Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ K2: A View to a Truth ❯ Chapter 19

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19 - A View to a Truth - Again

 

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In Heaven, Laharl had caught up with everyone rushing around. The alarms were blazing, and everything was on full alert. The situation was bad, going worse… so far that he was temporarily questioned on his visit by a few guards, even though he had a letter from the Seraph, stating to give him almost full unrestricted access.

 

Things weren't even getting better when he came to his destination, and the Seraph was looking awfully worried.

 

“What's going on?” he asked his friend.

 

The Seraph looked at the hybrid with a small frown. He showed the big computer screen, showing the threads of the Multiverse. Laharl looked at it, and blinked slightly when he got to the part where the linings were turning red.

 

“That red line represents the pathway where Miyabi had taken, and most probably where your friend is located,” the Seraph muttered.

 

“Alright… so...”

 

“That same world is slowly vanishing from our data.”

 

Laharl blinked. He looked at the Seraph with slight surprise.

 

“Wha… what?”

 

“The Universe is breaking apart,” the Seraph continued. “That world somehow lost one of its Pillars.” He nodded when Laharl's face responded in seriousness. “Yes… I do not know what happened, but now it's more than a simple rescue/extraction. I am sorry my friend, but I cannot allow you to go to that world alone. Heaven cannot leave this to you, I'm afraid.”

 

“That is fine, as long as you pair me with someone that finds me agreeable,” Laharl stated.

 

“Great!” Seraph motioned his hands, and called towards Nitasha who approached immediately. Laharl looked at his friend oddly, who shrugged. “She volunteered. Don't worry, don't worry… she knows what to do.”

 

Laharl just nodded. Well, Nitasha didn't seem to have much problem with his `nature' and seemed okay to work with…

 

“Got it. When do we leave then?” he asked.

 

“Now would be a good time.”

 

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Gray... swirling colors of a darkened world; Keitaro looked around in the desolate place, his eyes slightly wavering. Motoko... Aoyama Motoko was dead.

 

It hit him like a ton of bricks. Hadn't he promised to himself that he would protect her? What came about? She protected him instead. She took a bullet for him. The image of her bloodied burned back, the sick smell of her burning skin... the image of her last pose as the life had left her was one of the most painful things he could remember.

 

“I... am useless.”

 

His words vibrated around the mysterious place. He found himself, once again, in the deepest depths of mystery. He looked up, down, and around him. The place looked the same everywhere.

 

Suddenly, a light shone in front of him. Blinded slight, he raised his arm to cover his eyes from the glare as it slowly seemed to build up, and then dispersed as a female figure stood in front of him.

 

It was her. The blue-haired woman. But instead of mystery, Keitaro found himself looking at one of the very fabrics of his deepest memories. His mouth, slightly opened, gasped as she looked at him, and smiled... sadly.

 

“Mi-chan...” he muttered.

 

Tenki Miyuki. Last time he ever remembered her was when he threw those white roses down the bridge. The image of her young drowned body overlapped Motoko's burned back. How odd for him to remember her in an older body. How odd that he could now remember and recognize her even after her many appearances in his dreams.

 

“Kei-kun... my dear Kei-kun,” she whispered softly. “The day you'll remember me... is the day of my impending destiny. Of my impending doom.”

 

Her words rang through his head. He remembered... a far away memory... of the same words spoken to him in a dream.

 

“I am nothing more than a message, Kei-kun. The process has been complete. The assimilation has been finished... and I am very sorry it was not done earlier,” she stated.

 

“What do you mean?” Keitaro asked, his hand moving forward. “Mi-chan... what do you...?” and he gasped as his hands passed through her body. He felt nothing.

 

“It's useless...” said a voice behind him.

 

K2 looked behind him, and spotted another figure he hadn't seen for a couple of days. Keitaro, of this world. He was looking at him with a sad frown, shaking slightly with nervousness.

 

“What…?”

 

“I mean… she won't respond to you,” Keitaro muttered. “She isn't alive… what you're seeing is something like a recording.”

 

K2 came at him, his hands suddenly grabbing Keitaro by the collar, and shook him hard. He pinned him on the imaginary wall of this place, and demanded:

 

“What are you saying!? Talk sense! Where the hell have you been anyways?” K2 asked solidly with his temper rising, his teeth gritting.

 

“Miyuki-san… she's… gone.”

 

“What?” K2 asked again. He didn't understand what was going on anymore.

 

“She'll explain…” Keitaro just muttered, pointing towards the girl behind K2. “All you have to do is face her… or else she won't say anything.”

 

K2 looked towards Miyuki, who was steadily looking at him, floating behind him. He let go of Keitaro, who went on his knees, coughing slightly, and walked back towards the floating girl. She was looking steadily at K2, and it was not until he had approached her in a certain distance did her face animate once again.

 

“I'm sorry I have to give you this burden… All these years you have believed I had died when I drowned,” Miyuki looked down slightly, “but that wasn't the total truth. In actuality, my spirit had resided inside you for many years, mingling with yours, slowly trying to merge. Your past dreams… it was my small desperate actions to try and see you once more before everything had come full circle.

 

“As the only surviving heir spiritualist of my clan, I was supposed to ensure the survival of my family, and your family was kind enough to arrange a marriage between me and you… you probably know this already, having studied under your faction,” Miyuki smiled. “But… don't think for a moment I didn't like you. I have watched as you grew… the trials you faced… the missions you have gone through… and I only wished that I was with you. What kind of future would we have if I had lived?

 

“I am a coward for thinking such things… especially when I am about to face my death the second time,” Miyuki's eyes began to shine, her tears spilling slightly. “But… if its any consolation, with this, I will finally be with you, completely and wholly. I just won't realize it. Your thoughts will be mine, my spirit will be yours. My powers… will be yours.

 

“But… the most heartening thought is that I will be yours. Forever. Nothing can ever separate us again. So… please… forgive my selfishness, and just know that. My Kei-kun, my dear Kei-kun… I had the best time of my life.”

 

And she slowly lowered her head and gave K2 a small kiss on his lips before she suddenly began to slowly disintegrate to a thousand pieces… like a dandelion flower flowing off being hit by the wind. Slowly, but surely, her image was vanishing from his eyes.

 

Keitaro and K2 stood at the now empty place, the place now seemingly lost its vibrancy, its friendliness. From the warmth of the blue sky came the darkness and coldness of lifelessness. It was the place realized that their keeper had gone, and was anguishing to follow.

 

K2 looked towards Keitaro, who was looking at him nervously. He felt his hands as he touched his face, his lips. He chuckled slightly, though it was more for show than anything. He didn't feel any amusement, or any other emotion. He felt as blank as a piece of paper.

 

“She told me to tell you…” Keitaro suddenly spoke, making K2 look at him. “She told me that you'd probably be able to use her spiritual powers to help you against that goddess you were facing… and she was sorry that the process wasn't faster to…”

 

Keitaro looked down sadly. His face was torn as his own tears threatened to spill. He looked towards K2, and asked, “Is it true… is Motoko-chan…?”

 

K2 knew what Keitaro wanted to ask. He felt the cold creeping up his back. He looked down at the imaginary ground, and breathed slightly.

 

“Yeah,” he replied with a rather smoothness to his voice. “She's dead.”

 

“You… loved her didn't you?” Keitaro asked.

 

“Mi-chan? Or Motoko?”

 

Keitaro didn't know what to reply to that. K2 was glad that his companion didn't. He wouldn't know how to answer it. Love… it was not on his mind right now. The warmth of happiness that had permeated due to such emotion was not present. Something else was breaking through his blank reverie, and it wasn't something people would call positive.

 

He took a deep breathe. He flexed his fingers and arms and neck. He felt the fire inside him lighting up once more.

 

“I got some unfinished business,” K2 muttered suddenly.

 

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The laughter on the air was electrifying, sadistic, and hollow. Miyabi circled around the kneeling form of her victim. His head bowing towards his dead lover's corpse. She loved it. The feeling of taking an important life away from him. This was her revenge.

 

“There isn't a tale more woe...” she declared as she came behind K2. “Than the story of Juliet… and her Romeo.” She laughed. “How is it, Mr. K2? Do you appreciate my feelings now? How does it feel… having your heart ripped out so suddenly, like a flash! Like lightning!” She growled. “You are the cause of this… this is entirely your fault. You killed my little angel. I took away yours. But… don't fret. I am merciful. I'll send you to hell… with that bitch of yours!”

 

She raised her sword, pointing down at his back. She felt her heartbeat rise as the moment of truth dawned upon her. This was it. She was finally going to fulfill her revenge. She was going to kill him!

 

Bringing down forth her weapon, suddenly, a strong energy resonated from Keitaro, whose whole body suddenly glowed in an icy blue color, and a small explosion took place, surprising the mad goddess, suddenly driven away by the burst. She screamed, blinded momentarily by the blue light, and jumped away, feeling the air around her move, and a sharp movement cutting her slightly.

 

When everything settled, she shook her head, and her eyes widened as she saw him, facing her. His cold eyes turned blue as he looked at her, his wardrobe now supporting some kind of black armor, covering his arms, legs, and a small part of his chest. His two hands are now holding some sort of broadsword, though the handle was unmistakably designed like a gun.

 

Keitaro could feel his new-found power mingling around him, taking away his fatigue from his overworked muscles. He could feel his injuries now healing, and he could feel the power of his new weapon right in front of him. The spirit of the sword, who was still in the form of his Mi-chan, was whispering in his head.

 

As you unlocked your energy, I have changed to my second form. This GunBlade is the weapon that will allow you to overcome your weakness in strength. Use me well. Make your enemies feel your wrath.

 

Keitaro didn't need to nod, and charged immediately towards Miyabi, his arms readied as his weapon was raised. He traveled fast, crossing the difference between him and his target in just a few seconds, and the goddess was still shocked at his apparent change of weapon that she couldn't completely dodge his attack, and raised her arm and weapon to block his slash.

 

Pull the trigger, and let your fury show the folly of facing me head-on.

 

Keitaro did that just as he was about to make contact with her blade, and he could see the effect almost immediately. His blade seemed to explode with an excruciating downward force that he almost lost control of his weapon, but its effects were devastating. The goddess' blade broke like glass on impact, and it was a good thing she was fast enough to realize it, and jumped back, lest she herself got herself cut in half by the attack… but the attack did damage her.

 

Miyabi felt the blade cut her skin, on her forehead. She could feel her blood flowing from the wound before she forced it to close with magic. She growled, as her hand glowed, and another sword came forth from the air.

 

“YOU! What is it with you!?” she shouted as she, this time around, charged in with the attack. “WHY WON'T YOU JUST STAY DOWN?!”

 

Keitaro raised his arm, his weapon resting horizontally on his supporting arm, ready to block at any moment's notice… but was immediately surprised when her attack hit him at such an impact, almost sending his arm down painfully to the ground. He kept his knees rigged, and tried to redirect the flow of energy, the direction of her attack off him by bending his supporting arm downwards.

 

Do not use me as your main defense… deflecting projectiles and parrying is fine, but taking attacks puts you at most disadvantage.

 

Keitaro cursed silently, and growled a mental complaint on why she didn't even warn him beforehand, but realized that he should have known. Such a large, powerful weapon is cumbersome to use defensively… its designed to attack with maximum damage.

 

So howdo I defend then?

 

While your new armor can protect you from most glancing attacks and can survive some blows, I suggest you just dodge. This form comes a price, I'm afraid.

 

Yes, he noticed that. Keitaro ducked as another blow came near his neck, and he rolled away, positioning his blade again across his chest. The goddess didn't stop, and continued to charge at him, but now, Keitaro, put in mind what he would do.

 

He dodged, left, right, ducked, and jumped slightly over low attacks, picking his spots, waiting for the right moment to counter-attack. After three seconds, he saw five openings that he attacked without pause, forcing the goddess once again to go back in defensive, ending with another heavy blow towards her side, again shattering her weapon and deeply gashing her waist.

 

She growled, her wound again closing up. Keitaro, not wasting any time, charged in with the intent to finish her off where she stood, but the goddess quickly jumped up in the air, and floated behind him.

 

Keitaro cursed, and turned to face her, and his eyes widened as he saw a bolt of lightning come at him. He jumped to his left and the magical projectile scratched his chest armor. He could feel the slight tinge of electrical energy around him as it passed, but it didn't faze him one bit. His eyes were still on Miyabi, who was now sending more projectiles on his way.

 

Deftly using his large blade weapon, he was able to dodge almost all the barrages sent to him. Those straying close at home, he deflected with a simple swipe. He tried to gain more ground by charging in again, jumping towards her, but she just flew higher, past him again, and launched more magical bolts.

 

Keitaro cursed again.

 

She's putting me on defensive… I can't get to her!

 

Smart. No matter how much power you gained, you're using almost all your spiritual strength not only to keep this form, but also reinforce your physical body to act close to its optimized potential without causing significant strain, and she is doing nothing but call forth almost insignificant amount of mana to storm you with multiple bolts. She'll outlast you at this rate.

 

Any bright ideas then?

 

There is more to this form than brute strength.

 

Miyabi growled as she sent a volley of bolts to his direction again… the amount of energy he was just emitting was too powerful for her to take head on… but he must have a limit. He is wasting it by going on defensive… he was going to tire.

 

A small whistling sound came as Miyabi found herself surprised when she saw the large blade suddenly spinning towards her, deflecting her bolts away. The stupid agent man seemed to have just thrown his weapon out of desperation. She laughed.

 

Jumping up, she hovered a few meters from the ground and dodged the spinning blade coming towards her. She materialized her sword once again in her hand, and was about to charge in towards Keitaro, when suddenly, a burst of blue energy emanated from his lone form. Her eyes widened as she forced herself to the left.

 

Miyabi barely dodged the rather large ball of chilling energy. The front of her robe disappeared as the ball grazed her front, and it continued its way to the sky, disappearing in the atmosphere.

 

Keitaro looked pleased and slightly surprised when he saw the energy ball shot out from the gun he was holding. Heh… GunBlade was right. The weapon had the ability to detach, separating the “gun” and “blade” part forming a weapon he was more familiar in using. He took aim again, and pulled the trigger and buckled down as the force of the projectile pushed him back slightly.

 

Miyabi flipped towards the left, and then to the right, now put on defensive as Keitaro kept shooting at her. The goddess growled and sent her own bolts as a means to counter attack, but her small multiple bolts were taken out, almost pathetically, by a single blast. Whatever he was firing at her wasn't something she could counter with such low level spells.

 

Deciding to risk it, Miyabi took hold of her sword, and dashed towards Keitaro, weaving through his following blasts, almost hit twice during her charge. She smiled… he was standing where he was… stupid! He was just desperately shooting at her. Sooner or later, she would get into attack range, and aimed to kill, planned to stab him in the chest.

 

Her grin became plastered as she came closer and closer to him… just a few meters. He didn't move, still staying on his ground. Miyabi laughed as she readied her arms and sword. He was going to die!

 

Then, a glint of metal, reflecting light, shone through her peripheral vision. The blade that the man threw… it was coming back to her!

 

Too late to dodge! Miyabi raised her sword, blocking the blade from slicing her… but the power of the slash was so strong she lost balance in her flight. Everything slowed down… she saw him smiling as he aimed towards her face.

 

Keitaro felt a grim sense of satisfaction as he felt the whole place explode in a dazzling light of blue, then red, and orange. Her face of surprise was still in his head. Bet the bitch didn't expect that, he thought darkly. She thought that the blade he threw on her way wasn't controllable in any way… she was wrong.

 

It was basic combat tactic… he knew that the goddess would charge at him with a sword as it was the only mean of getting to him. She underestimated him for the last time… she didn't know he predicted her charge, and when the time was right, recalled the sword to take her out of momentum, distract her, allowing him to shoot at her with impunity.

 

Your plan seemed to have work.

 

Keitaro looked at the sword-girl beside him as the blade spun towards his side. He extended his arm, and the blade automatically locked itself on the gun, reforming his weapon. He nodded slightly.

 

It was over.

 

Don't celebrate prematurely.

 

Keitaro narrowed his eyes. He looked carefully towards the clearing smoke, and gasped slightly as he saw Miyabi, breathing hard, looking at him.

 

She looked at him with rage, her left arm was gone, leaving behind a bloody stump. Her clothes were ripped, her front still bare. Her forehead was cut and bleeding profusely.

 

Keitaro frowned, and readied his weapon again. It was impressive that she was still standing, but even in her beaten and bloodied form, he was not in the mood to forgive her.

 

Her hand dropped the sword she was carrying, and shivered as she tried to raise it up. Keitaro bent his knees, wondering what she was up to... if she was hoping to catch him unawares, she was sorely mistaken.

 

She spread her fingers. His eyes dove towards the slight glint of gold as she spotted a ring in her pinky. She shoved that finger in her mouth, and bit down on it. She forced the finger out; taking out the ring in it. He could see the electrical energy seemingly escaping through her ring as she went through her motions.

 

Suddenly, she exploded in an electrical blue of light, emitting so much energy that Keitaro was forced back a few meters. The ground and even the air around the whole place began to crackle, like little lightning bolts were coming from every air molecules and hitting another, while at the center, Miyabi, the goddess, changed.

 

From her wounded, bare self, she now was supporting a shining blue-gold armor around her, covering her whole upper torso, ending with a short skirt that didn't go beyond her knees. Her legs were covered with armor as well, from feet to her knees. Her right arm was also armored and her bloodied stomp was now, miraculously, healed and renewed. She flexed her left arm, closing and opening her fist, showing Keitaro how her new limb was working in perfect order.

 

Keitaro froze.

 

What did I just witness?

 

She seemed to have removed her limiter... she is now delving towards her total mana stores. Careful... we don't know how powerful she is right now.

 

Eh... she just took some vitamins. How bad could it be?

 

When Miyabi somehow disappeared, and re-appeared in front of him in less than a second, he realized how bad it was. Her fist felt like a tow truck driving towards his stomach at a hundred kilometers per hour. He didn't know the distance he flew after one hit, and it didn't matter because she followed up with more attacks.

 

It was only due to his partner's warnings did he escape her punches by mere inches. She came at his critical areas... head, chest, and ribs... and even if he had escaped the fatal shots he was grazed, cut, and feeling nauseas. She still came at him, her attacks going faster and faster until finally, she overcame him.

 

Her knee went low, going towards his shin... and it hit, with a loud crack as the bones. He yelped, as he lost his balance and footing. Leaning on the side, her fist came towards his chest. Keitaro spat out blood that seemed to have built up earlier, feeling his rib cage rattle, cracking, breaking. He backed away as he felt his lungs crushed by the blow, and flew. He landed unceremoniously on the ground a few meters away, and bounced up and down repeatedly before settling finally on one of the gates of the Aoyama compound, his back hitting it hard enough that got him to spit blood again.

 

Keitaro didn't know where he was at the moment. Everything around him was spinning, and he was suffocating slightly, trying to take in oxygen. He closed his eyes as he could hear a voice ringing on his head, and a laughter... or cackle, to be more accurate. As time passed, the voice was getting clearer and clearer while the cackle came nearer and nearer.

 

She's coming! Wake up! She's coming!

 

He shook the cobwebs off, and opened his eyes. Everything was out of focus, and he squinted, trying to fix it. Slowly, he could make out the goddess walking, almost sashaying in front of him.

 

Gun!

 

The blade automatically detached itself from the hilt, and left him with his secondary weapon. He took aim, and shot towards Miyabi, but all his shots were deflected away by her hand, glowing slightly with energy. He still continued to shoot uselessly as she approached, and it was during this time did Keitaro, for an odd moment, realized how terribly redundant things have turned out for him.

 

Here he was, cornered once again to a wall, having just a few minutes ago, winning the whole thing... just exactly how he felt minutes ago, fighting the older Aoyama. Winning, and somehow, someway, they pull something out of thin air, and fighting them suddenly becomes really unfair.

 

He gritted his teeth. He was feeling tired now after each shot... he didn't need to hear his sword-girl partner telling him his spiritual energy was now fading. He weighed his options again... and he could not see a way out. He was crippled, shin broken, bones crushed probably, and his whole body was already in teetering pain... but he didn't stop.

 

He just kept shooting and shooting, and maybe... maybe...

 

And it stopped shooting. Keitaro growled as he spotted Miyabi staying a few paces away, looking at him. She cackled again, and from her hands, a large energy bolt was brought forth. Keitaro looked back towards his partner, who looked steely ahead of him, unflinching considering the circumstances. His last thought was wondering if he should ask her name, or just thank her for everything until now...

 

The energy ball blasted fast at him. The last thing he saw before the whole world exploded was crimson.

 

The cold breeze blew on his cheeks. Keitaro, his eyes closed, felt at peace of the moment. He guessed that death was instantaneous, painless... oh wait...

 

He shouted as he felt his leg being stepped on, and a rushed, apologetic female voice came afterwards.

 

“Oh sorry! Sorry!”

 

“Damn it, Nitasha, careful with him! He looks worse for wear already!”

 

The male voice that replied was recognizable. Keitaro hesitated for a moment, and then opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a pair of blue eyes looking at him. He blinked.

 

“Hey, hybrid, he looks okay...” she muttered, looking towards a figure behind her. It was Laharl.

 

“Laharl...” Keitaro called.

 

“Yeah, good to see you too,” he muttered a reply.

 

Around them, the smoke and dust were slowly settling as a crimson wall seemed to have made its way in front of them. Keitaro guessed that wall had shielded them and blocked the blast.

 

“I'm Nitasha! Good to meet you at last!” the woman in front of Keitaro muttered, grabbing his hand and shaking it. “We were supposed to be on a mission together but...”

 

“Damn it, goddess, this isn't the time for pleasantries!” Laharl muttered as the crimson wall slowly seemed to fade, breaking to many pieces of what looked like scalpels. “Don't you have a job to do?”

 

“Well... just trying to improve relations since-”

 

“Improve relations later! This world is falling to pieces as you waste time!” Laharl declared, the crimson scalpels going to his hands, and disappearing.

 

“Spoil sport...” she muttered before she flew away, leaving Keitaro and Laharl alone.

 

Keitaro watched dumbly as he watched Laharl get to his knees, and took a look at him.

 

“Wow... you look like hell,” he muttered. “Broken leg, bruised face and chest, probably a few broken ribs...”

 

“Internal injuries... overworked muscle... all in the days work...” Keitaro smiled slightly.

 

“I don't think it's a time for jokes... this is the worst I've seen you,” Laharl muttered worriedly. Then, his eyes wandered towards the weapon that Keitaro was still holding, and his eyebrows raised with surprise. “Is that...?”

 

“Hina Blade?” Keitaro nodded.

 

“So... you saw her?” Laharl asked. He was talking about Mi-chan, no doubt. Keitaro reminded himself to ask the hybrid about it later, and just nodded his reply.

 

“YOU!”

 

Keitaro looked as the smoke cleared, and Miyabi was looking at them with an eerie expression. Laharl turned, and focused on the goddess, and stood up, faced her. His hand scratched the back of his ear. He took a deep breathe and walked forward.

 

“Miyabi... stop this,” Laharl called. She, in turn, replied with a shot of a lightning bolt. Laharl raised his right arm, and the bolt his open palm, and got deflected out of the way. “Do you know what you're doing? Look at you... you're already at your Final Protocol... you're using your last remaining mana. If you continue...”

 

Two bolts were launched from her hands, and this time, Laharl moved slightly back as his right arm was hit, though again, deflected out of the way.

 

“What is it with all of you!? Is the world really against me? Do I not deserve justice!? He was mine! He was mine! And everyone just INTERFERES!”

 

Laharl was hit again, and strongly too. He fell back a few steps again.

 

“Damn it! Miyabi, stop it! You're going to die at this rate!”

 

“I'll kill you all! Kill you all! KILL YOU ALL!”

 

“NO! STOP!” Laharl raised his hand, and dashed towards Miyabi, who now had her arms raised, calling forth an enormous amounts of energy, forming it to one gigantic ball on her hands. She cackled, laughed, and her energy ball continued to grow larger and larger until... something odd happened.

 

Her image shattered like broken glass, her laughter ceased as her hands broke away. The energy ball she was building up faded with the breeze. Her color turned paler and paler... then transparent, like crystal. From her extended arms, she broke away, slowly disappearing like dandelions in the wind. Keitaro watched with slight fascination as he spotted Laharl stopping, somewhat stricken with horror.

 

Death of a goddess... it was such a sight to behold.

 

“Oh... Kami... what have I done...?”

 

Her voice was weak, her eyes losing the madness that had been there. In the instance of her death, it seemed her mind had finally come back to her. And for a moment... Keitaro felt sorry for her.

 

Laharl's arms were on his side, his fists tightly closed. He turned around, and Keitaro could see a frown on his face as he walked back towards him.

 

It was over. It was finally over.

 

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“Did you feel sorry for her?” Keitaro asked as he tried to make his good leg work, and not drag Laharl down, who was carrying him from the shoulder. The hybrid nodded.

 

“She was a rather tragic figure, laced with madness brought forth from having a part of her ripped apart in an instant,” he replied. “Would have been better if she had died mad… she didn't. Last thing her mind, her soul, would remember before inevitability are the acts she had committed. That's hell.”

 

Keitaro nodded, and kept to himself for a moment until a shadow flew from his side, and landed in front of them. It was the other goddess… if he remembered correctly her name was Nitasha. Probably the goddess he was supposed to work with on his last mission.

 

“Got the signal clear. In a few minutes, the Yggdrasil will restart this world starting from where the anomaly appeared, and then everything will fix itself from thereon,” she stated.

 

Keitaro looked towards Laharl with an inquiring eyebrow. The hybrid just smiled.

 

“What she is saying is that the gods are at work, and now trying to fix the mess that happened here,” he replied. “In a few minutes, we'll be back home, while this world will experience a… well, what's a good term… rewind. Anything you did when you came here would be forgotten. Any damage done here would be fixed. No harm done, in short.”

 

Keitaro looked towards Laharl, and frowned. He took a moment to think what he should feel about it. There was something else he needed to do, and stated that simply to the hybrid, who stared at him for a moment, and nodded faintly.

 

Nitasha didn't say anything, but followed behind them, taking a slight interest in the black sheathed blade at Keitaro's back. The three figures walked towards the direction where Keitaro was pointing until they came to a small distance, away from a battle-weary ground, bare except for two women. One was kneeling down, letting her knees be the resting place of the other woman's head.

 

“Oh my God…” Laharl muttered as they stopped.

 

Tsuruko Aoyama, the one who was kneeling down, had her head down, stroking away the hair of her younger sister. Even from the distance, Laharl and Nitasha knew that the younger Aoyama was lifeless, unresponsive.

 

“Miyabi got to her… she protected me,” Keitaro stated softly.

 

“So… she's the Pillar,” the goddess whispered audibly.

 

“Pillar?” the agent asked.

 

“Pillars are important figures in a Universe,” Laharl muttered softly. “Before we came here, Heaven was thrown in chaos when one of their Universes were suddenly breaking down, dying, collapsing. What was more worrying was the Universe who lost a Pillar was one of the same Worlds we thought she had entered in. You wouldn't believe how much trouble she gave us tracking her down.”

 

Keitaro nodded slightly.

 

“Aren't you… well, going there?” Laharl asked.

 

“Does it matter?” Keitaro asked. “The whole world will rewind, as you said. Everything I did will be undone. I am assuming Motoko will be revived… right?” Laharl nodded. “Then… what's the point?”

 

“A peace of mind,” the hybrid replied. “I mean… you stayed here. Might as well say goodbye.”

 

“Motoko was using me to convince her sister to bring back her status as heir of the school,” Keitaro said with coldness. “But… she didn't deserve death. I'm glad it's not permanent.” He looked towards Laharl. “Let me down. My leg's killing me.”

 

The hybrid nodded, and he slowly let Keitaro down, and when he was done, sat himself. The goddess behind them stood, and the three looked towards Tsuruko, who slowly carried her sister, and walked back towards the main house.

 

Laharl looked at his watch, and warned Keitaro that they were about to leave. The agent nodded, and looked at his side, where his invisible partner was looking at him with a small and sad smile.

 

I guess this is goodbye.

 

You're not coming?

 

I belong to this world… and even though I have chosen you as my champion, there are rules that even I can't ignore. Besides… its only temporary. I am sure in your world, there's a sword for you. And when you establish the contract, we will meet again.

 

Keitaro looked at her for a moment, smiled slightly.

 

What if there isn't?

 

There is… in your memories. You may not remember where you saw it, but one day… we'll be together once again.

 

A marriage proposal… and you never even told me your name.

 

She laughed. First time he ever saw her laugh.

 

Ask me when we meet again.

 

Keitaro nodded slightly. That was a promise.

 

“Well… here we go. Three… two… one…”

 

To Be Concluded…

 

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Next:

 

As everything finally ends, the weary rest their souls to fight for another day. As a small measure of comfort is held, the day begins anew.

 

Quantum of Solace

 

 

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Author's Notes:

 

Nothing to say really… just enjoy the chapter.

 

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