Oogami cranked up the power and took a step forward, leaving a crack in the cement. "Minna! Let's go!!" he ordered over the intercom, "Maria, Hanabi-kun, Kouran - fall back and use with your long range attacks to break up the middle. Kanna, Sumire-kun - I want you to destroy those pods up ahead. Reni, Airisu, Coquelicot - take the left flank of soldiers. Lobelia, Erica-kun - follow me, we'll take the right flank!"
"Ryokai!" everyone exclaimed, taking their positions.
"Oogami-san!" Tsubaki appeared on his screen. "The Shougeimaru has lifted. We're on our way to help you!"
"Arigatou yo!" Oogami replied, seeing their moving coordinates on his battle screen. 'There's over 100 enemy koubu, as well as the growing number of demons... Aa?!' A demon was coming right at him. But then, the Shougeimaru arrived and blasted it. "Once again - arigatou!"
"Eheh, it's our pleasure Oogami-san!" Tsubaki chimed, "Please be careful! We just received news from Asakusa that preparations are still taking place, so you must hold out for a bit longer."
"Understood!" Oogami said, slashing through two demons. He then collided weapons with one of the enemy koubu. 'Sugoi! They're strong!!'
"Taichou!!" Maria shot the enemy to distract it long enough to make an opening. Oogami slashed the motor and watched it malfunction. Maria appeared on his screen. "Subarashii, Taichou... as always."
He smiled and turned onto the general intercom. "Minna, aim for the motor! Let's try to keep the casualties low. Even if it is our enemy... human life is precious!"
"Yossha!!" Kanna said, destroying one of the demon pods, "You make the calls, Taichou! Let's just beat em up good so that they know better not to mess with our Teito... eheh!" She turned around in time to see a quartet of kouma coming at her. "UWAAAH?!?"
Sumire slashed through them all at once, her smug smile appearing on Kanna's screen. "A~ra, are we slacking off?? I don't need any help here. Why don't you go bother someone else with your 'wa-wa'ing??"
"NAN DA-TE?! KONO YAROU!!!"
"Maa maa... calm down you two...!" Oogami stammered, hoping they wouldn't start fighting each other and not the enemy. "Hah!?" He suddenly noticed that the enemy were taking another direction. "What are they aiming for... aa! Sonna!!"
All of the enemy aimed their ammunition for the sky and blasted the Shougeimaru. "IYAA!! We've been hit!!" Yuri cried, "Engines 2, 3, and 6 have failed! We're going to fall!"
"Minna-san! I'll try to soften our landing! Please hang on!!" Kurisu exclaimed, at the steering. Tsubaki, Kasumi, Yuri, and Tsubomi all grabbed up onto him tearfully clenching their eyes in fear. "OH!!" Kurisu gasped, his face all red. For a moment, he blanked out but managed to get back in time. "Here goes... GUUUUUUUUWAAAAAAAA!!!"
The koubu stopped and watched the Shougeimaru descend, sliding down at a street, explosions and destruction in its path. "Kusooo! Minna, daijoubu kai?!" Oogami cried over the intercom, "Speak to me!!"
But there wasn't any response. Hanabi appeared on his screen. "Oogami-san, I'm sure they made it okay... Let's continue to fight." After a saddened nod, Oogami charged into battle once again.
* * *
"Nan desutte?! The Shougeimaru has fallen?!" Kaede cried over the kinematron, "Jaa... Kasumi-tachi wa... are they all right?!"
"I don't know." Yoneda sighed, "We haven't gotten a response... and now our aerial support is lost. Our guys are getting bashed out there. If only there was something I can do..."
"We're trying to hurry the procedures as soon as we can. There's a slight delay... only because this is the first time to attempt this." she explained, "Demo, it's already started to work, so please be a bit more patient... shikashi, once we receive full power, we won't be able to communicate with you."
"Sou ka." he uttered, "Kaede-kun, get Sakura on for me. I want to talk to her."
Kaede nodded and handed the kinematron over to the concentrating girl, who blinked and pointed at her nose. "Atashi ni?? ... aa, hai, mushi mushi?? Shihainin!"
"Sakura," Yoneda said, a grave look on his face, "There's no guarantees... it's very dangerous for you to go through with this, so I'm talking to you now. We can go on without it. We'll find another way to win... Do you understand that you don't have to do this."
"Shihainin," Sakura replied, her expression calm, "I want to do this. Everyone is fighting hard, so I shall too. If this is the most I can do, then so be it. I won't die here... dakara... everyone I love is waiting for me to return... I'm not going to fail... I'm not going to die. Believe in me."
Yoneda's eyes watered. "Sakura... you're like my very own daughter... of course I believe in you. Please..." He bowed his head for a moment, wiping his eyes, then took out a bottle of sake and drank it down. Lifting his head, he looked more determined. "Kick some ass, Sakura!"
"RYOKAI!" she replied, a glow bursting from her. With that, the connection ended.
"Uwaah!" Kotone gasped, he and his comrades backing away from the equipment that had activated, "Looks like we're in business now! Status shows we have the green light to go on to phase two!"
Kikunojou looked at the map of Tokyo projected on the wall. "Phase two has begun!" he called as the power surge was heading up to the roof of the two through a giant rod, "Ready for release!"
Jiru put her hand to the levy. She turned to the others, her face a little nervous. "Minna, the release will create a chain reaction - after the target is hit, it might be possible for it to ricochet back here because of Sakura's high power level... causing a large explosion." Everyone turned towards her, very pale in the face. "Demo," she continued, "The possibility might be false. And we could survive this after all without any problems."
"You're just making us nervous too!" Kaede exclaimed, "Pull the damn levy already! We won't know what happens until we try!" Jiru smiled and did as told, the levy going down and the rod in taking the rising power that had been held up. Kaede's gaze then fell on the lone soldier taking center stage. "Sakura-kun, ganbaro..."
The Yumegumi and Baragumi watched from behind her. Yokohiko grabbed onto Ken, one of the Yumegumi, screaming, "Kyaaaaaaa! This is so exciting! When this battle is over I'll give all you handsome guys a kiss!!"
Kentaro, Samu, and Suzuki nervously looked to Jiru. "T-Taichou... please do something!"
"Demo~!" Yoko continued, lifting her leg in the air, "The person I really want to kiss is my beloved Ichirou-chan~!"
* * *
"Waaa-choo!"
"Oogami-san!" Erica cried over the intercom, "God bless you!"
"A-Arigatou..." he stammered, holding his finger up to his nose. 'I must be either catching Kaede-san's cold or someone was talking about me...' He then saw something up in the sky. "NAN DA?!"
A light was rising to the sky. It came from Asakusa and split midway to the clouds, going in different directions. From above it hit the several places in Teito, which the dark societies had attacked in prior years. The points formed a perfect pentagram.
"W-What's happening?!" Coquelicot cried, as even the enemy were staring up at the light display, "The sky has turned black, but it was only midmorning..."
"Don't worry about whether if its day or night!!" Lobelia yelled over the intercom, "We've got to fight these damn bastards! Look at them; they're torching the city!!"
"For the kouma to grow stronger from it." Reni explained, "These might not be the real things, but they sure act like it. Just like the majinki, no doubt Sakura's body is responding to them even if they aren't the authentic artifacts. Dakara, she has the Haja blood..."
'Sakura-kun...' Oogami focused on the enemies surrounding him. "HAAAAAAAAA!!" Attacking them with his swords, he noticed that he barely even damaged them. 'They're gaining strength...!'
"Onii-chaan!!" Airisu cried on his screen, "There's so many demons now and they're getting bigger... not to mention these guys are getting so strong, Airisu's attacks don't do anything! Mou, Airisu is getting scared! Aa... Kyaaaa!"
"AIRISU?!" he gasped as her koubu became swarmed with demons. Suddenly the sounds of a gattling gun broke into the scene, demons falling everywhere. Oogami lifted his head to the roof of a building. "Y-Yoneda?!"
"Bwahahahaha!!" Yoneda chimed, waving his fist in the air, "You bastards better leave my daughters alone! Don't make me come down there, you big piece of crap!! I have a bad temper when I'm not entirely drunk!!"
"You crazy old guy!!" Orihime yelled back, as Yoneda rained bullets on the mass army of demons. "Get down from there!! You're going to get yourself killed!"
"Chotto matta," Kayama appeared on everyone's screen. "The Tsukigumi are offering you ground support... shikashi, Yoneda seemed to taken some of our equipment and went off on his own. I'll do my best to keep him safe. Rest assured, Hanagumi."
"Kayama," Oogami replied, "The enemy is getting stronger. Where is their source of energy?"
"We're thinking it is on their submarine base. However, none of your koubu can enter it. We haven't invented anything yet for water conditions and a shield protects the place. Daga, don't worry. Kaede and the others are finding a way as we speak. Just keep fighting."
"U-Understood. You be careful too, Kayama." he uttered. Kayama cheerfully nodded and disappeared from the screen, "We've got to keep going..."
"Kyaaaaaaa!!" Erica had found herself in a tight situation. Oogami quickly got in the way to block an on-coming blast from hitting her. "Oogami-san!" she gasped, blushing, "Arigatou gozaimasu... for protecting me! Does this mean... that you... you know..."
"Gomen, Erica-kun." he replied, bowing his head, "I didn't want you to misunderstand." Unbeknownst to him, Erica hit the switch for the general intercom for all to hear. "... those 6 months I spent in Paris... truthfully, I shouldn't have acted so carelessly with you and the others. I wanted to befriend you all so that you had my trust and could do your best. I didn't mean to make a place in your hearts. My heart belongs here, in Teito... it always will."
"Sou desu ka..." Erica uttered, lowering her head, "Then... you don't love me?"
"E-Erica-kun??!" Oogami gasped, a little surprised by her words. But he calmed down and stared towards her solemnly. "Gomen... Sakura-kun is the one for me."
Just then the others appeared on the screen. Kouran noted, "Sorry to be a bother, Oogami-han, demo we're in the middle of a battle ya."
"Could you cut the drama already!?" Glycine exclaimed, "I'm trying to concentrate here, but you two are making me ill!"
Erica cheerfully lifted her head, much to everyone's surprise. "Let's go then!" she chimed, "Ne, Oogami-san, omedetou~!"
"Eh?! What are you congratulating me for??" he stammered.
"For admitting your feelings to everyone. You're the bravest guy I know!" she replied. He slowly nodded his head and disappeared from the screen as well as everyone else. Except one. "Aa, Sumire-san??"
Sumire just eyed her over. "Ara, you're a better actress than I thought..."
* * *
"Phase two has ended!" Kikunojou chimed, "Ready for phase three - detonation!" Everyone stepped back, looking a bit winded. Kiku's skirt flew from the draft created by the sudden movement. "A-ano... Minna-san, are we really ready??"
"Taichou!" called Suzuki from the controls, "I've locked on the target. It's not going anywhere and we've already surpassed its shield level. Ready when you are!"
"Aa, demo!" Kaede cried, "Sakura-kun is...!" They looked towards her; her eyes were white and her level continued to higher. "She's already going into the mode when she does the Majinki method. She might not go through it, but her body will think she is!"
"Iie..." Sakura managed to utter, "Da... Dajoubu desu... I want... to do this... o...ne... gai..." She closed her eyes, forcing a smile. "Trust... me..."
The pentagram encircled by the seal of the Shinguji family, started to rotate counterclockwise. Already the pillars of light at each point reached their limit, awaiting detonation. Jiru put her hand over the switch, watching the glow surrounding Sakura. Clenching her eyes closed, she hit the switch and the lights in the room all turned red. 'It's up to you now...'
With the pillars released they all combined and imploded, a pink light sweeping over the city, destroying demons in its path. It continued to the sea, where it met with the underwater base, exploding that as well.
"S-Sore wa...!?" Maria gasped. She and the other koubu lingered in the pink light that slowly started to lift. Some of the weakened enemy koubu malfunctioned and collapsed, but the light didn't touch any of the Hanagumi.
Suddenly, the light all surged in the direction of Asakusa, creating an explosion in the distance. "Sou na!!" Kayama exclaimed, watching with his telescope. "Minna... KAEDE!!" But as the smoke cleared he saw that the tower was still standing. "Yokkata!!" he cried, hugging Yoneda.
"Teme! Get off me now!" Yoneda snapped. But he slowly smiled in relief. 'Yokkata...'
The shield that emitted from Sakura protected the entire Asakusa area. Everyone fell over, relieved that they didn't die. "Didn't you know this was going to happen anyways??" Kaede questioned, eying over the shaking Yumegumi taichou, "That Sakura-kun's power would do that on impulse??"
"Still!" Jiru cried, "I was nervous!"
"The base is now destroyed, and so is the energy source." Kotone noted, getting up along with everyone else, "Oogami-tachi just has to defeat the rest of the enemy koubu. Now that they don't have that extra power, it should be easier now."
"Sakura-kun!" Kaede gasped as she saw that the girl had passed out in the chair, "Someone help me! She needs medical attention right away...!"
"Chotto!" cried Kentaro, moving from the controls, "It seems we have enemies that had gotten past the defenses and are heading this way!"
"EH!?!?"
* * *
"Yoshi! All the demons and pods have been destroyed, fires put out, and the enemy has been weakened!" Oogami called on the intercom, "All troops - attack!" Defeating three enemies, he suddenly noticed a giant cube-shaped vehicle in the middle of the pier. "Heh?! What the hell is that thing?!"
"Taichou," Reni said, appearing the screen, "It appears that it came from the enemy-sub just after that explosion. Perhaps it is their escape pod."
"Jaa... what's in it?!" Coquelicot gasped, "It's so huge!"
A small side door opened and out came a red colored koubu. A face then appeared on their screens, "My dear Ichirou... so we meet again."
"Adia-san, how dare you show your face!" Oogami angrily yelled, "How did you survive that explosion! Not to mention what are you doing powering a koubu?!"
"Dakara," she said, smiling every so sweetly, her dark eyes dancing, "My koubu isn't powered by spirit energy like yours. I have a battery source and I do as much damage as anyone else. Demo, I can't stay here. There's someone else you can fight."
"M-Matte!!" he cried as she powered up and zoomed right past him and the others, towards the city. "S-Sugoi, that koubu is so fast!"
Maria appeared on his screen. "Taichou, please allow me to after her!" she exclaimed, "Onegaishimasu! I'll return without fail, demo I want to settle something with her and I don't want to lose this opportunity." Oogami slowly nodded, although knowing why Maria was being so insistent. "Don't worry, Taichou. I'll be careful."
Meanwhile, the Tsukigumi had blocked Adia's escape route. "That's fine! I'll just go through you then!" she snapped, revving her motor, "Goodbye all of you!"
"That's what you think." Kayama said stepping towards her with a bazooka on his shoulder. "For what you did to my best friend, I cannot forgive you!"
"Sore kara," said Maria from behind her, everything realizing her presence, "For what you did to my Taichou, I cannot forgive."
"You're weapons can't harm me!" Adia laughed as they both shot at her. The blast reflected off her and hit them instead. "Ahahahahaha!! Didn't you hear me, fools! You can't touch me!"
Kayama clutched his wound on his shoulder and bent on one knee. "Chikuso... this one is tough." he grumbled, biting back the pain, "How are we going to beat it??"
Maria had recovered and glared towards the red koubu. 'It gives a great discharge after being hit, and afterwards...' Then it came to her. "Kayama!" she yelled over the outer intercom, "Shoot her once again, NOW!"
"Demo...!" he cried, struggling to his feet, "It'll take another 5 minutes to prepare the bazooka... you want it right now?!"
"Use a shot gun if you have one! It's all you need!"
Adia rolled her eyes, "A shotgun won't hurt even dent me! You fools don't know what you messing with!"
Kayama aimed the shotgun directed at the red koubu, concentrating. Pulling the trigger, the bullet went flying and hit the shield, while reflected it away. The moment the shield was being used, the koubu was left defenseless. Maria gave it her all and blasted her with her ice attacks. "HAAAAAAAAA!!"
"Sonna..." she uttered as the koubu started malfunction. She appeared on Oogami's screen, smiling weakly as red lights surrounded her. "It wasn't going to be like this... it could've been good... I know, because we are the same..."
"No, we're not." Oogami replied sternly, "You purposely harmed others. You tried to destroy everything for your own pleasure, without thinking of other people!"
"That's not true!" Adia cried, "Ichirou... I did this for you... I did it, because I..."
He suddenly cut in, "Sayonara, Adia-san." With that, her koubu had enough and exploded, a final scream coming from her as the connection died. Oogami lowered his head for a moment as the others awaited their next orders. "Minna... ore..."
Just then the escape pod in front of them started to stir. All of the walls fell to reveal a giant koubu. "NANI?!?!" everyone exclaimed.
* * *
"Yuichi... Shihainin... someone... answer!" Kaede cried, trying to get her kinematron to work. "Shimatta! No response!"
She and the others were on the Gouraigo, heading back to the Teigeki, with a recovering Sakura. "Minna-san... are they all right?" she weakly asked.
Jiru nodded. "Oogami-tachi should be fine. After what we did, we weakened the enemy so that they should have no problem defeating them all."
Sakura shook her head. "I have a bad feeling... is my koubu aboard? Stop the train. I have to get off..."
"Dame yo, Sakura-kun!" Kaede exclaimed, "You're still weak. You can't possibly go out there and fight!"
She pleadingly looked towards her, taking her arm to help pull herself up. "I want to be with everyone..."
Kotone crossed his arms and nodded his head. "There's nothing we can do. With her mind made up like that, we have to let her go. After all, who knows what's going on up there? Oogami-taichou could be in a lot of trouble."
Kaede hesitantly agreed, "Demo, I won't let her go alone."
* * *
"W-Who are you?!?" Oogami gasped, gazing up at the large koubu that had unraveled itself to be like a giant man, "Who's powering this?!?"
A mechanical voice started them. "I AM."
"Sonna baka na ya! There's no human driving that thing!" Kouran cried, "It's entirely AI."
"EH... AI... desu ka?" Orihime stammered, "Zenzen wakarimase~n!"
"AI stands for Artificial intelligence." Reni replied, "That means this machine has the capacities of thinking as humans do, only more systematical. Although it carry out the same decision-making as humans, it lacks the impulses to feel..."
"Yada, yada!" Glcine sighed, "Let's just kill it already so we can go back now!"
A shaking and scared Airisu replied, "Airisu prefers to hear about that AI thing, rather than fight... Airisu kowaii yo!"
"Enemy locked on." said the AI koubu. It emitted a blast that got everyone, destroying the area around them. "Target hit. Not destroyed... YET."
"Minna, daijoubu kai?!" Oogami cried, "Kusoo!! It's tough, but we've got to keep trying. Let's try to hit it with our attacks! First, Airisu, please heal everyone!"
"Hai~!" Airisu replied, now cheerful all of a sudden, "IRIS SPECIAL JEAN-PARU~!" A yellow light surrounded them and healed everyone. "Airisu is still scared though..."
The AI koubu looked like it would attack again, but a pink blast came surging down the street. "HAJA KENSEI OUKA HOSHIN!!"
"Sakura-kun!" Oogami gasped, seeing the pink koubu enter the scene. "Soshite...?!" He noticed his old koubu right next to hers. "Who's in there?!?"
Jiru was running a scan on the AI Koubu and appeared on their screen. "Minna! The chest is the highly protected place. Let's aim for its 9 weak points - the head, the left and right shoulders, the elbows, the wrists, the ankles, and groin! Hurry, before it attacks again!!"
Aiming for the designated points, the Hanagumi blast the AI koubu, which crumbling down without support. It's arms and legs and head had become malfunctioned. All what was left the chest that was generating energy.
'Believe in the Hanagumi, believe in yourself...' Oogami thought, concentrating on the enemy. "MINNA! LET'S DO IT!!"
"RYOKAI!"
A combined attack of all their powers collided with its attack, standstill in midair. But their power was stronger and broke through, blasting koubu. The back draft of the explosion swept the koubu off their feet, but the enemy was in burning refuge.
* * *
Oogami slowly opened his eyes. He had blanked out when his koubu hit the ground. "Minna...?" he uttered, staring at the screen full of static. "Masaka... minna! Answer me!!" He quickly opened the latch and climbed out of his koubu.
He saw all the koubu lying on the ground. Frantically going to check on them, he realized they were empty. Then, the smoke cleared and he saw them coming towards him. "Taichou!" Kanna exclaimed, "There you are! Don't worry us like that!"
"W-Where did you go?!" he gasped, running to them, "I thought that... that you all..." His footsteps slowed as he saw Jiru trying to help the injured over to him. "Sa...Sakura...kun..."
Everyone watched as the two ran towards each other. Hanabi turned away, sighing, "He really has made his decision..."
Sakura smiled weakly towards him. "Oogami-san... I'm so glad... you're all right..."
"What about you?"
"I'm all right really..." she started to say, but fell forward. He caught her just as her eyes were closing her eyes. "I'm just tired..."
"I know... we're all tired." he said softly, "Let's go back home..."
"CHOTTO MATTE!!" boomed an angry voice. They all turned and saw Yuri waving her fists ferociously, "Oogami-san! I'm going to tell everyone about this scandal!!"
Tsubaki rubbed her head and sighed, "Yuri-san survived that explosion so that she could be the first to say this nasty thing out loud... isn't it strange how some people's priorities are messed up."
“Oh, you guys are alive too!” Yoneda cried, coming over with the Tsukigumi.
"Aa!" Kayama quickly spotted Kaede and the Baragumi and Yumegumi, running to meet her with a kiss. "My darling Kaede~!"
“OI!! YAMERO!!” Yoneda angrily exclaimed, “STOP IT!!”
”Everyone is all right… Isn't it great!” Kurisu sighed with relief. He suddenly realized that he was standing next to Sumire and blushed. “Aa, d-daijoubu desu ka, Sumire-sama??”
”Maa ne…” she replied, running a hand through her hair, “But it was a tough fight. Even Teito’s top star has to put a little effort every once in a while.” She flipped out her fan, back to her cheery self. “OHOHOHOHOHOHO!”
”Look, the sky isn’t black anymore!” Coquelicot chimed, “It’s a reddish color, because the sun is setting on the water! Kirei na!”
Everyone turned and watched the sunset, as their exhausting day was coming to an end. Leaning her head on Kayama’s shoulder, Kaede uttered, “Yuichi… there’s something I wanted to tell you since this morning…”
Everyone turned to hear a scream. “NANI?! YOU’RE PREGNANT?!!?”
”Who’s pregnant?!” Tsubomi cried.
“How scandalous!!” Yuri exclaimed.
Yoneda angrily turned towards Oogami and started strangling him. “BAKA YAROU! I’LL KILL YOU!!”
”Uwaaaah!! I-I didn’t do anything!!”
“S-Shihainin!! Yamette kudesai!!” Sakura woke up and tried to break it up, “Please stop it!!!”
Kaede tearfully got into view and announced, “Minna-san, I just found out that I’m going to have Yuichi's child! Isn’t it great?”
Yoneda dropped the wheezing Oogami and happily hugged her. “I’m so happy! I’m going to be a grandfather!” he cried, “And you’re going to be a father, naa Kayama!”
Kayama just stared into space, looking a little pale. “… I-Is it a boy or a girl…??”
”Hai!” Kaede replied. He just lost his footing and fell over, being caught by Maria and Kanna. “He’s just nervous… my sweet Yuichi!” She then remembered something else. “Aa, sou sou! We’re forgetting!! The same thing we always do!”
”Soeba…” Oogami uttered, getting back onto his feet, “Minna, let’s do it!”
Everyone gathered together, smiling for their ending pose. "SHORI no POZU ... KIME!"
*****************************
Preview
Oogami: Three months ago, I said ‘I love you’… that was the beginning of our new life together. Demo… the battles have ended, the Taishou era has ended, soshite, our time together…
"Three Months" next time on Sakura Taisen. The storm had died down in the fading streetlight…
Right now, all I want… is to hold you close…
