[Mechanization, Gattai, Tokusatsu Themes]

"How long has it been, Yuusha the Platinum?"

Yuusha laughed at the sight of the elderly woman currently parking her broad shoulders in his doorway. "You know I don't like that name too much, Genbu. Dredges up the past in a way I'd like to bury it." He said, motioning for her to step in. Only to chuckle as he saw a younger lass stepping in after her. "And you, dear? One of Genbu's disciples?"

"Ehe." The young lass, who looked a couple of years older than his Granddaughter, had a nice tan that complimented both the green hue of her tie and her windy side-tail. Clashed horribly with the Atlas Corp uniform she wore, but that was probably why the top of it was open to the point where her tie easily slid in between her sizable cleavage. "Granny's strong, but I'm not that kinda girl. I'm Fuujin, pleased to meetcha, old man!" The way she carried herself hardly looked like she was fit for the uniform, more like a gyaru stuffed into a mold that was too small for her...

But it's not like what she got up to was any of Yuusha's concern, the older man patting her on the head like all the other girls that were shorter than him. "Pleasure to meet you too, Fuu. Would either of you like some tea?" He chimed, already heading off to pour the two lovely ladies a cup of his favorite...

As he went, Fuujin took a gaze up at the Saint she accompanied. And she gently blew towards her ear, a tiny stream of air dancing its way towards it...

"I really can't try my stuff on him? I thought Suzaku wanted us to get a hang of our abilities. And he looks like he's easy enough."

The wind carried her words, allowing her to communicate with Genbu without letting the old man hear her. But she simply shook her head, patting Fuujin just the same way Yuusha did. "I took you with me to get a cup of tea. Besides, couldn't you see it in his eyes?"

As they sat down, the windy girl blinked a few times while focusing her gaze explicitly on Gramps' eyes. She hadn't seen it before, so what was she talking about? Maybe if she looked real closely, then...

Ah, there it was! A look of longing. For what though? Looking around, there were a bunch of dusty pictures. And if what she had been told, he lost most of his family besides his granddaughter. So what was it?

The morning hours gradually ticked by, and Fuujin was none the wiser. Which just made her slide more and more across the table, almost as if she was melting from how much she was trying to think of what was at the core of all of this...

"You're looking awfully stressed, Fuu. Is the tea that bad?" Yuusha asked, taking another sip from his own cup. Hm, could use a bit more time next time, but not so bad that a girl like that would start melting...

"I'm tryin' ta' think of what Genbu's tryin' ta imply, Gramps! You've got a real sad look in yours, and-"

Before Fuujin finished rambling on, she felt a slight chop on the top of her head, causing her to instinctively rub the spot to ease up on the very mild pain. All while pouting at the Granny that delivered the hit.

"You sure you want to do this, Yuusha? I can only help you do this once. That's the favor I owe you as the Hero you once were." Genbu's expression turned uncharacteristically serious, peering straight into those longing eyes...

He knew what he wanted to do. There was nothing she could say to dissuade him. Prompting her to simply sigh and smile. "As stubborn as ever." She muttered, relenting...

"It's what she would've wanted." Yuusha said, gazing towards the picture of his wedding day currently sitting on the shelf...

Hopefully his body could take it…

—

"I didn't know you could cook, Saki!"

A soft smile wormed its way onto Saki's lips as she gently put down several plates of fluffy pancakes in front of the three girls that had allowed her to stay over, and another one with twice as many pancakes stacked on top for the currently-materialized Bee who had insisted on trying her Hero's cooking too.

"My Grandfather cooked for me for many years, but I insisted on trying to learn myself. Eventually, I took over as the years passed him by. I'm surprised Saeko didn't say anything, now that the two of you are so close." Saki explained, tossing a glance from the appreciative smile on Mikai's face to the blush currently swallowing Saeko's.

"I-I mean it's not like I'd go around telling my girlfriend about how good my best friend's cooking was..." Saeko muttered, not wanting to step on any toes. Despite her words trying to show some concern for the situation developing there, she didn't bother restraining herself and dug into the pancakes in front of her. Remarkably ravenously for a girl like her...

Yumeko was quietly pouring a small bit of syrup on top of hers, not wanting to spill over. The encounter last week still had her on edge, even if there were no signs of what Lumiel might be planning. Still, that worry manifested in the way she carried herself... Almost making her as reserved as she was before everything went down...

"Seconds, Saki!" Bee and Mikai cried out at the same time, thrusting their plates towards the blue-haired girl. Before a quick glance between both of them caused them to laugh, realizing how like minded they were. Despite one being made of data and one being human...

Saki softly sighed, shaking her head. "Wait until the others have finished too, you two. You have to pace yourselves." Funny that she'd say that, given that she definitely didn't pace herself when it came to other matters. "Besides... Isn't there something important that we need to talk about, Mikai? Something you heard from Yumeko?"

"...Right! Yumeko, last week, the thing with Lumiel! And Hopper too, if you know anything about that?" Mikai's eyes lit up as she put the plate back down, with Bee taking advantage of the situation growing a bit more tense...

Yumeko paused as she gently prodded at her stack. "...He said that the curtain was going to rise soon. But no matter where I look, no matter what memories I look through, I just can't put it together. I don't know what he's planning. But... Since it's the Student President Election tomorrow..." She muttered, not wanting to say it outright.

"You think I might be at the center of it." Saki said, taking Bee's seat while it was still empty. "...I can't blame you for thinking like that. Not with what I did recently. Not with everything that's been happening since I took in too much from Kimiko."

Mikai quickly reached out to grab Saki's hand as she saw it clenching the blanket covering up the table, smiling brightly as always. "Don't worry, Saki. Even if something'll happen, we'll be there. Isn't that right, Saeko, Yumeko?"

Saeko hiccuped as she finished her stack of pancakes, blushing as she pushed her glasses up. "Always. We won't let you down. Or let you turn into something worse, Saki. That voice inside you won't get away with trying to make you something you're not!"

Yumeko nodded, though this did nothing to ease her worries. All she could do was hope that she'd be able to hold on tomorrow. If things really did turn out ugly, and Saki became the centerpiece of another Descent, then...

"You're all lively today. Could you keep it down while I'm trying to catch up on sleep?"

Just as the situation might be getting a little too serious, Hiro's voice cut through it all. There was just one issue with her as she stepped into the kitchen, and it was plain obvious to see.

"Aren't you supposed to wear something when you come down to get something to eat?" Saeko asked the very clearly lightly dressed older woman, ignoring the obvious issue at hand.

Namely the fact that Hiro couldn't exactly get herself dressed with Natsuki clinging to one side of her, and Minami clinging to the other. Not that she didn't try, trying to get her arm far up enough to reach the fridge.

"Ehe, not her fault it's too much fun to cling to her. So nice and warm." Minami chimed, that ever-present teasing tone chiming as she nuzzled that cozy and warm shoulder, making sure not to hurt the plastic gold crown on her head.

"I can't believe you went through all that trouble to get dressed up last week. And then you just wanted to drag me to Golden Queen instead." Hiro muttered dryly. She couldn't get a good grip on the fridge, but she could grab one of the many pancakes stacked on top of the plate Bee was trying to sneak away with, causing the shortie to pout as her heist was intercepted.

"I needed a good excuse to get one of those nice crowns. Couldn't just go on my own, what kind of girl would be caught dead buying a kids meal on their own?" Minami's giggles continued, especially as she gently pushed Hiro's own back into place. "Besides, I got you and Natsuki one too, so don't complain."

Hiro didn't dignify it with a response. Because it was true, it was a nice crown. Even if it was plastic. "...I guess it wasn't the worst use of my now-abundant time."

Minami nodded, growing ever slightly quiet as she let her head rest on that shoulder. Just as she had been all throughout the night. "You really went through and quit. Guess I really did manage to cut through that veil of yours, huh?"

"Or she finally realized that working for the tiny runt that kept me and the others in a tube all day without even trying to check up on us properly wasn't worth it." Natsuki followed up, squeezing her arms around her former boss' side. "Now we just have to do something about that arm. Maybe we should feed it to Minami, she's been eyeing it for the last week."

Having two teasing trolls clinging to her body was a bit much for a woman like Hiro. Even with her current condition. All she could do was sigh. "Thank you, Minami. Just tell me... Why are you sticking around? Didn't you get what you wanted?"

"You're warm. Just like Mom was all that time ago. And since you're actually willing to try and make amends, going so far as to quit... Maaaaybe I'll just stick around and see if this warmth means something more. Hope you don't mind, because you don't get a choice to say no."

Hiro was right. Things were going to be more complicated from then on.

Because this snake of a girl, who she still owed a lot to for her part in the Prime Resonance, was perhaps the slipperiest girl of all...

All while Mikai watched from the table, happy that her partner was starting to recover thanks to a new and an old connection reaching deep into that loving heart she knew she had.

Saki felt a little envious looking at Hiro. It reminded her of back then. When she and her siblings could cling to their dad and get him to do whatever they wanted...

But that time wouldn't come back. Still, this... She wouldn't mind if she could keep being part of this kind of environment...

Just as she let this familiar feeling of warmth, a different kind of warmth than the one Minami was muttering about, wash over her and make her feel at home... She could feel her cell phone ringing.

One quick check, and she felt her heart trembling. Because a single message was all that displayed on that screen.

'Swing by, will ya? -Grandfather'

Had something happened to him..?

—

"These girls..."

Qilin muttered as she looked at the three Natives currently hovering within the tubes deep within Seiryu's lab. The scientist was currently away, doing lord knows what. Leaving the white-haired woman alone with the three girls that were most important to Hiro, beyond the ones she currently had in her life...

She put her hand on the side of one of the tubes. Her hand slowly turning the same dark shade as a Luna's would. All while the thoughts bubbled inside her mind...

"If I got rid of them, and Hiro-nee found out... Would she come back..?" To suddenly have Hiro quit like that, without even telling her anything, and then just... Not even trying to message her...

She didn't like it. She didn't like it at all. And if this would be what it took to make her answer her, then-

"Whoooaaaaa!"

The sound of a girl blindly tumbling into darkness echoed out, with Qilin's hand rapidly turning back to normal as she turned towards the stairs leading into the lab. And who did she find...

"...Nanako Tachibana?" The seventh Tachibana sibling, the one that had been part of several Atlas Corp experiments over the last little while. Why was she in here..? Wasn't it supposed to be a closely guarded secret?

Nanako giggled a little as she dusted herself off, barely able to see anything in the darkness of the barely lit lab. "Lady Qilin? Lady Seiryu told me to try and clean up the lab for her, but when I went to go dust off her closet full of labcoats, I ended up falling through! Where are we?"

The lights turned on before Qilin could answer. "You've stuffed your nose where it doesn't belong, Nanako! I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU WANDER AROUND TRYING TO HELP!"

Qilin sighed as Byakko stepped down the stairs that Nanako had tripped down, pressing her fingers against the bridge of her nose. Okay. She'd have to postpone any of those intrusive thoughts for now. Can't put an end to those girls with witnesses like these around. Nanako was one thing, Byakko was another.

"Sorry, Lady Byakko! I just wanted to get it as clean as possible! Did you know that Lady Seiryu never dusts off her room? It was like the dust was trying to eat me alive!" Indeed, the dust seemed like it was trying to cling to the cute girl...

At least before Byakko got down on her knees and dusted her off, grumbling about having to do something the girl very well should be able to herself. "She's the laziest genius I've ever met. Never taking care of herself when she could be burying herself in research. At least somebody's looking out for her." 

Nanako nervously giggled. That sounded like a compliment, she'd take it! "By the way, Lady Qilin, Lady Byakko, what're those? And who's in there?" She asked, pointing towards the obvious tubes.

She wasn't supposed to learn about them. The continued existence of the Natives were supposed to be a closely-guarded secret. One that only Saints or those with authority close to theirs were supposed to know. The idea of which immediately set off alarms inside Qilin's head, as she started reaching towards her covered up arm...

A single glare from Byakko was enough to stop her. Before the short kitty patted the guinea pig on the head. "They're girls that are precious to me and the other saints. Especially Hiro. Not that Hiro's still with us, but..."

"Oh! Then they're probably getting healed, aren't they? I can't wait to see them get out, I'm sure there's lots they've been missing if I've never seen them before!" The beaming young worker chimed, completely unaware of what had happened to them. Which was why she was able to hope so much.

It's that hope that made Qilin bite her lip for a second, before trying to put on a brave face by smiling in her usual teasing way. "As long as you don't tell anybody, we'll let you know if something changes. Okay, Nanako? And remember to get back to your dusting, you want Seiryu to praise you for doing a good job, don't you?"

Nanako immediately sprung to her feet and saluted both of her superiors. "Of course! You have my word, Lady Qilin!" She chimed, and immediately sprinted back up the stairs, only just barely not tripping over herself as she headed out of this secret lab...

Byakko cracked a smile. Something about that girl reminded her of better times. If everything had happened, would Hiro have turned out that way... No, no use thinking about the past in hypotheticals. The present was still calling. "Intrusive thoughts starting to get to you?" She asked, coming closer to Qilin with a knowing look on her face.

"...I just want her back, Byakko. That's all." Qilin muttered. Quietly squeezing her wrist, a lonely look in her eyes. "I just want Hiro-nee back. But I can't tell her that. I want her to be happy too. I want her to smile, but I want her to be with me too. But I can't leave..." She kept on muttering, caught in a spiral that she had no way of really escaping from...

Prompting Byakko to grab her by the hips, yank her down onto her knees, and then hug her at eye-level. "Can't this, want that, listen to yourself, Qilin. You know what we do when we can't do what we want to?"

"...Karaoke?"

"EXACTLY! Now come on, you can't just stand around and let your mind try and talk you into something that'll make everything worse. Get all of that out of your system in a better way!" Byakko grinned, grabbing the white-haired woman's hand. "Maybe even sing some love songs. I'm sure Hiro'll hear 'em if you scream loud enough!"

It was ridiculous. And yet, it was what it took to make Qilin smile. Maybe she was getting caught up in everything, and a good sing would solve it all...

Yeah... And then later, Hiro-nee... Hopefully, Hiro-nee would listen to her...

Hopefully being there for her when she needed her most...

—

"You're looking a lot happier, Yuuki-nee."

Yuuki blushed slightly, this close to spitting out her cereal as her younger sister assessed her as she always did. Those cold, unemotive eyes peering right through her and straight into the flame at the core of her heart. "E-Eh? What do you mean, Yuuka? I haven't been happy?"

Her younger sister nodded, gently putting her sleeves together while leaning back in her chair. "You've been worrying. Worrying that you aren't good enough. But I can see the flame inside you. It's flickering brighter than ever. You've begun to let go of that worry." She explained, nodding softly. "I'm glad. I don't like seeing you waver, Yuuki-nee."

"H-Heh. Yeah. Thanks, Yuuka." Yuuki grinned, throwing one arm over the back of her chair as a flame manifested in the palm of her hand, only for it to get frozen solid by her normal powers. "It's just... This power's nowhere near as fancy as the powers everyone else have been whipping out. Between Mikai's form combining all of her others, Yumeko being able to summon other selves, Saki being as powerful as ever despite what she's going through... And that's not even mentioning all the others. I think the only one I'm more impressive than is Tsubasa, and he's got a girlfriend as a sword!"

"And yet, that feeling of inadequacy's been sealed within the ice you call upon." Yuuka said, a soft smile worming its way onto her cold lips. "Your PASSION shutting away your worries."

Her older sister laughed again. "Something like that. Let's just leave it at... They're willing to trust so much in each other. And in me. So why shouldn't I trust a little more in myself after everything they're trying?" She chimed, getting up as she crushed the icy flame in her hand. "Besides, maybe I'll get a chance to be cooler later. Y'never know what the future may hold!"

Seeing her sister brighten up like this brought a warmth to Yuuka's heart. Even though the two of them were both Yukionna by blood, the bright sunny flame burning inside Yuuki-nee was always there to keep them warm...

"You should make sure they know too. I'm sure they'd appreciate the trust." Yuuka concluded, before pausing for a moment. "By the way, could you try and tell Tsubasa-senpai to come by? And bring Momiji as well. I'd like to see her powers in action."

"And get wielded by the boy whose heart you wanted to win?" Yuuki shot back, a subtle blush forming on her little sister's cheeks. "'Course I'll let him know! I'm sure he'd be happy to spend some time with you. Just-"

Before Yuuki finished her warning, her phone started ringing. She quickly thrust her hip to the side, launching the phone into the air where she could easily snag it. "Yello? Ah, Saki!" She grinned, always a pleasure to hear from her best friend...

Until her face turned ever slightly pale. "...Huh. Yeah, okay. Let's hope it's nothing serious. I'll be right there." Right. Grandfather sending really ominous messages. Looks like today was going to be a rough day. "Alright. Yuuka, I'll put the recommendation on ice until this is over. After that, I'll get you your personal Hero. Yeah?"

"Yeah." Yuuka could wait. As long as she could see her older sister happy, then she could wait as long as she needed to for any of her own wants.

Yuuki grinned, throwing open the front door-

"Yuuki Shimo. What's this election coming up about?"

And very nearly slamming into Neoheim, who had been patiently waiting outside the door. Great, uh, hm. She didn't have time to answer the robotic girl's question...

"Yuuka! Do me a favor and handle Neo here, I'm sure you've got the answer to the questions she wants!"

Yuuka blinked as Yuuki quite literally threw Neo inside the house, with the younger sister's freezing powers forming a soft hand to catch her. Allowing the two low-emotive girls to stare into each others' eyes.

She could see it in the girl's eyes. A desire to see another happy. Just like her own. It brought a soft smile to Yuuka's lips, one that twisted ever slightly into a cheeky one...

Very well. She'd help her. Just as Yuuki-nee asked her to...

—

"Are you sure that I should be getting painted like this?"

"Of course I am, Jo-Jo! You'll be real pretty when it's time for election! You wanna look cute when everyone's watching, don't you?"

The living armor that was Hel Jormungandr would blush if she could, but remained still as Ero continued to paint over her otherwise intimidating serpentine helmet. It was really nice of her to help her, but she couldn't help but feel a little worried. Not because anything bad could happen, far from it! After Lady Agatha had taken her in and given her employment, just as she had done to Fenrir, everything seemed so nice!

It's just-

"ERO! I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO STOP PAINTING MY GIRLS WITHOUT PERMISSION!"

Ero laughed as she ducked right under one of Agatha's well-known rage-filled fists, the fist instead slamming into the side of Jormungandr's helmethead, causing it to fly off her shoulders like the raging blonde had just hit a volleyball with a smash that determined an entire tournament.

"A-Ah! Jor! Sorry!" Agatha cried out, not quite as quick on her feet as she'd like, so she was stuck watching the helmet flyyyyyy down the hallway...

Right onto the head of her fellow Hel, the oversized dog maid immediately letting out a yelp as everything went dark around her. "JOR! I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO STOP GETTING ON ME! I DON'T LIKE BEING COMPRESSED BY YOU!" She roared, trying to force the helmet off her head. Unfortunately, the magical helmet was a bit too tight once it snapped shut around something, making the endeavor harder than it needed to be...

"N-Not my fault, Fen! Sorry! Sorryyyy! Please stop pushing on me like that!" The living helmet cried out, a metallic wail accompanying the grunting sounds of the dog trying to get her off her head...

"Ara." Tomoe said, poking her head out from the room she was busy cleaning. "Lady Anemone, you really shouldn't be abusing the staff like that. Even if they can take the abuse. You wouldn't want to build a reputation you can't easily get rid of, would you?"

Agatha steamed and fumed, teased by one of her top maids and accidentally getting the two Hel girls into trouble because of what she did. And the culprit behind that frustration was right here, the burning anger inside her lighting back up as she focused on Ero. "ERO."

"Psssssh." Ero giggled as she gave the chubby mistress a hug, squeezing her nice and tight despite the blush and fury growing on the girl's face. "I'm just having a bit of fun. Besides, you're supplying the maids for tomorrow's election thingy, you really gotta ease up and relax, the stress will kill ya."

Oh, how Agatha really wanted to punch Ero's lights out right about now. But she did her best to compose herself. She had been working on controlling her anger, courtesy of her girlfriend telling her that she shouldn't let it control her. Not easy. Not easy at all. But compared to that useless woman who dared to have been her mother, at least she was trying.

"Why are you even here, shouldn't you be with Hayato?" It was weird that the Ganguro Gothbot decided to head to her place. Even if there was some sort of commonality between Ero and the living armor, there was just as much commonality between her and the other girls that liked makeup...

Ero giggled, before sighing a little as she let go of the nice squishy pillow she called a friend. "Can't get ahold of Hayato, can't get ahold of Mom, nobody's picking up. Well, Mikai's picking up, but she's busy playing buddy with Saki, so I don't wanna bother her. And the cutie over at Golden Queen didn't want me to have her number. So I thought I'd rile you up a bit instead!"

"Oh. So it's on purpose." Agatha said, with the bot-gal nodding with that teasing smile of hers as bright as ever. "Your head can be reattached if I knock it off, like Jor's, right?"

Ero could feel a tinge of worry. "A-Aha. Maybe I shouldn't have been so forward." She admitted, before turning 900 degrees around. "Seeeeyaaa, Agathaaaa!" And running like her life depended on it

With the unlikely Magical Girl hot on her heels. "ERO! ERO GET BACK HERE! I'M GOING TO INSTALL A BRAND NEW LAW INTO YOUR ROBO-BRAIN WITH MY FIST!"

"Still got a long way to go. Who knows what Lady Alyssa would say if she saw her like this?" Tomoe sighed, turning her attention towards the two Hels, who had gone quiet...

Because Jor had managed to gain control despite her wishes, and was now paying the wolf back by admiring herself in the mirror, giggling over how the muscled form paired perfectly with a helmet...

Leaving the maid to simply chuckle. Ah, how lively this place had become...

Much better than when her little Lady was still seething over everything, now she had friends to call her own too…

—

"Swear to god, if Ero's going to hit on me one more time while I'm trying to make money, I'm going to lose it."

Hayato sighed, passing by a mirror as he went into Hopper's secret hideaway. Ignoring the look of the lipstick-wearing gyaru reflected within, especially as it went away just a moment later thanks to his PriDriver's effects being cancelled.

While he was busy trying to figure out what had happened to his former boss, he needed to make a bit of cash on the side. And since he still had the medals from those two lovebirds, he used it to temporarily change into a mixture of himself and Momiji. Which made it easy for him to look like a gyaru girl, given how fluffy her hair already was.

It's just that working behind the counter at Golden Queen and having to make it impossible for people to recognize him, whether it was Minami or Ero or any of the others, was a lot easier said than done. Compared to that, disguising as a girl in the first place was easy...

"Welcome back, Hayato. You're just in time."

Hayato felt a shiver run down his back as he saw the leader of Golden Freedom seated and waiting for him to return. For once, she wasn't dressed in the attire she wore as a leader, but rather the labcoat she wore while posing as a doctor. All while she had all of that blood he had seen splattered across the floor bottled up inside a jar, the sight still made him uncomfortable given what it could imply.

"I don't like the sound of that. Nor do I like the look of you." Hayato muttered as he came closer, taking a seat close to the jar. "...You're an expert with this kind of stuff, aren't you, D'Or. What went wrong here?"

D'Or pushed her glasses up slightly. "Have you ever thought about the lengths Haruhi went through to try and make your Driver and everything else, Hayato?"

The gears immediately started to grind together in his head. "...She.... Is she contaminated or something? I thought Jõtai were just supposed to make your willpower stronger, maybe twist it when you turn into a Jõtaijin, but ultimately just some sort of amplifier..."

"Amplifier, yes. But it had an original form. And the more intense the usage..."

D'Or's words were suddenly underlined by her revealing a cut on her wrist. And the slow trickle of golden blood pouring from that wound, before it closed up just as quickly as she had made it. The sight was more than enough to make Hayato's skin crawl...

"The more it becomes part of you. Unfortunately, while I've taken my time to get used to it, Haruhi always pushed herself to the edge. So to see it progress this far... I'm not sure how much time she has left if we don't find her." 

Just as she spoke, the jar that the blood had been stored inside cleanly split in two. Revealing that the golden blood inside had not only solidified, but grown due to the change in state. An inevitability as far as Haruhi was concerned...

Causing Hayato to bite his lip, the ramifications of everything quickly pouring through his mind. All while he dug into his pocket, pulling out the letter that she had written for Ero...

How in the world was he going to tell her that her mom had gone off while deadly sick, and he had done nothing to notice the symptoms..?!

Damnit..!

Hayato cursed his luck, sprinting off in an attempt to make a last-minute discovery. Anything to get him closer to Haruhi before it was too late!

All while D'Or sat there, quietly thinking to herself. There was one way that she could get ahold of her, but...

All she could hope for was that she was safe. The rest would be up to her...

—

"Hohoho. Glad that you could come on such short notice, Saki. And I'm glad you brought friends too, or is there something more between the five of you?"

While Saki naturally blushed at the insinuation, a feeling shared with Saeko who was doing her best to occupy herself with the tea that Saki's Grandfather had so kindly prepared for them before they arrived, both Yuuki and Mikai laughed off the teasing from the older man.

Yumeko, however, didn't react much. Simply sipping her tea, as she still tried her best to figure out a way for all of this to come to a conclusion that didn't result in a potential Luna Descent. Or worse.

"Careful now, little lady." Yuusha said to the naturally concerned girl, grinning with that brave smile of his. "Worries are all well and good. But once you start losing sleep over it, then it's time to do something about it. And I can tell by the way you're looking into the tea, you might want to start."

Perceptive. Yet there's no way he could know the full extent of everything. Even if Saki told him as much as she knew...

"I still don't understand why you had to write something so ominous, Grandfather." Saki said, much more relaxed now that she knew he was okay. It would have set her off if he was in critical condition or worse. Thankfully, Mikai and the others had come by as well. Even if it meant their home was more than a little cramped...

"You coulda just wrote that you wanted to wish her good luck in the election tomorrow, that's why you wrote, isn't it?" Mikai said, head currently resting on Saki's lap. Nice, soft thighs to lay on. Not as good as Yumeko's, but they let her keep an eye on Saki, and she'd probably want that given everything.

Yuusha laughed again. "Just a test of your reflexes, dear. You've been through a lot, wouldn't want you to get rusty when you're this close to a new beginning." He said, and gave a demonstration of his own arm being lacking. Couldn't even make his arm swing around all the way before he locked up...

He was getting up there. The sight of it being enough to make Saki gaze down towards Mikai for a bit of support. It hurt seeing the only family she had left be like this. But that's why they were there, wasn't it? To help her when she needed it...

"There's such a thing as too much lube, you know." Saeko said. Before quickly realizing her phrasing as her entire face turned bright red. "N-Not like that, not like that!"

Everyone gathered laughed at the bespectacled girl's words, even Yumeko managed to giggle a little at how badly she had put her foot in her mouth. Yet at the same time, she was right. Being too prepared was a bad thing. That much had been obvious when Yumeko's plans all fell apart when she was trying to save Mikai...

"Y'know, Gramps, I've always been wonderin'." Yuuki said after finishing her tea, grabbing ahold of the single picture on the shelf that wasn't all dusty. "You keep leaving all these pictures of this lady dusty. All except for this one." She said, turning it towards the others...

Giving them a good view of the rather stacked woman standing next to a significantly younger and significantly buffer version of Yuusha. Something that immediately prompted Saki to blush, because she could already sense that it was coming.

"I didn't even say anything, and she's already thinking of her mistakes." Yumeko chimed. "It seems as if the love for large assets runs in the family. If the way she's trying to hide her shame is any indication."

Mmhm, completely red. Just absolutely smothered in red from how embarrassed she was. It was adorable. Yet at the same time, as Mikai looked at the picture... There was something nagging at the back of her mind. Not the tits, at least not by themselves. But rather...

It was something about the vibe of the woman in the picture. Sure, she was wearing a pretty white wedding dress that was perhaps a little too erotic for the ceremony she was part of... But there was this hint of sadness on both of their faces.

"Had she done something bad?" Mikai pointedly asked the old man. "You both look just a little sad in the picture. So I was wondering if she had done something she regretted."

The mood dampened, and the gears slowly started to click inside Saki's head. "...Grandfather, that's a picture of you and Grandmother. All the other pictures are of you two as well, except the one of you and that monster-"

"Saki." Yuusha cut his granddaughter off before she could finish. "How do you feel right now? With these girls? With the power you have at your fingertips?"

It was a strange question. Yet one that Saki had thought about many, many times ever since Mikai started to accept her and pull her closer and closer. One single glance down at Mikai was all the confidence she needed to be honest. "I... I'm not sure how I feel. I'm not sure if any of what I'm doing is right. If I was a food who should've listened to the voice in my head, telling me that I'm going against my nature. Letting down my family when they all vanished before my eyes."

"And yet." She continued, a few droplets running down her cheeks. "They're there for me when I don't know how to feel. Mikai and her infectiously sunny smile. Yumeko always knowing what to do. Saeko keeping her faith in me despite everything I've done. And Yuuki keeping her eyes on me despite my missteps, knowing I can be better. It's because of them that... That I think I might actually be able to make it. Even if the path ahead is still dark, if they're here for me, then..."

Yuusha nodded, smiling as his Granddaughter gave such a brave answer. If it had been only mere weeks ago, he was sure that she would commit to that lonely life of hers. Trying to defend everyone all on her own, no matter what they might think or say.

"I'm glad to hear it, Saki. I really am." He said, slowly lowering his cup of tea onto the table. As he then began to reach into his yukata...

"What if you were to lose them?"

The collective shock on everyone's faces as he pulled something shining out of his yukata was a sight like no other. But one wasn't shocked. In fact, one was already acting the moment she felt the mood cool too hard!

"EVERYONE, OUT! NOW!"

A bright flame exploded in front of Yuusha, only for the explosion to be frozen over in the blink of an eye, the act of rapidly exploding and freezing over sending out enough force to knock everyone out of the building before the old man could do anything to them...

Leaving Yuuki at the front of the pack, one arm partly ignited while the other was covered in ice. Leaving her to laugh a little, the crazy maneuver actually worked. Shame about who she had to use it again..!

"G-Grandfather..?"

Saki's words were dripping with fear. Because as far as she just understood, her Grandfather wanted to... N-No, it couldn't be...

"Mister Yuusha, you can't be serious!" Saeko shouted, naturally upset behind those fogged up spectacles of hers. Had D'Or given him a ring? Or was this another scheme that Atlas Corp was connected to..?!

Yumeko didn't know what to think or say. Beyond quietly standing up, transforming into Jõtaider Dream as she readied her bow. "Mikai. We have to stop this before it gets worse."

"I know, Yumeko!" Mikai shouted, immediately transforming into Jõtaider Mimoto Chimera without a single other thought...

Because the man that had managed to get them all close enough to nearly transforming them then and there was stepping out of the humble home, yukata currently pulled down to reveal his aged yet still rather toned body...

And more importantly, the hole left empty in his chest. A cube-sized hole that perfectly fit the shining metallic cube in his hand.

"I have to thank Genbu for fixing this thing up. And for giving me one last chance at getting the crew back together."

As he spoke, his body rapidly started to reverse in age. His muscled form being rejuvenated by the spark of life that was long since supposed to have left him. His greying hair taking on a bright shine as he billowed out into a mighty mane, perfectly matching the heroic vibe his body had overall...

Saki had seen this before. It was how he looked in the pictures that he always showed her. The pictures of him and her Grandmother. The very same Grandmother that she never personally had a chance to meet, because she was gone before her Mom even got the chance to live her life. How was he able to return to his glory days..?

"So, what, you're young again. Fulla muscle, full of bad vibes. And you're not a Jõtaijin yet?" Mimoto cried out, turning on the offensive before he had a chance to finish. Aided by a path of ice formed by Yuuki, one that flung her into the air and aimed her perfectly for a finisher. "KING'S FLAME! AND! ALPHA EDGE!"

The speed of Frost Wolf combined with the classic kick should be enough to take down the rejuvenated Grandfather. But as soon as he saw her coming, he shifted his stance, grabbing her leg right as she was about to hit him, and throwing her towards the home he had just been serving them tea in. All with a confident grin on his face.

"Fast. And accurate." Yumeko muttered, gazing towards Saeko who nodded in turn. If they wanted to deal with him, they'd have to lock him down. Otherwise they couldn't land a clean hit.

"I am not a Jõtaijin. Nor am I anything resembling what you girls have been going through these last few months!" Yuusha shouted, cube tightly clenched in his hand, one that shone with a familiar yet incredibly different energy. "IN THE PAST, I WAS KNOWN AS YUUSHA THE GREY! BUT MY TRUE NAME, THE ONE THAT STRUCK FEAR INTO MY ENEMIES AS I FOUGHT ALONGSIDE MY BRAVE ALLIES..! IS..!"

He slammed the shining cube into his chest, immediately integrating it into his body as an already muscular form grew even stronger. Yet instead of bulging with muscle, his body grew sleeker. Pointier. Shiny grey armor forming across his entire form, in a much different style than the two Jõtaiders he was facing off against. In fact, it was closer in nature to the mechanical form of Helheim, yet still streamlined enough to be seen as an armored body rather than one mechanized approximation of another animal.

Part of an eye-piece formed around his right eye, the same eye that now glowed the same brilliant grey as his body and his armor. Perfectly matching, as the completion of his transformation was marked by an explosive wave of pure willpower!

"YUUSHA THE STRANGER!"

Even his voice carried enough power to make the ground beneath them quake. It was a wonder any of them were standing, despite the many difficult enemies that they had faced in the past.

An old man like him was able to output pressure on par with the Primes, all thanks to that dinky little box he shoved in his heart..!?

Saki couldn't believe her eyes as she watched her Grandfather transform. That was the form she had seen in a few of the pictures lined up on that shelf. A form that was billowing power unlike anything she had ever seen before. Could... Could they really win against him?

...Was it even right to fight against him, given who he was..!?

"You're kidding me, he's a Super Robot?!" Yuuki shouted, not sure if she should be angry at facing off against Saki's Gramps, or amazed at what she was seeing. "Yumeko! Saeko! Mikai! We gotta stop him before he makes a mess of the place! Or before he gets to Saki, whatever's faster!"

Easy enough for her to say, but Mimoto wasn't about to give up after being tossed around once. Besides, the bigger they were, the harder they fell! 

As Mimoto flew past him, wings flapping to speed her up, the up-sized robotic 'Hero' laughed as his fist began to spin. "STRANGER ROCKET!" He shouted, voice booming naturally as his fist went flying towards the city's hero...

"STRINGER NET!" "PASSION PULSE!"

While they weren't as strong as the Jõtaiders, that didn't mean they were completely useless in a fight. Both Yuuki and Saeko putting their powers together to form a tight defensive net as the fist came flying, causing it to bounce off harmlessly and return to sender...

Their powers were effective, good. That just meant they had to find a way to break past and get through to him so he would stand down and explain himself. However...

Yumeko cast a glance towards Saki. The girl who had once been so sure of herself, so confident, so willing to commit everything in the name of making the world a better place for the ones she held near and dear...

She was frightened. So frightened that all she could do was sit there and watch as the fight went on, even as Mimoto came over to try and comfort her...

"It's too much for her..." Mimoto muttered, before shaking her head. No. They needed to show that there was a reason for her to fight. That's all! That's how they were going to make her stand tall!

"A shield. No matter." Yuusha the Stranger remarked, his shoulder popping open as he slammed his fist inside. "Let's try this then! STRANGER DRILL!"

The attack boomed out, as he fired the rocket-propelled drill at the barrier that had been put up to try and block his attacks. A drill that smashed straight through the combination of web and ice, close to striking the girls that had put it up..!

"KING'S ERUPTION! AND! APEX METEOR!"

Until it was blown out of the way by Mimoto's quick thinking, with the explosion also sending out an array of feathers that headed straight for the mechanical 'Hero', even if they individually didn't do too much damage due to the tiny area they hit...

"No matter what you throw at us, you're not getting through!" Mimoto cried out, smirking as she slammed her fist against her chest. Yeah, he might be big and strong and have a ton of power. But there were five of them, and one of him! And... "Yumeko! Anything you can pull out of your fancy bag of time-tricks?"

No response. "Yumeko?" She asked, turning back towards her girlfriend, who seemed to be quietly stunned at what they were up against. "Yumeko! Eyes open, what's up!?"

Yuusha the Stranger's laugh echoed through Yumeko's ears, and the fear bubbling in her heart kept pouring out. This couldn't be why Lumiel was saying that the curtain was about to rise. And yet if they failed here, there was nothing that was going to be able to stop his plan. But if she put too much power into this fight, then she'd be left winded should something happen soon. The fear of what could be coming...

It left her unbalanced, panting and gasping as she staggered back and forth. Leaving her in almost an identical state to Saki, both captured by their own spiraling thoughts...

"The Bravery's left two of you! So what will you three do!?" Yuusha the Stranger shouted, as he raised one fist to the air. Instead of a drill, this one turned into what looked more like a chisel. One that was starting to shine with that same grey shine that covered his entire body..!

It didn't take a genius for Saeko to know she was outclassed. "Mikai! Back Yuuki up!" She shouted, turning her attention away from reforging the shield that wasn't going to hold, and towards the two girls that were captured by their own fears...

"Right!" Mimoto cried out, drawing the Unicorn Blade as she let it slide across her arm as it took on the colors of all parts of Chimera, shining bright with willpower like never seen before!. "If we can't defend, we fight harder! Yuuki-senpai!"

Yuuki grinned. Even in the face of such an overwhelming enemy, the tiny heroine was still ready to throw down. She couldn't let that spirit down! "LET'S SHOW THIS SHINY GEEZER WHAT IT MEANS TO FIGHT WITH PASSION, MIKAI!"

"STRANGER DIVIDER!" "UNICORN BEGINNING!" "PASSION SPIRAL!"

The fight clashed in the background, Mikai's blade combining with the fire and ice spiraling around it to drill against the oversized chisel before it had a chance to drive a wedge between them and isolate them, leaving Saeko to run towards the two girls that were currently too stunned to fight…

"Yumeko, Saki, why aren't you fighting!? You two are both strong, much stronger than I am! So why..? Why can't you?"

Saeko's question hung on both of them. The answer was similar. It was because of the fear that had gripped their hearts, a fear that they couldn't overcome themselves...

"It's... It's Grandfather... I... I can't... I can't hurt Grandfather, even if he's gone bad..." Saki muttered, still unable to look away from the shiny spectacle happening not far from where they were sitting. It threatened to swallow her whole with how incredible it was... And spit her out for thinking she could trust somebody...

Yumeko's face was obscured by her helmet, but the way she staggered did all the talking in that regard. "If... If what Lumiel said was true, then if I exert myself here, we'll be down a head when the actual nightmare begins. I... I can't..." All that power, and yet she couldn't bring herself to use it because of what she knew...

They were both frustrating in their own right. But she knew where they were coming from. Which was why she did the only thing somebody with such little power as her possibly could.

Hugging them. Pulling them both together into one big hug, wrapping her tiny arms around them to make sure they could feel her warmth.

"I know. I know how it must hurt to fight somebody you love. I know, Saki. But if you don't fight, what's going to happen to all of us? I know we're strong, but what if we're not? You wanted to protect us, didn't you? And you, Yumeko, we managed to fix it all last time. You have to put your faith in us. But to do that, we need to put our faith in you. So we know you've got our back!"

The two pep talks were short and sweet. But they resonated. Because of the determination in the weak girl's eyes. Despite what she had done in the past, she had nothing but hope and trust in the ones that had put her back on the right path. Even when they were starting to waver themselves...

Tears gently ran down Saki's cheeks as she slowly hugged Saeko back. "I... I do want to protect you." She muttered, gently wiping her tears away with her free sleeve. "I want to protect Grandfather too. Even if he's turned against me. So... There's only one thing I can do..."

Yumeko gently hugged Saeko back, pressing the helmet of her Dream armor against her. "I really must've gone off the rails if you're the one giving me a pep talk, Saeko. Thank you." She said, newfound confidence in her voice. "You're right. Even if there's danger in the future, what matters is now. Right now is when I can help you all against our enemy!"

"HENSHIN!" "FROM THE DEPTHS OF THE DREAM, FOR THE SAKE OF THE ONES I LOVE!"

The brilliant golden shine of Jõtaider Kanzei's armor was like the sun rising from beyond the horizon, as Saki stood tall against her own flesh and blood. Even if he was the only one she had left, she was going to beat some sense into him!

While Dream didn't transform, what she called upon was almost as striking to their enemy as the golden Jõtaider at her side. Namely, a black mechanical madame, whose armor looked almost identical to the one that he wore. The only difference was the eye-piece was replaced with a full on visor, one that shone oh-so-tenderly pink to contrast the otherwise pure black repaint...

In fact, at a glance it almost looked like those lips that were visible belonged to... Saki... A bad end tailored to her, perhaps, but one that stood impressively against the tide of battle ahead of them.

Saeko blushed a little as she saw both the black mechanical repaint and the genuine article. "Uh. Yumeko? What's this?" She asked, naturally wondering if she should file this one under anything she'd have to revisit in the future.

"AHA! HAHAHA! IS THAT BLACK STRANGER? YOU'RE A REAL PIECE OF WORK, GIRL! SUMMONING AN ARMOR THAT LAYERED ON TOP OF MY ALLIES AND CONTROLLED THEM FOR THE SAKE OF THE ZERO EMPIRE!"

The clash between Mimoto, Yuuki and Yuusha the Grey was broken, as the mechanical 'Hero' threw himself back with a laugh. The sight of his former enemy wrapped around the visage of his Granddaughter, standing alongside the genuine version of her trying to stand up to him...

It was a sight that was guaranteed to bring a tear to his aging eyes. But even so, he still had a couple of tricks up his sleeve. After all, when is a Hero ever alone?

"TRANSCENDING SPACE AND TIME, COME TO THE AID OF YUUSHA THE GREY ONCE AGAIN, MY BRAVE ALLIES!”

The sound of that powerful voice reverberated through the air, as a massive gate of extra dimensional energy opened behind him. It was almost like the gates that the ones from the Darkness were able to open, just purified and clearly leading to a world they hadn't touched. How in the world did he have that power..!? 

“OPEN, ETRANGER GATE!"

Five against one wasn't a comfortable matchup. But the four lights that flew out from that gate would serve to equal the odds, each light corresponding to a human-sized colored machine that flew towards the four combatants that weren't Kanzei..!

"Eons have passed since our last encounter, Yuusha the Grey. But as long as you call, Red Burner will be there." 

Yuuki narrowly managed to dodge out of the way of the fighter jet-like mechanoid that came flying at her, his cool face hidden behind a visor that made him look even cooler than he had any right to be. So much so that she answered his cool look back with one of her own, icy shades forming on her face. "Fire against Ice, huh? MORE LIKE I'LL SNUFF THAT FIRE OUT WITH MY PASSION!"

"On the case, on the scene, and ready to throw the enemy in! Blue Patroller answers the call of Yuusha the Grey!"

Saeko widened her eyes a bit as a clearly robotic police car was headed straight for her, quickly forming a ramp to make it launch over her instead of getting run over. Not that it stopped the mechanoid from transforming into a human form as it made a cool landing, firearm in hand as it pointed towards the lavender perp...

"Reckless as ever, Yuusha? No matter, Yellow Breaker's here to lend a hand to the Handsome Grey!"

Drilling through the air, the driller-like vehicle barreled straight towards Mimoto, who met the assault head on by focusing on power and power alone through transforming into Earth Ursa, grabbing the drill mid-charge and stopping it... Only for the bear to be confronted with the mechanical driller's true form, and the mature female smile peering into her eyes as Yellow Breaker towered over her due to her natural smaller size...

"Purple Rescue's here! Oh my, there's a couple of cuties that look like they could use a bit of care! Let me take care of them, Greyie!"

The rescue siren resounded loud and clear as another one of these vehicles barreled towards Dream and Black Stranger, with the Jõtaider jumping out of the way as the living Bad End stood in the way, coming face to face with the transformed rescue vehicle as she stopped on a dime and transformed juuust in time to kiss her former enemy brought back right on those shiny lips that looked just as seductive as her own...

Just like that, the scales had been tipped. Five on five, and if these were anywhere near as powerful as Yuusha himself, the Jõtaiders and their partners were in deep trouble...

Kanzei gripped her cane tight as she was the only one that hadn't been approached by another one of these machines. There had to be a reason. A reason why she wasn't being targeted and they were...

Seeing the four of them clash with their assigned fighter... Yuuki's ice and fire keeping her equally matched with the much more violent yet pointed flames of Red Burner, Saeko struggling to keep up a proper defense against the persistent Blue Patroller thanks to her lacking powers, Mimoto in a power struggle against Yellow Breaker as neither were willing to give away ground, and the merciless Black Stranger struggling to land a solid hit on the tricky Purple Rescue as Dream was trying to line up a good shot...

All of them were... locked in... No. No, he couldn't be-

"I asked you, Saki. What if you were to lose them?"

Each of the four mechanical menaces started to glow with the same energy as Yuusha was, their grins matching the Hero's as each of them began to react to their respective opponent...

"MY BRAVE FELLOWS! GATTAI!"

That wasn't a sound that Yuuki liked hearing, quickly blowing herself back from this clash as she had done at the beginning of this entire ordeal. Surely, she could make some distance between her and this living fighter jet-

"Your flames burn bright, girl. You heard the Hero, it's time!"

She wasn't fast enough. The moment that she blew herself away, this speed-freak was already right up in her face. Not only that, but the way he slammed into her, it made her feel... Off..

So off that she didn't notice that she was turning mechanical with every passing second, her form compressing until she was nothing more than one straight line of machinery. Just as Red Burner had flattened out into, the two of them looking downright identical besides their respective colors...

Allowing them to easily slam together, bodies flipping upside down to as what would've been their heads folded out into their new shoulders, a shiny grey metallic and masculine chest slamming onto their combined 'shoulders' to form the new look of the combined mechanical ally...

"Symmetrical docking complete! PASSION Burner!" Yuuki's voice blended together with Red Burner's, the newly masculinized ally proudly floating in the air after assimilating his former enemy. The PASSION serving as excellent fuel for him, and then some should he push this new combination further. Especially once he returned to Yuusha’s side, ready for his next command.

Saeko didn't want to get turned into a robot. Being PAWN that one time was good enough for her. And yet now that the order had been given, Blue Patroller didn't allow her to get away.

"Your strings will not stop the long law of the arm, it will aid it!"

Just as she was about to create another diversion that could make Blue Patroller swerve around her, he shot out an arm that slammed through the net and grabbed ahold of Saeko. Pulling her into a bridal hold, putting her face to face with the... Shockingly handsome police car...

The criminal had been apprehended. And with her neutralized, it was only a matter of seconds before she was compressed into the same symmetrical shape that matched Blue Patroller perfectly, their bodies slamming together as their heads became their shoulders, with another masculine chest slamming onto the combination as he stood tall and proud, saluting the moment his combination completed.

"Symmetrical Docking confirmed! Spider Patroller!" He declared, already using his brand new ability to great effect by yanking himself closer to his Hero, hanging from his shoulder like a loyal ally...

"You two are so adorable, I'm sure that you'll make for excellent parts! Come on, just let me have a single kiss!"

Dream didn't know when to take the shot if that was going to happen to her. But she had one chance. "Stranger! Lock her-"

Unfortunately, her hesitation left her wanting. The purple rescue vehicle slammed straight through the fake version of her old enemy, before bandages shot out of the doors on her back, wrapping around the bad end summoning Jõtaider right as she was shocked at how ruthless the seductive mechanoid turned out to be.

"Ehe. Thought I'd use her? I don't wanna steal Greyie's thunder. But you, cutie? You're juuuust right."

Purple Rescue... Why did her lips have to remind her of Saeko? It was bad enough that she was getting overpowered in the heat of the moment, right when she thought she had the advantage. It was another to be reminded of...

A shy moan left Yumeko's lips as Dream was flattened out just like others, her flat chest pressing up against Purple Rescue's own flattening chest, as the two were pushed together enough to properly combine...

Allowing their new form to be adorned with a much bigger, much shinier, and much more distracting pair as their new chest slammed onto them. One that the newly merged mechanoid made no attempt to hide, giggling as she put her hands behind her head.

"There we go, Symmetrical Docking's all green! Feast your eyes on the sexy Dreamer Rescue, ehe! I'll rescue you from those bad dreams, just you wait!"

Though as much as she taunted Yuusha's cute golden Granddaughter, it didn't really feel like she got any stronger. Did the combination not work out right..? Ah well, no reason for her to worry when Greyie probably had more in mind even if she didn't get any stronger!

"Not good. They're all combining with the girls. And even if we blow her back, who's to say there's not another trick up their sleeve?"

Chimera's visage appeared beside Mikai, the young heroine still locked in a struggle against Yellow Breaker. But the appearance of the apex predator inside her head... It gave her an idea.

"Chimera. Do you trust me?"

The oversized cat didn't like the sound of that. Whenever Mikai said something like that, she probably had a terribly reckless idea in mind. But that's why she immediately nodded. Because of course she trusted her.

"Good! Take care of Saki for a minute, will you?" Mikai grinned, helmet folding away as her power gradually started to wind down. Breaking the stalemate as she conserved her power. "I know she's done a lot of bad for you, and I know she's been a problem! But right now, she's the one that needs to beat her old man. Otherwise, there'd be no point!"

Chimera couldn't believe her ears. This was perhaps Mikai's stupidest idea yet. But even so, she nodded. "I'm going to make sure you find a way to make this up to me, Mikai!"

The pipsqueak laughed as she watched her inner passenger vanish, turning her attention back towards Yellow Breaker. "Aren't I too small to fit you?" She cracked a grin, not about to give up entirely despite going easy...

Yellow Breaker laughed in turn. What a funny girl. Yuusha's granddaughter had some real gems for friends. "Don't worry about that. Worry about what I'll break you into!" She shouted with gusto, as that drill spun as fast and as powerfully as it possibly could, despite the earthy hands that were trying to stop it.

Mikai lost her grip, and the drill immediately slammed into her the moment she did. Spinning her around and around, not harming her but rather making her stretch out from all the centrifugal force being put on her. Until she slammed into the ground below, flattened out completely thanks to expert maneuvering by Yellow Breaker...

Not that she'd stay there for long, the bigger lady climbing onto her as the two of them flattened out fully. Allowing her to lay there as she took proper shape, the brown hues of her other half complimenting the new combination perfectly...

"That's that for Beast Breaker. Ain't the cleanest Symmetrical Docking, but we make do!" She said, leaping onto her feet as she walked towards Yuusha. All while repeatedly opening and closing her hand to get a feel for the brand new strength…

Kanzei trembled a little as she watched her Grandfather's words coming true. Each of her friends having been converted into color mismatching parts of the other mechanoids, while also making them bigger from how flattened they were prior to combining. All with the man himself at the center, arms still crossed as he waited for an answer...

"What now, Saki? You've lost your friends. You've lost the ones that trust in you. Will you still fight? Knowing that you're fighting against the people you love?" The supposed mechanical Hero said, each of his partners still shining that wonderful shade of grey as he did...

...She... She hadn't been able to protect them. She was still as weak as ever. Just as that part of her always said. Just as-

"You... Don't you dare start backing away when the going gets a little tough!"

Darkness swallowed Saki whole, as she felt a hand on her head. A hand she hadn't felt before. But she recognized the voice. It was...

A single glance over her shoulder, and she saw the predator that had blown her back when she tried to get into Mikai's heart all that time ago. That was... "Chimera..."

"Listen." The fluffy-haired woman said, kneeling down to be at eye-level with the golden heroine. "I don't forgive you for what you've done to Mikai. But she asked me to trust you. Even after all this, she knows you can do it. Even though she's been captured and turned into a part of something, she knows you'll make it. So quit pussyfooting and prove her right, or you'll have to deal with me!"

A soft laugh left Saki's lips. Even somebody that hated her was willing to push her down the right path. What had her life become? One that she wasn't sure she deserved, that much was certain.

"Thank you, Chimera." Saki muttered, the darkness around her vanishing as she turned her attention back towards her Grandfather and his congregation. "I know what I must do, Grandfather." She paused, shaking her head. "No. Yuusha the Stranger!"

A smile wormed its way on his lips. "What will you do, Jõtaider Kanzei? You've lost everyone. They've been turned against you. What could you possibly do?"

The gilded Jõtaider slammed the butt of her cane against the ground. "I'LL FIGHT! NOT JUST FOR THEIR SAKE, BUT BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IN ME!" She roared, chains responding to the power of her voice. "I'LL RIP THEM AWAY FROM YOUR CORRUPTIVE PAWS, YUUSHA THE STRANGER!"

"HA! HAHA! HAHAHAHA! EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT! THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU, MY GRANDDAUGHTER!" The mechanical Hero was ecstatic, clapping over and over as the other four clapped in turn. Before, for a split second, you could feel the air freeze. "And that's exactly what she's been wanting to hear all this time."

Kanzei froze as well. It happened in a flash, one moment she was standing there, the next she felt an untold amount of pressure trying to force her to the ground...

All thanks to a pink figure she swore she saw fly right by her. A figure whose eyes seemed ever gentle as they briefly caught a glimpse of her. A pink figure that now floated behind Yuusha the Stranger...

"Transcending that one fateful moment in time, returning to make the impossible possible once again. Thank you, Pink Stranger."

Pink Stranger. Come to think of it, several of those pictures she had seen on Grandfather's shelves... While the one he got married to had black hair, there were many women with a similar profile that had pink hair. If that was the case, then...

"ALL FIVE HAVE BEEN ASSEMBLED ONCE AGAIN! AND FOR THE LAST TIME, I ASK THIS OF MY FELLOW BRAVES!"

"CHOJIGEN GATTAI!"

Responding to the call of their Hero, each of the five machines that had come to his aid began to transform as they slammed onto his body just as they had slammed together with the parts that had mechanized...

The fiery PASSION Burner became a heated right arm, perfect for punching through anything that might get in its way. The persistent Spider Patroller wrapped around his right leg, becoming perfect for tracking down anything that tried to escape.

The ever-seductive Dreamer Rescue wrapped around Greyie's left leg, keeping it nice and stable for any of those big strong attacks that needed a lot of support, while the overpowering Beast Breaker snapped onto Yuusha's left arm, the drill splitting open into individual fingers that were more than ready to content with anything that would stand in its way.

Finally, the mysterious Pink Stranger wrapped around his back, expanding into brilliant pink wings that quickly took on a shiny grey shade that was replicated across most of that form, perfectly complimenting the way Yuusha grew to much more giant proportions...

"COMPLETE! BEAR WITNESS, GRANDDAUGHTER, TO THE STRANGER FROM THE GREAT DIMENSIONAL BEYOND! ENDLESS ETRANGER!"

It was a gaudy mess of a mech. And a sign that her Grandfather was as serious as he could get. But it didn't matter that he was serious. It didn't matter that he could grow into a giant. Not after the pep talk that she had gotten.

"Your bonds are powerful, Grandfather. But I have people that believe in me! GIRLS THAT WISH FOR ME TO SHINE BRIGHT AFTER EVERYTHING I'VE DONE! I'M NOT GOING TO LET THEM DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT!" Kanzei shouted, slamming the butt of her cane into the ground once more. "DIVINE CHAINS OF MINE, BIND MY ENEMY AND REVEAL THE WEAKNESS WITHIN!"

Chains shot forth from the pool of darkness below, each turning gold as they wrapped around the respective limbs of the mech that her Grandfather had become. She needed them to keep solid. For just a tiny moment. That's all she needed.

"CHAINS? YOU THINK TO BIND A HERO, GRANDDAUGHTER? ARE YOU TRULY ABLE TO FIGHT WITH BRAVERY? OR IS THIS ANOTHER TRICK TO PROP YOURSELF UP?!"

His words stung. But she knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to play the villain. Just as he did his best to be there for her when she needed him most, becoming the parent she needed in the moment.

"You're the worst actor, Grandfather." Saki muttered under her helmet, before slamming her hand against her chest. "SYNCHRONIZE!"

"MIKAI!"

The chains connected for just long enough, as a different colored spark quickly poured down each of the unbroken chains. Each chain breaking up above, but it allowed them to redirect while still keeping the spark, each wrapping around one of Kanzei's limbs. Covering them completely, all while she could feel the power she had managed to call upon with this trust...

It wasn't just Mikai's power. Thanks to how they were connected, she could feel Yuuki, Saeko and Yumeko in these sparks too. Sparks that reflected the power that Chimera held. This was what she was trying to entrust to her...

But with four, she was one short... Wait...

"One more... Bee!"

Though the girl was sleeping within her V-Aibõ this entire time, all it required was her Hero calling upon her for Bee's short form to appear on her shoulder.

"You've got it, Saki! Let's... Uh..." The brat paused, trying to understand what exactly had been happening since she passed out from pancakes. Between the big cool giant robot, the lack of everyone else, and the fact Saki was currently standing tall as Kanzei with her chains glowing all sorts of colors, she had really missed a lot. 

But all it took for her to understand was her partner patting her on the head. "This is your chance to help your Hero out when she needs you most. Ready, Bee?"

"Ready!" The bratty digital gal grinned as she took the hint, compressing into energy just like the energy that she had synchronized with prior, sinking into her Hero's back, filling it just as much as her limbs were filled...

All the pieces were in place. Together, six souls as one..!

"MY TURN, GRANDFATHER! JÕTAI GATTAI!"

The power within each of her limbs and her back rapidly solidified when it began to respond to her will, causing mechanical constructs to take form just as they had around the oversized Mech's respective limbs. The main difference?

Kanzei's new limbs each followed the color scheme of the girl that they were supposed to represent. Her right arm and leg, matching the icy hot PASSION of Yuuki and the tender insistence of Saeko!

Her left arm and leg? The burning bright orange of Mikai's sunny heart decorated her fist, while her leg took on the ephemeral purples of blacks and purples of Yumeko's time-twisting devotion.

All of it completed by Bee's green and whites turning into powerful mechanical wings, ones that could definitely help Kanzei jet through the skies if she wished!

"COMPLETE! SAINT JÕTAIDER!"

With the powers of her friends at hand, with the power of the ones she wished to take back billowing through her body, there was nothing that would stop her from striking her Grandfather down and putting an end to all of this...

Even he was impressed, the Endless Etranger laughing as he held his hands out. "Come then, Granddaughter. You’ve grown to such a powerful form, but how strong are you truly-”

Before he had the chance to finish and materialize his own blade, Kanzei had already taken the first step forward. Cane discarded, as the lights that she had pulled from each chain manifested in her hand. And like the master of weapons she was, the perfect tool for the situation manifested..!

The hammer of her soul rung out, as she screamed from the very depths of her heart! 

"SYNCHRONIZE!"

A multi-faceted blade, each segment representing one part of her transformation into her own towering mecha form, glowing bright gold as she gripped it with both hands, right as she leapt into the air.

"DIVINE SLAYER: JÕTAIKEN! JÕTAI SLASH!"

Just as quickly as she flew into the air, she came crashing back down. Slashing cleanly through her Grandfather's mechanized form, so cleanly that she actually managed to carve a J into his body...

A J that exploded with pure PASSION, the laughter of Yuusha the Grey echoing out as he took his defeat in stride, his body rapidly shrinking as that explosion consumed every little bit of the power he had left in him...

Leaving the old man collapsed on the ground, peering up at the skies above. And the mecha that his Granddaughter had transformed into, if only for a few minutes...

"You really are as impressive as I hoped you could be, Saki..." He laughed. Ah, the rush of being a Hero once again was like nothing else. Shame there was no way he was ever going back, the deal with Genbu only went so far. And besides...

While the girls were still gathering their bearings, the mechanoids had returned to their natural size. Toys, really. And Pink Stranger was already gone, as expected of her true nature...

"It's a shame that we have to remain apart, old friend." Red Burner said, standing on Yuusha's chest, where the exhausted cube still rested within. "But the day will come when we can be reunited permanently. I hold that hope in my heart."

"One day. Heh, maybe you guys can end up on the shelf of my daughter's new place, I'm sure she'd enjoy trying to handle you four." Yuusha laughed, the mostly stoic Burner joining him in laughing...

Before all four of them vanished, leaving Yuusha simply laying there. His allies gone yet again. Just as what happened all those years ago on his wedding day...

"Seriously, Gramps, what the hell." Yuuki coughed, still feeling a little whiplash from being temporarily merged with a guy. Was this how Cobra's victims felt?

Saeko sighed, not a fan of that either. But a single glance towards Saki made her feel better. She had managed to pull herself back together. For their sake...

"All that effort and worry, and I just got swept aside like that..." Yumeko muttered, hugging her legs. She had been so fearful, and yet she got completely destroyed. And she ended up with big metal tits too, which had buried themselves so far into her psyche that she felt disassociation as she thought her knees should be digging into them...

Mikai gave her moping girlfriend a kiss on the cheek, giggling as she saw her turn nice and red. "What matters is that we made it out. And it's all thanks to Saki. I knew she could handle it!"

"I suppose so." Yumeko sighed, closing her eyes as she collapsed onto her back instead. Better just get a bit of shut-eye in, try and recover in case she needed the strength again later...

Leaving Mikai to keep her eyes on Saki, who was currently approaching her grounded Grandfather. With a conflicted look on her face. After all... He had just tried to convert all of them into parts for bots...

"Why'd you do all of that, Grandfather? Why did you push me this badly..?" She muttered, tears quietly streaming down her cheeks as she kneeled down by the man who had done so much to protect her and care for her over these long years...

Yuusha cracked a smile as he slowly sat back up, coughing a little thanks to everything he had just been through. His old, aching bones may have rejuvenated during the fight, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt like a bitch after. "I wanted to see my Granddaughter shine. And you sure did, bedazzlingly so."

Saki glared at him slightly, prompting him to laugh again. "Okay, okay. There's more to it." He admitted, crossing his legs as he closed his eyes. "...Today's the anniversary of my wedding. Your mother's birthday, too. And..."

"...The day you lost Grandmother."

He nodded. "You knew? Or did you realize when she flew past you?" He opened one eye to see that she didn't give an answer, shaking his head knowingly. "Your Grandmother, Shin, was once my enemy. The greatest enemy that me and the Strangers from the other world had ever faced. But at the same time, she was the one who helped repair those very same Strangers, turning them into the forms you and the other girls fought against."

"Over time, we found that we couldn't keep our hands off one another. Despite the fact we should be fighting against each other, we started to bond deeper than we had ever expected." Yuusha sighed, the waves of nostalgia pouring over him. "...Unfortunately, her life was tied to the Zero Empire. Though we defeated the ultimate manifestation of the Empire, which had combined with the Black Stranger she had abandoned... Her time was cut short. And for that matter, so were the others' time, as they couldn't stay here."

"...The last time you got to see her was at the altar, where you finally got to say your vows. And then..." Saki muttered, the tears pouring harder...

"She called me that name for the last time. Yuusha the Platinum. Because she saw my shining Grey for what it really was." Yuusha concluded, a sad smile on his face as he patted his dear Granddaughter on the head. 

"It's because of what she left behind, your Mother, that I realized I couldn't let it all end. And it's because of that... And because I wanted you to meet her for the first time, even if it was in the form of Pink Stranger, that I pushed you as hard as I could." He paused, gently wrapping his arms around the girl who had done so well. "Because I wanted to make sure that no matter what happened, you'd have the Bravery to push through. As long as you believe in the friends you have, as long as they believe in you... Then I'm sure you'll make it, Saki. Like the Hero I know you can be."

Once those arms wrapped around her, Saki couldn't hold it back any longer. The girl who had fought so hard, the girl who still worried about her potential in everything, how she could end up causing everyone so many problems with how the voice in the back of her head guided her...

She sobbed. Violently, hugging her beloved Grandfather like she had done so many years ago when she was still coming fresh off losing everyone. But this wasn't a sad cry, no...

It was a happy cry. Because she knew that it would all be okay. As long as she kept true to herself and fought for the people she believed in, truly protecting them and putting her life on the line... Then everything would be as she wanted it to be...

Mikai blinked for a second, as she swore she could see a black mechanical form wrapping around Saki's back while she hugged her Grandfather. Before silently smiling, letting the two 'Heroes' hug it out...

Saki deserved this cry. Long time coming, really...

Now, hopefully, everything would turn out alright tomorrow...

—

"Deep Dreamer. Layer Copied. Need additional data..."

After that fight had concluded, and everyone went their own separate ways, Neoheim and a mono-eyed robed figure poked their heads out of a nearby bush. It was a wonder that they hadn't been spotted...

"What does 'Layer Copied' mean exactly, Neo?"

Yuuka's head popped up next to her fellow Kuudere. She knew how to sneak them close enough to the fight without getting spotted. And as a reward, she wanted to understand what her new friend was doing.

"...Unknown. The nature of Jõtaider Dream is difficult to understand." Neoheim explained, pausing as she quickly scanned the data that she had copied alongside her companion. "...However, the data collected will be enough. The Young One will be satisfied, I am positive."

That didn't get her nearly enough answers, but it didn't seem like Neoheim had the answers either. A soft sigh, and a gentle pat on the head. "You're a good girl, Neo. I do not know who this 'Young One' is, but you're going through all this trouble to help her. I am sure your efforts will be rewarded."

"..." Neoheim didn't know how to properly feel about this patting gesture. But she liked it. She'd have to note it down for the Young One as well. "Thank you, Yuuka. I hope you are correct."

Just one last piece of the puzzle. And if her readings were correct, tomorrow'd be the day to get that data...

From there, it was up to the Young One...

—

"You've been awfully quiet lately, Ouroboros. Not hungry?"

Minami chimed, as her passenger started to manifest around her arm. Silently clinging to it, before finally speaking up. "The warmth's keeping me fed. I don't know how. But it is."

"The warmth, huh?" The white-haired girl said, gazing up at the stars above. Yeah, the warmth that Hiro and Natsuki gave off was pretty nice. One that she hoped she could keep. "...If that's the case, then I might just have one last piece to put into place. Then I'll know how to really feed you. Without having you risk a bad encounter with somebody."

The serpent let out what could best be described as a mildly pleased grunt, before vanishing just as Minami heard somebody approaching the balcony...

"Enjoying the stars, dear?"

Natsuki. Standing there in her nightgown, gently enjoying a cup of evening tea as she watched the handicapped girl sit there, letting the moon's light pour down on her.

"Something like that." Minami chimed, sighing sweetly. "Glad that Hiro's starting to turn around. If she ended up going down a road that'd make her disappear like Mom, then..."

The blonde chuckled as she put her arms around the sweet girl, pulling her into a soft hug. "I knew there was more to you when I saw you for the first time. You really do care underneath those layers of pure teasing, don't you?"

Minami blushed a little as she was pulled into a hug, but she didn't resist. Because this was giving her the warmth that she really liked...

"...Can we stay like this for a bit, Natsuki?" She sheepishly asked, leaning into the hug as she closed her eyes...

The only response she got was Natsuki gently patting her on the head, letting her lay there with a soft smile on her face...

Maybe there were more things to enjoy when staying with her and Hiro than just having fun teasing Hiro...

Maybe something she had secretly been craving all along...

—

"It's been a while since you've been forced to use this, Charlotta. Are you that desperate to try and bring me back?"

"You have a boy and a daughter to still care for, Haruhi. You don't have to go this far. There's still a chance I can treat you."

Haruhi laughed, the sound of D'Or's voice going off inside her head. It ached like hell, but that was to be expected. The implement that allowed her to communicate with her was one she had grafted into her brain. One that allowed her to properly assess everything about the Jõtai she was working with, and conduct telepathic conversations like these. Issue was, it was never stable in any fashion. Always a piece of junk that hurt like hell to use...

"I know, Charlotta. I know. But he's grown. And I trust he'll be there for Ero when she needs him. More than I've tried to be there for her. More than I've tried to be the parent I should've been." Haruhi muttered, coughing golden liquid onto her wrist as she tried to keep herself together. "...She's still in there, Charlotta. I can't let her go. Not when I have one last chance."

A frustrated, but understanding sigh echoed from the other side. "You've always been stubborn. But more than that, you've always let what happened that night hang around your neck like a vice." She criticized it, yet she knew that if any of that had happened to her, she wouldn't be far from where Haruhi was now. "...Don't die, Haruhi. I'll tear you out of the Jõtai if I have to, just don't die."

"You and that girl both." Haruhi said, the image of Saki's hope still bright in that dark mind of hers. "I won't die, Charlotta. Not until I've freed Tsukiko from that nightmare, and returned to see the smile on that girl's face!"

That was the last message D'Or was able to hear, before the Jõtai that carried Haruhi's will across the waves around her finally ceased operation. She didn't want to broadcast another word. Not while the target was standing right there...

"Hmph. I don't know how you found me. Much less how you think you'll be able to fight in that condition."

Standing not too far from the currently unmoving Luna that was meant to be Tsukiko... Was the Prime that had set so many things in motion behind the scenes. And the only one that hadn't suffered a personal defeat just yet, Lumiel. Given the way that Tsukiko was refusing to move, he probably had something to do with the way she had been acting...

He was right though. Haruhi's body was so thoroughly contaminated by her experiments that her blood had turned the same shade of gold as the Jõtai she had used to experiment with. Just as gold as her combat form, one that she'd have a hard time accessing like this...

And yet, even though golden blood was drooling down her chin... Even though she hardly felt like she could stand from the pain of having all of that pumping through her veins, she still came closer. Grinning with wild abandon, as two blades manifested in her hands. Without needing to transform into Hopper...

"Sorry, 'Stagefright'. I have a wife to save, and you're getting in the way!" She shouted, dashing towards the magician...

Only to clash with that black blade that looked just like hers. With the Luna's eyes meeting hers again. A subtle smirk slowly growing into a violent grin...

"You again... Ehe... Ehehehe! EHEHEHEHEHEHE!" The crazed laughter echoing from the manipulated former heroine told Haruhi everything she needed to know. And how far she'd have to go to bring her wife back...

Lumiel scowled. He was supposed to have enough time to finetune this Luna's mind so she could strike at just the right moment to agitate the Descender properly. No matter. She would serve as an acceptable distraction.

"Then I'll leave you to your 'saving'. If you can manage to beat her in that condition." Lumiel said, bowing mockingly towards the two lovers turned enemies, letting the darkness swallow him whole as he let them be. This plan wouldn't fail just because of one missing variable.

No. It didn't matter if Luna lost here. His win was all but guaranteed...

---

Darkness.

Deep, deep darkness.

Within, a black-haired girl sat.

Clutching her knees, tears running down her eyes.

Again and again, the scene played out in her head.

The scene that had transformed her into this vengeful defender.

The sight of her family twisting into those monsters. Twisting out of those loving, familiar forms that she'd never forget.

Just as she would never forget their manic faces as they tried to make her into one of them.

Just as she would never forget the look of relief on their faces, for the briefest of moments when they were put down by that gilded 'Hero'.

If she was as strong as her. If she was the strongest that ever could be. Expanding all across the world, wrapping her arms around all that could come to harm.

Only then could she guarantee that the sadness that clenched its hand around her heart would be gone...

"Power is what you desire. Power is what I can grant you."

The black-haired girl felt needles pierce through her heart as she heard that voice. A fury like no other awoke, as she tore herself from the spot she was languishing in, a fury burning in her eyes that only grew brighter and more violent as she saw who had invaded her space.

It was the Magician. Was being the word that mattered, because the moment she came close, she tore him asunder.

His smug expression lingering as his arms were launched from his body, laughing all the while as he floated ephemerally away from the tortured girl.

"Fine. Do as you wish. The stage calls, Descender! Can you stop the Nightmare before it begins? Or will you lose it all again?"

His words burned as she listened to them. The pins in her heart digging deeper. The Nightmare... All over again..?

She knew that her other self was soft. She knew that she wasn't strong enough. It was coming. It was coming and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Only the Hero could. And as the light gradually shone in on this darkness, the path towards the end of the Nightmare illuminated...

"This time. This time, nothing will get in my way."

The darkness that was the girl flooded out through that tiny passage, as the Hero stepped down that blackening path.

The light became hers, the armor that was her form cracking bit by bit as the light she took in started to pour out. Gathering behind her like an angelic halo, and casting a blinding light upon all. 

A light that would bless and swallow all whole, to keep them safe from any harm...