"Im…possible…!"
These are the words that escaped Kamaji's lips as he looked at his opponent who is standing near the other half of his body.
"There's no way that I would… let it end here… I WILL NOT—!" without even letting him finish his words, Aishi appeared right beside him and stepped on his chest with enough force to bury herself and her enemy into a massive crater.
"What's wrong, Disciple of Faith? Have you realized the difference in our power?"
"Ghhh…!"
Only moments before, Kamaji could've never expected all of this.
He has beaten Aishi's army of enhanced humans and Seed Psychics. He has blunted her attack into the Sumeragi estate by not only standing toe-to-toe with her but even overpowering her in all kinds of ways.
"ANSWER ME, KNAVE!" as Aishi shouted, countless voice echoed her words.
"Damn… you…!!!"
Kamaji kept struggling to remove Aishi's foot on his chest, but due to the fact that he has lost his lower half and Aishi has reached this indescribably intense level of power, he failed to resist her.
"You utter disappointment… to think that I have to depend on my being one of Spirit Freedom's Vessels, you really are a pest."
"You will pay for this… you child of—"
*BIYAIK—!!!*
Before he can end his words, Aishi stomped on Kamaji's head and crushed it like a fragile egg. Once she removed her foot from the remaining stump of Kamaji's head, exposing its brutally gory appearance, Aishi felt the ground shake for a moment as if the passage of Kamaji's soul into death was such a heavy event.
"With that… my mission would be—"
Leaving behind the corpses of allies and enemy alike, Aishi took a single step into the Sumeragi estate's outer courtyard.
"Your mission ends here right now, child of Chaos."
"—!!!"
And instead of its battle-worn yard, she was brought immediately inside the Inner Sanctum of the Sumeragi syndicate's estate.
"To think that there would come a time to see you once again, even if it's just a fragment… It really has been so long, Freedom."
"…You must be—"
"Faith. Celestial Spirit of Faith, Devotion, Piousness and of the Righteous."
"I see… so that's why you knew about my Spirit."
"Huh? "My Spirit"? Don't make me laugh, mortal. Even if we're sworn enemies now after what she has done, Freedom is someone that I met eons ago. For a time, I even grew up alongside her and I know that she won't accept fragmenting herself and becoming the slave of someone else's will."
"Shut up! You know nothing about us! Do you think I'm scared of you after I ended the life of your useless puppet out—"
*KYAAAAG—!!!*
Aishi's loud and senseless ranting was abruptly ended after Faith struck her on the head and planted her face into the ground. The force was enough to form a crater and break the previously orderly and composed Japanese-style garden.
"You're right about Kamaji being nothing more than a stop gap measure whose power was constrained by my orders and his shortened life force because of his transformation… and because of that, I want you to realize this truth that I am about to say."
"Khh… YOU—!!!"
The following words spoken by the Celestial Spirit would have horrified everyone else short of Aishi who really believed that she can win against her adversary.
"I am the real deal… I am Faith, Spirit of Faith. And right here and now, I will show you the difference between the blind ambition of mankind and the endless power and authority of untainted faith."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
In the mansion of Higuchi Sora, the chaos of the battles in Tokyo, as well as the apocalyptic events that are happening throughout the world is nowhere to be heard or seen.
"Mio-nee! Gottem—!"
"Wah~! That's awesome, Rea!"
"C'mon, Rea! Toss it here quick or Koko-kun's gonna getcha!"
"Worf—!"
At the courtyard, for the first time in a while, the three children were able to play around with a frisbee and the pet dog of the mansion's owner, forgetting for a moment everything that happened the past few days.
"Ooooohhh~! That feels real nice, sweetie."
"Ahaha! With all the running around and sitting in a car that we've been doing these past few days, I already guessed that your back was waiting to give you payback. Come on now, mom. Lemme put some liniment on your calves too."
The same went to the mother and sister of Ephraim, who watched over the children while enjoying the relative peace that they have become a stranger to ever since all of this happened.
However, amidst all of this peace and fun was a small corner in the mansion filled with growing dread and desperation… and all of it is coming from a the only other resident of this mansion besides its owner and Maya.
"So… that's the solution that you decided for you two, Professor Mizuki?"
"…Yes. This is the only way for me and my daughter to have a chance now that everything has gone bad in the world."
In an old building resembling a hangar in the mansion's backyard, the workshop of Professor Mizuki, known to be the best engineer in Japan, Maya, Sora and Mana talked to him while he's focused on programming on his computer.
"…I apologize for saying this, Professor… but what you're doing is just making your and Rin-chan's suffering longer."
"…"
"In the end, what you're doing will just end up as nothing. Sora-san already told you that Earth is the only world out there which can sustain life and allow it to flourish. Even if you somehow attach some sci-fi thing on your spaceship, it will still end up only giving you a few years to live and Rin-chan… she will—"
"MAYA, ENOUGH!!!" as soon as she was about to tell him the cold, painful truth, the old man shouted at her before moving his wheelchair near his friend's seat to comfort him. "I'm sorry about that, Take… I should've told her to hold her tongue about this…"
"…There's no need to apologize, Higuchi-dono. What Azusagawa-kun here said is the truth and I know it very well."
"Professor…"
Seeing the lonely yet dedicated expression on his face, Mana can't help but remember something painful from her memories that resemble this scene very much.
"…If we're lucky, we can find a suitable planet to head to after 5 years in space. Then if my calculations and invention would work, we can warp to it little by little until we get to its orbit and land on it."
"Exactly my point… what then, do you plan after that? I can see Rin-chan being able to make it out there given that this spaceship is chock full of the pinnacle of our current technologies, but what about you, Professor? You carry "that disease" after all, even if you can't transmit or show symptoms of it."
"…I know that, Maya-kun. But as much as possible, as her father… as the only other person who knows her and loves her… I want to make sure that my child will be alright."
"…I know that, Professor. But still, from how I see it, this is extremely cruel not only for you but for her."
Just as their depressing conversation was getting more somber, the door leading to the office of Professor Mizuki opened and out of it came a young girl just a bit older than Rea who is 2 years old.
"Papa… Papa, are you there…?"
"Yes, Rin-chan. I'm over here, darling."
"Papa~!" with a short trot and a hop, the young child sat on her father's lap while cuddling a small bunny plushie. "Good mornin', papa!"
"Good morning too, darling. Come on now, greet Uncle Sora and the others too."
"Good mornin'!"
With a bow, Rin greeted the others who gave her smiles and hand waves. Seeing that it wouldn't be good to continue their prior conversation, Sora cut it short and told his friend that they'd be taking their leave.
Outside, a crisp sound of a slap resounded from the hand of an old man who hit the cheek of a young woman who kept her feet planted on the ground despite the hit she received. After a short period of silence, she opened her mouth and spoke a nonchalant reply.
"…Are you satisfied now?"
"While I recognize and respect your opinion about this matter of Takeshi and his daughter, I still have the duty to respect his decisions too."
"That's rich coming from you, old man."
"And the same goes to you, Maya. Don't ever forget that it's only because of me that you're able to play your part in this farce that you have no place to belong to."
Stuck between the two, while she's maintaining her calm expression, Mana felt conflicted about the points that these two are trying to stand on with no opening left for compromise.
"I know what I signed up for, old man."
"And the same goes for Takeshi… for you, it might be easy to rationalize everything as something that would lead to our victory and the safety and preservation of this world, but for him who has nothing else in his mind now other than giving his child a chance to live for one more day, this thing that you're calling a cruel and foolish decision is his one last chance to do it."
"…"
"If you can't respect that, then at least pretend that you care enough to not discourage them any further than our current situation does."
While these two extremes between peace and happiness, and chaos and hardship are happening outside of the mansion, the only other person left to watch over the unconscious bodies of Ephraim and Sayaka was Kirin who can sense the souls of the two swirling around as if they are dancing with each other.
"Whatever he is doing in there, it seems to be working for the good…" she mumbled while looking intently at the fluctuations of the two's souls.
Suddenly, the door of the room opened and in came Catherine whom Kirin greeted with a smile.
"Hello there, missus Imamura. I see that you've been looking after these two even when you should be breathing some fresh air outside."
"Hehe. It's alright, madame. Between all of us, I'm the one who is most able to look after them. Besides, he personally entrusted this to me and Fujikawa-kun… I don't plan on doing anything else in the meantime."
Suddenly, the elderly mother of Ephraim spoke something that quite puzzled Kirin.
"…I see. I guess my son really found a trustworthy person to lean on while he's away from us."
"P-Pardon?"
"You see, he has been sending letters back to us and while he did hide all of the stuff about being a Psychic and all the risky fights that he's been involved in, there was one thing that always stuck out to me whenever I was reading his letters…"
"And… that is?"
"He always said that he found a mentor who reminded him a lot of both me and young Risa… and because of that, I knew that my sweet, little boy whom I believed has steeled his heart and resolve to face this cruel world, still has a soft spot left for those that truly respected and cherished."
Hearing that made Kirin remember how she used to not only be a trainer and mentor for Ephraim but also his surrogate mother who always looked after him.
"You see missus Imamura, while it's true that I gave birth and raised Ephraim during his early years, I cannot truly say that I did so with his own wishes in mind. After my husband realized that he is a prodigy, he taught him more and more things but still knew when to give him a break in order to enjoy his childhood… but back then, I didn't have that same foresight as my husband did."
Catherine reminisced about the memories that she has now grown to bear as shame and regrets.
"I only saw Ephraim as the prodigy that he is, not realizing that that part of him is nothing more than a small part of him that he can easily lose if he grows to hate it because of the pressure that I am subjecting him to… I realized far too late that I made this mistake when I went into labor early for my daughter and without electricity or any phone signal to contact help, he brought me to the nearest maternity clinic… for someone of age, it would be nothing more than a trip to the wet market, but for an 8 year old boy carrying with all due care a pregnant woman who weighs twice as him, as well as making sure not to cause her any more pain, it was a herculean effort."
"I… never heard him say that before."
"Exactly… because it was at that moment when he finally broke to me what he really thought of how I've raised him up to that point. Instead of seeing him as my son whom I have to look after and love with all of my ability, I saw him as someone whom I have to be strict with to the point of heartlessness… and so, without even giving me a word or acting it out, with his eyes alone, I knew that I have failed and hurt him… and it will take me the rest of my life to heal that wound, and even if I succeed in that, there would be a scar to always remind the two of us about it."
"…Is that the reason why he seems to have clung to this "young Risa" that he always talked about?"
"Right… Risa was the one who saved and cared for him after "that incident" that happened when he was still staying in his university's dorm. Given that I became bedridden after giving birth and had to stay in a hospice facility, she was the one who helped him to harness his talents without compromising his youth. But because of that, when she and his other friends died right in front of him, all that healing became undone, and he seem to have never wanted to be reminded about it ever again."
With all the depressing things that they talked about regarding Ephraim's past, the two women looked at him as he laid there peacefully. After a while, Kirin broke the silence with an answer for Catherine.
"…I know that this isn't my right since you are his mother, but I think you are wrong about him being someone who bottles up all of his ill-will and lets it loose in a one-and-done act of fury. From what I know as his mentor and comrade, Rai-kun doesn't hide what he truly feels but is sly enough to make it seem like it was just an act."
"What do you mean by that, missus?"
"…You see, Fujikawa-kun once told me that back when they were still students, Rai-kun wasn't really liked in his class not only because of him being a foreigner but also because he doesn't conform with anyone there. In a way, while most other youth would try their darndest to win over the favor of some group or person, he remained an outcast out of his own desire to never break or bend the person that he decided to be."
"That sounds like he took a lot after his father… I remember him being like that as well."
"And that's where my point lies. If he's the kind to bottle up his ill-will and it just bursts out all of a sudden, he wouldn't even make the cut to become a Psychic. At best, he would be devoured by his awakened power and at worst… he'd turn into one of those Malignances.
Hearing that made Catherine's expression a bit agitated. Seeing that, Kirin continued with her explanation to reassure the other lady that everything is alright.
"As I said earlier, Rai-kun wears his emotions on his sleeve, letting himself express it constantly and in a healthy manner. However, he knows enough about other people to know that it can be used against him, so he pretends that the emotions that he expresses are just made-up and therefore, can easily be a trap that they can fall victim to. Which means that save for a very few who threw caution to the wind, there are little to no people who tried to confront or use him through his emotions, and those who did so paid a hefty price for it."
"Hefty price… what do you mean by that, missus?"
Kirin, after being asked like that by Catherine, took her katana from her side and answered her concisely.
"Don't worry. Rai-kun did nothing but to make them stumble into their own wiles. Unfortunately for them, some were really adamant about it that they got hurt or shamed for it afterwards. In all of these things, Rai-kun is guilty of nothing other than willingly luring them to their own failures."
"That puts me more at ease, I guess."
Just as things has become calm for them again, a shout from outside garnered Kirin's attention and she instinctively stood up to look out of the window to see what it was about.
"STAY RIGHT THERE! I SAID STAY RIGHT THERE!"
"What on…?"
"Hm? What is it, missus?"
"…Hold on, those two are—!"
Without any warning, Kirin jumped out of the window and gracefully landed with a roll on the ground. From there, she dashed towards the gate where Maya is pointing a gun on two people who has their hands up.
"Who are you two?! How did you find this place?!"
"We are—"
"Hold on, Azusagawa-kun! They're not enemies!"
As soon as Kirin said that, Maya eased a bit but never removed her sight on the two until she received a proper answer about them.
"These two are my subordinates from the Sumeragi group. They're both Kanbu officers that I highly trust."
"…I see. But that doesn't explain how they knew this place. Come on, give me an answer!"
Faced with that order, Renjiro spoke up about it without uttering a lie.
"Ephraim told us about this place and why we should be here. Don't worry, it was done safely and without any possibility for leaks."
"...You say that but how am I supposed to believe it?"
"He's in a state of coma, isn't he? Alongside that girl whose spirit is fluctuating between life and death?"
After hearing that, Maya understood that what they were saying the truth. However, what followed it wasn't something that she was pleased with.
"We need to hurry up though. While it's true that you guys and us two were very careful about not letting anyone know about this place, it would still be besieged by the Miyazonos soon."
"What did you just say?" Maya blurted out after hearing that straight from Renjiro's mouth. She was followed by an exasperated reply from Kirin who was just as shocked about it.
"T-That's right! What do you mean about that, Renjiro?"
"…Let me say it, Furuta-san."
"Sure, go on."
Kaede, who has been silent all this time, finally spoke but it was something that Kirin didn't want to hear.
"The Sumeragi group will lose… Oyabun-sama's power, that is to say, Spirit Faith's Authority, will fall to the hands of the Sumeragi group soon."
"Wait… then that means—"
It was the worst news for them to hear this time.
"Mother will be able to escape and get here, but save for her and if he wins, Lucas, no one else but us would be left amongst the ranks of those opposing the Miyazonos."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
The conclusion of the battle between the Gardener Kitagawa Akira and Courage was one that none expected.
"—!!!"
"He's awake! He's back too!"
"Alright, bring them out and put them into a new body. You over there! Make sure to compile the battle data that they brought back!"
Inside a pair of vats, both William and Akira woke up inside new bodies that their souls and spirits were forced to inhabit. For Akira, this is nothing but a routine thing given his status as an artificial human.
"Wowsers… I didn't expect him to go that hard so early in a fight."
"Just count yourself lucky, Kitagawa-sama. We don't have any data about that monstrous spirit but because of you, we have one now."
"Yeah, yeah. Go study it and hand it over to the two of us then."
However, the same didn't go for William who initially thought of this as an annoyance but was later told that it was an advantage.
"Argh…! After every effort that I poured into that body of mine! Khh! That damned Lucas and his Spirit! Hey! Who forced me into this body anyway?!"
"J-Just calm down, Tetian-sama! We remade your body after analyzing the power and technique of that new enemy. With this new body, you can surely fight better than ever."
"Hmph! You better be telling the truth or else, the next time I see your scrawny faces, it would be black and blue all over!"
"That's enough outta all of ya'!"
"—!"
"What the—?!"
Before William can further intimidate the staff, a shout from behind them forced everyone in the room to bow down in an instant with both knees on the floor.
"I don't remember hearing my father letting you run your mouth on the people here, you muscle-brained savage."
"Keiji-sama…"
It was Miyazono Keiji who is still inhabiting the real body of Imamura Kai. Plastered on his face was an almost uncannily human-like smirk.
"You brat… if not for this new body… I wouldn't even have to worry about—"
"Your obsession towards my sister is admirable but it doesn't help much in the grand scheme of things, William… which is why I was tasked by my sister to rein you in for the finale that we've all been waiting for."
"H-Himari-sama said so? Wait… are you saying that—"
"Heh! Rejoice everyone, father has returned victorious against our great adversary and soon, both Himari-neesama and Aishi are bound to return with victories in tow as well!"
Hearing that, everyone in the laboratory cheered and some even shed tears of joy, believing that their goal is near completion. After a moment, Keiji shouted before throwing down someone whose face, despite being beaten bloody and senseless, was undoubtedly similar to Keiji's current appearance.
"Ah! That reminds me, hey you geeks! Go get this loser strapped into the Trunk of Yggdra so father can Ascend as soon as he arrives!"
"Hold on, this guy's Astra energy and nature is almost—"
"Yeah! That's exactly why he needs to be strapped into the World Tree fragment. Come on, scram!"
While all of this is happening in the hidden headquarters of the Miyazono side, the words of Kaede are slowly taking form in the battlefield of the Kabuki-cho estate.
"I-Imamura-sama! We've lost the 3rd Guard Platoon and the 17th Detachment! If this continues, we'll be surrounded!"
"Reinforce the right flank and cycle out the tired and wounded with fresh troops! Sally out immediately after you assemble!"
"Understood!"
"Imamura-sama! They're not running out of the Enhanced and Seeds! We're being pushed back in the center!"
"Ease up the front if needed but don't let them get the upper hand! I'll be there as soon as I treat the wounded!"
"Roger!"
Although its commander and the strongest opponent in their battle area, Aishi, has been taken on by their leader, the innumerable troops that she left behind bared on their defenses, intent on using all means to get rid of them even if it meant their deaths.
Minutes passed… and then an hour… which grew more into hours and tens of hours.
Without any pause, without faltering in their momentum, the Miyazonos continued to assail them and the wounded, exhausted mortals who comprised the Sumeragi group began to falter. From nearly fifty thousand men, they were reduced to a few thousand who can still stand and fight.
In the end, the battle entered the inner courtyard and amidst all of the unrelenting chaos, Akari had her first doubtful thought since all of this began.
"Can we really win this? Can we really manage to blunt their invasion and end this?"
Such thoughts swirled in her mind until a few moments later, a surprising development happened in the battlefield.
"This is… They're just suddenly running away?"
"Are they retreating back?"
"What on earth…?"
All of the mindless pawns of the Miyazono group began to run away for some odd yet welcome reason… but for Akari, this meant something very different.
"Retreat… Retreat into the Sanctum!!!"
"I-Imamura-sama? Why?"
With a shaken tone and all of the desperation she can put on her voice, Akari told them about something that's going to happen very soon.
"It's done… Oyabun-sama needs our help! They're retreating because they got what they wanted! We need to get there beside her right now!"
Whether they knew it through prediction or not, the words spoken by Kaede earlier perfectly matched what is happening right now…
"I-Imamura-sama… there's something wrong going on…"
"What? Wait, your body is--"
"My powers… why does it feel like it's…"
…and likely, also how it would end.
"…disappearing?"