Jin and Noel, who is in her true form Mu-12, are in a fight for their lives against Ragna, who has lost control of the Azure Grimoire, when Nu-13 stabbed him in the back, giving Hades Izanami the chance to let him lost control of his power. As they fought him, they have lost the fight with Jin having critical injuries and Noel having only minor injuries.

They were left lying down on the ground, waiting for someone to help them heal.

"Save your strength, Major," Mu first said as she caught Jin trying to get up even if he has injuries. "You got a lot of injuries from Ragna's attack, but I only got a few."

"Why are you so obsessed... with standing in my way?" Jin asked her. "Except for Tsubaki, I never show my kinder side to anyone. I don't care who I have to hurt in order to get Brother. In return, I have a lot of people who wanted to hurt me, but you... You never wanted to hurt me. Why are you so much concern for me?!"

"Why are you asking me this? Don't you understand by now?"

"Just answer the question!"

"Because I'm your subordinate," Mu replied, facing him.

"I know what you mean, but what does subordinate mean to you?" Jin asked again.

"Even if I were to explain this, I honestly don't have an answer. It's just that whenever you tried to carry everything on your own, I feel... hurt."

Hearing her reply caused Jin to look surprise. He never thought of her feeling like this before up until now.

"It hurts so bad that I can't just ignore you," Mu added. "Even if you tried to ignore me, I can't ignore you."

Jin looked at her as if he has thoughts about her that he's been kept hidden for so long.

Noel...

I knew you were alone from the beginning.

Just like me, the person who tried to kill my brother, you were hated by the whole world. But unlike me, you did stupid things just so you can be loved. When I first met you at the Academy, due to your resemblance to my sister, I thought you were trash. A weakling who tried to destroy my sanity by being around me. But when I saw you becoming best friends with Tsubaki and Makoto, it started to get to me. Little by little, your weakness is getting to me. From that point, every time I saw you, you're getting to me more and more. When I see you bonding with them, it would make me think of my family.

And somehow, it made me feel happy.

But, at the same time, I also see this as a weakness.

In order to escape this weakness, I trained, so that in case Brother survived my attack when we were children, I would be ready to kill him again. I wanted to gain his attention again. In spite of that, you ended up becoming my lieutenant after the Ikaruga War. Even though I wasn't happy about it on the outside, I was happy on the inside.

When you're with me, I saw the image of Saya, the sister I hated for taking away my brother's attention to me. Then again, you are her clone, a Murakumo unit.

When you were with Tsubaki and Makoto once again after graduating from the Academy, I saw the image of my family once again.

For the first time ever since you became my lieutenant, we worked together on a common goal: saving Tsubaki from my sister's control. Doing this mission with you, the one who was friends with her despite the fact your existence caused this trouble, made me acknowledge you as my subordinate. For someone who has spirit despite the challenge, I started to feel that I wanted to fight you someday.

And then, I saw the shadow of my family in you, Tsubaki, and Makoto.

That's why when I saw you suffer... Yes, that's right.

Just like you...

I feel... hurt.

For example, when I saw you again and I pushed you out of the way, I felt hurt by this as if I was hurting myself. When I understood your pain, that's the first time I thought of you as my subordinate. On the other hand, when I saw you becoming more stronger, especially when you still have your personality in your Murakumo form; when I see you getting stronger...

That was when I realized, you were always alone.

With someone like you around, you were able to maintain happiness despite the world's flaws.

To tell you the truth, I wanted to become more than just your superior. Your friend, that's what.

But I was too afraid to tell you this, so I gave up on that.

I became jealous of you, especially when you have her face. I decided you to be my rival for Brother. You became my objective. I, who had nothing, finally had some kind of connection.

Some kind of relationship.

That mission where we saved Tsubaki opened my eyes. I wanted to become strong and admirable as you are.

But it's the opposite. While I hate you on the outside, but in the inside, I was just jealous because you had a life I could not have. Maybe that's the life Saya could have if I didn't try to kill her. Even though I'm your superior, you're more powerful than me, and that you always walked in front of me just like my brother did.

Today was no different.

He concluded his thoughts.

"Don't you die, Major!" Mu pleaded while shaking him to wake him up from his thinking. "Tsubaki will be sad if you die right now!"

"I'm up! I'm up!" Jin opened his eyes. "Don't shake me too much!"

"Oh, sorry..."

Then...

"Haha... haha... hahahahaha!" Jin laughed.

"Huh? What's so funny?!" Mu looks confused.

"Even after I ended up like this, you expect me to survive?"

"Of course! Everyone expects you to live!"

"I accept it."

"Huh?"

"I lost the fight... against the Black Beast."

"But, Major, you can't give up right now!" Mu pleaded. "This isn't like you!"

"You're right. This isn't like me," Jin said softly. "Hey, Noel..."

"Yes, Major?"

"I've finally come to accept you, so from now on, just call me Jin. Besides, we're not working for the NOL anymore, and that there's no need to address me as Major anymore."

Mu is surprised when she hears this from him. She never thought he is showing her kindness at a time like this.

"If I were to die here, then the world is lost. Maybe Ragna can finally have the revenge he feels to have for burning down the church and leaving him to die when we were children," her former superior said with peace. "That way, he can finally understand my view he can't protect anything or anyone if he is too soft."

"Don't ever think by dying everything can be resolved!" the Murakumo Unit countered his statement. "If you plan on doing this, then why not just live with me together? Or Tsubaki?!"

"You think I deserve it after everything I did to you two?"

"So what? Everybody deserves a second chance, and I got my second chance."

"What if I end up fighting you again?"

"Then I'll stop you no matter what, but you wouldn't do that anymore since you're in control of Yukianesa now."

"How can you be sure?" Jin looks puzzled.

"If you were controlled by that sword by the time you saw me again, I could have been dead by now. Please, don't make me repeat myself, Jin," Mu countered. "You still don't get it. I guess it can't be helped because you and Ragna are idiots sometimes."

Just then, she looks surprised in her eyes when she saw him shedding a tear on his eye, and this is the first time she saw it. Normally, she would ask him about it, but has decided not to. What's more is that she saw his hand grabbing hers.

"Shut up, not trash," Jin said with peace in himself.

At least Mu smiled at what he called her this time.

Just then, Tsubaki, in her Izayoi armor, rush to their location. She would go after Ragna for hurting them even though he was under the Imperator's control at the time, but she should help her friends first. As she approached the two, she saw them holding hands and smiled at this because she knew they're rekindling their friendship.

"Noel, can you stand?" she asked while trying to help her best friend get up from the ground.

"Yes, I can. My injuries are only minor, but for Jin's..."

Izayoi can understand what Mu is saying. After all, she can see the difference in their injuries while fighting Ragna. They help Jin stand up and walked to Kagura's base.

"I'm sorry, Tsubaki" he apologized.

"For what?" she asked.

"For everything that had happened that led you to be brainwashed by the NOL."

"That's what I wanted to hear from you, Jin."

"Hey, don't I get an apology as well?" Mu demanded.

"Yes, you may have it. I'm sorry for everything up until now," Jin apologized to her.

While he is being carried by her and Izayoi, he looked at Mu and has his thoughts organized.

Noel...

Now I finally remembered the words you used to say about how that feeling when you trying to be together with me. I think I finally understand it. As days gone by, I would be reminded of. We were lonely kids that are looking for love, but only found hatred. From there, we have different opinions and we fought, but now as time passed by, I feel like my journey is like yours.

You never abandoned me no matter what. As I try to close myself from everyone, you never come to hate me for everything I did to you, and that you never stopped regarding me as your friend. Even though I tried to destroy that very feeling.

After a week, he learned Tsubaki is going after Ragna on her own, so despite he is still recovering, he would attempting to go on to stop her because he will handle him instead. Kagura and Noel are outside the base, but are not going to stop him.

"If you insist on stopping Ragna, then so be it. You can go," Kagura instructed.

"Are you sure that's the right thing to do, Kagura?" Noel asked him.

"Well, if he doesn't give up despite his injuries, then it's the right thing," was his reply.

"Are you sure you wanted to do this, Jin?"

"Yes, I'm sure, Noel. This is my destiny, not hers. I must fight Ragna, not her. It is I who should end his suffering, not her. Besides, I don't know if she could stand a chance against him since you were injured by him but barely. This is for her safety. I will fight the Dark One."

"I understand," Noel said sadly but understanding. On the top of that, she noticed that he is not crazy anymore when mentioning Ragna and that he started to refer to him as the Dark One. "What if I asked you to take me with you?"

"This is for me alone. It has nothing to do with you," Jin said firmly.

"Nothing to do... with me?" she looked down by this statement.

Next, he gives a pat on her head as affection. In fact, this is the affection he gave Saya years ago before he was consumed by his hatred towards her. Since Noel looked like her, so...

"I'll see you when I'm back... and thank you," Jin smiled at her before leaving the base.

As my friend, you tried to stop me, and thanks to you, I was saved. During my journey, I realized it is possible for us to become more than just superior and subordinate. I think this is a lot like faith. To keep believing, trying, and enduring until you finally become able. People rely on us to keep their hopes us.

This is what makes us the same.

Author's Note: Long live Jin x Noel!