Tokyo Tower

Sakuya rose to stand to Aoi, putting both her hands on Aoi's shoulders. "Aoi- Calm down, calm down."

She would have to be the bearer of bad news this time. She'd have to tell Aoi about everyone who'd been killed or deleted. Sakuya took a deep breath and dropped her smile, taking on a much more serious expression. "...Some of our friends didn't survive the fight. That man, Chronos, joined the fight, but he was against both us and the Reapers. Sovereign fought against Bashiro, then against Chronos... I'm sorry, Aoi, but both of them got deleted. Bashiro didn't make it."

It felt horrible to tell Aoi that one of her friends was now gone from this world, especially with her history as a seed in mind. Aoi had already- most likely- seen her entire world die, or caused it herself like Sakuya had. To have something like this happen must be torture for the poor girl.

Raiden's eyes finally began to slowly open. He moved his hand, placing it onto his chest to see that he was alive and mended. His body wasn't fully recovered, his body trembling at a second near death experience. He looked around at those around him. The girl Aoi and a Priestess he had not yet seen. Fubuki was also there... He only knew of those two from the tournament that seemed like a lifetime ago for him. He turned his head and saw Mirai. She was normal, herself again. He was happy to see it.

His head laid down for a moment. He could barely move, or at least it felt that way. He understood the losses of this area. As a fighter, there wasn't much he could do about this. However, there were still things that he could do.

To Sakuya, touching Aoi now would alert her that the poor thing was freezing, her body temperature abnormally low. It seemed to go even colder as the chills of truth ran down her spine, her bright eyes having their color dimmed with further shock of this war's casualties. She lost both of the Hakaisha brothers... and even Chronos, that agent or whatever of Gear Chronicle had been taken by the Reapers. Militiades died on top of those two, and the sight of Aedan's corpse... He wasn't even deleted, just... passed away. She wanted to cry, but didn't now how to anymore. How many times did she feel like just breaking down throughout everything? Crying doesn't bring anyone back or kill the Deletors, but that's all she wanted to really do. So, a sort of confused whine of desperation came out of her mouth instead of actual words as she stepped forward to the fallen Seed.

She blinked.

In the frozen world, Aedan was another one lost to the frost, encased in an ice coffin like countless others. The snowy graveyard was growing, noting Bashiro's and Jessie's bodies in coffins as well, despite them being erased instead of killed. Even Militiades was present. Was this her imagination's power taking form? Similarly to how she brought on Maelstrom's ghost, could her image be clinging onto the memory and spirits of those who had fallen?

Was that the truth of the frozen world?

Maelstrom didn't answer her. Or, if he did, she couldn't hear him.

"Why..." Aoi finally, lightly shrieked, shaking. She bit down on her trembling lip, clenching her fists, unable to do much else. There wasn't going to be any time for grief. The Reapers didn't care. To them, he was just another nameless enemy. To the Resistance, he was another ally. To her, he was a dear comrade, an important friend, a fellow who bore the same nihilistic fate. The gumball opened her mouth to say something more, but nothing came out again, like she was underwater in her dream as before.

I'll... I'll do... Do... something.

A vow of silence for any kind of solace for those dead or deleted. One she didn't know what she'd do with.

As Aoi left, all Fubuki did was see her off. Bashiro was gone... He couldn't even go through on his promise to train her. Once everyone else had left, Fubuki remained. She cast a brief look at the fallen Aedan before turning away. Fubuki searched the area around the tower, looking for... Something. After digging around in the dust for a while, she found it. Bashiro's eyepatch. Even Fubuki herself wasn't really sure why she tried to find it, she just... Felt she should. She wasn't even sure it would still be around, but here it was.

Fubuki put on the eyepatch, and just... Stood there for a moment. This felt right. Strangely right. With that, Fubuki finally left the tower to god knows where.

Also, Fubuki, seriously. Stop wearing the clothes of people who are gone. It's starting to get kinda creepy.

Mirai took in deep breaths while looking away from Aedan's corpse. Closing her eyes, trying to calm down and think on what to do next. Perhaps not think, simply do what is needed to be done. Once more, just like in her previous life, bury the body of her brother. Although he was a different person and from another timeline, his heart and memories were still connected to the brother of Mirai's time.

This part hurt the most and I have to do it again... She thought to herself as she called on Seeker, Light Blaze Dragon to come to this world and create for her a quick burial ground by digging on the dirt. Once the hole was at an appropriate depth, Mirai took Aedan's body and placed it upon Light Blaze Dragon's back. The blue dragon gently took and placed the body down and went back up to begin filling the burial site. It probably wasn't the greatest burial but this battlefield would stand as a testament of those who fought and died to protect the future of this world. Paying her final respects, Mirai took off on her own to seek reconciliation. "I'm sure we will meet again... in this life or the next... I promise..."She headed for the beach in where the sound of the ocean waves can soothe the souls of just about anyone. It wasn't a trip to have fun, but for meditation.

With the time passed, Raiden was finally able to stand again. He understood already from his weakened body, he could fight no more. He inched towards his motorcycle. The best place for him to go now would be the Research and Development portion of the Resistance base. The update to the Reality Bangles helped in this battle, and he could do more in that respect than he ever could fighting these super humans. He was only a normal man facing gods. He revved the bike before beginning to ride off. He set the computer on his motorcycle to auto ride to the Resistance base. It gave him time to hold his sides, perhaps even rest. What would even make him think that was okay except the fact that no one was driving around while the city was attacked every other day.

Yukino Espoir.
Tsubasa Hayato.
Aedan O'Brien-- nay, Seyer Tetsu.

By forces unknown, Ezel the salvation lion stood on the battlefield where humanity and Reapers were on even footing. The darkened skies could not be lit, even by the grand roar's presence, when his heart was drenched in his own tears. "Why does... this keep happening?" Ezel questioned, standing above the corpse of his most recently fallen vanguard. Every single vanguard he's had has been killed in action. All three of them were resurrected, and two of them fell into the hands of the enemy, while the last was fated to vanish because of a distortion in time - a nonexistence of a clock. Regardless, he was killed before his destiny even came to pass. The warrior clenched his fists, choking on tears, audibly sobbing and visibly shaking. His best friend, his personal Vanguard, his Vanguard of another timeline... all gone.

"WHY THE HELL DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING?!"

The lion's roar split the clouds, and still, no light shined down. Only the bleak stars that would soon join the end of time. He dropped to his knees, crying and screaming, beating on the Earth near Aedan's corpse relentlessly in unimaginable fury and sorrow. This wasn't the first time he had lost friends. Blaster Blade too, even Blaster Dark, the Shadow Paladin the Sanctuary began to accept. Ezel was one of the centerpieces of the alliance between Light and Dark alongside Garmore. And even Blaster Blade was gone, driven to insanity by the Death God. The concrete still intact began to crack and shatter from the force of his fists, his sadness willing to break apart the earth to shout - to curse whatever devil caused all of this to happen. Whatever God let this happen.

And in the end... he knew even if they survived... it's still entirely plausible to lose someone dear to him. He's one of the most iconic heroes within the holy nation. Against the strongest adversity, death is to be expected. Or at least, before he began to form bonds, he expected it. Standing by the family he did, the other Gold Paladins and his Vanguards, he stopped believing being a hero was just a "job". Solely a "duty". He came to understand genuine friendship and companionship.

So with the power of bonds, he thought death wouldn't reach them anymore.

That they could do anything.

He was wrong, and he hated it all. He hated how now he knew: it can happen all again.

"Yuki... no... Yugure... Tsu... Tsubasa... S-Seyer... I didn't even know you that well... myself... But the other me... You guys... are all..."

They all never gave up and he knew he couldn't either. He clenched his fists even tighter, gritting his teeth and grinding until he heard a snap, a jolt of pain being sent through him. His nails dug into his skin hard enough to make his palms bleed. And yet, neither of those shook him. Nothing was comparable to the emotional pain.

"... So what I'll do..."

What else could he do?

"I'll kick... and scream... and punch... and claw my way back up... and drag all you bastards back down to me. Even if I go through Hell, the power I obtained to fight with you guys... With the Messiah's power she helped me harness... I'll beat the shit out of you all for leaving me here, and I'll chain you down so we're all staying down on the ground. We'll all stand together and be the heroes everyone wants and needs. You all taught me so much... and I'll never let it go to waste.


Ezel stood, fading away from his physical form on Earth, returning to Cray.

Fubuki was more than a bit caught off guard by the appearance of the Salvation Lion, almost falling over when she heard him crying out. This, along with the signal from the sky about the coming events, gave Fubuki more than enough motivation to get out of here and do something relevant. Well, maybe relevant.