"I can't do anything," Kurai says. "He's dying."
Allen gasps. "No... It can't be..."
"Would you leave us?" Kurai asks.
Miranda and Lavi leave.
"Kanda! Kanda!?"
"His body's stiffening..." Allen says. "And getting cold... Lenalee... killed her!"
"His soul has been stolen.", comes the voice of Reiko.
"Reiko!" Allen says. "His soul!?"
"The spirit Bandiane have targeted the souls of humans," says Reiko. "They steal spirits. Then they unite the soulless bodies as akuma. The utilization. They convert human bodies into one. Those are Bandiane's akuma!"
"Steal spirits!? Human bodies into one!? Then, Lenalee... That form... was..."
"It was not the awakening of Death," says Reiko. "The three talismans are not yet activating."
"I hadn't thought about this happening," says Reiko. "Lenalee was long ago utilized by them. That isn't Lenalee any longer. It's an akuma! When she took Kanda's innocence, she was also stealing Kanda's spirit."
"Kanda and Lenalee..." says Allen. "What will happen to them!?"
"The spirits of the utilized ones," Reiko says, "live as sustenance. But even if the utilization is a success, they will soon revert to akuma. If that happens... then they cannot be saved. It's impossible after that, whatever form they take living in this world."
"The ones we defeated before," thinks Allen, "were humans merged with enemies... If they change into akuma soon, they can't be saved...!"
"Lenalee has already been seized by the enemies," says Reiko. "But it will be easy to do. Soon she will suffer and be destroyed. We will kill her before she suffers."
"But...!"
"She has Kanda's spirit and his innocence!" she says. "What would you have us do!? If you want Kanda saved, you have to fight and take them back! If we don't kill her, we'll be killed. Even if Death doesn't awaken, destruction will come. Kill or be killed. Which would you choose? We're going. Not just for Kanda, but to save everyone!"
"Right," Allen thinks. "Unless we save the planet... The enemies I've defeated before... Humans and enemies merged... And Lenalee, too..."
Kurai looks down at Kanda. "If it keeps going like this," he says. "Kanda's blood not flowing... He really will die. Let's take him to my place."
"There's no time," Allen thinks. "If we don't hurry and get her spirit back... We won't be able to save Kanda!"
They go to Kurai's apartment.
"Kanda's body and mine are linked," Kurai says. "I'll use my body's life maintenance system to keep Kanda's body alive." She holds Kanda's hand, and it starts to glow.
"But then your body will be burdened..." says Allen.
"It's all right. Kanda and I are one now. I can at least keep this one body alive. It's no problem, it'll be fine."
Allen sits by Kanda's bed, tearing up.
"Could you leave us alone for a while?" Kurai asks the others.
They look at Kanda, then leave the room.
"Kanda... I can't choose. Kanda. Lenalee. The people of this planet. I can't abandon them! I can't choose between them for us. Will it not just lead to ruin? Us... And then the world..."
Allen feels Kanda's hand. "Kurai's power is spreading," she thinks. "It feels like Kanda's alive. What should I do? What..."
"Allen."
Kurai kisses him.
"Oh," he thinks. He sees the image of a devastated city. A shadowed figure stands atop a ruined pillar. "Again. This vision... "
"We'll get them back, Allen," he says. "Kanda's spirit, and his flame. We'll do everything we can. Don't lose hope. Hope..."
"That vision..." he thinks. "Is that... the Destroyer of Time? Or else, Death?"
Xxx
Lenalee cuts off a lock of her long, dark hair. "I cut and I cut, it grows back," she says. "Crappy hair. This is limited and inconvenient, being a vessel. I'm uncomfortable in this human body."
Professor Komui rushes into the room with Bandiane. "Khione!" he says as he kneels. "We have been awaiting your arrival. For a long time. We transplanted the egg into my sister, Lenalee. Completely undivided, I thought you might not awaken."
Khione grabs her head.
"She's awakening now..." thinks Bandiane.
Khione walks to the stone hall.
"Oh, I've been waiting for this," Bandiane says. "Khione!"
"Great Queen Bandiane!" She raises her hand, and energy flows to Bandiane.
"You've just awakened," Bandiane says, "and you're already bringing power. What power is this!? These souls are the beginning...!"
"Bandiane, one moment. This is not from souls. It's the exorcist Kanda's innocence. I've finally gotten it. We can keep this great power to ourselves. The Innocence!" She goes to her room, carrying the sword. "Wondrous light. Like something dwells inside it. It puts me at ease with its holy brilliance."
"Naturally. It's defended by Kanda's strong, powerful spirit."
"Who's that!? Is it someone inside of me trying to push out...? It's because of my spirit. It's giving me strength... With this Flame, there's nothing for us to fear anymore!"
"Hey, Khione!" Komui says. "We're running out of eggs. The utilization, to steal souls by planting the eggs, is the only way for us to live in this world."
"But, the completion of the master's utilization will become unnecessary. The birth of our new world is close at hand. Heh heh! Ahaha! Close at hand!"
Bandiane stands in the center of a circle on the ground. Smoke surrounds her. A bat flies in. She grabs it in the air and rips out its heart, squeezing the blood into a glass. "Our servants," she says. "Before my warriors are resurrected..." Five figures steam from the glass, taking the shape of the exorcists. "I will place a curse on these ones. A curse that will never be lifted... Heh heh heh..."
Xxx
Allen walks down the street, and sees the four girls. "Everyone!" she says. "Let's go. To get Kanda's spirit back! To the Academy!"
As they approach the center of the Delta, they see the building overgrown with trees and vines.
"The Academy has gotten like this overnight..."
"It's full of amazing energy," says Miranda. "The air, the plants, the building. The abnormal power is making everything go mad."
"The power is forming into a dome shape over the Infinity zone," says Lavi. "It looks just like an omega shape."
"Let's go," says Miranda.
"Lenalee, Kanda, Reiko," thinks Allen. "Am I choosing the wrong path...? If I do this, will we not be able to fight together?"
"Allen..." Reiko thinks. "It's regrettable, but I will put Lenalee to death. To death..."
"Heh heh... They're here. The carriers of the powerful light. Along with the Destroyer of Time." A door appears though the trees.
"An entrance opened!?" They walk into the building.
The two identical women bow. "Greetings. Welcome to the Infinite Labyrinth."
"Cyprine!? Ptitol!?"
Xxx
Lavi sees darkness all around him. "What the-!? Allen!? Where is everyone!?" He sees a sign in the hallway that says, "Etiquette Class." He rushes into the room.
"How impolite," says Eudia. "As instructor of manners and etiquette at the Infinity School, Arimura Yuuko, I'll teach you a lesson."
"Eudia!?" Lavi thinks. "But I defeated her before!" The door slams shut behind her. "Oh no! I don't have time to fight you!"
"Too bad! I am Eudia, warrior of the flame! You have been selected as my match!" She jumps up and kicks Sokka down.
Lavi gets to his knees, breathing hard.
"You really don't want to fight?" Eudia asks. "I see. You don't have the fighting spirit. You won't only fight for Allen. Your whole body is saying you want to know etiquette and military arts."
Xxx
"Allen!?" calls Miranda. "Everyone!? Hey! Where are you!?" She turns a corner and enters a room full of plants. "This is-!"
"Welcome, to the Infinity botanical garden. I am its caretaker, Teruno Ruru."
"You!? Teu!?"
Teu sits Miranda down. "You don't need to fight today. Okay?"
"Wow!" Miranda says. "It's full of roses! La France, the first breed of hybrid T! These are soleil dolls!" She picks a flower up. "My heart's softening..." she thinks. "What was I coming here to do... I'm so tired... Fighting is absurd... I want to stay here forever... It's my dream. To spend a carefree lifetime in a rose garden, with someone I love..."
Xxx
"Everyone!?" Allen calls. "Oh no! Have we been split apart!? Have we fallen into enemy hands!? That was careless. Where is this!? Everyone...?"
The other two appear before her, scratched and bruised.
"Lavi! Miranda!" The figures begin to melt.
"It's your fault we're coming apart," they say. "We won't fight anymore..." They jump at Allen, covering him in melted goop.
Kanda appears behind him. "It's your fault, Allen." He grabs Allen around the throat.
"Ow! You're... hurting me... Kanda...!?"
"We'll help you too, Kanda," says Reiko.
"We think you're an annoyance, Allen!" says Kurai.
"Lenalee! Kanda! Reiko!"
"I want to be free, Allen!" says Kurai. "I'll kill Kanda and Lenalee! And then Allen! You too!"
"Kurai!"
Xxx
Kurai jumps up from her chair beside Kanda. "Allen!? He's being bewitched! Allen!"
Xxx
"No! I can't be bewitched! You're hallucinations! Everyone!" His innocence begin to glow. Light flashes around him, and he's alone. "Everyone!?"
"Allen!" says Reiko. She shows him her mirror. It shows a tall, thick column, holding the bodies of Lavi and Miranda.
"We'll break through the barrier!" Reiko says and snaps the barrier with her mirror's power. They rush inside to the column and free the others.
Allen hugs Reiko. "Yes..." he thinks. "It really is the same feeling. They couldn't abandon us. Together... I wanted to fight. We'll join our powers to fight. Then if my power becomes strong... Even the impossible can approach possibility."
They form a circle, putting their hands in the center. Light begins to glow.
Allen activates his innocence to 100%.
"That light!" thinks Bandiane.
"Destroyer of Time!" Reiko calls. "Up! The president's office!" They go up to the 56th floor of the building, and run into the office, where Bandiane is. Five figurines are on a table. "Those are-! Wax dolls shaped like us!?"
"You've undone the finest work of Queen Bandiane," Bandiane says. "You won't bother us anymore!" She mutates into a giant monster.
"A monster!"
"I'll save this planet!" Allen shouts and attacks.
The monster vanishes in a swirl of light. The amulet drops to the floor and shatters.
"Whatever delusions fill this labyrinth," Allen says, "I won't give up hope! Let's search! For Lenalee!"
"He''s found his way to this fortress," thinks Khione. "He even blew away Queen Bandiane. Although...she was no true Queen of Darkness. That title belongs to me! Destroyer of Time! The time has come. The time for the Order to be our sacred land. There's no longer anything for us to fear." Her eyes sparkle. "With the Innocence of an Exorcist..." Power flows out of the crystal in her hands, into her body.
xxx
Kanda's body begins to glow.
"Kanda!?" Kurai says.
xxx
"Ohh... Strength! From deep in my body, I'm filling with it! As soon as I took it in, my insides were overflowing! This is the power of the exorcist's innocence! Oh, I can feel it! The power! The light of life similar to Death itself! It's been opened! So that is the power of the Exorcist!"
At that moment a pair of dark clear eyes opened deep within the soul of the demonic Khione.
Lenalee was waking up—and she wasn't going to allow Kanda to die.