[Corruption, Tokusatsu Themes]
"Where were you all this time?!"
That was what Hiro told Haruhi. After they finally met, ten years since they last spoke. Ten years after Tsukiko disappeared into the sky to save the city, and the world as a whole. Emotions were overflowing, evident by the tears running down Hiro's cheeks...
Haruhi rubbed the red mark on her cheek. It throbbed painfully. But she didn't back down. "Straight to the point. I suppose you've learned a lot from your time as Atlas' lapdog." Haruhi muttered, before sighing and walking out from behind the counter. All so she could go take a seat and get slightly more comfortable. This was going to take some time, and she didn't want to waste any of Hiro's.
"How much do you want to know?" The golden-haired woman asked, as she tapped her wrist, revealing a cloaked device that wasn't too dissimilar from the Hopper System that she had once used. Just with several modifications made to it, so it would serve more functions than merely enhancing her abilities.
"Everything. How long have you been planning this? How long did it take for you to decide that removing people's powers and will would be the right way to go about all of this!?" Hiro shouted as she slammed her hands against the table. "Even D'Or wouldn't go this far. What the hell happened while you were away!?"
Haruhi put a hand on the scarf around her neck. Clenching it tightly, before glaring into her former subordinate's eyes. "I found out the truth of everything. That's why I made it my mission to destroy any trace of the Jõtai that D'Or had abused. No matter what, I couldn't allow the Darkness to return." There was a bitter air to her words. And regret as well, given the look in her eyes. And how much she clenched the scarf. How much just thinking of Tsukiko must hurt her.
"What truth?" Hiro muttered. "Do you know how long I've been trying to keep afloat? How long I've been struggling to make things better in my own way? And you just hid away, and then you show back up when it's convenient-"
This time, it was Haruhi's turn to slam the table. The golden-haired woman interrupting the skunk-haired heroine as she glared harder into those eyes. "I came back to right my wrongs! To make sure that we wouldn't get into this situation ever again! All by wiping away Monsters and Jõtai, so that their shared genes can't serve as a beacon that lures the Darkness to our world!"
Hiro paused. And backed away, as she grasped her arm. She could hear the wicked laughter echoing through her mind as the pin dropped. "The... Their shared... genes..?" She muttered, a shadow being cast upon her expression. "Explain..."
"Monsters? Jõtaijin?" Haruhi scoffed. "Same difference. I went through the trouble of investigating everything about the Jõtai. And what I found painted a grim picture. Whatever caused the Jõtai manifest ages ago, in the ancient past of our world... Was the same cause of Monsters developing in this world. And no matter how many times I went through the information, there was only one answer. Only one thing that could serve as the source."
"...The Darkness..." Hiro muttered, gritting her teeth as the laugh going through her head grew louder. The Darkness in her arm was enjoying this revelation far too much. "...So you're saying that they tampered with our world, and by using the Jõtai or even just existing..."
"Eventually, they'd make their way here. All because of what they had done back then." Haruhi concluded. "That's why I made precautions. Why I was away for so long. All to make sure that I could carry out my plan and put an end to what they had done." She then explained, looking out at the sky above. "The fact that the hole hasn't started to turn most of Mimoto's population into Luna proves that it's working. Though I hate to admit that I had to follow that girl's advice to properly calibrate the barrier..."
The afflicted heroine let the words drift through her head. "...It was Yumeko that reached out to you, wasn't it?" She came to the only natural conclusion. Yumeko had reached out to so many over the last few months. All for the sake of protecting Mikai. And yet it wasn't enough. The girl had fallen.
"She didn't tell me her name. Nor did I trust her." Haruhi said, turning back towards her former subordinate. "But for the sake of never letting them back here. For the sake of carrying on Tsukiko's lingering will and protecting this world. I would take that advice... And eliminate her after, to ensure that she wouldn't be tainted. Just like I was."
Hiro grit her teeth. "Tainted? You've fallen so far that you think that you're tainted, just because of who you are? Open your eyes, Haruhi..." She muttered, only to tremble a bit and fall onto her knee. All thanks to her arm acting up yet again. "Damnit, this..."
"I will fix it."
Hiro blinked as she looked up at the woman that had once tried to convert her and once been somebody she looked up to. Only to see her golden fingers pointed straight at the part of her arm where the Darkness was currently blocked off. She... She would cut it off. Just like that.
"...I'll pass." The heroine asserted, grabbing ahold of the golden-haired woman's wrist before tossing it aside. "...If you hate the Darkness so much, and you know how to keep them at bay... Then you must have a way to stop this."
"I do." Haruhi asserted, pulling her hand back as she walked past Hiro. "I'll send you everything that you need to know. Once we've completed that objective, all that's left is to beat the invaders back beyond the boundary. And..." She paused, right as she was about to leave the diner to begin her mission.
"...Put Tsukiko to rest, so her suffering may cease."
All Hiro could do when faced with how far Haruhi had fallen, faced with the truth of the Jõtai Factor and the Monster Genes that the JõtaiKillers inadvertedly removed when they extracted the former... All she could do was scream and slam the table.
Was everything that she had fought for... Would it just end like this, with a whimper and a hollow victory..!?
---
"It's not like you to call me like this, Agatha. You heard from Yumeko too?"
"Heard's an understatement. She told me enough, and then told me to bring Hiro and the others to my Mother."
Elsewhere in Mimoto, Agatha was currently feeling a pang of pure frustration running through her. Sure, she had awakened these mysterious powers. But it came at the cost of meeting her Mother again. And she immediately understood why she had been trying to avoid her for so long. And yet here she was. Stewing in all those complicated emotions.
"...You ever wonder why she wants to protect Mikai so much?" Tsubasa's voice echoed over the phone. "I mean... She's inspiring and she's cute, but... Yumeko goes the extra mile. It's like she's been through something like this before..."
"I don't care what she's been through, she's got the right idea." Agatha shot back, all while leaning against a railing and looking up at the skies above. The more she looked at the hole, the more she felt her heart trying to drift away. But then her newly awakened powers rooted into her heart, and kept her from slipping. She wasn't going to depend on Mama... "...I found out that I'm a Magical Girl, Tsubasa. Sorry to beat you to the punch."
"...eh?" Tsubasa sounded utterly dumbfounded at the nonsequitor. "I-I mean, I wasn't planning on being a Magical Girl or anything, but... You? A Magical Girl? Are you serious, Agatha?"
"If what Mother said was right." Agatha replied, before shaking her head. "...I want to save Mikai, Tsubasa. Not just to pay her back for what she's done... But because those bastards that tried to invade don't deserve her. What about you? You want to try?" It was such a lackadaisy approach to something so important. And yet one could tell that she was serious. She wouldn't be doing this if she wasn't serious about it.
It took a few seconds before she got an answer. "I... I do. And I've been trying to track her down on my own. Hub-chan's been navigating her way through the network, and as soon as she spots any sign of her, she'll inform me. I'll send you a text ASAP, and..." His voice choked up. Almost as if he was frozen by fear. "...I don't know if we'll be able to free her. But... we're going to try."
"That's the spirit, Tsubasa!" Agatha shouted over the phone, pumping her fist into the air. "You better not skimp out on me! Otherwise, I'm going to make sure you'll be aching!" She shouted, before cutting him off by closing her phone and stuffing it back into her pocket. She didn't need to listen to him any longer. She basically just called him to get a peptalk and to make sure that somebody knew what she was going to do.
The fact that she was one of the few people that didn't have any powers... It was enough to drive her mad before. But here she was. Empowered. Filled with life. She was going to find a way to use this power of hers, no matter what. Hiro and the others were doing their best, so why shouldn't she?!
"My, my. You're going to try and fight, even though you barely understand your powers? Like Mother, like Daughter..."
Agatha glared in the direction of the tall Magician that approached her, immediately balling up her fists as she got on the defensive. "Which Mother." She snarked. She kinda recognized him at a glance... Hiro had given her a brief introduction to the threats that were on the streets, to make sure that nothing went wrong with their meeting iwth her Mother. He was... Prime Darkness, Lumiel, wasn't it?
Lumiel smiled as he slightly tipped his hat. "Minerva, actually. Or rather, Sol Valkyr, if that rings a bell? Pardon the confusion, it's been so long since I've faced off against her. She's not exactly a memorable opponent." He snarked in turn, before fully removing that hat of his. "I am rather amazed that the Valkyr powers managed to awaken within somebody, after the fall she went through. I believed that I had pushed her to the brink, and removed an obstacle from my return. And yet here we are."
So that was Mother's Magical Girl identity. Norse, if she had to make a rough guess. Not that Mother ever showed off her powers. She could only guess so much based on what the pompous Magician told her. "You didn't come here just to taunt me over awakening my powers, did you? You could probably just transform me if that was what you wanted, you freak."
"I could indeed. But I wanted to show you something instead. Something that I'm sure will be quite entertaining." Lumiel said, bowing as one hand reached into his hat, only to pull out a pair of rabbit ears. And with another tug, he pulled out somebody quite familiar to Agatha...
It was her Mother, Kazutora. Only, she didn't look like the dignified woman that she was before. Nor the schemer that had put her through hell to awaken her powers. No, right now she looked like a demure and extra shiny latex bunny with a leotard having replaced her kimono, and a mask adorning her face to hide away her identity beyond the obvious traits. Combine that with a slight icy theming, courtesy of the yellow markings along her leotard that had an icy tint to them, and she looked like a mere minion able to manipulate the cold...
Agatha stared for a few moments. "You... You turned Mother into a minion." She muttered. Mother, the woman that had caused so much pain and misery, reduced to little more than a mere minion. It was cathargic, in a sense. And yet...
"Indeed. If anything, I've done you a favor." Lumiel said, giggling a little as he put his hat back on his head. "Now, if you would just stay out of the way, I would be willing to spare you a similar fate. You wouldn't want to end up like her, would you? What with how little you truly care for her."
He felt the wind brushing past his face. All while staring straight at a fist that was an inch from his face. The only thing that stopped it from being closer was the fact that the girl that threw the punch was currently frozen...
"You... bastard..!" Agatha shouted, even as the rest of her body was being covered in a shiny layer of latex-like ice. Courtesy of her converted Mother, who was currently caressing her cheek.
She couldn't help herself. Even with how much she hated her Mother for what she had done... She was still human. She was still somebody that would suffer at the hands of these bastards. And so her body moved on her own. Maybe there was even some lingering love for the bitch that had hurt her so much.
Either way, the last thing Agatha saw before her vision went black... Was the smug grin of the Magician that had antagonized her family...
With only his haunting laughter echoing through her ears as she was sealed into servitude...
---
Hayato paced back and forth inside the medical bay. Impatient. And for a good reason.
"I can't believe that idiot would let herself get captured like that..." He muttered, all while staring as the Desriver around his arm. It was going to be his lone weapon against the Darkness. All because of the fact that Ero had gotten merged with that Prime's minion.
Minami was laying in bed, partly healed up already. Though Seiryu had been insistent on her staying down until her healing factors had kicked in completely. Shedding her proverbial skin so she could come back stronger. "...Sorry. I didn't pay attention, when I could've stopped it."
Saeko was in another bed, currently aching all over. Unlike the other two, she didn't have the same level of regeneration. She was still a mere Monster, after all. And since she had relied so heavily on her Monster Ability, she had to recover. A lot. Otherwise, she'd risk fatal damage. And D'Or had been clear, she wasn't about to allow her to hurt herself. Bat had said the same when she came by to visit...
Even though they had managed to get one victory, they had suffered another loss. And for what? What were they going to actually win from all of this? It was a question that burdened their minds...
"...It's fine." Hayato muttered as he stopped in front of Minami's bed. "She..." He paused, and made sure that he wasn't looking at them. "Ero's going to be fine. Even if I'm going to have to rip her out of there. She's made of sterner stuff than you'd think."
Minami nodded. She had seen that first hand. Even if they had the upper hand against the Overlord and his ally, Ero had basically tanked everything that came her way. Which was probably why they were able to break Neoheim that efficiently. "If she heard that, I'm sure she'd smile, Koizumi."
"She'd ruin me with teasing, actually." Hayato corrected the serpent 'heroine', before turning to Saeko. "...Sorry about ripping your Monster Ability out like that. I just thought that... You trusted me to follow up on your attack. So..."
"It hurt a lot." Saeko said, before smiling towards the boy that was doing his best to improve. Especially after his worldview had been shattered in a short few weeks. "But you saved Agatha. If she wasn't stuck within that cocoon, she wouldn't have been able to awaken her powers. My power's always been really good at that kind of thing. Awakening powers within others." She chuckled. "Saki and Mikai's especially. If only it could awaken my own again..."
"...Could I borrow it a little longer?" Hayato asked innocently. Since he knew that if he had it on hand, then he would be much more useful. Better than using Inkster and Tithoth's medals...
"Not a chance. Not with how much it hurt to have it pulled out the first time." Saeko shot back, glaring slightly. Even if she forgave him for that stunt, she knew the effects that the Desriver and its ilk had. She wasn't about to take the chance. "You're going to have to hope that one of the Saints'll lend you one of theirs. Maybe Cobra, if you beg for his help."
Hayato's face turned pale upon even considering the idea of using Cobra's power. Which in turn prompted Saeko to smirk slightly. "I'll... I'll figure something out. You should just focus on recovering." He muttered, heading straight for the door so he could try and clear his head.
Only for the door to open the moment he came over, revealing Saki standing outside. "Ah. Hayato. Just the man I was looking for. Come along." The taller girl said as she grabbed him by the wrist, though not before peeking in through the doorway to check up on Saeko... and... "...Saeko, where's Yuuki?"
"She's with the oldest saint, Genbu." Saeko said, before tugging her covers over her slightly. "Please, just go. I need to rest." It's not that she didn't want to talk to Saki right now. It's that she needed to recover. Otherwise...
Saki nodded, then nodded at Minami as well. "Alright. Then let's continue." She said, before pulling Hayato along and closing the door behind her.
Time was of the essence. If they wanted to win against the Darkness and get Mikai back, then they had no time to lose.
---
Helheim stood atop one of Mimoto's tallest buildings. Pondering. Thinking. He might even be plotting. Regardless of what he was doing, he was definitely not on the offensive at the moment. And yet he wasn't accompanied by his minion either...
"You... Prime..."
A voice. A voice that prompted him to laugh, as he felt the Darkness within him resonate with that voice. It was another Prime's voice. And yet he could tell that it wasn't one that he had worked with before. It was an enemy... Ouroboros' voice.
"I had a feeling that mark you left on me was good for more than just an explosion." Helheim said, as a misty serpent visualized itself around him, having already coiled up on his body. "You're the one that empowers that girl. Ouroboros, was it? The Jõtaider Serpent?"
"You could've finished me off." Ouroboros said, its voice becoming clearer despite its extremely wispy form. "Why?" It said, while attempting to constrict the one it was wrapped around. "Why did you not feast upon me?!" It sounded outright incensed at the concept...
All Helheim did in response was laugh, letting his hardlight cape billow in the wind. All while his laughter echoed through the city. "I crave a good challenge. And the icy one... No, Yuuki. She saw through my bluff. So I spared her. And I spared you." He gave an answer, before glaring pridefully at the misty serpent. "Regain your power, Ouroboros. Then come. I will face you with all of my strength. Then you can try and devour me, if you think you can match me!"
The misty serpent growled as it started to disappear, its connection to the other Prime slowly fading away. Leaving Helheim all alone once again, allowing him to gaze up at the sky...
And frown. Because at this rate, she might actually arrive. And steal another promising challenger away from him before he'd have the batte he so desired...
---
"...You're going to have to run all of that by me one more time."
Hayato, Yumeko and Saki had gathered within one of the meeting rooms alotted to the group. And he honestly didn't quite understand what the two of them were proposing. Because it sounded so impossible.
"Surely you understood some of it." Saki said. She cast a glance towards Yumeko, who just smiled. Fine, she had to start over. Even making sure others understood her was part of being a Hero. "We want to get through to Mikai and free her from herself. And to do that, we need to make sure that we can actually break through her armor. And since it's essentially a manifestation of her power, we thought that we could make use of your Hopper System."
"Desriver." Hayato corrected her. "Ero's the Hopper System. And even then, you really think this thing can let you break through to her? It could barely even force its way into Saeko, how's it supposed to break through all that armor?"
"With grit and determination." Yumeko said, snickering slightly at her own joke. That neither of the two others enjoyed. "Sorry. Sorry." She bowed her head down slightly before clearing her throat. "While it might not be able to properly break through, the properties of how it interacts with the Jõtai Factor is what we need. If we can just tear a hole in the Jõtai Factor, then we can force our way in. And it just so happens that we have a way inside once we've torn it open. Isn't that right, Saki?"
Saki nodded, as she manifested a pool of darkness at her feet. By sinking her cane into it, she was able to pull out the Divine Slayer that she had used previously. A blade that served as the manifestation of her bond with Saeko, Yuuki, and anybody else that was strong enough to trigger Synchronization with her. "Using my bond with Saeko, I can pierce through and reach her heart. We just need to crack her armor, and then we can make it all the way inside."
"...I don't think that's going to be enough." Hayato remarked, before reaching for his Hopper medal. The replica that allowed him to transform. "If her power's anything like Hopper's, we're going to need to pierce through and get in at the same time. So... You'd have to make the Desriver part of-"
Before he finished his argument, he felt his pocket vibrate. And he quickly reached into his pocket, pulling out the burner phone that he used to communicate with Hopper. "Lady Hopper?" He asked, before having his eyes widen in shock. "...Alright. I'll let them know. I'll meet up with you soon." He said, before crushing said phone and letting it dissolve into faint Jõtai wisps...
"So you can use the Jõtai for that as well..." Saki muttered, only to have the Desriver thrust upon her. "You're not going to be needing this?" She asked, even if she was happy to get her hands on it so she could get to work.
"She's got a spare version of her old Hopper System that she's modified to work like the Desriver. I'll be picking that up on the way. We barely have any time left before the Darkness gets on the move either." Hayato said, before turning to Yumeko. "She also told me..."
"I know." Yumeko said, sighing as she sat down. "I would've liked for her to keep trusting me. But right now, all I can rely on are all of you. Do your best, Hayato. That's all I can ask for." She said, doing her best to remain positive in the face of what would likely be the hardest thing all of them had to do...
The young man nodded before rushing out, leaving Yumeko to watch as Saki started to work on the Divine Slayer. With any luck, she'd be able to craft herself a weapon that could pierce through Dark Dragon and free the girl.
It wouldn't be much longer. Then Mikai would be in her arms once again...
---
"DAMNIT! DAMNIT! DAMNIT DAMNIT!"
Kimiko was stomping around in downtown Mimoto, frustrated beyond all belief. She had recovered from her fight against Saki and Yumeko, but her mood was still the same as before. Utterly ruined, all thanks to the fact that Saki had managed to push past her personal problems. NOW, of all times!? It'd be better if she was stuck being the same stubborn bitch until Mama got here!
"I hate her! I hate them all! I want my life back! I was supposed to be in Mikai's place! That was my life!" Kimiko ranted as she stomped around, the ground underneath her cracking more and more as she let her fiery anger loose. She hated everything and everyone. And that anger and hate only grew stronger the more she was denied...
Though it seemed like her anger served as a magnet. As while she stomped back and forth, a dark portal opened. And this time, Dark Dragon stepped out. The quiet, despair-filled girl, responding to her emotional half's outburst. Which just served to make her angrier...
"You! YOU! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" Kimiko shouted as she slammed her fist straight up against the armored dragon's chest, with no regard for the pain that sprung through her in turn. "I hate you! I hate you I hate you I hate you!" She kept on shouting so childishly. All while a few tiny tears ran down her cheeks. Anger turned to sorrow, all because of her own inadequacy.
Then she grew quiet. Because she felt a hand on her head. A clawed hand... Dark Dragon's hand. It was like the despairing girl resonated with her. She felt her sorrow, and wanted to comfort her. Even if she was the girl suffering from the effects of the girl's machinations...
Which just made Kimiko angrier. "Even now... Even after everything, you pity me?!" Kimiko screamed as she slammed her fist into Dark Dragon's chest, making her stagger and fall back ever slightly in turn. All while the girl's anger grew more and more potent. Maybe she should just kill her off. What was the point in keeping her around..!?
Dark Dragon did not react much beyond that. Instead, she just stared straight ahead. Past Kimiko... Only to then growl, her tail curling past her shoulder and her wings spreading outward as she felt the presence of an enemy approaching...
Kimiko grit her teeth and did her best to ignore her anger, all while turning towards the individual that Dark Dragon had picked up on. Then she started to laugh, because it truly was a pathetic sight. "REALLY!? You thought you would be able to do anything, Tsubasa!?"
There he was. Tsubasa Sato. A mere human, compared to all the titans around him. Whether it was Yumeko who did her best to plan around everyone and save Mikai through those plans... Agatha, who had awakened a new power that was going to give her the strength to protect the others... The student council, all of whom were powerful in their own right... Or the Jõtaiders themselves, who fought for the sake of their ideals. He wasn't on par with any of them. Not even slightly.
"Senpai..." Habakiri's voice echoed from her sword form, which Tsubasa had brought with him. "Can we win..?" She was worried. "Can we save Mikai-Senpai..?" So worried that her sword was cold. As chilled as one could possibly expect from a living sword, filled with nothing but fear.
Tsubasa took a step forward, and held the sword in front of him. Facing against the dark one that had deceived him and everyone else, as well as the Dragon that had Mikai inside of her. "I don't know... I couldn't know. But I know one thing..!" He cried out, as his own will ignited his Kouhai's form. "I don't want to see Mikai suffer! I want my friend to be free! And I'm going to do what I can, even if it kills me!" It was such a foolish statement. A declaration that he had no way of keeping. And yet he was still going to do it.
"...Yeah... YEAH! We're coming for you, Mikai-Senpai!" Habakiri's voice echoed out as her own flames melded together with her Senpai's, making her form grow so large that it was almost twice the boy's size. And yet he held it with ease. The strength of his will being shown off in this one moment.
Kimiko laughed from the depths of her heart as she watched it unfold. All while pointing towards the boy, prompting Dark Dragon to get in front of her. "Then fight her to your heart's content. She won't listen." This was exactly what she needed. A mere jobber in the face of her strength. But more importantly, weak hope to crush with the despair she had covered Mikai in.
Tsubasa broke into a sprint. Blade down by his waist, tip dragging against the ground. The flames roared as he ran faster and faster. The scream of his will ready to pierce through the girl's despair. So she could see her smile once again. So he could see his friend be happy. It wasn't fair that she was the only one that couldn't be happy, after everything she had done!
"OPEN YOUR EYES, MIKAI!" He cried out, before swinging his blade forward, having the tip impaled within the ground... Only to then use the momentum of the swing and his run to vault over his blade and slash with it as he forced it back out of the ground while leaping over it. "AND SMILE AGAIN!"
He slashed into her armor. The flames of his and Habakiri's willpower joining together as it completely consumed the blackened dragon. He could see it spreading like a wildfire. It was going to seep into her for sure. It was going to free her from the prison that her Despair had forced her into..!
Only for those flames to suddenly shatter and get swallowed by Dark Dragon's darkness, the armored Dragon letting out a violent roar. It hadn't worked. It hadn't even come close to working. All that had happened was her emotions being let loose, burning in place of the flames that were supposed to free her.
"Senpai!"
Tsubasa couldn't move an inch. Fear had been struck into his soul. So it was up to his Kouhai to free him. And she did so by letting loose all the heat inside her. Releasing it all in the form of a shockwave that immediately repelled the boy. All so she could stop him from being caught by the girl they tried to save.
With Kimiko's laughter serving as the backdrop for their failure, all Tsubasa could do was watch as Dark Dragon grabbed ahold of the Jõtaijin that served as his Kouhai and weapon. "Ha... Momiji..! MOMIJI!" He cried out in terror. He didn't want this. But it was the price of failure.
"R-Run, S-Sen...Pa...aaahhhhn..." She tried to make him run away. But instead, moans left her lips. Deep moans, reflecting the changes that quickly poured across her form. All thanks to the darkness pouring from Dark Dragon quickly working its way across her body. "So... Good..."
Tsubasa watched in horror as the darkness consumed his Kouhai, with Dark Dragon letting go of the blade-girl once she had been completely filled. And then the darkness flooded back into her body, allowing the boy to see what had happened. How her form had been twisted...
At a glance, Habakiri looked like she always had. But it was clear that things were so wrong. Whether it was her hair having turned black with red hues on the inner side of her bangs. Whether it was her bodysuit having taken on the same dark shades as her hair... Or the fact that most of the metallic parts that would become elements of her blade now looked significantly sharper, even spikier in certain parts... She was a blade of Despair...
"Mmmmph... It feels so good... All these emotions you've poured through me... Mistress..." Habakiri giggled as she wrapped her arms around that big, powerful, rampaging Dragon. "Haba... No, Murakumo is here for you..." Her voice had also grown a great deal more sensual. Probably to go with the fact that parts of her bodysuit now had rather revealing cutouts in all the best places...
"Momiji..." Tsubasa muttered in sheer despair. What was he supposed to do now..? What could he do..? Without her, he was... He...
Murakumo grinned as she looked towards her useless Senpai. Flashing a depraved smirk as she really rubbed up against that wonderful Dragon that now served as her wielder. "Look, Senpai. This is how you wield your weapon. You fill them... and you dominate them..." She sighed, dark love filling her heart...
"You did an excellent job." Kimiko said, kneeling down behind Tsubasa. How had she gotten there? It didn't matter. It was easy to tell that she wasn't going to let him get away. Not after how much she had mocked him. Even these words were dripping with nothing but mockery. "So how about I reward that bravery of yours, 'Hero'?"
Tsubasa wanted to scream. But by the time Kimiko had her hands on him, it was already too late. He could feel his skin paling. He could feel his body being shut away inside armor, just as Mikai's had. But he wouldn't be another rampaging soldier. No. Not when Kimiko had much bigger plans in mind...
A wicked smile worked its way onto his face. All while his hair lengthened and grew black, just like all the other Lunas. He wasn't turning into a perfect copy like the rest. Just taking on the traits. All while he was slowly being swallowed by the Darkness, as his... Her expression, turned into a show of utter submission.
With a trump card stashed away for later, including another one in the form of Murakumo being shoved into a portal of her own despite the clingy sword's protests, Kimiko was sure that she was going to win. Not only that, but she felt much more ready to take on anything. Bullying those weaker than her, those that had ties to Mikai... It brought her a sense of relief.
Dark Dragon merely stood there. Right before growling slightly. Baring her claws, as she took a single step forward. Towards her other half...
"Don't get cocky."
Kimiko's eye opened wide, and a shock rushed through the armored Dragon. Then her movement stopped, and she went back to her despair. All while Kimiko narrowed her eyes. The uncertainty and the lack of satisfaction was growing within her, quickly replacing the victory she had just achieved.
She was going to have to do something about this. It wasn't the first time Mikai had started moving on her own. Probably Chimera finding ways to manipulate her from within. But it wouldn't matter. Not when they were this close to succeeding. Not when Mama was this close to returning.
Kimiko looked to the skies. And she laughed. Knowing that in a few short hours, this barrier that had gotten in her way would finally be undone...
And then, Mama would finally be proud of her..!
---
Haruhi stood. In the northwestern outskirts of Mimoto. Waiting for the arrival of somebody near and dear to her. All while knowing that she was going to have to put her body through the wringer, if she wanted to actually succeed.
She had been very clear in her instructions. In the south east, north east, north west and south west corners of the city, she had set up markers that were made out of Jõtai, and established the barrier that kept the Luna Descent in place. So those that still wanted to protect this world, no matter the cost, were to protect them. Until they could find a more permament solution that would forever shut out those evil forces...
But the Darkness wasn't going to take this challenge to their authority lying down. And Haruhi knew that. Which was why she naturally expected her old friend to appear. The old friend that had been twisted by the Darkness...
"I've found it." 'Luna' said, already clad in her blackened silver armor. Blade held at waist level, ready to be put to good use against the enemy in front of her. "Move, human. And you will be added to our family without much harm done to you."
"You really don't recognize me." Haruhi said, closing her eyes a little as she grasped her scarf all the more tightly. "Then I'll just have to destroy you until you do." She concluded, both eyes opening wide as her irises shined bright gold. "Let your lingering will, your desire to protect the people you care about, resonate through me! TSUKIKO!"
Luna watched as the woman standing in her way proceeded to thrust her arm out, revealing two slots in the side of the gauntlet around her arm. It was... A familiar gauntlet. But what was more familiar was the things being slotted into it.
"Insertion..." Haruhi muttered, slotting in a medal that had silver and black split down the middle. A medal that made her own Hopper medal glow brightly in its slot. Its perfect partner, and together, they would give her the strength she needed...!
"HOPPER SHADOW!"
Haruhi slashed her arm forward, releasing two bursts of powerful energy. One enormous pulse of silver energy, and a pulse of golden energy. Both slamming shut on opposite sides of her, instantly transforming her into her fully powered form. But unlike the form she took ten years ago...
Now she had the same down-the-middle aesthetic as her lover. And just like Shadow, one of those sides was silver. Gold and Silver, reunited at last. This was Tsukiko's will, the only thing she had left behind for Haruhi to cherish.
Hopper Shadow drew two blades. Two versions of the Shadow Saber, each now partly gilded to match the wielder. And with her weapons in hand...
She charged forward. To protect the world Tsukiko left behind!
---
Hayato was wheezing. He was panting. Because he did his best to hurry to his station. And considering Atlas Corp was in the very center of Mimoto, it was difficult to make it all the way out there in time. But at least... At least his enemy hadn't gotten there in time.
"Took you long enough, Haya-Haya."
The JõtaiKiller narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth, as the tainted and familiar voice of his partner echoed out. Standing upon the pillar that had been erected by Hopper... Was Ero. Or rather, N-Eroheim. Even though her body was primarily made from Ero, the extra Neoheim parts made the robotic Ganguro stand out even further. Especially with how her face popped out of that draconic jaw.
"Don't call me that." Hayato said, grasping his Hopper System tightly. "You're not her. You're just that Dragon's minion!" He then shouted, slotting his medal into the device to transform, with Ero's voice announcing it like usual. "DESIRE UP! HOPPER!"
His transformation didn't amount to much of anything. It was basically the same as if he had used the Desriver. But at least he wouldn't be overloading the device if he were to use continued finishers. Right now, it didn't really matter. Right now, all he had to do was shoot down the enemy in front of him!
N-Eroheim pouted as she flapped her bright hardlight wings, avoiding the shots that were fired towards her. "How cruel. Hoooow cruel, Haya-Haya." She put her hands over her chest, the claws attached to her fingertips like nails weaving in between the gaps of her fingers. "You're going to make my heart ache if you treat me like that, you know..."
"Shut up!" Hayato shouted as he magdumped for the sake of hitting that evasive girl. "You're not Ero! You could never be Ero!" He shouted with more determination, even as his guns started to click due to running out of ammo. No matter, he could just toss them away, and-
He flinched and froze. As N-Eroheim was right in his face, one finger pushing up his chin. All while she licked her lips, enjoying the sight of his panic filling his expression. "What makes me so different, Haya-Haya..? You know I'm the same perverted girl... My more depraved tastes were just unleashed, that's all." She chimed, her tail wrapping around his leg. "I thought you enjoyed being my toy... Enjoying my teasing every waking moment of your life..."
"I... I don't-" Hayato muttered, before gritting his teeth. No. This wasn't her. This wasn't the same girl that had teased him over and over. This was a mockery. It was somebody else being worn on top of her. "Get... LOST!" He screamed, managing to materialize a single magnum that he pressed against his enemy's stomach.
N-Eroheim giggled as she disengaged as quickly as she engaged, before her tail stabbed into a pool of pure darkness. All so she could pull out a cane of her own, not unlike the one Kanzei used to fight. Just with an additional scythe blade attached at the crook of it, making it look like a frankensteined version of Kanzei and Ero's primary weapons.
"You're playing really hard to get, Haya-Haya..." N-Eroheim giggled, as she gave that blade of hers a lick. Along the sharp edge, sending sparks out as it tried to cut into her to no avail. "But I like it when you play hardball. Once I've forced you down, then I'll make you Daddy's plaything. I'm sure he'll love that, ehehehehe..."
Hayato steeled himself. Knowing that things were just going to get way harder from here...
---
"You? Really? You think you can stand in our way? You don't even have enough people to protect the barrier, and yet you still think you can stand against us?!"
Kimiko had approached one of the pillars that served to protect Mimoto. Or rather, one of the pillars that served to keep her Mama from descending upon the city like she had done so long ago. And what did she find?
Why, it was Hiro. The exhausted, frustrated, and thoroughly demotivated heroine. Clad in her PAWN armor already, glaring past her visor as she looked upon the culprit behind everything.
"I'll stand." Hiro said, clenching her fist as the energy rushed through her. Energy that also currently suppressed her arm. Even if she was at a severe disadvantage, fighting at less than maximum capacity... She was going to fight. "I'll defeat you. I'll break Mikai free from her shell. And I... I will make everything right! THESE LAST TEN YEARS WON'T BE FOR NOTHING!"
Kimiko laughed from the depths of her crooked and corrupted heart, all while the dark flames of her own horrid will consumed her and transformed her into True Mimoto. "You'll fail." She said, as she dashed forward. What was one heroine going to be able to do against her? There was no way that she was going to be able to stand up to her, she was barely even able to stand on her own!
That's what the 'True' Mimoto thought. But as she launched a devastating punch that was meant to knock PAWN out in an instant, she was shocked to find the heroine grabbing her punch... And twisting her arm in the process, a deep glare pulsating from behind that visor.
It should be impossible for her to do. Kimiko was sure of it. The woman was infected with so much Darkness that she was supposed to be easy to keep as a thrall. And yet she was stronger than ever. If anything, she had grown to her level... It was impossible.. Impossible..!
"Even if it claims me... Even if it takes my life..!" PAWN shouted, rearing her free fist back. "I WILL TAKE HER BACK, EVEN IF I HAVE TO FEED YOU TO THIS ARM OF MINE!" She screamed as she launched her attack, slamming that fist straight into True Mimoto's face...
True Mimoto was launched back, her helmet immediately shattering to reveal Kimiko's furious face underneath. Only for it to repair itself seconds later, the hit seemingly amounting to nothing more than making her angry once again.
"YOU! I'LL CRUSH YOU!" She was not going to toy with her prey. Not this time. No, she was just going to destroy this failure of a heroine. And erase her, for even daring to stand in her way.
The two came to blows, as their emotions roared to the skies...
---
Dark Dragon stared upon the broken remains of the pillar in front of her. She had done as asked. She had followed the commands given to her...
Because there was nothing else that she could do. She barely had any actual semblance of sentience. She was working entirely on instinct. And the instinct told her two things. To kill her enemies... And to protect her 'sister'.
Her 'sister' was the one that had made her like this. And she was grateful for it. And yet at the same time, that feeling was being swallowed by the endless void within her. As if she would never be happy. As if she would forever be stuck in despair...
Then she felt it. She felt a roar from within. Something... Something was trying to...
...
The roar vanished.
It was nothing.
Dark Dragon looked to the sky, as the hole that served as the gate between this world and the Darkness... It grew larger. Deeper.
She could feel more sisters being born. Bit by bit. And yet, there was one feeling stronger than that. One feeling that tugged at her.
...
Her sister was in danger.
The Dark Dragon's wings spread open as she roared and took to the skies.
To protect her.
---
"Who, exactly, are you..?"
Those words left Luna's lips as she clashed against HopperShadow's blades once again, vanishing the second after having made contact. Fighting Luna was like fighting a shadow. And yet at the same time, this half-golden woman was able to keep up...
"Your partner." HopperShadow stated plainly, spinning around and tossing one of her Hopper Sabers at the shadow behind her, before it had a chance to creep its way out and strike her from behind.
Luna deflected the blade as she reemerged from the shadows, before whipping around herself and slashing against the blade that nearly came down on her. The half-golden woman was able to split into several copies in the blink of an eye. Leaving her on the backfoot, all because of the superior numbers.
"I have no partner." Luna stated, as her tentacles burst forth from her helmet, immediately slamming into another version of HopperShadow trying to get at her from behind. "Mama would never allow me to have a partner."
"She's not your Mama!" HopperShadow shot back as the versions of herself multiplied. Two in front, two behind Luna. Even an additional one coming from up above, having used her fluttering wings to gain altitude.
Luna was surrounded from every possible angle. But she wasn't about to give up. This was just an obstacle that was in the way. So, as each of these copies tried to come down on her, each trying to take her life and end her...
Her helmet peeled away to reveal her crazed smirk, as she slid her hand along her Luna Saber. Lighting it up for a second before it was consumed by darkness, like an eclipse covering up the moon.
"Luna Slayer."
Just like that, she vanished. And in the blink of an eye, so did all the HopperShadows, as they had each been impaled by a darkened copy of that Saber of hers. Leaving each of them to vanish into Jõtai wisps, leaving just one behind...
"Thank you, Tsukiko."
HopperShadow said, as her bulkier arm absorbed all the wisps in the air. As well as the darkness that had started to meld together with the very same wisps, allowing it all to gather in one single point. Just like old times. Even if she knew that this wouldn't be nearly enough...
Luna turned towards the half-golden woman, laughing as a trail of depraved drool ran down her exposed chin. She really thought she could beat her. She thought she could beat one of Mama's children. It was enough to make her laugh.
"HOPPER SYSTEM! FULL POWER!" HopperShadow shouted, as sparks of gold and silver covered her entire body. "HOPPING BLAST!"
From that hand of hers, a massive burst of energy was released. An unstable burst that initially took the form of a ball, before bursting open and turning into a proper beam that headed straight for Luna.
"Luna Slash!"
A beam that would be cut in twain. The desires that made up the beam were nowhere near strong enough to beat her. Prompting an even greater laugh from the shadowed invader, eyes focused on the threat ahead...
Only, the threat was no longer there. In fact, the threat had jumped as soon as she had fired off her blast. With massive golden and silver wings growing from her back, serving as the concentrated will to protect this world made manifest, her helmet shattered and revealed the determination in her eyes.
"SHADOW SAVIOR!"
She flew down towards the woman she once considered a friend. A lover. An ally. And a rival. Pouring all of her feelings into one single kick. All for the sake of protecting this world.
The kick was met by a slash from Luna's Luna Saber, only for it to shatter immediately upon contact, letting HopperShadow's kick proceed unimpeded. Letting it be sent straight into the former heroine's chest!
"TSUKIKO!"
Haruhi's voice echoed as her wings shattered as soon as her kick made impact and launched Luna into the distance, with her armor suffering from similar effects. Putting all of her power into these attacks... It took a toil on her. The Hopper System, despite all the upgrades she had made to it, could just barely handle this much power. It was a wonder she was still standing...
And as the dust settled, it was clear that she hadn't hurt her enough. Because Luna just got back up. Though her armor was just as shattered, she didn't seem impeded at all. If anything, she seemed all the more crazed from being matched like this...
"Ahahaha... Ahahahahahahaha!" Luna let out a crazed laugh, before snapping back to a much more stoic stature and expression within a few seconds. "Impressive. And yet, not enough. Especially not when your allies can't match your performance." She said, drawing a brand new set of Luna Sabers from her waist, as if she was drawing them from her belt like before. "You will fall, half-golden one..."
Haruhi grit her teeth as her antennae twitched, allowing her to split into three once more. No matter what, she was going to stop her...
And protect her memory!
---
"What's the matter, Haya-Haya? Can't you keep up with little ol' me?"
Hayato panted and gasped. It was bad enough that getting all the way here had tired him out considerably. But he was a ranged specialist. So having to keep his eyes on a target that was even harder to track than a mosquito and about as annoying.. It was starting to get to him.
Even if he did manage to lock on for just a second, N-Eroheim would just swing her cane-scythe and catch all the bullets and fire them back at him with a swing, something that he had barely avoided last time it happened.
So right now, he was at a standstill. He had no real medals that he could use, and she kept on taunting him like this. He knew that if he played into her hand, then she was just going to keep teasing him and take control. More so than she already had...
N-Eroheim giggled as she approached him again, spinning her cane cheerfully. All while adding extra sensuality to every step, aided by the heels that had grown from her feet. Click. Click. Click. Endlessly repeating back and forth, while the boy couldn't do a thing to stop her...
"You... You're not hing like her... No matter how much you try and act like you are..!" Hayato cried out, as he threw caution to the wind and tried to fire a single bullet at her yet again. She wasn't... She wasn't going to-
His gun flew from his hand. And he found the scythe pointed at his neck, as N-Eroheim had yet again trapped him in checkmate. All while her expression lacked the same level of teasing that it had all throughout the fight up until now.
"You bore me, Haya-Haya." N-Eroheim said, as she brought her finger onto his chin yet again. This time, he couldn't resist. Not when she was this close. "You didn't even try to use those medals that would've given you an advantage, no matter how embarrassing they were. Why?"
Hayato refused to answer. Which resulted in the scythe suddenly being spun 'round, with the cane side slamming against his throat instead as she pinned him beneath her, heel on his chest. "Why, Haya-Haya? Why are you trying to deny my pleasure?"
"...You don't deserve my shame." Was what he finally said, while at death's door. With that cane right about to crush his throat, he let it out. "Only Ero... Only that horny idiot can get to see that. Not you. Not the mockery of a horrible girl like her..."
N-Eroheim kneeled down so much that she could easily grab his hand and force it against her chest. Smiling as his Hopper System started to resonate with her. "You can pull it out, you know. You can try and see what's inside me. You'll find that it's all me. All Ero. What then, Haya-Haya? What will you do?" All he had to do to claim the win would be to stick his hand inside, and yank out the girl's abilities... and will, in turn.
Hayato had victory right there. The enemy was taunting him to try it. But he couldn't. He just clenched his fist and refused to look at her. "I won't... I won't hurt Ero. And she's in there. I know she is." He muttered. Fully intending on keeping the two separate, despite all evidence to the contrary.
"...Suit yourself, stupid Haya-Haya." N-Eroheim said as she used the boy's own fist to punch him, before letting go of him and walking calmly and unerotically towards the pillar she was assigned to destroy.
He could hear it shatter. Into a million tiny pieces. And then he could hear the mechanical girl taking off. Leaving him to close his eyes in frustration, a few tears rolling down his cheeks.
Damnit... Was this really everything he amounted to..? Nothing more than a sidekick who could help at the last moment, without accomplishing anything himself?
Hayato stared to the darkening skies above, with the true Luna Descent drawing ever closer...
---
"FALL! FALL!"
True Mimoto cried out as she kept up her assault. She was going to win .She was going to crush this heroine, no matter what she did to try and stand against her. She wasn't going to let her invalidate everything that she had planned! Not at the final hour!
PAWN matched every blow that the 'True' Mimoto threw out with one of her own, her body glowing brighter and brighter green. She was able to keep her body at an impossibly strong state, all thanks to pushing herself further than she had any right or reason to.
"Hiro! You can't take much more of this!" Huanglong's voice echoed out within her ears, even though he knew that she wasn't going to listen. "If you keep this up, the Desperado system will fail, and you'll break! You won't be there for Mikai!"
"I don't care!" Hiro shouted in turn, as intense steam poured from the gaps in her armor, showing how much the system was straining to keep up with her power. "I will bring her back! I don't care what happens to me, as long as she smiles again!"
"YOU DON'T GET TO SAY THAT!" True Mimoto shouted, right as the two of them clashed against one another one more. This time, slamming their fists into each other's face. A cross counter that knocked them both back a significant amount, causing the violent Luna to cry out in pure fury.
Huanglong didn't want to keep this going. He would evacuate her somehow. So she could live another day. Mikai wouldn't want her to fall. That would just deepen her despair. But no matter how much he tried to access the systems, he was locked out...
Hiro could hear her arm laughing. Laughing at her failure. Laughing at everything she was too weak to accomplish. But she was going to prove it wrong. And if she poured everything into her crusade against the Darkness, then... Then..!
"DESPAIR DRIVE!" True Mimoto screamed as all of her power gathered in her leg. Dark flames, mimicking the other Mimoto's finishers. All while she dashed forward and leapt towards her enemy. "FLAME!" She roared, as the flames drew her towards her enemy at breakneck speeds.
"DESPERADO CHECKMATE!" PAWN met her attack with one of her own. Putting all of her power into her arm, the very same arm that was infested by the darkness. Slamming her fist into the kick that came towards her...
Only, neither of them managed to land their attack. Not before they were both knocked aside as a blackened figure slammed in between them. The blackened figure that served as the trigger to this entire conflict...
Dark Dragon had arrived. And almost immediately after arriving, her helmet forced its mouthpiece open, revealing several dozen sharp fangs that perfectly accompanied the anguished sound of her predatory roar...
True Mimoto would've roared alongside her at any other point. But the fact that she had just been saved by the same girl that she had meticulously tried to destroy and ruin... It filled her with so much rage that she couldn't help but impotently scream instead, as she was swallowed by the darkness for her own safety, forcibly ejected from this fight...
PAWN looked at the girl in front of her. The girl she fought to protect. Even though the systems blaring through her ears were telling her to stand down and that she shouldn't fight any longer...
She listened to the laughing arm, giving into those corrupted instincts to devour. All because of the biggest prey in the entire city had finally arrived.
Her reason was eroding thanks to how much she had fed her arm. And right now, all she craved was Dark Dragon's destruction. A sentiment reflected by the Dark Dragon herself, as she launched herself into combat against her former partner.
Two close partners, forced to the brinks of madness and made to fight against one another. No matter who won, there'd be nothing but grief for the victor...
---
"...We can't stand here and wait any longer."
Saki muttered as she gazed upon the reforged Divine Slayer. Now the Divine Desire, thanks to the integration of the Desriver. As proud as she was, pleased with how she could transform an oriental blade into a stinger-like blade that was similar to the needle that Spider would use... It was still missing something. But she knew she didn't have any time.
"We can and must." Yumeko said. Even with her hands tightly grasping her skirt from worry. "If we hurry... Then we won't be able to properly free Mikai. It'll fail. Shatter as she rejects us. And then..."
The blue-haired girl shook her head and grasped the end of the extra pointy rapier, as she held it in front of her. She could feel her heart opening up to it. That was the power that she had hammered into it. The power to make desires bare. "But if we don't go now, the world will end before we can save Mikai. I can't allow that to happen. Not when we're this close!"
Yumeko stared at the determined look on Saki's face... And she just lowered her head and sighed. "You're not wrong, Saki." She muttered, acknowledging that for all her thorough planning, emergencies like this were too big to ignore. "Just... Just make sure that you don't hurt her too much."
"I'll try." Saki said, as she spun the rapier once and called upon her armor in the same motion. Not a single word spoken beyond that, as Kanzei armored up for the sake of this world.
Her Heroic instinct wouldn't allow this world to fall. And now, she had to prove that she could save it..!
---
"DAMNIT! DAMNIT!"
Kimiko screamed into the void. Yet again, she had been taken away. Right before her victory. She could still fight. She knew she could still fight. She hadn't stood around for ten years, being groomed by Mama to conquer worlds like a good daughter, just to give up at the final hour.
And yet it had happened again. Not just that, but it was because of Mikai... saving her...
The act itself had left her furious. But now all she could do was sob in pure frustration. Even after everything she had done, that girl was still trying her best. She still saw her as somebody to protect.
Kimiko screamed and sobbed. As slowly but surely, how much her plans had ultimately failed became more and more apparent...
---
"Stand down, Hiro! Now! You can't keep fighting!"
Hiro didn't listen. She just growled like a beast. All while clashing against the Dark Dragon. Even though she was horribly outclassed, she still stood against her. Ready to fight against her. All for the sake of claiming her prey..!
Dark Dragon was not toying with her food. But she did not understand how this beast was able to stand up again and again. No matter how much she slashed her. No matter how much she shot her. She would still stand up.
Yet again, she slashed her with the blade that had grown from her arm. Knocking another chunk of armor off her, and adding another gash to the many she had already added.
But PAWN stood back up. And the wound she had inflicted was filled with Darkness. further and further corrupting her. Making her a slave to her instincts...
Dark Dragon cocked her arm back, as her hand split apart and revealed a cannon. And as the beast rushed her down yet again, she was shot straight in the chest. Slamming the rest of her armor off her. By all accounts, that should've killed her...
And yet the armor slowly put itself back together. All while Hiro's visor grew jagged. Beastly. Filled with pure instinct...
"Feast... Feast! FEED!" Hiro shouted as she tried to dash towards the Dark Dragon. She would not give up. Not until she had feasted upon her and added her to her arm. Not until she had gained the victory that she craved.
But she wouldn't get that victory. Not because she didn't try... But because a set of divine chains suddenly shot out and grasped onto her. And slowly but surely, her eyes started to clear. All while it was like something was being sucked out of her. Not all of the Darkness that had taken root, but just enough to bring her back to a lucid state of mind.
"KANZEEEEEEEEIIII!"
The moment that Dark Dragon spotted the golden Jõtaider, she roared in pure rage. All while Kanzei carefully stepped past Hiro, as all of her beastly rage was being pulled into her...
"Kanzei..." Hiro muttered, before closing her eyes. "...Sorry, Huanglong. I wasn't thinking straight." She said, carefully getting back onto her feet. Even though everything hurt like hell. "How long do I have before I'll be completely out of gas..?"
"Ten minutes." Huanglong said. He paused for a few seconds after that, before displaying a route that would lead her straight to Haruhi. "I can't stop you. No matter how much I want to. So the least I can do is help you. I've already sent in a request for the modules. KNIGHT should be on its way. If you go now..."
Hiro nodded as she turned to the golden Jõtaider. "Free her." Was all that she could say, before cutting her losses and breaking into a sprint to the northwest part of the city. With any luck, she could still make it. Because if these two had been this tough, then she wasn't sure if Haruhi was going to make it... And she'd be damned if she let her die after just getting back to her!
Kanzei focused her attention on the enemy in front of her. An enemy that still hadn't been damaged too badly. "Come, Mikai! I will open your heart anew and free you from your shackles!" She declared, as she dashed forward...
To clash against the Dark Dragon. As a Hero should...
---
"You're slipping, half-golden one."
Haruhi was short of breath. She was aching. She was panting. Everything hurt. Her armor had shattered beyond repair. Her Hopper System was malfunctioning. And yet she was still standing, clutching her fingers around a half-shattered Hopper Saber.
"Maybe. But you still haven't destroyed this pillar." She said with confidence. "As long as I still draw breath, you won't bring her to this world." HopperShadow claimed, pointing that shattered blade at the woman she once considered so near and dear to her.
Luna laughed, as the blackened energies once again started to cover up her blade. "Very well. Goodbye, half-golden one." She was not afraid, nor hesitant, to kill a human that got in her way.
Haruhi grit her teeth, as her eyes closed on instinct. It seemed... It seemed as if she wouldn't get the chance to introduce Ero to the woman that would've been her other Mom after all...
"Luna Sl-"
"DESPERADO THUNDERBOLT!"
Just as Luna was about to swing her blade once more, her attention was grabbed by something rapidly galloping towards her. A woman that managed to make her flinch for a second, which was just enough time for the equine projectile that was barreling towards her to make impact. Though not a strong enough impact to truly do any damage beyond slight cracks to her armor.
Haruhi opened her eyes... And Hiro was standing there. Clad in her KNIGHT armor. Despite everything she had told her, her subordinate... Chose to come and save her. From the brink of death...
"...Thank you, Hiro." Was all that Haruhi could muster, before the adrenaline in her body gave out and her transformation faded, leaving her to pass out behind the Jõtaider.
Luna stared at KNIGHT for a second, before laughing as she brandished her blade yet again. "What makes you believe that you can fight-"
"DESPERADO CHECKMATE!"
Before Luna even had the time to finish her taunt, KNIGHT had leapt forward. Using the extra speed and armor on her legs to deliver a devastating kick, that just managed to make an even bigger crack in the woman's armor than the ones that Haruhi had made. All while Hiro stared from behind the visor, renewed vigor in her eyes.
"TEN LONG YEARS, TSUKIKO!" Hiro shouted as she knocked Luna back. Arm trembling as she held it in front of her, all while letting that power run through her. Even though the Desperado system was going to make her erupt if she abused it like this. "I WAITED! I TOILED! I FOUGHT AND GUIDED! ALL BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU HAD TAUGHT ME, TSUKIKO!"
Luna didn't understand. Who was this Tsukiko? More importantly, what was this strength..?
"THIS ARM OF MINE!" Hiro shouted, as she reached into the air as the ROOK parts flew in and attached themselves, sparks quickly rushing through her system as warning sirens blared through her ears. She wasn't supposed to promote using two modules at the same time. "IT SCREAMS! IT ROARS! TELLING ME TO DEVOUR YOU! TELLING ME TO DEVOUR THOSE I HOLD DEAR!"
Luna tried to swing once more, only for the Jõtaider to slash straight through her sword in the blink of an eye. The eyes behind that visor turning bright gold, not unlike if she was tapping into a Jõtai's energy. Despite the fact that the system she wielded was nothing more than a fake..!
"MY SORROW!"
Hiro slashed again, taking a single strong step forward as she broke apart a significantl chunk of Luna's armor.
"MY ANGER!"
Luna tried to deflect again, but the blade stabbed into her stomach. Sending her back, as it was not strong enough to impale her. And yet, it was strong enough to shatter more of her defenses...
"MY LOVE!"
Hiro spread her arms as the BISHOP module arrived just as the others had, snapping onto her chest. She could feel the system overloading. She could feel it about to break at any single second. But she held it together. With pure will. As her golden eyes turned to spirals, all of the power from her suit gathered in the same arm that was corrupted by darkness. Then, and only then, did her hand shine bright...
"Love..." Luna muttered, the sight of all those concentrated feelings evoking something within her...
The Jõtaider clenched her fist once, as she felt all of her power rushing through her. All of her emotions. "THESE PAST TEN YEARS I'VE STRUGGLED, TSUKIKO! NOW RECEIVE THEM! MY EMOTIONS!" She screamed, as her armor started breaking apart while she ran towards her former teacher. "DESPERADO FINGER!"
She slammed her hand straight into Luna's face. And the emotions burned away at her instantly. All of that concentrated energy rushed into the blackened woman's body as she was forced to scream, all while she got slammed straight into the ground so all the energy could burst through her easier.
Hiro's scream echoed deep into the air around her, as her armor violently exploded off her. Right at the same time that her emotions exploded through her corrupted teacher. Both serving to illuminate the nearby area with bright black and white and green lights, thanks to how much power had poured through her...
By the time the lights faded... There was no more Luna. Not because she had been defeated, but because she had been taken away. Just like Kimiko, fading into the Darkness when she was on the verge of a true defeat...
And though everything about Hiro had broken... She was sure of one thing as she fell onto her knees. She knew one single fact, one that bounced around inside her mind as she collapsed fully.
She was sure that her feelings had reached Tsukiko...
---
"KAAAAANNNZEEEEEEIIII!"
Dark Dragon's rage was the source of her most ferocious attacks. Attacks that were almost impossible to dodge with any consistency. And Kanzei was well aware of that, because she was blocking most of the attacks to the best of her ability.
Unfortunately, she was working at less than 100%. Partly because she needed to find the opening she needed... And partly because of the beastly Darkness that she had forcibly absorbed for the sake of getting Hiro back on her feet.
It still hurt to be a Hero. But she just needed that single moment. She needed that single opportunity to strike..!
"KAAAANNZZZZZEEEEEEEIIIII!" Dark Dragon roared once more as she slammed her arms together, causing both her blade and her cannon to shatter. All while those gauntlets of hers merged together, and she reached up into the air with both of them. All while they opened, and dark energies emerged from within, forming something much worse than both of her prior armaments.
"DIVINE BIND!" That was the chance that Kanzei needed. Using her chains when the Dark Dragon was busy swapping weapons, she could buy herself a single second. No matter if the chains would shatter just moments later..!
The chains wrapped around Dark Dragon, who just roared to make them shatter. But that single second it took to roar was all that Kanzei needed. Even if Dark Dragon didn't understand what that rapier was for, nor why it was aimed at her chest.
"DIVINE DESIRE!"
Kanzei jammed the rapier straight into Dark Dragon's chest. And unlike all of her other attacks, which had been repelled due to the thick hide that served as her armor... This one struck through. Not because it was actually able to go through the armor, but rather because it was able to bypass it. And using it...
A hole opened. A hole that she quickly stuck her hand in through..!
---
Darkness.
Endless darkness.
Mikai was stuck in nothing but despair.
The darkness that she had wrought upon herself.
Then a light appeared.
A light that shone down on her.
"Mikai! TAKE MY HAND!"
The voice cried out. Somebody... somebody wanted to help her..?
She tried to reach out...
Only for that hand to be forced out. By an overprotective growl...
Ah...
That's right...
That girl was the one that had betrayed her...
She shouldn't get help from her...
Thus, Mikai closed her eyes again...
---
Kanzei was forced back, all while shocked to see that it didn't work. Not only that, but the Divine Desire that she had forged... It had shattered after it was forced out. How!? What was protecting Mikai!? It wasn't her despair, that was...!?
Dark Dragon roared again, and Kanzei had to admit that she couldn't do anything anymore. She had failed, at least in the pursuit of freeing Mikai...
So the golden Jõtaider quickly called upon the darkness, all so she could make her swift escape. And in the nick of time too. Because if she hadn't escaped, then she would've been carved in twain by the building-sized blade that had formed from the tips of Dark Dragon's 'hands'...
Unfortunately, the cost of failure and retreat wasn't just that Mikai would still go around rampaging... But that the pillar they were supposed to protect was shattered. Leaving just one to keep the barrier afloat...
How long did they still have? It was hard to say. All they could do now was regroup and hope they had enough power left for one final push...
Before there was nothing left to stop the Luna Descent...
---
"Good evening, Lady Cepha. I trust you've slept well?"
The Magician spoke to the woman that had just awoken. The squid-like Prime that had caused so much grief in a single night...
"Lumiel..." Cepha muttered, a tired and uncaring look in her eyes. "Where... Where is my Luna..?"
"I'm afraid she's gone yet again, Lady Cepha." The devious Magician spoke, before tipping his hat in a faux-apologetic fashion. "I'm sure the loss must hurt you."
Cepha merely stared at Lumiel, before laughing softly. "If she's disappeared... Then she wasn't my Luna." She concluded. "Guide me to the new world, Lumiel. It's time to find a new Luna."
Lumiel smirked. Now, the Luna Descent could truly begin...