[Corruption, Tokusatsu Themes]

"So, my good Overlord. How are you feeling? Was your first taste of this world's combatants a good one?"

"You're mocking me, Lumiel. I may hunger for battle and consider it one of the finest things that one can experience, but that does not mean that I do not use my brain."

"You're the one dodging the question, my good Overlord. I trust it that these... 'Jõtaider', are as strong as the one that fought back against The Darkness scant ten years prior?"

"I would not know. But what I do know is that I long for another bout against them. They'll find that even overpowering my virus once won't put an end to my fighting spirit!"

Deep within The Darkness were the two envoys that had previously assaulted the world belonging to Mikai and her friends, Lumiel and Overlord Helheim. And while Lumiel was still intact, given the fact that he hadn't yet fought against any of the heroines, his partner was nowhere near as lucky, as he was currently reduced to little more than a talking head while his body was being rebuilt behind him.

"Indeed. That spirit of yours is what keeps your body from perishing, no matter how much one might be able to destroy. What a bothersome little thing." Lumiel muttered as he adjusted his hat. "But you've done well for the time being. The opening act has come to a close, and the next is about to begin. So I would like for you to play an important part."

Helheim raised an eyebrow as he glared at his flimsy partner. "Opening act... Just what exactly are you planning here, Lumiel? Furthermore, where is that loathsome woman and her daughters? They were the ones that tried to assault this world in the first place, why aren't they the ones to finish the job?"

"Oho. Well, you know how busy that one can be. Taking care of such a huge brood, one that keeps shrinking and growing depending on the day... It requires a certain level of finesse that can only be found in somebody like her. But for now, please. Play your part, Overlord. Then, and only then, will they be able to put up the kind of fight you crave." Lumiel’s strongest skill was his tongue. And making sure that his partner played along with his plans was how he put the

"...Very well. I'll be moving out as soon as my body has gone through its upgrades. This time, it will be reinforced. Even those willpower-fueled trinkets that allowed them to transform will be powerless against my skills!" Helheim laughed, his mechanized tone echoing out.

All while Lumiel hid his face with his hat, a subtle grin working its way onto his face. Oh yes, this act would be a stellar one. And from there... The world's finale would draw closer...

---

"...Let me understand this correctly. You're saying that you're empty?"

"Mmhm. What's not to understand, Miss Seiryu?"

Mikai was sitting in the office belonging to one of the Atlas Corp Saints, the draconic and scientific Seiryu, who was currently staring at her with a blank expression. As anybody would when they heard somebody describe themselves as empty. It was something that was scientifically impossible, and yet...

"Well." Seiryu muttered as she spun her chair away from Mikai, keeping her expression hidden. "Given the tests I conducted on you after you allied yourself with us, I can't say that I agree with the idea that you're empty. I saw that light, the power that you had developed. But with what you've told me, it's clear that I need to examine you further. To truly understand what that boy meant by... 'empty'." She explained, as she looked over her shoulder and peered into the girl's eyes. "More importantly, why should I believe you speak the truth? What makes you think that you truly are empty?"

Mikai paused and looked at the floor. Of course she didn't have an answer for it. All she had was the feeling inside her. It wasn't that she felt empty, but now that she had heard it, the fact that everything grew so dark when she talked with Chimera just had to mean something. "...I just do. I'm sorry, Miss Seiryu. It's nothing I can really explain."

"Normally, I wouldn't accept that." Seiryu said, before turning her chair back towards the girl. "But I will take your belief at face value. Partly because of your willingness to work with my experiments, and partly because of what you've done for Hiro." She explained, clearing her throat a little. "Every time I went in to check on her during the time she was recovering from her arm's condition, she was muttering your name in her sleep. You've done a lot for her, whether you realize it or not. And as the one in charge of her health... I have to thank you for that."

"Eheh. I just did what I thought was right .Reach out and help, and all that." Mikai smiled, but even her smile rang a little hollow. It's not that she thought it was a wrong smile. There was just something about it that didn't feel right. "But... Can you promise that you won't tell anybody?"

"I won't." Seiryu replied, getting up from her seat as she circled her desk and gently put her claw on the girl's shoulder. "I understand the bond that you two share. And that's exactly why you want to keep it hidden from her, I imagine. Not that I recommend it, considering the ways that you two have been able to work past your issues by joining forces... But you have your reasons."

Mikai nodded. She'd normally trust Hiro with everything that troubled her. But this time, she couldn't do that. Right now, her trust was reserved for Yumeko. Yumeko told her that she was going to find out how to solve this. And she trusted her. So she was going to keep it as much of a secret as she could. "Thanks, Miss Seiryu. You're a lot nicer than you look, you know! Maybe you should smile more often!"

Seiryu glared at her short patient, before sighing. "I've heard that far too many times from Hiro. Please, leave. I need to think about the types of experiments that might bring this 'emptiness' to light within you." She muttered, with Mikai hastily leaving not a second later knowing that she wouldn't like Seiryu when she was angry.

And as soon as Mikai left, the blue-haired dragoness looked at the window leading into the inner parts of her biotech labs. She had no real reason to keep what she had heard secret. If anything, letting people know and then using their knowledge to come to a conclusion was the approach that would lead to greater knowledge.

...So why was she genuinely considering honoring her word? Was she growing soft? Or was it just because of that girl's smile? Whichever was the case, she quietly returned to her chair and started to pull up all the information that she had compiled prior...

Only for her eyes to light up. That's it, she had heard about a similar sort of emptiness. But in that girl's case, it was brief. After that, the girl ended up a part of Atlas Corp without much issue. If anything, she was better than ever. If she could apply what she had learned back then to this case, then...

"Everything comes back to you one way or another, doesn't it, Qilin..?"

---

Mikai took a deep breath as she stood outside the Jõtaijin Outreach Unit's headquarters. She wasn't going to tell them about her emptiness, she had promised Yumeko that she'd keep it a secret to most of them. But even so... Keeping a secret was a really hard job for her. So she had to steel herse-

"Mikai? Why are you just standing out here?"

The sandy-blonde girl cried out in mild shock, all while a lavender-haired girl with big round glasses approached her. Saeko Suikumo, the youngest and most vulnerable of the Mimoto Highschool Student Council. Here she was, catching Mikai off guard. What a change of pace...

"Oh, uh, I was just..." Mikai tried to think of a good excuse, before deflating as she really couldn't think of anything. "I'm not doing great, Saeko-senpai. What if you were told to keep a secret near and dear to your heart? What would you do?" She wasn't sure if she could get a good answer from Saeko, but it's not like she'd be able to give her a bad answer.

"Keeping a secret..." Saeko muttered as she slowly put her hand over her heart. "Well... How about I don't tell you? That's what I'd do. If I gotta keep a secret, I just don't think about it. That way, I won't tell anybody. I wrap it up inside me and leave it in a place where even I'll forget all about it. Otherwise it might hurt the people I care about. Saki-senpai, Yuuki-senpai... Minami... Even you, Mikai." She explained, all while her cheeks flushed nice and red from pure embarrassment...

Mikai nodded. "I guess you're right, Saeko-senpai. I just gotta stop thinking!" She laughed, all while her laughter slowly stopped and it looked like she had indeed stopped thinking. Just standing there, completely empty-eyed and lifeless...

Saeko blinked a few times before just sighing. "I... I didn't mean that you should do that, Mikai. Please. If I wanted you to end up empty, I'd have other means. Like Minami's movies..." She sighed. This girl was an expert at being such a ray of sunshine one moment, and a pain in everyone's neck the next few moments after that.

"Ehehehe. Sorry, Saeko-senpai." Still, Mikai couldn't help but find that her words were a big help. She had been dealing with this problem ever since Yumeko told her to try and keep it a secret. And while she trusted that Seiryu could help her thanks to what she had told her before, she really didn't know what to do with the rest. Saeko had helped her a lot more than she thought she had.

As the two shared a moment together, the door leading into the HQ slammed open, courtesy of the white-haired hall monitor with a bombastic heart. "Saeko! Mikai! Quit loafing around outside! We've got work to do!" Yuuki shouted as she grabbed both of them by the collar, tossing them inside as she slammed the door shut after that.

Saeko just barely managed to stop herself from slamming into a chair, landing gracefully on her feet, while Mikai slammed against a wall instead. Though she wasn't hurt by it, she just laughed it off. All while she took a look around the room, blinking as she noticed that there was barely anybody present. No Tsubasa, no Agatha, no Mumei, none of the others. Just the two of them, Yumeko and Ms. Charlotta, both of which didn't pay much attention to the slapstick in front of them.

Yumeko did shine a smile in her direction, however, making sure that she understood that she was still on her side. She was going to figure out a way for everything to end up panning out. That way, Mikai could end up nice and whole again. If not, at least feel nice and full instead of empty.

"Is this everyone?" Ms. Charlotta asked as she looked at the other girls, each of them nodding with Mikai joining them as she took a seat. "Well, I suppose it's only been a while since the festival, and it's starting to snow soon. I'm sure they've got their own issues to deal with." She paused, before clearing her throat a little. "You've all been doing really well. Whether it's collecting stray patients that need treatment for their Pawn Syndrome, or dealing with the Jõtaijin that have been cropping up that need the support that we can offer them."

Saeko slowly raised a hand. "Charlotta-sensei, there's something I'd like to ask you about." She muttered, before pushing her glasses up slightly. "What do we do about those baddies that come from The Darkness? Like the mechanical thing that Mikai fought, or the thing that nearly ate her?"

"Is that what they're from? What kinda lame name is that?" Yuuki asked, before rolling her eyes and punching her fist into the palm of her hand. "Well, they were behind that stunt with Yuuka, weren't they? We just gotta beat 'em up and make sure they scram! They're not Jõtaijin, so they're not people!"

"I don't think it's going to be so easy, Yuuki. You heard what Saeko said, one of them was able to nearly eat Mikai. And if not for Kanzei, it's not guaranteed that Mikai would've been able to defeat that dragonoid." Yumeko spoke up, before turning to Charlotta as well. "Is there anything that we could do to help Mikai, Charlotta-sensei? Something like... Synergize with her, perhaps?"

Oooo, synergize. What'd that be like? Some kind of new form? A powerup? Mikai didn't know, but she definitely liked the sound of it. Especially since it was a suggestion that Yumeko put forth. Imagine what'd happen if she tapped into Yumeko. What would that do? Would that make her as smart as Yumeko, or would it let her attack people with her cuteness?

Charlotta paused, before nodding a little and smiling. "You may be onto something, Yumeko. From what I've been able to discover, the Jõtai that led to Mikai's transformation should allow for something like that. It's also the basis of how Hiro's Saint System functions, though hers is more of an amplifier." She explained, before putting her hand up to her mouth as her brow furrowed. "But the dangers of synergizing with another person's will might just contaminate them. Especially if they haven't been tuned to a Jõtai. So while somebody like Yuuki might be a viable synergizing target, I can't say the same for you, Yumeko."

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Yumeko said with a smile, as she gazed sweetly towards her best friend. "As long as Mikai trusts in me, I'll trust in her. Even if it turns me into a Jõtaijin. I want to pay her back for everything she's done for me. And I'm sure she'd do the same for me."

Mikai nodded rapidly, grinning as she clenched her hand around her wrist. "Just point me at the baddies, and I'll synch up and fight like you've never seen before!" No matter how empty she felt, Yumeko's trust always made her smile. Especially after she gave her that scarf that was still wrapped around her neck. She loved that scarf. It was truly a symbol of their friendship, and what kept her going even after she had heard that she was empty.

"So, you two are turning into lovebirds?" Yuuki grinned, with Yumeko smiling softly and Mikai merely tilting her head in response. "Hah. Even if you don't make it obvious, I'd gladly support you. What about you, Saeko? What do you think, do they make a good couple?"

Saeko nervously chuckled, before quietly muttering something that none of them could really hear. "I... I guess." Were the words they eventually heard, before she adjusted her glasses. "A-Anyway, we should go on patrol, shouldn't we? If there's baddies, then Mikai has to put her words where her mouth is. I-I'm sure she'd use your powers very well, Yuuki-senpai."

Charlotta nodded as she carefully tapped a few keys on the laptop next to her, sending a map to the bracelets that Mikai, Yuuki and Saeko wore. "I would like for you three to investigate and try to seek out any lingering Pawn Syndrome infectees. It may lead to an encounter with The Darkness, so I want you all to be on guard. Especially you, Mikai."

"I know. Call Hiro if we meet The Darkness, then kick its ass." She knew the routine. Especially after her promise to Hiro. "Just leave it to us, we'll be back before you know it!" With a bright grin on her face, Mikai leapt right out of her chair and headed straight out the door, with Yuuki following right behind her as she didn't want to let her dear Kouhai go running off without some sort of protection.

Always so fast. It was something that Saeko kinda envied. She wished that she could be that fast. If she was that fast, she could always be there to help her friends. Her senpais... The girls that she loved above all else. But she'd try her best to keep up with them. So she got up from her chair, and...

"Ah. Right. Saeko. One thing." Charlotta spoke up, before taking on a slightly grave expression. "I want to talk to you when you get back. It's about Minami. About her condition, and..."

...Right. "I know. I've been waiting for it." Saeko muttered, right before taking her leave and slamming the door shut. She really didn't want to hear it, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't expect it to happen...

Yumeko watched her as she left, furrowing her brow a little. It was already coming to pass. That wasn't good. "...Charlotta-sensei, now that they're gone, could we discuss what I asked you about?" She turned her attention towards the doctor, hoping that she could help her when she needed that help the most.

Charlotta nodded as she slowly tapped away at the computer. "Indeed. I had a chat with Rose after you brought it to my attention. About Namishi, who's been saying a few too many cryptic things for my liking. And indeed, you were right."

"There's no such girl as Kimiko Namishi in the student records."

---

"Great job, Mikai!"

"Please... Slow down a little... It's hard to keep up with you guys..."

Mikai was grinning underneath her helmet, right after she had kicked a Pawn back to normal. She was in a... Well, a good mood wouldn't be quite right, but with Yuuki-senpai and Saeko-senpai by her side, she felt like she could take on the world. Which was why she had hurried from infectee to infectee, knocking the Pawn Syndrome out of them the best she could. For the ones that relapsed, anyway. No kicking innocents.

"Mikai. You got a minute?"

Darkness swirled around her as Chimera formed by her side, the oversized predator looking a little concerned. Just like an older sibling should look. Especially when she thought that her younger sister was getting herself into the kind of trouble that she'd have a hard time getting out of.

"Mmhm? What's the matter, Chimera? Did you check up on that empty stuff that I asked you about?" Mikai asked as she looked at the larger lady, idly punching the air as she made sure her muscles were up to par. Maybe she was running on a bit too much adrenaline? She really just wanted to do something to focus on anything but that feeling.

Chimera shook her head. "It's not that I didn't check. I just don't know what I should be looking for. I've been in here for so long that I don't really see it as... Emptiness? It's more like you've just got a really big heart. That's why you're so happy and you try to help people. That's what I think, anyway."

"I know that, but I don't think my heart's supposed to be that big. If it was that big, wouldn't it be bursting out of me when it starts beating really hard? Like if I fell in love or something?" Mikai shot back, putting her hand on her chest. "Besides, I can't feel my heart like that. It's all tiny."

"You're mixing up metaphors with the physical world, Mikai." Chimera said, before sighing and smiling softly. "I just don't think it's as much of a problem as you think it might be. Just try and keep that in mind, okay? I don't want you to get all obsessed over it."

Mikai nodded a little. "I know. I just... I just wanna know why I'm like this. You were there for me so much that I didn't really notice that there was a bunch of empty space. But I'll think about it, Chimera. Thanks." She smiled, all while clenching her fist. "Now let's not focus on that and beat some baddies. That's what we're here for!"

"Yeah. That's what we're here for. Keep your guard up, you never know if a real baddie might show up!" Chimera laughed in turn, as the darkness started to vanish again. She was sure that the girl wouldn't fall. So she put her trust in her and descended back into the depths of her heart, hoping to try and find a better explanation for this emptiness.

Saeko watched Mikai seemingly space out for a moment, before sighing a little. She was so fast one moment, and so slow another. It was like something flipped a switch inside her head. If only she could figure out how to flip that switch. Then she'd be useful to her friends. If not directly, then through her.

Yuuki blinked a little as she felt a sensation rush through her. A sensation that brought her to her knees. "W-What's this? Mikai, do you feel that..?" She gasped. It was like something was compelling her to obey. But what? She didn't understand, what was trying to make her feel this way..?

Mikai turned towards her friends, with Saeko suffering in the same way as Yuuki though without ending up forced onto her knees. She had seen this before. And that meant... Yep, that meant that The Darkness was here. But where was he? It was that bombastic draconic bastard, wasn't it?

"JÕTAIDER MIMOTO! TODAY YOU MEET YOUR END!"

Right on queue. Instead of descending from the air above, this time the Overlord decided to shatter the fabric of space and time in front of Mikai, stepping out as he revealed himself to her. His body had been repaired, but now he had a set of extra arms right above the original pair. Like the arm that was equipped with a hard-light blade, these were nowhere near as long as the one that had a claw. But they were both equipped with a blaster-like end, allowing him both great ranged and physical presence. And to make matters worse, his cape seemed about an inch longer, just to make it more flowing and regal.

"Behold the greatness and the ferocity of Overlord Helheim The End!" He made his presence known with a new title, all while he aimed his arms at her. "Now fight me, or fall victim to my virus like your friends! You only have one choice, Jõtaider!" He wanted a fight. And he was going to get one. Even if he had to stoop to this kind of tactic.

Mikai grit her teeth under her helmet as she let the light within her shine forth, all while grabbing at her chest. "You're awful, you know? If you want to fight me, then just fight me! Don't bring my Senpais into this!" She shouted, all while pulling out a blade of light with one powerful cry. "CHOU HENSHIN!"

The light consumed her, only for her to slash it apart to reveal Light Unicorn once more. And to her astonishment, her mind felt... clear. Like there was nothing that was going to stop her from fighting in this form. Her worries and doubts had gotten in the way before, so this... Well, it's not like she was going to look a gift horse in the mouth. if she had better control, then she had better control.

"Kick his ass, Mikai!"

Yuuki's voice flowed through the air as Mimoto entered her stance, and immediately dashed forward with her Unicorn Blade dragging against the ground. Kanzei might not be here, but she could deal with a baddie like him. She knew she could!

Overlord Helheim The End laughed as he immediately met her blade with a strike of his own, their blades clashing so strongly that both of the spectators were knocked away by the shockwave. "You're strong, Jõtaider! But you don't understand what it means to learn from a fight!"

Immediately as it seemed like he lost ground, both of the arms that he had primed opened fire, blasting Mimoto back towards her friends. It didn't do too much damage, but it did keep her out of range. All while the red draconoid laughed and opened fire once more, aiming straight at her instead of the friends that she aimed to protect.

Mimoto met his blasts with a slash from her blade, though she felt that every slash left her weaker than she expected. "Those energy blasts... They're not just made from your virus! They're..." Her breath was growing weaker. Why was she already losing? He wasn't supposed to be hard..!

"Indeed! I've taken a page from that ally of yours! That golden girl had the ability to make you weaker by draining your will, so my Virus has adapted! Only by overcoming your weakness will you be able to put up a fight that's worth everything!" Overlord Helheim The End laughed as he let his guns train on Mimoto once more. "So stand, Jõtaider! STAND OR YOU FACE YOUR END!"

Mimoto certainly tried. But the will sapping away at her wasn't just taking away her will to fight. It was feeding into that emptiness inside her. What was she fighting for, anyway? He was just fighting for the sake of a good fight, but she... She was...

"Mikai!"

Saeko-senpai's voice. That's right. She was fighting for the sake of her friends. She was reaching out and they were paying her back in turn. It was what mattered to her. And no matter what this big mean baddie was trying to do, she'd show him exactly what it meant to hurt her friends..!

"Yuuki-senpai..!" Mimoto cried out as she stabbed her blade into the ground, pouring her energy into the blade. "We gotta... We gotta do that synchronize thing! I don't know how, but we gotta! Otherwise!"

Yuuki heard Mikai loud and clear. And with her heart slamming against her chest and her body slowly turning icy like it had done back when she turned into a Jõtaijin, she felt like she could do anything. "Take it, Mikai! Use my bond and break that robot into pieces!" She didn't know how any of this worked either. But she was going to trust Mikai. Her sweet Kouhai, who had shown her the way!

A bright light flashed from the blade as Mimoto drew it from the ground once more, before it flash-froze with a flame trapped inside. A violent flame, the flame of PASSION! This was their bond crystalized, their synchronized feelings. And it was going to strike through!

"SAYONARA, JÕTAIDER! DARKNESS APOCALYPSE!"

The upgraded Overlord's attack came out. Two powerful blasts of energy that were backed by a slash from his blade, sending them spinning through the air as they drilled straight at the heroine. It was an attack that mimicked what had killed him before, just with his overwhelming power behind it.

"UNICORN SYNCHRONIZE! YUUKI!" Mimoto cried out in turn, as she let her hand slide across that icy blade to truly stoke the flame inside it, only to slash straight through the drill of energy that came flying at her. Not with her blade, but the flames that erupted from her slash and crossed over, countering the attack with the power of a bond!

Only for her eyes to widen as she saw a blade inching close to her face. Because she was so focused on trying to counter one attack, she left herself open to another one. An attack that was going to leave her broken and battered. All because the Overlord had learned more than she had.

...At least that's what she thought happened. But when her mind caught up with her eyes, she found that the blade had stopped an inch away from her helmet. All while the sounds of metal getting scrapped echoed in front of her, and a familiar blue-haired girl stood before her. A girl that was currently crushing the Overlord's arm with nothing but her own strength...

"Saki...senpai..?"

Mikai didn't know what to say. Neither did Yuuki. Both were surprised to see that Saki was standing before them like this. Especially as she showed herself to be strong enough to stop an invader like him...

"Fascinating... So that's where you were, golden girl..." Overlord Helheim The End muttered as his arm started to jolt, before it disconnected and allowed him to jump back while sacrificing a simple bladed limb. "So, you both plan to take me on just like before? VERY WELL! THESE ARE ACCEPTABLE ODDS!"

Golden girl. Draining will. And that strength. There was only one conclusion to all of that. Even if Mikai didn't want to admit it. She didn't want to believe it. But Saki's smile as she looked over her shoulder was unmistakable.

"Saki... What in the world are you doing..?!" Yuuki shouted, only to let out a pained and strained gasp as synchronizing with Mikai left her with quite the blowback. It was like a ton of small needles were being pushed into her.

"Protecting you. Even somebody as loathsome as you, Mimoto." Saki said, before turning her attention back towards the dragonoid. "Now watch. And never forget."

"My henshin."

Saki reached her hand into the air, as darkness poured forth from her fingertips and allowed her cane to form. And from that cane, the darkness continued to rush forth. Clamping around the girl that wielded it, consuming her and covering her in a cocoon of darkness. A cocoon that trembled and beat like a heart, as if there was something growing within.

Only for the cocoon to shatter, revealing that golden Jõtaider. That egyptian-themed girl that had been a thorn in Mikai's side. Golden Freedom's enforcer and ally, who revealed her true self to her friends with such conviction that Mikai couldn't find the right words.

Jõtaider Kanzei...

"So you plan on fighting me alone. Brave, but foolish! You could barely work through my Helheim Virus before, Jõtaider! How do you plan on beating this version!?" Overlord Helheim The End shouted, all while his arms started to fill with energy once more. He had more than enough juice for several more attacks. And this time, the Golden one would not get in his way!

Kanzei grasped her cane tightly, before it was consumed by the same darkness that had allowed her to transform before. "Synchronization. Saeko." She muttered, as a hammer echoed through her mind and the darkness was forged into an even stronger form than ever before.

Only for her to draw an odachi-styled long blade, even longer than she was tall, from that very same darkness. A blade with a spider engraved upon the side. "Divine Slayer. Mode: Kamikumo!" She shouted from the depth of her soul, her voice booming as she rushed forward.

And then she vanished, before reappearing behind the Overlord. Only to vanish once more, rushing towards him from another direction. Once more, she disappeared and reappeared behind him. Her blade dragging along the ground, carving her will into it with every passing moment. All while the Overlord had trouble truly tracking her.

"Speed will do you no good!" Overlord Helheim The End shouted as he aimed his cannons into the air above, as the blue energy gathered at the tips started to grow bulbous and explosive. "DARKNESS GENOCIDER-"

But by the time he tried to launch his attack, it was already too late. Kanzei had reappeared in front of him, quietly letting her blade get consumed by the darkness once more. All while the slashes on the ground raised into the air, manifesting as webbing that wrapped around him in a matter of mere moments...

Only to sink all the way through him, slicing him to such tiny bits that there was no way that he was supposed to survive it. And yet he had survived the last attempt, so he'd probably be back. Still, a stunning sight for sure, one that truly revealed the kind of power that was rushing through the golden Jõtaider...

"And thus, the scum from The Darkness falls. And it leaves just you three." Saki muttered as her helmet disappeared, allowing her to face them with her own face. "Saeko. Mikai. Yuuki. You've seen it now. What I've become. And I ask you one simple question. Join me, and I can protect you. You'll never have to worry ever again. I'll make this world a better place. For all of us."

"Bullshit..!" Yuuki was the first to cry out, still working against the pain from her synchronization. "You... You're with those people that turned me, Saki..! You're not protecting anybody, you're the one hurting them! You think I'd join you after learning that?! Come on, Saki! Come to your senses! This isn't you! This isn't the you I respect!" The tears were streaming down her cheeks. Her emotions were bursting forth. There was no PASSION here...

Mikai nodded as she slowly pointed her blade at Saki, the power that Yuuki had infused into it vanishing as it was turned back into the simpler Unicorn Blade. "She's right... You're with Golden Freedom, Saki-senpai... They were the ones that started all of this. I can't join you if you're with them! You're with Spider and she hurt Mom!" She didn't want to fight. But... If she didn't fight, then Yuuki and Saeko would get hurt. So she had to fight. Even if it was against her Senpai. Even if it was against somebody she had trusted!

Saeko remained quiet, all while just watching. Saki had used part of her power, of course she was going to join her. But she remained quiet. Watching how everything unfolded.

"Ever the thorn in my side, Mikai... And though you may hate it, Yuuki, you'll be grateful when we've freed this world. Not just from the lack of free will, but from that Darkness too!" Saki shouted as her helmet reformed, and her cane reappeared in her hands. "Fight me, Mimoto! There's only room for one Hero in this city, and it will be ME!"

Mimoto rushed forward like before. But this time, she didn't hesitate. If she wanted to deal with Kanzei, she needed to hit her with strong blows. Otherwise she'd just power through them and weaken them. "UNICORN BEGINNING!" She shouted, as her body was covered in a bright white glow, as she seemed to very nearly disappear.

Kanzei spun her cane to block the incoming blow, even though the girl disappeared. And when she reappeared, the darkness swallowed the slash that would've hit her. All thanks to the block. "You should know that you can't just beat me like that, Mimoto! You're nothing but a fake! You fight with no conviction!"

"I fight for my friends, Saki-senpai! That means you too!" Mimoto shouted back as she let the light from her body pour into her blade, letting it stretch out until it grew absolutely gigantic. Even if she knew it wasn't going to hit, she needed to do something to break through that golden girl's defenses. "UNICORN END!"

"DIVINE DECREE!"

Kanzei cried out as she slammed her cane against the ground, while holding one hand forward to catch the blade as it came crashing down on her. In an instant, she crushed that light and absorbed it as it turned into darkness, pouring into the cane as her soul's hammer rang out and transformed it into a blackened blade of her own. A blade that she quickly grasped with two hands and brought down upon the white heroine!

Mimoto did her best to dodge out of the way, the light within her heart still burning bright. It wasn't tiring out. If anything, it was growing. Filling that empty space that she had become more aware of. She could keep fighting. But what tricks did she have at her disposal? If Kanzei could use her attacks against her with that ability of hers, and sap her willpower that way, then...

No. If she kept on thinking, she'd just get lost. She had to focus. Focus on the girl in front of her. Focus on the girl that had... that had betrayed her. That had broken her trust. She... She... SHE..!

The light inside her trembled for a moment as Mimoto let out a primal roar, the light burning forth from within as her armor cracked. Just like if she was transforming back into Flame Lion, but without the blade being stabbed into her chest. Instead, she tore at the blade, almost as if she was about to try and shatter it instead.

Kanzei spun her cane, the wisps of her copied technique vanishing as it returned to its ordinary size. And with another resounding hit from her inner hammer, she let the cane get reforged into a ranged weapon. A pair of machine guns that wrapped around her arms, allowing her to keep her focus on the girl as she peltered her with gunfire.

"UNICORN METEOR!" Mimoto shouted as the Unicorn Blade shattered, with all of those shards swirling around her before firing straight at the girl that she considered an enemy. Shards meeting bullets, putting them at a standstill!

Yuuki grit her teeth. She didn't want to see this. "We have to do something, Saeko... If they keep fighting..!" She cried out, as she tried her best to work past the pain. Even if Saki had betrayed them, she could tell that Mikai was hurting. That roar wasn't natural. It was a cry for help. And she was her Senpai, she was going to help her, damnit!

Saeko watched carefully. And she slowly sighed as she stood up. "Yuuki. Stay down." She muttered, as she slowly walked towards the fighting duet. She was going to put an end to this. As she should've done so long ago. That was the answer to her burning question. The same answer that Saki had given.

"Saeko, what are you doin-" Yuuki tried to call out towards her, only to find her body restrained to the point where she couldn't say a word. Golden thread had wrapped around her, binding her to the point where she couldn't lift a finger. It wasn't the restraint itself that made her eyes slowly widen though. It was the familiarity. She had been bound like this before.

The lavender-haired girl smiled as she slowly put her finger up to her. "Let that passion of yours quiet down a bit, Yuuki." Her voice sounded a lot more confident for a moment, all while that smile curved into a wicked grin.

"UNICORN-"

"DIVINE-"

Right as both of the girls were about to unleash their attacks, they too found themselves bound by golden strings. All while Saeko continued to approach, slowly pocketing her glasses as she reached up to undo the buns in her hair, as well as the scrunchies that kept the bottom tied into two nice twin tails. All while looking as smug as she possibly could.

"Saeko...senpai..." Mikai muttered, her helmet folding away as her eyes, filled with light, looked beyond hurt. Her too? She would betray her as well..?

"I suppose this counts as payback for when I saved you then." Kanzei muttered, as she slowly crossed her arms. "As well as everything else I've ever helped you with."

Saeko nodded, as she reached into her pocket, rummaging for but a few seconds, before pulling it back out to reveal a foreboding golden object wrapped around her ring finger.

A Jõtai.

Mikai's eyes widened in further shock as Saeko's hair shifted in color, letting it turn a deeper shade of lavender. All while her outfit was swallowed by the golden color pouring forth from the ring. All while it tightened and grew more familiar. That black outfit that she had seen so many times. The black outfit that had served to start it all...

General Spider was standing before her once more. Finally tossing off her disguise as one of her friends. Or rather, finally revealing that she had been watching her since the very start...

Spider took a deep breath. And then she glared at Kanzei. "For the record, I didn't ask for you to save me. I just gave you that thing so you could choose your own path!" She huffed, before glaring back towards Mikai. "At least you ended up on the right side. Instead of fighting me every step of the way like her."

Mikai stared forward. Her senpais. They were both... They were both with Golden Freedom. They had been there for her. But they were all just liars. What was she supposed to believe? Was this why she was empty? Because those bonds that she had made... Because they were just as empty..?

Yuuki was just as shocked. Saeko, the girl she had kept a close eye on and trained as one of her own, was the one that had ultimately seduced her into becoming a Jõtaijin... And after that, she had turned Saki into the Jõtaider that fought for Golden Freedom. She couldn't believe it. All she could do was scream in frustration.

Kanzei just nodded, pleased with the sound echoing out. Yuuki would realize that the only way to a world where they were all together was one where she achieved her desires. "Spider. We should finish this." She muttered, as she grabbed ahold of her cane and pulled it apart, revealing a sword within it. A sword that would strike through the heart of her enemy...

Finish this. That's right. Mikai should finish this. Finish the two that got in her way. Finish the two that had betrayed her. Finish them. FINISH THEM!

Kanzei and Spider both shielded themselves as an explosion of light poured out from Mikai, with the girl's helmet reforming as she pointed her blade towards them. She wasn't about to give up. Not after this. Her heart was burning. Her soul was screaming. She was going to take them both down..!

"I didn't want to use this. Not until I was sure I'd win." Spider muttered as she watched the girl's will violently flare up. All while she reached forward, letting the golden glow from her hand pour around her hand once more. All as it spread across her arm before coalescing into the form of a golden gauntlet. A gauntlet that had once been used by the former enforcer of Golden Freedom.

"Desire! Release!"

Spider roared as she slammed the gauntlet into her chest and pulled forth an orb with a spider within it, a crystallization of her own existence as a Monster. Her Jõtai's existence, in the palm of her hand. An orb that she could grab and slam into the back of that very same gauntlet, as she shouted out once more.

"INSERTION! SPIDER!"

The world cracked around her as she infused herself with even greater amounts of her own desire. Golden veins poured across her body as carapace formed across her form. Carapace that looked more like armor than anything else. Gold-lined armor that was more befitting of a General than that simple uniform she had worn before. The proper raiment for a combatant like her.

The only way to properly combat a Jõtaider. The true form of the Monster known as General Spider. An arachnid woman with deep purple eyes, and a bulbous growth on the back where all of her abilities were centralized from. A perfect partner for the golden girl at her side...

Mikai... No, Mimoto. She was burning with a single will. A will to destroy the ones that had betrayed her. Which was why her blade shattered and fired forth once more, only for a new blade to grow in place of the one that had been destroyed, with the violent girl dashing forward to try and land a devastating hit on the two villains!

Spider answered her attack in turn by having eight arms grow from her back, each of them slashing the shards out of the air like they were nothing more than dust that had to be swept aside. All while she walked calmly towards the girl that had gone mad. "Kanzei!" She shouted, hoping that the girl had her back.

"DIVINE BIND!" And Kanzei did, as she slammed her cane into the ground once more, launching golden chains from the ground that shout out at Mimoto in an attempt to restrain her. Even if she knew that it wouldn't last. Not with her will this wild and furious.

Indeed, Mimoto's arms were disabled but for a few seconds, as the chains shattered in response to the light breaking forth from her body. But those seconds were all that Spider needed, as mere seconds was more than enough time for her to spin her web.

"You're caught within my web, Mimoto!" Spider shouted, laughing as the golden threads that she had spun became visible. All while Mimoto found herself unable to move thanks to the way she had gotten tangled in the web. It wasn't just that she had swatted the shards aside. It was that she had used them as the basis for her web. Connecting each and every shard to one another, with the supernatural properties of the shards allowing the web to maintain its shape in the air.

Mimoto tried to struggle forth. She truly did. But all she could do was watch as the villain approached her slowly. All while a needle-like weapon formed in her hand. The needle she had used to sew together this web that she had been caught within. If only she hadn't been empty, then she would've realized their treachery..!

"Goodbye, Mimoto!" Spider declared the heroine's defeat, as she thrust that needle forward. Straight towards the girl's heart, so she could put an end to her ability to fight back. So she could sew a new will into her.

Or at least, that's what she would've done. If the needle didn't freeze on impact. It didn't even pierce her armor. It just remained stuck there, not because of the girl, but rather because of one of her allies...

"You're not... doing anything to her... Saeko..!"

Yuuki was able to speak again. Even if it caused her immense pain to do so thanks to the threads clinging to her. She just did her best to protect her Kouhai. As a Senpai should. Unlike the two girls that had kept lies behind her back...

Mimoto trembled as the light within her died down. The restraints served to finally let her light get swallowed by her inner emptiness. Leaving her armor to weakly disappear as she just stared straight ahead at the girl that had pretended to be her friend. She didn't know what to say. All she could do was stare.

They could take her out. Right now. And yet the glare from Yuuki... It made Spider grit her teeth underneath her helmet, as she made that needle disappear. Just as her armor did, returning her back to her true self. Back to Saeko. Just like Saki turned back to Kanzei...

"I ask again." Saki turned towards Yuuki, reaching out with one hand. "Come with us, Yuuki. I want to protect you. Just like I've protected Saeko. Please." Her voice contained no regrets. All it contained was a simple wish and the convictions to see that wish through.

"I won't. You've both gone against everything you stand for." Yuuki reiterated. All while spitting at the ground. "You both know you can't follow through. So go. Leave. The next time we meet, I'm going to make sure that you regret what you've done! That's a promise!"

Saki sighed. Very well. She'd have to protect that girl from the other side then. Even if she didn't want to be protected. "Saeko. We're leaving." She muttered, as the darkness started to consume her.

Saeko took one good look at Mikai, biting her lip. If not for what she had done, she would still be together with Saki and Yuuki both. She'd be able to keep her secret. But because of her mistake, everything was coming apart. And it's all because she didn't just... do the same thing that Saki had done...

"...I really hate you, Mikai. I've hated you since that day..."

She muttered, as the golden glow swallowed her. By the time it went away... She had vanished. Whether she had properly disappeared like her friend or just ran off, it didn't matter. All that mattered was that another friend had left after burning her bridges...

Yuuki really wanted to chase after them. But after all of this, all she could do was let out one frustrated scream before her energy left her. And she passed out, collapsing onto the ground below. All with her mind focused on nothing but those two betraying girls...

"Saki... Senpai... Saeko... Senpai..."

But the one that was hurt most of all was Mikai. She had never before experienced something like this. The concept of being betrayed by somebody. The concept of loss like this. It echoed through her. And it made the tears slowly run down her cheeks. She didn't know what to do...

"My, my. You're looking awful, Senpai."

The sandy-haired girl slowly turned her head towards the muddy-haired girl that had suddenly appeared behind her. Kimiko..? Ah... She wasn't going to betray her too, was she..?

Judging by the way she wrapped her arms around her, it didn't seem that way. She just hugged her and gently kissed her on the cheek. Comforting her as any good friend should. All while gently running her hand through her hair. "It's okay. It's okay. Don't think about them, Mikai..."

"They were never your friends. So it's okay. Just remember that, and it won't hurt any more. I promise." Kimiko's voice was so soothing and comforting. That's right. If they were always her enemies, then all their friendship amounted to was nothing. Kimiko was right...

Mikai's smile slowly returned... And now, it seemed even emptier than before..

---

"That nightmare again..."

A quiet voice echoed out through an empty house, as the owner slowly sat up in her bed. All while carefully caressing her legs. Those things that refused to listen to her... Those things that kept her from walking...

Minami had gone through that nightmare a million times. And yet it never made her feel any better. She never understood why. All she understood from that nightmare was the shadowed face of a woman that seemed so familiar. It had gotten to the point where it didn't really make her jolt awake. She just had her eyes flutter open for a bit, before she'd pass out again.

All with a single word leaving her lips as she drifted back to sleep. A single word that resonated with that foul remembrance...

"Mama..."