Well, if we're keeping the chopsticks as our personal weapon, I feel no guilt over this.
-------
Dust swirls around the now-desolate wasteland that used to be a forest. The corpses of Antagonists and Valkyries alike litter the ground, stretching all the way to the walls of Perth.
For the first time in what seemed like weeks, but was in actuality only the span of a few hours, there is silence.
In the center of this destruction is critically-damaged form of the Valkyrie Durga. The once smooth, black plates that served as its frame have been torn apart, revealing the battered body of a young girl. Her eyes are completely destroyed, blood flowing from the sockets in rivulets. One arm hangs limply, completely useless.
Beneath her unsheathed halberd is the being responsible for the scene of carnage - a Type-0, Class A Antagonist that had single-handedly slaughtered two full squadrons of Valkyries until she had stepped in.
Five battered frames approach, two in particularly recklessly landing at near full speed.
"A-Anna!" From one of them, a male voice cries out in panic, discarding the broken sword in hand as he draws near the center. His closest friend in a red frame (that would have looked quite pretty if it weren't riddled with bullet holes and scorch marks) is not far behind.
He gently cradles the body of his comrade. The band holding her ponytail had come off during the fight, and her hair sprayed out like a fan in his arms.
She stirs. "K-Koujirou?"
"Y-yeah! It's me! Anna, you did it, you saved us! Come on, let's get you back for treatment!"
"Unn..." She pauses, and from the corner of her eyes, she sees the frame of her rival and friend. "S-Setsuna..."
"Save you breath, idiot!"
"Come here... before I forget." To everyone's shock, Anna smiles gently, weakly gesturing her over. Setsuna approaches cautiously, her mind in turmoil.
It couldn't be. Anna was invincible. A monster. There's no way she could d-d-die!
"Gimme your hand."
Setsuna, unwilling to disobey, reaches out of her frame, grasping the one Anna raised. The feeling of smooth, polished bamboo is pressed into her palm.
"Eh?"
It was a pair of vaguely familiar-looking chopsticks. They shined in the light of the setting sun, and somehow Setsuna had the feeling that they contained some kind of strange, incredible power. But from the little bunnies that graced the tops of them, she recognized them as hers.
The ones that Anna had 'confiscated.' She had forgotten.
"I...I wanted to give them back, but I couldn't find the right timing for it...sorry. I made some...improvements..."
Her voice was getting softer now. Slower. "Thanks...for being my friend." She shut her eyes.
"No...Anna! NO! Wake up, Anna! WAKE UP!" Tears welled up in her eyes, while Koujirou stood there stiffly in shock, uncomprehending the situation.
This can't be. It can't be real. Please...Anna...
The sound of soft snoring snapped her out of the depressive spiral of thoughts that had started to overwhelm her.
"Muguu...noo....no more bread...stop..."
"S-Setsu..."
"....L-Let's just go home........."
