At The Barrier's Edge

✧₊⁺

Under the ashen sky where a fight was taking place with the fate of the Digiscape hanging in the balance, Kururu and Tǒng had a similarly important mission of their own to achieve in the city. Protecting the Eternals was of the utmost importance. Were they to fall to Blackheart’s hordes, the entire mission would be for naught.

The dynamic duo hopped off the subway and climbed the stairs where the residential district awaited them. Kururu was more fired up than usual after having been briefed on Barnes’ genocidal plans. A friend's trust was also the sort of thing that she couldn’t compromise on, and she was determined to see this through to the end, for Jiro’s sake and everyone else’s.

“This place is a wasteland, I guess they really were able to get everyone inside on time.” Kururu sighed in relief. “That should make this a little easier. 留意任何奇怪的东西。”

The pink-haired heroine told her companion to keep an eye out for danger, her hands on her hips. She took in the sight of a massive blue wall in front of her. The residential district was on a slight incline so you could see the Songbird's barrier, and the entire battlefield just outside the city.

On it, a dense cluster of monsters fought Hunters and Barnes’s security drones who circled the area to provide air support. The vanguard was holding off the wave for the time being, but with each Hunter that was slain, they would take time to respawn and the horde would press closer to the barrier.

From what she and Tǒng could tell, the onslaught of cybernetic bugs and other creatures was endless and such a wave could quickly overwhelm the district. Even with most of the populace taking shelter indoors.

“Auntie Aya, Auntie Aya!”

They heard a small voice calling out for help around the corner, a lost child. Kururu and Tǒng exchanged confused looks. It was almost time for the barrier to go down, and there shouldn’t have been anyone on the street. Bewildered, they ran to check out the source, and Kururu was shocked by what she saw.

There was a young boy who rubbed the tears from his eyes in an alleyway, looking up at the source of the first voice he had heard in some time.

“Hey kid, what are you doing alone out here? Where’s your parents?” Kururu knelt down, wondering how he had been missed in the chaos of everyone taking shelter. “There, there. No need to cry, my friend and I don’t bite.”

“I was with my Auntie Aya, a-and…” The boy’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re… that magic lady! Who saved our old town, aren’t you?”

Kururu came to the sudden realization that she, in fact, knew this boy.

“Your name wouldn't happen to be Ryo, would it?”

“You… remember me??”

Kururu nodded with a gentle smile. The child who lost his mother in the attack on Placita when she became an abnormal, he was the first life the magical girl was able to save. But what was he doing here? She wondered that to herself.

The old her would have felt some measure of guilt for failing to save his mother, or even have had second thoughts relating to what Eternals actually are. But Kururu Ururaka had changed. In this young boy, she saw only a precious young life that needed to be protected.

“It’s dangerous out here, Ryo-kun, let’s get you somewhere where you can take cover until we can find your aunt, okay?” Kururu patted the child on the head and held out her hand for him to hold. “Fear not, you’ll be escorted by a real magical girl. And don’t let his wacky appearance fool you, my friend here is like a knight in shining armor.”

The boy, Ryo, looked at Tǒng with distrust at first.

“Good friends!” Tǒng exclaimed, gesturing to himself and Kururu with the OK hand symbol. “Take these, cool kid.”

The barrel-chested man proceeded to take off his sunglasses and offered them to Ryo as a sign of goodwill. After a bit more hesitation, the boy’s worry finally melted and he smiled, the offer had won him over.

“You look super rad, Ryo-kun!”

With sunglasses donned, Ryo and Kururu walked hand-in-hand through the residential streets looking for someplace that would house the boy until the fighting began. However—perhaps out of fear—nobody would answer the door and accept another body, no matter what Kururu tried to tell them.

“No one’s answering, and we can’t fight like this…”

“I’m sorry, lady.” Ryo kicked a rock, feeling bad for sidetracking them.

“Ah, don’t feel bad.” Kururu rubbed the back of her neck apologetically. “We just need the RNG Gods to smile upon us.”

“这栋房子看起来很有希望。” Tǒng pointed at a duplex, suggesting they try it.

While there were countless more houses to check, they had reached the end of the street and their time was running low. Jiro and Thresh had to be quickly approaching their destination, or so they thought.

Kururu knocked on the first door of the duplex and there wasn’t an answer, like before, so she tried the second one. Tapping her side, she waited until she finally heard footsteps. They quickly approached.

A woman threw open the door, looking sick with worry.

“Ryo!?” The woman gasped.

“Auntie Aya!?” Ryo let go of Kururu’s hand and dove into the woman’s arms, wailing as he did. “Auntie Aya!”

“Ryo, I was worried sick! How many times have I told you not to wander outside by yourself??”

Kururu smiled satisfactorily, thanking the RNG Gods in her head.

Meanwhile, the woman hugged her nephew tight, her eyes panning up to meet Kururu’s.

“Wait, I recognize you!” Aya exclaimed. “You’re one of the Hunters that was there when my sister… b-but you’ve saved my Ryo again. I don’t know how I can repay you...”

“No thanks necessary, Aya-san, that’s what a magical girl does.” Kururu smiled triumphantly. “Is this your home?”

“No, actually. We were in the neighborhood when the warning message rang out from the Director. People were pretty calm at first, but then we saw those bugs getting closer, and the panic started. I’ve never seen so many…” Aya said, looking anxious. Kururu tried not to make a face when the Director was mentioned. “But then a lady and her daughter saw us and welcomed us in. This is her friend’s place. They’ve both been so kind...”

“Just stay inside for now, we’re gonna take care of things here,” Kururu said before coming to a realization. “Wait, did you say a mother and daughter were—“

“—You doing alright out there, Aya?” A voice sounded from inside the duplex.

“Yes, Yuna, these two Hunters brought Ryo back to me. Can you believe our good luck?” Aya chuckled, putting a hand over her chest in relief.

A thought struck Kururu.

Wait, Yuna was the name of Cowboy’s Eternal friend…

A brunette emerged to peek out the door. Attached to her leg was a young girl who looked largely similar but with shorter hair, likely her daughter. Most strikingly, however, was the blue butterfly hair clip the child wore.

“Holy moly, it’s you guys!” Kururu pointed her index finger at Yuna, a smile spreading across her face. “What are the odds, huh?”

“It’s ‘who’ guys??” Yuna replied, scratching her head.

“Sorry, I’m bad at first impressions.” Kururu pumped the brakes, clearing her throat. “Kururu Ururaka, at your service. I’m a friend of Cowboy—erm—Jiro’s. He told me to look out for you guys and keep you safe, and here you are!”

“Wait, you know Jiro-bo, for real!?” Yuna stood, mouth agape. But then her face fell into a bitter smile. “I thought... Well, I thought I did something to hurt him real bad before. When he ran off. So this is a bit of a surprise. Where is he? Don’t tell me he’s with all those Hunters fighting the bugs…”

“Well…” He was off somewhere even more dangerous, but Kururu decided not to tell Yuna that. “I’m sure he’s alright, wherever he is, but he told me to pass on a message if I saw you.”

“A message?”

“He says he has something to apologize for when this is all over, and that he wants to see you again to tell you himself,” Kururu said. “I’m not one to pry, but… do you know what he might mean?”

“…Maybe.” Yuna smiled to herself knowingly. “You tell Jiro-bo to get his butt over here as soon as he can. So I can forgive him proper-like, and confess something of my own. Can you do that for me, Kururu-chan?”

Kururu raised an eyebrow but ignored her urge to question further before nodding.

“Sure can, Yuna-san.”

“And what’s barrel guy’s story?” Yuna looked over at Tǒng who was standing off to the side stoically, not being able to actively partake in their girl talk.

“Well, if you ask him, he’ll probably say he likes it.” Kururu winked at Tǒng who flashed a thumbs up in return.

A deafening roar interrupted their moment as the two Hunters noticed the barrier flickering. It was finally show time. With a wave goodbye to Yuna and the others, Kururu and Tǒng went back to their staging position closer to the blue wall.

Their backs to the residential district, the two held their weapons tight as they felt the power surging deep within them. Blue morpho butterflies came down from the sky, swirling around the two in a vortex of blue light.

As the barrier and vanguard both fell simultaneously—after losing Autumn’s power—the horde charged in through the first opening they saw at the two Hunters who would be tasked to turn them back.

“Here to be the brightest star in the darkest night…”

Staff pointed at her enemies, empowered by the energy bestowed upon her by the Songbird, Kururu began her chant.