Chapter 38: The Black Hole of Death?

The streets of Motomachi Shopping District bustled with waves of people, who's chatter echoed life into the roofed street as the various shopping stores lined the outside with colorful advertisements, which reminded Noire of the industrial malls back in Lastation. Stepping outside, she flashed a fancy looking pop idol attire, with a blue sakura flower skirt and a frilly, short petticoat. Complimenting it at the top, was a frilly blue chest ribbon which covered a shiny, reflective top that went down enough to just barely expose her midriff. These clothes are great, but I've looked over this map a hundred times and still don't know where I am. And people keep looking at me like I'm the weird one, but I've never heard of this Japan before.

"OMG! Like, you are totally cute!" Noire broke from her thoughts as her eyes followed the sudden voice to a tanned girl with a thick belted skirt and puffy jacket. The girl gave Noire a slight bow, "I am sorry about the intrusion, but you are totes adorbs in that outfit. Like, it fits you to a T!"

"Oh, you think so?" Noire asked with a slight hint of red creeping across her face.

"Like, totally! You are a real banger, girl! A natural. Do you go to cosplay conventions often?" the girl asked.

"I… um… not… usually. I am… very busy and… I just, it's not like I cosplay a lot, but I just needed some new clothes and saw this dress that I liked. That's all." Noire let out a nervous giggle, pulling the shopping bag of clothes further behind her back.

"Oh, there's no need to feel all embarrassed, girl. Like, I know what it's like to get the stink-eye for enjoying cosplay. I mean, how many gals like me ya see walkin around here?" She said, showing off her own shopping bag with a grin.

"You do kinda stand out from the others." Noire took a better look at her, noticing her curly, long blue hair, green eye shadow, and bright pink lipstick whose sparkle was practically piercing to the eyes. Her thick belt had a leopard-print design and around her neck sat a bling necklace with the katakana 'ギャル'.

"Not everyday ya see a gal like me around, eh? By the way, Name's Shizue." Shizue gave her a smile.

"I'm… Noire." Noire smiled back, "I'm glad to see someone else who appreciates cosplay. But… don't you worry that you'll attract the wrong kind of attention? You know, make people stare and all?"

Shizue laughed, "If folks wanna give me grody looks up and down, that's their problem. Oh, don't get me wrong, Noire. I totally used to care about public appearance and all that jazz. But as a Gyaru, you learn not to care what people think. You'll feel freer, like a weight's lifted off your shoulders. Then you can totally wig it out."

"You seem so carefree without a trouble in the world. I'm kinda jealous." Noire said. "I've been through all kinds of crazy up until this point and it's stressing me out."

"Hehe. I wish that were true, Noire." Shizue said, the two girls beginning to walk down the street. "But believe me, I know all about stress shopping. That's why I'm out here all the way in Kobe, actually." Noire proceeded to ask her what happened. "One of my homegals been acting really weird lately and I'm sweating cats about her. She keeps so busy that she usually doesn't see us. But recently I caught her in some kinda skimpy goth outfit and she fled, seemingly upset and now won't even answer my texts. Usually Sheeks is real open about things, but I bet she got embarrassed because she keeps her cosplay hobbies a secret. I wanna let her know it's okay, but how can I?"

"So that's why you were so open with me about the costume." Noire said.

Shizue nodded, "Like, we shouldn't have to be embarrassed about things we love. Why keep it to yourself when you can share with others? But that's why I'm out here. Shoppin' away to keep my mind off my worries. You said you were also stress shopping, yeah?"

"Um… Y-yeah, I'm stress shopping. My friends and I got lost and I'm trying to regroup with them. But it's just been one thing after another. Does your nation have trouble with-…" Noire began sniffing, the sweet scent of sugar mixed with fried batter tickled her nose. "What is that?"

"Sounds like we're near Kotochika's! They totally have the gnarliest Karinto around! Come on, why don't we try some and we'll chat over that, kay?" Shizue winked.

"I… guess it wouldn't hurt to try something new. And I am getting a little hungry. Sure, why not?" Noire then joined Shizue, walking around, trying out various foods, and touring even more shops. At one point, the girls stopped by a park bench in the middle of the street, giggling and showing each other the clothes they purchased. But as Noire laid down one high quality designer brand after another, Shizue gradually grew more quiet at Noire's seemingly deep coffers.

"And that's the last of them, why not show me yours, Shizue?" Noire asked, but Shizue noticed a rather ragged men's suit with slashes along the front in the bottom of Noire's bag, which she did not bring out. "Um… Shizue? Hello?"

Shizue shook her head looking straight at Noire, "Huh?! Oh, fer shuh!" Taking out her clothes, eyeing Noire's supposed 'empty' bag with suspicion. "By the way, Noire… erm… are you sure you're not forgetting somethin', girlfriend?"

"What do you mean?" Noire asked. Shizue proceeded to point at the bag with the tattered suit. "Oh, you mean… this thing? You got me, I sometimes have a tendency to genderbend cosplay. Hehehe… heh."

"But like, why not buy it new instead of grabbin' somethin' so barf me out grody? It looks like it was worn into battle."

"Iii… sometimes like to purchase used goods… I like things that have a bit of authenticity to them." Noire grinned, a large sweatdrop forming from her head.

"Like, yeah right. That thing looks like you threw it into a meat grinder like 20 years after you bought it." Shizue remarked. "And… you realize most people will spend a month's worth of pay on even half of what you purchased today. Those are some serious designer brands, homegal."

"They… are?" Noire squeaked. She could feel her heart thumping in her chest as she began to sweat deeply. Shizue asked if she was okay, "Y-y-yeah! Totally! I am like, totally fine!"

"Sooo, can I see it?" Noire began internally panicking as Shizue asked, when she felt a sudden pulsating energy in the distance. Wait. Is that… share energy? Noire then stood up, still feeling the slight hint of share energy in the distance. "I'm sorry, Shizue, I remembered I have someone I need to meet!"

"Noire? But I thought you totes told me that you got separated from your frien-…"

Noire hastily shoved all the clothes she bought into the bag before running off. "Thanks for everything, Shizue! I'll see ya around!"

"NOIRE!" Shizue called out, but Noire ran off. "Ugh! So mental! But just what was with that girl? She's not mixed up with any trouble, I hope." Shizue sat on the bench, pondering when she noticed in the TV of a local store display a newscast of a mysterious black hole appearing on Awaji Island.


As harsh winds began swooping an injured Katsuragi off her feet, Compa tackled her into a corner, holding her down. Hibari, Yagyu, Kiriya, Suzuki, Komichi and the Crimson girls were all thrown up against the wall, the intense vacuum practically binding their arms like chains. Suzuki managed to fight the pressure enough to grab Suraku, keeping him from being sucked away. Books, shelves, chairs, vases, and tables all began lifting off the ground as the black hole began eating away at the outer walls of the building. Pieces of debris from the previous brawl battered their faces when suddenly an end table struck Murasame and Ikaruga, sending them up into the clouds.

"No! Murasame! Ikaruga!" Yomi shouted, their screams trailing off into the distance. Komichi cursed in upset as Katsuragi began hyperventilating with eyes trembling. A sudden large chunk of bricks flew from the wall, separating Kat, Compa, Yagyu, and Hibari to one side and Kiriya, the Crimson Girls and the remaining Gokudo boys on the other as a violent wind funneled through the area.

An injured Kenshi struggled to keep his balance as he started to slip towards the opening. Suzuki tried to lend one hand but was still holding onto Suraku. Yomi attempted to scoot along the wall, but was nearly swept up by the blast herself, prompting Homura to grab her friend. Just as he nearly began to slide over the edge, Kenshi felt Hikage's hand gripping his. "Not… letting go… papa."

"I don't… know if I can make it, little Hikki." Kenshi uttered.

"You will." Hikage replied.

"She's right! You have to, Oyabun!" Komichi said, grabbing onto Hikage so that she wouldn't also be swept away.

Hikage could feel Kenshi's grip slipping from her's as his body began to dangle from the opening. She grabbed onto him with her other hand; fingernails digging into his arms in desperation. She called back to Komichi, telling him to pull them back. Despite her squeezing fingers, Kenshi's hands slipped further and further through her's until the next thing she knew, her hands emptied. Kenshi shrunk from Hikage's view into the darkness, leaving a void of emptiness behind in his wake.


Ikaruga and Murasame rolled against the outer bricks of a chimney, which provided a wind shield from the intense gale. With their backs to the chimney, Ikaruga yelled over the wind, "Can you see anything!?"

Murasame slowly scooted over, peeking his head around towards the black hole. Murasame's yell followed the sudden crumbling of bricks, flying towards the black hole. Quickly shuffling over to the broken edges of the chimney, Ikaruga reached out, grabbing the sickle end of Murasame's chain, which came flying, trying to hook onto something. Ikaruga grappled with the chain, feeling like Murasame's weight dangling in the wind would near pull her arms out. "I got you!" Ikaruga slowly began wrestling against a swinging chain, gripping it so hard the steel practically dug into her palms.

The slightest slip into a windy spot, sent Ikaruga onto her rear. The chain wrapping around her leg, leaving a long scratch, tearing open a thin river of red down her right leg. Recoiling in pain, she grabbed onto a nearby pipe. Unable to grasp the chain properly, the weight of Murasame in the wind stretched her already bleeding leg, the biggest battle now against her tiring arms to pull both of them up. Dread began to cloud Ikaruga's racing mind, fingers trembling in fear, when Murasame called out to her.

"Ikaruga! Tell the boys… They meant so much to me…" Ikaruga gasped, looking down at Murasame. "But one of us has to survive… I hope one day you can forgive your blinded brother."

The weight on Ikaruga's leg nearly diminished as Ikaruga's eyes widened in horror, crying out his name. Murasame quickly shrank smaller and smaller into the abyss until she could see no more. Pulling herself back up behind the remainder of the chimney, Ikaruga let out an exhale. Though the weight that strained her nearly to her death had reprieved, a new weight began settling in with strains just as painful.


Small debris scattered across the library floor as the winds had died down. Picking themselves up, solemnity permeated the air. "All that… for nothing?" Kat growled.

"I can't believe… our brothers are gone." Suzuki's eyes began to droop.

Yomi began shedding tears, which quickly spread to Hibari, Suraku, Compa, and several others. Komichi sent his fist into the destroyed desk. "Dammit! I'm the one who should have died before the Oyabun."

Homura walked over to Hikage, holding out her hand, but Hikage simply sat on her knees, looking at the ground. "I… finally found one other… only… to lose them too. Why do I feel like… it's my fault?"

"You did all you could, Hikage." Homura placed a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder.

"I want to cry… but I can't. Why. Why am I like this, Homura? Why can't I be like the rest of you and let that sadness for my loved ones leak from me? It isn't fair." But despite her tone, Hikage began to frown, her hand clenching into a fist as she stood up. "First Hinata… Now Kenshi… why… why can't I…" Hikage then kicked a broken piece of wooden end table, which caught everyone's attention. Hikage looked around at the others, their tear-stained faces almost feeling judgmental. "I'm sorry I can't be as emotional! I'm upset too! I promise!" Hikage spouted quickly before taking off running.

Finding the nearest bathroom, Hikage ran in, looking into a mirror. Taking her fingers, she squeezed her eyes open before letting them slide back to normal. For the first time, the 'nothing' she so often felt from her own reflection began filling her with an unexplainable frustration. She shook her head, biting her lips before sending her open palm across her cheek. Hikage trembled, biting her lips even more as she proceeded with another slap. Then another; and another.

Before she could do it again, a sudden hand grabbed her wrist as she looked back to see Homura. "It's not your fault, Hikage. Smacking yourself isn't gonna do anything."

"That's not it, Homura." Hikage said, as a limping Katsuragi hobbled into the bathroom. "I lost him after all this time I forgot him… I lost two parent figures now and I'm so emotionless I can't even cry about it! I just feel nothing like I always have!"

"Yet you're showing more than I've ever seen you show before." Kat replied with a slight smile.

"This is upsetting for all of us, Hikage. Just because you don't show it, doesn't mean you aren't." Homura replied. Hikage looked up, to which Katsu nodded. Hikage dropped her head, a singular tear dripping from her snake eyes as she leaned against the bathroom wall, to which Homura and Katsuragi gathered around, placing empathetic hands on her.

Just then, the door to the bathroom squeaked open, Hibari's voice calling out. "Girls! Something's happening with that black hole out there!"


Yumi and MAGES. lie down in the grass, the latter speaking up. "I am afraid, assistant, that I am the bearer of bad news today. That anomaly was some kind of wormhole; we now have an army of monsters headed straight for us. For even one as mad as me to not see this. I am most ashamed."

Battered and exhausted, Yumi's eyes stayed fixated on the skies. "So this is how it ends. I still have so many questions. I wish I could have seen the others once more." The footsteps of the approaching monsters were like a thousand raging drums, unorganized and wild.

"I… cannot allow such a tragedy… to befall science and magic!" MAGES. managed to make herself roll over on her back, looking out towards some approaching pixelvaders and clyde ghosts and waving her staff at them like a club. "Loohcs tneve emag noitamina cisum!"

Yumi turned her head over to hear MAGES. call out her strange chant once again. "MAGES. What are you doing? Wait, are those yoma-… AH!" Yumi shrieked as a red Dogoo leapt upon her. Blushing in embarrassment, she winced as it's oozy body began squeezing between her rack. Attempting to blast it off with ice, she yelled out as an orb-like Bit bot shot a laser at her hand before she could finish.

MAGES. rolled over, pointing her staff out towards Yumi's attacker. "Yumi! Loochs tneve emag noitamin-… Urh!" One of the Pixelvaders struck MAGES. knocking her over and disarming her. MAGES. looked up to see a big blue Shoebill bird, with glowing golden eyes and red fur strolling towards her. Barely able to raise her arm above her face, MAGES. winced when the Shoebill and the other creatures around it screamed.

MAGES. witnessed a girl in a light-yellow sweater, wielding glowing green twin wakizashi, and thrusting herself into MAGES.' attackers before turning her attention toward's Yumi's, performing a spinning dance of death. Yumi then called out the girl's name, whom MAGES. picked out as Asuka. "I'll ask you what happened, later, Yumi! We need to get you and your friend to safety!" She ordered.

Asuka quickly threw shurikens towards another horde of the monstrous creatures. Leaping into the air, she brought her swords down a flowery Alraune, which tried to swipe at her with it's sharp, pedal like dress. Several Gokudo boys came running out after Asuka. "Take those two to the nurse's room and don't get any ideas!"

"Hey! Who put you in charge?!" one of the boys shouted.

"Because… because we're all in trouble! Are you gonna help or are you gonna let 'some girl' do all the work while you cower from these creatures?! You call yourselves shinobi!?" Asuka panted, in disbelief at the tone she took.

One boy stepped forward, then another, when finally a third looked back and said. "She's right. Get the wounded inside. Be they shinobi or yoma, we won't let our home be further defiled!"

Yumi gave a weak smile, hearing Asuka's words when MAGES. said, "The doors of fate stone… once again smile down upon the mad magician. You are a paragon of magic, Asuka." Yumi sweatdropped. Even when injured, she really is something else.

A squadron of select boys stood beside Asuka as a horde of yoma-like creatures moved in on them. With weapons drawn, she instructed them to wait, much to the boys consternation. "Are you nuts?!" they cried. "They'll be on top of us before we can react!"

"There's a reason I'm doing this! Just follow my lead." Asuka replied as she waited. The stomps and jumps of the monsters practically shook the ground they stood on, the yoma-yellow glow of their pupils growing ever more visible as the horde began to circle around in an attempt to surround them. Asuka then raised her hand to the sky. "Now! Shinobi Kekkai!" along with the boys beside her, the Hanzo ninja took a decent portion of the horde with her.


Ikaruga leaned up against the bricks of the shattered chimney. The silencing of the winds only serving to further amplify the death weighing down on Ikaruga's soul. Her eyes dropped into her hands and her heart pouring out anguish into them. Her hands then gripped Hien tightly, as though she knew it was the last thing Murasame had touched before his demise.

A pulse of energy and Ikaruga immediately detected a Kekkai in the area. Using Hien to get to her knees, she looked beyond towards the black hole. Strange creatures approached on the horizon, emitting a yoma like energy. Ikaruga felt an unusual sense of anger in her, prompting her fingers to grip Hien's hilt, drawing it and holding it forward, standing on top of what remained of the chimney. Beams of sunlight glimmered through the dense clouds to flicker off Hien in a blinding glimmer as though to angrily puncture the darkness that took her brother. "For Murasame!"