The dawn after the battle. The life fibers on the battlefield have vanished - vaporated into tiny little cells, rising to the sky. The Nudist Beach fighters that fell in combat have been given a funeral. And with them, possibly the last true life fiber threat.

All of this leaves a bittersweet note for Ryuko, while everyone around her is celebrating. With Mako, she walks through the ruined city, and the fields of the city - wearing their usual clothes, just like everyone else. What's left in the city is taken with.

In one of these alleyways, Ryuko and Mako walk through, on their way to the Academy. Now that Ragyo is gone, there is no reason to uphold the disguise and tyranny of the island, hence the last preparations before everyone leaves Honno.

"Mako, I'll be honest... I don't think I will miss any of this."

"How do you feel now? I mean, you were in space, how cool is that!? I would have loved to be in space! I wonder how it's like to eat croquettes there!?"

"Haha, ain't so great, really. Surprised I didn't die there to choking - well, life fibers, I suppose."

"Now they are all gone..."

"Mhm. I wonder if that was everything."

"Mom said they'll come back... but honestly I feel like this was just a bluff. On the other hand, these things can come up with the wildest ways to surprise someone."

"You even ripped apart this Kamui from the skin."

"Yes."

"That was insane."

"Or something..." Ryuko answers and continues to walk through. On their way up to the gates, they stumble upon a few Nudist Beach members who bring away the remaining, destroyed life fibers. Among those life fibers is a pink bow. Ryuko doesn't mind it at all and passes by, but Mako stands still for a moment and looks at them.

"Mako, come."

She takes a few steps forward.

"Hey, Mako, what is it?" Ryuko asks confused and then notices the bow Mako gazes at.

"Glad this bitch's gone."

"... you know, she said Mama before she did it."

"So?"

"Do you think she..."

"I don't, Mako. Drop it." Ryuko orders, clearly displaying her persisting disdain. Mako nods, though she wanted to say more. She looks to the sky for a moment, sighs and moves on, as the life fibers behind her are being burned away. Now that they know with enough heat, they can be damaged, what is left of them will disappear soon too.

In the alleys of the lower city, fiends take whatever they can. Here and there, one can find clothes made of actual cloths and not alien material. All these lost houses are being raided. Life on Honno is coming to an end today.

On a tower relatively far away from the Academy, the evil Grand Couturier looks down to the humans - for now, she has retreated to gain strength and prepare a plan. The tower reaches high, up to the walls of Honnouji, yet it is a few kilometers away from it. Harime watches everything. Her focus is set on Ryuko who she can see with her eyes very well and clear - she's entering the Academy right now.

"Really hanging on your stupid little girlfriend, don't you, dear Ryuko?" she wonders curious and throws her gaze at Mako.

In the meantime, Nui crochets life fibers into new clones. Those life fibers are from herself - she can generate them in her body, after all. Next to her is a large needle blade - it might not be able to harm Ryuko and vice versa, though it's still dangerous enough for humans. Well, perhaps it's not in Nui's interest to physically harm Ryuko. After all, most damage has been dealt in Nui's head - it's a far higher tribute to take your own life in a desperate attempt to win than to lose your arms. And both her and Ryuko cannot kill each other. If anything, the only way to win is to break the other first. Nui knows that.

After a few minutes on the tower, Nui climbs down the ladder into a little room with additional life fibers. She seems to be experimenting with a few of her clones and continues the work there. At one point, she can hear some noises coming from Honnouji, but it doesn't sound like anything too interesting. It's possible the humans are just doing their own business again, Nui ain't gonna understand it anyway, so why bother? She has all the time in the world and some of the best plans take time.

A good hour or two passes until an explosion that wakes her interest, followed by something like an earthquake. Quickly, Nui climbs up the ladder again. She seems morbidly impressed as she notices Honnouji-Academy has been split into two and the islands ground is shattering, hearing a tender scream from Ryuko, saying she'd graduate from Ragyo. Whatever she said, it's bothering Nui.

The young psycho does notice however that, thanks to Ryuko's action the island sinking. She rolls with her eyes and goes back to the room where a single window allows the sun to shine into. There, she packs her gear into a little bag except for a piece of clothing that appears to be a skin, a disguise she used once, calling herself "Shinjiro Nagita" back then. Well, this is an completely different person. She puts that skin on.

It fits perfectly well, not too tight and it makes her, or momentarily, him, look great. Hastily collecting everything she needs, Nui climbs up the ladder one last time and uses something like a wingsuit to fly towards the beach of Honno. The streets are sinking and the humans down there are trying their best to reach the boats. The idea with the wingsuit doesn't seem to be too far off. Some people seem to be using parachutes, and on the Academy's courtyard, a few smart students with technical expertise seem to build their own boat, or helicopter, or something entirely different - it's not clear yet.

The beach is full of people. Members of Nudist Beach prepare the boats, students and families enter them. Mikisugi and Tsumugu coordinate the escapeees - wherever you look at are humans. Rather chaotic here, but that is to expect when you lose the ground under your feet. More and more boats get ready and leave the island, and with that, leaving a life of tyranny and entering one of freedom - at least as free as you can be in these postapocalyptic times. Outside of Honnouji, violence is common after all, as seen in the various schools Satsuki conquered for her campaign.

Between all these humans, Nui, disguised as a young man, enters a boat, keeping her eyes as long as possible on Ryuko or at least Satsuki, depending on the situation. Suspicion fills her though as she notices Rei Hoomaru. On a boat. Being supported by the Nudist Beach members. Being supported by Satsuki.

What is that all about?

Has she betrayed Ragyo too?

Of course she did. Ragyo wouldn't like that, and even though she isn't here anymore, Nui acts with best knowledge and conscience after her ideals - she knows though that killing people isn't going to help anymore. It isn't even worth it.

There is something advantageous in Hoomaru's betrayal though. Nui could tail Ryuko, but while Ryuko isn't the smartest, she is keen and bold, and she'll notice it if she's observing her. Nui could imagine well that Satsuki has convinced Hoomaru one way or another, and she must be in contact with Satsuki. Maybe Hoomaru knows what Ryuko and Satsuki are up to. If not, she has a means to blackmail Satsuki. In any case, before she takes upon Ryuko, she wants to have a word with Hoomaru now. That's the least she could do for her beloved mistress.

If only there is a way to find out where exactly Ryuko would go to. She could quickly prepare a piece of clothing or two with which she could track her down... but Ryuko would never wear that. Again, she isn't stupid enough for that.

But Mako might be. If there would be a chance...

The little journey from Honno to the beaches of Honshu is taking a while, and around Nui, people continue to celebrate their victory. She lowers her head to ensure no one notices her frustration. Without life fiber friends and Ragyo, or at least a Hoomaru to annoy and let steam off onto, she does feel all lonely and helpless all of a sudden. All these humans around her. All these people that shouldn't live in her opinion. And at the very front of the fleet, a relieved Ryuko.

For many people, this is the beginning of a new chapter. The ending of every journey is the start of a new one. The sun is sinking.

"... if only mama would be here..." she mumbles quietly to herself, revealing a weak and rather hurted person. Harime stays like that for a brief moment and looks up to Ryuko, and her short call for warmth switches into well disguised anger again.

While this war may be over, this campaign of revenge hasn't. Ryuko may have righteously started this final battle months ago in the old mansion of her father, but she hasn't ended it yet.

It's ironic.

After all, now it's Nui who seeking revenge.