The world had gone to hell in less than a day. Japan's leadership was in disarray, many of them going missing or silent. Even the JSDF had their heads up their asses about what to do. Stock markets world wide crashed so hard, the wealthy and influential— in an effort to find scapegoats— began laying blame on magical girls. People everywhere were calling this the mother of all apocalypse.

Things had become so terrifying, countries with magical girls withdrew into themselves and refused to send help. Meanwhile, news of China mobilizing its army has reached the airwaves and got their neighboring nations, including North America and UK from across the seas, sweating bullets.

Calling it chaos didn't even begin to describe it.

Kari shoveled the last pile of dirt onto the grave and stabbed the gardening tool into the ground. She had spent the last few hours burying Minato in a park underneath a cluster of cherry blossoms.

Despite the destruction wrought to the city, this park was relatively unscathed.

A wave of dizziness struck Kari. She nearly lost footing if it weren't for the upright shovel. All that physical exertion had reopened most of her wounds. Every part of her body was injured and aching, the only respite she had recently was that trip to Okinawa. The cut on her hand from Iori, the gunshot graze on her shoulder from Ogata, and the bite wounds from her fight with head hounds while not transformed… They all still pulsed with pain each time her heart beat.

"Ahehehe…"

"Ahahahehe…"

As if their timing couldn't be any worse, two monsters crept up from behind.

"You eyesores don't belong here." Kari transformed, grabbed them by the lip of their jaws, and flung both monsters into the raging storm above. She returned to the grave and before flying off said, "I'll keep Makina safe. Even if it kills me."

Soaring over the ruins of Meguro, it was difficult to feel any sympathy for the destroyed city. Everything had become lesser with Minato's passing.

Kari wiped the sweat beading on her head and returned to an abandoned house in the city where the others were hunkering down. Tsubasa had come to consciousness and was pressing a bag of frozen peas to her forehead in the kitchen, eyes glued to the news on an old tube. Their anthems sat together in silence on the living room couch, still grieving the death of their two fellows.

"You got your business sorted out?" Tsubasa asked.

"By all accounts, that hit should have killed you," Kari said, shutting the door on the way in.

"Even without defenses, my class and subclass combination gives me the thickest health pool when I use Gallant Knight. If you're trying to one-hit KO me, it'll have to hit close to 1,500 in damage." She smirked as if it wasn't such a big deal.

It left Kari dumbstruck that Jade could withstand such a powerful hit and remain in magical girl form. Because if Flare was that much stronger and higher level, then they needed to rethink how to deal with her later.

There were a lot of unknowns regarding magical girls' skills. Among the list of surprises that troubled Kari the most was how Hurricane withstood hits that should have left her reeling. Jade clearly took the brutal hit from Destruction Incarnate, then why didn't Hurricane?

Kari joined Tsubasa in the kitchen, where three cups of instant ramen were steaming from the gaps in the paper lid. The smell had never been more tantalizing than right now as hunger gnawed at her stomach. She couldn't remember the last time she had some semblance of a meal.

"Help yourself. It's practically gourmet in this post-apocalyptic world." Tsubasa groaned, reaching for one herself.

Kari did just that. The noodles were soggy at this point, but no sense in complaining about free food. At least it made her feel less empty in every sense of the world.

"Where's Sachi?" Kari asked after chugging down the MSG-filled soup base.

Tsubasa thumbed over her shoulder.

The faint sound of a running shower reached Kari's ears. If this place had still had working plumbing, it might do her some good to take a soak later.

"The whole heaven and god thing Hurricane showed you, you really think it's real?" Tsubasa asked.

Before leaving to bury Minato, Kari had told both Sachi and Tsubasa everything that was shown to her. As unbelievable as it was, it came as no surprise that they were reluctant about accepting it. Though judging by Tsubasa's current reaction, she had spent a good bit of time dwelling on it and was beginning to have a change of heart.

"Real or not, I don't care. I'm not going to lie down and let myself get killed because some invisible guy in the sky wants me to. Don't forget, we don't have souls like people and monsters do. There's no telling what happens to us when we die," Kari said.

Tsubasa raised a brow in doubt. "You don't care that you won't ever be reborn again? Lose that chance to ever find your friends again in the next life? Maybe I was better off not knowing, but this has my mind all sorts of fucked right now."

"As far as I'm concerned," she began, "this is my one and only life."

Whatever concepts of life and death there were that dictated this world, Kari knew only one thing— she couldn't be sure there was a Makina and Kari in the next life, but there was in this one.

"Maybe that's why Flare is so hellbent on spawning a god. She wants to regain a soul to be able to come back to life again. My question is, how the hell did she come up with that idea to begin with?" Tsubasa was merely rambling, but upon finishing her sentence, both she and Kari were taken by surprise.

"You think that's why Flare let me live?" Sachi asked from the hallway, towel over her head and water dripping down her hair. "Another magical girl to feed the seraphs in hopes of evolving it like some Pokemon?"

They collectively felt a shiver run through their bodies.

How exactly did Flare get the idea that killing a god-evolved monster granted her a soul? She wasn't the type to do things half-assed. Everything appeared to somehow fall in place for her, including events that were supposed to be setbacks like Sachi's survival. Even now she was playing her cards carefully, likely watching from the sidelines until everyone else had taken their turn.

Kari walked over to the kitchen window and glanced up at brewing clouds. No way was Flare able to see through Hurricane's storm. But could this, too, be part of her plan?

"Whatever the case, those Messiah bastards have Rie… She isn't answering in the Apocalypse System's communications app, which means she's either unconscious or…" Tsubasa grinded her teeth.

Humans and magical girls alike were really all just food to monsters, but why were the seraphs just waiting? Makina and the islands of Okinawa were in danger of being gulped up by one. There was no time to waste here.

"Rocky, let's go." Kari got up and headed for the door, only to realize that her anthem didn't so much as move an inch.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tsubasa asked.

"Makina's in Okinawa with a giant fucking serpent named Jormungandr lurking around the islands. I'm not going to sit by and let her be chow," she said.

"But you're okay letting Rie get killed?"

Kari paused with her hand frozen on the doorknob. The only reason Rie got captured was because she had sent her and Sachi out alone.

"Maybe this will change your mind." Tsubasa changed channels on the TV.

A shaking camera showed, sitting in the courtyard within Nijo Castle in Kyoto, was the large humanoid with six arms. It sat cross-legged with every hand pressed together in prayer. Minato had called that thing Bhairava, which they learned was a Hindu deity.

However, Kari saw past the monster. Her eyes twitched painfully upon seeing two familiar faces standing atop the castle— Sniper and Sister Claire.

"Just like the cherubs, we can guess that Messiah split their forces to each seraph. Probably to protect them until they start moving. You want your revenge? There they are. Helluva lot closer than Okinawa," Tsubasa said.

The camera zoomed closer to the magical girls, and people could clearly be heard pleading for their help.

A reporter continued bravely. "Nobody knows what's going on. The American magical girls aren't fighting monsters. I repeat: the American magical girls aren't fighting monsters. There are people dying in front of them, and they aren't even batting an eye! Flare is also nowhere to be seen, while Jade, Kari, and Candy were last seen with a supposed fifth magical girl somewhere in Tokyo. Wherever you five are, please, we need… What? Oh, my god— run! Run!"

Their camera dropped to the ground and captured the news crew's final moments as they tried to escape from head hounds. The flickering video came in and out of focus on Sister Claire's smile before it cuts off.

"Fine. You've convinced me. I just hope you know I'm not going there to have a friendly chat." Kari turned to Tsubasa to see where her resolve lied.

"You do you. I'm taking my fight to Osaka," Tsubasa said.

"Shouldn't we stick together?" Sachi interjected. "I mean, you two barely beat the cherub together. Seraphs have got to be a lot stronger, right? Not to mention The Messiah's magical girls probably won't be running from the fight next time."

Tsubasa switched channels, each regional news station showing footage of the seraphs in their respective location, including the magical girls hanging around them. A brief glimpse at Okinawa showed that there was an incursion, but the large JSDF presence and occupying US military force was keeping it at bay. At least what was shown and from the call much earlier, Makina appeared to be safe for the most part.

The six-legged monster flying over Osaka was the only one they didn't see on TV, and Hurricane wasn't shown with the others.

"It's a shot in the dark, but I'm thinking Hurricane's in Osaka. Where she is, Rie's probably with her. I'd tell you guys to come with me, but I don't think Kari's willing to listen. Ain't that right?" Tsubasa asked.

Kari didn't need to say a thing. She was going to murder that nun even if it killed her.

"I'm taking my chances with Kari," Sachi said, tossing her towel aside. "We really can't change your mind to come with us instead?"

"Assuming Hurricane is there, I got a bone to pick with her. I'm not letting Rie die if there is even the slightest chance she's alive." Tsubasa frowned.

If Kari had learned anything from their last fight, it was that they might have to get creative in how to tackle each seraph. Splitting up was no doubt a bad idea, but she couldn't rest easy or focus on anything else until Sister Claire was dead.

"Guess this is where we part ways. Make sure to stay in contact. I'll see you guys when I'm done with giving a beatdown." Tsubasa cracked her neck and went for the door.

"Hurricane told her magical girls that they were going to attack other countries. Maybe that's their plan for the seraphs. We kill the seraphs, they have nothing to turn into gods with. Which also means Flare won't get her soul," Kari explained.

"I'll keep that in mind, but that also applies to us." The magical girl of justice whistled for Gauntlet, and the two of them departed for Osaka.

While Sachi was eating, Kari used this opportunity to shower and pulled Rocky in with her. Blood, dirt, and grime had caked onto the surface of her skin. The warm waters provided little comfort. She scrubbed the rabbit anthem, careful not to get water into his ears.

"Still mad at me?" Kari asked.

"I'm just… disappointed," Rocky answered dejectedly. "When you let Blaze go, I thought you had a change of heart. But if today was any indication, you've always had it in you to cross that line."

Kari turned off the shower and decided against taking a bath. Time was short anyway. She grabbed a small towel which had faded prints of a Sentai show that likely belonged to a child to wipe Rocky and herself down, then took a blowdryer to his face. The scrunched up expression as he tried to fight the heated air was cute.

"I'd have died with Makina that day in Akiba if I didn't take the ring. Even if monsters and magical girls didn't exist, I wouldn't have much of a life outside of what my parents wanted. Could've run with a bad group and gotten caught up in some shit. Not much difference from where I am now. What am I supposed to do, Rocky? I was never the right person to turn into a magical girl."

"Is it too much to ask that you show a little restraint?" Rocky turned around to face her.

"I don't think that was ever an option for me," Kari said, eliciting a frown from the anthem.

"Then whatever you're trying to achieve, you better see this through. Don't forget, you have almost three million apocalypse points waiting to be used," he reminded her.

Kari had earned a lot in a short amount of time. Current points totalled 2,826,000, enough to put two levels in either class or subclass. Going deep into Siegemaster meant a higher physical strength value and being one level away from unlocking the last subclass skill. On the other hand, leveling up the main class provided her with more health and magic capacity.

She made up her mind. "Level up Siegemaster."

It costed 800,000 points.

[Congratulations! You are now a Lvl. 4 Siegemaster subclass.

Physical strength: 36 ⇒ 38]

Next level costed 1,600,000; this was getting pricey, but she had the points to do so.

"Again."

"Two levels in one day… I guess a lot really did happen," Rocky mused aloud.

[Congratulations! You are now a Lvl. 5 Siegemaster subclass.

Physical strength: 38 ⇒ 40]

Kari's total level was 8, 3 in Destroyer and 5 in Siegemaster. However, level 6 Siegemaster was going to require a whopping 3,200,000 points.

No reason to hoard any points. Might as well spend the rest for the battle ahead. After purchasing four additional healing and magic sigils each, her remaining points fell to a paltry 26,000.

Apocalypse System

User Information

Offensive Stats

Defensive Stats

User:

Kari Tachibana

Physical Strength:

40

Health:

200/200

Total Level:

Lv. 8

Magical Strength:

6

Magic Capacity:

80/80

Class:

Lv. 3 Destroyer

Haste:

39

Physical Resilience:

35

Subclass

Lv. 5 Siegemaster

Magical Resilience:

35

Soul-Weapon

Destruction and Ruin

Current Points:

26,000

Despite how much her stats had improved since level 1, she wasn't sure if it would be anywhere enough to see the apocalypse through.

Before they exited the bathroom, Rocky buried his face into the pocket of Kari's neck. The first time in a while he had shown any sort of affection.

"I'm sorry about Minato, " he said.

"Me, too."

Iggy and a transformed Sachi twirling her dagger were waiting outside the house. Clogging up one side of the street was a pile of head hounds with visible lacerations to their throats.

"Don't mind me, just needed enough to grab a healing sigil." Sachi grinned.

"It's been bugging me since it happened, but you really went for the throat with the nun. Hurting another human being doesn't bother you?" Kari asked.

The question wiped the smile from her face. "After what Flare did to me, seeing those magical girls attack Candy unprovoked, and what happened with Minato? Let's just say it's feeling like I don't have much of a choice…"

That made two of them. Good. Sachi needed to feel the same way in order for them to get through this. Especially the battle that laid ahead.

"Hope you still feel the same way once we get to Kyoto." Kari clasped Sachi's hand and lifted her into the sky.

As they left Meguro, Kari's gaze lingered on the park where she had buried Minato.

"Hey, something's coming out of the ground!" Sachi pointed below.

They could tell by the trembling buildings and dust clouds forming from the rubbles that something was happening, but it wasn't an earthquake. Fleshy growths, the same ones seen at the hospital and in the sewers, were creeping onto the surface and growing at an exponential rate. They blanketed the roads, latched themselves onto buildings, and reached into the skies like grotesque monuments of mutated fingers.

"Aaahhh!"

"Help! Someone, help us!"

People scrambled out of the buildings and into the streets, thinking an earthquake was taking place only to be caught by the cancerous growths at their feet. Flying monsters and head hounds gathered in mass for the feast, cutting short their screams.

"S-So many people are going to die…" Iggy stammered.

"A whole lot more than a couple of millions will if we don't stop the seraphs." Kari clenched her jaw and ignored the cries below.

They didn't last long anyway.

Flying at maximum speed, Kari reached 39 meters per second according to her haste. Not an insignificant speed at all. A direct beeline from Meguro to Kyoto made the 400 kilometer journey about two to three hours.

Before the day's end, Kari intended to get her revenge.