Chapter 7: Final decision
(Original Hive) (2002)( (Takeru's PV)
"At the very least,… I want… you, the man I loved…. to be the one.….who sends me to my grave…"
"AAAAAAAARRRRGGGHHHHHHH!."
And with a bright light the blue haired female samurai vanished along with the monster, forever to be unseen by anyone any longer.
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("Now starting count down timer")
("10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,0")
And with a loud boom the thrusters quickly ignited and released a flame that was strong enough to be able to carry its passengers out of that accursed place where thousands of men and women alike risk their very lives just to let him and his comrades enter without being killed.
"Dammit…..!"
"AAAAARRRRGGHHHH!"
The boy screamed like a wild animal being tortured in the most cruelest way possible until he finally passes out of exhaustion from the G force which was hitting his body due to being launched out to outer space.
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(Royal Palace) (Shogun's Room)
…..
…
"Sister….."
(Somewhere in the outskirts of the Royal Palace's Docking Bay)
…
…
"I'm sorry…honey…..in the end….. I'm still a failure as a father."
(U.N. Main Headquarters)
...
…
"Miki….….."
The old man silently stood near the window while watching the rest of the world cry tears of joy and celebrates what little remains of their forces , because it was that very day where humanity finally stood its ground as a whole and tried to their very best to protect what little remains of their future together.
(Yokohama Base Shuttle Run Way) (Sunset)
"THANK YOU!"
"Thank you! Very Much!"
"You guys sure showed them!"
(Sob)
"THAAAANK YOU!"
...
(Sob Sob)
" C'mon guys!, there about to land!, we need to cool down that shuttle right away!"
"Yes Sir!"
And with such vigorous force everyone in the facility young and old quickly made the preparations to welcome there Heroes upcoming return.
...
...
(Yokohama Base) (Inside the Escape Shuttle) (Takeru's POV)
"...Shi...ga...n..."
...
...
"...Shiro...ne...san..."
...
...uu...
"...Shi...gane...san..."
"...u...mm"
...uuu...u...
"...Kasumi...?"
...where...(We're home)...eh?...(This is Yokohama Base) -Yokohama...Base...?
(Yes) ...we've...come home...? (There're working to cool down and clean the shuttle now. We should be able to leave soon.).
.
"...aaah...(A very large number of people have gathered) ..."
"...a large number...of workers...? (Not workers. They have all been waiting for our return.)...eh...? (Everyone's grateful. There are so many people here...but gratitude is the only emotion I can feel.) ...I...see..."
Everyone...gathered here...just for us...still...I'm amazed we got out of that huge explosion unharmed...I'm so pitiful...when that happened...I lost consciousness...
"...thank you, Kasumi. You piloted us all the way back here, didn't you...? (We came back via autopilot. I only just woke up myself) ..I see...(Yes) ...(...)..."
...a reconnaissance shuttle capable of holding ten people. There were supposed to be ...five more of us here. But, right now...it's just me, Kasumi, and Sumika in the 00 Unit control block. (...) This is...the reality I have to bear...I wanted to save this world...and repair the other world, so I can't ignore this reality. I won't ...stand still.
...I absolutely will not...waste the future we gained in exchange for your lives...(...) ...
"-! ...! ...u...!"
Don't cry...! I can't ...not here...this is no time to cry...!
(Flash)
[Takeru] " Then...does that mean...I don't have any personal freedom to feel what I want?"
[Meiya] " Yes. In the extreme case, that is exactly right."
[Takeru] "..."
[Meiya] " I believe you should be free to feel what you want...however, you should always consider the effect your statements and demeanor will have on those around you. That is...the duty of those with unparalleled natural talent like yours"
(Flash)
Outside...there are people who believed in humanity's victory...and waited for our return...!. I can't go out there...and let them see me crying...!, If I have to cry...it needs to be tears of joy...!. Everyone's going to smile and thank me...I need to answer them with a smile of my own...Since I'm the one left alive...I have to do it in their place...! (...)...you're all okay with this, right...? Class Rep... Mikoto... Ayamine... Tama... Meiya... I'm also...okay with this... aren't I...? (...yes)...
" Eh...? (Shirogane san, you'll be fine) ...Kasumi...(That's what everyone would have wanted...)...I see...You could tell...what everyone was thinking...(...yes) ...sorry...(...)...I'm so pathetic...I keep forcing you to do all the hard parts. (No...no one did anything wrong)...Kasumi...(I know, you were trying to prioritize the mission and not think about anything else.)...(But the truth was, you wanted to save everyone on top of completing the mission) ...(Everyone noticed that) ...yeah...I know..."
.
That's why they...didn't show me what was really happening...Humanity's future was at stake...but I still couldn't focus on the mission, so they...(...but they were able to fight that hard because you're that kind of person.) ...! ...(Because you're like that, everyone did their very best for humanity) ...(In order to save humanity. In order for the people they'd fought with to survive) ...! ...(And...in order to keep you from dying alone and in pain... -...! (Everyone in the unit...was thinking the same thing.) ...! ...(...so was Sumika san) " ...eh...?" ...Sumika...felt the same way...as the others...? (...) -Eh...!? "...Kasumi... (...)
...you said...was...? (...) ...what do you mean...was...!? (...)... -!"
With one thing in mind the boy quickly run off to the 00 Unit's control block, hoping that what his thinking could still be proven wrong. But sadly, fate wasn't merciful enough to grant his wish.
...
...
(-!?)
"...hey...Sumika...!?"
(heart beat)
"...Sumika..."
(...)
"...Sumika...? ...hey, wake up...(Nudge Nudge) ...H-hey -Sumika...!? (...) ...what's wrong...Sumika...!? (...) Hey, Sumika? Sumika!?. This is...some kind of a joke ...right? -Hey, Sumika!? ... -Sumikaaa!? (...) ...Sumi...ka...!"
...
...
...wh-...what the hell...!?
(...)
...why...why did this happen...!? _ is this because I pushed her so hard at the end...!?
(No...) -!? (She never planned on coming home in the first place) "...huh...? ...what do you ...mean...? (...) ...I know...there was no guarantee she would survive...but...what are you talking about...!? (Sumika san made that decision...when this base's reactor was destroyed.) -!? ...what the hell...!? (...) ...that makes no sense... Why the hell would she...!? (...) -What does the reactor have to do with Sumika...!? (The cylinder Sumika san's brain used to be in ...glowed a bluish white) ...huh..? (The same color as the reactor and the Primary Objective.) (Flash, Flash) -!...(...the ODL purification device on the maintenance bed ...was connected to the reactor.) ...eh...? (...the reactor did...all the purifying.)
-Wha-...!?"
...
...then...the maintenance bed in the brain room was...(That cylinder is directly connected to the reactor) -!
(Flash)
[Yuuko] " The ODL deteriorates as time passes and her quantum brain operates, and it has to be refilled every seventy-two hours"
(Flash)
[Yuuko] "A complete purification requires special equipment. If we compare the ODL to blood, it's like a hemodialysis machine."
[Takeru] " What happens...after seventy-two hours?"
[Yuuko] " At best, she stops functioning. At worst she wouldn't have the same personality and memories after we restarted her."
[Yuuko] " Eh...?"
[Yuuko] " Which would mean she'd lose her value as the 00 Unit and become, at best, a human shaped computer."
(Heart Beat)
...that's why...!
-That's why she was ...making Operation Cherry Blossom happen so soon...!?
We needed to end this...while we could still use the 00 Unit-! ...why...! ...why didn't...anyone tell me...!? Besides...didn't Yuuko sensei tell us to stop the reactor...!?
If she knew this would happen to Sumika...then why the hell would Sensei -!?
(-Back then, it was Sumika san's idea...to destroy the reactor.)
"-Eh...!?"
(She reacted badly to the General's order to seal it off, and asked them to completely destroy it instead, but Professor Kouzuki decided to shut it down instead in case we could use it again later) ...(...in the end, the reactor was destroyed by two S-11s) ...(Isn't that strange?)...how? ( Only two S-11s did enough damage to the reactor to bring it offline) ...that was because ...she knew where to place..."
-No! ...the wired connection cut off before the data got transferred...!
How the hell did the First Lieutenant ...know where to place them...!?
(Sumika san did a projection on 1st Lt. Hayase) "...eh...!? (Sumika san knew how desperate the situation was, so on Professor Kouzuki's order she projected an image of the weak points...But Sumika san sent a different image than the one Professor Kouzuki ordered) ...! (Without Professor Kouzuki's knowledge she sent the weakpoints that would destroy the reactor completely) ...so that's...why she...!"
...
...
-So ...back then...when 1st Lt. Hayase made that incredibly accurate guess about the reactor's role...was that because...!?.
(It probably was...because of the projection.)...(Sumika san interrupted the purification procedure twice and forced herself awake).
...
...I see...Sumika had lost consciousness because of abnormal ODL degradation...
(I don't think she was capable of projecting much more than the weak points)
"...then...what 1st Lt. Hayase did back then...was Sumika...(As strong as Sumika san's powers are, she can't control what other people do) I.,...see ( She was able able to convey that image because it lined up with 1st Lt. Hayase's own intuition and reasoning.) ...(If the receiver isn't conscious of the projected image, It's indistinguishable from a stray thought that disappears in an instant).
... I see...so projection relies on memory associations to...
(The failure of Alternative III proved that...) ...
That's right...and even if she could control her...Sumika would never do something like that...Someone who could do that would never want to go attack the Primary Objective all on their own...(...) "...but...why...? (...) ...why did Sumika ...want to destroy the reactor so badly...? (...) ...why did she want to be deployed all alone...? (...) ...you know, right...? (...) ...tell me...Kasumi...! (...) ...you know why, don't you...? ...why did she do all that...!?
...
"...why...why would you do something like that...!? If you knew you were going to die...why would you do that...!? (Her reason was...what you're trying not to think about) -! (You're trying to find a different reason...) -! (But, from what I've told you ...you should already know...) ...then ...it was...(Yes...Sumika san was the one who gave information on humanity to the BETA)"
"...!"
...so...that really did happen...!
...is that...the only way to explain this...!?
(Every time Sumika san purified her ODL, everything she'd seen and heard passed through the reactor to the Primary Objective )
(Flash)
[1st Lt. Hayase] "The BETA might have gained...information about the S-11 from the reactor as well as energy-!"
(Flash)
[1st Lt. Hayase] " If...the reactor isn't just a power source, but a transmission device-"
(Flash)
[1st Lt. Hayase] " If the BETA exchange their information through the reactors-"
(Flash)
[1st Lt. Hayase] " The information on the Alternative Plan and the Susano'o ...will be sent to every hive on Earth!"
...
...
The First Lieutenant's guess...was confirmed by Sumika's projection...!
...
(Flash)
[Kasumi] "Acknowledge proof of existence, the higher existence is in possession of records, transfer information compared to the proper form"
...
So that thing...really did mean what it was saying...!
...it wasn't attacking us...but it wanted to exchange information with Sumika...!
(Shirogane san, when you talked to the Primary Objective...) "...Eh...? ( I think it was interested in you because so much of the information Sumika san had been sending was about you.) ...I see..."
...
In the end...1st Lt. Hayase's guess was correct...we just hadn't identified its computer like functions.
And Yuuko sensei said she was "so close" because she only wanted to give me the information I needed, not enough to figure out the truth behind Sumi -"..." -No...that was in front of everyone, there's no way ...she could reveal something that heavily classified,
(Flash)
[Yuuko] "Huhuhu...you seem to be trusting me quite a bit...you sure about that? I might never tell you the whole truth about this"
...
Even if she was lying...given Sensei's personality it's my fault for not checking this when I last talked to her..." ...when...did Sumika learn all this...?"
(During purification, she suddenly opened her eyes) "You mean just before she told Yuuko sensei to destroy the reactor...? (That's right. Professor Kouzuki talked to her about it in the Command Center) ...I see..."
...
...
Thank goodness...she hasn't been suffering from knowing all this ...for very long...
" ...but...why did she learn all that...so suddenly...?
She recovered quickly after the Objective 21 Operation too...(...because she became one wit you) Eh...?
(Because the closed off parts of her subconscious were completely opened) ..."
...
...that happened ...because of me...?
(...and then...she learned everything)
I see...so that was why ...you lost consciousness back then...
(...that's right. That was caused by the mental strain of taking in all that new information)
"...Sumika..."
You've been the BETA's spy all this time without even knowing about it...
I can't imagine...what a shock that must have been...on top of having them do all those horrible things to you...you had to keep sending them secret information ...in order to stay alive...That's why you...were prepared to die...and wanted to end it all yourself...
(...that's not the only reason) ...eh...!?.
"There's more...? (...yes) ...nothing can surprise me now...Say it.
(...knowing everything...isn't always a good thing) ...that's...true... (...even if you know ...the problem will go away soon) ...then why did you tell me there was more to it...? (...)...If you'd just quietly listened to my thought ...that would've been the end of it...(...)..."
...
...
...huh...?
...have I ...had this conversation...before...?
Deja vu...?
(Why do you want to know so badly...?) "...why...? (...you just want to know?) No...it's not that...(...) My fight in this world isn't over yet (...) As long as there are hives left, the war with the BETA will continue for a little while...and...I haven't even started ... finding and destroying what made me a casualty conductor (...) Until I finish that...this world will hav to repeat itself whenever I die. That's why...I need to know everything about what I did (...) ...to give me as many memories as possible...in case that happens...to keep me from hurting ...Sumika and the others any more than necessary...!
(...) So...no matter how much I've been relying on Sumika and the others...
No matter how full of myself I've been without realizing that...
(...)
I can't ...avert my eyes from those pathetic truths.
If I don't learn them now...
I'll never be able to move forward (...why...are you so...)
...
...because ...I love them all "
...
For a moment the Kasumi's heart suddenly ached a little, but it was not the bad type of ache that would usually hurt a person, but rather it was a mixture of both happiness and sadness in one package, even she herself did not know how it really feels nor what its really called, but those emotions of hers is what opened her eyes to the young boys confession, the same emotions which the entity called Kagami Sumika might once have felt when she became one with her loved one, the feeling of Happiness and Sadness which both she and her must endure in order to let the boy finally rest in peace in his own world.
...
"It doesn't matter if they're just acquaintances...or I know nothing about them...or I'm not that close to them. ... It's because ...humans... life... is so precious (...) Remember what the Primary Objective said? ...there are no carbon based life forms in this universe.
Hearing that made me realize once again...just how important life is...
And I also understood its meaning, its value...and its terrifying power.
That's not just the BETA.
Humans are no different...well, it's a problem for me too...is what I learned.
...because...I was no different at one point...
(...)
...those are my big reasons.
(...)
"I also have more personal reasons. (...) No matter what world I'm in, no matter what the nature of my existence ...(...) Kagami Sumika is the woman I love. (...!) Which is why I- (...if you've hurt someone, you want to apologize, and you'd do anything to show how sorry you are...)...? (You said that to me on the hill behind the training school)."
...eh...?
" ...what does...that have to...? (Sumika san's the same as you...) ...eh? (She wanted everyone she'd made miserable to be happy again) ...(She wanted to do everything she could for those people) ...you mean everyone she hurt ...through the information she leaked ...? (Not that) Eh...? ( She couldn't change events in this world as she pleased) -...!? (The only worlds she can change are ones you interfered with from this one) ...Kasu...mi...!? ( ...Shirogane san. Your fight in this world is over. ) "
-Wha-...!?
(...you're not a casualty conductor anymore)
-!
" -N- ...no way...! -You mean...!? (That's right. Sumika san was the one ...who made you a casualty conductor) ...wha...! ...how...! ...ah ...! (...so this world will never loop because of you again) ...tha...! (And all the worlds you interfered with have been rebuilt, just the way you wanted. Now that the cause has been destroyed ...so have the effects...)"
-!
How... how could it possibly ...end like this...!?
Sumika...Sumika was the one ...who made me...a casualty conductor...!?
(Your memories with everyone other than Sumika san) Eh...!? (Flash)
(Those are all your own personal experiences from previous loops of this world) ...those aren't ...experiences of the other me's have from this world's different branches!? (They're not. You experienced them all yourself) -But! ...me and Yuuko sensei! ...how ...how could that happen!?
(Only the current you is having that reaction. That doesn't change the fact that it happened) -!"
(Flash)
"...!"
That's why I cried -when I came back to this world ...
When I first saw these guys on the base - And heard them talk to me...\
When I convince Yuuko sensei to let me stay -And felt such overpowering sadness, loss and regret...
...now I finally know...
...where all those emotions...were
Coming from...! ...
(Flash)
...I ...really did ...
...have relationships...
...with all of them...!
(...it seems...you've associated all those memories.)
-!?
(That's why you've been looping...) "-Eh...!? (You continued to loop...because you failed to reach Sumika san.) ...! ... (Her brain in that cylinder was making you do that...Sumika san's purest subconscious.) ... -Her purest...subconscious...!? ( -I want to see Takeru chan ) -Eh!?
( That was the first thought I ever read from the cylinder ) ... ( That thought was rushing through her like a flood. Ever since she became a brain, and all her sense were replaced by darkness, Sumika san's been living on that one feeling. After seeing this world's you killed in front of her, Sumika san never stopped thinking that. ) ...Sumi...ka... ( When the two G-Bombs exploded in the Yokohama Hive...)
...eh...?
...you mean...the Hesperus Operation...?
"(The complex super gravitational tides of the explosion resonated with the reactor, producing a sharp, deep distortion in space time. And for a brief moment, a path opened to a relatively close world)"
And that was...my world...!?
( Sumika san's feeling was altered and amplified by the reactor, until - You ... all of you were brought into this world, in exchange for the loss of large quantities of G Elements. This is Professor Kouzuki's hypothesis after hearing what Sumika san learned. There is no proof).
" -Wait a minute...didn't you just say "all of me" ...!? What do you mean...there's more than one of me...!? (The you I'm talking to now is a synthesis of a great many yous) -Huuuh...!? But I'm me...!? (Elements of you were gathered little by little from all the world which branched off from what you call "your world", until there was enough to make you.) ...branches of my world...? (Worlds where you became one with someone other than Sumika san. That's why you have memories of everyone else from your world. ) ...who the hell...would do that...!? (We don't know how those worlds were chosen. It's an unprecedented phenomenon. ) It wasn't Sumika's will...? (If it was, she would've chosen the you she wanted most. )"
...!
...you're...right...
(The worlds where you become one with others all branch from the same point, a day of destiny for your world's Sumika-
The heavy casualty information from October 22nd formed the starting point of your loop).
...
-October 22nd...!?
...that's the day ...Meiya came to my house...
Everything started changing ...after...that day...
(Negative thoughts...negative thought waves have a reversed spin, and they head towards the past)
-Eh...?
(In all the worlds where you don't become one with Sumika san, her negative thought of "if only I could do it over from that day" caused all the worlds to come back to that date.) ... ( That's related to this world's Sumika san's feeling. Because of that, every time you failed to reach this world's Sumika san, she made you loop when you died) ... (And when she did, the possessiveness in Sumika san's subconscious wiped out all memories of you becoming one with someone other than her).
"Sumika's...possessiveness...!?
(Yes, Sumika san's subconscious, her purest part, coldly erased it every single time.) ...but...my world's Sumika...was never that possessive...
(Everyone has negative emotions. It's just a matter of whether they let them show... And who notices they have them...that's all.) ...
(But I...can see those parts...) ...yeah...you're right... (But...that's part of being human. So...there's nothing you can do about it)"
-Eh...?
(If you hurt someone, you want to apologize... You want to do anything to show you're sorry...
Even if you do something out of negative emotions...if you can face it somehow... I think the effect will change) ...Kasumi...you... (Sumika san...wanted to do that too...) ... (After learning the truth...Sumika san worried a lot. She lamented how wretched and vile she was.
I'm making Takeru chan and everyone else unhappy... My selfishness...made Takeru chan suffer countless times...My jealousy ...hurt everyone...) ...Sumika... (That's why...she tried to destroy the reactor. That's why...she wanted to be deployed alone. In order to release you from this world... And to atone for at least a little of her sins... against A-01 and the rest of humanity) I see... (Because...she couldn't do it over again) ...eh...? (She lost the power to make you loop before we deployed) ...eh...!? (You and Sumika san became one...of course she lost it. ) -I ...I see... (This world...os heading toward its own future now. The worlds you inetrfered with from this one are changing too) ... (So...your fight...is already over. )... ( A lot of painful things ...have happened to you...) ... (A lot of sad things...have happened to you too) ... (But now, you'll finally be able to leave this world.) ... (...you won't have to suffer anymore. ) ...hey...Kasumi... (Yes?) ...the worlds I interfered with will be rebilt now, no matter what I do...? (Yes) ...I...still... I still...have to fight in this world...for everyone who died...! (...) Everyone from my unit...! ...! I have to carry on their legacy, speak of them with pride...!.
...
If no one remembers them...then their souls...really will die...!
I'm the only one left...because they gave their lives for me...I don't want to run away after that!
(...you can't stay. You're not from this world.)
I'm part of this world already...!
I learned that...the last time I ran away...!
If this world has a future again...then let me fight in it!
In order to protect humanity...and all life in this world...!
(A peaceful world...is just as important as life and humanity.)
...
(Please...protect that...) ... (Please...) ...No!
(-!)
Can't you see!? if i go back to my world...then I will just end up destroying it again! ...just like what I did when I looked down on all of my friends when I first ran away , back then I kept thinking that they know nothing of what living is really all about...I thought I was better than all of them combined because i fought the BETA while trying to protect humanity...(sob) ...but in the end the main reason why I was there was because I ran away...in the end I myself destroyed it...the life of the other me...Kasumi...my mind and body can no longer go back to the way it was ...the naive and childish Shirogane Takeru ...that can live in that peaceful world...is long dead...I'm nothing more but a fighting machine honed to destroy whatever it is on my path...(...you don't have to worry about that...) ...huh...? (...once you go back to your old world...the you from that world will automatically merge with the you of this world...so all those memories will soon be forgotten...and with it you can finally live your life the way you always wanted it to...) ...Kasumi...haven't you heared anything I said before? ...I am the only one who can up hold the memories of everyone who died in this world...! so if i forget them just so i can go back to my old self then Screw it! ...I will no longer run away! ...(...but -) and besides...(...?) ...I came to love this world more ...than I love my old one... (...if...if that is what you wish for...then i cannot possibly change it) ...then...does that mean (...but) ...? (You no longer have any choice...this world will reject you later on...either you want it or not it will put you back to the world you originally came from) ...no way...come on...kasumi. I know you can do it...you can keep me in this world like you did during the experiments, can't you!? (...) If this world won't loop even when I die then keep me here...!. ...let me die in this world...where all my comrades ...and Sumika died...! (...I can't) ...Kasumi...! (Eliminating the cause eliminates the effects...) ...there really is...no way for you to stop it...!? (None...) ...! ... (Just like you wanted Sumika san and the others to do... Please have a happy life in a peaceful world. Please make Sumika san feel at ease...) ...(...)...okay...if ...if that is what she wants...then I guess I no longer have any choice given the fact that even this world is starting to reject me...for Sumika and the others sake...I will do just that...but! ...I will never forget them! ...I will make sure that even when I merge with the other me from my old world...I will never forget them...definitely! ...even if the other me might feel bad about it...then that is the price which the both of us must pay ...since after all...we are all one and the same...!
...(...if that is what you want...then resist with all your might...but...remember this ...Sumika san was grateful to you right up until the last moment) ...eh...? (Close your eyes...) eh...?
...
Oh well...might as well do it...
(Flash)
...
[Sumika] " -Thank you...for protecting me...and for looking after me... Thank you...for accepting everything...about me...
Thank you for making me your girlfriend...even for just a few hours...of only three days...
I was able to fight hard until the end...because of the Santa rabbit you gave me, Takeru chan...
Thank...so much...so so much...
And thank you...for these memories..."
...
...
...Sumi...ka...
I'm so...sorry...
I couldn't...do anything...to help you...
I didn't understand...your pain or sadness at all...
And yet...you acted so strong...
And said those things...to keep me from worrying...
I'm the one ...who should be thanking you for everything...
I mean it...thank you...
You might think you were at fault for causing it...
But I'm glad ...I came to this world...
Besides, if you weren't here...humanity might have lost...
I'm...proud you...
I'll go back ...to my world now...
So get some rest...
...It was a hard fight...you're tired, right...?
No one's ...going to disturb your sleep anymore...
Thank you so much...
...goodbye...Sumika...
(...Sumika san's...very happy.)
"I see..."
(...because ...she was with you until the very end.) ...(...and you spoke to her...in her final moments) You...really do know everything about Sumika... (...yes) And...you've changed (...) You semm...more dependable now...(...thanks to Sumika san) ...eh? (Sumika san...left me so many memories...) I see... (I'll never forget them...) Kasumi... (Those will remain as memories of mine...) ...yes... (And as well as Sumika san's feelings for you...I will treasure them all with my life...) ... (because they're all treasures Sumika san gave to me...Sumika san lives on through me) ...yeah (...so...please go back ...without worrying about her) ...o...kay...(...)"
...
"...hey...Kasumi... (Yes?) ...please lock the hatch... (...) ...sorry...just five minutes...(...)...can I cry...for just five minutes...?
(...Shirogane...san...) ...after that...I will...
...I will go out...and show myself to everyone...who came out here to thank me...(...I'll be on the bridge...) ...thank you..."
... ... ... ...! ...
[Hatch Locked]
"... ...Su...mika! ...
...(Sob) Sumika...! ...uuu! ...!
...uu! ...Sumika...uuu! ...Sumi...ka! ...!
... ...!
-SUMIKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A!"
...
(Kasumi's POV)
"...Shirogane san..."
...
...
(Sakura Tree) (Yuuko's POV)
" I see...so there were only two survivors ..."
[1st Lt. Piatif] "Yes...1st Lt. Shirogane Takeru and Yashiro Kasumi are the only ones who made it...we will begin there recovery after the shuttle has been cooled down"
...
Very well...you may leave now..."
[1st Lt. Piatif] "Yes..."
...
"...Marimo...I guess in the end ...only Shirogane was able to leave that place alive along with Yashiro...somehow...I feel thankful that at least one of your students was actually able to pull it off... ...wherever you are ...I hope you can still take care of your old student whose about to go there as well..."
..
And with a single bow to the direction were Takeru is in, Kouzuki Yuuko showed once again that even she still have a heart left.
...
"...Shirogane...you have done great as this world's savior...and for that ... I thank you..."
...
"...this sunset...it sure is good to actually finish this up with this scenery...now then...I guess I should probably welcome those two as well..."
...
(Shuttle Runway) (Takeru's POV)
A crowd of soldiers cried off buckets of tears in their delight and cheered on for their saviors to come out but in the end only two came out, a young teenage boy with swollen eyes and a little girl with bunny ears who had a really sad look in her face, upon noticing there expressions the crowed grew silent knowing exactly why.
The boy looked around and saw the others thank them with all their hearts.
"Sumika…..Meiya…everyone….(sob)…...these are all the people which all of us tried to protect."
The boy was about to go down the shuttle with a smile when suddenly, a loud noise echoed in the entire run way quickly alerting everyone within earshot of the danger that just hit their savior directly in the heart.
…..Wha?...what just happened? …ah…..I have blood running down my chest…..someone shot me….?
"...is this …the end for me as well?."
(..!)
"Takeru san!"
The bunny eared girl quickly catches her comrade by the back.
"Takeru san!, please hang on!...(Sob)…please stay strong!...w…we..well get you to the hospital now!...please!(Sob)…..please don't go!...Takeru …!"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(Yokohama Base) (Shuttle Tower) (Assasin's POV)
"Good….that hit was a perfect shot to the heart…I'm sorry….but just like everyone else in this branching world which you yourself have freed off its chains….you to must restart from that dam saved point she made…..well….it's not like you're going alone…because after all…..I'm practically making a bet out off you…..so good luck…and….."
"See you later, Shirogane Takeru..."
(Yokohama Base)(Medical Ward) (Operating Room)
In the middle of the bright room which was surrounded by bright lights, an injured soldier was being operated on by a tall woman with violet hair along with its bunny eared assistant, The two tried their best in order to save the soldiers life, ..but sadly, the young man had lost way too much blood to be saved.
"Professor!, Takeru san...his life signs ...are...(sniff).."
"Don't Cry!...I refuse to lose this boy...!"
The mad scientist who performed many miracles by simply being prepared and coming up with the right plans was being backed up right in the corner, as if she herself was being chased by attack dogs the woman had a very sour look on her face.
"Professor...Takeru san's life signs have reached critical limit!."
"I Know!...damnit!..."
And with a demonic look on her face she turned her eyes on the nurses behind them.
"I need those blood bags now!."
"Y-YE-YES! MA'M!...the medical staff from section C should have gotten a few of them now."
The young nurse flinched at the sight of the mad woman who looked like she was on fire, but no matter how hard she tried she herself already knew deep inside that the young boy in front of her has no chance of survival no matter what they do, the boy himself has already reached its limits, anymore and it would be just pushing it, but before all hope was almost lost, the white haired girl besides the mad scientist finally stood her ground and stopped crying, fueled by nothing but her determination she made her way near the young boy and with a bold move that shocked all that was present inside the room, the young girl kissed the boy as if she was a prince while the boy was the princess, the kiss lasted for at least a few minutes until she finally let go of his lips.
And like magic the boy's life signs suddenly began rising as if he was being slowly healed from directly inside his body.
"Kasumi...what..did you just do to him?."
"Professor...I.."
But before she can finish the girl suddenly fell of its feet and crashed on the floor.
"Kasumi...!"
The mad scientist along with the nurses nearby quickly rushed to help the girl up, while the young boy himself silently slept"
...
...
(January 13, 2002 Sunday)(Yuuko's office)
"It's finish...professor ..."
"Thank you..kasumi...so, where is he?".
"Right now Takeru san is currently drifting in a void like space...kind of like where I was once when the superior being took control of me"
"I see...will he still last for a day?".
The white haired girl nodded with a sad look on her face, as if not wanting this day to ever end.
(Sob)
"Why?...Why did he have to suffer?".
It's most probably because we messed up on some things with the theory...I don't know...sometimes ...I think when the moment he finally became one with Kagami Sumika...it was then that he finally released us all in this endless cycle of hatred...but in return he made us prisoners to destiny itself..."
The mad scientist looked at her theories compiled in a stash of paper with an annoyed yet sad face while holding onto a wooden rabbit.
"Come...Kasumi...let us bid him farewell".
The silver haired girl nodded in response and slowly the two went out of the office and went to the room where a floating brain was once being stored, and from there they saw the bodies of the two heroes who risked and sacrificed their very lives just so to give them a few more years to survive in this endless waltz of chaos.
"Hmmp...I can't believe that even in death these two will still end up being together".
"Takeru san...Sumika san...(Sob)"
"Don't cry, doesn't he always say that if you want to see each other again...then all you got to do is say ...See you later?".
The bunny eared girl nodded in response but still kept on crying.
"Professor...let me do it...I will switch off Takeru san's life support machine".
And with a Nod the Scientist gave its approval.
"Takeru san...Sumika san...matane(See You, Later).
And with a silent spark the machine that was holding the young boys life into its place was shut down.
"Shirogane Takeru...I can't believe that you will die in a place like this..."
And with a bold move that even surprised Kasumi herself, The mad scientist kissed the young hero on its forehead for one last time.
"See you later...Takeru..."
...
...
(Takeru's POV)
..._
... ...huh...where am I?...and why is it so dark here...?...this place...I can't see a thing...hmm? ...a light..?
(...who are you...?)
-!
"...huh...who said that?"
(behind you...)
"...ah...a little girl..? ...umm..."
(...who are you...?)
"...ummm...my name is Shirogane Takeru...and you?"
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Sequel: Muv Luv: Final Alternative