Welcome back again everyone. Hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long.

Even though the plot set up of our heroine confessing her feelings to the love of her life is complete, the story is far from over, so need need to fret about this ending so soon.

With that out of the way, let's get a move on.

Shin Yokosaki Hospital

The ambulance carrying Es, Touya, Mei and Ren arrived at the Hospital around 5:30 PM. Once there, the medical staff rolled the gurney carrying Ren to the medical ward to begin treatment on him while Es, Touya and Mei were escorted to their usual medical room to wait for treatment from Yuki. A few minutes passed when one of the hospital staff, a female nurse, came in.

"Ms. Amanohokosaka?" The nurse asked for the Shrine Maiden.

"Yes?" Mei replied to the nurse as she rose from her seat.

"We wish to let you know that Dr. Himezuru has just arrived recently and is currently treating the man that came in with you, so it will be a while before she comes in. Are any of you in need of immediate medical attention?" The Nurse asked, concerned about the current state of the three teenagers.

"There's no need, but we placed Es on one of the beds as she wasn't feeling well. Kagari's a bit worn out, but he's okay for now and while I didn't get hurt as much, I still want to get myself checked up too." Mei explained to the Nurse in attempt to reassure her.

"Will Ms. Mitsurugi be alright?" The Nurse asked as she showed concern for Es' condition.

"I appreciate your concern, but her life's not in danger. She's stronger then she looks, but we'll let you know if anything goes wrong with her." Mei replied back as the Nurse nods and leaves to attend to other patients.

'I better wait outside the door and give those two some privacy. Besides, I'll talk with them about their new relationship later.' Mei thought and smiled to herself as she went outside the room to wait for Yuki.

Es was currently resting on one of the beds in the room, as the punch she took from Ren made the left side of her abdomen really sore. Fortunately, Es didn't feel woozy, so she didn't appear to suffer from internal bleeding, which was good. Touya, however, made sure to stay by his beloved's side to keep watch over her and use this time to be with her.

"Es, how are you feeling now?" Touya asked in concern as he held of of Es' hands. He always noted how small her hands were compared to his and it still amazed him how she can do so much with such tiny hands like hers.

"I'm... still feeling sore, but I'm okay now that I'm lying down." Es replied with a soft smile despite wincing from the soreness every so often.

"You know, I didn't expect you to charge in like you did Es. Normally, I would be the one doing that. I-is that how all of you felt when I charge in like that?" Touya asked. He knew that he always charged in to help or stop the Unions or whatever is currently causing the threat, with Mei always criticizing and scolding him for doing so, but after seeing Es do this, he began to understand Mei's concerns about his recklessness for trying to stop and prevent the danger at the expense of himself.

"Yes, we all get worried whenever you charge in like that, including me when I started to feel emotions. However, I now know that it comes from a place of kindness and a desire to prevent people from being hurt. I charged in because I didn't want us to eliminate another Union and I wanted to save him, but I also did so to keep Mei from getting hurt. So in a way, I can understand why you act the way you do now." Es answered, explaining her own bout of recklessness, which gave her more common ground with her the love of her life.

"I'm just glad you're alive Es... when I saw you get hit like that and when you didn't move, I just lost it, as if a part of me died for some reason. I felt like I wanted to... kill Ren for what he did to you. It terrified me, because compared to Freaks, he was innocent. I'm... so sorry you saw me like that..." Touya said, still feeling guilt and shame for acting the way he did in regards to what he was going to do to Ren.

"I said it was okay Touya. You and Ren are safe now... and that's all that matters. Besides, we all make mistakes and we can learn from them." Es said, once again soothing Touya's conscience. Es understood very well what it meant to nearly do something awful, only to regret it later.

"But, Touya, are you okay in regards to the Grimoire?" Es asked in concern. Ever since the Embryo Incident, Touya never went berserk again after gaining full control over the Original Grimoire. Even when he gets furious, he remained in complete control. When Es regained consciousness after being struck down by Ren, she became scared for him. After all, Es promised Touya that if he EVER lost control of the Grimoire and became the Black Beast, she would kill him before he harmed the people around him. Es still intends to keep that promise, but at the same time, it always stung her heart to think about that and did everything she could to keep from crossing that bridge. So when she saw Touya in such a blind rage, she knew she needed to act quick to save him and Ren.

"I... I'm not sure. I never lost control like that ever since the Embryo Incident. Not even Freaks made me lose it. I guess it's because I... love you... that I became blinded by rage." Touya said, still nervous of admitting his love for the Azure Maiden. Even so, it would explain why he reacted the way he did. After all, when he saw Freaks, back when he was Ripper, try to kill Hinata, he lost it. To Touya, harming his family and the people he loved, platonically and romantically, is a major berserk button for him.

"I-I see. You also became furious when Freaks attempted to kill Hinata during the Embryo Incident. You value every one of us so much, it's only natural you feel like that. Even I get incensed when you and the others get hurt like that." Es admitted to Touya, not afraid to tell him that even she has her limits. Touya nodded, understanding why Es would also be upset at seeing her loved ones hurt.

"You're right. But, what do you think that scythe was about? I've never formed that before..." Touya asked in wonder. Sure, he tried to form other weapons with Bloodedge, like an axe and a spear, but he never formed a scythe as he thought it would be too much for him. Besides, he felt more comfortable using Murakumo as he always used Bloodedge to form it.

"I'm not sure, do you think you can use it normally now?" Es asked out of curiosity, wondering if Touya would be able to use it from now on.

"I guess we'll ask Mei about when we get a chance." Touya replied back, knowing it'll be best to speak with Mei about this.

"Don't forget, we also need to speak with her about Nu. I never thought that she would develop a free will considering Unomaru never gave them that, including her. It makes me happy that she's becoming more human, like I did." Es said as she recalled her own growth from an emotionless shell to something more.

"I'm guessing Mei may have had something to do with it, but whatever it is, I'm sure she has a good explanation for it." Touya said, as he knows Mei well enough to tell them whatever is going on. However, he noticed that Es was looking down at herself again in regards to her being "human" and he felt that he needed to reaffirm her views again.

"Also, Es, I want you to know that you are always human, no matter what. I would still love you even if you still had an artificial body. Everyone would still love you regardless. You're you and that's all that matters, right?" Touya continued, wanting to let Es know that she will always be human to him and the others will always accept for who she is and not what she is. After all, everyone still accept him for who he is, not what he is too.

"Touya, thank you..." Es replied in gratitude, with her eyes watering and her heart warm. Touya wiped the tears from her eyes, as he continued to look at her.

"So, where do we go from here? I've... never been in a relationship like this before..." Es asked nervously. While she had an idea of how a loving relationship works, she's scared of messing up and knows having an idea isn't the same thing as putting something in motion.

"I'm not sure. I've never dated anyone in my life before, but I'm sure we'll figure it out together, Es." Touya replied back, reassuring Es that they'll make it work somehow. Suddenly, Touya's face turned red suddenly.

"T-Touya, what's wrong?" Es asked in concern at her love's face turning red.

"I-I just realized something... Mei and Nu were watching us... weren't they?" Touya asked Es, embarrassed that the Shrine Maiden and her Robot Companion were watching their heartfelt confession as he directed all his attention toward the Azure Maiden.

"Oh... ummmm..." Es nervously let out, turning red herself, but not nearly as much. For one, Nu probably didn't know what was going on yet and as for Mei, well Es thought it was best to tell Touya.

"To be honest with you... Mei already knows how I feel about you." Es admitted, surprising Touya slightly.

"S-she does?" Touya asked in wonder as something in that moment clicked for him regarding Mei's "strange" behavior during the school year.

"It... all makes sense now. All those times when she tried to get us in private..." Touya continued in awe, never once connecting the dots in regards to her attempts at matchmaking the two. Turns out he can surprise himself with his own obliviousness.

"But, will she be okay with us being in a relationship like this?" Touya asked Es, wondering if the Shrine Maiden will allow them to be together. Not that he'd do anything... "indecent" while on a mission to begin with.

"I'm sure she would. She wouldn't encourage me to tell you how I felt for you otherwise..." Es reassured Touya, knowing that Mei would help them out in any way she can.

Afterward, the two continued to enjoy each other's presence in silence a little while longer. No more words were needed. The two never had a boyfriend/girlfriend before, but they are happy to take that step together. After a couple of minutes passed, the couple fell asleep next to each other in peace.

It was around 6:30 when the door opened with Mei and Yuki walking back in. Es and Touya woke up after hearing the door creak and they quickly let go of each other's hand before Yuki spotted them. While Mei knew about their relationship upgrade, they didn't want anyone else to know about this just yet. Yes, Yuki would understand, but they did not want to be teased about it at this point in time.

"Hey Es. Hey Touya." Yuki greeted them with a warm smile.

"Hi Yuki. So is everything okay? The mall? Ren?" Touya asked Yuki about everything, wanting to make sure nothing bad, well, nothing majorly awful happened.

"I'm sure Mei told you, but everything worked out at the mall. 12 people were injured, but they're all alive and well. Not a single casualty." Yuki replied to Touya, reassuring him on that end.

"That's good to hear, I'm sure Ren will be glad to hear that. Oh! What about Ren? Did you manage to stabilize him?" Touya replied, expressing relief for the victims and wondering what became of the Union they fought.

"Funny you should mention Ren... it's a miracle. He was in Phase Four, but his crystal didn't merge with his nervous system." Yuki said with a happy, yet calm tone in her voice.

"D-does that mean...?" Es asked in wonder, hoping what Yuki is implying.

"We were able to remove the crystal from him without endangering his life! He's cured!" Yuki said with a huge smile as Mei flashed Ren's Drive Crystal, which was cleaned up despite it being cracked and damaged. This brought great joy to Es and Touya, as they managed to save another Union after Akira.

"We may be able to find something to cure the other Unions by examining Ren's crystal. I don't know when, but we'll be one step closer to saving more people like him." Mei followed up with her own smile shining through. After so long, they may have found the key to finally creating a cure for the Drive-Crystals.

This elated the two teens further upon hearing this as the Mitsurugi Agency's true goal will be fulfilled after so long. However, there was still one thing to know...

"What about Ren? Will he be okay?" Es asked. While he was driven mad and while he didn't kill anyone, he still caused property damage, not to mention that she and the others had to beat him up to detain him.

"He's a little shaken up, but he'll be fine. We contacted his parents to come see him, but we agreed to not bring up the existence of Drives to them. As far as they know, he just got into an awful accident. We don't want them to freak out." Yuki replied seriously, as she knew better not to disclose the existence of the supernatural to just anybody.

"By the way, Kagari, Es. Ren also wanted to tell you both this. He said 'I'm sorry for causing you trouble, and thank you for saving my life.'." Mei followed up, delivering the message from Ren. This brought tears to Touya eyes as even though he attempted to end Ren's life for harming Es, he still thanked him for for his part in stopping his rampage. Es also felt touched as well, once again feeling the same feeling when she stopped the thief at the mall earlier today, but having played a part in saving a man's life from a dangerous infection... was something different entirely.

"When can we see him?" Touya asked Mei and Yuki, as he wished to speak with him.

"We'll be keeping him for the weekend, so you'll have a chance to see him tomorrow. For now, let's just let him enjoy his time with his family and he needs his rest too. Besides, it's time for your check up." Yuki said as she got ready to look at the three to check on whatever injuries they sustained.

After examining them, Yuki found nothing wrong with Mei as she took no damage out of the three. Touya received a punch to his gut, but aside from tenderness and a small bruise, he was okay. Es however, was the one Touya and Mei were worried about the most. After taking a look at Es with some X-rays, she confirmed that the soreness she was feeling was a result of two cracked ribs from Ren punching her in the stomach a bit off to the side. Fortunately, there was no sign of internal bleeding, so Es just needed to rest and take it easy for her cracked ribs to heal. After Yuki bandaged up Es, she then allowed the three to see Hinata, Akira and Kiri, who were waiting to see them. The seven of them took the time to talk for a while, all of them happy to be together in peace once more.

Outside Shin Yokosaki Hospital

Everyone gathered outside the Hospital around 8:00 PM as it was time to head home. Yuki looked at Es to ask her something as she walked slowly as to not hurt herself.

"Es, will you be okay walking home tonight? You can rest here if it's too much for you to handle." Yuki asked her out of concern, as it was her call whether to keep Es at the Hospital or not. While she'd prefer Es to rest at the Hospital, two cracked ribs were not life threatening and she wanted to give her the choice to head back to Mei's house.

"I'll be okay. After all, I have you as my doctor after all." Es replied sincerely, earning a smile from Yuki.

"Okay, just be careful and don't push yourself too hard, okay?" Yuki asked Es, wanting her to be careful so she can heal.

"I will try to be careful, Yuki." Es said. While she can't promise to avoid danger, with the Metal Man still out there and all, she can at least honor Yuki's request and make sure to take care of herself.

"Hey, if it's okay with everyone, would it be okay if I can walk Es and Mei back?" Touya asked Yuki.

"That way, Es won't have to worry about hurting herself." Touya continued hoping it would be okay. It didn't take long for Yuki to reply.

"Sure thing. It'll probably be best for you to escort them." Yuki replied and smiled.

"Just make sure you head on back home as soon as you can." Yuki continued with a wink to Touya as she doesn't want him out too late.

"I'll make sure to set a bath up for you when you get back Touya." Hinata said to Touya. Normally, he'd ask her not to wait up, but at this point he could only nod as she would say otherwise anyway.

"We'll see you later guys. Good night." Mei said as she started to walk home.

"Good night everyone." Es said as she followed Mei at a slow pace to avoid making her ribs ache.

"I'll see you and Yuki soon, Hinata. Good night Akira. Good night Kiri." Touya said as he followed the two girls.

"Good night!" Hinata, Yuki, Akira and Kiri said loud as both groups waived at each other.

"Hey, Hinata. Would you like me to walk you home?" Akira asked Hinata as he wanted to make sure she got hoke safely.

"Sure. I would like that Akira!" Hinata replied gratefully. With that they said their good nights to Yuki and Kiri before heading back to the Himezuru Residence.

"Alright Kiri, let's get your check-up underway before we head back home." Yuki said as she started to walk back to the Hospital.

"H-home? But I have a room I checked out at the hotel and..." Kiri stuttered as he tried to explain himself.

"We'll call the hotel. You're health is more important and besides, we can give you one of the spare rooms until you I can give you a full grade of health." Yuki said with a casual wink at Kiri. Despite the stern lecture and still feeling nervous about being touched, Kiri was happy to be a part of this big family Yuki made. With that, the two walked inside to get Kiri's check up done so they can head back to the Himezuru Residence too.

Riverside Walkway

It was 8:30 PM as Es and Mei are once again walking down the same walkway back to Mei's house, this time with Touya walking next to them. The young man is trying to think of what to ask Mei first. About confessing his love to Es? About Nu's developing free will? About losing control of the Grimoire? After thinking about it for a moment, he decided to ask the simple question first: him and Es becoming a couple. However, just as he was about to ask the Shrine Maiden that question...

"No. I have no issues with you and Es dating each other." Mei said as Es turned red a little upon hearing that with Touya releasing the air he breathed in to say something. Despite turning red, Es couldn't help but giggle a little as Touya went through the same thing she did with Mei.

"Are you sure? I just don't want it to bother you..." Touya continued. By technicality, Mei IS Es' guardian along with Yuki after Unomaru's passing. Even then, Mei and Yuki treat Es with proper human rights and are more like actual guardians compared to the sociopathic mad scientist who only saw her as a disposable tool.

"Hey, I wouldn't have tried to get you two some alone time otherwise. Just don't get lovey-dovey while we're on the job, okay?" Mei said while also making the point hpthat Touya and Es don't enter a make out session while hunting down Unions, much to their embarrassment. Not that they'd do that out in public like that...

"But if you're worried about how the others would react, I think it'd be best to wait on telling them that until we deal with this Metal Man. However, Es, it's important that you don't strain yourself in the meantime, okay?" Mei continued, as she wants Es and Touya's new status as a couple to be kept a secret until they deal with the Metal Man while making sure that Es' ribs heal completely. Es and Touya nodded in agreement as they still felt nervous about revealing their love confession to each other and are not sure how everyone would react.

"Okay, what about Nu? What's her story?" Touya asked his next question in regards to the robot's free will developing happening.

"It's funny actually, it just started happening sometime after Winter Break like I mentioned earlier. At first, she repeated at least one word I said, then she began to vocalize a few sentences. While they're broken and disconnected, she spoke more often regardless. Eventually, she began to leave her capsule on her own for some reason, without me activating her. At that point, Nu began interacting with me and the soldiers. That's one of two reasons why I didn't bring her into the field for a while." Mei explained herself as she revealed why Nu started to feel differently.

"And the other reason?" Es asked.

"The other reason is I wanted to give Nu a better power source other then electricity and magic charms. I can't say I found a good substitute yet, but I'm hoping to find one for her, so she can interact with us full time." Mei continued, expressing some frustration over having not found a new power source for Nu to run on yet.

"When I saw that spark of humanity shine through her metal frame, I wanted her to embrace it. Primarily so she can think for herself and be free. To be human in not just her mind, but her soul too." Mei continued, expressing her wish for Nu to grow. She wasn't hiding it behind anything pragmatic like every other time when she brought up a subject, but she's being honest about this once mindless robot.

"I'm sure you'll help Nu get there. Besides, you won't have to do it alone, Mei." Es said to Mei. The Shrine Maiden then felt a comforting hand on her shoulder from Touya.

"That's right. We'll help Nu find her own path and show her that she can find happiness too, just like with Es, Kiri and me." Touya continued as he felt that with this new revelation about Nu, he found another person that was like him, Es and Kiri as they were all born through artificial means, but they developed their own hearts and emotions, making them just as human as any other person. Hearing Es and Touya say that was enough to elicit a smile from Mei.

"Es, Kagari, thank you." Mei said greatly from the bottom of her heart. After a moment of silence, Mei decided to ask Touya about the Grimoire.

"By the way Kagari, are you feeling okay? Regarding the Grimoire I mean?" Mei asked Touya, feeling concern for him losing his mind like that. While it's true Mei also felt scared for Es' life, she knew Ren wasn't to blame for attacking someone as that was the result of his crystal messing with his mind. Touya felt unsure how to say at first, but with a reassuring nod from Es, he proceeded to tell Mei what he felt and thought.

"Well Mei, I'll tell you what I told Es earlier. You see..." Touya replied as he told Mei what he told Es back at the hospital. When Mei heard why Touya acted the way he did, she understood what he was feeling. There were times Mei wanted to do something awful to Unomaru for what he did to her and her father... no, Mei knew she can't blame him for her father's state as Mei didn't want to let him go, but she felt trapped under Unomaru and the mad scientist caused her NOTHING but pain and grief for her and the people she came to love, so she can at least understand his feelings. Besides that, he also reacted this way when Freaks tried to kill Hinata during the Embryo Incident. While she expressed concerns about him summoning that scythe, Mei knew this was something they need to look into going forward.

"I'm sorry I lost control like that. I fully intend to apologize to Ren tomorrow." Touya said as he still felt awful for what he was going to do to Ren.

"You don't need to apologize to me and I'm sure Ren will understand too. You both made mistakes, all that you two can do now is to make it right going forward." Mei said to Touya as this helped him raise his spirits a lot more, but once he speaks with Ren, only then will he be able to move on.

"Thanks Mei." Touya thanked the Shrine Maiden. After a few more minutes, they were about 5 minutes away from Mei's house.

"I think we'll go on from here Kagari. My house isn't too far from here. For now, you should head back to your house too. So, thank you for escorting us." Mei said to Touya, thanking him for his time.

"One more thing Kagari, I would like you to meet up with me and Es tomorrow at HQ tomorrow, preferably after your visit with Ren. I would like for Nu to start interacting with you and Es outside of dealing with Unions from now on." Mei continued, hoping that Touya and Es would help Nu grow further.

"Sure! I would love to help out!" Touya accepted gratefully.

"Yes Mei, I would like to help Nu as well." Es accepted as well.

"Oh Mei, can I give something to Touya real quick?" Es asked Mei, earning a confused look from Touya and Mei, but the Shine Maiden had a good idea and nodded before walking a few feet away. With that, Es walked up to Touya and cupped his face with her hands as she stood on her tiptoes. With that, Touya knew what she wanted to give him. Despite turning red, he complied with Es and the two kissed each other. After parting ways, they looked into each other's eyes with smiles on their faces.

"Good night Touya, I love you." Es said, her heart happy and fulfilled.

"Good night Es, I love you too." Touya replied, his heart also happy and fulfilled. With that, the two let go of each other's hand and they headed off to their respective destinations. As soon as Es and Mei were out of sight, Touya began to hum to himself as he felt a sense of happiness he didn't feel before. He didn't know what would come next, but he would do his best to protect Es, just as he knew Es would do her best to protect him. They'll protect each other and the people they love, together.

Amanohokosaka Residence [Mei's Room]

It was around 9:30 PM when they started to relax in Mei's room after having a late dinner and getting themselves cleaned up in the bathroom. While they were deciding what to do, Mei noticed that Es was in her own little world, humming to herself.

"Hey Es?" Mei asked her friend as Es snapped out of it.

"Oh, sorry Mei. I... I just feel so happy right now, because I finally got to confess my feelings to Touya and that he reciprocated." Es said as she's now laying on Cloud Nine.

With that Mei smiled and scratched the back of her head as she decided to pull up another anime to watch. It was then she found an anime called Ai Yori Aoshi. It is a Romantic-Drama anime that she once watched and while Mei would never admit it, she did enjoy it and she figured Es would like it too.

"Hey Es, want to check this one out?" Mei asked Es if she would like to check out the anime. Es figured it might help her understand couples and relationships a bit more.

"Sure Mei." Es responded happily as they watched the first five episodes, with Mei content that the showed aged gracefully while Es is satisfied with the first arc and it confirmed one thing she knew about; that love involves being willing to make the other happy and to sacrifice your happiness for theirs. Around Midnight, the two girls went to bed, both dreaming sweet dreams, happy to put the stress and hardships from today behind them.

Restricted Ward

It was nice and quiet in the Restricted Ward, with nothing but the sounds of crickets chirping as the moon shined around 12:30 AM. Out in the open barren field of dirt and junk was Nu, who once again left her capsule after healing and recharging her power reserves. She wanted to feel the night sky on her metallic body. While she's covered in armor, her face and midriff can feel the cool air brisk against her.

"*Shudder*" Nu sounded as she felt... cold. She didn't understand why, but she enjoyed it to some extent. It was then she noticed bugs emitting a glowing light. According to her database, they're called fireflies, which is strange since they're rarely seen around here.

"Fire...fly..." Nu said as she raised her hands, taking in the sight that these little insects are making. It was then Nu looked up at the moon and wondered something. Nu raised her hands onto her visor and tried to remove it, but as she tried to remove it, she can't as it's somehow connected to her face. A part of her felt saddened as she wished that she can see the world with her own eyes, just like everyone else can.

"Will I ever become human too?" Nu said, this time in a more complete sentence as she looked on at the moon with wonder. It was at that point Nu knew what she desired in her heart.

"Someday, I might become one too." Nu said, hoping that her wish will someday come true.

After spending some time out in the Ward, Nu went back to HQ to rest in her capsule, not knowing that a familiar man, wearing a black hooded poncho, was watching the robotic maiden from afar.

"Hmmm, to think that a machine can feel, let alone wish to be human..." The man said to himself in a gruff tone before smirking slightly.

"Who'd have thought?" The man continued before heading off, as he decided to find a place to rest for the night.

To Be Continued...

And that's another chapter done and by extension the end of the first arc of this story. Don't worry, more chapters will be happening here, but Es has confessed her feelings for Touya with the two becoming a couple, Ren has been saved and freed of his crystal, Nu now wishes to become human, the Metal Man is on the prowl and it looks like a familiar face has shown up back in Shin Yokosaki City once again. Now, we'll be heading into the next phase of this story soon. Stay tuned for when it happens and I hope you'll all look forward for what's to come. See you next time!

Update: Grammer and spell check.