The attack caused not possession, but a fatal wound, and both Yasuaki and Nishi knew they would not survive.

“I’m sorry, my beloved daughter. I couldn’t protect you after all,” Yasuaki said, dying.

“That’s all right… Father,” Nishi replied, also dying. “At least Mayadenava didn’t possess my body. I’d rather die than live in everlasting nightmares. For that, I thank you.”

Yasuaki replied, “Ah, I’m relieved. Now, let’s go hand-in-hand to the afterlife, as father and daughter.”

Nishi smiled, “That’s a good idea. At last, we’re finally together, Father…”

The fated father and daughter left this world together in a warm embrace, kneeling with their faces smiling.

The death of Yasuaki and Junishi Abe had left Shingo and his friends devastated. Shiori’s eyes were swollen with tears as she covered her mouth with both hands and buried her head into Shingo’s embrace. She couldn’t find the words to express the anguish she felt. “Why must such a fate befall her?” she sobbed.

Shingo, trying to provide some solace, whispered, “Maybe that’s her destiny, to be reunited with her father for eternity in the afterlife. And she has saved Yasuaki’s soul. That was a feat only a few could accomplish.”

But the group didn’t have time to grieve for too long.

Mayadenava’s soul was still lurking around, and the team needed to be alert. “Are you done mourning?” it sneered. “Because you’re lowering your guards, fools! I won’t feel good possessing sitting ducks!”

Ryonoken, who was always ready for a fight, retorted, “Oh, we’re as ready as ever, devil alien. We just half-hoped that you attacked us when we were feinting vulnerability.”

Chiyo added, “Alas, you were such a genius not to fall into that elaborate trap. But hey, the machine’s still up and running. When it’s fully charged again, you can say goodbye to Everna and home sweet home to the Black Hole-and-chains.”

Mayadenava, not one to back down, replied, “Not if I can help it! I still have enough power to gain a new body! As for now, none is more suitable than the one who dealt the final blow to me!”

As everyone argued and prepared themselves, Shingo noticed something odd about Mayadenava’s wound. It was nowhere to be seen, even though it had been severed just moments before. The team had overlooked it in the chaos of the fight, but now they knew that the demon still had some tricks up its sleeve.

But Shingo and his friends were not going to let Mayadenava win. With their cards laid out on the table, Mariko declared, “Here it is, the full house. Come on, fellas! Let’s pump our energy into the machine to send Mayadenava back to where he was found in space.”

Gale added, “Let’s do our best so Nishi and Yasuaki’s spilled lives won’t be a waste.”

And Keiji informed, “Look, Nishi. In light of your heroism, the GI agents along with the Yakuza have successfully taken over the whole complex.”

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With the energy gauge full and Styrx’s brain-machine ready, Mayadenava’s soul realized that it had fallen into a trap. “Fools!” it yelled. “You deliberately let your guard down for that? As I said, I don’t mind staying in a mundane body now! Embrace me, your new master and host! Shingo Amiga!”

Shingo was taken aback by Mayadenava’s words, but he stayed calm. He had a plan in mind and was ready to sacrifice himself. However, Shiori had a different plan. She stood in front of Shingo and Mayadenava’s soul, and without any hesitation, plunged a sharp object into her body. Mayadenava was shocked, and it moved through Shiori’s body toward Shingo’s.

With a fierce cry, Mayadenava’s soul entered Shingo’s body, possessing him entirely. Shingo screamed in agony, but he didn’t resist when Mayadenava used soul-separating energy to tear his soul from his body.

Instead, Shingo’s soul flew out from his body using the machine’s energy and entered the nearest available body of the most suitable and identical person to him.

The bizarre turn of events continued as Shiori’s and Mayadenava’s souls vanished into Shingo’s body.

But what happened next was even more incredible. Mariko sprang into action, moving quickly to heal the deep wounds on Shiori’s body. She was horrorstruck on sensing something in Shiori’s aura, and mournful tears started to roll out from her eyes.

Meanwhile, Mayadenava, now in Shingo’s body, felt invincible, ready to eliminate all the pesky rats and linger in this world. But then something strange happened. Mayadenava began to feel paralyzed, unable to move or even speak properly.

“What’s happening to me?” Mayadenava asked, confused. “I thought by acquiring this body, my soul would be free from this machine’s effect.”

Ryonoken replied calmly, “Is that so? Don’t you realize that anything that affects you or your soul affects human beings too?”

Yasuaki, who had trapped them in the machine earlier, had extracted their energy by force to free and summon Mayadenava. Mariko, still focused on healing Shiori’s wounds, shared a piece of supernatural information that Yasuaki’s soul had conveyed to her. After the soul separation procedure, the machine was automatically set to possessing.

“What’s that and what’s its purpose?” Gale inquired.

“Yasuaki originally wanted to possess Mayadenava’s power by expelling the demon’s soul from the vessel,” Mariko explained. “But the plan failed, and Yasuaki lost his life as a result. So, his soul contacted me and told me the way to defeat Mayadenava in his own game.”

Keiji spoke up, “And now, Mayadenava, go back to the only place you belong to!”

Mayadenava, still struggling to move, protested, “W-what’s this light? No, I don’t want to go back! Curse you, the Source! Curse you Everna for resisting me! I curse you all for eternity!”

The machine finished its process by turning Shingo’s body into a ball of fire and shooting it out from the Infinity Tower rooftop.