Persona BLEACHED 3: Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Chariot to the Heavens
March 16, 2030
"SCIONS OF CHAOS, PREPARE THYSELVES. LEGIONS OF THE DIVINE, TO ME."
The looming, seismic figure of Nimrod lit up its eyes, and soon, winged figures of varying forms began to appear en masse, through bursts of light.
"Oh, come on! There's ANGELS now?!" Sahir griped.
"Think I could pick them off from here..." Ibuki theorized.
"That won't be necessary. Irene has given me everything we'll need to win." Carrie held a black-and-white photograph. It showed the giant's backside, with four pink streams of energy emerging from it.
"Ahhh, mhmm. Yep. Totally see it." Ibuki muttered. "What am I looking at?" she whispered to Kat.
"I'm gonna wager those would be the Desires being fed into him." Kat replied.
"So if we cut off the supply, that should make him vulnerable." Kibō surmised.
"Great! So, um...how do we do that?" Natalia asked.
"Hold on...got it. There are four mechanisms placed on top of buildings close by. Destroy those, and our path to victory becomes much clearer." Carrie replied.
"Something tells me the giant beard man is gonna have some objections to that plan." Ibuki commented.
"Exactly why someone's gotta stay here and keep him occupado. Preferably the heavy hitters. Well, Prof? Feel like punching your father-in-law in the face?" Kat asked.
Rin's helmet materialized around her head. She put a fist to her palm. "Gladly."
"You sure you two are gonna be okay on your own?" Barbara asked.
"You kidding? I've got a million tricks and the best teacher this side of the East Sea behind me. And I know you guys can handle things on your end." Kat replied.
"Certainly never hurts to have confidence." Sakuya commented.
"Please exercise caution, everyone. Any mistakes here, and humanity loses. I don't mean to heap pressure on, but those are the stakes." Rin brought out her lance. "This was bestowed upon me by the imperial goddess of the sun. I know some of you have very mixed views on faith, but...I think we can all use some good luck now. So here's to victory and a happy ending."
The group all put a hand on the lance.
"Thanks for the pep talk, Prof. Let's do this thing. Hoodsie, wanna get everyone to where they need to be?" Kat asked.
"You got it!" Natalia's eyes glowed. "Hoooooo..." Energy sparked around most of the group.
"Don't go using up all of those lives, KittyKat." Ibuki said.
Everyone vanished except for Rin and Kat.
"Surprised you wouldn't take the opening, Dr. Wolfe." Rin commented.
"IT MATTERS NOT. DISPERSING THEM TO THE POWER CORES WILL ONLY HASTEN THEIR END." the giant bellowed. "ARCHANGELS. DEFEND THE CORES. STRIKE DOWN THOSE WHO COME NEAR." He turned his attention back to those in front of him. "AS FOR YOU, PROFESSOR KUBO. WOULD YOU TRULY RISK ATTACKING ME, IN THE OFF CHANCE THAT YOU WOULD BE WOUNDING ROSE? NEITHER ONE OF US WANT THAT OUTCOME. DISPERSE YOUR WEAPON."
"I don't think so. Because if I've pegged you correctly, you wouldn't make any moves that would endanger Rose, either. Her and Ms. Kaya are locked up tight beneath that armored frame." Rin pointed her lance towards the giant. "And I'm going to pry them out of there myself."
"AND WHAT OF YOU, THIEF? YOU HAVE HAD EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO FLEE. YOUR ENERGY MUST BE SPENT FOLLOWING YOUR DUEL WITH CAPTAIN THUNDER. YOU WOULD PERSIST WITH THIS FUTILE COUNTER, KNOWING THAT DEATH IS ASSURED?"
Kat smirked. "I've got a lot of plans for the future, Gramps. None of them involve dying against a Samsung with delusions of being a god. You really think the high and mighty act is gonna scare me? I dragged my friends out of Hell and beat the Devil to do it. I know we can win this. And it won't be cuz of luck. You're getting deleted." Kat responded.
"THIS ARROGANT STREAK BELIES A LACK OF AWARENESS, NOT BRAVADO. SO LONG AS MANKIND'S DESIRES FLOW THROUGH ME, I HOLD THE POWER TO SHAPE THE WORLD AS THEY SEE FIT. NOW I SHALL FOLLOW THROUGH ON THEIR WISHES...BY STRIKING DOWN THE INTERLOPERS THAT THREATEN THEIR PARADISE."
---
Kenneth and Sakuya appeared on the roof of a nearby building. Floating close by was a glowing pink orb, surrounded by a force field. Sakuya put a hand on her sword's hilt. "Hold on. That force field could prove problematic. Not to mention, something so precious wouldn't be left unguarded." Kenneth warned.
"Then its guardian best reveal themselves quick. Time and patience are both things I'm out of. I won't stand here waiting to be attacked." Sakuya turned to the orb. "Let's test the limits of this shield, shall we?"
"You will do no such thing, infidels." a voice retorted. Materializing between the two and the orb was a winged man, with pale blue skin and wings, green eyes, and crimson armor, with a yellow-and-white cloth adorned with a cross worn over it. He wielded a flaming sword in one hand. "In the name of King Nimrod, I will slay you where you stand."
"The kind of greeting I've come to expect from a servant of 'God'." Sakuya replied.
"It isn't every day where I can tell an angel exactly what I think about his brand of 'faith'. Are you here to preach to us? Maybe make us see the error of our sinful ways? Go on, give us the self-righteous lecturing. It's all we need to complete the picture." Kenneth requested.
"Your bitterness clouds your judgement. You would stand in the way of glorious order, an Eden for all. Condemning the innocent to continued torment. You have already been judged and found guilty of high treason against the natural order. As the Herald of Death, I, Uriel, shall consign you to the depths of Hell!" the angel declared.
He charged at Sakuya, and she blocked his sword strike. "What a pleasant sentiment. For the record, we've already paid Hell a visit. Not somewhere we're in any hurry to return to."
"You will have no choice in the matter, heathen. I will ensure that you are imprisoned there for eternity, alongside all those who sought to bring chaos upon the world."
"Oh dear, free will. How terrifying." Kenneth grabbed the angel from behind, a broadsword in his hand. "Afraid that when given the choice, people wouldn't agree to become mindless servants?"
"Unhand me!" The angel swung around, Kenneth dodging the flaming blade. "Humanity has sabotaged itself since time immemorial. To follow King Nimrod is the one true path to salvation." He grabbed Kenneth by the throat, hoisting him into the air. "Now, allow my flames to purge these impurities from your consciousness. Death at my hands is more honor than one such as you deserves. Consider this a preview of what awaits you in the hereafter--"
His speech was cut short by a blade being plunged into his backside. Sakuya had leapt onto his back. "Consider this...your own personal Armageddon."
Her eyes flashed magenta, and her sword split apart into petal-like blades. The angel was shredded apart. The pair landed on the roof, as the slain Archangel's flaming sword fell, piercing the floating orb, causing it to crack and disintegrate. "That's one taken care of." Sakuya looked up to the Academy tower. "We'd best hurry on our way. Kat-chan and Kubo-sensei shouldn't be left to fend for themselves." She leapt over the side of the building to the street below.
"That rush to finish things is starting to remind me of someone. Better to not keep her waiting, then." Kenneth followed suit.
---
Nearby, Barbara and Sahir appeared on another roof. "A pink floaty thing standing out from the rest of the creepy tech stuff...yeah, I think we found what we're looking for. Ready to wreck this thing, milady?" he asked.
"Yeah...let's just make it quick." Barbara replied.
"Hey." He got next to her.
"Hm?"
"Don't think I haven't noticed how you've been since we got here. Your heart just ain't in it anymore. I get it. I know a thing or two about burnout. It's been draining for everyone, yeah, but especially you."
"I'm not..."
"Don't be afraid to tell your old pal Sahir what's bugging you." He shrugged. "As I, y'know, blow up the creepy pink thing."
"...well..."
Sahir walked forward, but he was stopped by the sudden appearance of a wall of ice between him and the orb. As he backed away, the wall shattered apart. "Halt. You'll go no further, humans." Appearing from behind the wall was a purple-skinned and winged angel, with spiked blonde hair, glowing yellow eyes, and blue armor with a cross-adorned cloth over it. He also carried a sword. "This attempt at insurrection has gone on long enough. Humanity's purification must be allowed to continue. King Nimrod has promised an eternity of bounty for the masses. Have you given any thought as to what it is you're trying to prevent?"
"Oh, we've given it plenty of thought. And all I've gotta say is, thanks but no thanks. I'm OK with how my life is. I don't need whatever fake one you're offering!" Sahir lobbed a fireball at the winged man.
He sliced it away with his sword. "Fool. You would place your own worldview above that of millions? Such selfish and perverse thinking. I, Raphael, Cleanser of Heaven, shall remove that impurity from the human conscious."
"Oh, I'm the one forcing my beliefs on everyone? Yo, Babs. I don't think this dude understands irony."
Without turning, Sahir fired off a burst of flame from his hand towards the angel, who parried it with a wall of ice. "Insolent fool! You'd dare strike against a messenger of God?"
"Yeah. I would. And I am."
Sahir continued firing off attacks, and the angel continued to parry them. "Dolt! Are you aware of the definition of insanity?"
"There's a method to my madness, Johnny Bravo. Melting away your shields is the whole point. Thought you could use a good ice water bath."
"Typical human triviality. I will--hm?" The angel tried moving, but he was held in place by an unseen force. "What kind of sorcery...?"
"I just needed to get you prepared, my dude. Our star needs a dance partner."
Barbara's eyes glowed a light blue.
"And since I suck at dancing, well..."
Barbara raised her hands into the air, putting them together as if she was holding a sword. The angel mimicked her movements. "I'm just so sick of all of this...the fighting, the misery, everyone playing God and acting like people are just puppets to be manipulated...I can't even summon the energy to sing or dance or be happy anymore. You people took the closest person to me, and twisted him into something awful. I will never forgive this. I'm done with fighting against you pompous freaks...I just want you all...to GET LOST!"
She moved her hands down, and the angel plunged his blade through the force field, the resultant energy spike overwhelming him. The sword skewered the orb, and it exploded, vaporizing the Archangel in the process.
"....." Barbara fell to a hush.
"There. See? It's not healthy to keep things like that bottled up. Venting is OK, y'know." Sahir said.
"I'm sorry..."
"Don't be. Nothing wrong with feeling that way. Part of growing up is accepting when you're not OK. Maxie was right about one thing. The world can be seriously unfair. And when it gets to be too much, you've gotta be the one to say 'enough'. So if what's best for you means stepping away from all this, then you do what you've gotta. Nothing to be ashamed of."
"...you know, you can be really wise when you want to be."
"Yeah, guess so. But being the lady's man is just too fun to pass up." He winked.
She gave him a hug. "Well, thanks, anyway. C'mon, let's get back to KittyKat and the Professor. Hopefully everyone's doing alright..." She rushed off.
"Hey, hey, look who's got the energy now!" Sahir ran after her.
---
On another roof, Kibō and Carrie appeared. "Alright. Just have to destroy this thing and we'll be halfway there." Kibō grabbed his sword.
"Hold on. That force field might prove problematic." Carrie analyzed it. "The energy pouring out of it is substantial...we might not be able to pierce it without harming ourselves..."
"At this point, what other choice do we have? I wasn't raised to shy away from a few lumps. Just need to ignore the pain..."
As he approached, a burst of light blocked his path. He backed away from it. Appearing from the light was a feminine-looking angel, with green skin and wings, yellow eyes, and a golden chest plate worn over a white-and-red gown. She held a sword in one hand and a lily in the other. "And here are the lambs, straying too far from the flock. Your rebellion against the divine order will go on no longer."
Kibō summoned a shield, getting in front of Carrie. "Don't get in our way. We won't let you wreck the world." he ordered.
"Threatening me with sword and shield bearing the Lord's emblem...have you no shame for your actions? King Nimrod has come to gift humanity a bright and prosperous future free from strife. This path you are taking will lead to nothing more than continued agony. He is doing this out of his love for humanity."
"Nonsense. If he truly loved humanity, he wouldn't try to lord over it like some petty despot. A true king would follow his people's wishes rather than forcing his own worldview onto them." Carrie retorted.
"It's no use arguing with them. They're mindless puppets, his favorite thing to deal with. Not even sure if they're actual 'servants of God' or not. Just more arrogant posturing from the so-called doctor. Care, hit me with a boost." Kibō asked.
"With pleasure." Her other self phased its hands into his arms. His eyes lit up, and the sword in his hands turned into a blade of light, which drastically grew in size.
"Do not be so rash! You would reject the Lord's blessings for the sake of selfish freedom?" the angel questioned.
Kibō raised the blade into the air. "I've got your blessing. Right here."
"To strike at a holy envoy with His own strength is not only sacrilege, it is ultimately futile. You cannot--"
Behind the winged woman, Irene emerged, giggling and holding a photograph. "What on Earth is that...?"
"That would me removing your holy immunity." Carrie replied. "And this...is what we think of false prophets."
Kibō brought the sword down, enveloping the angel and shattering the orb in a surge of light.
"Agh!" He dropped the sword, which was smoldering. It shortly after dissipated.
"Easy there, dear. I'm still working out how to make the power surge less painful." Carrie apologized.
"No, it's alright...we probably weren't destroying that thing otherwise. It's just insane to think about all this...demons, angels, 'God' himself! We've fought them all before we're even out of high school. None of us ever really stop to consider how insane all of this is. It shouldn't be that surprising that Barb wants to..." 
"Wants to get away from all of this?"
"That's probably the kindest way to put it. I just don't know how else to help her. This probably isn't the time for this, but..."
"One crisis at a time. We can't afford to dwell around here for too long. Let's get your hands taken care of before we go give Kitten a helping hand."
"Yeah, you're right. Hopefully they're having good luck on their end. I can handle the pain for a bit longer..."
They began to leave. "Just a little longer, Kitten. We just need you to hold on for a little longer..." Carrie thought.
---
Before the final orb, Ibuki and Natalia appeared. "Alrighty, big shiny doodad ahoy. Whaddya say, Chef Natty? Feel like cracking a stupid pink egg?"
"Oh, do I ever." Natalia materialized a yellow, almost cartoonish scythe in her hands.
"Bah! Where the hell did you get that?!"
"I've always had it! I've only ever brought it out once, cuz everyone else is way better at fighting than I am. Don't really have much of a choice now, though."
"Well, just watch where you're pointing that thing. One scar is enough for me, and if I had to get a second one, it shouldn't be from the team cinnamon roll."
"I-I wouldn't go that far, anyone else would qualify better than me..." Natalia blushed.
"Honey, you gave us a team breakfast this morning that was stacks of the fluffiest pancakes I've ever had in my life. Accept that you're the cute one." Ibuki poked her on the head.
"D'ooooh...I can be scary too, y'know..."
"Sure, sure."
A burst of light appeared in front of the orb as the two talked. Floating before them was an orange-skinned winged man, with piercing yellow eyes, and a golden chest plate worn over a white robe, holding a javelin. "Infidels. Speaking so casually in the face of Armageddon. As general of the armies of Heaven, I, Michael, shall--"
The angel continued on with his speech, but the girls heard it quite differently.
"Blah blah blah, religious drivel, blah blah blah King Nimrod, blah blah blah new world order or something, blah blah blah--"
"Is this getting really annoying to you too, Fireball?" Natalia asked.
"Oh I've been annoyed since the moment we stepped in here." Ibuki replied.
"Blah blah blah, lost souls, blah blah blah judgement, blah blah--"
His tirade was interrupted by an arrow hitting his chest plate. "Agh! What in God's name are you--" Another arrow struck him. "Are you even listening to--" Another one. "Enough! What is wrong with you?!"
"Dude, we're tired, we're cranky, and we REALLY don't have time for this, so if you could just zip your yap, roll over and go away for us, please?" Ibuki responded.
"How dare you cast me aside so easily! This rebellious spirit of yours won't last for much longer! As soon as I--"
His long-winded rambling came to a sudden end when Natalia's scythe came flying at him, impaling him in the head."
"HOLY--" Ibuki uttered in shock.
"Sorry, was that too much? I just needed him to stop talking..." Natalia apologized.
"I mean...it got the job done, I guess. Just warn me next time you decide to toss that thing around, huh?"
"Sorry..."
The angel dissolved into shadow particles, and the scythe fell and impaled the orb, destroying it.
"And that's that, I guess. Hopefully KittyKat and the crazy teacher lady are A-OK. If all's gone to plan, the giant old man should be losing his power right about now. Wanna go give 'em a hand, oh terrifying Natty?"
"Mmhmm! Let's go! I'm itching to get this over with!" Natalia ran off.
"And they try to tell me she was the nervous one..." Ibuki followed after.
---
The scene at the Academy tower was akin to the beginning of an apocalypse film. Surrounding the kaiju-sized figure of Nimrod were numerous angels of all forms.
Beneath them were a teacher and her student, weapons drawn and panting heavily. "They just keep coming...and none of our attacks are making a dent on him..." Rin uttered.
"We're seriously getting nowhere...long as he's getting fed, we're never gonna do anything but tickle him a bit..." Kat surmised.
"HOW DISAPPOINTING. YET NOT UNEXPECTED. YOUR POWER IS CONSIDERABLE. YET BEFORE THE CONCENTRATED STRENGTH OF HUMANITY'S DESIRES, IT FRANKLY MATTERS NOT. YOUR STRUGGLES ARE ABOUT TO COME TO A MERCIFUL END. REST EASY. FOR THE WORLD THAT I AM ABOUT TO CREATE WILL BE FAR BETTER THAN THE ONE YOU ARE DEPARTING." 
Nimrod's eyes began to glow. He was preparing to fire beams from them.
Kat stood up. "Get up, Prof."
"Aha...still defiant to the last." Rin chuckled.
"I'm never gonna just lie down and die. Not to someone so obviously wrong. I'm never gonna not believe that people deserve to live the way they want to. I didn't come all this way, make all these changes, just to chicken out at the end. And if it really is the end? Then I wanna go out with someone I know feels the same. Thanks for everything, Rin Kubo."
Rin paused to take it in. "I'm gonna be such a mess when you all graduate. I couldn't have gotten a better class to start with if I asked for it. Watching you grow into the capable young lady you are now has been a joy. And having even the tiniest part in making that happen has been an honor and a privilege." She held her lance high. "I fully intend to watch that continue. Exactly why I won't talk like it's the end. I've taken everything the world's thrown at me and I'm still here. That isn't ending anytime soon."
Kat let out a sigh. "Your part hasn't been tiny, Prof..."
Just when the giant was about to fire off his attack...it shorted out. "HM...?!"
The silence itself was deafening. Kat had braced for what was sure to be an even worse attack than anything Max had thrown at her. Instead, there was nothing. "Is he...broken?"
"Did the others get it done?" Rin questioned.
The giant was silent for what felt like an eternity. "IMPOSSIBLE...THE DESIRES...MANKIND'S PLEAS...I CAN'T HEAR THEM ANYMORE...THAT WOULD MEAN THAT..."
Realizing now what had happened, Rin turned to Kat. "Now or never. Grab on and follow my lead." She held out her hand.
Kat took it. With the force of a rocket, Rin launched into the air. On the way up, she looked down at Kat. "I'm going to toss you up. You ready?"
"Not even close, but sure!" Kat answered.
Using both hands, Rin launched Kat up towards the army of angels guarding Nimrod. Both of her daggers out, she cut into the first angel she passed, then kicked off of it to continue upward. She repeated this several times, getting higher and taking out a large swath of enemies in the process.
Rin, meanwhile, continued to fly towards the giant's head. "STAY BACK...!" He quickly charged up his eye beams once more, firing off two streams of blue light. Rin came to a quick stop, drew her lance, and began spinning it rapidly, dispersing the attack. The threat neutralized, she blasted further towards him. With a final burst, she went directly into his mouth, destroying it. She traveled quickly through his frame, rattling it.
The giant's chest began to glow a bright orange. Rin came bursting through it, Kaya in one hand and holding Rose with the other. The blast left the giant's core exposed. "Kat!"
As she kicked off from another angel, Kat looked down. The lance materialized in front of her. "Wait, seriously?!"
Rin nodded. "Take it for a spin."
Kat grabbed it. In her hands, the lance took on a black-and-pink coloration, with pink sparks crackling around it. "Oh...baby."
She propelled herself towards the exposed core. 
"Inconceivable." Edelhardt thought. "So the spirit of resistance is indeed formidable...if the previous universe had people this determined, perhaps we wouldn't have..."
As she fell, Kat drew the lance back.
"Maybe I shouldn't be so surprised. This girl laid waste to Kerberos, after all. And in a clash of wills, not even the O'Donnell boy's ideals could stand before her. Kit So-yin...what a frightening girl."
Rin landed back on the ground. Rose opened her eyes, and looked up. "Father...?"
"Rose...dear Minnie. Please forgive me...that our reunion was destined not to last. I--"
Kat plunged the lance into the core. Bursts of electricity crackled all around Nimrod's body as its movements became erratic and jittery.
The giant then ceased all movement. Its core, and all of its lights, grew dim. It slumped over. Kat leapt off, and landed next to Rin. She handed her the lance. "Awesome as it felt...like, really awesome...this is yours."
Rin took it back. "I don't know. Looked pretty natural to me."
"Uggggh...this is why I don't leave the Velvet Room..." Kaya griped.
Rose put her head on Rin's shoulder. "My knight in shining armor..." She looked up at the unmoving Nimrod. "....."
"I'm sorry, Rose. I wish there was another way. But..." Rin apologized.
"You have nothing to regret. He died millennia ago. Ed's greatest gift was always his biggest flaw: he simply cared too much. You combine that with someone as jaded and broken as Mr. O'Donnell was, and it formed a recipe for catastrophe." Kaya replied.
"Kitten!" a voice called out.
"Care?" Kat turned around. "Guys!"
The rest of the group ran over. Carrie embraced Kat. "Oh, thank goodness! I was so worried..."
"There was never any need. Or are you forgetting that your lover is far too stubborn to die?" Kenneth questioned.
"I dunno if that was a compliment." Kat replied.
"That's the idea."
"Awww, shoot. And after we ran all the way here to back you up." Ibuki griped.
"I bet you looked so cool beating him! Right?" Natalia asked.
"Yes. Very cool, actually." Rin answered.
Kat blushed. "Prof, c'mon, that's just cuz I was swinging your piece around..."
"So, it's done, right? He's not gonna spring back to life and take another form or something like that, is he?" Barbara asked.
"He certainly looks like he could at any moment..." Sakuya pondered.
"Nah, I don't see it...looks pretty worn-out from where I'm standing..." Sahir replied.
The giant's eyes flashed on, though they had trouble remaining that way. "YOU..."
"Gah! Me and my big mouth!"
"That does it, I'm deleting this freak!" Ibuki drew her bow.
"Wait, please! Let me talk to him..." Rose got in front of her.
"Rose..." Kaya muttered.
"ROSE...I AM..."
"Father...I'm sorry this is how we had to meet. I wish that things could have been different back then...but I take comfort in knowing that it's because of what happened that I could be here and meet so many wonderful people. It's from them that I learned how to feel...how to love. I never could have accomplished that in a world devoid of individual thought. I know that you were doing what you believe was right. But..." Rose began.
"Doing the wrong thing for the right reasons is still the wrong thing." Barbara interjected. "That's what my Mama always told us. Even if you think you're doing something good, it doesn't make hurting someone to do it okay. Life's too precious to just play around with it like that..."
"I might not be the smartest gal around, but I do know one thing. Changing and doing things different is what makes us people. If I'd stayed on the path that was set up for me, I'd probably be in juvie right now. People gotta see for themselves what they need to do to get better. The way I see it, you're just like Kirby-chan and all the other moon people. Stuck in a prison of anger that you have to take out on everyone else. And just like the rest of 'em, you lost." Kat chastised.
"I LOST...YES...EVEN WITH ALL THE DESIRES I ACCRUED...THERE WAS AN EVEN GREATER FORCE THAT DEMANDED I BE STOPPED...AND IF THAT WAS ALWAYS THEIR DESIRE...THEN I--"
"Hey, 'Bemular'."
The group turned to the source of the voice. Max had arrived, clutching his side with one hand and holding his cannon weapon in the other. "Maxie! When did you--" Barbara uttered.
"SO YOU DECIDED TO COME, AFTER ALL, CAPTAIN. ALL IS NOT LOST FOR YOUR VISION...ALL YOU NEED DO IS GIVE ME AN ORDER. YOUR DESIRES ARE MY COMMAND..."
"You want me to give you an order?" Max responded.
"Max, don't..." Kibō warned.
"C'mon, man, seriously?! After everything, you're still gonna turn around and try again?" Ibuki questioned.
"Alright. Here's my order. I order you..." He raised the cannon and pointed it at the giant. "...to fuck off."
He fired a shot past the shocked group, hitting Nimrod's core and causing an explosion. He soon began to crumble apart.
"Father!" Rose called out.
A hologram appeared from the core. Edelhardt's human form flickered in and out. "Minnie...goodbye...take care of...your mother and...remember that...I...love..."
The hologram shut down.
The entire realm began to shake.
"Oh, what now?!" Sahir griped.
"He was the one thing keeping the Prisons active...without him, it's all going to fall apart..." Sakuya replied.
The dome surrounding the roof began to crumble, leading large pieces of debris to fall to the ground.
"Maxie! Get over here! We have to get out! Maxie!" Barbara called out.
Max didn't respond. He turned around and started walking away. The smoke and debris masked his departure, and within moments, he disappeared into a portal.
"No! Maxie, don't--" 
Kibō grabbed her. "Barb. We need to go, now. Kat, get us out of here!"
"No, stop, we can't just leave him...!"
"He's long gone, Barbie! We're all goners if we stick around! We've gotta go..." Kat pressed a button on her phone, and the group were teleported away. The cityscape, and everything within it, dissolved into nothingness.
The long nightmare of the Prisons crumbled away with it.
---
March 23, 2030
Afternoon at the Kubo home. The crisp air of spring wafted throughout the neighborhood. As always, the family garden was in full bloom. It was another pleasant Tokyo day.
Inside the house, Kat sat on the living room couch, typing away on her phone.
"Welp. The tattoo parlor called back. Ugh - 🐍"
"Uh-oh. Bad news? - 🐈‍⬛"
"Yeah they hired me - 🐍"
"Oops. Now you've actually gotta be responsible - 🐈‍⬛"
"🤮 - 🐍"
"Bet Mom was thrilled. Isn't that the one Hyun-li runs? The guy you had a crush on in school - 🐈‍⬛"
"I don't remember anything like that - 🐍"
"So that's a yes - 🐈‍⬛"
Ibuki plopped on the couch next to her. "Welp, little angels 1 and 2 are finally asleep. Your teacher's kid's just gonna have to deal with Kanae-chan hugging her for the next few hours."
"Your niece is too funny, Bookie. You'd think Shizuka would be used to her hugs by now, but nope."
"That a romantic back-and-forth you're typing out there?"
"Nah. It's my sister. Her worst nightmare came true. She got a job. And it involves scarring people with body art."
"Oh boy. So if she screws up and writes 'regerts' then she'll be in hot water."
"Pretty much."
"So, hey, speaking of jobs..."
"Oh, right, you were saying something about finding a lead on what you wanted to do. Soooo..."
"Well this gal that I knew from my, uh...street days just bought up the old convention center in Akihabara. She's gonna fix it up and make it into a school for cosmetology. I've been doing my sister and Kanae-chan's hair for years now, and I used to do it for other girls on the side years back. And I told myself that if I ever got to a good place in life that I should try my hand at being a hairdresser."
"You do hair?"
"Uh-huh. Not, like, professionally. Not yet, anyway. But I like to think I'm good for an amateur. I could do yours if you wanted. Not that your hair isn't cute the way it is now, but, y'know..."
Kat giggled. "Nah, I get ya. That'd be really awesome if you could do it. Good as you are at punching things, you gotta use those hands for something better, right? And not gonna lie, I've been thinking of changing my hair up. Nothing too Earth-shattering, but maybe make it so I've got less to manage..."
"Well hey, if I make it and get my license, I can offer you a special Fireball discount. I might be thinking 50 steps ahead here, but it's the least I could do for you being so..."
Ibuki paused. "Hey...what's the matter?" Kat asked.
Ibuki sighed. "I can't do this to you. You deserve to know what's going on. She made me promise not to tell you, but..."
"Who made you promise what?"
"It's Barbara, KittyKat. She's...she's leaving."
The words didn't seem to register at first. "Ah...what...? What do you mean she's leaving? Where's she going?"
"Home. She's packing everything up and going back to the States. She didn't want to say anything to you cuz she knew how badly it would hurt. And she knew you'd try to stop her."
"I...I don't understand. She's been distant all week, yeah, but I just chalked that up to not knowing where Sparky went...why would she just leave..."
"My take? I could see it in her eyes. Her heart wasn't in it anymore. She believes in the good side of people too much to keep looking at the bad side. Maybe she's been thinking about it for a while, but everything that happened with Maxie and how he just vanished...I don't think her little heart could take it anymore. So she's going back to her Mama to try to sort things out. That's what I think."
Kat got up and headed for the door. "KittyKat, don't...she's probably already gone."
"I'm not gonna sit here and let her go like this...I have to stop her...or at least say my piece...look after the girls for me...tell Prof everything if she comes home..."
Kat sprinted out the door. Ibuki rubbed her eyes. "Oh maaaan..."
Without taking a second to catch her breath, Kat ran as fast as she good to the Academy dorms, stopping only once she reached her apartment. In her pace, she dropped her key, racing furiously to pick it up and unlock the door. She got it open. "Barbie!" she called out.
No response. She turned the lights on and looked into Barbara's room. "Barbie...?"
The room was completely empty sans the bed that was there from the beginning. None of Barbara's wardrobe or makeup, nor any of her musical posters were present. No signs of life to be found. 
Kat sat at the foot of the bed. She took off her glasses, and put her hands over her eyes.
A figure approached, and stood in the doorway. "I hope you don't think this was easy for her."
Kat looked to see who it was. "How'd you get in here?" It was Kibō.
"You left the door open. Ibuki let me know you were on your way here so...I thought you could use someone to talk to."
"Keebie...what happened? Why would she just leave without telling me something was wrong? Is this really happening again...am I just supposed to lose every friend I'm ever gonna have?"
Kibō had his hoodie draped over his head. And though his face was shadowed, Kat could tell he was despondent. "She wanted to tell you. She really did. But she knows how you are. You always know exactly what to say. And she felt that the only way for her to heal was if she was away from everything." He rubbed his forehead. "I feel so useless...I couldn't even see how much she was really hurting. I know how it feels to have a brother do something awful, but I was never that close to Kyohei. Barb loves Max more than anyone in the world. I can't even comprehend what she must've been feeling all this time. And not knowing where he is now must be tearing her up. So before you start blaming yourself, it's not your fault. It's everyone's and no one's at once."
He pulled a letter out of his pocket. "She wanted me to give this to you. Sounded to me like she had a lot she wanted to get off her chest. Maybe she just couldn't muster the strength to put it into spoken word. I hope you're not too mad at her. Let her explain it herself." 
He handed her the letter, then turned to leave. "I'm sorry. See you on Monday. Maybe."
"Wait, Keebie." Kat got up, and hugged him from behind. "Thank you. I'll catch up with everyone later. I just...need to be alone right now."
"I understand. See you around." Kibō left, a resigned sadness in his step.
Kat opened up the letter.
"Dear Kat,
You're probably either super angry or super confused right now. Maybe both. I'm sorry. I don't have the strength to do this to you. I'd just turn into a mess trying to say it to your face.
I want to make one thing clear. This is nothing against you or anyone else. I love you all, and I'll always treasure the time we've spent together in Tokyo. And I hope that you aren't mad enough that you won't want to speak to me ever again. I would understand why, but it would still really hurt.
The truth is, I've been hurting for a very long time. Even before we found out what Max was doing. All the suffering and evil we've seen, what we've had to do to fix all of it...it was wearing me out. I don't regret any of it. What we did really was helping people in trouble. But then when you stop and think about how much pain and trauma is out there...how we could never save everyone...it got to be too much for me. I wanted to step away back then, but I didn't want to look like a coward who couldn't handle the pressure.
But...when we found out that Max was the one behind all of this...I couldn't deny how I was feeling anymore. This life took my brother and twisted him into doing awful things that I never thought he could be capable of. I couldn't even recognize him. And every time I looked in the mirror...I couldn't recognize myself, either. I feel like this all began on the moon, fighting the Theban...killing her. Even if it was the right thing to do back then...I ended someone's life. That's too much for me to take into my hands. Life is too precious to just dispose of it and never think of it again. It's played on my mind ever since then. But with everything that's happened lately, it all became too much for me to handle. 
So I made my decision. I told Professor Kubo after we got back that I was planning on withdrawing and going back home. She wasn't surprised. I think she'd noticed how much I was struggling. The day after, I sat down and explained everything to my mom. She's always been a spiritual person, so she didn't take that much convincing, especially after I showed what I could do. But I could see the toll it was taking when I explained what Max had done. When it was all over, she agreed that the best place for me right now would be with her. I'm going to finish the rest of the semester online. Luckily everything carries over.
I hope Max can come home one day. Wherever he is now, he's probably punishing himself worse than we ever could. That's just who he is. And whenever he comes back, I need to be myself again. I have to find peace and learn to be happy. Tokyo holds too many painful memories. Too many reminders of his mistake. I don't think I could ever heal myself if I stayed for much longer.
Please don't take this personally. You're the best friend I'm ever going to have. I hope it can stay that way. I know that you have the strength and the attitude to do whatever you set your mind to. You're going to do great things, and I want to be there in some way for all of it. But this is something I need to do for myself. I have to fix my heart before I can make anyone else happy. The next time we meet, I want it to be a happy moment where we're both okay with where we are. Until then, I'm going to work on getting back to where I want to be.
See you then. Love always, Barbie."
Kat curled up on the bed. She put her head into her lap. A few minutes passed in silence. Then, she heard a knock.
Carrie was in the doorway. "I hope I'm not interrupting. Kibō let us in."
"...she's gone, Care. She was hurting so bad that she went home...and I couldn't do anything to help her. How didn't I see how unhappy she was?"
Carrie put a hand on hers. "Come on. We owe you an explanation."
She pulled Kat into the living room. The others were all standing or sitting around. "Hey, KittyKat." Natalia waved.
"Guys...hm? Bookie? Where are the girls?" Kat asked.
"Kaede's looking after them for a bit. Don't worry, I didn't leave them alone." Ibuki replied.
"We're so sorry for keeping quiet about this, Kat-chan. But Senpai told us not to say anything." Sakuya apologized.
"So...you all knew?" Kat asked.
Sahir nodded. "She spilled the beans to me during the big fight. I got the feeling that she'd been thinking on this for a long time."
"I always got the sensation that she was never comfortable with the more violent aspects of our work. Her soul was too pure for that life. It wasn't about who she was around, it was about what we were doing and what it forced her to do." Kenneth surmised.
"Her heart was broken and she figures she can't fix it here. Sucks, but we can't do anything but let her do what she thinks is best." Ibuki stated.
"I can't help feeling like there's more we could've done...if we just had some time to talk things over..." Natalia uttered.
"That wouldn't have been what she needed." Kibō spoke up. "Truth is, being in a place surrounded by reminders of what Max did was only going to do more harm than good. I'm staring at one right now."
"Tch." Ibuki grunted.
"When Barb made it clear that she wanted to leave, I asked my dad how he handled Mom walking out on him after Kyohei went to prison. He tells me that the time apart made him re-evaluate his priorities. Forced him to accept some things he didn't want to admit before. Much as I want to help Barb work through this, there's some things she can only figure out on her own. And if she can't be here while she does that, then I need to accept that. Part of growing up means letting the people you care about make the tough decisions on their own."
"I couldn't have said it any better, Kibō." Carrie responded.
Kibō slumped against the wall. "Doesn't make it suck any less."
Sahir put a hand on his shoulder. "That's one thing we can help with, good buddy."
"Barbara will work on Barbara. As long as we're here at this one moment in time, we can help each other. And I think it would help her out immensely knowing that we would all be okay while she was gone. And maybe, in a way, it would also put Maxwell at ease. Wherever he might be hiding." Carrie dictated.
Kat let up a tiny smile. "Y'know, if I didn't have you loony toons behind me, I'd be beyond lost right now. Thanks for sticking by me through all the craziness. I think we could all go for a chill night. So...who's up for sushi?"
"Awww, yeah, now we're talking! I'm getting in on that shanty action! Sahir leapt up.
"Sahir-kun, I've heard you singing in the shower. It's not something for mortal ears." Sakuya warned.
"I mean, most of the people in that place are gonna be drunk, anyway." Natalia said.
"Now why on Earth are you listening to him in the shower?" Kenneth sneered.
"Don't accuse me of some kind of perversion. In an apartment our size, it would be impossible not to hear it." Sakuya retorted.
"My dulcet tones can resonate throughout the cosmos, my friends~." Sahir chimed.
"Now this I've gotta hear. Ya up for it, Keebster?" Ibuki asked.
"Well, what better way to end this day off than to go deaf?" Kibō replied.
Everyone walked out of the apartment. Carrie gave Kat a warm smile. Kat responded in kind. They took each other's hand and followed the rest of the bantering group outside.
For the first time in what felt like an eternity, things in Naruki-shi felt like they'd returned to normal.