En had joined them at some point. “Kuon-sama. Tooka-sama is not just asleep. She’s retreated into her shell. At this rate, we’ll never get the Black Hole Gate open. Come on!”
Kuon scrambled to his feet.
“You’ve got a way of contacting the inside without cracking the shell, right, Kuon-sama?” En asked.
Kuon had an idea what she meant. But… “I’d need magic equivalent to Tooka’s, or…”
“You’ve got that! She’s right next to you.”
Oh. He looked at Hanabi. “Hanabi, lend me your power?”
She looked surprised and then made up her mind and nodded back. “Of course, Kuon.”
He took her hand and pulled her to her feet, and they flew over to the Nürburg together to wake up their sister.
On top of the Nürburg once more, Kuon took a Blade from Hanabi and aimed the tip at his feet. His left hand closed around the hilt, with Hanabi’s hands cupping it. He closed his eyes and took a breath.
Shichisei Kenbu Hidden 8th Form: Resonate.
Then he tapped the tip of the Blade at his feet.
Tiiiiiiiiingg.
There was a faint noise. He pictured ripples spreading out, waves of magic entering the Nürburg, bouncing back like sonar. Found her. He’d caught Tooka’s magic waves. He borrowed Hanabi’s magic from the hands on his and let another set of ripples flow, contacting Tooka’s waves. A moment later, Kuon’s consciousness melted into the Nürburg.
Inside, Kuon’s mind felt like it was sinking into the pitch-black depths of the ocean. When he reached the bottom, he found layers below him that were made of a gel-like sticky substance.
Inside that gel, at the bottom of the darkness, was Tooka. She was sitting, hugging her knees to her chest. He stuck his hands into the gel, reaching for her, but she was just out of reach. Kuon called out to her. Tooka!
Tooka looked up, without expression. Onii-chan, no. Go back. If you’re here, I can’t open the Gate.
Yes. Let’s open the Gate and go home together! You don’t have to stay!
I can’t go back. I’m not human. I’m a Jave. It’s my fault everyone died. Tooka buried her face in her knees again. She was trying to punish herself for supplying the Jave with information and causing the deaths of countless humans.
That isn’t your fault! The Jave did that! You didn’t know!
It’s the same thing. It’s still my fault. I don’t mind. I’m a Jave, so I’ll die here with them. So… There was a thump, and the egg shook. Tooka had activated the Black Hole Gate. Go home. You shouldn’t get caught up in this.
I’m not leaving you here!
I’m done. Just let me be.
His hands and words weren’t reaching her. But he had to. Desperately, he called out. If you die, Master…you know what it’ll do to her?
Tooka’s shoulders quivered. Mother…?
Not just her! If we lose you, me and Hanabi and Squad Leader Fuji and Rin-san will all be sad, too!
As if realizing this for the first time, Tooka looked up, shaking her head. That’s…that’s not…I don’t understand. I don’t know.
That’s what dying means! Everyone around you grieves!
But…but…!
He was crying now. Screaming. Suzuka Hachishiki’s voice mingled with his. I don’t want to let any more family die! My family… They all died! I don’t even remember what my parents looked like! The nuns who raised me, the friends I lived with there, the friends I fought alongside… They all died! I don’t want anyone else to die! Please, Tooka, please! Don’t die here!
Tears trickled down Tooka’s cheeks. But I…I let so many people die…
And you’ll save far more! Your Kiryu! The Junryu! The Nürburg! The research you left will save the world! And if that’s not enough, then I’ll pay for it with you!
But…but I’m not human…
Who cares?! That doesn’t matter! Kuon shouted as loud as he could. You’re my sister!
But…but…Onii-chan, I…I just… She was sobbing now. The space around them was throbbing.
Crap, Kuon thought. At this rate, she was going to be swallowed up in the Black Hole Gate. Give me your hand, Tooka!
Onii-chan! Tooka reached a trembling hand up. Kuon leaned forward, desperately trying to grab it. Their nailed tapped, their fingers touched, their palms grasped. He had Tooka’s hand in his. But…
Damn it!
The more he leaned forward, the more his body was swallowed by the egg. Tooka was in the bottom of a shell, deep in a swamp-like ooze that had swallowed her up. The more Kuon tried to pull her out, the deeper it pulled him in. He tried reaching out his other arm to pull himself up…
Shit!
But he didn’t have a right hand. Kuon and Tooka both sank into the muck. Even his toes were growing cold, losing sensation. Tooka clung to his side, and he hugged her tight, trying to banish her fears. Then…
Jeez, you two. Trying to leave me alone again.
Something grabbed them both and yanked them up. Surprised, Kuon opened his eyes to find his goddess smiling at him.
I’m not letting you go.
Hanabi!
An instant later, Kuon’s mind went white.
The disc Jave had been reduced to a tenth of its former size. On a Junryu above it, Kaede yelled, “Company Retreat!”
One by one, the Junryu Squads fled back through their Gates.
Kuon awoke to find himself held in the Kiryu’s mouth, his arms around Tooka. Hanabi, of course, was flying it. He looked down and saw the Nürburg shining with a brilliant white light.
“Seven seconds to black hole deployment!” Hanabi shouted. She was headed for the Gate the Fuji Squad had opened. Rin and the others were on standby there.
“Hanabi, hurry, hurry, it’s closing, get a move on, nowwwww!”
“Mantas approaching from below, on your seven! Okayama-kun, take ’em out!”
“Awright!” The Kiryu plunged into the Gate. Okayama cut down the manta on their heels, and Rin turned the Fuji Squad’s Junryu into the Gate, but…
Screescreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
“Yiiiiikes, what the heck? They’ve come after us! Oh crap oh crap oh crap!”
The disc Jave had changed form again, thrusting out a massive tentacle several times larger than the Kiryu. It was like a wall chasing them through the Gate.
“Fly, Motegi-kun!”
“I aaaamm!”
Behind them, the Gate closed. A moment before, Kuon thought he saw the Jave World turn white, and it was probably not a trick of the eyes. The Black Hole Gate had opened. The magical black hole had swallowed up their world, destroying it. All they had to do now was finish off the massive tentacle Jave the disc Jave had sent after them.
“Someone do something!” Rin wailed, already flying as fast as she could.
At this rate they’d all end their lives here, inside this Gate. Kuon was at his limit, and Hanabi’s Kiryu had sustained so much damage it was all she could do to keep it flying. Fuji and Okayama were shooting, but the puny rifles Control and Attackers wielded were useless against the sheer size of the thing. En popped out and started babbling in a very human-like fashion. “We’re finally done for, we worked so hard, I hope it was enough, hopefully our next lives will be better ha ha ha ha wahhhh I don’t wanna die!”
“Don’t give up,” someone said. The voice was calm but tinged with resolve.
Then two massive arms appeared from inside Kuon’s grasp, palms forward. Exo-arms from a Division Maneuver. They had a second Division 5 with them.
“I want to live with you, onii-chan.”
The massive, full-power light beam Tooka Nürburg fired swallowed the oncoming tentacle whole, evaporating it.
“Almost out!” Rin yelled. Their vision went white. Their long, short fight in the Jave World was over, and the Fuji Squad was home at last, back on Earth.
And back to Jogen.