In the UFO, Rubeus was in council with the Wiseman once again, The Wiseman sounding grave.

"Rubeus, you and your sisters' repeated failures have greatly displeased, Prince Demande," the Wiseman said. "His patience is wearing thin."

Rubeus was surprised. "Are you sure?" he asked. "He didn't seem to be displeased when he contacted me the other day."

"He is, so you had better accomplish your mission as soon as possible," the Wiseman said. "For if you don't, you may very well lose your position."

"I don't need the likes of you to tell me that," Rubeus scowled. "I'm fully aware of the consequences. But I'm not worried, for I have received power from Prince Demande."

The Wiseman then waved his hands over his crystal ball. "I foresee that, in the afternoon, the Rabbit will release a burst of crescent energy near the Hikawa Shrine that was once a Crystal Point."

"Is that a fact?" Rubeus asked with interest. "If I recall correctly, Koan contaminated that Shrine with Dark Power not too long ago. Therefore, I will send her there immediately, and besides, this will be the perfect chance to use the gift that Prince Demande gave me the other day."

"Rubeus, a word of caution," warned the Wiseman. "I am also sensing an ominous aura. Tragedy will likely befall Koan if you send her there. Tragedy in the form of a raging inferno."

But Rubeus didn't seem to mind. "What does it matter? She's merely a simple pawn, nothing more, nothing less. All that matters is that we get the Rabbit and kill her."

Meanwhile, in the Juuban District, Rei and Youichirou had just finished a few hours of shopping and were now walking home. Youichirou was trying his best to catch up with Rei as he was carrying a large stack of boxes of clothes that Rei bought while the girl in question walked ahead of him.

"Hey, Rei! Could you please slow down?" called out Youichirou. "You're walking a bit too fast for me, and these boxes a bit heavy for me to handle."

"I'm not even walking that fast, Yourichirou! So you need to keep up!" barked Rei crossly. "And you're a man, aren't you?! So you'd better be able to handle them! And watch out that you don't bump into anybody!"

And Rei kept on walking, much to Youichirou's disdain. Then came trouble. As Youchirou passed the front of another store, a woman came walking out with her bag of things that she bought, which unknown to anybody at the time was Koan, and due to how tall the stack Youichirou was carrying was, he couldn't see her until it was too late. The two then collided, both falling to the floor hard, their parcels going everywhere, much to Rei's displeasure.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Yuichiro instinctively apologized. "Are you alright?!"

"What's the matter with you?!" snapped Koan angrily. "Why don't you watch where you're going?!"

"Come on, Youichirou?! Why do you have to be such a klutz?!" Rei groaned crossly. "Stop apologizing and pick up her stuff!"

Youichirou, being the obedient dog that he was, quickly began picking up Koan's things and putting them back in her bag. As he did, Harusuke just happened to come walking by and saw this. Being the guy that he was, he came over to see what had happened."

"What's going on over here?" Harusuke wondered. "Looks like someone robbed a fashion store over here."

"Oh, Harusuke, it's you," said Youchirou.

"Oh, hey, Harusuke," Rei greeted. "We were just heading home, and Youchirou had to go and be a clumsy fool and bump into this girl."

"Hey! It wasn't my fault!" Youchirou protested indignantly. "It was an accident!"

Rei then glared at Youchirou, causing the boy to yelp with fright and resume picking up Koan's things. Harusuke then sighed as he bent down and started picking up Koan's items and putting them into her bag, too, much to Rei and Youchirou's surprise.

"Hey, Harusuke. You don't have to do that, you know," Youchirou said.

Harusuke then smiled. "Don't worry about it. Besides, you look like you could use a helping hand, given the fact that you've been carrying so much stuff, Youichirou. And as a wise man once said, two pairs of hands are better than two."

Harusuke and Youichirou then started picking up Koan's things and putting them back into her bag. As they did, Koan recognized both Harusuke and Youichirou from the other day.

"The guy with the scraggly hair was from the Protection Aesthetics class," Koan thought. "And that other guy was the one who interfered with my Droid!"

Youchirou and Harusuke soon finished picking up Koan's things and handed her the bag. Koan snatched it back and shot a dirty look at the two before walking away.

"Well, she was pretty rude," Harusuke said, feeling a bit insulted. "She could have at least said thank you or something."

Then as he watched Koan leave, he couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu like he had seen Koan before, and it wasn't just him; Youichirou felt the same way too. Then Rei interrupted their train of thought by barking again.

"Hey! What are you two staring at?!" Rei demanded crossly. "Quit staring!"

"Calm down, Rei. It wasn't like we were checking her out or anything," Harusuke said. "But for some reason, I feel as though that woman looked familiar."

"Yeah, me too," agreed Youchirou. "I'm sure I've seen her before, but I can't remember where."

Rei could only look up at Koan's receding shape as she too felt something familiar about Koan.

Koan soon returned to the UFO, still fuming.

"What a couple of losers," Koan muttered to herself. "Guys like them will never find happiness."

"Seems as though you're in a bad mood," said a voice. "Mind telling me why that is?"

Koan jumped and turned around to see that Rubeus was standing there, leaning against a mirror.

"M-Master Rubeus!" Koan squeaked, her cheeks slightly pink.

"Hello, Koan," Rubeus greeted with a flirty smile as he embraced Koan in a hug. "I've been waiting for you to return."

"Y-You have?" Koan asked, her sour mood immediately evaporating from Rubeus' embrace. "For me?"

"Of course for you," replied Rubeus with a smile. "Who else would I want to be by my side, but right now, I need your help with something. Something that only you can do." He paused as he gazed into Koan's eyes. "I need you to go to the Hikawa Shrine again for me."

"But whatever for?" asked Koan, who was feeling giddy from Rubeus' gaze. "I've already been to that place once before."

"I know, but this time, the Rabbit will appear there this afternoon," said Rubeus. "The Wiseman said so himself. By the way, I have something for you." He stepped away from Koan and then snapped his fingers. The black orb from above hovered down, and then a tiny stream shot out from it, wrapping around Koan, which caught her by surprise and faded away, disappearing into her body.

Koan was surprised as well as confused. "Wh-What was that?!"

"That was a present from Prince Demande," said Rubeus. "Your abilities have now been increased, which in turn made you stronger than before."

Koan was delighted as she clenched her hand, smirking with confidence.

"This is incredible! I feel a lot stronger than before!" Koan said. "With this new power, and with the Rabbit appearing this afternoon, she's as good as mine! And for you, Master Rubeus, I'll slaughter the Rabbit and those Guardians should they interfere, even if it costs me my life!"

"Good girl. Make sure not to fail me this time," Rubeus said. "Good luck, Koan."

Rubeus then started to leave when Koan suddenly remembered. She dug into her bag, took out a small bottle of cologne, handed it to Rubeus.

"By the way, Master Rubeus," said Koan cheerfully. "When I was out shopping, I got you this. It has a wonderful fragrance. I hope you will wear it."

"Why thank you, Koan," Rubeus said, smiling. "I'll make sure to treasure this."

As Rubeus took the cologne in his hand, he squeezed so hard that the bottle broke immediately, much to Koan's shock.

"Oh, my. It appears that I don't know my strength," Rubeus said. "I apologize for that. I'll try to be a bit more careful next time."

And with that, Rubeus departed via a mirror, leaving Koan confused, stunned, and, most of all, somewhat hurt.

Back in the outside world, Koan, under human disguise, arrived at the Hikawa Shrine ready and willing to fulfill her mission of killing Chibiusa. However, she couldn't see the pink ordango anywhere. Koan then looked at her watch, checking the time.

"Master Rubeus said she would show up this afternoon," Koan said to herself. "But I don't see her yet."

She then remembered when Rubeus crushed the bottle of cologne, which still made her confused a bit sad. "I wonder why Rubeus was acting so strange earlier?" wondered Koan. "First, he was acting so nice and caring; the next minute, he didn't seem to care at all. Could I be imagining things, or is something odd going on?"

Then, Youchirou suddenly appeared, catching Koan by surprise.

"Welcome to the Hikawa Shrine!" Yuichorou greeted. "I am at your service! What can I help you with today, a fortune slip, an amulet, A prayer? Or how about an exorcism? Or maybe something is bothering you?"

Koan stared blankly at Youchirou, feeling a bit put off. "At the moment, it's you, loser," she said.

Harusuke also appeared. "Youchirou, calm down. You're getting a bit too clingy," he warned. "Give the girl some space." He then spoke to Koan. "Buy something from him. Otherwise, he won't leave you alone unless you do."

In the end, Koan ended up buying a fortune slip anyway with the hopes of finding out her luck with Rubeus and as a means of escaping Youichirou. She then went off by herself to loiter around, hoping that Chibiusa would show up. While she waited, she opened up her fortune slip and was delighted for what she read.

"Oh! I got a great blessings fortune!" Koan squealed in delight. "It says that my long-held wish will come true! This fortune means there's no need to worry! Rubeus must have been cold to me to give me motivation so that I wouldn't fail this mission." She then sighed wistfully. "Master Rubeus, I'll make myself even more beautiful for you!"

She dug into her purse and then took out her makeup compact, hoping to freshen up, but as she opened it, Rubeus' face suddenly appeared in the mirror, which surprised her, almost causing her to drop it.

"Koan, has the Rabbit shown up yet?" asked Rubeus.

"N-No, there's been no sign of her, Master," replied Koan.

"Regardless, you shouldn't be standing around, wasting time preening," Rubeus chided. "Waiting around for the Rabbit is not the way to get your job done. Get rid of any young fir who could potentially be the Rabbit."

"Y-Yes, Master! I will, Master!" stammered Koan, bowing. "I promise that I'll do as you say."

Rubeus' face softened. "See that you that you do, and don't disappoint me, my beloved Koan," Rubeus spoke with a smile as his face disappeared from the mirror.

Koan sighed with content upon hearing Rubeus' last words, now feeling giddy and more motivated in completing her mission than ever. "I won't fail you, Rubeus. I promise!"

"He called me his beloved," Koan spoke happily. "He does love me, after all. I shouldn't have doubted him."

Then suddenly, she heard an angry scream which made her up. She saw Rei chasing Youchirou around the area, waving a broom in her hands, trying to hit him while Harusuke stood to the side, not getting involved.

"Youichirou! How many times do I have to tell you to feed the chickens in the morning!" Rei shouted crossly. "Is getting hit with a broom the only way you can remember?!"

"I"m sorry, Rei! Please calm down!" Yuichiro yelled. "Harusuke! Help me out here!"

"Sorry, Youchirou," Harusuke called. "But as they say: Sometimes, you got to know when hold and fold, and right now, it's folding time for me."

Koan sniffed disdainfully. "Those three are all kinds of crazy. Their love for each other is like the sky and the earth, compared to what Rubeus and I share. But, then again, I don't even know who's in love with who."

In an outdoor cafe close to the mall, Makoto and Minako were sitting at a table with Luna and Artemis, feeling glum and bored.

"The sight of two teen girls having parfaits with cats..." began Minako.

"... is pretty pathetic, isn't it?" Makoto finished. "Sure wish that the others were around with us. At least there'd be one guy hanging out with us."

"Speaking of which, Luna, do you have any idea what Usagi and Harusuke are up to?" wondered Minako. "I haven't seen either of them for a while."

"Usagi went over to Rei's place to return a manga book, but she hasn't come back yet," explained Luna. "As for Harusuke, for some reason, he was coming back from an errand and ran into Rei and Youchirou and is helping them out. Mostly Youchirou."

"And to add to that, Ami's busy attending cram school," groaned Minako. "Even though it's a Sunday."

"We're the only ones with nothing to do!" Artemis observed. "Looks like you're both stuck with us cats!"

The white cat then burst into a fit of laughter, only for Minako to flick him hard across the nose, making him yowl as he held his nose in pain.

At the Hikawa Shrine, Harusuke and Rei were walking back to her room, Harusuke trying his best to calm Rei to calm down, despite her being so cross with Yuichiro. When they entered, they heard the loud, raucous laughter of Usagi, who had arrived not too long ago, reading a manga book, reading a funny page.

"Rei, this manga is hilarious!" Usagi laughed.

"Would you stop making so much noise?!" Rei yelled. "How long do you plan on reading that manga, anyway?!"

"Just a little while longer," Usagi replied. "If I take it home, I'll never be able to get to it with Chibiusa and Luna interrupting me all the time."

"That's no reason," groaned Rei.

"Maybe you should take a break, Rei," Harusuke said. "You've been yelling at Yuichiro nonstop and have been working him over too much. If you keep it up, you're either going to lose your voice or worse."

"Oh, whatever, Harusuke. I'll be fine," scoffed Rei. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself, thank you."

Just then, they all heard an unfamiliar voice that came from the front door.

"Excuse me? Is anyone home?"

Feeling a bit curious, Rei, Usagi, and Harusuke went to the front door to see who it was. Sure enough, standing in the doorway was Koan, now wearing a red dress with a yellow sun hat, while carrying a briefcase.

"Hello there," Rei greeted, being friendly. "Can I help you?"

"I came here to show you some new cosmetic products that I'm repping," said Koan. "And aren't you young ladies, lovely? Are you two models by any chance?"

"Aww, come on. Do you think so, Ma'am?" Usagi and Rei asked, flattered.

Koan was a bit insulted for being called Ma'am, but she kept her thoughts to herself. Harusuke, on the other hand, rose a brow upon seeing Koan.

"Say, haven't we met somewhere before?" Harusuke asked. "You look familiar."

"Do I? I don't believe we've met," Koan said, trying to keep her composure in check as she emptied her briefcase, presenting the teens with numerous cosmetic products from lipstick to makeup. Koan then held up a cylindrical container.

"This one here is gentle on sensitive skin," Koan said. "If you use this product, I guarantee that you all will find boyfriends in no time. Or do you both have a special someone already?"

Rei then looked across to Harusuke and blushed bright red, quickly looking away, unknown to the boy. "Well, I wouldn't call him a "boyfriend" per se," she said shyly. "But-."

"I sort of have someone!" interrupted Usagi. "But he more than qualifies for someone 'special someone' sense."

"Oh? Last I checked, he's not even a 'sort of' boyfriend," Rei smirked snootily. "Mamoru dumped you, remember?"

Usagi scowled in anger, and Harusuke sternly looked at Rei.

"Now, Rei, don't you start picking on Usagi," Harusuke chided. "Need I remind you that you've had your fair share of boy issues too."

"No, it's OK, Harusuke," Usagi said, her cheeks puffed in a pout. "Rei is right. I mean, Mamoru has been a little less than trusting, and he's been cold to me a lot lately."

Rei then gave Usagi a reassuring pat on her back. "Come on, Usagi. You still don't get it, do you?" she sighed, shaking her head. "To love someone, you have to be able to trust him. If you don't trust Mamoru, then you can no longer be in a relationship with him."

Harusuke was surprised by Rei's kind words, but he also agreed. "She's right, Sis. Just believe in him as you always have, no matter how coldly he treats you," he said. "Eventually, he'll come around, and things between you two will get back to normal."

"You think so?" asked Usagi, hopefully.

"It'll be fine," reassured Harusuke. "After all, you two were bound by the red string of love, as they say."

Rei smiled at Harusuke. "Atta boy, Harusuke. I couldn't have said it better myself," she said. "And here you thought I was trying to be mean to her."

"Well, considering that you've been yelling like crazy and treating Youchirou like a slave, I was kind of worried," Harusuke chuckled. "If you keep that up, you might scare away any boy who would want to date you."

"Hey! Watch it, dummy!" Rei pouted cutely. "I'm not that scary. I'm just short-tempered."

Koan, who had been quiet throughout this whole thing, finally spoke up, shaking her head. "I have to disagree," she said. "Being loved is what gives a woman's life meaning, and it's about him believing in you. You're loved because he sees how beautiful you are, and continuing to love someone who treats you coldly is not only sad but also pathetic."

Rei, Usagi, and Harusuke were surprised.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Harusuke asked.

"I'm saying that you should just forget about him," replied Koan, as she stood up on her feet, her heart filled with passion. "And then you have to make yourself more desirable by pampering yourself with beauty treatments so much that no man would ever treat you coldly again! To be loved, you have to wear fabulous makeup that makes yourself so beautiful that men would swoon at your feet! That is what love is all about!"

The three teens stared at Koan, a bit put off by her speech, while Koan's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, realizing that she got swept up and forgot about her mission again.

"Yeah, sorry, but I'm going to have to pass," said Rei politely.

"Oh, y-yes. I understand. That's too bad, though," Koan said, trying to hide her embarrassment. "By the way, you kids wouldn't have happened to see little girls that would hang out in this area?"

"Why are you asking that?" wondered Harusuke suspiciously.

"Oh, I have cosmetics for little girls too," Koan lied. "You can never start too early for that."

"Sorry, there's no one like that around here," said Rei, shaking her head.

"Well, in that case, thank you for your time," said Koan. "Sorry to have bothered you."

Koan then left, leaving the teens perplexed as well as awkward.

"Well, she was weird," commented Usagi.

"I'll say," agreed Harusuke. "Freaks me the heck out."

"This sure is a bad luck day," said Rei. "First, Usagi, and then that strange lady. Wonder what the heck is going on?"

As Koan walked away from the house, she refocused her attention on the mission at hand.

"It seems that the Rabbit only comes here occasionally," Koan thought. "If that's the case, then I'm just going to have to be patient for a bit longer and see if she shows up."

Later, Usagi was ready to head home, while Harusuke decided to stay behind.

"You sure you don't want to walk home with me, Bro?" asked Usagi.

"I'm sure," replied Harusuke. "I'm going to stay here and help Rei and Youichirou some more. You go on without me."

"OK, then. I'll see you later, Bro," Usagi said. "Bring back some pork buns for me."

She then walked out the door and went on her way towards the steps. As she did, she happened to pass by Youichirou, who was busily sweeping up the leaves.

"You leaving so soon, Usagi?" Youichirou asked.

"Yeah, but don't worry. I'll be back soon," Usagi replied. "Bye, Youichirou!"

And while waving goodbye to Youchirou, Usagi made her way down the stairs so she could catch the bus to get home. Then, on her way down, she caught sight of Chibiusa, who was merrily skipping up the stairs.

"Chibiusa, slow down," admonished Usagi sternly. "And you should stop going to Rei's place just to read Manga."

"Look who's talking!" Chibiusa huffed rudely. "Don't think I can see what you got in your hands!"

The ordango pinkette then made an akanbe face and went on her way, leaving Usagi most annoyed with her. Just then, Usagi heard a loud honk which turned her attention to the street, in time to see a bus drive by, which happened to be hers. Not wanting to be left behind, Usagi chased after the bus in hot pursuit.

Back with Chibiusa, she had just gotten to the top of the stairs, looking forward to reading some manga at Rei's place. Then suddenly, she heard a malicious voice call out.

"There you are, Rabbit! I was getting tired out waiting!"

Chibiusa jumped, wondering where the voice came from, looking left and right. Then she looked up and gasped with fright, for Koan came down from above and landed right in front of her. Before Chibiusa could react, Koan pounced and pinned the little girl to the ground with her arm. But then an unlikely hero came to her rescue and whacked Koan smack on her head with a broom. Koan looked behind her and was surprised and appalled to see that the unlikely hero was Yuichiro.

"Hey, you! Just what do you think you're doing to Chibiusa?!" Yuichiro demanded bravely. "Leave her alone, or I'll smack you again!"

Koan glared dangerously at Yuichiro. "A broom?! Tell me you didn't have the nerve hit me over the head with that dirty thing?!" she snarled crossly. "Do you have any idea how much time it takes to look this good?! No one messes with my hair and gets away with it!"

In a rage, Koan unleashed a mighty torrent of blue flames at Yuichiro as the young man jumped out of the way, dodging the fire just in time. Rei and Harusuke then rushed onto the scene, hearing the commotion.

"It's Koan!" cried Rei.

"And she's attacking Youichirou!" Harusuke gasped. "We got to help him!"

Rei immediately saw a rock on the ground, quickly picked it up, and threw it, causing Koan to flinch instinctively.

"Run, Yuichiro!" yelled Rei. "Get to safety!"

Koan was now even angrier. "Stop interfering!" she snapped. "You're both being so annoying!"

The purplenette Spectre Sister then unleashed a series of rapid-fire streams of dark fire, forcing the teens to jump and dodge the streams, while Koan cackled with glee to see them dance. Then as she fired another blast, Rei jumped to avoid but ended up losing her footing making her fall to the ground.

"Die!" Koan yelled as she unleashed a blast of flames at the fallen girl.

"Rei! Look out!" yelled Harusuke, as he immediately dove in the way of the blast to save the girl.

But as he did, someone else jumped in front of him, shielding him and Rei from the blast of flames.

When Rei opened their eyes, surprised that the blast didn't hit them, they were both shocked to see that an injured Yuichiro was lying on top of them, his skin badly burned along with his clothes.

"Yuichiro!" cried Rei. "Are you OK?!"

"Say something!" begged Harusuke. "Hang in there!"

Koan was shocked as well; her mouth hung open in disbelief. "But why?! Why did you protect those two?!" she demanded. "Especially that girl when all she ever does is treat and that other guy badly?!"

Yuichiro weakly looked back, his eyes determined and filled with willpower. "Because these two are my friends! And I love Rei! That's why!"

"That's the stupidest thing I ever heard!" Koan snapped crossly. "Why would you love someone who doesn't seem to care about you in the slightest?!"

"It doesn't matter!" insisted Yuichiro bravely. "I can't stop the way I feel! And I don't want to! I love Rei, and she and Harusuke are my precious friends, and I would do anything to protect them, even give up my own life!"

Yuichiro's body then went limp as he fell unconscious, leaving Koan stupified.

"No! Yuichiro! Please don't die!" Rei cried. "You've got to pull yourself together!"

"It's no use, Rei, but don't worry. He'll be all right. Yuichiro's unconscious," said Harusuke. "Although I gotta say, he's got a lot of guts."

The two then placed Yuichiro on the ground lying on his back, and faced Koan, having anger evident on their faces.

"You monster!" growled Rei. "We won't forgive you for this!"

"No one hurts our friend and gets away with it!" Harusuke spoke hotly. "Prepare yourself!"

Rei then took out her Transformation Wand while Harusuke clenched his fist, exposing his bracelet.

"MARS STAR POWER MAKE UP!"

"SOLAR PRISM POWER BLAZE FORTH!

Transformation Sequence: Harusuke.

Harusuke holds up his hand as the stone on his bracelet shines bright in golden light. The stone lets out three pulses, the symbol of the Sun glowing inside of it on the third pulse. Harusuke is enveloped in silver and gold light as he jumps into the air, his clothes disappearing. The symbol of the sun appears just above him and goes down, phasing through his body, making his silver jumpsuit with gold lines on the sides materialize. Two smaller sun symbols go over his feet to his kneecaps, and his gold and metal boots and silver kneecaps appear. Around his waist, a ring of light wraps around it, forming a belt with a gold belt buckle in the shape of an oval. Harusuke then spreads his arms wide as two more light rings envelop his arms and hands, making gold gloves appear. The symbol of the sun appears in front of him now, and crashes into his chest, making his chest piece like before, now thicker and having shoulder guards. Finally, a helmet materializes above Harusuke's head, the design slightly different as he reaches and grabs hit, putting it on his head, not having a mouth protector. Harusuke opens his eyes, punches his hands together, and strikes his signature pose, the symbol of the sun appearing behind him with a star-filled background.

Transformation Sequence: Rei

Rei's hand is held up as red sparkles swirl around it, alighting her fingernails, turning them into a shade of bright red. Her transformation stick appears spinning, and she takes hold of it, the star on end as well as the symbol glowing. It begins to turn as Rei is enveloped in red light. As she held up her pen while spinning around, long bright tongues of flame erupted from it, forming several rings around her body. They tighten around her body, and in a brilliant flash of light, her outfit forms having to look just like Sailor Moon's, but she is wearing red pumps along with a pair of red star-shaped earrings, the center bow is purple, and the rims of her gloves, her skirt, her choker, and collar are red. After that, Mars finishes with her signature pose.

Koan was now even surprised. "No way! You two were guardians this whole time?!"

Solaris and Sailor Mars responded by unleashing their respective attacks. Solaris conjured a ball of light while Sailor Mars aimed with her hands.

"SUNSHINE METEOR!"

"MARS BURNING MANDALA!"

Solaris launched the ball of energy while Sailor Mars fired a flurry of rings made of fire. Seeing the attacks coming, Koan teleported out of the way just in time to avoid them.

"This is a surprise but could work out in my favor," Koan smirked. "If I kill the two of you along with the Rabbit, Rubeus will be very pleased with me."

"Do you honestly think that you can take on the two of us on your own, Koan?" Solaris asked. "In case you haven't noticed, it's two against one."

Koan then laughed. "Don't be too sure, Solaris," she cackled. "I've obtained a greater power that will help me even the odds."

She then began to glow in a strange black light as her shadow on the ground seemed to extend and swell to a large size. Then, out from the shadow, many strange beings began coming out the shadow. They were all humanoid, seemed very skinny, feminine in appearance, all black with long pointed spikes on their shoulders, and had heads like mannequins which bore the symbol of the black moon clan on their foreheads.

Sailor Mars and Solaris each took their stances, as the strange beings emitted strange noises sounding like shrieks as Koan cackled with triumph.

"How do you like this?!" Koan laughed. "Usually, I have just one droid, but now, I can summon as many as I need to kill you, guardians! Let's see how you like these odds!" She then turned to her small army. "Now, my droids! You all take care of Solaris! Sailor Mars is mine!"

Koan then leaped into the air and shot a shower of fire at Sailor Mars while the army of droids all gunned for Solaris. Having no choice but to fight, Sailor Mars and Solaris both jumped in two directions, the two of them going for their respective opponents.

Solaris let out a fierce cry as he punched one droid in the gut sending it flying, then parried another droid and kicked it, and then knocked back two more with another kick. Then he shot forth a beam of light from his hand, wrapped it around a droid, and swung send the droid crashing into another crowd. Next, Solaris clenched his fist and aimed as three more droids came straight for him. Then, with a mighty yell, he unleashed a powerful Nova Flare, instantly vaporizing the droid in a second.

Sailor Mars dodged the raining shower of Koan's fire as she serpentine ran, seeming to be hotter than before, and countered with a powerful blast of fire. Koan seeing the incoming attack, fired a burst of her Dark Fire, and the two attacks canceled each other out in an explosion of flames. Koan then suddenly shot out from the blast shooting straight for Sailor Mars, forcing the guardian to flinch, bringing up her arms to block. However, it was nothing more than an afterimage as Koan seemed to fade, disappearing. Koan then reappeared, using a tree as her footing to launch herself at Sailor Mars. Then before Sailor Mars could react, Koan landed a blow to her cheek with her elbow. Sailor Mars cried out in pain as the strength behind Koan's blow due to her new power sent her flying until she hit the ground, tumbling and rolling until she stopped just a few feet away from Yuichiro.

"Sailor Mars!" Solaris cried as he desperately tried to get to her, but he was cut off by the squad of droids, forcing him to fight them once again. "Damn it! Get out of my way!"

Koan seizing her chance, jumped into the air, preparing to attack again. Sailor Mars struggled to get up, desperately trying to get away, but then she saw Yuichiro and realized that he was in the line of fire. Koan then unleashed a large and powerful stream of Dark Fire, hoping to deliver the finishing blow. Then, using all of her strength, Sailor Mars quickly got to Yuichiro and jumped out of the way pulling him to safety just before the blast hit. However, the flames were so powerful, and due to Sailor Mars carrying Yuichiro, the fire burned her leg, causing her to let out a cry in pain, the white skin on her leg burned slightly.

"What a fool!" Koan scoffed haughtily. "If you had abandoned that man, you could have escaped unharmed."

"I wonder never do that to Yuichiro!" Sailor Mars shot back. "It's because of me that he was hurt, all because he tried to protect me!"

"I remember you said that trust was important in any relationship," Koan huffed. "It proves that you're still naive as you are pathetic."

Sailor Mars then gasped, realizing. "You're that saleswoman from earlier, aren't you?!"

"What do you see in that guy that makes you want to protect him and that fool Solaris?" Koan asked. "Neither one of those two have any good qualities, and they're not boyfriend material! Nothing but a couple of losers that follow you around like naive lost puppies!"

"That couldn't be further from the truth!" Sailor Mars snapped as she struggled to her feet despite her injuries. "Yuichiro is sincere and caring, and Harusuke's kind and helpful! Those good qualities you missed are what makes them not only good friends but also boyfriend material!"

Koan then laughed scornfully. "If that's all it is, then the love you have can't hold a candle to what Master Rubeus and I share."

"Don't be ridiculous! Your kind of love is nothing more than narcissism!" Sailor Mars countered. "You love only yourself and don't even think about how the other person feels! That's not true love at all!"

Koan flinched in surprise, Sailor Mars' words striking a chord in her. "That's not true! We're very close!" she insisted indignantly. "He even calls me his beloved!"

"Is that a fact?" Sailor Mars asked. "Then what do his actions tell you?"

Koan then thought back to when Rubeus crushed the cologne she had bought for him and how he treated her. For a very short instant when she did, but a hint of doubt went through her mind. However, she refused to believe it, nor did she want to think about it.

"Shut up! That's not how it is!" Koan snapped angrily. "I'm not going to listen to your nonsense! I'll be back to deal with you once I've taken care of the Rabbit!"

Koan then teleported to where Chibiusa lay unconscious as she extended her nails to skewer the girl, but then, a red rose came shooting down from above, sticking into the ground, intercepting her. Then, the youngest Spectre Sister looked up to see standing at the entrance of the stairs was Tuxedo Mask.

"The image of love shimmering in the sun," Tuxedo Mask quoted. "Come, you sad, lost soul, listen to the sound of a loving heart."

Koan, at first, was a bit confused by what Tuxedo Mask said, but before she could react, Tuxedo Mask jumped down, scooped up Chibiusa in her arms, and leaped away, taking her to safety. Koan was about to pursue, but Sailor Mars fired Burning Mandala once again, this managing to score a direct hit, making Koan cry out and fall to her knees.

"Don't take your eyes away from me!" Sailor Mars spoke defiantly. "I'm your opponent!"

Koan growled in anger and unleashed another torrent of flames at Sailor Mars as payback, but then an arrow made of golden light shot forth, shooting right past Sailor Mars colliding with Koan's attack causing another explosion. At that moment, Solaris stepped in front of Sailor Mars, protecting her from harm as Koan glared.

"Took you long enough, Solaris," Sailor Mars winced. "What took you so long?"

Solaris glanced back towards Sailor Mars. "Sorry, got a little tied up," he said. "But don't worry. I'll take over from here. You stay there and rest, Sailor Mars."

"No way. She's my opponent," Sailor Mars spoke bravely, struggling to get up again. "If anyone's going to fight her, it's, ah!"

Sailor Mars then fell back to the ground, holding her leg in pain. Solaris then knelt and helped her sit up and spoke firmly to her.

"Sailor Mars, please. You need to stand down. You're hurt too badly. If you take any more damage, you'll end up in a worse state than before."

"But!" Sailor Mars began to protest.

But Solaris cut her off. "I won't have it! I wouldn't forgive myself if you got hurt any more than you already have! I get that you want to settle things, but right now, you need to keep quiet and let me protect you, and I won't take no for an answer."

Sailor Mars was at a loss as Solaris stood in front, taking a stance, ready to fight once again.

Koan stood back up, too, glaring. "So, now what? Are you going to give me a pretty little speech about how much you love that girl?" she asked.

"Nope. Nothing like that. I'm not into speeches," Solaris said. "The only thing I will say is that I won't let you hurt Yuichiro or Sailor Mars, and if you want to get to them, you got to get by me because they're under my protection now."

Koan scowled as she got ready to fight again, but suddenly, a familiar voice called out from above.

"Koan!"

The purplenette looked up as did Solaris and Sailor Mars, and hovering above them in the air was Rubeus, of which Koan was happy to see.

"So what happened, Koan?" Rubeus asked. "Have you taken care of the Rabbit yet?"

"Well, no. I'm very sorry, Master Rubeus," Koan apologized. "I did have her, but she managed to get away."

Rubeus then sighed. "I see. So, once again, you failed. You've worked for me for quite some time; I appreciate that. However, due to your lack of success, we won't be seeing each other anymore."

"Please wait, Rubeus! Give me one more chance!" begged Koan. "I am in the middle of a battle with Solaris and Sailor Mars! I will kill them both to make up for my failures!"

"But even with the power I bestowed to you, you no longer have the power to fight them," Rubeus pointed out.

"Then, you could help me!" suggested Koan. "As a couple, we could fight her together!"

Rubeus humphed as he gave Koan a cold and scornful glare. "Where'd you get the idea that we were a couple? You're just a lowly incompetent subordinate."

Koan was shocked. "How could you say that?! I loved you for so long, and I thought you loved me!"

"Love, you say? What ludicrous!" Rubeus laughed scornfully. "I've never loved you! There's no such thing as love in the Black Moon Clan!"

Koan's eyes widened as her face stiffened in shock and horror, her heart practically shattering into pieces, while Sailor Mars and Solaris stood there, bewildered, feeling sorry for Koan. Rubeus then snapped his fingers as a strange orb made of spacial energy appeared in his hand,

"That will be my first and last gift to you," Rubeus continued, a cruel smile spreading on his cheeks. "Use it to erase those two guardians from this world. I think you'll find it to be useful, unlike those stupid cosmetics you've been giving me."

"You bastard!" Solaris roared. "How the hell can you be so damn heartless?! She's your ally! You have no right to treat her that way!"

Rubeus looked at Solaris and then disappeared. As Koan held the strange orb in her hands, she gasped in shock. Not only did she know what it was, but she also knew what Rubeus wanted her to do with it, which made her eyes fill with tears as she began to cry.

"I see. It's a space and time bomb," Koan spoke quietly. "He wants me gone for good."

Solaris and Sailor Mars' faces turned pale, their eyes widening with horror.

"Say what?! A space-time bomb?!" repeated Solaris. "Please tell me you're joking!"

"Koan! Whatever you do, don't activate it!" yelled Sailor Mars. "Get rid of that thing right now!"

"No, it's too late," Koan wept quietly. "You win, Sailor Mars... You were right. My love wasn't real, after all."

The space-time bomb began to glow brighter and brighter. But then, just when it was about to explode -.

"VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!"

A familiar chain made of holden hearts made of light shot forth and knocked the bomb out of Koan's hands, launching it into the air.

"JUPITER SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!"

After that, a giant disc made of light shot into the air and blasted the bomb, destroying it in its entirety.

Sailor Mars and Solaris looked up and saw their savors, Sailor Moon and the others.

"It's the girls!" Solaris cried happily. "Just in time!"

"Surrender yourself, right now, Koan!" ordered Sailor Moon.

"And don't try to run away this time!" added Sailor Mercury.

But Koan didn't try to run, as she sat there with her back turned at the Guardians, still shaken with grief.

"I have nowhere to to to," Koan spoke quietly. "I've always had a place to run away and go to where I felt beautiful. But now, I have nothing. I've lost everything. And it's your fault. It's all your fault."

The Guardians all felt puzzled as Koan stood back up, her hands clenched at their sides enough to draw blood. Then, something snapped inside of Koan. Her body ignited in a burst of blue flame as she whipped her head towards the guardians, her eyes filled with tears of grief and pure rage. Koan then let out an agonized sobbing wail of despair as her flames enveloped her body, shooting straight towards the guardians, blindly attacking with her fire and claws. Koan's flames raged as she thrashed, igniting everything around her on fire. The Guardians all scattered around, trying to dodge Koan's relentless attacks as she screamed and wailed while crying.

"My life is over! I've lost everything!" Koan sobbed as she continued to attack, not caring what she destroyed. "I've lost my family, my home, my love! All because of you! There is no future for me! I'm not welcome anywhere! It's all your fault! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"

As her flames continued to rage on, a shower of fireballs came raining down, forcing the Guardians to jump out of the way to dodge. Solaris immediately shielded Yuichiro and Sailor Mars by summoning forth his energy whip and swirling it around, making a protective barrier around the three.

"This is bad! Koan's completely lost it!" Solaris cried as he dispersed the barrier. "If we don't stop her, she's going to burn down everything! We've got to do something!"

Solaris was just about to go and try to help the others fend off Koan when someone grabbed his hand, stopping him. Solaris looked down, and he saw something that shocked him.

Sailor Mars was holding on to his hand, her eyes overflowing with tears.

"Sailor Mars? What is it?" asked Solaris. "Why are you-"

"Solaris. Please. You have to help Koan," Sailor Mars spoke, choking back a sob. "Please. I can't stand seeing her like this."

Solaris was shocked. So shocked that he knelt on one knee, staring at her. "Help her? Are you serious?" the guardian of the sun asked incredulously. "Mars, you know that she's an enemy. She's attempted to kill Chibiusa, who knows how many times as well as other people and-"

"I know what she is!" Sailor Mars tearfully snapped. "But you know as well as I do that what we just saw Rubeus do to her wasn't right! No one deserves to get treated like that! Not even Koan! She's broken, Solaris! She's so overwhelmed by grief that she's losing control of herself! Please, help Koan before it's too late! I'm begging you!"

Solaris stared at Sailor Mars as she continued to cry from empathy, and he looked back towards Koan, who was still attacking the other guardians. Then he turned back towards Sailor Mars and held her hand in both of his.

"OK," Solaris told her. "If you want to save her, then that's what we'll do."

He then stood up and started running towards the battle. As he did, he couldn't help but remember Sailor Mars' crying face.

"That's the first time I've seen Rei cry like that," Solaris thought to himself. "Then again, I can't blame her. Koan needs help because she's suffering from a broken heart. Even an enemy doesn't deserve something that painful. Don't worry, Rei. I save her for you! I promise!"

Suddenly, on Solaris' bracelet, the stone on it began to glow brightly, almost blinding him. At the same time, Sailor Mars started to glow in bright red light.

"What's going on?!" gasped Sailor Mars. "Why am I glowing?!"

Sailor Mars' aura of light shot out, leaving her body, and went directly into Solaris' prism, absorbing every bit of it. It changed to a bright red color with purple tinges, and the symbol of the sun had turned to the one of Mars.

Solaris was amazed as well as bewildered as he inspected his stone's new state. "My stone! It changed color!" he gasped. "And it has the symbol of Mars now!"

At that moment, Solaris heard the mysterious male voice inside his head once again.

"Because of your desire to help Sailor Mars save Koan, you were able to awaken another dormant ability," the voice said. "Use it to stop Koan and her dark flames! Say Solaris Mars Power Rank up!"

Solaris didn't know what to make of this, but he knew that he could use all the power he could get right now, especially in this dire situation. So he clenched his fist and held it high in the air.

"SOLARIS MARS POWER RANK UP!"

Transformation Solaris: Mars Mode.

The gem in Solaris' bracelet glows brightly in bright red light, the symbol of Mars shining inside the prism. Solaris, now in bright red light as long tongues of flame, shot out from his bracelet and encircled his body as he spun around, similar to Rei. The rings of fire tighten around his body, and first, his boots emerge from the flames, now red while retaining the silver. Then his belt is revealed, also being red. After that, his right glove, left glove, and chest, all turned red, retaining the silver, and in the center of Solaris' chest of his armor, the color had also changed to silver. The dot in the middle had also changed to the symbol of Mars. Finally, the head of Solaris emerges from the flames, the helmet slightly different in design. The faceplate of Solaris' helmet covers his mouth and nose as he strikes his signature pose while the background shows his symbol and Sailor Mars' overlapping each other in a red and gold background.

Sailor Mars' were wide with amazement and shock. "I don't believe it! Solaris transformed again?!"

Solaris looked at herself, seeing his new form. "What the heck? My armor changed, and power coursing through me!"

However, he didn't have time to marvel at his new form, for Koan was still rampaging, releasing her flames to burn down everything in their path, which gave the other guardians a great deal of trouble. Koan then unleashed multiple fireballs from her body at once in all directions. As the fireballs rained down, the guardians all took cover, avoiding the shower. Then, Solaris saw a couple were heading straight towards Sailor Mars, and knowing that she couldn't protect herself, he did something unexpected and by instinct. He jumped in front of her clasping his hands with the index fingers pointing and conjured a fireball on them.

"FIRE SOUL!"

He unleashed the fireball blasting all of the fire and blasting Koan, which caused her to stumble and glare at Solaris. The other guardians and Sailor Mars looked at Solaris, their eyes wide with shock.

"No way!" gasped Sailor Moon. "Solaris just-"

"Copied my Fire Soul!" finished Sailor Mars.

"And is it just me, or did his armor change color?" asked Sailor Jupiter.

"Girls! Leave Koan to me!" Solaris cried out as he charged. "I'll take care of her!"

Seeing her new opponent, Koan let out another wail they collided. The youngest Spectre Sister swiped with her claws, which were cloaked in flame, each swipe threatening to burn and rip Solaris in half, but Solaris dodged and parried each blow, now more agile than before. Then Koan slashed again, Solaris side-stepped and countered with a powerful punch to her jaw, blowing her backward. Koan seemed to get even angrier from being hit and let out another shriek as she unleashed a torrent of flame, only for Solaris to cross his arms and tank the fire. Then, with a mighty shout, he threw his arms out, and his strength alone was enough to wipe out the flames.

"Now it's my turn!" Solaris spoke as he brought his hands together. "BURNING MANDALA!"

Solaris fired several fire rings from his hands, which blasted Koan upon impact, making her shriek in agony and pain.

"It happened again!" Sailor Mars thought as she watched. "Solaris was able to copy my attack! Not only that, but Koan's fire doesn't seem to hurt him at all! How did he get this kind of power?!"

Koan had taken quite a bit of damage, but she wasn't out of the fight yet, and she was even more enraged. With a mighty cry, she held up her hands into the air as her flames flared, growing hotter. Then a fireball of blue flame swelled up above her hands, growing bigger and bigger by the second.

"What is she doing?!" cried Sailor Moon.

"If Koan throws that fireball, she'll turn the Hikawa Shrine into a pile of ashes!" Sailor Mercury cried. "I don't think even my water attacks can put out that kind of power!"

"What'll we do?!" cried Sailor Venus.

Solaris clenched his fists and looked back at Sailor Mars, then at Koan. He knew that he had to save her and stop her before she could do any damage, which meant he had to attack.

"Forgive me, Sailor Mars," Solaris said to himself. "But I have to stop Koan before she hurts someone else. And Koan, I'm must apologize to you too. This attack is going to hurt you a lot, but I have no choice."

Solaris then readied himself, planting his feet firmly into the ground, and then took off running straight towards Koan as the woman hurled the giant fireball at him.

"Solaris?! What are you doing?!" yelled Sailor Mars. "Get out of the way!"

But the guardian of the sun didn't retreat as he continued to press forward, the ball of flame towering over him as it grew closer. Then Solaris' body began to radiate with fire as they cloaked his body, while he continued to run, as he unleashed an attack.

"SOLARIS MARS BLAZING PHOENIX!"

He jumped into the air, and the flames completely overtook his body, turning him into the very mythical creature his attack was named after. The phoenix made of fire let out a mighty shriek as it soared straight into Koan's fireball and went straight through it, canceling it out. The phoenix then continued straight towards Koan, and before she could even react or try to dodge, the bird made of flame shot right into her, causing a mighty explosion. Then, as a massive cloud of smoke billowed, the phoenix made of fire emerged from the smoke soaring high into the sky, letting out another fierce cry.

"Unbelievable!" gasped Luna.

"What incredible power!" murmured Artemis. "I've never seen anything like it!"

"He was able to not only cancel Koan's attack," spoke Sailor Venus. "But he was also able to take out Koan in a single hit!"

Everyone stared at the being of fire, amazed and shocked by its display of strength, as it flew towards them. As soon as it touched down on the ground, the phoenix let out one more cry as it disappeared, the flames fading away as Solaris landed. No sooner than he did, he reverted to his normal state in a quick burst of red light. At the same time, when the smoke cleared, Koan was lying on the ground, defeated and badly charred. Sailor Mars was worried and thought the worst, but then Koan slowly began to get up, her body shaking as she got back up.

"No way! She's still alive!" cried Sailor Moon.

"I'll get her!" Sailor Jupiter cried as she shot forward towards Koan.

"No! Stop!" cried Solaris weakly. "Don't hurt her!"

"Let her go!" cried Sailor Mars.

But Sailor Jupiter already had a knee raised, raring to take Koan down. However, suddenly, someone jumped in between them and took the blow instead, using her body as she let out a cry in pain. That, someone, was Sailor Mars, much to Koan's and the other guardians' shock and disbelief.

"Sailor Mars!" Sailor Jupiter gasped. "You... protected her! But why?"

The other guardians, excluding Solaris, all stared at Sailor Mars, all wanting to know as well, but Sailor Mars paid no mind as she kindly smiled at Koan.

"Koan, your life isn't over.," the raven-haired girl spoke quietly. "You haven't lost everything entirely. You're still here and have a chance to start anew. If you feel like your life went wrong, then work on fixing it, a little at a time. Your future begins right here and now. Don't you think so?"

Koan stared at Sailor Mars as she bit her lip, her eyes overflowing with tears.

Sailor Mars then looked across to her ordango blonde comrade. "Sailor Moon, could you please turn Koan into a normal human woman?"

"I'm... not sure I could," Sailor Moon spoke doubtfully. "I mean... how is that supposed to work?"

"You can use the Silver Crystal," said Luna. "I believe that should do the trick."

"Do you think that would work?" asked Solaris.

"The Silver Crystal may not have the power it once had," said Artemis. "But it may be able to turn Koan into an ordinary woman since she's in a very fragile state of mind. So it's worth a try."

Sailor Moon nodded with determination and then held up her brooch into the air, opening it and revealing the Silver Crystal.

"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"

Sailor Moon waved her hand on the crystal, and after pulsing and chiming three times, it began shining Koan with a bright pink light, bathing her with its glow. In a matter of seconds, Koan changed. She no longer was wearing her usual attire for the Dark Kingdom no more, and now wore an ordinary black miniskirt from before. And also, the black crescent moon that usually was on her forehead had gone.

Koan was now human.

"It worked!" cried Sailor Moon joyfully. "I can't believe it worked!"

Koan looked at herself and looked up at the Guardians. Then, she gave a heartfelt smile of joy as the tears continued to flow.

"Thank you," Koan wept. "Thank you so much, Sailor Moon. Now, I have a chance to start over again. I've never felt so happy in my life."

Sailor Mars smiled, feeling happy for Koan. Solaris came over to the battered guardian, his faceplate receding, revealing a smile underneath.

"Way to go, Sailor Mars," Solaris said proudly. "You'd make a mother proud."

Sailor Mars laughed weakly. "It's no big deal. I was going with what I thought was right."

"Well, because of those thoughts, you helped an enemy get a second chance in life, and that is something to admire," Solaris said. "Now, it's time that someone else gets some help."

Sailor Mars was puzzled, then to her surprise, Solaris had wrapped arms around her neck and the bend of her knees and lifted her bridal style, and started walking towards the house.

"I'll carry you back to your room," Solaris said. "We need to get you treated right away."

Sailor Mars blushed as she tried to pull away out of embarrassment. "Solaris, you don't need to carry me on my account," she spoke weakly but defiantly. "Put me down. I can walk on my own."

"There's no way I'm doing that," Solaris said firmly. "You're in no condition to walk, let alone move right now. Besides, I have to be chivalrous, especially when there's a girl in distress. We need to get you treated as soon as possible, or your burn will get infected."

Sailor Mars wanted to object, but she knew Solaris was correct and said nothing more as she relaxed. As everyone else watched Solaris carry Mars inside, Koan couldn't help but blush a bit, but at the same time, smile at this.

The next day, things went back to normal. However, Yuichiro had bandages all over him like a mummy, and Rei had her leg in a cast. Nevertheless, Yuichiro was hard at work wiping the floors despite his injuries while Rei was barking out orders.

"Come on, Yuichiro! Put your back into it!" Rei ordered. "You have to make sure to get those streaks out, so it'll be sparkling clean!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Yuichiro panted. "My back's into it!"

Then, Harusuke appeared in the doorway. "Working Yuichiro to the bone like always. It seems as though you're recovering nicely."

Rei sighed. "It's not my intention to be doing this. Yuichiro's the one who keeps forgetting to do his chores. Good grief."

Harusuke then went up to the girl glancing at her leg. "So, how are you feeling, Rei? Your leg hurt a lot less?"

"It's fine, thank you," smiled Rei. "It should be alright after a few days. By the way, Harusuke, the other day, when you weakened Koan, what was that power you used? You were able to copy my fire attacks, and you turned into a phoenix of some sort. I've never seen anything like it."

Harusuke pondered. "To be honest, I'm not sure how I did that. I wanted not only to protect you, but I also wanted to help you save Koan. My armor suddenly changed color the next thing I knew, and I felt stronger. It's difficult to explain."

"Well, regardless, you came through," smiled Rei. "And you were able to stop Koan before she could do any more damage, and you even held back when you used that attack. That's why she survived."

Harusuke chucked, scratching his cheek. "Well, you're the one who wanted to save Koan, so I can't take all the credit." Then he suddenly remembered. "Oh yeah! That's right! Speaking of Koan, I wanted to share some good news about her. Guess who's a cosmetics saleswoman now?"

Just then, as if on cue, the two heard a familiar voice.

"Hello there! I'm here to show you some brand new cosmetic products I'm repping."

The two looked up, and standing in the doorway was Koan. She was again dressed in the same attire as before when she was a saleswoman, but this time, she looked a lot happier, and her atmosphere was positive and uplifting.

"Hey, Koan!" greeted Rei. "It's wonderful to see you!"

Koan then smiled at the two. "You two look like the perfect couple right now," she said. "I can't help but feel a little envious."

Yuichiro then came by as he was cleaning, and when he saw Koan, he was surprised. "Hey! Haven't I seen you somewhere before?!" he asked.

Rei and Harusuke could only smile, the two of them feeling happy for Koan. Now that she was living a new life as a human, her past was no longer today.

Her new and brighter future had begun.