2020
DECEMBER 5TH
CANADA-STANLEY PARK
Andy!
No problem.
Under will be taking Autumn!
I'm betting on the charged unluck! Get away, Fuko!
On it!
The future I know...
Hello, Anno-sensei? It's me, Tahioka.
I know you prefer to stay silent, so I'll cut to the point.
The first matter is that the manuscripts you have stored here might have been replaced...
The other is that we need you to judge this month's contest.
U-Um...
For the first matter, I'll give you a report after we've done some more investigating.
As for the second, are you available to judge?
Um... would it be possible to speak with them?
Huh?
I can't do such a thing-
Huh?
Thank you very much.
Hello, Anno-sensei.
Nice to meet you. My name is Fuko Izumo.
Would you mind reading my manga? I would appreciate it very much if you did.
If it's too far for your convenience, I don't mind coming to you.
You're wasting your breath. Anno-sensei doesn't speak to others.
I've never even seen them before!
Is it any good?
If it's an interesting read, then I'll meet with you.
In five hours, come to the bench at Stanley Park in Canada.
Both of you together.
"To You, From Me" is the manga that served as a crutch for Fuko to live her life.
Juiz speaks of how the story drawn within is a prophecy for this world,
and directs Fuko and Andy to investigate about the author, Anno Un.
By Andy's proposal, Fuko ends up having to draw a manga as a means to contact the author.
She is at wit's end as she has never drawn a manga before,
but Andy persuades Fuko that she only has to think about things that would throb her heart to death.
With a fresh start, Fuko starts facing her own emotions. This was for the mission,
but also from a will to become able to call in bigger strokes of unluck for Andy.
With assistance from other members, Fuko pours her feelings into her manuscript.
The completed title is "Undead + Unluck."
With that in hand, the pair heads to a publisher,
and succeeds in an exchange of words with the author Anno Un as planned.
And now, Fuko and Andy head over to Canada.
That's right. The exact location where I am now.
ANNO UN
I'm sure they said both of us, together.
I see.
I assume they mean the two of us. In other words, they know about us.
Not only that. It takes roughly nine hours to fly to Canada on a passenger airplane.
They got the lowdown that Union tech can get us there in three hours.
They ain't normal any way y'slice it.
I wonder if we'll really be able to meet them.
Anno Un. Age unknown. Sex unknown.
They say no one knows what they look or even sound like.
Twenty years ago, they submitted the first chapter of You-Me.
It was published as a one-time special, but was so popular it immediately won a serial slot.
They only converse with editorial via silent phone calls and letters, right?
For all of these past 20 years.
Something's clearly strange 'bout that.
Not even the Union's been able to track down the mysterious masked manga maker.
Color me interested!
We're gonna nab 'em at all costs!
Yeah!
It's autumn.
DECEMBER 5TH
STANLEY PARK, CANADA
5:00 A.M. (22:00 JAPAN TIME)
Not here yet, huh?
Want some?
Hmm?
What is that? It looks so good!
A good ol' Canadian delicacy called poutine. If you're hungry, help yourself.
Okay.
It's sho good!
Now then... should be any minute now.
You know the plan. If they get hostile with us, it's go time.
And by hostile I mean them pullin' out weapons, or gettin' too close for comfort.
So if they do, shoot them?
Yeah. Go for the leg first.
I don't wanna have it come to that, but...
...if we're dealing with a Negator or Artifact-wielder, if we're one step behind, we're dead.
They seem to know 'bout us, too.
"Undead + Unluck", huh?
Yeah! It's got my interest!
But the setup needs work.
This won't get past the series approval meeting, you know?
They got that close without me noticing 'em?
Anno Un, I presume?
Yup. That's just my pen name, though.
And I know what you two want to know.
What's the reason behind Billy's betrayal? How to defeat the four UMAs?
Andy's mysterious past. And lastly...
...how to defeat God. Sound about right?
Yeah, I know it all. But there's a price to pay.
Watch out!
Spider... UMAs?
Autumn spawned those things. Their Juniors.
After all, this is already part of their territory.
The two of you are about to battle Autumn and learn about yourselves.
Once you both come to know each other better... you'll get several times stronger.
Those are all the hints you get. Grab the reward by your own hands.
I'm sure the two of you can do it!
Now... let the UMA Autumn arc... begin!
Show me the ultimate ending...
...that I won't see coming!
I knew that'd happen. It's fine, don't worry.
Look! Your manuscript is safe and sound!
So anyway, anyway! Before you go off to fight Autumn, let's chat about this here!
There's so much stuff I want to praise and so much stuff to criticize!
Composition and characters are pretty good, but line work and figure drawing is terrible.
The art style is too old school...
Still a fan?
Barely.
You'll battle Autumn, learn about yourselves, and get even stronger!
And I want to help you do just that.
Spill it.
Do you know the future?
And if you do, why did you hide it? What's your goal?
- Right. Here's your manuscript back. - Whoa! When did you-
It was a fun read!
Oh, but maybe I should hold onto it?
Teleportation?
A Self-Targeter? A Voluntary-Type Negator Ability?
Could possibly be an artifact, too.
What a pain.
"Battle with Autumn"? Do you mean Autumn is here?
Yup. Should be any moment now.
Someone's there!
Hey, wait! Hold on, Fuko!
Neither of you currently stand a chance!
If you can't fully utilize your powers, you can't defeat Autumn!
This isn't about winning or losing!
Once a UMA transforms a human, there's no changing back!
Teacher!
I knew you were still safe, Teacher!
Your arm's hurt. I'll bandage it for you!
Huh?
T-Thank...
No way.
I understand.
Teacher?
What's wrong?
Teacher!
I need to save more people, even if just one!
Oh, my. What a pure and selfless line! So befitting of our protagonist!
I admit, this is the sort of spirit you need right now to make progress.
But, unless you stop for training on occasion...
...you'll hit walls you won't be able to overcome.
Is that...
Yup. That's Autumn. A UMA that feeds on human biography.
The guy that just screamed...
There they are!
Please hel-
Oh, no.
It turns people into books and reads them?
Boring.
Give me. Give me. Give me a story that's truly interesting.
Tell me. Tell me. Tell me a story no one knows.
Show me. Show me.
Show me a story that's yours alone!
Here it comes! Grab hold, Fuko!
On it!
Okay, same strategy as with Burn!
I charge up on unluck and enter its body... deal damage and nab the sucker!
It locked down its body? Every hole is closed off!
In that case...
I just gotta pry it open!
That won't work. You lack ideas.
Crimson Bullet!
Not even a scratch!
Andy!
Your leg is turning into books!
No problem, I'll just cut it off!
I just told you that's not going to work.
You both are too caught up in the Rules.
You assume things work in a certain way so much, you ended up establishing more Rules on your own.
I know it's in a Negator's nature to do so, but...
...if you ask me...
Why would a Negator bind themselves up by Rules?
No matter when, all you need to grow is proper effort and a flash of inspiration!
Volcano Bullet!
VOLCANO BULLET
What was that? Did Sensei do that?
Hop on!
That didn't even faze it! Retreat, retreat!
Phew, that was a close one. Boy, it sure feels like an adventure!
Hey. That arm of yours comin' back?
Nope. Not at all. I can only materialize one drawing at a time, after all.
Why would you do this?
Because neither of you would've listened otherwise.
Besides, I'm fine. I don't need my left hand to draw manga!
Anyway, now that you two are indebted to me, let's kick off your training arc!
Oopsie! Forgot I don't have my left hand!
Welcome to my humble abode. It's pretty beat-up, but it's nice and quiet.
Let's head inside and chat.
And this is my work room!
Oh, right! A report! A report to your boss... about me and Autumn.
They made an Emblem.
So... can I train these two for the sake of capturing Autumn, and for my sake, Juiz?
Absolutely not.
Wha?
Anno Un, I take it? I still don't trust you.
What we want is information about the future. Not some chaos-inducing coach.
My strategy guide only lists the bad ending.
Besides, these two were virtually powerless against Autumn.
I'm sure you have an inkling already? That unless you take a gamble, there is no future.
These members can make it happen. Which is why I'm proceeding with caution.
That's backwards. If you have a good hand, you should go all-in.
What's there to fear when you have a Royal Straight Flush?
I'd hate for you to waste a cast this good on a trite ending.
And I'm sure you feel the same way, Juiz?
Excuse me.
Hm?
- Ms. Juiz, I trust Sensei! - Why are you screaming into my Emblem?
- You've got one of your own! - Oh, right! I almost forgot!
- Gah! Now I can't hear out of my left ear! - I'm sorry!
Well... Sensei risked their life to save us!
I think it's safe to trust such an action!
And I'm askin' ya, too!
This person claims to know about my past.
And there goes my right ear!
The power gap between me and Victor has always bugged me.
I think the key to closing that gap is in my past that even I'm unaware of.
I don't know what their training entails. But if it gets me closer to that key, I wanna try it.
It's so hot.
All right. Then promise me.
That you'll come back safe...
...and capture Autumn.
Okay, that means...
The deal is sealed!
Is that Autumn's claw?
Autumn turns people into books.
Which means... with this, you and Fuko here can contact your past.
It's just like you figured! The key to powering up is in your past, Andy!
Any objections?
Nope. Hurry up and hit me.
Aah... Andy is...
...turning into books?
Wha-
Oh...
TO BE CONTINUED
PREVIEW
The life of the man who can't die takes shape before the unlucky girl.
That is where the man's "death" lies, and the girl must know what that is.
Next episode of Undead Unluck, Episode 21-Memento Mori.
In search of the greatest death ever.