The symbol on the colossus’s chest flickered—
weak, uneven, like a heart hitting its final beat.
And went dark.
The mech froze for a second,
like it was trying to hold onto whatever function it had left…
…but there was nothing left to hold.
The massive body jerked forward,
then back, like a tower that just lost its central bolt.
Metal inside groaned. The structure sagged.
The colossus began to fall. Slowly. Clumsily.
With no precision at all, like titanic scrap gravity had finally remembered to collect.
It dropped to one knee… then the other—
no control, no attempt to stabilize.
Both legs gave under the weight of the body,
joints bending the wrong way,
hydraulics letting out one last dying whine.
SHIRŌ–KAGE almost simultaneously pushed off its surface,
scattering outward like a swarm of white sparks before an explosion.
The mech tilted forward, twisted—
and collapsed backward.
The impact was monstrous.
Waves shot up dozens of feet,
crashed over the shore,
drowned half the island in heavy, filthy surges.
The ocean roared, like it was swallowing prey.
The colossus’s body began to sink—slowly—tons of metal descending like a dying giant finally laying down to sleep.
Bubbles surged upward.
Massive shadows churned beneath the surface.
The body kept going down—deeper—pulled under, like something below was dragging it.
Seaweed tendrils rose around it—slow, heavy—wrapped over the metal shell like a burial shroud.
One more moment and the giant disappeared beneath the surface.
All that remained—
foam,
then ripples,
then stillness.
Just the fading rings on the water,
until the ocean went smooth again—
like nothing had ever been there.
Another monument of Mülldeponie.
Another trash god
that didn’t have what it took
to stay above the surface.
White dots began surfacing across the water—
hundreds of tiny figures.
SHIRŌ–KAGE rose from the depths, pushing themselves upward with jets beneath the water, swimming toward the shore,
gliding along the waves, stepping onto land—
without a word.
Water streamed off their white masks, droplets settling on their frames like diamonds.
Not one of them dropped a blade. Not a single stance broke.
Each one emerged from the water
like it was part of a ritual.
They gathered on the island—
in circles, in lines, in perfect, unsettling geometry.
At the center stood Zeros—
no light in his eyes, heavy, almost lifeless.
SHIRŌ–KAGE surrounded him,
but no one raised a weapon.
They stood in silence, perfectly still, like a silent order waiting for a signal from their Zeros.
The wind swept away the salt mist.
The island went still.
Even the waves quieted.
And it felt like the whole world held its breath,
waiting for the next move.
Airi descended last, like a quiet angel of death,
who, despite the name, hadn’t saved the world…
but saved one idiot named Blindy.
Her heels touched the ground softly. Dust lifted in a light ring.
She smiled, tilting her head slightly:
“Buraindi-kun, I’m glad you’re alive and well. [❁´▽`❁]”
The smile vanished as quickly as it came—
like a flicker of light.
“But I see…
Zerosu-onī-chan still hasn’t come back to himself~ [◞‸◟]”
She turned.
The white army of SHIRŌ–KAGE stood in a perfect circle,
heads lowered, silent, like ritual guardians who had fulfilled their duty.
A warm, radiant smile spread across Airi’s face.
“Minna, yoku ganbatta ne, otōto-tachi~
Onee-chan wa minna no koto, daisuki da yo.
Kitto onii-sama mo, mezametara
minna no koto o hokori ni omou yo.
[・▽・]／＼[･▽･]”
SHIRŌ–KAGE didn’t move—
but something in the air shifted, like their internal cores answered her with a silent bow.