(2025 Edit) Technomancer: A Magical Girl's Sidekick [Post-Apocalyptic][Mecha][Magical Girls]

We continued down the streets, the buildings around us slowly becoming more damaged and worn. Some of the windows were broken, and the street lights were flickering. The buildings were covered in graffiti and the pavement was cracked and uneven. The air was heavy and the streets were eerily quiet. It was like the city was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.

Off in the distance, the mutated dragon-like monster roared from the top of a skyscraper, its massive form casting a dark, winged silhouette against the burning sky. It was a terrifying sight, and it was hard to believe that it was real. A rainbow of lights darted around it, weaving and zipping in and out of range of the dragon's jaws and claws. We were too far away for me to make out the details, but I could tell that they were Magical Girls. They were fighting it, but it wasn't clear what exactly was going on.

"We're almost there," Midori said, pointing at a building up ahead. It was a large, grey building with a sign that read "Shelter 3 - District 4" on it.

It was a massive complex, with a shimmering energy field surrounding it and multiple entrances with barbed wire, reinforced concrete walls, and steel doors. There were guards stationed at the entrance, wearing heavy armor and holding oversized rifles. Multiple mounted turrets were placed on the roof and the sides of the building, scanning the sky.

It looked more like a military base than a shelter.

As we approached, the guards at the entrance turned to us, their eyes scanning us suspiciously. One of them stepped forward, a young man with light brown skin leveled his his gun at us.

"Stop right there!" he shouted, his voice harsh and commanding.

Another soldier holding some kind of magitech handheld device followed him closely, pistol drawn.

"Hold it! Hands where I can see 'em!" the second guard shouted. He also had light brown skin, with short, cropped pink hair, and a scar running down his cheek. He looked young, maybe in his twenties.

I slowly put my hands up.

Midori and Bishop did the same.

I looked at the guards, confused and slightly scared.

"We're just trying to get to the shelter," I said, my voice trembling slightly.

"C'mon boys," Bishop said, raising his hands. "I'm a citizen and these kids here are students from St. Antonia's. We've got a little girl with us. Lost her parents to those damned monsters. Let's not be unreasonable, here."

Clementine buried her face into my back, and I could feel her shaking.

"Set her on the ground," the soldier in the lead, who had an armband with an insignia of a crown with the letters D.E. on it, barked.

"Easy, easy," I murmured, lowering the girl to the ground. She whimpered and held onto me, and I gently patted her head. "It'll be alright, Clem."

She looked up at me, her eyes filled with tears, and nodded slowly. She let go of my neck, and I gently set her down.

The soldier with the anti-material rifle kept it leveled, and nodded at the other soldier.

The second soldier kept his pistol trained on us as he approached. He scanned Clementine with it and nodded. "She's clean. No signs of corruption or infection. She's good."

The guard in the front kept his weapon leveled and nodded. He looked at Midori and me, then at Bishop.

"Sorry about that. We had one of those Novel Aberrants lurking in the area. Those Judicators usually come with some sort of entourage of other sneaky Aberrants. We're a bit on edge. You'll have to forgive us."

Midori was still wearing her sword, and the soldier narrowed his eyes at her. "St. Antonia's huh? You got a permit for that? Looks like a magical catalyst to me."

Midori nodded. "Heritage Relic, in fact. You know better than to try and confiscate it from me."

The soldier grunted. "Yeah, I know. Don't have to like it though. You damned lordlings always have it good. We'll check your license at the front desk. Scan the boys too."

"Sir," the soldier with the scanner said, running the device over Midori. "This one's clean."

He stepped forward to me, but the moment he raised it, it began to emit a static-like noise and short-circuit, sparks flying from it and causing the soldier to yelp and drop it. It clattered to the ground, emitting smoke and sparks.

"What the fuck?!" the soldier with the gun exclaimed.

The second soldier looked at it and blinked. "Shit. Must've broken again."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" the lead soldier with the rifle growled. "Use the backup!"

"Sorry, sir. That one broke when Rodriguez was testing it out."

"Fine. Take the ladies to processing. We'll hold the men here until I get a new one."

Midori's eyes narrowed. "I need to see these two to safety as well."

"I'm afraid we can't let you do that until they're cleared, miss," the soldier said. "I'm sure you understand."

Midori glanced at me and Bishop, then back at the soldier. "No. I'm not going to leave them here."

"Miss, you're not leaving us a choice," the lead soldier said, his voice hard. "Either you go with us and get processed, or we're going to have to detain you."

Midori hesitated, her gaze darting between me and Bishop.

I could tell she was conflicted. She was worried about leaving us behind, but she also knew that we couldn't risk putting Clementine in danger.

Bishop shook his head. "To be frank, gentlemen. I have some unfinished business out here I need to take care of, so if you could see to it that these children are taken care of and let me go my merry way, I would be quite thankful."

The leader narrowed his eyes at him, before sizing him up with a once-over. "Hold on you. What are you hiding in there beneath that cloak?"

Bishop shrugged. "It gets chilly at night, doesn't it?"

"Take off the cloak, now," the soldier growled, his finger on the trigger of his rifle.

Bishop looked at me, then at Midori. "You lot take care of yourselves, alright? Get to safety."

"Hey, don't-"

The soldier cut Midori off, glaring at her. "Don't you talk back to me, missy. We're in the middle of a goddamn Chaos Event."

"Please, just listen!" Midori tried to plead.

"No, you listen," the soldier growled. "We're doing our job. Now get in the shelter and let us handle it, unless you want to be detained. We don't have time for this bullshit."

The second soldier pointed his pistol at Bishop. "You heard him. Take off the cloak and put your hands on the wall, now!"

Bishop sighed, and slowly removed his cloak.

He was wearing a black tactical vest with multiple pouches, a belt with several grenades attached to it, a machete on his hip, and a sawed-off shotgun slung across his back.

The second soldier stared at him in disbelief, his pistol still aimed at Bishop. "Who the fuck are you? You look like you're ready to start a goddamned war!"

The soldier with the anti-material rifle shook his head, gesturing at his companion to lower his pistol. "He's clean, at least. But we're looking at multiple counts of illegal contraband possession here."

"Oi, it's a goddamned Chaos Event. You're lucky I'm not pointing this thing at you lot. Besides, it's just a sawed-off," Bishop retorted. "Not like I have anything bigger."

The soldier with the anti-material rifle's eyebrows rose, and he smirked. "Yeah? That right? Well, you're coming with me. Hands behind your head. We're taking you in for questioning."

Bishop glanced at me and Midori, and I could see the resignation in his eyes. He was a soldier, and he knew what was coming.

He looked at the little girl and smiled. "Take care of yourself, little one."

She nodded, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. Bishop turned to me, his expression serious.

"Ikazuchi. Take care of them, eh?" he said.

I nodded, and Bishop turned to the soldier with the anti-material rifle.

"Let's get this over with," he said.

The soldier with the anti-material rifle stepped forward, and Bishop raised his hands in surrender.

The soldier grabbed him by the arm and began to strip him of his weapons, placing his machete in a bag.

As another soldier began to pat him down, Bishop suddenly reached for his belt and grabbed a small, cylindrical object.

He pressed a button on it and the cylinder began to glow and beep rapidly as he spun and grabbed the soldier searching him, holding him in front of him as a shield.

The soldier with the anti-material rifle's eyes widened and he immediately backed away. "Fuck! Grenade! Everyone-"

There was a flash of blinding light and a deafening crack of thunder.

The sound of the explosion echoed through the streets, and I felt the ground shake beneath my feet.

The world spun and I fell to the ground, dazed and disoriented. I could hear Midori scream, and I could smell the acrid scent of smoke and ash. My ears were ringing and my vision blurred.

Moments later, my hearing slowly returned to me, and I could hear the sound of shouting and gunfire.

"Where'd he go?!" one of the soldiers shouted.

The soldier with the anti-material rifle coughed, waving a cloud of smoke away. "Fucker's gone!"

The man with the scanner groaned, clutching his head. "Shit... my ears..."

I heard the sound of footsteps approaching, and I could see a pair of boots in front of me. I looked up, and the soldier with the anti-material rifle was standing over me, his weapon trained on me.

"Where did he go?" he demanded, his voice rough and angry. "What kind of magitech was that?!"

"I-I don't know," I stammered, my ears still ringing.

"Bullshit! Where did he go? I felt the mana discharge. It wasn't a regular grenade. Displacement on that scale shouldn't have been possible!" the soldier barked.

"Sir, we're wasting our time," the soldier with the scanner said. "We need to get them inside before another horde comes. It's too dangerous to stay out here."

The soldier with the anti-material rifle grunted. "Fine. Get the kids into the shelter."

The soldier with the scanner nodded and helped me to my feet. He was a young man in his early twenties, with short black hair and a thin mustache. His uniform was covered in dust and soot, and he looked tired and worn.

"Sorry for all the trouble, kids," he said. "We have to take precautions, you know?"

"Y-yeah," I murmured, my ears still ringing.

"Captain! We've got incoming!" the soldier with the anti-material rifle shouted, turning around and raising his weapon.

The soldier with the scanner cursed and pulled out his pistol, turning to face the same direction as the captain.

"What is it?" the soldier with the scanner asked, his voice tense.

"Chaos beasts," the captain replied. "And a lot of them. Get the stragglers to safety, now!"

The soldier with the scanner glanced at me and Midori, then at the shelter. "Roger that."

"You two, get to the shelter. Now!" he shouted, turning to the entrance.

I grabbed Midori and Clementine's hand, and we dashed towards the entrance. Clementine cried in pain, stumbling and nearly tripping. I cursed and stopped.

"C'mon, I'll carry you," I said, bending over.

"Look out!" Midori cried out.

She drew her sword right as I noticed a shadow pouncing on us from above.

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With a flash of green, she blurred behind me and swung her sword, slicing the shadow in half. I didn't dare look behind me as I grabbed Clementine and slung her onto my back.

We weren't too far away from the entrance and I could see a group of guards ushering a small group civilians inside. Midori ran next to me, her sword drawn and her eyes scanning the surroundings.

Suddenly, there was a loud, metallic clang, and the ground shook beneath our feet.

We stumbled, and I turned to look back.

The massive, mutated red dragon-like monster from the mall was flying in the sky, its massive body casting a dark shadow over the city. It was perched on the side of a tall building seven or blocks away, its wings flapping as it let out a roar that shook the ground. Its jaws were opened wide, showing rows of sharp, gleaming teeth. Its scales were blood-red and covered in rotting scars, and its eyes were bright and glowing like fire.

There were Magical Girls in the air around it, some flying and some on brooms or flying carpets or some other type of mount, and they were attacking the beast with all kinds of attacks. A Magical Girl in a white dress with a glowing staff was launching glowing arrows of light, while another in a frilly red and black dress was swinging a massive spiked hammer. They were moving in and out of range, dodging the monster's attacks and counterattacking. Nearly a dozen Magical Girls were in the air, and I could see that a few of them were injured. Some were bleeding and some were being patched up on the roofs nearby, but they kept fighting, determined to take down the monster.

But the dragon wasn't alone. Dozens of chaos beasts were flying around it, and they were attacking the Magical Girls as well. The chaos beasts were varied and horrifying, with some looking like grotesque flying insects, while others looked like flying jellyfish or octopi with multiple tentacles and bird-like beaks.

A massive explosion erupted behind us and I turned back to see one of the soldiers on the roof firing a mounted turret at the chaos beasts and monsters, while the others were holding the line with their rifles. The captain with the anti-material rifle was kneeling on the ground, taking careful shots. His shots were loud and powerful, and every time he hit a monster, it would let out a pained screech and collapse on the ground.

"Initiate the lockdown protocol!" the soldier who looked like he was in charge shouted, ducking behind cover as a chaos beast flew overhead and spat a stream of ichor at him. "We can't hold them off forever! We have to retreat!"

The massive metal gates of the shelter began to close, and I could see the panicked civilians being pushed inside. Midori, Clementine, and I were running towards the shelter, and we were almost there when a shadow appeared overhead.

"Incoming!" Midori shouted, raising her sword.

A massive, winged beast swooped down on us, its mouth open and its claws outstretched. It was a flying lizard with a long, serpentine body and two sets of large, bat-like wings. Its body was covered in scales, and it had a pair of glowing blue eyes that were fixed on us.

It let out a shriek and dove, and I felt a gust of wind as it passed overhead. I ducked and sprinted low, Clementine's weight on my back.

Midori raised her sword and swung, but the beast was too fast. It dodged her swing and swooped down again, its jaws snapping shut on her arm. She cried out in pain, and I heard the sound of metal on bone.

"Midori!" I shouted, turning to see her take a backswing and slash at the creature.

The beast let out a screech and released her, and she stumbled backward. The flying creature fell to the ground and skidded a few feet away, its body convulsing and thrashing. Its tail lashed out and hit Midori in the chest, sending her sprawling to the ground.

"Are you okay?" I shouted as the beast righted itself and coiled itself, ready to attack.

"I'm fine! Just go!" she shouted, scrambling to her feet. "Get to the shelter! The lockdown protocol won't let anyone in once the gates close!"

"Dammit," I snarled, bending down to pick her up.

"Ikazuchi! Don't be stupid!"

"I'm not leaving you to die!" I shouted, pulling her to her feet.

I spared one glance at the dying beast, which was starting to crawl towards us again, and then turned to look at the closing gate.

I grabbed Midori's hand and and rushed towards the entrance, and the guards were ushering the last of the civilians inside, their faces tense. The doors were about to close, and we were running as fast as we could.

I could feel my lungs burning and my legs aching, but I kept pushing myself. Clementine was crying and clinging to me, and I could feel her tears dripping onto my neck.

"Hurry!" a soldier shouted, gesturing at us to move faster. "They're almost here!"

The three of us were the last ones to reach the first checkpoint, and several soldiers were waiting for us. They were all wearing helmets and gas masks, and they had rifles in their hands.

"Hold it!" one of the soldiers shouted, raising his hand at Midori. "You can't come in."

"What?!" I shouted. "We're right here! Let us in!"

"We can't do that," the soldier said, shaking his head. "Your friend there..."

I turned around to see Midori. Her face was pale, and she was breathing heavily. Her arm was covered in blood, and I could see that the wound was still bleeding. But more importantly, a sickly blue glow was radiating from the wound, and she was clutching it tightly. Her sword was in her other hand, and it was glowing with a faint green light.

"Oh god..." I murmured, rushing over to her.

"Her wound... it's corrupted," the soldier said. "She can't enter unless it's treated and she's cleared. We can't risk letting any contamination inside. You understand, right? She can't come in, not like that."

I gritted my teeth. This was so stupid! I could heal her! I just needed some time.

"You can't be serious," I said. "We're right here! Just let her in and-"

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that," the soldier said, shaking his head again.

I glanced behind me at the encroaching horde - dozens of chaos beasts had fallen, but hundreds were swarming in.

"Look, I'm sorry," he said, "but the rules are the rules. We can't let her in unless she's been treated. She has to stay outside, but you and the little girl need to go. Now!"

"But I can-"

"We don't have time for this!" the soldier shouted, pointing at the swarm of chaos beasts. "Get inside, now!"

I looked at Clementine, then at Midori.

"Please, just let me-"

"It's okay," Midori said, smiling weakly. "It's okay. Get her to safety. I'll be okay."

"But you're-"

Midori cut me off, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a black rectangular object, and flashing it at the guards.

The soldier's eyes widened and his mouth dropped. He nodded and closed his stance into a hasty salute.

"Good. Now you know. I'm not going to turn into a zombie on you, Captain," Midori said, looking at the shelter. "I'm an asset. And I'm going to hold off the horde for as long as possible, but you need to get those gates down before they breach."

"Y-you... of course, ma'am. I'm so sorry, ma'am. I didn't know," the soldier said, stepping aside.

I looked at her in confusion.

What was that thing in her hand?

She smiled at me weakly. "Take her inside. I'll help out here."

"Y-yes, ma'am," the soldier said. "Of course. We'll do that right away. Kid! Hurry the fuck up. The gates are closing."

"Come on," Midori said, nodding at the entrance. "Get her to safety! I'll take care of things here."

I hesitated, but then I felt a tug on my arm. Clementine was staring at me in fear and confusion, and I knew that Midori was right. I had to get her to safety. I had to trust Midori.

But suddenly, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

And then I heard a screeching noise. Like a violin played by a toddler in the middle of the night. It was coming from everywhere and nowhere, and it made my teeth ache and my skin crawl. I stumbled, and Midori caught me, her eyes wide.

"Ikki?!" she asked, looking around.

My vision blurred, and I felt like I was going to be sick. I looked up and saw a tear in reality, a rip in the air itself. It was growing larger and larger, and I could see things writhing and crawling within it. Indescribable things, things that my brain refused to comprehend, things that defied reason and sense. Things that were wrong.

I blinked, and the world seemed to shift. The tear was gone, and I was standing in front of Midori. Her arm was glowing and bleeding, and she was looking at me with concern.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "What's wrong?!"

I opened my mouth to reply, but a scream interrupted me.

A claw reached out from a small tear in reality, grabbing on to the head of a soldier. He screamed, thrashing and trying to break free, but the claw pulled him into the tear. I heard a sickening crunch, and then the tear disappeared, leaving behind a pool of blood and a severed arm.

"What the fuck was that?!" the captain shouted as I hastily covered Clementine's eyes and urged her inside.

"Nothing good!" Midori called out, stepping in front of me and the little girl.

I hesitated, but then I felt the ground shake. The dragon-like creature roared and let out a jet of that awful red hellfire from its mouth. The flames scorched the earth and incinerated the pavement as it took to the air and rapidly began to pick up speed towards us.

Time seemed to slow down as I watched the massive creature fly towards us at an incredible speed, its wings spread wide and its jaws open. Its teeth were like knives, and its eyes were glowing like embers. It was like a nightmare come to life, a vision of destruction and death.

"Rai-chan," I reached out mentally. "C-Can the shelter take a hit from that balefire?"

"In theory, yes," Rai-chan said. "Lockdown mode diverts most of the shelter's power to the negentropy field generator. Balefire is incredibly destructive but should not be able to breach a properly powered entropic shield. But Ikki, it's not just the beast you have to worry abo—"

I didn't have time to wait for her to finish. I grabbed Clementine and ran towards the entrance, wincing as I kicked over a queue railing, creating my own shortcut to the main entrance. It was a good distance away from the first checkpoint.

The doors were closing, and I could hear the sounds of chaos beasts and monsters fighting in the streets. I could practically feel the heat of the balefire on my back again.

Suddenly, a trio of beowulves breached a barricade to our right, tearing through the soldiers guarding it.

"Fuck!" a soldier screamed, firing wildly at the monsters. "Hold the line! Hold the fucking line!"

I heard a scream and a crash, and then I saw a soldier go flying through the air, his body mangled and broken. The beowulves were like nightmares incarnate, their jaws snapping and their claws tearing through the barricades.

And they were between me and the entrance.

I gritted my teeth and took a step back, shielding Clementine behind me.

One of them turned to me and growled, its eyes glowing with a sickly blue light. It stalked towards me, its teeth bared and its claws extended. It was as big as a small car, and its muscles rippled under its clay-like fur. It looked at me and Clementine, and then it let out a howl that shook the earth.

The other two beowulves turned to me as well, their eyes glowing with the same sickly blue light.

They charged, and I could feel the ground shake beneath me. I raised my arms, bracing myself for the impact. The first beowulf leaped at me, its jaws snapping and its claws slashing. I felt the impact, and I was thrown to the side. The other two beowulves followed, their jaws snapping and their claws slashing.

Midori appeared in a flash of green, and I saw her sword glow and cut through the beowulf's flesh like butter. The beast howled in pain, and I saw it fall to the ground, its blood pooling on the pavement. Midori turned to face the other two, and I could see the anger in her eyes.

This wasn't good. My heart clenched in my chest as I saw the main gate draw closer to shutting. If we didn't make it inside, we'd be trapped outside with the monsters and no way to escape.

She flashed green, and in a blink she was beside the beowulf, stabbing it in the side, while the other one was sent flying with a single kick.

That was an opening, and I had to take it. I grabbed Clementine and ran towards the entrance, my heart pounding and my legs burning.

We were so close, the gate was almost closed, and I could see the soldiers waiting for us.

I pushed myself to my limit, and I could feel my muscles screaming in protest.

We reached the entrance just as the doors were about to close, and I felt a chill run down my spine as I realized I wouldn't make it.

"Wait! Stop the gate!" I shouted, but the soldiers inside shook their heads.

"I'm sorry!" one of them called out. "We can't open the door now! The lockdown sequence is already finalized!"

"Rai-chan!" I reached out mentally.

"Not enough time, Ikki!" Rai-chan replied. "I can't disable it without frying the entire shield system. I'll figure something out here but—"

"Take her!" I said instantly, turning and roughly shoving Clementine towards them.

The soldiers behind the gate reached out and grabbed her, pulling her through the gap in the door. I could see the fear in her eyes as she reached out for me, and I could see the panic on the soldiers' faces as they tried to keep the doors open.

I took a deep breath and shoved her through the gap. I heard a shriek of surprise, and then the sound of her rolling as one of the young soldiers broke her fall. I looked back to see her looking at me with fear, pain, and confusion in her eyes, and I smiled at her reassuringly.

"I'm sorry, Clementine," I said. "We'll come back for you, okay? We'll be okay."

She shook her head, tears in her eyes, reaching her hand out to me, and then the doors slammed shut with a resounding clang.

I turned around, and I was met with the sight of the dragon-like monster barreling towards me, its mouth open and its teeth gleaming in the light of the burning city. It was just a few blocks away and closing fast, its wings flapping and its claws outstretched. Midori was running towards me, her sword raised and her eyes filled with focus. She was shouting something, but I couldn't hear her over the sound of the balefire and the battle.

The dragon-like monster roared, and a burst of balefire erupted from its mouth. It was a wave of pure, unadulterated desolation, a torrent of energy that seemed to consume everything in its path. I felt a wave of heat wash over me, and I could smell the scent of burning rubber and ash.

I closed my eyes, and I could feel the heat of the flames on my face. I could hear the screams of the dying, and I could feel the ground shake beneath my feet.

This was it.

End of the road, Ikki.

But the same pounding headache that I'd felt before I saw the hooded figure came back, and my surroundings suddenly warped.

I found myself standing in front of an man in a white one-piece suit, with a black, featureless face. He was sitting on an orange throne in a void, and he was holding a blue staff in one hand. In the other, he was holding a glass of red wine, which he raised to his lips as I stepped forward. The wine seemed to shimmer like liquid gold, and it glowed with a warm light in the void.

The faceless man chuckled and beckoned me forward with a shadowy finger.

"Well... this is a surprise. You're not supposed to be here, Ikazuchi. You're not supposed to see me," he said, his booming voice echoing in the vast empty expanse. "This isn't a place you should reach. But I'll give you this one. Reality is a funny old thing, isn't it?"

He chuckled again and waved his staff, and I felt a strange sense of vertigo again.

And then, suddenly, I was back in the middle of the street, the dragon-like creature roaring and charging towards me. Midori was still running towards me, her sword raised and her eyes filled with focus. The soldiers on the roof were still firing at the monsters and chaos beasts, and the city was still burning. It was as if I'd never left. But now, the dragon-like creature was almost on top of us, and I could smell the stench of death and decay.

The dragon-like monster's mouth opened, and I could see the balefire in its throat, ready to be unleashed. I could feel the heat of the flames on my face, and I could hear the screams of the dying and the sound of the ground shaking beneath my feet. But there was something else, too. A sense of calmness. As if I were watching a movie, and I was just a spectator, not a participant.

I exhaled. Well, that was that.

As the dragon aimed its mouth towards me and the jet of balefire began, a glowing golden streak shot across the sky and slammed into the side of its face, the impact causing the monster to recoil in pain.

The balefire was interrupted, and the dragon was launched into the distance, the force of the impact sending it careening into the side of a building, which collapsed on top of it.

The soldiers on the roof cheered, and Midori turned to look up, her eyes wide.

I followed her gaze and saw a young girl floating in the air above us, her body glowing with a golden light.

She had a cheerful smile on her face, her hands on her hips. I grinned, recognizing her instantly.

It was strange how I kept running into her - but she probably didn't even know me by face.

Magical Girls were busy people, especially in the middle of a Chaos Event.

I was just another civilian to her, after all. An afterthought to someone like her.

A blue and pink dress with a long, billowing skirt and a bow shaped like a treble. Her long, silky pink hair flowed down her back, and her eyes were a bright, vibrant blue, shining beneath her aura.

"Hehe! Sorry I slipped boys! Looks like you've got your hands pretty full!" she said with a grin and a wink.

And there she was. Radiant and cheerful as always, with her bright smile and her kind words.

The one and only.

"Don't worry... my apologies for taking our mess this way. Celestial Sonata will take it from here!"