Disclaimer: I don't own anything that doesn't belong to me.

"… And so, in a few short hours, the Kusarikokon Festival will officially end and the status quo, such as it is, will return as the Youkaliens and slaves swap places once again and the next round of the competition between the Diningers and the Hegemony commences. Ironically, an event meant to bring people together and celebrate the bonds they share – at least, from the Youkalien perspective – has only deepened the divide currently splitting the people of Earth," Samantha reported.

"Those who are pro-Youkalien view the festival as a resounding success, a demonstration of how life under our new aspiring overlords might not be so bad, especially since there's a chance that anyone, even one of their own, cannot only become a master themselves but even rule the entire Hegemony, if only for a brief period of time. The anti-Youkalien faction, however, view the entire experience as a blatant bread and circuses exercise, with the Youkaliens using the festival as an attempt to placate the masses while ignoring any actual problems in their system of governance, and the selection of a human 'renegade' to take the throne of Hegemon a transparent and exploitative propagandist political ploy.

"The temporary Hegemon herself, Justine Mitchell, has also caused no small amount of controversy. Ironically, despite being very open about her experiences and how she's felt shanghaied into her current position, many of the Youkalien supporters still view her as a rallying figure due to her actions when the festival was suddenly attacked by Juza Yumihari last week and the other good works she's performed since then such as allowing the Diningers a redo on the kabedon competition, aiding in rebuilding efforts, and helping charitable causes, while much of the anti-Youkalien contingent is lionizing her for the same feats, and many have been inspired by her to resist the occupation, sometimes with force, despite her repeated claims that that's not the example she wants to set.

"Interestingly, Justine has triggered further divisions among those who oppose the Youkaliens, for while many view her as a hero for fighting alongside the Diningers, others see her as a victim forced into a position she never wanted who has been forced to suffer unfathomable humiliation, and others still – especially radicals like the Children of Bakano – decry her as a race traitor and a (possibly literal) Youkalien lover who deserves to be killed along with the rest of the invaders. Justine's own family has refused to comment on the matter. Either way, this young woman has had a rather sizable impact on people around the world, though whether it's for better or worse is yet to be seen.

"In other news, investigators still have found no leads on the party responsible for the resurrection of Juza Yumihari and similar old adversaries of dinosaur and ninja-themed Sentai teams, although examination of the magic circles discovered at the site of their original deaths implies some form of sacrificial ritual was used to revive them, solving several recent missing persons cases-"

"So, in a few hours everything goes back to normal, more or less," Mozu mused, sipping some of Kofi's delicious blend while watching the news with Akira. "Bet you're looking forward to seeing Kyukogo again, right? Or maybe Justine?" She teased. "She did seem to catch your eye…"

Akira, who'd been taking a bite out of a large hunk of meat, paused. "… Mozu. The Youkaliens are our enemies, right?"

Mozu blinked. "Yes? What of it?"

"I think… We need to remember that more often, and treat them appropriately," Akira muttered, confusing her.

There was a knock on the door.

Akira sighed and got up. "Look," she yelled as she marched for the door. "I thought I made by clear by now, when there's a sock on the door, I'm not to be disturbed-"

She froze, nostrils flaring. She knew that scent. "What?"

Startled, she rushed to the door and tore it open, revealing-

"Fuuka?"

Fuuka Igasaki gave Akira a nervous smile. "Hey, Akira. Can… Can we talk?"

"So. It looks like your big plan didn't work the way you thought it would," Justine told Kyukogo, the two of them once again standing beneath the orrery. "Instead of pacifying the populace, more people are rebelling. Taitō hasn't given in, and several other wards are starting to follow their example, and thanks to me making sure they actually know how to make the food synthesizers work on their own, they are in no danger of running out of supplies anytime soon."

"You're correct," Kyukogo said sadly. "Once again, I underestimated you Earthlings. I really thought this would work… But all I've done is leave you even more divided than before, which was not my intention. And if that's not bad enough, I think Akira is angry at me, and I fear she is correct to feel that way."

"She is," Justine said bluntly. On some level, she felt like she should feel happy that Kyukogo's plan had blown up in her face.

Instead, she just felt tired, and a little bitter.

"I also realize I may have made life for you going forward much more difficult," Kyukogo told Justine apologetically. "At this point, I doubt it will mean anything to you, but… I really am sorry, Justine. This isn't what I wanted for you."

"… It means more than you might think," Justine admitted. "But it doesn't make anything better."

"No," Kyukogo agreed solemnly. "It does not."

Justine glanced up at the celestial clock, her inherited instincts telling her in a few more minutes this would all be over. "… What's going to happen to me after this?"

"What do you want to happen to you after this?" Kyukogo asked.

"Oh, so I actually get a choice now?" Justine muttered snidely.

"Yes. You do. And more of a choice then I have afforded you in the past," Kyukogo said firmly, much to her surprise. "I still cannot let you go, Justine. It is not within my power. But… You do not have to stay here either."

Justine stared at her in confusion. "I don't understand."

"I could send you back to Taitō, where I would hope you would receive a warm reception after everything you've done," Kyukogo offered.

"Somehow, I'm not so certain of that," Justine muttered. Apparently fighting Juza and his minions and snagging a win for the Diningers still wasn't good enough for Nanishibo, who accused her of being lazy or a traitor for not calling off the entire invasion or killing Kyukogo or ceding power to him instead.

"I could also send you home."

Justine started. "Wh-what?"

"I could arrange for you to be sent home, back to the United States," Kyukogo repeated. "You were never supposed to be here this long in the first place. It was an unfortunate twist of fate that led to you being here when we first arrived. How would you like to go home?"

Justine stared at her, flabbergasted. "But… But I thought you said you couldn't free me."

"Oh, I can't. You'll still be a slave. You'll just be a slave on the other side of the Pacific," Kyukogo explained. "I know it's not a lot, but it's the least I can do after everything you've done and endured because of me."

"I…"

She could go home?

Really, truly, go home?

Home, to parents that had never really cared about her, to a gaping void where her big brother had once been, to a town full of people she hated, to a job that no longer existed and a university she probably couldn't afford to go to anymore? To where everyone would be staring at her and talking behind her back and spreading rumors and gossip about her experiences as a slave of the Hegemony?

To a place where Yuko's shadow loomed over everything?

Funny. Just a few days ago, she wanted nothing more than that. But now that the choice was being offered to her, truly offered…

It struck her, all of a sudden, that the only reason she even entertained the thought of going back to that shithole was her little brother Donnie, and if there were some way to extricate him from there, she would do it in a heartbeat.

"I… Don't know…" Justine murmured, distressed by this sudden realization.

Kyukogo gave her a sad smile, and Justine felt such pity and understanding from her it made her want to cry and scream at the same time.

"There is a third option. You could… Stay here, with us," Kyukogo said hesitantly, the desperate hope clinging to her breast almost overwhelming.

Justine's heart skipped a beat. "You… You want me to stay?"

Kyukogo looked somewhat abashed. "I have… Enjoyed my time with you here, and I know the feeling is mutual. And if you were to leave us, there are quite a few people who would dearly miss you. Nyajou, your 'daughters,' Oceara… You have made an impact on many lives during these last few weeks, Justine, and while I do indeed regret everything I put you through… At the same time I don't regret doing it, because then I would never have met you. None of us would."

"You… You really… You care about me that much?" Justine whispered, stunned.

She knew this, of course. How could she not, thanks to her empathic magic?

But she needed to hear it. Only a handful of people in her life had accepted her, really accepted her, and told her that she was enough, that she was perfect as she was, that she didn't need to change, that they loved her-

Kyukogo stared her right in the eyes. "I do. We all do."

And Justine felt something break inside her.

"What… What would I even do?" She stammered, on the verge of tears. "I wouldn't be the Hegemon anymore, I would just be Justine-"

"Anything you want," Kyukogo said gently. "We would allow you to do anything you wish. We will not force you to do anything you don't want, never again. You can continue training to learn magic. You can keep trying to think of ways to help your people. You can read manga and watch anime and experience all the culture and knowledge our great civilization possesses, even travel to other worlds, if you wish. You can pursue a romance with Oceara and anyone else who catches your eye, even…" She blushed slightly this. "Even me."

"You… Would want that?" Justine asked softly. "With… With white trash like me?"

"Justine," Kyukogo said firmly. "You are as far from trash as is humanly possible."

"I," Justine whispered, tearing up. "I… I think-"

Above her, the orrery clicked into place, and she was gone.

"Welcome back, Justine."

Justine had to hold herself back from launching into a screaming fit at the Nonatheon for ruining the moment. "It, uh, is good to see you again," she muttered to the nine deities surrounding her. "So, I guess this is the part where you take away my powers and give them back to Kyukogo?"

"Yes," Kyunari confirmed. "And the part where we evaluate your brief tenure as Hegemon."

Justine cringed. "Oh hell. This is gonna suck, isn't it?"

"Actually, no," Nekoyara said. "You did pretty decent."

"… Wait, seriously?" Justine asked in astonishment.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Onizenpan said quickly. "She said decent, not 'amazing.'"

"Oh, don't be like that," Shawja huffed, chewing on some cucumber. "Yeah, she wasn't the best substitute Hegemon we've ever seen, but she's a long way off from being the worst. Given she only had a week of prep time and is very new to the Hegemony, it's nothing short of incredible she did as well as she did."

Yukimegami nodded in agreement. "Precisely. Far too many substitute Hegemons have chosen to do nothing beyond their ceremonial duties, leaving everything to their advisors and bureaucrats, either out of fear of screwing things up, believing they are unworthy to try and make a difference, or feeling like everything is already fine just the way it is."

"You, however, did put in the effort, Justine," Karasusenshi pointed out. "You attempted to rig the competition in your favor-"

"Not that we approve, but still, points for trying," Onizenpan added.

"But you were also willing to fight on the front lines to protect those around you, despite the risk to your life, something our dear Kyukogo would do more often if her physical condition would allow it," Karasusenshi continued, an approving look in her eyes.

"You also did a fairly decent job handling things as Hegemon after that," Futadaikiba spoke up. "While you did make a few flubs, and stirred up quite a bit of controversy among your own people-"

Justine cringed at the reminder of this.

"You also didn't incite a war or break the fragile truce we currently have, and the Hegemony is still intact, which is good enough for us."

"Oh, and we were really impressed by how you dealt with that thorny little political issue with the Klynaarians," Tsukikou said.

Justine colored at this. "Well, it helped that their Imperator was also a huge fan of Me and My Cosmic Dragon."

"Such a good franchise," Shoujinjou gushed.

"In any event, we are very impressed and pleased with your efforts, which is why we intend to give you a reward," Kyunari said.

"It's not turning me into a Youkalien, is it?" Justine asked anxiously.

"Do you want to turn into Youkalien?" Kyunari asked.

"Not particularly, no."

"Then we won't," Kyunari assured her. "We will, however, allow you to keep your current body and some degree of power. Not as much as you have possessed for the last week, of course, but enough to help you continue learning magic if that is your wish."

Justine had to fight very hard not to squeal in excitement at this. However… "Can you get rid of the ears and tail, please?"

"You don't want to keep them?" Kyunari asked in surprise.

"But they're so cute!" Protested a dismayed Nekoyara.

"Yes, everyone has been telling me that for the last week, and I don't care," Justine said firmly. "Please take them away."

"Very well," Kyunari said, though she clearly looked disappointed. "There is one other issue of great importance we need to discuss. As promised, we've spent the last week deliberating over your proposal regarding the removal of the compulsion towards obedience in our slaves…"

Justine's heart sank. Oh well, at least they'd pretended to hear her out-

"And we decided to give it a shot."

Wait what

"You… You are?!" Justine asked in disbelief.

"Only on a trial basis," Onizenpan said quickly. "If things go bad, we reserve the right to reinstate it. We don't want the Hegemon to tear itself apart because of this."

"We are, however, somewhat curious to see what will come of it, and what we may learn from the experience," Karasusenshi said. "It may even provide us a better understanding of the bond between master and slave and aid us in creating a solution for the impending energy crisis."

"Or it may not," Shawja allowed. "However, nothing ventured, nothing gained. We've tried just about everything else we can think of short of ending slavery or massively reengineering our followers. Maybe this will give us an answer."

"At the very least, we should give it a try," Shoujinjou agreed.

Justine nearly collapsed, overwhelmed. "That's… Thank you! Thank you so much!" She cried. "The nine of you are the best gods I've ever met! Not that I've met many, grant you, but…"

"Think nothing of it," Tsukikou said with a chuckle. "You have impressed us, little mortal, which doesn't happen often. This is the least we can do."

"Well, a little more than 'the least,'" Onizenpan grunted.

"In addition, while we know you and Kyukogo were about to come to a very important decision about your future – which we are very sorry for interrupting," Kyunari said apologetically. "There is… Another alternative."

Justin gave her a confused look. "I don't understand."

Kyunari gave her a serious look. "There is someone who wants to see you. Someone you know very well."

"What do you-"

Justine had been here before.

The village spread out before her was immediately recognizable even though she was sure she'd never seen it before her in her life, at least not like this.

Not with every building intact.

"What…?" She whispered in disbelief, staring at the village she had visited a few months ago, the village where she had scattered Yuko's ashes, the village that had been in ruins but was now somehow, impossibly, fully restored. The architecture looked… Disturbingly familiar, a mix of medieval European, ancient Japanese, and neo-futuristic, with holographic projections and crystals floating in the air and what looked to be spirits flying around. A beautiful golden tree glowing radiantly stood on a hill overlooking the town, a sprawling shrine nestled between its surprisingly vast roots.

She'd seen this kind of architecture before.

But that was impossible, because that architecture had been in an incredibly popular multimedia franchise apparently beloved all over the universe, which, last time she checked, wasn't real.

So how-

"Hello, Justine. It's been a while."

Justine gasped, eyes widening in astonishment at the familiar figure standing before her, a being whom she'd long wished to see again.

"Steve?!"

Her big brother, a blonde, blue-eyed, handsome All-American figure smiled at her, and Justine was astounded to realize he was no longer bigger than her. "You look good, Justine. You've grown up, in more ways than one."

She hugged him, flabbergasted "Steve, you… Are you really… This is… Where the hell have you been?!"

He hugged her back. "I'm sorry, Justine, I didn't mean to leave you and Davey all alone, but I had no choice. After I learned the truth, after I understood who you are, what you are, I had to disappear. It was the only way to keep you safe from them, from him." He grimaced. "Though now that the Youkaliens have put you in the spotlight, I'm afraid I can't protect you anymore, not like I've been doing so far."

"I… What I am… Safe from…what?!" She shrieked, overwhelmed.

"I'm sorry," he said again. "This is all probably a lot for you to take in, and not how you expected this reunion to go. Don't worry. I promise I can explain everything. Come on. She's expecting you."

"Explain… Expecting… Who is…" Justine stammered, struggling to get even the smallest hint of comprehension as to what the hell was going on.

Steve gave her a fond smile, a twinkle in his eyes. "You know who."

He took her by the hand and gently led her into the town, which looked more and more familiar by the minute – not just because she knew the architecture, not just because she'd walked through its ruins just a few months ago, but because something on a bone deep level told her she'd been here before –

And experienced another shock when she saw the locals, none of whom were human, but all of them were far too familiar. Sphinxes, Khimerians, Quetzalcoatli, Abyssals, Ophidians, elves, skeletons, minotarus, djinn, and so many goblings…

But that wasn't possible, because they, just like the architecture around her, shouldn't exist outside of Me and My Cosmic Dragon!

"Steve, how… How is this possible? Have I been isekaied?" Justine asked, dazed. "Wait, is that what happened to you? Did you get hit by Truck-kun?!"

Steve laughed at this. "No, no, we're still in our world… Sort of. It's complicated. Don't worry, it'll all make sense soon."

And then, as if she hadn't gotten enough shocks, the inhabitants of the village noticed her…

And started cheering.

"What…?" Justine whispered, bewildered as magical fireworks went off, confetti flew through the air, musical instruments started playing, banners were unfurled, streamers festooned every surface, and people started parading and dancing in the streets. "What… What is…"

"This is all for you, Justine," Steve said, looking at her with pride and adoration. "They've been waiting for you for a long, long time. You feel it, don't you? This place, it's where you're supposed to be. It's home. It's where your soul was born, and where it always returns to, where you inevitably find yourself in every lifetime, because no matter where or when you're born or what as, you will always be drawn here, back to those who love you most, those who need you, those you are beholden to, those with whom you share an unbreakable destiny."

And he was right, Justine realized. This place, which she'd only ever been to before when it was a desolate ruin, she immediately realized was her home. Her true home, the place she was always destined to be.

What was going on?

"Steve, I don't… I don't understand," Justine stammered, terrified.

He winced and gave her a sympathetic look. "Right. Sorry. Don't worry, just a little bit farther. Then it'll all make sense."

He guided her through the enthusiastic, cheering mob, smiling and shaking hands with the locals, who seemed all too familiar with him, gently steering her away from some of the more excited well-wishers, and then, before she knew it, they were climbing up the hill towards the shrine beneath the tree, which looked so much bigger than it had before, and Justine felt positively dwarfed by it, feeling as if the entire world, the entire universe was a dew drop on a single leaf on a single branch.

And Steve was talking, she realized.

"This place is important, Justine, really important, maybe one of the three most important places in the entire world, and he tried to destroy it, took advantage of her leaving to find you in your current incarnation to wipe it off the map, but this place is far more than he could ever understand, and you fixed things, Justine, you reforged the link, and now it's back and everyone's back and she's back-"

And then she saw the statue in front of the shrine, and she stopped listening.

"How…"

There were two figures intertwined in a passionate embrace. One of the figures was very clearly Justine herself, and the other…

The other was…

"… What…"

"Darling."

And everything seemed to freeze.

A figure emerged from the shrine gates, flanked by beautiful attendants and shrine maidens, walking straight towards her, a look of rapture on her face.

Her familiar face.

It might be a bit much to call her the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen, considering the company she'd spent the last couple of weeks in and the literal goddesses she'd just been having an audience with, but this woman, this being… Her voluptuous figure covered in gold scales carved with names and characters which were equal parts unfamiliar and immediately readable to her, her digitigrade legs ending in glittering gold talons, the small set of draconic wings folded over her shapely hips and groin, the shining Pearl set into her navel, her sizable bust covered by another set of small wings which seemed to cup them in their claws, the other Pearls set into her palms and shoulders, the spikes and vestigial eyes on her knuckles making her hands look vaguely like draconic heads, the massive Dragon wings spreading from her back with gleaming golden feathers in a pattern which either resembled the canopy of the tree overhead or a pair of shining all seeing eyes which pierced her soul depending on how the light caught them, her long tail ending in a tuft of fur, her shining black hair hanging to her waist… She was nothing short of a drangel, the holy servants of the cosmic dragons in Me and My Cosmic Dragon, who had obtained immortality and a divine draconic state after swearing service to their Dragon overlords and would be rewarded with ascension into cosmic dragons themselves should they serve loyally and faithfully for a thousand years.

Which, again, shouldn't be possible, since Me and My Cousin Dragon wasn't real.

And yet one was standing in front of her, and not just any drangel, but her, because she would know that face anywhere, even surrounded by a ring of fangs and horns, with slitted pupils, scales on her cheeks, and fangs, because this was the face that had been haunting her dreams for months, the face she knew as well as her own, the face she had loved and lost and mourned and was now somehow, impossibly, before her again.

The face of-

"Welcome home, my love, my heart, my eternal companion," Yuko said, smiling to reveal her fangs, golden eyes glittering with joy. "I've been waiting for you to find me again. We have much to discuss."

There was only one thing Justine could say to this.

"NANI?!"