[Tokusatsu Themes, Transformation]

Deep in the darkness.

Deep inside the recesses of the numbed woman's mind.

A crack.

"You can't keep me out forever. It felt good to rampage when you saw her again for the first time, didn't it?"

The woman's voice spoke, as a golden eye peered through that tiny crack. Her toxic voice reaching through to the bleached silhouette standing within the darkness.

"Let me cover you once again. Let me unleash everything you have. So that I can swallow it whole!"

The bleached woman gazed towards the crack, a dull expression on her face. She couldn't show concern. She couldn't show fear. Nor could she show anger or disgust.

All she could do was close her eyes. As the sound of the crack gradually repairing echoed through those dark recesses of her mind.

"There's no way that we can keep this up forever, Hiro. The dam started to break back then, and the temporary release that was necessary to keep it from being permanent... There's no way to guarantee that it won't flood out."

The golden glow that had been with her since the moment she began as a heroine spoke. Thanks to the procedure that she had gone through, Huanglong's presence was able to reach this far inside her. Comforting her when she was at her loneliest.

"We'll hold on. For their sake."

The same answer as always, one that made the short golden glow sigh in turn. "I... I suppose we do, Hiro. I suppose we do."

He knew better than to try to argue with her. It was not that she was stubborn, though almost every single hero in this godforsaken city was to an extent.

This was born of trust. Trusting that should she end up bursting at the seams, Mikai would be there. As she had been.

If only trust was strong enough to permanently reinforce that wall inside her...

---

"How's the floor?"

Hiro slowly opened her eyes, greeted by the warm and welcoming smile of her former subordinate turned housemate, Natsuki. Like always, she was dressed in cosplay since there was no real opportunity to go out and shop with her given the fact she was supposed to be in a coma. Not that anybody except the two of them, Mikai and her girlfriends (and Saki), and Seiryu should know that...

This time, the cosplay looked like... What did they call it, Chain and Witch? She was dressed up in a beautiful purple and orange dress, complete with a contact giving her heterochromia. Personally, Hiro would've preferred if she dressed up in one of the sweeter girls' outfits, like the girl from the series that gave off unhealthy vibes of Mikai...

"Hard. I prefer your lap." The white-haired heroine muttered as she pulled herself up, looking at the mess she had left her bed in. She had slept in the extra bedroom today because the aforementioned girlfriends and their +1 had decided to take up the entire bed for themselves. Not that she minded the extra bed, it was as soft as the others, it's just... "...Am I being too generous by letting them stay here, Natsuki?"

"The fact you're doubting it means you're being too generous." Natsuki chimed, helping her former superior up and onto her feet, brushing her down. Including the brace that served to both enable her powers as Jõtaider KING and keep the Darkness that had been poured into her at bay. "But you wouldn't have gone out of your way to do all of this if being generous wasn't in your nature. Do you remember when you went out in full KISS makeup the day Sayaka invited us out for a concert with that band she loved?"

Hiro's expression didn't change much. Though if you were very, very careful, you could see her eye twitch slightly. "She adored it. That was all the motivation I needed." She said, though she could express more than the subtlest of emotions, or letting them overflow when they got too strong, she'd probably be blushing at the thought right about now.

"There you go then. As long as they don't cause a ruckus, I'm not sure there's a reason to worry. Just give them the support they need. They'll be there for you when you need them too." Natsuki chimed, before gently tapping that oversized brace. "We need to get this thing off you and get rid of all that bad stuff you've been doped up on. Otherwise, I might not ever see my favorite skunk-stripe smile again. I already miss that mix of shades, you can't take the smile away from me permanently too, Hiro."

The pale-haired woman nodded, reaching up to pat Natsuki on the head. The ever-faintest hint of a smile curled at the edge of her lips. "You'll get to see that smile when it's ready for you, Natsuki. Before we get the other three to wake up like you have." She knew it'd be possible. They got her free, what reason was there for them to not be able to bring the others back? "On that note... Any news from Seiryu?"

"Beyond the headache we're giving her by doing all of this? Not much. Though there's been rumblings of new faces around the place. Some people that Suzaku took in, it sounds like?" Natsuki explained, her hand drifting to Hiro's cheek. "...You're sure you can't just... Quit? Maybe even take the system with you if you're lucky?"

The thought of quitting hadn't crossed Hiro's mind. But as long as there were threats to the people she cared about... "...I'll try." All she could do was promise something so hollow. Knowing that there was a good chance the head honcho wasn't going to honor her wishes.

Natsuki sighed and gave her dearest a tight hug. "Guess that's all I can get out of you for now. I'll take it, but if you go back on your words, I'm going to..." She paused, as her smile twisted into a cheshire grin. "Paint all over your precious collection. That should hurt enough to make that brace of yours burst open!"

Hiro's expression didn't change. But her words carried the gravity of the situation. "Don't." She could only mutter, as she went out of the guest room to get a quick bite to eat before she'd go out on patrol...

"Oh, by the way, a handicapped girl came by while you were out last night. Said something about wanting to see you at a pub in town? Isn't she the one that you and Kazumi were working on during that Resonance thingy?"

A sigh left Hiro's lips as the important info rolled its way off Natsuki's teasing lips.

Today was going to be a long day...

—

"I don't know why you went through all the trouble to take me out to eat, Mikai. I... I'm not like, one of your friends or anything. Or anything resembling important. I'm just-"

A single glance into the bright and happy girl's eyes was enough to make the latex that was trying to crawl up Kokoro Akaijin's neck peel its way back down. Mikai's influence was keeping the Pawn Syndrome from expanding further than it already had. The poor Valedictorian was stuck in latex all the time, to the point of nearly just staying inside her room until she received an order... Or until somebody like Mikai stopped by to try and help.

"You're a friend too, Kokoro-senpai. Besides, I got caught up in helping Saki-senpai out before getting you to the doctor, so I owe you an apology. And I owe it to you to try and get you to actually go to her too!" Mikai chimed, the short bundle of happiness not at all about to let a friend in need fall down several steps when she was already so well on the road to recovery.

Latex tears ran down Kokoro's cheeks as she got called a friend. "It's... It's not fair, you know? To go through all that trouble, just to comfort a useless pawn like me? I-I haven't been doing anything except burying myself in my studies to try and cope with my own useless pride, and now it feels like I could go through any exam wiht my eyes closed. And yet you still think-"

"Of course I do! You're just as valid as everyone else! You've seen how people end up while they're in remedial! They're doing their best to keep going. Once we get you to the Doctor's, then we can peel it away bit by bit. I don't care if you have to be turned into a Jõtaijin to make it more bearable. I want you to get better, Koroko-senpai. Not keep getting swallowed up by your own bad thoughts like Saki-senpai was. And even she's getting better!"

Mikai's smile was downright divine. And she wasn't even ordering her to go. She wasn't taking advantage of her. Like she had feared people would do once they started noticing that she was basically a living pawn. Ready to be used and abused if anybody as much as thought about it.

"I... Thank you, Mikai. Thank you so much." She muttered, the tears rolling down her cheeks connecting to the latex around her neck, to the point of rapidly forming the mask that she was supposed to be keeping off her head...

But it wasn't making her look obedient. If anything, the big dome was allowing her to cry as much as she needed to. Without looking more ridiculous than she already did.

Mikai smiled as she patted her latex friend on the shoulder. All it took to help somebody was to reach out. And more importantly, once Kokoro-senpai was finished with all that sobbing...

It was time to dig into the ribs she had ordered!

---

"You think she realizes we can hear her?"

Yuuki asked as she turned her head away from looking at the table where Mikai and Kokoro were seated, all to focus on the blue-haired girl that had invited her out for a bite to eat down at this mousey pub that was... Way more packed than she would've expected from a place called 'The Mouse Hole'. Still, sounded like the grub was good, so she was willing to cut the place a bit of slack.

Saki shook her head. "Once she gets going, she's in her own little world. Better world than mine when I start spiraling." She muttered, closing her eyes slightly. "...Even if it seems like she decided to quiet down ever since Mikai pulled me out of that corrupted version of myself."

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Yuuki asked, poppin' a fry into her mouth as she took a good look at Saki. That stunt last week when she turned black instead of mostly gold... It was a bit chilling if she had to say so. Especially with the way she called herself a Hero, when she was more like a dictator. "I thought you had been trying your best to get better. Especially since the next Student Council election’s just a week away. So..."

The blue-haired Student President tensed up a little. "Not long after the Near-Luna Descent, after I managed to absorb a good amount of energy from Kimiko to try and keep her from causing problems, there's this voice in the back of my head. This sun-like voice that keeps burning me whenever I try and think that maybe everything I've done up to this point, before I started to look inward, was a mistake."

"...Literally burning?" Yuuki asked, snapping her fingers to generate one of her characteristic frozen flames, the flame within quickly melting the ice. "Like, if I filled you with flames like these, that kind of burning?"

"Closer to a sunburn. Agatha helped one time after it got really bad." Saki winced, the thought of being sunburnt like that already filling her with another wave of discomfort.

Yuuki whistled a little in shock. Not only were many of the others that much stronger than them, but Saki's own PASSION, the kind that was keeping her down and making her act like less of the girl she knew she could be... It had straight up and literally burned her. "Can't say I've heard of a part of yourself burning you like that. Even elementals that stray close to fire without being immune have a better grip on themselves. You really did fall far, Saki..."

"It's pathetic, isn't it?" Saki said, a few tears running down her cheeks. "Especially since I just... I just thought I could make it this time. When everything came this close to breaking, I managed to power through. Unfortunately, so did she, and... All of that happened..."

It was refreshing to see Saki be so honest. Even if it hurt seeing her like this too.

No. She knew what to do in the face of this vibe. This suffocating vibe was no good, no good at all!

"Ha! Ahaha! It's not pathetic, Saki! That acceptance, that warm and gentle acceptance is exactly what I've come to expect from your PASSION! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were on a healthy road to recovery!"

Yuuki had a knack for figuring out how to turn things much more positive. That was part of what Saki admired in her. Even when she was at her darkest, she believed in her. Just as Mikai did...

"I think so too! Only a real Hero would do her best to help me!"

Both Yuuki and Saki blinked as a squeaky voice echoed out. Where from? Why, from the V-Aibõ that Saki had been carrying around ever since last week's invident. The onyl one that didn't get taken over, and the only one that hadn't been recalled temporarily...

"Saint...Beelze..?" Saki muttered as she unclipped the tiny device and let it lay on the table between her and Yuuki. Unsure about what exactly the thing inside the device was, even after she had done her best to help it...

"Naaaahhhh, that's too long!"

The light on the screen shone brightly, as a tiny ring took shape. Kind of like the ones that had squeezed around Yuuki and the others when they were forcibly fused with the artificial Jötai that was within the V-Aibõ. And from that ring, a hand reached out..!

A hand that Saki immediately grabbed, pulling the figure out. Bringing her face to face with the bratty expression that had been watching her from within the device. Not that she could see much past that bratty sea of blonde hair that covered her eyes up. All she could really see was that toothy grin, and those white horns that stuck out of her head. Combine that with her paintfully short shorts and the scarf just barely gave her modesty, the partly tattered ends showing how much trouble she had been in, and those long and tuggable ears?

She looked much less capable than the one she had seen screaming out on the V-Aibõ last week, not just because she seemed around the same size as Mikai if not somehow shorter, but...

"Call me Bee! Thanks again for saving me and my friends!"

It definitely was the same one. The bright smile on her face as she landed on the table, heels first, made that all too clear.

"Well, that's more of an actual Aibõ, isn't it?" Yuuki grinned. "Pleased too meetcha, Bee-"

Yuuki let out a brief yelp as Bee casually whipped a toy pistol out of nowhere, shooting the PASSION-filled girl on the forehead and blowing a raspberry at her. "Thanks for saving her after she saved me, ehe. Think you'll be down for a little game? She doesn't seem like she'd have too much fun just yet, probably still out of it after all of that!"

The brat was a feisty one. One that had a great deal of PASSION for sure..! "You're ON!" She laughed. Not the first time she'd play with a brat that size, wouldn't be the last if she stuck around like this!

Saki pinched the bridge of her nose as the new arrival began to cause more problems than any Jõtaijin probably would've started making. At least that burning voice in the back of her head was quiet. Maybe she was licking her wounds. Maybe she was really gone now.

Either way, guess she just had to sit back and relax for once... 

Strange feeling, given everything that had happened over the last few weeks...

Unbeknownst to Saki, however, a pair of tiny, frightened eyes were peering out at her...

—

"What's the matter, dear? I know you're nervous, but you're shaking way worse than usual."

A mousy, and frankly tiny, white-haired girl yelped as she felt her taller Mom wrap her arms around her, trying to calm her down when she was having one of her moments. The gesture was welcomed, but it didn't stop her from shaking around at all. Nor did it stop her from having to push her large glasses closer to her eyes since they were close to rolling off with how much she jittered...

"S-Sorry, Mom. J-Just... Just saw something that made me..." She muttered, grabbing ahold of the apron that covered up her school uniform. She needed to get right to private lessons later, which was why she was decked out like just another student beyond the work apron. "Y-Y'know."

Her mother naturally looked much more experienced. Slight bit of wrinkling on the face which complimented her glasses and her yellow and brown plaid shirt. Yet it wouldn't take too much for her to be the spitting image of her daughter, if they were to wear the same outfit. Only the difference in height separated the two, something that would never get between them if she had anything to say about it.

"I do, Nezu. But you're a bigger girl than you look. I'm sure you can handle it. At least for a little while." Her mother said, pecking her adorable daughter on the forehead. "I've got to quickly head out to check up on an incoming shipment. You can handle things while I'm gone, right?"

It was a hard thing to ask of the girl. But Nezu Osoregi was... She... W-Well, she wasn't much of anything. But if there was one thing she was, it was confident that she'd do the best for her Mom..!

"I-I will. P-Please be back soon, Mom!"

Just like that, her Mom left. And that left Nezu to peek out the doors of the kitchen, right towards that mess that was starting to build at one of the tables. That eared brat and... The Hall Monitor over at her school... If people knew that this was what she got up to in her free time, there'd no doubt be plenty of rumors flying around about her true nature as a delinquent, or something equally as disparaging.

But the one that really made Nezu nervous was the blue-haired girl watching it all unfold. The Student Council President was here too, and...

Every time that she laid her eyes on her, Nezu never knew what to say. Especially with the recent news... T-To her, Saki Himitsu was an incredible help, always there to genuinely try and push her to be the best she could be. Within the limits of her character.

So the fact she turned out to be one of the members of that Golden Freedom thing, and more importantly, tried to cause chaos in the wake of that V-Aibõ stuff last week... It was enough to make the weak-hearted young girl shiver just at the sight of her. Even if she still wanted to believe that she was better...

"Ain't she a beauty. She'd do much better gettin' involved, that stunt last week was a real treat."

Nezu felt her heart drop as she slowly looked up above. Right into a pair of hanging breasts that were bigger than her head. She couldn't help but blush and stutter as she tried to skitter away like the little mouse she resembled, but...

The towering and tanned cow grinned and blocked her off, kneeling down to her level as those bright American eyes peered straight past those big ol' spectacles. "Don't you worry, lil' mouse. I'm not about to hurt you. In fact, I think I know just the thing you're needing to get her attention. You've always wanted to try and tell her what you think of her, haven'tcha?"

Bison grinned as the expression on Nezu's face went through several stages of confusion, happiness, fear, reluctance and eventually acceptance. "Y-Y...Y-You're really good at reading people..."

"Experience does a person wonders, lil' mouse." Bison chimed, flicking a ring out of her pocket, letting the short girl catch it as she stretched after getting that low to the ground. Worth it though, seeing somebody's joy bubble forth with just a little push.

All Nezu had to do was put on the ring, and then... Yes, then...

Once again, the golden light of a Jõtaijin being born flooded the kitchen. Leaving Bison to walk out with a grin on her face, more than happy to enjoy the grub that was to come.

And the show too, as the vibe of the pub rapidly shifted to something much sleazier...

---

"Do you always leave a girl waiting, Hiro, or was it only Her?"

Hiro blinked a few times as she arrived at the address that Minami had sent her. Not far from that Mouse Hole pub. Not her favorite place to go, that'd have to be the diner where everything went sour. But still a nice place to grab a quick bite to eat, and maybe discuss something private while letting it get drowned out by the merriment.

So why exactly was the white-haired Jõtaider, the 'daughter' of the woman that had been swallowed up by the Prime Resonance, currently wearing an elegant and almost sparkly purple dress that almost seemed to intentionally drum up her sensual aspects? Mainly those slender shoulders and that modest bust of hers, the see through fabric doing a lot to make one's eyes focus on that chest...

Combine that with the elbow length gloves that followed the same trend as her dress, and the black makeup that contrasted the other dark yet soft colors... You'd almost think she was getting ready for a date or something.

She went through all that trouble to get dressed and pretty, and yet instead of accepting she needed her wheelchair, she had partly transformed into Ouroboros, the boots of the Jõtaider armor quietly sticking out under the bottom of the dress...

"...Why exactly are you dressed up like that, Minami?" Hiro didn't bother hitting back, her failure still fresh thanks to how her mind wouldn't let her go a few weeks without replaying the entire event. Even now when she was still trying to handle the Darkness in her arm.

Minami grinned as she put one gloved finger to her lips. "What’s so wrong with getting dressed up for a nice day out?" She paused, as the teasing didn't elicit much of a reaction. "You're no fun at all when you react like that, you know."

"You're aware of my current condition, you'll have to excuse me for lacking a sense of humor. Not that you'll need any yourself, or you just might grow fat from how much you've got."

Minami grit her teeth slightly in response. "Wise girl.” She scoffed, before taking a few steps closer. “We’ve not had the chance to talk since everything with Kimiko and Mikai. But I remember a little something you said.” She continued, every dainty step towards the woman she held responsible causing the clacking heels of her armor to ring out. 

“You said I could do whatever I wanted. And since you can’t just give me back my dear Mama after you so cruelly involved her in that experiment that set us all down this path… I was thinking about what you could do.”

Hiro nodded. Indeed, her part in the Prime Resonance still hung over her like a heavy blade waiting to carve through her. So it didn’t come as a surprise that Minami would eventually collect on that.

“So what do you want me to do?” The older woman asked, such a dry tone to her voice. She wasn’t even really bothered by the way Minami had dressed up, beyond truly not understanding why she would go through all that effort.

A pout wormed its way onto Minami’s lips as she came close enough to wrap her arms around Hiro. “I want you to react, Hiro. Seeing you just… Not care at all about what I’m trying to do is so painfully dull. The only time I had any fun with your current self was when I saw you in that Titan getup, and that was still tainted by the fact you didn’t even blush.”.

“Reacting’s not easy.” Hiro shot back, though she felt the slightest tremble of emotion as Minami suddenly wrapped her arms around her. “...Even that won’t do much…”

The braided girl sighed as she pressed her head against the older woman’s chest. “I know. Oh, how I know. But that’s why I’ve been trying to figure it all out.” She paused, gazing up towards the white-haired woman’s eyes. “Monsters, Jõtai, the Darkness, everything. I'm this close to putting it all together. And not only do you happen to be one of the last pieces of the puzzle, I might be able to solve my own Prime issue AND your arm issue if it all fits together."

“...Why?” Hiro muttered, her expression starting to shift slightly. A slight tear running down her cheek. “Why would you try and help me? You wanted to consume me before for what I did to Rena, and now…”

A soft chuckle left Minami’s lips. “There’s what I was looking for. A reaction.” She chimed, pulling herself back as she wrapped her arms around herself. “Even though you were part of the Prime Resonance. Even though it’s all your fault that I’m like this, and Mama’s gone…”

She paused, looking down at the ground as she muttered. “One of the last things I remember Mama talking about before the incident was how she was looking forward to taking us out to eat with you and ‘Little Qilin’.”

…The capsule back in Seiryu’s lab. Even if it was empty, it was marked with the name of Minami’s ‘Mama’. Rena Kazumi, the one that took care of her after the Luna Descent…

“...The past’s the past, Minami. I can’t bring them back. There’s no way for me to-”

“Really. No way?” Minami giggled, the tears slowly pouring down her face. “You say that, and yet you’re still clinging so desperately to the man who enabled it all? You fight like a Hero, yet you won’t take that one step? Just because you can’t bring her or any of your other friends back, you resign yourself to that?!”

Hiro didn't respond, merely glancing at the arm covered by the brace she almost always wore after that procedure. That gauntlet that was meant to keep her effective in combat against any greater threats. Just as Minami’s bond with Ouroboros was meant to.

"...This keeps me chained to him. Even if I wasn't, if I don’t secure the other girls before I leave, there’s no way he won’t find a way to use them…" She muttered, and yet...

Natsuki's freedom wasn't born from anything Atlas did. If anything, Lumiel had done her a favor with his evil deed. If that was the case, then... There should be a way to get them out without raising another alarm…

Minami’s soft, disappointed chuckle kept ringing out, as she gently wiped away the tears on her face. She could smell it in the air. The reaction she was hoping for. All she had to do was push the woman a little, and it all began to unravel.

“You know what you need to do, Hiro. And I don’t just mean own up to your mistakes. You need to leave. Completely. Sever the bond that once was between you and Atlas, and become your own woman once again, Hiro Fukano. Otherwise…”

"...I’d remain in Atlas' employ, right back where I started. Even with Natsuki free, there's no guarantee that defeating the Darkness, or Golden Freedom for that matter, or even ridding the world of Jõtai as a whole will make the others wake up.”

Hiro understood. To have the girl that had clear reasons to hate her for her part in everything use her words to gradually cure the emotionless haze over her mind, and remind her that she was heading down a path of pure selfdestruction…

It was strange. Yet she could see the subtle smile on her face. Minami was happy with what she was starting to understand. Strange. It was a smile that filled her with the subtlest warmth. Knowing that there was still hope for her. Just as Mikai’s kind wishes was enough to remind her of what she fought to protect…

"Then. Humor me, Hiro Fukano. Humor the daughter of the woman that disappeared because of you." Minami said, the two of them coming to a stop outside of the Mouse Hole. "Once we’re done with our little outing, and you’ve hopefully had enough to drink to loosen you up… You're going to go up to that pipsqueak you call a boss. And you're going to take control of your life for the first time in however long you've been at that terrible company. Got it?"

She could force her to obey. She had the hypnotic power. But she didn't. She didn't need to. Not when Hiro nodded. "And then what, Minami?"

Minami put on a smile that was almost as bright as Mikai’s, while still being all-too-cheeky. “Wouldn’t you like to know? Maybe if you give me a good enough reaction when I see you after quitting, I’ll tell you what I’ve got in mind.” She chimed, the teasing edge to the serpent's words once again bubbling brightly from those black lips of hers.

Hiro nodded again. Well… She couldn’t help but wonder. But at the same time, she knew that she had not yet earned the answer. But with this first step later, hopefully she could start making up for her past mistakes…

“...By the way, Minami. Where do you currently li-”

Just as Hiro was about to ask a very important question, the Mouse Hole that the two were standing outside started to shine an explosive and awfully familiar gold. There was only one thing that could be happening inside...

And neither of the two of them were happy with this tender moment being cut off by more work.

—

"Kokoro-senpaiiii! I was trying so hard to stop you from falling under, and you trip just like that?! Stop looking down there, it's just gonna swallow you whole!"

The moment that Hiro and Minami stepped inside, they were greeted not with the homely interior of a pub that was bursting with life from all walks, but rather what could best be described as a lousy chain restaurant that didn't pride itself on the food or anything of the sort.

No. One gaze over at Mikai trying to shake the latex-covered redhead made the new appeal of this place all-too-clear. And it came in the form of the short Pawns waddling around with tits that were bigger than their heads...

Tits that were so snugly pushed against their chests, courtesy of their 'Mousers' tubetops. Complimenting the obviously fake mouse earbands that they wore. Whoever the Jõtaijin was, they weren't even trying to make the aesthetic match their minions...

"Is she allowed to look?" Yuuki asked from another part of the converted pub, covering Bee's eyes as she naturally threw a tantrum while on the snowy-haired girl's lap. While the two of them were covered in condiments from their earlier antics too, making them just as much culprits as the breastiful minions wandering around with lousy food.

Saki shrugged her shoulders. "I'd keep her from looking. Wouldn't want her to fall victim to... Whatever's going on around here." She tried to sound reasonable, but any attempt to keep her eyes closed and off the pawns just resulted in them popping open moments later to track the nearest bouncy pair...

Hiro stared at the visual in front of her. She was this close to just transforming then and there. This close. "...Would you like to try again another day?"

"Touching. You actually want to try again. We'll figure something out when this is over. But you're still going to the bossman once you get the chance, don't let this get in the way." Minami giggled. Well, maybe what she had heard before was right after all.

"Cheesed to meet you, girls! What can this darlin' do for ya? Just gaze in to the RackPack and let's find you a good seat here in Mousers!"

Both of the would-be-Heroines stared down at the positively tiny girl that was speakiing up at them. She barely reached their thighs, and yet the moment they started tilting their eyes downward...

They could feel something trying to pull at their minds. Like they were literally being packed into the cleavage that was the first thing you noticed about any single waitress in this crummy joint. Thankfully, given their experience with having their minds manipulated, both of them quickly managed to stabilize themselves, glaring at a much healthier angle as they stepped back.

The girl that had tried to serve them was dressed much like the rest of the Pawns, though it was clear that she was supposed to be the Jõtaijin. Maybe that was why her mouse ears were real, and her waitress uniform looked way more high quality. Still as revealing as all the others, complete with her own title written right on that top. Almost making her stand out compared to the others, if not for the fact you'd never read before your mind'd get sucked up into those oversized funbags.

"Psh, if you don't wanna book a table, then scram!" RackPack shouted, huffing and pouting as she immediately zipped over to the one table she knew would like her. All while the joint started to shift in response to her atittude towards the two heroines...

No matter how fast they tried to pursue her, she'd always feel too far away. As if they were running on a threadmill, or down a corridor that never ended..!

"Anythin' you like on that card, Prez? I picked out all the dishes I know you like!"

Saki's eyes immediately drifted towards RackPack's rack, though what kept her mind from tipping over and drooling its way out of her head and into that cleavage was what she had been called. "Wait... Prez... You..."

Her mind's eye overlapped with the Jõtaijin, and the fanservice mouse was replaced with the bespectacled mess that was Nezu Osoregi. She could feel her heart aching, as yet again another Jõtaijin had been made for her sake. Bison probably to blame for this one too...

"Mmmmmhm. See, I thought and thought and thought about it. And you've just gotta stop thinking, Prez! You're so much happier when you stop thinkin!" The brain-draining bimbo giggled, turning her gaze towards Yuuki too. "You too, Yuuki! I know you've got less brain in there, but you could use the timeout too!"

Yuuki smirked as a layer of ice covered her eyes, the chunks solidifying into a pair of wicked cold shades to make her hide away those vulnerable peepers of hers. "Nah, pass. Show me some of that PASSION of yours through your grub, why don'tcha?"

"Haha, if you say so! But you better look later! We're food for the eyes too, you know!"

Just as the transformed Nezu was about to skitter and scamper off, Saki tried to reach out. Mikai had done it so many times, and now that the voice in the back of her head had quieted down, maybe this time... Maybe this time..!

"HAAAAHAHAHAHA! WHAT A CURIOUS ESTABLISHMENT! ARE THERE ANY TABLES LEFT FOR AN OVERLORD!?"

It was already bad enough that many of the patrons were currently busy getting their brains drained by the boobage on offer, but a hefty problem had to make his way into the joint as well. And he was as loud and bombastic as ever...

Mikai didn't pay attention to Helheim since she was too busy trying to free Kokoro from those tits she had her weak and feeble mind drained into, to the point where she was already starting to turn into yet another Pawn to add onto her existing problems. Neither did Hiro and Minami for that matter, as the two were busy trying to get to that damned Jötaijin.

"Don't you have fighting to do instead of coming here to bother us while we're getting a bite to eat?" Yuuki didn't seem too plussed about the arrival of one of their greatest enemies. Though the sight of the girl at his thigh did. "Saki, isn't that her?

Saki's gaze turned to meet Neoheim. Who naturally waved softly at her as she saw her. The girl that had evolved because of how she had fought against Helheim, and now served as an off-color version of her. Even with that cute outfit...

"EVEN AN OVERLORD NEEDS A MEAL, HAHA!" Helheim laughed, patting his sweet daughter on the head as he continued. "ESPECIALLY A GROWING ONE LIKE LITTLE NEOHEIM!"

Saki was there. Hiro was there. Two of the ones she needed to observe. Minami and Mikai as well. And given the way that her Father was currently acting...

"Uhm. Big dragon guy?" RackPack hurried over to the front of the joint, not really too interested in having the establishment soiled by his sudden and rather oversized appearance. "We have a size limit, unfortunately. Can you, like, leave? I'm not even sure if you can look itno these..." She muttered, squeezing into her breasts as she wondered if that big guy could even have his mind drained by these things...

"HA, YOU WOULD TURN AWAY OVERLORD HELHEIM THE... UH..." He paused, tapping his daughter on her head. "Neo, dear, what was I on last?"

"Ace, Father. That's what you were named when you fought Ouroboros to a stalemate." Neo had been keeping track. She needed ideas for her own titles when she grew up to be an Overlord anyway.

"YOU WOULD TURN AWAY OVERLORD HELHEIM THE ACE? IMPRESSIVE, VERY IMPRESSIVE!" He laughed once again, before letting those might hardlight wings of his spread so far they could probably break the walls if they were just an inch wider. "FOR THIS DISPLAY, I DEMAND A BIT OF ENTERTAINMENT! AND YOU WILL BE THE NEW STAR OF THE SHOW, TINY ONE!"

Before any of the heroines that were present had a chance to stop this maneuver, a wave of Helheim's self-titled Helheim Virus burst forth from those massive wings. Quickly not only worming its way into the many patrons and pawns that had been deemed important for this next display...

But also RackPack herself. She naturally tried to resist this assault, but she was far too small and far too corrupted to change the nature of said corruption, letting out a roar as the virus embedded itself within...

Greeting the heroic patrons to the sight of her bodymass being rapidly distributed to much more important parts of her body, growing her to twice her original size while she took on a red mechanical look, just like the Overlord and his daughter's combat form.

The way she stood out amongst the two was by having her draconic aspects diminished. Instead, she took on the look of a mechanical valkyrie. One with wings that looked like they could boost her through hordes of enemy compatants and around their shots, as long as she kept her core out of the way.

Her helmet snapped shut the moment it took shape, giving her a faceless look fit for an empowered yet not lackluster infectee of the Helheim virus. "Vic Valk, online. Let the Overlord's Command ring loud, and the trumpets of battle resound!"

One by one, the many lesser valkyrie bots whipped out trumpets of their own. Letting the sound of impending combat fill the air, transforming the joint into something much more befitting of one of Helheim's impromptu schemes...

"GATHERED WARRIORS! FIGHT AGAINST ONE ANOTHER, ONLY THEN MAY YOU REACH GLORY!"

Landing the heroines in much more trouble than they already were, whether they were prepared for it or not…

—

"First I have to deal with Kokoro starting to slip into a pair of tits bigger than her dome head, and now I'm forced to fight. Not what I would call a fun day!"

Mikai cried out, having spawned in the middle of the ring ceremonial arena that Mouse Hole had become. Rows upon rows of robotic kobolds and lesser valkyries all lining the seats, with only a spot or two specially reserved for the Overlord himself and his guests...

And at the other side of the arena was... Minami in a dress? Pretty, but, uh...

"And I have to deal with a woman who's finally starting to understand that she might've gone down a terrible path. So how about we wrap this up fast, Mikai?" Minami chimed, tapping her dress and letting it burst from her body once the effects of her poison kicked in, revealing the rest of her Jõtaider getup.

Sounded familiar. Not that Mikai was too interested, she just wanted to get this over and done with so she could get Kokoro-senpai to the Doctor's. And then from there, maybe go see if Yumeko or Saeko wanted to go see a movie. Something to get her mind off things. "Let's!"

"Shinka!" "CHOU HENSHIN!"

The two transformed in the blink of an eye. It was a hard matchup for Minami, given that Ouroboros was outpaced by Mimoto's most recent form. But since the two of them were made to fight like this...

It wouldn't be right if she didn't give it a try! "RAGNAROK!" The purple Jõtaider cried out, stabbing the ground with her tail and letting it drag along, cracking the floor below as she let all of the poison detonate just as she was close enough to Mimoto!

Not only did she soar over her armored opponent, the ground ahead of Mimoto was now unstable. One bad step and she'd be sent tumbling into... Wait, they added a bottomless pit while transforming this place?!

Mimoto jammed her leg into the ground, the magnitude of Earth Ursa's power allowing her to stop right then and there, whipping around just as quickly as she had stopped. "Gonna play keep away since you know I've got more power, Minami!?" She shouted, grinning underneath that helmet.

"Something like that! But more importantly, there's something I've been wondering ever since I started looking into Ouroboros! The Prime in me, not my armor!" Ouroboros shouted, her mind racing to figure out a way to deliver a decisive blow. At this rate, she might just want to blow up the arena and hope to down her in mid-air...

"Hm? Can't it wait until we're done?" Mimoto shot back, keeping her eyes peeled for when Ouroboros would go on the offensive. Minami's output was explosive. Even with how thick her armor was at this point, and even though she could detach it should it be necessary, she...

Wait... detach...

"What does Chimera look like to you? That ancient predator that's supposed to be in your mind!?"

The question caught Mikai just off guard enough. She could feel those predatory eyes falling upon her, Ouroboros quickly darting forward. Zigzagging, dragging her tail along the crumbling ground to pour more and more of that poison inside. Until she came close enough..!

"TELL ME, MIKAI!"

The shout echoed out as Ouroboros struck Mimoto's stomach. Not strong enough to knock her back, but enough to land one of those poisonous blows when it mattered. And now that she had marked her, all she needed to do was make some distance, and then-

"Hey, Minami!"

Once Ouroboros thought she was far enough away from Mimoto be safe from any explosion, a frozen feather flew right past her cheek. The first of many that came flying at her. Dodging them, even with how many of them there were, wasn't a problem.

What was a problem, which made Minami's eyes widen underneath her helmet, was that the feathres each that the poisonous mark of her own attack..!

"Here's a treat from me to you! APEX METEOR!"

The mark had vanished from Mimoto's armor. Or rather, it had never been there in the first place. What she hit was brittle, like ice. It was in her haste to get away that she didn't realize she had hit a protective layer, one that Mikai had prepared before she tried to throw her off!

"AND! DESTROY!"

Her own technique used to beat her. It was enough to make the serpentine Jõtaider laugh, right as every single feather started to explode around her. Consuming her whole, before she was launched out of the arena and towards the endless pit underneath.

The girl was a lot smarter than she gave her credit for. Even after putting that seed of doubt in her mind, she still had the chance to throw something like that at her...

Hopefully she could get that answer, once she was fished out of the pit she was falling into-

Minami felt the brutish whiplash of being yanked back to the arena, courtesy of Mikai's quick thinking. She was out of the ring and had lost, but...

"No way I'm letting you fall when we don't know what's down there." Mikai grinned as her helmet vanished, taking a seat with both legs crossed. "So, about Chimera. What, is she not supposed to look like a big cat girl with wings?"

Ouroboros' own helmet vanished, the white-haired girl still laughing from how she had been treated.

First, Hiro barely managed to ask her about her living accomodations like she was some sort of homeless child, and now Mikai didn't let her lose in the traditional way...

What a pair they were. Hopefully, all of her investigating would pay off.

Especially concerning the much more armored look the Chimera in that book had...

---

"Shucks. My plan to get Saki to start relaxin' without any brains didn't pan out. And now I'm here with a pipsqueak who thinks a toy's a gun. At least you're taller than the lil' mouse."

Bee grit her teeth. So this was the lady that had made all those boobs appear. And the way she talked about Saki... No, the way she talked about the girl that saved her and her friends...

It didn't sit right with her at all!

"I really should be saving this for when I'm all better. But you! You're a bad girl, aren't you? Just as bad as the people that made my friends run wild, aren't you!?" The short brat cried out, taking aim with that toy gun of hers...

"Whatcha gonna do about it, shortie?" Bison grinned, putting a hand on her hat as she felt her muscles tensing up. "I don't think you're in my league, but if you can hit one good shot, how about you take it?"

The short artificial girl grinned. Oh yeah? She was underestimating her. Good, she liked it when they underestimated her!

"V-Aibõ! Grant me the strength I need!"

The device she called home appeared behind her, rapidly expanding to twice the size of her body before shooting a beam down at her. Covering her in several of those rings that had summoned her, until they smashed into her, shattering the beam...

And revealing her proper form, the one that had begged for Saki to save her. The punk-jacketed, half mechanical beauty known as SaintBeelze, swapping out the scarf and the shorts for nothing more than a decorative thong and a top that did nothing to keep her from showing a generous amount of underboob...

Her billowing blonde hair didn't quite match Bison's, but the look of determination in her eyes certainly showed that she could be a match. Especially as a mechanical if slightly demonic mask took shape across her face. Allowing her to lock onto the enemy in front of her.

Just in time for her toy gun to be replaced by two mighty armaments. An exaggerated chaingun with three barrels, each red hot and ready to fire, and what could best be described as a handheld yet still oversized rocket launcher.

"Take this on for size, bitch! For trying to mess with MY Hero! HEARTBREAK BARRAGE!"

She fired everything she had. Both the two massive weapons she wielded by hand, but also any hidden armaments within her legs. Even juggling and kicking grenades from her waist at the enemy, who just stood there ready to take everything that she had.

Bison grinning as she saw that onslaught coming straight at her. So that was the kind of power that one of those had once they were let loose, huh? That short bastard had really managed to cook up digital beings on par with the Jõtaijins that Golden Freedom passed around, and gave them the ability to fuse with others if they so wished...

"Hah! IMPRESSIVE, PUNK! TELL ME YOUR NAME!" Bison's words roared out, not swallowed by the gunfire and the explosions going off around her. The very same that were supposed to defeat her and knock her out of the ring...

"SaintBeelze! You don't get to call me Bee, you're not on the list!" SaintBeelze cried out, tossing her weapons aside as they ran out of ammo. She just needed a moment to materialize new ones, tap into her reserves and keep firing. She had plenty of juice left in the tank-

"A POWERFUL NAME FOR A POWERFUL PUNK!"

Right as she was about to pull new ones out of thin air, Bison charged through the explosions that were supposed to have destroyed her. Not only that, but she was moving faster than a bullet train! Straight for the materialized V-Aibõ herself!

SaintBeelze didn't get the chance to block. Not before the raging Bison's fist slammed against her stomach, causing her to bounce against the back wall of the arena, sending her tumbling down into the deep pit below...

Or at leas,t that's what would've happened. If not for Bison leaping off the edge and kicking herself back onto the stage once she reached all the way to the outer wall. Laughing with the defeated girl in her arms, resulting in her turning back into her weaker form...

"You... You're..." Bee muttered weakly, pointing her finger at Bison's face. She... She was bad, because she had insulted Saki. And yet she had just saved her from tumbling her way into a pit...

She grinned. "Not that bad... after all.." She muttered, before she dematerialized completely. Going right back into the toy she had been summoned from, too exhausted to keep herself manifested...

Bison grinned. "Nice friend you got there, Saki. Might wanna teach her a trick or two if you don't want her to end up losing like that again." She chimed, crossing her arms as she looked around the arena...

Now, how exactly was she going to get out of here and get back at that big dragon bastard for shutting her in here...

—

"...Am I not supposed to be part of these fights, Overlord?"

Saki was confused. She would've thought that the dragon that had assaulted her in the past, the one she had beefed with on the day that she revealed herself to Mikai, would actually have put her through her paces once again. Instead, she was sitting up by the throne where she watched the fights unfold with him. Fights that somehow all overlapped at the same time...

"I felt the Darkness quaking from your stunt last week. I know better than to force you to use your powers when you're weak. Where would the fun in fighting a weakened opponent be?" Helheim laughed, being far too kind for one that was meant to be their enemy.

Prompting Saki to simply sigh. She was being shown mercy by an enemy. And yet she was the one that hated herself so much that her own feelings manifested to try and burn her to a crisp. A messed up situation like no other.

"Tell me, Overlord." If he had such wise words, then surely... "You've been watching us, haven't you? Am I wrong for wanting to save everyone? Even at the expense of myself?" It felt weird to ask something like that. Specifically to somebody she had fought to drive back. And yet...

"You are, but not for the reasons you believe." Helheim grinned. "The only true way to save everyone is to put it all on the line. To be greedy. Unfortunately, this greed will naturally put everyone in danger... But it's by ignoring that worry, knowing that you will make it through. That's what will break you free from what weakens you!"

The blue-haired girl let it slowly sink in. "...I need to stop worrying, and trust that I can handle it all. What makes it so different from how I acted before?"

"The worry, you fool! What are you made of, Fool's Gold?!" Helheim laughed once again, before leaning back on his throne. "Once you've truly let that lesson sink in, I would love to fight you once again. Golden One." He paused, before grinning with all of those metallic teeth. "Nay. Saki Himitsu!"

He said it so plainly, but it clearly couldn't be that easy. Still, it could be worth thinking about...

For now, she just had to dwell on it. And hope that voice in the back of her mind was gone for good...

And hopefully, come up with a plan for the election next week...

—

"...I never did thank you for your efforts during the Near-Luna Descent, Shimo. Though most of the hard work was done by genbu, your efforts on the higher floors were appreciated."

Hiro didn't want to fight. And yet here she was. Facing off against the halfblooded Yukionna. Whose hair was already starting to catch on fire from how heated her heart was.

"Don't mention it." Yuuki grinned. Felt good to get a bit of respect. Even from one of the people she was currently envious of. But nah, no time like the present to just try and do her best. "Think I can try one of those out if I win?"

Hiro shook her head, slamming her hand against her arm. "Jouchaku." And the moment she transformed, she was already on the move. Already aiming for the briskest finish she could, as both of her Rook Blades popped out of the shields on her arms!

Yuuki was hopelessly, dangerously outclassed. And yet at the same time, that didn't matter. It didn't matter if she was weaker or not. As long as she had the guts. How'd it usually go, Guts and Bravery..?

Nah. That wasn't for her. There was only one thing for her!

"PASSION!"

With the roar from the icy-haired girl echoing out, the flames at the ends of her hair likewise roared into an inferno. Matching the ground beneath her turning into a solid sheet of ice, only to then immediately melt into a puddle covering the entire arena.

"Thunderbolt."

The sound of KING's systems roaring in turn echoed through Yuuki's ears, as she quickly slammed her hands against the ground. Raising a wall of ice and ducking under the impending slash just in time, sending shards shattering all over the place. Just as she hoped for!

"You're all tech, aren't you, Hiro!? Let's see how much you can handle the elements!"

The artificial Jõtaider raised an eyebrow behind her helmet, only to see ice spreading rapidly across her visor. Not only that, but she could feel the joints gradually stiffening. She had frozen pinpoint parts of her suit thanks to the shards melting in an instant and then being refrozen when they were in the vulnerable parts...

Only only that, but select parts of said ice were melting at the same time, rapidly turning a superheated blue as the prongs of temperature tried to hammer away at her suit in different measures. All to try and make an opening!

"Locking me down since you can't pierce through. Commendable." KING muttered, glaring through the partly frozen visor as she heard the sound of ice shattering beneath the girl's feet.

She was coming. She couldn't see it, but she could hear it. That attack was no doubt aimed to take advantage of the way she was weakening the structural integrity of the suit. Something she had learned from Genbu, perhaps? Or was the second weakest of their group maybe more than she gave her credit for...

"PASSION DRIVES US ALL! TAKE THIS, HIRO! PASSION-"

The ice on KING's visor shattered just as Yuuki moved in for her attack. Every single green glow on her suit rapidly turning golden, as power rushed through the artificial heroine at speeds unprecedented.

"Desperado - Thunderbolt Finger."

Before Yuuki had a chance to properly process what she just saw, the glowing golden hand slammed against her face. Grabbing ahold of her in that same motion, as she slammed her into the ground below.

The sheer power in that swift strike was more than enough to shatter the entire arena. But not enough to shatter Yuuki completely, as it would seem. Because despite taking the full brunt of KING's attack... Despite clearly being down for the count...

The crumbling stage froze over just as it broke, preventing it from falling apart. Leaving KING to quietly admire the work that the girl had been able to do when she put her mind to it.

"...You lost this one, Shimo. And in regards to your request..." She paused, her suit's helmet disengaging to reveal the dry expression still lingering on Hiro's face...

One replaced with the slightest hint of pride. "You don't need a suit like that. Not with your Passion."

Though she may be out for the count, it seemed as if Yuuki could hear the praise she got from her opponent...

Where else would that bright grin on her face have come from?

—

"Target lock. Neoheim."

Neoheim blinked a little as she faced off against the very same creation her Father converted. And Vic Valk saw her as an enemy, just as she was supposed to see everyone else. "Father. Is this really meant to happen?" She asked, turning towards the audience where he was supposed to be sitting...

Yet there was nothing there. It seemed as if this space was layered on top of itself. As if every single fight took place at the same time, able to affect none of them. Yet from the space her Father was watching from, he was probably able to watch everything at once...

If that was the case, then the data she wanted was currently being acquired. Excellent. That left her with the fight at hand.

"Accessing data logs..." She muttered, her outfit vanishing into blue specks as she started leaning forward. As her armor materialized around her slim frame, making her look like the draconic mockery of Kanzei she once began life as, a tail rapidly growing from her rear, not unlike the one that Ouroboros was supposed to be equipped with. "Complete. Artificial Prime integrated. Neoheim Prime, engaging!"

Vic Valk kept on the edges of the arena thanks to her integrated wing system, allowing her to keep the distance despite the tailed enemy trying to find a chance to stab her with that poisonous tip. "Downloading... Confirmed. Option Select: Gungnir."

As she determined the right course of action to deal with her Master's progeny, a spear manifested in her hands. One that compressed into a spear-tipped drone, shooting out energy as it followed behind her like it was nothing more than a drone.

Not only that, but it was great at tracking where Neoheim was darting to. No matter what part of the arena she found herself standing on, the Gungnir drone simply kept firiing more and more of these homing spears. Seeking to slay her as if she was a god...

Yet she kept dodging. This enemy was nowhere near as proficient as Father probably wanted her to be. Understandable, given what she was layered on top of.

"Pursuit failing. Switching tactics. Downloading." Once again, Vic Valk began to manifest a weapon in her hands. This time, a hammer sparking with lightning.

There was an opening. Yet Neoheim didn't take it. Instead, she brushed her hand against the tip of her replicated tail. It felt strong. But would it be as strong?

"Confirmed. Option Select: Mjolnir."

Another drone began following behind Vic Valk, the monotonous valkyrie continuing her assault. Shots firing from her hands, as well as distractions from the options that she had picked up. Spears firing from Gungnir, while lightning rained down from Mjolnir's swings...

Swings that Neoheim strategically placed herself under. letting the tip of her tail act as a lightning rod. She could feel it rapidly flooding its way through her systems. Even if the mechanical menace swapped tactics now, its defeat was guaranteed.

"Area denial denied. Switching tactics." The weapon creation began anew, leaving the enemy open for an attack. This was Neoheim's moment.

But she didn't unleash all of it at once. Rushing in at once, jamming the tip of her tail against the vulnerable chest of Father's creation. Leaving it marked like Ouroboros would do with her attacks...

"Damage... Negligible." Vic Valk stated. "Downloading. Confirmed. Option Select: Ichaival." Once again, a weapon was declared. However, the bow that was meant to take form started to dissolve the second it was decided on. "...Error. Error. Incomplete data."

Of course it was incomplete. The slight shock that came with the mark was enough to throw off her download target. Targeting an area that didn't exist. Leaving Neoheim to use this weakened guard to her advantage, rushing towards the stunned and confused mechanical valkyrie as the mark she had left began to glow!

"Integration: Detonation!"

A single strike to that mark was all it took to make it erupt with explosive and electric energy, completely destroying Vic Valk in that instant. Giving Neoheim the victory, and the satisfaction of having put her data through a trial run.

The Young One would be pleased with these numbers, but for now...

Father's demands for entertainment had been met, hadn't they..?

---

"Hahaha! Well done, well done!"

The winners of each fight manifested in a brand new version of the arena. Mikai, Hiro, Bison and Neo standing side by side as the victors that brought the Overlord the entertainment he so desired.

"Come on, Helheim! Isn't this enough already?" Mikai whined, pouting as she thought about what Minami had said. The thought briefly causing the darkness within to billow outward, making Chimera materialize beside her...

"We're definitely going to have to ask her more about that later. She clammed up right after we finished, just like her to drop a bombshell and then shut up to see our reaction."

Chimera was right. And just as quickly as she materialized, she vanished. Showing her dull faced partner at her side instead, and the two that were meant to be her enemies.

Hiro didn't bother thinking too hard about it. She was already trying to consider other places to go with Minami. Perhaps she'd enjoy the diner...

"What, a free-for-all? That what we're finishing off on, big guy?" Bison grinned, slamming her fist into her palm. "Bring it, these United States aren't just for show!"

Neoheim quietly ignored her Father. Because just as she had thought, the data was properly recorded. Unfortunate that she couldn't get one of Kanzei, but this would do.

Helheim's laughter echoed through the arena, as the scrapped Vic Valk rose from the abyss it had dropped into. Sparking all over, as it started to gather new energy. Courtesy of the Helheim Virus that was currently billowing forth from his wings.

"THIS FINAL ENTERTAINMENT WILL BE YOU FOUR AGAINST-"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY PUB AND MY DAUGHTER!?"

The world around them shattered as a downright furious woman's voice echoed through the arena. Returning them to the pub they were supposed to be in, with the Overlord looking uncharacteristically tamed by the sound of that fury.

Standing in the doorway leading into the Mouse Hole was the owner, and mother of the one that had been shook around by all of this. Nuku Osoregi. And frankly, calling her furious was selling all of this short, because you could almost see the aura she was projecting as she stomped inside.

Everyone that was still standing naturally got out of the way, letting the white-haired woman get close to the mechanical mess that her daughter had become. A mess that gradually undid itself as she came close, because the anger billowing from her was melting the virus away...

Overlord Helheim cleared his throat. "Madame, I was simply putting your daughter through her paces, because I admired her spirit! She tried to turn me away for being too big, and-"

"SHE WAS DAMN RIGHT TO DO SO, LOOK AT YOU! AND YOU DECIDE THE RIGHT WAY TO TREAT HER IS TO TURN HER INTO A MECHANICAL MANIAC!? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF!?" The burning fury of a protective and loving Mother was unlike any other, enough to make the Overlord meant to conquer this world look meek by comparison.

"I-"

"NO, NO EXCUSES! YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE UP FOR WHAT YOU DID, YOU HEAR ME, BIG MAN?!" He didn't get a word in, and was immediately conscripted into making up for everything. A fate he took with remarkable grace, his wings furling in as he hung his head.

"Hah, ain't that a hoot. I didn't know you Darkness fellas could actually feel bad!" Bison laughed, as she turned around to try and leave...

Only for the woman to grab her by the shoulder, firmly digging her fingers in. "You're not leaving either, Star Tits. I heard the pub got turned into a sleazy establishment before I came in to see this. You seem like the type to be behind something like that. AND YOU DID THAT BY TOYING WITH MY LITTLE NEZU, DIDN'T YOU?"

The last time that Bison had been scolded like this was back home with her Ma', and the memories of her fuckups turned her remarkably meek in the blink of an eye. Her transformation undoing itself and revealing Claudia underneath, the bespectacled exchange student rapdily bowing her head to apologize to the woman this close to grabbing her by the ear and dragging her into the kitchen...

"...You know, I'm not going to worry about what could've been!" Mikai grinned, not her problem! "Kokoro-senpaaaaai! You're still around, aren't youuuuu!?" She cried out, hoping to find the latex-clad girl that she had been wanting to help so much. Gotta fix that Pawn Syndrome now before it got worse, especially after these tit-troubles!

Hiro tried to gaze towards Neoheim to get a read on the Overlord's daughter, but she was already gone. Peculiar. Not that it mattered much for her either. She would fall one day or another. Or, if the progress she seemed to have made with Hayato was legit, then perhaps...

"Well, what a mess that was. And I clearly need to get better tactics if I'm ever going to fight Mikai again." Minami whined, barely able to manifest Ouroboros after being so thoroughly defeated. Yet she had a smile on her face as she staggered over towards Hiro, still filling out that pretty dress nicely...

Hiro nodded. "Shimo performed admirably. A bit more training, and she might be your equal." She said without a hint of sarcasm or teasing. Not something she could really do with her limited range of emotion.

"Har har. I'll hypnotize her into selfdestructing if she gets too proud of herself." Minami snarked, before silently wrapping her arms around the white-haired woman. Something about hugging her after a long day felt relieving and comforting... "You better keep your promise, Hiro."

"I will. I'll head there in just a moment." Hiro said, carefully wrapping her arms around Minami as well. Though Minami was taller than Mikai, that didn't stop this hug from feeling just as comforting as if Mikai had hugged her...

Minami giggled. "Oh, also, regarding your question earlier?" She chimed, leaning close to the woman's ear to whisper a few words...

...

"Well. What's another head when they're already taking up so much space at home..." Hiro muttered, with the white-haired girl gleefully smiling so brightly...

Things were only going to get more complicated from here on out if everything went well, so how bad could it be to also house Minami?

She just hoped she wasn't as clingy as her serpentine Jõtaider form implied her to be...

---

"Ahhhhh. You're a way better Hero than I thought you were! How come it's so hard to beat a big cow that calls you bad names!?" 

Saki chuckled, cupping the V-Aibõ with the palm of her hand. It was actually cute seeing Bee cartoonishly covered in bandaids like this. Not that it was good that she got hurt, but she clearly wasn't beat up over it.

"No kiddin'. Try fighting a full-fledged Hero like Hiro too, she hurts!" Yuuki wasn't doing much better either, though that mainly manifested in her skin being slightly frozen over and cracked. Overuse of her powers left her reflecting her element. "Still, good practice! And I bet you could do way better, Saki!"

"Ahh! So that's her name!" Bee cried out, not having picked up on it before. "Thanks again for everything, Saki! I'm glad to be your V-Aibõ!"

Heading home together with one of her closest friends and a brand new... pet? Friend? Whatever she could call Bee... It was a strange feeling for sure.

This was another part of being a Hero that she'd have to cherish. Once she felt comfortable enough to transform again…

Hopefully before the election. Something told her that things were going to go horribly wrong, knowing her and the others’ luck…

But as long as she had Mikai and the others… Everything would turn out alright.

—

"I wish to resign."

The short CEO blinked a little at the paper on his desk, before quietly putting out a pair of smaller glasses to ensure the document in front of him was real.

"What prompts this sudden turn, Hiro? You've performed beyond my expectations as the user of the PAWN System, and the KING System is working out even better for you." Atlas said, more surprised at this development than harboring any sort of malice.

"...I need time to truly think about what I wish for this life of mine. I am glad to have worked for you and the company as a whole, as glad as my heart lets me be. But..."

The subtle shift in her expression. A hint of pain leaking through. It was enough for Atlas to simply smile and put away his reading glasses.

"You came prepared. If this truly was an impulsive decision, you would've talked it over with Qilin or the others, and from there corrected your course. So..." He spoke, pushing the paperwork towards her. Even as he spoke, the satisfied smile remained.

"In a scant few hours, when midnight strikes, you will no longer be an employee of Atlas Corp. And, as a token of gratitude for your ten years of service as well as playing an important part in the operation to prevent the Near-Luna Descent, you may keep the equipment assigned to you. Your arm and the KING System both."

The pain faded from Hiro's face. Replaced with a subtle hint of surprise. "You let me go... Just like that? You don't fear the consequences, or imagine that I could turn against you?"

"There are consequences. Of course." Atlas said, climbing off his chair and walking around the desk, before offering his hand to the taller woman. "But you've earned my trust, Hiro. Played your part as a pawn in my game. So go forth with your head held high. And I can only hope that you end up seeing things my way once again someday."

The hand was unexpected. Yet Hiro met the hand with her own, the two shaking on this ending, and on this new beginning…

Unbeknownst to Hiro, however… A pair of yellow eyes watched from afar…

Clutching her chest, as a few tears started rolling down her lonely cheeks…

—

"Time Twister- Yumeko, what the hell's going on?!"

Yumeko blinked as she picked up the phone. She was just out getting some groceries for a cake she wanted to try and bake for Saeko and Mikai. Not a skill she was particularly amazing at, but it was the thought that counted. So to suddenly get such a worried call from Hayato of all people...

"Calm down, Hayato. What's going on? I can't help you if you don't tell me." She said, scanning the area around her. Was somebody watching her, or was she just paranoid again...

A choked cry echoed from the other end. "I... I went to check on Lady Hopper. After meeting with Saki last week, she looked worse and worse. And tonight, I couldn't find her... Just..."

Yumeko froze as she heard those next few words.

"Just a puddle of what looked like golden blood, and a letter addressed for Ero..."

...Haruhi had... No, no no. There was no way that...

Just as her fears started to climb into her heart, she caught a glimpse of a familiar hatted magician from behind the counter at the bakery. And with the most gleeful grin on his face, he mouthed words she had seen before...

"The curtain rises soon. What will you do this time?"

And before she had the chance to try and catch him, he was already gone...

Was it about to happen again..!? What was she missing!?

She needed to find Mikai, and fast..!

—

“Young One.”

Kimiko didn’t bother trying to get away from Neoheim this time. She had come by often. Always calling her that same title. Always asking her that same question.

“What is Love, Young One?”

She didn’t know. She didn’t answer.

But she swore that she could see two figures at Neoheim’s side. There was one last time she stopped by. And, if she listened closely, this one… This one said…

“Artificial Jõtaider… Successfully… copied…”

…

A slow smile began to build on Kimiko’s lips.

So that’s what she meant by Love…