A Secret Chat

**A Secret Chat** (内緒の話, *Naisho no Hanashi*?) is the third chapter of the second volume and the sixth chapter overall of the *Platinum End* manga series, written and illustrated by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, respectively.

## Synopsis

After killing Metroblue, Metropoliman proceeds to the second stage of his schemes to lure out more of the God candidates. Mirai is troubled by the progression of events, but fortunately, rescue comes to his aid.

## Summary

After tricking Metroblue and Yellow to follow the flow of his plans, Metropoliman announces the commencement of stage two. Murmurs echo in the Jinbo Stadium and Mirai retraces the recent events: Metropoliman has successfully lured three God candidates out of hiding and has struck two of them with a Red Arrow and the remaining one (Metroblue) with a White. With this, Mirai feels foolish for believing that he could outsmart Metropoliman and shoot him with a Red from the stands.

As Mirai ponders on his next move, Metropoliman demands Hatakeyama's angel for the Wings and Arrows he was granted with. Afterward, he permits Pink, Green, and his body double to flee the scene, disappointing the crowd in the process with the briefness of the encounter. However, he suddenly reveals a pair of cuffs and orders Metroyellow to handcuff himself to Chiyo. With the two chained to a railing, Metropoliman summons a White Arrow and points it toward Metroyellow, who has been previously shot with a Red and therefore manipulated to behave under Metropoliman's orders. Believing that there is a limit to the Red Arrow's power, Metropoliman asks Metroyellow if he would die in his behalf, but despite being controlled by Metropoliman's Red Arrow, Metroyellow attempts to fly away to avoid being the target.

Out of fear, Metroyellow continues to fly away despite being shackled to Chiyo, whose other hand is cuffed to the railing. She proceeds to cry at the searing pain until Metropoliman fires the White Arrow and kills Yellow. Having the latter collapsed, the audience erupts in a frenzy, while Nasse and Revel at Saki's home hope for Mirai to not intervene.

Disguised in the audience, Mirai fretfully plans his next move: he can either ready a Red Arrow and strike Metropoliman with it before the naked eye can discern his identity or do nothing at all. A hooded figure briefly snaps a photo of Mirai and Saki together before Chiyo's angel mediates the scene and begs Metropoliman to stop. To the angel's dismay, Metropoliman declines her request and orders her to plead. Jami obeys, and together with Chiyo, she yells for other God candidates to come help them, while Metropoliman prods them to come out through guilt.

Chiyo's screams progressively become louder and Saki shrieks to make it stop. Mirai tries to intervene, only for Nasse to arrive and instruct them to stay put. She adds that they must not take action without a plan to prevent them from being recognized as candidates. As he and Saki lay off, Mirai reasons to himself that Metropoliman cannot possibly kill Chiyo right away, as she is worth making an ally for 33 more days.

Nasse hovers above Metropoliman and informs that he can no longer use Chiyo to coax other candidates in revealing themselves. Once he realizes this, he rapidly kills her with a White Arrow and reiterates his goal in eliminating every candidate in the competition. Seeing him face-to-face, Nasse gladly states that she would be joyful over his death, but Metropoliman is unfazed by her odd declaration and tells her to be grateful for reducing their opponents. While onlookers watch Metropoliman seemingly converse with himself, Nasse says that she intends to make her partner happy rather than to make him God, but Metropoliman is an obstacle to achieving that mission. When Metropoliman ignores this and contends that he will become God, Nasse counters that she will make her partner kill him before he can assume the being. Before she flies away, she obliquely tells Mirai and Saki to leave with the crowd to remain hidden.

Chiyo's and Metroyellow's angels collect their partners' bodies before awarding Metropoliman with their Wings and Arrows. Once given, he flies away from the stadium, leaving the audience to pile out of the arena and the medics to come rushing in to check on the fallen casualties. As Mirai and Saki vacate the area, Mirai reflects on the unfortunate encounter with unease.

Back at Saki's bedroom, Revel salutes Nasse for cleverly stopping Mirai from intervening, but the situation is conquered by the overbearing murders of the three God candidates. With this, Revel encourages Nasse to find a way to get Mirai to kill Metropoliman, but considers the repercussions of doing so as he recently witnessed his aunt die in front of him. When Mirai and Saki get back home, Revel heaves their guilt and reasons that it were him and Nasse who had ordered them to stay put. Even then, Mirai remains woeful, and proceeds to ask Saki if she hates Metropoliman. She tells him that she cannot forgive Metropoliman for killing Chiyo.

Revel hints that the police will soon get involved in the competition, but Mirai doubts that they can capture Metropoliman on their own. He suggests that they come forward about the competition and request Metropoliman to be locked up, but Revel is uncertain of this decision because they have little to no chance of having the authorities believe them. With the danger they pose, he infers that he and Saki would also be detained for coming forward. Realizing this, Mirai deduces that they have to kill him. Nonetheless, he is hesitant of this verdict and recalls a childhood memory with his family, where he and his father discuss the essence of happiness. Still thinking to himself silently, Nasse and Revel remind him that nobody is requiring him to kill Metropoliman.

After some time, Saki suggests that they form allies with other God candidates to gain control and power over Metropoliman. Suddenly, a man who claims to be a candidate emerges from the balcony. Having used all 14 of his Arrows, he spurs Mirai and Saki to shoot him with a Red Arrow to prove his innocence.

## Characters in order of appearance

1. Mirai Kakehashi
2. Nasse
3. Kanade Uryu
4. Revel
5. Saki Hanakago
6. Saburo Tabuchi
7. Shogo Hatakeyama (corpse)
8. Chiyo Nakayama
9. Emaka
10. Egura
11. Jami
12. Nanato Mukaido