Lewis's eyes darted between Ryuko standing atop a colossal pile of rubble, Tsumugu and his custom DTR lying completely incapacitated on the ground and Satsuki wearing Senketsu.

'I think we may be out of our depth.' Kamu said.

"Honestly? We were out of our depth when we first arrived in Honnouji." Lewis gulped.

As Ryuko and Satsuki continued to shout pleasantries at each other, Lewis sped over to Tsumugu's side.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Do I really need to answer that?" Tsumugu grunted, a face full of deck.

"Fair point. I'll help you up." Lewis said, trying to slide his fingers under the chassis. It was actually a lot easier to pick up than he'd thought. With a little effort, Tsumugu's DTR was back on its feet.

"Thanks. Now what are we going to do about these two?" Tsumugu asked.

Lewis looked back at Ryuko and Satsuki, and that Satsuki was about to attempt a transformation. "My best guess? Stay out of their way and try not to die."

Tsumugu gave a dismissive snort. "Not happening."

"Yeah, I've got the same general feeling. Besides," Lewis nodded as he took a step towards Ryuko. "I've got to get back something that was taken from a friend of mine. Sonic X!"

The world blurred as Lewis raced towards the two, Satsuki just having been on the receiving end of a vicious kick from Ryuko. Without missing a beat, Ryuko had turned to face Lewis with furious eyes.

"You really wanna step up to me?!" she shouted, swinging her blade around.

Lewis only narrowly managed to leap over it, but Ryuko brought it around again and swung with the blunt edge at his midsection. The swing connected and Lewis was flung away, crashing into the deck. Getting up, he felt the agony in his side slowly ebb away.

'Damn, I actually do have a healing factor. That makes things much easier. But whatever. I have to buy some time.' Lewis thought. "Hey Ryuko, what's with the armband? Playing hall monitor or something?"

Ryuko swung the blade up onto her shoulder and tugged at the armband. "What, this? Dunno why this got sewn on here, I reckon it's butt ugly! But aparrently it makes me stronger, so whatever. It's not like I need it or anything."

"Oh, so why not give it here?" Lewis asked.

Ryuko disappeared in a flash before appearing right in front of Lewis. "Nah, I don't think so." She grinned before swinging her blade down. Lewis barely managed to dodge out of the way in time, Sonic X carrying him out of harm's way as Ryuko continued to chase him.

"What, running away? Is that all you do? Come on, fight me!" she shouted, continuing to slice at his heels.

Lewis darted around, trying to shake Ryuko off. It wasn't going well. Ryuko appeared in front of him again and slammed the handle of her scissor blade into his gut before pushing him back, knocking him into a pile of shattered steel.

"Come on, fight me you great wimp! What are you, weak or what?" she called in a mocking tone.

Lewis gritted his teeth as he got back to his feet. "I'm not falling for that! Guardian G."

Kamu's left sleeve shifted and warped, turning into a giant tower shield. Ryuko only laughed in response.

"You think a shield is going to stop me?" she laughed.

"Oh, this shield isn't for you." Lewis smirked.

Before Ryuko could even react to the cry of "Senjin Shippu!", Satsuki had slammed into her exposed back, knocking her into Lewis's shield. Tilting his shield, Ryuko bounced from Lewis to the opposite side of the ship, bouncing on the deck before skidding to a halt on her feet.

Ryuko spat and wiped her mouth. "So you aren't entirely useless."

Satsuki stood opposite Ryuko, Lewis behind Satsuki. It seemed like Senketsu had said something to Ryuko, because she shifted her grip on her blade aggressively.

"No way. As if I'd stoop to looking that ridiculous ever again." She said.

'More than you do now?' Lewis thought.

"Damn straight. What else would you call it but ridiculous when you can't tell if you're wearing anything?" she said, continuing her seemingly one-sided conversation with Senketsu.

"Kamu, Intel I." Lewis muttered. "This might be our chance to find a weakness."

The shield disappeared as a thin strip from the suit shirt snaked up around Lewis's eyes and began scanning Ryuko. Unfortunately her defences were ironclad. There wasn't any easily severable red string connecting her to Ragyo, or any kind of mental refitting. It appeared she'd been brainwashed the old fashioned way.

'Anything?' Kamu asked.

"Nada." Lewis whispered as Satsuki and Ryuko continued to shout at each other. "Right now we're just a pawn and a queen baiting a king. What we need is for someone to start thinking we're playing 52 Pickup and try and knock Ryuko out of her mind control."

'Ah, Mankanshoku.'

"Exactly." Lewis nodded.

Without much warning, Ryuko broke away from their shouting match and rushed at Satsuki.

"Senketsu Senjin!" Satsuki ordered, red spikes and blades erupting from the Kamui.

"Okay, we're fighting again!" Lewis gulped. "Breaker K!"

Ryuko smashed her way through Senketsu's spikes before Lewis rushed in to try and make a grab for the armband, but Ryuko blocked his strike and kicked him away. Fortunately he was able to get his guard up just in time to avoid getting hit in the face, but he still was knocked away quite a distance.

"Damn it, I can't get close!" he cursed.

"Oh, I get it now. So that's what's going on." Ryuko grinned. "You haven't mastered wearing that Kamui properly."

Lewis grunted as he shook the soreness from his arms. "Being condescending really isn't your style Ryuko."

"Shaddup! You think I care what you say anymore?" she shouted.

Lewis gave a snort. "You care enough to talk smack!"

"Senketsu Shippu!" Satsuki ordered, thinking that she would try and gain some distance. But Ryuko wasn't having and any of it and grabbed a hold of her before she could take off. Lewis tried to flank Ryuko, but her swinging red blade warded him off.

"Too slow." Ryuko taunted before throwing her around into Lewis, knocking them both away.

Satsuki got knocked into the air while Lewis rolled along the ground and Satsuki tried to take advantage of that, trying to change to Senjin Shippu only for Ryuko to flash in front of her and deliver a brutal slash, knocking Satsuki and Senketsu out of the sky.

As Lewis got to his feet Satsuki crashed to the ground. "Shit. This isn't good." He gulped. "Guardia-"

Lewis was interrupted by the back of Ryuko's fist crashing into his jaw, dazing him as he crashed to the ground a few metres away.

"I don't know what your deal is either. You were never even wearing a real Kamui from the start, just some crappy failed prototype. And now you're wearing some dead COVERS that's gone under a shit dye job. What the hell are you trying to prove, huh? Whatever it is, just forget it and die. You're not worth my time." Ryuko spat before turning back to Satsuki. "So Satsuki, what's the deal, huh? You can't fight back?"

Lewis tried to get up, his head still spinning from Ryuko's punch. What he could make out was Ryuko picking up Satsuki by the hair and dangling Satsuki in front of her at arm's length.

"You can't can you? 'Cause I've seen through all your moves!" Ryuko mocked before kneeing Satsuki in the face, following up with a series of brutal punches.

Lewis continued to stumble around, hand holding his jaw. It felt like it had been broken, but the worst feeling was how the bones were slowly, agonisingly, snapping back into place. He was barely standing, leaning against a spike of steel jutting up from the deck.

'I am repairing the damage as quickly as I can friend, do not worry.' Kamu said.

Ryuko lashed out at Satsuki with another vicious kick, sending her sprawling on the ground. Lewis's jaw clicked back into place and he shook the dizziness from his head. Ryuko had clearly lost interest in him and was slowly walking towards Satsuki.

"Aw, what's the matter?" She asked, standing over Satsuki. "Aren't you gonna look down on me like you always do? If you can't stand on your own how 'bout I put you on your feet?"

Grabbing Satsuki by the hair again, Ryuko lifted her up and held her up by her chin. Lewis muttered to Kamu and he shifted back into Guardian G.

'Are we not going to stop her?' Kamu asked.

"No, I think she's getting lectured by Senketsu." Lewis said. "Just be ready in case something happens."

'Something? Like what?' Kamu asked.

Lewis didn't get a chance to respond as Ryuko batted Satsuki away with the handle of her scissor blade, Satsuki's body ragdolling across the deck of the ship before Ryuko's blade extended.

"I'm sick of hearing you yammering on and on, you dishrag!" Ryuko glowered.

Lewis leapt at Ryuko, shield first.

"Guardian's Shackle!"

The front of the shield opened up and clamped down around Ryuko's back as Lewis tried to stop her from advancing any further.

"Will you just quit it?!" she roared, continuing to move forward. "You're nothing to me, face it!"

'Lewis, watch out!' Kamu shouted, letting go of Ryuko and returning to a shield form. Lewis turned his shield around just in time to block most of the blast from the rocket that exploded against Ryuko. Past the clouds of smoke, Lewis could make out Nonon wielding two massive rocket launchers.

"Thanks for the save Kamu!" Lewis said as he leapt out of the blast radius of the storm of rockets that came Ryuko's way, accompanied by Nonon's shrill cries for blood. Landing a safe distance away, Lewis saw that the other members of the Elite Four were moving into position.

Sanageyama was next to engage Ryuko, their blades sparking off each other's. From his vantage point, Lewis could see him leading Ryuko right into point blank range of three artillery cannons, all aimed directly at her. The ensuing blast rocked the boat to the hull, a fiery explosion scorching the entire length of the Naked Sol.

"Hohohohoholy shit!" Lewis laughed, taking his hands off his ears. "This is frickin' nuts!"

'Ah, watching the battle unfold. Just like old times, eh?' Kamu asked.

"Now isn't exactly the time for reminiscing, but I suppose so." Lewis agreed before noticing that Ryuko was still standing amidst the fiery wreckage unharmed, but looking even more pissed off. "What the shit?! Is Ryuko made of iron or something?!"

As more smoke cleared, Gamagoori's massive frame became obvious as he landed a blow straight to Ryuko's back with the strange cylindrical recovery devices Nudist Beach used on Empowered COVERS.

"Satsuki you bitch, this was your plan all along?!" Ryuko roared.

"Indeed!" Satsuki shouted back. "Senketsu and I cannot defeat you in our current state. However if I give the Elite Four a fighting chance, it is possible!"

Lewis couldn't help but feel elated by Satsuki's words, but he grimaced all the same. "But it won't be enough though." He mumbled.

With a shuddering screech, the recovery device jammed. Satsuki's panicked shout pierced the air.

"Run! Gamagoori!"

And then there was laughter. Nui's laughter. Lewis took a sharp intake of breath as she crashed down from the sky, purple scissor blade destroying the recovery device.

"How does she keep coming out of nowhere like that?!" Lewis screamed. "It pisses me off so much!"

'I am starting to see why this woman irritates you so much.' Kamu agreed.

Gamagoori and Satsuki leapt out of the way just before the recovery device exploded. Tsumugu in his DTR leapt past Lews above a wall of shrapnel and began blasting away at Nui, who was holding onto Ryuko like a treasured pet.

"Gosh, you humans like to waste time on things that don't work, don't you?" She laughed, sliding through the hail of needles Tsumugu sent her way.

And with a single strike, Nui sent the DTR flying. As it crashed to the ground, Nui revealed why Junketsu was so hard to remove from Ryuko.

"Cause Junketsu's life fibres are tightly linked with the ones inside Ryuko's body!" she proclaimed happily. "If you try to pull Junketsu off, they'll snap, and then she'll die from the shock!"

"The sickos sewed Junketsu to Ryuko!" Lewis called.

Nui turned her attention to Lewis, letting go of Ryuko. "Hey cuz! I didn't let you out of your room. Why are you here?"

"I'm not your cousin, and I never will be a part of your screwed up family!" Lewis shouted back. "Besides, I go wherever I want and nobody can stop me!"

"Aw, that's a shame. And I was gonna play so many fun games with you!" Nui giggled. "But you still didn't tell me how you got out!"

"I helped him escape. So far I haven't regretted my decision." Satsuki said.

"So you get mad when I play with your toys, but then you take mine away from me?" Nui whined. "No fair!"

"I think we're getting a little off topic here!" Ryuko seethed, swinging her scissor blade with enough force to blow away the Elite Four and knock Lewis off his perch atop the wall of scrap.

By the time Lewis, got back to a spot where he could view the action, Ryuko had just torn Senketsu off Satsuki's body. But before Ryuko could land the finishing blow, the final player dropped into the game. Literally.

Mako landed hard on the deck, catching the eye of Ryuko. Mako got to her shaky feet, the choral chant of 'hallelujah' similarly disoriented and shaky. But that soon came to an end as Mako launched into a great spiel, trying her damndest to bring Ryuko back to her senses.

"What are you talking about?" Ryuko growled, interrupting Mako.

"Mankanshoku, run! This isn't the same Matoi you used to know!" Gamagoori cried.

"Ryuko is always Ryuko!" Mako reasoned, although 'reasoned' probably wasn't the best way to put it. "Even if you've got life fibres inside you, even if you're mad that you're not human, you're still Ryuko! And Senketsu is your Sunday Best, same as always!"

Lewis found himself smiling as Mako was somehow standing over Ryuko. Mako was getting through to her! But he noticed Nui raise her blade and march towards her and Lewis's heart sank.

"Sonic X!" he shouted before launching himself at Nui, his jump sounding more like a cannon shot thanks to Kamu's enhanced form.

He was just about to reach them when Senketsu flashed in front of him in a streak of black and red, cannoning into Mako and knocking her out of the way of Nui's swing. It was then that Lewis's feet collided with Nui's face, sending her hurtling backwards the way she came. When Lewis hit the ground the blunt edge of Ryuko's scissor blade hit him in the ribs, shattering them and sending him hurtling across the deck until he hit the base of the control tower. Lewis slumped down, feeling like his spine had been smashed to pieces. But of course, it wouldn't feel that way forever as Kamu's healing factor kicked in immediately.

"Lewis! Are you alright?!" Gamagoori called.

Lewis tried to lift himself up, giving a shaky thumbs-up from where he lay. It was also at this point that Mako had somehow gotten into Senketsu.

"I hate girls who try too hard by wearing clothes that just don't suit them." Nui said, looking completely unaffected by Lewis's kick. "It's so pathetic it makes my skin crawl!"

Once again Tsumugu leapt up to attack Nui but was completely thwarted. Nui knocked him back and sent him toppling over the edge of the Naked Sol, straight into the ocean. Amazingly Satsuki continued to fight, pitting herself against Nui. They clashed, their blades nothing but flashes in the sun as they duelled. Lewis felt his entire body shut down and restart as his spine realigned itself into a proper shape. Getting up again, he surveyed the battlefield. The Elite Four had just dived into Satsuki's battle with Nui, and Ryuko had her back to Lewis as she was facing Mako. Lewis watched as Satsuki rushed to Ryuko and Nui barked an order.

"Ryuko! Destroy her along with Senketsu! That's what Lady Ragyo wants too!" she yelled. "Give these softies with their 'hope' nonsense a taste of cold, hard reality!"

"You got it." She grunted, raising her head.

'This isn't good.' Lewis thought as he jumped back down from the wall. "Breaker K!"

As Mako's family slid between her and Ryuko, Lewis ran towards Ryuko.

"Move it." Ryuko ordered before starting another seemingly one-sided conversation with Senketsu.

"It's because you've been selfish that Senketsu is being worn by me!" Mako shouted above the din of combat. "This isn't right! The Ryuko I know can take off that outfit. So let's hurry up and get changed, okay?"

"God, your voice is so annoying!" Ryuko shouted as she raised her blade above her head.

Lewis lunged forward, as did Satsuki. Lewis grabbed the end of Ryuko's scissor blade with one hand, the other hand wrapping around the armband. Satsuki blocked Ryuko's swing with her foot, jabbing both of her blades into Junketsu to prise the Kamui open.

"Now, Mankanshoku! Jam Senketsu into the wound!" she yelled. "Senketsu! Use your strength to shake Ryuko's life fibres from Junketsu!"

"On it!" Mako shouted as she reached out to Ryuko. Senketsu launched himself from Mako, diving for Ryuko's exposed skin. "Learn the power of the Sunday Best!"

When Senketsu connected, it was immediately sucked in, somehow bringing Mako along with it! Ryuko screamed like she had been possessed. In a way, she had been. Ryuko dropped to her knees, the scissor blade clanging on the steel deck beside her. Lewis panted heavily as he and Satsuki stepped back.

"So what happens now?" he asked.

Satsuki looked at Ryuko intensely, arms by her side. "We wait. And pray." She said. "But I suppose you already know the outcome."

"Yeah. Doesn't make this any less nerve-wracking though." Lewis said, shuddering at Ryuko's blank, wide-eyed and open mouthed stare.

And then, without warning, it appeared that lightning struck Ryuko from the sky. Lewis leapt back in surprise, Satsuki already somehow having gotten out of the way. The lightning turned to a calamitous explosion, the energy of which blew Lewis back even further! Kamu latched onto the ground with several threads to keep Lewis from being flung overboard again, and that was only before the strange black liquid started gushing from Ryuko again! The cosmic typhoon didn't last long, as an eerie silence soon descended. Ryuko stood alone amidst the wreckage, breathing heavily.

"Oopsie, looks like they failed to win her over." Nui said. "Hey Ryuko, let's sink this tub!"

Nui raised her blade, the purple metal springing into a transformed and terrifying shape. Then she was launched from her standing position by Ryuko's thrown scissor blade, sent thundering down the length of the carrier until she was impaled by the scissor blade on the control tower, her blood gushing everywhere.

"Give your crap a rest!" Ryuko shouted.

Lewis threw his hands into the air in celebration. "Hell yeah! Ryuko's back!"

But Ryuko's fury wasn't over, it would seem. It had only changed direction. Another blast of pure rage and energy sent bits of the ship flying upwards as Lewis was knocked off his feet again.

"How dare you bastards put me into this outfit!" she screamed, grabbing the edges of Junketsu and tearing them away. "I'm tired of all this. I want it off! I want it off!"

Screaming in rage and pain Ryuko tore at Junketsu, ripping the clothes from her skin and showering the deck of the Naked Sol in blood. By the time she was finished, it was literally raining blood. Ryuko was drenched in red, somehow still standing.

"Well shit." Lewis whispered. "That's the most metal fucking thing I've seen in a while."

"Ryuko! Are you okay?" Mako called.

"It hurts! It hurts like hell!" Ryuko cried. "But that's what I deserve for being such a huge dumbass!"

Lewis got back to his feet and ran over to Mako's side. "Hey Ryuko, hang in there!"

Mako turned to Lewis, reeling in shock. "Waa! You're still alive!"

"Huh? Oh, right. Sorry I didn't tell you about that Mako." Lewis said.

Meanwhile at the control tower of the Naked Sol, Nui was attempting to pull Ryuko's scissor blade from her back. "I can't believe she's still alive after snapping her own life fibres!"

"Nui's injuries are healing!" Nonon gasped.

"So she's indestructible too?" Sanageyama asked.

Tsumugu had recovered from his fall into the water and was back on deck. "It's the power of the life fibres inside her body." He explained.

"She's not indestructible. There's nothing in this world that can't be broken." Lewis said, turning to Nui.

The tailor landed back on the ground, both scissor blades in her hands. "It was a mistake to throw your scissor blade at me." She told Ryuko "You can't defeat me, and now I have both halves!"

"Get going Senketsu, get going with Ryuko!" Mako screamed as she threw Senketsu to Ryuko.

Nui tried to intervene, but Senketsu managed to dodge her attack before sliding onto Ryuko. One transformation sequence later, Ryuko was ready to kick ass.

'Should we assist her?' Kamu asked.

"No, this is her fight." Lewis said, turning to Mako. "Say Mako, how about we get to a vantage point to see this next fight?"

Mako shook her head. "I'm going to stay here for Ryuko and cheer her on!" she said adamantly.

Lewis gave a nod. "That's a fair point. Besides, seeing this romper-stomp of a fight up close is too good of an opportunity to miss out on!"

"Harime!" Ryuko shouted at the top of her lungs.

Nui looked a little bit intimidated despite her smile, stepping back just a little bit.

"She's cowing Harime through sheer intimidation, eh?" Satsuki observed before spotting Junketsu, pinning it to the deck with her blades. "You stay right there."

"Aw, but I'd tailored Junketsu just for you!" Nui whined before attacking Ryuko. "I won't let you wear that lame getup!"

Nui slashed with both blades, but Ryuko deflected the cross slash with nothing but the back of her hand.

"Quit while you're ahead. I'm never taking Senketsu off." Ryuko stated. "Mako and Satsuki's blood is flowing through Senketsu now. He's way warmer and feels better on me than that monster, Junketsu!"

It was at that moment that Senketsu burst into tears. Lewis was a little bit stunned. It was his first time seeing clothing cry. Heedless of the strange occurrence Nui continued her attacks. Ryuko's arms turned to blades as she fought back, drawing Nui into a blade clash. The sheer energy of the clash tore up the ship even more before another dust cloud whipped up around them. When it cleared, Lewis saw Ryuko disarm Nui and lay into her with vicious punches before dropkicking her through several thick steel plates.

"Dad's scissor blade… I finally have it back!" she proclaimed, holding both halves in her hands.

Nui still seemingly unfazed by this attack as she was back on her feet in moments. "In that case, maybe I'll make the people you're trying to protect attack you!" she said, fanning her fingers out.

Lewis looked up in shock, spotting the vibrant red string too late.

"Have a taste of Mind Stitching!" Nui shouted, the glowing red strings tightening.

"It's no use!" Ryuko screamed as she slashed the threads before any damage could be done. Nui appeared behind her, still smiling.

"Oops, sorry about that! That was just a decoy!" she laughed before jamming a needle straight through Ryuko's neck. "It's all over, Ryuko!"

Ryuko disappeared before flashing into existence behind Nui.

"Yeah. For you."

Ryuko's blades blurred for a second before everything went still. Nui had been disarmed. Literally.

"My arms!" Nui squealed over and over, blood spraying from her stumps like a crimson fire hydrant. "Do you have any idea how valuable my arms are?! They're the arms of the Grand Couturier!"

"That's why I chopped 'em off." Ryuko frowned.

"Ha! Nui's harmless!" Lewis joked.

Nonon looked at Lewis with particular venom. "Don't say anything like that ever again."

"You're just mad you didn't say it first." Lewis said with a shit-eating grin.

Nui's eyes opened wide, sheer horror evident in them Nui lunged for her arm but Ryuko smacked her away and stomped on it, turning it to raw life fibres.

"Oops." She said before stomping Nui's other arm. "Clumsy me."

As Senketsu absorbed the life fibres from Nui's arms, Ryuko pointed her blade at Nui's face.

"Just give it up, Nui Harime!" she commanded.

Nui's façade began to crack as she bent double muttering to herself. "This can't be happening! You're really making me angry! Every last one of you!"

An Empowered COVERS dropped from the sky followed by several others, landing between Nui and Ryuko. Lewis turned his head to see a chinook thundering in, a rope ladder dangling from its side. As the chinook flew in low, Nui was grabbed by the pigtails and hoisted away.

"Hououmaru!" Satsuki cursed.

A volley of artillery shots were fired after the helicopter, but the Empowered COVERS blocked the attack.

"You're not getting away!" Ryuko shouted. "Senketsu Shippu!"

Ryuko leapt into the air, but fell to the deck as Senketsu didn't transform. The Empowered COVERS surrounded Ryuko, ready for a fight.

"Hououmaru made a mistake as she was desperate to rescue Harime." Satsuki said smugly, appearing beside Mako and Lewis.

"She's right! Which make this a golden opportunity!" Aikuro said as he appeared, holding one of the recovery devices over his shoulder.

Tsumugu had already gotten his hands on three of them and had already freed three people from the COVERS. "It was nice of them to bring us both life fibres and new members for the cause!" he smirked.

"Exactly." Aikuro said as a huge container full of recovery devices rose from the deck. "Don't just stand around doing nothing, get to work!"

As the Elite Four grabbed a recovery device each, with the exception of Gamagoori who took nine of the things, Lewis shifted Kamu into Breaker K and took one in each hand.

The Empowered COVERS launched into the attack, as did Tsumugu, the Elite Four and Lewis. Each one they hit went down instantly, a person launching out from the recovery device with each strike. As each of the COVERS were destroyed, the surviving Sewing Club members were collecting all the loose life fibres from the battle. For some reason a lot of the COVERS were gravitating towards Lewis, and he was soon feeling overwhelmed. For each COVERS he hit, another would take its place.

"The hell, why are they coming after us?!" Lewis shouted as he slammed his recovery devices into two more COVERS, ejecting the people trapped within.

'Perhaps because we appear to be a traitor to them?' Kamu suggested.

"Heh. I didn't know these things felt loyalty." Lewis snorted before a COVERS slammed a fist into his back, knocking him into another COVERS who attacked him with as much ferocity. Lewis was being bounced around in a circle of punches, unable to stop it. The circle only stopped when Tsumugu appeared and trashed three of them at once. Lewis fell to his knees, breathing heavily.

"You alright?" Tsumugu asked.

"Better than I should be." Lewis gasped. "Thanks."

Tsumugu readied his recovery devices as he faced the circle. "Don't thank me just yet."

Tsumugu leapt into the attack again, taking out six more COVERS by the time Lewis got back to his feet. Gamagoori too was charging around the entire length and breadth of the Naked Sol, tearing people out of every COVERS he could get his hands on. Lewis threw himself back in too, slamming the recovery devices into two more COVERS and ejecting the people inside. But there was still more to come.

*v*v*v*

*v*v*v*

The battle lasted until sunset. It was hard-fought, but they'd lasted the entire afternoon of combat. Lewis was lying on his back, out of breath and energy with his recovery devices discarded at his side. Looking up to the sky, he saw the vibrant blazing orange hues it had become.

"Ugh. Finally I can rest." He said, wiping sweat from his brow.

'It seems the others are discussing something.' Kamu observed.

Lewis rolled over and looked up. Satsuki was standing with Iori and Tsumugu, Satsuki's back turned to Junketsu's tattered remnants.

"I've recovered everything I could find of Junketsu, Lady Satsuki." He said with a bow.

"Very good." She said. "But what of the armband that was on it?"

Iori nodded. "I had recognised it as Kamu's other half. I've had it put into separate containment, as it was in surprisingly good shape."

Satsuki gave a nod. "It should be returned."

"Yes Lady Satsuki." He nodded. "What shall I do with Junketsu?"

"Keep it in restraints for the time being." She ordered.

Tsumugu raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to terminate it?"

"The battle isn't over yet." She said.

Footsteps were heard as Ryuko marched over to Satsuki. "Planning to put it on again, huh? Can you wear that monster?"

Lewis stood up, getting a better look at a still transformed Ryuko approach Satsuki.

"I won't make the same mistake twice." Satsuki said.

"After you couldn't synchronise with Senketsu?" Ryuko snorted.

Satsuki narrowed her eye, black hair billowing in the sea wind. "What do you want from me?"

"Lemme belt you one." Ryuko said simply. "If I punch you without holding back and you're still on your feet, I'll admit you have the strength to fight alongside me."

'Are they really going to do this?' Kamu asked.

Lewis stood with hands in his pockets. "What, you think all that negativity will just vanish because we're suddenly on the same side? Sad to say, but nope."

Satsuki turned to Ryuko. "Very well. Strike me." She said. "We face Ragyo Kiryuin. If I am to fall here, I have no chance of winning this battle. I shall withstand your blow."

'Should we stop her?' Kamu asked as Ryuko tightened her fist.

"Nah. It'll be fine." Lewis shook his head.

Ryuko burst forward with a shout, fist flying for Satsuki's jaw. What it his was Gamagoori's face instead as he leapt in front of the attack and was quickly sent hurting away as Ryuko followed through with her punch.

"Gamagoori!" Satsuki gasped.

"Stay out of this you bastard!" Ryuko roared.

She tried to punch again, this time blocked by Sanageyama who was also sent flying.

"What is it with you people?!" Ryuko asked incredulously.

"Are you mocking me Matoi?" Gamagoori grunted as he got up.

"What?!"

"I'm asking if you threw that punch with everything you had!"

"Yeah, I did!"

"Don't make me laugh! If that's true, why are we still alive?" Gamagoori questioned.

"I thought ordinary humans would die if you hit them full-force!" Sanageyama chimed in.

"You got in the way, so I pulled my punches!" Ryuko shouted back.

"A likely excuse!" Gamagoori yelled dismissively.

'This is very confusing to me.' Kamu said as they continued their argument.

"Yeah, at least it's no more confusing than it's always been." Lewis shrugged.

By this point, the entire Elite Four had lined up in front of Satsuki to defend her.

"What the hell is it with you people?! I don't get you at all-" Ryuko continued before realisation dawned upon her. "So you're protected by a bunch of bat-crap crazy people like I am, Satsuki?"

Satsuki gave a rare smile, looking to her Elite Four. "So it would seem." She said.

As Satsuki began explaining herself to Ryuko, Lewis looked out to the distance. "It won't be long now Kamu." He said. "Ragyo awaits. And not only does she know that we're coming, she probably knows something about our plans too."

'Indeed.' Kamu agreed. 'We must be careful.'

As Satsuki bowed to Ryuko, Lewis gave a long sigh. Things were quickly getting more and more intense, and they were far from over.

*v*v*v*

A/N

A/N

A/N

*v*v*v*

Howdy everybody! Happy 8000 views!

Thanks to everyone who stuck with this fic through the ungodly long hiatus. I hope the following chapters make up for it somewhat. I'm going to release this chapter immediately seeing as that hiatus was way, WAAAY too long. So I hope you enjoyed!

Be sure to leave reviews with any comments, thoughts or potential improvements!