[Tokusatsu Themes, Corruption]

Right when Mikai and friends thought that they had dealt with all the problems they'd have today, another one swept right in. And hammered against the one place they thought they were safe in, their classroom...

"How? How?!" Tsubasa cried out, frightened out of his mind as he saw the sheer number of Pawns. Whether it were the ones slamming on the doors trying to get in, or the ones that were tossing themselves at the windows trying to break in that way. It was getting to the point where them getting in was an inevitability. More of 'when' rather than 'if'. And since he had nearly been forced to transform into one of them in the past, he just... He wished that he was anywhere but here.

Yumeko trembled a little herself. Because this... This wasn't what she could've ever expected. Were there always this many students at Mimoto Highschool, or did they all come from other parts of the city..?

'Oi, didn't you take out the Jõtaijin?' Chimera's voice echoed through Mikai's mind as the world refused to turn dark. There was no time to enter her mental scape when the situation was this dire.

'I did! This has to be one of the other gifts that D'Or was talking about! So we have to do something, find her, anything!' Mikai shouted out inside her mind as she put her hand on her waist, only to let loose a pained groan. Being hurt earlier due to the Jõtaijin she fought was... Well, to say that it impaired her would be an understatement.

"Enjoying yourself, Mimoto?" The voice of D'Or resounded as a screen appeared in front of the girl's face, with both of her friends able to watch and listen in on their conversation. "After that stunning display of getting in the way of my plans... I'm sure you can handle a bit more. Just a few suffering souls that need the comfort of a commanding voice. The Pawn Syndrome victims... They're perfect for you."

Mikai's eyes widened a bit as the gears clicked around inside her head. These were... Was this how many that hadn't yet been treated? Just how much ground had Golden Freedom already covered when she wasn't looking!? What was... What had she been doing if all these people still needed help?

"Oh, and don't forget." The villainess spoke up again, as her smile twisted until it was practically bursting with wicked vibes and a tinge of maternal care. "You still have one more gift waiting for you at home. I'm sure that you'll love what we've got prepared for you. Bat, Cobra and Spider have all worked so hard for it."

The screen shut off before Mikai had a chance to respond. All while she was forced to contend with the seeds of doubt inside her heart planted by the second gift... And the fear of what that third gift might just be implying.

"She... She can't mean..." The sandy-blonde girl staggered backwards, trembling from top to bottom. She was... The only person that was waiting for her at home was her Mom. If what D'Or said was true, then... Then..!

Yumeko, hand over heart as everything was going completely off the rails, walked over and patted her dearest friend on the shoulder. "Go, Mikai." She said, trying her hardest to eke out a smile. "You know you have to."

"Y-Yumeko, t-there's a bit of a problem with that." Tsubasa spoke up as he noticed the cracks in the windows starting to grow. "I-If Mikai goes, w-what are we going to do? W-We can't fight back against all of these guys!" The boy's voice was growing louder as the panic claimed more and more of his body. He was nowhere near as strong as his friends. Whether it was Mikai's powers, Yumeko's strength of character, or Agatha's physical strength! He had nothing!

Mikai didn't move. She knew that her friend was right. And she knew that she should stay here and protect them. But if her Mom was in danger, then... What was she supposed to do, just stand there and accept that her Mom was getting turned into a Jõtaijin..? It wasn't fair..!

"The hell are you standing around for..!?"

All three students turned to look towards the girl that had been resting atop of a couple of those tables, her body still covered in bruises from the fight against the Pawns earlier in the day. Agatha had woken up, and there was a fire burning in her eyes...

"You're telling me..." The girl muttered as she slowly got up, panting and groaning from the pain that had been building through her body since she stood up to that Monster... "You're telling me that you're supposed to be the Hero I admired... And you can't just do what you know is right..!?"

She had been awake during the call. That was the only explaination as to how she had learned. And though her secret had been leaked, Mikai turned towards her friend, and nodded. "I... I'm sorry, Agatha-"

"Go, already!"

Mikai's eyes widened as Agatha got off the table, cracking her knuckles as she walked past the short girl. "If you want to be the Hero that you've been acting like... If you want to live up to what you've been showing me for the last month, Mikai... Then you go, and you don't look back! We'll take care of things here!"

This wasn't what Yumeko had expected, but she couldn't help but smile upon seeing this unfold. So much so that she nodded and stood besides Agatha. "She's right. You can do this, Mikai. We'll hold out until you settle things back home."

Tsubasa listened to his friends, and though he didn't know what he could do, upon seeing them put their lives on the line for the girl that had helped them, he... Though he was more than terrified, he walked over to the girls and stood beside them, pushing his glasses up to hide his eyes. "F-For the sake of our friend... W-We must take a heroic stand..!"

Seeing those three stand like this made Mikai's heart pound. They wanted to protect her just like she had protected them. Reach out to her when she needed a hand... It brought a tear to her eye, as the worries washed off her face and her bright smile returned.

"I'll do it. Thanks, Agatha! Yumeko! Tsubasa!" The young heroine shouted from the depths of her soul as the flames of her passion and her will started to pour forth, covering her as she reached forward and let loose the roar that unleashed it all!

"HENSHIN!"

The flames sank into her as her armor formed, bringing Mimoto to the front again. And without pausing, she jumped into action. Belting out "KING'S FLAME!" as she kicked straight through the wall and through the horde of Pawns, knocking several of them back to their normal state. And though several more tried to pounce on her as soon as they noticed her, they were swiftly knocked aside as she let loose another finisher. "KING'S THRUST!"

All three of her friends watched as the girl disappeared into the distance, and the Pawns started to make their way in through the hole in the wall that she had made. They knew what they were in for. But did that discourage them? Did that make them falter in the face of overwhelming danger?

Of course not.

"Yumeko! Tsubasa! Pelt them with everything you got, I'll toss them back out!" Agatha shouted, the stout girl sweating as she felt her body crying out for her to rest more. But not now. She owed Mimoto... She owed Mikai too much for her to back down now!

Both of her friends nodded as they ran towards the edges of the room, while the bigger girl approached the hole. It was a risky gamble, but they had a bottleneck. As long as they could hold out, they would do it. And if it meant that they temporarily turned into Pawns, so be it.

Mikai needed to save her Mom. And they were williing to resist as long as possible, to see her get home in time..!

---

Mimoto was running as fast as she could through Mimoto Highschool. Slamming through any Pawn that came in her way, her flames burning hotter with every second that ticked by. She needed to get home. She needed to make it to Mom..!

'Mikai, I know you need to get to her, but you mustn't burn yourself out! Remember to pace yourself! Otherwise you'll end up joining her if she's already been-'

'SHE'S FINE, CHIMERA!' Mikai shouted at her supportive predator. She didn't want to accept that possibility. She didn't want to accept that she might have to fight her Mom. But at the same time, she knew that the voice inside her head was right. If she burnt herself out whenever she found herself unable to proceed, then...

As if fate itself wanted to play an elaborate joke on her, the hallway was suddenly flooded by Pawns, a good few of them promoted into Knights and Rooks as well. She'd have to use another finisher and risk burning out early on if she-

"Mikai! I found her!"

That voice.. Mumei-chan? Just hearing her was a relief, but where was she? And who had she found? Mikai didn't know the answers, but still she steeled herself and prepared herself to pierce through the horde of Pawns ahead of her...

Right up until the moment she saw a single snowflake drop from the ceiling. Her flames went out as she saw a familiar passionate girl skate right by her, laughing in the face of danger. Mumei-chan was right, she had managed to find her..!

"Ahahaha! I know not why you're fighting against all these Pawns, Mikai! But I know that I owe you a great deal for everything you've done!" Yuuki Shimo, former Jõtaijin and part of the Student Council, shouted as the floor she skated on immediately turned into ice. The ice-cold passion of her heart was allowing her powers as a Yuki-onna and her dormant Jõtaijin powers to run wild!

In what felt like an instant, the Pawns were blocked from getting any closer. All thanks to their legs being frozen to the floor, leaving the two powered individuals, and their rock-flavored puppy friend, a moment to chat...

"Mumei-chan, Yuuki-senpai!" Mikai was relieved to see them, the flames that made up her helmet disappearing for a moment as she talked to them. "Have you seen Saki-senpai or Saeko-senpai, Yuuki-senpai? We wanted to get ahold of any of you after we found out there was a Jõtaijin, but Tsubasa and Yumeko couldn't find them..."

"Unfortunately, I don't know where they are either." Yuuki crossed her arms as she let her back face those Pawns, shaking her head as she had to admit she didn't have the answers that the girl was looking for. "All I know is that Saki's been sick for the last week, and Saeko had an elective to complete. If you need to know more, you'd need to get ahold of their parents. I'm sure they know more."

Mumei-chan giggled a little as she looked at all those Pawns that had been partly frozen, enjoying the way that they squirmed trying to get free. "You need to get past these, right, Mikai? Just leave it to us! We've got your back, don't worry!" The marble-colored girl cried out, the fire inside her lit up as she could finally repay the girl that had bonded with her.

"Haha! There's the PASSION that tugged at me!" Yuuki's laugh echoed around her, before she nodded with determination. "Do what you must, Mikai! Find the culprit behind this outbreak, and teach them a thing or two about your PASSION!"

Mikai grinned as the two supported her just like her three main friends had. "Thanks, Yuuki-senpai, Mumei-chan!" She cried out before letting her flames get swallowed by the winds of change, crying out "CHOU HENSHIN!" before letting those winds consume her and transform her into her Blast Eagle form, letting her safely fly over the horde of frozen Pawns.

Mumei-chan waved goodbye to her friend, before stretching a bit as muscle started to pop out across her dainty marble frame. "Yuuki-senpai! I'll smash them to bits, like a loyal legionaire! Will you lend me your aid, so we can protect our friend?"

"You needn't ask, Mumei-chan! Your PASSION speaks for itself!" The ice-wielding student laughed once more as she grabbed ahold of her own scarf, tossing it aside as her body clad itself in a suit of icy armor. All while she formed two blades, giving one to her friend so she was equally armed.

Mikai could hear their battle cries echoing from behind her as they charged into the horde, all while she flew right over them. She knew that there'd be more obstacles in her way to get all the way home, but she'd make it through. No matter what got in her way. No matter how many Pawns there were.

As she finally landed in the foyer, she thought that she was homefree for the time being. She could just swap to Frost Wolf and use its superior speed to make it the rest of the way. But...

Upon opening the doors, she saw another horde of Pawns reaching into the street in front of the school itself. And while she could just fly over it, the sheer size would spell trouble for her friends if they poured in. Her heart wavered for but a moment, because she knew that she had told them that she'd head straight home. But if they...

"Students! Keep up the pace!"

"Go go Gan-gu-ro! Go go Gan-Gu-Ro!"

She didn't have anything to worry about, as the rest of the people she had left an impact on were busy doing their best to ward off the Pawns that were trying to break in. All six of them, doing their best despite being outnumbered by so many of those minions...

Zipping back and forth with her golden glory-slurping arm was the former Glory Chaser, Mina Magatsu. Just like when she had been transformed, she was draining people of energy. But this time, it wasn't to make herself more glorious. It was to disable the horde in front of her.

Supporting her in this endeavor were the Ganguro girls that been closer than family. Nanae Harada, Kumi Mirai and Rie Himeito. And though Nanae had been turned into a muddy boy that turned his victims into muddy statues that would always watch him, as she tapped into the power that she still had left after being restored to a mostly normal state, she locked down several of these Pawns. Pawns that Kumi and Rie quickly transported closer to the main building, letting them be separated from the horde and disabled at the same time.

In the back, bouncing up and down and crying out to empower the Ganguros to make their transportation scheme possible, was Rika Nitta. Though she was physically fit and the biggest out of the present companions that wanted to protect the school, she wanted to do something to help that wouldn't risk her life as Mina would grow frantic if that happened. So she used her cheering ability, even changing out her dreary colored uniform for a proper cheerleader's uniform, which really didn't fit on her large amazonian body, as she cheered for the tanned girls so they could carry way more than they normally could.

Finally, surrounding himself with the drained and encased Pawns, was Mikai's teacher. Katsuo Maki. It hadn't been long since he was turned into a Jõtaijin, which was probably why he was all the more determined to push back against what he had done and prove himself to be an adult that the youths could believe in. To this end, he put his hands on every Pawn that had been disabled, their bodies shifting as their attires and forms made them look more like the perfect student. Though he could not fight to the same extent as his students... He could use his Pawn-promoting powers to gain control over the Horde one by one. Letting him suppress the horde for a while, at least until they could figure out a solution...

As there was a moment to breathe in between the Pawns, he turned his head towards the doors leading into the school... And he saw the winged visage of his student, standing there in awe of the teamwork that they were all showing. The kind of good that her heart had imparted on them, and how they acted on their second chance.

"Go." Was all that he said, smiling as he turned back towards the horde of Pawns. He had a job to do. Students to support...

Mikai smiled as she spread her wings and took off into the skies, flying over her allies and her enemies as feathers started to drop down from her body, indirectly letting them know that she was grateful for their help. All that she now had to do was get back home.

And as she stretched her wings out far and wide, she caught a glimpse of a neighborhood not far from where she lived. It was submerged in paint, not unlike the school a few weeks prior. If she didn't know any better, the boy that had helped her awaken her eagle power, Kouta Ban, had done something similar to what the others had. And if he had done everything to try and help out the girl that had inspired him... Then she couldn't afford to slow down.

She had to hurry. She had to prove that their attempts to fight back against the hordes of Pawns that were running rampant across the city weren't in vain. One way or another, she'd stop Spider... She'd stop Golden Freedom in their tracks. And find out why they would try and hurt her Mom, when she had nothing to do with any of this.

With resolve filling her heart and her allies fresh in her mind, Mikai flapped her wings and accelerated through the skies. All to make it home in time...

---

Hiro was not having a good day, and the way that her suit was starting to steam as she slammed through another few Pawns only added to her current mood. How was she supposed to notice that there were a suspicious lack of people out and about as she ran to Mimoto Highschool?

"How's the suppression efforts going, Byakko?" She asked, having pulled up a screen by her head as she unflinchingly continued down the hall, her PAWN suit serving her well as it protected her from anything the Pawns might try. She just wanted to lie down and relax however, as she had already taken way too much punishment earlier. Not to mention how she had to endure the blowback from her latest maneuver with Desperado.

"Oh, just great." Byakko's voice resounded as her sarcastic tone poured through the heroine's ears. "At least it meant that Suzaku and Qilin both got their asses in gear. Genbu's doing most of the work by using her strength to her advantage, and Qilin is keeping tabs on everyone. Those that manage to get away get hit by one of Suzaku's feathers, and it's not long before they're turned against their bretheren." She explained, before sighing and slamming her face against her desk. "Once all of this is over, we need to have a talk. Not just you, me and that girl by your side. All of us. Something like this can't happen again."

"We'll figure something out, Byakko. We always do." Hiro gently spoke as she looked towards the screen. "Just trust in us. Me, Mikai, Suzaku... Yes, even in Qilin." For once, she'd have to rely on that woman's abilities. Just this time, otherwise she'd hang it over her head until the day she died.

Byakko slowly pulled her head off her desk, clearing her throat a bit as the feed started to flicker. "Find Dr. Charlotta. If we want any chance of suppressing all these Pawns without finding the source, we need her abilities. Whether or not she can soothe so many at the same time is something we'll just have to find out."

With that, the feed shut off. Hiro knew what prompted it. Byakko was heading into action, despite the fact that she would rather just stay and provide support. The main parts of the city were in good hands as long as the Saints were all active.

Now she just had to do her duty. The only problem with navigating the school was the fact that it seemed to shift every time she visited it. One of these days she had to take note and try to properly note down where every room was, otherwise something like this would happen again. Where she'd wander through the halls trying to find that woman's office, just barreling through Pawns that got in her way.

"Huanglong, you have any ideas?" Hiro asked, while grabbing ahold of another Pawn that ran towards her, clenching her fist tight and crushing the dome to free the victim inside. "Please say you do. This has to stop."

The white-haired Ai appeared on her shoulder and pulled up a map in front of her face, showing that it was indeed shifting as much as it possibly could. "It's like somebody's trying to keep you trapped in here. Stuck endlessly wandering in the same few corridors. Circling around and around..."

Hiro's eyes lit up as he delivered his analysis. "This room's the one we keep circling, right?" She said, pointing to her left and getting an affirmative nod from the AI. "Right. Let's skip the hard thinking and do this like Mikai would."

Pumping her suit's remaining energies into her fist, Hiro slammed it into the wall, opening it and revealing a doctor's office. Just as it seemed, somebody really had been messing with her. But who?

"Doctor Charlotta." Hiro said as she stepped inside the doctor's office, expecting to see the brunette that she had been partnered with. "We have to get out of here. There's a Pawn outbreak going on, and we're willing to believe that Golden Freedom might be trying to target you in the midst of all this chaos."

As she delivered her formal plea to the doctor, she heard a laugh. And upon opening her eyes, she noticed a certain green-haired boy sitting in the doctor's chair. A green-haired slithery bastard who had no doubt been the one to pull the rug over her eyes.

"I'm sorry, PAWN. You're a bit late to the party." King Cobra chimed as he slithered out of the chair, pulling the curtains away to reveal the Doctor resting on one of the beds. "I've already done what I need to. But if you'd like, I might just hold back a bit. Give you the chance to reach a climax that'll make me blush."

"Leave her. Before I do something you can't make an innuendo out of." Hiro's anger was building as the warning signs started to pop up on her visor. The will to harm something was too great for her suit to handle at this very moment, and if she overextended herself, Desperado would activate on its own and risk more damage to her...

"And where's the fun in listening to you, when you're not even trying to rile me up?" King Cobra giggled as he snapped his fingers, as the rest of the curtains were pulled open. Not only that, the walls of the room itself were undone, showing Hiro an insurmountably large horde of Pawns to get through. "Show me how much you can struggle, PAWN. Show me how you'll climb out of my hypnotic spiral and rise to the challenge. Only then can you have your precious doctor back."

Hiro's response to the horde around her, and the fact that she was facing a key member of Golden Freedom, one that had seemingly already gotten what he wanted out of the doctor while she was busy going around in circles..?

Pure silence. Only broken up by her suit letting loose a single digitized word, her fury made manifest.

"DESPERADO."

---

Mikai touched down right outside her house. She had made it. At least, it felt like she had made it. She wasn't really sure. After everything she had gone through today, she never could be sure. But she could tell that there wasn't a Jõtaijin inside her house. Otherwise she would've probably felt it.

Her heart had gotten attuned to these sorts of things at this point. Sure, she couldn't pinpoint where a Jõtaijin was, but the influence they left upon the world, the willpower they displayed when they tried to turn people into Pawns... It leaked around them. And the fact that it hadn't started to leak into her house meant that she made it. But at the same time...

'Spider's in there. Isn't she?' She muttered inside her mind, Chimera taking form beside her to show a bit of support like she always did. '...Should I really show Mom that I'm...'

'You show her exactly what you think she needs to see.' Chimera said, ruffling her host's hair. 'You've come this far. It'd be a shame to waste it all.' She said with confidence, before giving the girl a mild hug as she started to disappear. 'Whatever happens. I'll be there. To pull you out of the abyss, just like when we first met.'

With that, her passenger disappeared. And as she took a deep breath, Mikai walked towards the front door. The flames of uncertainty consumed her, changing her back into her Flame Lion form as she did her best to steel herself.

She had done her best to keep her secret hidden. Because she didn't want to worry people that weren't involved. But if she had to let it out, if she had to let her Mom know by saving her from Golden Freedom, then... Then it would all be worth it.

Mikai didn't knock. She just opened the door, eyes facing forward, as she heard the loud static of the TV echoing through the house. And nothing else. In fact, the TV was the only light source inside the house. Nothing else was turned on. No lights, no machines, nothing. It was only the eerie static that filled the house...

"Come out, General Spider!" Mimoto said as she stepped inside, flames lighting up across her body. She was going to see things clearly and she was going to see things through. Nothing was going to stop her from saving her Mom.

Nothing except for the incredibly obvious web trap at her feet, causing her to trip on forward and land against the ground. She didn't even get a chance to check her feet before this, she really should've just thought ahead. But that was something the girl didn't do. And that was exactly what the General had planned for.

"So glad that you could join us, Mimoto." General Spider said as she slowly but surely started to descend from the darkness around her, carefully gripping the golden thread that extended from her rear. "And I'm so glad that you're still so awfully naive that you didn't even think to check this place for traps before you headed in. Why, you didn't even think to try and protect your Mom from us. What an awful little girl you are. Isn't that right, Miss Fushimi?"

Mikai struggled against the string around her as she slowly looked up, only for horror to dawn on her face as the golden glow of a ring wrapped around a finger managed to illuminate her sweet-hearted Mom. Her Mom was just sitting there, not even paying attention to her, merely just staring into emptiness. She didn't even respond as she was addressed, remaining eerily quiet to contrast the woman that had captured her. Yet despite being captured, she wasn't bound or anything...

"Let her go! This has nothing to do with her!" Mimoto shouted as she tried to intensify the flames around her to try and burn the web off. But that only caused those very same flames to flicker away, as if they were being absorbed by the web itself. If she bothered to look down, she would've noticed that they seemed to be made out of the same sort of material as the Jõtai that had been plaguing her attempts to protect the city... To think that they could make offensive use of their wicked accessories this way...

General Spider just laughed at the heroine. "Nothing to do with her? I think you misunderstand. This has everything to do with her. Because guess who's been worrying her heart out, all these years? And now that you're active, don't you think that the guilt inside her might be trying to leak out?" The lavender-haired villain chuckled, putting a hand on the hero's Mom's shoulder. "Tell her, Miss Fushimi. Tell her what you've been thinking."

Kaoru slowly but surely nodded as a slight golden glow started to shine within her empty eyes. "I... I've been so worried about Mikai, ever since she returned that day... It's like she had lost the spark in her eyes. And even though I supported her, even though I was there for her... I always thought that I had done something wrong. Like I had been responsible for my daughter losing herself..."

Tears streamed down the older woman's cheeks as she spoke. Her heart was pouring out thanks to the villain that had ensnared her, and all that her daughter could do was just watch. "And... And when she finally started to look so bright, when she finally started to look like she did back then... I... I couldn't help but wonder if I had been useless all these years? I was by her side for so long, I was there to make sure that she had somebody. But what did I get..? I got... I got nothing out of it, because she never showed me the moment her emotions came back. Did I mess up? Did I fail? I don't know, and it terrifies me to know that..."

"I just... I just wanted to see my little girl smile at me for the first time in ten years... I just wanted to see her tell me that it was because of me that she woke back up! But it can't be because of me! I just helped and helped, and I never got through to her! It hurts to see her being happy, because it reminds me how little I could do for her! Every time she looks at me! Every single time! I fear that she doesn't actually love me, no matter how much she tries to show it! It tears me up, because I just can't accept her honest love! Not after everything... Not after everything fell flat on its face and eventually just resulted in her awakening on her own..."

Mikai looked up at her Mom, her heart beating slowly as she listened to all of this. Was this how her Mom had felt all this time..? Had she... Had she let her down when she needed her most? She... She never realized that this was bottled up inside her. And to make matters worse... She didn't know why she had ended up like this. Why she had ended up hurting her Mom so badly.

"But it's okay, Miss Fushimi." General Spider said as she slowly held her captive's hands. "You can make up for all your failures. You can make up for all this lost time. You can make your daughter smile once again. Your wish can be granted, if you just give yourself to the ring I gave you..." She said, slowly rubbing her middle finger up against that golden ring. "Any wish, no matter how much you crave it, is too big for this ring. The Jõtai will set you free. And you will be free to make your daughter understand..."

"Don't! Mom! Don't!" Mikai shouted as she tried to pry herself free from the web yet again, her flames growing stronger and stronger as her emotions ran wild. So much so that the web itself was starting to melt as it couldn't possibly handle the heat. She just needed to burn them a bit more, and then she could stop her Mom. Just a little more!

Unfortunately, right as her fingers managed to scrape against the ring, right as it seemed like she would succeed... Kaoru pulled her hands towards her chest and accepted its power, wishing that she had the chance to set everything right. To see her daughter's first true smile in a decade.

The lights inside the house rapidly started to turn on as the static from the TV flew out, shutting off the machine as the white noise wrapped its way around the Mom's body. The Jõtai always had a tendency to turn the ones they bonded with into something that resembled what they cherished or something that reflected their wish. And this would be no different for Kaoru, as the cocoon of white and black grew bigger and bigger.

"You... You bastard..!" Mikai cried out as she freed herself from the webbing, launching a single blow towards Spider to try and get some sort of catharsis. Was this how Hiro felt? If that was the case, she now truly understood what made her so worried. If this was the kind of anger that she kept bottled up inside each and every day.

Not that her fist made its mark. Spider had anticipated that this would happen, as the punch ended up making impact with a couple more of those Jõtai strings, preventing the punch from reaching her face. Even if it came awfully close. And once she stopped trying to push it further, the girl was launched backward, her suit doing little to aid her offensively against the General. "Sit still, dear. We're almost ready to introduce your Mom to the world."

Mikai panted as the flames kept burning away at her. Sure, they weren't doing any damage. But they were also not helping her in this fight against one of the leaders of Golden Freedom... Nor did they help her when she wanted to save her Mom. Now she just had to stand there and watch, hoping that her Mom wouldn't be twisted into a wicked Monster...

Slowly but surely, the cocoon of white static was undone, and the golden light of a newborn Jõtaijin started to pour out through the cracks. A brand new menace unleashed upon the world. One born from the hero's own Mom. A menace of her own making, if she were to believe the words that left her Mom's lips.

The cocoon gave way, and Kaoru's new form was revealed. It was... rather tame, all things considered. Gone was the sweater and the other comfortable clothes that she wore, replaced with a red military-like leotard and matching metal shoulders. On her head was a red cap adorned with a Jõtai emblem, and on her feet and hands were boots and gloves meant for combat. Combine that with her black hair being tied into an incredibly long braided ponytail, and she looked almost like one of the characters that she had been playing whenever she fought against Mikai... Except with the aesthetics of the main villain.

Kaoru crossed her arms and grinned as purple energy started to spark from her hands. "This world in its entirety will belong to Dictator M. And your body too, will be mine..." She glared at the heroine, seeing straight through her. Because she didn't see a daughter. She just saw an enemy. An enemy for her to beat. An enemy for her to conquer. Just like when she was younger...

General Spider laughed as she stood side by side with Dictator M, beckoning the Hero to come closer. "Come, Mimoto. Show us what you've got. Only then might you be able to save your precious Mom. Or you can fall to us, and join her in servitude. You've done too much to be considered one of our allies. Only subjugation awaits somebody like you!"

Mikai looked at the two. Her Mom in Red. Her Enemy in Black. The two were going to be hard to take down. Because one had proven herself to be more than a challenge throughout the many times that she faced her. And the other was Spider, the woman that had given her the chance to be a hero in the first place. Could she beat them?

That wasn't even a question! If she wanted to save her Mom, then she had to. Even if she had to hurt her! She wouldn't let her Mom stay like this. This wasn't her! This was just some dumb last boss from one of her games, masquerading as the woman that she loved from the depths of her soul! And she'd prove that all of her cries weren't for nothing! That she could hear her all this time!

And how would she prove that? She'd go on the offensive immediately, gathering her furious flames inside her palms as they started to violently thrash around, growing with every passing moment. I won't lose! I'll save her, whether she wants to be saved or not!" Mikai shouted as she dashed forward with that ball suddenly shrinking within her palms, all while letting loose a roar as she unleashed her finisher.

"KING'S ERUPTION!"

By slamming her fists together with the ball between them, she unleashed an even greater explosion of pure flames than previously, one that would definitely catch the two. Even if she knew it wouldn't defeat them in one fell swoop, she needed to pile the damage on quickly. That way she could isolate her Mom and then deliver a blow that would knock her back to her senses.

Unfortunately for Mikai, her attempts to do damage were quickly quelled thanks to a simple axe kick from Dictactor M, whose kick managed to cut through the fire without any actual damage done to her body, all while Spider laughed and protected herself with a shield made out of her Jõtai webbing. The laughter honestly hurt the girl more than feeling her powers draining thanks to using a finisher...

"You think you'll get anywhere by using your powers at their maximum? You absolute moron! We've seen how you fight, and we know how to deal with it! DICTATOR!" Spider shouted, and her partner responded in kind by letting her power flow through her hands in almost the exact same way that her daughter's flames had flowed through her.

Mikai saw what was coming, crying out "CHOU HENSHIN!" to transform into her Frost Wolf form and dash away from her Mom and her possible eruption, letting the rest of her house freeze over in the process.

Unfortunately, she was meant for combat that was in a much less cramped space. As a result, the moment she tried to get away from her Mom by backing away... She ended up slamming into the couch and falling over, with the villainous mockery of her Mom coming close enough to deliver her payload.

"PSYCHO POWER!" The loud roar from her Mom's lips was enough to make the girl flinch, but the pain that quickly rushed through her as purple flame-like energy rushed over her and tried to eat away at her armor was even worse, Mikai letting loose a scream of pain as she felt like thousands of needles were being pierced into her body.

'If only she just told me... If only she just smiled at me...'

Mikai's eyes widened underneath her helmet as she snapped free from the pain, quickly getting up and speeding towards General Spider to try and deliver a blow. Not just to get away from her Mom, but to try and clear her head of those stray thoughts..!

"You really think you can get close like that? You really should use your eyes, you absolute idiot!" Spider shouted as she snapped her fingers, a web of Jõtai strings popping up in front of her, all while she laughed as the hero's attempt to aggress upon her was left utterly impotent just like before. She could see the claw...

Her eyes widened as she realized what was happening. The girl wasn't trying to slash at her. Far from it! She used the web for something else entirely, specifically the natural bounciness of those sticky strings..!

Instead of getting stuck on the web, Mikai used her own momentum to turn right back around, claws extending from her armor as she launched her assault on Dictator M. Even if Mom was able to copy her attack, she wouldn't be able to copy it quickly enough to avoid taking damage!

"ALPHA EDGE!" "PSYCHO POWER!"

Just as Mikai dashed past her Mom and slammed right back into her couch in the process, cutting it in two as she was mid-slash, she felt the sensation of something grazing against her chest. And upon looking down, she could see the slight bit of blood pouring forth from a crack in her armor. A crack that had been dealt...

'I just want her to smile at me, like she did back then...'

By the purple energy claws pouring forth from her Mom's hands. That was the thing. Whenever they played together, she didn't pick one character. She showed her mastery over the entire cast. And though experimenting with her, Mom always figured out how she fought and turned that style of fighting back on her in the mirror..!

"Just give it up, Mimoto!" General Spider cried out as she withdrew her strings, balling them up around her fist as she started dashing towards the icy wolf. "All you get out of attempting to save your Mom is the pain she's been bottling up! You get to feel every last moment she's been trying to suppress! Isn't that wonderful!? To feel how you've been messing up everything this entire time, when you've been focusing too much on ruining our efforts to free everyone!?"

Mikai grit her teeth a bit as she cried out once more. "CHOU HENSHIN!" Swapping from Frost Wolf to Earth Ursa, and meeting Spider's approach head on with her reinforced fist, not caring if it was supposed to do anything to her..!

As their punches clashed, the webbing around Spider's fist burst loose and splattered all over the hero's armor, making it harder for her to move as the villainous woman grinned. All while Dictator M merely watched, carefully examining her daughter's moves. She was like a patient AI, just waiting for the moment where the girl's guard would be open.

Spider laughed at the sight of the web covering the girl as she jumped back a bit, a single string still connecting her hand to the string. "Don't worry. You'll still move despite being held back by your mistakes. MOVE RIGHT INTO MY ARMS AS I BREAK YOU LIKE YOU'VE BROKEN OUR PLANS!" The villainess's laughter continued as she started to pull on her string, using the power of the golden thread to overpower the girl's natural... weight...

She couldn't pull her. Not only that, but the girl seemed to be pulling back on the string itself..!? That was impossible, she shouldn't be able to fight back against the will-draining power of the thread! "DICTATOR! DO SOMETHING!" Spider shouted at her partner, hoping for a swift rescue.

Mikai grinned a bit under her armor as the power of her armor started to gather in her leg. This was going to deplete a lot of her energy, but it would make everything so much easier. Even if... Even if her Mom was definitely going to get mad at her once she managed to bring her back from the brink of evil!

Dictator M looked at what her daughter was doing, mimicking it to a fault as the energies she had available to her started to coalesce around her leg. It didn't increase her mass, but it did contain the exact same kind of power that her daughter was about to unleash. Not that she knew what it would do. She just understood how to use it better.

"MAJOR LAUNCH!" "PSYCHO POWER!"

Mikai and her Mom's feet both met the floor at the same time, as their explosive power over the Earth started to erupt through the house. And instead of launching one another, thanks to how heavy they both were due to using this power simultaneously... The house, as well as Spider, were not nearly as lucky.

As the Fushimi Residence went flying into the air, destroyed thanks to the power of the family that had been pitted against itself, Spider was forcibly launched as well as the propulsion meant that her web was forcibly removed from the hero's body allowing her to move freely once more. And without all of this sticky stuff trying to restrict her movement, as well as not being cramped within such a small home that would keep bearing its walls down on her and preventing her from going all out...

"CHOU HENSHIN!"

Mikai was free to transform back into Blast Eagle as she took flight, hovering far above her Mom and watching with a bit of glee as Spider fell right back down to the ground. Now she had the upper hand. And if she just kept this up, she might free her Mom before she'd run out of energy...

'So she keeps copying our strongest attacks...' Chimera muttered inside the girl's mind as she materialized beside her, flying just like her. 'But as long as we don't use finishers, then...'

'She won't move!' Mikai cried out as the Predator disappeared back into her mind, her wings spreading far and wide. "You won't win, Spider! I'll make Mom see that she's been wrong all this time!" She affirmed her determination as she flew down towards the ground, heading straight for the villains that stood in her way!

Spider landed relatively safe and sound, though her ego had been damaged thanks to that unintentional double team. "DICTATOR! QUIT BEING PASSIVE! IF YOU KEEP SHOWING YOUR DAUGHTER LENIENCY, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO GET HER TO SMILE!" The General shouted as she braced herself for whatever was coming, knowing that the heroine definitely had more tricks up her sleeve.

Dictator M watched carefully. Still just downloading her daughter's combat style. Even if she didn't register her as her daughter yet. Though with every passing moment that the hero was being called her daughter, she twitched more and more.

"EAGLE!" Mikai cried out as she slammed into the ground, sending feathers flying off her wings, each seemingly heading straight for the two villains. They were prepared to deflect them, whether with their fists or with their powers. But they wouldn't get the chance.

"WOLF!" The hero shouted as she shifted back to Frost Wolf in an instant, howling and disappearing from their sights as the surroundings started to freeze. Not just the ground, but the feathers right before they made an impact. And though the villains tried to keep track of her, only as she landed on top of one of those feathers did they manage to catch up. But by then it was too late.

"LION!" Once more, she cried out her next form and let loose the flames of her passionate heart, her Flame Lion form's roar overlapping with her icy howl as the feathers suddenly exploded, not unlike the flames that were gathered in her hands when she unleashed King's Eruption. Localized tiny explosions that were hard to deal with..!

"TRIANGLE RAAAAAAVE!" Mikai shouted from the depths of her soul as the flames were carried far into the skies above thanks to the feathers they burst forth from, before the flames rained down upon the field of battle. It wouldn't do much damage, but the initial explosion had done enough. It wasn't something that they could counter right off the bat, since she had only just come up with these types of attacks..!

Indeed, Dictator M seemed to just block as much of the damage as she could, with Spider crying out in pain as her hair had been lit on fire. And though she had one hand in front of her serving to block any possible assault with her durable thread, the fact that she had been hurt in this cosmetic sense was enough for Mikai at the moment...

"Once more.. One more time, and I can get to Mom..!" Mikai cried out as she snapped back to Earth Ursa, her body actively staggering. Even though using these form-changing combination attacks weren't as strenuous as a proper finisher, she had used three in quick succession. Not to mention everything earlier on. She only had so much adrenaline to spend, and if she faltered now, then...

"URSA!" She shouted before either of the two enemies had the chance to aggress on her, slamming her hands down on the ground once more to shatter parts of it and open up cracks beneath them. Just wide enough that she could pour something down through them..!

"STOP HER, DICTATOR! DO SOMETHING!" Spider cried out as she grit her teeth while rumbling. The fact that they were no longer inside an enclosed space, or even a space with walls and ceilings that she could abuse with her webbing meant that she had been drastically reduced as a presence in this fight. But as long as she had the reins of the girl's Mom, then she still had a chance!

Dictator M just watched. But her body slowly started to coat itself in that purple energy. Watching. Waiting for her moment to strike. Enduring the rumbling underneath, as she anticipated the final strike...

"LION!" Mikai shouted as she poured her passionate flames into the cracks below while they consumed her and transformed her back into Flame Lion. Pouring those flames as deep into the cracks as they could, before the heat would force them back up and erupt from those cracks. Cracks that had formed right underneath the two villains!

"WOLF!" Another shout echoed forth from the girl as the armor broke apart like fragile ice and let her assume the Frost Wolf form, while those flames were flash-frozen into sharp pillars that were as thick as walls, knocking them further and further into the air. Spider wasn't the one she was aiming for, however, she was aiming for her Mom!

With the speed afforded to her by the Frost Wolf form, Mikai quickly dashed up the pillar-like walls that she had made using her powers, especially as her Mom continued to be launched higher and higher. She jumped between them, using that leap to propel her with even greater speeds until she reached the tip, right as it stopped growing and launched her Mom even further upward.

"EAGLE!" With one final kick off the top of the pillar, the hero let the winds of her heart burst free as her wings spread out, bringing her back to Blast Eagle once more. And with the force of her wings, she blew herself higher, kicking up a powerful tornado from the tips of her frozen pillars. One that would drive her Mom even higher, all the way to the skies above..!

Dictator M watched as the girl flew past her, using the wind to ascend. Though she had not taken damage from her launch, she remained vigilant in the face of this opponent. And she even smirked a bit, thoroughly enjoying this unorthodox challenge. Even if the idea of the girl in front of her being her daughter was busy cracking away at her mind...

"Mom! I'll knock you back to your senses!" Mikai shouted as she spread her wings as far as they possibly could once she had ascended far enough that her winds couldn't reach her any longer... Before then making a flip and diving straight back down towards her dearest Mom, her arms crossed over each other as she spun faster and faster, aiming to slam straight into her Mom and knock her out with a defiant crash straight back down to earth. All with one final cry to unleash the true power of her shifting form..!

"RULER REVOLUTION!"

"PSYCHO POWER!"

Mikai didn't get a chance to widen her eyes in shock as her Mom suddenly grabbed ahold of her arms with a grin that said a thousand words. And despite having the upper hand, at least as far as she understood, the situation was quickly turned around.

With her hands firmly grasping her opponent and a laugh leaving her lips, Dictator M started to spin uncontrollably. The power within her consumed her opponent as it ate away at her will while they wree on a crash course back down to the ground. It didn't matter that she would be harmed by this. Because in the end, she would be the winner..!

Spider watched the two descend at an incredible pace as she made a safer landing using her webs and the pillars that were rapidly melting due to the lack of proper icy power to sustain them, laughing at the way that things had turned back around. The girl really did underestimate the kind of lengths her Mom would go to. The kind of maternal love that would never stop once it had been ignited..!

The mirror match pair slammed into the ground below, causing a mild tremor as Dictator M leapt back up with ease, not at all harmed by the fall. Compared to Mikai, who was now stuck in an utterly cracked suit and with very little energy left inside her. Not only that, but the sheer pain inflicted upon her by the energies that her Mom were using... It was enough to make anybody scream and submit. Even somebody like her, who thought she had gotten used to it at this point...

Mikai groaned as she slowly got back up, all while Dictator M and Spider approached her. She could feel her body trying to tell her to stop. She could feel her bones crying out. But she still... She still had to save her Mom... "M-Mom... S-Stop..."

Dictator M came to a halt as she listened to her daughter. And finally, the light of her power started to ignite within her eyes. She now understood who she was fighting. Her flesh and blood. The girl that she loved from the bottom of her heart...

The girl that had refused to show her the smile she was waiting so long to see.

"You... You dare..!" Dictator M's fury was unleashed, as she grabbed ahold of the eagle-winged heroine. "You dare tell me to stop, when you never listened to me!? WHEN YOU NEVER EVEN LOOKED AT ME AND TRIED TO REASSURE ME THAT MY EFFORTS WERE NOT IN VAIN!?"

Mikai couldn't fight back in this state. Not as she was shaken around. Not as she felt her Mom's hand wrapping around her wing and tearing at it. She could feel the pain. But she couldn't do anything. Her heart was being shattered. Whether from the pain earlier, or her furious Mom calling her out for her mistake...

"I WANTED TO SEE YOU SMILE! I WANTED TO SEE YOU BE HAPPY! I TOILED AWAY SO HARD FOR YOU, AND YOU GO OFF AND MAKE ME FEEL THIS CRUSHING DOUBT!?" Dictator M shouted as her deep seated feelings were rushing forth. Empowering her. Turning into that Psycho Power that let her imitate her daughter. It didn't matter that she was hurting her at this point. She was too far gone to stop.

The hero let out cry after cry as she felt the pain of it all pouring through her. It was like she was being torn limb from limb. And it hurt all the more because of who was doing it. The one she really never wanted to disappoint. The one who was completely and utterly right. The one who she never should've hurt. Even trying to hurt her to save her had backfired. She was such a fool for trying. Such an utter fool...

Dictator M looked upon her daughter with nothing but pain and disgust. To think that she would end up turning into this, without gaining anything from her love. It was enough to make her stomach churn. But all that she could do was just toss her to the ground, not satisfied with any of this.

Spider though, she was absolutely satisfied with how the hero that had ruined it all had been torn apart. Sure, she still had her limbs, but most of her armor had been rendered as little more than scraps trying to desperately cling to a body that had been broken over and over. This was what she deserved. After having ruined D'Or's plans... After having gotten in the way again and again...

But she wasn't done. Oh no. There was one last thing she needed to do. She reached into her uniform and pulled out a simple looking device. "I hope you're ready to be exposed, Mimoto. Your identity will be revealed... And everyone in the whole city will understand exactly who you are."

There it was again. Exposing her identity. The thing Mikai had kept hidden to try and keep people from getting involved. But because she had kept people out of it, because she had tried to do things mostly on her own with a tiny bit of help from Hiro... She had made her Mom's guilt over not being good enough grow to this point.

Maybe it was right to let people know. Maybe it was right to...

'Are you just going to lie there, Mikai!?'

Just before the world went dark, Mikai felt her body moving on its own. And before Spider managed to do anything that would unveil her identity, the damaged girl spun her legs around and delivered a powerful kick right to her ankles, knocking her off balance and preserving her identity for that much longer...

Once the darkness consumed the world around her and put the girl back into her mindscape, she saw Chimera standing there. Not with a worried look. Not with a look that screamed that she was about to yell at the girl for getting into trouble... But a look that dared her to do what she did best.

'Chimera...' Mikai muttered inside her mind as she slowly sat back up. Her spirit could do that much, despite how much damage she had taken. 'I... Do I really get to hurt Mom more, after all that..?' This was the worst she had felt in a long time. Like she didn't know if this was the right way forward or not.

'I don't know!' Chimera shouted with gusto and conviction. 'I just know that this isn't like you. And I know that your Mom definitely loves you. So even if you hurt her! Even if you make her cry! You need to make her come to terms with it all! You weren't responsible for your silence, you weren't responsible for anything until the day you opened your eyes and took my hand!'

Mikai listened to her partner cry out like that, even watching the tears roll down her cheeks and bring light to the mental scape around them. It was... It was actually really cute, seeing her try to support her like this...

'So be the best you can be, Mikai! Be exactly who you are, and nothing more! Your Mom will understand, and she will finally realize that you never meant to make her cry!' Chimera shouted, spreading her wings far and wide. 'Stand tall, Mikai! Stand and fight back!'

The heroine nodded as she slowly got up, smiling. 'Chimera... You're right. I was stupid! And I'm still stupid!' The girl shouted as she accepted her faults. 'But I can't stand by and watch Mom hurt herself hurting me! I have to stop her! I have to, for her sake!'

'That's my Mikai! Now, say it with me! Say that creed you live by, the creed that will bring you close to your Mom's heart!' The proud predator cried out as she reached out, extending her hand to the girl she had helped and cared for.

Mikai took her hand, as the light that surrounded them started to fade. Capping off her little trip into her inner world with one unified scream.

"ALL IT TAKES TO HELP SOMEBODY IS TO REACH OUT!"

As the light faded, Mikai was still down on the ground. Her body was beyond broken. But her spirit had been reignited. And as long as she had her heart, as long as she had her love for her Mom, as long as she could fight back... She would keep going..!

"You're still moving? Good grief, even breaking your body isn't enough to stop you. I should've taken your heart out, just like Yuuki did before you awoke that annoying freezing power..." Spider muttered, as she looked to Dictator M. "Finish her. Make her understand."

Dictator M nodded as she gathered her power in her fists once more. All it would take to break her daughter in and turn her into the kind of girl that would actively show affection to her hard working Mom... All it would take was one good punch!

"PSYCHO POWER!" She cried out as the air itself started to burn from the brunt of the power bursting forth from her hands, all while her fist descended upon her daughter...

Only for that very same daughter to grab her fist, light pouring forth from her body as she slowly but surely forced herself back on her feet. Though her body was broken, though it cried out, she kept moving. She kept getting back up. All so that she could prove to her Mom that she was wrong. So that she could save her.

"Mom!" Mikai shouted as she tossed that hand aside, knocking her Mom away in the process as the rest of her body started to get covered in the same light as her hand. "I'll reach out! And help you see what you've been missing, all this time!"

As she affirmed her creed and her desire, she reached out... And grabbed the air itself, as she let loose a powerful cry. A cry that would reverberate throughout the city, bringing light upon this horrid day...

"HENSHIN!"

Both Dictator M and Spider had to hide their eyes from the blinding light that shone forth from Mikai. But once the light subsided, they were both shocked to see a brand new form. A form that that shone as brightly as her heart...

Standing, clad in armor that made her look like a shining knight when compared to her other armors, was Mimoto. Though her overall profile wasn't much different as she remained roughly as beefy as she was when she was Flame Lion, there was a certain kind of sleekness to her that stood out. Especially down below as her legs had gotten smooth and slender enough to look like a horse's. Even her feet looked like hooves, which went well with her torso armor taking on the shape of a horse's face...

But the thing that stood out most about the girl was her helmet. While the overal shape was that of a horse, much like Lion, Wolf, Eagle and Ursa replicated the feel of their respective animals... The horn that jutted out of her forehead was like that of a Unicorn. That was the true identity of the animal she represented this time. A unicorn, brimming with light straight from the heart...

Mikai slammed her hand across her chest. "Letting the light of hope shine brightly on those that need my help! MIMOTO LIGHT UNICORN!" She loudly declared her new identity, all while looking determined at the two that had caused her so much grief on this day...

Dictator M looked upon her daughter... And she felt a weight being lifted off her heart. If was like looking at this brilliant display of hope was enough to make her... Make her remember that she shouldn't...

Her eyes flashed gold as Spider let out a frustrated shout. "I WON'T BE BESTED JUST BECAUSE YOU TOOK A NEW FORM! DICTATOR! FINISH HER OFF, SHE CAN'T HAVE MUCH LEFT IN THE TANK!" And upon hearing the order from her frustrated corruptor, the woman rushed forward with the Psycho Power covering her...

'Mikai. This is your power. Nobody else's. Let your heart guide you, and you can save your Mom. Go! Show her your love! Reach out!'

Mikai heard Chimera loud and clear through her mind. And acting entirely on instinct, she reached towards her belt. The Jõtai that embdied her desires. And she pulled outward, pulling until something made its way out..!

The light that flew out from her belt was just as bright as her heart. In fact, it was a heart-tipped blade that looked like it embodied all of her hope and her love, given the tube of pure light that ran down the middle and the blades that were brimming with hopeful shine along the edges. This was her weapon. A weapon that could match Hiro's armaments..!

"Unicorn Blade!" Mikai shouted as she held the blade at waist level, pointing it towards her Mom, who was still trying to get close to her despite the light that shined through...

Dictator M would follow her orders. She would show her daughter... She would show her what it meant to keep making her feel this bad..! She would....

The light from the blade washed over her. And at that very moment she felt the weight inside her heart, the guilt that had driven her to this point, fading away. Like she had been freed from an evil spell that had been put upon her. Like she finally understood...

"Unicorn Beginning!"

But even if the spell was starting to lift, Mikai wouldn't let it take root once again. The girl's blade extended as the hope filled it, making it look more like a two-handed sword as she brought it down upon her Mom, slicing through her doubts from top to bottom.

As the light poured forth from the gash that the girl had made, Spider couldn't believe her eyes. How!? How was she still this strong!? It shouldn't be possible! It shouldn't! It wasn't fair! She hadn't come all this way to be bested by some gifted girl! Not after all that she had worked so hard for!

"Unicorn Ending!"

Ignoring the frustrated villain in front of her, Mikai rushed her Mom down. Stabbing her blade straight through her... And at the same time, forcing the corruptive influence of the Jõtai out of her. It didn't detransform her, but it did wipe Dictator M out. Leaving just Kaoru behind as she slowly collapsed, the Unicorn Blade harmlessly phasing through her now that she had been purified.

Kaoru slowly started to look up at the armored girl, and she could feel her heart pounding with sadness against her chest. "M-Mi... Mikai..?" She muttered, barely able to keep conscious after everything that had happened. And from the tears running down her cheeks...

"Just wait, Mom. I have one more thing to do." Mikai affirmed, before turning towards Spider. "Stop all the Pawns, Spider! I can reach out and help you too, trust me!" She was willing to give her a chance. Despite everything she had done. Despite the fact that she had been one of the reasons she was pushed this far.

Spider slowly stepped back as she heard that. There was no way that she'd do that. No way that she'd take that hand. She was... She was a part of Golden Freedom! She was proud to further their cause! She didn't need help from somebody like her who didn't understand anything!

"GO AWAY!" Her attempt to stay calm, her attempt to remain in control, both had failed. Now the General just thrashed around as her strings went flying towards Mikai with the intensity of a machinegun. She was going to tie her down and turn her herself! Make her pay for insulting her with that pity!

The strings didn't reach. All it took was a single slash from Mikai's Unicorn Blade, and the Jõtai were consumed by her hope and her will. The blade was stronger than the webbing. Leaving Spider utterly unable to defend herself...

Mikai closed her eyes as she held her blade up by her shoulder, before dashing straight forward. "UNICORN BEGINNING!" She shouted, the blade extending mid-shout as it would deliver another powerful strike to the villain. Maybe then she would-

The blade didn't meet its mark. In fact, the blade fractured as it colided against something that had a deeper shade of gold than the Jõtai themselves. A golden staff, held by a golden warrior dressed like she came from the egyptian regions. A warrior that Mikai had never seen before... And yet just looking at her, she could feel the negative emotions pouring forth from her...

"Y-You!? I don't need your help! I can do it, watch me!" Spider shouted as she looked upon her savior, who just looked at her in turn. And not a moment later, Spider went quiet, almost meek as she understood what that look meant. "...Fine." She muttered.

The golden warrior looked towards the hopeful girl, before her helmet's eyes shone green like jades. Intense hatred poured forth from those green sockets, hatred that lingered even as she and Spider were consumed by the gold from her armor, making them both disappear in the span of a few seconds.

"Who... Who was that..?" Mikai muttered, her heart finally starting to slow down. She really didn't recognize her. All that she knew was that she had earned her ire for trying to attack Spider... Was she another part of Golden Freedom..? Whatever the case was, she could focus on her another day...

Right now... She had to focus on her Mom. And just the thought of doing so was enough to make the light that formed her suit disappear, letting her free as she turned towards the woman laying on the ground, crying her heart out.

"M-Mikai..." Kaoru muttered as she looked upon her girl. The girl that she loved from the bottom of her heart, ever since the day she was born. The girl she had badmouthed, because of her selfish desire to see her smile first after all that grief... "I'm... I'm so sorry... I... I never meant to let all of that spill out..."

Mikai's answer to her Mom's heartfelt apology? The apology of a woman who was sobbing as she realized the gravity of everything she had done?

It was to hug her. And it was to kiss her. Because even though she had done all of that, she was still her Mom. And she had been there all these years. She had protected her the best she could. It was a thankless job... And Mikai had to make up for lost time.

"It's okay, Mom." The sandy-blonde young girl said as she smiled a few tears running down her cheeks as well. Tears of pure joy, because she had managed to save her Mom. Despite how much of a struggle it was... She had saved the woman that had been there for her all this time. The woman that deserved it all...

"I love you. I love you more than anything, Mom. Thank you. Thank you for being there, all this time..."

Mikai and Kaoru shared a hug and let their hearts intertwine, both of them sobbing as they let their emotions boil over. It would take a long time before they'd both recover from this. But when they did... They would be better off. Because they weren't keeping secrets anymore. That alone would make their familial love bloom until the very end...

"Mikai. Come in. I have..."

A screen opened beside the girl's head, as Hiro tried to get ahold of her. Hiro was just as hurt, and was currently being tended to back at Atlas Corp. All while you could see Doctor Charlotta carefully applying anything to soothe the heroine's pain.

Though Hiro wanted to give her an update regarding the situation, she instead just smiled and shut off the feed. Content to let the two work out their problems for the time being. It really seemed like they had been through a lot. It would be rude of her to stop them from bonding. Besides, just seeing Mikai hugging her Mom meant that her trust had paid off yet again. So this was her reward to the young girl.

A moment of peace, to let their wounds mend...