TTGL: So this is the Heavens.
Chapter 25: The Heavens themselves will cower before me.
A/N: brief note. As some of you may have noticed, I use some elements from TTGL's series such as the various Dai-Gurren members dying while other times I use scenes from the movie such as Simon's fight with the three remaining generals. This chapter is based upon the movie again so if you haven't seen it, I advise that you at least watch the final battle scene.
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Millions of tiny lights watched intently as new galaxies were forged and old ones were decimated in the fires of war. It was a fitting backdrop for humanities last stand. Earth watched through a portal, a jewel in the universe's crown.
The gods themselves were in battle. Galaxies were nothing but weapons where the vast constructs of energy were concerned. Black and red eclipsed the skies of a billion worlds.
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, the combined power of humanities finest warriors, held in existence by the efforts of one young man alone. It was the spiral races last chance for survival. Above it was the dire form of the Granzeboma, the Anti-Spiral's war mecha that contained his own home world. Although equal in form and power, the Anti-Spiral dominated the humans again and again.
In the sight of Earth, Anti-Spiral ripped the Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann into its base components, severing its head from its body and holding it up like a trophy for all of humanity to see.
"Looks like I have broken your spirit on the same level, spiral man." intoned the deep voice of the Anti-Spiral. It boomed throughout space, passing his words through to all spiral beings that were watching. A galaxy sized hand turned into a drill and inched forward to destroy the scaled up Lagann once and for all.
"Now gracefully give up and die!" he sneered. A startled noise was projected out from the Granzeboma as its drill was blocked by a far small drill that had emerged from Lagann's forehead.
"Broken my spirit?" growled Simon angrily. Pain tortured his body but that didn't matter to him. "Who said that?"
Pink light flooded space for a moment in the shape of a giant flower. A long, thin drill parried the Granzeboma from out of nowhere, knocking it away from Lagann. Simon pulled away, re-powering the head into Tengen Toppa Lagann. Before him was a sleek form of a white mecha.
A feminine voice issued out of the new mecha. Simon recognised it instantly as Nia. He only now noticed that she was no longer seated naked on his lap.
"That's right!" she shouted, defiantly. "No matter how hard it is, Simon will never hesitate again! The Simon that I believe in will never have his Team Dai-Gurren spirit broken! My Tengen Toppa Solvernia will fight at his side!"
"You dare defy us, irregular." grunted the Anti-Spiral, nonplussed by the sudden turn of events.
"I cannot change that I was created by you, but I can resist that to the very end!" the woman stated. She struck a battle pose. "I'll show you that I can!" she screamed, rushing at the far larger mecha with all of her spirit. Running along one of its giant arms she stabbed her drill staff into a joint then bounded at its head causing a wound on the collar bone area. Blood sprayed out but the mecha didn't flinch.
Snake like tendrils shot from Granzeboma's mouth that hit the Tengen Toppa Solvernia at point blank range. Nia was sent hurtling back. Unable to stand, Granzeboma loomed over her, laughing.
"How admirable." Anti-Spiral taunted before releasing another wave of tendrils.
Nia tried to defend herself but couldn't move. The attack didn't reach her though. Dozens of arms grabbed onto the tendrils, stopping their advance. Between the arms formed the body of Enki, or as it now was, the Tengen Toppa Enkidulga.
"Your opponent is me!" came the gruff shout of Viral. With a battle cry he snapped all of the tendrils in half and brandished them as weapons. "Please stand back, Princess Nia."
"Thank you, Viral!"
The beastman laughed. "Who'd have imagined that I'd be able to protect the Spiral Princess at the ends of space? I'm grateful for the events that brought me here!" He launched into combat with Granzeboma, both's arms moving with such speed that the attacks were blurs.
"That won't work!" howled Anti-Spiral.
"We'll see about that!" cackled Viral, throwing a blade at the planet that crowned Granzeboma's head.
Following closely behind the blade was a missile. They both hit, blowing the god like mecha back. In the distance, Yoko made her presence known, aiming the mass of guns on her new Tengen Toppa Yoko W Tank at the Anti-Spiral robot.
"I won't let Nia's feelings go to waste!" she stated, unloading enough firepower to grind the universe to dust. Granzeboma was enveloped in smoke but one hand snaked forward and lunged at the tank mecha, sending it flying. Yoko screamed.
Granzeboma grabbed a galaxy from space beside it and threw it like a shuriken at Yoko. The two bumps on the Tengen Toppa Yoko W Tank that looked remarkably like breasts launched, revealing themselves to be shark like missiles. The galaxy passed through them, splitting them clean in half then continuing on into Yoko's mecha. It severed everything from its right shoulder onwards.
The Anti-Spiral lunged at her again but a series of shots knocked the limb away. A blue and red mecha reminiscent to Gurren Lagann darted around the Granzeboma, peppering it with shots.
"Sir, we're not going…"
"To lose to you!"
Gimmy and Darry shouted, continuing their attack on the Anti-Spiral. All of the other Tengen Toppa mecha's opened fire with guns but still nothing seemed to effect the Granzeboma.
"I told you that it's futile!" started the Anti-Spiral when he was interrupted by a wave in space behind him being ridden by the Tengen Toppa Dai-Gurren. Aretenborough's voice echoed out through the monstrous ships as its cannons blazed.
"Take this! This and this!"
"Those were my probability fluctuation shells! It negates the probability of the Anti-Spiral blocking." Leeron informed to the universe at large.
"Super Space-Time Anchor!" roared Dyakka. Two frontal drills fired forward trailing some kind of rope that wrapped around Granzeboma. The Tengen Toppa Dai-Gurren swung the rope causing the Anti-Spiral to swing through space. "My wife is the best in the universe swing!" shouted Dyakka proudly." As he finished he smashed Granzeboma down onto a galaxy.
There was a small lull in the combat while Anti-Spiral was down. The Tengen Toppa mecha regrouped.
A private line between Simon and Nia was opened. "Thank you, Simon. I'm so happy that you came so far to rescue me."
Simon could see that something wasn't right. It was in her eyes, in her voice. "Nia…"
"Simon, you came all of this way to do what you had to. Isn't that right?"
"Yeah! Your exactly right." Simon answered, readying himself for the next round. His Tengen Toppa Lagann stood at the head of the assembled Team Dai-Gurren mecha. "Did you see that, Anti-Spiral? This is our, the Team Super Galaxy Dai-Gurren's, determination! I'll say it as many times as I need to. WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK WE ARE?"
Somehow, from the depth of space, a volcano rose up and erupted behind them. They really were that epic. A Dai-Gurren flag made from spiral energy fluttered beside them. Granzeboma tore through it and towered over the humans like a vengeful god.
"To think that you were able to materialise spiral energy in our isolated space. I can see why you were able to make it out of the multidimensional labyrinth. But it's not over yet!" bellowed Anti-Spiral. Their continued resistance was starting to bug him now. "You're nothing but a pitiful life that we abandoned! I will make you regret your conceitedness!"
With both arms the Granzeboma latched on to two galaxies. With staggering power he smashed them together, creating a terrifying ball of pure energy.
The human's readings were off the charts. "It's like the energy from the birth of the universe!" gasped Leeron, unable to believe his own words.
"Like the big bang…" Cybela gulped breathlessly.
"And he's going to ram that into us?" growled Viral.
Anti-Spiral readied his attack. "Infinity Big Bang Storm!"
The ball of energy shot forward in an all consuming beam that hit the Tengen Toppa mecha head on. Newly born galaxies were spewed out from the attack every second as a second universe tried to create itself over the humans.
"Burn in the everlasting hellfire of the universe's genesis!" screamed Anti-Spiral manically. "Be utterly annihilated, down to the very last scrap of DNA!"
The attack was too much. Its power tore through the Tengen Toppa mecha, ripping them to shreds bit by bit. It was all the pilots could do just to stay conscious.
"Not yet! I'm not done!" heaved Simon. Determination coated his every feature.
"Simon!" shouted a familiar voice. Lordgenome suddenly appeared in Simon's monitor, his eyes burning with the will to fight. "Leave this one to me." the old king ordered as he walked naked out into space. Some how he was whole once again. Fire flared from his body. He crossed his arms and Lazengann formed around him.
"Lazengann Overload!" he roared, sending the mecha into the big bang beam. Dozens of thin drills shot out to block the powerful energy. Somehow he was able to hold back the beam, allowing the other members of Team Dai-Gurren to recover.
"Father!" screamed Nia.
"Don't cry for me, daughter. My soul, once lost in a sea of despair has reawakened! If this body of mine can help to create a future for spiral beings, I will gladly give it!"
Anti-Spiral boosted the power further. "You'll die like dogs anyway. Disappear!"
"Lazengann…is being quantumly divided!" analysed Cybela.
Lordgenome smiled like this was good news. "That's what I've…been waiting for!" His body destabalised, merging together with the big bang and taking the form a massive spiral drill. Lordgenome's head sat at the tip of the drill. "SIMON…TAKE IT!
Simon complied, knowing it was the only option. Grabbing the colossal drill in Tengen Toppa Lagann's hands he shoved it into the mecha's mouth, feeling the sudden burst of energy within him. The others all felt it too.
Simon knew that this was it. This was his last chance to save humanity. "Bro, give me the strength to win. Watch over me…for this one last battle!"
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The words came faintly to his brain, like heard through water. Oblivion had its fingers wrapped tightly around his throat, pulling him down into the vast depths of nothingness. Another force was taking hold though, spiralling itself around his fading body and tugging at him to rise.
Bro, give me the strength to win. Watch over me…for this one last battle!
Eyes that had already forgotten that they could see, opened. Fists that had forgotten how to hold, clenched together tightly. A soul that had forgotten how to feel, burst into a raging spirit.
"FUCK YOU DEATH AND OBLIVION! MY BRO NEEDS ME AND YOU AREN'T GONNA STOP ME! IF YOU HAVE AN OBJECTION THEN YOU CAN TAKE IT UP WITH MY SWORD!"
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Simon clenched his controls hard. "Alright! Everyone, we're doing 'that'!"
"That?"
"Isn't it obvious?" he replied. "COMBINE!"
At that exact moment, Kamina's blazing spirit ripped through life, death, time and space, popping into existence at the centre of the battleground. The space around him was so thick with excess spiral energy that his soul filled and expanded with the stuff. Drawn together by some unnameable force, the Tengen Toppa mecha and Kamina were all brought to a central point and spiralled together in a tornado of light blue spiral energy.
Kamina could feel the other pilots' power feeding into him, their souls combining with his very essence. Bigger and bigger he grew, his friends raging spirits pushing him to ever greater heights. He folded his arms as a six pointed pair of sunglasses and a badass crimson cape formed. Within a matter of seconds he had dwarfed the Granzeboma, becoming the size of the universe itself.
"What the hell?" exclaimed the Anti-Spiral, at a loss for words for the first time. "You had control over that much energy? Impossible!" he screamed, his mecha now only reaching half way up the Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann's big toe.
Simon could feel his brother with him, their powers in tune with one another. "We're stronger, more evolved than we were a second ago. With every revolution, we move one step forward. And that's how a drill works!"
Anti-Spiral twitched. "And that will lead to destruction! That is the Spiral's limit!" Purple flames consumed him and flared out in every direction, growing in size until it rivalled the human's mecha.
"Why can't you understand?" bellowed Anti-Spiral as it struck out with a drill arm. It was blocked by an equally large drill. The two weapons span against each other, locked in an unimaginable battle of power.
"That is YOUR limit!" roared Simon. "You sit here closed off, playing with others and acting like some sort of king! That's nobodies limitation except your OWN!"
Yoko could feel Kamina's presence too. She felt enclosed within his protective arms. "He's right! Once, there was a human much greater than the rest… and for his sake alone, we keep moving forwards!"
"A human heart knows no bounds!" added Nia passionately. "I'll bet my existence on its strength!"
Kamina couldn't help but grin. "The Heavens themselves will cower before me! With my friends at the helm of humanity, you never stood a chance, Anti-Spiral scum!"
Simon and Kamina were running perfectly in sync with each other. As one they yelled "Killing move! Take this! Super Tengen Toppa GIGA DRILL BREAK!"
Anti-Spiral mirrored their move. "Anti-Spiral…GIGA DRILL BREAK!"
The two giga drills met with power that completely eclipsed that of the creation of the universe. Every galaxy in existence was drawn into the attack until the universe fell into complete darkness.
Kamina roared out in pain as his temporal body flickered out of his control for a split second. He couldn't recover it in time. His giga drill was broken and his body warped madly with unstable matter and energy.
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann continued the struggle against the now far larger drill. The power was too much and that too shattered only to be replaced by the even smaller drill of the Super Galaxy Dai-Gurren. This too could not hold and broke. Arch Gurren Lagann resumed the lock but was again overpowered. Gurren Lagann emerged and managed to resist the awesome power of the Anti-Spiral drill."
Kamina fought his way back into consciousness. He opened his eyes and saw a human body below them, covered in blue tattoos that he knew all too well. He turned his head slightly and saw that he was cradled in Yoko's arms, his head on her lap.
"Kamina… you're always come to help us…when we really need you." she said softly.
"Of course I am. I wouldn't be the mighty Kamina if I abandoned my friends."
They both fell silent and stared out at the battle before them.
"Simon is still out their fighting, we should help him or he might get killed too." said Yoko, a faint quiver in her voice.
"No." answered Kamina firmly. "This is Simon's fight. If we believe in him, he can't lose."
"Impossible!" hissed Anti-Spiral. "Nothing can stand against our power!"
"Remember this!" roared Simon. "This drill…is the drill that will pierce the heavens…and that hole will be the path for those that follow. The thoughts of the defeated and those yet to come. With those two thoughts…with twenty spirals woven in…there's NO WAY WE CAN LOSE! That is Tengen Toppa! That is Gurren Lagann! This drill…IS THE DRILL THAT WILL PIERCE THE HEAVENS!"
Super Granzeboma's giga drill disintergrated and Gurren Lagann pushed forward. Granzeboma fired more tendrils from its mouth that smashed into Gurren' pinning it in place.
"Simon!" called Viral from Gurren's cockpit. He ripped Lagann from its place and threw it with all of his might toward the Anti-Spiral.
"Your resistance is worthless!" Anti-Spiral raged, extending his fingers to tear into Lagann. The tiny mecha quickly slowed despite its best efforts and began to fall to pieces.
"Even so…I…" started Simon. His shades shattered, unable to take the attacks leathering them. Without warning Lagann grabbed him and threw him straight at Anti-Spiral, much to Simon's surprise. "Lagann…"
He quickly recovered from the shock and dived through the air preparing the mother of all Falcon Punches. His fist hit Anti-Spiral's face with the strength to level a building. They both engaged in hand to hand combat, the fist fight far more brutal than the robot war had ever been.
Kamina watched intently. It hurt like acid in his veins just to keep his body together but he didn't let it show. He had to be their for his bro, even if it was only to watch from the sidelines.
The battle raged on, blood forming a fine mist around the two fighters. Simon looked worn out and barely able to stand. He rose one arm high into the air. "Even so…I…I will believe! I will believe in the me that believes in us, humanity, and the future!"
Blood spiralled around his upheld hand then formed together as a giant core drill that encompassed most of his forearm. "I will believe. This drill…is my SOUL!" Simon screamed as he lunged forward. His drill pierced straight through the Anti-Spiral, leaving a gaping hole through his chest.
"…Then make sure…you protect the universe." whispered the Anti-Spiral as he came to terms with his defeat.
"Of course. Believe in humanity."
With Simon's words fresh in his ears, the Anti-Spiral faded. The war was won.
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"It's over! We just can't fight anymore!" cursed Renji from his position high above the Seireitei. Mugann and bandits had overrun the ground while the giant hands and feet dominated the sky. The all eclipsing Ashtanga ships still loomed above, no one able to cause them any damage. Many of the captains were already down, unable too keep up the unwinable fight any longer.
Kenpachi shoved him out of the way. His clothes were nothing but rags and his hair was a disorganised mess that looked like the mane of some great monster. His skin was one large shamble of blood and burns.
"Get out of the way if you can't handle it! I've only just gotten warmed up. Bankai!"
Nothing suddenly interrupted him. A grin that would make the Joker look like a bank manager spread across his face and he howled with unsuppressed laughter. Without anything to stop him, he fully activated his zanpakuto for the first time.
The universe imploded. Fragments of it were fired throughout space and time until they too imploded. All matter in the now dust like existence formed together into the giant head of a demon that breathed yellow fire that burned away all known darkness, cleansing everything of everything. The demon head then ate itself and exploded, spewing out the universe like nothing had happened. This all just so happened to occur right at the moment that the Anti-Spiral died.
Renji blinked several times. One second he couldn't see the sky or ground through enemies, now the area was completely clear. "What the hell just happened?"
Kenpachi turned his back and began to walk away. "If you want shit done, you have to do it yourself."
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A/N: Wow. Well, that was the climax of the story so hope it didn't disapoint. I never intended to have this chapter, I was going to have the last chapter as the final battle then move straight to the epilogue but throughout this story several people asked for Kamina to participate in that final Tengen Toppa fight. Many wanted him in a Tengen Toppa Gurren but I didn't want to take the light away from Simon since it was his moment of glory.
So yup, next chapter is the epilogue…the very last chapter of this tale.
Anakin Mario Son43 is this week's Omake winner due to his genuine passion for this story. Anyone who writes their main paragraph in caps locks obviously feels strongly about something. Send me any suggestions for the omake and I'll try to do as you ask.
The finale looms upon the horizon. Until it rises, peace out
-FWF