Division-A

Episode Thirty Seven. (August 2nd, 2123. Division-A, Northeast District.)

Akino forced his feet forward then dropped to his knees in front of Miki's dead body and Yukino, who wailed above him. He watched as the shine in Miki's eyes faded and his bruised skin went cold. Not willing to accept the truth, Akino hovered his palm above Miki's open mouth. Despite any hopes Akino may have had, Miki was in fact dead. Akino's body went limp as he lowered his head onto Miki, crying on his chest.

Sakagami knelt beside Akino, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tight as she fought back tears herself. Makina stood behind them, her eyebrows arched close in sympathy as she watched another comrade be pulled away from her. Hideyo stepped around Yukino and approached Miki's body, bending over to close his pained eyes.

"You should know that... he never gave up," Hideyo said to Akino, who was still mourning on his chest. "Miki was the first one to walk out the door." Akino opened his tearful eyes, surprised. "He was the first to master the jetpacks, the first to pursue a plan to rescue you. He never once lost the drive to bring you back, Akino."

Akino pushed himself off Miki and knelt beside Sakagami, who still had his hand. He wiped his tears with the others, sniffling as Yukino took her turn to cry on him. "Why...? I don't understand," he expressed. "I did nothing to be a good friend to him, why would he do this- sacrifice himself?"

"He probably didn't intend to." Hideyo looked back at Miki's peaceful expression as he laid in the sand. "He wanted to live on till the very end, till Division-A was what we imagined it would be." She paused, glancing at his bullet wound. "I imagine that the adrenaline kept him alive long enough to bring you to safety."

Sakagami tilted her head onto Akino's shoulder as more tears strung down his face. His cheeks were tinted red, his eyes were reflective and puffy as he cried. He grabbed Miki's hand and squeezed it tight as a goodbye. Sakagami offered a brief smile as he did so, realizing that her method of comfort and reassurance carried on through the others.

"I'm sorry, Akino... Yukino," Makina apologized, keeping her distance. "He fought till the very end. Although, this isn't the end for us. We will keep fighting with him, Asuka, and Kiku in our memories. We live on because they gave their lives for us to do so."

Yukino wiped her eyes then stared at Akino, her hair disheveled and makeup smeared. "Hear that, Akino? Slacker, Asuka, Kiku... they died for you. They reside inside of you now." Akino's eyes widened, the immense pressure building as she continued. "You, we, have to succeed." She stopped to wiped her running nose. "We have to kill Matoi."

"What...?" Akino blurted out, horrified.

Makina came closer and patted Akino on the back, gripping his shoulder. "She's at fault for this," Makina blamed, her tone low and disappointed. "You're going to go through the other districts to kill Compactors and guide the people to safety. Meanwhile, Matoi and I will be off somewhere else... fighting to the death."

Akino shook his head, refuting her plan. "There's other people working with her. You can't! Do you see what they've done to Kiku and Miki? One shot and they're dead, Omega or not!"

"I have no choice, that's a risk I must take," Makina admitted. "Miki was a human, Kiku was on Stage One; Matoi and I aren't, so I should be fine."

"All the more reason we shouldn't split up," Akino declared. "You're our strongest ally, we'll get killed without you around. Also, if your plan is to fight Matoi by yourself, then it'll be you versus an army." Akino jumped up and grabbed Makina by the shoulders, his face riddled with a desperate yearning.

"Division-A is near total collapse," Sakagami interrupted, enlightening her son. "The Compactors have leveled nearly everything on the surface, forcing any survivors to take shelter underground. The only district that's still populated with living people is the Southwest peninsula. Other than that, we have nothing."