"H… Hiyori…"

Hiyori is snapped out of her daze by the pain-filled voice and turns towards the person struggling to talk. Hiyori is shocked to see Tagitsuhime is back, but that pales in comparison when she sees that Kanami is with her and doesn't appear to be the princesses prisoner. From what the Heijou Toji can tell from looking at her friend is that Kanami appears to be willing with the Great Aradama for reasons Hiyori can fathom.

"Kanami…" Hiyori goes to take a step forward but stops the moment Kanami draws Chidori.

"Subdue your little lovebird for me Kanami," Tagitsuhime commands, and to Hiyori's horror, Kanami moves towards her.

"Yes, Princess Tagitsu," Kanami coldly replies as she activates her Utsushi before charging the Heijou Toji.

"Kanami what are you doing?" Hiyori barely has enough time to draw Kogarasumaru and parry the attack.

"Princess Tagitsu wants you to join us Hiyori," Kanami's voice is so lifeless it sends chills down Hiyori's spin as she wonders where the energetic sword loving girl she has grown close to has gone while deflecting her friend's sword strikes. "You should be happy. We get to be together and have our mothers back. Isn't that great Hiyori?"

Kanami's strikes are powerful thanks to the Noro in her blood, and on several occasions, Hiyori found herself on the verge of being knocked over but by sheer luck and skill the Heijou Toji manages to stay on her feet. Being pushed back with every attack, Hiyori struggles to keep up with the Minoseki Toji. Even before the Noro, Hiyori could never beat Kanami in a sword fight, and now with her friend's strength enhanced Hiyori's odds are looking hopeless, but she refuses to give in and continues to put up a fight.

"Kanami you have to snap out of it," Hiyori asks after dodging a slash from Chidori that cuts down a tree right behind where Hiyori was just standing. "You're being controlled Kanami you can't let her use you as a puppet. You are too strong and stubborn to be controlled so easily."

In response, Kanami's eyes start to glow as she rushes Hiyori shoulder barging the Heijou Toji down a small hill causing Hiyori's Utsushi to shatter when she hits a rock and the air to be knocked from her lungs. Hiyori only has time to get to her feet before Kanami is right in front of her again with Tagitsuhime by her side. Kanami takes up a fighting stance ready to strike again at a moments notice while the Aradama princess stares at Hiyori with a cocky grin on her lips.

"Ready to give up Hiyori?" Tagitsuhime asks. "Or do you need to suffer more before you submit like Kanami foolishly endured until she broke?"

"What did you do to her?" Hiyori growls with venom in her voice, and both Kanami and Tagitsuhime can clearly sense the lust for blood coming from the Heijou Toji. If it weren't for Tagitsuhime stopping her Kanami would have attacked her friend right then.

"I just injected her with some Noro," Tagitsuhime casually answers. "You would have been proud of her Hiyori, she suffered for days and needed a triple dose before she broke and gave in. Hopefully, you won't make the same mistake as her and go through all that pain and suffering as well." In response, Hiyori reactivates her Utsushi, and Kanami instantly attacks her. "Foolish girl."

Hiyori is knocked back by the blow again narrowly missing hitting a trunk of a tree. Kanami is relentless in her assault, giving Hiyori no chance to catch her breath or counter attack the Minoseki Toji's aggressive attack. Hiyori can feel sweat form on her forehead, and her arms start to ache from the effort of defending her self from her controlled friend. Her lungs are crying out for air as she pants for breath, but still, Hiyroi shows no signs of giving in as she looks her friend in the eye.

"Kanami I know you are in there," Hiyroi tells her friend as they lock swords and she struggles to match Kanami's strength. "You have to fight back. I know you are not the type to just give in like this so fight her Kanami."

Kanami finally wins her assured victory in their battle of strength knocking Hiyori back a to the edge of a small cliff. Hiyori watches as Kanami walks towards her with Tagitsuhime following a few feet behind clearly amused by the fight she is watching.

"Kanami please don't leave me like this!" Hiyori cries, feeling tears leave her eyes as the thought of the Minoseki Toji who has barged her way through the wall Hiyroi put up to keep people away might really be gone. "You have friends and family who need you Kanami. I need you."

"It's pointless Hiyroi," Tagitsuhime tells her. "You can cry and beg all you want to, but your precious Kanami is mine now. Just give in, and you can stay by her side Hiyroi."

"Kanami…" Hiyori's eyes never leave Kanami's, and she isn't sure, but she could swear the Minoseki Toji's eyes are starting to flicker. "Kanami please don't do this. I will continue being a Toji. I will do anything you want just. Please come back to me! Kanami I…" Hiyori hesitates for a second. "Kanami I need you. I don't want to lose… I love you, Kanami, and I don't want to lose anyone I love ever again!"

"Foolish girl, you don't know when to give in," Tagitsuhime sighs. "Kanami inject her with the Noro I gave you."

Hiyori drops to her knees, unable to find the strength to carry on. "Kanami's gone," She cries and waits for the girl she has grown to love put her out of her misery with the mind-altering effects of Noro. But nothing happens.

"What are you waiting for Kanami I gave you an order?"

Hiyori looks up to she Kanami frozen in place with her fists clenched and arms shaking. Kanami's eyes are squeezed tightly shut as tears roll down her cheeks. Seconds later, Kanami lets out a pain-filled scream and drops to her knees, clenching her head.

"What a stubborn girl," Tagitsuhime mutters surprised by what she is seeing. "Even now, you can still resist me. I don't know whether I should be surprised or impressed by this, but it doesn't matter as I'm sure one more injection will be enough to break any ounces of resistance you have left."

"I won't let you touch her," Hiyori declares, getting back to her feet finding her strength return as she watches Kanami fighting to return to her.

"Do you really think you can defeat me by yourself, Hiyori?" Tagitsuhime as she draws both her Okatana's.

"She not alone!"

"Hiyori," Kanami mutters moving her body for the first time.

The heavy orange chains that bind her in the dark void that has become her mind cause Kanami to cry out in pain and the chain roughly scrape her arms and legs trying to keep the Minoseki Toji pinned down. The pain is far worse than before, but Kanami fights through it.

"I love you, Kanami,"

Ever since she heard those words a light has started to shine illuminating, the darkness Kanami's mind had soul has become from the effects of the Noro injected into her body.

"You can do it Kanami," The voice Kanami hears of her mother Kanami now hears calling to her isn't like the lively slightly cocky voice of the version under Tagitsuhime's control. The voice she hears is that of the kind gentle woman that raised Kanami and taught her how to be a Toji. "Don't give up."

"Mother," Kanami winces in pain as she continues to struggle. "Hiyori."

"Go to her, Kanami," Minato encourages. "Fight for her."

"Hiyori!"

"She not alone!" Both Hiyori and Tagitsuhime look up to see Yukari hurtling down towards them, and Princess Tagitsu has to jump back away from the Heijou Toji to avoid the blow.

"I'm surprised you managed to defeat Minato so quickly," Tagitsuhime says quickly recovering from her surprise.

"Unlike your copy of her, I wasn't frozen in time and was able to improve my skills unlike her," Yukari tells her. "We may have been equals at one time but not anymore."

"Then I guess I have to beat both of you," Tagitsuhime shrugs. "It doesn't matter I will still get what I want this pointless resistance will only add on a few extra minutes until Hiyori is mine." But everyone's gaze is soon on the Minoseki Toji as Kanami shakily gets to her feet. "So you managed to break free. I guess I can't have you under my control after all. But if I can't have you…" Tagitsuhime stares at Kanami, causing the brown-haired girl's eyes to glow brightly as the Noro in her body strengthens. "Then, no one can."

Hiyori feels her blood turn ice-cold as she watches Kanami's feet step back towards the edge and the first emotion Hiyori has seen on Minoseki Toji's face since their reunion reveals itself as Hiyori sees fear in Kanami's eyes when the orange glow dims. Hiyori doesn't hesitate and runs for Kanami while Tagitsuhime attacks Yukari prevent her from going to their aid.

"Kanami!" Hiyori calls out as the Minoseki Toji takes her first step over the edge of the cliff.

When Mai Yanase first arrives at Takefu Central Park in the heart of Echizen the attack has already ended, but the fires still burn, and several dead and wounded people are still laying on the floor. The young girl feels like she walked into a war zone as images of the Great Disaster of Sagami Bay from her school's history books are the only thing she has seen that compares to the devastation Mai is currently witnessing. Mai is so focused on the damage that she didn't notice the white-haired girl approaching her until the girl's gentle hand taps her on the shoulder, making the Minoseki Toji jump.

"Sorry," The white-haired girl quickly apologises jumping back.

"It's okay," Mai smiles, feeling herself calm down once she sees who it is that snuck up on her. "Are you doing okay, Sayaka?"

"I'm fine," Sayaka's response was as quick and to the point as Mai has come to expect of her friend. "But Akane and your school's president wants to talk to you."

"Kanami hold on!" Hiyori begs her friend as she desperately tries to keep the Minoseki from falling to her death.

Currently, Hiyori is laying on her stomach stretched out over the edge of the cliff straining to keep the girl she loves from falling. Both her hands are holding one Kanami's hands while the Minoseki desperately tries to stop herself from fighting to force Hiyori to let go as the Noro is her body demands her death. Already Kanami has slipped a few inches lower as the Noro made her claw at Hiyori's hand forcing the Heijou Toji's grip to loosen for a split second.

"Kanami please you have to stay in control," Hiroyi cries with her tears dripping down onto the brown-haired girl below her. "I can't lose you Kanami!"

Meanwhile, behind them, Tagitsuhime continues to fight Yukari taking pleasure in the way the Origami's face show pain listing to Hiyori's pleas for her little lovebird to hang on. Yukari has already made several attempts to go and Help Hiyori pull Kanami up, but the Aradama princess blocks every move she makes towards the Heijou Toji. As their swords continue to clash, it is clear that Yukari's mind is focused more on the two younger Toji then the Great Aradama.

"You about to watch the second generation of that family die before your eyes," Tagitsuhime taunts making Yukari glare at her. "First, you were helpless and had to watch Minato as she slowly withered and died and know you will witness her daughters death as well."

"She won't die," Yukari replies parrying Princess Tagitsu's attack before lunching her own one that the Aradama princess easily dodges. "I won't let her."

"Like you have a choice," Tagitsuhime smirks. "Your just as powerless to save her as you were with her mother."

"Kanami you have to fight back!" Hiyori's voice carries across the forest. "Please Kanami I need your help if I'm going to pull you up!"

"You can do it Kanami," Minato's voice continues to encourage her daughter as Kanami continues to fight her way out of the chains binding her body despite the pain she has to endure. "She's calling for you Kanami, she waiting for you."

"Hiyori," Kanami calls out inching closer and closer to the light that grows brighter with every word she hears the Heijou speak.

"Don't give up," Her mother tells her. "You're almost there. You almost made it Kanami just a little further, and you will be with her."

"Hiyori!" Kanami cries out, and with one last push, she reaches forward so that the tips of her fingers touch the light Hiyori has caused to shine within her body.

In an instant, the light wraps itself around Kanami's body shattering the chains and erasing the pain as Kanami's dark world turns into one of light.

"You have done it Kanami," Minato cheers. "You made it. Now go to her Kanami. Fight by the side of the person you have found to stand with."

"Hiyori…" Kanami weakly speaks up.

Hiyori smiles as she sees Kanami start to come back to her. Her muscles ache and shake with the effort of keeping the Minoseki from falling, and her eyes are soaked with tears, but Hiyori also feels relieved and happy to see the girl she loves finally break free of Tagitsuhime's control.

"Kanami…" Hiyori smiles through her tears, almost forgetting the situation they are in, but she is soon brought back to reality when she hears Tagitsuhime's and Yukari's Okatana's clash behind her. "Kanami I need to grab the edge of the cliff… that's it none help me pull you up."

Meanwhile, Kanami's return doesn't go unnoticed as Tagitsuhime glances over to them as Kanami starts to climb up. Growling and with a look of anger in her eyes, Yukari was preparing to intercept and attack on the pair but instead the Aradama princess backs up.

"Kagari, we're leaving!" Tagitsuhime says before she jumps off the cliff joined by Kagari seconds later carrying an unconscious Minato on her back.

Yukari runs to the edge and sees them all fly off back towards Echizen on the back of that giant bid like Aradama before she turns around and spots Hiyori and Kanami hugging each other and crying onto the others shoulder.