Umano Underground Slums

Okuri could only look on in shock. His momentum was halted but he wasn't biting into Nemesis. Instead Aoi, the young energetic girl of all things was standing there with his fangs planted into her shoulder. His eyes widened in horror, his units vanished back to cray, the sea of anger he had been generating evaporated. The Earth calmed itself and his sash stopped emitting the waves of anger and hatred.

"That's... enough Okuri... It's alright now." she told him. The words shattered his mindset. She continued speaking of Jessie and Bashiro but also stated Nemesis was hurting too. What had he been doing? He had just declared his intent to protect them all in his fight against Solis and yet here was attempting to perpetuate a cycle of pain and loss. The girl went so far so to even hug him and slowly moved downward. He didn't resist her movements and soon he was sitting on the ground with the girl wrapped around him.

He released his grip on her shoulder looking in disgust at the injuries his teeth had given her. His mouth was wet with her blood and the taste disgusted him. Everything about what he'd been doing disgusted him.

"A-aoi you..." he said trembling in response. He couldn't speak. What could he even say to such a girl? She shared her story with Nemesis and while his mind subconsciously registered her words he couldn't focus on them. All he did was attempt to hug the girl back, embrace her as best he could at least with his head. He pressed up against her as she spoke sobbing and whining. He licked at the bite marks he had left in some vain hope of making them go away.

"I'm sorry" he muttered through it all. And that was all he could do was continue muttering it as Aoi's hand caressed his head.

Karin stepped in now, seeing as the fighting had finally ended, and because as their commander, she had an obligation to watch over one of her army's strongest. Karin approached Aoi and Nemesis, gently patting the gumball's head. She turned to face the crowd that made up the Resistance around them, glaring at them all. "Our hero has graced us all with some very wise words. All of us would do well to take them to heart... God knows we'll need them in the coming battles. Now, all of you, get moving! The Reapers won't just wait for us to come to them!"

Her orders given, Karin took a deep breath, and let out a sigh. Now, she turned to face Nemesis. "I'm glad to have you back. Even more so to see you have all your powers as Nemesis." She began, extending her hand. It was as she had done before, at the Espoir estate. "...Nemesis. Our last enemies all utilize the power of Legion. Something only you can tear apart and slice in two. In the coming battles, I want you at my side, acting as my sword."

The ember sparked to life in Karin's hand once again. This time, not to offer warmth or comfort to a cold heart, but instead...

"If you are the Hollow Sword you claim you are, then I'll fill that void with my own strength, and we'll carve through the Reapers together."

Watching all events unfold, Neo watched as Nemesis/Yukino returned. Despite what some of the members thought, it was a good feeling to have one of our own back. But there were some that didn't just let go of what Nemesis did and it sparked Conflict. Neo was pretty much standing in the neutral circle at this point. He wasn't no drone or reaper but he was reversed at one point and did hurt those he cared for the most. But that was such a long time ago and Neo hasn't felt that way since. At that time he was greedy for power and was willing to do anything to get it. Those days are past him. Just then Karin screamed out to everyone that it was time to prepare for battle. Neo decided to walk over to his room and get prepared. He stared at his deck and started to ponder..

"Is this really the Final Battle? Will everyone and everything finally be at peace once this is all over?" Neo said to himself.

But only time will tell. As for the task at hand, Neo packed a bag filled with supplies just in case. Zipped the bag and walked out his room, Determined to finally put an end to this once and for all!

Just then as Neo walked back to the main lobby where everyone else had gathered, he put his bag down and overheard Aoi telling the story of the person she used to be.. and it hit Neo hard because he feels the same exact way and has been through the same thing.. Reversed.. and wondered why he was given a second chance.

"I know exactly how you feel Aoi.. I went through the same thing you did.. I was Reversed and I reversed my friends one by one.. and the one person who saved me.. my best friend is one of the main reaper drones we have to fight. I still ask myself why I was given a second chance.. but I never take it for granted and its why I do everything I can to protect those close to me.." Neo said as he started to choke up.

Nemesis could barely register anything that was happening beyond the true hero petting the spirit, and Karin taking command, only to then speak to her and refer to her in the desired manner. The empty sword was offered the position to stand at Karin's side as a weapon, and her abilities would be able to stop the Reapers from using the unification of Legion. ... Her anger had subsided once she heard the little miracle of a Seed tell a story. Of course she'll stand and fight the Reapers. All Nemesis wanted to do was marry Haruka and tear Harbinger to pieces. So, if Karin wants the most violent super weapon that wanted to be used by mankind, "Fine." Nemesis spoke, having made her decision to kill every last abomination of Brandt left long ago. The robot's hand reached out to the ember, simply to confirm the partnership...

... While Aoi smiled kindly to the spirit licking at her shoulder-wound. It hurt, but not enough to keep her down. No, nothing was ever going to do that again. Within the frozen world was the inheritor of the ultimate power - a little light who wants to save everything. Even among the frozen corpses was a maiden of unlimited cheer. A ray of light that forgave Okuri without even having to speak it, simply offering him warmth and joy. "Everything's gonna be fine, I'm sure of it." The determined child spoke.

... That's when Nemesis' eyes flashed, filled with stars. She... could see...! She could see what was so far in the distance!! What was burned into sight was four gigantic monsters: Harbinger, a reconstructed Gigaton, and the duo of Legion. Harbinger flew about as Graywon, cackling to herself from the looks of it, and the vision faded. "... Reapers!!" Nemesis screamed out. "Harbinger is on her way to headquarters! She's coming here right now!!"

Well that started freakouts, which got even worse when several soldiers confirmed with Karin that Reaper readings are going off the charts nearby.

"Oh shit!!" One of the grunts shouted, and everyone got their asses in gear as Karin said, but not even more so with the urgency in mind. Christ, they didn't learn anything. The commander told them to get moving and they barely did what they were supposed to do just like all the time. Whatever, now they were doing their jobs and getting ready. The Deletors weren't going to wait, just like she said. "Fuck, fuck!!"

"I can see them... This time, we can see them...!" Nemesis gazed up toward the sky. For the first time, humanity would not be caught by surprise. Clenching her fists tightly, she looked to her wielder: Karin and then to the true hero: Aoi. ... Aoi inherited Maelstrom, and remembering it as Jellal's ace along with the information of Aoi's Break Ride... "... The ultimate power...! She doesn't have Glory, but she still fought with enough force and held a Reverse unit!" This information was stored long back at Tokyo Tower when Yukino was first revealed as Harbinger's toy. Yes... this trump card is what she needed.

To answer the despair of Sovereign's hidden key, Nemesis has her own in sight...!

Even though the fight was over, with not-Nemesis coming victorious, Okuri still wanted to end his opponent, one way or another. "Ok, good thing nobody got hurt. Now you two can- Wait! Okuri!!" Said Carlos, interrupted by the spirit jumping off to bite off at least the throat of the cyborg. Of course Mecha-Hikari was prepared to defend herself, even if it meant injuring or killing the canine. However, someone stood between the fighters, taking the hit meant for the ex-drone. It was... Aoi.

"Holy. Fucking. Shit" Said Carlos covering his mouth, shocked beyond belief by how the things went on. His surprise was not only the willingness of the young Champion to go that far in order to prevent a dangerous fight between the fighters, but the faster-that-light speed she used to get between the two without one of them noticing. The girl, with her shoulder bleeding profoundly, comforted the now calmed Okuri, hugging him and expressing that as he felt pain, not-Nemesis did too. The story about her past life as Cyan Aoi ("This thing about alternate timelines is getting confusing") and the subsequent naming of the girl as a heroine by the previous leader of the Resistance moved the crowd, some to the point of crying. After remembering all that, Aoi was still... Well, Aoi. She didn't change despite the tragedy of her past ("Or alternate self? I don't know anymore..."). It was a nice conclusion to the whole conflict.

Karin then finally stepped in, saluting Aoi and not-Nemesis as well as ordering the soldiers to get prepared for the coming battles with the Reapers. Carlos had absolutely no idea what to do now. He wanted to approach his friends. He felt the need to comfort the broken Okuri and of course help the injured Aoi. After all, the young man hasn't talked with the Champion in like months. In the end, he decided to not interrupt them. "They... They need their time" He thought as he walked away, returning to the other problem that was plaguing his mind. "Ugh, I'm thinking too much about this. My head hurts". He then smiled and continued his way. "Heh, the things I do for love. I'm sure my mom would be proud that I follow her words with such passion. Well, let's get to work".

... And that's when not-Nemesis screamed.Harbinger and the rest of the Deletors were coming. As Karin said, the Reapers weren't going to wait for them as they were coming right to the headquarters. "What!?" Said Carlos. With the Deletors coming to their place, the young man rushed to help his fellow companions get ready. "Okuri! I know you are in the middle of something but I need you to meet me over there once you finish! You too Aoi, if you want! I want you close to me because I don't want to suffer a heart attack looking for you!" He signaled his friend the location where they were going to meet, recalling the last time he saw Jessie and Bashiro. "And please, someone treat the injury of our hero for God's sake!!".

It wasn't difficult to sense the energy that was heading towards the Umano Resistance base. He couldn't believe he left them alone for his own personal reasons. He gritted his teeth as he knew that, even with all that was there, he needed to do his part. "No way I'm missing out on this one," he said as the Dimensional Robo, Daidragon sped to the base once more.

"You were so focused on controlling the Seed energy, but you didn't have any time to progress with that. You gonna be alright?"

"Yeah... I didn't use any either. I was just focusing on it and meditating. That was never really my style."

"Are you fine helping the humans who may persecute you when the fighting is done?"

"Its not even about that... I just wanna take some Reapers down right now. Whatever they do with me later is their call. I've got no reason to complain. Its not like I'd really be missed..."

....

....

Silence fell until they reached the base. Darren jumped from the sky to the center of the outside of the base, front lines and ready to great the Reapers first hand.

"Don't get yourself deleted..."

So...  Nemesis was on their side now.  People didn't like it, but more than anybody else, it seemed Okuri didn't like it.  Fubuki was worried; even if just one person distrusted Yukino verbally, it was going to be bad.  One spark can ignite a flame after all, and ignite it did.  Despite having doubts about Nemesis' loyalty herself, Fubuki kept quiet.  This fire didn't need fuel, it needed to be extinguished.  And extinguished it was...  in a method Fubuki was very upset, but not initially shocked by.  

Aoi had intercepted Okuri's attack on Nemesis, at the cost of her own shoulder being injured.  She was already wounded, and now even more so.  Fubuki was furious and was ready to destroy Okuri but stopped as Aoi spoke.  Shock gripped Fubuki, froze her in place, far more than usual.  Tears started falling from her eyes.  It was true.  All of it, it made sense now.  Aoi was...  Cyan.  Cyan was...  She was here.  Fubuki fell to her knees, tears continued to stream down her face.  

Quietly she waited, smiling, relieved...  Interfering now would be selfish.  Cyan would...  She'd...  "Reapers!!"  The cry broke Fubuki out of her trance.  There wasn't time for heartfelt moments yet...  Fubuki dragged herself up from the ground.  Repelling the Reapers comes before heartfelt moments. She went to grab a first aid kit to treat Aoi's bite wound. Responding to the... Oh, that was the person she ran out of a cardshop on some times ago... "I'll handle the wound, and... I'll stand by Cyan as well."

"Hey, Cyan, umm...."  She gently put a hand on the shoulder that wasn't injured, but didn't really know what to refer to the thing just bit her as.  "Let me treat the bite wound, we don't have a lot of time..."  Her voice was still solemn, but it wasn't as icy as it was before.  "You...  don't have to let go of... him.  We'll talk later though, alright?"
------------------
Cero stared down at the exchange, uncaring for either side.  What he did care about, however, was the sighting of the Reapers.  The Kaiser launched himself onto a building closer to where the Reapers were coming from.  He was going to be on the front lines, ready to face them first, as the crack of thunder and flash of purple lightning announced the presence of the titan of human power to the Resistance and potentially the Reapers as well.

"God damnit... When we're through all this, please tell me how you handled this for so long." Karin jested to Nemesis, giving a sigh followed by a chuckle at her own struggles as the new commander. Well, her work was clear-cut; Time to take the lead. Karin retracted her hand once more, this time drawing both of her swords and immediately phasing into her armor. Time was no doubt going to be short, so she'd waste no time. "Well, even if they come now, we'll be ready for them."

Karin shut her eyes momentarily and reached out, feeling for the Reapers' presences. She could sense each of them clearly enough to discern them from one another- Harbinger's unmistakable power, the joint-existence of Legion, and that odd feeling that was unique to the colossus Gigaton. "So Harbinger can revive other Reapers even without Nemesis' powers... Damn. It seems that it took her a significant amount of time, though... We'll have to move fast and keep the pressure on, then." Thoughts ran through Karin's head, working fast to formulate a battle plan. Three Reapers, one of which they couldn't kill- Sovereign wasn't present this time, so Harbinger may as well be invincible. They'd have to do their best to stay alive even with her around. Gigaton, they'd fought multiple times as it was, and Karin doubted he'd be much of a threat. As for Legion... Well, that was what Karin had Nemesis for.

"Alright, all of you, listen up!! Harbinger's invincible without Sovereign here, so just try not to get yourselves killed against her as best you can! Gigaton is on his way too, but you all should know how to deal with him by now! Legion is the third target; Nemesis and I will lead the assault against them! With Nemesis' strength, we'll split the Legion in two!

Some of you stay with me, doesn't matter who! Everyone else, disperse and fight on! The order is given!!"

And with her orders given, Karin turned her attention to the horizon- The Reapers would arrive any minute. All of them, except for the one who's vulnerability was now known to them. Of course, Sovereign would stay behind his own wall of pawns, holding off Humanity's assault as long as he could. He knew they could hurt him- He knew they could kill him.

All the pieces were in place. This time, though, Karin would make the first move.

Karin landed atop the Resistance's central building, taking a knee and leaning on her sword for support. She breathed in deep her armor fading away- Save for the coat. Two consecutive clashes with Reapers, one of them being Harbinger herself, had left her feeling more than a little drained, and she took this moment to catch her breath and regain her composure. Taking in another deep breath, she stood herself up, looking out at the rest of Umano.

Not a Reaper was left in sight. Legion had fled, afraid for its life. Gigaton had been felled once again, leaving no trace of its existence.

And Harbinger... Had retreated.

Humanity had succeeded against her, for once. Karin had gathered the pieces and together they had pushed the Queen against a wall, and from this point... The final battle was approaching. They could push Harbinger all the way back to wherever Sovereign was hiding, wipe Legion out, and put an end to the Reapers' horrific game.

Karin gazed out in the direction Harbinger had retreated, uttering a single word.

"Check."

After a moment, Karin shook her head and pointed her blade to the sky, aiming it at where she had carved the fiery "X" into the air at the start of their battle. She brought the blade low, and the "X" burst apart, tiny wisps of light flickering every which way. In seconds, all of Umano was filled with a warm glow, a testament to Humanity's victory. Her duty fulfilled, Karin sheathed her blade.

Darren closed his eyes as the battle seemed to end. Aoi was... gone. She sacrificed everything to show humanity the ideal he shared with her. No matter what happened, there was always hope. Now everyone knew this, they were united and unbreakable. Even if they couldn't kill Harbinger directly, she couldn't kill their spirit anymore. They were immovable objects thanks to Aoi.

"You're not gonna cry about losing her?" Daikaiser spoke to Darren. He shook his head in response.

"She had no reason to fight, but she did all the same. She is gone, but..."

Darren shook his head again. "No, she's not gone. Her spirit is in all of them, even me..." He couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he said, "It was always my dream to be a hero. Aoi went and beat me to it. Oh well... I'll settle for being the best man I can be."

"Man as in human?"

"That's right. Aoi was no different from me and still gave herself for this. If I acted any different from the others now, it would be an insult to what she did. Tomato Head's going down the next time she shows her Halloween reject face to us."

"You sound confident. Not overconfident, I hope."

"I'm not confident in me. I know that humanity as a whole is winning this."

The forces of Great Nature had been surprised to see a Thunder Dragon of Narukami rise to fight with them. Recklessness Dragon had been sent by Carlos to help Okuri fend off the enormous Gigaton. The Honorary Professor, who normally detested working with others outside of the university, set aside her prejudices and fought alongside the Narukami unit. He fought with them like they'd been allies and friends for years. And in the end Gigaton had not the guard necessary to defend himself from the Dragon's attack. Recklessness Dragon broke through and delivered a decisive blow to the Reaper. With the combined efforts against him Gigaton once again vanished from existence.

"Last time it took the two of them to do this for us..." Okuri thought aloud reflecing on their ability to take down the behemoth without the Hakaisha's this time. His units celebrated with Recklessness with various shouts and hugs and such. And then Chatnoir herself even approached the Thunder Dragon and thanking him for the help. But she went further than that and with the Fox Legion's blessing made the Dragon an Honorary Student of the Great Nature University. Truly an unprecedented event in the university's history.

Okuri couldn't help but smile at the scene as the units vanished away. Carlos was still safe on his back despite the fighting. "We did it!" he started excitedly but was careful not to jerk around too suddenly while the man still rode atop his back. "Let's get you patched up friend." he continued. But soon another fight took the spirit's attention. Nemesis and Harbinger had been yelling at each other louder than seemed possible. And then of all people young Aoi stepped in. Harbinger mocked and derided her and yet the girl never wavered. She never lost hope but continued to preach it to the god of despair and death. She ultimately won the fight but still could not damage the invincible Reaper. Maelstrom and the rest of the Blue Storms embraced their vanguard and then they all at once vanished from existence.

"Aoi no..." Okuri whispered in unbelief. The girl who had shattered his rage and so fully understood him. She couldn't be gone. Another dear friend gone. The spirit wanted to give up right there. Surely his heart couldn't take another loss. And yet just as powerfully a strange hope filled his heart. Almost as if Aoi herself were embracing him again. Even if she'd ceased existing she'd never let him simply give up and be sad.

"Alright, I won't give up. Not yet. Not ever." he said aloud to the feeling. Aoi herself was gone but this feeling she'd inspired in them would never fade. Harbinger was left in awe and disbelief. Though she had not been harmed she too withdrew from the battlefield. Humanity had actually won against the Invincible Reaper. And soon Karin put on a light show worthy of the achievement. This wasn't any time to slow down. Okuri needed to get Carlos some medical attention. They would all need to be ready to fight again soon. And so with his friend still along for the ride Okuri made his way toward the infirmary.

Shriayuki felt aoi's energy dissapper and knew it will hurt her avatar to know. SHe sighed and appred before Xat. Aoi's energy has fade i'm sorry." She said as Xat's eyes widden and feel to her knees in shock that Aoi was gone. "I should of been there. I could of helped her. She said while shirayuki looked sad. "You need to heal, and recover. If you went in fought you might of died." Shirayuki said as xat stood up as she felt the resistance return and shook her head to get her thoughts in order and went to the entrance to see the others and apoligize for nto being there to help, however she felt some resolve knowing that Aoi was still with her in her heart.

"... How odd. I remember those rugrats Aoi, Bashiro, and Jessie grouping up to talk to me, and now they're all gone. ... The new generation faded away." Nemesis felt a particular notion of loss and emptiness, as if she was the only one left, though that wasn't true. ... Never mind that, the android's starry eyes faded, and she was washed over by exhaustion. Doubling over, the super weapon wheezed, tired out by the counterattack, despite being a monster of infinite stamina, supposedly. Commander Karin's light show with her flames reminded Yukino that she needed to speak with her now. Understanding Hana's spirit, they could finally push back and end this nightmare... if Sovereign comes out of hiding, that is. That, and his Trump Card isn't as lethal as she's dreading.

"Oi, Karin!" Nemesis called out to, beginning to fly over to the Flame Dragon incarnate. "We need to talk, I figured out how to find Harbinger's base of operations."

Under normal circumstances, Darren would leave at this point to go about his own business. This time was different. He wanted to stay and honor Aoi. As a fellow optimist, it always felt like the two of them kept hope flowing throughout the Resistance, but Aoi did much more for the group than he ever did. Even now, she did so much. Although she was gone, the hope she had revealed that if they could not fall, even Harbinger couldn't change that.

With a light sigh, he looked around at the aftermath. The place was a wreak, but it was still there. That's more than they could say for most places that were attacked in this battle. He looked up and muttered softly, "Don't worry, Aoi. Once we kick her butt one more good time, we'll be able to bring you back, everyone... Just a little more...

With the help of Recklessness Dragon, the professors and students of the Great Nature University managed to defeat Gigaton once and for all. It was such a feat that the Honorary Professor known as Chatnoir, a prominent figure in the past fight, set aside any kind of prejudice she had towards the outsiders and awarded the bluish Thunder Dragon with the title of Honorary Student. "There you go, champ" He thought happily, feeling proud of his Avatar. "Now you can study and pave your way to a better future". As Okuri recalled a previous battle against the bigger-than-average squid, with Bashiro and Jessie at their side, the young man shed a single tear. Either way, the sudden celebration of Units was cut short thanks to another ongoing battle.

Aoi was fighting Tomoz- I mean, Harbinger at the moment, after replacing Cyber Hikari. The Chinese Champion stood her ground against the invader along with her trusted Aqua Force Units, maintaining hope for a better future. Even though she managed to defeat the Reaper in single combat, her strength wasn't enough to damage her enemy. "Hope... wins!!" She shouted as she and her Units were engulfed by a black void created by her opponent. Carlos was speechless.

Not-Nemesis stood, immutable even after such a loss. However, she saluted the efforts of Aoi as a true act of bravery and above all things, hope. Harbinger managed to inflict enough damage to cripple the Resistance, but the response wasn't the one she was expecting. Disgusted, the leader of the Deletors retreated from what was left of Umano. In a way, they managed to defeat that invincible foe.

Okuri, after stating his intentions to never give up despite the death of their comrade, continued his way to get the young man medical attention. "Stop" Carlos told his friend, even though his thoughts were totally scrambled. "Before you take me to get medical attention, please take me to Sophie". His request made obvious his intentions of not giving up on anyone. Not yet. "Is she still here? I know how strong are Cero's attacks. I don't think she could've gone far after that. Maybe we still can do something to help her...".

Karin turned her head to Nemesis, who was already flying over to her. "I figured out how to find Harbinger's base of operations", she was saying.

"Perfect timing," Karin voiced her reply loudly, making sure Nemesis could hear it. "Tell me everything while the rest of the Resistance reorganizes."

Karin looked down at the rest of Umano, watching as everyone pulled themselves back together after the battle. Soon... They would go after Harbinger and Sovereign soon. Karin had lost Aoi, one of her Knights, but Harbinger had lost all pressure. Humanity now had the chance to move freely, and with the ability to find where the Reapers dwelt, Karin planned to push Checkmate in short order.

"...Your move, Sovereign."

"I have Hana's eyes - my sister's eyes. She had an ability called Star Travel which, in short, allows her to see anything where ever light reflects. Not just what's in sight, but everywhere. I can track down their HQ, and we can finally corner them. To further emphasize the strength of this power, when I was under Harbinger's control, I was eventually able to see everyone coming at me from every direction, and where ever they were hiding to launch sneak attacks." Nemesis explained to the commander the power of the late Espoir Princess. The eyes of the super weapon ere somber and tired, feeling mixed emotions toward her younger sister and inheriting Star Travel. There were plenty of questions about it as well, but for the time being she just wanted to lie down. Unfortunately, her desire to put an end to this era was stronger, so her stoic expression returned, straightening her stance and nodding as a show of faith in Hana.

"It's almost over."

The war veteran gave a heavy sigh, torn apart by this all since Schwarzschild Dragon appeared years ago and stole away her Avatars. Fighting this never-ending battle felt like it took an eternity and more... There was a short respite in mind, Yukino wanted to cry already, cry and shout with joy that the ceaseless nightmare was over. Her empty, yellow eyes gazed upon the Umano Slums, in worse state than before thanks to the counterattack. Her sight... her eyes felt glazed over, a wet feeling washing over her face without tears.

"It's almost... over."

Yukino had to repeat those words, and began to feel lightheaded. It was almost like a dream to think suffering will soon conclude. She'd be married to Haruka, she and Satoshi would talk for hours on end about nothing, the Resistance would no longer be necessary, life would continue beyond a sea of hopelessness. Yukino began to believe in the Trump Card that died to inspire the masses.

"It's... almost over..."

Okuri stopped as Carlos asked him about the commander of the Nightmare Dolls. He perked his head up and looked back to face his friend as much as he could while he finished his request. He wanted to go and see her. Okuri couldn't help but let out a sigh. He still seemed to think there was something to be done for the girl. But in light of what had happened he wasn't going to lecture his friend. So instead he turned back towards the way they'd come. They passed by the small craters left by the impacts of Gigaton's fists and soon made it back to see the broken down remains of the enormous dolls.

The spirit did all he could to search but he could find no trace of the girl. A sickly scorched scent came to his nose but past that there was nothing. But still he continued walking the area giving Carlos a chance to look himself.

"It's not looking like she survived that man's attacks." he observed calmly as he continued making rounds of the area. He made a few more rounds and then stopped.

"I'm sorry but... I don't think she lived. She'd likely be trying to kill someone still if she had." he concluded. It likely wouldn't be easy for the man to hear. He had so wanted to help her but the girl hadn't wanted anything past the death and misery of others. "Not everyone wants help. You did everything you could have for her but... there wasn't anything to be done. People have to choose to change their hearts. And that girl had no intention of doing so. Neither did the sisters. But even so it hurts to see them continue to choose the path they do. You're a kind man Carlos. But this is the truth. This is how some people are." he continued. He began reflecting on the years observing humans, thinking of the things they did. They weren't logical creatures. Many enjoyed choices that did them direct harm. But despite knowing this as a truth the feeling Aoi had left on the battlefield seemed to speak differently.

"Even so... never stop trying. It's going to hurt but world needs your kindness. Never stop trying to share it. If you can reach anyone then I think it will have been worth it." he concluded with soft smile coming to his face. He paused for a moment to give the man time to take in the conclusions of their search.

The spirit complied to his request, but the look on his face and the sigh he let out gave away how he really felt about it. The kind canine went back from where they came from, passing by some craters generated by the past fight with the giant Reaper and some broken remains of the Nightmare Dolls. Carlos tried his best to look anywhere he could, despite not being in the best conditions at the moment. There was no trace of Sophie, just a smell of something burnt. Okuri then stated the only thing the young man was fearing the most. The most obvious conclusion.

"It's not looking like she survived that man's attacks".

That's when the spirit finally stopped walking in circles. "I'm sorry but... I don't think she lived" He added. And Carlos knew pretty well that was the most likely outcome. As his friend said, she'd be trying to kill someone of she had survived. He may have sounded like a broken record, but Okuri repeated the same words he's been reviewing in his mind the last few minutes - "Not everyone wants help". The young man remained silent.

After some helpful words and encouragement from his friend to keep trying to share his kindness with the world, something he appreciated with all his heart, Carlos muttered some words. "It's... It's not the first time I fail to help someone" The young fighter confessed. "Have... Have I ever told you about my friend Arturo? Man, he was awesome. I mean, it was thanks to him that I even got good grades in school. He kept pushing me to the point of wanting to beat him at everything he did. We even got into Vanguard at the same time!" His eyes began to glow as he recalled the precious times he spent with his friend. "He even liked Oracle Think Thank. You know, that clan about doing stupid stuff with the soul and... Heh, I always joked that he traded his balls for that deck of his...".

"That Arturo... You would've liked him. He wanted to meet this country. He liked the raw fish as much as the next guy. He was a really good friend". However, as he continued, his eyes started to lose light. "But in the end... He made some bad choices. His brother, a good for nothing, was the big catalyst. He was in some kind of gang that was short of new members or something, and money is always a big reason to do stupid things. Thanks to all that, he ended up getting in so much trouble and angering the wrong people... It had to happen sooner or later". Tears began to fall from his eyes.

"My mother always said that stuff about helping people, but I just didn't take it to heart at the time. When he stopped hanging out with me, or getting those bad grades, or... Or just when he started carrying that kind of stuff to the school... I should've done something. But when I did, it was too late. I was too late" He covered his face with his hand. "I didn't want to end like that but, above all things, I didn't want anyone to end like that. My heart was wavering the moment I decided to go to this country, but I knew I needed some rest from that godforsaken place I call home. I knew my family would be safe, so that made it just a little easier. Then, when this whole Reaper deal started, I didn't knew what to do. I even tried to get away from all this. 'This is no place for someone like me' I said. Meeting Chronos made me see that helping is the thing I wanted to do the most. And how did it work? Oh, lets see..."

"I couldn't prevent the death of over a thousand innocent people. I was kicked, punched and knocked from the sky by giant squids who I couldn't even touch. I couldn't avenge nor recognize the death of people I called my friends! I fell in love with a girl that I can't even help because the problems she has are something out of my reach!" He raised his voice in frustration. "And when I try to help just a single poor soul, with just my strength and without the help of anybody, not a commander, not a spirit, not a fucking Thunder Dragon, this shit happens! I can't help Sophie! I can't help Koga! I can't help Tomozo! I can't fucking help Fuki, the girl I'm in love with, for God's sake!".

He finally broke down. After all those battles with eldirtch abominations, after seeing the fall of so many friends and people that didn't deserve it, the young man reached his limit. "I don't even know what the hell I'm doing with this shitty Bangle! I don't know what the hell Chronojet Dragon saw in me to give me Detonics Stinger Dragon! I... I..." He then calmed down. "I'm sorry Okuri. I'm so sorry. I just... It hurts you know?. You try to close a cycle in your hand, to make amends for everything you got wrong in the past and it just doesn't work. Life comes back to kick you just where it hurts... But what the hell am I talking about, you better than anyone should know about it. You've live more than the entire Resistance. It should be tedious for you to hear me whine like a little bi- Well, that. Sometimes I think I'm not cut out for this kind of stuff. But I'm already so invested in it I don't know where'd I end and the next Reaper starts".

"I kinda needed to vent all this... If I didn't, I couldn't keep trying to be the same me. Now I can understand what war does to good people, even more given that this is an intergalactic war or something...". The young man placed his hand on top of the spirit head and gave him a smile. "I think I could use some medical attention now...".

It happened. It happened again, so much... so much faster. One minute, Fubuki was fighting Harbinger, the next Aoi interrupted and started taking on the invincible foe all by herself. This wasn't what Fubuki wanted, not even close, but... Stopping Aoi here would've been wrong. No, this was what Aoi wanted to do, what Cyan needed to do, no matter how badly it could go. No matter how badly it ended. Like it or not, Fubuki had to accept the desire of her friend. To spread the hope that humanity needed.

"No... No, no, no, no, no..." Fubuki's mind filled itself with conflict. For the second time, Cyan was lost right in front of her eyes. Fubuki tried to run to Aoi's side, tried to reach her friend in her final moments, but failed to... Aoi, Cyan, was gone again. Despair wanted to take control, break Fubuki even further, but at the same time Fubuki refused to let the final message of her friend be in vain. She collapsed onto her knees, holding on to the sweater, once again the only thing left of Cyan, tightly. Tears wanted to stream out, but Fubuki shut her eyes, and held them in.

Hope was what Cyan had died to give. Fubuki stood up weakly, and walked back to resistance HQ now that the Reapers were defeated. She stopped when she saw Nemesis, Yukino, once again an indirect cause of Cyan's demise. Yet, Fubuki didn't hate her. No, not this time. Instead, she took a deep breath and walked towards Yukino, right up to her and the commander, and gave the robot a... a hug. No words were said, Fubuki couldn't really find what to say. It just... felt necessary to do this.

"It's almost over." Karin repeated Nemesis' words, feeling the hope in them herself. They were close, so very close to finally winning this war. "...The nightmare will end soon."

Karin glanced at Nemesis again, and now the crestfallen Fubuki who had approached her.

"We'll reach the other side, and come out alive, whole. Those who've been lost... May still be able to wake up."

Karin took in another deep breath.

"And at the end of it all, we can put this behind us. Move on to a better future. And maybe, once we're there, we'll be able to look back on this...

...Like it was just a nightmare."

Nemesis' tired eyes looked at Karin's, sharing the same feeling of hope as undeniable proof they overcame the greatest despair. Then, out of nowhere, Fubuki had approached the android, hugging her. Yukino nearly wanted to scream "Get away!", not wanting to feel her cold body against warmth with this monstrous image Harbinger forced onto her. However, Yukino accepted that the feelings given to her by the many and her designated trump card had her yearn for her name - wanting it and her own form back. The super soldier felt a desperate wanting from Fubuki's embrace, wanting to hug everyone like that herself... and feeling Hana do the same again. Rewards that can only exist with this finale: an end, once and for all. "... I'd like to say something", Nemesis choked out, wheezing and being overwhelmed by the emotion of being human. "I'd like to say something-" The android tried again, still hoarse as if she had been doing nothing but screaming for eons at a time. Dryness overpowered her throat with a conflicting existence of being a human in a cyborg's body. There was nothing inside of her - Void, and at the same time, there was still a heart, as much as she did not wish to believe at first. The Chosen Sword bit her lip, feeling an unsettling stillness. She wanted to take a step and move, just to remove the stiff feeling, but instead reached to one of Fubuki's hands, gently grasping it.

"I'd like to say something. ... I'd like to say something!" Nemesis finally got her words out properly, then shouted them for those around to hear.

"My name is Yukino Espoir. I was born with an incomprehensible destiny and this raised me into a haughty woman who stepped on those around her, believing myself to be the hero who everyone is required to follow behind. I thought, since I was chosen, the world revolved around me. ... I was correct and incorrect. I suffered defeat before even making it to a National Championship and cried, wondering what kind of hero could save anything if she wasn't even good at a card game. But because of that, I was humbled, gifted friendship and love. I fought against a rival: Jellal Kisaragi, and kept losing. ... I lost a clan because of my failures, but understood that I could keep failing. Because of that, I reached out to that rival, still lost, but saved him from his own torment and misery.

Then, Neu Edelweiss appeared, having me to believe failure was actually not acceptable. Because of this and several other events, I nearly killed myself.

But people were around me. Everyone stopped me, and my friend Ezel offered me a place of escape when I was too weak to face anybody.

... And Link Joker took everything away from me until I returned to this timeline.

I have been fighting Link Joker since Neu Edelweiss appeared with an additional year from my own doomed timeline. It has been utter Hell non-stop from every corner. I wanted to lie down, cry, and give up with each new day, only driven by resolute anger to end everything. I was scared of losing it all again, so all I could do is get mad, kick, and scream. ... And I still lost things. I kept losing things. ... Because resolution was the only sword I was trying to use. That girl, Aoi Undyne. I didn't know her personally, but her story shocked me, and made me realize that the will of the Chosen Sword was not that of the true hero I thought it was. It was a will for myself I had chosen, but I still cracked under despair and fueled myself on hate. That girl didn't. Like I, she lost an entire timeline, and still bravely advanced against the supposedly invincible Grim Reaper. ... I was ashamed, because this whole time, I didn't simply fight with both anger and heart - I didn't include the sword of courage I began everything with.

My friends are in pain, many people are dead or cease to exist because of me. My husband-to-be is at my home sleeping away a lifetime's worth of trauma. Massive amounts of property have been destroyed in the name of "survival" to stop an impossible foe. ... We were divided by the violent evil that swallowed the universe whole until today. Our counterattack has put an end to the God of Death's greatest weapon: hopelessness. And because of that, even I who has lost my body remember what hope feels like.

Nothing happened in vain. That's what I firmly believe. No one died or disappeared for no reason. Nothing was destroyed unless necessary. I have obtained my sister's - the Princess of Cray's eyes, and can see everything. The death of the Death God and Vanguard of Destruction, and the miraculous future beyond the tribulation included. I'll make sure everyone can see tomorrow. That was my destiny and will from the beginning, and will be forevermore that humanity basks in the glow of their well-deserved dawn. So I, Yukino Espoir, who has overcome a thousand mirrors of the self, will stand in the front lines as the super soldier I've trained myself to be, and walk to the end of an era with you.

... Please see your loved ones and do whatever you feel you must do before we leave, then speak to your commander when you're ready, for we will not be able to turn back once we declare our final charge. I'm sure your commander has something to say as well, so listen."

The android turned, pulling herself softly from Fubuki's grip... and hugged her back.

Xat watched how the others reacted to each other and stayed to the side not to sure if she should even be there. Lately she has not been feeling all that well ever sence the fight and felt like she was useless. She only helped bring back yukino somewhat but the last fight she didnt even take part in, and that alone made her doubt herself. Her units felt it to and knew that they could help somewhat, however they could not do it alone. Xateramusa walked out from the sides and went closer to hear if teh commander had anything to say.

The battle was over, and the brunette's eyes opened slightly. He heard not a sound, not a word of anything that had occurred. The last thing he remembered was watching a unit so close to him it was like family be erased just for saving his sorry excuse of an existence. Using the wall as leverage, he stood... looking out at everyone. They seemed upbeat enough. Seems they had won, but were still preparing to fight? Harbinger must not of been slain then, go figure.

Leaning against the wall, he sighed softly to himself looking at the ground. Harbinger got what she wanted out of him in the end, crippling despair. Could he keep fighting? Looking inward, he conversed with himself silently, arguing back and forth about his worth. In the midst of it, he cast his gaze upwards, eyes locking onto Yukino. He'd constantly said he'd lost everything, wallowing in misery and yet he always stood up to fight. Why? ...Maybe it was Yukino's charisma, maybe it was his family, or the will of those around him. But always when he doubted himself, something brought him back. This time... it was the feeling of hope that those around him seemed to emanate.

Removing himself from the wall, he stepped out of the shadows toward those that were gathered.

Darren gave a grin as he heard her tale. He hadn't been around during most of what she spoke of, though Malice traveled through time and space for three months. He knew something about it, bits and pieces. Hearing that she was finally ready to fight for the right reasons was worth listening to it. When she finished, he threw his fist into the air, a symbol that her words reached him.

"For Earth, Cray, and everyone on both! Let's finish what Yuki and everyone else started!" His declaration was a bit louder than hers, shorter too. He had energy to spare, which was good since his self made facility was destroyed in the battle. The only hope he had was that the energy remaining in him was enough to end the battle. At least he had recharged in the moment of rest.