Chapter 26: Message and Goodbye
Anita is slumping down from not hearing any news from Lenalee.
"Mistress..." Mahoja calls. "It seems like Lenalee stayed out to sea and has not come back."
Anita quickly looks behind her with her eyes widen.
"LEMME GO!" Lavi shouts angrily as most of the crew are holding Lavi back. "LEMME GO!"
"You idiot! You're seriously wounded! It's dangerous if you go outside of the ship!"
"We'll get her back no matter what where she is so..."
"Why wait! I can get her back way faster!" Lavi exclaims.
Lavi then had enough of being tied down by the crew.
"Let... me..." Lavi then grabs the handle. "GO—!" Lavi shouts.
Iron Hammer starts to grow in size and Miranda stops Lavi from doing any more violence.
"Lavi-kun, stop!" Miranda exclaims and Lavi looks back.
"Miranda..." Lavi calls.
"D-don't be violent to the crew..." Miranda tells Lavi. "They were here with me on the ship!"
Lavi looks at the crew after Miranda says that.
"Please..." Miranda pleads.
"Sorry..." Lavi apologizes.
"Lavi-kun!" Miranda calls and holds his wrist. "Are you sure you have no fatal wounds?"
"Aah, that's fine. Don't worry about it." Lavi reassures.
"Y-you seem like you're bleeding, wouldn't it be better to tie that up?" Miranda suggests.
"Damn it, how can you be so calm!?" Lavi yells. "Aren't you worried about Lenalee! She's human just like you!"
Miranda gasps from Lavi reaction and Lavi realizes what he just did.
"Aren't you human as well?" Miranda asks. "Am I wrong?"
Lavi didn't answers and clenches his hand. Then he gets on the handle and shoots off to find Leenalee. Bookman watches Lavi go and looks down before Timcanpy quickly flies off in the same direction as Lavi. Bookman quickly looks up at the direction.
"Tim...?" Bookman calls.
As Lavi continue to fly towards where Lenalee was at, he starts to feel his injuries are coming back.
"Uh..." Lavi groans and gets hit by his injuries, but he didn't stop. "Gua... Ah… Lenalee... Where are you? You should be around here somewhere..." He then looks down. "This is a bad joke… You're making me remember bad things..."
Lavi grits his teethes and goes even farther. Suddenly, the water in front of him goes up, causing Lavi to stop. Once the water goes down, he sees an Akuma holding a huge crystal.
'Akuma!' Lavi thought. 'This is bad, like Lenalee, I'm not good fighting at sea.'
The Akuma breathes out before it speaks, "Are ya 'Junior'?"
Lavi is confused at the question, "Huh?"
"Are ya Bookman's Junior?" The Akuma repeats. "M'hands are killing me-cho. Could ya help me out? Look here... I'm an Akuma, I'm really brave-cho."
As the Akuma holds the crystal, it keeps rejecting it.
'What is he talking about?' Lavi thought and notices something is in the crystal and widens his eyes. It was Lenalee. "Lenalee!"
"She's still alive-cho." It tells Lavi.
"You bastard! What have you done!?"
"I didn't do this, idiot! This crystal is the girl's Innocence-cho. This was guarding her when she and that Level 3 hit each other-cho."
'The Innocence!?' Lavi thought. 'I never heard that happening before... an Equipment type acting without the will of its compatible…'
The crystallized Innocence continues to reject the Akuma.
"OWOWOWOWOWOW! Help me out already, Junior! The Innocence is destroying my hand! Are ya listening!"
Lavi no longer knows what's what anymore. 'Is this a trap...?' He wonders when something flies pass him and hits the Akuma.
"What are ya doing ya little bastard!" It exclaims.
It was Timcanpy that hit the Akuma.
"Timcanpy!" Lavi calls and Timcanpy rests on the Akuma's head, surprising Lavi. "Ti... Tim...?"
Timcanpy starts to flap its wings on the Akuma's head.
"Oh, so you're Marian's golem?" The Akuma asks as it looks at Timcanpy. "Yeah I've heard but you've got huge-cho!"
"Hey, hey, hey, you sure you're on the right head there, Tim?" Lavi asks the golem. "He's an Akuma for crying out loud... Marian?" 'Eh?'
"He smells like the master..." It says. "I'm that guy's messenger so... even though an Akuma's still an Akuma, I was converted by Cross Marian-cho! So help me out already..."
~Later~
Lavi bring the Akuma to the boat with the crystallized Innocence and Lenalee in it. Once they got to the ship, all the Exorcists and the crew are looking at the crystal.
"This... what is this?" Bookman asks.
"Lenalee-chan..." Anita calls as she run towards the crystal.
Anita then hears something from the crystal and drops down to the floor.
"Mistress!" Mahoja calls.
"Ah... My head..." Anita mutters. "It hurts... The sound... of singing... It's cracking..."
"No!" Bookman says and brings Anita back to the crew. "Those of you aren't Exorcists, keep your distance! You'll be hit with the power of the Innocence!"
"Hey Gramps..." Lavi calls. "Is this really Lenalee's Innocence?"
"That's not the big problem." Bookman says. "The more serious matter is that, the Innocence broke the restrictions and moved on its own to rescue her." Bookman explains. "'The Innocence rescued its compatible'!? That is an unprecedented. If this kind of thing is possible then why didn't the same thing happen when successive generations of Exorcists have died in battle!?"
'Did it saved her because she was Lenalee?' Bookman thought. 'If that's the case then... this would be an exceptional document.'
'Gramps…' Lavi thought. 'Don't tell me... Lenalee's Innocence...'
"It's her 'Heart' isn't it?" The Akuma as it nonchalantly drinks from a cup while it floats and Lavi then hits it with Iron Hammer. "What the hell? Don't hit me! I'm your ally-cho!"
"As if I believe that!" Lavi exclaims. "General Cross' messenger...? An Akuma!?"
"I said I was converted..." It says.
"You can stop being so cautious, Lavi." Bookman tells Lavi. "Cross Marian is a unique human that can covert Akuma. This is something that no one else in the Black Order other than me knows. Tim landing on him was the confirmation. Just relax."
The Akuma then stick its tongue out at Lavi.
"Hey! You'd better give me an expression of gratitude-cho!" It demands. "Cos when you guys were being hit by the sky Akuma and sinking, I was the one that floated you guys back up-cho!"
"Eh? Okay..." Lavi says.
"Thank me!"
"Thank you very much..."
"Being able to convert an Akuma..." Miranda shudders. "If everyone from the Science Department heard... Wouldn't they be surprised...?"
"We've got no time-cho." It says. "I have words from Marian. Marian's not dead. He landed and is on a mission in the direction of Edo."
"Mission?" Lavi repeats.
"Mistress..." Mahoja calls. "Did you hear?"
"Yes..." Anita answers. "Thank God."
"Isn't the General still in Edo?" Lavi asks.
"We're coming close but at the same time, we're not approaching him." It replies.
"What's in Edo?"
"There is a box there. A very big box." It says. "A plant for generating Akuma using heretic rituals. Marian's mission is to destroy that-cho."
The three Exorcists are surprise at what General Cross is doing.
'Whoa…' The three Exorcists thought. 'The General was doing his job.'
"Speaking from the heart, we should be more worried about the Noahs or the Akumas, but does this mean he needs our help?" Lavi concludes as he has his hands behind his head.
"No." It answers. "I came after being told to deliver this message to you guys-cho. Marian said: 'If you guys become a hindrance, go home!'"
The three Exorcists are shock from General Cross' message.
"The General said what?" Bookman asks.
"Yup." It confirms. "Japan is already the Earl's country. The capital, Edo is in the center of that. It's the nest of Akuma above Level 3. The chances of us coming out alive are low..."
As the Akuma explains that state that Japan, Lenalee begins to move inside of the crystal. Then the crystal begins to shine and the light shoots up into the sky. Both Lavi and Miranda quickly look back.
"What is that?" Lavi asks as the crystal gets smaller.
"Lenalee-chan!" Miranda calls.
Then the light starts to get narrower.
"The light's thinning..." Bookman points out.
As the light gets thinner, black rings appear all over Lenalee's legs and Lenalee collapses on the deck. Lavi and Miranda rush toward Lenalee.
"Lenalee!" Lavi calls worriedly and he picks her up. "Lenalee!"
After Lavi picks up Lenalee, she drops something from her hand and it rolls towards the rail before it bounces back. It was one of Anita's hair-ties. When Lenalee opens her eyes, tears start to fall from her eyes.
"Lavi..." Lenalee speaks. "Am I... still in this... world?"
Tears gather on Lavi's eyes and fall. "Idiot." He says.
As the crew, Miranda, and Krory smiles, Bookman thinks about Japan.
'If we enter Japan... It just means more and more bitterness awaits us…' Bookman thought. 'Should we continue? Or shouldn't we... you guys choose…'
After Miranda gave Lenalee her new Exorcist coat since her first one got ripped off, Lenalee smiles at them.
"Let's go on." Lenalee tells them as the sun rose up. "We just can't go back from here. If we can't go back now, we are trampling down on the lives of those that got us this far." Lenalee then tries to stand up, but her legs won't move. "My legs..."
'They won't recover, even with Miranda's Innocence…' Lenalee thought. 'This is the effect of that forced release... I can't move them well…'
Then Krory and Lavi go either side of Lenalee and help her up.
"Lenalee's approval..." Lavi trails off.
"We got it!" Krory finishes.
"Even though we're all worn out... we can't stop here. Let's go to Edo!"
~Later~
The Akuma pushes the ship at full speed towards Japan. The window opens and Lavi sees the speed they're going.
"Wow Akuma! You're really fast!" Lavi says. "But you're going so fast. Wouldn't your energy last, Chomesuke?"
"'CHOMESUKE'?! When did I became 'Chomesuke'?!" The Akuma (Chomesuke) asks. "...But actually, that's a cute name. We don't have time! We have to get to Edo as soon as possible."
"'No time'?" Lavi repeats. "Why are you such in a hurry?"
"...It's just my business! Chochocho!"
"But it will be for our convenience too if we reach Edo faster." Lenalee says.
Lavi looks back and sees Lenalee is holding Miranda who is panting from exhaustion and has a towel on Miranda's forehead.
"Miranda is extremely tired." Lenalee continues. "All the damages caused by the Akuma flow into the Time Record, so that used up a lot of her energy."
"Uuu..." Miranda groans.
Lavi walks closer to them and hunches over. "Are you okay, Miranda? I'm so sorry we couldn't protect you."
"No..." Miranda speaks. "I'm... sorry. I... don't think I can keep this up until we reach Edo..."
"Don't worry." Lavi reassures as he rubs Miranda's head.
"You're wrong." Miranda says and starts to cry. "I'm sorry... It's not just that... I... What I'm going to do now..."
Lenalee recalls what Miranda said when she joined Cross' group.
"When I release the activation, everything will go back to the real time."
"Miranda..." Lenalee calls and hugs her. "Don't bear the burden alone, okay? You are not the only Exorcist. We are all in this together. We... are all walking this road with you."
Outside of the ship
Anita is standing out on the ship and starts to rain as she holds out her hand.
"It's raining..." Anita points out. "Master Cross loves this kind of weather..."
"Mistress," Mahoja calls out. "Everything has been done. Your next order please..."
"Stop the ship." Anita orders. "Call the Akuma and the Exorcists to the deck please."
Once the ship stops moving, All the Exorcists and Chomesuke are standing in front of Anita, Mahoja, and three crew members.
"Umm..." Krory says. "I don't see any of the crew."
"Yeah." Lavi agrees. "Where are they...?"
Lenalee widens her eyes in realization.
"Don't tell me..." Leenalee trails off.
"I'm sorry." Anita apologizes. "I told the crew that they need not send you off. Right now, they are having a feast below. I want them to spend their last moments as they wished."
"So you are the only ones... that survived...?!" Lenalee concludes.
Miranda cries even harder before Anita puts her hand on Miranda's shoulder.
"It's okay." Anita reassures. "All of us became supporters because we lost our families to Akuma. We could only live for the sake of revenge. None of our comrades have anything to regret."
"You told us that you would go to Edo that you would not retreat on the path we made." Mahoja adds. "That made us very happy."
"PLEASE WIN, SIR EXORCISTS! For our sake! Please go on!"
Anita looks up and hears the voice from the speakers.
"From the speakers...?!"
"USE OUR LIVES TO BRING A BRIGHTER FUTURE!" All the crew members say.
"It's the crew..." Lenalee says.
"You guys..." Anita trails off.
"Please take care of our comrades that survived..."
"What are those guys..." survived crew member A (Chaozi) says.
"We want them to live! We want our comrades to live... Even for a while... in a peaceful future..."
"PLEASE WIN, SIR EXORCISTS!" They shout.
"Gramps..." Lavi calls. "This is too painful..."
After hearing the crew last request, Chomesuke carries a boat and the Exorcists and the surviving crew get on the boat.
"We're still a bit far from Edo." Chomesuke says. "So I'll be taking you guys closer to Izu."
"Watch your footstep." Lenalee warns.
"We will be there to help." Chaozi says as he shakes Lenalee's hand.
"Thank you." Lenalee says and she reaches towards Anita and Mahoja. "Come on, Anita-san, Mahoja-san."
Anita reaches towards Lenalee's hand, but she passes it to Lenalee's hair.
"Your hair... Grow it long again." Anita requests. "You have very beautiful black hair. You mustn't let the war get the better of you, okay?" Chomesuke then lifts the boat. "Goodbye."
"Anita-san?" Lenalee calls. "What... no...! No, it can't be..."
As Chomesuke goes farther away from the ship, Lenalee cries and when they are above the ship, Miranda lifts her arm and deactivated Time Record on the ship, causing the real time to return. Then the pentacles appear on Anita's and Mahoja's bodies and shatters as the ship collapses and sinks.
"...We will." Lenalee says. "We will definitely win. I swear."
