The silence was heavy and awkward. When Nibutani had approached the two younger girls, no one had uttered a word. Dekomori was content with silently glaring at her girlfriend while Mitsuki stood there, her expression emotionless. It seemed like they wanted her to be the first one to speak up.

"You said you needed me for something," Nibutani began. "Well, here I am."

Dekomori fixed her gaze on the Mabinogion, which rested in the crook of Nibutani's left arm. The younger girl looked up at Nibutani, her eyebrows raised questioningly. Nibutani took the blonde's continued silence as a cue to speak.

"You were talking about Mori Summer the other day, so I thought you might want it," Nibutani explained. Dekomori nodded in approval. She walked over to Nibutani and held out her hands, waiting for the second year to pass the binder over to her. Once the Mabinogion was in her possession, Dekomori opened it, and her eyes rapidly scanned its contents.

Nibutani looked over at Mitsuki, who, so far, had remained surprisingly quiet. The purple haired girl's usual giddiness when around Dekomori had disappeared, and instead, she stood staring into space. Nibutani had fully expected to hear some sort of quip from her by now, though she really couldn't complain. The silence was welcomed. It made it easier for Nibutani to focus on the task at hand.

"Well, now that I'm here, I'm assuming you can get on with whatever you want to do. Though I'm not sure the roof is the best place. There's not a lot of room up here," Nibutani rambled on. There was only a single walkway on the roof. The rest of it was just roof tiles, which were slanted at an angle that made walking across them difficult. It would be very easy to slip, and Nibutani was not eager to relive that moment when Rikka almost fell.

"Today we will be delving deep into the practices of Mori Summer," Dekomori muttered. "It's not something you'd be interested in..." Dekomori didn't remove her gaze from the pages of the Mabinogion. She pulled the binder closer to her face, hiding her expression from view.

Nibutani sighed. Sometimes she forgot how hard things could hit Dekomori. The twin tailed girl was always full of energy, and it was often hard to detect anything beneath the chuunibyou exterior. It was obvious that Nibutani's initial refusal to go along with Dekomori's plan had upset the first year a great deal.

"Look, I'm sorry that I cut you off before and didn't listen to you. That was a stupid thing to do," Nibutani apologized. "But I'm here now, and I want to help out. Mori Summer is at your service." It felt weird calling herself by her old persona, but if Mori Summer was needed to finish this once and for all, she was willing to bring her back to life, even if only for a short while.

Dekomori peeked over the top of the Mabinogion. "You're at my service?" Nibutani chuckled softly. Of course that had been the thing to recapture her attention.

"Completely," Nibutani affirmed. Dekomori slammed the binder shut and grinned widely.

"Excellent! Then this mission should be successful!" Dekomori balled her hands in excitement. Nibutani had to admire the speed in which Dekomori forgot her anger towards her. It was a relief to know that the tiny girl wouldn't hold onto it.

"What exactly is going to happen?" Mitsuki asked, finally speaking up after a long period of silence. "You haven't exactly explained anything yet." Dekomori put her hands on her hips, her renewed confidence shining through.

"Mori Summer believes that there is goodness to be found in every person. She spoke of purity of the human heart on multiple occasions, and she is the only one who has found a way to cleanse someone of unwanted evils. Your heart has been lead astray, my servant. You were done a great disservice in the past, and you let the memories of those experiences fester until they became a mighty obstacle."

Dekomori's words caught Nibutani off guard. The first year was so sincere in her speech, like she truly believed everything she had spoken. It was the delusions she had held so dear to her heart in middle school that inspired the younger girl. Despite her distance from chuunibyou, it made her happy to see that she had had a positive effect on someone who was now so close to her.

"Even though you've acted out of ill intent, I don't believe that makes you unworthy of forgiveness," Dekomori continued, "But before we can reach that point, we have to help you find a new, safer path. One that won't lead you to evil. I believe that the best way to start this search is through battle. Countless times I have bonded with my former master through battles, and I think the same can be done with you." Dekomori grinned triumphantly. She looked pleased with her overall plan.

"What good will a battle do me?" Mitsuki asked. "I don't see how that's helpful. A battle won't change how I feel. It won't make me like people any more than I do now. It seems pointless to me." Mitsuki looked down at the ground and shuffled her feet.

"For once I actually agree with her," Nibutani said, "I'm happy that you feel so much inspiration from Mori Summer, but I don't see how this will help either." If anything, it seems like a battle would just bring out more aggression in the already tense first year.

Dekomori huffed, "Of course you wouldn't understand. People spend so much time hiding what they feel that nothing ever gets done. In battle, everything comes out. That's where a person's true strengths and weaknesses show, and you can see who they truly are. I've managed to create strong bond with Rikka because we showed our true selves to each other through battle. You can't hide anything when you're allowing yourself vulnerability by challenging an opponent. My servant, if we can put you into battle, I think we'll be able to understand you better, and we can help you. It's the only way."

Dekomori was right about one thing at least. Her bond with Rikka was stronger than most friendships Nibutani had seen. If her girlfriend was insisting that it was the effect of chuunibyou, then she supposed that trying out this battle plan was worth a shot.

"Alright, let's do this then," Nibutani said. Dekomori shot her a thumbs up and the looked over at Mitsuki, waiting expectedly for her response.

Mitsuki sighed, "I really don't want to have to battle you, but if it really is the only way, maybe I can agree to it." Dekomori threw her hands in the air and cheered. Nibutani smiled. She was glad that her friend's convinced her to come up here. Dekomori managed to find brilliance in something that most would scoff at. It was quite the experience to see it firsthand.

"Okay, so you two will be battling, but why did you want me here?" Nibutani asked. "What role do you want me to play in this?"

Dekomori paused, and her face turned slightly pink. She twiddled her thumbs and looked down at the ground.

"Well, this is a really big event, so I thought I would be less nervous if you were here to help me out," Dekomori mumbled. Nibutani's heart raced. She felt a large grin form on her face. Dekomori noticed her girlfriend's elation, and turned bright red.

"It's also because you know about Mori Summer even more than I do! Your main objective is to make sure I'm not misusing her teachings, so don't read too much into it!" Dekomori crossed her arms and turned away pouting.

Nibutani laughed, "I've lost my memories, remember? I don't think I'll be as useful as you think." In truth, chuunibyou still came naturally to her, though she always refused it whenever it tried to resurface. Because of that, she wasn't too confident that she would be of much use if Dekomori needed her help in the battle.

"This battle isn't only for Mitsuki, you know," Dekomori said quietly. "I thought that witnessing it would help reawaken your memories. Then you can reinforce your title as the one who showed me everything that's beautiful about the world." Nibutani suddenly lost the ability to breathe. She wondered how long Dekomori had desired this outcome.

For so long, Nibutani accepted that Mori summer was long gone. She knew that that part of her life was over, and she was okay with that. But with this simple, revelation, she suddenly wanted it all to come back. It was a foreign feeling, and it took her by surprise.

Nibutani never truly realized how much Dekomori looked up to her until now. She never felt this important to anyone before, and she had to admit, it felt good. It was possible Mori Summer wasn't so bad after all. If she brought her to Dekomori, there couldn't be anything bad about her. Maybe it was time to allow Mori Summer back into her life.

Nibutani looked over at Mitsuki, who had been listening intently, drinking in every word that was spoken by the two girls. Nibutani studied her facial expression. For once, she saw nothing in her eyes that indicated ill intent or trickery. If anything, she looked lonely. Suddenly, Nibutani understood exactly what Dekomori saw in her classmate that made her want to help her.

Nibutani smiled and looked up at the sky, "I think I finally understand now. You're right Dekomori. This plan of yours will definitely help all of us. It's amazing how you can come up with these things. There was a time where I probably could have thought of them too, but that time had long been forgotten. But maybe, just maybe, I can remember. For your sake and for mine, I hope I can."

Nibutani felt a small hand grasp at hers. She looked down to see Dekomori, who had moved from her previous spot next to Mitsuki. The tiny girl squeezed Nibutani's hand affectionately with her own.

"D-Do you really mean it?" Dekomori asked, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Dekomori's bottom lip quivered. Nibutani tried to hold back, but she ended up bursting into a fit of laughter. Dekomori pouted angrily, the tears staying intact in the corners of her eyes, and squeezed Nibutani's hand as hard as she could.

"Sorry, sorry," Nibutani apologized, her laughter barely dying down. "You're just such a crybaby. It's cute, so I couldn't help but laugh." Nibutani patted the girl gently on the head.

"I do mean it though," Nibutani continued, "But I don't think it'll happen unless I take a more proactive role in this battle. I think I should take your place. Mitsuki can challenge me instead. It makes more sense anyway. I mean, we're the ones who have been at each other's throats the entire time. You sit back, and if I need your help, you can jump in."

"I like this idea as well," Mitsuki agreed, "I've been itching to brawl with this annoyance for ages." Nibutani's eye twitched, but she chose to ignore what Mitsuki said for now. They could settle their differences once the plan was in motion.

"I...suppose it could work," Dekomori said. She seemed hesitant. Nibutani couldn't really blame her. Her rivalry with Mitsuki was bound to make for a very eventful battle.

"Don't worry," Nibutani encouraged. "I can do this. I won't let you down this time. I promise. I'll need the Mabinogion though." Dekomori nodded. The twin tailed girl handed Nibutani the binder and moved further down the platform so she wouldn't get in the way of the battle.

"Well let's do this then," Mitsuki said. The first year grabbed the hilt of her kendo sword and moved onto the roof tiles. She carefully walked towards the peak of the rooftop, and stood facing Nibutani once she reached the small flat area near the top.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Nibutani asked. The roof tiles were slippery, and she didn't fancy falling.

"We'll be fine. Let's go." Mitsuki grabbed the hilt with both hands and struck an offensive pose.

Nibutani gulped. She said she wanted to channel Mori Summer again, but it was a lot easier said than done. She tried to remember what it felt like to battle against Natsumi Tokugawa, the girl who tried to take her Mori Summer identity, but even then, she hadn't fought like she had when she was in middle school. If she wanted to make any sort of progress with herself and Mitsuki, she would need to try a lot harder.

Nibutani closed her eyes. She allowed herself to think of past memories she had when she was Mori Summer. She focused on the emotions she felt when she thought of them. She tried to remember what it felt like to truly be Mori Summer. As her mind cycled through the memories, she felt something change within her. A flood of emotions came over her and suddenly, she felt strong.

When Nibutani opened her eyes, she almost fell over in surprise. Instead of the normal school rooftop, she saw herself standing on the steep slope of a mountain. She looked around her and saw a forest that spanned for miles beyond it. In the distance she could see bright blue lake. Nibutani gaped. She could see it all. For the first time in years, Nibutani allowed her imagination to work at full force.

The sound of clanking metal tore her away from her thoughts. She looked over at Mitsuki, whose appearance had changed as well. Instead of the old, chipped kendo sword, the first year held a katana in her hands. Its blade was sharp, and the sunlight glinted off of the metal, making it harder for Nibutani to look at her properly. Mitsuki had tapped the back of the blade against a rock, in an attempt to draw Nibutani's attention away from her surroundings.

Nibutani looked down at the Mabinogion in her arms. It too had transformed. It was no longer the childish looking binder with stickers that covered its surface. It now took the shape of a brown leather bound tome. She opened and saw a vast array of different spells written amongst the pages. Nibutani smiled. It was all coming back to her.

"Let's see what the famous Mori Summer can do!" Mitsuki shouted. The purple haired girl charged at Nibutani, her sword raised above her head, ready to strike.

Nibutani, still feeling rusty from her long hiatus from chuunibyou, knew she was too slow to hope to effectively dodge the attack. She put her arms up in defense and braced for the inevitable impact. The sword struck her left forearm with considerable force. The blow was enough to throw off her balance. Nibutani lost her footing and fell.

Her body slid down the face of the mountain. The panic that resulted from the fall was enough for her to momentarily snap out of her delusions. She had fallen dangerously close to the edge of the roof. If she had slid just another foot more, she would have fallen off the roof completely. Nibutani delved into her imagination once more.

The mountain, much like the roof, did not have much space to maneuver. That wouldn't be a huge problem for someone like Mitsuki, who required close quarters to effectively attack, but Nibutani relied on her spells, and she stood no chance in a compact area. She needed to get somewhere that was more spacious so she would be able to move around more.

Nibutani suddenly remembered what she had seen when she first took a look around. There had been a lake in the distance.

The lake should have a clearing around it. That would provide me with enough space to move around as much as I please. Mitsuki wouldn't have the advantage there. If I want to be useful in this battle, I absolutely need to get there!

Nibutani looked to her right. She spotted a small pathway that presumably led down to the bottom of the mountain. Without further thought, Nibutani sprinted towards the pathway. Before heading down in, she turned around and stuck her tongue out at Mitsuki, hoping to taunt her into chasing after her. Nibutani spun around and raced down the path.

Her taunt must have worked as she heard footsteps following behind her. She kept her pace and focused on reaching the lake. She couldn't falter here. As she proceeded down the path, she came across many travelers who were hiking on the same mountain. She tried to avoid them to the best of her ability, but she was running too fast to dodge all of them. She ended up hitting many of the travelers with her shoulders and arms as she ran past.

"No running in the hallway!" The loud voice broke Nibutani out of her imagination for a second time. She looked back and saw the face of an infuriated teacher as well as several annoyed students who had been victims of Nibutani's sprint down the hallways. There was no point in stopping now. She was already at the staircase that led to the first floor. She could accept the consequences later.

Nibutani saw Mitsuki round the corner at the end of the hall and ran down the stairs. As she reached the last four stairs, Nibutani closed her eyes and jumped the rest of the way. When she opened her eyes, she saw that she was at the bottom of the mountain. Nibutani looked around frantically, trying to locate the correct way to the lake.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a faint sliver of blue between the trees. She took a deep breath, exhaled, and ran towards it. As she ran through the forest, various tree branches and bushes scratched at her arms and legs. It stung, but she kept running. Nibutani ran until she burst out into a large clearing.

Feeling winded, Nibutani paused to catch her breath and wait for her opponent to arrive. It wouldn't be too long of a wait since the other girl was hot on her heels for most of the chase. A few seconds later, Mitsuki emerged from the tree line, looking incredibly irritated.

"I pegged you for a coward, but I never thought you'd actually try to flee our fight," Mitsuki grumbled. "Am I really that strong that you desired to leave the battle so early?" Nibutani snorted. That girl had quite a large track record of misunderstanding situations.

"Don't flatter yourself," Nibutani retorted. "I just needed more space, and that mountain really wasn't giving me that. Now I can move around as much as I please. The fight is a lot more fair now, don't you think?"

"That's fine by me. A small space, a large space, either way, I'm not letting you beat me. You've been a thorn in my side for far too long. I won't allow you a victory," Mitsuki growled. She raised her sword, preparing for another strike.

"This time I'll strike before you even get chance to get close to me with that sword," Nibutani mumbled to herself. She quickly flipped through the pages of her tome until she found the perfect spell.

"Eternal Light!" Nibutani voice boomed across the clearing. She held out her right hand, and a blast of light magic shot from her palm. The beam of light hit Mitsuki square in the chest, and the younger girl fell backwards with an "oomph". Nibutani internally cheered. She had a chance after all.

Mitsuki picked herself up off the ground. "That was quite an attack for someone who values peace and love so much. You had to get that power from somewhere, and it certainly didn't come from the purity of the heart." Mitsuki shot her a mocking grin. Nibutani growled. She was trying to rile her up again.

"My power is drawn from the faeries that wrote this tome. They lend me their strength, and in return, I protect the world and bring peace to those who would do it harm. Sometimes I too must engage in battle to stop the corruption of evilness." Nibutani spoke automatically, not fully registering what she said until she finished. It shocked her how immediate her response was.

"Faeries, right," Mitsuki snorted. "Something that lame is rather fitting for you. It's laughable." Nibutani grit her teeth. If Mitsuki wanted to play like that, she would gladly comply.

"We'll see how funny you find me after this. Eternal Light!" Nibutani repeated her previous action, and shot a bolt of light from her right palm.

"Magic Absorption!" Mitsuki countered. The younger girl held her sword out in front of her in a defensive position. A circular blue barrier formed in front of her sword, creating a shield. The beam of light hit the shield and bounced off of it, rebounding into a nearby tree. The tree burned as it came into contact with the beam of light. The tree collapsed as the fire burned away at the trunk.

Nibutani clenched her fists. Mori Summer not only wished to protect the innocent beings that inhabited the earth, but also nature in its entirety. The tree's demise hit Nibutani at her core. That feeling of pain reminded her of how in sync with Mori Summer she was at that very moment.

Nibutani looked back over at Mitsuki, who appeared significantly more exhausted than before. She figured that the defensive spell took a lot of energy to cast, so it wasn't likely that the purple haired girl would use it again so soon. Now was a perfect time for nature to get its revenge.

"Nature's Fury!" Nibutani shouted out her spell. Roots erupted out of the ground and made their way towards her opponent. Mitsuki, who was still recovering from her last spell, had no way to dodge. Roots wrapped around her ankles and around her right arm. Mitsuki attempted to pull at the roots with her only free arm, but it was to no avail.

Nibutani walked up to Mitsuki. "Not so laughable now, huh? That's what you get when you underestimate what goodness can do. Good will always triumph over evil." Nibutani crossed her arms, a confident smirk on her face.

"You think that's what this is about?" Mitsuki asked sourly. "You think you're some holy protector of everything good by banishing evil? Sanae was right, battle really does bring out people's true side. I can see now that you definitely are Mori Summer, but you're not as good as you think you are." Nibutani's eyes narrowed.

"You're one to talk," Nibutani retorted. "You've done way worse than me. Unlike you, I actually care about my friends, my classmates, and everyone around me. The very foundation of Mori Summer is built on what an ideal world would be like. Sounds pretty good to me."

Mitsuki chuckled, "There's just one thing you don't understand. You and I are a lot more similar than you think we are. Yeah, I manipulate people around me to suit what I want, but I see a striking similarity here. Mori Summer preaches about goodness and the purity of the heart, but everything else that doesn't fit the Mori Summer standard is impure and corrupted and needs 'fixing'. You're deciding what's good and what isn't, and that seems pretty egotistical to me."

Nibutani was stunned silent. She didn't know how to respond. She felt her link to Mori Summer weaken, and the environment around her started to shatter. She looked around and saw the mixture between reality and delusion. The forest and lake were fading away. Amidst the confusion, Nibutani failed to notice Mitsuki methodically removing the roots from her right arm. Once her arm was free, Mitsuki began cutting at the roots around her ankles with her sword.

"Maybe I don't want you to fix me," Mitsuki continued. "What I've done may be wrong, but I don't need some egotistical pain like you telling me how I should be acting. It's not up to you to decide!" Mitsuki cut away at the last of the roots, and she was finally free from the trap.

Nibutani faced Mitsuki once more and was surprised to see the younger girl free. She leaped back, distancing herself from the other girl. She held up her tome, ready to release another spell if she needed to. She closed her eyes to regain her focus and pull herself back into the delusion.

"We aren't acting because of inflated egos! We just want to help you!" Nibutani shouted. "Regardless of what you feel about what's written in the Mabinogion, our intentions are good!" She spoke the truth. Despite how she felt about Mitsuki, helping the girl realize that her way of thinking was toxic was of utmost importance.

"Why should I believe you? You hate me! Plus, I don't want or need your help!" Mitsuki shouted back. "The only reason I'm here is because Sanae asked me to be here. Though I have to admit, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to beat you down in battle." Mitsuki smirked and charged at Nibutani. She swung her sword, but Nibutani was luckily able to dodge the strikes now that there was more space to maneuver.

Nibutani fired a few more light spells, but Mitsuki managed to evade the attacks against her as well. "Can't you see that the way you treat people is toxic?! Dekomori wants to help you! I want to help you!" Mitsuki growled in response.

"Thundering Strike!" Mitsuki shouted as she swung her sword low. The blade made contact with Nibutani's legs and knocked her to the ground. As she hit the ground, Nibutani felt her head slam into something hard. The impact made her dizzy and disoriented. When she recovered, she looked up to see Mitsuki standing over her.

"I don't need to conform to whatever standard you think I should fit into," Mitsuki snarled. "I can't help who I am. I cant help that my first instinct is to use people so they won't hurt me! I can't help that I'm tired of having to be alone for the sake of personal defense! I can't help that that pain turns into aggression! Just accept it! I can't change who I am!" Mitsuki raised her sword into the air, preparing to bring it down in a fearsome strike.

Nibutani braced for impact as she saw the sword fly down towards her. Right before the blade made contact a bolt of lightning shot from the trees and hit the sword. Mitsuki, who was gripping the sword's hilt tightly, felt the shock and dropped her weapon.

Nibutani looked over towards the source of the attack and saw Dekomori approach from the forest. The tiny girl had lost her previous excitement for the battle, and now appeared extremely angry. She wielded her signature golden hammer and was poised to strike.

"Stand back, Mori Summer!" Dekomori commanded. "This is no longer your fight! Since you were unable to get through to her, I will take on my servant myself! I only wish I got here sooner, but your quick escape from the mountain left me unable to locate you for quite some time." Nibutani sighed in relief. This would be a lot easier now that Dekomori had arrived.

"My quarrel isn't with you. I do not wish to fight you," Mitsuki stated. She picked her sword up off the ground but kept it lowered.

"I saw your attack. You attempted to strike down Mori Summer using dirty tactics. If it were anyone else who had attempted such an act, it would be unforgivable, but you are my servant, so I will take responsibility for your actions and show you the right path." Dekomori pointed her hammer towards Mitsuki, indicating a challenge.

"I don't wish to hurt you, Master. Do not make me battle you under these circumstances," Mitsuki pleaded. Her lust for battle had disappeared now that Dekomori had entered the fray. Mitsuki didn't want Dekomori to know of her aggression, so she was undoubtedly shaken at the fact that Dekomori had seen her outburst of rage.

"You've already hurt me," Dekomori said. Mitsuki looked at her in confusion.

"I don't understand. I haven't struck at you. How could I have hurt you?" Mitsuki asked.

"You hurt Nibutani, so you hurt me as well," Dekomori answered. "I expected better from someone who's under my wing. We showed interest in helping you, yet you decide to make a mockery of it. I will not have it, so I shall be your opponent!"

Dekomori charged forward and swung her hammer at Mitsuki. The purple haired girl pushed her sword up to deflect the attack. Sword clashed with hammer, and the two girls stood in front of the other, pushing their weapons together, hoping to break the other's stance.

"You're the one person in existence that I don't want to have to fight!" Mitsuki exclaimed. "I've fought against people who wanted to hurt me for so many years, and I don't want to be forced into a battle with the one person who actually matters!" Mitsuki looked genuinely upset, and for a split second, Nibutani pitied her.

"Bad actions have consequences," Dekomori mumbled. "If someone continuously acts poorly, those close to them will eventually feel wronged as well." Dekomori jumped back, and fired a bolt of lighting from her hammer. The bolt hit Mitsuki in the chest, and she dropped down to one knee.

"I-I didn't mean to wrong you," Mitsuki stammered, "I promise you that's true!"

Dekomori shook her head, "It doesn't matter. Your actions are still unacceptable in my mind. If you want to regain my trust, battle me, and prove the truth behind your words!" Dekomori took a defensive stance, waiting to see how Mitsuki would respond.

Mitsuki dropped her sword and collapsed into a sitting position, "I won't fight you. I can't... You're too important. You're my only friend, and I cherish that above all else. It took me so long to find someone who I feel safe with, and I won't risk that anymore. I concede defeat." Dekomori closed her eyes and took a deep breathe.

Nibutani watched in suspense, wondering how the younger girl will react. The delusion faded away, revealing the school's pool to be their location. They made a mess of the place. Equipment was strewn across the area. They would need to clean it up before they left or they'd undoubtedly get in serious trouble with the teachers.

Nibutani was slightly surprised that Mitsuki showed such vulnerability. The battle had really shaken her up, and now raw emotion was spilling out.

Dekomori suddenly burst out in triumphant laughter, "Good! This is good! We've made some progress. Man, that tough cop attitude seems a lot easier in anime." Dekomori put her hands on her hips and grinned.

"Huh?" Both Mitsuki and Nibutani reacted simultaneously. Dekomori chuckled, proud to have caught the two other girls off guard.

"You're not mad?" Mitsuki questioned. She looked hopeful, a look that seemed innocent compared to just minutes before. Dekomori's sudden, somewhat exaggerated anger must have really shocked her classmate.

Dekomori rubbed the back of her neck, "Well, I am mad. I mean, you almost smashed my girlfriend with a kendo sword, but I'm not furious. I sort of expected you two to get overly dramatic with your battle. That was the whole point of this after all. You let out all your emotions, and now we can begin the real process."

"What process?" Nibutani asked. She attempted to get up, but as soon as she began to move, she felt dizzy and fell back down. Nibutani assumed it was the result of hitting her head on the concrete. Dekomori rushed over to her side, and put a supporting arm around her.

"We'll discuss the next phase after we take you to the infirmary," Dekomori replied. "You fought a great battle, and you deserve some rest." Nibutani smiled thankfully, and used Dekomori for support as she stood up. The two slowly made their way back into the school, Mitsuki trailing behind them.

When they reached the nurse's office, they were promptly scolded for roughhousing in a way that resulted in Nibutani's injury. Luckily, it wasn't bad, and the nurse gave Nibutani some pain meds and laid her down on one of the beds. Dekomori and Mitsuki pulled up chairs next to her.

"Care to explain this second phase now that we're here?" Nibutani asked. She was getting jittery. She wanted this to all be over so she could stop worrying about it. Though Dekomori had been right about battling. Mitsuki said some very interesting things during their battle, and she doubted those words would have come out otherwise.

"Well, as a result of your battle, I understand what's wrong, and I think I know how to help. It'll be easier to talk things through now that I have a better understanding," Dekomori explained. She looked ecstatic. Mitsuki didn't say anything. She stared at her hands that were resting comfortably in her lap.

"Surprisingly enough, I think I understand as well," Nibutani said. Her mind flashed back to what Mitsuki had said before she tried to strike her the final time. Nibutani poked Mitsuki's leg to get her attention.

"You said a lot of things in that battle, though I wouldn't be surprised if most of those things were directed at yourself," Nibutani continued. "You said to just accept that you can't change who you are. You were saying that to yourself, weren't you?" Nibutani could of sworn she saw Mitsuki flinch.

"I think the reason you got so angry about us showing you different ideals is because you don't truly believe you're good enough to change. You think that everyone around you has antagonized you, but it's really only you who is guilty of that. You think worse of yourself than anyone else at this school." Nibutani studied Mitsuki's facial expression, but it remained neutral.

Dekomori nodded in agreement, "You desire companionship, but your paranoia prevents you from completing that mission. You only opened yourself up to me because I happened to make a good impression when I showed you around. If I hadn't volunteered that day, would you have approached me yourself?" Mitsuki shook her head no.

"I think you do want to change," Nibutani added "But you're afraid of trying. You're afraid that if you open up to people, they'll hurt you like they did before. I understand why you feel that way, but acting the way you do now will only make everything hurt even worse," Mitsuki tilted her head up and looked Nibutani in the eye. She had an air of melancholy to her.

"I think the next step is figuring out how we can smash that fear into little tiny pieces so it can never hurt you again!" Dekomori shouted excitedly. "Once we figure that out, I can introduce you to some of the girls in our class. They always wonder why you never talk to them, so I'm sure they're eager to meet you!"

"It's not that easy," Mitsuki whispered. "It doesn't matter if I want to change. This fear doesn't just go away. Every time I even think about getting close to someone, I get these horrible flashbacks to middle school. I don't like remembering, so it's easier to stay away from people and keep them under control if they try to come near me." Nibutani felt bad for Mitsuki. She had a serious problem, one that couldn't be solved by her and Dekomori.

"I've done horrible things to people, so there's no reason why anyone would want to get close to me," Mitsuki continued. "I've done horrible things to you as well, so I don't even know why you want to help me." A small part of Nibutani still didn't understand that herself, but the larger part knew that even Mitsuki deserved forgiveness.

"The words of Mori Summer are ideas that came straight from my mind," Nibutani explained. "Everything she says about love and forgiveness are what I believe in, and I believe that you can change. I'm pretty sure that we can't help you fix your fears, but we can push you in a better direction." Dekomori nodded enthusiastically.

"What do I do?" Mitsuki asked meekly.

"Talk to your parents," Nibutani suggested. "They're more likely to know how to help you."

Mitsuki snorted loudly in contempt, "They won't care. They're still mad that they had to pull me out of middle school and home school me. They hold that grudge against me, so I doubt they'll care about any of my problems." Mitsuki buried her face in her hands.

"I think they might surprise you," Nibutani said. Mitsuki's behavior was obviously harmful, and Nibutani would be shocked if her parents hadn't taken notice.

"Yeah!" Dekomori agreed. "I'm sure they'll help you out! I bet they're just as worried about you as we are. And don't forget, you can always talk to me if you need to!" Mitsuki looked at her in appreciation. Dekomori shot Nibutani an expectant look.

"Ehh, you better just go to her," Nibutani said. The was a limit to how much she was willing to help the other girl. She'd been involved in too much chaos with the purple haired girl, and she needed some time away from her. Nibutani was glad that this was coming to an end.

"Hmm maybe you're right. I guess it won't hurt to try. Thanks for your advice. I should go talk to my parents and see what they have to say about all of this. Hopefully they'll be willing to listen and help," Mitsuki mumbled. She got up from her seat and walked towards the exit. When she reached the door, she paused and turned around.

"I'm sorry Nibutani," Mitsuki apologized. "What I did and said to you was wrong. I can't make up for it, so apologizing is all I can do. I hope you can forgive me one day." Mitsuki turned around and exited the nurse's office. Nibutani waited to speak up until she could no longer hear the younger girl's retreating footsteps.

Nibutani let out a loud sigh, "Well that's finally dealt with. It's didn't turn out exactly the way I expected to, but the outcome was good nonetheless." Nibutani looked over at Dekomori, who was staring at her silently. She was about to say something when the twin tailed girl suddenly leaped from her chair and tackled Nibutani.

"You were amazing!" Dekomori gushed. "You finally showed me the true Mori Summer!" Dekomori's eyes glittered in elation. Nibutani felt hands cup her face, and before she could say anything, Dekomori placed her lips on her own. After a few moments, Dekomori pulled away, leaving Nibutani in a dazed state.

"I wasn't sure if you'd be able to do it, but you really did recover your memories!" Dekomori was absolutely giddy. It was a cute sight and Nibutani would have enjoyed it a lot more if it wasn't for the searing pain she felt on the back of her head.

"I may of regained my memories, but don't expect me act like Mori Summer all the time. I still have my reputation after all. Now help me up. My head hurts, and I want to go home." Dekomori got off the bed and held out her arm to support Nibutani as she got up.

Dekomori led Nibutani out into the hallway. "You will probably need my assistance. You were wounded in battle, so I doubt you'll make it home on your own." Nibutani nodded appreciatively. The two girls made their way out of the school. They moved slowly to prevent Nibutani's earlier dizziness from returning.

"So what are you going to do now?" Nibutani asked as they walked away from the school. "You still have class with Mitsuki, so you'll definitely run into her again." Nibutani wondered if Dekomori would really introduce her to their classmates. It would be nice if she could make new friends. Though Nibutani wouldn't say it out loud, she hoped the Mitsuki would get in with a new group of people. It was preferable to having her stay in their group.

"I'll check up on her to make sure she's okay," Dekomori responded. "I am still her master, so I will be there if she needs me." Nibutani commended Dekomori on her selflessness. After all that happened, Nibutani wouldn't have been able to keep up that level of support with Mitsuki.

"Well, I'm proud of you," Nibutani praised. "And now that everything's resolved, things can go back to normal." Dekomori nodded in agreement.

"Now we can finally get back to reinforcing the practices of Mori Summer. Since you've regained your memories, it should be easy!" Dekomori quivered in excitement.

"Wait a second. I didn't agree to full time Mori Summer work," Nibutani argued. Mori Summer may have earned her permanent place back in Nibutani's heart, but there was no way she'd sacrifice her high school social life to run around playing chuunibyou all day.

"That's fine!" Dekomori agreed. "Devoting 95% of your day to teaching the world about the words of the Mabinogion should be plenty!"

"I don't agree with that either!"

The two girls walked home, their loud bickering disrupting everyone around them. Nibutani smiled to herself. Everything was returning to its peaceful state. This was how it was supposed to be.

A month had passed since the battle at the pool, and school life continued as normally as ever. She had made deal with Dekomori to spend every other weekend with her doing anything chuunibyou related. It was hard to convince Dekomori to agree to those terms, but she eventually relented, much to Nibutani's relief.

Nibutani had just finished helping clean up the classroom, and she now made her way towards the club room. As she approached, she saw Yuuta and Rikka exit.

"Is Dekomori in there?" Nibutani asked. She hadn't been able to see much of her girlfriend that week due to the first years going through important testing, so she was eager to her now that the week was finally over.

"Yeah," Yuuta replied. "She and Kumin are in there sleeping. We're leaving for today since there's not much to do, and we didn't want to disturb the others." Nibutani nodded and walked into the club room.

It was like Yuuta said. The two girls were fast asleep on the ground. Nibutani tiptoed to the other side of the room, careful not to wake the sleeping girls, and sat down by the window. The quiet gave her time to think.

For the first time in a month, she allowed herself to think about Mitsuki and everything that had happened. She hadn't heard about Mitsuki from Dekomori, and she had never bothered to ask. She couldn't help but feel a little curious about what was going on with the purple haired girl. Since she hadn't seen her around, Nibutani assumed Mitsuki found her place amongst other people.

Nibutani heard a small groan coming from near the table. She looked over and saw Dekomori slowly raise her head up. The blonde first year looked exhausted, something which wasn't surprising considering the testing they had gone through. Dekomori locked eyes with Nibutani. The younger girl, still groggy from having woken up, crawled over to Nibutani and plopped down, resting her head in Nibutani's lap.

Almost immediately, Dekomori fell back asleep. Nibutani smiled down at her. She stroked Dekomori's now messy hair and allowed herself some much needed rest as well. Just as she was about to drift off, she heard the club room door slam open.

"Yuuta! I need you for something!" A boy with a shaved head burst into the room.

"Who're you?" Nibutani asked. He looked familiar but she couldn't remembering exactly where he was from.

"Isshiki! I'm Isshiki!" the boy exclaimed. "I'm Yuuta's friend! We've met before!" Upon receiving a blank stare from Nibutani, Isshiki fled the room, wailing about his lack of presence among his friends.

"Who was that?" Nibutani heard a sleepy voice from below. She looked down and noticed that Dekomori was now wide awake. The commotion must have been what woke her up.

"Who knows," Nibutani replied. Dekomori responded with a small grunt, and laid her head back down in Nibutani's lap.

"Hey, can I asked you something?" Nibutani asked. She felt Dekomori nod her head yes.

"Did things ever work out for Mitsuki? I'm just a little curious since you haven't mentioned her at all." The fact that Dekomori never spoke about it surprised Nibutani. She had half expected Dekomori to keep her updated.

"I wasn't sure if you wanted me to talk about it, so I never mentioned it," Dekomori mumbled. "But her parents ended up taking her to some kind of therapist, and that helped I guess. I also introduced her to our classmates, and now she's made friends. I think she's a lot happier now that she has companions. My servant has done well..." Dekomori's voice trailed off as she finished speaking. Within moments, the blonder girl was fast asleep once again.

Nibutani sighed in relief. That was good to hear. A part of her was happy that Mitsuki found her own place. Another part was just happy that she didn't have to deal with her anymore. This past month had been the most peaceful it had been in a long a while. It wasn't until she had gone without them that Nibutani really missed her normal everyday activities.

Though the experiences she had were tough at times, she couldn't deny that she learned a lot. So much good came out of some terrible times, and Nibutani couldn't bring herself to regret the overall experience. Despite that, she was glad it was over. She knew she would cherish her remaining time in high school. After all, she could never predict what was going to happen.

End

A/N: Wow I managed to actually finish this. It's a miracle. But anyway, I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to review! It meant a lot to read the positive things you all wrote. And I'd like to give an extra special thanks to those who gave me advice on how to improve. That was incredibly useful and appreciated since I'm always looking to improve my writing.

I hope you enjoyed this, and thanks for reading!