Can't wait for the inevitable 5-page long argument on what "yuri" actually means. (/s)

The archbishop believes that the only reason why Shirafune would be marked would be if the other side knew he had the data, as alluded to at the end of Chapter 8. However, only the archbishop and Shirafune know that he has the rosary, meaning that, for the other side to know that Shirafune has the data, Shirafune himself must somehow know the importance of the rosary, and leaked that information accidentally or intentionally.

I think it's more like shifting and controlling who dies. Like if a 'good' person were to die, he would use his powers so that a 'bad' person dies instead.

The problem with that conclusion is that it doesn't match up with the Prez's actions in the manga proper. Every time we see him attempt to kill somebody, he generates a completely new corpse to do so.

last edited at May 25, 2023 6:12AM

"Turns out my 'likes' and the 'likes' of those around me were quite different."

Subtle.

Looking back, there's one other person who Komachi refers to using their last name: Satsuki. It isn't until the second chapter that she switches to using her first name. You could consider it as an artefact of Komachi's character not being fully defined yet, but some of her most important traits are already there (she immediately goes to suicide as an answer to Satsuki's actions, and her non-death is treated as the crucial event).

I think his fear is that, by saving an innocent person, he risks causing someone more important (such as himself or the VP) to die. Instead of saving people until the person he wants to die shows up, he prefers to appease fate by killing people intentionally. Satsuki is an exception because her powers are too important to lose, and probably also because he wants validation that he's right from someone like himself.

The point about the Prez being unsuitable for judging who lives and dies is why he's the villain, not the hero.

Reading the new chapter from MangaDex:

Not sure if we've ever been inside Seo's head before, but this basically confirms she's not faking it.

Komachi's response is very, very interesting. It could be a result of her being a massive masochist, or she could've had some secret relationship with Seo prior to memory loss (that hand gets awfully close to her face). In particular, in Chapter 30, Komachi says "she's alive, though..." where the "though" could have been referring to Seo's loss of personality, if she visited her before the others. On the other hand, it could also easily be "she's alive, though she should be dead." Another theory is that Komachi wants to maintain how the world should be before Satsuki changes fate, which would explain why she acts so coldly towards Akira, whose personality was completely changed by Satsuki. AFIAK, we also still don't know the true perpetrators behind Seo's first murder attempt, even if future attempts were made by the council.

The Prez pretty much confirms what we already know: he believes that death is a zero-sum game, and his goal isn't to win, but to convert Satsuki, which is something that will never come back to bite his ass 100%.

Poor Akira. I hope she doesn't go through a self-doubt arc where she considers herself unworthy to be by Satsuki's side (though it would also give a perfect opportunity for a confession).