A Person Precious to Me

As Mahoro and Ryuga face off in the final battle they both planned for, each has a person waiting for them: Suguru back at the Misato house and Sara in the SAINT spaceship in Earth orbit. Looking at the planet, Sara can't help but think about the irony of the way SAINT's ages-long quest for contact with another civilization has turned out, with mankind's response being the "most primitive" - war. For her own part, Mahoro again makes it clear that, although her original reason for deciding to live in the human world was to serve penance, in the months since, she has come to genuinely enjoy her existence within the ties of friendship that go along with being human. To the end, though, she also understands that there can be no other resolution to the opposition between her and Ryuga, and so, the battle is on. With her strength and capacity severely diminished after she was decomissioned, Mahoro is able to hold Ryuga off, but it is very obvious that the battle is not being fought on equal terms. As she exhausts her ammunition, without inflicting any noticeable damage, it is clear that if she is to survive, Mahoro must resort to far more drastic means. It is at this time, too, that Suguru, waking from a short nap in his room, comes downstairs and discovers a set dinner...and Mahoro's farewell letter. Within seconds, his mind is set; he needs to be wherever she is, regardless of what happens. Slash resists briefly, but cannot do so any further after Suguru explicitly invokes his status as Mahoro's - and by extension, his - "master," and issues a direct order to be taken to the location of the duel. Even though weakened, Mahoro still has a few tricks up her sleeve. A personal shielding system offers some protection, at least against projectiles, while several explosive charges, uniquely shaped like throwing knives to deceive an opponent destroy the building and force the fight outside, where Mahoro can draw on the power of one of her last remaining weapons. The anti-substance rail gun she fields really is a last-ditch weapon: cumbersome to fire, and requiring so much power that for a few seconds, the entire city power grid is drained. Of course it isn't like Mahoro is in a position to choose... ...Except, when the smoke clears, and Ryuga is still standing there, despite all hopes and expectations, Mahoro's options have in fact been exhausted. And whatever will be, will be...