The conclusion was clear as day.
From Soyo and Rakuna's earlier appearances, it was obvious Shoko wasn't invincible. So, the only reason Nero's devastating strike had failed to leave a mark boiled down to one thing: the real Toyokawa Shoko wasn't here. The "annihilation" standing before him was just a hollow phantom, and her fusion with the demon Nanna ran far deeper than Nero had imagined.
The only way to hurt her was to attack the very world itself. But inside this world? That was next to impossible. Nero had sliced through space with Yamato multiple times, and the only time Shoko had taken a hit was when Little Ace interfered from the outside.
Attacking her clone? Useless. Cutting space? Pointless. Destroying buildings? A waste of time. To take Shoko down, Nero needed power capable of striking the "world" itself—power to cleave the entire realm with Yamato. Without that, no amount of destruction, no matter how wild or reckless, would touch the source.
If Nero could suddenly awaken as a full-fledged demon and unleash Yamato's true potential, maybe—just maybe—he could pull it off. But there was a problem: this world was shielded by a massive, unyielding barrier, and its master still hadn't shown their face.
In other words, right now, Toyokawa Shoko was untouchable.
"Finally seeing the big picture, huh?"
Shoko rose from her curtsey, a sly smile playing on her lips as she addressed Nero. "Pity, though. I gave you a chance, and you turned it down. So…"
The three enemies Nero had sent into the chaotic spatial rift—where they should've been torn to shreds—the Demon Pillars, the Savior, and the prideful demonized version of Shoko herself, reappeared at her side.
With an icy smile, Shoko extended a polite yet venomous invitation: "So, why don't you just sink into this world and become a part of me?"
It looked like the game was over. No comeback in sight.
Nero stood silently across from Shoko, his mind racing for a way to break through.
To say there was no way to beat her would be a lie, but the conditions were brutal. The key to turning the tide, naturally, lay in the most mysterious and powerful weapon in Nero's arsenal—
Yamato. The demon blade that had once separated the human and demon worlds, sealing the passage between them. Its power wasn't just about "cutting the world" but the very concept of separation made manifest.
This blade could divide more than just space or worlds. Material or spiritual, visible or invisible—Yamato could split it all in two. In fact, Soyo's weapon, "Scotty," was basically a watered-down, super-weak knockoff of Yamato's power.
In another timeline's future, the blade's original wielder, Vergil, had realized the true nature of this power and used it to cleave himself in two, splitting into distinct demonic and human halves. So, in theory, Nero could pull off something similar with Toyokawa Shoko.
If he could get Yamato to touch the demon Nanna's body, he might even be able to carve Shoko out of their fusion. But that was a pipe dream for now. A more realistic shot would be catching the phantom carrying Shoko's consciousness and using Yamato to temporarily separate her from Nanna, letting him take her out solo.
But that plan was riddled with problems. Shoko was the master of this blood-moon world, and from what she'd shown, she could pop up anywhere she pleased. Nero had no chance of getting his blade close enough to land a hit.
And without direct contact, any plan to split and defeat her was dead in the water.
At least… if Nero was doing this alone, it was impossible.
He glanced down at the battlefield below. Tomori still hadn't regained her strength, Rikichi was barely holding on, and Soyo and Rakuna were nearly drowned in an endless tide of demons—made worse by the demons Shoko had pulled from their memories joining the fray.
None of the four had a way to break the stalemate.
"Almathea!"
But at that moment, a piercing cry rang out. The one Nero had been waiting for—the one who could turn the tide—had finally arrived.
As Anon shouted her weapon's name, a pure golden shield studded with colorful gems materialized in her hand. The gems lit up one by one, and layered, multicolored transparent barriers unfurled around her, slicing through the demons' ranks. The three surrounded fighters felt the pressure lift, and after dispatching nearby enemies, they turned to Anon in shock.
Anon stood at the heart of the countless barriers, smiling as she extended a hand to Tomori, who lay on the ground, wide-eyed with astonishment. "C'mon, Little Tomori. Let's do this together."
That smile was like the first ray of spring sunlight for Tomori, who'd been trapped by her own wishes, curled up in the depths of her heart.
Anon had perfectly shattered the "curse" binding Tomori's soul. If Tomori believed her wishes had caused her friends' suffering, then Anon would overwrite it with an even stronger wish. Using the precious wish she held so dear, Anon gave Tomori the strength to fight back against the curse.
If it's like this, I can stand again. As long as Anon's here, the pain Shoko went through won't happen again.
Tomori believed in Anon's words and reached out to take her hand.
Their hands clasped.
Pulled to her feet by Anon, Tomori stood once more beneath the night sky. She raised her hand, clipping the sapphire earring onto her right earlobe, and gave her watching comrades a shy smile.
"Guys, I'm back."
"Jeez, do you know how long I've been waiting?!" Rikichi, tears of joy in her eyes, raised her bow again, aiming at the barrier above. "Hey, you! Drop the barrier and get ready to watch me and Tomori steal the show!"
"Parthenope!" Tomori raised both hands, grasping the staff that appeared out of thin air, adorned with twin eagle claws and wings.
The wings at the staff's tip snapped open, lifting Tomori into the air.
"Who're you calling 'you'?! Be specific!" Anon griped, but her hands didn't stop moving. She recalled her barriers into the shield, just as a deep purple rocket shot into the sky.
Soaring beneath the red moon, Tomori watched the rocket split apart, its countless arrows raining down toward the ground. She took a deep—
Deep breath.