[Back to the present day]
Mizuki were hold down by a group of undead.
Mizuki: "Hana-chan , I didn't know you've been suffering after all this time."
Hana: "Nonsense. I've been happily living here for a long time. I even get to meet the people in the city everyday , talking and listening to them about their daily life. We also make our memories together with Iruka-chan."
Mizuki: "Then , what about your families ?"
Hana: "....."
Hana's expression turn into anger.
Hana: "Oh , those bastards ? They took away my parents over my careless mistake. In the end , they did got what they wanted of being immortal. So , I turned them into my eternal sacrifices for all the things they had done to me."
Mizuki: "The people that you love and the families that you hate , I understand your feelings....but you have to stop."
Hana: "What did you say ?..."
Mizuki: "Hana-chan....these people are no longer with the living. Their souls are trapped inside their crumbled body because they were under your control. You've already achieve your revenge for your parents and yet , you still refuse to let go your families out of resentment."
Hana begin to stomp down the stairs and reach closer to Mizuki.
Mizuki: "So please , let them go-"
Hana grab Mizuki's neck with both hands then choke her with anger.
Hana: "WHAT DO YOU KNOW ? YOU THINK I'LL FORGIVE THEM THAT EASILY AFTER WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH ?"
Mizuki: "!!?!"
Hana keep on choking her until she get unconscious. After she let go her hands off Mizuki's neck. She command the undead to hold her down then combine together with Mizuki engulf within them until they all turn into a circular blob.
Hana: "We'll speak again after I took care of your friends and rewrite your memories entirely."
As Mizuki were inside the blob , she continue to close her eyes in the dark blob. Then , she is awaken by a man in jinbei clothes looking at her as she lay on the wide grassy field.
Man in jinbei: "Mizuki..."
Mizuki: "You..."
Man in jinbei: "You have to wake up. Free those tormented souls from her control. So , get up and fight , Mizuki."
Mizuki: "...Ri...ka...."
Back to reality , Hana is going up the stairs when the blob suddenly burst out with wooden spikes.
Hana: "!!!"
When the wooden spikes retract , Mizuki appear to be bright with traces of glowing green light absorbed from outside into her back. Meanwhile at the city , Varmoth and the rest witnesses the nature that overtaken the city start to shrivel up into nothingness with many old buildings collapse.
In the mansion , some parts of Mizuki's body are covered with vines and beautiful flowers. She also could feel an immense amount of power within her. Then Hana summon another army of the undead out of the ground and they begin to apprehend her but Mizuki is able to push them away by summoning more wooden spikes. Mizuki focus on keep them away from her when one undead is grabbing her from behind which catching her off guard.
Mizuki: "Damn it."
She try to wiggle it off then the undead's head instantly decapitated by Katashi's blade as he's arrive on time.
Katashi: "You okay ?"
Mizuki: "I'm fine , thanks."
Katashi nod in respond then turn his eyes to Hana that stand before him. As Katashi and Hana lock their eyes to each other;
Katashi: "You're so beautiful."
Hana: "....."
Mizuki: ".....'
Hana: "Fuweh!?" ( O///O)
Mizuki: "Wha!?" ( O - O)
Mizuki pull his yukata with her forceful hand;
Mizuki: "What were you thinking ?" ( Ò - Ó)
Katashi: "Well , she's not ugly like the rest of these dead people."
Mizuki: "That's not the point." ( > - <)
While they're arguing , Hana is able to compose herself. Then , everyone are able to catch up to Mizuki and Katashi.
Hana: "I had enough of your game."
She raise her hand that is about to summon more undead armies.
Hana: "All of you , die!!!"
As the undead armies are summon , Mizuki use her spell to grow 2 giant flowers. When the flowers are blooming , it reload its seeds at the pollen area. Then it shoot the seeds like machine gun bullets toward the undead and died as the seeds went through their bodies.
Hana summon another wave of undead and they come out closer to Mizuki. They try to grab her but suddenly they're not able to move. Hana is confuse of the undead's sudden halt then she realize that many tree twigs are grown out of their bodies.
As the battle begin to intensifies , they are interfere by shaking ground.
Minami: "An earthquake ?"
Ibara: "No , someone is coming toward us."
Soon after , the left wall of the main hall were tore down by Iruka who is left with upper body while her stomach area is cut in half.
Varmoth: "Damn it , she still have some fight left in her."
Varmoth and Katashi rush toward Iruka and keeping her at bay but a bone spike sticking out of her chest area and she begin to shoot it out which it goes pass everyone except toward Sayaka. It reach close to her but Ibara pull her away so he could take the hit. The bone spike hit through his heart and pin him to the right wall of the main hall.
Sayaka: "Ibara-san!!!"
She run to him as he cough out blood. Despite that she want to save him , his injury is too severe and beyond saving so he rest his hand to the side of her face as she gently hold it;
Ibara: "I'm sorry...Sayaka. Continue...live on...with your family. You...are my last...hope."
He let out his last breath then his eyes close never to be open again. Tears begin to fall as Sayaka let out her sadness for Ibara's passing.
Hana: "Ibara...no..."
Hana start to emit the darkness out of her body while the undead including Iruka , scream as if they are in pain. Mizuki instantly act faster by putting her hand on the ground then Hana get hit by a grown tree which thrown her into the air.
When she fall down on her way to the ground floor , a sudden memory flash into her mind that she's walk along the street of the city while holding the hand of her father with her left hand and her mother with her right hand. They continue to walk along the road with joyous smiles until everything surrounding her begin to blur of lights.
"...Ha...."
"....Han....chan"
Mizuki: "Hana-chan..."
She's awaken from her dream then see Mizuki looking at her with worries. Then her eyes are wide open because she realize that she's previously thrown into the air and fall down to the ground floor. So , she try to move herself away from her but Mizuki is already approaching closer.
Hana: "No..."
She close her eyes in fear expecting to get hurt by Mizuki. But , she is surprise that she get hugs by her instead. Then , she see many souls gathered around her and they bow their head to say their thanks toward her. That is where she know that all people of Tenko are already long gone.
Hana let out her tears and cry in Mizuki's arms;
Hana: "I'm sorry....I'm really sorry..."
Her cries continue as the souls of the dead disappear and their rotting corpses disintegrated into ashes.
1 month later , 53 960 skeletal remains were found by the crime investigation squads from entire police department of Saga prefecture at the abandoned Tenko City.
Meanwhile at the cemetery in Imari , Sayaka clasps her hands together and pray in front of Ibara's grave to pay her respect and the safety of his passing. Then her youngest child come to her and ask as she finish her pray;
Nanoha: "Should we go now , mom ?"
Sayaka: "Yeah."
She hold the hand of her child and together , they leave the cemetery. Once they leave , Sayaka look into the blue sky as she remember to fulfill Ibara's promised that she will continue to live her life to the fullest with her family.
(End of Chapter 8)