Shred-Shred/Crumble-Crumble: There Are Many Ways to Win.

It's the end of the world as we know it,

It's (it's) the end of the world as we know it,

and I feel fine...

Ahem.

It's basically chaos as the citizens living in/around Gateway Campus either battle Remnants or gaze up at the Gate. The citizens can't do much now; the fate of the world is in the hands of Hasumi, Takumi, Chiryuu, and the rest of the major Guardians. Well, Takumi isn't really a Guardian, but I guess he counts too. Hasumi at the moment is forcing her way up to the Gate (keyhole?) to plead with Takumi to stop. Two blazing streaks become Chiryuu and Kijima, who have a brief, somewhat pointless conversation as the latter basically beats the crap out of the former. Kijima then proceeds to stomp on Chiryuu... again... and again... and again... and with one final crunch, he drives Chiryuu through the ground (If you've seen the movie adaption of X/1999, you'll know what I mean; remember near the end, when Fuma pyschically grinds Sorata into the ground? Just like that, but without the psychic aspect. - Y.). Before Kijima can kill him, however, he manages to block, and the two leap and clash in the air.

At the campus, Tenkuu calmly asks Takumi if he's ready. He is. Hasumi is anything but calm; she's furious. Blocked by Murasaki and Aoi (who use an attack I don't even want to explain... -Y.), she swats them out of her way with a blast, but the blast is soon answered by another one, this one from Kijima. He reaches down, holds up the top half of Chiryuu's body (Moooooooortal kombaaaat! *insert techno dance-hip-hop music*.... -Y.). As they prepare for battle, another earthquake occurs.

Chiryuu recovers consciousness and warns Hasumi to be careful. He explains to her that Kijima's motives have changed, and he is no longer fighting for the reason they thought he was. Hasumi notices an odd, yet somehow familiar sensation, and looks down...

To see Chiryuu peeking up her skirt. (One last lecherous thought before dying, you know how it is... -Y.)

She responds by stomping her foot on his face (like he hasn't been stepped all over already. -Y.), and grinds it in. Youch.

A short conversation, Hasumi tells Kijima how his life must suck compared to hers (well, not really, but close enough. -Y.). He can't understand how she became so powerful so suddenly, and she explains that it's because she won't lose to him. Then, (gasp of horror), she cries out that he's stepped in dog poop (Sometimes, these creators try me too far. -Y.). Kijima, of course, is shocked beyond belief, and immediately looks down to see which shiny black boot it's on. When he looks up, Hasumi's already scuttling away. Meanwhile, the Ceremony begins. Takumi is peaceful, knowing that his sacrifice will save the world, as Tenkuu begins the spell.

Unfortunately for our heroine, Kijima noticed that he really didn't step in dog crud a little too quickly, and caught up with her. One big, black-gloved fist of his is wrapped around her throat (insert Imperial March). Murasaki runs up to him, and tries to get Kijima to leave her and get his mind back on the ultimate goal; the Gate. He swipes her aside, snarling that he doesn't care about that. Murasaki, of course, is stricken. Then, Kijima notices that Hasumi is crying...

Tears streaming from her eyes (I've never seen such sparkly teardrops... not even in CLAMP anime... -Y.), Hasumi speaks passionately about Kijima... his rage, his sadness, why he's the way he is... basically, a bunch of emotional bull. Confused and disoriented, he lets her go, trying to make sense of what she's said, his mind spinning with the possibility that it could be true... She continues to cry as she makes her way to Takumi... and as Kijima totters in his confusion, he sees a small bottle on the ground...

"Iris Eye Cleanser".

Takumi begins to glow golden, and the Gate responds with blue. Meanwhile, Kijima gets really, really mad. Considering how many times he's been tricked, it's not much of a surprise. He calls upon the power of the other Remnants and pulls their essences (or... something... I dunno. -Y.) into himself, and becomes an enormous, armor-plated, ugly... thing. His description is nicely summed up by Hasumi;

"God, you're ugly."

As she scrambles to make it to the Gate, he blasts her again, and again... and as the Ceremony goes on, Takumi begins to think back on his life as Hasumi's "brother"; how she was always there for him. By now, Hasumi is drained. She does make one last attempt and swings her sword at Kijima. He counters with his fist, and her blade is destroyed. Thrown back, she makes a valiant effort to drag herself to the ever-widening Gate, but can't... and as she falls, she tells Takumi she's sorry. Kijima slams his tail at her, and the force of the impact causes her to sail to the top! She crashes in through the ceiling and lands in Takumi's arms. Kijima appears at the hole she just came through, and Tenkuu immediately begins a spell to hold him back. Hasumi says that she's glad she could at least die in his arms, but is sad that he already has a girl he loves, and that she's just his sister. He insists that she's not, that he's always known she wasn't... and just as he's about to tell her who he really loves...

Kijima manages to shatter Tenkuu's barrier, and the force throws Takumi closer to Hasumi, and their lips just "happen" to meet. This, of course, turns into a kiss. Hasumi gets an insane nosebleed, and she jumps into the sky as three kanji appear; "Dai" (Great), "Ten" (Heaven), and the last one is Beauty, but I'm not sure how it's read. A nifty new Masamune (it's red, too!) appears, and she goes into her whole heaven, earth, and pager routine from the first episode before she blasted Lord McCoy. She gets all goofy, and then sobers up to launch an attack at Kijima. The Kijima launches himself at her...

He loses. As his bony armor disintegrates, in the utter bizarreness you've come to expect, he asks, "Is this... love?" with a truly ludicrous expression on his face. The Gate splits, then shatters, it's remains showering upon the city.

The next, final scene is perhaps the most... well, bizarre. Remnants are mixed with the humans, and are quite peaceful. It's just weird. Kijima is somewhat normal, but then again, not quite. Chiryuu and Tenkuu observe the peace from a window, and comment upon the joining of the two worlds. Oddly enough, our side wasn't destroyed. After some pondering, he offers his bar of ice cream to Tenkuu, who takes it with a "thanks, bro."

The End

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