No. 6, Volume Nine

The manga flips the script. Instead of Shion being shot and on the verge of dying, Rat is the one on his deathbed. With time ticking away, Shion has no choice but to enter No. 6 with Dogkeeper and Rikiga and find a doctor to save Rat's life. Unfortunately, Yomin has begun a riot against the No. 6 officials, including the mayor. Resisting No. 6 citizens are being murdered like animals. No. 6 is far from a utopia; now, it's a city of chaos. Meanwhile, Shion finds a doctor who is a close friend of Karan's. He vows to do everything humanly possible to save Rat's life. Thankfully, they didn't insert enough rat poison inside this Rat. With Rat somewhat recovered from his wounds, Rat and Shion head to the Moondrop so Rat can sing and negotiate with Elyurias. Together the duo convinces the powerful queen to give the people of No. 6 one last chance. A celebration is thrown in Karan's bakery. But the celebration is cut short when Rat decides to travel the world. Shion declares he can't see a future without Rat in it. Rat gives Shion a promise kiss, promising Shion they will meet again. Three years later, Shion is the head honcho of restoring order and balance to the people inside and outside the city. Dogkeeper is taking care of baby Shion. Rikiga visits Karan in her bakery; the people living in the caves can return to the forest. The future looks bright for No. 6. The last thing Shion does is open the door to his house, waiting for Rat to return. However, this time Shion won't let Rat escape him again. They will be together forever. Wow is one word I can say to describe this manga series. Atsuko Asano has done a fantastic job creating the story behind No. 6, while Hinoki Kino has done superb work at bringing out the visuals and artwork. Both the anime and the books put you on a rollercoaster of emotions. It was interesting to see the differences between the two. I had a blast reading this series. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. But, hopefully, Rat's and Shion's bond and love will never shrivel up and die. One last time, I highly recommend reading these books. This is a series I will keep returning to and reading throughout my years. I wish the authors and the characters in this book the best. One last thing, I love how Rata and Shion are back on the front cover together. Also, it's cute how Rat's and Shion's foreheads are against each other while Shion has a tear in his eye. He's probably upset about Rat leaving but gets over it, knowing they will see each other again someday.