Walking on the ocean floor was a surreal experience. The denizens of the enormous kelp forest along the coastline dart in and out of the leafy greens as a force of 25 FranXX slowly make their way along the seabed. The wildlife are not quite what you'd expected, but are still impressive nonetheless. Fish that had been documented before the collapse as less than a foot long now grow over five.
"This is unbelievable," Delphinium whispers.
It's hard not to agree with her. The rays of the setting sun dance against the surface just a short distance above and illuminate the forest, making some of the plants translucent.
As the light fades the scene becomes much more eerie. Large shadows are cast by the sea flora and they quickly block out what few rays remain. Darkness sets in, creating a cold and unforgiving world. Delphinium's internal monitors switch to low light mode, which is enough to provide a relative understanding of the surroundings but not much further.
Suddenly the screen goes dark and the FranXX's senses jump to high alert.
"What was that?" she asks.
Looking up, the outlines of several large creatures swimming in formation pass over. The pod of whales is enough to temporarily block what little light remains at this depth and also subsequently blind Delphinium as they pass. Other FranXX are stopped as well to observe the world's biggest mammals, which too have grown in size from the records. Perhaps the result of cleaner oceans without human interference. Perhaps because of the Klaxosaurs that made their home in the depths of the sea. Regardless, everything about the ocean is much more grand than it should be.
"You seem jumpy today," you say to your partner.
Delphinium huffs. "I wonder why that is?"
Now it's your turn to roll your eyes. The question had been simple but Ichigo had still turned it into a debate.
"The girls?" you offer. "The mission? Our future?"
Delphinium spreads aside the kelp before her like a curtain, creating a gap for herself and those behind her. Argentum marches through the overgrowth, ripping and tearing it from her way while her sister gracefully navigates between the stalks with more precision than any other Stampede Division pistil.
"The girls," she answers.
You exhale. "They'll be fine, love. Argentum and Aurum won't leave our side and they make a perfect team. Nothing will get through them."
"It just bothers me that we're sending children into battle," Delphinium states.
"You mean it bothers you that we're sending your children into battle," you correct her.
The image of the FranXX eyes you. "Our children."
"Your children, my daughters, our kids, does it really matter what we say?" you ask.
A whistle draws each of your attention to a panel on the front monitor. The remaining air levels of the cockpit have plummeted. It's no surprise, given that the force had been dropped some thirty miles south and hadn't gone up for air since. You had then walked the length to the facility, which should be just about under siege by Valkrya and majority of the rebel forces at this moment.
A quick glance at the HUD's map and accompanying mission clock verifies that the second force is on target and on time.
"Looks like we made it," you say to no one in particular.
Delphinium begins to walk inland and the rest of the battalion follows suit.
Over the general comm, you address your comrades.
"Everyone, this is going to be our toughest fight yet. Our friends have already been fighting up there for half an hour, shedding blood, sweat, and tears to breach the walls of that facility. They're counting on us to deliver a decisive blow and crush the enemy. Go into battle determined and willing to die, and you shall live. Wish to survive the battle and you will surely meet death. This is for our future! Be brave! Be strong! Hold nothing back!"
Delphinium breaks the surface of the waves as you finish rousing the troops. From her position at the head of the formation it is easy to survey the empty coastline and the mountain rage behind it. Two miles separate the beach from the perimeter wall. Those two miles could hold any amount of traps, and if something had gone wrong with Valkyra's assault the aquatic battalion would be mowed down before ever reaching the battlements.
Information from Freya floods into Delphinium's HUD, bringing her pilots up to speed on the situation and what defenses they could expect in a matter of seconds. Automated turrets, manned cannons, riflemen, and Tesla traps. VIRM was too heavily occupied with Freya to control all the turrets and had focused so much of its processing power on the main assault that it couldn't hope to fire a shot in your direction. Likewise, the defenders of the wall had been recalled by the commander of the facility to hold back the first wave in the north. The traps would be triggered regardless, but if the rebels moved fast enough then the arming time would prevent them from being useful.
"Charge!" Delphinium shouts.
As she surges forward her body begins to morph into her famous Heirax overdrive. After no more than three steps she has already begun to gain altitude, and by five Delphinium's heels no longer touch the ground as she propels herself forward.
As expected, tesla pylons shoot up from beneath the earth when the strike force crosses over the one mile perimeter. Thanks to Freya's warning they are easily avoided by the fast and nimble Stampede units and their handlers. Of the 20 FranXX and six bestial units, none are caught by the arcing bolts.
With the wall unmanned it is trivial for the attackers to scale it. Those that are unable to wait below. Delphinium had been the first over the wall, using her thrusters to propel herself up and over to the empty gatehouse. Rather than waste time disembarking to override the controls manually, the blue FranXX crushes the gatehouse underfoot. The system fails from the lack of power and the south gate creaks open.
The remainder of her force files through the gate while Delphinium surveys the carnage. A plume of black smoke rolls from a crashed gunship that had taken out a portion of the outer wall, and the defenders fire into the facility rather than out of it. Valkyra's battalion isn't visible due to the obstructive cloud of dust and debris emanating from the inner wall, which has a noticeable chunk missing from it as well. Valkyra hasn't answered any of Delphinium's hails which is worrying, but Kana and Kyo were strong, giving you faith that she was simply too busy or that VIRM was blocking the transmissions.
You open your mouth to give an order when a voice pierces the sounds of combat. It sends a chill down your spine and your eyes snap to the direction from which it came.
"OMEGA!"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
VIRM notes a small sense of satisfaction after the rebel AI had been expelled from its system. For their first real encounter with one another, she had proved to be less capable than originally expected. Perhaps Freya hadn't been designed for the same purpose it had been and simply modified herself to the best of her ability to fulfil the need that had arisen.
The program's microseconds of thought are interrupted by a sort of tap on its virtual shoulder. A golden female dressed in the garb of a Viking shieldmaiden awaits it.
"Quarantining yourself to the local network to keep me out," the figure muses. "Not a bad idea. You cut yourself off from APE by doing so, however. I guess you'll have to hope your distress calls will be answered."
Freya begins to walk away, her body fragmenting into bits of code.
"It's unfortunate you were unable to keep me out in the first place. I did warn you not to take your eyes off me, but you didn't listen."
The AI looks over her shoulder and smiles before fully disappearing.
"Tsk. Oh well, it's too late. You'll never be rid of me now."
For several cycles VIRM pauses, trying to understand what Freya had meant by her ghost's words. She was locked out of the system and had no method of getting back in. The messages sent to APE HQ were received and their responses had come in without issue.
The answer comes as a warning from a subroutine. Physical space on the system was rapidly being filled by something. Filling up memory and disk space, an unknown program was replicating at an alarming rate. As long as enough space remained in the system, the routine would continue to run. No doubt this was the event that the AI had been referring to. As the amount of space the program is using grows, a chorus of the same voice becomes deafening.
VIRM quickly drafts up a spider crawling algorithm to deal with this annoyance, but upon implementation it isn't fast enough. More broken copies of Freya are created than can be removed by the crawler. The sudden increase in performance usage served to bog down VIRM's systems, decreasing its speed, control and reaction time over its defenses.
This infuriates the VI. Freya had outsmarted it. She knew she couldn't win in a battle for cyberspace and instead used underhanded tactics to trick the superior program.
The processing power allotted to the spider crawler is increased. This pesky replication program would be purged. Control of the system belonged solely to VIRM, and once it was restored then the rebels that plagued this facility would be eradicated.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"OMEGA!"
The voice causes your blood to run cold. There was only one person on this earth who would call you that with such determination, and you'd hoped to never see her again.
"I guess it was too much to ask that she die in a freak accident," Delphinium snarls.
You begin to issue orders as Ichigo's feelings of hatred creep into your consciousness. "Everyone, the Nines are in play. Enact plan Delta-2. First Company, we have confirmation on the presence of the Second Class. Repeat, the Nines are here."
"Roger that, we'll keep our eyes peeled," the voice of Gladiolus replies.
Why Valkyra still hadn't responded, you aren't sure. It paints a less than encouraging picture, however. Kana and Kyo were the heart of the First Company, and if something happened to them then morale would take a huge hit.
Psi had been speaking all the while, but listening to her ravings was something that held little value. The usual rhetoric about her love for you and how she intended to stage a rescue to save you from Ichigo's clutches are broadcast to all. It's enough to make you embarrassed but there is no doubt Psi doesn't feel any shame.
Upon climbing the second wall, the location of your former partner and her squad is revealed. Standing in a courtyard just off the cargo elevator, the Second Class of Nines wait for the final members to ascend. To the left and right are clusters of buildings that can easily be recognized as the barracks, medical facility, and hangars. The large elevator was currently defensively positioned at the bottom of the shaft, preventing the rebels entry into the rest of the facility.
In addition to the elites, the defenders of the final sector are 30 FranXX that had been held in reserve. Their armaments range from the upgraded halberds to massive sledgehammers. The latter would be capable of posing the first real threat to the heavy units of the First Company. Each shield could stand up to the impact of the giant hammers, but the force transmitted through the arm holding it would be more than enough to cause significant internal damage and render the appendage useless.
While the number advantage might belong to the rebels at a roughly two-to-one margin, the static emplacements certainly helped to even the odds. Each cannon was built on a swivel mount, allowing it to fire into the facility as well as out of it. However, being on the innermost layer did come with the benefit of not being shelled from both sides, which is a welcome change of pace.
"There you are! You've come home!" Psi shouts.
Delphinium drops to ground below, her voice a snarl as the mech raises her swords. "She's mine."
The members of the Second Company had been selected specifically for dealing with the Nines. Each FranXX was handpicked by yourself and Ichigo to combat APE's special forces, based on their weaponry and the aptitude of the pilots. Doctor Franxx had been kind enough to reveal what was capable of getting through the armor worn by each of the elite mechs, which greatly aided in the selection. The Stampede Division had also been included for their unique method of fighting, which the Nines would be unfamiliar with.
Second Company fans out in anticipation of the engagement. At 25 units to seven they possess an advantage in numbers, and separating the Nines from one another as much as possible would potentially limit their ability to work together. They were more than a match for a single rebel at a time, but no one could look in two directions at once.
Delphinium squares off with Psi in the center of the courtyard near the cargo elevator, Argentum and Aurum at her heels.
"I want you to know," the mech hisses at her opponent, "I've been looking forward to our rematch."
Psi is reminiscent of a caged animal as she speaks, her voice full of malice and hatred. "I will tear your arms from your body and feed them to the dogs so they may choke on your bones! Omega is mine! I will take him from your cold, dead hands!"
The flash of pure rage that courses through you from Ichigo makes her earlier one seem like a single spark compared to an entire forest lit aflame.
"Don't lose control," you warn her, trying not to curb her emotions but direct them. "We're going to beat her, but you have to stay focused."
Through heavy breaths she gives her reply, "I'm ready… don't… hold back."
"Psi, I'll give you one chance to stop all this madness and surrender peacefully. We can get you help, maybe even cure you. Please, you were my partner once, I don't want to kill you." There's no doubt what her answer will be, but you feel it necessary to try. The poor, broken girl deserves that much.
"Omega!" she shouts with one hand placed over her chest, the tone of anger having been replaced by pure joy. "My love, I am here. To hear you say such sweet, sweet words fills my heart with butterflies. We will be reunited soon!"
Bark! Bark!
Aurum yips at the Nine's FranXX as she begins to nudge closer. Her silver twin begins to circle out the to left while the golden hound remains by Delphinium's side.
"Be careful, angel," you caution her over a private line. "Look for an opening but don't force one."
Psi covers half the distance between Delphinium and herself before stopping. She watches Argentum several hundred yards to her right before adopting a fighting stance and waiting for Delphinium to come for her. The blue and white mech obliges, making her way toward her foe.
From just outside of arm's reach a skirmish begins. Psi thrusts with her spear, which the lithe Delphinium dodges. Delphinium in turn swings her swords in a wide arc only for Psi to backflip out of harm's way. The two are testing one another, probing for weaknesses in the defense of their opponent to ensure the highest chance of victory.
After several minutes of back and forth, the real battle begins.
Delphinium takes the initiative and propels herself forward with a burst from her jets. Psi deflects her blade as it slides along the shaft of her spear, narrowly missing her head. At the same time she jabs with her opposite hand, hoping to catch the blue mech off guard. Her strike is stopped dead in its tracks by the armored kneepad Delphinium has adopted for the engagement.
This leaves the two FranXX tangled together for a brief time. Delphinium's heavy breathing and Psi's barely contained rage are evident on the faces of the machines.
"I'm going to kill you and all your rebel friends!" Psi proclaims. "Then I shall bathe in a river of tears and blood!"
"Will you just shut the fuck up?!" Delphinium shouts as she manages to free herself.
More blows are exchanged without a clear advantage gained. Delphinium uses her speed to avoid Psi's heavier blows, while Psi herself is unable to be harmed by Delphinium's weapons.
While the mechs have been occupied with one another, Argentum has found the opening she was looking for. Psi's back is completely turned, and the canine's jagged, razor-sharp fangs were one of the few weapons capable of hurting the Nine. She bounds forward toward her target as drops of magma fuel fall from her open maw, sizzling against the earth.
With her inhuman sense of hearing, Psi knows Argentum is coming long before she sees her. To protect herself the FranXX delivers a hasty strike at Delphinium's core, requiring both her swords to catch the spear. This is followed by a knee to the groin. A blow with such force is enough to leave the blue mech in a state of disarray momentarily.
Psi drops her hand spears and turns to face her new attacker. Argentum leaps while baring her fangs, only for Psi to catch her. Raising the squirming dog above her head, Psi hurls her at the still recovering Delphinium. Both master and dog collide and fall to the ground in a heap.
Before there is any time to rest, a golden blur latches itself onto Psi's left arm. Annoyance flushes through her. Lifting her left arm causes the attached beast to stand on her hind legs, revealing her soft underbelly. With her spears still embedded in the dirt, the Nine balls a fist and delivers a punch to the animal's ribcage.
Aurum yelps and releases Psi, but not without tearing a hole in the nanoweave armor she wears. To atone for this sin Psi plucks one of her spears from the earth and hurls it at the canine. It pierces her side and another yelp of pain can be heard.
The satisfaction is short-lived as something much heavier crashes into Psi. Delphinium has recovered and thrown herself at the larger FranXX to prevent a further attack on the hound. Psi finds herself taken to the ground with Delphinium on top of her.
"Stay away from my daughters you bitch!"
With her arms covering her face, Psi is in no immediate danger as she looks for the solution to the problem. That is until Delphinium begins to use the rockets in her arms to assist with the assault. One punch narrowly misses her head, and chunks of earth are sent flying from the newly created crater.
To free herself, Psi pulls her legs up and wraps them around Delphinium's neck. Flicking back is enough to throw the mech off her. Delphinium rolls to her feet and stabilizes herself with some assistance from her boosters.
Both FranXX retrieve their weapons and focus solely on one another. The tear in the weave on Psi's left arm is much larger now, having propagated under Delphinium's assault. That makes it her primary target.
Psi clearly realizes this as well and puts her right side forward protectively. She repeats the fanning motion with her only spear to deter any attacks as the two circle.
Nearby, Argentum has found her way to her injured sister. Aurum is struggling to stand, with the spear Psi had thrown lodged in her side just above where it meets her leg. To end her sister's suffering, the silver hound grips the shaft of the spear with her mouth and yanks it free. Aurum flinches as her sister licks her wound but stands nonetheless. Their mother and father are fighting for their lives and they will not miss their chance to help.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
While Delphinium and her two canine companions engage Psi, another battle rages close by. Argentea and her partner for the operation, a FranXX called Terraria piloted by a polite blue-haired girl going by 067 and wielding a greataxe, have been locked in combat with the FranXX piloted by Nines Sigma and Tau.
Despite their rapid training together only being two weeks long, the teamwork between the two units has been nothing short of exceptional. Argentea's lack of reach was covered by Terraria, while the more agile FranXX could make life hard for their common foe with her close quarters style of fighting.
Tau's FranXX carries a scythe of immense proportion. The weapon itself is taller than the unit who wields it and is equipped with a blunt piece opposite the blade. With the dark grey and black color scheme of the FranXX, it almost resembles the Grim Reaper.
"You know," Sigma says as his FranXX prepares for battle, "it's been some time since we last fought a decent opponent. You know, please try not to disappoint."
Terraria leads the assault, using her greataxe to keep Tau's attention. Argentea attempts to assist, but unfortunately she is held at bay by the lightning fast reflexes of the Nines. Tau can block an overhead swing from Terraria on instant and be ready to cleave Argentea the next, forcing the latter to carefully pick her engagements.
This game of back and forth continues for several minutes without either side gaining a clear advantage. That changes, however, when the verdant green and white mech misjudges where Tau was going to strike next. Expecting another cleave, Terraria holds the shaft of the greataxe with her hands shoulder width apart to catch the blow.
Sigma instead directs the scythe to fall from a horizontal cleave to an upwards diagonal arc. Terraria has no time to react as the crescent shaped blade cuts through the reinforced steel of her right forearm like a hot knife through butter. The one handed mech screams and hunches over, clutching at the stump.
Tau is ready to deliver a coup de grace to the injured unit when Argentea intervenes. Tau has no choice but to use the scythe to protect herself instead of finishing her opponent and barely manages to catch the pink FranXX's claws on the between the steel bar.
Miku presses the assault, headbutting the slightly taller mech before delivering a roundhouse kick to the side. Instead of hitting Tau's side Argentea kicks her hand, causing it to release the scythe. It is impossible to wield the weapon effectively with only one hand, so Sigma opts to drop the terrifyingly large tool and engage Argentea in hand to hand combat.
Here, the rebel FranXX gains a slight advantage. The two are almost evenly matched in terms of skill and agility, but the claws of Argentea's gauntlets gives her the edge she needs to put the Nines on the defensive.
Right straight, deflected. Left hook, sidestep. High knee, nanoweave armor. Their movements are hard to track with the speed and precision shared by both combatants. As the duel continues Argentea shows no sign of slowing down, but she isn't making any headway either.
What it takes to break the stalemate is a herculean effort from Terraria. Despite losing more of her precious magma fuel each second, the FranXX drags her greataxe through the dirt toward the pair. When she is close enough she leans back, shifting all her weight to the left side before throwing it back on her right leg. With this momentum she is able to swing the bladed weapon over her head at the exact position Argentea had been leading Tau.
The force behind the strike is enough to knock the Nine from her feet and embed the axe in her armor. Terraria gives a weak smile to Argentea.
"Don't worry," the pink FranXX begins to reassure her, "we'll get you–"
Before Miku can finish she is shoved aside. Terraria cries out as her axe is returned to her by being implanted in her chest. By the time Argentea has rolled back to her feet, Sigma and Tau are standing over the green and white mech after having retrieved their scythe.
"You know," Sigma says, "they say death comes for all living creatures. You know, I guess today just happened to be your day."
With a perfect golf swing Tau's scythe cleaves the heavy mech in two at the waist. No sound escapes the lips of the doomed unit, its pistil having died instantly from the feedback loop between FranXX and pilots.
The sight of her ally's blank stare enrages Argentea and she launches herself at Tau. A beast unleashed, the nimble FranXX claws and tears at the crack Terraria's axe had created in Tau's breastplate. Pieces chip and fall away as the Nine struggles to keep up with her opponent while maintaining hold of her scythe.
Finally, Sigma finds an opening to strike with another horizontal cleave. Argentea executes a backbend into a backflip to dodge and retaliates by springing forward at Tau's knees. This leads to a well-timed high knee from the standing FranXX that cracks against the pink mech's skull and she falls to the ground.
A foot is placed on Argentea's neck, inhibiting her movement. The pinned FranXX claws at the boot, trying to free herself. Tau looms over her casting a dark shadow, her red eyes standing out against the otherwise dark contours of her faceplace.
A final effort is made by Argentea to escape, bucking her hips while simultaneously pushing herself into a backbend. Tau's heel slips momentarily, releasing the pressure for a moment only for it to come to rest on Argentea's sternum. The Nine kicks down hard, driving her heel with enough force to place a dent in her captive's breastplate and slam her back into the dirt. Argentea is trapped by the reaper and no matter how hard she tries, she's not getting away.
"Your… day… too," a female voice stutters. Tau raises the scythe's blunt head above her and brings it down. There is a terrible crashing noise as Argentea's faceplate shatters and her head partially collapses.
"Miku!"
"Zorome!"
Tau removes the scythe to see a red and white winged FranXX with gold accents rocketing toward her at top speed. "Stre-lit-zi-a."
Strelitzia's wings tear into Tau from behind as one FranXX lifts another into the air. She continues forward, focusing on digging her skeletal wings further and further into the flesh of Tau's back.
Strelitzia's team of fliers has been slow to battle, first needing to remove the hidden sniper teams VIRM had stationed in the mountains. That delay had cost her friends dearly, and Zero Two's hatred boils. She will make the Nines pay for what they've done.
Just as the entangled pair reach the cargo elevator, Tau manages to connect a jab with her right fist. The momentary surprise felt by Strelitzia allows Sigma to free the pair by pushing off Strelitzia with her legs, though the timing was slightly off. Instead of overshooting the elevator shaft and landing beside Psi who was still fighting Delphinium, they had instead perfectly aligned themselves to be dropped down the gaping hole.
The trip, wrought of their own volition, gives Sigma and Tau precious seconds to think about their mistake on their way to the hard ground somewhere below.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Meanwhile, Psi and Delphinium have made the battle anew. While Psi's spears were designed to be used in one hand they are still long enough that two can be placed on the shaft, allowing Psi to use it in a more traditional manner even if it's shorter than she'd like. Her training preached adaptation for any situation, and that any weapon was hers to command.
Jab, dodge, thrust, parry. The sounds of metal on metal emanate from the clash between leaders. Psi continually keeps her left side out of Delphinium's reach, making it harder and harder to bring things to an end.
Finally, it becomes time for Delphinium to use her newest weapon to turn the tide. The lines connecting Delphinium's swords to her magma fuel reserves and an additional tank of something special open and mix, the fuel flooding into the dual weapons. Both blades spark before bursting into flame. The drops falling from them don't fizzle out upon hitting the ground like typical magma weapons should, instead continuing to burn the earth itself with no sign of stopping.
Psi is rightfully cautious of this new weapon, backing away to distance herself until she can learn more. Delphinium notices this hesitation on the part of her opponent and uses it to press home her advantage. With sweeping strikes, she forces Psi back toward the elevator until she is standing at the edge. With Argentum and Aurum on either side she is well and truly stuck between a rock and a hard place.
"She's cornered," Delphinium smiles.
You bite your lip. "That's what worries me."
For whatever reason Psi simply extends her empty hand in the direction of Delphinium.
"What is she–ack!"
A lance of pain shoots through Delphinium as alarms blare. Something has pierced the small of her back, Psi's missing spear.
The Nine leaps at the opportunity she has created using the magnetic retrieval system of the spear and jumps high into the air. Leveling her spear at Delphinium's chest she completes the front flip and prepares to strike the final blow. Just before she arrives, Delphinium's legs give out. This causes the strike to pass through Delphinium's left shoulder instead and sever the tendons to the appendage.
Psi curses her luck before the smell of burning metal catches her attention. She had long since disabled all alarms her FranXX might provide, choosing to rely on her own senses instead, but this is the sole time it has turned out to be a mistake.
Delphinium has used her good arm to push the tip of her remaining blade into Psi's abdomen. This is made possible by the flames licking the sword, a mixture of magma fuel and a terrifying substance called chlorine trifluoride.
The heat builds in seconds as Psi realizes the source of the putrid fumes are from her own burning FranXX. Her mech has been lit aflame by whatever trick Delphinium has pulled and she tries desperately to put it out. The fire continues to spread rapidly, as her armor might be resistant to a magma blade but it wasn't fireproof. Klaxosaurs never used flames, only acid, so there was no reason to harden it against such a thing.
"This isn't over!" Psi shouts, picking Delphinium up by the throat and trudging toward the opening in the earth. The mech struggles to free herself, waving her good arm and legs to no avail.
Psi holds Delphinium over the precipice. Somewhere below is the rest of the facility, but there is no telling how far she would fall before hitting the hard ground.
Despite her own terrible state, Psi still has only one thing on her mind.
"Give Omega to me!"
With the last of her fleeting fuel reserves Delphinium fires her thrusters one more time. The blue and white FranXX completes her most famous maneuver, propelling herself up and over Psi's head to land behind her. Psi shrieks in pain as her right arm, weakened by the engulfing flame, is severed and falls into the abyss.
"I told you," Delphinium says, driving her sword into Psi's back and resting her head on the taller unit's shoulder. "Stay away from my husband."
Seconds before Psi falls into the elevator shaft, another of the Nines is hurled down it by a flash of red and gold. You pay it no mind, watching the still-burning FranXX with Delphinium's blade in her back fall into the darkness. Her arm is outstretched and her final words call out to you.
"Omega!"