[Corruption, Transformation, Brainwashing, Tokusatsu Themes]

"I appreciate that you wanted to hold this meeting, Mr. Tachibana. It's not often that Atlas Corp is able to conduct business as equals, rather than as Holder and Subsidiary."

A laugh echoed from the other end of the call. "You really don't need to be so formal, Byakko! How often have we had the chance to just talk as people, rather than extensions of the companies we're a part of?"

Byakko sighed and deflated, taking a seat in her chair as the holographic screen in front of her displayed the large and in-charge visage of her business partner. "Too many times to count. I still haven't forgiven you for petting me the moment we first met, Niiro!"

Her partner laughed once again, bringing emphasis to his much bigger body. A body that was so well-sculpted with muscle that you could basically make out the definition of each and every single one, despite the suit that was doing a good job of covering everything up. And his almost olympian physique was only emphasized by his blonde mullet, though it was easy to tell that it was dyed...

"Couldn't help myself, Byakko. You barely reach my thigh, how am I supposed to not just start petting you on instinct?" He chimed, before shaking his head and leaning back in his own chair. Downplaying his incredible body in the process. "How's the... Whatcha call it again?"

"V-Aibõ." Byakko replied, pinching the bridge of her nose as she leaned back as well. Despite his efforts, his physique definitely matched his intelligence... To an extent, at any rate. He could keep track of a conversation most of the time, but he had a tendency to carve things into much smaller pieces that were much more digestible rather than worrying and fussing so much about terms.

That was the kind of man that he was. Niiro Tachibana. While he was one of the Tachibana Foundation's famous eight, he was not the main heir... And he had decided that was good enough for him, before splitting off and forming his own little tech company alongside one of his younger sisters. And they proved themselves incredible at producing the electronics that were supposed to form the backbone of a lot of products, while leaving the functionality up to everyone else. Especially Byakko...

How did the two meet, exactly? Well, it all started with a little tech conference, and a hand falling on Byakko's head. Ever since that day, a small beneficial partnership was born between the two parties, even if Byakko would never forgive him for that introduction.

"Right, that. That junk you sent over for mass production isn't the real deal, thank god for that, but it's really compatible with the boards that we've developed. We can probably have another... Hold on." The screen paused for a second, before his image flickered back to life. "Roku says that we can have another hundred thousand boards done by next weekend."

"Just need ten thousand for the time being." Byakko shot back, deflating slightly in her chair. "If we don't iron out the bugs with the first batch, there's no way I can stake my pride on it being sold internationally. I'll keep you in the know, Niiro. But you owe me!"

"I know, I knoooow! Roku's already working on it!" Niiro laughed once again as the angry kitty decided to amp up her anger at him. "I'll be looking forward to seeing how this all pans out. Oh, and tell Nanako that I wanna see her again soon! It's been-"

Byakko didn't let him finish before turning off the call, quietly stewing in her bubbling anger. Not caused by him, far from it. If anything, it was because he was being roped into all of these schemes that she was starting to get angry. He probably didn't realize that Atlas was already setting up his dad to take the fall for his experiments...

"Lady Byakko! Look! The fusion function's working!"

Nor did he realize that his sweet younger sister Nanako was one of the prime subjects for these kinds of experiments, as Byakko swiveled her chair to the side to look straight at a young lady who was currently cardboard armor with a fake cannon and blade attached to each 'hand'. Cardboard with decorations that both looked too flimsy and yet at the same time too elaborate to have been done by hand.

"I know it works, that's not what I asked you to TEST!" Byakko shouted, Nanako tumbling over in turn. "Make sure that the Pet inside of the V-Aibõ is not able to control you. We need that function to be ironed out before we launch the next version! There's no way I'm going to be the one responsible for an outbreak!"

Nanako saluted her superior, before going back to fiddling with the trinket she held in her hands. Or, at least trying to do so given the armor that she was currently wearing. All while leaving Byakko to sigh and rub the tips of her fingers against her forehead...

At least she could work on this without somebody getting in the way, given her relationship with their partner...

---

"Saki's already gone..."

Mikai was yawning as she walked down the stairs, straight into Hiro's living room. She didn't blame Saki for going off on her own, given that she was still trying to figure things out. But at the same time, she really wanted to know when she might end up in trouble. Especially with how much she had been struggling to keep control of herself...

Though that train of thought very quickly ended up getting derailed as she looked at one of the couches, and found Hiro currently laying down... Right on Natsuki's lap, with the former 'Native' currently dressed like an angel, complete with currently strumming a harp to add to the mood.

"I didn't know you could play a harp, Natsuki." Mikai said as she came over, resting her arms on the back of one of the other couches.

"Neither did I." Natsuki said in return, smiling as she let her fingers leave the harp so she could flash a strange device currently hanging from her wrist. "It's all thanks to the little angel in this thing. AngelMusic, I think she called herself? She just jumped out last night, and then... Well, I managed to catch myself a Hiro-senpai. Isn't that something?"

Beings inside of devices... Kinda like Hub-chan? Huh. "What is that anyway?" Mikai asked, all while trying not to stare down at the incredibly serene and peaceful Hiro. Wouldn't want to give her any trouble when she actually looked content for once.

"Gosh, now isn't that an interesting question?" Natsuki giggled, before putting her fingers back to the harp. "It's a little gift that Hiro-senpai gave me a few days ago. They should be on the market today, so why don't you go and get one? I'm sure three girls that you've got a heart to spare for would love to get one from you."

Three? But... Oh, Saki would probably like one too, couldn't hurt to get her one. "Okay! I'll see if I can find one! Take care of Hiro while I'm out, Natsuki!" Mikai chimed as she waved goodbye, rushing out the door as quick as she could. Not just because she wanted to get some, but because she had promised that she'd go out with Saeko today!

Natsuki smiled, right before she plucked a single string from the harp and gazed down at Hiro, who was still as calm and as pleased as she could be with her nullified emotions. "This isn't going to cause problems for other people, is it, Hiro?"

Hiro did not initially respond. At least until Natsuki plucked another string, sending a discord-filled note through the air. "I don't know. Byakko just gave it to me and told me to give it to somebody I trusted. While I was worried about Seiryu doing things to do you during your analysis, Byakko has never shown herself to be the plotting type. I think she genuinely has the best in mind for these."

"I hope so. Because I'm not letting you off my lap today, Senpai. So please, close your eyes and enjoy the sound."

Once again, Natsuki began to play the tune. Letting the sweet melodies flow through the air. All while her Senpai rested on her lap...

Resting away, letting the warmth of others' love for her gradually work its healing effects on her nullified emotions...

---

"I'm not wearing that."

"But Mooooooooom. All you have are dirty suits and robes!"

"They're comfortable, Ero. How did you even pick out something that garish for me?"

Ero puffed her cheeks up. She had finally managed to convince Lady Hopper, alias Haruhi Kaneko, alias her so-called Mom, to go out and enjoy a day of leisure with her. And then she starts being difficult, not trying out any of the outfits that she had done her best to pick out for her?

Sure, Haruhi was in her early forties at this point, but she could probably still rock the same sort of outfits as Ero would! Gothic Lolita, despite the name, was always in season! And besides, black and gold made for a great combination of colors.

"Am I garish too, Mom? Is that it? You just don't wanna look like me?" She actually did feel a little hurt when Haruhi insinuated that her colors went together awfully. She knew they did! But that didn't mean she wanted her Mom to say it like that!

Haruhi paused as she noticed the tears slowly beginning to well up in the corners of Ero's eyes. Ero... Ero never really cried, even when left alone before. Had her time with Hayato led her to... No, it didn't matter how she had been developing. Fact of the matter was, by insulting her daughter's tastes like that...

Not that Ero truly was her daughter. She was an expanded version of the same system that allowed her to transform. Just in a humanoid form. And yet at the same time, she had grown an ego of her own. In fact, that was part of why she had installed her own personality data, as well as parts of Tsukiko's personality data. It was an act of sentimentality that ultimately led to... All of this, really.

Maybe it was encountering Hiro after all this time. Maybe it was the way that Hayato was starting to stray from the path of pure hate towards the people that hurt his Mom. Maybe it was seeing everyone's efforts working to save Mikai. No matter what had caused it, Haruhi was here today. Out shopping with...

"...I'm sorry, Ero. I'm an awful Mother." Haruhi muttered, as she pulled her daughter into her arms. "I have no right to make fun of you for how you dress up. Nor how you decide to wear those colors that you love. I'm sorry."

Ero hugged her back, nuzzling into her Mom's shoulder. "It's okay, Mom." She said. Even lingering on Mom for a bit, as she tightened her hug. This was one of the very first times that Ero had actually felt like Mom was trying to be... Mom. Instead of the woman consumed by the way she lost her soulmate. Instead of a woman consumed by everything she had done wrong. "But you have to promise me. You'll wear something I buy for you. Just once. Okay?" She grinned, as she met her Mom's gaze once again. "That way, we can both give Hayato a heart attack. It'd be really funny!"

There was that teasing part of her. Probably a perversion of the parts of Tsukiko that she installed... No, it was who Ero was. And Haruhi just couldn't stop sighing in response, smiling back the best she could. "Just once." She relented. She could do that much at least...

Even if she couldn't deal with the mantle of being a Hero... Then she could at least try to be the Mom that she wished she always could be...

That much she could hope to atone over, before the Jõtai... Before the Monster Gene inside her wreaked more havoc than it already had...

---

"It's not like you to call me, Saki. Especially after what you did."

Saki nodded as sat across from the first person she had turned during her... 'reign' as Kanzei. Aimi Sasaki. Head of the delinquents at Mimoto High, and after her brief stint as a Jõtaijin, their... 'Mama', as well.

A role that she still lived up to, after everything was said and done. Even going out of the way to replace the kanji on both her cap and right above her waist. The fact that she was even willing to speak to her after what Saki had done, however? Commendable...

"I know." Saki muttered, lowering her head. Couldn't bring herself to stare straight into the girl's eyes after what she had done. "I... I'm sorry. For what I-"

She didn't get to finish before something hit her on the forehead. Not particularly hard, just a soft 'bonk', enough to make her raise her head to see what had been tossed at her... And simultaneously lock eyes with the girl. An act that caused her body to tremble, as she felt that presence inside her starting to eat away at her once again...

"Quit looking like that. I know you're sorry. You wouldn't have arranged this if you weren't." Aimi said, as she pointed towards the item she had thrown. "Look at that for a second."

Saki blinked, letting her eyes drift down towards the device now laying on the table. It looked like it could fit in her hand, while at the same time being rather retro. What with the black and white screen and the obvious pixels. "...What is this?" She asked."

"Something I want you to protect. It's the least you could do as a start." Aimi said, pulling out her own copy of the same sort of device. "They call it the V-Aibõ. Kinda cute if you ask me. It’s like a game where you take care of a pet. You’d think with a name like that, it’d be about raising a partner. Still cute though!"

The device beeped and booped as it came to life, displaying a feminine figure with a coat over her arms, and roses on both the figure's shoulders. And that rose-like aesthetic, as hard as it was to make out given the tiny sprite, continued all across her body...

"This one's called BanchoRose. I've tried to have one of my girls look up if there's any guides or anything, but it seems like it's so new that nobody knows anything. So... Just doin' my best. And you'll have to do your best too." Aimi explained, as she turned her own device towards her. Grinning a little as she started fiddling with the small buttons. Gotta make sure she cared properly for her lil' friend.

Saki picked up her own V-Aibõ, gazing down at that tiny screen. A tiny screen that lit up, only to display a bulky sprite. One way different from the one that was on Aimi's.

This one looked like a mixture of a wicked masked biker, with a mechanical body that was armed to the teeth. The tiny text underneath said... 'SaintBeelze'. What was so saintly about that... Or was it that the mechanical figure had fallen, hence the more demonic...

Saki shook her head. She could still hear that voice in the back of her head. Still trying to call her out for what she was doing. But for the moment, she felt that she could still keep control... "Thanks, Aimi. I'll do my best."

"Damn straight." Aimi shot back, grinning as she met the eyes of the Student President that had given her too much crap in the past. The very same that had also done her best to help her when she was in trouble with her family. "The best way to get better is to do what you can. Nothing more, nothing less. Now come on, lemme see what you got."

It had been so long since she had just... Sat there with a friend. She had lost her way when she tried to be the only hero. And even with that voice in the back of her mind, trying to remind her how she was throwing it all away by doing this...

Being together with a friend like this... It was worth everything in the world...

---

"You really think Yumeko'd want one of those? Isn't the name a little suspicious? What if it really is a Jõtai?"

"Yes, yes, I dunno! Come on, Saeko, we can't just be worried all the time!"

"I know, but we can't just throw ourselves headfirst into danger either! You know what could happen if we don't stop and think!"

Mikai and Saeko had met up a little while after Mikai left Hiro's home, and were now walking down the halls of the Mimoto Mall together. Hand in hand, fingers tightly interwoven. Even if one of them was a lot less confident than the other.

"It's just like, a little device that can fuse with you or something! That's what Natsuki said, and she turned into a pretty angel with a bunch of weird belts around her body!" Mikai giggled, mimicking the harp-strumming motion that the older girl had done. "You should've seen Hiro, Saeko! She actually looked happy, as happy as she could with everything that's happened to her!"

"...R-Run that by me one more time? B-Belts?" Saeko blinked as her imagination quickly flooded with the thought of an angel wrapped in belts in a very... Erotic manner. And, since she had already met Natsuki and seen the resemblance between her and Mikai... She filled Mikai into the space Natsuki should be in, causing her to very quickly grow way redder than she should be. "H-How do you handle her dressing like that?"

Mikai tilted her head, audibly letting out a confused noise. She didn't know what Saeko was talking about. What was so wrong with that kind of outfit? "I just let her do what she wants? She's Hiro's girl, I don't need to worry... Unless she gets into trouble again, then I'll try and save her for Hiro's sake!"

"Right, right..." Saeko muttered, still completely consumed by the red hues on her face...

"Saeko! Mikai! Nice to see you two out and about!"

A friendly voice cried out, and both Mikai and Saeko turned to hear. The owner of said voice? Yuuki, who was currently wheeling Minami along. Even though the girl really didn't need it, what with how she had shown herself to walk and jump and everything while transformed...

Though one glance at her smug expression was enough to make those thoughts bury themselves back into the back of Mikai's mind, with the sandy-blonde jogging over with a bright smile on her face. "Yuuki-senpai! Minami! Have you seen those weird V-Aibõ things? I wanted to get one for Yumeko and Saeko and myself, but I don't know where to get them!"

"And another falls for the obvious bait." Minami said, sighing a little as she rested against the back of her wheelchair. "Yuuki fell in love with the one she got from her little sister yesterday. And she decided to drag me along to go shopping for more. And here I was, planning to simply read a story the entire day. You know, I was hoping to finish the story about the girl whose powers violently pierced thorugh her the first time she used them."

Yuuki laughed in turn. "Don't act like you don't want one, Minami. It'd be fun to talk to while you're busy reading, wouldn't it?" The fiery-hearted girl said, with Minami simply shrugging her shoulder to deflect the need to answer it. "I found the place though, buuuut they're out of stock."

Mikai huffed and puffed as Saeko managed to catch up to her, with the lavender-haired girl quickly noticing a glint in her fellow student council member's eye. "...You got extras just in case, didn't you, Yuuki?"

"I was trying to make it a surprise, Saeko!" Yuuki laughed, not one to get weighed down by her bit being undone by somebody else getting ahead of herself. "Here, Mikai. You too, Saeko. I got my own, and I'll keep one on hand for Minami. If she ever decides to change her mind!"

The white-haired girl chucked two more V-Aibõ to her friends, all while pulling her sleeve down to reveal her own hanging from her wrist. The pixel creature illustrated on the screen of her V-Aibõ looked like a vulpine woman with long blonde hair, yet at the same time she was clad in deep black armor that seemed far too big for her, complete with a double ended lance that completed her menacing look. "Mine's SakuyaKnight. Yuuka picked it out and thought that the tall, dark and handsome look was great for me. Can't say I entirely agree, but I'll take what I can get from her!"

Saeko caught hers, blinking a few times as she saw hers take form on her screen. 'StingDuke' was what the text said, but it really didn't look like a duke nor a... Sting, persay. It looked more like a bug covered in elaborate carapace armor, complete with a lance on one arm and a big shield covering up its weaker side...

Mikai caught hers as well, and almost immediately the V-Aibõ started to shine brightly. All while a mechanical lion brimming with extra pixel-y effects took shape on her screen. 'ShineLeo' was what hers was called, and it definitely seemed to shine. Kinda like herself when she was in Flame Lion form. Huh, maybe it...

‘You ought to be careful, Mikai. That thing smells like a Jõtai. '

Chimera appeared by her, as everything was consumed by the darkness of Mikai's mind, With the bigger cat quietly plucking the V-Aibõ from Mikai's hands as she examined it. Not that she understood any of it, but the energies that were brimming from the device definitely seemed to resonate with her.

"Yeah, it could turn Natsuki, so it has to be something like it. But it doesn't feel... Corruptive. At least not in the same way that a Jõtai does." Mikai said, as she reached up for the V-Aibõ. "Give it back, I wanna look more at it!"

Her taller companion nodded and dropped it back into Mikai's hands, crossing her arms slightly as her tail swished behind her. "If anything goes wrong, don't hesitate to transform and deal with the problem. Who knows just how many people have this thing in their hands now?"

Mikai nodded as the darkness, and Chimera for that matter, vanished as everything returned to normal. All while she gently thumbed the screen with ShineLeo displayed on it...

It was really cute, so she definitely hoped nothing was going to go wrong...

---

"Almost there..."

Byakko muttered, eyes twitching due to all the energy drinks that she had downed over the last few hours. She had been working hard, delving into the artificial Jõtai that served as the transformative aspect of the V-Aibõ. All so that she could shut away its corruptive and transformative power so that nothing bad was going to happen and it could live up to the ‘V-Aibõ’ name...

She just needed to push this last patch while she was connected to the network, so that the update could be applied to every single device while they were still within the city. And then..!

"My my. What do you think you're doing, Byakko? Who gave you permission to ruin this little plan I've been brewing?"

A pair of hands found their way in front of Byakko's eyes, preventing her from seeing what was currently on screen. As much as she could memorize where the keys were and thus keep on carrying out the coding she needed to do... She knew better than to do so when that woman was here..!

"Suzaku. This is MY toy. You don't get to butt in!" Byakko shouted, the ground underneath her starting to rumble in turn, her irises turning bestial underneath the hands that were trying to blind her.

Unfortunately, her rage did not get to last long. Not when she could feel a pair of warm wings wrapping around her. Pulling her into the infernal flames that Suzaku was known. Those flames that could burn down emotions and wills, all so that she could manipulate them and make them follow her whims...

"Oh, I understand completely. But unfortunately, that simply isn't true. Don't you remember the vow you made when we first stood before him? The vow to make his wishes come true? I can't have you make something like this when it would serve a much better purpose."

Suzaku's words were pouring through Byakko's ears. Burning away her defenses as they danced their way towards her mind. All while Byakko's body trembled more and more in her seat, her defenses melting away as she almost collapsed completely into that wonderful chair...

Byakko had been exposed to Suzaku's power before. It was reserved for very special occasions, because the woman was far too content to simply play around with the fashion that she loved so much. So the fact that she was making a move... Damnit, what was that guy thinking..!? Was this really so important to keep?!

"There there. No need to fight. No need to resist. Just remain in my grasp. And everything will simply play out as it's meant to." Suzaku's voice continued to serenade her and raze the kitten's defenses to the ground in the same breath, all while those hands gradually moved away from Byakko's face, allowing her to see once more. Not that she could see the computer any longer...

All she could see was the door leading into her office, and how it gradually opened to reveal two figures...

"Let go of me..! LET GO OF ME! WHEN MAMA FINDS OUT ABOUT THIS, SHE'S GOING TO TAKE YOU GUYS DOWN, YOU HEAR?!"

A blonde delinquent was thrown in through the doorway. A first year from Mimoto High, not that Byakko could really focus on such minor details. Not while her mind was on the verge of practically melting out through her ears. All that she could do was simply watch...

"Michiko Kikai. You are fit to serve as our test subject. That is what Lady Suzaku has deemed necessary."

The other girl, the one that had thrown her into the office in the first place, was dressed like most other Atlas Corp employees. The main difference being a lightning pattern woven into her tie, and an armband wrapped around her slim arm. She was short, though not short enough to be on the same level as the main man himself, and her unimposing body was contrasted both by her lightning-shaped eyebrows, as well as her side-tail which had the same sort of lightning bolt-like shape to it. Combine the aesthetics of her hair with the bright yellow hue, and the almost shocking way she gazed at things, and she clearly wasn't one to be messed with...

"Excellent work, Raijin. Nobody will be able to truly connect us to this incident, because who would believe a Delinquent?" Suzaku chimed, with her subordinate bowing her head in turn. "Byakko. The master unit. I know you have it. It's what you were about to patch." She said, her hands starting to stroke the cheeks of the shorter kitten. All to reinforce her grip on her fellow Saint...

Byakko wanted to resist. Of course she did. Letting Suzaku stomp all over her wasn't how she wanted this to go. But she couldn't resist. Not when that Phoenix had melted away her defenses like this. So she reached over towards her computer, pulling the device out of its slot and handing it off to her redheaded 'partner'...

Raijin pushed her glasses up with one hand as the device was tossed to Lady Suzaku, only to then catch it herself with her free hand. All while making sure to glance down at the girl at her feet. A common troublemaker. But she had her role to fill as well. A role that she would make sure that she filled without even a single thought dedicated to anything else...

"I won't... I won't do anything for you guys! I won't!" Michiko cried out as she tried to force herself onto her feet. She had been roughed up by that thunderbolt girl, but that didn't mean she was out for the count. She would be letting Mama down if she-

A scream left Michiko's lips as a bolt of lightining struck straight through her mind. Leaving her limp, as that bolt was still connected to her. And to the fingertips of the tanned girl that had fired it through her.

"You will follow protocol, Michiko Kikai." Raijin said, as she offered the device to her. "Activate the transformation function. Merge with the V-Jõtai, and access the network. All will follow protocol from then on." She gave her very vague, yet very strict instructions...

Instructions that Michiko simply couldn't fight against, tightly gripping the device as it started to glow brightly while ‘V-Jõtai’ appeared across its display. "Transformation... Confirmed... Jõtai Matrix... Activate..." The words barely felt like her own, yet she couldn't fight back against them. Not while those impulses were firing through her mind with such intensity...

A mechanical roar echoed out through the office, as the light quickly spread across Michiko. All while several pixelated strands of DNA covered her completely, forming rings that spun around her faster and faster...

Until they slammed into her, breaking apart the light to reveal the transformed girl within. A girl that barely resembled her original self at this point. She was less like a girl, and more like a mismatched set of mechanical parts that were hammered together into the form of a Monster...

Even the individual parts weren't properly sized. One leg was thicker than the other, one arm abnormally large compared to the railgun that served as her other arm... And her head currently looked like it was just as draconic as that Overlord Helheim... She was a complete mess, and yet at the same time, that messiness came together into the form of a deadly machine...

"MugenMachine... Matrix Complete..." The transformed girl, now going by the V-Jõtai's name, muttered in a tone that was no longer her own. Her voice was gruff and seemed to radiate calculated wrath. Which fit the deep red glow in her irises... And the sharp edge to most of her body.

Suzaku smiled, squishing Byakko's cheeks ever slightly as she was forced to watch this unfold. "You were able to create something quite wonderful, Byakko. If you could just perfect the artificial Jõtai that you used to make these ‘V-Jõtai’, then Atlas Corp can have its very own army of Jõtaijin. All under his command. Then the world will truly be his, not just virtually."

Byakko could not respond. All she could do was drool, as most of her resistance and her ability to think independently had melted away. Oh, she was aware of what was happening... And she was definitely screaming within the depths of her mind. That bitch was coopting her work and giving it such a stupid name too!

But all she could do, as that Raijin girl once again shot a bolt of lightning through 'MugenMachine's head to ensure that she was following protocol...

Was simply stare and drool, all while cursing Suzaku over and over inside her mind...

---

"Hm? Guys, where'd Minami go?"

The three friends had been having a lot of fun trying to compare and play with their V-Aibõ, and only a little while after they got lost in their new hobby did they realize that their wheelchair-'bound' friend had decided to disappear. With Mikai being the one to voice that confusion.

Yuuki turned her head and tried to look for Minami too, but came up emptyhanded. "Huh. Guess she had something to do. Well, I've got a spare for her when I get back to her place. I promise I'd cook for her tonight, and Yuuka just taught me a great recipe last night. I'm sure it'll go well!"

Saeko's face went deadly pale as she heard Yuuki speak about cooking. Not something she would want to experience again. "R-Right, yes, she'll..." She started trying to downplay how bad Yuuki's cooking skills were, especially after her newly awoken fire powers were added to the mix...

Right before she felt a shock pour through her arm. The same arm that was currently holding onto the V-Aibõ that she had been focusing so much on. It was starting to gleam too, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that something bad was about to happen. Just her luck... At least Yumeko didn't get hers yet.

"Saeko? Saeko, are you-" Mikai tried to check on her girlfriend, only to experience the same shock as a pained cry left her lips. All while the same glow that came from her own V-Aibõ started to shine in her eyes...

Yuuki didn't even get to try and comment on the two girls suddenly stopping like they had been shocked, because she ended up getting shocked too. Causing her to let out the same sort of cry as Mikai...

"Jõtai Matrix... Activate..."

The three girls spoke in unison, as they too were consumed by the same golden energy, with pixelated dna rings quickly spiraling around their golden bodies.

Only for each of them to shatter one by one. Revealing their transformed... No, their combined forms. As they had become one with the artificial Jõtai within...

"StingDuke... Matrix Complete..." The transformed Saeko muttered, now standing tall and proud as a powerful duke, her body covered in the same sort of carapace armor as the creature that had been inside the V-Jõtai. Only with her lips uncovered, allowing her much more commanding and sensual voice to echo out without any barriers. A voice that would do well in commanding her kin, so that they would not get in the way of her Lance...

"SakuyaKnight... Matrix Complete..." The transformed Yuuki followed suit, slamming her two-ended lance into the ground as her armored tails swished behind her. She was even taller and more imposing than StingDuke, and it looked like she was tempted to betray the one at her side. But in reality, she was the most loyal she could be... With the power of both loyalty and mysticism at her side, the vulpine Knight was ready to fight alongside her duke...

"ShineLeo... Matrix Complete..." Finally, Mikai spoke. Her body turned into a sleek mess of mechanical muscle, with a flaming mane sticking out from her neck that went together well with the flaming wings pouring out from the boosters on her back. All while those flames also spawned a set of weapons that stuck to her fists... So that she could swap between literal hand-to-hand combat and sticking to more formal combat with her blade and shield at a moment's notice...

The three girls gazed upon one another, nodding in tandem. They had their orders. Because they were connected to the protocols that were being poured into them by the master unit. They were charged with finding other appropriate vessels for the Jõtai Matrix process...

Their protocol was everything... And nobody would be able to go against that protocol...

---

"That device..."

Ero blinked as she held up the V-Aibõ that she had been planning to give to Hayato. "What about it, Mom? I had picked it up before you came here, because I knew you were going to make things difficult." She said, despite the fact that she currently had a massive bag full of clothes hanging off her shoulder.

Haruhi would like to not focus too much on the fact that her daughter had roped her into buying far too many clothes compared to what she had promised. Instead, she was focused on the device that seemed to resonate with her. It was... A Jõtai? Yet at the same time, slightly different...

And it was thanks to that intense focus that she noticed the screen had begun to glow and display the ‘V-Jõtai’ name, right before it began to paralyze Ero. "ERO, LET GO OF IT! NOW!" She shouted, as she made a move to swipe it from her daughter's wrist.

Ero didn't react nearly as fast as her Mom, but that didn't matter. The V-Jõtai was torn from its bracelet, and she quickly staggered away once she had caught up with the command. "Mom? What's-"

She didn't get the chance to even finish what she was saying, before she felt dread rushing through her systems as she visibly saw energy sparking across Haruhi's body. "MOM!"

"Jõtai Matrix... Activate..."

Haruhi was no less capable of resisting the pull of the V-Jõtai, as she was quickly covered up by the exact same golden cocoon. One that almost immediately shattered after, courtesy of the same DNA strands as the others had been affected by. And in the place of Haruhi...

"MagnaHopper... Matrix Complete..."

Stood a much buffer, yet at the same time much sleeker version of Hopper. It was like she was layered in a thick set of Jõtai-style metal that made her look much more muscular than she really was, to the point of the energy inside her being so volatile that it was threatening to leak out of her. All while she slowly started to focus her attention on Ero, the girl who showed compatibility with the V-Jõtai...

"You... YOU!" Ero cried out, tears immediately starting to stream down her cheeks as rage filled her heart, the Desriver on her wrist flipping open as she flicked her personal medal into the air... "LET GO OF MY MOM!"

"DESIRE UP! HOPPER!"

Ero's own voice echoed from her driver, drawing her scythe as she threw herself into combat with her transformed Mom. They just had a chance to bond with her after all this time!

SHE WASN'T LETTING SOME STUPID THING RUIN THIS!

---

"She looks a lil' too creepy to be a saint, don't she?"

Saki nodded slightly as she gazed down at the pixelated and mostly-mechanical biker depicted on the V-Aibõ. Even though she looked... less saintly than her name might imply, what with her entire body basically being a walking armory, that didn't mean that she was harmful. "And you don't look creepy with the way you induct people into your family, Aimi?"

The redheaded girl laughed. "I suppose not! Can't say I've been the best there. But you were always there to try and keep me in check, Saki. Even if I kept on slipping." Aimi admitted, before gently tapping her own V-Aibõ. "If you hadn't been there back then, I'm not sure-"

Aimi's words were left unfinished as a powerful spark poured out from the V-Aibõ she held, causing her to stop. Just like everyone else that had received a V-Aibõ. Just like everyone else that had been wrapped up in a scheme they weren't aware of, as the V-Aibõ’s true nature as the V-Jõtai came into effect...

"Aimi? Aimi!" Saki was naturally concerned as she noticed her friend suddenly stopping like that, though she wasn't stupid. If anything, she immediately recognized what the problem was...

She squeezed down on the V-Jõtai the moment that the shock poured out of it. As if she had felt the presence of another will trying to pour out through it. It prevented the will from affecting her, but it didn't stop what had already begun.

"Jõtai Matrix... Activate..."

A powerful burst of golden energy rushed forth from the V-Jõtai screen, knocking the table that Aimi and Saki were sitting at over as well as the Student President herself. All while that energy completely and utterly swallowed the girl whole, leaving absolutely nothing behind. Almost as if she was being transformed into a Jõtaijin all over again...

"Of course..." Saki muttered to herself as she gazed down at the virtual pet. It wasn't just named Jõtai for nothing, it had all the effects of one. But at the same time... It really did feel like there was another presence inside it. Not like it was just one big scam that would transform them all over again...

She gazed back at the cocoon that Aimi had been forced into, blinking as she saw the dna-styled rings around it. Only to then shield herself as the cocoon shattered, allowing the newly transformed victim to interface with the world around her once more.

"BanchoRose... Matrix Complete..."

Compared to the woman that Aimi had been just moments prior, whose natural delinquency had only been enhanced and matured thanks to her other stint as a victim, the newly transformed victim had a much more seductive aura to her. Helped by the way she actually wore her coat instead of letting it hang across her shoulders. As well as the way her hair had turned into a blooming rose, which hid her eyes away and only allowed for those plump and succulent red lips...

Underneath the coat, however, was a brand new kind of outfit. A dress that squeezed tightly onto Aimi's body, even emphasizing something she wanted to keep hidden down below. All while several ropes of thorns were coiled around her, like several spiky belts were wrapped around her. She was like a mixture of a delinquent and a dominatrix, and that was only enhanced by the whips that were wrapped around her fists like gauntlets...

"Aimi..!" Saki cried out as she tried to reach out towards her transformed friend. But the rose-haired woman simply ignored her. As if she didn't recognize her... Not just her, but also her potential as another one to transform...

"SEE? THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS BECAUSE YOU DON'T LISTEN TO ME."

The voice was amping up once again. The guilt of everything, the toxic obsession with being a Hero. Spearing through her heart, emphasized by her inability to save her friend...

Everything was being drowned out by the light shone on her by that voice. Everything except the light. The light that was burning away at her for not giving in and being the lone Hero. Like she was supposed to be..!

"M.. MIk..."

"DON'T SAY HER NAME!"

The scorching sun weighed its light down on her. Burning away at her will. A will that had long since cracked because of the guilt over everything she had done. A will that had been beaten to the ground because she was too headstrong...

"MOM! MOOOOOOM! LET GO OF HER, YOU FAKE JÕTAI!"

But a voice pierced through. And it wasn't Mikai's. No, the voice that reached through belonged to Ero, who Saki could just barely see past the light that was trying to blind her.

Ero was... Ero was calling out for her Mom. Just as Saki once had. Back when she was... Back when...

"Back when SHE killed them. Back when we learned that being a Hero means doing the difficult things! BEING A HERO MEANS CARRYING EVERYTHING ON YOUR BACK, REGARDLESS OF WHAT OTHERS MAY THINK!"

The light burned. And yet...

Past the light. Saki was barely able to make out what was happening past the light. It was faint, but she could make out the outlines of two wills...

One was flaring bright. Ero's will, given the way it roared when she heard Ero's voice echo out. The other... The other was a Golden will. There was only one person that could belong to, as snuffed out as it currently was. She knew that person. Not just as Ero's Mother...

"That's HER." The voice spoke again. "Our Hero. And it seems like she's just as unreliable as everyone else." The voice was filled with disappointment. As if a pedestal had been broken. But it wouldn't matter. She would build it back up. And stand on it herself.

*ba-thump*

Her heart. She could hear her heart.

*ba-thump* *ba-thump*

It was beating. Like the drums of war.

*ba-thump* *ba-thump* *ba-thump*

No. It was like the rhythm of her hammer meeting the metal she worked on. Like the basic principle of blacksmithing. The mental anchor she used to control her powers.

Saki couldn't stand here. She couldn't just sit here and barely watch that Hero... She couldn't just..!

Then. Another will entered the fray. A hollow will, shifting colors every few seconds. A hollow will filled with love from everyone...

Mikai... Mikai had arrived. And judging by the outline she saw... She was... She was fighting Ero... But... But that meant...

The beating stopped.

"Good. Let her fight. We'll deal with the problem, and then make her understand that she's meant to leave it to us." The voice spoke again. And yet, Saki did not hear it.

What she heard instead, was a weak voice. A weak voice barely able to speak from the palm of her hand.

"My... My friends... I can't... I can't let them down again..!"

...The creature inside of the virtual pet... Inside of the V-Jõtai. The thing she was supposed to fuse with. It was... It wanted to save the others. Just as Saki wanted to save...

"No. No more."

Saki muttered to herself as she pulled herself up. Letting the V-Pet hang from her wrist, connected by a chain that suddenly manifested from said wrist. All while her cane manifested in her hand. The first time it had done so in weeks.

"Have I finally gotten through to you?" The voice said, a twang of happiness. As if the girl finally saw sen-

"SILENCE!"

The light that blinded her was immediately snuffed out, and the voice faded to the back of her mind. She would not listen to her. Not for a second longer. No matter how much she might try to writhe and whine from her prison, she wouldn't get what she wanted. And with the peace of mind, and one clear goal in mind, Saki threw herself into the action with one powerful cry.

"HENSHIN!"

---

Ero was in a rough spot. Scythe currently trying to pierce its way through her mom's extremely tough Jõtai-like armor, while at the same time using one leg to keep her arm away from her so that she wouldn't be blasted by some sort of energy. All while Mikai, or at least what felt like Mikai, was currently trying to burn her with a blade she was trying to repel with her free hand.

Rough spot to find herself in, but she was incredibly glad she had downloaded several tips on how to fight while wielding a pole. Even if she looked like she was wrapped around it like a snake while trying to fight.

"Convert." The converted Mikai, now ShineLeo, declared her intention. All while jumping back briefly as she let the flaming blade in her hand quickly sink back into her armored and mechanical arms. Arms that were very quickly storing all of that energy that she had used to power her weapons, as if she was charging up a very dangerous attack.

"Convert." MagnaHopper followed suit as she wrestled herself free from her daughter's grip, as a golden glow poured forth from her armor. No doubt thinking of using that energy to cover so much ground that Ero would have no room to escape or defend herself.

Ero was stuck between a rock and a hard place. If she were to dodge one attack, she'd be hit by the other. If she were to try and defend, she'd be hit by both. And it's not like she had a lot of medals on hand to try and fight back and get some air to breathe, at best she had the Infernal Medal, and the one she had grabbed from those lovebirds!

"Oh, what I wouldn't give for Hayahaya to be here!" Ero cried out, as she put a hand over her chest. She did have one option, and even if it meant Mom would be sad, she'd at least be free-

"DIVINE TERRITORY!"

An unexpected voice rung out, and the ground underneath Ero and the two enemies quickly was swallowed by darkness. Immediately, several deadly looking hands emerged from the darkness, each trying to grab pull away at the armors that covered the three of them.

"Oop, no touching!" Ero cried out as she slammed the butt of her scythe into the ground and leapt onto the tip of it. All while grinning slightly as she watched the energy that was being stored within both MagnaHopper and ShineLeo slowly but surely drain...

Allowing her to turn towards her unlikely savior. "Well, if it isn't Kanzei! Fancy seeing you trying to help!" She chimed, before winking and waving at her. "But seriously, great timing. Mind lending me a biiiig hand? Mom's stuck trying to turn me into some sort of pet, and Mikai's trying to grill me. Seriously, how'd she get caught?"

"It doesn't matter how." Kanzei said, taking slow and deliberate steps as the darkness underneath her tried to pull at her as well. No doubt the vague attempts by the voice to try and wrestle back control. But she wasn't going to give her that chance. "Ero! Trust in me!" She shouted as she slammed the butt of her cane into the ground. "DIVINE BIND!"

Her usual chains wrapped around Ero's scythe, as the armored JõtaiKiller flashed two peace signs in response. "As long as you help me with Mom, then it's all good!" She shouted, before quickly scoping out what might be the plan. Ah, is that... Heh, yeah, that'd work!

"DIVINE DECREE!" Kanzei declared her attack once more, the darkness trying to practically erupt from her hand. The very same darkness that yanked on the scythe, pulling it back. Further and further back, allowing the chains that held it to strain more and more...

Both of the two converted girls started to recover, ShineLeo more so as the flames in her arms started to violently erupt. "Convert... Therefore..." She muttered, the subroutines that forced her to obey forcing her in turn to rear her fist back. "Shining King Fist." She said, punching forward with both fists as the energies from her arms erupted.

An onslaught was fired from her fists. Several lion heads, each roaring with rage as the flames that fueled them kept on erupting while they flew across the skies. Each aimed straight at Ero, the biggest target of them all...

"Now! RELEASE, AND FLY!"

Kanzei's powers shut down in that instant, causing the pressure put on Ero's scythe to immediately be undone. Sending the scythe flying in the other direction, right in between the many heads that were about to hit Ero. Now missing their target, all because the target was clinging to that very same scythe.

"Sorry, V-Jõtai! But JõtaiKiller Ero's gotta do her job!" Ero cried out as she spun and spun, the momentum of it all causing her to appear more like a drill rather than a normal projectile. "DESIRE REVEALED - HOPPER!"

The JõtaiKiller's voice resonated with her driver, as the full power of the Hopper System tore through the V-Jõtaijin in front of her. ShineLeo barely even got a chance to react to the way her attack had been dodged, before she found a big hole in her midsection. A hole that caused the V-Jõtaijin to collapse, data pouring back into the V-Jõtai it was meant to be stored within...

Leaving Mikai to fall onto her knees... Or rather, into Ero's arms. With the short girl blinking moments later, as she tried to realize what had just happened and why she found herself in a position Hayato probably wished he could avoid.

"Why do I feel like I should've been dead? And like it's something that happens to me a lot?" Mikai said as she looked at her V-Jõtai, frowning slightly as she noticed that the pixelated buddy was all sorts of hurt. "Erooooo. What did you do?"

Ero laughed. "Let's leave that for later. Right now, we've got more where you came from. Think you can handle a little extra fighting before you clock out for the day?"

Mikai nodded as she took a look around, and as soon as she noticed Kanzei, it all clicked. "Yeah, of course." She said with a smile, pulling herself out of Ero's arms as she let the flames cover her as they always did when the time was ripe. "Henshin!"

"Thank god." Kanzei muttered under her breath as she watched Mimoto run over. "Mikai, I need to save her... No, not just her. I need to save everyone that got hurt by this. Please, help me!" Even as a small pang of pain wrestled its way through her heart, Kanzei still tried to beg for help. Because she knew she needed it!

Her response was a simple thumbs up. "Let's go, Saki! You and me, together!" There's the Student President that she had been waiting for. Even if it probably still hurt, Saki was doing what she felt was right. Without giving into the bad thoughts!

It was almost like she was shining. Gently, like the sun...

"Aha, that's a nice bright light, Kanzei!" Ero cried out as she threw herself over to the pair of Jõtaiders, grinning as she raised her arm to the air. "Don't mind if I RESONATE!" This was strong will. And with that strong will, she could manifest another medal. Just as Hayato had done with Tsubasa and Momiji!

"REVEAL YOUR DESIRE - DIVINITY!"

Both Jõtaiders watched as Ero slammed the medal into her Desriver, letting her own voice echo out from it as the power quickly poured out across her body. Power that was as bright as Kanzei's, to the point of turning Ero a bright shade of gold. At least she wasn't petrified like a certain type of divinity...

"Alright! You two, quick!" Ero shouted as she slammed her hands against the ground, sending snaking chains through the darkness that still covered the distance between her and MagnaHopper. Her Divine Bind wouldn't be as strong, but she was going to hold her as long as she could!

MagnaHopper could sense several targets that were ripe for Converting. Including one that had managed to escape. "Convert... Therefore... Extreme Crusade..." She muttered, as the power within her grew even stronger. Surrounding her in a golden glow that seemed so volatile that it might erupt in mere moments. Before the Divine Bind had a chance to truly suppress it!

"Mikai!" Kanzei cried out, the hammer of her heart ringing out as she slammed the butt of her cane against the ground. The sound of a spring going off echoed out as she was launched into the air, somersaulting as she flew towards the target!

"Right! I'm with you, Saki!" Mimoto cried out in turn, letting the flames gather in her feet as she kicked the ground, launching her onto the very same trajectory. Somersaulting, alongside her former enemy!

"DIVINE JUDGMENT!" "KING'S FLAME!"

The two Jõtaiders were flying at MagnaHopper. Who folded her arms over her chest, the energy about to burst from her body even as they flew closer. "Extreme Crusa-"

"Now! Bind and drain it all!"

Ero's voice echoed out as the chains just barely made it. Sucking away at the energy that was about to explode and ruin the day of her two friends. Leaving MagnaHopper stunned for just a single moment...

Which was all the two Jõtaiders needed. The moment that the chains shattered, the moment that the energy of the Extreme Crusade was about to be unleashed and destroy the area around them... Was a single moment after their feet had connected with MagnaHopper's chest.

The flames from Mimoto and the darkness from Kanzei resonated, blasting a hole through their enemy. A hole that they flew through, landing beside one another. Two former enemies, now standing shoulder to shoulder... Well, as shoulder to shoulder as they could when the height difference was taken into account...

And just like what had happened with Mikai, the V-Jõtaijin retreated back into its home. Leaving Haruhi to fall to the ground. Her body aching from what she had been forced to endure... And the lasting damage from back then as well.

"Mom!" Ero cried out, tears pouring from her eyes as she ran over to hold Haruhi. Smiling as she disengaged her transformation, mainly because she was happy but also because she was running low on gas from copying such a strong power. "Mom, oh god, Mom, I'm so happy you're not hurt..."

Haruhi felt her heart ache when she saw Ero crying. But at the same time, she was happy that she had managed to prevent Ero from being transformed. "Some Mom I am. Letting my daughter save me..." She muttered, before wrapping her arms around Ero. "Thank you, Ero. I'm sorry it had to come to this."

"Dummy. Of course I'd save you if you got transformed. You're my Mom, Mom!" Ero hugged her tightly in return, happily tearing up as the two hugged it out...

Though Haruhi's attention also fell towards the golden-armored girl that had been there to save her. The same golden girl who... No, this wasn't the time. She could leave that for later. For now, her daughter mattered more...

Kanzei breathed a small sigh of relief. "We still have more to go, Mikai." She said, cane once again appearing in her hand. "Help me with them as well. Please."

"You don't even have to ask." Mimoto grinned, slamming her fist against her palm. "I've got everything here to help you. Me and Chimera both. Now let's go! Saeko's going to be so red when she realizes what happened to her!"

The golden heroine nodded. And though she could feel the back of her mind aching, her heart beating faster than when her own feelings boiled over...

She still had to save them. Because they were her friends..!

---

"Sounds like they're having a lot of fun out there. But I'd rather not, the smells they're giving off... They're far too fake for my tastes."

Minami muttered to herself as she quietly wheeled her way back home. If something was going to show up and get in the way, she was ready to transform and simply deal with it. But for now, she just wanted to keep things slow and steady.

"You smell it too. Who's meant to be the prime here, anyway? And more importantly... When do you think you can get me some food?"

Ouroboros' voice echoed through her ears, as the serpentine Artificial Prime that she was bonded with appeared around her arm. And just like the last few weeks, she seemed to pulsate. As hungry as ever.

"Are the gummy worms not enough for you?" Minami asked as she reached into the back of her wheelchair, pulling out a jar of gummy worms that she had on her for emergencies like these. "You always seem to stop shaking when you eat one."

"They're snacks! They're not whole meals! I need to devour a proper Prime!" Ouroboros shouted, only for Minami to toss one of those delightfully delicious gummy worms into her mouth. Causing her to vibrate for a brief moment before letting out a vaguely annoyed sigh. "...Another."

Minami smirked in response. And simply let another dangle right in front of the serpent's head. Before yanking it away as she tried to lash out. "Ah. What's the magic word?"

"Please give me another." Ouroboros fumed. Their dynamic was all sorts of messed up. She was supposed to control her, instead of being used to empower the girl. And where did her need for vengeance and revenge go?

...Then again, how was she supposed to complain. She wasn't even able to eat a single prime, and since Lumiel of all primes was the one that was most active... There's no way that Ouroboros could both eat and stay strong, and actually protect her host like she admitted she wanted to...

"Good girl." Minami chimed, as she fed the gummy worm to her passenger. All while making sure to pet her, even as the serpent gradually started to vanish...

The white-haired girl sighed as she leaned back in her wheelchair. Closing her eyes as she thought about it all. If she wasn't able to eat Lumiel, the next best target would probably be that Helheim guy. And he was a hard enough fight. So she needed to find another source of food. Or try and have Hiro do something worse than that incident. And as much as Hiro probably deserved her wrath...

"Manufactured Prime... Succesfully Copied..."

The strange voice, barely audible to the girl who had no expectations of company, found itself nearly skewered on the end of her bladed tail as she transformed in an instant.

"Don't you know it's rude not to say hello?" Jõtaider Ouroboros said, carefully caressing the figure's cheek, all while her visor started to spiral like her eyes did when she used her ability. The figure was hooded, and without much of anything she could call distingushing. Yet at the same time, she had a distinctly... Familiar scent to her.

A familiar scent that matched the familiar set of spinning eyes. Were those... Hers..?

Before Ouroboros knew it, the figure had disappeared. Had she just been duped by... No, no way. The only dupe here was that Kimiko gal.

And besides... The figure was gone. No need to fret. Just worry about it another time.

Minami smiled to herself as she slowly wheeled away. Licking her lips ever slightly...

Ouroboros might just have her prey sooner than either of them expected...

---

"Convert... Therefore... Elysion Dance!" "Convert... Therefore... Treason Mandala!"

Both Mimoto and Kanzei had caught up with their transformed friends, who had launched into combat the moment that they arrived. StingDuke clashing with Mimoto, while Kanzei had her hands full with SakuyaKnight.

While MagnaHopper and ShineLeo had both been more than a handful due to their respective strengths being overwhelming, the transformed duet in front of them was using their attacks in tandem. Instead of trying to trap them in between their attacks, they were trying to wear them down by attacking simulaneously.

The gilded Jõtaider dodged out of the way of the many tails that were emerging from the circle that had formed underneath her, gritting her teeth as even just a single glance from the tail felt like it could lock her in place. And given the lance that SakuyaKnight held in her hands, there would be very little she could do to go on the offensive if she let her get it off...

As for Mimoto, who had transformed to Chimera to make sure she was in tip top condition... Well, hurting Saeko wasn't exactly an idea she was fond of. But at the same time, getting a hit in was easier said than done. Every kick, every stab, every thrust from that lance on the bug-like Duke's arm? They were leaving behind beams that were delayed just enough that if she dodged too early, she'd dodge into the beams!

"We have to save them. We have to!" Kanzei shouted. Even as she could hear the forboding beating of her heart echo louder and louder through her mind. She didn't have much time. She needed to finish this, before that voice... Before her own toxic impulses..!

A failed step. A tail nearly hitting her in the face. But Mimoto was there. Slamming her Earth Ursa-themed leg into the ground to launch Kanzei towards her, catching her and using her to create some distance between her and StingDuke by slamming her towards the V-Jõtaijin...

It was a dizzying maneuver. But it bought them time. Even as Kanzei was forced onto her knee as she was let back down onto the ground. "Mikai... We..."

"I know. Don't sweat it, Saki!" Mimoto grinned as she slammed her fist into the palm of her hand. "We're not going to let them keep being used. We're there for them! Just as they're there for us!" She shouted, before letting her hand slide across her Unicorn Blade as she poured her bonds into it.

She was right. They were waiting for them. That was what was going to give them victory. Kanzei took a deep breath, and let the hammer of her mind ring loud and true as she squeezed her cane tight. Allowing the darkness of her own power to manifest and swallow it whole, transforming it into a vessel of her bond..!

"Synchronization! Saeko!" "Synchronization. Yuuki."

The Unicorn Blade in Mikai's hand instantly tightened its blade, turning from a slashing weapon that had trouble breaking through the carapace put in front of her... Into a needle-like rapier, not unlike the one that had pierced her heart once before!

"Divine Slayer." Instead of the usual god-slaying katana that Saki donned when she synchronized with Saeko, this time she wielded a pair of daggers. Each with a snowflake at the guard, contrasting the flames that quickly consumed the blades as she fully manifested the bond. "Mode: YuuKami!"

"Convert! Hell Saber!" "Convert! Izuna Vortex!"

The two V-Jõtaijin were not going to go down without a fight. The armor across StingDuke's body all slid over her lance as she dashed forward, ejecting the lance mid-dash and wielding it like an elongated battering weapon, all while SakuyaKnight spun her twin-ended lance above her head, sending several fox-like apparitions alongside her partner. Ones that quickly took the same shape as StingDuke, intended to make it harder for the two to find the real one and avoid this strike...

"Saki!" Mimoto cried out as she threw the rapier straight ahead, clenching both of her hands as both ice and flames consumed it. "APEX ERUPTION REVOLUTION!" She screamed, as the flames erupted from the flying weapon, forming a webbing pattern around it as that very same pattern quickly started to get frozen over as it flew towards the two V-Jõtaijin...

And though it seemed like the enemies tried to jump away or otherwise avoid the approaching frozen flames, Kanzei had already met their move head on. Throwing both daggers out in an arc, leaving frozen flames in their wake, the Divine Slayer reached all the way out towards the back of SakuyaKnight, closing the circle around both enemies!

"Divine Decree! DIVINE BIND!"

Using darkness in one hand with the daggers' arc as a conduit, Kanzei forcibly pulled them all towards the center of the circle. A center that was now full of frozen fire, with as making contact with it was more than enough to make the flames erupt once again. And the moment that the mixed elements connected to the arc of frozen flames, the Bind activated as well. Causing all of those frozen flames to wrap around the two V-Jõtaijin, with the full might of their combined power freezing them, burning them, and freezing them all over again in the span of a mere few moments...

Until there was absolutely no fight left in the V-Jõtaijin, both letting out screams of defeat as they were returned to normal. Leaving both Saeko and Yuuki wrapped up in what felt like frozen silk and a bunch of fire that was definitely not doing their bodies any good... At least the fire went out fast, courtesy of both of their friends turning down the heat the moment their transformation was undone.

"Haaaahhh... Damnit, got turned again." Yuuki muttered, smiling a little as Mimoto came over. "Managed to talk some sense into Saki while I wasn't looking, Mikai?" She asked with a big ol' grin on her face."

Mimoto shook her head, pointing to Kanzei as she helped free Yuuki. "She helped me out this time. Just as I knew she would, when push came to shove." She sounded so proud of her Senpai. A far cry from how Agatha last reacted to Saki's mood...

"Oho?"

Kanzei didn't look towards Yuuki. Mainly because she still didn't feel like she had earned the kind of forgiveness that Yuuki would try and give her. No, she still hadn't proven that she could be the kind of girl that Agatha looked up to. For now, she focused on Saeko.

"You're not hurt, are you, Saeko?" She asked, helping her up while dusting off the freezing webbing. "...I'm sorry. For everything." She muttered. Though she couldn't ask Yuuki for forgiveness, the least she could do is... Attempt to apologize to Saeko for being inadvertedly responsible for everything.

Saeko nodded and smiled. "Leave it to later. You two still have something to deal with, don't you?" She knew that she could wait. Especially since the cause of all of this was still free...

Indeed. Kanzei nodded, gritting her teeth underneath her helmet as she felt her heart aching. "Just... A little more... Then, even SaintBeelze's friends will be..."

"Irregulars found. Conversion will be completed."

A foreboding, almost legion-like voice, echoed through the skies. And before any of the four had a chance to react, the sound of a jet engine reached their ears...

Far too late for them to realize that the sound came from a mechanical entity that now had Mimoto in her grasp, while at the same time having knocked Yuuki and Saeko far back. Given the strong energy that the mechanical monstrosity gave off, that had to be the actual Jõtaijin behind all of this...

"Let her go..!" Kanzei cried out, slamming her cane against the ground. Her synchronization had been broken, but her spirit was still strong..!

MugenMachine stared down at the Jõtaider that had gotten in the way of her orders. As well as the one that had broken free from her conversion that was currently in her hand. And if her calculations were correct...

"Bancho Shock!"

There she was. The other V-Jõtaijin that had started to go against her orders. Or did BanchoRose perhaps register her as somebody that deserved to be converted? Regardless, it was against her orders nad her calculations. Therefore...

"Aimi!"

Kanzei's words fell on deaf ears as she watched her converted friend fly towards the enemy, who served as the target of both her fists and her whips. And yet that assault was immediately met by three additional arms, each grabbing the source of the offensive... And the V-Jõtaijin itself.

"BanchoRose... No... Stop it..!"

SaintBeelze's voice echoed from the V-Jõtai that was still hanging off Kanzei's arm. A V-Jõtai that was very suddenly snapped up by a mechanical jaw that came through a portal close to Kanzei. MugenMachine had the ability to close the distance just like that, and now another ally had been plucked from Saki's hands.

"All will be converted. Launching MugenJõtai Programme."

The mechanical layers on MugenMachine started to spread. Onto BanchoRose. Onto the V-Jõtai that contained SaintBeelze. And onto Mimoto as well. If it were to finish this, then... Then..!

"Stop it... Stop-"

Kanzei's body froze. Her mind frozen. Everything about her froze...

As a familiar foreboding sound echoed through her ears.

---

*Ba-thump*

They're going to go away again.

*Ba-thump* *Ba-thump*

Just like back then. Just like when she lost her family.

*Ba-thump* *Ba-thump* *Ba-thump*

She was the lone hero. She couldn't allow this. No. Never again. NEVER!

---

"NEVER AGAIN!"

A shrieking scream echoed from Kanzei, as the sound of her armor shattering echoed across the entire city. All while all of her power suddenly erupted in the form of a scorching sun-like aura...

An aura that scorched away at her armor. Charring the gold away until nothing but black with tiny highlights of gold remained. A stack contrast to the garishly flashy Villain-turned-Hero, and one that carried a single chilling thought...

"Saki..?" Mimoto muttered as she watched what was happening. It was difficult trying to maintain control against an enemy like the one that currently held her. But...

That wasn't Saki anymore...

"Irregular. You have changed." MugenMachine stated, turning her attention back towards Kanzei. "You too will be-"

"Silence."

The Jõtaijin fell silent. Not because of the command that she received... But rather because of the chains that now pierced through her body. Dark chains that shot out like spears, with none of them giving her a moment to recover either as they suddenly tore apart the Jõtaijin like she was nothing but tissue paper...

Allowing all three of the Jõtaijin's captives to fall to the ground. The Jõtaijin herself was ultimately fine, having transformed back into her Monster self. Aimi and the V-Jõtai were returned to normal as well, with the V-Jõtai that contained SaintBeelze beeping happily as its friends had been returned to normal...

But Mimoto? No, she knew that things were getting worse the second she focused on the blackened visage of her friend. "Saki! Saki! Listen to m-"

"Who said you could speak, false Hero?"

There they were again. The chains were near instantaneous, but Mimoto was not an easy girl to get rid of. She used the powers of Blast Eagle to dodge out of the way just in time, even as more tried to spear her from the darkness on the ground. How had it formed so quickly? More importantly, how was Kanzei doing this... No, she knew the answer...

It was right in front of her, after all. That was what Saki was trying to deal with, wasn't it? That crushing pressure inside her... That was how strong it was..!?

"Fear me, false Hero. Your attempts to fight will bring you nothing but despair. Death, destruction and everything you believe you can stop by helping... All will hasten, because you choose to fight!" Kanzei shouted, slamming her cane against the ground once again. "The Only Hero that this City... nay, this World needs! I, Kanzei, am that Hero!"

"You really think you-" Mimoto's quip was cut off by another chain trying to pierce through her head, causing her to preemptively slam her foot into the ground to launch her into the air courtesy of a pillar formed through Earth Ursa's strength...

"SILENCE! YOU OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT YOU SHOULDN'T SPEAK TO ME!" Kanzei shouted as the darkness in her heart flowed across her form and the ground below. Fueling every single aspect of her powers, as she let it all coalesce in her hand. "DECREE!"

Mimoto felt the pull of gravity yanking her towards Kanzei. But the wings of both Blast Eagle and Dark Dragon kept her in the air. She didn't have a lot of options on hand for a good offensive, especially after expending a good deal of power having been transformed into ShineLeo, and then fighting alongside Kanzei to save the rest.

If this really was Saki's inner feelings made manifest and forcing her to go along with what she thought was right... Then there had to be a way for her to pull Saki out of there too. Just like when she was stuck inside of that hole in her heart. Just like when Kimi...

That's it. But Saeko was too far away. There... There was a chance, wasn't there?

"REJECTION AND BIND!"

Kanzei's godly voice echoed as she used her powers in tandem. Shooting out chains that formed barriers as they flew towards Mimoto. So even if she managed to dodge, the area to dodge was getting smaller and smaller. Allowing Kanzei to trap her within an area that made it easier and easier to annihilate her...

"Come on, Saki! Open your eyes! This isn't it! You were trying so hard to fight against it! PLEASE!" Mimoto shouted as she hovered in place, reaching out towards the girl that had reached out to get her help..!

"SILENCE! SILENCE SILENCE SILENCE!" Kanzei shrieked as all of her dark power gathered in her leg. This MISTAKE of a Hero DARED to try and reach out?! SHE WAS THE ENTIRE REASON THAT EVERYTHING STARTED TO GO OUT OF CONTROL! SHE WAS THE ONE THAT RUINED THE LIFE SHE HAD BEEN CULTIVATING! HER! HER HER HER HER HER!

"JUUUUUDGGGGMEEEEENT!"

The Sole Hero's chains suddenly broke free from the barriers they had formed, each immediately wrapping around Mimoto before she had a chance to evade. Allowing the Sole Hero to let darkness carry her towards her target, the kick of divinity aimed squarely at her heart. So that her will, the will that was meant to protect everyone, would fill her and make her understand..!

"Chimera..! Hold out for me!"

Mikai's voice resonated with the Predator dwelling in her heart, as the pieces of her armor erupted and freed her from her chains. Allowing her to use that very same armor as a defensive wall, each piece quickly flying up in front of her. Leaving her in nothing but the Dark Dragon undersuit, as even her own feelings were able to form one last wall..!

"I can't hold out for long, Mikai..! You better have a good idea..!"

Chimera's voice echoed through her ears. And Mikai shook her head. Because she didn't have any idea. All that she knew was that she had trust in others... And through that trust, these toxic feelings would be nullified..!

"MIKAAAAAIII!"

There, the trust..!

Flame Lion. Frost Wolf. Blast Eagle. Earth Ursa. All shattering in an instant. Light Unicorn still holding on. And it held on for just long enough, as she glanced over her shoulder to see who had come to save her...

Saeko and Yuuki had come back. Not only them though... While Ero wasn't there, a golden woman was there to pay her back...

"That's the girl... The girl I saved, correct?"

Both Saeko and Yuuki nodded to confirm Haruhi's suspicions. In a way, the girl's fall was her fault as well. And that was why she had come. To back Mimoto's new Hero up after what she had done to save her and her daughter...

"Yukionna. Spider. I leave it to you two." Haruhi said, as the carapace of her Monster form quickly covered her from head to toe. "HOPPER SPLIT!"

Though she was nowhere near capable of fighting properly after her transformation into MagnaHopper, that didn't mean she wasn't willing to put her life on the line. Thus, she jumped. And she jumped like never before.

Each jump left another copy of Hopper behind. Every copy allowing her to hop faster, as they kicked her as she leapt. Allowing her to bounce faster. Faster. FASTER!

"THE FALLEN HERO COMES TO STOP ME! YOU WILL FALL AGAIN!" Kanzei shouted, as even though she was clashing against the shields that Mimoto put up, that wouldn't stop her from letting chains lash out from her body. Each of them already aiming towards the hopping Monster, fully intent on spearing her like she had speared the Jõtaijin before..!

But Hopper counted on that. The moment they pierced her... That Hopper disappeared. It was a fake. And right where Hopper had started... Was Haruhi, currently bleeding from her mouth...

Not only that, but each and every one of those Hoppers that were left in the air were frozen over. Allowing a lavender flash to jump between them, the kicking energy still preserved within. And right where the Hopper that had been speared ended up disappearing, that lavender flash took her place..!

"SAKI! OPEN YOUR EYES!"

Saeko jumped. Just like the Hero that once saved Saki. Using her head, the one thing she was good for, she slammed straight into the blackened gold Jõtaider...

Cracking her armor. And breaking her concentration in one fell swoop. Giving Mimoto the opening that she needed! The miracle that she had been anticipating!

"SYNCHRONIZE! SAKI!"

Mimoto's arm was covered in darkness, and she thrust it forward. Letting both the light and darkness of Light Unicorn and Dark Dragon swallow her arm as well, amplifying the bond she was trying to harness. So she could pull Saki to the forefront once more..!

A faint sunlight shone from Kanzei's chest, and a scream echoed from her lips. As the sun that charred her armor faded away... And the darkness that tainted her golden armor shattered, alongside with the armor itself. Leaving Saki to fall to the ground, alongside the girl that had slammed her head into her...

Or so they would, if Mikai wasn't quick enough to catch both of them in her arms. All while sweating as she landed, Mimoto breaking apart as she now held both her girlfriend and the girl she had been trying to help in her arms...

"Nice save, Mikai..." Saeko smiled, though she couldn't help but frown a bit as she noticed that her glasses had cracked from what she had done.... But did that really matter, when she had managed to help save Saki from herself? For the time being, anyway.

Mikai grinned, before her legs gave way and she ended up on her ass. Laughing a little, even if she couldn't help but look at the girl now on top...

Saki was hurting. That was the kind of feeling that was wreaking havoc inside her heart, wasn't it... If that was the case, then... What could they do to help her, should it try to take over again..?

"Mi... No. Mikai."

Haruhi approached. Staggering, supported by Yuuki who was more than happy to lend Hayato's boss a hand in a time like this. "...I have certain matters that need to be discussed with Saki. You have my word that she will be returned unharmed."

Mikai nodded. She was trustworthy. Even if she hadn't spoken to her a long time, she had taken care of Hayato. Sure, she put Hayato down a bad path... But...

That feeling that drove Saki. It called her 'Fallen Hero'. So she was important to Saki...

"Just bring her back to Hiro's place when you're done, okay?"

It was a long shot. But maybe... Maybe a chat with a Hero like that would be what Saki needed...

That was all that Mikai could hope for right now...

---

"Mother... Father..! Shiki..! Saiki..! EVERYONE!"

Saki woke up in a sweat, the same nightmare of having her family turn into monsters and cut down having replayed in her head like it had done so many times before...

And when she woke up, a blade was pointed at her face. The same blade from her nightmares. If anything, it felt relieving to see it. Because then it meant it was her turn... And she...

"Saki Himitsu. Jõtaider Kanzei. Descender. You realize what part you've played in all of this, don't you? The nature of your power?"

That voice. It was hers, wasn't it? That golden hero from that time back then. She... She was finally back to finish what she started, even if she hadn't implied it back then.

"...Hopper." Saki muttered, as she slowly gazed past the blade. Towards the golden Monster that had once saved her. "I do. And I deserve no mercy for what I've done. If my life is what needs to be taken, then..." Her voice grew hoarse, as the tears slowly started to pour down her cheeks. "Then that is the punishment I deserve, for all the mistakes I have made..."

The blade remained pointed at her face. Until it dissolved, alongside the rest of the golden 'Hero'...

"...Even after all those mistakes, your life is not to be thrown away. Mine is one that should be. Because if I had been faster that night, the Himitsu family wouldn't be just a lonely girl and her Grandfather."

Haruhi's words were damning. Yet instead of blaming the one that had pushed the world towards the second Luna Descent, interrupted as it had been, she instead blamed herself.

"What..? No, that's... That's not right... You saved me..." Saki muttered, her despairing eyes meeting the weary eyes of her 'Hero'. "You were my Hero, Hopper... Every day without them hurts... But... if you hadn't been there to save me... I would've become just like them. Another Luna out to eat everything... And if I keep using this power, then..."

Both of them were failures in their own eyes. Their own worst critics. Perhaps that was why Haruhi, whose heart had been hardened by everything... Whose heart still told her that she should be doing everything to stop another potential apocalypse...

Perhaps that was why she kneeled down in front of the blue-haired girl and put her hands on her shoulders. "Saki. If you consider me a Hero... Then I want you to listen to the people around you. Because if you hadn't fought to save me today... My Daughter would have lost her Mother. And as much as I realize I've been neglecting her like a fool, I also realize that an act like yours gave me the chance to make things right. Your power is dangerous... But use it like you did today, when you were in control? And you truly can be a Hero. Much more of one than I can."

"Hopper..." Saki muttered. Hearing her Hero try and talk her out of her self destructive thoughts like that... It was something she never could've imagined. And yet, it still made her happy. So happy that she couldn't help but smile a little.

Even if her heart was still aching. Even if that unforgiving complex inside her would keep wrestling with her... She... She could use her power in her own way. To save the people she loved.

"Thank you. My Hero, Hopper." She said, smiling from the bottom of her heart as her eyes, now having gained a nugget of hope, met the weary eyes of her Hero once more.

Eyes that now contained a nugget of hope as well, the golden-haired woman smiling as she patted the girl on the head. "It's been years since I heard somebody call me that. And say it so sincerely to. I've missed it. Even if I don't think I deserve it." Haruhi said, lifting herself back onto her feet as she walked towards the door leading out of her hideout. "Mikai wants you at my former subordinate's home. I'm sure she's worried sick about you."

"Where are you going?" Saki asked, slowly lifting herself onto her feet as she watched the woman depart. Just as she had watched her leave back then, to save others like her. And just like back then, Haruhi turned back to smile at her. With the utmost confidence, regardless of the danger.

"To save that idiot I love."

Those were the words of a Hero. A Hero who would give it all. A Hero who had regained the light in her heart that had once been snuffed out.

The words that Saki held close to her heart. To share with Mikai, once she made it back home...

---

"That rumble... It couldn't be, could it?"

Deep within the Darkness, close to the throne where Lady Cepha slept, Lumiel stood. Watching over her like he had done so long...

The pure dark energy that had radiated over Mimoto had reached even here. And he couldn't help but smirk. It seemed like schedule would be moved up, should this continue. All he had to do was push the descender a bit, and he'd have a new gate on his hands...

Perhaps touching up on Tsukiko's mind would do the trick...

Unbeknownst to the nightmarish magician, however. Something else began to move... The matriarch's body, who was supposed to be recovering from her bout against D'Or...

Began to twitch. Far earlier than it should...