Dust drifted lazily through the destroyed station.
Mahito was still on the ground.
Still unable to use his cursed technique.
Still staring at the army surrounding him.
Takeru looked down at him.
Then suddenly—
he looked upward.
Not at the ceiling.
Past it.
Past the station.
Past reality itself.
Silence.
Then he pointed directly ahead.
"…hahaha…"
Mahito blinked.
"…What are you looking at?"
Takeru ignored him completely.
"Don't think you are getting off the hook, Mahito."
Long pause.
"We still have seven chapters left of this volume."
Even Yuji froze.
"…Wait."
Megumi slowly looked upward too.
"…Wait."
Hakari looked around in genuine confusion.
"…WAIT."
Takeru grinned.
"And I ain't wasting that."
Mahito:
"…What does that MEAN?!"
Then—
the shadows beneath Takeru spread.
Again.
And again.
And again.
BOOOOOM
Something emerged.
Megumi.
Except—
not normal Megumi.
This one had wheels turning behind him.
Shadows twisting around his feet.
He raised one hand.
Ten shadows appeared.
Then ten more.
Then ten more.
Mahito stared.
"…No."
Another figure appeared.
Naoya.
But faster.
Much faster.
The air itself distorted around him.
Another.
Higaruma.
Hammer in hand.
Another.
Nanami.
Another.
Hana.
Another.
And another.
And another.
Rows.
Lines.
Dozens.
Variants of everyone.
Copies.
Adapted versions.
Mahoraga wheels slowly turning behind all of them.
Mahito slowly looked left.
Then right.
Then left again.
"…Takeru."
Takeru smiled.
"…Yeah?"
Mahito pointed with a shaking hand.
"…Why is there a Mahoraga EVERYTHING?!"
Wheel.
Spin.
Wheel.
Spin.
Wheel.
Spin.
Outside the crowd—
Yuji slowly sat down.
"…I've stopped questioning things."
Megumi stared at the Megumi variant.
"…I'm uncomfortable."
Hakari pointed.
"…THERE IS LITERALLY A MAHORAGA NANAMI."
Nanami adjusted his glasses.
"…I dislike seeing myself multiplied."
Takeru looked over the army.
Nodded once.
"…Nice."
Then all of them looked at Mahito.
At once.
Silence.
Mahito:
"…Oh no."