

Consistent with his choice from the Afterlife, he prefers to carry a PPSH-41 submachine gun, although he plans to make a transition to the battlefront's standard M4A1 Block II. For his sidearm he carries a SIG Sauer P226.

## Personality

Having the same personality as he did from the Afterlife, he maintains a tough personality, he has a kind heart that he rarely shows, usually when he is very sympathetic to one another. While he doesn't show it, he holds the battlefront and its members close to his heart. Prior to his revival, he picked on the new enlistees when they joined the battlefront, most notably Otonashi. Since then, he's gained an increasing newfound respect for him following the speech he conducted in the afterlife, explaining what the true purpose of it was.

When Fujimaki is ashamed, he only looks away, not daring to bat an eye at someone who calls him out.

## Deployments/Operations

* Operation Serpent's Guard (ongoing)
* Operation Tornado

### Miscellaneous

* Investigation of APT51 (target of operation)
Shiori Sekine/Plot

### Chapter 5

Sekine joined up with the rest of the battlefront when they went out to eat in celebration of Otonashi's return.

When both Sekine and Irie heard how Iwasawa wanted to hear about Otonashi's life, they both put their heads down upon realization that Iwasawa may have taken a liking to Otonashi.

At the end of the night she chatted with both Hisako and Sekine about how Hisako wins her Mahjong games, though unlike Irie, is amazed with her ability to cheat every single time. She returns home by getting a ride with Hisako, but not before making a face as she sees Iwasawa and Otonashi together.
Kanade Tachibana

*This article is dedicated to the fan-made continuation of Angel Beats, A Step Closer. For the **official page of Kanade Tachibana,** click here.*

## Kanade Tachibana

Kanade in her standard Afterlife uniform. Image from Angel Beats! Wiki

## Organization(s)

### Affiliation(s)

Student Council of Afterlife High School (formerly)
Afterlife Battlefront (formerly)

### Occupation

Student Council President of Afterlife High School (formerly)

## Miscellaneous

### Debut

Chapter 6 (mentioned)

```
From the Angel Beats! wiki:

```

**Kanade Tachibana** (立華 かなで *Tachibana Kanade*), also known as **Angel**, is one of the students of the Afterlife High School and is said school's Student Council President. She is also referred to as Angel by the Afterlife Battlefront, which is a nickname coined by Hideki Hinata and later used by the group's leader Yuri Nakamura to refer to Kanade after discovering her unusual abilities.

As the school's Student Council President, **Kanade** is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that all of the students are able to cope with their personal problems. This eventually clashes with Yuri's determination to blame God for her hardships in life, and she becomes a target of the Afterlife Battle Front upon its founding. **Kanade** is the titular heroine of Angel Beats.

## Appearance

Kanade is a very beautiful white-skinned girl with waist-length silver hair (it is often mistaken to be a shade of blue in the Light Novel) that is half tied by a hair clip, gold eyes with hints of auburn/brown in certain lighting and her eyes appear to be slightly cat eyed/curved up to fit with her mysterious/kuudere vibe.

She wears the standard uniform of the Afterlife School, a skirt over a white petticoat, white knee-high socks, brown loafers and a pale blue barrette clip on the back of her head, which keeps a part of her hair up. Kanade is one of the shortest characters in the series, being only 150 cm (4'11") tall. After her seeming reincarnation, Kanade is shown with short hair tied in a ponytail.
Ayato Naoi

*This article is dedicated to the fan-made continuation of Angel Beats, A Step Closer. For the **official page of Ayato Naoi,** click here.*

## Ayato Naoi

Naoi in his standard Afterlife Battlefront civilian uniform. Image from Angel Beats! Wiki

## Organization(s)

### Affiliation(s)

Afterlife High School (formerly)Afterlife Battlefront (formerly)

## Miscellaneous

### Debut

Chapter 4 (unofficially)

```
From the Angel Beats! wiki:

```

**Ayato Naoi** (直井 文人, Naoi Ayato) is one of the students of the Afterlife High School and is said school's Student Council Vice President. He temporarily takes over Kanade Tachibana's position after the faculty forces her to resign.

The self-proclaimed "God", Naoi initially uses extremely violent methods to remain in the Afterlife, but later joins the Afterlife Battlefront after encouragement from Yuzuru Otonashi.

## Appearance

Naoi is a young male with chin-length dark green hair with fringes swept slightly to the right. He wears the default uniform of the afterlife school which consists of black pants and a white polo shirt worn under a black gakuran (he is the only SSS member in the Anti-Angel Headquarters that doesn't wear the standard SSS uniform). He also wears a variation of a Mao cap, with a dominant dark blue and black color scheme. Whenever he goes on his rounds on the school's classes, he is usually followed by a small group of NPCs. In the manga, he wears the same uniform as in the anime, excluding his Mao cap.
Angel Beats! A Step Closer Wiki

**Welcome to the Angel Beats! A Step Closer Wiki!**

This wiki is dedicated for a fan fiction story 'A Step Closer' created by Xenien, which you can read here. If you meant to access the official Angel Beats Wiki, please click here.

**WARNING:** There are SPOILERS relating to Angel Beats from the anime, visual novel, manga, and the actual story itself. Read the story and the wiki with caution!

Angel Beats!, characters, and designs were originally created by Visual Arts/Key. The original concept and story were created by Jun Maeda and artwork by Na-Ga.

Thank you to those listed that created such an amazing series and ultimately inspired me to create this story.

## Summary

During an internal investigation of medical malpractice, the bureaucracy within the hospital Otonashi works in suddenly cut him free of any wrongdoing. Only later does he learn that a former SSS member runs a global crime syndicate and has placed him on a "no harm" list.
Nariko Masumi

**Nariko Masumi** (*Masumi Nariko*) is an original character in Angel Beats! A Step Closer who had briefly met Otonashi when he had deviated from his normal routine to perform vigilantism.

## Appearance

Nariko is a beautiful and young school girl with light blonde hair and blue eyes. Her school uniform consists of a white shirt with a collar and a cyan colored tie. Her normal attire varies, but they are often fashionable and skinny.

## Personality

Nariko is a selfless, hard-working individual who puts herself at unnecessary risk. Fearing her financial situation as well as disappointing her mother, she is seeking other solutions which can ensure her safe transition to college as well as prove independence.

While her attitude is consistent with a typical high school gal, her ability to see and analyze serious situations is more prominent. She is often apologetic, but will not stand for disrespect and will engage in fights if she becomes extremely pissed off.

## Trivia

* Her official description of her appearance, personality, and circumstances are primarily inspired by Saki Ayase from Gimai Seikatsu.

## Gallery

Chapter 17: Otonashi and Nariko hide from the police. Created by SPICA.
Satsuki Akiyama

**Satsuki Akiyama** (*Akiyama Satsuki*) is an original character in Angel Beats! A Step Closer, functioning as a security member for The Guild's Security subdivision.

## Appearance

Satsuki has multiple sets of appearances in A Step Closer.

Her distinguisable features are her shoulder-length bobbed brown hair and light brown/honey eyes, with a silver necklace.

In her Afterlife Battlefront civilian uniform, she typically wears the standard uniform for girls which is a sailor fuku uniform that has a blue collar, skirt and a dark pink ribbon with knee-high socks and black shoes. There is an Afterlife Battlefront patch on the left side on the uniform, to which she usually removes whenever she's out in public.

In her standard civilian uniform, she wears black and white running shoes, black leggings, and a gray hoodie with a black flak jacket over it.

### Combat Gear

With her Guild Security uniform, she dons the standard battle dress uniforms that the Battlefront actively provides to it's members.

#### Plate Carrier

The carrier she wears is a black CAGE Plate Carrier. The configurations are often different from one another depending on the mission type, but usually there is an assortment of both rifle and pistol magazine pouches, as well as a radio and tourniquet.

#### Battle Belt

She wears a Alonso Defense Group Emmisary Gun Belt.

#### Weapons

Ordered by Chaa, she carries the battlefront's standard M4 Block II. The M4 is preconfigured with an IR laser, flashlight, and a angled foregrip. Her preferred optic for her M4 Block II is the Aimpoint T2. For her sidearm, she carries a Glock 17 with a SureFire flashlight.
Miyuki Irie/Relationships

## Relationships

### Masami Iwasawa

Irie's views on Iwasawa aligns mostly with everyone: that she's a cool beauty who deserves something genuine.

Since Iwasawa doesn't have much to speak about other than her life and music, as well as being mostly shy herself, she finds it difficult to start conversations with her entirely. When Iwasawa herself began to talk about topics that didn't fall under music, Irie was insanely shocked alongside the rest of Girls Dead Monster. Sekine quickly enlisted Irie, beginning a private investigation on Iwasawa and the underlying cause of this development.

Both Irie and Sekine realized the anomaly itself in Chapter 5, when Iwasawa spoke up about wanting to hear Otonashi's story.

### Hisako

Unlike Sekine, Hisako doesn't really punish Irie as much, often seeing her as a victim of Sekine's relentless brutality of misconduct. Whenever Hisako corrects Sekine, Irie thanks her and apologizes for the trouble that she assumes she caused. Hisako often responds that it isn't her fault and that Sekine usually doesn't know what's considered too far.

### Shiori Sekine

Forced to becoming Sekine's best friend due to their life style and their lack of relation to both Hisako and Iwasawa, they usually conduct their daily life together. Overtime, she's become more comfortable around Sekine, though often berates her for the way she treats her sometimes.

On occasion, Sekine treats Irie like a little kid, often embarassing her and putting her in uncomfortable situations. While it may go as far as borderline bullying, Sekine truly cares for Irie's wellbeing. She expresses her care through light-hearted moments such as practical jokes, metaphors, and constant hugging.

Sekine's nature of mischief usually drags Miyuki alongside her, often getting both of them in trouble.
Sekine's Captors

**Sekine's Captors** are the two males that had kidnapped Sekine in her previous life. They committed a range of acts on Sekine which ranged from sexual violence to physical torture. One thing she remembered as she became a victim was how normal they looked. Unfortunately, Sekine was promptly murdered and discarded before the police were able to find her or her captors.

## Appearances

Both males were well-built and medium height personnel. One of them had a slick haircut, characterized by it's ability to be well-kept and the other had short black hair that was loose and had a slight beard. By her account, the clothing that they wore varied, ranging from suit and tie to just a t-shirt and jeans.

## Personalities

One of the males was a calm but excited individiual who had grown tired of Sekine the more he kept her. He was perceived as to have a mask on, immediately changing personalities within a second the moment he stepped outside a door. Another male was a wary and nervous individual who was also initially excited, but as time passed on he became disgusted with himself and eventually grew to despise both himself and his friend.
Miyuki Irie

*This article is dedicated to the fan-made continuation of Angel Beats, A Step Closer. For the **official page of Miyuki Irie,** click here.*

## Miyuki Irie

Irie in her standard Afterlife Battlefront civilian uniform. Image from Angel Beats! Wiki

## Organization(s)

### Affiliation(s)

Afterlife High School (formerly)
Girls Dead Monster (current)
Afterlife Battlefront (current)

## Miscellaneous

### Debut

Chapter 4 (unofficially)
Chapter 5 (physical appearance)

**Miyuki Irie** (入江 みゆき *Irie Miyuki*) is a character in Angel Beats! A Step Closer and the drummer of Girls Dead Monster.

## Appearance

Irie has multiple sets of appearances in A Step Closer.

In her Afterlife Battlefront civilian uniform, she wears the standard uniform for females with the Girls Dead Monster accessory on her right thigh. The uniform holds a removable Afterlife Battlefront patch on her left shoulder. When in public or performing, she removes the patch.

### Combat Gear

Irie doesn't typically go for active combat with the rest of the top brass given her role in Girls Dead Monster to serve as a distraction. While there are times she goes out on deployments, they are mostly rare. As a result of rare deployments, it is unknown whether or not she prefers to wear any sorts of combat clothing.

#### Headgear

It is unknown whether Irie has a preference or dons specific headgear.

#### Plate Carrier

It is unknown whether Irie has a preference or dons specific plate carriers.

#### Battle Belt

It is unknown whether Irie has a preference or dons specific battle belts.

#### Weapons

It is unknown whether or not Irie has a specific type of weapon she prefers or carries.

## Personality

Irie is a very shy girl, usually only comfortable talking within her friend group, most notably Sekine. Though when engaged deep into a conversation, she's able to talk naturally as if she forgets she's nervous. Alongside Sekine, she commonly complains about training alongside the Top Brass despite their exclusiveness to distraction.

## Deployments/Operations

* Operation Tornado
* Operation Serpent's Guard (ongoing)

### Miscellaneous

* Investigation of APT51 (target of operation)
Takamatsu

*This article is dedicated to the fan-made continuation of Angel Beats, A Step Closer. For the **official page of Takamatsu,** click here.*

## Takamatsu

Takamatsu in his standard Afterlife Battlefront civilian uniform. Image from Angel Beats! Wiki.

## Organization(s)

### Affiliation(s)

Unnamed track team (formerly)
Afterlife High School (formerly)
Afterlife Battlefront (current)

### Occupation

Runner (formerly)
Student of Afterlife High School (formerly)
Afterlife Battlefront Top Brass (current)

## Miscellaneous

### Debut

Chapter 2

**Takamatsu** (高松, *Takamatsu*) is a character in Angel Beats! A Step Closer and a Afterlife Battlefront Top Brass member, typically assigned to gathering information and affairs.

## Appearance

Takamatsu has multiple sets of appearances in A Step Closer. In his Afterlife Battlefront civilian uniform, he wears the standard white long-sleeved polo shirt under a sandy brown coat and black slacks. The battlefront logo is also on his left shoulder as a velcro patch, allowing him to remove it easily.

### Combat Gear

Takamatsu has a preference of wearing the battlefront uniform standard Striker XT Gen.2 Combat Shirt and Striker XT Gen.2 Combat Pants, both products by UF Pro. He prefers a more darker color like blue or black but even against his preferences, he changes the color of his combat clothing to the environment he operates in.

#### Head Gear

Similar to Otonashi, he takes a EXFIL Ballistic SL by Team Wendy with a preference of dark blue or black.

#### Plate Carrier

The carrier he wears is a dark blue or black CAGE Plate Carrier that he modifies based upon the mission he is given. In his typical role as a person who gathers information, he mostly travels light.

#### Battle Belt

It is currently unknown if Takamatsu has any preference or dons certain battle belts.

#### Weapons

Takamatsu prefers his primary weapon from the afterlife, the SIG SG 552. Although preferring to have the Desert Eagle as his sidearm, he noticed that it's not practical for the situations he may be put in and made the switch to the SIG Sauer XM17.

## Personality

Takamatsu is a cool-headed, polite person who is known to be an idiot. The claims of idiocy stems from his inability to grasp simple concepts, often due to overthinking.

He secretly despises being called out an idiot, but his politeness refuses to talk back or even bother arguing with an accuser. Instead, he often takes his temper out through constant training, finding that working out alleviates stress and manages his anger.

While the Top Brass has accustomed to no longer insulting him, he has become more tempted to cause physical injury to others around him including his friends. This may stem from Matsushita being missing in action and that they have history with each other in relation to extracurricular activities.

## Deployments/Operations

* Operation Medical Watch (completed)
* Operation Serpent's Guard (ongoing)
* Operation Tornado

### Miscellaneous

* Investigation of APT51 (target of operation)
Yusa

*This article is dedicated to the fan-made continuation of Angel Beats, A Step Closer. For the **official page of Yusa,** click here.*

## Yusa

Yusa in her standard Afterlife Battlefront civilian uniform. Image from Angel Beats! Wiki

## Organization(s)

### Affiliation(s)

Afterlife High School (formerly)
Afterlife Battlefront (current)

### Occupation

Afterlife Battlefront Radio Operator, Scout, Mechanic(current)
Street Racer (current)

## Miscellaneous

### Debut

Chapter 4 (unofficially)
Chapter 5 (physical appearance)

**Yusa** (遊佐, *Yusa*) is a character in Angel Beats! A Step Closer and a member of the Afterlife Battlefront who conveys the state of the battlefield and acts as a personal operator to Yuri Nakamura. She is also the mechanic of the Battlefront. Beyond her ties with the group, she is a street racer.

## Appearance

Yusa has multiple sets of appearances in A Step Closer.

In her civilian Afterlife Battlefront uniform, she wears the standard uniform of the group. She also wears brown stockings and black loafers.

### Combat Gear

Yusa doesn't typically go for active combat with the rest of the top brass, instead typically acting as a forward observer. It is unknown whether or not she prefers to wear any sorts of combat clothing, however it is assumed she blends in with the environment she operates in.

#### Headgear

It is unknown whether Yusa has a preference or dons specific headgear.

#### Plate Carrier

It is unknown whether Yusa has a preference or dons specific plate carriers.

#### Battle Belt

It is unknown whether Yusa has a preference or dons specific battle belts.

#### Weapons

It is unknown whether or not Yusa has a specific type of weapon she prefers or carries.

## Personality

Prior to A Step Closer, Yusa had a strong hatred for men, signifying that her past life is derived from trauma or mind-breaking experiences. She was able to hold conversations with females and had no intention to kill but made everything about her existence to killing males. After seeking out Kanade, she had either her emotions mostly wiped or memories relating to her experiences and became Yuri's personal operator. She maintained a straightforward but stern attitude towards various members of the Battlefront, although seems to have some leniency with Girls Dead Monster and Yuri.

In A Step Closer, Yusa had regained her memories and past trauma but retains her straightforward and flat attitude with most battlefront members. In other situations, her personality is kept but with some noticeable differences. She had become more witty and expressed more emotion of any sort, which can range from being ecstatic to upset. There is likely chance that she has moved forward from her experiences, and no longer bares extreme hatred.

She also shows somewhat lack of human decency, shown as Yusa had entered a room while Otonashi was changing and remained even while he was somewhat naked.

## Deployments/Operations

* Operation Tornado
* Operation Serpent's Guard (ongoing)

### Miscellaneous

* Investigation of APT51 (target of operation)
A Step Closer

***A Step Closer** (formerly known as Fated Desire)* is a current work-in-progress fanfiction story and an upcoming visual novel created by Xenien as a continuation to the original anime series and visual novel by Key, Angel Beats. The fanfiction story follows the original events of the anime television series ***Angel Beats!*** and contains information stated in the visual novel, ***Angel Beats! -1st beat-*** as well as information from the prequel manga, ***Heaven's Door.***

A Step Closer stars Yuzuru Otonashi once again as the main character. Most of the original cast makes a return and features original characters created by the author in a supporting fashion. Illustrations and art are done by calvinspareribs, Shiredora, 1710Nakamura, pup\_kino6764, SPICA, zzk\_7, and kuzukiri003. Proofreading, ideas, and corrections are done by Dalexe96. The story is published on five websites, which consist of fanfiction.net, WattPad, Archive of Our Own (AO3), Quotev, and Amino.

## Summary

The story starts off following the events of Angel Beats, with Yuzuru Otonashi being interrogated by the medical directors board in the hospital he works in. Being charged with medical malpractice, the director board suddenly cut Otonashi free of any wrongdoing. Unable to move forward, he eventually discovers that his entire life has been manipulated by his former partner, who now runs a global crime syndicate under the former group's alias.

As faces become familiar, motives are revealed, and logic no longer makes sense, Otonashi now faces a dilemma of joining the group once more and his actions afterward will change his life and the lives around him.
TK

*This article is dedicated to the fan-made continuation of Angel Beats, A Step Closer. For the **official page of TK,** click here.*

TK
--

TK in his Afterlife Battlefront civilian uniform. From Angel Beats! Wiki

## Miscellaneous

### Debut

N/A

```
From the Angel Beats! wiki:

```

"**TK**" is a mysterious character who speaks in semi-nonsensical English quoted from pop culture depending on the situation of the scene. He saves the team many times and does know some Japanese but rarely speaks it, and it seems he understands what the others say to him. He is talented in almost anything (mostly in dancing). He was always seen dancing even though fighting his enemies. His real identity and his name are unknown to characters in the show, even to the SSS, so they identify him as "TK", a nickname given to him by Noda. However behind character names in the opening sequence their Romaji name can be seen written in faint letters, and behind "TK" it says "Thei Kai".

## Appearance

He is a tall young man with blond hair wearing a red scarf on his forehead. Not having the SSS uniform, he has a large dark-red bandanna that practically hides his eyes. He has also two small earrings on the sides of both his ears and a "necklace" that holds of a pair of handcuffs.
Afterlife High School

The **Afterlife** is the main setting of *Angel Beats!* It is unknown how large the Afterlife world actually is or who created it, but has been around for a while before the start of the series. So far, the features in the world are (including human-made) a large academy (presumably high school level) with sports fields, forests, mountains, a river, and an underground cavern**.**

It is, alongside human teenagers who have been brought there, inhabited by beings which have been dubbed NPCs (Non Player Characters) by Yuri, as they may look and act human, but they have no souls.

As of right now, most of the original characters from Angel Beats! have been given their second chance, with most of them rejoining the Afterlife Battlefront.
Hideki Hinata/Relationships

## Top Brass

### Yuzuru Otonashi

Otonashi is Hinata's best friend, often watching his back and offering friendly advice. Hinata also assisted him to adjust from a civilian life back into the Afterlife Battlefront. While there are occasions where their relationship is outright questionable enough, they only poke at eachother in good fun.

### Yuri Nakamura

Hinata serves as the secondary leader of the Afterlife Battlefront and a trustworthy companion to Yuri. Given their history prior to Otonashi's appearance, they mostly did everything together, especially co-founding the Afterlife Battlefront.

### Eri Shiina

Being the co-leader of the battlefront, Shiina would report to Hinata if Yuri was absent during an operation or on a personal mission. Although they don't hold much views of each other, Shiina sees Hinata as a trustworthy but foolish comrade.

Hinata holds a degree of respect and fear for Shiina, due to the events of their first meetup.
Takashi Tsujihara/Relationships

## Top Brass

### Yuzuru Otonashi

Giving Otonashi a nickname upon their first meeting, he quickly realizes as to what kind of person he is. As both of them have similar experiences in leadership, he holds Otonashi to a high regard. They both hold a mutual respect to each other. Seeing Takashi as the strong, hard-hatted leader that he is, Otonashi knows on a personal level how hard it is to lead, and why a leader must act the way they do in order to keep a group of people together and at the same time, effective.

## The Guild

### Genji Furukawa

Like Akiyama, he dislikes Takashi for the fact that he often talks down on people. Despite the differences of power, Genji holds respect for Takashi and doesn't often comment on his leadership skills compared to Akiyama.

### Satsuki Akiyama

Holding the same close relationship as Genji, they often get into physical scuffles which outright turns into close quarters combat. As it is done often, they both are renowned for their hand-to-hand combat skills.

She often berates Takashi for being a, "hardass", due to him speaking with harsh words or unnnecessary nicknames.
Project 596

Project 596; An experimental clone made to essentially mess with the crew, (although not mentioned to Neilheart) by sending up a robot that looked like Eiffel to the Hephaestus. One night, Project 596, in other words 'EIF', started glitching badly, raising awareness to everyone around it. Pryce was able to open a comms line and talked to the crew. She hinted she knew what was going on, teased them, and Minkowski shot it. It no longer appears afterwards.