Who Knows What Tomorrow Holds

by realest-nat

A trio of (unlikely) heroes finds themselves protecting the President of the United States after a hostile takeover of the White House. On top of that, there's the looming threat of an axis of time attaining godhood. It's going to be a long day. [Following "Aria of the Sol", this is a retelling/reimagining of the Guilty Gear -Strive- story mode. Also on AO3]

11. The Power Who'll Face the Future

A pre-recorded video of Aria's saved to her magi-tech goggles. She's already been in the airship's room failing to fall asleep for the nap she intended to take. After the synthesized image changed itself, her fellow passenger quietly opened the door to place the device on top of the nightstand next to the bed. By this time, the A.I. inside had left to take a rest on one of the main cabin's couches.

Opening her eyes after the door shut, she reached for the device. Repositioning herself to sit on the edge with her eyewear in her lap, she sighs knowing there are hundreds of thoughts racing throughout her mind.

Her family and friends. Those she's informally sworn to protect. The events that transpired this morning – witnessing the explosion that occurred and participating in the following high-speed chase. Learning about the connection between the backup Jack-O and I-No. What the humanoid form of what attacked and caused her to go berserk over one hundred years ago said.

Scrolling through the list of functions, she found the camera. Tinkering around with the settings, she set it down and hit record when she was ready.

"If you're seeing this, it's probably too late. I've likely done something really stupid, like accidentally dropping under the radar, committing a crime, or…." Her eyes redirect to her bottom left. Somberly, she lowly lets out a laugh and a wry smile. "…heh." The established method of preventing ascension into godhood irritated her, evidenced by the frowning. "Stopping a god by merging with them at the cost of my own life. If that's the case… I'm so sorry I left you again. I've heard how many times you've defied fate and saved the world, so should the opportunity arise, save me." She grips the charm on her limiter like an Old Hollywood actress dramatically clutching a pearl necklace. "Save me from myself and my own selfish or selfless actions. I'm sorry for trying to hide what I saw in my dream from you. I don't know when it'd happen, if at all, but somehow you weren't a Gear anymore. Something or someone restored your humanity. I don't know for certain, but among those ill-defined figures I was around in this 'final battle,' who looked to be Axl and Ky were also there. Strange, right? Stranger than that samurai from the highway chase earlier. I wonder why he's with us. What am I saying…? This all sounds like crazy talk, but you should know eventually. I don't want to say goodbye, but if I do…."

She remains silent for a moment. Deeply exhaling, she weakly smiles, looking directly at the device.

"I love you, Frederick."

The video message ends. Cut to static.

---

"Where am I…?"

Aria keeps her composure during the assessment of the surroundings. It isn't the front lawn of the White House, nor was it the dollhouse she first met Jack-O in. She found herself standing in one of the project complex's halls – eerily quiet, save for the flickering fluorescent lights that weren't replaced yet, and without signs of life. Carefully treading forward, she walks down the path, noting each shut door and the torn colorful fliers posted on them. With each step she took, the environment gradually became dilapidated – what looked to be dried blood splattered on the dirty grey walls and flooring, papers scattered everywhere, and a jumbled mess of torn fabric of all sizes with researcher ID cards still clipped on. A foul stench crossed her olfactory senses. Her eyes drift to look at the floor, disgusted and horrified at the human and animal corpse parts littered around. Hushed chatter from the incident's survivors – unknowing that they'd be the next casualties if they didn't escape in time – steadily grows in volume the longer she remained here.

A lone card that remained in its protective casing sticks out; it's attached to the end of a lanyard with symbols from an iconic astronomy-themed manga series about middle schoolers that double as magical soldiers. Crouching down to pick it up, it vanishes before she could read the name. The room suddenly felt freezing cold as her current position was teleported to what looked to be a cryogenics lab. A buzzer suddenly sounded. Armed soldiers stand guard as the squad leader points their rifle at the shaggy-haired scientist who finalized the freeze; they don't notice her walking up to the capsule.

The woman inside is her.

This is the day she went into cryosleep.

You're already late
I can't go back to the beginning
Well, I can't
You saw what reality was
I tried to deny it
But nothing changes
I was waiting for you
But I can't do what I can't do

["Oh."] Her own voice rang through. Who she's speaking to is unknown. ["You didn't tell me she was going to relive that day."]

"I… I didn't say that! W-who's there!? Why do you sound exactly like me!?"

["What a shame."] This one's robotic. ["She doesn't realize it yet."]

Don't come near my ear and whisper
I don't know you.

"Who are you! What do you mean I haven't realized it yet!? H-hello? Hey! Answer me!"

An explosion several floors above, paired with frightened screaming and metal crashing, grabs her attention. She watches the vision of Asuka look up at the ceiling, muttering to himself while pushing her sleep capsule. "It's been three hours since… Frederick, you are now…."

What feels like hours pass in a second. Aria's on the surface, seated next to the only survivor of the facility's destruction. It's a man with long, dark brown hair; he lights up a cigarette, takes a drag, and blows the smoke into the air. Dried-up patches of what's presumably his blood splotched on the lab coat, complementing the torn areas near the collar. As she figured, he doesn't notice her, yet she hears him mutter her name.

"Aria."

He reaches into the front left pocket of his coat, taking out a standard-sized wallet. She peeks over his shoulder to view what he's currently looking at: a photo of them, smiling, without a care in the world, at a beach they went to on vacation. Their clothes were vibrantly colored, with her wearing his red floral shirt over her baby blue bikini. Sun-kissed skin showed from both, and the sun hat she wore was absent; the accessory they wore in common were the sunglasses placed atop their heads.

The recent memory of visiting an art gallery returned. She looks at the wallet photo again to see it's changed to how they looked in their current attire.

["Retroactively altering memories, are you? That is who you think it is, but he can't hear or see you."]

["It's all an illusion. Your fragile heart's playing tricks on your eyes."]

"Dammit! You two can shove this entire thing up your as—" Before she could finish that sentence, she hears footsteps fading away, covered by far-off sirens. He ventures off into the unknown – she wants to run with him – set on exacting vengeance on the man who wronged them.

You're next. And next
One by one, he's not coming back
We don't know who's next
Just like you. Just like you
Where are you now that I know you?
If you're there, tell me

Several decades pass in a matter of moments. The next memory she's brought to found her seated at what looked like a command center. Several people in lab coats were situated at various levels, overlooking an all too familiar scene.

"No…!" Aria glances at the desk calendar in the corner. Fear and panic elevated her heart rate; she tenses up, knowing what'll happen.

September 2nd, 2074.

Her activation date. Her body's been used as the base for Justice. The procedure would've gone smoothly if it weren't for desperate measures. A prime target for an unknown at the time force to sabotage and cause her to inadvertently erase the Japanese archipelago from existence.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Her eyes widen in horror, her body trembling at the pain she felt at that moment coming back to haunt her. She knows nobody else "present" can hear her – she screams at the two disembodied voices. "Let me out!" Reflexively curling her body into a fetal position, she holds the sides of her head, pressing her fingertips against the skin and feeling the skull inside. "Please! I don't want to relive this!"

["That was harsh, even for you. Why'd it have to be your 'birthday?'"]

["Oh, you mean your 'death' date? I'm surprised you didn't try stopping me from bringing her here."]

It's already contagious
I don't like it anymore
I was waiting for you
But I can't do what I can't do

You're next. And next
One by one, he's not coming back
We don't know who's next
Just like you. Just like you
Where are you now that I know you?
If you're there, tell me

Shifting from the office chair to a plush sofa decorated with throw pillows and a blanket, Aria arrives at the second to last stop on the dreamscape tour. Standing up, she recognizes it as her old project complex apartment. The door to her room is open, visible from her current location. It's just like she remembers from the last night she was truly alive. Carefully treading on the carpeted floor, she doesn't make much noise; she hears a conversation a few steps down.

"I can't get what you told me out of my head."

"And that would be?"

"Promise me you won't be alone."

"I wouldn't mind if you decided to find someone else."

"You know I can't do that."

"Faithful until the end, huh?"

"Yeah, that. And your ghost would haunt me."

"Heh. I wouldn't think of myself as a vengeful spirit. I'll be right back. I'm going to get some water." The conversation paused with her past self – dressed in a shirt and panties – walking out and heading for the kitchen. Her face remained neutral, concealing how she truly felt as she didn't tell him about what she agreed to. Pouring herself sixteen ounces of fluid and taking a vitamin, she set the glass down on the counter before covering her face with her hands. "Tomorrow… that's the date we… no, I agr—"

"The date I agreed on for cryo…." She turns to find her then-boyfriend also half-dressed – wearing a pair of boxer shorts – leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. His expression conveyed concern about her well-being, wondering what she was mumbling to herself about.

"Kinda feels like there's someone watching me." He looks in her direction from the corner of his eye, raising an eyebrow. Her body involuntarily tenses up at the awareness. He shrugs it off, walking to the kitchen to talk to her. Watching as a ghost that somehow wandered in eerie recreations of memories made her question how many levels deep in a dream she is. He stops behind her, wraps his arms around her waist, and leans down to rest his head on her shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Just feel a little off. That's all."

He softly places a hand on her stomach area. That single action makes her believe he had some idea. "…is there something you need to tell me?"

Before she was able to see how the scene ended, Aria was brought to the final destination. A botanical garden unlike the one she's spent her spare time in at the castle. A melancholy piano tune fills the air – what grabs her attention while looking around is a stone plaque with a phrase engraved on it. "Walk in the dusk." Collecting her thoughts and taking a deep breath, she begins walking through at a steady pace. Statues of those important to her were placed along the paved pathway's sides – everyone from the three Valentines to the Kings, her family and friends, and somehow the President of the United States was in the mix. There's notably one missing most of the artwork; what remained on the pedestal were a pair of shoes and above it was light molded into the body's shape with vague clothing definition. This one splits in two – the first is his original identity and the second is who he became. Benches and bistro-style tables with umbrellas sparsely decorated the area – not a single soul or apparition were seated on those outdoor furnishings.

Except one at the end of it all.

This wasn't a person.

At seven feet and seven inches tall, it was a long-haired sentient suit of armor. Blood flowed through her veins, with a beating heart, and what remains of her fragmented conscience from when she was a human. Her whip-like tail – which has a yellow ribbon tied into a bow near the end – subtly wags along with her hair flowing in the breeze.

Part of her wants to yell the other's name. Aria chose the peaceful route this time, softening her voice. "…Justice."

"Ah, look who's here." She looks at the guest from the corner of her eye – face turned to look over her shoulder. "You finally decided to visit. Take a seat, Aria."

"I wouldn't call it that," Aria sits on the other end of the bench, leaving a gap between them. "Playing witness to the past as a wandering bystander isn't something I'd willingly do."

"Here to erase me, are you?"

"No. Erasing you would mean erasing myself." She looks at her out of the right corner of her eyes. "Did you try to duplicate my voice to play a trick on me?"

Justice's form morphs into the armored pilot Aria seen in the alternative dream portrait of her, Dizzy, and Frederick. Her voice remains mechanical, and her eyes turned pure gold underneath the blue visor. "I did no such thing."

"I don't believe you."

"Then tell me," she returns to her half-revived figure. A large circular glass appears in front of them. "Who is that?"

The mimic voice calls out. "It's okay. You can come closer. That is if you have the courage to accept yourself as you are now."

"…as I am now…?" Aria stands and approaches the portal-like mirror. A light mannequin sporting a similar hairstyle, wearing a sunhat, dress, and sandals appears in front of her. Same body type, down to the face shape and hairstyle. She's initially missing a face – when the two images come closer to the barrier, the doll's features become defined. Gradually gaining definition and faint hints of color, Aria recognizes who Justice referred to. Her facial expression's softer, friendlier, with an inviting smile; the same talented researcher who fell victim to a deadly infection and suffered an unfortunate fate.

Do you still remember our "enemy"?
You don't have to go far. Look in the mirror in front of you
Are you alive? Are you breathing? I used to know you

"It's… me. The person I was before all of this happened." The two Arias mirror each other's movements – the present – briefly changing her clothing to her lab outfit – touches the glass with her right, and the past does so with her left. "I want to go back."

"Why?" Justice questions her. "We thought you liked this life. You have what you wanted."

"You grew up with nothing and now have everything," her reflection adds as she's walking out from the glass. "A family, people that care, and you were reunited with who you'd give anything for. Is that not what he wanted as well?"

"I almost threw it all away."

"We all behave irrationally at some point in our lives. Aria," the image continues. "Tell us. Where are you now? Why are you alive, and how did you get to the present?"

"I'm not sure where I am, but the last thing I knew I was with the reasons – erm, people – why I'm alive." She turns to face the rows of statues; each name she listed off gave their artwork color, rotating them to face the three. "Ky, Asuka, Axl, Jack-O, Giovanna, and… Vernon, Potemkin, and Nagoriyuki."

"You're missing the most important one."

The same long-haired man she saw from the complex rubble approached her. She turns to see he's facing her, smiles, then puts on the special-made device he created months after escaping the destruction. He ties his hair up, securing it with a thin black band, and conceals the emblem that's imprinted on his forehead. As he does this, his attire changes from his tattered researcher's clothes to the outfit she based her current one on. Another blank white doll shaped into the same body type walks ahead with the mirror image – the vision of Sol follows them without a word.

Albeit the time she's spent living in the present era was only three weeks, significant memories from that timeframe played out on various "screens" in front of her as she followed him – Justice keeps her distance.

You're next. And next
One by one, he's not coming back
We don't know who's next
Just like you. Just like you
Where are you now that I know you?
If you're there, tell me

Waking up lying on a hospital bed, out of time and in an alien environment. Meeting her daughter, son-in-law, and the one who held her heart. His absence after the third day was unintentional. He didn't want to leave, but that was just in his nature.

Going to the royal residence a few days later, exploring the city she'd come to call her new home, and meeting her grandson and "sisters."

Meeting the reason as to how the energy amplification was caught just in time – under the "reason" it was to check in on her. Becoming acquainted with and/or befriending those she inadvertently served as the reason why their lives were tough for the better portion of the 2100s.

Stopping a few feet away from the figures, he turns to face the current Aria. He doesn't say anything aside from the last exchange they had before she entered this dream state.

"This world's like one huge-ass firework."

The two of them hug exactly as they did. "How the hell can we miss it?"

Justice places a claw on Aria's shoulder, gently this time as the nails didn't dig into the leather. "You cannot change your past as the regret you feel will always be there. Rather than dwell in the dark, let the shadows complement the light you bring."

"Justice… are you…?"

"The manifestation of your regrets, self-doubt, and the demons you've swept aside. Simply put," her voice becomes organic, losing the mechanical sound. "I am your shadow."

"Light and darkness are one and the same."

"That's what I wanted to hear."

Aria notices the mirrors of herself and Frederick looking back at them, joining their hands together before turning into a new statue that serves as an archway. "You don't mind if I call you out for assistance?"

"You've made peace with me. I'll leave you with a parting gift. Do with it what you will."

One more time
Start anything where you are
Just like you. Just like you
Where are you now that I know you?
I don't know you...

---

Sirens blare, lights flash, and wild fluctuations continue to overwhelm the magic and black tech-based sensors. All those watching are trying to make sense of how the massive energy signatures that surpass the literal god in the same vicinity are from a single person. "Oh. My. God…." Both voices of the Second King and Secretary of Absolute Defense went over the channel. "Vernon! You're right next to her. Is that seriously happening!?"

"We don't believe it either. She's weaponizing her past identity."

Against all logical expectations and explanations, Aria summons the Outrage and activates the secondary form. Palms of the hands above her open to charge stronger energy; without delay, she fires a tri-sourced barrage of beams – comprised of gamma rays and a Saint Oratorio – directly at I-No. The difference here was they weren't deflected to the side when Frederick did the same – the blasts directly hit the center of her chest and flung her back further. Her blank eyes regained their irises after blinking thrice. Eyes drifting to her wide array of allies, she throws out the question, "hey, do y'all want to help me take down a false god?"

3Ky flashes a smile and speaks for the rest of them, responding, "I'm sure we'd love nothing more."

"What?" So much for the whole "we're a team" thing if he's excluded. "You're not –..."

"You have no say in this. You're human again, remember?" She places the weapon in his hands, recalling the Spiritas stash in the office. "Get this thing charged up."

He picks up on what she's referring to by a charged power source, albeit remaining confused and wanting to voice his concerns. "But–"

"Aria's right," Axl cuts him off. "We'll buy you the time you need."

"Sol, you should listen to her." Nago places his left hand against his chest, slightly bowing his head. "I'll assist them in your place."

"Finally made peace with yourself, huh?" Jack-O figures Aria's new ability came from overcoming her own demons. She's also glad their prior adversary is now an ally since their original ace is gone.

"This is how we're ending things? Doesn't seem like a bad way to go," Giovanna cracks her neck to relieve lingering tension. "Just say what you want us to do."

Their collective attention's directed at who would've been the other leader, waiting for his words of encouragement. "Don't hold back."

"The eight of us will handle this. Everyone," Aria faces her teammates again. "Work together to try and hold her off until the Outrage is fully powered."

"Don't fall victim to your own overexertion and overconfidence," her son-in-law advises. "She has regenerative powers too."

"Good to know. Once it is, get yourselves to safety because holy shit this thing could destroy all of existence if mishandled." She divides them into three groups, mostly judging on her impressions. "Giovanna, Axl, Potemkin, you three are together. Jack-O and Ky, you two are a team. Asuka, you're with them, but break away and provide boosts for everyone when you think they're necessary."

"In other words, I'm the designated medic?"

"Yeah, pretty much." She's aware he's responsible for treating their injuries. "Act as the other's support where they fall short!"

All present confirm the plan before breaking off. "Right!"

Noticing how he's the only one who wasn't grouped, Nago turns to Aria, asking, "I take it I'm your teammate for this?"

She casually shrugs, answering, "cooperatively, of course."

"You did just say you're taking over for me," Frederick remarks. "Can we count on you for finding the weak spot?"

The samurai turned new second-in-command nods. "They share one. It's a matter of getting them to leave it open."

"I'll meet you up ahead." Aria watches Nago's mask activate and conceal his face; the mouth portion opened and formed itself into a Cheshire grin. She faces her partner and the President again, smiling. "Thank you for saving m— -mmph-." She's cut off with a kiss. "What was that for?"

"That's for good luck. Also, payback for you doing that to me earlier." He quietly laughs at how quickly the heat rose to her cheeks, emphasizing her pouting. "I still owe you made-up time and a new life, don't I? We'll make it out alive." He reaches around to undo the clasp on her limiter's chain. "We need you at full power for this, so I'll hold your necklace."

"A better thing to keep than a hat, right? You and me, and everyone else, together somewhere in the clouds, fighting a god to save the world." She pokes the charms on the chain's end. "This accessory won't be a memento."

"But it'll help me remember this moment. For as long as we live, and with you by my side. When sunny skies break through behind the clouds –"

"I wish it could last forever, yeah."

They join hands before singing the next line. "Wish it could last forever, forever."

"You two are a match made in heaven. By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you hero and heroine." Vernon sees both of his bodyguards look at him, raising an eyebrow each. "What? Just practicing. Your words sounded like wedding vows. Dibs on being the officiant."

"Saves us the effort of trying to find one. We know you want to say the actual line."

"May I?" He activates his earpiece and connects to their external supports; pieces for them and their allies also went online. "Dearly beloved, gathered here today and watching from a safe distance, join me in welcoming these two – Frederick 'Sol' Bulsara and Aria 'Luna' Hale – in canceling the apocalypse. I'll cut to the chase, I unofficially pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the world's savior."

Aware they're on the world stage and there's a fate-deciding battle seconds away from occurring, they kept their kiss brief. "Practice for the real thing." He winks and flashes a smile before signaling their split. "Vernon, let's go."

Watching them run back towards the White House, a familiar voice comes over the channel. "Mom? Can you hear me?"

"Dizzy!? How did you get on this line?"

"I've been at the Castle. I'll keep it short: we're all rooting for your victory!"

"Aria, please advise everyone to keep their comms open." Ramlethal creates a vitals tracker for all involved; it's shared across the three crews. "I'll do my best to be your eyes and ears."

"Scoot over," Leo removes his coat before pulling up a chair and donning an operator's headset. He creates a live projection model, showing the current arena and combatants. Headshots, holo-models, and nameplates are generated to keep track of who's who and where. "You're not going at this alone."

"Agreed," Millia does the same, removing her hat and setting it on the central table behind them. "The five of us will be your eyes from Illyria."

Goldlewis relocates himself to the topmost level, adding, "we've got all-around visual, and I'll keep an eye out for your party's safety."

Erica confirms they have access to the model after taking a seat near him. Chipp, also acting as part of the support from the same control room, remains standing by the planet's holo-projection for a better view. "The more pairs of eyes, the better?"

"I can be of assistance as well," Gabriel chimes in. As with the Castle and the Pentagon, the panoramic screen in the control center displays the live feed from the White House. "An aerial view of the arena should suffice."

All eyes focus on Aria. She smiles at the absurdity of how she's leading the effort to save Earth instead of destroying it this time around. "Thank you, ground and sky control. That being said… everyone watching," the blue on her arms, eyes, and Gear mark glows brighter, and the spectral limbs above her mimic her punching her palm. "Get ready for a fight!"

Heaven or Hell.

Duel final.

LET'S ROCK!

Out of the three teams, Axl's is the furthest out from the starting point. This is the first time Giovanna's met either of her partners; wanting to know what they're up against, she figures Axl knew more since he also has time powers. "Is there anything you can tell us about her?"

"She can stop time like me but doesn't do so offensively. I'll try to give you two some breathing room."

"Greatly appreciated."

"Her hat's alive and can spit out musical notes; try not to be too far away if you see one. Uhh, there's also her guitar, and a microphone stand she swings around. That about covers the basics. With these," he lifts his kusarigama into their line of sight. "I can cover a distance."

"My style's up close and personal," she punches her palm. "What about you, big guy?"

"I'm referred to as 'the moving fortress' for a reason." Potemkin's preferred method of settling disputes with words rather than his fists doesn't apply here. "My power compensates for my lack of mobility."

"Aria's only seen me in action, but damn she's got incredible judgment for arranging us three together."

"I'll start us off, and you two can jump in when you feel ready." Axl readies his armament, whistling to get I-No's attention. "Over here!" He taps his head with the brunt of one, thinking of something to rile her up. "C'mon, let's make this fun, though," he gives her a double thumbs down. "You don't stand a chance!" She doesn't respond aside from flashing him a grin. Calling for Marlene, she readies the instrument while lunging forward at a high speed. The amount of time they've spent together on and off these past six-something years has lowered his threat level to her. She's thrown that off the side of the arena, swinging at him for a by a hair's breadth dodged hit.

"You've learned to smack talk. I don't know if I should be amused or not." Sparks fly – along with a distorted riff playing – from the sickle vs guitar clash. He maintains his ground despite the unfair advantage she has from hovering over him. Pushing further after landing, she leans in, bringing their faces closer. Out of everyone she's come to know since first appearing, he's been the only one she has an odd feeling about. "Improved your reflexes too?"

"From what I can tell," his eyes darted to the snarl the face on her hat gave him. "The ones who were meant to fight you were Sol and Ari. But you know how it goes. No matter what outline for a story you've drafted, plans change." He pushes back, leveling their power. "Can't mess up that easy if I'm who you face first." He breaks it off with a headbutt, followed by a jab to her right cheek and a kick to her lower stomach. Axl distances himself by leaping backward, slinging a sickle at the ground to cleave at her ankles. "Not so close!"

"Oh, now you wanna dance?"

"I brought partners," he reclaims the thrown weapon. "Have you met Gio?"

"May I borrow you?" Giovanna comes in with a standing splits kick to the jaw – the exact one she used to separate Sol and Nago earlier. Reducing the power behind the move, she causes I-No to stagger back, gripping her shoulders to wrap her legs around. "Don't move." She uses her momentum to move downward, propelling the target to her third teammate. "Potemkin!"

Waiting on the other end of the throw path, Potemkin rounds out the triple offensive with a shoulder charge. "Target locked." After the minimal knockback, he kneels upon his right knee, folding his left arm under as support, and readies the other to flick the body away. "Back to you."

Standing up and scratching the back of Rei's ears, Giovanna readies herself before connecting with a swift cartwheel kick – "Not quite." – to a roundhouse – "You're slow." Axl sends one of his sickles burrowing underneath I-No's boots – she's focused her attention on her other two foes after stopping herself in mid-air and her soles touched the surface – catching her by surprise as it hits from the side. He closes the distance between them by running from her right, arm extended for a clothesline.

"And it's done!"

The trio surrounds her – Gio on the three, Potemkin on nine, and Axl on her twelve. "Tch. Tough crowd tonight." She rolls her eyes, thinking up her next move. "You've made it past the opening act. I've got just the thing to make the rest of this show exciting." I-No spins around and pulls her hat's brim down, causing it to open and launch multiple Antidepressant Scales at them; each electrified note fired from the speaker in the hat's mouth. "Here's a present!" Gio dodges by sidestepping, watching the ones that missed die out on the grass. Axl cancels them out with a sickle flash, and Pot reflects them back to their sender. Directly engaging them one by one, she picks Gio first. Attention split between the agent and the wolf, the other back dashes, avoiding the overhead guitar smash. Rei kicks I-No with her hind legs before reassuming her ghostly form, snarling, and waiting to possess her owner.

"At this point," Gio turns her back on her and squats down, pretending to be bored. "I'd rather beat up a punching bag." Her heightened awareness has her react to hearing I-No leap into the air backward, ready to perform a dive kick.

"Stacca—agh—!" A well-timed and sneaky sickle toss at the witch's head knocks her off-balance; the chain wraps itself around her shoulders and brings her to Axl. She breaks free before he could dish out a follow-up, brushing off any chip damage. Set on performing the same maneuver with a different outcome, she grins before jumping again. Failing to hear boots running up from behind her, she falls for the surprise dropkick from Gio and Rei.

"This is heavy!"

She stumbles in another direction, traveling at the right distance and height to be caught by an armor-clad fist. "Heat (Knuckle)!" Potemkin's gauntlet activated, opening to reveal the black tech inside. With I-No in his grasp, the mechanized gunfire lodges several bullets in her body. "Extend!" It ends with an explosion that sets her body on fire before he throws her aside. She instantly recovers with zero physical damage, rushing her biggest target down. Anticipating this and refraining from flinching, he readies his left fist, activating the flamethrower mode. "Garuda Impact!" It connects directly to her stomach – engulfing her body in flames, the blast knocks her back into Axl's range.

Giovanna races past Potemkin and intercepts the enemy before she swapped targets. Her companion spirit possesses her, turning her skin bright green and whiting out her eyes before she backflips into a handstand. "Fear on the wind! Ventania!" From her own impetus, she connects with a series of five upside-down spinning kicks. Before the last kick hit, I-No recovered, landing a low body blow before teleporting out of Gio's immediate reach and somewhere nearer to Axl.

His vision glitches out, turning the witch headed toward him into a different person with long black hair and a white tunic dress. He loses focus for a second, stands in place, and doesn't say anything aside from something that came to mind. "…did you always have short hair?"

Out of the nine-person support, Erica's the one who discerns the possibility why Axl's just standing there. "Now isn't the time to be distracted by second thoughts. Stay focused here."

"Right. Sorry. Deploy!" Before I-No could answer, he flicks the left end of his kusarigama at her, making it explode after she caught it. Catching the retracted item, he sends it back out, aiming the trajectory down. Once it was close enough, he manipulates the end to spin around in a vacuum that drew her stunned frame nearer.

"…was yours always long with a bandana tied over it?" Proximity granted the window to throw the other. She tries to beat him to it by taking one of her guitar's strings out and wrapping it around his neck, but he has a counter to this. He cuts the string, shoves aside the arm closest to him, and steps behind her. His chain wraps around her, and he throws her over his shoulder.

"Nighty-night!"

She picks herself up after bouncing on the grass. Flash-stepping to the center of their tri-axis formation, she takes out her mic stand, changing the base to a giant spiked ball. Gripping right under the microphone, she spins around counterclockwise at a high speed, violently swinging at them.

"You should choose your opponents with care. Even on the battlefield," refusing to budge or run away, the pods on Potemkin's uniform and gauntlets activate, deploying a quad-orb electromagnetic tile; Axl and Gio take cover behind him. "You should have some courtesy! Deploying shock wall!" The metal pole cuts through it; however, the shock travels up and stops her in her tracks. "Engage!"

Back on balance after tanking the double-fisted shove, I-No grows bored and taunts them before escaping. "You're all out of tune. Later."

Catching his breath and deeming them safe for now, Potemkin asks about his teammates' status. "Are you two okay?"

"Yeah," both respond while checking their bodies for sore spots. "You?"

He rotates his arms around the shoulder sockets, ridding himself of lingering pain. "I've had worse days."

Giovanna taps Axl's shoulder, asking, "why did you tense up?"

"I thought maybe…." He struggles to pick the right words. "I-No is someone I know from my original time. Sorry."

"I don't know what the case between you two is, but don't let it get in the way." Lifting two fingers up to her earpiece, she directly speaks to their support. "Monitors, any sign of where she went?"

"She hasn't dropped off our radars yet. Give me a second…." Millia's eyes scan the grid for a fleeing presence, locating the projected endpoint. "And there! Ky, Jack-O, and Asuka! I-No's headed to you three next!"

"Thanks for the update!" Jack-O's the first from her group to fight. "Allow me to lead." She kicks the pumpkin diagonally upright – its mouth opens to chomp down on I-No's bare midsection. "Going somewhere?" Undoing the shackle and holding the two links above it, she swings the chain like a lasso five times – "You spin me right 'round, baby, right 'round. ~ Like a record, baby, right 'round, 'round, 'round." – before slamming who's on the other end down. She relocks her weapon back in its place, then sticks her tongue out; the pumpkin does the same as the two bounce in place. "No need to worry about you, I guess. ~"

"Huh, you actually were still in Aria's body. Not how I imagined a reunion, but," I-No readjusts her flame shades before lunging at her, locking their arms together. The fire burns hotter, making the air around the latter uncomfortable. "I set my sights on you, and no one else will do. Look who's got her 'big girl' pants on now."

"Puh-lease, like you're one to talk. ~" She kicks her shins in. "You took for-ev-er trying to get me back to the Sanctuary after I escaped." One of her servants whacks the backside of her head with its lollipop. "And even after that," Jack-O hops and performs a clockwise hovering splits kick. "You got your ass handed to you by Raven!" Ky lands a surprise mid-level roundhouse, kicking her in the course of a lead hook from Asuka. "Hey, that's great! Put more weight behind your punches next time."

"Noted!" He sways back, avoiding the poke she sent at him. Countering with a cross, he observes the connecting close-range top-to-bottom sword slash. "I'm not the best, but I've wanted to try this out for a while." Though it was a means of daily exercise, applying what kickboxing techniques he knows adds to the hero side. Following the on-the-spot advice, and with help from concentrating strong magic through, he applies more force behind his next hook, linking it to a teep kick – effectively pushing her back to give himself breathing room.

Countdowns for all four active servants begin. "My final command! Get her!" They swarmed the enemy, blocking her vision, with one latching on to her face before exploding. There's a sensation of euphoria running through her astral form. "Feels great to be on the frontlines this time."

"To be fair," Ky primes for a projectile, directing a charged lightning ball in her direction. "Stun Edge!" The Thunderseal's held diagonally to block Marlene's fretboard. More sparks fly and another distorted guitar riff plays from the blade vs strings before he kicks her off. "You did do something similar to the Celestial Altar moments ago."

"Yeah, you're right," Jack-O summons another servant for good measure, ordering it to provide additional defense. "Though I waited in front of El and Justice for Asuka to fire the energy. Who fought Ariels?" She ducks under the counter backhand after I-No splits her attention between them. "You, Sin, and Sol, that's who." Equipping herself with the hallway fight shield, she shoves I-No away after stopping a sudden spike ball stand swing. "I did help Aria and Giovanna earlier when the three of us fought Nagoriyuki," quick thinking had her throw the shield like a frisbee; the summoned servant sat atop it. It lands directly on the side of her head, leaving an indent before returning to its user. "But now look at us."

Speaking to and fighting alongside a soul manifestation isn't the most bizarre thing about this entire day. A mimic burst from Asuka zips past him – any closer and it would have cut the skin on his cheek. "We're fighting together, remember!?"

"Sorry!"

"I can tell this'll be as cathartic for you as it is for me." Jamming the weapon upward to pierce her skull from below her jaw, Ky keeps the upright orientation while pulling it back, seeing the slashed-open face close itself back up.

"Nice try, but that didn't do shit." I-No feels the incision point for some remnant of a sensation. She reaches out with her left to grip the Thunderseal's blade, wrapping her hand around it and slicing the palm open. "You can do that as many times as you want without results!"

He distances himself after picking up on the unintended hint. Assuming his partners also noticed, he doesn't say it aloud. "Your weak point… it's your right, isn't it?"

"Fly, soldier!" Jack-O kicks her servant forward and it bashes its shield against its target's face. Summoning two more afterward, she grants them opposing enhancements: one with offense, and the other with defense. Extending her arms out to her sides, her partners latch on, with all three standing atop the enlarged pumpkin. It levitates above I-No – just out of her reach – evading the musical notes the living hat spat out at them. "Not quite! Hahaha! ~ Hang on, boys." She claps her hands twice, ordering the three servants to go on the offensive. "Attack!"

In all the years he's been alive, Goldlewis hasn't seen anything like what's on screen. He doesn't believe what's happening now is beneficial and throws it under goofing off. "What are you doing!? Now isn't the time to be messing around!"

"I know what I'm doing, old man!" She finds it amusing that not only were the servants providing a distraction by whittling away at her, but the two men standing next to her were also deflecting the projectiles back to their sender. "See? We have this under control."

"Look out!"

"Too close!" An Antidepressant Scale grazed by faster than those before it. "Take this!" Asuka mimics Ky by generating a charged lightning ball and firing it. "Stun Edge!"

"Mimicry," he quips. "It's said imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." Ky creates a jagged-edged lightning barrier to deflect more musical notes. "Not bad."

"I learn by example." As the trio are lowered to a safe jump-down height, he creates a replica of the Sacred Treasure with an altered design: a gold blade, with red replacing blue on the hilt's cross-shape. "I'll follow your lead."

"I'm not the world's greatest instructor –"

"Don't be so modest," Jack-O cuts in while cross-chopping I-No's throat. She wraps the chain around her again, slamming her down before dashing back. "You trained Aria, remember?"

"— but delay your movements." Ky starts off by elbowing and transitioning to a heavy mid-level horizontal right-to-left slash. I-No's solely focused on him, leaving Asuka enough of a window to follow to her backside. He lands his elbow on the center of her spine, then, albeit with less power behind it, slashes from her left to right. They simultaneously pierce through her chest cavity before she could act in response; both slice off to opposing sides afterward. Each grabbing an arm and locking her in place, the men kneed her on the hips before sweeping at her feet. The pumpkin chomps down on the boots; its hold doesn't stay for long as it's hit by a swung guitar, expelling the neon green spirit inside.

Bordered by the second trio – comprised of one of the two that have always opposed since she arrived on the scene, and the other two were who she was somewhat acquainted – I-No breaks it all off by performing an upside-down splits kick. "Rehearsal's over!" Both men crouched to avoid the wide blade-like protrusion that came from her counter. She escapes again, baiting all six of them by relocating to the halfway point. "Consider yourselves lucky you're on the stage. Can you all keep up? Because," her hat grows larger, aiming its mouth upward to emit a neon purple shockwave that reaches all around. "I'm at my limit!"

"Son of a –!" Both teams block the oncoming offense, making sure not to obscure their own lines of vision. Dust settles and I-No vanishes, leaving the sound of her laughter as a parting gift. Ky kicks the ground below him before asking, "now where did she go!?"

"She's headed towards the White House," Ramlethal shouts out. "Heads up, Nagoriyuki and Aria!"

"No wonder they're a team. They're the two heaviest hitters." Leo's voice has an audible sense of pride, knowing they're the current aces. "Show us what you can do!"

"Ready?"

"You know I am." They fist-bumped each other before initiating their counterattack. "Why didn't you do the arm thing earlier?"

"Honestly," Aria crosses her arms and looks away from who's approaching them. "I didn't know I could." She stops a punch with an open palm – clamping down and breaking her assailant's hand, she connects this to kicking in her stomach and throwing her over her shoulder. "Might have been for the better since I don't know my own strength." She leaps up and homes in on the focus, lighting her punching hand on fire. "Bandit Bringer!" Aware that they're on the screens of their support, what Aria doesn't see is the smile on the face of who's move she used. He dropped what he was doing to look out the window, a little surprised that she knows his stuff.

"Fair," Nago slashes upward and stabs through his adversary's throat. "After this –" he retracts his blade before swiftly slicing upward and collecting some blood. "Shizuriyuki!" There's an open gash running from her navel up to her jaw; it remains open before closing itself after he pushed her away with a force palm. "– would you like to spar sometime?"

"I don't think this is the place to be asking me that, but –" finding an opening, she uses double rising knee kicks next. "Bandit Revolver!" Landing on her feet, she regains her balance, awaiting what may be thrown at her. "– I'll think about it. You are more fun to fight." She neutralizes the incoming Sultry Performance with a backflip kick, supplementing it with a Justice punch. "Take! This!"

He claps at her efforts, smiling underneath the mask. He taps her shoulder and offers her an onigiri. "Would you like one?"

"…Sure?" She takes one from the small box he keeps on him. Leaving I-No to fend for herself against the ghostly fists, she decides to sit down with her legs crossed; he follows her example, with him resting atop his. After taking a bite off the corner of her rice ball, she strikes up a conversation. "Do you have teacups and a teapot in there too?" He doesn't respond aside from giving her a hearty laugh. "'Nagoriyuki.' What does your name mean?"

"It's Japanese for 'lingering snow.' Specifically, the snow that remains when it's springtime." He downs one in a single bite before putting the container back in his jacket. "Do you know what your name means, Aria?"

"Aside from the Italians defining it as 'song' or 'melody?' I think it depends on the origin –" she breaks her train of thought by standing up again. She finishes her rice ball and directs the fist's next move with a sharp hook. "But the Greeks say 'lioness,' and the Persians say 'noble.'"

"The Greeks and Persians are right when it comes to you." He rises to his feet to continue the battle. He diagonally slashes at I-No's body before kicking her away. "You know bōjutsu?"

"Uhh, kinda?" Aria sidesteps to her left, just out of range for the guitar's end to miss her. Weapon in her hands, it extends to poke before it's swung to nearly knock their foe's head clean off. "I'm not the typical practitioner."

"You're not the typical person, either." Recalling their moves used against each other in the hallways earlier, they apply them to their near-invincible foe. The blunt end of Aria's bō complimented the sharp blood siphoning blade wielded by Nagoriyuki. From swift pokes and stabs to mirrors of critical hits, their synchronicity led them to dish out opposing diagonal slashes. The central body is separated into cross-quadrants, repairing itself before the three are separated by a psych burst; he catches Aria and intercepts another attack in the form of a shockwave from strumming. "No chance!"

"What's this? Did she choose you now?" I-No eyes the duo from head to toe before snarkily commenting, "you get around, don't you?"

"It's not like that," Aria's visibly disgusted as she was from her earlier distraction where she was scant centimeters away. "But sounds like someone's jealous."

"Great. We got this thing working. Gatling turret and arm cannon: primed and ready to fire!"

Another familiar voice comes over the airwaves. "Aria. Nagoriyuki. Step aside." Heavy artillery rounds from the ballista gun pierce I-No, accompanied by two bursts: one from a cybernetic limb, and the other from a superweapon. The defensive mechanism retracts while the snipers leave before they're spotted.

"Who shot that!?"

"From the ten of us, who are the only two not on the field?" Frederick answers for himself and Vernon. Up until now, they've been muted as they navigate through the three sections of the White House for vantage points. Luck's on their side as the defeated Chaos agents and soldiers remained unconscious and posed zero threat. "I may be powerless, but I'm still gonna help. I'm flattered you're using my moves."

"Considering how many times we've fought each other? I have some idea of your style. Can someone keep an eye on them?"

"Leave it to me," Chipp and Zato simultaneously volunteered themselves. There's an awkward pause before they decided to evenly split the duty; the first relocates himself in front of a screen that has the in-house cameras. "…leave it to us."

"Can't think of a better duo for it. Much appreciated." She assesses the environment for everyone's current locations; where they are now is too close for comfort. "Get your aim steady. We're going to push her back to the others."

"You heard her," Axl separated himself from the other five, appearing in front of them to help. "Steel yourselves and get ready to cut loose!" He compensates for his mishap moments earlier by baiting I-No into attacking him. A mint green blur moving from right to left and back fails to obscure his vision; he reacts by swaying out of reach. Swinging the chain of his kusarigama as his counter, the jangling metal grazed the grey skin that evaded in turn. Anticipating she'd flee instead of continuing, he sprints to catch up, leaping to dropkick her directly in the path of a Justice palm. "So long!"

Clamping down on the caught frame, the hand crushes her again before tossing her into the air. Another appears right beside it; both turn the witch into a humanoid volleyball, knocking her between them before ultimately spiking her in the direction of the Washington Monument. I-No slams back-first against the obelisk, leaving an imprint on the landmark; her body and chunks of stone began falling from the three hundred feet mark. Aria, Axl, and Nagoriyuki regrouped with the rest at a safe distance from the near-crash site, breaking off into their assigned teams again.

"I'll give you this much," I-No speaks after landing and stumbling to her feet. Clenching her fists and stomping, she yells through gritted teeth, "you're more of a pain in the ass than any of your friends!"

Aria ignores the words by pretending to clean one of her ears out with a pinky finger; her facial expression conveys indifference. "You say something?"

Those three words, in tandem with convincing boredom, proved enough to enrage her. "Why you –!"

She turns her head away while covering her mouth with her left hand, yawning loudly and feigning sleepiness. She fires a gamma burst from her right palm – it pierces through the left shoulder, leaving the now-disconnected arm to fall before it rejoins in mid-air for regeneration. "Gross. It's like you're a killer gynoid made of liquid metal." I-No teleports herself to the party's collective six – all turn around to keep her in their sights. With the assistance of her summoned arms, Aria punches near the Washington Monument's base, grabbing most of the obelisk's length – enough to have a firm hold without crushing it. "Sorry about the property damage." Akin to a mech pilot and the giant robot they're controlling, her arm placements are mirrored above her. "But –" she swings to the left – there's a half-second's worth of delay. "When am I going to have –" another swing to the right. "This opportunity again?" She violently swings both ways before performing a final one, this time it's an overhead whack.

I-No's body crashes against the concrete, leaving another imprint from the force. Rei chomps down on her leg, chewing and biting through the leather, rendering her immobile for a few seconds. "Gotcha!"

"Damned dog!"

"Good girl, Rei!" Giovanna's standing on Potemkin's shoulders, readying herself for a dual attack with her pet. "Think you can get a clean shot between the three of us?"

"I've hit moving targets before."

"I've got just the thing to help. You two don't mind a cheat, now do ya?" Axl strikes a pose by leaning back – putting his body weight on the back leg – and pointing ahead to freeze. "One Vision!"

"Impressive. Throw me." He angles the trajectory, giving her the right boost to initiate an aerial assault. "Rei! Now! Clean it up!" She has the height advantage here, using it for a well-timed dive kick. Waiting until after black tech bullets tore through the grey skin, Rei kicks her up and back, and Giovanna meets it with a backward right kick in mid-air. Connecting again with a knockdown, she follows where the other lands, performing knee kicks to a jumping roundhouse and ending it with a counterclockwise cartwheel kick. Potemkin fired more bullets all around the frame, unknowingly missing the true critical point.

I-No unfreezes herself, pushing the ammunition out of her body. She warps to Aria, almost landing an overhead with the end of Marlene. Aria reacted in time by swaying back and holding one of her forearms up diagonally, almost knocking the guitar out of her grasp. "What a shame. I actually liked you! The two of us could've ruled over existence as queens!"

"Not interested!" She pushes the instrument aside and punches the other square on her jaw, forceful enough to break the bone. Stealing Marlene and firmly grasping the neck, she jams the headstock into the other's stomach before smashing the body's backside against her collar. Tossing it aside, it's not long before it's reclaimed; the indents left are indicated by a series of cracks against her grey skin. "Kinda already did that before!" Her right ignites for another attack, accompanied by a Justice fist. "Fafnir!" Connecting a heavy blow to stun her, Aria utilizes another one of Frederick's moves. "Let's see if I got this right…." Opening with an uppercut to the jaw, she follows through with an explosive straight punch. "Tyrant Rave!" She notices I-No changing the hand placements for her guard – namely how she put her left out in front after retracting her right. "It can't be that easy… can it?"

"Allow me." Asuka uses a stronger version of the beam barrage he used against his former best friend earlier. He's upgraded the seven-count attack to fourteen – the first seven in front of the target, with the second batch behind her. From watching what both Axl and Jack-O can do, he conjures a chain and wraps it around her entire figure. His grip tightens around the metal to prevent her from escaping – she's levitating and squirming around trying to break out. He swings it around to make her dizzy – Aria administers a jolt that travels up the metal, causing shock streaks to run across. The chain's cracked like a whip before unraveling and leaving her spiraling in place.

"I'll take it from here." After the restraint fully undoes itself, Potemkin cracks his knuckles before jumping to catch the dazed. Clasping his giant hands around her arms and legs, the hidden rocket thrusters on his uniform activate and flare up. "No need for moderation!" Dust clouds trail up to the height he's launched himself; all eyes are on him for the ascension. "Heavenly! Potemkin!"

"Everyone on the field!" Gabriel warns the group about the aftermath of what's about to happen. "Brace yourselves for impact before he lands!"

"Quite the cli— oh." I-No's unfazed until she realizes now they're rapidly descending. The airship's surface is what she sees from the corner of her eyes while wriggling to break free from his grasp. Her celestial form fails to get ahold of him in time, irritating her further. "You motherf—!"

"Now!"

Per the advisement, the remaining conscious bodies reacted in time. "BUSTER!" Due to the combination of his massive stature, body weight, and the force from his descent, Potemkin leaves a sizeable crater where he landed. Luckily for all of them, the airship didn't get knocked off-balance and start crashing down. His helm conceals the smile his mouth curled into upon hearing bones crunching; he then tosses the bent body aside.

Ky raises his left arm, moving it to cross his torso. Placing his bodyweight on his right, he draws out a circle of lightning magic, then launches it at the form coming near him. "Sacred Edge!" He grips her by the shoulders – "An opening!" – throws her up and drives his sword into her chest again.

Axl short hops in place before the ends of his sickles connected for a weak launcher. "Up we go!" He flings them aside – the chain runs under his fingers – before setting them ablaze. "You're gonna get burned!" Spinning the right down first counterclockwise, the two parts form a fiery circle, followed up by the left being thrown straight ahead. "Sickle Storm!" Contact with its target caused a sizeable explosion, knocking her away again.

Jack-O gets an idea for a new move with her trusty familiar. "Ooh, let me try something! ~" She kicks the pumpkin and leaps forward to catch it, holding it above her head. "You won't get away!" The mouth chomps down, entrapping the target inside, morphing itself into an iron maiden. I-No's arms are held diagonally upward, where her head remains uncovered at the top; she's trying to figure out what's encasing her. "It's so funny to see your smug face so confused! Ready? ~"

"NO!" She continues struggling to break free from the confines. "LET ME OUT!"

"Denied!" Valentine blows a raspberry in her face before laughing and initiating her offense. "Ahahaha! Hope ya like heights because here we go! ~" Hands wrapped to the best of her ability around the torture device, she rapidly ascends in a similar fashion to Potemkin – the main difference is she's spinning around like a drill. "Forever! Elysion!" At the top of her jump, she flips the maiden upside down to slam who's inside down head-first. "DRIVER!" The maiden opens after landing, and she kicks her aside while the pumpkin reverts to its normal form.

Recovering from the massive amount of damage dealt in succession, it's enough to hinder her from instantly stabilizing. Scowling at her four overdrive assailants, the flames over her eyes grow hotter as she preps her next move – failing to realize she's left herself open. Taking advantage of the oncoming foe having her back turned to him, Nagoriyuki readies his katana, running his hand across from the end to the hilt. "Draw the curtain!" Once she was close enough, he launches her upward with a half-circle slash, jumping into the air to start his onslaught; Aria helps by using her extra arms as platforms for his ascent. Connecting with eighteen consecutive slices from every direction – "Waseriyuki…." – he concludes with a final one at the top. "Judgment!" Instead of lowering safely atop an astral hand, he uses his foe as a landing platform – much like he did with Giovanna and Rei earlier.

I-No lands face-first with several lacerations across her physique, all of which were delayed in closing. Nago escapes in time thanks to a combination of his own evasion and his partner's power. She stretches her body free from tension, glaring at the party of eight that have been brave enough to face her. She wickedly grins, indicating she's in possession of the perfect counter to all of them. "Did you think I wouldn't have these?" She calls forth the Crescent Moon pistols, then laughs at the fear in their eyes once they all realized there's a mix of lilac and red-orange crosshairs on their bodies. Unlike the intended wielder who'd logically be mindful and focus, she carelessly aims and fires at them in singles and pairs, ignoring the fact that there are at least two deflecting them back or aside.

"Distance yourselves! Now!" Vernon reactivates the ballista before anyone was gravely injured. His aiming improved, evidenced by his steady burst accompanying the automated shots. A light Saint Oratorio links before they retreat out of sight again.

Becoming aware of how the group's dispersed throughout, she takes this opportunity to spin the twin firearms around before holding them to frame her face. She holds the left above, pointing it downward, with the right below in the opposite orientation. Instead of focusing on a single target, she points them up and alters it to cover the entire party from above. Bullets rain down from several aqua/violet projections after she shouts, "Deus Ex Machina!" The octet snaps out of their temporary halts and evades by dashing away in all directions – lightning, fire, explosives, and black tech bullets sneak in from all around as a means of retaliation. Frustrated that none of the overdrive's bullets hit, I-No singles out one of the three nearest people. She steals Giovanna, backhanding Rei away, and kicks her after lifting her off the ground. "Take a breather."

"Giovanna!" Potemkin's standing in the throw's projected path, and he jumps to catch the woman sent flying past. The speed's more than enough to make him lose his balance and send him backward. Aria's hyper-awareness has her take immediate notice, sending a Justice arm in their direction to catch them. Asuka provides a shield on Aria's six to guard her against an oncoming shockwave from Marlene.

"I hoped she wouldn't have retained those weapons! I-No's getting desperate. She's going to try to distract you from keeping yourself alive." He redirects the energy back at the offender – she deflects it aside and the explosion destroys some trees. "You're doing an excellent job at looking out for everyone, though."

"Thanks, but," she punches the same target dead center on the face, breaking her nose and causing more cracks to show from the cartoonishly caved-in features. "Go see if Gio and Potemkin need help." She dismisses him, running directly towards the other woman. "Persistent for my affection, ain't 'cha? You're gonna have to do better than that! Ky! Meet me halfway!"

"Can do!" Ensuring he doesn't get caught in the line of a punch, he aids by performing a sliding low lunge kick. "Stun Dipper!" After the front of his right boot hit her heels, he slashes nine to three at her ankles. I-No's sent into the shock state after taking the damage – they hold one of her arms each, administering extreme heat and electricity. Ky lets go and moves aside without command, watching Aria front flip over to stand back-to-back, holding her staff against I-No's throat from behind before throwing her ahead.

"Gear Maker."

"Yes?"

"Information on Giovanna and Potemkin: they've sustained damage," Erica shares what her monitor displayed. Their holo-models lit up the midsections with a dimmed hue of red. "Nothing too serious, but their abdomens are where you should focus your attention. Hold on…." Signs of damaged organs and telltale internal bleeding were indicated by the deeper color illuminating. A flashing text box appears next to Gio's, reading [DANGER]."Get to them ASAP!"

"Thank you for the update, Miss Bartholomew. I'll see what I can do!" He teleports to them, waiting until they're safely set down.

"I did not need to be tossed aside again." Gio rolls her head around to lighten the pain. "Thanks for catching me." Her body curls inward, clenching her jaw to negate the painful sensation. "-hrgk!-" She lifts her head up, confused as to why Asuka's approaching them instead of staying in the main fight. "Why did you split from your group?"

"I'm here to make sure neither of you dies." He gestures for Potemkin to let go of her, and for her to sit down, leaning back with her legs in front; Rei acts as her owner's backrest. Extending his arms with readied curing magic, his hands hover over their midsections to start the recovery. "This might sting a bit. Hold still."

"There you are!" Axl caught up to his partners, fighting off tiredness after stopping his sprint. His knees involuntarily buckle with him dropping to a kneel, and he places a hand on his stomach. "Agh."

Finishing up the healing for the first two, he patches up the third without delay. On the other end of the line, the holo-models update with the red areas, physical traumas, and warning message erasing. "Any longer – or, worse, any more damage dealt – and you three would've been goners. Do you think you can continue?"

Agitated beyond belief, Gio punches the ground she's sitting on before responding. "I don't give up that easily." She and Potemkin stand themselves back upright; Axl and Asuka do the same, with the latter concerned she's pushing aside injury for the sake of pride. "Can you warp us back to the others?"

"Of course," a circular pattern's drawn below them. "Stay close and hang on."

Evading the armored ghostly limbs in mid-air, I-No centers her interest on Aria. Ky, Jack-O, and Nago all intercept every attack she can throw in her direction before she gets too close. Blades of the Thunderseal and katana redirected the musical notes, with the pumpkin providing supplementary defense by spitting them back or attempting to knock the guitar out of its user's grasp. It came close to disarming by chomping its mouth down on the rounded bottom end. The three of them form a body barrier to maintain distance. Splitting their quartet into pairs, both teams stand at the ready for anything. The samurai stands in front of the party's leader as her first and last line of defense – his mask comes undone, showing one of his eyes has become black with a red iris. "You're not getting anywhere near her as long as we're here!"

"You're her bodyguard now?" She scoffs at his noble display as a defender for someone he's a momentary ally. Recalling their one-sided duel from earlier, she notes that the same physical change which grants him a weakness locator is partially activated. "Only you know where it is, so why haven't you struck me there yet?"

Keeping his sight forward, he slightly tilts his head back as a subtle sign he's speaking directly to Aria. "Take note of where I'm standing. It's on my left."

Her eyes move to where he indicated. "So, you're saying we need to get her to –…?" he quickly nods before she's able to finish that sentence. Muttering to herself – quiet enough to go unnoticed, but at the right volume to be heard over the team channel – she shrugs at the solution. "Makes sense, though a little predictable."

"Shit, you figured it out, huh? Can't have that happening, now can I?" I-No's temporal stop applies throughout, bringing everyone and everything around to a complete standstill.

"What's happening now!?" The freeze didn't reach outside of the White House's airspace. Those observing from Illyria remain calm – except Leo, who's the first to notice what's wrong and shouts for the heavens to hear. "My screen's frozen and I can't see anything!"

"It's not just you," Goldlewis answers back. "We're having the same problem here." He instinctively taps the side of the glass screen, ruling out the possibility of a jamming signal. "Vernon? Gear Maker? Samurai?"

"I hear you, but I can't move for some reason…."
"She can focus her temporal powers here, but leave it unaffected everywhere else?"
"This can't be happening…!"

"Ky? Jack-O?" Ram's eyes shift focus to the surveillance monitor they're on – the image glitches out. "Are either of you able to hear me?"

Looking behind at the First King and copycat Valentine readying to rush her down, I-No's amused at the sight of how ridiculous they looked stuck in mid-run. She walks up to them, rearranging their bodies in different poses and directions. "Put this here —" she removes the sword from Ky's hands and crosses his legs, so the left hooked around his right ankle. "And that there –" the changes to Jack-O were she's now curled up in a fetal position in mid-air with the chain wrapped around her wrists. "Perfect."

"I hear you, Ram, but – hey! Hands off!"
"Whoa, this can't be right. Let go of me!"

There's something odd appearing on Zepp's projection model. "I'm picking up movement, but I can't locate where it's going or what's occurring." Gabriel's the next to call out for replies. "Potemkin, Giovanna, and Axl, can either of you three respond?" Their static forms remain unchanged, unclear if his voice went through.

"My body's rendered immobile! How!?"
"Shit! Axl did warn us about this!"
"And she's pissed off… I'm sorry, guys. I can't undo it."

Dizzy knows her parents are separated for safety concerns. "Mom?" However, knowing one can't effectively defend themselves spikes her anxiety. She looks over to the extra screen Zato has that's watching over from the White House's interior. "…Dad?"

"Why can't I move…!? This can't end well…."
"What the hell!? Are we all caught in a compression zone!?"

I-No creates the same inky black restraints from when she and Chaos retrieved Nagoriyuki this morning, placing two around his wrists and hoisting him up three feet in the air. Scanning the environment for the other half, and in case Axl slipped through the pause, she laughs at how they're too far to prevent her from removing Aria from the scene. Standing right in front of her and leaning in, she cups her face in her left hand. "A real protagonist can guide the author's pen, but you?" Clutching the blue leather jacket by the shoulders, she teleports them to the same tree she threw Frederick against. "Well, I didn't have an ending for you in mind. Not one that you'd like, anyway. You're getting written out of this story." Destroying the tree after slamming her in line with it, she lays the body face-down, burying her under the wreckage. Pointing the guns at her head, nothing's fired upon pulling the triggers. "Huh!?" She tests firing a few more times before quitting. "Rrgh! Useless piece of –!" She throws the guns away rather than reloading, leaves, and returns to her starting point.

Time resumes and so do the monitors' feeds. Ky catches himself before falling, and Dorpos saves Jack-O from the same after unwrapping its chain. Nago's restraints come undone before he safely lands from the elevated height. Asuka and company stopped in their tracks after making up the distance from the botched warp. Dizzy sees what's off about the current picture after counting the bodies – her heart skips. "Oh no… Ky! Where's Aria!?"

He blinks and rubs his eyes at the sudden change. "She was just here!" The flow of reality seemingly accelerated to bridge the time wasted. "Don't tell me…!"

"I knew it! I-No compressed time and separated her from all of you!"

"Hey, anyone else feel like we skipped ahead?" Frederick catches on to both the strange skip and the last exchange. From his current position being the closest to where she's forcibly relocated, he hears the distorted sound of what he thinks is a muffled explosion. "So, that's what that was!"

"She can't be too far off. Find her," Ky gives out the order to everyone on and off the field. He gestures for Valentine to step back – she takes the hint to find her other half. "We'll handle this."

"Back for more, boys?" I-No smirks as she orients Marlene upright, leaning over and resting her chin atop her hands on the headstock. "Are you here to avenge your fallen hero?"

"Try not to be in my blade's way," the vampiric samurai advises. "It's created to prevent a person from self-healing, and worked against Sol."

"Good to know," Ky calls up lightning magic in front of him, spins clockwise, and swiftly slashes diagonally down to launch it. "Dire Eclat! Did those bullets from Chaos's guns have the same magic?"

"Unfortunately." He seizes the window to attack from afar – it successfully, and momentarily, keeps her at bay. "Why do you ask?"

"Ky! Nago! Move!" The ballista's fired one last time before it's destroyed by a focused blast. "Don't worry about us. We're fine!" They activated it from a safe distance – standing in one of the nearby hallways. They return to their original plan of recovering the zeal stash from the Office.

"Hang on." Nago hooks one of his arms around Ky's, ensuring they don't get separated from the backward flash-stepping. "Fukyo!"

"Thank you for that." The two managed to avoid being hit by the guitar. "You missed it, but it works against Aria too." Ky uses his speed to their advantage, attacking first with a jumping clockwise kick. "Foudre Arc! – can you –" he stabs through the center of her chest once more, slashing up to her left shoulder. "Can you cancel the damaging effect?"

"I'm not sure if I'm able to do that for myself, but all I can tell you –" he sends out a body double as a distraction. "Zarameyuki! – is that dodging's your best bet for now." Holding his weapon upright, he takes the opportunity to taunt. "The back of my blade should suffice!" His other eye shifts colors, along with his canines elongating into fangs, indicating his Blood Rage state's now triggered. The supplemental change is the glow surrounding the blade, with the catch his movements are hindered. "You should know your own limits!"

"Where are you…?" Rei separates herself from Giovanna, approaching Jack-O and pawing to get her attention. "Do you know where she is?" She points her nose away and towards the West Wing. "Lead the way, girl!" She follows the wolf to where the scent's trailed off. "Can any of you behind a monitor check the trees by the Oval Office?"

"One moment!" Erica shifts her screen's focus to find an arboreal ruin with a human-shaped heat signature underneath. "Identified! She's there."

"Thanks! Ah, what the hell!?" Coming closer to the indicated location, they found an unconscious Aria face down on the grass and buried under several pounds of destroyed tree wood. Throwing aside the weight, she drags the body out and tries to shake the other awake by gripping her shoulders. "Don't you die on us! Come on, get up! This can't be a repeat of yesterday!" She places one of Aria's arms around her shoulder, helping her stand. "You somehow survived a pair of super bullets!" A sense of dread washed over once she located the Crescent Moons left behind – it soon disappears after there were no open bullet wounds on the body. "Almost had a panic attack…!"

"I'm seeing a heartbeat on the vitals display but it looks like she's out cold."

"Just what did I-No do to you?" She further examines for surface damage, noting there's a strange lack of it on the front. Attempting to shake her awake again, she rules out the possibility of her succumbing to fatigue since there are signs of her breathing. There is something that catches her eye upon turning her around: damage on the back of her jacket that has the texture of tree bark. "There's no blood, but I think her healing factor negated her suffering from severe spinal damage."

"You can't wake her up, but allow me to ask," Millia trades a look with Ramlethal, remembering what they watched concerning the two last night. "Isn't there something else only you can do?"

"Oh, right. Duh. I can do this!" Jack-O enters the body, reanimating it until Aria can regain consciousness. The physical effect remnants of Aria's boosted state wear off, and her irises turned the same red as Jack-O's for differentiation. Her voice remained the same, where her hair colors inverted themselves. "This feels so weird…!"

Leo ignores the fact that the true connection between the two is Illyria-only knowledge. He can't see the bewildered faces of those from the U.S. and Zepp seeing the bodily possession and palette swapping. "That was your body before, wasn't it? Try to do what comes naturally!"

"It's an exact dupe of her original body, and that's easier said than done!"

"It was worth a shot!"

"Try what comes naturally, he says…." Pressure from not only those providing secondary support watching but the aftermath of their failure weighs her down. "Okay, don't panic. Just try and figure it out with the… looming threat of us all dying if you screw up…." She tries to summon a Justice arm by lightly punching the air in front of her, failing as that's something she doesn't know how to activate. Extending one of her arms, she holds her palm open to try firing a ray burst; she fails again. "Welp, there's two things I can't do." Reaching into the pouch around her thigh, she takes out the baton-sized staff. "I do know how to use this!" Hopping atop a resized Dorpos, she returns to the main fight to assist Ky and Nagoriyuki; they're now accompanied by Axl. He's been covering for her by canceling out I-No's temporal stops, along with distracting from a distance while Asuka, Gio, and Potemkin are on standby. "I'm back."

"Hey, she's here aga— oh," Axl comments on the change without thinking his words over. "That's weird as all hell." He's referring to how the color changes applied changed the black and blue costume to be all off-white with black accents. The crux ansata and stylistic text from her pant legs appeared on the center of the shirt.

Let's take some strawberries and go to the hill
If you want to see the fireworks, bring a cute scarf
The pictures in my head tell me a lot of stories
None of this is real

"Ready to go?" After sprouting a pair of angel wings, an assortment of white and red stage equipment materializes behind I-No, arranged by size in a straight line. Several squares bearing the design of a white x and the red text of [WARNING] in all caps obscure the quartet's line of vision. I-No wickedly grins before strumming her guitar. "Buh-bye!" A volley of neon purple heart-shaped projectiles with white tails launches at them in a randomized flight pattern.

The trio of men dodged by side-dashing out of harm's way, leaving Jack-O by herself – how she avoided the hearts was standing atop the pumpkin and shooting straight up. She directly engages I-No upon landing, using what knowledge she has of the bō in her hands with Aria's body's muscle memory. "Heaven's Edge, round two?"

(Cut it out!)

"You wanna do a duet?" Her mic stand holds its shape before bending in the middle. Locking eye contact with her opponent, she watches as one of her irises swaps from red back to green. "You don't really know how to use that pole, do you?"

I flew high so that I could
See everything
(Cut it out!)

"It's more of a baton." She pushes further to overpower her, almost tripping her with the chain around her ankle.

I was on a roll
I had to stop

The staff shrinks to its inanimate state before re-extending to cover the gap; she readies herself to match each movement. Metallic clangs and static feedback fill the air – both parties swung at the other's heads and around their bodies, attempting to locate sensitive spots. Crouching under high horizontal swings and hopping over low sweeps, Jack-O decides to cut the fight short by kneeing I-No twice; first on the stomach, and second with a jumping knee to her jaw. She concludes by jamming the weapon into her navel, retracting it, and swinging it at her temple – heightened hearing allows for audible skull cracking.

There is no up or down above the clouds
And I can't breathe

"Amazing performance." Aria's voice signifies she's regaining consciousness. "Good thing we had weapon swap practice earlier. I'm ready to fight again."

"About time!" Jack-O exits the body and materializes to Aria's left. "Go get her!"

"Playing dirty by stopping time, singling me out, and tossing me aside like that?" Her boost reactivates after her clothes' colors reverted – blues across her frame illuminating brighter than before. The physical effect crept up further along her arms and past her shoulders. "I can do you one better." Chains from both the pumpkin and kusarigama wrap around to keep I-No in place. "These aren't just for show." Justice's arms reappear above, punching her palm in preparation. Aria starts off with heavy right and left hooks, linking those to a launching uppercut. The body's in the range of the spectral hands – she has them follow her movements for the first two punches before they perform a rapid-fire flurry on their own; one Justice fist knocks the punching bag down and breaks the metal. Closing the gap with a Saperia Trance, Aria wraps her right hand around I-No's throat, lifting her up. "You won't enjoy this."

"Was he this –" she loosely places her hands on hers, nervously smiling. "-hgk- rough with you?"

"Shut up." Her grip tightens like a vice before choke-slamming her; chunks of concrete fly up from the impact. Dragging her around in a circle before tossing her up, one of the extra appendages punches her away from the regrouped quintet. The three on standby start heading towards the Oval Office after spotting Vernon signaling them to come over through a window.

"Oof, that's gotta hurt. Hey, guys! Over here!"

"Aria, Justice, or whatever the fuck your name is! You really piss me the hell off!" I-No regains her balance after wobbling to stand, teleports behind her, and attempts to blast the quartet away. Aria instantly intervenes and scoops everyone up in a pair of Justice hands. "Answer me!" She's visibly furious, turning about her heel to directly face her. A windstorm kicks up, encircling the two of them. "Why the hell haven't you given up!? You rallied together a ragtag band of stubborn idiots to oppose me! Your boyfriend lost his powers and should've died! How did A GODDAMN SCIENTIST OF ALL PEOPLE MANAGE TO DO ALL OF THIS!?"

"Mr. President, where did you get all of these?"
"Don't worry about it. Let's hurry back."

"Eh," Aria's response is a casual shrug. "I got lucky."

"LUCKY!?"

"Yeah. Improvisational luck, to be approximate. I'm not an almost invincible god. I was the victim of someone who played that role, and unfortunately, I had my genes bastardized for the Universal Will's daughters. Valentines. I could've been revived plain as day, without freaky powers, but here I am," she holds her arms out with her palms up. Every person watching holds their breath and wonders why she went into a small monologue. Worried expressions come across their faces, with one remaining faithful in the confidence. She primes and fires off an Imperial Ray – a red-colored variant with less power behind it – from her left palm. "Asuka was right. The Aria from the past wouldn't believe she'd be brought back into this world as the current me and pull this off. There's only one thing you and I have in common, and that's we've tried to destroy the world before. I'm not like that. I want to save people, not leave them to fend for themselves or make them live in fear of me."

"Don't give me that philosophical bullshit, former God of Destruction!" She relocates to her six and creates distance between them. "A God versus a non-believer. Who are you to judge right from wrong when I'm in control of it all!"

"Someone who was almost like you. We didn't have a reason to fight one another, but –" Aria deflects the burst I-No sent back at her, following up with another sucker punch. "— your guard was down. All of this was to stall for time."

Vernon and his four escorts arrive on the scene with the Spritas stash, thanks to a group warp courtesy of Asuka. "Looks like the world's still turning."

What catches her eyes first is the collection of neon tangerine glass pods. "So that's your big trump card, huh? Some fireworks?"

"I know those eyes of yours."

"...Eyes?"

"Yeah. They're the eyes of justice. What people have always fought over. And the winners always got their reward. But for some reason... Now that I'm looking into those same eyes... I think they're nothing compared to who stood against you. I've only known her for a few hours, but Aria's proven she's stronger than one hundred of you combined!"

"You idiots gave me a good fight, but what was it all for? No matter what you bring now, I'm not going away. One hundred percent chance. Though I guess you can't even comprehend what that even means to me now."

"It doesn't mean shit to anyone but you. It's just some tiny moment of your own little world." Frederick stands right next to the collection and points the Outrage at her. "As long as the energy from the zeal pods last, it'll output an infinite amount of power."

"You have a shitty memory, don't you? That garbage doesn't work on me."

Ky and his portion of the team stand off to the side – their collective position between the superweapon and their leader. "I see... he intentionally took a critical hit earlier. I-No is a magic wielder, and a logical magic wielder would continue to use the same method so long as it works. Was this how he planned to beat the Gear Maker by himself…?"

"Tell me, Mr. President," I-No continues. "What do my eyes look like to you?"

"The eyes of someone with nothing. Someone on the run. Someone seeking dignity. Your eyes are all of those... And at the same time, none of them."

"Some tiny moment, huh…."

"Guys," Vernon gives out the command – he, Giovanna, and Potemkin start connecting the ammunition belt to the Outrage. "Keep her distracted a little longer."

"Already on it!" Axl, Jack-O, and Nagoriyuki ready themselves for another round, while Ky reactivates his Dragon Install. He's the first to attack, rushing forward past Aria, trading diagonal slashes that only clashed against a faultless barrier. Red and black magical energy surrounds I-No before she counters with an explosive salvo. His agility's the best of the four, allowing him to easily escape by dodge-rolling away. She stops after a series of five failed explosions, moving closer to him with Marlene in her right. Before she's able to hit him, a servant hovers near her face and explodes without warning. Jack-O jumps in the fight, getting up close and hitting her with a throat chop. The two allies backdash out of her reach, stopping and looking up once they heard a series of projections materialize above them. Axl swoops in and rescues both, a fraction of a second before they would've been caught in the fiery blasts.

We're falling down
Slowly, like snow
Led by gravity
Fading away in the warm glow

Reappearing several feet away, the three catch their breath before resuming. Ky leads the way – as he's charging forward, he places both of his hands on the Thunderseal's grip. "Resound!" Swinging it counterclockwise around himself, he creates a convex dome of lightning magic that acts like a riot shield. "Ride the Lightning!" Battering through causes the smoke clouds to clear – Axl warps in to distract before he's kept away via dodging her energy blasts. Ky's overdrive hits from the side – he's about to end it with a nine to three slice, but the collision with her left stops it and sends a massive shockwave throughout the ship's surface.

To his relief, Nagoriyuki takes over and allows him to make his fleeting getaway. Revenge is normally beneath him – he takes this opportunity to redeem himself from the embarrassment after his rude awakening and unwanted alliance. "A Nightless against a witch."

"Sounds like something out of a shitty fairytale."

"Then you should know how this will end for you!" He throws aside his own hindrances and opts for focusing on his sheer force. Knowing that it can't damage – and that anything that manages to land will only be undone in a second – the metal of his katana keeps its form against the goddess's instrument. Contact of the materials results in an energy beam shooting upward. "Sol, how much longer until you're ready to fire?"

"All good to go here," Aria answers for him. "What's the target!"

"I thought you already knew! It's her right hand!" Nagoriyuki's katana holds against Marlene's fretboard, unable to cut the strings. He breaks off their clash, sending her back with a heavy kick. "Get away from me!" His last attack before the effects of his Blood Rage wear off is an extremely long-ranged mid-level horizontal slash; his blade physically elongates and glows brighter. "ZANSETSU!" It successfully cuts her in half, separating her at the waistline. He regains his normal status, yet at the same time, the two halves reconnect. "That's her weak point!"

Before I-No's able to swing her mic stand, one of Axl's sickles wraps its chain around and takes it out of her grasp. He mimics Aria's hand placements and engages her with an improvised bōjutsu technique. Swiftly smacking the sides of her torso, he shows off his on-the-fly prowess by ducking under her punches and swinging at what would normally be her soft spots. A Justice arm grabs and holds her in place; she laughs at how her weak spot's concealed. Axl provides one more time compression – the clutch releases while the body's frozen. Low's assistance was short-lived as time resumed in an instant. "Sorry, guys!" He winces at how he's starting to get a headache. "I've never had to do that this often!"

The shackle around Jack-O's ankle's considered a backup option. She looks down at the familiar, picks it up, and asks it, "think you can hit the target?" It smiles and nods at her prior to being kicked. "Leave getting her to show her right to me. Axl! Help me out here!"

"Gotcha covered!" Axl flings a sickle and extends the chain. Once it made contact, it snakes up and wraps itself around her left arm as a full-on confine.

"You little brat!" I-No's tugging against the metal mouth clamped down on her right wrist – it doesn't budge. "Let go of me!"

"No chance, I-Noes! ~"

"Huh!?" She feels the metal tighten. "You let go of me too! So help me I will strangle you with your own chains, Axl!"

"Oh, you'd love that, wouldn't ya? Your sadistic words are all bark and no bite!" Axl steals Marlene and swaps places with Nagoriyuki; Jack-O swaps places with Ky. Dorpos unclamps its mouth and the sickle chain unwraps; they're replaced with a pair of blades pierced through her wrists. Amidst the chaotic nature of their last offensive push, the Fireseal glows as the Outrage fully activates. The superweapon in Frederick's hands opens and morphs itself into its supercharged form; streaks run across and protrude from the surface. "Ari! Chief! Any time now!"

Aria notices the activation's only the beginning of his frame giving out. "Let me fire it."

"I'd love to have you do that, but—"

"But nothing!" She allows a tear to escape while she pleads, "firing something of that magnitude will kill you now that your body can't withstand it!" He doesn't answer her, although the remorse shows on the surface. "…." Aria takes the silence as a sign; she focuses ahead and fires off more Imperial Rays.

We had lost the power to lose
By leaving all the pain
Fading away in the warm glow

I-No ignores who's right in front of her, redirecting her attention to the incoming attacks. The weaker rays fail in wholly damaging her; she sends off a beam with her right. Who it's aimed at dodge-rolls to the left, still with the superweapon in his hands. "Wha—!?" The combination of an absurdly powerful Saint Oratorio and maximum power Gamma Ray launch directly at her – a time compression allowed for Nago and Ky to escape. She falls for the setup, holding her open right palm out to stop it. The Oratorio hits first – her palm trembles slightly upon first contact; her arm retracts an inch when the Ray hits.

"Rather than something being 100% impossible, you could also say it's 0% possible." Those behind them flinch after hearing the glass bits flying from the shattering zeal pods; the goggle lenses fracture from the overwhelming power. "And infinity... crushes zero!" The Fireseal illuminates brighter, expelling another blinding light. Her arm begins to crack – what they can't see is his life sign display going haywire from the toll it's taking on his body.

"Ha... hahaha... What the shit. Tell me." All who can see past the Saint Oratorio notice the visible veins below his left eye. "You were indestructible. There's no way you'd ever need a weapon like that. So why the hell did you make it?"

"Because it never bored me. And it was supposed to take her out when she was first converted into a beast. Ironic for a once-upon-a-time story, ain't it?"

"I don't really care about utility or even the greater good. As you said, I'm a goddamn idiot." He puts on a grin, completely ignoring the gradual damage. "Random things you value will pile up like a stack of unread books. Even if one of the books in the stack could impact you enough to change your life, you're gonna have a whole new stack before you ever get around to it. That's why you need something that you can keep working on without getting bored of it. There're too many distractions out there otherwise." Her face begins cracking – pieces of grey chip off and fall. "Maybe you had something like that too."

"Haha... Oh, Axl… You were right all along. I had everything. Both good and bad. But I can't remember any of it now. Even though so much must have happened..." I-No recalls the talk she had with Aria in the interrogation room, and how they indirectly spoke of the ones that held the most importance to them. She takes one last look at the couple in front of her before closing her eyes, smiling, and tilting her head in Axl's direction. "Did I somehow just forget...?"

"We... We were drinking tea..." He takes steps forward, pausing out of hesitation. "And we looked out at the beautiful sea together, right!? I was scared as hell of you, but you heard me out anyway. You... You made me so happy." Another step forward and he cries while smiling. "Please, remember something. Anything!"

We're falling down
Slowly, like snow
Led by gravity
Fading away in the warm glow

"We'd throw everything away… change our names… and start anew…." The cracks travel further up her statue grey skin, releasing more light. "Why are you crying?"

"I can't get anything out but tears…! You of all people should know who we were before! Do you even remember yourself!?"

Unable to prevent her imminent demise, she spends her last moments with her attention on him. As the Saint Oratorio's energy begins to envelop her, she briefly loses her god status, physically reverting to a human state. "Beautiful blond hair…." She fondly smiles, evidenced by the visible three-fourths of her face that hasn't been obscured yet. "Like a woman's…." She snaps herself out of it, skin changing back once she realized something.

If I am to be swallowed by fate
I must have fought well
Praying that it will become a seed of
New life

A colossal shockwave runs throughout. Light engulfs the environment, obscuring the vision of those present and watching from afar.

SLASH!