"I can't do anything," Lizzie says. "She's dying."
Seiya gasps. "No... It can't be..."
"Would you leave us?" Kurai asks.
Taiki and Yaten leave.
"Ninako! Ninako!?"
"Her body's stiffening..." Seiya says. "And getting cold... Kurai... killed her!"
"Her soul has been stolen.", comes the voice of Lizzie.
"Lizzie!" Seiya says. "Her soul!?"
"The spirit Bandiane have targeted the souls of humans," says Lizzie. "They steal spirits. Then they unite the soulless bodies as vessels. The utilization. They convert human bodies into one. Those are Bandiane's creatures!"
"Steal spirits!? Human bodies into one!? Then, Kurai... That form... was..."
"It was not the awakening of Death," says Lizzie. "The three talismans are not yet activating."
"I hadn't thought about this happening," says Lizzie. "Kurai was long ago utilized by them. That isn't Kurai any longer. It's an enemy! When she took Ninako's crystal, she was also stealing Ninako's spirit."
"Ninako and Kurai..." says Seiya. "What will happen to them!?"
"The spirits of the utilized ones," Lizzie says, "live as sustenance. But even if the utilization is a success, they will soon revert to monsters. If that happens... then they cannot be saved. It's impossible after that, whatever form they take living in this world."
"The ones we defeated before," thinks Seiya, "were humans merged with enemies... If they change into monsters soon, they can't be saved...!"
"Kurai has already been seized by the enemies," says Lizzie. "But it will be easy to do. Soon she will suffer and be destroyed. We will kill her before she suffers."
"But...!"
"She has Ninako's spirit and her crystal!" Lizzie says. "What would you have us do!? If you want Ninako saved, you have to fight and take them back! If we don't kill her, we'll be killed. Even if Death doesn't awaken, destruction will come. Kill or be killed. Which would you choose? We're going. Not just for Ninako, but to save everyone!"
"Right," Seiya thinks. "Unless we save the planet... The enemies I've defeated before... Humans and enemies merged... And Kurai, too..."
Lizzie looks down at Ninako. "If it keeps going like this," he says. "Ninako blood not flowing... He really will die. Let's take him to my place."
"There's no time," Seiya thinks. "If we don't hurry and get her spirit back... We won't be able to save Ninako!"
They go to Lizzie's apartment.
"Ninako's body and mine are linked," Lizzie says. "I'll use my body's life maintenance system to keep Ninako body alive." She holds Ninako's hand, and it starts to glow.
"But then your body will be burdened..." says Seiya.
"It's all right. Ninako and I are one now. I can at least keep this one body alive. It's no problem, it'll be fine."
Seiya sits by Ninako's bed, tearing up.
"Could you leave us alone for a while?" Seiya asks the others.
They look at Ninako, then leave the room.
"Ninako... I can't choose. Ninako. Kurai. The people of this planet. I can't abandon them! I can't choose between them for us. Will it not just lead to ruin? Us... And then the world..."
Lizzie feels Ninako hand. "My power is spreading," she thinks. "It feels like Ninako is alive. What should I do? What..."
"Seiya."
"Oh," he thinks. He sees the image of a devastated city. A shadowed figure stands atop a ruined pillar. "Again. This vision... "
"We'll get them back, Lizzie," he says. "Ninako's spirit, and her crystal. We'll do everything we can. Don't lose hope. Hope..."
"That vision..." he thinks. "Is that... the Messiah? Or else, Death?"
Xxx
Kurai cuts off a lock of her long, dark hair. "I cut and I cut, it grows back," she says. "Crappy hair. This is limited and inconvenient, being a vessel. I'm uncomfortable in this human body."
Professor Soichiro rushes into the room with Bandiane. "Sadako!" he says as he kneels. "We have been awaiting your arrival. For a long time.."
Sadako grabs her head.
"She's awakening now..." thinks Bandiane.
Sadako walks to the stone hall.
"Oh, I've been waiting for this," Bandiane says. "Sadako!"
"Great Queen Bandiane!" She raises her hand, and energy flows to Bandiane.
"You've just awakened," Bandiane says, "and you're already bringing power. What power is this!? These souls are the beginning...!"
"Bandiane, one moment. This is not from souls. It's the Fledgling's Crystal! I've finally gotten it. We can keep this great power to ourselves. The crystal!" She goes to her room, carrying the brooch. "Wondrous light. Like something dwells inside it. It puts me at ease with its holy brilliance."
"Naturally. It's defended by Ninako's strong, powerful spirit."
"Who's that!? Is it someone inside of me trying to push out...? It's because of my spirit. It's giving me strength... With this Crystal, there's nothing for us to fear anymore!"
"Hey, Sadako!" Moeto says. "We're running out of eggs. The utilization, to steal souls by planting the eggs, is the only way for us to live in this world."
"But, the completion of the master's utilization will become unnecessary. The birth of our new world is close at hand. Heh heh! Ahaha! Close at hand!"
Bandiane stands in the center of a circle on the ground. Smoke surrounds her. A bat flies in. She grabs it in the air and rips out its heart, squeezing the blood into a glass. "Our servants," she says. "Before my warriors are resurrected..." Five figures steam from the glass, taking the shape of the senshi. "I will place a curse on these ones. A curse that will never be lifted... Heh heh heh..."
Xxx
Seiya walks down the street, and sees the four girls. "Everyone!" she says. "Let's go. To get Ninako spirit back! To the Academy!"
As they approach the center of the Delta, they see the building overgrown with trees and vines.
"The Academy has gotten like this overnight..."
"It's full of amazing energy," says Reiko. "The air, the plants, the building. The abnormal power is making everything go mad."
"The power is forming into a dome shape over the Infinity zone," says Mana. "It looks just like an omega shape."
"Let's go," says Ava.
"Sandra, Theresa, Moa," thinks Seiya. "Am I choosing the wrong path...? If I do this, will we not be able to fight together?"
"Fighter..." Moa thinks. "It's regrettable, but I will put Kurai to death. To death..."
"Heh heh... They're here. The carriers of the powerful light. Along with Fighter." A door appears though the trees.
"An entrance opened!?" They walk into the building.
The two identical women bow. "Greetings. Welcome to the Infinite Labyrinth."
"Cyprine!? Ptitol!?"
Xxx
Mana sees darkness all around him. "What the-!? Aang!? Where is everyone!?" He sees a sign in the hallway that says, "Etiquette Class." He rushes into the room.
"How impolite," says Eudial. "As instructor of manners and etiquette at the Infinity School, Arimura Yuuko, I'll teach you a lesson."
"Eudial!?" Mana thinks. "But I defeated her before!" The door slams shut behind her. "Oh no! I don't have time to fight you!"
"Too bad! I am Eudial, warrior of the flame! You have been selected as my match!" She jumps up and kicks Mana down.
Mana gets to her knees, breathing hard.
"You really don't want to fight?" Eudial asks. "I see. You don't have the fighting spirit. You won't only fight for Aang. Your whole body is saying you want to know etiquette and military arts."
Xxx
"Fighter!?" calls Yaten. "Everyone!? Hey! Where are you!?" She turns a corner and enters a room full of plants. "This is-!"
"Welcome, to the Infinity botanical garden. I am its caretaker, Teruno Ruru."
"You!? Tellu!?"
Tellu sits Yaten down. "You don't need to fight today. Okay?"
"Wow!" Yaten says. "It's full of roses! La France, the first breed of hybrid T! These are soleil dolls!" She picks a flower up. "My heart's softening..." she thinks. "What was I coming here to do... I'm so tired... Fighting is absurd... I want to stay here forever... It's my dream. To spend a carefree lifetime in a rose garden, with someone I love..."
Xxx
"Everyone!?" Fighter calls. "Oh no! Have we been split apart!? Have we fallen into enemy hands!? That was careless. Where is this!? Everyone...?"
The other two appear before her, scratched and bruised.
"Mana! Yaten!" The figures begin to melt.
"It's your fault we're coming apart," they say. "We won't fight anymore..." They jump at Fighter, covering him in melted goop.
Ninako appears behind him. "It's your fault, Fighter." She grabs Fighter around the throat.
"Ow! You're... hurting me... Ninako...!?"
"We'll help you too, Ninako," says Reiko.
"We think you're an annoyance, Fighter!" says Kurai.
"Kurai! Ninako! Reiko!"
"I want to be free, Seiya!" says Kurai. "I'll kill Ninako and Kurai! And then Fighter! You too!"
"Kurai!"
Xxx
Lizzie jumps up from her chair beside Ninako. "Fighter!? He's being bewitched! Fighter!"
Xxx
"No! I can't be bewitched! You're hallucinations! Everyone!" Her fuku begin to glow. Light flashes around her, and she's alone. "Everyone!?"
"Fighter!" says Theresa. She shows him her mirror. It shows a tall, thick column, holding the bodies of Mana and Ava.
"We'll break through the barrier!" Sandra says and snaps the barrier with her mirror's power. They rush inside to the column and free the others.
Seiya hugs Sandra and Theresa. "Yes..." he thinks. "It really is the same feeling. They couldn't abandon us. Together... I wanted to fight. We'll join our powers to fight. Then if my power becomes strong... Even the impossible can approach possibility."
They form a circle, putting their hands in the center. Light begins to glow.
Seiya transformed into a more powerful state, but without New Moon, he couldn't hold it long.
"That light!" thinks Bandiane.
"Messiah!" Moa calls. "Up! The president's office!" They go up to the 56th floor of the building, and run into the office, where Bandiane is. Five figurines are on a table. "Those are-! Wax dolls shaped like us!?"
"You've undone the finest work of Queen Bandiane," Bandiane says. "You won't bother us anymore!" She mutates into a giant monster.
"A monster!"
"I'll save this planet!" Seiya shouts and attacks.
The monster vanishes in a swirl of light. The amulet drops to the floor and shatters.
"Whatever delusions fill this labyrinth," Seiya says, "I won't give up hope! Let's search! For Kurai!"
"She's found her way to this fortress," thinks Sadako. "She even blew away Queen Bandiane. Although...she was no true Queen of Darkness. That title belongs to me! Fighter! The time has come. The time for this Fire Nation to be our sacred land. There's no longer anything for us to fear." Her eyes sparkle. "With the Crystal of the Fledgling..." Power flows out of the crystal in her hands, into her body.
xxx
Ninako's body begins to glow.
"Ninako!?" Lizzie says.
xxx
"Ohh... Strength! From deep in my body, I'm filling with it! As soon as I took it in, my insides were overflowing! This is the power of the Fledgling's Crystal! Oh, I can feel it! The power! The light of life similar to Death itself! It's been opened! So that is the power of the Blue Crystal!"
At that moment a pair of silvery blue eyes opened deep within the soul of the demonic Sadako.
Kurai was waking up—and she wasn't going to allow Ninako to die.